• Inside the Antigua Bubble

    Inside the Antigua Bubble

    20140621-133116-48676671.jpg20140621-133114-48674488.jpg

    20140621-133115-48675216.jpg

    20140621-133112-48672941.jpg

    20140621-133117-48677224.jpg

    20140621-133113-48673623.jpg

    20140621-133116-48676055.jpg

    20140621-133112-48672252.jpg

    I’ve been in Guatemala about two days now. Really, Thursday was just a travel day to Guatemala… Yesterday and today have been “in” Guatemala.”

    First Impressions

    Arriving was really simple. Just a short three hours from Dallas, the airport and finding my ride to Antigua was very simple.

    After about an hour drive I arrived in Antigua, the tourist destination of the country. The hotel I picked, the Hotel San Rafael, is luxurious. It’s a giant house that has a handful of hotel rooms on the lower level.

    Yesterday, I walked nearly the entire day. My hotel is right in the middle of everything, and after a 3 hour walking tour I got confident and started exploring. For someone who doesn’t really walk a lot every day this was quite a shock to the system… Between the miles of exploring the city and market areas and the cobblestone, my ankles and feet were really sore.

    This morning, still sore, I went back to the market to explore some more… It’s really fascinating, there must be 500 vendor stalls where you can find anything from fresh produce to live chicks to used clothing.

    The Bubble

    Yesterday, my guide Alexander, shared how Antigua is a bubble. Because of the tourist industry there is low unemployment, high literacy rate, and relatively low numbers of children per family. But outside of the bubble of Antigua? The real Guatemala is another story… One which I’m intrigued to start telling in a couple days.

    The Tourish Life

    Tomorrow I cash in my luxury hotel for a room at a seminary back in Guatemala City.

    I came a few days early for two specific reasons.

    First, I have been too efficient. I fly in, do my thing, and fly out. Not only does that mean I don’t get to enjoy the awesome places I’m traveling, it means I barely know them.

    Second, I’m aware of the words of pastors in Haiti where I’ve spent so much time. They IMPLORE visitors to not just come to their countries and work with the poorest of the poor. I am honoring them by seeing the best their country has to offer.

    More to come… Looking forward to my transition from tourist to storyteller tomorrow.

  • Youth Worker, You Need a Life

    Youth Worker, You Need a Life

    I know far too many youth workers who need to get a life. 

    • No friends their own age.
    • Can’t carry on a decent, adult conversation.
    • Their lives revolve around their church. (their employer)
    • If they are married and/or have kids, they spend most of their free time with their family.

    This is a recipe for disaster. Loneliness. Burnout. Sinful habits. In other words, if you don’t get a life outside of your job… you’re not going to be qualified to stay in ministry for long enough to call it a career. 

    (more…)

  • To Create Enmity

    To Create Enmity

    Enmity – noun – the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.

    The english word enmity is based on the latin word “inimicus,” plainly translated as enemy. 

    (more…)

  • When should I allow my children to get a social media account?

    When should I allow my children to get a social media account?

    In the past 6 months I’ve spoken to dozens of parent groups, seeking to build understanding between parent and child about social media.

    The highlight, for most parents, is an unlimited free-for-all Q&A.

    Without fail, a parent will ask me… “What is the right age to allow my child to get [insert social media app name]?”

    The answer is simple: Thirteen.

    (more…)

  • Off to Guatemala

    Off to Guatemala

    Next week I leave for an 8 day trip to Guatemala. I’ll spend the first 3 days in the tourist town of Antigua where I’ll be exploring, learning about Guatemala’s history, and getting my bearings. Then on Sunday I’ll head to Guatemala City to meet up with a team from Praying Pelican Missions, I’ll be embedded with a short term mission team from the States as they work alongside a local church, building a fruit/veggie stand for the pastor and doing some kids ministry.

    (more…)

  • Pussyfoot

    Pussyfoot

    You know what’s frustrating about blogging, right now?

    Pussyfooting.

    (more…)

  • Open Expands Again!

    Open Expands Again!

    Three and a half years ago I had an informal chat with Jeff Keuss and Brian Aaby about trying out a new idea in Seattle.

    The core idea was simple. “What would happen if we flipped the current youth ministry training event model on it’s head?”

    (more…)

  • In Youth Ministry 60% is an A

    In Youth Ministry 60% is an A

    Being a volunteer in youth ministry is a grind. Brian Berry, the high school pastor at our church, explained it like this: “Working with high school students is often like putting in the foundation in a house. Lots of holes get dug, lots of wire gets run, lots of important stuff happens… but you aren’t usually there when the big, visible stuff happens.”

    (more…)

  • Literal Pastor Titles

    Literal Pastor Titles

    The other day I got the giggles thinking about the absurdity of the titles people get at multi-staff churches. Sure, these titles describe a role. But it also says something about what the other pastors don’t have to do because that person is on staff.

    Literal Pastor Titles: What They Really Mean…

    (more…)

  • Big Life, Small Life

    Big Life, Small Life

    Big Life

    From mid-January until last weekend I was on the road 53 days, something like 41,000 miles. Sitting next to someone on a plane or having lunch with a friend, inevitably I’ll hear, “So you travel a lot. That must be a lot of fun, right?”

    (more…)