Christmas, etc.
The long awaiting
Calloused and dusty feet Wandering foreign earth Searching for Eden's garden soil Stolen before your birth Every desire you chase Pales against Eden's own Beauty gone wrong cannot belong Till you are finally home Hands that have borne our Hope Laying him in the grave Grasping at Eden's fallen leaves As they are blown away Glory must have its weight Hidden by tomb and stone Three midnights mark a glorious dark Till you are finally home Bleeding and broken heart Be not afraid to beat Hear how the resurrection drum Rises from love's defeat Sorrow will yield to sky Grave will give way to throne Each tear it cries, love satisfies Till you are finally home -A Glorious Dark, Gregory Coles
It’s only been in the last two weeks I’ve felt settled back home.
The time between returning from the States and Christmastime has felt like a painfully long waiting game. Most of my work has been in preparation for things happening after the new year and very little satisfaction in tying a nice bow on a finished project before the holidays. I think around this time last year I felt the same sentiment, and I think for most believers we experience some kind of seasonal, sensitive yearning for Christ’s birth. If I’m being honest, Christmastime doesn’t hold as significant a place in my mind as it does some- that might be growing up in a predominantly faithless country where Christmas celebration was overtaken by the New Year, or the hyper-commercialization that’s driven me to see Christmas and Christmas as two very different holidays. That being said, Sufjan Steven’s Christmas albums and a warm cup of Glögg are two pleasures I do reserve for this time of year.
During my time in the States I received notice of a retreat that was being hosted by the TeachBeyond Global office in Horsham, England the week after my return to Albania. Paired with a few days we had holiday for Albanian independence, a cheap flight, and couches to sleep on, I took a short trip to travel how I love best- people focussed and agenda-free. Being in Horsham was a great chance to connect with the larger community serving at Euro international schools with TeachBeyond. Since all of my onboarding with the organization happened online, this was really my first chance to meet a lot of the folks I’ve only known from email correspondence and zoom calls. It ended up being an opportune time to interact with other TeachBeyond members who work in advancement/recruitment and have been able to help me wrap my head around some of the projects I’ve been working on in this new role. A significant factor in me staying at GDQ was how accommodating and supportive TeachBeyond is of their members, and I’m extra lucky to have their support in my professional development with this new position at the school.
I have 2 main projects I’ve been working on since my return- building an alumni association and organizing for the 30th anniversary celebration of GDQ. While some of the work is tediously trying to track down 30 years worth of alumni emails, reconnecting with people and building working relationships have been redeeming factors of the role. It’s often in the mundane daily grind that I lose sight of what my ‘place’ in missions really is. I sensed this last year when I’d spend hours putting away checked-in library books and I sense it now staring at a spreadsheet of names and emails, is this what people expect you to be doing when they’re supporting your ministry?
I think sometimes our idea of what ‘missions’ is blown out of proportion and ends up putting a lot of pressure on us as individuals to look at our missional lives as more works based than maybe is helpful for how we approach holistically missional lives. I’ll admit, there’s a frustrating pressure I feel that I don’t have any life changing stories for you, no photos of myself as a good samaritan or bearing someone else’s cross. I wonder how much of young people’s hesitancy to join the mission field comes from thinking it’s a lot more performance based than it actually is. The truth is, most of my mission is pretty mundane, and the beauty is how God is able to multiply the crumbs of service and turn them into an abundance of blessing I probably know nothing about. As much as I feel I write these updates through gritted teeth admitting not much has changed in my work with GDQ, I'm reaffirmed by how God invites us into ministering as his ambassadors in more than just our day-job. I’m reminded that I have the opportunity to live missionally in every realm of life with your prayerful support, and I’m grateful for how that’s impacted my confidence in prayer, interacting with the world, my work, and my life outside of that. There’s a great freedom I think God gives us in being his children- none of our ministry is justified by our works, and it’s all done on His strength and because of His orchestration. I was grateful to see that happen in Horsham.
I wanted to make you aware of a couple financial matters as I look forward in my ministry with GDQ and, more broadly, walking with Christ on the field wherever he leads. If you aren’t a financial supporter of mine and feel called to contribute, I’d love to talk with you!
With a more mid/long-term lens on the horizon, I’m sensing my work on the mission field is only just beginning. When I first reached out about financial support for a one-year project at GDQ I was grateful that TeachBeyond allowed me to cut off quite a bit of the financial ‘trimmings’ (medical/life insurance, student loan payments, retirement) that would prevent me from raising the support I needed to just get in-country. As I look forward, I’m hoping to raise an additional $500 in monthly support to compensate for a decrease in some monthly giving and to cover some of those ‘trimmings’ I initially neglected to raise funds for. If you are able to support me with a recurring monthly contribution of $50, $75, or $100, I would greatly appreciate your consideration.
During my time at Wheaton this fall I had a chance to meet with the chair behind the M.A. Leadership European Initiative. After hearing a bit about the program and scholarship opportunities that would cut tuition by 75%, I’ve decided to apply with hopes to attend the first class, Leadership and Spiritual Formation, hosted in Czechia this spring. If you would like to contribute to tuition costs for this spring semester, TeachBeyond has agreed to handle funding channeled through my ministry account. With the scholarship, each class works out to be around $850. I’m holding this with open hands and will walk through the door if the Lord opens it!
I wrap up this year with a whole lot of gratitude. I think I mostly enjoy writing these little messages because they make me reflect on the places where God has truly been at work, and although ‘feeling’ him might come in waves, his presence is steadfast and gratitude allows me to see just how much he has orchestrated for me. 2023 might be one of my most fully lived years, and I’m hoping this is one of many. Thank you for riding along with me.
Merry Christmas,
Aaron
