Minutes by Minute

This blog entry is part of a series that I put together at the same time, chronicling my 10+ year experience with  Praying Pelican Missions . The series highlights my departure from PPM in November of 2016 and my transition to working with  Capstone Homes , a residential home builder based in Ramsey, MN. Below are the blog entries associated with this entire story: My First Years With Praying Pelican Missions The First Time I almost Left Praying Pelican Missions Leaving PPM, Losing Avery & Joining Capstone: A Call To Trust God  (this one's really long) A Tribute To And Reflection On My Time With PPM  (Photo Album) They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I thought it would be fitting to share a few photos from the last few years. See the pictures and captions below. They paint a picture of the beautiful ministry and experience i've had over the years, especially in Jamaica, but they of course don't do it justice and I can't even begin to e...

This blog entry is part of a series that I put together at the same time, chronicling my 10+ year experience with  Praying Pelican Missions . The series highlights my departure from PPM in November of 2016 and my transition to working with  Capstone Homes , a residential home builder based in Ramsey, MN. Below are the blog entries associated with this entire story: My First Years With Praying Pelican Missions The First Time I almost Left Praying Pelican Missions Leaving PPM, Losing Avery & Joining Capstone: A Call To Trust God  (this one's really long) A Tribute To And Reflection On My Time With PPM  (Photo Album) My time in serving with PPM has been an extremely joy-filled adventure. It has been really really challenging and stretching at times. There have been countless times when I've sat and been in awe at the impact that God has allowed me to have on the lives of so many young people and teams that have served on mission trips; churches, schools, a...

This blog entry is part of a series that I put together at the same time, chronicling my 10+ year experience with  Praying Pelican Missions . The series highlights my departure from PPM in November of 2016 and my transition to working with  Capstone Homes , a residential home builder based in Ramsey, MN. Below are the blog entries associated with this entire story: My First Years With Praying Pelican Missions The First Time I almost Left Praying Pelican Missions Leaving PPM, Losing Avery & Joining Capstone: A Call To Trust God  (this one's really long) A Tribute To And Reflection On My Time With PPM  (Photo Album) I considered leaving PPM about three years ago. I had an excellent opportunity to go into church ministry in the northwest metro. It was a bizarre situation and God has a sense of humor. I interviewed over the phone and then twice in person with the search committee. The people were fantastic, the church was healthy, and the position was about...

This blog entry is part of a series that I put together at the same time, chronicling my 10+ year experience with  Praying Pelican Missions . The series highlights my departure from PPM in November of 2016 and my transition to working with  Capstone Homes , a residential home builder based in Ramsey, MN. Below are the blog entries associated with this entire story: My First Years With Praying Pelican Missions The First Time I almost Left Praying Pelican Missions Leaving PPM, Losing Avery & Joining Capstone: A Call To Trust God  (this one's really long) A Tribute To And Reflection On My Time With PPM  (Photo Album) I was introduced to Praying Pelican Missions in 2005. At the time, the organization was in it's infancy. My brother, a youth pastor in Hopkins, MN, was taking his youth group on a mission trip to Belize with PPM. He asked me to join the group- kind of as an additional adult chaperone, but kind of just to hang out with my brother, who I was g...

My wife considers me a bit of a news junkie, and we often find ourselves disagreeing on the nature and purpose of the news. Rightly so, too often, Emily argues that the news is simply a collection of stories highlighting everything that is sad and wrong in this world.... One of the news stories i've been closely tracking is the Wells Fargo debacle. Check out this ABC News Story for an overview.   It's really a sad story and situation, and a seemingly horrible environment to work in. I'm fascinated at how Wells Fargo let their culture and work environment grow to the point where hundreds or thousands of their employees were deliberately creating fake bank accounts using customer accounts. I can only imagine, of course, how challenging it is to run a company the size of Wells Fargo. Recently, John Stumpf, the CEO who was at the helm throughout this crisis, resigned his position at Wells Fargo. Throughout the investigation, Stumpf has done his best to take responsibility, ap...

God is Good. He has been teaching me so much lately. I am reminded that we serve an infinite God, which means there is always MORE OF HIM to be had. I am not one who frequently “hears the voice of God”. But recently, in the midst of a challenging time, he spoke clearly to me. So I am writing this so not to forget and maybe to encourage those who come across this blog. The last few months have been a whirlwind. They have challenged me beyond belief yet within the challenges I have seen God and heard God more clearly than I have in a very long time. To back-track a little: What happened in the last few months is the product of 10 years of prayer, sacrifice and trust. 10 years ago, I graduated high school with the calling to go into the healthcare field. I enrolled at Bethel University with hopes of making it into their small nursing program, becoming a RN and eventually and ultimately a Nurse Practitioner. The last 3 years worked my ...

Ubuntu: I am the way I am because of who we all are- humanity. Emily and I arrived in South Africa on June 28th. Over the course of the following three weeks we would experience something we'll never forget. We prepared for and led a mission trip in Johannesburg, laid some ground work for future mission efforts, and enjoyed a week of vacationing in Knysna and Cape Town. Below are some thoughts that summarize our experience, particularly in relation to South Africa and missions.... "It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” - Nelson Mandela on the fight for the freedom of all South Africans Apartheid was perfected by Hendrik Verwoerd in the 1940's and demolished by Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and the likes of the ANC in the early 1990's. The sad truth is that remnants of apartheid are evident today, and the concept of  township  is a clear indication t...