Last week I interviewed blogger Dan King. He just released a new ebook: The Unlikely Missionary.  I hope you enjoy it.

Dan, before we jump into the content of the book, let me ask you a question. “How did you overcome the natural fears that most aspiring authors have and actually write this ebook?”

That’s a great question! Even though I’ve finished writing this one, I’m still kinda freaked out! I’ve been a blogger for about five years. I’ve rarely (if ever) referred to myself as a writer, because bloggers really aren’t writers, are they? But I’ve had some people express their confidence in me as a writer, and that’s helped a lot. One author asked me how many words I have published on my blog, and realizing that I’ve written over a quarter of a million words, he told me that I’ve already been published more than many other authors he knows. I guess sometimes I’m too hard on myself, but that’s only because I don’t have any professional training or a big degree in writing. But sticking to it, consistently, has helped me earn the respect of others who have helped to encourage me. I just know that I have a story to tell, one that’s important to God, and the power of people who believe in me. That’ll get you though any obstacles!

In your book, you state that you believe in the “power of laity of the church.” This struck a huge chord with me, as I believe every Christian must be engaged in seeking justice. Can you expand on this belief?

Yeah… this is a big one for me. And as you read in the book you see that I’m just an average dude. I’m not the seminary-trained pastor, or anything fancy like that. I’m just an average guy who sits in the church like 99% of the rest of Christianity. But as I study the word, I learn that the work of the ministry is for everyone. We are ALL called to go impact the world for the sake of the Gospel. All of the other clergy of the church… they’re really just our support structure. But too often we look at them to lead us somewhere, when (I believe) we are the ones that should be looking at the world and calling out, “Hey! Look at this need over here! They need help, and I want to do what I can to help them… in Jesus name!” I love my pastors a great deal, but if I wait on them to deal with the poverty epidemic or orphan crisis (things that are important to me), then I may never see anything get done. But they have taught me, equipped me, and sent me out to go make a difference on my own. And that’s the way it should be for all of us!

In the ebook, you stated that you knew your life was going to change when you took your first mission trip. Why?

Doing something like going to Africa carries a certain expectation with it. We all see the commercials on TV with the kids with bloated stomachs who are dying of starvation. I knew that I’d probably see some of that, but I wasn’t sure how much. All I knew ahead of time was that diving head-first into an experience like that was going to provide a certain level of culture shock that I knew would be difficult to overcome. But being on that trip made me see lots of things differently. It made me think about how I could experience a similar culture shock by traveling just a couple of miles to another part of town that I usually try to avoid. But taking the time to get into these people’s worlds, understanding them on a personal level, and connecting with them as friends, it all made me see them as human beings who suffer extreme circumstances. And when a friend goes through something extreme, it impacts you. There’s just no way to go back to ‘normal’.

In chapter five, you talk about that it means to invest your talents. You wanted to make a tangible impact. Looking back, how did you do that and what fruit have you seen?

It’s hard to say, because I have little contact with the actual students who’s lives I had the chance to invest in. But I’m definitely seeing impact on this side of the equation too. The experience has impacted my family a great deal, especially my son. He’s learning at an early age that helping others less fortunate than us is one BIG way that we show the love of Jesus to the world. It’s funny, but even at eight-years old he is already sensing the presence of God in the times when we serve through global missions or local outreach ministry. I’m also seeing the fruit in others through the stories that I’ve been able to share. I’m seeing people who are becoming motivated to stand up and find little things that they can do to make a big difference… and THAT’s what it’s all about. Even if I haven’t left much tangible change in Africa, their lives have sent ripples throughout my life and the lives of those around me.

What advice would you give someone who’s never been on a short-term mission trip, and wants to go?

Start small. Don’t get overwhelmed with the idea of having to go on some big trip and do something huge. For me getting to Africa (my first short-term mission trip) started with writing a blog post about an organization who I thought was doing good work. In fact, it probably wasn’t even 300 words. But that little thing led to another little thing, and before you know it, I’m getting an email asking if I’d be interested in going to Africa. And that brings me to the other thing… pray constantly. I’m not talking about asking God, “Should I go to Africa?”. But I talked to him enough about this issue that when the opportunity came up it was kind of a no-brainer. I already knew that He was in it, and it was quickly evident that doing this trip was right where I needed to be. But it’s all about following God’s leading and just doing what you can with the things that He’s putting on your heart.

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Great job Dan – To read this book in it’s entirety, go here for the Kindle Version, here for the Nook version and here for the PDF version. And, feel free to share this link on Twitter, FB and other social media outlets.

We hopped off our plane from Cape Town, picked up our rental car and began the long, 15 hour drive into Harare, Zimbabwe. As we drove, I noticed the large sprawl of Johannesburg – cars, buildings, freeways. I felt like I was in LA, not Africa.

We headed to the border and along the way we picked up John and Orpah. Little did I know, that in just a few days, John and Orpah would become heroes in my book.

As we headed for the border of Zimbabwe, we had to make a quick stop in South Africa before we arrived at the border. At the time, Zimbabwe, once the bread-basket of Africa, was known for not what it had, or used to be, but rather was known for extreme poverty.

A country on the verge of becoming a failed state. A country that had no economy, little food, no gasoline to drive, and the political tension could be cut with a knife.

These are the stories that are told on CNN, BBC and NPR. But those people have never met John and Orpah. We filled multiple jerry-cans with gas, loaded the van with as much rice and beans as possible, picked up a few toys and headed to the border. In just a few short hours, I would meet 30 orphans of whom John and Orpah helped to rescue.

Abandoned, abused, forgotten, alone and hurting, they’ve all been orphaned.

After driving frantically for hours under the starry night of Zimbabwe we finally arrived in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Our final destination was an hour away. However, Pastor John asked if we could stop to visit some kids who hang out at an abandoned gas station. It was 4AM and we had a van full of food and gas. I was not so sure about all this, but Pastor John insisted, so we did.

We stopped for maybe 3-4 minutes. These would be the 3-4 minutes that would forever change my life. As I was getting out of the van, we were swarmed with young kids. I felt like a rock star, it was immediate!

One nameless young boy grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye, with a sense of humility and desperation that I’ve never seen before and he said these words that would forever change my life.

“Sir, thank you for visiting my country. I’m really sorry it’s in the state that its in.
I don’t want to beg, but I have not had food in days. Is there anything I can do to work for you, so I can have a meal?”

I was confused, overwhelmed and tired. I looked at this humble boy (created in the image of an almighty God) and said these devastating words:

“No, I have nothing for you!”

I pulled my hand away from his hand, got back in the van and drove off into the night. His stare has never left my mind. His voice still echoes in my soul. His pain will always be with me.

As we drove away, I was devastated. No one else in the car knew what was going on, it happened so fast. But for me, it seemed like an eternity. As if an Angel showed up in the middle of Zimbabwe to introduce me to something so close to the heart of Jesus…orphans!

I was having a conversation with God…I was mad, angry, bitter and broken! How could kids be hungry in such an age of wealth? How did I read scripture for so long, and do so little to care for the orphan?

That brief encounter with that unknown, approximately 10 year old boy is why I started an organization that would H.E.L.P. rescue orphans, restore their hope and renew their communities.

As we drove away, it would only be a few more hours until I met 30 more orphaned kids. They had very little in this life. They were crammed in a home, their shoes had holes, their stories seemed straight from the pit of hell; abuse, abandonment, death, rape, suffering, hunger and disease.

I wish I had time to tell you all the other amazing stories. I was in Zimbabwe for a total of 36 hours. Since then, I’ve spent over 36 months dedicating my life to serving orphans and solving the global orphan crisis. Instead of 30 orphans, we now have over 100 kids at that home. They all go to school each day, they smile, laugh, play, and more importantly they know they’re loved by many.

I never met that young boy again. I hope someday, we will both be walking the streets of heaven. I hope one day I will get to give him a hug, tell him I’m sorry for leaving and let him know that his story started a movement. A movement that includes caring for orphans all over the world, a movement that includes this little conference in NW Arkansas, where hundreds of people gather to pray, think and process how we can end the global orphan crisis.

I hope to see you in Arkansas this February, and maybe you too can one day meet this young boy from Zimbabwe in Heaven? Until then, take a moment and meet the some of the original 30 kids that I met in Zimbabwe.

Meet some of our kids in Zimbabwe.

I love the title of this song, “I saw what I saw.” Kinda sums it up. I’m not sure what to do with Africa. She taught me so much. I learned about hope, faith and love. I can’t wait to go back. Soon, but not soon enough. 

YouTube – Sara Groves, “I Saw What I Saw”.

HT: Jen Lemen

Click here for the latest news-which is not good news.

Pray.

Of course the tensions are high as the people are more desperate then ever. Please pray for peace in this process. I’m very nervous about all this.

This post is a follow-up to my 1st post on why I’m going to Egypt.

Part two is a bit more practical.

5. Adventure: This can be scary. I feel like God has called me to go. At the same time Necole and I are committed to living life to the full. We want to experience many places, people and cultures. Sometimes it’s hard to find God in the mundane rhythm of the daily grind. So we need to break-away and get a fresh perspective.

6. Stories: Again I don’t want folks to get the wrong idea, but when you lead and communicate on a weekly basis it’s vital to live a life worth telling about. We deeply think Vista and Austin can be shaped by stories of God using us. I can’t wait to hear about the Cofield’s East Asia trip, or Liz, who is currently serving in the Middle East right now. These stories shape us as a faith community.

7. America/Austin: I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had about Africa with those who don’t follow Jesus. They always ask me why I went and I always respond with, “because that’s what I think Jesus would do.” I love it. We are a church that deeply cares about social issues and we believe the only hope is Jesus. Yet we also understand that we have be the “hands and feet” of Jesus and serve on practical levels of life. Food, clean water, education and war, these are spiritual issues that must be engaged by the church.

8. Egypt: Can you say BIBLE. As one who teaches the Bible I can not tell you how amazing it’s going to be to actually be in a country like Egypt. Jesus was taken to Egypt as a baby so he would not be slaughtered. This will be my first time being in the middle of a Middle Eastern culture. The Bible is a story that was penned in the Middle East.

The New York Times did a great piece on If you had 36 Hours in Cape Town.

Here are some pics that Kayla took.

This March, Jeff and I will taking a trip to Egypt with David Putman and some other pastors and businesses leaders. We are very excited about this opportunity.

David Putman is the co-author of Breaking the Missional Code and he is the author of the forthcoming book Breaking The Discipleship Code, he is also a pastor at Mountain Lake Church near Atlanta. I wonder if David is busy?

Anyhow, I wanted to share with everyone why we choose to go on this trip. Truthfully we can’t afford it and I was not quite ready to travel knowing I will be back in Africa this summer. But it’s so worth the sacrifice and the pros outweigh the con’s.

1. Jeff and I decided that we need to be around other leaders who will help us grow as pastors, leaders, husbands and fathers. It’s very easy to get caught in a bubble and we would be harming our community by not being mentored by those who are simply better and more experienced. So this is a great opportunity to be around other pastors who can stretch and challenge us. In Feb we will be hanging out with Bob Roberts Jr and other pastors at turbo training church planting conference in Dallas.

2. Values: At Vista we truly desire to be a glocal church. We want to be around other churches and pastors who value the same thing, so we can learn how to be effective and reach the city and the globe.

3. We value partnership with our brothers and sisters across the world. I think the church leaders in the Global South/East have so much to teach us in the West. We have to spend time with them. We also want to help them in anyway possible. Not from a dictatorship perspective, but we recognize that we (the West) have resources that many in the Global South and East do no have. It’s our responsibility to help because we are apart of the same church.

4. The majority of those who have never heard the gospel live in the 10/40 Window. It’s vital for the church to respond to this issue. So the question is this. How do we partner with indigenous Christian leaders and support what God has called them to do? I hope to work long-term in Sudan with Servlife. Egypt and Sudan border each other, so I know I will be going back to Egypt long-term. This was vital for me and helped make this decision easier.

Part 2 coming tomorrow.

Dear Chris,
it is such  a joy and relief to hear from you. Under the circumstances God has
been faithful and thus far He has brought us. yes Steve planned to be with us in
Feb 15-18 with the president of his organization. Please continue in prayer for
us, we are in great need of very basic things, water, electricity, petrol, cash
none in the bank.
Church wise God is still blessing us people are seeking anwers from the church.

Pastor John runs a church, two orphanages with close to 100 kids and he has a family of 5. His kids are all educated (doctor, engineer, etc). Life is so difficult for them. Please do me a favor and say a prayer.

Kayla snapped this pic and it kind of sums up the current culture of Zimbabwe.