Unchartted Territory

Outreach
Well here's a cool story that I shall enjoy typing up for your enjoyment as a reader, or so I would hope that you're enjoying it because you are after all the one who is reading it.

So as some know and other are finding out, as a part of the Discipleship Training School (DTS) we get to go on an outreach. For this DTS program the outreach is allotted 10 weeks. So that means, for 10 weeks we will be splitting up our group of 25 people and heading out into the world to reach different people groups, and different people as individuals, because we care about them too, with the love that we have felt in Jesus Christ.

"Oh, cool, you get to go traveling with a bunch of friends on a 10 week holiday." WRONG!
Outreach is not easy, but it is rewarding. Now I've never lead an outreach, and I've never even been on the leading side of an outreach...until now. Since my only experience on a DTS outreach is as a student, this will be an adventure into uncharted territories. Now, perhaps you may be wondering just where exactly I will be going on outreach, but I'm going to use a little trick I've seen used in many great novels and keep you in suspense a little while longer.

The other day I was approached by the school leader we conversed and then discussed and then concluded that I would be the team, well, leader. Now unfortunately we are a leadership team (operating in teams just happens to be a YWAM value) so team leader is not an appropriate title. Perhaps Team Keeper, or Team Captain might be a more precise tittle for describing what I will be doing. Uncharted Territory!

Now, here's the cool part of the story.
The outreach locations were made known to me during staff training and the options were. Drum roll please: Japan, Vancouver Olympics/South America, Afghanistan, South Africa, India. Let's look at the ones thats tuck out to me. 1) India, well I just came from there and loved it. God did give me a desire to go there when he asked me to start praying for the country earlier this year. 2) Japan, A team is returning there lead by the same people as last year, so some good foundation to work on is nicer than plowing your own fields. 3) Vancouver Olympics/South America, in praying for outreaches I got a verse from Jeremaia 33:3 I think, Set up way markers and return to your cities...Gee golly gosh what's my city VANCOUVER!

So I planned on going to Vancouver, totally excited, and ready to rock it. Excited about being able to visit friends, my home church, my rugby club and taking the group to my favorite snowboarding spots. Finally I felt that since I had been willing to give up my dream of being a part of the Olympics, that God was now giving that back to me. However, through a conversation with my school leader, God challenged me to give up the Olympics, one more time. I felt like he was telling me that I was going to be used in either place, but if I wanted to grow as a disciple, then South Africa was where he's teach me the good stuff.

And so, in concluding, I will indeed be traveling to South Africa with an outreach team of 10 people. We now have begun the process of building this outreach from the ground up. Where in SA? What types of ministries: children, poor people, sports, schools? How long for each location? The basic questions. Again, UNCHARTED TERRITORY!

Well as i head out to see what's there, I'll definitely be going big.

Matt Clarke
Go Big, or Go Home!