Catching Up on 2015: Preaching at Soma of Christ

When I went to Alabama in March this year, it wasn't just to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and niece. I also visited the church that gave me the majority of my support for my Colombia Mission Trip in 2014.

After I had announced my intent to go on this short-term mission trip, Scott asked his pastor if they would be willing to help support me, and he said yes! Considering that Pastor Shaun at Soma of Christ in Tuscaloosa hadn't ever met me, it was quite an opportunity. I made a video requesting their financial and prayerful help for the trip and they gave it to me. It was so unusual for a church to do this sight-unseen, I considered it a miracle. After I got back home from the trip to Colombia, I counted how much money I had spent versus how much I had raised, and they were almost exactly equal. I took this as another indication that the support I received was heavenly.

In the process of my support, Pastor Shaun had invited me to speak at his church after I came back from Colombia to report how God had worked through this trip.

On Friday, March 20, I met with people from Soma of Christ for the first time. They were having a men's fellowship that night at the local bowling alley. They first had a devotional, and then we drove to the bowling alley. We played a couple games and had pizza. From these men, I could start seeing the church's character, one that was filled with Christ's love.

I'm bowling with the Soma Men's Fellowship. Here's Scott making a toss!

Afterward, I talked to Scott about what I had observed and he added that when Tuscaloosa had suffered the April 25-28, 2011 Tornado Outbreak, Soma of Christ was one of the few locations that hadn't been damaged by tornadoes. The members of the church helped each other and the community out with their building and with the care that they gave each other. I could tell that the people in this church were tight.

I don't preach very often, and I would say that outside of my college days, Sunday, March 22 was the third time I've ever delivered a message. I used my experience in Colombia to explain what the practice of prayer is. When I went to Colombia, I literally prayed for between 100-200 people. In some cases I saw immediate results, even healings, and in other cases, entire families were saved. I think that one way that we show Christ's love is through prayer for people at large. Oftentimes in the United States we feel as if our prayers are unheard or ignored since we don't usually see immediate, obvious results.

Wayne speaks about prayer at Soma of Christ in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

I found myself right at home in Soma of Christ and could plainly see that Jesus was with this family of believers. Their prayerful and financial support was such a blessing in my life. I'll be excited to see this church next time I visit Scott and Amanda.

Catching up on 2015: Visiting Scott, Amanda, and Naomi

Photo by Amanda

I had just been hired at a luxury apartment community in Bellevue. I was able to complete two days of training before I went on a planned trip to Alabama to see my brother, sister-in-law, and niece. I spent two weeks from March 18-31 on this trip.

The first day was a bit of a disaster. I was scheduled to fly from SeaTac, Washington to Birmingham, Alabama. My first flight from SeaTac to Houston was delayed at take-off for a mechanical reason. Once we landed on the ground in Houston we were delayed again because another plane was in our gate still, and then we had to be towed to the gate. As a result I missed my connecting flight by minutes.

My airline provided free accommodations that evening at a local hotel. The shuttle that picked us up seemed to go in circles about five times around the gates, picking up more people, before it actually went to the hotel. An hour later, we finally made it and I was able to relax a little.

The following day, I flew from Houston to Birmingham. Fortunately this flight was uneventful and I arrived in Birmingham in the morning. As I waited for my brother Scott to pick me up, I noticed that most of the cars were reasonably new. I saw Scott's old red pickup truck in the distance and I waved at him so he could see me. In response, I heard a very loud, "Awooga!" Scott's such a redneck!

I had lunch with Scott, Amanda, Naomi, and our good friend Josh at a local barbecue restaurant. That afternoon, Scott showed me around his property.

Funny enough, I found out that Scott doesn't react to poison ivy. I wonder what my reaction to it would be. It's funny though that if Scott touches poison ivy, and then someone else touches him, they're in trouble! Apparently only 15% of the population in the United States is not allergic to poison ivy, sumac, or oak (American Skin Association).

Over the next couple of days, I learned how Naomi, being not quite two years old at the time, needed to have a regular routine.

Naomi is ready for night-night.

When she woke up on March 20, she wanted a hug from me. It was the first hug she and I had since she was born.

Catching Up on 2015: A New Career Path

This year has been different for me in that I haven't been writing in my blog... at all! It's not that I haven't had any adventures, but that I haven't bothered to write about them yet. I think it's time to get caught up on all the events that have led up to now, since I anticipate that the future is going to be eventful too.

When I first moved to Renton, Washington in April 2014, I immediately looked for work in the hotel industry, and soon found a position as a guest service representative at a local hotel. Well, in December 2014, I quit that position in search for a new career. I felt, and still do, that I am finished working in the hotel industry.

After my trip to Colombia in November, I believed that it was time to start something new. At first, my sights were set toward Christian ministry since that is where I have wanted to go from childhood. As is often the case, ministry positions do not normally come without having some sort of support from outside. For example, missionaries need to have regular supporters that help them live in another nation. Although I received enormous, gracious support for my trip to Colombia this year, I believed it would take a wide range of support to get the money I wanted for what I wanted to do, and I didn't have that.

As well, I recognized that for ministry I need to have some sort of companion. In the book of Acts, the apostles traveled through the Roman world in pairs. If they could avoid it, they didn't go anywhere alone. I felt it was important that I have some support in what I did, and that it shouldn't be attempted by myself. I have had to do many things by myself in the past few years, and so I have been praying that God would provide a ministry partner.

Between December 2014 and March 2015, my ideals of what I needed for a career changed. During this time, I had acquired part-time work with a car-rental company, but was still searching for a new career path until God would make the way open to work in ministry full-time. I came to a point where I decided that it was more important to build myself up. Then I could take care of my other endeavors.

One day, a friend at church told me, "You know, you should work as a concierge where I work. You would do great, and they have openings!" I submitted my resume for them, but I didn't hear back for awhile, so I didn't put much stock in the hope of a position. Then I received a request for a phone interview, and soon after, a request to have an in-person interview with the senior concierge at the apartment community. Finally, after performing some qualifying tests, I was hired at that apartment community in Bellevue, Washington on March 16.

I have high hopes with this company. The property has a lot of potential, and has allowed me to shine in the areas where I can do best. The work environment is really good, better than I've experienced before. I see a lot of promise in building a career here. At first I was hired part-time, but now I'm working full-time hours. Since we're short-staffed at the moment I'm not officially full-time, but I'm sure that will come in time. If I become an official full-time employee, I receive a pretty nice benefits package too.

When I look at how getting a new career path has transpired, I think I can explain it in a few sentences. At first, I felt sidetracked from my main goals when I went on board with this apartment community company. All things considered, this has become a step in the right direction. Sometimes the most direct path is not the best path. I am grateful that I have a God who watches over me, loves me, and is in control of all things, both good and bad.

I didn't create this path for myself; it was something that was offered to me because of the relationships I had created. This really is a gift from God.