Leaving Your Kid 7000 Miles Away

We had an amazing time this past week transitioning with our older daughter to her first year of college. She is going to a school in Abu Dhabi which is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is a country right off the Persian Gulf, just east of Saudi Arabia. Up until this past March, I had no idea where it was.

Visiting Abu Dhabi is like visiting the future. Modern, large, creative architecture. A physically clean city with zero crime. 100% car culture meaning taxi cabs, private cars and no public buses or subways. A proactive government that is investing in many ways for the future of the country. The ability of the city to attract world class cultural and educational institutions and multinational corporations. The gravitation of grand hotels and huge malls among daily living. Escalators that turn on when you step on them. The intentional collection of people living together from all over the world. Even with lots of reminders of the ancient world - the Grand Mosque, traditional Emirati clothing, the smell of oud - I was captivated by the futuristic in this city. Coming home to Dulles airport was quite anticlimactic.

Leaving your kid 7000 or 70 miles away is difficult. But the Lord has so been so clear in this, we continue to be in awe of the opportunity. She was born for this chance to flourish in the global future of a place like Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

The Persian Gulf

See You in SeptEmber

Every year around this time, I take a self imposed 4-6 week sabbatical from all activities related to The Ember Cast. The general rule is no meetings, no writing, no financials, no dreaming. I let the very busy spring and summer season slow down and rest and celebrate what we have accomplished. It is kind of difficult. But the principle is true: spring is always on the other side of winter. In years past when I have returned, I'm very energized and thrilled. Deanna and I are doing some traveling at the start of this [surprise surprise] so that will be fun. See you next month.

Photo: Acate, Italy. July 2016.

Throwing Fire - Round 2

2nd try last evening at a different airport since her original first leg was too delayed. But en route all night.

Throwing Fire

Kids Matter More Than Adults

There's a new kind of leader who believes kids matter more than adults.

Maybe you're thinking that the statement, "kids matter more than adults," is a little extreme. If you're an adult, you might be even slightly offended.

Before you discredit the idea as too radical, think about it. Even your dog figures this out pretty quickly. When a new baby arrives, everyone's status changes.

I'm not trying to devalue any human at any stage of life. The statement isn't intended to imply that an adult's life has any less value than a kid's life, nor that the world should in any way revolve around a child. What does it suggest is that if you want to affect the way a generation sees the world, then it makes sense to start influencing their character and faith when they are young.

- Reggie Joiner

Friday Burn

::: In Search of Metaphor
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::: The Hard Work of Rest
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::: Hey Church, We're Just Not That Into You
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::: Cynicism is the status quo's most powerful ally. - @jnovogratz

Photo: Late night leaders. Ragusa, Italy, July 2016.

The Med

The colors of the water are what you imagine they would be - a deep blue and green, clear and cool, the refreshing Mediterranean sea. Until your host tells you that upwards of 5000 people die in these waters every summer. It then seems disenchanting to take pictures of this scene. Can I really enjoy this when so many have died here? In a blog post, you write, "Our hope is that these waters are redemptive at some point."

And then, the next day, someone decides that they would love to get baptized. 10km to the west of where you were the previous day, but the same water, the same sea. It's yelling and clapping and screaming, a small celebration with 14 people, cheering on a public declaration of a dedicated and redeemed life.

Living water.

40 is the new 30

One of the best systems The Ember Cast has in place is called the 30 day rule. It states that you make no major decisions for 30 days after you come back from a mission experience. No starting or stopping major relationships, no deciding to drop out of college to be a missionary, no buying a plane ticket to return to the place where you just left, no selling all of your earthly possessions. Certainly none of those things are inherently bad decisions but the intent behind this is to help temper some of the emotions involved in returning from a very intense experience in a new culture.

This year, we've expanded this number to be 40 instead of 30, because you know how much more Biblical the number 40 is. In either case, that kind of time frame allows emotions to settle. If your experience has changed you, your convictions will last past this time and prove to be beyond emotions.

Calling and vocation are topics best navigated with intention and not by accident. When we hope our students figure out what they are good at or we hope that they bump into the right kind of leaders to lead them or we are unclear about a theology of place, we are navigating these topics by accident. Instead, you should have a plan to help your students think about the future and how they will contribute to it. One of the best ways to start is to help them deeply process what are convictions versus what are emotions.

You can do this too. Encourage your students to let God's leading burn in their hearts for a month. Host a dinner with them after that month and celebrate how you all have changed.

Friday Burn

::: All the World's Immigration Visualized in 1 Map
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::: The Ice Bucket Challenge Just Funded an ALS Breakthrough
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::: A Deep Dive into Saudi Youth Culture
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Ember Italy Wrap Up

I'm working on a little post trip report that will be done in a few days. I'd be honored if you were interested in reading it. Leave a comment here or tonytsheng @ theembercast.org.