Final Destination

There are times where moments of awe and wonder hit you like a freight train. I've never actually been hit by a freight train but I can imagine the feeling. I had one of those moments while I was landing in Toronto. The sun was setting in this beautiful array of colours, orange, red and purple as far as the horizon stretched. The magnificence of the creator was there, painting on the landscape. Over the PA system the flight attendant was giving final instructions for the landing. In the midst of her welcoming to us to Toronto she said something that I've heard many times before in my travels.

"WestJest would like to welcome you to Toronto. If Toronto is home, welcome, if you are continuing further here are the gates for the following connections. Thank you for flying WestJet and we bid you farewell to wherever your final destination may be"

I've heard that last sentence dozens of times "Final Destination". But for some reason it struck me funny this time. My trip right now has three final destinations. I'm going to Ireland, the Congos and Turkey. Which one of these would be final? Is home my final destination? My mind then wondered to eternity. It made me reflect on what is our final destination? In the end what purpose does this trip serve? Am I a follower of Christ simply as a matter of fire insurance? Or is there a great reason behind all of this?

What is your end game plan? What are you working towards? Are we simply put on this earth to collect toys, grow old and die? My belief system won't let me do that. I'm only 26 years old, but yet I feel I've wasted so many years doing nothing. This trip is my 2nd step down a path full filling my life's call.

God woke me up just over a year ago with a big slap on the back of my head. God has something planned for you. But are you listening? He dies with the most toys wins, but they're still dead.

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Stephen and I are now getting ready to leave Ireland and head into the heart of our mission trip. Continue to pray for us as we enter the meat of the trip and make some crazy connections. We have a 1 hour stop over in Paris and it will be tight. Thank you for your support and prays. I'll have another update in a few days after we're in Africa for a bit.

Ireland

Stephen and I made it safe and sound after many hours in airports and planes. We're going touring the island tomorrow. It should be a lot of fun. We had some irish stew tonight and man was it good. I'll be posting a journal entry here in the next day or so when I get more time for internet access.

18 hours to go.

It's late Sunday night, much closer to Monday than I'd probably like at this moment. The time for final packing has come and gone. I made some last minute phone calls to say goodbye to a few friends and family before I go out tomorrow.

As of this morning I needed $500 more to get to my fund raising goal. I got $595 donated this morning! Wow... it's amazing how things come together in the end. If any of you who donated are reading this.. thank you. Thank you so much.

Right now I'm having some problems with quite a bit of pain in my lower back. That is the thing that I need prayer for right now the most, beyond everything else.

I fly out tomorrow at 6:45pm and will be spending the night in Toronto with my old roommate Jordan Watts. Really looking forward to seeing him and catching up.

I'll be posting updates here as much as possible. It will probably be every few days, so check back often. If I can I'll even post some pictures, stories and some things we need prayer for. If you want to leave me or Stephen a message just post in the comments section or fire me an email at filsinger@gmail.com.

Mark 16:15
"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

Book Review: Blue Like Jazz

Book Review: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

One of my favourite things in life is sitting down in a corner booth, with a coffee in my hand for a long intimate conversation with a close friend. That time of open and deep conversation seems to last forever, but regrettably comes to a close for whatever reason. Reading through "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller was just that. It was like sitting down with an old friend and catching up on things.

His refreshing honesty, openness and view on life struck a cord in my heart. To take a line from his own book, I ate it. I just inhaled the book, and someday I might actually go back for seconds. I've even heard his other book Searching for God knows what is even better.

The section on his Reed College Renn Fayre confession booth was worth the price of the book alone. I've also read that there will be a movie about it. I'm not sure how well the book will translate to a movie, and I doubt it will do it any justice. The book is written in a style that I can simply describe as a conversation. He makes you feel like you're talking to him, at times I even found myself responding mentally to a comment.

He is a big proponent of the emergent church. There are things theologically that I don't agree with that particular movement, but one thing I do like is that they love people. God called us to love those that no one else does. I'm guilty of not loving everyone, something that I'm very ashamed of. I pray God opens my heart and stretches me to a point where I have no other option.

I recommend this book to anyone between the ages of 18 and 40. If you're younger or older than this the topics in it may not hit your heart strings like it did mine, but that doesn't make them any less relevant. If you're trying to understand the current post-modern culture, he is a perfect case study on why so many people have become disenfranchised by Christianity.


Read this book. You will not regret it.

"What I believe is not what I say I believe. What I believe is what I do"
- Donald Miller

Preparation

I believe in purpose. The idea that this life I live is not all about me. It's a pretty revolutionary idea, pioneered by some guy named Jesus who asked us to love God first, our neighbour second and ourselves somewhere after all that. The problem with that is that means that two things have to come before myself, which is hard when I feel wired to only want things for me.

I've manipulated people, friends, family through out my life to get what I want. That's not what God intended, for this I'm sorry and ashamed. Sometimes I feel proud of myself for recognizing this, and apologizing for it. But doesn't that defeat the purpose and put me back in a place that I was trying to get away from? I digress...

I believe events in my life have been building to this moment. This trip I'm about to go on. I am of the opinion that that various events of the last 26 years have been preparing me for this exact event. Everything from my previous mission trips, to taking french immersion, to being called to Africa a few years ago, to kindling a friendship with two very similar men of faith, these are things that have shapped who I am. They are the things that will make this trip memorable and life impacting.

I want to go with open eyes, an open heart and a mindfull spirit. I'll keeping a journal while I'm over there. I plan to write in it everyday. I'll more than likely post my favourite bits here. So if anyone out there is reading this keep checking back here over the next couple weeks.

Secrets

Everyone has secrets, those little pieces inside us that make us who we are, the ones that have shapped our lives. We are scared to share them most of the time. We think that no one will understand us when we do. We are made to believe that no one will understand, that no one will listen. Actually, most of the time the reason we don't listen is because we are screaming about our selfish desires too much to actually hear any one else.

The times in my life when I was actually honest with myself, are the moments that I felt the most alive. That bursting energy inside that makes you feel more alive, more free, it's exhilarating. Most people search for that feeling through drugs, sex, or "extreme" sports. I've found those moments when I've confessed, when I've been real with someone. So why do we hide behind our masks? If we as people were a tad more honest with each other and ourselves than I think the world would be a better place overall. But that means that we would have to admit that we might actually be human, and for some reason that just wouldn't fly.


www.postsecrets.com - Check it out. Just a little bit of honesty goes a long way.

Quick Fundraising Update

The amount of my money I need for my trip is now down to aproximately $750. The end is definitely in site. For more information on the locations I'm going here are a few links.


Places I'm going:
Kinshasa

Brazzaville

Dublin

Istanbul

The organization I'll be working with:

Navigators Wiki

Navigators Official Site

Africa: A searcher's journey.

There are moments in one's life that define who they are and set them on a path that alter their beings. My upcoming trip to Africa is just such a moment. I am in the process of counting down the days to when I fly to Toronto and wait patiently to leave this continent and seek a life altering event. I'll be travelling to Ireland, both Congos and then Turkey.

Two years ago I felt a stirring in my spirit that I was to visit Africa, and see a long time friend. In the middle of my plannings to go, he passed away from a heart attack at the tender age of 40. My plan got put on hold, but the longing to go abroad never fully left.

Fast forward a year and a few months and another long time friend approached me to go over to Africa. This time the Congos and instead of South Africa but still to the continent. Plans came fast and quick and it looked like I was going to go in March or April of this year. Then news came that tensions were high in the country and we would not be receiving our letter of invitation to go over. Our trip was temporarily cancelled and dates of early fall got thrown around in conversation.

Then in early August we got the go ahead, and the dates were set, September 25Th to October 18th I'll be travelling to a part of the world ravaged by dictators, hunger, AIDS, and a general lack of care of human life. I'll be going over there to help with an agriculture project, do some preaching and teaching. I know I won't be the same when I get back. Actually that is what I'm afraid of the most. How after such an altering time will I be able to reintegrate myself into society. How will I continue to care about my daily work? The trivial things that annoy me, I pray will begin to reveal themselves.

I need guidance, direction, covering, and protection. All these things will not come from me, or the person I'm travelling with. They will be coming from above, with much prayer and petition. My heart bleeds for those who suffer, but yet I allow myself to have too much. If one says he loves God, but hates his brother, he is a lier. For one cannot love one and hate the other.

I still need roughly $1500 to pay for the rest of the trip, but it will come in. Preparing myself for this adventure has been interesting experience in and of itself. I had 5 vaccinations this week with another few more to come. Constantly making sure I had the time off work.

I will be posting updates here over the next couple weeks, and any chance I get I'll be making postings here while I'm abroad.