28 June 2009 - A day that I will never forget! I had been attending the University of Akron (U of A) for two semesters after completing my DTS with YWAM Perth, Australia. While attending university, I was discontent. I lacked vision, a sense of purpose, and passion. I was without a plan and desperately trying to figure out my life on my own. I went to the U of A out of fear, not out of obedience to the Lord. This fear came from culture, and how our culture defines success.
As I look back, I now realize that God was always faithful to me. I enrolled in university with a quest for security and safety. I wanted a degree in a field that would provide me a wealthy living and job security so that I could get married to a beautiful woman, have lots of kids, and live the "American Dream." (These things are not bad things at all, however they specifically deal with my past, my motives, and my insecurities.) I realize now that my view of the world was small and my perspective was earthly, not eternal. This would change midway through my second semester of college. Wrestling day in and day out, I decided that after I took my finals I would officially be done with school. Though I was excelling in school with Dean's List Honors, I couldn't handle the frustration anymore of trying to "figure out my life" on my own, especially because I knew I did not have the word of the Lord to be there in the first place. So I took a big step of faith, which felt more like a leap. I dropped out. Most people (to this day) think I am crazy and that I failed, but I fully trusted the Lord would be true to his word, that He would lead me like a shepherd into His will and plan for me.
I know I was right because on 28 June 2009 I met Chris Lenty who is the founder and leader of the MST Project (www.mstproject.com) after he spoke at "Ruined." While Chris was sharing testimonies about the MST Project my heart began racing. Chris asked for a warrior to come with him to Thailand - someone who isn't ashamed to stand on a street corner on a Friday night in the middle of a Red-Light District and share the Gospel. I knew he was talking about me. Chris then said three things that pierced my heart forever as I felt The Lord's call on my life to move to Thailand. He said, "You are in college with no direction, you come from a broken family, and you want to live that sign." He then read the "Ruined" sign which reads, "Ruined for the ordinary, to live the extraordinary." Immediately this became concrete in my heart. The Lord's will became clear. I had tried way to long on my own trying to figure everything out, and on this night, surrendered before the Lord I was ready. Ready to make a move to follow the Shepherd wherever He would lead.
I made plans that night to move to Thailand to work with the MST Project. I will be moving to Bangkok early January 2011.
