This current season is ending quickly, and as fall fades to winter, I feel that spring is rising up in my life. As my senior year of college is coming quickly to a close, a new season is on the horizon. I have been asking the Lord, "What's next?" Up until this point in my life, there has been a direct path—be a child, go to school, and go to college. As I finish up this last year, I am looking at a future that is yet to be determined. There are endless possibilities ahead, great adventures to be had, and lots of learning yet to be grasped. As I press on towards the unknown, I cling onto a few things.
First of all, the Lord has huge plans for my life, and he already knows what I will be doing.
Second, the things that I value in this life will direct my paths. I value most: The LORD and his Kingdom on earth. Seeing Heaven invade earth—relationships restored, brokenness healed, eyes opened, chains broken, and hearts set free. Walking WITH God daily. Family. Close friendships. A simple life. Seeing youth experience God as a friend. Counseling others with wisdom God gives. Devotion. Passion. Friendship with God.
And third, God has given me passions that I have freedom to pursue. I love the outdoors because I see God in the things he has made. I am passionate about giving youth the opportunity to experience God in his creation. I also have a passion to be a part of adventurous Kingdom work. I would love to be involved in missions work—live a simple life, take leaps of faith, and see God work miracles around the world.
As I take all of things into consideration, I have set out on a journey to explore what will happen upon graduation. In my search, I have found YWAM, Youth with a Mission. YWAM seeks “to know God and make Him known.” They have many strategies and creative ideas to accomplish this goal, and one such program is “Sea and Summit Expeditions.” Sea and Summit uses outdoor adventure to disciple and evangelize locally, nationally, and internationally. They also train and disciple Christians in outdoor adventure ministry leadership in order to propel them into local and foreign ministries. The goal of Sea and Summit resonates with a lot of my values…building the Kingdom of God, helping people experience God (discipleship), living a simple life, and counseling others. Sea and Summit also manages to combine my passions…outdoor adventure ministry and missions. How incredible!
I’ve decided to explore opportunities to be involved with Sea and Summit. One of the first things I discovered is that they are based out of Bishop, California here in the United States. In an attempt to understand their program, I decided to explore the Bishop area.
Bishop is a small city of about 3,500 people. It’s located in central California amidst the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The town is known for its recreation and tourism as it attracts many outdoor enthusiasts. From rock climbing and mountain biking to hiking and fishing and even cross country skiing and snowshoeing, there is something for everybody. The local area presents recreation hot spots such as the Owens River Gorge, Chalk Bluff, Volcanic Tableland, and Rock Creek Canyon. Recreation highlights near Bishop include Yosemite National Park, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Mammoth Mountain, and Death Valley National Park!
Temperatures are mild throughout the year. The average number of sunny days is 288! Snow is minimal in the city, but readily available in the mountains. The desert is also easily accessible! This location seems to be ideal as it presents a variety of climate conditions and astounding beauty to admire!
I wouldn’t mind living in a place like this!
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