Why Adventures in Missions?

Why did Adventures in Missions capture my heart long before I moved here to work with them on a daily basis?  Why did I end up here as opposed to some other organization?  There are a lot of ministries I love and believe in and could be happy working for.  But the restlessness I've referred to before brought me here.  Why?
 
I’ve watched Adventures in Missions grow and mature and expand since it’s founding 23 years ago and I have been a part of that long history.   I’ve been on mission and vision trips with them.  I’ve been a financial and prayer supporter.  I see them operate with great integrity in the world of short term missions.  My connection with them has already stood the test of time.  I believe in their vision and their mission. 
 
This isn't a complete list, but it is some of the things God used to stir this call in me:

• The bias toward action.  They move quickly when they sense God moving or when there is a need.  By nature, I can’t bring that spontaneity to a team but I desperately want to be at a table where it is present.
• The desire to radically disciple the next generation – not just short term mission trips but longer trips and the World Race for 20-somethings.  I resonate with Adventures’ belief that God wants to do something powerful in and through them.
• The commitment to partnerships and corresponding lack of “ego”.  Short term mission trips serve local pastors, American churches are partnered with Haitian churches for rebuilding and encouragement.  The World Race works with a wide range of existing ministries.  They celebrate individuals and organizations committed to bringing God’s kingdom.  It’s not about Adventures, it’s about the Kingdom.
• The commitment to caring for orphans – and to many others who are “the least of these”.  For example, over 5,000 orphans are fed in Swaziland through the ministry of Adventures.
• The commitment to listening prayer, and the way they have learned to use it for both immediate action and long term direction.
• The openess to the Holy Spirit, to miracles, to people being healed – to bringing Heaven to earth.
• The strategic plan to always have a "next step" to take you deeper or stretch you further.  From short term youth group trips to longer high school trips to colleges age experiences ranging from 1 to 9 months, to the World Race – 11 countries in 11 months, to mid-term commitments of 2-3 years, to long term mobilization. If you want a next step, chances are it is here – or that you might be able to create it here.
• The opportunities for people to apprentice and serve – and the intentional commitment to making that a discipleship thing and not just a work thing.
• The desire to research and evaluate and make adjustments during the process of solving problems or developing programs.  Whether it is how to do effective and culturally appropriate orphan care in Africa or how to help World Racers transition well post-Race, it is thought through and tried and tweaked and examined. 
• The strength of the broader leadership.  Seth's name is the one everyone knows.  But he has built a strong executive team that leads with him and they have recruited strong and gifted people to lead the programs at Adventures.  I'm humbled to be among these people.  I've watched them make hard decisions, handle a variety of issues, make adjustments – and do it with grace and wisdom and transparency.  For those of you who attend the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, I feel like I'm in a place where I'm watching people lead in the way the Summit challenges us to lead.  In Jim Collins' terms, there's a strong desire to make sure the right people are on the bus and that they are in the right seats.
• The corporate culture – which balances a strong emphasis on hard work, professionalism, accountability and excellence with community times and fun.  The bar is set high in terms of expectations – but then the office will close at 2:00 one day and they will take everyone bowling.  I love working somewhere that invests in its staff in that way.

It's not perfect here.  No organization is.  There are communication issues, and shifting job descriptions, and misunderstandings.  Sometimes things – and maybe even people – fall through the cracks.  The start up process for programs (or people) might not always work as perfectly as we would hope.   But there's an underlying integrity that I respect.

And the bottom line remains the same.  With its strengths and with its flaws, I love being connected with the mission and the vision of Adventures, I love being connected to what God is doing around the world and I'm very grateful for the restlessness and the call that brought me here.