Wait, why the big expense to go to Asia? Wouldn’t it be much better to have the training in the US or online, and send the savings to charity?
This post is about my upcoming GSI event.
That is a valid question, and I would like to share some considerations with you.
- This is a worldwide event; people are attending from all over the world (including Asia) and not just the US.
- Because the world is full of many highly-diverse cultures, God moves and works differently in different regions of the world. It is not possible for a Westerner –through reading, lectures, or even video presentations– to fully grasp essential cultural differences and the different ways that God advances His Kingdom through them. Live, local, hands-on experience is the best teacher.
- This training event provides an essential opportunity for missionaries and missionaries-in-training to connect and network with people from people all over the world. Many people’s career paths change radically as a consequence of the connections they make at the GSI.
- Hosting the GSI in a non-Western country affirms and esteems the value of the contributions of the majority-world church.
This is a question that I have been asked once, and I imagine it has also stayed in the minds of many others. I desired that there be understanding in this matter, so I wrote this post. Thank you for your interest, and please let me know if you have any questions or comments.
I would also like to take this opportunity to especially thank all of the people who have supported me through prayer and finances to make this possible. I couldn’t do it without you!
Thank you.