Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Rookie Missionary Tip 021: Keep A Clean Area


Tip 021: Keep a Clean Area. This is an often-overlooked area of ministry. Those around you are deciding if they want to live a similar life as you. How you keep your area, room, or home is its own testament. Disciplines determine discipleship.


Grant and Marissa Nieddu, live from the mission field on the Island of Hispaniola, offer their daily Rookie Missionary Tips and Mistakes.






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Rookie Missionary Tip 025: Know Your Customer(s)

Tip 025: Know Your Customer(s). When considering missions, especially Business As Mission, one begins to need to consider just who is their customer. This is the key difference between for-profit and non-profit organizations.


Grant and Marissa Nieddu, live from the mission field on the Island of Hispaniola, offer their daily Rookie Missionary Tips and Mistakes.






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Rookie Missionary Tip 024: Learn About Servanthood

Tip 024: Learn About Servanthood. This is the lost art of missions. It is the simplest approach to the most effective form of ministry. Yet, it takes everything to learn it.


Grant and Marissa Nieddu, live from the mission field on the Island of Hispaniola, offer their daily Rookie Missionary Tips and Mistakes.






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Rookie Missionary Tip 023: Check Out Operation:World

Tip 023: Check Out Operation:World. Operation:World is a great resource of research for countries, their spiritual and practical, climates, and how to pray for them.


Grant and Marissa Nieddu, live from the mission field on the Island of Hispaniola, offer their daily Rookie Missionary Tips and Mistakes.






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Rookie Missionary Tip 022: Start Today As A Missionary

Tip 022: Start Today As A Missionary. The habits and skills necessary for a life of success on the field (from learning language, to farming, to executive business management skills) begin to be acquired long before you step foot on the field.


Grant and Marissa Nieddu, live from the mission field on the Island of Hispaniola, offer their daily Rookie Missionary Tips and Mistakes.






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Rookie Missionary Tip 022: Start Today As A Missionary




Tip 022: Start Today As A Missionary. The habits and skills necessary for a life of success on the field (from learning language, to farming, to executive business management skills) begin to be acquired long before you step foot on the field. Grant and Marissa Nieddu, live from the mission field on the Island of Hispaniola, offer their daily Rookie Missionary Tips and Mistakes.





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An Afternoon of Tank Repair in Pictures



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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Rookie Missionary Tip 022: Start Today As A Missionary







Tip 022: Start Today As A Missionary. The habits and skills necessary for a life of success on the field (from learning language, to farming, to executive business management skills) begin to be acquired long before you step foot on the field. Grant and Marissa Nieddu, live from the mission field on the Island of Hispaniola, offer their daily Rookie Missionary Tips and Mistakes.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RnkTaPZB60

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Missionary Catch-22


The rain tapped the ceramic tile roof. In fact, the rain had tapped the tin and ceramic roofs, the mud ground, and the crystal-clear bay water pretty much all the previous day.

Yesterday was a perfect day from Marissa to take a day off from diving. We had desperately needed to connect on direction for some time. She has been extremely busy with finishing her dive certification. I have been writing my fingers numb and my brain numb-er.

Yet, in all that, this morning I am thinking I have been guilty of The Missionary Catch-22.

We want to be sure to be good stewards of the time God has given us here. We want to make an impact. So, we have been mightily busy. A day off sitting at the cafe, watching the rain, and re-synchronizing vision was welcome.

It was relaxing. We walked down our dirt path to the "lavandaria". After yelling up to the second-story windows of the owner, she came down with $2 in American quarters to run the washing machines that clean our clothes once a week. We ate lunch slowly and lazed on the balcony, stewing over our plans for December. But all in all, it was a pure day off.

That time away from my writing (also known as "coming up for air"), I was able to reflect a bit. Which is where I have been most of the morning: listening to the tapping rain on the ceramic tile.

Reflecting usually has me nostalgic. This is when I consciously or unconsciously release all the things that frustrated in the moment and look back with new fondness on the good that actually occurred. This is somewhat of a revisionist history but for the better.

Since leaving Lakeland to join the ministry, we have seen some grand successes. We completed Earthship school. We traveled the country to see family. To rest and write. We launched our book. We finished up and began organizing free missionary training resources. We re-tooled the website. We landed in the D.R. to begin getting accustomed to the island. We made a few friends, visited a Dominican church, and connected with a few awesome ministries like Go MAD.

One thing that stuck out, however, was that during all this time I have felt very little spirituality. I have felt very little spiritual connection.

This is the Missionary Catch-22. (You heard it here first, folks!)

The Missionary Catch-22 applies to any ministry really. I have seen it in our work at the church in Vero Beach. I have seen it in the work in Chauffard, Haiti. And, in my latest Spark Interviews with Gala Calisto of Kay Angel, I heard that she is dealing with it as well.

The Missionary Catch-22 is this:
  1. Get spiritual inspiration to do more for others.
  2. Do more for others.
  3. Get too busy to maintain a spiritual life.
Gala alluded to it. Terry always warned of it. Umpteen State-side pastors banter in the cafe 8 days a week about how so-and-so pastor never prays and they munch another biscotti while downloading their sermon from Sermonspice.com.

And, listening to the tapping rain, I knew that in my crazing to be a good steward with our time here, for our supporters, for our friends, for my faithfulness to God, I had actually been praying far less.

So, it is about 5:00 a.m. The rain is tapping and, I am on my way out to the patio. The wind is blustering drizzling wetness from Tropical Storm Sandy. But, you know what, in prayer and connected spiritually is where this sparked journey started. That is where I am headed now.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Betatesters for my 'Top 100 Dream Igniter' Goal-Setting system.

I need #Betatesters for my 'Top 100 Dream Igniter' #goalsetting system. I need to hand pick 5 people who can a) commit to reading it over, b) can offer general grammatical and ideological edits, c) can offer constructive criticism to make it better, and d) will help me spread the word once it launches.

Dream Igniter testers get the benefit of:
1) Receiving a free final copy to print off and use for themselves.
2) Will be added to the Dream Igniter for all posterity as collaborators!
3) Access to State of the Spark at the Sparked Supporter Level (including discounts, early notification of future product releases, and more!)
4) Being part of shaping this powerful tool to help others spark their own life of significance!

Message me, email me, or smoke signal me to let me know!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Day 02 Without Running Water & Rookie Missionary Tip 015: Keep a Journal

Here is the lastest #RookieMissionary #Tip of the Day!

What do you do without running water? Especially when dealing with (ahem) bathroom issues?

Take water from your 5 gallon drinking water, put it in a pan, and pour it in your toilet! 5 gallons of water is $40 DRP, or about $1 USD. So, using a little drinking water is not easy to agree to, but its gotta be done.

Showers are just dips in the ocean. Salty, yes. Better than sleeping in your rank skin, also yes.

Also, check out Marissa's new experimental blog, http://marissagoingdeeper.blogspot.com/.


Finally, today we are attempting to put together a smashing website back-office for our awesome monthly supporters. BAM!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Rookie Missionary Tip 013: Use Backpacks



Tip 013: Use Backpacks. It may be tempting to use a really nice bag of some other design. But there is nothing like having free hands on long hauls.

Grant and Marissa Nieddu live from the mission field on the Island of Hispaniola, offer their daily Rookie Missionary Tips and Mistakes.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Friday, October 12, 2012

Gun Shots, Bilbo Baggins & Rookie Missionary Tip 010: Read 'The Open Secret'



Tip 010: Read 'The Open Secret' by Lesslie Newbigin. Missiologists like this have really offered great understanding to the field of missions. Get some background!

You can view all of the tips at the experimental site for Rookie Missionary Tips here.

****************

Gun shots rang out. 

That is not what it was like, though. We heard several rapid pops shock the otherwise muggy night air. Then another four or five pops sounded. So, you could say rather "gun shots popped through the night." And we really did not know it was gun shots until we thought about it later.

Then, it was quiet. A baby in the apartment somewhere below us cried. Dogs barked incessantly. The neighbors all came to their tiled porches or barred windows.

Another sudden volley of shots rang out sending everyone inside. Then, it was over.

Marissa fell right back to sleep. I could not.

I went outside to see a crowd of neighborhood men, some in shorts, most all shirtless gather at the end of the street to find the culprit(s). One of them puffed a cigarette as he passed me dialing a cell phone. A police truck raced down the dirt road moments later. After a few minutes of heated exchanges, the police left and crowd of men dispersed. Apparently no one was harmed, only threatened.

The muggy night breeze foretold of a cooler evening (which ultimately accounted for Marissa's sound sleep.) That same breeze touched my skin as I tried to ease myself to rest unsuccessfully.

I had been up and down in the night, each time rousing Marissa who had a long day and was expecting another. Not wanting to wake her again, I grabbed my copy of 'The Hobbit' and sat down on the cool, sweaty tile to read.

The baby cried once or twice more, but finally faded to sleep as the stars began to dance between splotchy blacknesses that hinted at night clouds. Completing the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, I put down the book still wide awake. "Bilbo, you just finished your adventure grim. I feel as if on the edge of the Mirkwood just beginning mine," though I as I leaned on the concrete patio railing.

The pathway to missions, or any mission, or any adventure for that matter, was, apparently, not very straight. Many other lines of work and living, I suppose, are quite straight and straightforward. Missions, or, in another word, adventuring, is most certainly not.

This had been a deep frustration of mine. For, like Bilbo, I have been a rather out-of-sorts adventurer. Unwilling at times. Unsure most times. Quite delightful at rare times. Unsure of myself.

But, as Bilbo said to himself somewhere in the roots of the mountains, well in the dark heart of the Misty Mountains, "Back is sure death. Left and Right are almost as questionable. I guess forward is the best way." And he placed a fury foot forward. My foot, not nearly as fury and my heart not nearly as formidable, must follow Bilbo's footsteps, dark though it may be.

In the morning, Marissa did yoga on the patio while Eric stretched and had a morning smoke. We all took turns watching the sky adjust from deep purples to the blinding white of day. I lit the propane stove and place the coffee percolator on to boil.

Not being hungry from want of sleep, the hot coffee was a luxury in the cool morning air. (See! I told you how the breeze promised a coolness!)

Regardless, I felt glum. I have felt glum. I continue in my glumminity. My companions seem to fair the changes of place and weather well. I feel that our troop of adventures has either turned into wanderers or mere merry-makers.

And, in my defense, I love a good merry-making and have witnessed my own wanderings with pleasure and whimsy. However, now I feel that there is a great, solemn adventure (and treasure, of the soulish sort!) to be had under a great dragon to slay and that our adventure stretches longer into the winter of the soul than desired.

The Cities of Men
We set forth on our mission for missions in May (and what a glorious May day it was, bright and brilliant and green.) We traveled over the mighty river that divides our country in two though not evenly. From there we experienced the vast expanse of grasslands that is glorious and mesmerizing. We forged over the Craggy Range of purple mountains, into the sopping yet-not-dreary northwest. Visited the Red Tree Giants and saw their mystery in an eclipsing moon. From there we ventured down to the vast cities of men and women and their buildings and immeasurable roads.

Our Desert Hobbit Hole
We then turned back East to make our way into the bone-dry and never-ending desert for training. The desert was at first an inhospitable place, but buried in the sand we found homes and a surprisingly welcome and open people. We learned much and had a very many small adventures and surprises that I shall not retell here. But as June galloped by and July faded toward August, we made a return trip.

All in all, the adventure to a life of missions to that point had been mostly jolly. There were interruptions of inconveniences and inconvenient attitudes, but on the whole it was most enjoyable. On this return trip, however, I had grown increasingly glum.

First, the unknown of being on an island we know not of was challenging. And second, the weight of the dragon we desire to slay increased (and increases still) with each day. The seriousness of the mission burns in me. The treasured sense of victory beneath the dragon when slain seems to be unattainably distant. And our excursions to Bavaro and now Bayahibe has me all turned around as in a darkly cave.

These places have been far pleasant and warm enough. We have not wanted for a safe place to sleep and people to chat with while continuing our development for the ultimate boon, the true mission adventure. Yet I have wanted for a sense of security in our direction.

And, as Bilbo in the Mirkwood when having stepped off the path and lost all orientation, I feel I must simply step forward in the direction I am the least doubtful of, know that my Guide is there with me, and press forward.

Typical Empanada Cart
Forgive me if this sounds too grim. I will say that quite often we have been in places that felt to be Elrond's elvin lands, where birch trees sing green and joyful, where no dreaded things have ever come nor will ever come. Bavaro is bubbly. Bayahibe is a gorgeous, small town with cobble stones and empanada vendors and a small plaza where the entire town comes to commune every evening from 7 to 9 (the only evidence of this in the morning being rows and rows of empty Presidente beer bottles standing neatly.)

I do not mean to spoil these things by being grim. Rather, I mean to be honest in my assessment that I am anxious to face our trials (though, I say, grateful for the hospitality shown us so far) for I know they are coming sooner or later. And, knowing their degree of challenge, I desire to face them sooner than later for I have the boldness in me now.

And, these things I pondered today as I sat on a cobble-stoned curb over looking the Bayahibe bay. Many numerous mopeds sped by on morning preparation errands. I assume they moved quickly to receive the several thousand vacationers whom I watched descend throughout the morning. Finally, all climbed into a white armada of tourist boats, full of life vests and sunscreen.

The town was quiet once again. Marissa and her dive companion (and our roommate) Eric were off for the day, diving, training, and learning the trade. And I sat listening to the silent, cool breeze and watching the crystal waters lap the coral boat moorings.

Dwelling on the adventure to come, the mission in our heart, I figured I should be off in preparation of some sort myself. So, up with me, I plodded down the cobblestone, greeting whom I could, shaking what grimness I could, and, considering the beauty if things I saw, brought just enough boldness in my heart to turn my attention to the missioning needs of the day.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Rookie Missionary Tip 008: Find Beauty


Tip 008: Find Beauty. Everywhere you go on the field you see amazing things! But you won't see it if you are not looking! Grant and Marissa Nieddu, life from the mission field on the Island of Hispaniola, offer their daily Rookie Missionary Tips and Mistakes.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

On ADD and Getting to the Mission Field

A close person and supporter to the work Marissa and I are doing recently wrote me the following:
"Grant, I can not find a good book or resource to get cutting edge, up-to-the-minute time- and life-management skills and help based on the reality of the black hole that the Internet CAN be if not MANAGED properly. 
"Before the Internet there used to actually be more minutes in every hour. I wish someone would put that theory to Steven Hawking!! 
"Anyway, I know you could write [just such a] book - for people generally including all vocations lofty enough to require elegant management of time and energy to accomplish - in free-form occupations/activities like I am now as a grad student and part-time employee, and you are now based on your current work. 
"All the time mgmt books I can find are the same old stuff. Those skills have to be updated constantly as technology/media devices and platforms keep morphing and growing. Like details on when/how best to use Twitter/G+, and everything else combined in THE MOST EFFICIENT smart manner in concert with housekeeping, cooking, reading, meditating, personal care/bathing, Internet for school, and Internet for social/pleasure/family stuff. 
"Help! I'm feeling my way along in the dark - this stuff is especially important for those of us with ADHD-type challenges since we get so easily distracted online and before we know it we've done a bunch of stuff we didn't have on our original to-do list, even though the stuff we did might actually be good stuff, just not the right good stuff for the moment! 
"Help me OB1 canobi, you're our only hope"!
I think that this is a concern for many people today. Especially those who already deal with focus and have attention issues, the internet (and the resultant pace of life) can pose a significant challenge.

But, this had to be overcome. There are many steps it takes to achieve your dream. In our case, getting to the mission field for any length of time, let alone attempting to move to the field, has many steps.

The following are my 9 Major Ideas behind creating focus to achieve the things on your heart.

  1. There is no such thing as time management. You cannot manage time. There is only YOU management. Time will march on regardless.
  2. All the books sound the same because they are all pointing to the same thing most of which I agree with: self-discipline. Self-discipline is the same regardless of the internet or not. Back in the day, news was the internet of their day. And radio before that. And newspapers before that. And the local pub before that. (Imagine an irish woman's voice: "Why'r ye' down at dat pub all day, boyo?!") It has always been the same and it will always be the same. Discipline will be the only thing to overcome it! How?
  3. The following is the sequence of books that made the most impact on my life. I have the order and the revelation that came to me by them. (Although I am sure you can guess the revelation when you see the title.) 
    1. 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill: success is won or lost because of my own thoughts (instead of thoughts you could replace it with any of the 13 major points of thinking there). I learned and began extracting my vision and passion here. 
    2. '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by the late Steven Covey: This book helped me to understand Roles and Responsibilities, which affect the Importance-Urgent Quadrant, which determine First Things First and what we focus on. I learned that my passion was possible by managing myself and began APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES. 
    3. 'Getting Things Done' by David Allen: This helped me by offering me a better system to funnel my efforts toward. This assumes that I have already developed sufficient self-discipline to execute any system I decided I want to try.
  4. To take it further, I believe that the books are saying the same things because the general population still has yet to apply the basics of focus, self-discipline. Do the basics. then get more.
  5. Other Tools: If you use the Google Chrome internet browser, you can install free Extensions from the Chrome Web store that limit your surfing/websites in chunks of time that you set up. Some of them limit social sites from hour X to hour Y (your working hours.) Check out Strict Pomodora and StayFocused. With these two, set up correctly, you won't have the choice but to be disciplined. Just don't shut off the Extensions when you feel the temptation to distract yourself. With those extensions I think you are on your way. 
  6. I would also do an honest self-assessment: Have I actually completed the steps in these books or any other material I have read in the past? Am I currently living the daily habits they suggest? 
  7. If you have not shaped the self-discipline habit, you can attempt to take the next, higher level in life, but it will not be sustainable for long. Sustainability of whatever your next level is based on your ability to manage self. And, I believe that most all people have that ability, whether they have ADD, ADHD, BiPolar disorder or whatever.
  8. Weekly Planning. I would seriously set up your week. Schedule in day-dreaming or web-surfing times so that you have the peace of mind during work times that you will get to it. 
  9. Have a note pad titled "Stuff to Look Up" so that you do not carry anxiety that your passing thoughts will be lost (this was often my motive for surfing forever).
Honestly, if these things, the basics, are not done, the next level will remain unreachable or, at the very least, unsustainable. One MUST, MUST, MUST have the planning habit to corral the need (and I believe it is a need) to surf and peruse the ideas in your head. But corral it. Schedule it in. Capture it on a sheet. And let 'er rip, when you scheduled that time.

That is the best advice I have until you have attained it. Once you have attained it, there are other things you can do to optimize it for further effectiveness. But that must wait until then!

Good luck! Get organized. Get focused! And we look forward to seeing you on the field!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Reflections from Port-au-Prince

I recently received this amazing letter from Ted Steinhauer, Managing Director of the Grace Center and Grace Mission near Port-au-Prince Haiti.

It was a solid reminder to me about our life here on the island. But it also made me think of your lives in the States, or wherever you call home.

 You can follow his blog here. [formatting mine.]

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem, 'Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children… Multiply! Do not dwindle away! Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.’ ” (Jer.29:7)
Want to do some “unpacking?” (I love writing because I’m free to assume you’ve answered, “Yes!”)

What a shocker this “word from the Lord” must have been for the exiles! I can hear their protest.

“What! Unpack, build homes, plant, open businesses, marry, and have families—is this Babylon our home?” "They’re our enemy, for crying out loud!”

And then the straw that must’ve broken the old camel’s back –
“Work for the peace and prosperity of the city… Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” 
“Are you kidding me?” they must’ve exclaimed. “Why should we work to make things easier and better for our enemies; why should our welfare be tied to theirs?” 

We’d most likely have said the same thing –let’s face it, we actually do. 

Still, it sounds to me that regardless of our reasons for living in any particular location, we’re to help prosper the community we’re living in and even “…pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” It’s almost as if we’re responsible to God to get involved- sink roots, build homes, farm, trade, and establish commerce- in order to make ourselves an integral part of the community in which we live. 

We’re supposed to contribute to the community’s progress - spiritually, economically, and socially.

Wherever we may find ourselves; wherever God has called us to be—whether it’s to live, do mission work, ministry, make disciples-all of the above— we’re supposed to be assets. We’re supposed to live out God’s Kingdom in our respective communities. If we dig into this notion for a moment, we’ll find that it’s as scary for us as it was for them. (Hey, it’s not my counsel- it is God’s command!) But, I know He’s right, because the same God who sent the remnant of Israel into exile is the same God who directs world history and the lives of all who belong to Him – all believers.

Sadly, most of us don’t want to be part of community God’s way; in fact, we work hard at forming our own comfortable, relationally shallow, non-threatening communities. Nevertheless, like Israel in Babylon, we are where we are by God’s will and purpose for a specific time. During this time, we need to be the ones who have an influence on our communities; even bring them prosperity—we’re not to be influenced and prosper from them. But, putting this into practice—considering our short-term, out-of-sight/out-of-mind, send-money-from-a-distance-mindset—these attitudes build buildings - not relationships

With these mindsets, any God-ordained personal involvement, community-focused vision, or any long-term spiritual, economic, and social relationships is near impossible – 
without a change of heart.

If we would only take a lesson from Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—these men who took God’s message to heart and worked (through the reign of two Babylonian Kings) to prosper Babylon – they obeyed Jer. 29:7. The result— each of these kings publicly praised God in these words, 
“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true and he is able to humble the proud.” (Dan. 4:37)
And King Darius:
“I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, His Kingdom will never be destroyed… He rescues and saves His people; He performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth…" (Dan.6:26 – 27).
Why don’t we trust and obey God? Allow Him to change our hearts from self-centeredness to the relational love of Jesus AS we work to influence and prosper the communities God has placed us in? Wouldn’t this glorify His name—show the world (as Daniel did) what true Kingdom of God community looks like? 

Why are so we afraid to break away from our traditional mission methodology that has created unsustainable dependency; the passing of poverty from one hand to another while doing very little to prosper the church and community?

---

Ted Steinhauer

Friday, October 5, 2012

A Church in Higuey & Our Visit There

Here is our very brief overview of our trip to Hebreo's church in Higuey, Dominican Republic. 

Their community was awesome. They opened up their home to us and made us banana smoothies. And they had a great Pastoral Appreciation Service.

This is a quick 2 minute overview.


Thursday, October 4, 2012

9 Questions To Ask When Deciding How to Write

"Do I Just Sit and Start Writing Or Kind Of Lay Out The Book First?"

This is a question I was just asked by a fellow minister on the field, Chantz Cutts, after reading my book, H.O.P.E. From Here to Haiti.

My answer is: It depends.

I have a decent process for my non-fiction stuff that I am very pleased with. It is structured to produce a clean final product AND functions well to deal with my bursts of muse-driven inspiration.

On my non-fiction stuff, I have a brainstorm/download process and about a thousand conversations with my master-mind team. Along the way, I do a mind map, look for an order, and begin downloading ideas on the mind-map. I eventually transfer the brainstorms (stickie notes, drawings, emails, napkins, etc.) into an outline of sorts. I see what makes sense on an order and then go back over the material.

On my first fiction novel still in process, 'Aegis, Shopper', I attempted to simply sit and flow. It has been an experiment in going with the flow to write. This works very well if you are a general story teller. BUT, I would say that I am starting to believe that I am only comfortable with this process at this point because I have the confidence in my system to finish and organize and edit it later. AND, I am pretty good about saying to myself "I will just sit down and knock out 1,000." (I write a minimum of a thousand words a day, even if it is dribble that I will eventually throw away.)

On my second fiction novel, currently unnamed, I approached it a tad more systematically. I could go into this as I had to devise a proprietary way to do it, and there is a lot to explain to it.

How Would You Recommend A New Author Approach Their Writing?

I would say it depends on several things. What type of book it is, how intense is the muse (aka The Holy Creative Spirit) in you (this affects pace, degree of discipline needed, and systematic approach), knowing your creative process; these are all things to consider.

Your process could vary from my. Start by answering these questions:

  1. What is the premise of the book?
  2. What sort of book is it?
  3. Can any of it be crowd-sourced?
  4. How intense is the idea in you? (1 - 10, 1 being I woke up with a good idea but by the time I finished coffee it was 'myeh' and 10 being It lines up with my current work, accelerates our vision, and I would sell my left leg to finish it)
  5. Do you prefer deadlines? Or just to go with the flow?
  6. How structured is your schedule already?
  7. Are there any deadlines that the launch of the book would go well with?
  8. How much do you know about The One-and-Only Story told?
  9. Has anything even similar been written before?

I would say that as I answer these questions for myself I begin to see the process required to accomplish it.

What is your process? 
Do you have a specific project you are working on that you need process questions answered for?
Let me know below!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

First Month Down... A Lifetime To Go!


We are here and we are finally doing it. All the planning, preparation, vision and prayer has brought us to this place in this time. The first month has been full of ups and down for us as we have planted ourselves in the unknown. Some days I wake up energized and fired up for continuing the mission God had placed before us, while other days I wake up saying, “I really hope we are doing the right thing!”

Eric and I practicing demonstrations of 24 skills.
Living in a country where you cannot communicate with everyone is exhausting. Currently we are in the Dominican Republic, so we have had to dust off our rusty Spanish and try to learn more everyday. To have university level thoughts, but to only be able to speak at the level of a five-year-old is extremely frustrating. And when our Spanish is up to conversational levels, then it will be on to French and Creole. Learning is never finished, but what a wonderful way to live life!

My days are full of diving, studying and practicing language. My hope is that by December it will have paid off with a job and connections to serve in ministry. I feel extremely blessed to be learning a trade that I have wanted to do for the past five years. Everyday I get to dive into the unknown and see new breathtaking aspects of God’s beautiful creation. The rush of descending one hundred feet into turquoise waters followed by the zen of viewing life under the sea while hearing only the sound of your own breathing, is something I wish everyone could experience at least once in their lives. 

I have been able to meet some great people through our dive shop, but my favorite so far would have to be the owners of the world’s first and only scuba diving chimpanzee named, Cooper. They were such a delight to dive with and afterwards she showed us youtube videos of their chimp using scuba gear! They told us that Cooper was the reason they decided to get their dive certifications. If Cooper could do it, so could they!

Grant and I at church with our friends Hebreo and Juan Carlos
Grant has also made friends with a worker at our hotel named Hebreo. He helped Grant pick me up that airport last week when all our other options kept falling through and he invited us to his church this past Sunday. What a blessing it was to be around other believers and see the passion and hunger for God. They talked of being a light in their community and going to the nations. It was truly a beautiful night with spiritually beautiful people.

Though we have been and are going through many challenges everyday, I would not have my life any other way. I am married to the man of my dreams, studying to work at a job I love, and pursuing a life of service to my Creator.