My Missionary Story Part I

Awhile ago I was asked what “my story” was, concerning the architectural missionary direction.  Like you might expect – there were quite a few pieces to this puzzle.  But I suppose the key events leading up to last year’s decision to pursue this architectural missionary direction are the following: 

• A prayer request to the Lord back when I was about 12, letting the Lord know that I was willing to do whatever He wanted – but please don’t send me on a mission field (meaning out of the United States), especially please don’t send me to someplace like Africa.

• A realization at age 27 that God had transformed my heart so that this was now a significant desire; a letter to a Middle East missionary organization (sent without a donation), and no further response.  Whereas my letter and conversations with this gal named Sally who lived 2,000 miles away led to marriage and many children; so the missionary thing seemed like either a closed door, or at least a “down the road” thing – maybe.

• Fast forward to 2005; the realization that after two attempts to pursue a different career path, the Lord wanted me in architecture; sort of reluctantly accepting a job as a staff architect at Meier, a company of about 42, with four in the architecture group (counting me).

• Ten days after being hired at Meier, my architectural boss was fired, and I was asked to take over the position (later realizing that this was really the reason Terry Meier hired me – he just never told me); accepting this position after thinking about it for two weeks – so now our group was down to three; I was the only licensed architect, and our intern architect was due with twins within a month.

• Fast forward to 2010, our group is up to 9 (10 if with a summer intern); the company is up to around 70.  Our architectural revenue had grown from around $400K to $2.2M; a very fulfilling architectural career, but a growing and inexplicable restlessness.  I think this was magnified with my mom’s death on March 4^th, of that year, but I couldn’t really put my finger on it.   
• On October 21^st, following a Rotary Club meeting, thinking about our upcoming annual Meier strategic planning meeting for the 26^th, I remember apologizing to the Lord for the restlessness, and wondering if perhaps I shouldn’t be the group manager since I didn’t really have a “vision” for the group – never really did; but not really wanting a change in position.... see Part II for the the HIM connection.