t’s the most wonderful time of the year. Except when it isn’t. Advent – the four weeks leading up to Christmas – is supposed to be a sacred time. A time set aside, not only for preparation and anticipation of a favorite holiday, but also for reflection and meditation on the spiritual significance of this holy season.

This year seemed like more of a quiet year in terms of the number projects and activities, due in large part to the conflict and civil wars all over the Middle East.  The demands of canceling and postponing projects while trying to mobilize more long-term workers can be trying.  Our international office has also been severely short-staffed, making it more challenging to coordinate work, even under the best of circumstances. David-Andrew Fox shared a humorously obscure verse – Proverbs 14:4 – about how a stable might be very clean when there are no oxen, but it is difficult to bring in the harvest without them. 

So 2014 is winding down, but our mobilization efforts are already geared toward 2015 and the many projects we have in the works. On the one hand, we want to help long-term workers be prepared as "sports people" for the culture and climate awaiting them overseas. And on the other other hand, we want to help send sports professionals on short-term trips. If you think of mobilization as a thousand moving parts, you have the right idea! We have a database with hundreds of names representing dozens of sports, and we have similar numbers of requests every year we try to match with the right resources.

The nature of our work dictates that most of our time is spent on things not yet realized. Such is the life of trail blazers. Missions has always had a pioneer spirit, taking the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world where Christ has not yet been proclaimed. Sports missions, in particular, is now at the forefront of that movement, charting new territory and changing paradigms within the missional conversation. We are constantly occupied with unreached countries, potential projects, hypothetical placements and future donations while navigating old models and difficult contexts.

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All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” - 1 Kings 19:7
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with ~100 missionaries, many of whom live and work in 'our' countries.  They are my heroes.  Hearing their stories puts many things into perspective - my "struggles", my "worries", my "fears" - while real to me, they are comically insignificant when viewed through the lens of others' realities.  First World problems indeed.

This week we have returned to semi-normalcy at the office. Most of our events have come and gone, so we are back to our regularly scheduled programming. We’re still not at full strength (we’re down one development officer) so the staff continues to double up, wearing multiple hats (per usual); we’re glad to move beyond event planning for a while. The interns keep claiming to have to “go to class” and “study for a test.” Sure. I know what that means. They’re not much help. Anyhow, its November. When did that happen? Thanksgiving is 3 weeks away! Christmas is 49 days away!