Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.

In the words of the great philosopher Mitch Hedburg,

"I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've traveled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won't fall down."

In three weeks from today, I'll be living in Bogota Colombia. I know for some of you, just reading that sentence causes you to worry about my safety, question my judgement and miss my friendship. As I've said repeatedly, I'm only going to be gone for five months. That time will fly by! I'll be back before your even realize I've gone. But I do want to take a couple minutes and outline why I feel the need to take this journey.

Quite honestly, it is my time to do something greater than myself. When we look around and take stock of what we have in life, there has to be some point where we realize that our own self-indulgence is no longer sufficient enough to identify as to who we really are. I no longer feel content to let life happen around me, instead it is opportunity to live out the idealist life I've so often carried on about. It is not enough to simply sit back and speak about the injustices of life, but a real commitment is required. I also claim devotion to a life inspired by Christ, yet I have not thrown away my riches to follow him. I certainly have not had to rely on prayer and faith to see my most basic needs met. This is why I need to go to Colombia.

I will be teaching at El Camino Academy, a Christian school in the crowded city of Bogota. My work there is unpaid, except for a small living expense that barely covers my rent. My food, transportation and living costs are still unaccounted for. This is where faith and trust in God becomes a true reality. I honestly don't know where I will get the majority of my meals. I truly don't know how I will afford to live in this metropolis, let alone find the materials to run a effecient classroom. The school I'm working for is a missionary school, and they rely on the commitment of teachers and the mercy of God to fulfill those needs. This is a perfect opportunity to give and work for the Lord.

My life has certainly had its ups and downs. For many, it may seem that I have had more than my fair share of difficulties. The truth though, is that I look around and see how much I've been blessed with. I've graduated college, been fortunate to find work as a teacher in different schools and I can see the potential for a very stable and comfortable life. But I've only gotten this far due to God's great mercy and benevolence. Before I can settle myself down, I need to give back. Teaching is one of my gifts and talents, and this opportunity has been clearly laid before me by God. I will teach in a Christian school, work in the subjects I am best suited for, and do my small part of living a real committed life in a Christian community.

In addition to the great spiritual calling I feel, I'm also itching to just get out there and travel. For a long time I've been teaching about the world...politics, economics and cultural diversity...but now I get the chance to see it first hand. Admittedly, Colombia is not the safest place to travel. The country is basically in a long standing revolution and the crimes of the drug cartels have left a lingering image on the country. I can sit back and consider myself informed of these situations because I read of them online....or I can travel there and see exactly what is happening myself. As I said before, no longer being a spectator in life, I will now be an active participant.

Simply, I'm taking a risk, trusting in God and venturing out into the world. The people I meet, the things I see will inevitably change the way I see the world, but it will be a more informed and realistic image of a life outside of my own.

If any of you are interested in contributing to my mission, I would be grealy indebted to your kindness. I am working through a missionary firm named 'Resourcing Christian Education International'. They are handling my finances, offering health insurance and acting as my liason for other business affairs. You can visit their website at www.RCE-International.org. You can contact me directly for information on how to contribute. My cell phone number (for at least while I'm in the states) is 630-709-8668. My email is joshuazbinden@gmail.com.

As for donations, I'm not asking anyone to give unless your feeling called by God to contribute. And I'm not in need of just monetary support. Prayer contributions would be incredible, and I'd love to have your gift of prayer and thought. If you are called to help support with monetary donations, then any little bit helps. Honestly, what you may consider to be a small insignificant contribution will go leaps and bound in supporting my mission. And for those of you that are interested, I've been told by RCE that gifts made before the end of the year are possible for tax-deductions.

I will keep this blog updated on a very regular basis, and will provide information, photos and my thoughts during this incredible journey.

I love you all, and God Bless!

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