Welcome to the revolution

Dear Friends,
Yes, yes, this is a mass email. No, it’s not a nasty “the-devil-will-get-you-if-you-don’t-forward-this-on-to-5000-people-in-the-next-half-hour”. It’s just a quick “catch-up-on-Allan’s-life-and-find-out-what-he’s-up-to” update.

The Journey So Far
Well, as many of you know, I quit my job on the last day of 2005! This was a big change that may have seemed sudden to some, but was actually a long time coming— it just took a little extra time and faith to get out of the boat. A new vision for Africa has been stirring in my heart, and it was clear that the ministry I was working with was stretched to its limits in South East Asia. Africa was not becoming enough of a priority. In meetings I felt like I had became the annoying “Africa guy,” pushing my own agenda. I was also getting stuck in a graphics and web design rut, keeping me from using the other gifts that God had stirred up in me during my time at Moody Grad School.

So what have I been doing this last month? Ahhh…like a mad revolutionary artist, I have been plotting, creating, and scheming in secret. This new vision for ministry in Africa has begun to take shape. Can you see me now, sipping on mug after mug of hot Red Bush tea, a space heater at my feet as I labor into the early hours of the morning behind a computer screen feeling a lot like Jerry McGuire? Let me not fool you, this idealistic dreaming has not been easy; it’s been toilsome and exhausting, but it has also been marked by the guidance and phenomenal peace of God. I have been envisioning, articulating, designing, and praying. This really sums up my last month.

If you are anything like me, there are times in your life where you stop and pause, assessing your gifts, talents, and your journey so far. You turn to God and ask Him to make some sense of it all. Where is it all going? Am I really living out your purpose? Of late, I have been bombarding Him with questions like these.

The Journey to Come
I believe the passion and dream that He has put in my heart for this next chapter of my life is simply to be a “bridge,” a bridge to build more authentic relationships between the Church in Africa and the Church in the US, a bridge that facilitates tangible channels of action for individuals wanting to do something for the people of Africa. This would happen through:
1. Missions
2. Internships and
3. Orphan & Widow care.
This vision is large and overwhelming, but it seems to have the fingerprints of God all over it. This ministry will function under the leadership of my mentor’s ministry, African Leadership Development, (which has been around for more than 10yrs). We are calling this new ministry Africa Revolution.

It would be foolish of me to attempt to explain all of Africa Revolution in this email, so here is the website that I’ve put together to help cradle this vision in a way that, I hope, makes it understandable to you. It is fluid and changing, but taking shape. Many of you have already helped with it and I hope that more of you will join in along the way. www.africarevolution.org

The sacrifice of this vision is that I am no longer on salary and must raise support. This reality made it difficult to step out of the last boat. But I’m on the water now and I’m walking. In faith I'm following and trying to be obedient. Support raising can be tough, but I do believe God calls some to support the work that He has prepared for others to do. So my ask of you is to prayerfully consider supporting me. However, I really want you to know that this would be more than supporting me as an individual, it would be supporting this bold vision for Africa. I honestly ask you to first take a look at what it is I am attempting to pursue before you even consider giving. If you want to financially support me in this, that would be awesome, but I also ask that you pray with me in this. I don’t want to be the crazy guy off on a tangent. I want to be all about the work of the Lord, and I think I may be on track!

Okay, too many words already. Please, please check out the website and give me some feedback…and shoot me an email, as I would love to hear from you