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Thank you for visiting us! Please find our latest blog right below and the rest of them at the bottom of the page, organized chronologically. Enjoy!

 

ByBenjamin Reed on Monday, January 16, 2023

Wilderness ReBoot: Solitude, Community & Mission

Benjamin Reed By Benjamin Reed on Monday, January 16, 2023

 

What is Wilderness Reboot?

Wilderness ReBoot is built on Luke 6:12-19 where Jesus shows us the pattern of “solitude, community, and mission".

Henri J.M. Nouwen wrote a tiny book on Luke 6:12-19 called A Spirituality of Living, a Bible study on three themes: solitude, community, and ministry. Every participant at Wilderness Reboot is given a copy of this tiny book. These three themes (solitude, community, and ministry) are addressed in the retreat.

Who is Wilderness Reboot for? 

Young people ages twenty-one to early thirties, who grew up cross culturally with parents who were missionaries or serving God overseas are invited to:

  • get away from screens and the internet
  • learn and practice how to be in solitude with their Creator
  • share some of their story with others who have had similar experiences
  • receive encouragement in pursuing their future  

My Wilderness Journey beginnings…

My first love for the wilderness started on a wilderness backpacking trip with my dad. Later it grew on a canoe trip on the Missouri River and helping lead one-hundred-mile horse trips.

In the fall of 1988, I spent a semester in the wilderness with a small group of leaders-in-training.  We had “hands on” training for many different applications of outdoor life in summer, fall and winter settings. It changed my life!

One of the best assignments was a solo trip where I built a campsite by myself in the bush. I spent 3 nights and 4 days fasting and took only water, my bible and journal, and survival gear.  It was a chance for me, as a young man, to be alone with God, to push in by faith, and to process what had happened to me during the course. 

Through my outdoor course, I faced a lot of fear, had so much fun, encountered awe and wonder of God in amazing beauty, and saw how small I was. I sang my heart out to God, I cried some tears, and I kept the fire going for 4 days. I prayed a lot about my future.  This was my introduction to practice what Jesus did in Luke 6, spending all night in solitude with God.  I often think back to this solo in the mountains and how it helped me to move forward as a young man.  This continued into Central Asia where we served.

Solitude

At Wilderness ReBoot, we give short daily, interactive 15 to 20-minute practical Bible training times about being alone with God and then release people to find space around the camp and be in solitude.   Some draw or sketch, some write poetry or prose, others pray or sing, read or even take a nap.   We teach that the foundational principle is that of honesty in our thoughts and writing.

Community

Jesus showed us in Luke 6 how highly he held relationships by choosing twelve men to walk with and invest in. Jesus showed us that we need to know others and to be known. Being known by others produces fear, anxiety and lots of doubt.

Considering this, we spend our evenings at Wilderness ReBoot around the fire, sharing our stories in a more formalized way. Staff and participants each pick a time period in their life and tell their story for twenty minutes.  Every night we have two to three people share.  No one forces anyone to go into anything they don’t want to.

This is a group listening exercise where we desire to honor and respect the story that is being written in the life of the person who speaks. We reflect what we have heard to make sure that we heard correctly, we share from the heart about what moved our emotions as the person shared, and then we pause in absolute quiet to pray.  It is an honor to be let into the story of another and is a holy place.   

Surrendering our Gifts & Abilities

After Jesus had been alone in solitude, and then gathered his disciples into community, he invited them into ministry.  I submit that all skills and abilities given to God help advance the kingdom of God.  Work is blessed by God, and I regret the so called “secular/sacred” labels.   We all need encouragement in pursing our future.

I understand that I am to hunger and thirst for God and to see the wilderness as a special place to show up and be still.   I do not chase the biggest trip, or thrill, or selfie or adrenaline rush that the adventure tourism industry tries to market.  Earlier, I surrendered my desires to God in the wilderness as sinful and of the “flesh”.  When I did that, Jesus later gave this desire back with a transformed motivation.

Our Hope

We won’t solve everyone’s problem in a week in the mountains. But we hope to communicate:

  1. You are not alone.
  2. We can have a lot of fun as we do amazing things together, safely, in the mountains.
  3. God wants to meet with you. 
  4. Encouragement to you in your future pursuits!

You can find out all the details about the next Wilderness ReBoot, as well as registration links here: Wilderness ReBoot . Or contact Ben at benreed@outreach.ca

You can also check out the Wilderness ReBoot Facebook page here: Wilderness ReBoot on Facebook


Ben and his wife Marlene have been in missionary life for 30+ years, serving in Kyrgyzstan and Canada. Currently, Ben serves as a care worker with the MORE Network, in the areas of spiritual direction and pastoral care within the overseas worker community, prayer ministry, and re-entry debriefing. Ben speaks two languages of Central Asia, plays the Komuz, and loves cultural music and learning about world culture. Ben also loves hiking in the great outdoors, running, swimming and biking. Ben and Marlene have been married for 30+ years, have three adult children, and are enjoying being first time grandparents.

 

 



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Did you miss our past blogs? Check them out below!

 

5 Ways to Pray for MORE Network in 2024

At the MORE Network, the key verse we’ve chosen for 2024 is Exodus 33:14: “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 (NIV)

Prior to this verse, God had told Moses to lead the Israelites to a land flowing with milk and honey but that He would not go with them. In response Moses says in verse 15, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”

Just as Moses did not want to go forward without God, neither do we in the MORE Network. Not only do we want God to direct us in the way we should go in 2024, but we also want His presence to go with us.

Here are 5 Areas of Prayer for the MORE Network in 2024! 

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Lament of a Returning Missionary

Loosely based on Psalm 13, here is a prayer of lament of a returning missionary. 

How long, Lord, will I miss our former HOME where I sobbed in frustration and prayed, pounding on heaven’s door to learn language(s) & culture, and how to buy food and learn to survive, let alone thrive? ...

 

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While there, I had the honour of hearing the stories of missionaries who have worked in the overseas ministry context for many years. And boy, did I feel inadequate for the task as some of them had faithfully served a lifetime, having much more cross-cultural experience than I have and the wisdom that accompanies such incredible life experiences.

But what struck me the most and motivated me all the more to listen, was that many of these seasoned missionaries never had the opportunity to actually share their full stories with anyone – that is their deeply personal and valuable stories, the good, the bad and the ugly. And that’s really a reflection and a limitation of our modern missionary movement; missionaries often feel obligated to share only the positive experiences and their successes, lest they be judged or misunderstood, or worse, lose vital financial or personal support...

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There is something so beautiful about the quick bonds that form between MKs (Missionary Kids), who understand each other despite having drastically different life experiences. It’s like a breath of fresh air to be surrounded by people who have gone through similar life experiences. It helps you to share on a more honest and intimate level.

Each year, the MORE Network runs Classic ReBoot, a re-entry retreat for missionaries’ kids (MKs) aged 17-20 returning to life in Canada. This is a crucial time in the lives of these young adults, many of whom are not only adjusting to a new culture, but also to new schools, jobs, relationships, and living situations.

In this article, Malik, shares about his own experience at Classic ReBoot, as well as an inside scoop from attendees of the most recent Classic ReBoot!

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This summer, we had the privilege of connecting with Shelly Lyons about her research on Adult Third Culture Kids. Listen in to hear more about the “heart” behind the research and her big picture dreams for how it will be used! 

Adult Third Culture Kids (ATCK) are adults whose lives were shaped by mobility and cross-cultural experiences during their childhood. According to Merriam Webster, a “Third Culture Kid (TCK)” refers to "a child who grows up in a culture different from the one in which his or her parents grew up ... The 'third culture' to which the term refers is the mixed identity that a child assumes, influenced both by their parents' culture and the culture in which they are raised."

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One Sunday morning in the church where I pastored, a family came to me and shared how some of their friends had left our church to go to another church: a "competitor church". They were completely distracted by their news. Does the Bible encourage us to compete with fellow believers? Is there such a thing as a competitor church?

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I still remember the moment I heard the words of Mark 8, grasping their significance for the first time. Sitting amongst peers while at university – I was largely preoccupied by ambition and my pursuit of excellence.

I didn’t know a lot back then about what it means to follow Jesus, but I did know Jesus as the Saviour who pulls little children closer, drowning out harshness with His greatness. His hands had sheltered my heart throughout my youth and brought along gifts of companionship, discipleship, and understanding. I felt cherished by Jesus and it was his inordinate compassion towards me that kept me tethered to Him. 

Deny - the word sprang out at me, convicting and exposing me. 

What did that mean? 

I was well positioned to pursue the American Dream and succeed at it, and denying myself in any way was not really part of the plan. So tangibly struck, I fumbled to respond to those words within our group, finally landing on, “I don’t think I’m doing that”. 

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” -Mark 8:35

Oh boy, somehow denying myself was connected to losing my life and that was not anywhere on my to-do list. I was on track for a comfortable life, full of all the perks of a first-world society, with no regard for the reality that no one avoids suffering anyway...

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5 Ways to Pray for MORE Network in 2024
At the MORE Network, the key verse we’ve chosen for 2024 is Exodus 33:14: “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 (NIV) Prior to this verse, God had told Moses to l...
Read more...
Lament of a Returning Missionary
Loosely based on Psalm 13, here is a prayer of lament of a returning missionary.  How long, Lord, will I miss our former HOME where I sobbed in frustration and prayed, pounding on heaven’s door to learn language(s...
Read more...
Christmas Memories from Around the World
Watermelon, Handprints and Fireworks ... What do they all have in common? They are all elements of favourite Christmas memories and traditions from our MORE Network staff, from around the world! 
Read more...
Deeply Rooted
We invite you to join us during this season of generosity so that, together, we can give Missionary Kids and their families the opportunities to experience a richer soil in Christ and broader branches in community. 
Read more...
The Eternal Benefits of Debriefing
I recently returned from RE-VIEW, a week-long family debriefing retreat, where I served as an adult facilitator and debriefer. While there, I had the honour of hearing the stories of missionaries who have worked in...
Read more...
Bonds Beyond Borders: The Impact of ReBoot on MKs
There is something so beautiful about the quick bonds that form between MKs (Missionary Kids), who understand each other despite having drastically different life experiences. It’s like a breath of fresh air to be surro...
Read more...
Adult Third Culture Kid Research: The Heart Behind the Research
This summer, we had the privilege of connecting with Shelly Lyons about her research on Adult Third Culture Kids. Listen in to hear more about the “heart” behind the research and her big picture dreams for how it will b...
Read more...
Is Competition a Biblical Value?
One Sunday morning in the church where I pastored, a family came to me and shared how some of their friends had left our church to go to another church: a "competitor church". They were completely distracted by their ne...
Read more...
Deny Yourself: My Story of Self-Denial & Abundant Life
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” -Mark 8:34 I still remember the moment I heard the words of Mark 8, grasping their significance for the first time. Si...
Read more...
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Building relationships is the first and foremost thing we should be about - everything else comes out of relationships. Building relationships with people from other cultures is so important, as humor; lifestyle; values...
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