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MORE NETWORK BLOG

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!

 

Wilderness ReBoot: Solitude, Community & Mission

Ben shares about how his love for the wilderness first started, and gives insight into what adult MKs (Missionary Kids) can expect at Wilderness ReBoot. 

Read more...

The Busyness of an MK (Missionary Kid)

I love airports.

The hustle and bustle. People of every nationality streaming past me. The endless possibilities of flights to every corner of the world.

As an adult now, I can admit that in trying to get my family from one country to another, an airport can be a stressful place; endless lines, tight timelines, lost luggage, too much opportunity for things to go wrong.

But, as a Third-Culture Kid (TCK), and specifically a Missionary Kid (MK), the airport glitters like a yellow-brick road into the unknown, and it excites me, especially that hustle and bustle, that busyness of international travel.

Airports are synonymous with the word “busy”. This word, busy, seems also to be the first word used by people to describe life where I now live, Southwestern Ontario. If you have a casual conversation with just about anyone older than 20, they describe life as busy. Life is busy ... but why? I can’t speak about your particular situation, but I can tell you about my situation: there are just so many things to do. Good things. Important things. 

How do you figure out what God is specifically calling you to do when there are so many ‘good’ things that need someone to do them?

Read more...

Adult Third Culture Kid Research

One of the main reasons I decided to pursue doctoral studies was to conduct research. Not just any research, but "Adult Third Culture Kid" (ATCK) research. For many years, I worked with children, teens, and adults from various mission agencies, preparing them for international ministry and helping them transition back to Canada.

As I listened to their stories of joy and heartbreak, accomplishments and struggles, I realized that there is so much more that we, as caregivers and organizations, can learn from these international workers and their families to contribute to their transition and healing. In particular, we need to find new ways to help them help themselves, long after the end of the transition retreats and workshops we offer.

The question I am exploring for my research is “How can spiritual self-leadership encourage identity development and sense of belonging in ATCKs in order for them to fully realize their potential and value contribution in the workplace?”

Read more...

6 Gospel Truths for TCKs

Ethan, an adult Missionary Kid, shares 6 gospel truths for Missionary Kids & Third Culture Kids ...

"While there are many positive things about growing up as Missionary Kids, we face unique challenges and personal needs that sometime seem impossible to meet. Yet there is someone who promises to be able to meet those needs in a meaningful way, Jesus. The good news of Jesus is He can meet every need of our heart arising from growing up cross-culturally."

 

Read more...

Behind the Scenes (at MORE Network)

 A behind the scenes look at God's faithfulness in the MORE Network and an invitation to pray with us!

Read more...

Serving Leaders: Replacing Ourselves

How do we serve leaders? By thinking about how to replace them! Okay, maybe some of you will think this is a bad idea...

Read more...

Changing the Oil on your Cross-Cultural Worker

How do we care for our Cross-Cultural Ministry Workers? Using car maintenance as an analogy, Mark unpacks three ways the church can support & care for Cross-Cultural Ministry Workers.

 

Read more...

The Joy of Transitions

God calls us to follow Him in obedience. Almost always it means change. Leaving our comfort zone, we move into unknown territory, feeling anxious, fearful, and sometimes terrified. Yet we can journey through transitions with confidence, fearlessly, and with anticipation. What does transitioning God's way look like? 

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 staff, from around the world! 

Read more...

Wilderness ReBoot: Solitude, Community & Mission
Ben shares about how his love for the wilderness first started, and gives insight into what adult MKs (Missionary Kids) can expect at Wilderness ReBoot. 
Read more...
The Busyness of an MK (Missionary Kid)
I love airports. The hustle and bustle. People of every nationality streaming past me. The endless possibilities of flights to every corner of the world. As an adult now, I can admit that in trying to get my f...
Read more...
Adult Third Culture Kid Research
One of the main reasons I decided to pursue doctoral studies was to conduct research. Not just any research, but "Adult Third Culture Kid" (ATCK) research. For many years, I worked with children, teens, and adults from ...
Read more...
6 Gospel Truths for TCKs
Ethan, an adult Missionary Kid, shares 6 gospel truths for Missionary Kids & Third Culture Kids ... "While there are many positive things about growing up as Missionary Kids, we face unique challenges and personal ...
Read more...
Behind the Scenes (at MORE Network)
 A behind the scenes look at God's faithfulness in the MORE Network and an invitation to pray with us!
Read more...
Serving Leaders: Replacing Ourselves
How do we serve leaders? By thinking about how to replace them! Okay, maybe some of you will think this is a bad idea...
Read more...
Changing the Oil on your Cross-Cultural Worker
How do we care for our Cross-Cultural Ministry Workers? Using car maintenance as an analogy, Mark unpacks three ways the church can support & care for Cross-Cultural Ministry Workers.  
Read more...
The Joy of Transitions
God calls us to follow Him in obedience. Almost always it means change. Leaving our comfort zone, we move into unknown territory, feeling anxious, fearful, and sometimes terrified. Yet we can journey through transitions...
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 staff, from around the world! 
Read more...
Loving and Supporting MKs: One Church's Story
What are some ways you could love and encourage the MKs you know? Here's a story of how one church practically loved and supported MKs!
Read more...