As I spend my remaining weeks in Williston, ending a season of my life, I have had time to look back on the past year and a half here. I look back upon the closing days of life in Taiwan and the pain there was in leaving a country that had become so dear to my heart. I hated to say goodbye to the friends and fellow brothers and sisters in the faith who had become so dear to me after nine months of the most tedious and time consuming work any of us had ever done. I hated to say goodbye to mentors and those who shepherded the flock of God so well in the confines of our cozy community. I hated to say goodbye to bubble milk tea, to Taiwanese breakfast food, to longboarding to class every day, to the year round warm weather, and to the roof I spent countless hours on overlooking the city and crying out to God on a regular basis on. Sure I wasn't going to miss the taste or the smell of stinky tofu (GROSS!) or my inability to get around without help, but the grieving and difficulty was real. Beyond that, I knew that God had called me to probably the last place on earth I wanted to go... Williston North Dakota, and that's where this story truly begins.
As I said my final farewells, I spent my last few hours flying to Tokyo with the last familiar faces I would see of Taiwan for many months. Adam, Brandi, and I split up in Tokyo, and off I was on a new adventure certain of two things. One, I needed to make a lot of money in the next year to pay off my college debt, and two, I would be coming back to Taiwan in just over a year. I didn't know what this next season held for me, and quite frankly, I don't think I was all that excited for it. The sliver of hope I held was simply from the words of a note I received while in Taiwan and it was simply an encouragement that reminded me that when I traveled back 'home' (as it didn't really feel like home at the time) that God was not going to quit working in my life. That the passion for God that I had, the passion He had instilled in me was not going away, and that God was going to continue to work in and through my life and make me passionate for Himself in this season I would spend at 'home.'
Upon getting back to the States, I took a few weeks to take a much needed break and rest from all the work that had been done in Taiwan and to simply transition back to life in America. Taking an honest look at the first few months, it was tough. I moved into my house in Williston in mid-January but I spent little time in it. The free time I did have, I would travel back to my parents house and stay with them. I didn't feel like I was home. For months, I refused to call Williston my home. Honestly, home was anywhere but here.
The search for a church home began shortly after arriving in Williston. I went to a couple of churches and settled for one that wasn't at all what I was looking for or what I needed, but it seemed to at least fit the mold of church and I was able to get plugged in at least a little bit, but I knew there was something wrong when I was confronted with the idea of giving to this church. When I looked at it's mission and vision, I couldn't get myself to finance a mission that didn't seem to fit the model of kingdom work and kingdom vision that Jesus had set out for his people.
As I continued my church search, two women who were quickly becoming friends of mine invited me to a small group at a church across from the high school. I honestly can't explain it. There were no clear words from God, there were no signs, no flashing lights or anything else, but within five minutes of joining this small group, I knew I was at home. I was joining with a group of people who loved Jesus authentically, and who were genuinely pursuing Him as they studied together through the book of Acts. We were genuinely seeking how we as a part of Christ's body could be the church, could live in community, and could love Jesus with our lives. There was no fancy discussion guide, no reading materials (besides the Bible), and no pressure to have everything figured out. I wish I could now tell many of the stories, memories, and ways people within this group grew, but it would take up way to much of your time. I wish I could share of the life that has been done together in the past year because of this small group. I wish I could go into detail about our small group camping trip to the badlands, about the hilarity of watching Becca's dancing at Josh and Elie's wedding, about the many games of Dominion I've played with Tom and Katie, about Rachel showing up to small group in some of the goofiest clothing choices you could imagine, or about the numerous joys, challenges, prayers, and situations we have walked through together. I can truly say that with these people, and many others, I have found a home. I have found a community, and it pains me to say goodbye to this city and especially to this body of believers that I have grown fond of. It pains me to say goodbye to my family, my job and co-workers with whom I have developed a great camaraderie with over many late nights of work, and the thousand and one other things I have grown to love about this place.
Williston is now my home, and being uprooted from home is never an easy transition. but I hold out hope. I look back on the time when I left my home in Taiwan. I wasn't ready to come back and I didn't want to make Williston my home, and yet, it became home. This gives me such hope for the future. This gives me such hope that even though it's a challenge, even though I don't see the joy that is to come through this coming season, I can trust Jesus in this. I can trust that just as when I left Taiwan, afraid of what was to come, afraid that it was going to be the most miserable season of my life God worked wonders and made it one of the most joyful. I can trust that even though the transition may not be easy and my excitement about this is next to nil, that there is great joy to be found as I walk into this next time and season of my life. Sure there will be pain. Sure there will be challenges. There may be a few tears shed, a few people missed, a few days where all I want to do is to come back to the comforts of home, but it's all a part of walking with Jesus. As Needtobreathe famously wrote in one of their songs. If you never leave home, never let go, you'll never make it to the great unknown till you keep your eyes open. I share this because I see there is such freedom in being honest and open with others and I want you all to know my heart in going back.
There will be more blogs to follow, but I wanted to write this one to give ya'll a heads up on where I am at and simply to send out a prayer request as I finish my time here. My request right now for prayer is simple.
1. That I would get all of the logistical things needed finished.
2. God's grace and strength in this season to move forward in this calling.
The last thing I want to bring up in this is simply just for support. To operate fully, I am in need of about $1000 a month, which includes Chinese language learning lessons, housing, food, and should cover everything else that I need. If you would like to support financially, I am working on having my giving done through the YWAM Montana Base, which will allow you tax exemption on that money given. If you have a desire to give, you can email me back at kleppentr@gmail.com and we can communicate more either through email or phone.
Thank you to all who finished this, I know it was a long letter, but I pray that this finds you well.
Blessings,
Travis
As I said my final farewells, I spent my last few hours flying to Tokyo with the last familiar faces I would see of Taiwan for many months. Adam, Brandi, and I split up in Tokyo, and off I was on a new adventure certain of two things. One, I needed to make a lot of money in the next year to pay off my college debt, and two, I would be coming back to Taiwan in just over a year. I didn't know what this next season held for me, and quite frankly, I don't think I was all that excited for it. The sliver of hope I held was simply from the words of a note I received while in Taiwan and it was simply an encouragement that reminded me that when I traveled back 'home' (as it didn't really feel like home at the time) that God was not going to quit working in my life. That the passion for God that I had, the passion He had instilled in me was not going away, and that God was going to continue to work in and through my life and make me passionate for Himself in this season I would spend at 'home.' Upon getting back to the States, I took a few weeks to take a much needed break and rest from all the work that had been done in Taiwan and to simply transition back to life in America. Taking an honest look at the first few months, it was tough. I moved into my house in Williston in mid-January but I spent little time in it. The free time I did have, I would travel back to my parents house and stay with them. I didn't feel like I was home. For months, I refused to call Williston my home. Honestly, home was anywhere but here.
The search for a church home began shortly after arriving in Williston. I went to a couple of churches and settled for one that wasn't at all what I was looking for or what I needed, but it seemed to at least fit the mold of church and I was able to get plugged in at least a little bit, but I knew there was something wrong when I was confronted with the idea of giving to this church. When I looked at it's mission and vision, I couldn't get myself to finance a mission that didn't seem to fit the model of kingdom work and kingdom vision that Jesus had set out for his people.
As I continued my church search, two women who were quickly becoming friends of mine invited me to a small group at a church across from the high school. I honestly can't explain it. There were no clear words from God, there were no signs, no flashing lights or anything else, but within five minutes of joining this small group, I knew I was at home. I was joining with a group of people who loved Jesus authentically, and who were genuinely pursuing Him as they studied together through the book of Acts. We were genuinely seeking how we as a part of Christ's body could be the church, could live in community, and could love Jesus with our lives. There was no fancy discussion guide, no reading materials (besides the Bible), and no pressure to have everything figured out. I wish I could now tell many of the stories, memories, and ways people within this group grew, but it would take up way to much of your time. I wish I could share of the life that has been done together in the past year because of this small group. I wish I could go into detail about our small group camping trip to the badlands, about the hilarity of watching Becca's dancing at Josh and Elie's wedding, about the many games of Dominion I've played with Tom and Katie, about Rachel showing up to small group in some of the goofiest clothing choices you could imagine, or about the numerous joys, challenges, prayers, and situations we have walked through together. I can truly say that with these people, and many others, I have found a home. I have found a community, and it pains me to say goodbye to this city and especially to this body of believers that I have grown fond of. It pains me to say goodbye to my family, my job and co-workers with whom I have developed a great camaraderie with over many late nights of work, and the thousand and one other things I have grown to love about this place.
Williston is now my home, and being uprooted from home is never an easy transition. but I hold out hope. I look back on the time when I left my home in Taiwan. I wasn't ready to come back and I didn't want to make Williston my home, and yet, it became home. This gives me such hope for the future. This gives me such hope that even though it's a challenge, even though I don't see the joy that is to come through this coming season, I can trust Jesus in this. I can trust that just as when I left Taiwan, afraid of what was to come, afraid that it was going to be the most miserable season of my life God worked wonders and made it one of the most joyful. I can trust that even though the transition may not be easy and my excitement about this is next to nil, that there is great joy to be found as I walk into this next time and season of my life. Sure there will be pain. Sure there will be challenges. There may be a few tears shed, a few people missed, a few days where all I want to do is to come back to the comforts of home, but it's all a part of walking with Jesus. As Needtobreathe famously wrote in one of their songs. If you never leave home, never let go, you'll never make it to the great unknown till you keep your eyes open. I share this because I see there is such freedom in being honest and open with others and I want you all to know my heart in going back.
There will be more blogs to follow, but I wanted to write this one to give ya'll a heads up on where I am at and simply to send out a prayer request as I finish my time here. My request right now for prayer is simple.
1. That I would get all of the logistical things needed finished.
2. God's grace and strength in this season to move forward in this calling.
The last thing I want to bring up in this is simply just for support. To operate fully, I am in need of about $1000 a month, which includes Chinese language learning lessons, housing, food, and should cover everything else that I need. If you would like to support financially, I am working on having my giving done through the YWAM Montana Base, which will allow you tax exemption on that money given. If you have a desire to give, you can email me back at kleppentr@gmail.com and we can communicate more either through email or phone.
Thank you to all who finished this, I know it was a long letter, but I pray that this finds you well.
Blessings,
Travis
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