Adventure is...

Blind, deaf and mute herself, Helen Keller, the preeminent advocate for the disabled in the 20th century is often quoted as saying, "Life is either a great adventure, or it is nothing at all." Similarly, the famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart stated that, "Adventure is worthwhile in itself." But I rather like the feelings of Montana-based, contemporary adventurer Clay Croft of Expedition Overland who put it this way; "If you have to ask yourself why adventure is important, then you have already had a great loss in your life." This is most certainly true.

We are made for adventure, for "great exploits" by our Creator. In the Old Testament Book of Daniel, it says, "The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits." (Daniel 11:32b) It has become one of the key verses in my life, although I fear I often fail to live up to the expectation, in faith and in adventures. Certainly, among the greatest adventures of my life have been my two trips to northwestern Russia in 1996 and '97 as a missionaryand by my first two trips to the Yankton Sioux Reservation on the Missouri River in South Dakota a dozen years later. I wish I could go on expeditions like that every year, but obligations, jobs, family, reality... life has a way of getting between the dreams we have and the reality we live. Are we too content to live a life driven by obligations and responsibility to see the great exploits, to live the adventure that God has planned for us? Are we too fearful of the negative "what if's" that we cannot see the positive "what if's" that might be if we had the guts, the huevos (Yes, I did say that.) and the faith to take that first step?

This summer, my wife and I are going to start taking a little adventure in our region's National Forests. If all goes well, maybe we'll take a bigger adventure later this year. If all were to go exceedingly well, perhaps we would leave the race to the rats and live the life of adventure we see others living, like Clay and Rachelle Croft, or the German couple in their custom 4x4 RV who spent a night at my campground on their way back to Germany after traveling from the tip of South America to Alaska's Prudhoe Bay.

Do we have to faith to live the adventure of a lifetime???

The First Nations Version Project

St. Brendan's Two-Wheeled Explorer has prayerfully chosen to continue to devote our major fund-raising efforts in 2016 towards the development of the “First Nations Version” translation of the New Testament (and, ultimately the entire Bible) into Native American context, by Terry Wildman of RainSong First Nations Music and Storytelling. This is an exciting endeavor that will paraphrase the Sacred Scriptures in a way that is easier for Indian peoples across the US and Canada to relate to. We believe this will be a powerful tool for discipleship on the Reservations, and will open many previously closed doors, and hearts to the Lord.