3.75 years and counting!
It's been three years and nine months since God laid this vision and concept on my heart. Much has happened - both with Semper Vita and in my personal life. Answering a call from God is an adventure with significant highs and lows. Obstacles litter the path that follows God's call. Suffering is part of the journey.
Often this truth is not told to prospective Christians or even good church-going folks: Faith requires courage and stamina. Following Jesus is hard. Researcher and author George Barna states that the kind of people who radically follow Jesus (he calls them Revolutionaries) recognize that there is a huge price to pay in this lifetime—but they are mindful of the eternal pay-off as well" (Revolution, page 15). I guess I'm a revolutionary...but I'm not alone!
It takes a volunteer team!
To make Semper Vita become a reality has required a volunteer team that lives out their call and faith with the same commitment and stamina. One such volunteer is Tamara Dull. Do you know that she has quit her well-paying job to guide the completion of our software application? That's crazy, right? Well, maybe. She's sure that is what God has called her to do.
We are in the final stages of completing the software application. Tamara's been shepherding the process and working long hours with our developer. She can't wait for this project to be over because she needs to get back to work and receive a paycheck! She's also created our new marketing site and set up our blogs...this is one of them. The other is On The Front Porch with Semper Vita. She's recruited Bree Baich to co-author the On The Front Porch blog.
When you visit them on the front porch, you'll be able to hear and tell stories: "Stories about people helping people. Stories about churches doing great things in the community. Stories about non-profits and churches banding together to serve the community." Check it out for yourself and join the conversation on the porch!
Besides Tamara, there are many others who have donated hours, time and energy to make Semper Vita happen. More volunteer stories later!
Why?
That begs the question: "Why are people giving so much time and energy to Semper Vita?" Well, it's a call. It's a passion. It's the work of God in our lives! Semper Vita exists not for itself or for us. It exists to:
- help people give back and live their passion
- help organizations accomplish their mission
- help the church be the church
- practically demonstrate the love of Jesus to all people
Join us on the journey!
How about you? Do you have a story? Do you have a question? Are you ready to jump in and make a difference with us? Please leave a comment, tell us your (volunteer) stories or share your adventures. Thanks for journeying with us!
Comments