Dancing all over the world

The other day a friend of mine sent me a video that has been widely popular on the Internet. When you first watch the video, it is easy to see why people find it both amusing and fascinating. On the other hand, it makes you wonder how much spare time we have on our hands. I thought the video was just made up on someone's computer, until I looked into the story behind it. The video (pasted below for you to watch) is nothing more than a guy who is traveling all over the world, and records himself dancing in each of these locations. Here is the guy's story.

Matt is a 32-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play video games. Matt achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on. In February of 2003, he quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the money he'd saved to wander around Asia until it ran out. He made a website so he could keep his family and friends updated about where he is.

A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said "Hey, why don't you stand over there and do that dance. I'll record it." He was referring to a particular dance Matt does. It's actually the only dance Matt does. He does it badly. Anyway, this turned out to be a very good idea.

A couple years later, someone found the video online and passed it to someone else, who passed it to someone else, and so on. Now Matt is quasi-famous as "That guy who dances on the Internet. No, not that guy. The other one. No, not him either. I'll send you the link. It's funny."

The response to the first video brought Matt to the attention of the nice people at Stride gum. They asked Matt if he'd be interested in taking another trip around the world to make a new video. Matt asked if they'd be paying for it. They said yes. Matt thought this sounded like another very good idea.

In 2006, Matt took a 6 month trip through 39 countries on all 7 continents. In that time, he danced a great deal.

(back to Sean) As I watched this video, I thought about several things. First, I was struck by how amazing our world is. It is impossible for me to look at how varied and majestic our world is, and not believe in a God who created all of this. Revelation 7 flooded into my mind, where John sees every nation, tribe, people, and language gathered at the throne of God in heaven at the end of time.

More than anything though, I thought about my life. Here is a guy who has the faith and sense of adventure to quit his job and travel around the world. Perhaps he sensed how life was short and many pursuits of man seem unfulfilling. Maybe, he was just lazy and didn't want to work. Anyhow, he steps out into this journey, and the next thing you know, a major company is paying him to do what he wanted to do in the first place. He sees 39 different nations and reaches people all over the world with his video. A video with no real message. A video that only seems to promote fun and the world, but no discernible teaching or way the world needs to change. I think about my life, and how in 1994, God called me to this life of missions. A life with no financial certainty. A life with no clear understanding of all that is next. Since I stepped out into this call, no major companies have called to offer to fund my missions trips and work. Many individuals and churches have given, even through their own economic tough times. Though Stride has not called me, one major backer has stepped out to help me: God! In those 13 years, God has provided for us and allowed me to travel the globe to Nepal, Sweden, Thailand, Japan, Canada, Israel, Norway, Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan.

In just the last few months, I feel a sense of joy and awe at what God has allowed me to be part of. I have been on the island of Taiwan, looking out across the ocean to China, a nation exploding with Christianity now. I have taught students about the books of Romans and Isaiah, and helped others see how worship has been a way to glorify God since the beginning of time. I have MC'ed a wedding, taught men's Bible studies, and traveled up to Canada to train missionaries. I wish I had a video that could capture all those moments, but I know that God receives the glory for it all. He is the one who calls us, provides for us, and guides us. If this guy can do what he did, why can't we do even greater things knowing God is our corporate sponsor? If he did it all just to have fun, why can't we risk and go to bring a message of life and hope to the nations? I say, "Let's dance!"

Hospital Trip turns into Missions lesson

You never know what God can teach you out of the most unusual circumstances. On the way to Taiwan to teach in the SBS there, I began to feel not well on the airplane. If you are in missions, there is one guarantee: you will become ill at some point on an airplane. There is nothing as fun as being trapped for 11 hours straight on an airplane not feeling well, especially if it is causing some gastro-intestinal issues (ahem.....) After arriving in Taiwan, it was clear that I needed to see a doctor. They have an amazing, nationalized health care system in Taiwan, so my friend Scott took me to the hospital to see what was going on. As we were waiting in the beautiful new hospital, I noticed that there were Scriptures from the Bible in huge letters on the walls of the hospital. I asked Scott how that happened. He began to tell me the story of Dr. Mackay, an early missionary to Taiwan. Due to his influence, they had named hospitals after him in Taiwan, and put Bible verses on the walls of the hospital. I began to think of the wonderful influence of this man. In a nation dominated by Buddhism, you have Christian Scriptures and this worldview of health permeating their culture.

Dr. Mackay was born in Zola Village, Oxford County, Ontario, Canada on March 21, 1844. Even as a small child, he felt the call of Christ and wanted to become a missionary. Thus on March 9, 1872, the Canadian Presbyterian Church commissioned him to go to Taiwan as a medical missionary. In 1880, Dr. Mackay founded the Mackay Clinic in Tamshui, which was the first Western hosital in the northern part of Taiwan. It was here in the humble surroundings of Tamshui that Dr. Mackay treated many patients while at the same time proclaiming the good news of Christ.

They treated patients suffering from a host of diseases such as malaria, which was a significant problem at that time. Besides treating patients, Dr. Mackay often preached and took teams of Taiwanese Christians with him on his medical and evangelistic tours in northern Taiwan. With the Bible in one hand and forceps in the other, he often defied mountains, rivers and jungle overgrowth to do medical evangelism.

Although practicing medicine and evangelizing Taiwan was very difficult work at that time, Dr. Mackay endured for over 30 years. During this time, he not only pulled over 20,000 teeth, but also proclaimed the Gospel to many different people around the island. In fact, he established more than 60 churches and baptized more than 4,000 believers. On June 2, 1901, Dr. George Leslie Mackay died of throat cancer in Tamshui.

It turned out that I had a virus, so there was nothing they could actually do to help me. Yet, God used this time to impress on me the beauty of missions, and how this one man and his family impacted not only his generation, but all the way to our present time. With Bible in one hand, and forceps in the other, Dr. Mackay is a great example of how we should be reaching the nations with truth and mercy ministries. So, next time you become ill, who knows what God will teach you through that time?