Thursday, June 21, 2012

summer and beyond...

Dear Friends,

I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying life! Can you believe that another summer is here?! I am currently three weeks in to my fifth summer of guiding for Dry Bones’ summer program, Elevations. By the end of this year, I will have guided on this particular mountain about 40 times, built 120 or so fires (well actually a little less since we are STILL under a fire ban!), and wrapped approximately three thousand blisters. Haha, not really...but it's a lot! This year, I am excited to talk with the kids about themes like going beyond what is normal, seeking community, and wondering at the beauty found in nature and people. I have an amazing co-guide who is returning for a third summer, and I am so excited to get to work with him again. All in all, it’s looking to be a great time! We have had some wonderful groups so far!

It will also be a bittersweet season for me. I would like to take the rest of this letter, which may turn out to be a couple of pages (sorry!), to tell you about the upcoming and exciting changes happening with me and Courtney. So, grab your favorite beverage, kick up your feet, and get comfortable, because this might take a while. It may get a little sentimental, too, which I tried to avoid, but I was finally able to accept the fact that my emotions in all of this can’t and shouldn’t be suppressed. So here it goes.

When I first came to Dry Bones in 2006, I had no idea what was in store for me. Sounds like such a cliché phrase, and I suppose it is, but in my 20-year-old mindset, I really had no clue what I had signed up for. It is no exaggeration to say that that week changed my life. A few months later, I was back in Denver for a summer internship. Summer ’06 was a whirlwind of emotions, lessons learned, and changed lives, mine first and foremost. During that summer I saw and experienced love in action like never before. I saw God’s relentless pursuit of hearts, and felt the freeing call to simply show up and join Him.

Two years later, I was given an incredible opportunity to take a year-long internship, and once again the future looked hazy, but that excited me. This was a formative time. I met my wife that year, thought I didn’t know it yet! I experienced reliance on God and His people (all of you) like never before. And I even got a staff position offer from Dry Bones in November of 2008. I took the job without hesitation, honored to be given the chance, and thus began my staff journey. In 2009 I experienced loss, many losses, that shook me and continue to influence my life and perspectives on God. I will never forget that year and how I cried with, and was comforted by, so many of my friends on the streets and my friends on staff. But God was there, and I know that He is still good. 2010 can be summed up in a word: Courtney. The adventure of life became all the sweeter with her. In 2011 I had hit a stride that felt good. I was making friends with kids, visiting jails a lot, and dreaming about what was next for Dry Bones and me and Courtney. And then in 2012, here I am in transition again. After five years with Dry Bones, I have decided that it is time for something new. My job of Outreach Minister will come to a close at the end of the summer in August.

When I think about the years I have spent here, there is no way that I can express the ways my heart has been changed and molded and challenged. I have gotten to see kids take incredible steps forward. I have seen kids take heartbreaking steps backwards. I have found friends and lost them. I have worked with my best friends, and I know that our lives will continue to intersect. I owe a great debt of gratitude to Dry Bones, the staff and the board, and every single one of you. Ever since that first spring break I have learned from my co-workers and watched as they poured love and value and worth on our young, homeless friends. I have learned from you, my incredible and faithful supporters, that the kingdom of God is indeed a beautiful thing when we all come together in our different roles to spread love and to share the incredible grace Jesus offers. My perspectives on life and people are constantly in motion, and constantly being challenged, and I blame Dry Bones for this!

And so, I am leaving Dry Bones. But only in the sense of career. I am not leaving the things I have learned. I am not leaving a life defined by love and relationship. I am not leaving the call and challenge to get up close, and to live out of my comfort zone. And I am not leaving my relationships with the staff, board, and street kids that I have come to love so much. I can picture staying involved with Dry Bones to whatever extent is appropriate, riding out the ebbs and flows of volunteering, and helping implement new and exciting initiatives.

My eyes get a little hot (which is my favorite term for that stage right before crying begins) when I think back on the past four or five years that we have spent together. You have been with me every step of the way. God has used you, all of you, to advance his kingdom. He has used you in his quest to convince the world, and more specifically the homeless youth in Denver, of His incredible love. I am so honored to have partnered with you these past years. It was certainly my privilege and my joy to have been on staff with Dry Bones. Thank you for being an incredible team. Thank you for always showing up prayerfully and financially so that I could show up on the streets. I absolutely could not have done it without you. I love you all very much.

So what is next for Courtney and me? Well, ever since we got married, travel has been on our minds. Actually it has been on our minds well before that, even before we ever met. I have always wanted to travel for an extended period of time, and so has Courtney. We have both dabbled in it, having been to several countries together, and a few more separately. So when we got married, we were excited to gain life-long travel partners! We have been saving every spare penny and working hard at multiple jobs to achieve this dream. In September of this year we are going to embark on a year-long adventure!

We will be living in New Zealand for most of the year, with a couple of months spent in Australia and Thailand before we head back to the U.S. Our plan is to experience New Zealand for about four months without working, simply living and playing together in a new environment. Then, we will spend the next 6 months or so in one place, working whatever jobs we can find, and meeting people in a brand new community. We have been approved for visas that allow us to travel and work part-time for a whole year. It truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we feel so blessed to be in a position to take advantage of it!

We are in search of new experiences, new views of the world and the people in it, new perspectives on God and love, and inspiration for what is next. This is a grand experiment that will no doubt shape us, change us, stretch us, and add an awesome chapter to our story together! We are even being “sponsored” by a local marketing group that is helping us gain a following for our travels, and giving us a platform to share stories, writings, videos, and inspiration from around the world! We are really excited! If you are interested in following us, stay tuned on the blog (www.zachrobert.blogspot.com) for how to do that!

I realize this is a lot to take in all at once. You are all a vital part of Dry Bones, so I understand if this catches you off guard. God has used you in incredible ways; ways that we have seen and experienced, and ways that we may never know. I pray that we all continue to seek ways to join God in His kingdom’s work. I would like you to know a few things. First, I am forever changed because of Dry Bones. Second, I am forever grateful. And third, I promise to carry the vision of love and getting up close to whatever and wherever is next.

If you are interested in continuing to support Dry Bones even after I am gone, please let Nikki Wallace know by emailing her at nikkiwallace2002@gmail.com. Or, you can simply keep on giving of your finances and your prayers. Dry Bones is moving forward and dreaming big, and it is an exciting time to be involved! Among other things, there is a brand new, start-up non-profit entering the scene. It is a sister ministry of Dry Bones existing to offer employment to young people who are living homeless. So cool! This venture is called Purple Door Coffee House, and it is projected to open in the fall of 2012. Two past Dry Bones interns, Mark and Madison, are taking on the challenge, and they are doing an amazing job. If you would like more info about this exciting new coffee shop that will be filling the employment gap, get in touch with me and I will get you in touch with Mark and Madison! Or you can visit their website, www.purpledoorcoffee.com. How’s that for a shameless plug?! Thanks for giving me moment to share.

Thank you, all of you. Each one of you has been a vital part of my life these past years. I love you, and I will continue to pray for you and your continued ventures in the Kingdom. Stay in touch, and may we all keep loving well!