Trust Circle

The hardest part of my transition into full-time mission work is the knowledge I will be leaving my son when I expatriate to the Dominican Republic. He lives with his mother, so the impact on his daily routine will not be great. However, he and I get together often and I feel sad at the notion of not being readily available to him in the future.

It’s for that reason I asked my friends to come together tonight. As we met at World of Beer, we sat in a circle around one of the restaurant’s fireplace tables on their patio. From former co-workers to guys I know through my music family, they took turns telling Daniel who they are, how they know me, and what resources they can provide to him going forward. My goal was accomplished: to introduce Daniel to the men in my life whom I trust.

I know he will take this evening to heart and store the contact information of each person that was there in his phone. My hope is that should he ever need a man’s perspective or direction on any issue, he can turn for help to anyone of the guys that came out tonight.

What was truly a blessing, in addition to how many men showed up, was their enthusiastic willingness to be there for my son. There was no sense of hesitation or reservation. Instead, I feel the general consensus was this was their way of supporting my missionary efforts. It’s as if Daniel picked up seven new uncles/friends in one night.

For me, I can better prepare for my move knowing my son is in good hands once I leave, and that knowledge is priceless.