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The sprouting seedling of a coconut tree, symbolizing growth and new beginnings. Missional Living

THE FOUNDATION OF NECESSITY

Theme: Missionary & Humanitarian Life

THE STORY: Forged in Fire

Section titled “THE STORY: Forged in Fire”

Our most profound beliefs are rarely formed in times of comfort; they are forged in fire.

Years before the mission to Brazil began, my life was a defensive survival strategy. While working a demanding corporate job during the country's largest accounting scandal, I was on constant call for Debi's unpredictable medical needs. We faced a relentless series of crises that would have broken most people: corporate collapse, staggering medical debt, and periods of profound housing instability that saw us evicted and living in a motorhome.

It was in this "free fall into a bottomless abyss" that I learned a critical lesson: You cannot wait for stability to begin your mission. If you wait until you are "safe" to serve others, you will never serve.

THE FRAMEWORK: The Resilient Mindset

Section titled “THE FRAMEWORK: The Resilient Mindset”

To live a missional life—especially a nomadic one—you must prepare your mind for the unknown.

1. Embrace the Instability In the corporate world, stability is the goal. In the missional world, adaptability is the goal. Do not seek to eliminate risk; seek to manage it. The skills you will learn in this guide (automation, remote work) are your safety net, allowing you to walk tightropes in places where help is needed most.

2. The "Debi Doctrine" When the mission gets hard—when the internet fails in the Amazon, or the funding is low, or the loneliness sets in—you need a mantra. Debi’s motto was a defiant declaration of her spirit. Make it yours:

INSIGHT: "Never give up. Always hope. Live life!" — Debi Bailey

ACTION: The Fear Setting Exercise

Section titled “ACTION: The Fear Setting Exercise”

Don't just list your goals. List your fears.

  1. Define the Nightmare: If you left your traditional life today to pursue a missional life, what is the absolute worst thing that could happen? (e.g., Run out of money in a foreign country).
  2. Repair the Damage: If that nightmare happened, how would you fix it? (e.g., Use a credit card, fly home, stay with family).
  3. The Cost of Inaction: What is the cost (physically, emotionally, spiritually) of postponing your mission for another year?