My goodness. Junkyard Wisdom Belize was … well, I don’t know how to put it into words! Wonderful. Amazing. Thoughtful. Deep. Fun. All of the above!
Twenty people gathered in Belize for five days to talk, think, reflect, and share. Each day, Ken Wytsma shared about the theology of wealth, the need for holy discontent, the importance of doing things right, and feasting in celebration of God. His wife Tamara led an early morning workshop about the challenges and hardships of obedience. My wife D’Aun led another early morning session on the embarrassment of wealth. Each day I weaved the themes of Junkyard Wisdom into the conversation: the pitfalls of building walls, understanding wealth, embracing relationships above philanthropy, the value of viciously attacking ego, and wrestling with God.
Yet those topics only hint at the amazing time together. We swam in rainforest streams, walked through an impoverished village with two amazing young women leaders, ate tortillas hot off the grill in a backyard kitchen, crossed a river on a hand cranked ferry, climbed to the top of an ancient Mayan temple, drank a rum based drink called “dirty bananas” while floating in a pool, smoked Cuban cigars under the unfiltered rainforest stars, helped a Mayan woman make chocolate in the traditional way, and had some of the most amazing conversations I’ve ever had.
Not all the conversations were along the themes of the event. That made them all the more interesting. For instance, Steve Haas of World Vision, just back from Beirut, passionately shared about the Syrian refugee crisis. Paul Coughlin of The Protectors helped us understand the deep psychological impact of bullying. Cynthia Toms, former Director of Global Education at Westmont College, updated us on trends in global thinking.
All of that packed into five very special days.
You know what made the trip especially remarkable? The people. Never have I seen a group of 20 people gel so quickly. From wealth managers to pastors, from bloggers to attorneys, this group came together immediately. And they left the best of friends. There was a diversity of experience in the room, but a unity in Christ that bound us together. It was beautiful to see.
Hopefully next time you can join us. No dates are set, but if enough people are interested we will definitely do this again. Let me know if you want to go!
If you need more enticement, a few pictures below.
