Those unique voyages were the offspring of our core values.  Some of these ideals were a part of the organization from its inception. But many of them developed as we matured in our calling. In year four, after a particularly good summer, our volunteer leadership team sat down and asked the question:  what are the values that define us as Wonder Voyage?

Here are the ten values that make us a unique, one-of-a-kind organization. If we stay true to our core values we can only grow in depth and maturity. If we abandon them, Wonder Voyage is no longer alive.  Take a look into the soul of Wonder Voyage.

The Core Values of Wonder Voyage

The Wonder Voyage staff holds to ten core values as our pilgrimage tradition. You must be able to embrace these values to be a fundamental member of the Wonder Voyage staff and to understand the vision of Wonder Voyage.

Pilgrimage (Psalm 84:5) – our lifelong spiritual journey is at the heart of our calling

We are dedicated to providing the modern day sojourner with the unique opportunity of pursuing the heart of God in extraordinary locations, through unparalleled opportunities. Every event becomes a journey and every participant a pilgrim. To understand Wonder Voyage you must embrace a lifestyle of pilgrimage.

Wonder (Genesis 32:30)- every pilgrimage consists of defining moments of wonder

We believe God is constantly speaking through moments of wonder. We strive to make room for these ‘encounters’ with the heart of God throughout our journeys. These encounters become moments of spiritual, emotional and directional clarity. Whether in a graveyard, cathedral, on a mountainside or in a cityscape, we open our eyes to wonder.

Exploration (Daniel 11:32)- moments of adventure and exploration are waiting to be seized

At WV we believe in embracing life passionately. The ability to take risks, to understand the cultures we visit, to try new things and see with new eyes, should be a daily part of our voyages. We believe a heart of exploration and adventure are awaiting all who would embrace life as a gift.

The Unexpected (Proverbs 3:5,6)- mystery is to be embraced not shunned

Because we customize every event to the personality and individual needs of each group that joins us, flexibility and adaptation are necessities. We must be extremely sensitive to all opportunities and circumstances that present themselves to us.  As a staff we must be dedicated to listening, learning, praying and playing.

Transparency (Psalm 51:10)- absolute honesty and fearless self-evaluation allows us to grow

A safe environment to be transparent must be cultivated. Grace, mercy and love prevail as we explore our humanity.

Vibrant Reasonable Faith (1 Peter 3:15)- we define our theology through the Creed

Our faith demands thought yet, is also comprised of the mystical and functional. We take great pleasure in the communion of the saints; the vast practices and traditions of those around the world who are followers of Jesus Christ.

Constant Humor (Proverbs 17:22)- we love to laugh at all times

If you have no tolerance for the absurd or the funny side of life, you will not enjoy involvement in Wonder Voyage. Laughter is often the medicine that heals the soul.

Customized to Community (Eph. 4:13)- each event is tailored for each unique community

We strive to customize each event to the personality and needs of each group. Our focus must be drawing teams closer to each other and the Lord, strengthening them through Christ, as a collective fellowship. We are an ecumenical organization committed to the Word of God, the unity of the saints, and a living, passionate, Savior.

Sacrifice (Matthew 16:24)- A posture of servanthood is a necessity as a staff membe

You must be willing to serve our pilgrim participants, persuading them forward on their journeys. Our experienced staff does the work so other pilgrims can enjoy the benefits. One must lay their life down to gain life.

Ownership (Eph 4:11 -13)- We desire to empower our staff in their call

We believe in unique-gifted leadership as opposed to needs-based. Needs based leadership says, ‘I need you in this spot. Do the job.’ Unique-gifted leadership says, ‘You are unique, thus your call is unique.’ To take ownership you will need mercy-filled aggressiveness, a strong sense of responsibility, a steadfast determination, a distinctive individuality and a longing for community.

Wonder Voyage was heading towards ancient forms of worship, but a specific verse encouraged us to dive into the world of the sacramental wholeheartedly:

This is what the LORD says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls.” – Jeremiah 6:16

These were the words Wonder Voyage took into 2004. The year opened with the organization putting on a retreat called Sanctuary in January, with more Sanctuary weekends following throughout the year. The short retreats featured the use of old monastic practices to assist participants in drawing closer to God.

Wonder Voyage Logo (2002 - 2009)

It quickly became obvious to Shawn that we could take elements from Sanctuary and use them on our trips. Pilgrimage was already an “ancient path.” It was and is a spiritual discipline largely forgotten or ignored by our Western culture. The incorporation of ancient disciplines (also often neglected) fit well into the summer voyages. Soon, we were making room for times of silence and reflection in our schedules. We began looking for places where we could journey with Christ through the Stations of the Cross. We read scripture aloud to our groups in Lectio Divina. We reached out to God through these ancient paths in hopes of encountering him and we were not disappointed. Soon, hundreds of students would be following long departed Christians on well-worn roads in hopes of meeting God.

Though they often don’t know it, our pilgrims are becoming part of a tradition that we often take for granted in or modern world. It is the history of men and women who followed Christ and met him on the road and they were forever changed. It is our constant prayer as we journey: to walk where the good way is.

Mike Flickinger has been leading Wonder Voyage trips for four years and works full-time as Shawn’s administrative assistant.  He has been commissioned to write this series of articles documenting the history of our organization. This articles covers 2004, the fifth year of Wonder Voyage.

Occasionally someone comes into our life at just the precise time and just the right way. As I read through my journals from 2003 I found some notes that reminded me of such a person.

I was working as a consultant for a local student ministry in Dallas. Balancing my time between the church and the rapidly growing Wonder Voyage was a bit of a dance. But the dance was going well.  One of the volunteers in the student ministry I was consulting for was a man named Steve Farris. Steve had done well in the field of entrepreneurial marketing but he always found time for the teens at his church. Wherever he was needed, Steve was willing to serve.

We saw each other on Wednesday nights at the youth meetings and struck up a friendship. For a reason I still do not understand Steve pulled me aside one night. He told me how thankful he was that I was helping at the church. He asked me several questions about Wonder Voyage. As I excitedly shared the vision for the organization he seemed to light up. Start-ups were his specialty. He then caught me off guard by saying, “Let me take you to breakfast tomorrow. I have a big gift I want to give your organization.” I drove home that night wondering how much money the dream check would be.

At breakfast the next morning Steve sat down with me over scrambled eggs and bacon. “Shawn, I am a consultant in demand. People pay me thousands of dollars to spend a few hours with them assessing their businesses. You have told me enough about Wonder Voyage that I believe I can now give you the gift of my time. If you will accept a bit of wisdom I believe it will help launch your organization into a whole new realm.” Suddenly, a big check did not matter. Steve was about to give me wisdom.

Over the next hour, Steve would share a handful of business secrets with me that became the catalyst to one of Wonder Voyage’s greatest moments of growth. I madly took notes, filling up a napkin with my thoughts, and trying to process the gold he was generously handing to me. These would become the keys that helped me solidify the unique culture of Wonder Voyage.

If you are curious about what Steve shared than keep reading. (Those who own their own businesses or run any sort of organization will find this interesting.) Please remember, this is not a self-help article. This is a chance to learn something about our history as an organization and too remember the hundreds of moments of wonder that make up where we are at today.

Cultural Shapers

Any effective organization understands that their success rises and falls on how successful they are at shaping the culture around them.  They can easily identify and communicate their organization’s cultural ethos, primary mission, and unique call.  If you cannot shape the culture around you then you will take on the culture and be washed away in the minutiae and monotony that most people drown in.

EX. Wonder Voyage creates and leads trips in a way NO ONE else does.  We have a unique ethos and culture we have created. In staying true to that calling we have lost some potential business but we stay busy enough and we all love what we do.

Cultural Gatekeepers

Thus the CEO, director, manager or business owner becomes the cultural gatekeeper.  Their number one focus needs to be on keeping the mission steady, the ethos pure, and to remind all of your staff of the unique call of the organization.  If he or she does this, the rest will come.  That is, of course, if the idea or product or service is of high quality and meets a unique need.

EX. I spend about 25% of my time developing those within our organization, 25% developing strategies and future projects, 25% maintaining excellence in the organization and 25% communicating our unique call to those who would benefit in a partnership with Wonder Voyage.

Info-gathers

The best organizational directors are efficient info-gatherers. They have systems in place to get honest feedback from every level within the organization and from the cliental they serve. This also requires a personality and ego that allows honest feedback (both positive and negative) and the ability to truly care how others perceive your organization, abilities and the quality of what you offer.

EX.  On every level of Wonder Voyage, we CONSTANTLY assess how we are doing.  This sometimes drives the staff crazy but it has allowed us to target potential critical issues and focus on constantly improving the quality and consistency of what we do.  This causes a reinvention of our materials, our staff training and trips every year.  A lot of work but the payout has been massive.

Bringing on Staff or Volunteers

When you are interviewing new volunteers or new staff, only bring into the organization those who mesh with your culture. When hiring make sure they meet the following criteria in the following order (as an example: Attitude is much more important that Experience):

• Attitude- are they passionate, willing to learn, and a good fit into the culture you are creating?

• Aptitude- do they have unique skills that will help the organization to grow or skills that will enhance a specific need of the organization?

• Flexibility- do they have both the ability to adapt into the organization and bring something unique that will cause the organization to mature?

• Experience- what have they experienced in life that will show their track record as a person and potential volunteer or employee? When interviewing, ask questions about non-work topics that reveal if this person will mesh with the unique culture of your organization.

Over the next few months, I applied every bit of the advice he gave me.  That next year Wonder Voyage grew 60%! Within three years we were 400% larger than we were before I met with Steve. There are innumerable factors to that growth but Steve’s wisdom was a major factor in our health and success as an organization.

I want to thank you, Steve Farris, wherever you may be, for taking the time to listen, to learn and to care. Thank you for believing time is far more important than money and that wisdom far outweighs its worth in gold.

Dominick's Hill at Esker Monastery, Ireland

2003 was a pivotal year for Wonder Voyage. It was the first year that Shawn made a full paycheck. Expozure was taking off. Shawn found his source material for the Via Crucis (which he would go on to eventually publish). A lot of things started to go right in a history where there had previously been much hardship.

It’s hard to claim one particular event during the year as a “turning point” or “pivotal moment,” but to those familiar with Wonder Voyage’s history, one trip stands out in 2003. It was a pilgrimage an unlikely combination of two different groups; one was an Episcopal church led by youth minister named Molly Wren, the other was an Assemblies of God church with two lay-leaders: Shane and Georgia Small.

Their voyage was to western Ireland. In the west, we stay at a place called Esker Monastery. Esker sits deep in the Irish countryside, a picturesque hamlet that would look at home on a postcard. The church there has served its community for hundreds of years and provides a quiet sanctuary for our pilgrims in Ireland. When people reflect on their time at Esker, however, many of them mention Dominick’s Hill.

The Hill has become a sacred place in Wonder Voyage’s history. Many of our staff can relate a story about it- it is a place where many of us have heard the call of God very overtly. Often, it has been a call to sacrifice and a reassurance that God is sovereign and good. Dominick’s Hill was a place of worship for persecuted Christians seeking refuge from English soldiers laying waste in the footsteps of Oliver Cromwell. Three priests, running from Cromwell’s invasion force, used the hill as a hidden sanctuary for their congregation. The place of refuge allowed their parish a view of the surrounding territory and early warning of English patrols. Today the people of Esker and the nearby towns don’t have to go up to Dominick’s Hill to worship, but it remains as a place full of mystical relevance. It is a reminder of God’s connection to us in times of hardship.

The Hill is a special place for us. When teams go up there, we retell the story and encourage them to talk to God and to listen for His voice. Our prayer there is “Lord, your will be done in our lives.” The Hill is a place that bespeaks love, dedication and sacrifice- and God has met us there. On that trip up Dominick’s Hill in 2003; He spoke to Molly Wren, who became the first director apart from Shawn to lead trips with Wonder Voyage; and He spoke to Shane and Georgia Small, who went on to be integral to our Expozure retreats. And He’s spoken to many of us since in that same place. God has often altered our plans and sent us in new directions up on Dominick’s Hill.

In a sense, that pilgrimage in 2003 was a metaphorical walk up the Hill for Wonder Voyage. Through it, God pushed the organization in new directions and brought new people to journey alongside Shawn. Our prayer was “Lord, your will be done.” And from this trip, several things emerged: we realized that every trip was a story in itself and needed a title; it was the first time we saw our service work as creating legacy by partnering with long-term local outreaches (and asking them for “the job that nobody else wants”); it was the first time we brought in local storytellers to give our pilgrims a rich cultural experience; and it was first time we utilized Stone Soup, in which the team creates community meal with food purchased from local markets. All of our pilgrims have seen at least one (if not all) of these facets of our current trips. From this trip new pieces of the puzzle moved into place, pieces that have become part of our ethos and our culture at Wonder Voyage.

One doesn’t have to go to Dominick’s Hill to hear God’s voice (thankfully!). By being willing to listen to God’s voice, and because a few courageous people sacrificed themselves and let Christ direct their steps, Wonder Voyage’s 2003 became a pivotal year.

Mike Flickinger has been leading Wonder Voyage trips for four years and works full-time as Shawn’s administrative assistant.  He has been commissioned to write this series of articles documenting the history of our organization. This articles covers 2003, the fourth year of Wonder Voyage.

We married young.  I had just graduated college and we were both green to the ways of the world, let alone marriage. We were both the children of broken homes and no one we knew had insisted we enter into any sort of pre-marriage counseling. We were young and stupid enough to believe love alone would carry the marriage for the next fifty years. Children came quickly and so did my religious vocation. By the age of twenty-two I was the youth minister at a very unhealthy and destructive church of 8000. By thirty, I was let go from my second dysfunctional church.  In ten years of marriage we scarcely survived three life-threatening car accidents, two damaging churches, three miscarriages, near poverty, unemployment and the pain that comes from two lifetimes of unresolved hurts.

Now in the third year of Wonder Voyage, our long stagnant and unsettled issues burst to the surface. I came from a family who dealt with conflict by pretending all was well. It was a deadly unrealistic optimism. «If we pretend there are no problems they will eventually fade away.» Cheryl’s family used volatile anger to deal with. The first few years of Wonder Voyage brought no money, odd jobs, a plethora of problems and a thin slice of hope. It is no wonder the stress of this new endeavor caused the marriage to eventually detonate.

By the time the kids and I returned from Ireland the summer of 2002, Cheryl and I had decided to separate. We had been two strangers living under the same roof for six months. The separation in Ireland did not help to heal the marriage: we were about to enter the most painful season of our lives.

I stayed at the house with our three children while Cheryl moved to her own weekly rental apartment down the road. We traded the kids off on the weekends, went to school events as a couple and even ate together as a family twice a week. And we talked. We talked for hours and hours every week.  We had nothing to lose and nothing to hide. All our years of pain, frustrations, hidden agendas, false thoughts, unbridled anger; it all was laid out on the table. By October we ran out of words. So we had one more step before divorce. We took a week to join a marriage intensive retreat in Austin, Texas.

This was the day we were to start the retreat. But now we sat on the side of the highway as rain blurred the windshield and cars whipped past our vehicle throwing water onto the hood. Throughout our marriage, I had collected wooden boxes from around the world for Cheryl. She had several from six different continents. Now I was handing her what might be her last box. “Cheryl, this box represents everything we have had in our marriage. All our joys and laughter; our adventures and hardships. They are all contained in this box. All these years, I have held onto these memories and these moments. I now give them freely back to you. Whatever happens this week I return your life to you. If we decide to part ways I will let you go- no strings, no fight; Your life is back in your hands.” She sat staring at the box as tears rolled down her cheeks like rain rolling off the windshield. But she did not speak. She started the car and headed to our hotel.

There is much more to this story that will be developed in a future book but as you already know we stayed together. The box is proudly displayed in our home, a testament to the miracle of marriage. Though we have our ups and downs, our marriage has been what we always dreamed a marriage could be: a joining of two best friends. And the box continues to deepen as more memories fill it every day.

‘The Box’ is an except from an upcoming book by Shawn in 2012 presently titled Moments of Wonder.

After a summer of trips in 2001, Shawn was stopping shoplifters and cleaning up spills as a part-time mall security guard. It was a humiliating job, a startling contrast to the work he was doing just a few weeks before with Wonder Voyage. By 2002, Shawn was also working as an interim youth minister for two different churches to make ends meet. All told, he was working at least seventy hours a week. There was little other income: almost no donations coming in and still too few trips to support the year-round, day-to-day logistical needs of the newborn organization.

In spite of financial woes (which are not uncommon for nonprofit start-ups), Shawn still found a lot of joy. Even in his side jobs, he was still doing what he was uniquely good at: challenging people to grow in their journeys with Christ. Whether it was putting in a shift at the mall or filling in at a church office, God was there, working all things together for His glory. Personal relationships still took precedence over money and security, an ethic Shawn still maintained through a tough 2002.

It is actually a theme all too familiar to many of those who have come to work with Wonder Voyage. Our seemingly random paths – frustrating jobs, various failures, and dead-ends - somehow brought us to the doors of Wonder Voyage. We’ve all been at that place of feeling utterly humbled. And we are better for it. In the end, God takes all our situations, both the glorious and humiliating, our wondrous points in time and our moments in the mud, our victories and our failures and uses these circumstances to mold our lives into the image of Christ.

But our story now pauses with the separation of Shawn and Cheryl. It is a narrative best explained by Shawn, but it represents a major turning point, for not only his marriage, but the culture of Wonder Voyage itself.  (for the exciting conclusion, check in to ShawnSmallStories next week.)

Mike Flickinger has been leading Wonder Voyage trips for four years and works full-time as Shawn’s administrative assistant.  He has been commissioned to write this series of articles documenting the history of our organization. This articles covers 2002, the third year of Wonder Voyage.

Our Hidden Campgrounds

On a few weekends in the fall and spring you could venture into Flower Mound, a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Dallas, and see something strange. To get there, you would go past one of the nicest neighborhoods in Dallas, stately brick homes with multiple-car garages, big yards and rolling hills. You would drive until your path begins to look less like a street and more like a winding country road. At a particular bend in the road you could pull out, past four big orange barriers and down a half-washed-out gravel path. There you would see teams of hungry-looking teenagers and adults, fiercely competing in mental and physical challenges. Welcome to the heart of Expozure.

Shawn knew that Wonder Voyage was meant to be- that God wanted him to move forward; to plant the seeds and allow them to grow. But on September 11^th, everything changed. Our world was instantly different, and people’s view of the world along with it.

20 Tons of Trash

With the major terrorist attack after the end of the 2001 busy season, people were afraid to travel internationally. The subsequent loss of support, lack of prospects and lack of paychecks could have been the end of the organization in its infancy.

Around that time, Michael Fleming (who is now one of Wonder Voyage’s board members) came up with the idea of an event that could capitalize on the newly created Survivor TV show. There was something appealing about the survival game and WV had all the resources to create fantastic events: a dedicated core of volunteers, connections to local churches, and encounters that could easily be adapted to the new format. WV needed Expozure to help offset the rising staff costs and the huge amount of work that went into every trip.

Faith Lutheran 2008

The format was simple but effective. The participants would split into teams and they would compete against each other to earn points. The teams would be given very little food but they could earn more food by winning challenges, which they could either eat or trade for more points. All the games were designed to force teams to work together and allow different groups with different strengths to remain competitive throughout the weekend. Like Wonder Voyage’s summer voyages, the weekends would follow a strong theme or story. And the ultimate goal would also be the same: a true encounter with God for its participants.

So the first Expozure kicked off in the fall of 2001, with about fifty kids. It wasn’t perfect: the participants had to bring their own camping gear. The games ran a little rough. But despite all that the event was a huge success. Expozure was eventually able to meet

A Winning Team

WV’s office costs for the next four years.  Another benefit was Wonder Voyage’s partnership with the Corps of Engineers.  Since 2001, the Expozure teams have cleaned up 40,000 lbs. of trash and completed numerous beautification projects.

Since that first season in 2001, Expozure has hosted sixty-two events for 2500 participants. Most of the Expozure staff members have helped out on summer voyages and vice versa. In a sense, Expozure has extended the Wonder Voyage family. The birth of Expozure is yet another example of God’s faithfulness to WV. It was initially created out of desperation, but God has blessed it and used it in profound ways.

So if you are ever near Lake Grapevine and see groups of kids with multicolored bandanas racing around the woods- you’ve stumbled into the wilds of Expozure.

Mike Flickinger has been leading Wonder Voyage trips for four years and works full-time as Shawn’s administrative assistant.  He has been commissioned to write this series of articles to document the history of our organization. This article covers the Wonder Voyage year of 2001.

As I sat in silence drowning in my thoughts. The last two years had been spiritually, physically and emotionally exhausting.  Sitting there, I found myself praying the same prayer I had prayed hundreds of times since I started Wonder Voyage. “Lord, if you are ready for me to be done with this, to walk away, and start something, anything else just give me the word.” Wonder Voyage was a dream significantly bigger than me. The responsibility of creating and executing spiritual journeys was invigorating yet utterly terrifying. I would often wake up from some sort of night-terror having to do with me missing some vital detail on a trip which caused an avalanching disaster.  The whispers of the naysayers of my past telling me I wasn’t qualified enough or spiritually ready boomed in my ears with every major decision I had to make.

Sitting in the chapel, without any distraction or any sound, I started to shake.  As I lay upon the stone altar the dam of my soul broke as tears poured onto the rock. Once again I prayed, “Lord, if you are ready for me to be done with this, to walk away, and start something, anything else just give the word.”

For some reason, this prayer that I had spoken hundreds of times was, at this moment, a final act of desperation. In my heart, I wanted the voice of God to clearly release me from Wonder Voyage.  I loved the concept and leading trips. I rejoiced in seeing lives changed. But I knew it was too big for me to handle. Walking away would be much easier than moving forward. This may be hard to believe, but the empty room suddenly filled with a Holy Presence. My tears dried up and I clutched the top of the mountain as if I was about to be pulled off it by some gigantic hand and crushed. I did not dare open my eyes. In my heart, a clear declaration rang over and over again. A hurricane of words tore at my spirit as I held on for dear life. I did not hear the words.  I just knew them instantly: “Enough Shawn. You will never ask me to release you again! Go forward and be what I have created you to be!” The atmosphere softened as I vowed to never doubt the call to pioneer Wonder Voyage.  One final questioned echoed as a parting shot from the Lord. “Who will be in control of Wonder Voyage, Shawn? Who will you trust?” So on that day it was settled. Wonder Voyage would move ahead as long as God remained a hold of the reins.

This year Wonder Voyage celebrates 10 wondrous years of existence. We have taken thousands of people on pilgrimage and mission adventures to over 40 locations around the world.  We are debt free and have given over 1.3 million dollars worth of service hours. Our staff has grown to over twenty gifted individuals who are some of the most experienced and creative trip leaders in the world. As we continue to trust God the future looks unbelievable with the birth of Boundless Expeditions and the creation of ShawnSmallStories.com.  Who knows where that trust will lead us?

Keith in the Comoros (Shawn is the camera man)

Up to this moment, Shawn had an idea in his head of what pilgrimage was: a sacred journey prompted by God. He felt the journey was transformational to the soul and the spirit. Somewhere along the road you would visit holy sites, learn from them, and return home with a new and healed heart. All of our pilgrimages today carry these elements, but a key ingredient was still missing.

Enter Keith Wheeler. For over 20 years, Keith has been visiting other countries carrying a huge, rough hewn, wooden cross. To date he has been to over 180 countries. He carries it on his shoulder from point A to point B. Many times he doesn’t exactly know where point B is. He simply walks, obeying Christ’s call on his life, and very literally “taking up his cross” and following Jesus. In 2000, Shawn was a member at one of Keith’s supporting churches, and Ken Janke (one of WV’s current board members) urged Shawn to travel with Keith on one of his voyages. Though reluctant because of the busy summer he had come through, Shawn agreed to leave for Africa for seventeen days, joining Keith and attempting to learn about pilgrimage.

With Shawn, Keith took the cross to the island countries of Africa, including: Seychelles, Madagascar and Reunion. Some of the places where Shawn and Keith walked were frequently unfriendly to Westerners. And worse, they were hostile to the cross. Their religions included Hinduism, Animism, ancestoral worship, and Fundamentalist Muslim. From day to day, Shawn never knew where he was going next, or where he would eat or where he would sleep.  For the first time in all his travels he felt like a complete foreigner. He ventured into places where he was not welcome. Following a guy carrying a cross made him feel even more strange and uncomfortable. But on this journey to Africa, Shawn discovered what Peter meant when he addressed the early Christians as “as aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11).

The Fairytale Landscape of Mauritius

In that place of complete discomfort, God was present in a tangible way. Shawn was forced to rely upon Christ for every single moment of every single day. Through the danger and hardship, Shawn heard from God in ways that strengthened his faith and helped him put the upcoming years in focus. Pilgrimage was no longer theory to Shawn.  It had become reality.

Shawn went from walking the path of a pilgrim to discovering a true pilgrim’s faith. In going on his own voyage to Africa, Shawn learned the meaning of what it was to be a pilgrim. This complete reliance upon Christ has helped define what makes Wonder Voyage so unique. We plan our trips, make our arrangements and calculations, but at the heart of what we do is the knowledge that we are aliens here and we are in God’s hands. We journey as pilgrims- all the time- not just when we’re out traveling.

Mike Flickinger has been leading Wonder Voyage trips for four years and works full-time as Shawn’s administrative assistant.  He has been commissioned to write this series of articles documenting the history of our organization. This articles covers 2000, the first year of Wonder Voyage 2000.

Combining a variety of elements such as a unique location, storytelling or journaling, and encounter moment employs the full senses of the traveler. Sometimes planned but more often spontaneous, encounter moments are defining memorable events that illustrate to our voyagers that God is present and active in their lives. Often, these moments become face-to-face encounters with Christ that leave life-long transformation in their wake. Anyone who leads a Wonder Voyage has a multitude of encounter moment stories that keep them encouraged. But when was Wonder Voyage’s original encounter?

Ireland was the location of our first trips starting in 2000. Teams from the U.S. joined us throughout the summer exploring the beauty of south Ireland, serving a local church in the town of New Ross and learning about Celtic Christianity. Our first team from Dallas First Assembly arrived in Eire and we were a bit nervous. As the director of the organization, I knew we had to introduce the Wonder Voyage experience in an unexpected and dramatic manner. A split second idea spurred on by a piece of local history changed everything.

Close to where we housed the team sat the hidden entrance to the old Mount Elliot train tunnel. The bare limestone passageway ran a mile underground ending at a red bridge over the brisk River Barrow. It had been in disuse since 1963; the tracks were long ago stripped away, making it appear like the dark cavern of a mammoth troll. As the small group of students gathered at the entrance of the passageway, a curious hush descended. A musty smell like old wet clothes crept out of a hollow of darkness loosely covered by years of creeping vines.  The gaggle of teens, chattering like a murder of crows just seconds before, felt a wave a excitement and fear. Quite suddenly, the unknown sat just ahead.I explained that we would walk the tunnel in absolute darkness and complete silence.

As we staggered down that pitch black warren, the lack of sight enhanced every sound: a steady drip of water from the cavern ceiling; unsure echoed steps; the quickening breathing as fears of the unseen built in the group.  In three minutes all vestiges of the afternoon sunlight disappeared. We were totally blind to our surroundings. By the time we reached the middle of the tunnel, now a half mile under the earth, the majority of the group was unnerved. But they trusted that there was purpose to this odd exercise.  Stopping the group in the dark, I spoke about the power of unhindered worship. What would a song of praise be like without the distractions that normally barrage us?

Many on the team with beautiful voices started to sing in the darkness, unfettered. With no sight of another, all inhibitions were consumed leaving every person free to sing with their whole heart. Voices bounced off the yawning walls and echoed in angelic tones.  For the next half an hour the singing and praying continued unbroken, spontaneous and rapt with a fullness of joy impossible to describe. As our time of worship ended, and the flashlights burst on showing us the way to the Barrow Bridge, the group remained hushed, sheltered in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Michael Fleming, the pastor of the group whispered in my ear, “That is what I call a genuine encounter with God.” That conversation convinced me that moments like this should be common place on all our journeys.  Although we cannot orchestrate Go’s presence, we can surely invite Him to meet us any way He pleases. If we provide the opportunity, He might just show up. That day, in a dark musty Irish tunnel the encounter moment was born and the little team from Texas realized that their trip would be unlike anything they imagined.

The Birth of the Encounter Moment is a part of the article series covering the Wonder Voyage Years.   The Encounter Moment was created in 2000 on Wonder Voyage’s first official overseas trip.