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| Wisdom Trek Success Story: We're in a Whole New Place! |
 Kent and Michelle Susud were just plain worn out. On the surface, everything was fine--sometimes even thrilling. Kent and Michelle had come out of the business world to develop a sports component for a camping ministry. After several years the director of that ministry agreed to spin off their work into a brand new sports mission.
SportQuest, the name of the new ministry, operated Christian sports camps in some of the most spiritually dark places in the world. God gave the ministry favor and success in countries where even internationally-known ministries had failed.
Shortly after being given the reins, Kent and Michelle felt led to move the ministry headquarters to a metropolitan location. Everything was new and the future seemed exciting.
Beneath the surface though, tension was rising. "The ministry was going great and exciting things were happening, but we struggled with understanding exactly why we existed--what to say 'yes' to and what to say 'no' to," says Kent.
As the opportunities for SportQuest increased, the lack of an overall vision only increased the wear and tear on Kent and Michelle and their team.
"We were desperately in need of focus," says Kent. "We had survived by the sheer grace of God. In my quiet times I had sensed that God was moving us from from a season of grace to a season of power--He intended to do great things through us. But how would we get started?"
With the encouragement of a SportQuest board member, Kent and Michelle brought several key team members to Wisdom Trek for three days of visioneering, leader development, strategic planning and coaching.
The SportQuest team listened to lectures on refining a vision, operating out of their God-given design and identifying and preparing leaders. During the leisurely rest times, they met around the bonfire and lingered over the delicious meals to reconnect spiritually and renew their vision.
"So many good things happened at Wisdom Trek that it has changed the nature of our ministry," Kent says. "Personally, I have been able to work with a whole new level of discipline since that time."
Says Michelle, "I feel it was extremely beneficial to our team. Not only did we bond as a team and deepen relationships, but we clarified our mission and now have a specific plan of action for the future."
As part of Wisdom Trek, Kent and Michelle worked with a life coach. It was a whole new experience, and a little uncomfortable at first. "When we first met, Sean just listened and asked questions. I thought 'Why doesn't he just TELL us what to do? I need specific advice!'
Soon, however, Kent and Michelle realized that Sean was asking deep questions to encourage them to listen to God and understand the relationship between God's purposes and their God-given designs. This compelled them to think through their mission in a whole new way, and to arrive at solutions that were consistent with their calling and their God-given design.
"Wisdom Trek was last October," Kent said, "but Sean is still following up with us and each meeting has gotten better and better."
One of Kent's most important takeaways from Wisdom Trek was also one of the most humbling: "I feel like I got permission to not know everything. I had always felt guilty when I didn't know what to do. Don't good leaders know everything? At Wisdom Trek I discovered how to seek wise counsel, and this has given me the freedom to learn and grow as a leader."
"We're in a whole new place after Wisdom Trek," says Kent. "It's still hard, and progress seems slow sometimes. But we aren't wasting a minute, and God is moving!"
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