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Never has the world been smaller, nor post-secondary
options more numerous. With classrooms vying against global education, the
world is, in actuality, one’s oyster. As the future begs for
definition, it’s crucial to know who you are. Ben Moerman is a 26 year old from Maple Ridge, B.C.
Since graduating from Alberta’s Peace
River Bible Institute, he has taken some classes at ACTS Seminaries, and is
currently working as he considers further education. Moerman is literally
learning from the world and credits the travel experience with helping him
find his way. He has visited 24 countries so far.
 | | United Arab Emirates |
Following is an interview conducted with Moerman, in
which Options seeks to understand the relevance of world travel to today’s
Christian students.
Ben, I understand you grew up in a Christian home. Can
you tell me about your faith journey?
It’s definitely been a journey. There have been
several epiphany moments.
The first was when I was six years old with my mom;
the second was when God supernaturally spoke to me in a way I
couldn’t deny. That experience was something that has kept my faith
grounded in a lot of questions and doubts that have come over the years.
Another was travel-related; I got involved in a cult
in Australia when I was immediately out of high school. God brought me out
of that. It set me searching for truth and realizing that truth isn’t
always easy to find. I realized that I’m susceptible to the same
deceptions as everyone else. The search for true truth is a very worthwhile
pursuit.
How have your travels affected your walk with God, and
your perspective of the world?
 | | Indian Orphanage |
On my last trip I spent seven months travelling alone;
that meant it was just me and God. I learned to trust that he’s
there. I gained confidence in my belief that God is with me wherever I go,
as cliché as that may sound. He was in a church in Nepal or on a
mountaintop somewhere, or on a bus right after my wallet had been stolen
– all different experiences, all different settings, God seemed to
show up. Not to say he showed up in the way I wanted him to every time, but
there’s definitely been a wide variety of ways and places that
he’s made his presence known in one way or another.
Which would you say are the top three places
you’ve been, and why?
My top three were India, Nepal and Mozambique. India
is an incredible place, culturally: it's got such a rich history, and is a
sensory overload. Nepal is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen; I
spent three weeks hiking there. I haven’t been able to place what it
is about Mozambique that I love, but I know I loved the people; I saw a ton
of need.
What, in your opinion, is the definition of education,
and how are you aspiring towards it?
I think it’s not only gathering information, but
learning how to think critically. Education is definitely more than a
degree and ideally it's something that continues throughout all of life.
Personally, I’m looking into a MBA with a focus
in Micro-Credit. I then hope to work giving small loans and business
training to the entrepreneurial poor in Mozambique and/or Nepal. I just got
back last week from a trip to Guatemala to see if Micro-Credit is something
I'd like to get involved in more.
Continue article >>
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 | | Ben Moerman at Gokyo Ri, Nepal |
What have you learned from your travels?
Initially, how wealthy I am; I think with that, to
whom much is given much has been required.
Another thing I’ve learned is that there’s
so much to be experienced, to witness in the world. No matter how much you
see or do, the opportunities are endless.
So with all of these options, how can we know
God’s will for our lives?
I think that God gives us a lot of freedom to do
things we love. His word is clear on a lot of things, but to me they seem
more like overriding principles that guide who we are rather than what we
do or what adventures we go on.
He's created us to enjoy some things and not others,
and the challenge is trying to be honest with ourselves.
Would you encourage students who don’t know what
to do with their lives to travel first?
 | | Swaziland school |
Yes. I would also say there are a couple of different
kinds of travel: I’d encourage purposeful travel. Travel to a place
and in a way that will challenge you.
Would you say it’s important for us as believers
in Christ to travel as much as possible?
I think it’s important to travel as believers,
but I think it’s more important to be involved in some way, shape or
form in international ministry, whether that’s social justice, or
economic development, or evangelism. I’d definitely encourage every
Christian to have several cross-cultural experiences in their life.
Who have been some of the people that have influenced
you as a travel-adventurer? How have they influenced you?
I think my dad encouraging me to go on my first trip
to the Ukraine at 13; he said if you want to come, this is how much money
you need to raise and he just encouraged me as I tried to raise that
money.
Then my parents again in being cool enough to let me
go at 18 with a bunch of my friends.
I’ve got one friend who lives in his van, and
he’s taught me what we need to survive and what things are luxuries.
I’ve got another friend who’s walking the
whole length of Gandhi's River. I learned a lot from him about freedom in
Christ.
He taught me we can’t be shackled by our desire
to find God’s exact will for our lives.
I think it’s a common misconception that God has
one specific thing in mind for each one of us and that we’re going
miss out on our calling in life if we choose one good thing as opposed to
another.
God will make it clear if you do have a definite
calling. God’s a lot more concerned about us finding it than we are,
and he’s quite capable to lead us to it if he wants to. We just have
to be willing to listen.
Options Winter 2008
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