Donal Joseph Waltz chose to spend six weeks of his summer serving with Urban Action. He studies Leadership and Administration at
Mid-Atlantic Christian University. He's also a skateboarder and singer in a punk band - perfect for UA! We've enjoyed having him and look forward to our last week with him.
If you haven't already seen the great video he and Habacuc put together check it out below and then read my interview to find out a little more about DJ and his time here.
UA YH NMSI UPDATE 2012 INTERNSHIP from
urban action on
Vimeo.
John: How did you hear about UA?
DJ: I heard of Urban Action through
Kyle Duncan at the
National Missionary Convention in Atlanta Georgia.
John: Why did you decide to do an internship with UA?
DJ: Well at first I didn't know what an internship was. I just wanted to go on a mission trip. So, I just wanted to experience what life on the mission field was like. And, I wanted to experience what this ministry was doing in a different country with skateboarders.
John: What should people know about skateboarding?
DJ: Skateboarding is more so an art than a sport. But I guess you can say it's a sport. The main thing about skateboarding is it's freedom and it's what you make of it. There are no rules, there's no referees, there's no teams, there's no points; it's just about having fun, being creative, and pushing the limits that you want to push.
John: What's it like trying to talk to skaters in Spanish?
DJ: It's difficult because they're young, and they use a lot of slang, and they speak very fast just like my friends and I do in the US. But if I say
mas lento por favor (slower please), I can usually get a couple words out and figure out the context. But usually our conversations are short sweet and to the point.
John: What's the coolest thing you've seen or experienced so far?
DJ: I've seen a lot of good skateboarding. I've seen people who are beginners and I watch them you know keep trying; they eventually land the tricks they're trying to land. I've seen all ages of skateboarding. Really, you know, a lot older men. And I've seen a lot of really young kids who are really trying. I've seen people ollie over barriers at a bus stop. I've seen people tre-flip down big gaps. There's a lot of good skateboarding here that doesn't really get recognized like it should.
John: What's the hardest thing you've encountered so far?
DJ: Mainly language and mainly with the youth because that's why I'm here mainly is to interact with the youth. So when I already have trouble talking to someone who speaks slow, it's a lot more difficult to speak with the youth who are talking very fast, and like me can't understand that people speak another language than they do. So, that's the hardest thing honestly.
The culture of course if different than the US, but it's not something that is unbearable, but the language is definitely a thing that's difficult to get over. I usually end up embarrassing myself or playing charades.
John: What's the most important thing you've learned so far?
DJ: That I not only need to be evangelistic in my actions and service, but I also need to be evangelistic in my speech. Because there are certain people in my life that will come and go, and I know that they will come and go, and I never once talk about Christ or God or my faith. I let them know that I'm a Christian but that's as far as it gets. And often times I like to think that hopefully they'll just ask me a questions and I'll open up. But in reality sometimes I need to be the one to ask the questions. I hope this doesn't sound bad but I've learned a lot more about evangelism in America than anything, because there's so many friends I have that don't know Christ and that don't know God; but I've never once talked or had a really deep theological conversation about my faith. And here I am in Chile trying to be an evangelist. So that's one of the most important things that I've learned is my life is ministry my life is evangelism and that everywhere people need to hear the gospel not just skateboarders in Santiago, Chile and not just my friends back at home.
John: What is the biggest surprise about life in Chile?
DJ: In Chile itself one, I did not expect the people don't like spicy food. Two, how close to America it seems like. Just the simplicity of life, I mean maybe I haven't been here long enough but it seems for the most part that Chile is the closest country to American culture out of the rest of the South American countries; go to work, make a living, try to you know buy a house and have a family, and you know live the dream basically. It seems like out of the other Latin American countries Chile is the most closest to that. So, I did not expect that. I thought I was going to be in for a huge ride and for a huge cultural shock. In reality, you know it didn't really phase me at all. I felt very comfortable. Also I did not expect the country to be as safe as it was. I tried not to come with that attitude but me being a white suburban American it's hard not to think that a Latin American country is going to be violent. But Chile has been the most safest place I've ever been in my life.
John: Anything else you would like to tell people reading this?
DJ: If you want to be a missionary, and that is really awesome and cool, but one thing to remember is that evangelism does not start once you guys are at college. Evangelism does not start once you go into the mission field. If you can't do something back at home than how are you going to do it in a different country where they speak a different language and do things differently altogether? Another country is not going to want to do ministry the way an American does ministry, because Americans do ministry the way Americans do. Ultimately, we should all try to do it like Christ, but culture and different types of things are always going to be there. So, for those who want to be future missionaries I'd say be evangelists now, be missionaries now no matter where you are; weather you're in a small rural town in Kentucky, or if you're in a suburban neighborhood in Virginia, or if you're in a big city in New York. Be a missionary now. Prepare now because you know life is short and if you can't do it now than how are you supposed to do it on the mission field. So, that's the main thing that I would want other people to know.
John: How is you're relationship with God right now?
DJ: Well as of right now I'm in the book of 1 Chronicles chapter twelve. It's getting there. It's basically a general view of what I learned in 1 and 2 Kings, but I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about it. I'm also reading a book
The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask. So, that's really good and helps me understand you know my faith better and how to reasonably explain things without starting conflict with those who are not Christians. My prayer life is very good. My reading life is very good. I try to serve everyday and I try to encourage and be helpful to people and not to be selfish. Even though it's always a struggle everyday. So, things are going very well for me and it's not because I'm doing all these things. It's mainly because I'm a Christian and God loves me and blesses me. And even if I was only reading one little Psalm a day and that was it, not even praying, I know that I would still be a very blessed Child of God. On my part, I feel like I'm doing very well, but overall things are always going to be very well because I'm a Christian and God is very gracious like that.
