“Where we see ordinary people, God sees a rich deposit of gold waiting to be brought forth.” Camacho [1]<\/p>\n
I enjoy coaching and mentoring. I have had several wonderful people generously share their thoughts, wisdom, and experiences with me. They had helped me seek the Lord in discovering the gold in me, and I wish to do the same for others. After reading Camacho’s Mining for Gold, I couldn’t help but think of all these people: those who have invested in me and those in whom I have invested. People with stories, families, dreams, and so many with whom we have mutually shared how the Lord has grown and guided us.<\/p>\n
During every Mercy Ships mission to a country, I would take on a few young professionals for coaching, sharing my thoughts on life, faith, work, and the integration of these things. Frank was one of those I committed to mentoring while in Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n
Frank is in his late 20s and has lived in Sierra Leone all his life. He has studied accounting for an undergraduate degree, but jobs are tough to come by in his home nation, where the proportion of the working population is estimated to be 52% [2].<\/p>\n
Frank was one of the local staff who supported Mercy Ships’ mission when it was in service. Knowing that the ship’s mission would eventually end, he wisely looked to the future. When jobs are scarce, many people rely on entrepreneurial activities, such as vending goods and services on the street. Frank considered this an option, but his heart was on getting an accounting job.<\/p>\n
We met in the ship’s cafe, and Frank shared his hopes and dreams with me. We prayed together, and I asked him a few more questions. After sharing that he longed to find an accounting job, he asked me what advice I had and what skills he could be working on to stand out in the crowd who would undoubtedly apply for such a prize as a stable job.<\/p>\n
I told Frank that if he wanted to develop his accountancy abilities, he would need to find someone with that specific skill set to mentor him on the practicalities, but I would be happy to share my advice on how to stand out in a crowd and show he was ready for the job. “What do I need to show?” Frank asked me. “Well, when hiring people, there are a few key things I look for,” I respond. “They need to have the right skills, sure, but those are just a matter of time if someone is willing and able to learn. The thing that is rare and will cause you to stand out is your character. I won’t hire an accountant I cannot trust with money. Your integrity is your reputation. When applying for the job, show them you are reliable.” We then prayed together, Frank praying that the Lord would guide him in his desire to be trustworthy.<\/p>\n
Some months later, after I had left Sierra Leone, Frank sent me a message asking me to pray for him as he applied for an accounting job. A few days later, he messaged me again, letting me know he had gotten the job. I was thrilled for him\u2014he had beaten the odds and found secure employment. My wise guidance and counsel had worked!<\/p>\n
Until it didn’t. A few months into his new job, I received another message from Frank informing me that he had been fired for using company funds improperly. He had lost his reputation for reliability and integrity, so he lost the job. I was disappointed for him, his employer, and myself. Could I have guided him differently? Had I failed him in my coaching?<\/p>\n
I came to terms with the fact that I had given him the best advice I could. If anything, his dismissal was proof that I was right\u2013integrity is everything. But I didn’t want to be right. I wanted Frank to win, to become all God had made him to be, and he hadn’t.<\/p>\n
For me, the beauty of Camacho’s method is that it releases work to the Holy Spirit to speak to the individual in a way that we cannot [3]. How that individual responds is between them. We may coach, but we cannot control. This is why we need the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
I still pray for Frank whenever I think of him, asking that God would speak to him in a way I cannot, especially being so far away. Camacho writes, “one nugget of wisdom a leader gets from God is worth ten thousand words of wisdom from me” [4]. That same God says to us in Proverbs 1:33, “whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” [5].<\/p>\n