By Idelette McVicker
The process of working through a dream from conception to birth has brought confidence, maturity and peace. I learned that when the time is right, I can do anything I put my mind and energy to. But it wasn’t always that way.
Even just two years ago I was tired of talking about the dream. I felt like if I said the words “global good news magazine” one more time I was going to get sick. I didn’t want to talk about globalgirl anymore.
I had carried the dream for seven years and I was tired. Even elephants don’t wait that long before they give birth, I lamented.
Receiving the Vision
In 1996, after an extended trip to South Africa I returned to Taiwan for what I thought would be a short visit to pack up, say my good-byes and go home. While away in South Africa, I had been working through The Path, Laurie Beth Jones’ best-selling book on creating your personal mission statement. I desperately wanted to know what I was supposed to do with my life.
As I worked through the questions in the book, one word kept resurfacing: magazine. I have always been passionate about magazines. I was about 14 years old when I knew I wanted to be a journalist and working on a magazine was definitely the ultimate dream.
While I was having quiet time in Taipei one morning, sitting on the floor in the bedroom of the apartment where I was staying, I had a clear moment. It was as clear as if God had spoken to me in an audible voice. It was awareness and it was truth in my innermost being. “Global good news magazine” were the words that rang through me.
Yes. A global good news magazine. It made so much sense. This was what I was supposed to do. Finally, I knew! I also knew that it didn’t mean going back to South Africa. I changed my plans and decided to stay in Taiwan a while longer.
A Slow Start
Immediately I started making plans for realizing the dream, although I had no real idea how to move forward. The Path said to write an action plan, so I did. I started planning and thinking through my resources. I began talking about it. I shared the dream with people I thought could be part of making it a reality. Not too many were excited about it. I think most people were slightly amused by my naivete. Still, I was undeterred.
I was expecting obstacles, yes, but I was also hoping at least someone would catch the vision and run with me. It didn’t really happen then.
I spent a lot of time planning, collecting cuttings and ideas. I began thinking and praying about a name.
I had no idea how to bring about a global good news magazine, but I figured it was God-sized, so there had to be some divine plan too.
I also had no idea, really, when the magazine was supposed to happen, so I kept trying to fit it into opportunities and ideas. Did it fit as a Sunday magazine with our newspaper? The editor-in-chief didn’t bite.
Was it the community magazine I worked on? It didn’t quite fit there either.
Everywhere I went, every thought, every action was filtered through this dream. My life became consumed by this passion.
I knew it was going to happen, I was going to make it happen. I just didn’t know when and I didn’t really know the details.
Still, I was treading through sludge. Things just wouldn’t come together. I didn’t have money and I had no business experience. I felt in way over my head.
Setting a Goal
In 1997 I wrote in my vision statement that the global good news magazine would be launched by August 2000. At that time, it gave me three years to get the ball rolling. I spent a lot of days sitting in the bus in Taiwan praying over this vision statement not knowing how it was ever going to happen.
Then, in August 1999, I met the man of my dreams in Vancouver, Canada. Three months later I was back in Vancouver and on November 27 that same year we were married.
For most of the first year of our marriage I stayed home while we waited for my landed immigrant status to come through. I had lots of time to think and pray and write. Mostly, I had to adjust to a new life in a new country and a new husband.
Gaining Confidence and Experience
During this time, I was also communicating with the team from Women Today magazine, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada. They were interested in my ideas and enthusiasm and gave me the opportunity to become managing editor of Women Today magazine, volumes four and five. Our deadline was September 2000 and as we headed towards publication, I felt like my dream was coming true. The global good news magazine was finally here and I would be meeting my deadline.
But as I held the magazine in my hand, I knew there was more to the vision. Again I started exploring where this dream could go, but I got busy with work.
Someone Believed in the Dream
In 2002, while on a trip back to Taiwan, I shared part of the dream with someone–a globalgirl!–there. A few days later she handed me an envelope with enough money to put feet to the dream. I could hardly believe it. Not only did she believe in the dream, she wanted to put her resources into it. She said God had spoken to her that I would need the money. How true.
With money in the bank, I tried some new avenues. I talked with two web designers about setting up a website, but both times the project fell through.
In the beginning of 2003 I quit my job as editor with Summit Productions, a ministry of Campus Crusade, with the commitment to pour everything into the dream of globalgirl. A few days later Chuck Price, our new interim president and Audrey Butler, his chief of staff, asked me to consider staying and joining their team. They said they believed in this dream and wanted to walk with me. It wasn’t difficult to say yes.
They helped facilitate a trip to Russia to participate in two workshops held by the Magazine Training Institute. For two weeks I worked with professionals to think through a business plan and the process of running a magazine. The concentrated time away solidified my belief in and commitment to the dream. Also, I was there as editor of globalgirl magazine. Seeing the words on paper made it more and more real and moved it out of the realm of the dream to the place of reality. Still, I was one month pregnant and I knew life would be changing.
The Dream Dies, Again
Gabrielle was born in December 2003 and it took about five months before I started having thoughts about globalgirl again. I had met Keisha Johnson, a friend from Jamaica, and when I shared the dream with her, she became excited. She was finishing up her Masters in Publishing, I was caring for a baby and together we spent many days fine-tuning the magazine and planning content. Then, in 2004, when we were about eighty percent ready to go, I found out I was pregnant with our second daughter.
For me, right there, the dream died. I was tired from the pregnancy and I was tired of carrying the dream. I couldn’t see how we could put out a regular magazine with me caring for another infant, while Keisha was starting a full-time job. I lay globalgirl to rest. This time, however, I thought it was for real.
Letting it Go
During that time I wrote a vision statement that didn’t include the magazine. I allowed myself a future without this dream. I had carried it so long that being without it felt freeing. In fact, it felt good to let it go and give myself the option of moving on.
There had been a shift inside me. I knew it wasn’t as important to publish a global good news magazine, as it was to be that dream, to be a global good news magazine myself. I knew I was that already.
In May 2005 our second daughter was born and somehow we settled into a routine again. Two months later I started attending a Women’s Power Breakfast in downtown Vancouver. We were discussing the book Jesus, Life Coach and I knew I had to be there. I drove nearly an hour every Wednesday morning to be there at 7am. Telah was happy to attend the meetings with me, sleeping in her stroller.
Becoming Focused
Motherhood changed my life dramatically. Before I had spent much of my time sitting down. I sat behind a computer. I enjoyed quiet times of thinking, reading, studying, writing, conversing with God and expanding my mind.
With two babies, however, my life had become very active. I had to be on my toes all the time, ready for the next move.
Having very little quiet time forced me to become focused. I had never learned focus. As a creative person, I spent most of my time coming up with more ideas. I finally had to become serious about what was truly important to me.
As I worked through Jesus, Life Coach and became focused, globalgirl entered into my consciousness again. Then there was a day when I asked myself, If I only had one hour per day to focus on something really important to me, what did I want to spend that time on? I knew it was globalgirl.
Launching the Website
At the time, I also began exploring ways to set up a new website for Linwood House Ministries. Some former colleagues had started their own web design and consulting company and I talked with Sharon Simpson of Stir Communications about the options available. Ironically, as we worked on the options for Linwood House Ministries, I saw how globalgirl, too, could come to life with their technology.
My head started racing. A few days later Sharon and I continued our conversation and we began talking seriously about globalgirl as a project. We talked through the options, the budget and my hopes and soon after we had a deadline for going live. I also decided on a date for a launch party. With these concrete deadlines, globalgirl became very real.
During that time, I often sat up until four and five in the morning (while the girls were asleep) and worked on content, the identity of the site and pulling together the pieces of the dream.
Those first two months I didn’t sleep a lot, but somehow I managed because I was so high on adrenaline. My dream was becoming a reality and I was working on what I was supposed to do.
Starting Small
One of the most important lessons I learned in this process, is a principal that is outlined in the Bible. In Zechariah 4:10 (New Living Translation) it says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin!”
For a long time, I wanted to start with a bang. I now understand that these kinds of dreams usually start small. What is important is that it begins. From there, the dream can grow and expand and change. I also learned that no one can join a dream that is only in your head, but once there is meat and bones to it, people can identify with it and come alongside it. Others bring wisdom, perspective and experience to it.
The Power of Support
My friend and colleague Roberto Canlas was sympathetic to my creative spurts and while many had tried to capture and express what this globalgirl project would look like, Roberto was the one who finally made it real. With his beautiful illustrations, Roberto gave globalgirl an identity.
I needed a lot of encouragement along the way. Scott, my husband, supported me absolutely. He was also the one who brought the principle of focus to me. He still tells me, “Choose one thing and do it well.”
Gwen McVicker, my mom-in-law, listened to the dream and felt it would be a good fit within Linwood House Ministries. She said, “Yes, go for it!” The story of how her own dream–now Linwood House–unfolded over the years also inspired me and helped me to keep going.
Robyn McVicker, my sister-in-law, was my cheerleader. She believed in the dream even at times when I had given up on it. She prodded. She listened. We talked on the phone a lot and I could share ideas with her and ask her opinion. Her belief in this project gave me strength. Mostly I held on to this dream, because she believed.
Bringing this dream into the world has been one of the most powerful, gratifying, amazing experiences I have ever had. Now that she alive and well, it will take a (global) village to raise this child. I hope you will join us.
If you’d like to interact with Idelette, contact her here.
