About the Not Yet Home Substack
I grew up in Kazakhstan. Kazakhs were historically nomads. They traversed the steppe with the seasons, living in yurts as they followed their flocks to better pasture. Although I am not ethnically Kazakh, I have always identified with their nomadic heritage.
As an American raised abroad as a third culture kid, I have experienced a wide range of cultures and have lived a life marked by transience. I am the product of a rapidly globalizing world. I have beheld God’s grandeur in countless places but have yet to truly establish myself in one.
Moreover, I have grown up in a time when the world is caught up in the throes of a technological revolution that is uprooting us. Our innovative technologies are uniting our world but also making it more difficult to live in place and in time. In this way, we are all becoming nomads.
There is a growing consensus that it is not good to live this way. I, like so many that I know, am plagued by a deep and inconsolable homesickness.
I am grateful for the plethora of treasures I have found on my journeys, but I have become tired of being a nomad. I search in art and story for a place to take up residence.
I am young. I have so much to learn. I am starting this Substack not as one who has reached the destination but as one who is merely beginning the journey. But if my yearning resonates with you, then I invite you to join me.
I do not have all the answers, but what little I have learned I offer to you as a fellow traveler as we venture together homeward.
About me
I am an adult third culture kid — American by nationality, born in London, England, and raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan. I graduated from Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky with a film degree. Currently, I am working toward an M.A. in Theological Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, writing fiction as much as I can as I pursue my degree.
I currently serve as the Content Editor for Creo Arts, a nonprofit that seeks to inspire beauty, goodness and truth through the arts. My most notable work experiences prior to this have been with the Rabbit Room, the Trinity Forum, and the Olympic Broadcasting Services. I have been to 24 countries (and counting), most recently visiting France for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
I am, most importantly, a disciple of Jesus. My ambition in life is to know him, to experience his love, and make the beautiful truth of the Gospel known to those who have not yet heard it. As broken as the church is, my highest joy is to serve her because Christ loves her. I write with these considerations always at the forefront of my mind and heart.
Here is a little of what I will be writing about on this Substack:
The beauty of God: In the western church, we know that God is good. We are quick to point to his truth. But we are less inclined to marvel about his beauty. I’ll be writing (on this Substack and on other platforms) about the beauty of God. I want to help the church wake up the importance of art for showing the world that God loves beautiful things and is himself beautiful.
Technology and place: I am concerned about what technology is doing to my generation’s sense of place. One of the greatest consequences of our immersive technologies is that they dislocate us and teach us to disdain the natural world for its limitations. I want to rediscover the goodness of the embodied world.
Art and cultural criticism: I want to help the church think seriously about the culture we consume. I will often frame these discussions in terms of formation, asking, “How might this story shape who I am becoming?” I will highlight my favorite movies, books, shows, etc. and likely call into question popular works that I find problematic.
The church: I help lead a house church that often meets in my apartment. I care immensely about the future of the church and want to help the church realize all that God intended for her. She is broken now, but Christ is making his bride beautiful.
I consider myself vocationally first and foremost a fiction writer. At this point, the only fiction I have published is Faster, a short story featured in Cagibi’s Issue 16. I have written a middle-grade novel and have another (the first of a trilogy) in the works.
My hope is to have my fiction published in the near future. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the publishing industry today, most publishers will not consider a manuscript unless the writer has a substantial platform. I am not inclined to join social media (as my writing will likely make clear); this Substack is my attempt to generate a following.
I care about the stories I have written and believe that they could be meaningful to a generation of young readers. But I do not want to create a following just by making noise; I hope to offer something that is meaningful to my readers. I want to wrestle with the most important issues of our day. I want to meditate on what is true, good, and beautiful. I want, through my writing, to search the depths of God’s unfathomable love.
All that to say, if you enjoy my work, please share my writing with others so that I can publish my fiction sooner rather than later. I intend to publish on this Substack bi-weekly for now. All my writing will be free to access. If you feel compelled to support my work financially, please contribute as you are led.
