Pray for Families Today

Location: My attic abode in my host family's house in Oradea, Romania (about 9:20am on Saturday, the 22nd of May)

Today is the reason I came to Oradea! I have been preparing all week to put on a family workshop this afternoon, with help from a friend from Deva who is on the bus as I type, coming to translate. I am expecting up to fifty people. Please pray that is might go as the Spirit leads it, according to God's will. Our location is still a little bit "to-be-determined," and the weather could play a role if this beautiful sunshine returns to last week's five days of rain! I want these Christian families to see Jesus anew, to know Him more intimately through strengthened relationships with their families, which then encourage other families in the Church to surrender themselves completely to our Lord. Thank you for your prayers!

I have included several pictures from Oradea, and after I look through them, I will post more on the Picasa site. In the past, I have shown lots of the rural sides of Romania, but I poorly represented the more modern, urban areas. As you can see, Oradea is a booming metropolis of around 222,000 people, and I was able to find and buy hula hoops and bandanas and markers and posterboard here with little trouble, for tonight's workshop.

If I had more time, I could describe this week in more detail. The most noteworthy parts are these:

I have been helping some of the children in the family with their homeschool studies. Twice or three times I taught Spelling, and once I taught English. I have helped lead devotions one-on-one with a couple of the boys, and I have run to the grocery for the family a few times. One of the things I love most about this family is that they gather each morning at six-thirty or seven to read the Bible together and to pray. I am a part of the family, too, so I am included. Does your family do that? Will you consider it?

Yesterday, I was in the tram with one of the boys, and after a while, I leaned down and said that I had never once seen a ticket-control employee verifying tickets in the trams in Oradea. Just as he said he had seen them before (because he lives here), the man who had just climbed on next to us took his badge out from undercover and started asking passengers for their tickets, beginning with us! We about fell over laughing! Do not worry, we had tickets!

I was unable to get a picture of it, but there is some sort of tradeshop at the end of our street, and so twice I have seen three men "driving by" our house in the city riding on a motorized saw! I do not know how to describe it, other than it is a large circular saw blade on four wheels with three men standing on some part of it and hanging on, trying to steer it in the general direction they want to go, while it is being powered by a tractor engine. It is worth seeing!

Oh, yeah, and one night as I climbed under my covers at around 11:30pm, I realized that the damp spot I felt was more than just wet from my water bottle leaking or my rain coat. I still do not know if it was a young boy who with his family was visiting my bed-ridden host nursing his broken leg, or perhaps the cat, but either way I decided not to sleep soaked in what I determined was NOT water... Ah, the life of an adventurer!

So, I hope you, too, are well. I plan to head off tomorrow or the next day toward Sighisoara, though as of yet I do not know my route. My Internet access has been spotty at best, so I will try to keep you posted. Thanks for your prayers! I am eager to unpack this baggage and leave it somewhere!

A Verbal Slideshow

Location: Living room in hosts' house, Oradea, Romania (7:45am on the 18th of May)

Hi Friends! Thanks for your patience until I am now able to post an update. As you can imagine, the first few days in Romania have been fairly busy. This transition time will continue for a little while because I am only passing through Oradea, so it will be another week or so before I can unpack and settle into a routine. Neither is my internet access assured at any of those points. So let me take this opportunity to fill you in!

My rainy welcome in Budapest and Oradea is in stark contrast to the beautiful May days I left in Indiana. The rain has continued everyday (I wonder if it has anything to do with volcanic ash in the heavens?), though the Lord held it back when I had to be outdoors with my luggage. I caught a taxi from the Budapest airport after collecting all of my luggage and passing through customs without a blink of an eye. From the train station, I had no trouble catching a train, except for being out of practice with some of the local "customs" and getting caught in a couple of situations where I had to tip my help without originally planning to (yet in reality I was grateful for the help, so what are a couple of dollars?). As opposed to the long flights made longer by a two-hour delay on the JFK runway, I was able to sleep a little on the four-hour train ride. Nevertheless, as you can imagine, I was ready when I reached my destination with some sun even peeking through the clouds. My strength endured to the door of my hosts' house, where I found no one home!

Now, lest you think I have poor hosts, let me assure you that they have always and continue to treat me like one of their own. I am their American family member, and I greatly appreciate their splendid hospitality. Besides, the father was in the hospital from an automobile accident, which helps to explain the family's absence. And, you know that I love adventures, so it simply made for a fun story. For, you see, though I was still smiling, I was conserving my strength and had no desire to search for another of my other friends in town with more than one hundred pounds of luggage under a dismal forecast. I also had not had an opportunity to buy telephone minutes yet. Nor did I want to leave my luggage on the sidewalk. Thus, I tried the logical thing: I politely approached a couple of elderly neighbor ladies (who had told me to knock louder, certain that someone was home) and with my best Romanian asked if I could leave my baggage inside their door while I went to purchase telephone minutes. They politely told me "No." They probably assumed I was an American terrorist with bombs in my bags. However, later they sent a daughter down to offer to make a phone call for me. That, too, failed, when she found out that the number I had was from a phone carrier different from hers, so she apologized and again told me "no" when I tried my luggage question again, explaining that her mother did not want to keep my bags. So I went to another neighbor's house and rang the bell, but no one answered their, probably being warned by Romanian Intelligence that there was a foreign intruder in the neighborhood with a puppet in his pack.

This saga only lasted twenty or thirty minutes before the eldest daughter of my hosts sauntered in and saved the day. I was offered a meal and a shower, and soon felt at home again. The following days have been a blur. That evening, I met my friend V. at the grocery store and was introduced to her mother, visiting from Malaysia, and I happily tasted some of their ethnic cuisine. The next morning found me at a large church where I was asked to speak, with the request that I do so in the evening service. Thus I returned under the downpour at dinner time to share before that church, having spent the afternoon in the hospital visiting my host-father whose broken leg is mending only a bit slower than his spirits. Monday was a fun day, because I surprised the young people and my former collegues at the center for youth with disabilities where I worked the first time I came to Romania. I spent the day with them before helping V. and her mom get to the train station. I spent a part of the afternoon on the phone with my bank in the USA, trying to get ATM headaches straightened out, with both Visa and the bank simultaneously blaming the other for my problems; then I took a beautiful nap before getting beaten in chess by the youngest of my host family. He and I later enjoyed a hilarious adventure to the pharmacy where we managed to purchase laxatives after two visits and broken dialogue with the bewildered pharmacist. When I first made my request, she told me "No." Confused, I responded with a question: "No, you do not have them, or no, we do not need them?" We laughed at the funny situation, knowing that I had not even requested laxatives for elephants like I had considered doing!

Meanwhile, the show must go on, and I am preparing for a family workshop and picnic with about five families on Saturday. Most of my energy will be focused on that this week, and I am looking forward to it. Plus, I am enjoying being back in Romania. There have already been many blessings, and I have contacted a few of my friends in different parts of the country to let them know I am here. Sure, there will be adventures and aches and pains ahead, but I am happy. Life is good because God is good, and rain or shine, I plan to enjoy that life and my great God! I pray that you do, too!

Thanks for your prayers! I will do my best to keep you posted, to respond to emails, and to post photos. But even if that becomes infrequent, know that my prayers are not! I bless you in the Name of the one and only Jesus Christ!

Changing Plans or Planes?

Location: Surprise! Indianapolis airport, about 3:15pm on the 14th of May.

Are you wondering why I am not in Europe? Because I am abundantly blessed!

Yesterday, I posted blog information saying I was en route to Europe, and I was. But at the last minute, I gave up my seat and never left Indianapolis. Now I am scheduled to fly out in a few moments, unless God has different plans.

You have heard me boast in the Lord about His provision. Let me do so again! Here are some of the blessings I received with the "delay":

An extra day with Mom and Dad
A flight voucher
An opportunity to see friends at a former workplace on the Westside
An opportunity to see my mentor and his family, and to introduce my mom to their new baby
An opportunity to visit for the first time a new restaurant owned by friends
A second chance at an on-time flight (yesterday's was so late I probably would have missed my connection!)
Another opportunity to play my guitar that I am sadly leaving behind with my gigantic song collection
An opportunity to re-evaluate my packing, with which I had been unsatisfied

Why did I re-evaluate my packing? Well, usually I travel as lightly as possible. This time, knowing I would be gone for a length of time, I took some luxuries. Yet my baggage was a bear, and so today I trimmed it down. I lost nearly ten pounds overnight! Unfortunately, my cowboy boots are no longer with me; neither are some of the tools I had packed. But Levi made the cut today, so I again have my trusty traveling puppet to keep Alfred (my backpack) company.

As I was coming to the airport, mom and I were talking about how the disciples LEFT EVERYTHING to follow Jesus. They did not even take one suitcase! She did not know that I had been thinking about that earlier today, that I trust the Lord enough to fly to Romania without ANY luggage, and how nice that would be! As I was praying about all this, the Lord reminded me that He did not bless me so abundantly to carry it all with me, but that He did so to remind me that He will continue to bless me in the future. I do not need to haul my "riches" with me; His Spirit goes before me and knows my needs and my desires.

Do you ever carry extra "baggage" in life because deep down you do not trust God to care for you? Do you look like the American traveler bouncing through airports and down sidewalks with ridiculous amounts of baggage for a weekend trip? There is a good place for you to leave behind that baggage. There, at the cross. There is a sign above it that says the King of the Jews. A God-man was crucified on it so that you could let His Spirit live in you freely. Imagine winning a paid-vacation at a Carribean resort, with everything provided for you. You travel WITH NO LUGGAGE and arrive in an exotic hotel, finding clothes of your size, your favorite foods, toiletries, books by your preferred authors, your favorite music, and everything else you need, already there and waiting for you, free for you to use and enjoy.

That is how life in the Spirit is. Free! Sure, there are challenges, and some of them quite difficult! But they are always easier to deal with when you are not carrying your own baggage. If you never have, let the Lord set you free. Drop your baggage at the foot of the cross, and invite Him to live in you, surrendering completely to His kind and generous love. Stop trying to do it by yourself; you look ridiculous.

My bags are still heavy. But now I am satisfied, knowing I can manage them. The Lord has prepared me for what lies ahead; I trust Him, and I am free to face whatever today or tomorrow may bring!

I give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

Ever feel like you are flying?

Location: Indianapolis airport, awaiting the first flight in my journey toward Romania (about 3:15pm on the 13th of May).

What is this picture? No, my mom is not trying to fly! She is sitting on my travel pillow that I had packed in a Ziploc bag, trying to get more air out of it so it would take up less room in my bag! I don't know if it helped or not (it actually snapped open later), but it sure makes for a funny picture!

Yes, I broke my own rules this time, packing more than usual because I plan to be gone for a while, and because I had to pay to bring an extra suitcase. Thus, I figured I would bring some "luxuries" with me. Like my cowboy boots, or a small screwdriver set, which I almost had to throw away before I found out they were going to let me carry the sharp tools onto the plane! Packing like this does make you re-asses what you "need" versus what you "want." In the end, I had to leave behind my Indiana license plate (you never know when you might need one in Romania!), as well as my motorcycle handbook. Poor Levi (my puppet), missed the boat, too.

So if you don't recognize me next time you see me, it may be because I have enormous muscles thanks to my two 50-pound bags, and my carry-on. Thanks for your prayers; I am praying for you, too. Meanwhile, join me in thinking about what is important in life, compared to what "baggage" might be better left behind...

Ta ta...

Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA, but not for much longer (May 10, 2010, about 10:15am).

Perhaps not many of you in Indianapolis have been keeping up with my blog while I am "home;" however, my adventures have not been less adventuresome here! You can enjoy these photos of some of my visits, a Mexican tribute to mothers, as well as some challenge-course repair work with which I helped out. (Don't we look like a professional team?)

But my reason for writing now is to say goodbye. I am leaving for Romania again, this time with a one-way ticket. What a blessing it has been to see so many of you, and to be prayed for by you. You have blessed me in so many ways!

Look me up when you are in Romania! I am praying for you, and thank you for your prayers! I bless you in the Name of our Jesus, and as they say in Romanian, la revedere!

Good News and Great Days

Location: Bedroom in my parents' house, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA on the National Day of Prayer (May 6, 2010, approximately 6:00am)

Today is the National Day of Prayer in the United States of America. Not recognized by all Americans, it is nevertheless nationally observed from the White House to the ordinary citizen. Christians all over the country gather and pray for the American governing authorities, the media, the schools, the military, the Church, families, and more. The USA needs our prayers, but it needs your prayers, too! Please, if you are a Christ-follower in Switzerland, in France, in Romania, in Greece, in South Africa, in Canada, in Mexico, in China, in Thailand, or anywhere else, pray for the United States of America, that God be glorified in this people. Maybe the USA is your dream country, or maybe we are your enemies--either way, please pray for us! We need God's mercy and grace!

You may be wondering why I am typing so early. In fact, it is not that early now, because the birds are singing; two hours ago, I was awake, but they were not! But remember, I am not on vacation. I work hard, and today is no exception. I just finished trying to communicate in Romanian about a family workshop I may get to help lead in Oradea as I pass through there in the next two weeks. Before that, I was trying to arrange contacts in Atlanta for a Swiss friend who will be studying there. Before that, my Lord and I spent time together in prayer. As the day dawns, however, I will be joining a couple of friend of mine to help repair a challenge course at a camp, which will certainly be an all day project--and a challenge!

However, you do not want to read about my work, you want to read about my adventures. Let me tell you, yesterday was an adventure in blessing! In fact, I had twenty-four hours of blessed meetings with people, as you can see from the pictures. Dinner with family, theological discussion with a music man and his mother, Mexican food with a family seeing grace everyday, encouragement from a fellow alumnus from my high school, and a quick visit with artist friends made for a delightful day! I am so blessed!

Another blessing has been watching transformation in friends and family. Would you believe that three times since I have been "home," I have heard this from persons who grew up in the Church, "I never heard that preached!" They were referring to the truth that being Christian is not about being good. That it is not about being in church on Sundays. That it is not about offering money, suits and dresses, or even helping the poor. The part they had not heard is that being a Christian means complete surrender of self to the Spirit of God.

Brother, Sister, if you have never heard this, please listen. Yes, you know that Jesus was God clothed in human flesh, 100% human and 100% God. You know that He came to give us insight into Who God is, that He was murdered in Roman execution style, that He bore our sins and died, and that three days later He was raised from the dead. You know that this all happened by grace. You know that we have the hope of eternal life if we believe in Him, if we accept His gift of grace. But listen:

After Jesus ascended into heaven, his followers were transformed when the Holy Spirit came upon them in power. They were no longer the ragtag fishermen and tax-collectors they had once been! They had died to who they once were, and the Spirit of Jesus was living in them! That is what it means to be Christian. We die to who we once were--sinful men and women--and we invite the Spirit of the Holy and Living God to live in us. Why? Because He knows what is best (for Him and for us!), He wants what is best, and He has the power to bring it about! Christianity is about a relationship with God our Father, a relationship of trust and surrender. Every nook and cranny of our being, every forte and foible, everything we do or are, we offer to the Lord for His glory. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!"

Hear this truth, believe this truth, and live this truth. It is the difference between life and death.

No Flashy Photo

Location: Parents' living room, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA (just after 10:30pm on Sunday evening, the 2nd of May)

Sorry to post without a picture, but if I wait till I have one, I may not post for a while. It has already been more than a week since my last post. As you can guess, time is flying as my departure approaches!

Last post, I described God's provision, and it continues. In fact, in a matter of minutes, I will be leaving to clean gas (petrol) station floors--an opportunity that the LORD dropped in my lap today. Maybe it is not the most glorious job, but like cleaning toilets and washing dishes, I will do whatever work the Lord gives me for my hands and consider it a blessing. How He decides to provide is God's business; how I respond to His provision is my business. He has also provided me work on Thursday this week. This comes at the end of a week when a relatively unexpected meeting with friends finished by one of them pressing $100 into my hand. I tell you this to give glory to God and to remind you that your faith is not in vain. God will always provide for the faithful ministry of His gospel in obedience to His calling. Read more about it in my previous post, and join me in thanking the Lord.

I hate money, however, so let me tell you of other ways God has been glorifying His Name. He has been answering MANY prayers as I have had the opportunity to pray for people around me, and to be prayed for. In addition, I had the opportunity to assist in leading worship at my church this morning, and will have that opportunity again next week when I am prayed for by the congregation before my approaching departure. I am so blessed to be part of God's body of believers who not only pray for me, but encourage and love me!

Other blessings are that everything is falling into place for my return, including plans for a probably family workshop upon my return to Romania. I have also seen several people being transformed by the love and grace of Jesus Christ! Meanwhile, I am scheduling many farewell visits with friends and families as we mutually encourage one another for my departure. Not only am I connected to God's work in Romania, but I have also been in contact with folks in Greece and Thailand and other places to prayerfully join in God's work in those locations.

God is a great God, and I have much more to tell you about! However, do not let anyone ever accuse me of being a lazy man--I'm off to work! Have a great night (or day, depending on where you are right now)!