(Location: Crammed into a train compartment with five Romanians and the sixth standing angrily outside because of insensitive travelers trying to fit their luggage in with the ski equipment already filling our compartment. I'm on the way to visit my friend I. in the village of A., outside of Brasov, on Sunday afternoon, just after two on the 28th of November.)
Yesterday wrapped up our normal weekly programs for the semester, and now our busy will just look different as we prepare for Christmas outreaches when we will host 70 short-term visitors from Switzerland and Belgium, with a couple of Americans thrown in. Meanwhile, I must say I am happy to have my computer back up and running. While it is not a necessity, I especially enjoy having my entire and up-to-date prayer list at my fingertips.
I had a very nice Thanksgiving, spent first with Gypsy kids in the poor villages in which we work, and then with some fellow Americans, Romanians, and a British lady for a traditional turkey-and-stuffing meal. I had to carve the turkey at our table, which was the first time for me. However, after hearing a comical story about friends beginning with a live turkey a few years ago, I was happy to only have to carve a dead one, and I succeeded!
Many of you remembered me for Thanksgiving, with prayers and emails, and I am very thankful. One friend sent to me a special Thanksgiving story, and now I want to give you one. After that, I hope to type out a message the Lord gave me and which continues to be on my heart since I preached it.
You see, in the village of our kindergarten teacher, there has been a bear coming into the village at night. But last Thursday, something worse happened: a four-and-a-half-year boy turned up missing. This comes only a couple weeks after rumors started flying about children being kidnapped and killed for their organs, which were then sold. Whether true or not, people all over have been frightened, so it is no wonder that the whole town turned out for the search when the scantily-clad boy was lost. In fact, I understand that he had fallen in a well a year or two ago, and since then he hardly talks, and often even plays alone in the cemetery; his mother has a couple of other children and does not watch him very closely.
Friday morning our team prayed for the boy, who had not been found, and a cold, rainy night had passed. After enough hours passed, the boy was officially concerned missing, and the police force turned out with dogs and motorbikes, but everyone was loosing hope. They had even searched all of the outhouses, with no sign of the boy. No one knew whether it would be better to find the boy's dead body, or to learn that he had, in fact, been kidnapped. As darkness fell, the police gave up for the night, saying they would return in the morning.
Just then, one of the last policemen out on a motorbike radioed in--he had found him! The boy was alive and unharmed! He was sitting there where the villagers cut wood, playing. He was taken to the hospital to recover from the cold and hunger, but what joy! Everyone was talking about the miracle of this boy being found.
Is that not a great Thanksgiving story? It kind of reminds you of the lost sheep and the lost coin, does it not? Rejoice! Our God is in the business of going after those who are lost! I was found by Him, and I pray that if you have not yet been, that you will be soon!
Now let me tell you quickly what God taught me about dying kings.
I had the privilege of calling a friend in America via Skype at 4:00am last week. She told me about her Bible study wading through difficult passages of scripture from Isaiah chapters 13 to 23. Intrigued, I took a look, beginning at 5:00am. After a short nap and a few moments of computer research, my day was rolling, and by the end of it I preached this in the village of V.:
Isaiah 6:1-5
"In the year King Uzziah died..."
Why would Isaiah start like this? What is significant about the death of a king?
Two things. First, a king's death marked a change in the status quo, a change in the government, in the authority. Thus, it was a significant happening that would be sure to affect the people. Secondly, because people did not have calendars on their walls or day-planners in Isaiah's day, such events were used to recall a date in time. Maybe no one could say in exactly which year the king died, but they could tell you what happened in that year; it was a reference marker.
In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord, and it changed his life! Can you imagine seeing the Lord in the fullness of His glory, and remaining the same, as if nothing had happened? Of course not! So Isaiah remembers very clearly that day when his life changed, and he notes its occurrence by remembering that it happened the same year that Uzziah died.
Now Isaiah lived in the the reign of four kings (Isaiah 1:1). Three were fairly good kings, and one less good. We see as we read further, in Isaiah 14:28 to be exact, that time has passed, and it is now the year in which Ahaz died. Another significant date; what happened? Well, this chapter is in the middle of a collection of prophesies against Israel's enemies, and even a couple pertaining to Israel and Jerusalem. In chapter 14:28-32, we see a message similar to most of the rest of these prophecies. When Israel tries to make an alliance with the surrounding neighbors or powers, nothing good will come of it. Those neighbors are not trustworthy (as history proved). Instead, God says (paraphrase), "I know that you are in a hopeless situation, but I will be your salvation. I will destroy your enemies, and I will care for you, my people." If we read about these kings in 2 Chronicles chapters 26 through 32, we will see that most tried to buy help, and it backfired. History also tells us that the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, and they were later defeated by the Babylonians, who eventually conquered the southern kingdom, Judah. The other peoples mentioned (Moab, Edom, Syria, the Philistines, Tyre, etc.) were either enemies, or thought to be allies.
In Isaiah 14, we see God telling the Philistines that even though a king has died and power has changed, His people will not become more vulnerable because He is still their Protector and Refuge.
Let us look now in Acts 2. In Peter's famous Pentecost sermon, we hear him mention two more kings that have died. David, and Jesus, the latter of whom is the King of kings and Lord of lords. When King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord. When King Ahaz died, Isaiah saw the deliverance and salvation of the Lord. In the same way, when King Jesus died, the glory of the Lord was revealed, and so was His salvation. Something else significant happened "the year that King Jesus died." That is when God gave His Spirit to His people (Act 2), allowing them to come directly before His throne, which is a foundational truth of Christianity. Because Jesus interceded for us and continues to do so, we can come boldly before the Father with no other mediator. When King Jesus died, the powers of darkness thought that there would be a change in authority, like when David and the other kings died . . . but they were wrong. The difference between Jesus and the rest of the kings that died is that Jesus was raised from the dead, and now reigns forever! Just like God told the Philistines in Isaiah 14, the new reign would be even more of a threat for God's enemies than the previous! The glory of God was revealed, His enemies were defeated, and His Spirit was poured out on His people. Hallelujah!
But there is one more dying king about whom we need to speak. Me. And you. If I am king of my own life, trying to live according to my own power and my own wisdom, not only will I fail, but I ignore everything Jesus did and is doing for me. And I cannot serve two masters, so I cannot ask Jesus to be king of my life if I am still king of my life. The same is true for you. You cannot be your own king or queen while serving Jesus. You have to let that king (or queen) die; only then can Jesus be king of your life. Let your highness be crucified with Christ on that cross, and let it rot just like David's body rotted and saw corruption. At the same time, bow before the true King, and ask Jesus to be your Lord. No matter how good your life is, His is better, and He was to live His royal life through you. He wants to display His glory in you, to be your Refuge, and to fill you with His Spirit.
I was baptized as an infant, and decided I would never again be baptized, even though some persons told me that they believed adult baptism by immersion was the only true baptism. As I grew up, I eventually threw away my religion and spent several years seeking God until I finally let Him give me a faith that was my own (not my parents' or my church's or anyone else's), and I invited Him to be my king. Then, three years later, I came to understand that I was trying to still be my own king while saying that Jesus was my King, and I realized I had to let King Me die. When I did that, the Lord led me to be re-baptized, as a sign only between Him and me. Now I can look back on that day, on that event, and say, "In the year that King Me died, my life changed, because I let Jesus be my King, my Lord and my Savior."
I hope that you can say that, too. If not, let King or Queen You die today, and bow to Jesus, giving Him reign over your life. Then I can assure you that your life will change: you will see the glory of God, He will deliver you and be your Refuge, and He will give you His Holy Spirit.
I bless you in the Name of the only King who died and rose again, Jesus.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Working!
Location: With my back against the heater in the kitchen of our ministry base in Sighisoara, Romania, about 10pm on the 
evening of the 23rd of November.I am exhausted, but I wanted to let you know that my computer is working. I am now a little behind in some emails, and wow, do I have a lot of pictures I need to share with you! Here are a few from tonight with the teenage boys, from a visit to V. a couple of weeks ago, a hike to the village that neighbors mine, and a youth gather at our ministry base.
Yes, today was a long, rainy day. Today really started last night, because I gave a French test that lasted till after 10pm. Then I went home, started a fire, ate dinner, and eventually went to bed--just in time to wake up today, finish the test, teach some French and English and do push-ups for homework not turned in, and then hitchhike to town to work with my waiting team. When I arrived, God told me I would be slapped in the face (figuratively) when I walked through the door. Behind the first two doors, I found no one. By the third, I walked in an got slapped in the face with the day's expectations--I am thankful the Lord prepared me. Without even five minutes' break (except for our team lunch time), I worked on removing window glass all day. (I was trying to do it so carefully that I was quite surprised when the professional came and simple took the hammer to the glass, sending shards flying everywhere! I guess little boys never grow up--we all like to see and hear glass break!) I finished just in time to take 9 boys and a collegue to the village of C. where I currently live. There we did a wood project in the workshop, making picture frames. At 8:30pm, I was finally able to sit down and eat some dinner, and think about you.
That is when I read some of my emails. You all flooded my inbox yesterday, and I want to thank you for the encouragement! Especially after a fairly hard day today.
I did have a great day yesterday in Targu Mures. I got to visit my friend who helped me get my computer taken care of, and I also visited some new friends who run some group homes and other ministry areas for an organization that is a partnership between Americans and Romanians. I was impressed, and it reminded me of the work I did in that field in the States.
I cannot tell you too much about the great day yesterday, because life goes on! Tomorrow I plan to visit V. again, which I look forward to every week. And Thursday I have been invited to a large Thanksgiving dinner celebration with other Americans, so I am looking forward to my favorite holiday. The weekend might include a visit to the Brasov area, and then December will hit full-force: we already unloaded 5,000 pairs of boots last Friday. Soon we will be stuffing boots with knit socks, preparing our Christmas programs, and hosting more than 70 guests, visitors, and and short-term mission team members.
In the midst of all of this, I just want to tell you that my walk with God is getting closer and closer. Even as I am weakened by fatigue or frustration, I run to my Lord more quickly, and I spend more time in His Word. His name is always on my lips in prayer, and my heart beats only for Him. I was please when some friends wanted me to join them for an evening of fun. They first wanted to invite me to join them for "I Love Lucy" and Oreos, but one reminded them that I do not like television or chocolate. Then they wanted to have a game night, but they remembered that I am not big on games or groups of people. Finally, they suggested that they have a prayer night so that I would come! That never happened, but I praise the Lord that people see that my favorite thing is Him! Maybe you think I am an old fuddy-duddy, but I very much enjoy sitting with Him, reading in His Word, and letting His love wrap around me as His Spirit whispers within me.
May the same be true for you as you look at this Thanksgiving with heavenly eyes (see a couple of the photos above where ordinary things reminded me of my Savior). I bless you in the Name of our Jesus!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
In Stride
Location: Office of ministry base in Sighisoara, Romania, the 20th of November, 2010, at about 7:15pm.
If you are wondering why my posts are so far apart and photoless, please read "Technical Difficulties" in the post below.
No, I have not yet got my computer running, though I honestly do not think the problem is great. I just need a moment to get to the right places to get it taken care of. And these days, weeks, and even the month have chugged by steadily, leaving me to recover as the dust settles. I have gobs of things to tell you and write about, so which will actually get written? I honestly don't miss my computer so much, except that I cannot type stories as soon after they happen, and even more importantly, I cannot access my most up-to-date version of my daily prayer list.
But who has time to be on the computer all of the time? Our team in Sighisoara has been beset with numerous challenges during the past week or so, which makes time pass even more quickly. Yet these challenges also push me toward praise even more, for I see my feebleness and God's greatness more and more clearly. What a great God we have! I am learning to truly praise and give thanks to our Fahter in the midst of even the greatest challenges!
Meanwhile, things are not at all bad, even when they are difficult. It is hard to understand how I can feel so blessed! I got to go to "my" village of V. again this week, this time by myself for the first time. I rode my bike over the path over the hill, which I had never done. It was quite an adventure if you consider the ferocious dogs that like to maul bikers, the threatening weather, hanging on for dear life as I prayed about my brakes working while I bounced through fields and forests and a "half-pipe" of tire ruts that were more than a foot deep. But it was a successful visit. I continue to teach French and English at home in C., and we have a French test coming up now. The children's programs continue dispite a very chaotic spiritual atmosphere, and I really see God at work in our team, molding and making us as we enter our last week of regular programs before the Christmas season. And I am very healthy again, after battling that cold and cough for over a week!
Other challenges involve my church in the States and some turmoil there, as well as how to be a loving man of God to my friends and coworkers here. One good challenge was unloading 5000 pairs of rubber boots that we will distribute during our Christmas programs. Another wonderful challenge was following up a sexual education meeting we had with local teenagers last night, when I had the privilege of trying to explain the "birds and the bees" to a twelve-year-old boy in Romanian! He asked me how babies are made, and maybe he was joking at first, but he listened seriously for ten or fifteen minutes, and I'm guessing no one had ever talked to him frankly about it. He lives in a neighborhood shrouded in prostitution. No, I never dreamed that I would be giving sex talks in Romanian, but I thank the Lord that He made it possible, and I pray that He works in the life of this boy, N.
In the midst of all these challenges, I have had some great encouragement and prayer support from my sister, my parents, and many of my friends--many of you! Thank you! I also was blessed last weekend to run up to Targu-Mures to join some of my friends there in a Thanksgiving-type celebration.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving. I assure you as I watch my neighbors dig through dumpsters and run around barefoot in November and tolerate drunk family members and dream about having a job that we have many things to be thankful for. I promise you that no matter how bad you have it, you have many things to be thankful for, and I encourage you to make a list. Write it out and thank the Lord--let's praise our God! May November of 2010 be remembered as the year that the earth was shaken by the thanksgiving to and praise of the Lord God Almighty, in the Name of Jesus the Christ!
I bless you in that same Name!
If you are wondering why my posts are so far apart and photoless, please read "Technical Difficulties" in the post below.
No, I have not yet got my computer running, though I honestly do not think the problem is great. I just need a moment to get to the right places to get it taken care of. And these days, weeks, and even the month have chugged by steadily, leaving me to recover as the dust settles. I have gobs of things to tell you and write about, so which will actually get written? I honestly don't miss my computer so much, except that I cannot type stories as soon after they happen, and even more importantly, I cannot access my most up-to-date version of my daily prayer list.
But who has time to be on the computer all of the time? Our team in Sighisoara has been beset with numerous challenges during the past week or so, which makes time pass even more quickly. Yet these challenges also push me toward praise even more, for I see my feebleness and God's greatness more and more clearly. What a great God we have! I am learning to truly praise and give thanks to our Fahter in the midst of even the greatest challenges!
Meanwhile, things are not at all bad, even when they are difficult. It is hard to understand how I can feel so blessed! I got to go to "my" village of V. again this week, this time by myself for the first time. I rode my bike over the path over the hill, which I had never done. It was quite an adventure if you consider the ferocious dogs that like to maul bikers, the threatening weather, hanging on for dear life as I prayed about my brakes working while I bounced through fields and forests and a "half-pipe" of tire ruts that were more than a foot deep. But it was a successful visit. I continue to teach French and English at home in C., and we have a French test coming up now. The children's programs continue dispite a very chaotic spiritual atmosphere, and I really see God at work in our team, molding and making us as we enter our last week of regular programs before the Christmas season. And I am very healthy again, after battling that cold and cough for over a week!
Other challenges involve my church in the States and some turmoil there, as well as how to be a loving man of God to my friends and coworkers here. One good challenge was unloading 5000 pairs of rubber boots that we will distribute during our Christmas programs. Another wonderful challenge was following up a sexual education meeting we had with local teenagers last night, when I had the privilege of trying to explain the "birds and the bees" to a twelve-year-old boy in Romanian! He asked me how babies are made, and maybe he was joking at first, but he listened seriously for ten or fifteen minutes, and I'm guessing no one had ever talked to him frankly about it. He lives in a neighborhood shrouded in prostitution. No, I never dreamed that I would be giving sex talks in Romanian, but I thank the Lord that He made it possible, and I pray that He works in the life of this boy, N.
In the midst of all these challenges, I have had some great encouragement and prayer support from my sister, my parents, and many of my friends--many of you! Thank you! I also was blessed last weekend to run up to Targu-Mures to join some of my friends there in a Thanksgiving-type celebration.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving. I assure you as I watch my neighbors dig through dumpsters and run around barefoot in November and tolerate drunk family members and dream about having a job that we have many things to be thankful for. I promise you that no matter how bad you have it, you have many things to be thankful for, and I encourage you to make a list. Write it out and thank the Lord--let's praise our God! May November of 2010 be remembered as the year that the earth was shaken by the thanksgiving to and praise of the Lord God Almighty, in the Name of Jesus the Christ!
I bless you in that same Name!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Technical Difficulties
Location: Ministry Base in Sighisoara; the 12th of November.
Last night I went to plug in and charge my computer, and the power pack seems to no longer work. That means you may not hear from me for a while; don't worry. I'll do my best to update you soon. I'm on my last ounce of battery now.
Everything here is great though!
I bless you in the Name of our Jesus.
Last night I went to plug in and charge my computer, and the power pack seems to no longer work. That means you may not hear from me for a while; don't worry. I'll do my best to update you soon. I'm on my last ounce of battery now.
Everything here is great though!
I bless you in the Name of our Jesus.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Fire Fighting
(Location: My house in the village of C., nearly 11:00pm on Monday the 8th of November.)
Everything took longer today.
That is why I am sitting in my smoke-filled house, finally finding a moment to write at nearly 11:00pm. You have heard me preach about the flip-side of adventure, the non-glamorous side. Well, this is it.
My day started at 5:00am so I would be ready to catch the 6:15 bus home, which I did. I then taught French and English. Though I had decided to spend a leisurely morning after that to celebrate my day off, my plans changed when I remembered I changed my schedule and would have to be back tomorrow morning to teach again. Thus, instead of waiting for the bus, I hitched a ride to town to run the errands that were waiting for me. Hitching a ride took a lot longer than usual today. The errands took a good bit of time, too. Then, I ran up to the ministry base to use the internet, and the photos I tried to send Mom at her request took eons to upload. I hurried to the train station to hop a train halfway home, and it was late, of course. Then I decided to visit a friend's family on my way home, which was wonderful, but certainly took the rest of my evening. Now, though I have yet to grade the French homework, my eyes are stinging from the billowing smoke that managed to fill my one-room house.
Maybe you think I am just bad at starting fires; that is why it took me an hour and a half to light my stove tonight. After all, I am a cityboy. The truth is, usually I am better at starting fires than putting them out; just ask my coworkers! Seriously though, I rarely have any trouble building a fire, but for some reason, tonight it would not take. I tried again and again, changing tactics, using all the paper I had . . . nothing. I had to walk away from it twice and take a break, because I was going to get very frustrated. I used a candle so I would not have to keep lighting matches, and though the candle kept burning, only the stove would put off the needed heat. Finally, I had to take out all of the fuel and put it back in, adding a bit of toilet paper, and finally it took. When it lit, it really took off!
Is that not how our faith is sometimes? We talk to someone, wanting to encourage them. We light a little spark, see the hope reflecting in their eyes, and then it dies. We try again and again, maybe for years, trying every way we know how to get the fire to take. We pray, fan the flame, add more fuel, light more matches. We give up, and come back another time. We give up again, only to come back again. Finally, we throw everything out, and start all over again. But when that fire finally starts, it sure was worth it!
I know that when the smoke clears out of my house, the fire I built will be worth it.
And it was not a bad day. Actually, it was a good day. I got almost everything done I wanted to, and that I needed to. The two highlights of my day were fellowshipping with my friend's family this evening on the way home, and finding a hardware store in town that will be great therapy to nurse the lack of male fellowship at my work. Just the other night, I had dinner with several of my collegues, and I was getting hounded for being a guy. The did not like that I like to wear white socks with my dress slacks, that I cough into my sleeve instead of on my hands, that I fold my clean clothes without turning them right-side-out, and plenty more. To make matters worse, today when I asked about employment at a place that had a "hiring" sign in the window, I was told the retail store was only hiring females. Fortunately, the Lord has blessed me with a few brothers in my life who understand that we do not need to start planning in October what we will wear to a certain December event!
Yes, actually I had a testosterone dose of fraternal fellowship this weekend that was a great blessing. On Saturday night, I ran into some British gals I had met during one of our outreaches this week. What I did not realize is that they were here with several fellows I met here last year, so we all got to have dinner together last night. It just goes to show that you never know what an impact you may have on someone. I had not forgotten these blokes by any means, but they keep recalling things we had said and did that I had completely forgotten. It was a great blessing to spend some time with them, and I do not know how I failed to take a picture!
Do not get me wrong; it is a blessing to work with my ladies on the outreach team, too. But balance is healthy.
In fact, one balance story hit me hard with the truth of God's grace. On Saturday I had a freak accident that could have happened anywhere; it had nothing to do with being in Romania. After our two outreach programs, we were cleaning up. I went to move a small table and managed to step just "wrong" and fell through the narrow crack between our fold out stage and the inside of our box truck. The crack is barely wide enough for my foot or leg, but my right leg fell all the way to the ground, folding my left leg up under me and causing me to drop what was in my hands. It happened fast, and we all thought I had maybe broken my leg. However, as soon as I was able to gather my wits, I stood up, completely uninjured. I do not even have a bruise or a pulled muscle. God is so good!
Everyone had seen my long legs on Saturday morning, because I rode on the bike seat of a young boy who gave me a lift all through town to where we were doing our first outreach. My legs were out to either side like outriggers. Tonight, as I waited for the train, some gypsy ladies came up to me. The first asked me when we would be visiting A., and I told her, "Thursday." The next asked about, V., already knowing we would be there on Saturday. She said, "Are you the guy my son gave a lift to on his bike? He was so excited about the (deflated, used) soccer ball you gave him!" We gave the beat-up soccer ball away after it had become "ruined" during our pre-opening activites. She was telling me how much her kids appreciate us and our programs, which is fun to hear, especially in another setting, like at the train station.
This was a very good week. Yesterday I had a good chat with one of the American students in town, and I have also been blessed to hear from many of you via phone or email. I have laughed a lot, like when we talked about differenced between guys and gals, or when my 15-year-old pupil fell backward out of his chair into the laundry rack when I surprised him while explaining the JAWS music! My cough and cold are mostly better, and I have appreciated your prayers.
I posted a bunch of new photos on the Picasa sight--click on the link to the right to see them.
Ok, the smoke is clearing, and it is way past bedtime. Do not let your fire die! Goodnight!
Everything took longer today.
That is why I am sitting in my smoke-filled house, finally finding a moment to write at nearly 11:00pm. You have heard me preach about the flip-side of adventure, the non-glamorous side. Well, this is it.
My day started at 5:00am so I would be ready to catch the 6:15 bus home, which I did. I then taught French and English. Though I had decided to spend a leisurely morning after that to celebrate my day off, my plans changed when I remembered I changed my schedule and would have to be back tomorrow morning to teach again. Thus, instead of waiting for the bus, I hitched a ride to town to run the errands that were waiting for me. Hitching a ride took a lot longer than usual today. The errands took a good bit of time, too. Then, I ran up to the ministry base to use the internet, and the photos I tried to send Mom at her request took eons to upload. I hurried to the train station to hop a train halfway home, and it was late, of course. Then I decided to visit a friend's family on my way home, which was wonderful, but certainly took the rest of my evening. Now, though I have yet to grade the French homework, my eyes are stinging from the billowing smoke that managed to fill my one-room house.
Maybe you think I am just bad at starting fires; that is why it took me an hour and a half to light my stove tonight. After all, I am a cityboy. The truth is, usually I am better at starting fires than putting them out; just ask my coworkers! Seriously though, I rarely have any trouble building a fire, but for some reason, tonight it would not take. I tried again and again, changing tactics, using all the paper I had . . . nothing. I had to walk away from it twice and take a break, because I was going to get very frustrated. I used a candle so I would not have to keep lighting matches, and though the candle kept burning, only the stove would put off the needed heat. Finally, I had to take out all of the fuel and put it back in, adding a bit of toilet paper, and finally it took. When it lit, it really took off!
Is that not how our faith is sometimes? We talk to someone, wanting to encourage them. We light a little spark, see the hope reflecting in their eyes, and then it dies. We try again and again, maybe for years, trying every way we know how to get the fire to take. We pray, fan the flame, add more fuel, light more matches. We give up, and come back another time. We give up again, only to come back again. Finally, we throw everything out, and start all over again. But when that fire finally starts, it sure was worth it!
I know that when the smoke clears out of my house, the fire I built will be worth it.
And it was not a bad day. Actually, it was a good day. I got almost everything done I wanted to, and that I needed to. The two highlights of my day were fellowshipping with my friend's family this evening on the way home, and finding a hardware store in town that will be great therapy to nurse the lack of male fellowship at my work. Just the other night, I had dinner with several of my collegues, and I was getting hounded for being a guy. The did not like that I like to wear white socks with my dress slacks, that I cough into my sleeve instead of on my hands, that I fold my clean clothes without turning them right-side-out, and plenty more. To make matters worse, today when I asked about employment at a place that had a "hiring" sign in the window, I was told the retail store was only hiring females. Fortunately, the Lord has blessed me with a few brothers in my life who understand that we do not need to start planning in October what we will wear to a certain December event!
Yes, actually I had a testosterone dose of fraternal fellowship this weekend that was a great blessing. On Saturday night, I ran into some British gals I had met during one of our outreaches this week. What I did not realize is that they were here with several fellows I met here last year, so we all got to have dinner together last night. It just goes to show that you never know what an impact you may have on someone. I had not forgotten these blokes by any means, but they keep recalling things we had said and did that I had completely forgotten. It was a great blessing to spend some time with them, and I do not know how I failed to take a picture!
Do not get me wrong; it is a blessing to work with my ladies on the outreach team, too. But balance is healthy.
In fact, one balance story hit me hard with the truth of God's grace. On Saturday I had a freak accident that could have happened anywhere; it had nothing to do with being in Romania. After our two outreach programs, we were cleaning up. I went to move a small table and managed to step just "wrong" and fell through the narrow crack between our fold out stage and the inside of our box truck. The crack is barely wide enough for my foot or leg, but my right leg fell all the way to the ground, folding my left leg up under me and causing me to drop what was in my hands. It happened fast, and we all thought I had maybe broken my leg. However, as soon as I was able to gather my wits, I stood up, completely uninjured. I do not even have a bruise or a pulled muscle. God is so good!
Everyone had seen my long legs on Saturday morning, because I rode on the bike seat of a young boy who gave me a lift all through town to where we were doing our first outreach. My legs were out to either side like outriggers. Tonight, as I waited for the train, some gypsy ladies came up to me. The first asked me when we would be visiting A., and I told her, "Thursday." The next asked about, V., already knowing we would be there on Saturday. She said, "Are you the guy my son gave a lift to on his bike? He was so excited about the (deflated, used) soccer ball you gave him!" We gave the beat-up soccer ball away after it had become "ruined" during our pre-opening activites. She was telling me how much her kids appreciate us and our programs, which is fun to hear, especially in another setting, like at the train station.
This was a very good week. Yesterday I had a good chat with one of the American students in town, and I have also been blessed to hear from many of you via phone or email. I have laughed a lot, like when we talked about differenced between guys and gals, or when my 15-year-old pupil fell backward out of his chair into the laundry rack when I surprised him while explaining the JAWS music! My cough and cold are mostly better, and I have appreciated your prayers.
I posted a bunch of new photos on the Picasa sight--click on the link to the right to see them.
Ok, the smoke is clearing, and it is way past bedtime. Do not let your fire die! Goodnight!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Just a Bar of Soap
Location: The ministry base in Sighisoara, Romania, at about 9:35 on the evening of November 4.
A flurry of emotions.
Yes, life seems more emotional when you work with seven women. Jokingly, that is why I posted this photo of me--I'm surviving!
But no, in reality, it is a huge blessing. Sure, sometimes I wish there were more men around, but when my supervisor maternally brought me a lemon-juice-and-honey-blend to fight my cold and cough, I thanked the Lord for my compassionate coworkers. In fact, they are very patient with me, as the Lord has been using these autumn months to teach me about grace and joy, some of the very things a close friend of mine asked for in a prayer request. Not only is the Lord teaching me grace and joy, but He has also been teaching me from Hebrews 12. Mix grace and joy and Hebrews 12 together with a cough and cold, child evangelism on a team with godly women, and the challenges of culture shock and unknown future, and you get HUMILITY. Humility hurts sometimes, but the world around you is blessed when you learn it. I thank the Lord for the humility He is teaching me in this season, for the beautiful setting in which I have to live and learn, and for the faith He gives me to survive His lessons.
Today was another one. My cold symptoms pretty bad, I finally agreed to go to the outreach; we had two young men from an organization in Targu Mures as guest observers. When we arrived in what has traditionally been our toughest village, we found another missionary friend of ours already there with some short-termers from the U.K. The kids were thus overwhelmed by attention and were wild as ever. I shook my head as our two Romanian guests pulled some of the Gypsy boys aside and gently chastised them for attacking the car (as they always do), and then sending them to go wash their hands and faces; welcome to A.! These fellows had no idea what they had entered into!
But to my surprise, they were veteran youth workers, and the children listened to them. We had a great day in the outreach, and the Lord dried up my cold symptoms while we were there. All of that was humbling, but wait . . . there is more.
As usual, we played a game (this time with the velcro balls in the picture above), and the winners got to pick out prizes. One of the boys was probably about 9 years old. Do you know what he picked? Not toys or clothes. A bar of soap. A BAR OF SOAP! Can you imagine living in a situation where as a nine-year-old boy, the best prize that you can choose is a bar of soap? Imagine being that poor, that dirty, that desparate! That is how the Lord teaches me humility.
You might laugh at my marmaliga (corn mush) and peas cooking on my wood stove--that was the first successful hot meal I have made in my house since I moved there in May. I realized I did not have any utensils, so I stirred the marmaliga with a teaspoon--you know, the tiny spoons you use for suger for tea. But I am rich! I have something to eat, and wood for my stove! I am sick, but I have a bed to lay in and people to check on me and money for medication. I am far from family and friends and in another culture, but God gives me new family and friends everywhere I go.
As I was thinking about this today, I realized that "garbage" is relative. What you see as garbage might be worth an awful lot to me, or to this boy who chose the soap. For example 100 RON (a large cash bill in the local currency, worth roughly 30 American Dollars) is not worth nearly as much to me as three 1 RON bills (equal to about 1 American Dollar), because I can use the 1 RON for anything I need, but many times people do not have change for 100, rendering it useless. One of my friends offered me a refrigerator and something else, but I do not have a place for it and cannot use it, meaning it would be garbage for me. However, I save my plastic bags and bottles and glass jars, because I use them all of the time!
Some people consider these Gypsy kids to be like garbage, while they look at people like me (a "rich" foreigner) and see someone at a restaurant on Tuesday celebrating a collegue's birthday. Do you know what God taught me on Sunday? We are all made out of mud. God created the human race out of mud, according to the Bible. Yet the God of the universe chooses to reflect His glory in and from mud-beings like us! Is that not amazing?
So this week, today even, this is what a lesson in humility looks like for me.
1. Being prayed for by friends and strangers.
2. Fighting cold symptoms and trying to use a "fourth" language to buy meds in a pharmacy.
3. Having wrong perceptions about our guests.
4. Loosing in (Romanian) Hannah Montana Monopoly to an 11 year old who recreates the rules.
5. Redefining friendship with someone I care about
6. Learning that my grandmother went home to Jesus this morning
7. Being blessed by patient coworkers when I was overly negative and frustrated
8. Filling my house with smoke when I misjudged the barometric pressure as I lit my stove
9. Realizing that we are mud-creatures who reflect the glory of the Almighty God
10. And watching a young boy choose a bar of soap as his prize.
Fellow Mud-Creature, I invite you to join me in choosing humility as our bars of soap this week, that our God might be more highly exalted!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Dreading a Day
(Location: My house in the village of C., Romania, at 3:00pm on November 1st. Our time changed yesterday for Daylight Savings. If yours has not changed yet, make sure you know when it does!)
Do you ever wake up in the morning dreading the day that is coming? Very rarely does that happen to me, though I know others feel that way many mornings. However, when I woke up today, I was kind of feeling that way, because I was feeling ill. A teasing sore-throat that came and went a couple of times last week almost made me lose my voice yesterday, and by this morning it had sunk into my chest and was joined by a headache.
What a blessing! Today is my day off, so all I had to do was get through a French lesson and and English lesson, and then I could rest. I have been praying all day, and the Lord pulled me through the teaching hours, and now I feel much better. Moreover, I have been able to work on the computer tasks I wanted to tackle anyway. It has been a great, relaxing day! I moved up a notch in my village survival plan, too, for I purchased a pot with which I can heat water or food on my wood stove, and I have been nursing my body with tea today. The LORD is faithful!
You see, nearly losing my voice yesterday did not stop me then either. I prayed and prayed, because I needed to preach a sermon before I lost my voice. The Lord taught me powerful things from John 6, and I needed to be able to share them. Of course, the Lord was faithful, and I was able to preach in Romanian in the Gypsy church I was visiting alone. I recently heard a great sermon on this story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, but this weekend God gave me new insights. He showed me that there are three types of people in the story: Jesus, the disciples, and the people. Since we are not Jesus, we are either disciples or people. If we are disciples, we have two choices. We can look at the world from a human perspective, like Philip did, focusing on the impossible, on what we do not have, on our need. Or, like Andrew, we can give everything we have to the Lord, small though it may be, and trust Him to do the miracle! If we are not disciples living with Jesus, then we are of the people, and we, too, have a decision to make. Either we spend all of our days begging someone to give us more bread that we eat today and is gone tomorrow, or we turn to Jesus, the Bread of Life, and live eternal life with Him. If we make the latter choice, we are choosing to become disciples.
That Gypsy worship service made my day yesterday, but it was not the only highlight in that village of V. last week. (This is not the V. where I hope to live, but the other one that our ministry team works in each week.) As we are trying to make a roster of the kids and families we work with, we have realized that V.'s layout and population is overwhelming; there are not real addresses or roads. So, last Thursday, I climbed a great hill with fifteen or twenty of the kids, and we sat together in the sinking sunlight drawing a map of the village from above. It was so much fun! The map may not be great, but it is a start, and it was fun to be with the kids. Would you believe they were sledding without snow? They had a small cart with four wheels they had built, and they were also using empty two liter bottles to sit on and slide down the grassy slope! What a great idea!
As far as the other village of V. goes (where I hope to live), I got to visit there again last Wednesday. I had thought we had agreed that I would not preach every time, however, word was out that the "pope" was coming back to preach at 5pm, so again I presented God's Word in the five-hundred-year-old church building. It was a very nice visit, with some promise for the future that I will describe more if it pans out. Please continue to pray for each of these communities. The pastor in the community above is quite ill, and in this village, not a single person could tell me that "King David" was the greatest king of Israel when I asked! There is a great need for the living Word of God!
So many blessings! I wish I could write more often so you do not get swamped with everything in one post each week. I hope to post a picture with this, showing the village of C. as I came home last night. I have not spent much time in C. since my return to Romania, which has been nice from a commuting standpoint. By the way, that is something else the Lord is working out; I will fill you in as it becomes more concrete. I do, however, enjoy my time in C., like last night when once again I went to the neighbor's to buy milk, or like when I get a good fire going in my wood stove and find embers still glowing in the morning.
Another picture I want you to imagine is the following. After our last program on Saturday, several of the children were still milling about as we waited for one of our collegues who was talking to a parent. As they were already climbing on the back of the truck, I organized an activity of trust falls, where you fall on command into the waiting arms of your peers. This became popular very quickly, and we did it with all of the kids (I would say that all the kids who remained were twelve or under; the bigger kids were all gone). Naturally, my Belgian coworked decided that she, too, wanted to fall, surely more trusting because my adult arms would be among the first to ensure that her petit frame was caught securely. After that, we convinced our other Swiss collegue to fall, and though she was much taller and thus a little heaver, we had no trouble catching her, either. By now you can imagine what the children were chanting--my name! Now most of you know that I am about 6'2'', and a formidable weight for any ten-year-old to catch. My Belgian collegue voiced her concerns about catching me, which of course did not reassure me much, but how could I not do what I had convinced everyone else to do? So yes, I, too fell . . . and they caught me! No problem at all! It just goes to show; we are stronger when we work together. Remember that, Church! If we all stand shoulder-to-shoulder, we can bear anything for the glory of God!
What else? Well, I voted by absentee ballot this weekend. Please do not forget to vote on November 2 if you are an American. I am as cynical as anyone when it comes to politics, but I promise you that your vote will have NO IMPACT WHATSOEVER if you do not vote. Pray, do some research and cast a ballot. I hated the time an energy that was required to vote from Romania, but it is my privilege and responsibility as a Christian American. This is an important election for several reasons, both on a congressional level, as well as a local level. Our prayers and our actions go hand-in-hand to create the values that shape the laws and the land of the United States of America, which in turn influences the ENTIRE world.
I hope you smile to learn that when I scanned my ballot onto the computer at my neighbor's house, the door latch broke when I went to leave, and I was trapped in his house for an half-hour or forty-five minutes before we managed to get the door open. Sure, I could have climbed out the window--he did several times to work on the door from the outside, but I was enjoying the fellowship with my friend and trying to help open the door. It reminded me of life, in fact. Do you ever have a "door" in your life that you really want to go through, but no matter how hard you try, it just will not open? I have learned that it is always better to wait until the Lord opens it for you. Forcing your way into something usually means you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time, for a lot of headaches and heartaches.
Oh, and how could I forget? I had an unexpected but wonderful trip to Cluj-Napoca last weekend. Maybe I already wrote about it, but I am still enjoying the memory of it. (We took one Swiss visitor to the Targu Mures airport and then picked up another Swiss blessing from the Cluj airport.) The Lord has given me the privilege of living near several wonderful persons in a very beautiful land, and I have enjoyed high-quality conversations with several of those persons this past week. In fact, I have been blessed beyond measure since my return to Romania, and I am riding high on a wave of the joy of the Lord.
Please pray for a youth program we have started doing on Friday evenings. It is a huge challenge for us, as we are having trouble finding the time to prepare for it in the midst of all of our children's programs. Besides, several of the youth who come enjoy acting like knuckleheads, which requires extra grace from the Lord on our part. Nevertheless, there is a great need and lots of potential, so if the Lord taps you on the shoulder, come lend us a hand.
Hopefully this gives you enough to read until next time I write. I am happy to report that not only have I now caught up on my blog, but also on my emails. Soon I will try to catch up on posting my photos, and that means that everything should be accessible for you. By the way, in case you were concerned, the protests in Bucharest were a long way from me, and they were pretty normal for a European country. Please do continue to pray for me though, and for the Church in Romania and the Church in America, and for the persons and peoples I mention in my blog. I hope you can tell how regularly I pray for you, and if you have specific prayer requests, please do not hesitate to email me.
The LORD is faithful! Cling to that! Know that! Live that!
I bless you in the Name of Jesus!
Do you ever wake up in the morning dreading the day that is coming? Very rarely does that happen to me, though I know others feel that way many mornings. However, when I woke up today, I was kind of feeling that way, because I was feeling ill. A teasing sore-throat that came and went a couple of times last week almost made me lose my voice yesterday, and by this morning it had sunk into my chest and was joined by a headache.
What a blessing! Today is my day off, so all I had to do was get through a French lesson and and English lesson, and then I could rest. I have been praying all day, and the Lord pulled me through the teaching hours, and now I feel much better. Moreover, I have been able to work on the computer tasks I wanted to tackle anyway. It has been a great, relaxing day! I moved up a notch in my village survival plan, too, for I purchased a pot with which I can heat water or food on my wood stove, and I have been nursing my body with tea today. The LORD is faithful!
You see, nearly losing my voice yesterday did not stop me then either. I prayed and prayed, because I needed to preach a sermon before I lost my voice. The Lord taught me powerful things from John 6, and I needed to be able to share them. Of course, the Lord was faithful, and I was able to preach in Romanian in the Gypsy church I was visiting alone. I recently heard a great sermon on this story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, but this weekend God gave me new insights. He showed me that there are three types of people in the story: Jesus, the disciples, and the people. Since we are not Jesus, we are either disciples or people. If we are disciples, we have two choices. We can look at the world from a human perspective, like Philip did, focusing on the impossible, on what we do not have, on our need. Or, like Andrew, we can give everything we have to the Lord, small though it may be, and trust Him to do the miracle! If we are not disciples living with Jesus, then we are of the people, and we, too, have a decision to make. Either we spend all of our days begging someone to give us more bread that we eat today and is gone tomorrow, or we turn to Jesus, the Bread of Life, and live eternal life with Him. If we make the latter choice, we are choosing to become disciples.
That Gypsy worship service made my day yesterday, but it was not the only highlight in that village of V. last week. (This is not the V. where I hope to live, but the other one that our ministry team works in each week.) As we are trying to make a roster of the kids and families we work with, we have realized that V.'s layout and population is overwhelming; there are not real addresses or roads. So, last Thursday, I climbed a great hill with fifteen or twenty of the kids, and we sat together in the sinking sunlight drawing a map of the village from above. It was so much fun! The map may not be great, but it is a start, and it was fun to be with the kids. Would you believe they were sledding without snow? They had a small cart with four wheels they had built, and they were also using empty two liter bottles to sit on and slide down the grassy slope! What a great idea!
As far as the other village of V. goes (where I hope to live), I got to visit there again last Wednesday. I had thought we had agreed that I would not preach every time, however, word was out that the "pope" was coming back to preach at 5pm, so again I presented God's Word in the five-hundred-year-old church building. It was a very nice visit, with some promise for the future that I will describe more if it pans out. Please continue to pray for each of these communities. The pastor in the community above is quite ill, and in this village, not a single person could tell me that "King David" was the greatest king of Israel when I asked! There is a great need for the living Word of God!
So many blessings! I wish I could write more often so you do not get swamped with everything in one post each week. I hope to post a picture with this, showing the village of C. as I came home last night. I have not spent much time in C. since my return to Romania, which has been nice from a commuting standpoint. By the way, that is something else the Lord is working out; I will fill you in as it becomes more concrete. I do, however, enjoy my time in C., like last night when once again I went to the neighbor's to buy milk, or like when I get a good fire going in my wood stove and find embers still glowing in the morning.
Another picture I want you to imagine is the following. After our last program on Saturday, several of the children were still milling about as we waited for one of our collegues who was talking to a parent. As they were already climbing on the back of the truck, I organized an activity of trust falls, where you fall on command into the waiting arms of your peers. This became popular very quickly, and we did it with all of the kids (I would say that all the kids who remained were twelve or under; the bigger kids were all gone). Naturally, my Belgian coworked decided that she, too, wanted to fall, surely more trusting because my adult arms would be among the first to ensure that her petit frame was caught securely. After that, we convinced our other Swiss collegue to fall, and though she was much taller and thus a little heaver, we had no trouble catching her, either. By now you can imagine what the children were chanting--my name! Now most of you know that I am about 6'2'', and a formidable weight for any ten-year-old to catch. My Belgian collegue voiced her concerns about catching me, which of course did not reassure me much, but how could I not do what I had convinced everyone else to do? So yes, I, too fell . . . and they caught me! No problem at all! It just goes to show; we are stronger when we work together. Remember that, Church! If we all stand shoulder-to-shoulder, we can bear anything for the glory of God!
What else? Well, I voted by absentee ballot this weekend. Please do not forget to vote on November 2 if you are an American. I am as cynical as anyone when it comes to politics, but I promise you that your vote will have NO IMPACT WHATSOEVER if you do not vote. Pray, do some research and cast a ballot. I hated the time an energy that was required to vote from Romania, but it is my privilege and responsibility as a Christian American. This is an important election for several reasons, both on a congressional level, as well as a local level. Our prayers and our actions go hand-in-hand to create the values that shape the laws and the land of the United States of America, which in turn influences the ENTIRE world.
I hope you smile to learn that when I scanned my ballot onto the computer at my neighbor's house, the door latch broke when I went to leave, and I was trapped in his house for an half-hour or forty-five minutes before we managed to get the door open. Sure, I could have climbed out the window--he did several times to work on the door from the outside, but I was enjoying the fellowship with my friend and trying to help open the door. It reminded me of life, in fact. Do you ever have a "door" in your life that you really want to go through, but no matter how hard you try, it just will not open? I have learned that it is always better to wait until the Lord opens it for you. Forcing your way into something usually means you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time, for a lot of headaches and heartaches.
Oh, and how could I forget? I had an unexpected but wonderful trip to Cluj-Napoca last weekend. Maybe I already wrote about it, but I am still enjoying the memory of it. (We took one Swiss visitor to the Targu Mures airport and then picked up another Swiss blessing from the Cluj airport.) The Lord has given me the privilege of living near several wonderful persons in a very beautiful land, and I have enjoyed high-quality conversations with several of those persons this past week. In fact, I have been blessed beyond measure since my return to Romania, and I am riding high on a wave of the joy of the Lord.
Please pray for a youth program we have started doing on Friday evenings. It is a huge challenge for us, as we are having trouble finding the time to prepare for it in the midst of all of our children's programs. Besides, several of the youth who come enjoy acting like knuckleheads, which requires extra grace from the Lord on our part. Nevertheless, there is a great need and lots of potential, so if the Lord taps you on the shoulder, come lend us a hand.
Hopefully this gives you enough to read until next time I write. I am happy to report that not only have I now caught up on my blog, but also on my emails. Soon I will try to catch up on posting my photos, and that means that everything should be accessible for you. By the way, in case you were concerned, the protests in Bucharest were a long way from me, and they were pretty normal for a European country. Please do continue to pray for me though, and for the Church in Romania and the Church in America, and for the persons and peoples I mention in my blog. I hope you can tell how regularly I pray for you, and if you have specific prayer requests, please do not hesitate to email me.
The LORD is faithful! Cling to that! Know that! Live that!
I bless you in the Name of Jesus!
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A Rose From Home
