Repulsive

In 1993 Kevin Carter captured this photo of a starving Sudanese girl crawling toward a UN Food Shelter about one kilometer away.  The photo won the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 which is the same year the photographer took his life.  Our hearts are stirred as we realize this little girls plight and understand that she probably died before reaching the shelter. Our hearts become enraged as we learn the photographer did nothing to help this little girl escape the vultures beak.  We find it repulsive that someone could look upon such need and walk away having done nothing.  Repulsive that he would not take the time to scoop this little girl up in his arms and carry her to the place where she could receive care and sustenance.  What would it have cost him to save her?  Repulsive.  Repulsive because here was a little girl who needed what he could give her.  Here was a little girl who without someone coming to her aid had no hope.

There is something about this story that is more gut wrenching than a vulture awaiting his next meal.  Something more nauseating than a man who could walk away from a girl in such need.  Something that should cause all of us to fall on our faces and plead with our God for this to never happen again.  The saddest part of this picture is knowing that this little girl probably died having never heard the name of Jesus and having never had the opportunity to place her ever complete faith in His provision for her ultimate need.  Salvation.  Even sadder is the knowledge that right now over 4.5 billion people in this world are spiritually starving.  They are being watched over by the vulture of death who is just waiting for his time to feast upon their lost souls. 

It is repulsive to our heavenly Father that we can sit in our comforts while countless children, wives, husbands, grand mothers, and friends who He created in His image just like you and me, crawl in a wasteland groping for the only food that satisfies, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ.  It is repulsive to Him because He does not desire that any perish, but that all have an opportunity to believe in Him.  It is repulsive to Him because He has given us so many resources and tools for reaching the lost around us and around the world, but we are to consumed with our own that we do not stop.  We do not stop when we see the little girls and boys playing in the street or on the playground.  We do not go to our neighbors, friends, or family. 

It is repulsive that we will weep over this little girl and her physical needs, but when we turn to consider her spiritual needs the tears stop.  We say that the photographer is guilty and should be ashamed of himself for not doing all he could to help.  But we give a pathetic list of excuses for why we cannot help the masses who need something far more important than food.  We give reasons that sound very pius and spiritual, but in reality we are . . . repulsive.  Matthew 25 tells us “What you have done to the least of these you have done unto me.” 

These people are not starving nor is a vulture lurking, but they are just as desperate for nourishment as the little girl above.  Without Christ these precious people are destined to spend eternity separated from the only one who truly loves and cares for them.   Without Christ they will never see the glory of Heaven because their sin is repulsive to a Holy God.  Their sin is just as repulsive as was my sin and your sin before Christ covered it with His blood.  It is just as repulsive as yours and mine would have been had someone not loved us and their Lord enough to give us the nourishment that will truly last forever.  These faces and our faces were created for the same purpose, that we would all one day look to our Creator and worship Him as our Lord and our God.  One day God will look on my face and be pleased because of Christ.  One day He will look on these faces and be repulsed unless someone will do what the first photographer did not, and give them the greatest help they could ever receive, the message of the gospel.  

Will we find their freedom from sin and salvation in Christ as more valuable than anything this world can offer?  We will find sin as repulsive as our Lord and seek to rid our lives of its stain?  Will we find these people as valuable as does our Lord and be willing to give whatever it takes to see them fall before Him in surrender?  Are we willing to be seen as repulsive by our world for the sake of those who have no chance of hearing? 

Right now over 1.5 billion in South Asia have never even heard the name of Jesus.  Right now 1.5 billion have zero access and will never hear unless someone goes to them.  Right now you and I must make a decision.  To see a starving girl and only take a photo is repulsive.  To read an article, know the Truth, and not give it to those in need. . . Repulsive.

Halfway Done

Next month I will cross the half way point in my life.  Turing 35 is no big deal, but as I look back and see where I have been and how I have changed I am forced to look into the next 35 years.  What will this next half have in store for me?  What things will I see, hear, experience, or even create.  At this point I am mindful of Paul’s words in Corinthians.  “I have become all things to all people in order that by all means I might save some.  I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I might share with them in the blessing.”  I pray that my next half will so clearly forsake all else and allow my mind and heart to be that of Paul in order that I may give all, be all, and do all, within my God-given ability to see others come to Christ. 

“What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”  We acknowledge it is worth nothing.  May my commitment be such that others will know where my treasure truly lay.  Let it all be done for the Glory of the only glorious one Jesus Christ.

Why the Silence. . . ?

Like drinking water from a fire hydrant or showering beneath Niagra Falls our time and experiences in these last months have simply been overwhelming. There are not words to express the different things we have seen, smelled, tasted, felt, stepped in, slept on, rode in, or had offered to us.

We are still studying language full time to reach our company required levels of proficientcy. In the mean time we are building relationships with many people and having may opportunities to share the truth. There is an awesome feeling that comes with telling someone about Jesus for the first time in a different language and then giving them their very first bible. The even greater part is seeing them then take that same bible and read it with 3-4 others looking over their shoulder reading as well. Or to have a literate child reading the words of our Lord to their illiterate mother or father. 

There have been many times we wanted to re-pack our things and return “home” to things we know and the people we love.  But, if I am consistent in my faith I will remember these people are also my brothers and sisters in Christ and they also need to be encouraged and helped along in ther faith.  If our Lord desires to use us at home we will gladly return, but if he desires to have us plant our lives here then I pray we will also do that.  That we will seek first His kingdom and not the fleeting pleasures of this world. 

Please help us.  We will fail, we will loose focus, we will become selfish, and calased to the needs before us, so please ask our heavenly father that we can maintain a clear focus and intent on penetrating the darkness in this land. 

The picture above is from a christian area.  When we arrived everyone (no exageration) came out to see us.  They earn a living making products from bamboo.  The slats on the ground are woven together to make the walls of their homes.  They were making us things used to sift rice.  Here rice is not sold in bags, it is grown in the field next to your house. 

This concludes the ramblings of a silly and foolish man.

The Whisper of God.

She sits next to me with virtually all her earthly possessions on her frail body.  Her weak voice tells of a husbands death, a son’s disertion, and a daughter’s distance.  She has come to speak with the people who gave her hope. 

She shares the atrocities of her life with calm resolve and acceptance.  She has virtually no food and no means of providing for herself.  The community she lives in offers her no help because she has denied their religion and believed in Jesus to save her from the death of her sin.  This faith has brought her the security of a future with her Lord.  Beyond her faith she has nothing.  She is reduced to a few articles of clothing and a shelter for a home.  She is more than 80 years old and knows that she will soon die.  She could renounce her faith and be welcomed back into society, be reunited wih her son, and receive proper care in the final years of her life. 

She cannot read and has no Bible to go to for encouragement.  She has only the simple faith that was taught to her many years ago by faithful servants of God.  I imagine that as she sits in her home over the next months, as her food dimishes, her body weakens, and her life slips away that her Lord will whisper something in her ears that I will never hear because I have never trusted Him like this.  She has something far more valuable than the money for food, clothing, anything.  She has the whisper of God. 

Tonight she will return to her village home.  She will go there joyful that she has had one last opportunity to see her spiritual parents.  The next time they are together will be in the glories of heaven.  Now she will return to the shelter she calls home and wait.  She will wait until the food is gone.  She will wait because that is all she can do.  She knows God’s promise of salvation and now without words she will testify to the community around her that her faith is more important to her than life itself. 

Can you see her?  Can you imagine the shelter where she is sleeping?  Can you imagine the hunger pains and the sickness she will endure over the remaining months or years of her life?  Now, can you  imagine the comfort that our Lord is giving her?  Everytime someone derides her faith and scoffs at her condition God is there speaking to her with words that cannot be uttered.  He is holding her with arms that cannot be seen.  He is covering her better than any clothing and protecting her better than any home. 

Her faith is strong because it is the only thing she has. Her testimony is strong because she values it more than life itself.  Her legancy of faith will speak to generations.  She will die with nothing except that which is everything.  Tonight I will go to sleep to the sounds of my iPod but she may be listening to the chorus of the saints. 

There are millions of people here in Bangladesh who have never had the opportunity to hear about this wonderful faith.  Although Tom and Gloria Thurman served here for 35 years and saw this woman come to faith there are still more that need to hear.  They would rather their names not mentioned here, but were it not for them I would not be here.  It is my desire that through this story that you are moved to greater involvement in the lives of the peoples of Bangladesh.  Today, please say a prayer for this woman, for the Thurmans, for me, and for the place God would have you serve in reaching the peoples of Bangladesh with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Can you hear God’s whisper?

First Christmas.

Our first Christmas here was filled with as many new things as it was missing familiar things.  Our Christmas tree was not cut, but potted.  It was some kind of evergreen sold here that more resembled Charlie Brown’s tree than the one we had last year.  There were less presents under the tree as this culture requires so much time to shop that we simply did not have the time to get anything beyond the toys and “special delivery” stuff for the kids.  Lisa and I are going to spend a few afternoons over the next week or so and find ourselves some things as well as the boring clothes gifts that the kids don’t care to open anyway.  But don’t feel sorry for us or the kids because I think they had a blast.  When they walked into the living room to see what we thought was a meger delivery by Santa Clause their faces lit up with smiles and they rushed to see what each other had been given.  I was so proud to see our kids respond with thankfulness and contentment for the things they received.  Not once did they say that they wished they would have received more toys or different things.  They played together with all the gifts as though they belonged to everyone.  Lisa and I took several pictures but we look like we are on drugs so we will not post them.  We will insert some of the picture with the kids for your enjoyment.

Take a look at the ornaments on the tree.  They are our very own salt dough ornaments.  The other ornaments are things that the kids created at school or on our kitchen table.  Our theme this year was simple because we did not want all the ornaments to crowd each other and therefore not be able to admire the beauty of each creation.  Actually, this is all we had.  (Our families tried to send us ornaments but the postal service is. . . well lets just say it is not the most advanced government organization.  We just received our packages with the ornaments this last week.)Since we have to dry our clothes inside (another story) the humidity in our home is high.  If you look closely at the salt dough ornaments you will notice a slight sagging.  Just before Cristmas we noticed that our ornaments were deteriorating and falling on the floor in puddles of goo.  The kids thought it would be great to through it around and watch it stick to the walls.  I on the other hand did not see quite as much humor in the deal.  One night I noticed some spots on a floor pillow we have in front of the TV.  I noticed that it was fresh and it looked to have been dropped and not smeared on.  When the next blob hit me I noticed the splattering of salt dough on the ceiling.  I must admit the alure of splattering stuff on the wall and ceiling but I resisted and turned on the stove burner to reduce the humidity.

The picture of the kids is when they sat on our bed to open their presents from our family.  We called my parents and let them watch as the kids pealed into their good presents from home.  The big present was a Nintendo DS for Seneca.  Now with 2 in the house the kids can share with dad, and mom. 

Overall I think this was a good first Christmas away from home.  There were many different things and many things we missed, but being here has taught us to truly cherish the meaning and ultimate purpose of Christmas.  We rounded out our Christmas morning by attending a church service to celebrate with local believers.  The worship service was crowded and the people were all smiles.  We sat on the floor literally touching people on every side.  After the service the entire church ate a wonderful meal together.  We had to eat in two shifts because there was not enough room for all to sit down at the same time. 

It is always fun to see the kids respond to these new and different situations.  As you can se here they were taking turns having mom feed them.  They all ate well on their own but for some reasonhaving mom do feed you makes it taste better.

We pray that you and your families also had a wonderful Christmas and we hope to tell you more about our lives here soon.  Blessings to all.

Our desperate search for peace!

People the world over are searching for peace and safety in their lives.  Some look to their financial status as a barometer of peace.  Others look to their strength or tools of resistance to keep peace in their lives.  Many will place their heads in the sand and try to ignore the fact that everyone of us needs to have true and real peace in our lives.  Of course the peace I am referring to is not world, financial, or physical peace, but eternal peace from the struggle of sin.  I thought I would come to this place and give these people something that they are totally missing.  I thought I would have to start from scratch with nothing and work to show them their need for something greater than themselves and then teach them to totally rely upon God for their current and eternal peace. 

But alas, they already have much of what they need for peace.   They know that every portion of their lives is influenced and controlled by god.  They know that it is god who has the ultimate power and that anything they seek to do will only be if god allows it.  They know that this god requires something from them by way of devotion and worship.  They even go as far as to disown their children if they depart from the faith of the family.  They would never consider themselves to be non-religious, because that would be impossible. 

All of these things are good and needed for one to have true faith in Christ, but that is where these people miss the mark.  Rather than placing their faith in Jesus who promises salvation to all who believe they trust idols and the good works they can do to earn them a place with god.  None know their eternal destiny they only hope that when they stand before god that he will have mercy on them and allow them entrance into everlasting peace. 

Really these people are no different from the rest of us.  They are seeking peace through working to please a god and many of us from the western world are seeking peace in the things we work to acquire.  They are working for peace and we are working for peace.  I feel bad because at least the people of South Asia know that they can only find peace in god.  We from the western world keep thinking that one more raise in salary or one more thing will push us over the summit that reveals the valley of peace and happiness. 

We may never bow to an image like the Hindu goddess Durga Puja seen above, but by our lives we bow to many other things that have taken a god-like place in our hearts.  We know that when this life is past, only those things done for Christ will last.  I regret that most of my life has been spent on my own interests and that I have such a short time remaining to accomplish things of eternal value.  Please remember us as we serve here that we will not focus on the missing comforts of a western home, but that we would look into the sea of faces before us and seek to guide them to God’s eternal home.  That is where true peace is found.  Next to my own salvation, I have never known the peace that I feel when I can see one of the least of these come closer to becoming my brother or sister in Christ. 

True peace.  Do you have it?  Do you want it?  It is found in humble submission to the king of all kings.

My Walk, in Darkness.

When was the last time you experienced total darkness?  Maybe it was a camping trip far outside a city or a room that would not allow any light inside.  What did it feel like?  You cannot even see your hand in front of your face much less anything that may be around in the grass.  Suddenly every little noise or feeling on your arms is intensified and even scary.  Now I know some of you guys will not admit the fear that comes from being in the dark, but we all know that it is scary.  What if your entire life was lived in this darkness?  What if all you ever knew was black and without shape? 

The other week I was in a remote village attempting to understand the people that I have come to serve.  When I say remote, I mean several hours of travel outside the city with each mode of transport becoming more manual.  We eventually walked the final leg of the journey.  I experienced many things while in the vilage, but one thing that made a great impression was the complete darkness.  The house I was staying in like most of the homes did not have electricity.  We ate and prepared for bed by lantern. 

One night we were walking back from a village on a narrow path and in total darkness.  The sun had long been set and the moon was shaded.  I had a flashlight, but I could not use it the entire time because it was a 3 mile walk and the batteries were weak.  So I spent some time walking not knowing what was in front of me.  I had to rely on the voices of my companions to guide me.  What was amazing was that I would come upon people throughout the night who were walking alone in this total darkness.  They did not have a flashlight nor a friend to lend assistance, they were simply alone.  Think with me about a few of the literally hundreds of people I passed who did not have a light.  (It was really freaky to have someone suddenly brush next to you in the darkness and then be gone.  I almost screamed a few times.  Don’t laugh.)  They were following a path they had passed many times before, they were confident that they knew the way.   They did not ask for my light and most did not even acknowledge my presence as they passed by.  How can people walk in such utter darkness with such confidence? 

Now that you have this picture in your mind, now imagine these same people walking along the path of eternity.  They will one day arrive at the gates of eternity and stand before the one true and living God.  Will they be given the chance to experience the life changing power of the Light of the World or will they be forced to continue to walk in darkness because no one has come to give them The Light?  The people here are confident that they know where they are going.  They will pass by my light without even acknowledging a need for illumination. 

If you are reading this blog you have likely found the light of Jesus Christ and the truth of the gospel.  Now, what makes you or I any more deserving of the Light than these precious men and women walking in darkness?

My batteries are not strong enough nor is my light powerful enough to give light to all the people on these paths.  I need the supernatural power of God to work in this place, but we all know that God typically uses people to accomplish His will.  That is where you come in.  Will you come with me to this same village and this time we can all bring our flashlights and the Light of Jesus Christ and bring the illuminating power of the truth to a people who have not heard.  I mean why not?  Unless of course your are scared of the dark!

New Stuff!!!

Check out the top of our blog for some new pages for additional informaiton and stuff.  Also there is a list of categories on the side that will allow you to read and see what you want.  Keep your eyes on them because they may change from time to time.  We hope his will help all of you navigate our site better and keep up with the things that you are interested in.  We have a page for the kids, our work, and some other things that I will think of later.  Please send us some feedback as we try our best to keep everyone involved in our work here.  Blessings.

Lost In Translation

           I know all of you have seen pictures and texts from around the world that show the difficulty of translating simple messages into different languages.  Well, life here has shown us that it is no different here.  The funniest thing is to receive text messages from our national friends.  It is amazing at the numerous spellings and grammatical fopas that we see and hear.  We never knew it, but we have actually had to re-learn parts of English to communicate with the different dialect of English spoken here.  I use to prank friends at work by using an Indian accent and pretending to be a telemarketer.  Well, last week a national actually complimented me on my accent and said that he could understand everything that I said.  So I would like to thank all the people at my last employer for allowing me the opportunity to prepare for this work by pranking them.  Sometimes I have to try not to laugh at myself when speaking to nationals because I remember that I use to use this voice for fun, but now our conversations are for real.  Here are some examples of interesting things we have seen here.  The Land Rover above has “aplited for regetration.” Funny because I believe this is an Embassy vehicle and therefore a representative of our government.  You do not have to be smart to get a government job, you just have to know the right people.  (No offense to any government personnel reading his post.  I know you are the smart ones.)  The next picture is of the very first thing we read in the national language.  It is pronounced “tamun” and means “please stop.”  It is interesting because it is on the rear of almost all public transportation.  Here, if you rear end someone it is your fault because you obviously did not read their message to please stop.  I wonder how many accidents this has prevented as a bus is about to plow into a baby taxi, but stops in time and driver states, “I sure am glad they wrote “please stop” on the back of that baby taxi because I was about to crush them.”  Or the other side where a bus driver is telling the baby taxi driver, “Hey man it is not my fault, you should have had please stop on the back. How was I to know not to ram the back of your taxi.”  Can you believe the nerve of some people to think that I should stop when they will not take the time to write “please stop” on the back of their car. 

        It is also funny because they wrote “please.”  If this were my idea I would have written, “STOP!!!“  I also have ideas for other signs to place on our car.  “Get back on your side of the road!”  “Putting your hand out will not stop this vehicle.”  “If you blow that horn one more time while we are grid locked I will put the van in reverse and back over you.”  “Stop staring at me.”  “It is a good thing that you do not have a Second Amendment.”  “No, I do not want to buy any towels, dolls, weird fruit on a stick, or maps even if it is the 2008 edition of the world map, because I don’t think Africa has moved that much since last year.”  “Yes, I am a Christian, but not the kind of Christian like Michael Jackson or Britany Spears.” 

      I hope these things give you a little better idea of what we see here each day.  The one thing that we pray will never be lost in translation is the eternal truth of the gospel.  Please remember us as we seek to clearly communicate the timeless and priceless truth of God’s love to these people we are growing to love more and more everyday.  Even on those days where the honking, pollution, and crowds of people become difficult to bear.  Blessings to you all.

 

Sharp Blade and My Neck . . . the uncensored version.

CAUTION: This post likely to contain material not suitable for the weak in stomach.

Almost two weeks ago I decided to walk down to what I assumed was a safe place.  I went to the night market around the corner from our apartment.  I left home around sunset because people socialize more  once the sun is down and the temperature drops a little.  As I walked down a busy road an overflowing of people were also making their way to the market.  I kept looking behind me because we have been warned about muggings.  (We actually witnessed a man who was beaten and mugged right in front of us by eight other men one evening.) 

I arrived at the market to find it more crowded now than in the daytime.  Imagine the mall on the day after thanksgiving and you will understand a normal day at the market.  This is a picture of five young boys who work at the market carrying customers packages.  They were all under 10 years of age and already working to help the family.  I was still standing on the street when these boys came up to offer their assistance to the foreigner.  It was already dark and I still had a crowd gathering around me before I could get off the road. 

I greeted the young boys and offered each a piece of candy and then proceeded to enter the market.  This is the place where everyone comes to purchase anything you need.  Meat, fish, rice, batteries, towels, chickens, tang, fabric, ceiling fans, paint, beds, glass, motor oil, engine repair, toothbrushes, re-bar, and everything else you can think of.  And every shop may have a little of everything.  Today I passed a video game shop between two motorcycle repair shops.  These are not self standing businesses.  Many are just as big as the items they are selling.  The average shop at this market is 8′ x 8′ and there are hundreds of them.  Here is a picture of a mechanics shop.  The truck did not break down here and there is a line of trucks on this street with the engines or transmissions sitting on the sidewalks.

Anyway, as I walked through the market I was taking a video to send home with a crowd drawing nigh.  As I walked through the market all the vendors were calling out for me to come into their shops, “Boss”, ”Boss”, was constantly yelled as I passed.  I finally decided to walk into this one shop.  When I say walk in I mean I sat in a chair that was very close to the shop.  This particular shop was small enough for me to place my feet on one wall and lean back and my head would go out the door.  It was as I was leaning back one of these times that I first felt like I might be in a precarious position.  The longer I sat in this shop the more people gathered outside.  I could not see them all, but I could hear many people asking about the bideshi which means foreigner.  I must admit that I almost left right then, but I needed to stay and practice my language as well as build some relationships with the people.  How am I to do this if I run every time I feel a bit nervous?  

I stayed in place.  Then one of the men brought me a cup of hot tea. (In a dirty glass with unfiltered water.  I was very sick the next day.)  It was after I bit the bullet and drank the tea that the business owner pressured me to stay a little longer.  I was not comfortable at all, but I really wanted to dive into the culture.  When I consented to stay he pulled out the BLADE!!! 

I live in a Muslim country where I am the only white man I have seen in days and I am in a seat with a man I do not know about to put a blade to my neck.  What in the world am I thinking!! 

Well I did not have to go to the emergency room nor did I beat him and take the blade from him.  I simply about peed in my pants as I was shaved for the very first time in my life by a Muslim man with a straight razor.  I admit it was nerve racking for a few moments, but the massage he had given me before the shave had relaxed me very much and the tea was excellent regardless of the next day side effects.  I sat in his chair for almost 45 minutes as he took great care in cutting the hair of his first American and I took great pleasure in receiving the best haircut, massage, shave, and tea I have every received.  I paid him 3 times the normal amount and it still only cost about 2.05.  Here is a picture of us after the whole ordeal was complete.  The other picture is his shop. 

I hope your stomach was not too upset by the thrilling and suspense filled narrative of this story.  Come back soon and hear about the time . . . .