Picture this, you are sitting in a crowded room filled with all kinds of people standing together, holding their breath in suspense, every mind focused on what is happening at the front of the multitude. Suddenly the magician calls out for a volunteer, many hands go up, even some beside you, but only one is chosen; only one will become the subject of this latest deception of the mind. Quickly at first, the chosen one walks up to the head of the masses full of confidence and pride over being the one chosen out of many; but then, as he approaches the fringe he begins to slow, suddenly unsure of what it is that he has just signed up for. As the magician urges him to come ever more forward he becomes more and more aware of every eye in the room watching him. The magician places him in a box, tells him to lie very still, and closes the box over him. For him there is darkness, for those watching there is a show which boggles the mind. The magician calls on his assistants and proceeds to place knives of every variety into the box at all sorts of contorted angles, there is a gasp from those gathered, all goes silent and with one word the magician calls out to the unfortunate volunteer to get up out of the box, seconds that seem like lifetimes go by, and suddenly the chosen one emerges unscathed and full of excitement, the crowd cheers wildly at the display of impossibility. This is magic. Or at least, this is the deception that many would consider “magic”.
But what is “magic”?
The world would describe it as a conjuring of tricks, illusions that make things which would seem utterly impossible come to be reality. For many, it is mere entertainment, something with which to exercise the mind in hopes of deciphering the lie that makes your mind see something that simply cannot be. Others would claim it as a supernatural power, something which gives the one who wields it control over a given subject. It is that which makes impossible things seem possible.
As much as catching a speeding bullet between one’s teeth may be entertaining the first few times until you discover the trickery behind it, I believe there are things in this world which are magical no matter how many times they are encountered. Things which take your breath away, things that make you stop dead in your tracks to pay full attention, things which really have no way to be described.
I believe there is magic in every sunset and every sunrise, as that first ray of light reaches out from behind any obstacle which would dare stand in its way, as it chases away the darkness and leaves a warm embrace around all that it touches. I believe there is magic in every rainy sky, as thunder shakes the very ground you stand on, and electricity in its freest form shoots through the open expanses above, as the rain is unleashed to clean away the dust and make the world fresh. I believe there is magic in a gentle breeze that makes you breathe so deep and so long you don’t want it to end. There is magic in the songs that the birds sing all day long, sung to the creator of all. There is magic in every life you see on any day. Magic happens on mountain tops where the view stretches farther than any eye can see. I hear magic as the wind rustles the leaves high in the treetops when the sun is setting and there is a faint sliver of gold along the highest branches. For me, magic is in the little things. In smiles and laughter, in tears, in friendships, and in forgiveness. But the most important thing about truly magical moments is that they have but one source, and He is the Lord of all, the King of kings the heavenly Father. He made it all. He brought into existence those things which science can only explain as mere chance, coincidence, or luck. He did the impossible.
Above all else, I know there is magic of the greatest kind when a person gives their life completely over to Christ. When surrender, complete in every way, becomes the way of life for one devoted to living for the author and creator of everything. When we choose to follow what it is that God has planned for us, he opens doors we would never have known existed, and he shows us love that is unfathomable. When we choose to live that life, our life, we choose to live it in the fullest sense. That is when magic happens, and that is the show of the true master and the bravest of volunteers, and as every eye in the crowd watches, more and more will become volunteers of life. Choosing to live that same full life.
Yet, as those eyes are ever on the children of God, it is of the utmost importance that we continue to live according to the truths we have become assured of. To be examples as the “light” in the world. Brother’s and sisters, I encourage you to see the magic in all that is around you, and to live in a way that shows the workmanship of the one true magician. The Lord, Jesus Christ. For as it is written: “since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20). That, the ability to seek God in what He has made, is what makes the best of moments in this life “magical” not that they are tricks of the mind, or clever deception, but that they are unfathomable, unexplainable, unimaginable, seemingly impossible, yet very, very real.
“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.” (Romans 8:19) – Let us go and show the world with our actions and by the love of Christ in us that we are sons and daughters of God.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
What will it take to begin to live like you were dying? To really live?
When you watch a sporting event on a television set or from the side of the field or rink, you get a certain amount of a thrill from the hard fought competition that is going on, you might get a little adrenaline as the team or athlete you are cheering for makes a good play or scores a few points. You start to imagine what you would do if it was you in that position, if you were the one playing the game. Only to come the realization that you are not in the game, you are not even sitting on the sidelines waiting for your turn, rather you are either sitting in the stands, or on a chair at home watching through a fence, a piece of glass, or a network of cables that bring an image into your own home. You are a spectator.
It seems to me that there are many of us who have taken on that same kind of outlook on life, we sit back and wait for things to happen, we stand around wishing that our dreams would come true rather than getting out there and making them into a reality with the power that God has given us to bring about any or all of the dreams that He has placed in our hearts and minds.
I do not know if you have heard the country song “live like you were dying” but maybe (even if you really, really do not like country) you should at the very least read the lyrics, imagine if you only had one more day to live, would you continue to be a spectator or would you go out and make the most of all the time you had left? Why is it that we have to be facing death in order to live that way? The truth is, we don’t. We can live that way every day and we should, if for no other reason than the fact that we really don’t know how much time we have left. Any one of us could be gone at any time. That thought alone should compel us all to truly make the most of every breath we are given, to truly life as though we were dying.
We sit in the chairs or stand along the walls while we watch so many others dancing to the music of life that plays every day. If only we would open our ears and let ourselves move to the flow and rhythm of the melody that strings through everything we see and do every single day.
But what is it that keeps us from getting up and moving to the sounds of life’s orchestra? Or that keeps us in the stands rather than in the heat of a hard fought competition? For some it may be fear of failure or rejection, for others it might be feelings of inadequacy or disappointment that we can’t move and dance the way that others can. For others still, it might simply be the lie that there is someone else out there who can do it better than you and you just need to step aside, give up and let them take over. It might be feelings of timidity or even the somewhat true but altogether false idea that we have more fun watching as others dance around and have fun. Whatever it is for any one of us, it is important to realize that they are all false and are all things that Satan has used in our lives to keep us from doing what it is that God wants us to do with the time we have been given, sitting on the sidelines is not what God had in mind for us when He brought us into the world. He planned for us to be instrumental in the way that the world works. He meant for us to dance among the stars.
I don’t know what it is that you have been shying away from doing, I don’t know what the exact struggle is that you are facing now, but I do know that no matter what it is, if you take the first step in getting over it and into what you are dying to be a part of, God will carry you there, He will give you the strength you need to do what it is He has placed in your heart.
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline”…for…“(He) has raised you up for this very purpose, that (He) might show you (His) power and that (His) name might be proclaimed in all the earth”…for…“(You) can do all things through Christ who strengthens (you)…so…“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”
If you have been sitting on the sidelines of the “game” called life, which really is no game at all, now is the time that you make up your mind to play, to participate, to get off your butt strap on the armour of God, listen to the music that is playing, and begin to move and dance to the rhythm God places in your heart. So, next time you are walking down the street and think to say hello to someone but would rather hurry along your way, stop and think what even a short conversation could mean to someone; next time your little brother or sister asks you to play a game but you would rather do your own thing, remember how short life is and choose to make the most of it; next time your grandparent who is hard-of-hearing calls and you would rather have a short conversation to avoid the annoying process of repeating yourself countless times, imagine how much you can learn from a lifetime of experience if you just take the time to listen. Next time the DJ calls, get your back off the wall so-to-speak and start dancing. And remember, the real DJ has never stopped calling you.
Do not concern yourselves with the judgements of man, of this world, rather set your mind on the Lord of all and think only of how you might live for Him the life that has been given to you as a gift, not to let it waste away but to make the most of it every day. Living as though you knew you were dying.
It seems to me that there are many of us who have taken on that same kind of outlook on life, we sit back and wait for things to happen, we stand around wishing that our dreams would come true rather than getting out there and making them into a reality with the power that God has given us to bring about any or all of the dreams that He has placed in our hearts and minds.
I do not know if you have heard the country song “live like you were dying” but maybe (even if you really, really do not like country) you should at the very least read the lyrics, imagine if you only had one more day to live, would you continue to be a spectator or would you go out and make the most of all the time you had left? Why is it that we have to be facing death in order to live that way? The truth is, we don’t. We can live that way every day and we should, if for no other reason than the fact that we really don’t know how much time we have left. Any one of us could be gone at any time. That thought alone should compel us all to truly make the most of every breath we are given, to truly life as though we were dying.
We sit in the chairs or stand along the walls while we watch so many others dancing to the music of life that plays every day. If only we would open our ears and let ourselves move to the flow and rhythm of the melody that strings through everything we see and do every single day.
But what is it that keeps us from getting up and moving to the sounds of life’s orchestra? Or that keeps us in the stands rather than in the heat of a hard fought competition? For some it may be fear of failure or rejection, for others it might be feelings of inadequacy or disappointment that we can’t move and dance the way that others can. For others still, it might simply be the lie that there is someone else out there who can do it better than you and you just need to step aside, give up and let them take over. It might be feelings of timidity or even the somewhat true but altogether false idea that we have more fun watching as others dance around and have fun. Whatever it is for any one of us, it is important to realize that they are all false and are all things that Satan has used in our lives to keep us from doing what it is that God wants us to do with the time we have been given, sitting on the sidelines is not what God had in mind for us when He brought us into the world. He planned for us to be instrumental in the way that the world works. He meant for us to dance among the stars.
I don’t know what it is that you have been shying away from doing, I don’t know what the exact struggle is that you are facing now, but I do know that no matter what it is, if you take the first step in getting over it and into what you are dying to be a part of, God will carry you there, He will give you the strength you need to do what it is He has placed in your heart.
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline”…for…“(He) has raised you up for this very purpose, that (He) might show you (His) power and that (His) name might be proclaimed in all the earth”…for…“(You) can do all things through Christ who strengthens (you)…so…“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”
If you have been sitting on the sidelines of the “game” called life, which really is no game at all, now is the time that you make up your mind to play, to participate, to get off your butt strap on the armour of God, listen to the music that is playing, and begin to move and dance to the rhythm God places in your heart. So, next time you are walking down the street and think to say hello to someone but would rather hurry along your way, stop and think what even a short conversation could mean to someone; next time your little brother or sister asks you to play a game but you would rather do your own thing, remember how short life is and choose to make the most of it; next time your grandparent who is hard-of-hearing calls and you would rather have a short conversation to avoid the annoying process of repeating yourself countless times, imagine how much you can learn from a lifetime of experience if you just take the time to listen. Next time the DJ calls, get your back off the wall so-to-speak and start dancing. And remember, the real DJ has never stopped calling you.
Do not concern yourselves with the judgements of man, of this world, rather set your mind on the Lord of all and think only of how you might live for Him the life that has been given to you as a gift, not to let it waste away but to make the most of it every day. Living as though you knew you were dying.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
an end has come, but with it a new beginning.
"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not...Great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23
Well, how to sum up the last two weeks of something we never wanted to end…amazing, joyous, heartbreaking, tear-jerking, bittersweet, memorable, too short, painful, scary, exciting, basically an emotional rollercoaster.
We ended up with our course in Christian Worldviews, which was really well taught, and then headed to Tofino for the last time for some surf and relaxation. When we got back from that we had a little more homework to do for the after-class work and for Kristie Voth and then we headed out in groups to ride the white water of the Cowichan Valley, that was a lot of fun, I was a little nervous at the start but turns out there was nothing to be so afraid of, go figure (thanks again Lord). Then we were of to Mount Washington one last time for our final out-trip of the year. There was only one day of ski left on the mountain and there were surprisingly few people there, the snow was pretty good most of the day, but if you asked Jordan he would say it was a little hard…on second though, you better not ask him because he would not remember anyways. I say this because he managed to be the one injured this time with a pretty major concussion, not to mention a rather scraped up face. All day he was repeating himself and forgetting things that happened five minutes previous, luckily he had his wonderful Jen Lee with him to (first of all be scared out of her mind…causing her to forget keys and sandwiches in the most unlikely of places) and to care for him for the rest of the weekend, putting gel on his wounds and feeding him T3’s and other medication all day long. What a good caretaker she was. We had more great times in the guys side for our chapels as we went over memories from the year gone by, laughs were had and some tears (however “thought-to-be-hidden”). On one of the days there we were given a few hours to go out on and around the mountain to have some solo time for reflection on the past 8 months and what God has been doing in our lives through all that we have seen, heard, and done. It was a beautiful day and the view of Albert Edward, which is where it really all began in many ways, was spectacular. So spectacular in fact that I found myself unable to concentrate, my mind wandered aimlessly from one thing to the next, and I even managed to get a short nap in the island mountain air and sun. Perhaps I just was not ready to face the thought of Kaleo being so close to finished. Perhaps God had something else for me to do, sure enough later that evening we had some free time and I grabbed my board and boots and proceeded to climb half way up the mountain, which is surprisingly steep at parts, and half an hour later, watch the sun begin to go down beyond a line of mountains on the not-so-distant horizon. It was an incredible view, and more incredible was the way that God provided breath and endurance for me as I climbed up just in time to see the view he had painted for me. It was like I could keep climbing up forever, I was simply not getting tired, there is NO end to what God can do. I know that walking up a mountain is maybe not the most miraculous way for that message to come across, but it was the one which worked at just that time, as well as the many times we were running on nothing of our own strength in India. So long as we keep placing one foot in front of the other (physically and metaphorically) God will give us the strength and the stability and the direction of where to put it down again. I was brought back to many of the fond memories I have of the times we spent together, and even though I had to strap on my board and head down before the sun was completely submerged by the protruding peaks so that I was not boarding in the dark, and the time was not as long as I wish it could have been sitting there at the top of the chair lift, I know that God used it exactly how he wanted to.
Later on, back at camp, we had a chapel service (the very last one) and in it we got to name ourselves, in the same manner with which we had been previously named by others. This time we chose names for ourselves which will challenge us to continue growing in some and every way now while we are apart from each other physically in the world. Those names, I pray, will be written on my heart for years to come. I was given the name Reaching Torchbearer (I say ‘given’ because I believe it was chosen by God) that I would continue to reach out to all those around me, to God in heaven for direction and provision, and within myself to seek who it is God has made me to be for this moment in time and who He is continuing to make me for time immemorial.
On our last night out on the town, we had a wonderful meal at a restaurant called Just Jakes, which Jen and Jordan our beloved interns are sure never to forget (or at least not for a long time…or if one has another ski hill-to-face collision, lets pray that does not happen)…that night the two of them got engaged! The man of Kaleo lined the stairs and held roses and as Jen walked up, Jordan nervously prepared himself to ask the question I am sure he has been waiting a long time to ask. “Will you marry me?” and Jen said YES!! And then proceeded to put the ring on the wrong finger, but that’s ok ;). The wedding is planned to be in September, unfortunately I will be in school in the USA and likely will not be able to attend. But I love them both and look forward to hearing all about it! After leaving Just Jakes, we went to Victoria and had a wonderful time at the sea wall, where a small memorial was set up reminding us to “Be the Light” and we sand together and remembered and made new memories together. It was a bittersweet moment, but a blessed one which I hope never to forget.
Then came the graduation day, it was a lot of fun, started out with Ben getting baptized in the morning and people running around between hanging out with family and getting ready for pictures and the ceremony. Kylie and Jordana were our wonderful valedictorians, and then did a great job on the speech, and Lech gave us a challenge I hope to always seek to fulfill, to take what we learned this year and really apply it, that the fruit which has been sown in me will not sit and go bad so to speak. Thank you to Lech for that word.
Sunday morning came around and there was a lot of strain on all of us as final packing was done and we began to say goodbye to each other, one by one leaving the place we had called home for so long. Each of us had our hearts torn in 30 different directions that day, and I am sure you could have made quite the puddle with all of our tears. Yet there is joy in knowing we are all part of an eternal family, promised to meet again some day.
Now we are, for the most part, home and settling back in, yet settling is the most inappropriate word to use, because we are not the same, and we will not settle, we are called to be different and we have been shown how to do so. Lord let us never forget and teach us more how to do and say the things to be the Light in the world to which you have sent us.
Such is the way which Kaleo 6, as it was at Camp Qwanoes, has ended; yet Kaleo 6, as it is in our hearts, has only just begun. It's time to go beyond, time to go deeper.
God Bless you all and thank you so much for reading this blog for these past 8 months, I pray that God has shown you truths through some of it, and given you joy from other aspects. I hope to update this blog once in a while in the future so please visit again!
Much love, and forever yours in Christ,
Miranda Tiede
"Farewell for a while, I’m going away, but I’ll be back, though I go ten thousand miles,
ten thousand miles or more..."
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
and here it comes...
last week we had our final class of the year, it was Christian Worldview, during that class we had a small assignment in which we had to answer the question "What are you learning to love?" we had to go through the things we have been 'learning to love' over the past year and during that week of class. i feel like it might be good to use that as my blog this week, to let you know some of the things which have been put on my heart and which i have been working through over the past 8 months (has it really been that long?). so here it is:
To be completely honest, the things which I have most recently been learning to love have come to me not in class, but most recently through our missions’ trip to India. Seeing the people there and being broken for them and over them has opened the eyes of my heart to a whole new world. Many of them are lost and blind to the truth that is waiting for them. They follow so blindly all that they have been taught from birth. There were so many things that we saw there which had both an immediate impact on me and also one which has continued to shape and inform me since returning. There are lessons being taught to me every day which I gather from things we did in those far away places.
A huge lesson that I felt the Holy Spirit teaching me through the convicting words of others was to learn how to love people through anger, even a righteous anger. One can not allow anger against the enemy to blind us from how we need to love those who are also being blinded by that same enemy. Part of how we need to love them is in getting to know them, having a personal relationship with them where they can see the light of the Lord shining inside of us who are children of the living God. Far too often we are kept from having those close, personal relationships with people who are lost because we refuse to look at them, we do not acknowledge that they even exist; we can not truly love people until we have begun to see them through the eyes of the Lord rather than the eyes of the world, which we have. Only when we see them through those heavenly eyes, and have been broken for them the way the Father is broken for them, can we love them like we are meant to, and like we need to if we are going to have a lasting impact on them.
Another thing which I have been challenged with recently is whether or not I have chosen to follow Christ on my own or if it is still simply because that is the way in which I was brought up. That question went through my head momentarily a couple of times this past week as we went through class discussions but it never stayed around all that long. I have seen the faithfulness of God in my own life as well as in the lives of people I know. As Pascal is convinced, it is faith which is a gift from God that provides the proof to what we have come to know. I have faith and I know that Jesus is real and that he Reigns. Again, in India in particular I saw the proof given as a result of the faith of His children, salvation came to families who had been lost in Hinduism for generations, prayers were answered even as we were praying them, strength was provided right when it was needed, and the prayer we prayed for brokenness over the people was answered in a way which brought many of us to tears. Just as Olthuis talks about how we both are and are still becoming, so I have learned and am still learning to love the Lord my God because he is good and not simply because it is what I was taught.
I am learning to love the fact that I can not see my future, that I need to simply rely on God for each and every step that I take. No matter if I can see the ground in front of me or not, I am learning to take the step of faith and know that He will provide a place for my foot to land before I tumble over. So long as I am faithful to Him, He will not let me fall. In following faithfully I am learning to love prayer, learning to surrender all things to Him at all times in joy and thanksgiving because I know that He is good and that He has plans to prosper me, plans which he has had since before my birth. I am learning to love the provision of the Lord, provision which comes in just the amount I need at the time. Just like the Israelites were given food and told to take only what was needed for the time and not try to store up the rest, so I am learning to love how He provides just enough to see us faithfully through and not any extra, that we might be tempted to say we did it ourselves. For on our own we can do no great thing, but through Christ who lives in us we can do anything.
I am learning to love the people around the world who share the same heavenly Father as I do. Even now as I look around at my fellow brothers and sister, I am brought to remember the brothers and sisters whom I was able to meet along our journey, I know that together we form an eternal family; I am learning to love each one as my own blood relative. In fact I am learning to love them more than simply that, for as close a connection as that might prove between two people, it is of this world and I know that the bonds which are made through Christ far outdo any earthly feeling of closeness. I am learning to pray for those all over the planet who live each day far away from home for the cause of Christ, those who face persecution on a daily basis for the sake of the gospel message. To put is simply, I am learning how to love.
The thing from class which stands out the most to me in relation to what I have been learning lately comes from the article we had to read which was written on The Good of a Flourishing Creation: Seeking God in a Culture of Affluence, written by David Warners and Larry Borst. They spoke so much about the wealth of North America, the greed we have in the way that we are constantly using up all the resources of the world, and how the concentration of the people of the world today is so individualistic that we do not see the rest of creation flourishing. In fact, just the opposite, we see the rest of creation falling apart. Again I am drawn back to think of India, seeing the people living in the streets, the many little clusters of slum neighbourhoods, and then my thoughts are brought back here to homes filled with pointless possessions which are acquired simply as a sign of status. Who cares about what the rest of the world thinks of you, if soon enough there won’t be much of a world left? Consumerism has taken hold of us with its nasty talons and we have stopped struggling to get free. Praise the Lord that He has let me see this now; it is my prayer that I do not forget it and go back to that exact way of living! I am learning to love the idea of living simply, of giving to those who are in need rather than fulfilling the desires of my fleshly nature.
To sum it up…I am still a student of life, and of love, and of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no end to the things which I have been learning over this past year and even in these past few weeks specifically. I am learning about the ways in which I am Miranda, and I am learning still how to become the Miranda that God wants me to be. In all that I am learning, I believe that I have been reminded that I still have much to learn, and that I need to let the love which comes from Christ bind up all those things, that his judgement, wisdom, guidance, and love would be the things I follow as I journey one step at a time into life.
To be completely honest, the things which I have most recently been learning to love have come to me not in class, but most recently through our missions’ trip to India. Seeing the people there and being broken for them and over them has opened the eyes of my heart to a whole new world. Many of them are lost and blind to the truth that is waiting for them. They follow so blindly all that they have been taught from birth. There were so many things that we saw there which had both an immediate impact on me and also one which has continued to shape and inform me since returning. There are lessons being taught to me every day which I gather from things we did in those far away places.
A huge lesson that I felt the Holy Spirit teaching me through the convicting words of others was to learn how to love people through anger, even a righteous anger. One can not allow anger against the enemy to blind us from how we need to love those who are also being blinded by that same enemy. Part of how we need to love them is in getting to know them, having a personal relationship with them where they can see the light of the Lord shining inside of us who are children of the living God. Far too often we are kept from having those close, personal relationships with people who are lost because we refuse to look at them, we do not acknowledge that they even exist; we can not truly love people until we have begun to see them through the eyes of the Lord rather than the eyes of the world, which we have. Only when we see them through those heavenly eyes, and have been broken for them the way the Father is broken for them, can we love them like we are meant to, and like we need to if we are going to have a lasting impact on them.
Another thing which I have been challenged with recently is whether or not I have chosen to follow Christ on my own or if it is still simply because that is the way in which I was brought up. That question went through my head momentarily a couple of times this past week as we went through class discussions but it never stayed around all that long. I have seen the faithfulness of God in my own life as well as in the lives of people I know. As Pascal is convinced, it is faith which is a gift from God that provides the proof to what we have come to know. I have faith and I know that Jesus is real and that he Reigns. Again, in India in particular I saw the proof given as a result of the faith of His children, salvation came to families who had been lost in Hinduism for generations, prayers were answered even as we were praying them, strength was provided right when it was needed, and the prayer we prayed for brokenness over the people was answered in a way which brought many of us to tears. Just as Olthuis talks about how we both are and are still becoming, so I have learned and am still learning to love the Lord my God because he is good and not simply because it is what I was taught.
I am learning to love the fact that I can not see my future, that I need to simply rely on God for each and every step that I take. No matter if I can see the ground in front of me or not, I am learning to take the step of faith and know that He will provide a place for my foot to land before I tumble over. So long as I am faithful to Him, He will not let me fall. In following faithfully I am learning to love prayer, learning to surrender all things to Him at all times in joy and thanksgiving because I know that He is good and that He has plans to prosper me, plans which he has had since before my birth. I am learning to love the provision of the Lord, provision which comes in just the amount I need at the time. Just like the Israelites were given food and told to take only what was needed for the time and not try to store up the rest, so I am learning to love how He provides just enough to see us faithfully through and not any extra, that we might be tempted to say we did it ourselves. For on our own we can do no great thing, but through Christ who lives in us we can do anything.
I am learning to love the people around the world who share the same heavenly Father as I do. Even now as I look around at my fellow brothers and sister, I am brought to remember the brothers and sisters whom I was able to meet along our journey, I know that together we form an eternal family; I am learning to love each one as my own blood relative. In fact I am learning to love them more than simply that, for as close a connection as that might prove between two people, it is of this world and I know that the bonds which are made through Christ far outdo any earthly feeling of closeness. I am learning to pray for those all over the planet who live each day far away from home for the cause of Christ, those who face persecution on a daily basis for the sake of the gospel message. To put is simply, I am learning how to love.
The thing from class which stands out the most to me in relation to what I have been learning lately comes from the article we had to read which was written on The Good of a Flourishing Creation: Seeking God in a Culture of Affluence, written by David Warners and Larry Borst. They spoke so much about the wealth of North America, the greed we have in the way that we are constantly using up all the resources of the world, and how the concentration of the people of the world today is so individualistic that we do not see the rest of creation flourishing. In fact, just the opposite, we see the rest of creation falling apart. Again I am drawn back to think of India, seeing the people living in the streets, the many little clusters of slum neighbourhoods, and then my thoughts are brought back here to homes filled with pointless possessions which are acquired simply as a sign of status. Who cares about what the rest of the world thinks of you, if soon enough there won’t be much of a world left? Consumerism has taken hold of us with its nasty talons and we have stopped struggling to get free. Praise the Lord that He has let me see this now; it is my prayer that I do not forget it and go back to that exact way of living! I am learning to love the idea of living simply, of giving to those who are in need rather than fulfilling the desires of my fleshly nature.
To sum it up…I am still a student of life, and of love, and of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no end to the things which I have been learning over this past year and even in these past few weeks specifically. I am learning about the ways in which I am Miranda, and I am learning still how to become the Miranda that God wants me to be. In all that I am learning, I believe that I have been reminded that I still have much to learn, and that I need to let the love which comes from Christ bind up all those things, that his judgement, wisdom, guidance, and love would be the things I follow as I journey one step at a time into life.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Post-India blog....looooooooooong.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask of imagine…And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!” (Ephesians 3:20; Psalm 90:17)
Going into these past few weeks, these two verses were my prayer for all that we would see and be a part of and do while we were in India. Sure enough, as I will tell you later on, He is faithful to answer the prayers we lift up in faith, trusting that He is a God who answers.
At 4:00 pm on March 11, 16 of us left with our bags packed to mark the beginning of a journey that has changed my life and, I am sure I speak the truth in saying, the lives of every one of the 15 others with me. As we piled into the van here at camp the excitement began to grow just thinking about how far we were going to be from home and all the things we had no idea we would get to see and do, we drove about half an hour to the ferry and went over to the mainland where we stayed the first night in a church not too far from the airport. While we were there we got to hang out and talk and pray about all that was to come; also, Amelia put my hair into many little braids (so very handy in taking care of hair that you don’t get to wash for a long time!). We got to bed at a reasonable time (which meant crashing on the floor and some chairs in the church) and had a pretty broken sleep, at least I did, as the excitement continued to build.
The next morning was not too early as we got up and headed over to the airport in two trips because we did not all fit together with our packs into the one van that we now had because Kristie was leaving her car with someone at the church to take care of it. When we were all there we said our farewells to JimBad before hanging out for a bit in the lobby area. Eventually we made our way to the check-in lines and said goodbye to our big packs until Delhi. Making our way through security went very well and without incident, except that Eric was the recipient of a “random search”. We found some food after locating our departure gate and before much longer were seated on the plane that would take us to Japan.
That flight was a little crowded but we all managed to be rather close together anyways. The coolest part of that flight was the fact that we left Vancouver in the morning and flew through the whole day and managed to get to Tokyo Narita at a time when we should have been in darkness but came instead just as the sun was rising again there, so we had 48 hours with out a sunset and a night-time. Interesting. Jayme, Eric, and I had bought the same word search book together before leaving the Vancouver airport so that we could have races during the flight, we only ever had one, but it was awesome because I won about five minutes before the next person even finished the puzzle! Plus we had these awesome remote controls that allowed us to watch movies, TV, the view outside the plane, listen to music, and play video games…the sick part was that there was just about 9.5 hours worth of movies (which was the length of the flight) and I do believe that those movies as well as a bit of video gaming and a little chat time is exactly what filled up the whole flight…yeah, gross.
When we got to Japan, it didn’t really feel as though we had come so far, but looking at a map showed the proof. It was pretty sweet to be in Japan even though we did not get to go out and do much in the way of exploration, but we did get to go to this cool little noodle house and have some amazing dinner there, and I really do mean that it was good, plus the familiarity of a soothing Coca Cola to drink was great after looking at food labels and such that made no sense because they were totally not understandable! But the food was incredible anyways.
The next day we got up and headed back to the airport, through security without a hitch once again and on to our departure gate and eventually onto our very much less packed flight to Delhi, we had so much extra space on that flight that I was able to have my own row the whole time and I used it to journal and to relax and even read a paper! I found some encouragement as I read through some of Isaiah where it was talking about being a servant of God; they were verses which I believe did well for me to hear before the trip that was to come.
On that flight I got to look out the window to see both mount Fuji and mount Everest (at very different times because they are not that close together) it was pretty crazy and let me just say that Everest is a beast and I have a new respect for those who have both succeeded and failed at attempting to conquer it! Danielle ended up getting sick on this flight, it may have been the food or she just got a little bit of air sickness or whatever, she was ok the next day though. Praise God for that!
When we landed it was a little bit surreal, we stepped off and it was much warmer right away and already the smells were very different but not in a bad kind of way at all. You certainly knew that you were no longer in Canada when you say armed guards walking around with automatic rifles all over the place, it was something you would see in movies and I almost found myself looking for a camera setup somewhere, the guns hardly looked real to my eyes! I was also reminded that we were far from home when I went to refill a water bottle from a water filter thing that would be totally safe at home and had to think twice and leave the water bottle there because really we have no idea where that water came from and what could be in it. It would not have been fun to be sick the first day in the country! As we walked out of the secure area we met up with friends (whose names I will not say, because it is still important to make sure that they stay safe) and we headed out to the YMCA that we got to stay at.
The traffic was something else that was such a clear sign of where we were, the lines meant nothing as all the cars darted in and out trying to pass everything in front of them, and the noise was incredible as people honk all the time, not because of road rage or anything like that, rather just because it is a courtesy in letting people know you are close behind, in fact many times over the duration of our time there we saw bumper stickers which sai
d “horn please” haha it was so funny and it took a while to get used to, but still I don’t think I ever felt like I was not safe, the Lord had His hands on us the whole time and there was nothing to worry about. We were able to spend a couple of nights in Delhi and spent some time in the street markets where people would constantly come up and try to sell you things from their hands, but if you stay on the sidewalk right next to the shops they can not bother you too much as they are not allowed up there. And yet some of them were small kids and we got to talk to them, because they knew quite a bit of English, and we bought some of the little things that they were selling to try and help them out.
Eventually it was time to head out of that big city so we hopped on a train (in a part of town that to any North American would look rather sketchy and very much not like there was a major train station anywhere near that area).
It was a few hours on the ride, it began with a wonderful orange sunrise, but as I sat at the window I do not think that I looked in for more that five collective minutes on the whole ride as there was always something to look at outside; from the cows, to the slums,
the people squatting in the fields and next to the train tracks, the countless people always on their way somewhere, the garbage all over the landscape and the birds that are always swarming overhead. To the nice looking fields and farmlands where things seem more peaceful, and the mud areas where the Dalits work all day long to make bricks…so many things, stuff which you had no idea about and things which you can see in movies and TV shows whenever you turn on a set. The ride made me think so much about the way that we live back here in Canada and North America in general compared to so many of the conditions in which they live over there. We are so incredibly blessed, and so pathetically ignorant to those blessings, we think we need so much, always looking to buy the next new thing, we don’t need that, imagine if we lived simply and instead of fulfilling all our pointless wants we chose to support others and help provide for their needs…what a different world we would live in. Yet human nature makes it so hard for us all to let go of those desires. Lord save us from ourselves!
When we arrived at our destination, those things just continued to add up. We have made it to a place called Haridwar which is basically a Mecca for Hinduism. Our first stop was at a huge statue idol of their destroyer god Shiva, there was a man sitting und
erneath it and people came up to be blessed by him as they worshipped the empty statue, as we went on from there we saw so much more blind following of the lies which they believe and live by so adamantly over there. I found myself being filled with anger and pity and compassion and so much more all at the same time. As we walked by each little statue it was all I could do to keep myself from smashing it and showing them the emptiness of what they were worshipping, to show them that those things have no true power of the Lord of all things. We went up to the place at the Ganges river where many many people were dipping themselves in ceremonial washing, thinking that they were being forgiven through that, children, elderly, people in their prime of life, everyone was doing something in relation to the things they are so blinded by. There were beggars and people badly deformed I had tears as I looked into the windows of the souls from behind my darkened sunglasses and saw emptiness. It was devastating; I did not understand how people can live for such things, have such emptiness and not acknowledge that it is not true. Yet even they say that their gods are demons and they follow them out of fear alone. Such is the power of the enemy in those places, yet let the light of the love of the Lord shine there and all things will be made new, and we were part of shining that light, preparing the way. God save your children from an eternity without you, you know them so intimately, bring them back to you, and let the little light we brought be enough to reach some! A lesson I learned on this trip, which started here, is how important it is to keep anger, even righteous anger, out of the way of loving people the way God loves them!
A true blessing came later in the day as we headed up to the home of our won
derful hosts, when we stopped at the Moravian School, it was so clear that the presence of God was prevalent in that place, right when we drove through the gates you could physically feel all the oppression from the rest of the day simply lifted off of you and instead had a sense of peace and love and knowing that Jesus Reigns in that place. The Lord’s timing is impeccable, to end the day on an up note rather than letting it go by simply with what we had seen and felt before. Praise the Lord for He is Good!
After spending a little bit of time at that school and seeing kids who are being freed from the lies their families have so long believed in, we headed to our final destination of the day and settled in to the hotel before heading to the house for dinner and to be introduced to the rest of the team. Dinner was great and we had a chance to talk about the day gone by before heading back to the hotel for bed. The next day was great as we got up and saw the spectacular view that the city had to offer as it sat on the top of a hill. We spent some time talking in the yard at the house before lunch and then headed down to the bizarre where we did a little more shopping for things to bring home for people. Something which I will make note of here is the fact that no matter where we went, people always stopped everything they were doing to stare at us as long as we were in their line of sight. It wasn’t so bad in this place as it is more of a tourist place and I think people like us are a little more common but even as we would drive from place to place on the bus there was always someone staring back in at us. And a smile and a wave proved to be the most universal language one can have and all can know.
Going into these past few weeks, these two verses were my prayer for all that we would see and be a part of and do while we were in India. Sure enough, as I will tell you later on, He is faithful to answer the prayers we lift up in faith, trusting that He is a God who answers.
At 4:00 pm on March 11, 16 of us left with our bags packed to mark the beginning of a journey that has changed my life and, I am sure I speak the truth in saying, the lives of every one of the 15 others with me. As we piled into the van here at camp the excitement began to grow just thinking about how far we were going to be from home and all the things we had no idea we would get to see and do, we drove about half an hour to the ferry and went over to the mainland where we stayed the first night in a church not too far from the airport. While we were there we got to hang out and talk and pray about all that was to come; also, Amelia put my hair into many little braids (so very handy in taking care of hair that you don’t get to wash for a long time!). We got to bed at a reasonable time (which meant crashing on the floor and some chairs in the church) and had a pretty broken sleep, at least I did, as the excitement continued to build.
The next morning was not too early as we got up and headed over to the airport in two trips because we did not all fit together with our packs into the one van that we now had because Kristie was leaving her car with someone at the church to take care of it. When we were all there we said our farewells to JimBad before hanging out for a bit in the lobby area. Eventually we made our way to the check-in lines and said goodbye to our big packs until Delhi. Making our way through security went very well and without incident, except that Eric was the recipient of a “random search”. We found some food after locating our departure gate and before much longer were seated on the plane that would take us to Japan.
That flight was a little crowded but we all managed to be rather close together anyways. The coolest part of that flight was the fact that we left Vancouver in the morning and flew through the whole day and managed to get to Tokyo Narita at a time when we should have been in darkness but came instead just as the sun was rising again there, so we had 48 hours with out a sunset and a night-time. Interesting. Jayme, Eric, and I had bought the same word search book together before leaving the Vancouver airport so that we could have races during the flight, we only ever had one, but it was awesome because I won about five minutes before the next person even finished the puzzle! Plus we had these awesome remote controls that allowed us to watch movies, TV, the view outside the plane, listen to music, and play video games…the sick part was that there was just about 9.5 hours worth of movies (which was the length of the flight) and I do believe that those movies as well as a bit of video gaming and a little chat time is exactly what filled up the whole flight…yeah, gross.
When we got to Japan, it didn’t really feel as though we had come so far, but looking at a map showed the proof. It was pretty sweet to be in Japan even though we did not get to go out and do much in the way of exploration, but we did get to go to this cool little noodle house and have some amazing dinner there, and I really do mean that it was good, plus the familiarity of a soothing Coca Cola to drink was great after looking at food labels and such that made no sense because they were totally not understandable! But the food was incredible anyways.
The next day we got up and headed back to the airport, through security without a hitch once again and on to our departure gate and eventually onto our very much less packed flight to Delhi, we had so much extra space on that flight that I was able to have my own row the whole time and I used it to journal and to relax and even read a paper! I found some encouragement as I read through some of Isaiah where it was talking about being a servant of God; they were verses which I believe did well for me to hear before the trip that was to come.
On that flight I got to look out the window to see both mount Fuji and mount Everest (at very different times because they are not that close together) it was pretty crazy and let me just say that Everest is a beast and I have a new respect for those who have both succeeded and failed at attempting to conquer it! Danielle ended up getting sick on this flight, it may have been the food or she just got a little bit of air sickness or whatever, she was ok the next day though. Praise God for that!
When we landed it was a little bit surreal, we stepped off and it was much warmer right away and already the smells were very different but not in a bad kind of way at all. You certainly knew that you were no longer in Canada when you say armed guards walking around with automatic rifles all over the place, it was something you would see in movies and I almost found myself looking for a camera setup somewhere, the guns hardly looked real to my eyes! I was also reminded that we were far from home when I went to refill a water bottle from a water filter thing that would be totally safe at home and had to think twice and leave the water bottle there because really we have no idea where that water came from and what could be in it. It would not have been fun to be sick the first day in the country! As we walked out of the secure area we met up with friends (whose names I will not say, because it is still important to make sure that they stay safe) and we headed out to the YMCA that we got to stay at.
The traffic was something else that was such a clear sign of where we were, the lines meant nothing as all the cars darted in and out trying to pass everything in front of them, and the noise was incredible as people honk all the time, not because of road rage or anything like that, rather just because it is a courtesy in letting people know you are close behind, in fact many times over the duration of our time there we saw bumper stickers which sai
d “horn please” haha it was so funny and it took a while to get used to, but still I don’t think I ever felt like I was not safe, the Lord had His hands on us the whole time and there was nothing to worry about. We were able to spend a couple of nights in Delhi and spent some time in the street markets where people would constantly come up and try to sell you things from their hands, but if you stay on the sidewalk right next to the shops they can not bother you too much as they are not allowed up there. And yet some of them were small kids and we got to talk to them, because they knew quite a bit of English, and we bought some of the little things that they were selling to try and help them out.Eventually it was time to head out of that big city so we hopped on a train (in a part of town that to any North American would look rather sketchy and very much not like there was a major train station anywhere near that area).
It was a few hours on the ride, it began with a wonderful orange sunrise, but as I sat at the window I do not think that I looked in for more that five collective minutes on the whole ride as there was always something to look at outside; from the cows, to the slums,
the people squatting in the fields and next to the train tracks, the countless people always on their way somewhere, the garbage all over the landscape and the birds that are always swarming overhead. To the nice looking fields and farmlands where things seem more peaceful, and the mud areas where the Dalits work all day long to make bricks…so many things, stuff which you had no idea about and things which you can see in movies and TV shows whenever you turn on a set. The ride made me think so much about the way that we live back here in Canada and North America in general compared to so many of the conditions in which they live over there. We are so incredibly blessed, and so pathetically ignorant to those blessings, we think we need so much, always looking to buy the next new thing, we don’t need that, imagine if we lived simply and instead of fulfilling all our pointless wants we chose to support others and help provide for their needs…what a different world we would live in. Yet human nature makes it so hard for us all to let go of those desires. Lord save us from ourselves!When we arrived at our destination, those things just continued to add up. We have made it to a place called Haridwar which is basically a Mecca for Hinduism. Our first stop was at a huge statue idol of their destroyer god Shiva, there was a man sitting und
erneath it and people came up to be blessed by him as they worshipped the empty statue, as we went on from there we saw so much more blind following of the lies which they believe and live by so adamantly over there. I found myself being filled with anger and pity and compassion and so much more all at the same time. As we walked by each little statue it was all I could do to keep myself from smashing it and showing them the emptiness of what they were worshipping, to show them that those things have no true power of the Lord of all things. We went up to the place at the Ganges river where many many people were dipping themselves in ceremonial washing, thinking that they were being forgiven through that, children, elderly, people in their prime of life, everyone was doing something in relation to the things they are so blinded by. There were beggars and people badly deformed I had tears as I looked into the windows of the souls from behind my darkened sunglasses and saw emptiness. It was devastating; I did not understand how people can live for such things, have such emptiness and not acknowledge that it is not true. Yet even they say that their gods are demons and they follow them out of fear alone. Such is the power of the enemy in those places, yet let the light of the love of the Lord shine there and all things will be made new, and we were part of shining that light, preparing the way. God save your children from an eternity without you, you know them so intimately, bring them back to you, and let the little light we brought be enough to reach some! A lesson I learned on this trip, which started here, is how important it is to keep anger, even righteous anger, out of the way of loving people the way God loves them!A true blessing came later in the day as we headed up to the home of our won
derful hosts, when we stopped at the Moravian School, it was so clear that the presence of God was prevalent in that place, right when we drove through the gates you could physically feel all the oppression from the rest of the day simply lifted off of you and instead had a sense of peace and love and knowing that Jesus Reigns in that place. The Lord’s timing is impeccable, to end the day on an up note rather than letting it go by simply with what we had seen and felt before. Praise the Lord for He is Good!After spending a little bit of time at that school and seeing kids who are being freed from the lies their families have so long believed in, we headed to our final destination of the day and settled in to the hotel before heading to the house for dinner and to be introduced to the rest of the team. Dinner was great and we had a chance to talk about the day gone by before heading back to the hotel for bed. The next day was great as we got up and saw the spectacular view that the city had to offer as it sat on the top of a hill. We spent some time talking in the yard at the house before lunch and then headed down to the bizarre where we did a little more shopping for things to bring home for people. Something which I will make note of here is the fact that no matter where we went, people always stopped everything they were doing to stare at us as long as we were in their line of sight. It wasn’t so bad in this place as it is more of a tourist place and I think people like us are a little more common but even as we would drive from place to place on the bus there was always someone staring back in at us. And a smile and a wave proved to be the most universal language one can have and all can know.
(at this point there will be no more pictures on here i am sorry, they are not loading properly...i may try to put on more another day as a separate blog but for now i have to ask you to look on facebook for the pictures. sorry and thank you!!)
After a couple of nights at this place we set out with the team to begin our trekking, the bus ride was long and very windy on the roads but the view was incredible, beyond words really and even pictures do not do it justice. Jeremiah ended up getting very motion sick so we eventually had to stop with three hours of driving to be finished the next morning, because he was at the point of puking out the window even as we drove along. It was ok though because it gave us a chance to play with some kids who we would not have met otherwise and shine some light into still another place along the way. God let your presence never leave that place or the memories of those people! The next morning we got back on the bus and finished that drive, met up with some of our porters and hopped into some jeeps to drive the last 11 or so km which took about 45 minutes just because of the terrain, true off-roading in the Himalayan foothills. It was great, and super dusty and extremely close to the edge of the road, but again there was no feeling of fear or insecurity as we knew that the Lord had his hands on us.
From our final destination to which we would arrive by vehicle we strapped on our packs and prepared to head out…then it began to rain and we huddled together in cover to wait out those clouds first, and Tom thought to pray for more struggles, for sickness to come, for rain to come, for things to be hard. While I agree in a way that I did not want to have it easy on this trip, I almost feel like the Lord had that in mind already anyways, so others chose to pray for mercy instead. Haha and sure enough the winds picked up as if to say, you asked for it, things will be a challenge, but know I (He) am with you always. Very cool. (no need for me to mention that along the trip people did feel sick and everyone was exhausted, we took fun in reminding Tom that he prayed for it every time he talked about it, haha...praise God for the way in which Tom was able to hike so well on his ankle!) Eventually we were able to set out and after a couple of hours and a very steep Jacob’s Ladder switchback straight up area, we made it to our first village spot where we set up to stay the night. That night Dan and Jayme and I had dish duty and we managed to have a lot of fun doing it and a tonne of laughter was had, it was awesome, and then we had another nightly time of sharing in the dark on the deck under the stars before going to bed.
The next morning we were up and back on the trail again to reach our second village destination, it took us a lot longer that day and the way was steeper near the end of the day’s journey, plus we had been getting higher in altitude so that had begun to play a large factor in the fatigue. Yet we all made it there safe and sound and went out to play with the kids, right before we had we heard news that the Good News Message was being shared in the next room so we prayed for a good 15 minutes before heading out to be with the kids and upon returning for dinner we learned that salvation had come to the family and one or two other people who were our porters, I was so excited that I turned and told everyone I could see around me about it…then as we were having dinner I began to feel a little sick, I don’t know why or how but that was exactly what I needed that night, as I was laying in bed drinking rehydration water the others were downstairs celebrating with those new to the Family and I finally broke for the people, I teared up, I cried and I realized that my prayers had been answered, I had cried out that I wanted to see something to show what it was God was doing in these far away places, and there it was, that was what we had gone for, even if we had not gotten to see it happen and it had taken a few more years, that’s where the hope of the nation lies, in each family turning to the Lord one at a time and then speaking into the lives of others. That night I went to bed feeling a little better physically but much better spiritually. Praise the Lord!
The morning came and I was feeling much better, I was able to down three pancakes for breakfast and thought I was good to carry my pack for the day, but only a little while in it was clear that I was not 100% strong so one of the porters ended up taking my load for me, it was a blow to my pride and a humbling experience, to see the others be able to struggle through and then think how hard it was even for me yet I did not have my pack on me, even if I had been a little off the night before, I wanted to prove that I could do it. Yet I could not, none of us could by our own strength, it was something bigger than us which lifted our feet and placed them each step of the way. I learned that day that no matter how tired you think you are, as long as you keep going there is no measure to how far you can go when you lean on the strength of one who will provide precisely what you need and not an ounce more. And then we reached the end point and everything was wonderful…and very cold so we all huddled in our beds until dinner and then returned to them again right after eating! Haha, but what an amazing view from there. The might peaks of the Himalayas all around and knowing we had made it that far, even with the threatening snow which had begun to fall on us as we went. And made the blossoming trees along the way look so magical. As though we were walking though the LOTR writings or the land of Narnia itself.
That night as we shared again during the nightly session, I told about the feelings I had experienced in Haridwar and along the way up and at the school and how feeling sick the night before had brought me to the breaking point and one of the others spoke into my life when he said that we can not truly love the way God loves, nor do the work fully which He has called us to do until we have been broken for the people the way that He is broken for them. There is so much truth in that and Praise God that he did all it took to make me realize that. I realized the hope that is in that place, that as people travel to those places looking to worship emptiness, they will find Christ-loving people instead. Praise the Lord! The Kristie challenged me with the question “are you willing to labour for Him, even if you do not get to see the fruits of it in your lifetime on earth?” Lord I am willing, make my heart always willing to follow you one faithful step at a time no matter where you lead me!
You called me
To live for you
You made my life
To be lived in you
You took my doubts
And my fears away
Show me how
To love like you
You showed me
Your brokenness
Now write it on my heart
Teach me how
To follow you
Show me the steps
To take in you
You called me
Here I am
We got to spend a couple of days up in that amazing place, before waking one morning to a fresh dump of snow which we proceeded to hike through on the way out, the way it made the whole place look literally made me stop in my tracks more than once to look around and take it all in. the Lord painted a masterpiece that day and we got to be in it…and then further down the snow turned to slush and then mud and water like a little river on the trail and at points it was a little annoying and the downhill was getting to my knees, but I was carrying my own load and the Lord got us through safe and sound again back to the village we had gone out from. The village where I met a young girl named Lalita who has become very special to my heart and who I will commit to pray for as long as I live. She has the eyes of a leader, Lord make her a leader for you! I gave to her the soccer jersey which Andre had given me to give to someone special in India, it had to be her! And she went and put it away as soon as she got it and then came back out to play more games. Games which we played together showing the love of God right beside the empty temple which will one day be destroyed and forgotten because of the great things the Lord has planned for those places and those people, people with some of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen. I pray for them with hope.
The following day we chose to hike all the way back to the jeeps which would take us to the bus, it was very sunny that day and we had all burned the previous day because of the reflection of sun off the snow, but it was ok and even through the heat we struggled and enjoyed the whole time, conversations and breathlessness equally enjoyed all the way out. By the end of it we knew we had done a great thing, but not on our own, and not for ourselves, all the altitude illness which had been experienced, the sunburns, and the bumps and bruises we might have had from little falls or anything like that felt fine in the end. We made it back to the bus, spent the night there, where Alivia and I got to take care of one of our leaders who ended up getting sick and we got to see an Indian thunder storm and met some local dogs who were calm and friendly that came into the hotel to seek shelter from the storm. Had another sharing time and then went to bed.
The next day we had an amazing drive through rain and sun all the way back to the city and got to reflect on our times spent in the mountains. Luckily this time no one got too sick from the bendy roads. We got back and had an amazing dinner and lovely homemade pies for dessert before getting a very good night of sleep. The following day we went back to the house and had some solo time where we wrote letter for ourselves which will be sent to us in a few months to remind us of all we learned and saw while we were there, so that we might not forget. Then we headed out in cabs, did a little shopping, some got their noses pierced and then we hit up an Indian McDonalds (chicken burgers all around) and then headed to the train station to make our way back to Delhi so that we could fly out the following day on our way back to Japan. As much of those days came with reluctant farewells to people we had come to love and respect, people we will never forget, people who shared with us the story of their lives and have become part of the story of our own, it was close to tears and yet there is so much joy in knowing that we are part of the same eternal family, I will not go into more detail about those days. Our last goodbye was said at the airport as we made our way to our departure gate and then on to the flight which was not to packed and looked down as India faded into the distance, sleep came on that flight for a little while and then we were up and off the flight again in Japan for a few hours to sleep and shower at the hotel before continuing on the journey home.
(oh random notes: Chai tastes the best in India, hot tang is amazing, Japan has the best McDonalds, make sure you have authentic sushi when you are in Japan – I failed to do this – don’t ever feel like you can not do something because the Lord will be your provision and in Him you can do all things, nothing is impossible to God…squatty potties are gross but you get used to them, we went to this place called the red fort and a place that is thelargest mosque in India where we had to wear colorfully polka dotted robes...ok that’s all…for now; PS you can find more pictures on facebook!)
That flight out from Japan to Vancouver was long but not unbearable even though it was very full, no sleep was had there but it was ok and we made it safely back, met with JimBad at the airport and were on our way home via the ferry. When we got back to camp we were received by people we had not seen in several weeks. It was good but it did not, and at times still does not feel like we are really back and that soon we will wake up back in Delhi or in our sleeping bags on the home of a kind village host. There is so much more that I could go into, but this blog is so long, and there is so much that is still being processed even now that needs to wait until I understand what the lessons were. I do know that on the way home it felt like Kaleo was something that had happened a long time ago and I know that I am ready for the next step, ready to follow in what the Lord has planned for me next. And excited to see what that is. And yet there is, I am sure, much more for me to learn before that happens, Lord let me be patient and still to learn all that you have left to teach me here. “It matters not the path on earth, my feet are made to trod; it only matters how I live: obedient to God.”
Please forgive me that I am not able to tell every single thing that went on, but I do not think that would be possible in any case, if you have questions or even just want to leave a comment *please by all means *leave a comment* and I will be sure to get back to you no doubt.
“Go tell it on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere”!!! AMEN!
After a couple of nights at this place we set out with the team to begin our trekking, the bus ride was long and very windy on the roads but the view was incredible, beyond words really and even pictures do not do it justice. Jeremiah ended up getting very motion sick so we eventually had to stop with three hours of driving to be finished the next morning, because he was at the point of puking out the window even as we drove along. It was ok though because it gave us a chance to play with some kids who we would not have met otherwise and shine some light into still another place along the way. God let your presence never leave that place or the memories of those people! The next morning we got back on the bus and finished that drive, met up with some of our porters and hopped into some jeeps to drive the last 11 or so km which took about 45 minutes just because of the terrain, true off-roading in the Himalayan foothills. It was great, and super dusty and extremely close to the edge of the road, but again there was no feeling of fear or insecurity as we knew that the Lord had his hands on us.
From our final destination to which we would arrive by vehicle we strapped on our packs and prepared to head out…then it began to rain and we huddled together in cover to wait out those clouds first, and Tom thought to pray for more struggles, for sickness to come, for rain to come, for things to be hard. While I agree in a way that I did not want to have it easy on this trip, I almost feel like the Lord had that in mind already anyways, so others chose to pray for mercy instead. Haha and sure enough the winds picked up as if to say, you asked for it, things will be a challenge, but know I (He) am with you always. Very cool. (no need for me to mention that along the trip people did feel sick and everyone was exhausted, we took fun in reminding Tom that he prayed for it every time he talked about it, haha...praise God for the way in which Tom was able to hike so well on his ankle!) Eventually we were able to set out and after a couple of hours and a very steep Jacob’s Ladder switchback straight up area, we made it to our first village spot where we set up to stay the night. That night Dan and Jayme and I had dish duty and we managed to have a lot of fun doing it and a tonne of laughter was had, it was awesome, and then we had another nightly time of sharing in the dark on the deck under the stars before going to bed.
The next morning we were up and back on the trail again to reach our second village destination, it took us a lot longer that day and the way was steeper near the end of the day’s journey, plus we had been getting higher in altitude so that had begun to play a large factor in the fatigue. Yet we all made it there safe and sound and went out to play with the kids, right before we had we heard news that the Good News Message was being shared in the next room so we prayed for a good 15 minutes before heading out to be with the kids and upon returning for dinner we learned that salvation had come to the family and one or two other people who were our porters, I was so excited that I turned and told everyone I could see around me about it…then as we were having dinner I began to feel a little sick, I don’t know why or how but that was exactly what I needed that night, as I was laying in bed drinking rehydration water the others were downstairs celebrating with those new to the Family and I finally broke for the people, I teared up, I cried and I realized that my prayers had been answered, I had cried out that I wanted to see something to show what it was God was doing in these far away places, and there it was, that was what we had gone for, even if we had not gotten to see it happen and it had taken a few more years, that’s where the hope of the nation lies, in each family turning to the Lord one at a time and then speaking into the lives of others. That night I went to bed feeling a little better physically but much better spiritually. Praise the Lord!
The morning came and I was feeling much better, I was able to down three pancakes for breakfast and thought I was good to carry my pack for the day, but only a little while in it was clear that I was not 100% strong so one of the porters ended up taking my load for me, it was a blow to my pride and a humbling experience, to see the others be able to struggle through and then think how hard it was even for me yet I did not have my pack on me, even if I had been a little off the night before, I wanted to prove that I could do it. Yet I could not, none of us could by our own strength, it was something bigger than us which lifted our feet and placed them each step of the way. I learned that day that no matter how tired you think you are, as long as you keep going there is no measure to how far you can go when you lean on the strength of one who will provide precisely what you need and not an ounce more. And then we reached the end point and everything was wonderful…and very cold so we all huddled in our beds until dinner and then returned to them again right after eating! Haha, but what an amazing view from there. The might peaks of the Himalayas all around and knowing we had made it that far, even with the threatening snow which had begun to fall on us as we went. And made the blossoming trees along the way look so magical. As though we were walking though the LOTR writings or the land of Narnia itself.
That night as we shared again during the nightly session, I told about the feelings I had experienced in Haridwar and along the way up and at the school and how feeling sick the night before had brought me to the breaking point and one of the others spoke into my life when he said that we can not truly love the way God loves, nor do the work fully which He has called us to do until we have been broken for the people the way that He is broken for them. There is so much truth in that and Praise God that he did all it took to make me realize that. I realized the hope that is in that place, that as people travel to those places looking to worship emptiness, they will find Christ-loving people instead. Praise the Lord! The Kristie challenged me with the question “are you willing to labour for Him, even if you do not get to see the fruits of it in your lifetime on earth?” Lord I am willing, make my heart always willing to follow you one faithful step at a time no matter where you lead me!
You called me
To live for you
You made my life
To be lived in you
You took my doubts
And my fears away
Show me how
To love like you
You showed me
Your brokenness
Now write it on my heart
Teach me how
To follow you
Show me the steps
To take in you
You called me
Here I am
We got to spend a couple of days up in that amazing place, before waking one morning to a fresh dump of snow which we proceeded to hike through on the way out, the way it made the whole place look literally made me stop in my tracks more than once to look around and take it all in. the Lord painted a masterpiece that day and we got to be in it…and then further down the snow turned to slush and then mud and water like a little river on the trail and at points it was a little annoying and the downhill was getting to my knees, but I was carrying my own load and the Lord got us through safe and sound again back to the village we had gone out from. The village where I met a young girl named Lalita who has become very special to my heart and who I will commit to pray for as long as I live. She has the eyes of a leader, Lord make her a leader for you! I gave to her the soccer jersey which Andre had given me to give to someone special in India, it had to be her! And she went and put it away as soon as she got it and then came back out to play more games. Games which we played together showing the love of God right beside the empty temple which will one day be destroyed and forgotten because of the great things the Lord has planned for those places and those people, people with some of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen. I pray for them with hope.
The following day we chose to hike all the way back to the jeeps which would take us to the bus, it was very sunny that day and we had all burned the previous day because of the reflection of sun off the snow, but it was ok and even through the heat we struggled and enjoyed the whole time, conversations and breathlessness equally enjoyed all the way out. By the end of it we knew we had done a great thing, but not on our own, and not for ourselves, all the altitude illness which had been experienced, the sunburns, and the bumps and bruises we might have had from little falls or anything like that felt fine in the end. We made it back to the bus, spent the night there, where Alivia and I got to take care of one of our leaders who ended up getting sick and we got to see an Indian thunder storm and met some local dogs who were calm and friendly that came into the hotel to seek shelter from the storm. Had another sharing time and then went to bed.
The next day we had an amazing drive through rain and sun all the way back to the city and got to reflect on our times spent in the mountains. Luckily this time no one got too sick from the bendy roads. We got back and had an amazing dinner and lovely homemade pies for dessert before getting a very good night of sleep. The following day we went back to the house and had some solo time where we wrote letter for ourselves which will be sent to us in a few months to remind us of all we learned and saw while we were there, so that we might not forget. Then we headed out in cabs, did a little shopping, some got their noses pierced and then we hit up an Indian McDonalds (chicken burgers all around) and then headed to the train station to make our way back to Delhi so that we could fly out the following day on our way back to Japan. As much of those days came with reluctant farewells to people we had come to love and respect, people we will never forget, people who shared with us the story of their lives and have become part of the story of our own, it was close to tears and yet there is so much joy in knowing that we are part of the same eternal family, I will not go into more detail about those days. Our last goodbye was said at the airport as we made our way to our departure gate and then on to the flight which was not to packed and looked down as India faded into the distance, sleep came on that flight for a little while and then we were up and off the flight again in Japan for a few hours to sleep and shower at the hotel before continuing on the journey home.
(oh random notes: Chai tastes the best in India, hot tang is amazing, Japan has the best McDonalds, make sure you have authentic sushi when you are in Japan – I failed to do this – don’t ever feel like you can not do something because the Lord will be your provision and in Him you can do all things, nothing is impossible to God…squatty potties are gross but you get used to them, we went to this place called the red fort and a place that is thelargest mosque in India where we had to wear colorfully polka dotted robes...ok that’s all…for now; PS you can find more pictures on facebook!)
That flight out from Japan to Vancouver was long but not unbearable even though it was very full, no sleep was had there but it was ok and we made it safely back, met with JimBad at the airport and were on our way home via the ferry. When we got back to camp we were received by people we had not seen in several weeks. It was good but it did not, and at times still does not feel like we are really back and that soon we will wake up back in Delhi or in our sleeping bags on the home of a kind village host. There is so much more that I could go into, but this blog is so long, and there is so much that is still being processed even now that needs to wait until I understand what the lessons were. I do know that on the way home it felt like Kaleo was something that had happened a long time ago and I know that I am ready for the next step, ready to follow in what the Lord has planned for me next. And excited to see what that is. And yet there is, I am sure, much more for me to learn before that happens, Lord let me be patient and still to learn all that you have left to teach me here. “It matters not the path on earth, my feet are made to trod; it only matters how I live: obedient to God.”
Please forgive me that I am not able to tell every single thing that went on, but I do not think that would be possible in any case, if you have questions or even just want to leave a comment *please by all means *leave a comment* and I will be sure to get back to you no doubt.
“Go tell it on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere”!!! AMEN!
Monday, March 9, 2009
here we go!!
hey all, here i am trying to get out one last blog before we leave for India...i have no idea where to start, this past week, well lets be honest i do not remember much of it, other than it was a class week and we had our Gospels course, that was great. my mind right now is pretty much all over the place, making sure all the stuff i will need is packed and that i have done all that needs to be done before we leave, and i think that i have been successful in that. but we shall see. there will be a website which will have updates for our trip on it, that site is http://www.kaleolife.ca/k6ministrytrips/Kaleo_Ministry_Trips_2009.html
take a looksy every now and then and say a little prayer for us as we are all off in different parts of the world.
sorry this was so short, updates will come in a couple of weeks...there will be much to talk about then, thank you all for your prayers!!
love you!
take a looksy every now and then and say a little prayer for us as we are all off in different parts of the world.
sorry this was so short, updates will come in a couple of weeks...there will be much to talk about then, thank you all for your prayers!!
love you!
Monday, March 2, 2009
“For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21
“He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Where is my heart right now? What are the things which I have set my eyes upon as treasures lately? Have I surrendered it all to Christ and set Him above all other things in my life? Have you?
With the date of departure to a far away land of which I know very little about, if anything at all, I have been facing a few questions lately. The one which has been near the top I think was made very clear to me in our last three days of prayer time in room 204. Have I truly given up everything to God, have I put Him first in my life, and is that surrender complete? It would be so easy for me to simply say yes because I know that is the answer that the Lord wants to hear from me. Yet when I think about it, have I really? Is my faith complete in knowing that what He has planned for me is truly better by far than anything I could ever hope to accomplish on my own? I am not sure why these questions in particular have been brought up in my mind, but they have. During my time in room 204, I constantly searched for stillness and silence, the ability to sit and listen to the Lord. What came to me was the word dependence. I need to just stop trying so hard to do things on my own and to depend on Him. To know that He is my only source of true strength; that it is only by His will that I can accomplish anything. I know that while we are trekking through those mountains we will all have times where we are worn out, exhausted, not able to go another step with our own strength. We will be put out of our comfort zone in the people we meet and the food that we eat. We will be squished in tight places, and we will stand at great h
eights overlooking a land we do not know. And we will be forced to overcome barriers in getting to know the local people. None of these things we can conquer or overcome on our own. God made us to be dependant on Him. I do not know what will happen while we are there and while we are traveling, but I know He has a plan and I want to follow it. I want to lift my foot before I see where it will land. I want to follow Him faithfully. Would you say the same?
Apart from that little tidbit, this week has been one of a great deal of research and paper writing. Many days passed seeming as though they were all one long and tiresome day as I poured over books and internet sources searching for information with which to write my final Theology paper. I wrote it on a passage out of Isaiah 6:1-8 pertaining to the holiness of God. As much as I can honestly say that I spent much more time looking into this paper than any other, I am almost not sure if it was because I just wanted to do well, or because I was trying to impress our professor. Either way, I found myself really wanting to dig deeper into this, I asked friends and family, I had hypothetical conversations with people to simulate what a non-believer would think about God being holy, and I called my Grandpa who is a reverend pastor. By far I can say that this is a paper which I have put great effort and much time into…hopefully the resulting grade will reflect that fact.
On the note of theology class, we had our final day of instruction from Dr. Lech Bekesza this past week. I must admit that I am somewhat saddened by this fact as I have thoroughly enjoyed the things we have been going over and what the teaching style of Lech. Yet I know that the things we have learned have been planted in my mind and my heart and I will continue to search them out whether in school again later or as I go through life.
Friday night youth did not happen for me this week as I was sitting in front of this computer screen which I have become far too familiar with. I can not even express how good it felt on Sunday evening at quarter to ten when I handed in the last three papers of this past homework crunch. The next thing to worry about academically is the exam we will be having on Friday for the Gospels class which we began today. Let me say, reading through these written records of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ has put in me a new desire to search out more of the Word of God. I pray that this fire would not be quenched by things of this world, but that it would become the one and only treasure on which I focus, that my heart would be filled with the things that God has for me to learn.
Well, here I come to it at last; this will be the last blog I write before our departures for India. As we are aiming to be away from camp by 2:00 pm on Monday afternoon of next week. I feel a sense of something almost like anxiety about that prospect and yet it still does not feel quite real as of yet. Perhaps tomorrow evening when we have a packing party as a team in order to make sure all that we will need is going to fit in our packs…I am so glad that I was able to obtain a sleeping bag compressor as it now takes up less than half the space it did before! (Thank you mom and dad!) We have continued our workouts together and will have our final one on Monday morning, before we leave for the ferry to the mainland, in the form of a run. It should be great. I feel as though there is so much more I could write and yet I feel like this is where I need to stop…perhaps a little later in the week (what with all the spare time we now have because of lack of papers to write) I will post another blog more about life at Kaleo than the deep matters of the heart and reliance on God, though these are of great importance and can not be left without thought or prayer.
And so I will ask you all for prayer for health, as many of the group are fighting down colds; for the finances still withstanding to be brought in, and for the healing of wounds which may hinder in the rough terrain, like the newly released leg of one Tom Bietz and the knee of one Shannon Allison, as well as the still-fractured wrist of one Jayme Adams. Continued prayer while we are over there for wisdom and discernment would be fantastic as well.
Where is my heart right now? What are the things which I have set my eyes upon as treasures lately? Have I surrendered it all to Christ and set Him above all other things in my life? Have you?
With the date of departure to a far away land of which I know very little about, if anything at all, I have been facing a few questions lately. The one which has been near the top I think was made very clear to me in our last three days of prayer time in room 204. Have I truly given up everything to God, have I put Him first in my life, and is that surrender complete? It would be so easy for me to simply say yes because I know that is the answer that the Lord wants to hear from me. Yet when I think about it, have I really? Is my faith complete in knowing that what He has planned for me is truly better by far than anything I could ever hope to accomplish on my own? I am not sure why these questions in particular have been brought up in my mind, but they have. During my time in room 204, I constantly searched for stillness and silence, the ability to sit and listen to the Lord. What came to me was the word dependence. I need to just stop trying so hard to do things on my own and to depend on Him. To know that He is my only source of true strength; that it is only by His will that I can accomplish anything. I know that while we are trekking through those mountains we will all have times where we are worn out, exhausted, not able to go another step with our own strength. We will be put out of our comfort zone in the people we meet and the food that we eat. We will be squished in tight places, and we will stand at great h
eights overlooking a land we do not know. And we will be forced to overcome barriers in getting to know the local people. None of these things we can conquer or overcome on our own. God made us to be dependant on Him. I do not know what will happen while we are there and while we are traveling, but I know He has a plan and I want to follow it. I want to lift my foot before I see where it will land. I want to follow Him faithfully. Would you say the same?Apart from that little tidbit, this week has been one of a great deal of research and paper writing. Many days passed seeming as though they were all one long and tiresome day as I poured over books and internet sources searching for information with which to write my final Theology paper. I wrote it on a passage out of Isaiah 6:1-8 pertaining to the holiness of God. As much as I can honestly say that I spent much more time looking into this paper than any other, I am almost not sure if it was because I just wanted to do well, or because I was trying to impress our professor. Either way, I found myself really wanting to dig deeper into this, I asked friends and family, I had hypothetical conversations with people to simulate what a non-believer would think about God being holy, and I called my Grandpa who is a reverend pastor. By far I can say that this is a paper which I have put great effort and much time into…hopefully the resulting grade will reflect that fact.
On the note of theology class, we had our final day of instruction from Dr. Lech Bekesza this past week. I must admit that I am somewhat saddened by this fact as I have thoroughly enjoyed the things we have been going over and what the teaching style of Lech. Yet I know that the things we have learned have been planted in my mind and my heart and I will continue to search them out whether in school again later or as I go through life.
Friday night youth did not happen for me this week as I was sitting in front of this computer screen which I have become far too familiar with. I can not even express how good it felt on Sunday evening at quarter to ten when I handed in the last three papers of this past homework crunch. The next thing to worry about academically is the exam we will be having on Friday for the Gospels class which we began today. Let me say, reading through these written records of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ has put in me a new desire to search out more of the Word of God. I pray that this fire would not be quenched by things of this world, but that it would become the one and only treasure on which I focus, that my heart would be filled with the things that God has for me to learn.
Well, here I come to it at last; this will be the last blog I write before our departures for India. As we are aiming to be away from camp by 2:00 pm on Monday afternoon of next week. I feel a sense of something almost like anxiety about that prospect and yet it still does not feel quite real as of yet. Perhaps tomorrow evening when we have a packing party as a team in order to make sure all that we will need is going to fit in our packs…I am so glad that I was able to obtain a sleeping bag compressor as it now takes up less than half the space it did before! (Thank you mom and dad!) We have continued our workouts together and will have our final one on Monday morning, before we leave for the ferry to the mainland, in the form of a run. It should be great. I feel as though there is so much more I could write and yet I feel like this is where I need to stop…perhaps a little later in the week (what with all the spare time we now have because of lack of papers to write) I will post another blog more about life at Kaleo than the deep matters of the heart and reliance on God, though these are of great importance and can not be left without thought or prayer.
And so I will ask you all for prayer for health, as many of the group are fighting down colds; for the finances still withstanding to be brought in, and for the healing of wounds which may hinder in the rough terrain, like the newly released leg of one Tom Bietz and the knee of one Shannon Allison, as well as the still-fractured wrist of one Jayme Adams. Continued prayer while we are over there for wisdom and discernment would be fantastic as well.
Much love to you all!! Until next blog!
And with that I will say goodbye.
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” – Matthew 10:37-39
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” – Matthew 10:37-39
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