Perfume

Do you ever notice how scents can affect you? Some smells remind us of childhood, some of a person that we love, some of a place that we have visited. There are pleasant smells and not-so-pleasant smells and memories to match. I often get teased because the smell of a dairy reminds me of childhood and I therefore say that it smells “good.” Then I find myself explaining that there is a sweet cow/alfalfa smell about dairies that is good, even if some dairies and stockyards smell absolutely horrible.
Spring is in the air in Southern California. We’ve had intermittent rain showers that clean the air and stimulate new growth. The trees and flowers emit a bouquet of scents that are strong enough to make me sneeze, but are enjoyable none-the-less. It is a good reprieve from the smoggy smell of this area.
I went to my parent’s house last weekend and enjoyed the smell of the orange trees blooming. Then we took a drive up to my Grandparent’s. Of course, we had the windows of the truck closed the whole way, so when we opened the doors we were hit by the mountain air. The pine, oak, and other green things mixed with the brisk freshness that is at that altitude was a beautiful perfume.
Lord, thank you for blessing us with the sense of smell and for allowing us to enjoy some scents so very much.

Easter Musings

This Easter, I have begun to realize something strange about my coworkers. When I first began to work with them, I noticed that many were not unlike most people who don't know Christ. They struggle with the same problems and need the same hope. However, I have noticed lately that they are a different group of people than those that I am used to. Many grew up in the church. Some know a good deal about the Bible. Others even know the Gospel message that brings salvation. It is strange to converse with my coworkers, since their knowledge about some areas of Christianity surpasses my own. It makes me wonder if they are just churched or if some of them know Christ and just don't look like the average Christian.
Regardless of whether they have a relationship with Jesus, my job remains the same; to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world that needs Him so much.

Automobile Annoyance

I got a letter from a friend the other day telling of how difficult it is to get work done on a vehicle in a third-world country. She was fortunate to break down near a village, but unfortunate that she was not near a larger town or a cell phone tower. However, she did manage to get the car worked on by a competent mechanic. She spoke of finding a mechanic who literally does all of his work under a shade tree and uses rudimentary security precautions such as locking up the spare tire inside of the vehicle to prevent theft. I was impressed at just how much he was able to do with his meager resources, but it seems that he was able to get the job done.
In contrast, I broke down three weeks ago just across the street from a modern auto shop. They were able to fix my car quickly and competently and I was back on the road 3 days later. However, my car broke down again in just a few days. Consequently, 2 weeks and 3 mechanic shops later, I should be driving my car again soon. I hope when I am in Cameroon, God will provide help like the mechanic that my friend ran into.

Just Another Day in the ER

We saved a life yesterday. A woman was brought in by paramedics having a massive heart attack. She was declining quickly and life saving measures had to be taken fast. We managed to stabilize her enough to send her off to cardiac cath lab to undergo a heart catheterization. She was literally teetering between life and death when she arrived at our door and just seemed to be getting worse for the 20 minutes that it took to get her to cath lab. But we received word less than an hour later that she survived the procedure and received a stent, a balloon pump, and a pacemaker. It is a bit of a thrill to be able to work as a team and make a definite difference in the outcome of someone who is so suddenly and severely ill.
I was a bit disappointed though, and this is why: I've seen lives saved before. Not just physical lives that will end eventually, but spiritual lives. I've seen people come to the Savior and receive true life. That is a true thrill!!
My experience last night is contrasted with what I read in Isaiah this morning.
"How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!' Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, they shout joyfully together; for they will see with their own eyes when the Lord restores Zion. Break forth, shout joyfully together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God."
Isaiah 52:7-10

Cross-cultural Communication

I got an email update from friends in Cameroon today. They talked of how difficult it is to communicate with people from totally foreign culture. Talking in Baka is hard enough, but even when they communicate in French, they come away confused.
As I was reading in Isaiah this morning, I felt the same way. The words made sense, but I knew I wasn't really getting the full gist of the passage. I began to think about how my understanding of the scripture is tainted by the culture that I live in. I am not Hebrew, and I don't think like a Hebrew, so I don't fully understand all of the context of many Biblical passages in the same way that the original audience did. Soon, I will be trying to communicate scriptural truths to yet another culture with a completely different contextual understanding of the way things work. In some ways, I am sure that the Baka will have a purer and more complete understanding of scripture. However, there will be obstacles to hurdle as I try to take what I have learned, lift it from my cultural foundation and lay it back down in front of the Baka.
Thank God that He is bigger than our ability to communicate!!!

The Maribo

Please lift up the Baka team in prayer. Here is thier latest email prayer update:

The Maribo (The healer):

Several nights ago a woman came to our door asking if I would give her and her family a ride to the Baka encampment just down the road from us. I knew that her son was very sick with Tuberculosis and, in reality, couldn't endure the 3 kilometer hike so I said yes.

Soon I realized the reason for the trip. A man who is well known for his ability to heal was there. I was asked to give money so that he could start treating the boy.

My first intuition was that this man was no ordinary doctor. I asked a few questions to see what the course of the treatment might be. It didn't take long before I learned the information that confirmed my suspicions. The man is a seer as well as a healer. He is supposedly able to determine whether sorcery is the cause of the illness and who might be at fault. I declined to give money- saying that I am not at liberty to give money for this because I am under the authority of the one true God.

I returned home and throughout the night we could hear drums reverberating from the camp as it was a clear night. We wondered what was happening, as this continued until very early in the morning.

The next morning we heard that the 'healer' had successfully pulled something black out of the boy's stomach. Also all of the people were asked to reach their arms over the fire to determine if anyone played a part in his sickness. We were also told that the ritual would continue that night and that we were invited.

The hardest thing that we were facing was the support the 'healer' has even among those that frequent our small church on Sunday mornings. They were confused at our reluctance to give our support; one even saying that this man is given his powers by God. So we had a decision to make- to go or not to go. We discussed it as a team and as families and prayed together over the decision, knowing that this matter was of significant importance.

Part II in a couple of days.

For His Glory,

Barry, Desma, Brianna, and Brendan

Prayer

Through a recent email dialog with a friend, I have realized again the power and importance of prayer. Through this and some other correspondence, I have begun to come to grips with the lack of prayer in my own life. It's silly. I have seen first hand some very amazing answers to my own prayerful petitions. I have experienced the benefit of being in the prayers of others. I have learned to really enjoy praying, both with others and by myself. Why then, do I neglect prayer?
Well, sometimes it is because I feel that I am not worthy to approach the throne of God. ...a silly thing indeed if Christ really died to redeem my life. At other times I am too busy or tired or I occupy my time with much less important things. How can I put more value on these less important things when I have seen and experienced the power of prayer?
You know, it is so amazing to me that our prayers should affect the actions of an omnipotent God. It's as if the mailroom guy is asking the CEO for certain improvements in the company. Of course, the CEO knows better how to run the company, but he waits for the mailroom guy to ask anyway. God is glorified by our answered prayers. We ask Him to work in someone's life or ministry and we can't help but glorify Him for the actions we see Him take. Our prayers adjust our vision, so that we can see God working.
I've made a new resolution to be more faithful in prayer. Feel free to keep me accountable to this decision. And pray that God would give me the diligence and resolve that I need to accomplish this.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
Romans 12:10-13

In Dependence

After spending some time with friends tonight, I have realized again the importance of being in community. This is something that I began to understand during my last couple years of school. It became apparent to me that God puts us in situations where we really need each other. He created us to need each other. He is forming a body of believers out of this world, a body with different parts that are all dependent on the whole.
Thus, if we are not acting like the body that God is making us, we will not be doing our job correctly. That includes being honest with each other. A passage from Michael Yaconelli's book "Messy Spirituality" struck me as so strangely true. It refers to the pretending we do when we are trying to hide what is really going on in our lives, what we really struggle with, and that we are really not "OK." This is what Yaconelli has to say.
"“Pretending is the grease of modern nonrelationships. Pretending perpetuates the illusion of relationships by connecting us on the basis of who we aren"’t. People who pretend have pretend relationships. But being real is a synonym for messy spirituality, because when we are real, our messiness is there for everyone to see."
The messiness is hard, but it is necessary, because we were made to rely on each other.
I need to stop messing around with pretending and modern nonrelationships and really be intentional about being a friend to those people that God has put into my life.

Fellowship

I saw a friend from school today. We graduated together, and we have a great deal in common when it comes to previous experiences and ministry calling. He is one of those people who I could talk to forever because we like to talk about the same things. He is also one of those people who is never afraid to turn the conversation to spiritual things and to share deep heart matters. I miss conversations like that. I miss the kind of fellowship that causes me to really evaluate my life and how I am to use it for the glory of God.

It’s not that I don’t have the kind of friends who engage in fellowship times like that, but I think I have isolated myself from the intimacy of true Christian fellowship. I am learning what Paul meant when he wrote, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25)”.

Worthwhile

When I think of God's amazing sacrifice, of the promise that He has given us, of the hope we have of future glory, it is such a small, small thing that I should serve Him during this short life on earth. It is such a small thing, and yet no other occupation is more important or nearly as worthwhile.

This Dieing Stuff

Death is something that has become not so uncommon in my world lately. That is one of the hazards of working in the ER. When I was in school, I was told by many of my professors that when a person is in the hospital, they are likely to be receptive of spiritual things. Many times, walls that exist when a person is well are easily broken down when he is ill. I had the opposite experience yesterday.
When I arrived at work, I received a patient who had end-stage lung cancer with metastases to the liver and spine. She was not responding well to chemotherapy anymore and came to us with severe difficulty breathing and a dangerously low blood pressure. With her family, she had decided that she did not want any heroic life-saving measures taken. In short, my patient was dieing.
During the course of our time together, she turned to me and said “This dieing stuff is hard.”
Being the attentive nurse that I try to be, I recognized this as a prime opportunity to talk with her about spiritual things. I asked her if she wouldn’t mind if I prayed with her. This question usually opens up communication lines as patients share what they would like you to pray about. However, my patient was not so receptive. She said that prayer helps some people, but she did not want to be prayed with.
So I asked if she would mind if I prayed for her later by myself. Her response was the same. She said that she did not feel that she was helped by prayer and that it might make some people feel better, but it did not help her.
It is at a point like this that the four spiritual laws or a traditional approach to sharing the Gospel doesn’t work to well, but I was able to share with her that I know a mighty God who hears and answers prayer. I know that He heard my prayer for my dieing patient this morning and I can only pray that He touches her life in a way that opens her eyes to her need for a Savior.

Which Came First…

I was reading Eternity in Their Hearts, by Don Richardson last night. I reached a section in the book where Richardson was presenting an opposing argument that stated that we, as a human society, came up with the idea of God. And, like us, of course, the idea of God evolved through time. The father of this theory was a man named Edward B. Tylor. Tylor said that ancient savages conceived the idea of a soul because of their experiences with dreams, visions, sleep, and death and their observance of shadows and reflections. As time went on and society developed, they began to develop their ideas of the supernatural. When aristocracies appeared, the idea of gods ruling over spirits appeared. Then, with monarchies came the idea of a supreme god. According to Tylor, monotheism, or the idea that there is one “Creator God” is just an invention of man that was preceded by polytheism.
Later on, a man named Andrew Lang, who is described as “Tylor’s favorite pupil,” came to some conclusions of his own. You see, Lang was a strong supporter of Tylor’s theories, but he was soon to encounter strong, undeniable opposition. When Lang read a letter sent home by a missionary, celebrating the fact that the people the missionary had been sent to reach already had an idea of a “Creator God,” his ideas were immediately challenged. However, he vehemently opposed the idea of monotheism preceding native polytheism, or animism and began to publish more works and speak publicly supporting Tylor’s theory
Another strong supporter of Tylor, Wilhelm Schmidt, was spurred on by the fact that Lang’s ideas were not accepted by the scholarly community. So, he dedicated himself to the study of the subject, with the idea of proving Tylor and Lang correct. He found the evidence to be strongly in opposition to Tylor’s theory. It seemed that “native monotheism” was alive and well and had, in actuality, preceded the idea of animism. Schmidt ended up publishing 4,000 pages of evidence in 12 volumes supporting the fact that monotheism had actually preceded animism.
This anthropological victory got me thinking. Animism is alive and well in most third-world cultures. The presence of spirits and their influence on life and death and the events of every day is undeniable in many areas of the world. Because of this, people have a very strong fear of controlling spirits and become indebted to them. Their lives are dictated by the traditions associated with their religion, not because religion is an invention of man, but because they must appease the spirits. This enslavement is driven by a very real and valid fear of real spirits who oppress.
All of this is sometimes hard to imagine from a North American perspective. Satan also enslaves us, but from a standpoint of denial. We have a hard time acknowledging that the spiritual world actually exists. Satan’s control of our lives often comes from convincing us that that there is no spiritual battle. Therefore we become apathetic.
Satan’s strategy in animistic cultures, however, is the opposite. Everything is driven by fear. It is in this setting that God has called me to work. This raises the question; how am I, an apathetic North American, going to convince a culture that is ruled by fear that God is more powerful than the spirits that they serve? The good news is that it really isn’t my job to do the convincing. But, in my attempt to be a worker worth her wages, I have to make my life worthy of the sacrifice of Jesus. God must be so real in my life that He clearly outshines the demons in theirs. I must have such a strong faith in Christ and His redeeming love that the demons shriek in horror.
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) This scripture must become my life-verse. Lord, please remove my apathy and replace it with zeal for you and for the furthering of your kingdom.

Stranger Things...

A few short years ago, I knew very little about the continent of Africa. I had a friend who had discipled me in high school who was a missionary there, but I had no other ties to that part of the world. It is strange now to think of all the ties I have over there. In fact, at this very moment, I have many friends, and even family traveling and serving God in Africa. Emily, Katie, and Emily’s parents are on a trip in Nigeria (Cameroon’s neighbor and close cultural cousin). They are doing medical work and helping out some of the long term missionaries who serve there. Sharon is serving with the Freisens in Big Bekondo, Cameroon, teaching their daughter Rachel and gaining some valuable insight into linguistics along the way. I am sure that her help is invaluable to the Scots and Freisens, who are in Big Bekondo long-term. Robyn is visiting Northern Cameroon with a group of North Americans and Ray and Paula, some friends of mine who are opening up a new field in the far north. Pray for them as they travel the area, praying 5 times a day and hoping to form some relationships with Muslims. And you know that my parents are in Cameroon. They are with my good friends Barry and Desma, and new friends Nathan and Laurel. And of course there are all the missionaries that I met in Cameroon.
What is really strange though, is the tie that I feel with the Baka pygmies of Southern Cameroon. I used to look at pictures of people like the Baka, who live the same way that they lived thousands of years ago, who would be called savage and uncivilized, people who you see in National Geographic. In fact, the Baka were featured in National Geographic several years ago. Now, when I look back at old pictures and home video of the people that I got to spend so much time with, I wonder at that strange world that God brought me to and has caused me to love so much, and I even wonder if He will really allow me to go back and continue to work toward accomplishing the Great Commission among them. Stranger things have happened.

Food Staples

This seemed like an interesting idea at first, but I think I might have gone overboard. The following are lists of different uses, mostly edible, of rice and corn respectively. Though this may be a boring read, it is interactive, so feel free to add to the list (in the comments section). I thought of adding lists for cassava and wheat, but that would have gotten even more tedious. Thanks for putting up with my attempt at generating an idea for a blog entry.

Rice
Boiled rice
Steamed rice
Rice cakes
Rice crispies
Sticky rice
Rice milk
Rice noodles
Fried rice
Rice crispy treats
Chicken and rice soup
Puffed rice
Rice cereal
Sushi
Rice pudding
Rice wine vinegar
Horchata
Sake
Rice paper

Corn
Corn bread
Corn on the cob
Fufu
Grits
Sweet corn
Corn tortillas
Corn chowder
Maize
Corn whiskey
Tamales
Corn pops
Hush puppies
Corn starch
Corn syrup
Popcorn
Corn oil
Corn chips
Corn flakes

Distant Memories

Have you ever noticed how easily places and times are forgotten? I watched a movie set in Africa tonight. The Africa that was portrayed was much different than the Africa that I know, but it occurred to me that I have forgotten many of the details of my time there. Some images are harder to forget, because I have pictures to remind me, but many events, smells, tastes, and sounds get pushed back into the recesses of the memory until they are rarely recalled. Little things bring back memories. The taste of groundnut soup with friends a few months ago helped me to remember treasured time around the dinner table with friends. The smell of certain illegal substances on the clothing of some of my patients reminds me of the thick mélange of scents that would waft into my bedroom window each morning, and of the voices of Baka men, women, and children sharing a bit of daybreak family time around the fire. The sound and feel of the wind and rain today (though miniscule when compared to Cameroonian rain), reminds me of rainy season and the thunderous sound of water hitting the thin tin roof. The sight of malnourished children on TV and sick kids in my ER prompts me to pray for the starving children in the Baka camp and wonder at how conditions can be improved for them.
That brings up an interesting point. Many of my memories are fond and pleasant, but some are just the opposite. I long to return to Cameroon, but it is not the warm memories that draw me, but the desire to see God glorified among the Baka. I remember the faces of so many Baka who have died, so many sick children, so many lives that are imprisoned by spiritual slavery. God doesn’t just remember them. He knows them each by name and has the hairs on their heads numbered. And He loves each of them so dearly. Lord, please continue to put a little of Your heart in mine and grow in me a love for all of the people that you love so much.

Airplanes and Mongulus

Dad and Mom are going to Cameroon in a few short days! I am so excited for them! Please pray with me for safe travel and a God-glorifying time of fellowship between them and the Baka team. How I wish I could go with them, but alas, I could not fit in the carry-on (I nearly tried). Pray also that they would be well received by the Baka, and that their trip, in some way, large or small, would help to pave the way for me to go back in the near future.

Contentment

We all have moments when we are not nearly as content as we should be in the love and presence of God. I am reminded of a Chris Tomlin song that always prompts me to find my fulfillment and contentment in God Almighty.


Enough

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You are my supply
My breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
Worth living for
And still more awesome than I know

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

YouÂ’re my sacrifice
Of greatest price
And still more awesome than I know
YouÂ’re my coming King
You are everything
And still more awesome than I know

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know
More than all I can see
You are more than enough for me

Making Disciples

Another letter came from the Abbots today. They recalled the events of a "typical" day in Cameroon when they transported two ill children to a nearby hospital. I thought of many things as I read their letter. The nurse in me wanted to ask more questions about the children's symptoms and wondered if the illness was preventable. The missionary in me pondered the lack of resources. The Christian in me was proud that Barry and Desma took the time to use this situation as an opportunity to pray with the Baka. The overwhelming thought, however, was the desire to be in Cameroon, caring for the medical needs of the Baka with the goal of making disciples.

Jubilant Spirit

I just received another update from the Baka team. They spoke of a "jubilant spirit" that is causing the Baka to sing praises to a good God. It seems that the Baka are beginning to understand that Komba, the creator-God, cares about them and deserves their praises. This is a huge step toward the building of a reproducing church among the Baka!!
My friends also spoke of the old oppressive forest spirit, Jengi, who seems to still have a tight hold on the hearts of the people that live in Mayos. You see, though the Baka are learning that Komba cares for them, they also know intimately the slavery that spirit worship brings. They have been appeasing Jengi for generations and are, quite literally, in spiritual bondage.
Most of us in the West have no idea what it means to be cursed by someone or to be the subject of an evil spell. We spend a good amount of money and effort seeking out experts in medicine, finances, even home decorating, but the Baka, and many other people groups who are spiritually enslaved spend money and energy seeking out the expertise of witch doctors. Just as you and I see necessity in seeking out medical and financial help in certain situations, the Baka cannot imagine a life without appeasing the spirits.
Please pray with me that the God who created the universe, moves mountains, calms the seas, and changes the hearts of men would continue reveal His good purposes and His character. Pray that He would work among the Baka to free them from their long bondage.
(To see the full text of Barry and Desma's letter, please see the comments section.)

Dawn

Who is this babe that has caused such a ruckus? Why do millions of people stop to worship a little infant every December? What is so enchanting about the nativity? Why were the shepherds and the wise men so impressed? About whom did the angels sing their chorus?
In church today I was reminded that Israel was in the midst of a very dark night when their Messiah came. Some did not recognize Him, but for those who did, dawn began to break and hope returned. This dawn quickly spread throughout Israel and the neighboring areas. Since then, it has crossed cultures, seas, and language to reach some of the uttermost parts of this globe.
However, there are still so many people living in that dark night waiting for a Messiah. In many places of this world, whole people groups wait and wonder for God to end their night.
Lord, please light those dark places with the dawn of the nativity.

Present Sufferings

I can't describe to you what heaven will be like. I can't even imagine it myself. A little gem from the sermon this morning, or rather from Romans 8:18, reminded me that heaven will be beyond my wildest dreams.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
-Romans 8:18
Paul was no stranger to suffering. By the time he wrote Romans, he knew what it was like to be beaten, persecuted, near death, shunned… Perhaps some of you know what it is like to have sufferings that are overwhelming and seemingly unbearable. Weigh your sufferings, however mighty or overwhelming they might be and then try to imagine heaven. It is not even comparable!!! Heaven is not just a consolation prize for saints who have served their time on planet earth; it is what God had planned in the first place, a place full of love and peace and God’s very glory. Not only is heaven the opposite of suffering, but it is monumentally immeasurable, incomprehensible, and far beyond any of our wildest dreams.

Charlie Brown's Christmas tree

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Yesterday our apartment manager had the common areas decorated with lights and garland. Today, my roommates and I bought a live Christmas tree and some poinsettias to decorate our own space. We had some difficulty deciding on a tree as some were more expensive, but prettier and bigger, and some were not the right color or the right kind of branches. Eventually we all agreed on a cute little stone pine that stand about 3.5 feet high and leans ever so slightly. It's funny, because the fact that it leans was one of the deciding factors. We all agreed it reminded us just a little of that sad Christmas tree in Charlie Brown's Christmas. Our meager Christmas decorations will be more than enough to decorate our little tree, and I am sure it will look quite festive once it has lights and decoration. Not only that, but we can give it a spot in the backyard once Christmas is over.

Anthem for Christmas

Since Thanksgiving has officially passed, I have given myself permission to begin celebrating Christmas. This, of course, means that I can now legitimately listen to Christmas music. One of my favorite Christmas albums, Michael W. Smith's "Christmas," captures the celebration of the season quite well. The song that is quoted below puts joy in my heart and a new Christmas hope in my mind. It recounts what God intended when He created this world, reveals how He chose to remedy the problem of sin, and gives us a glimpse of what to expect when His kingdom is fully established. What an awesome God we have that He would first create such a wondrous world just to communicate love to us. And then, when we chose sin instead of simply accepting His love, He sent and even more precious gift, His own Son. I can't wait to see what He does next!!

Anthem For Christmas - Michael W. Smith
In the space of the beginning
Was the living Word of light
When this Word was clearly spoken
All that came to be was right

All creation had a language
Words to say what must be said
All day long the Heavens whispered
Signing words in scarlet red

Still some failed to understand it
So God spoke His final Word
On a silent night in Judah's
Hills a baby's cry was heard

"Glory!" sang the angel chorus
"Glory!" echoed back the night
Love has come to walk among us
Christ the Lord is born this night

All creation sing His praises
Earth and heaven praise His name
All who live come join the chorus
Find the words
His love proclaim

Storytelling

Everyone loves a good story. In fact, we seem to be infatuated with stories. We read stories in books, see them on TV and in movies, and listen to them on radio. Most of us grew up listening to stories told by a grandfather or some other elder relative. We tell our own story over and over (especially those of us who write blogs) and often even tell the stories of friends and acquaintances (some even take it as far as gossip). When I think about it, I realize that a good amount of our time is spent in story telling or in reading, watching, or listening to stories. The rest of our time is spent living out our own personal story.
Today, as I drove from Manteca to Santa Ana, I began pondering why we are so taken with stories. Perhaps it is because we were made by God to be story livers and story tellers. The best story of all is the story of redemption and forgiveness that Christ lived out for us and that every born again believer continues to live today. As we live out the story that Christ gave us, we have even more reason and opportunity to tell of the One who gave his life so that we might live.

Thankful

You all know that Thanksgiving is this week. What do you have to be thankful for? I am thankful for life and health (especially after coming home from work tonight). I am thankful for the time I got to spend with my brother this weekend and for the opportunity to drive home this Wednesday for Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for awesome roommates and for the protection that God has given us in spite of some tension with neighbors. I'm thankful for the privilege of being God's hands and feet to those who He places in my path.

Hurting People

I am beginning to realize how many opportunities I have to minister to people that I pass up. In the midst of being unhappy about my current job, I have been dreaming of working in a clinic with low-income families or the homeless. I figure that it would be a great opportunity for ministry and it would prepare me for some of the health problems that I am likely to see overseas. However, I forget that I have amazing opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus in my current position. The emergency room cannot be rivaled as a place to find hurting people. It is a unique environment filled with those who have recently and suddenly been thrown onto a physical and spiritual roller coaster. Lord, please help me to minister to the hurting people that I meet every day.

Visions of Mayos

I got an email from my friend who is visiting Mayos (the Baka encampment that I frequented when I was in Cameroon). She told me of how she is enjoying her time with the missionaries and with their precious children. She described a little of the Sunday worship service (they are really having weekly worship services!). And she mentioned meeting some Baka whom I have fond memories of. Though I really wish I could be there with her, it is neat to see Mayos through her eyes. I think tonight I will fall asleep with visions of Mayos dancing in my head.

Unprepared

A few years ago, I decided to become a nurse, because I felt that was the best way for me to gain some of the skills that I would need to be a missionary. When I finished school, I had hoped that I would be able to get a job that would prepare me for the kind of nursing that I would be doing on the mission field. The emergency room seemed to be the perfect choice. Working in an ER has proven to be a huge learning experience for me, just not the kind of learning experience that I had hoped for. You see, we, as a society, have learned a vast amount about the human body: how it works, what can go wrong, how to know what is going wrong, and how to treat it when it is not working right. Of course all of this knowledge is of great value. The problem is that there is so much that a nurse in my position needs to know. I have to be prepared to care for every patient, from the teenager who cut her finger in the kitchen to the middle aged man who collapsed in a shopping mall for no apparent reason and has been receiving CPR. I have found, time and time again, that I can not be properly prepared to handle every emergency that will come my way. In fact, I've been told that I could be an ER nurse for 30 years and still come across situations that I am not prepared for. I have also found that I am unprepared for some of the things that I should have already received training for. Thus, I am in a situation where I frequently experience "baptism by fire" or feel that I must "sink or swim."
I say all of this, not to complain about the stresses of the ER or to evoke feelings of sympathy from you all, but to draw some parallels with ministry, to write a parable of sorts.
I hope to be on the mission field in a couple of years, but am I prepared? Do I know about the ministry: how it works, what can go wrong, how to know what is going wrong, and how to treat it when it is not working right. Can I handle every emergency that comes my way? Have I learned as much as I can of the Bible? Do I have access to the vast amount of knowledge we have gathered about the human condition? I trust that God has given me the ability to bandage up some of those spiritual bumps and bruises, but what about the person who is teetering on the edge?
There's so much yet to learn in the next couple of years. "Baptism by fire" and "sink or swim" are not phrases that I want to use to describe my first couple of years on the mission field.

Lord, please cause me to be prepared for the ministry that you are leading me into.

Wasting Time

Sometimes I feel as if I waste so much time on silly, unimportant things, like television or surfing the internet. It's as if I know in the very core of my being that I was created for something so much more fulfilling and important. It takes me a while to realize that the one most important thing is my relationship with the creator of this universe, who, strangely enough, wants to spend time with me. Anselm, a eleventh century philosopher and theologion, said it well.

Up now, slight man! Flee for a little while thy occupations; hide thyself for a time from thy disturbing thoughts. Cast aside now thy burdensome cares, and put away thy toilsome business. Yield room for some little time to God, and rest for a little time in Him. Enter the inner chamber of thy mind; shut out all thoughts save that of God and such as can aid thee in seeking Him. Speak now, my whole heart! Speak now to God, saying, I seek Thy face; Thy face, Lord. Will I seek.

-Anselm

A Trip to Mayos

A dear friend of mine is spending some time with the Baka this week. As I wonder who she will meet in Mayos and what the reaction will be to the visitors, I am reminded of how much the Baka need Jesus. Please continue to pray for the Baka with me. Pray for simple things, like the availability of food when they go out to gather it tomorrow and for healing for the multiple illnesses they suffer because of their environment and because of malnutrition. Also pray for more spiritual things as they continue to hear about Komba (their name for God) and His plan for this world. Pray that they would listen and hear what Komba is saying to them and that many would come to a solid belief in Jesus Christ, who is the only way to be saved from sin. Also lift the Abbots, the Conrods, and Pierre up in prayer as they continue the work of sharing the Gospel with the Baka. Pray for Dan, Lisa, Rachel, and Sharon as they travel to Mayos to spend time with the Baka team, that their trip would be safe and beneficial to all. And pray for my own parents as they prepare to take a trip to Cameroon in January to encourage and help the Baka team.