Rich on the Road

Regular readers of the blog know that Catherine and I spent two weeks in China this spring and, when we returned, produced a TV news story about how the Dallas Theological Seminary has begun offering seminary classes to Christians in China over the internet.  It is a remarkable and developing story; China so long repressing Christian worship, now seemingly willing to work with DTS to help train leadership.

Last Sunday, President Bush took the hugely symbolic step of worshiping at a Beijing church and, separately, prodding Chinese officials to end the repression and openly embrace its estimated 100 million Christians.  Also at the church last Sunday in Beijing, DTS President Dr. Mark Bailey.  Dr. Bailey is home in Dallas now and on Friday, I sat down with him to talk about the experience and to produce a follow-up story for tonight's newscast.  You can see it on Fox 4 News at 5 and again at 9.  Please catch it if you can.  It will be on the internet by early evening.

Dr. Bailey Preaching in Beijing Last Week

For those interested, the earlier piece is also still available on the internet:

DTS Sending Online Seminary Classes to China

A side note.  Friday was supposed to be my day off but I worked it and got my sick day from Wednesday back.  Praise the Lord.  Almost two years now and still counting.  :)

Rich

Carrollton, TX

The pool was a mess.  Half the potted plants in the back yard are dead.  The lawn needs mowing.  The bills have stacked up.  And, the refrigerator was empty.  But, it's always a blessing to come home.

I wanted to write a short postscript on what was a very rewarding mission trip for Catherine and me.  We spent a lot of time in service and in sharing our faith.  We had time to grow closer to our God.  Each mission trip is a personal experience.  You get out of it what you put into it.  Some people are more engaged than others.  Some disconnect. But, the opportunities are there for those who seize them.  For us, at least, this was a good one.  A very good one.

The Whole Gang at Machu Picchu - Photo Courtesy Amanda Bloomquist

Not a perfect trip, though.  We both battled a pretty serious bout of something.  For Catherine, it's over.  She's still coughing a little but she's pretty much recovered.  Me.  Well, I had to make a little trip to the doctor today.  The prognosis: bronchitis.  I had to call in sick at work -- first time since October of 2006.  Man, I hated to break that record.  But, I'm on the meds and feeling better. 

As, I sit here and watch the Rangers fall behind in Boston again, I'm happy to report the voice is returning (always a good thing for a TV anchor/reporter) and I'm feeling a lot better. 

I should be good to go by Saturday.

Rich

"A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor."

Friends and loved ones - we are at the airport in Lima and headed home.  I'm sorry to report that Catherine and I missed most of what went on after church on Sunday -- a typically Peruvian lovefest of praise and worship for the King.  We were laid low by the cough and congestion thing that has made its way through our team of short-term missionaries and spent the rest of the day and night sleeping it off at the hotel.  Neither of us has ever been sick on a mission trip before - something I think we may have taken personal pride in, without giving credit where it belongs. Proverbs 29:23 (above) sums it up pretty well. 

We were back to nearly full strength this morning and have enjoyed a final day here - flying back from Cuzco to Lima, re-joined by team member Amber and several of our translators, for a little shopping and sight-seeing.  Now we wait.  And, wait.  For a flight that we hope will take off at about 11pm for Miami.  Last year, said flight did not get off the ground until 4 am. 

Our translators on this trip truly became part of the team -- true Brothers and Sisters in Christ.  Several have worked with us before, including David Q, Carlos, Cesar, Adalena and Abdel.   Below is a picture of most of them.  We love them all.

This afternoon a few of us broke away from the larger group to meet with a lady named Rosario -- our beloved and trusted administrator here in Lima and for the money we send for the children.  I wrote briefly about some issues we have with a lack of book keeping and what not at the orphanage.  Rosario, on the other hand, keeps meticulous books and, more than that, shares a heart for the children. 

One last picture, of me and two reasons why this mission work means so much to so many.  Rodin and Luis are prime examples.  Bright, hard-working and faithful young men who have made the most of every opportunity they have been given. 

Flights appear to be on schedule (always subject to change) and we hope to be back in Texas by mid-morning Tuesday. 

God Bless!

Rich

Cuzco, Peru

We're back in Cuzco, it's Sunday morning and we are preparing for church service at our Peruvian guide David's church.  Saturday turned out to be another remarkable day and I have the pictures to prove it.

Saturday dawned raining in Aguas Calientes but by the time we were on the train and moving the skies had begun to clear and it turned out to be another glorious day.  We got off the train in a place called Ollantaytambo where I snapped the picture below of what I guess we will call "professional posers." They were taking a lunch break in the back of a Toyota pickup.  They must have some kind of union.  They walk the plaza in their brightly colored traditional costumers (I'm guessing that over the years red has proved to be the most popular with tourists) and volunteer to pose for pictures with you -- for up to $5/per.  I thought this shot was better than a posed one.

Ollanta was a great diversion.  It has remarkable Incan ruins overlooking the town.  Only Amanda and David were up to the task of scaling mountains again.  The rest of us were trekked out.  We walked the old section of town -- houses built 700 years ago and still inhabited.  And, then we had lunch in a 2nd story cafe overlooking the plaza.

After lunch, I happened to find something that sounded interesting in a guide book -- a place called Salineras de Maras.  "Thousands of individual salt pans that form unique terraces in a hillside."  The guidebook went on to say the salt pans have been in existence for thousands of years, dating back to Incan times, passed down from family to family.  I asked the group if that sounded like something worth making a short side trip to see, David assured us it was interesting, all agreed and off we went.

Salineras de Maras turned out to be one of the most interesting places any of us have ever seen but it involved probably the scariest mountain road any of us have ever been on.  Just a short little zig zag down maybe a thousand feet.  But, on the tiniest gravel road, with some pretty steep drops to the bottom.  Once down there we all tip-toed into the maze of shallow pans.  Salt laden spring water pours out of the mountain and settles in the pools.  The salt crystalizes.  The locals rake it off, bag it up and taking it to town to sell.  I've never even heard of a place like this, much less seen one.  There are not a lot of folks I know who've seen more of this planet than I have.  And, it was an absolute unique experience for me.

My wife, known widely to her friends and family as the "Salt Queen" for her propensity to put salt on anything and everything, was certainly in her element.  She and the rest of us had to, of course, try a little of the salt.  And, it tasted like - salt!

Catherine, Jenny and Kristen

I should probably explain to those who don't know that this is the R&R end of a 2-week mission trip to Peru.  And, something that team members from Prince of Peace Lutheran in Carrollton paid for separately.  Not everyone opted for the add-on.  A couple team members went home on Thursday.

We haven't stopped being missionaries either.  Friday, a couple of team members witnessed to our guide at Machu Picchu.  Saturday we picked up a couple of hitchhikers on the road up from Salineras de Mara.  A man and a woman from France.  They, too, offered us an opportunity to talk about Jesus Christ and how is love compels us to take the Good News to the ends of the earth.

There is a little cough and congestion thing making its rounds among team members right now.  I, for one, have just about lost my voice.  But, we continue to pray for healing and strength and God delivers both.

Well, it's off to church now.  More touring this afternoon.  I'll try to blog again on Monday.  And, we're all  back in Texas on Tuesday.

Rich

Cuzco, Peru

Sixteen of us are in the midst of a transition now from Christian mission work to R&R&R - Rest, Reflection and the seizing of Rare opportunities, now that we're in the general neighborhood.  For two people on the Prince of Peace team, the mission is over.  Amber and her mom, Doreen have left us and gone back to Texas.  The rest are waking up Friday in Cuzco, Peru, more than two miles up in the Andes, the ancient capital of the Incas and gateway to one of the Seven New Wonders of the World -- Machu Picchu.  That's where we leaving for this morning by bus and train.

We flew in Thursday afternoon after one final tear-filled stop at the orphanage.  Lots of hugs and picture taking with our great interpreter team at the airport.  Emotional stuff.

I'm going to make today's post pretty brief.  We're all exhausted.  A few have health minor health issues.  But, we're all excited about the next couple of days.  About recharging our batteries.  I should be able to share pictures - I need one of Jenny Jackson, for example, at Machu Picchu.  Just for her Mom.  Catherine and I have fallen in love with a new group of young people like Jenny and Heather and Kristen and Amanda and Will.  Just about everybody else on the trip is an old friend - a Christian brother or sister that we've long known and cared about.  But, that's one of the great things about mission trips; you get to know the hearts of fellow believers, to share their joys and their hearts.  To make friends for eternity.

We've been through a lot the last couple of days.  Spiritual warfare that I really haven't touched on in these blogs.  I'm not sure I'm up to the task.  A few words can't do justice to what everyone has witnessed and experienced.  But, team members can tell you the stories when they get home.  Ask them to.  Take time to listen.  Sometimes it helps a lot.

Anyway, as always, I'll post when I can.  I might miss a day but, if so, assume we are having a wonderful time because I know we will be.

Rich

Lima, Peru

Wednesday was a true Christian adventure.  Pastor Manuel asked the team to go high up the mountainside, to where Huaycan nearly reaches the summits of this barren, boulder strewn, mountain-goat landscape.  To the American eye, no one would ever choose to live in a place like this.  Every drop of water must be hauled in by truck.  Cars and three-wheeled vehicles called moto-taxis strain to chug up the steep grade.  And, yet the Peruvians continue to build homes -- some just wood and thatch huts, others fairly substantial stone structures --  higher and higher up what they call a "cerros."   Our big bus huffed and puffed but finally hauled us all to near the end of the road.

When we got out and started walking, the view was breathe-taking (so, I'm sure was the altitude) and we saw the sun for the first time since we arrived in Peru.  It was actually a little warm as we picked our way carefully up the hills to continue our door-to-door evangelism.  Everywhere there were sheer drop-offs.  A time or two I had to scoot down on my butt to ensure I didn't tumble off a cliff -- never a good idea this far from an adequate hospital.  But, trek we did.  Here, as elsewhere in Peru, we found many believers.  Some just needed encouragement and an invitation to Pastor Manuel's church.  Many asked us to pray for them -- health problems, a husband who'd run off, a little boy with a broken leg. 

Increasingly, I find it easy to evangelize in this setting.  Tall (and all of us in the group are tall by Peruvian standards) Anglo people naturally draw attention.  You can see that people are curious about who you are and why you have come to their neighborhood.  So, I tell them.  My Spanish is more than sufficient to say "We are Christians from the United States.  We've come to Peru to work with Pastor Manuel and his church.  Filadelphia.  Do you know it?"
Many are familiar with the church, though it's down the mountain some distance.  Others are not.  Either way, we offer to pray for them, engage them in discussion about their faith and leave them with a gift of rice and lentils, maybe a Bible if they need one.  It was an interesting and rewarding experience.  And, it probably helped me drop another pound or two.  That and my earlier intestinal difficulty have me looking forward to stepping on a scale when I get home.  Not entirely the way I'd choose to lose five pounds (see Tuesday's post).  But, I'll certainly take it.

Just one drunk today.  He followed us for a time.  Alonso and I stayed in the back of the group to make sure he didn't too curious.  He got bored and stumbled off.  No soft word needed (see yesterday's post).

The Llama Mamas, Catherine and others spent the afternoon taking the children from orphanage shoe shopping -- always controlled chaos.  All I know about that is what I hear second hand.  Sounds exhausting.  But, as always when dealing with the children, rewarding.

Wednesday night was the big service at Pastor Manuel's church.  A packed house, rocking with Christian praise music.  Pastor's oldest daughter has a great voice and leads the singing.  She got everybody hopping and dancing.  Not the kind of service we hold at home.  Double the passion.  And, this night double the drama.  At one point, a beautiful little girl launched into a coughing seizure.  She was taken outside and prayed over and the rushed to a hospital.  A couple of the women on the team were very shaken by the experience.  But, 45 minutes later the little girl was back in church - smiling, fine.  John Seale, among those who took her to the hospital reports that, apparently, she is suffering from nothing more than a bad cold.  Another elderly woman collapsed on the floor during worship.  She, though, was also fine.  Just, apparently, overcome by the emotion of the moment.  Not the kind of service we see at home.  Lutherans rarely collapse with emotion during service.

We got a wonderful send off from the church leaders.  Pastor read from Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
       where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
       the Maker of heaven and earth.

 He will not let your foot slip—
       he who watches over you will not slumber;

 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
       will neither slumber nor sleep.

 The LORD watches over you—
       the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

 the sun will not harm you by day,
       nor the moon by night.

 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
       he will watch over your life;

 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
       both now and forevermore.

We're off now to the airport, traveling on to Cuzco, Machu Picchu and beyond.  The Christian adventure continues.

Rich

Notes on door to door evangelism in Huaycan Tuesday -
We broke up into small groups, each having one of the men for security and a couple of interpreters. The first person my group encountered was a woman named Lilia, bed ridden with back pain. She wanted us to pray for her and her husband who is also having health problems. We prayed fervently, laying hands on her. Then left behind rice and lentils, a Bible and a hand-crafted cross made by kids at the orphanage. For first-timers, going door to door in a Third World slum is scary business but Catherine and I have done it now several times and, actually, look forward to it. Believe me, it's a lot easier to do here than it is in the suburbs of North Texas. We've done that, too, but with much more trepidation. Here, you encounter people, like Lilia, who desperately want you to pray with them, as we did today. To pray with and for them. To be in fellowship.

Catherine, Rosaline and Rich Going Door to Door in Huaycan
As the morning wore on, we really got off the beaten path, up the hill and into the smelly, trash-laden shanty town district of this ever expanding slum. As in most Latin American countries, rural people continue to migrate to the city by the millions. You see them here in Huaycan -- Mom and Dad and two or three children, all carrying backpacks and duffle bags. They get off the bus, their eyes open wide as they survey the bustling madhouse that is Huaycan. This is where their dream of a better life in the city begins. But, for many, it's a dream still unfulfilled. The last stop we made Tuesday morning was at the house of a lady named Carmen. It was a stone structure, well kept. Obviously, they've had some success in the past. But, Carmen's husband has lost his job and there are three children to feed. As we prayed for Carmen her tears freely flowed. One of our interpreters, Alonzo, was clearly moved. As we left, he told us this is a family that needs food. We made it happen. That was special, too, to see one of the Peruvians really get invested in what we're doing. They're all Christians but this is a job for them and not, necessarily, what they would do on their own.

John Seale with our Interpreters

We did encounter one belligerent drunk in our door-to-door work. It's something that often happens when we evangelize in Kenya. Before we went out in Huaycan, I shared a Bible verse from Proverbs with the group that , I think, is appropriate for the moments when trouble presents itself: "a soft word turns away wrath." It's worked for me many times in many situations. But, I didn't really follow my own advice on this occasion. I was in the middle of inviting a woman to Pastor Manuel's church service Wednesday night when the drunk stumbled over. I was speaking Spanish to the woman when he began to mumble something unintelligible in English. So, I invited him, too.
"Iglesia es un lugar para mujeres (church is a place for women)" he told me, spitting the words out.
"No, no, no!" I shot back, not softly. "Es un lugar para un hombre real (It's a place for a real man)."
Often, my Spanish is slow and halting. Those words snapped off my tongue.

Pastor Manuel and Children He Feeds Nightly

Speaking of Spanish. Usually, on a trip like this, I expect to be among the better Spanish speakers. Not so with this bunch. Will Kemp, Beth and Shaun Daugherty, Amanda Bloomquist, John Seale and others are clearly more fluent. But they help me. Especially Amanda, our High School Spanish teacher. In fact, this continues to be a remarkable team of Christians. If there is whining, or complaining, I haven't heard it. Stomach problems plague and have plagued a few of us but everyone soldiers on with a smile on their face. God bless them all.

David and Beth Cutting Hair Outside Filadelfia Church in Huaycan

And, God bless my beautiful wife. I wrote yesterday about how unglamorous mission work can be. Catherine is a woman who can, easily spend three hours getting dolled up to go out. I call it the "full fruh fruh." She hates camping out or roughing it. The smell of fish keeps her out of some markets. She is a very delicate flower, very much a "girly girl." But, for the love of Christ, she will troop through a Third World slum that reeks of human waste, go days without a hot shower, eat food she would never eat at home... and love it. I was talking with Doreen Tuesday night. She is a first timer, but now a veteran. She, like Catherine, is not the type you would expect to flourish on a mission trip. But, she has. She's loving it. Filled with energy. Glowing.

Colleen and Ros Washing Hair Outside Filadelfia

The bus ride home from a youth service at Pastor Manuel's Filadelfia church on Tuesday night produced some wonderful moments as we de-briefed and shared. Colleen had a particularly awesome story about an adult woman she'd invited to bring her children to church earlier in the day, a woman who came to the youth service -- and came to Christ. She told Colleen, as she cried in her arms, that in her depression and desperation, she'd been entertaining thoughts for weeks of killing herself and poisoning her two daughter. But, the invitation to church had struck a chord. Colleen struggled to tell us the story through her own tears, so translator Cesar picked it up. The woman talked of having a heavy heart and how, upon accepting Jesus as her Savior, the weight had been lifted. I cannot relate the story accurately here. Those of you who know Colleen, should ask her about it. You'll make her cry but she will share with you a remarkable story. As will others, if you ask them.

Mission trips change us all. In truth, we get far more out of this than we put in. Yes, we do some very good for others in the name of Christ. But, we also have an opportunity to focus on what's really important in our own lives. What's really important in our walk with Jesus. We hear and feel him clearly in times like this, in places like Huaycan. The people here do not need the "stuff" that clutters up our lives. Ryan preached powerfully about that Tuesday night, about how Americans, so rich in material things, are so poor in spirit. The people of Huaycan don't need our big grassy lawns and SUVs and plasma TVs. They need clean drinking water and food and health care. And, they need a Savior. They need Jesus. As, we all do.

Rich

As I write this we have wrapped up what amounts to a three-day Christian seminar for the kids.  We left the Retreat Center Sunday morning after a final worship service and took the children back to orphanage in Huaycan -- probably the poorest slum in the sprawling metropolis of Lima.   More on Huaycan in a moment but first let me re-cap what we´ve been doing at the Retreat Center in eastern Lima since Friday.  Praise, worship, Bible study, arts & crafts and nearly non-stop discipleship.  This is the kind of trip the "Llama Mamas" (Lori, Rosaline, Kathy and Stephanie) have wanted on previous missions.  Not that previous trips were non-productive, just not as focused on the kind of Christian time and attention they wanted for the orphanage children.  Last year, for example we spent the first half of the trip in northern Peru in the city of Chimbote.  There we worked with two churches, doing construction projects and evangelism, with our teenagers performing mimes (non-verbal skits in costume and with music that tell the Gospel story) and drawing big crowds to street revivals.  This team doesn´t have teenagers and won´t be doing mimes.  I´ll offer a couple pictures here from last year´s trip because I can´t upload new ones today.

Lori in Chimbote 2007

Instead, we´ve been assisted for the last three days by a terrifically talented praise band (we´re all learning Christian songs in Spanish), a hip-hop group the kids loved (and even some of us who hate rap appreciated) and a young evangelist named Sylvano, who has delivered a series of powerful messages aimed specifically at empowering young people.  He´s preached on stories from the Bible about young people -- Joseph and Gideon -- who illustrate how God often uses those who come from poor and powerless banckgrounds in mighty ways.  The messages urged the young Peruvians to put their trust in Jesus as their Savior and pursue their dreams, knowing that with God´s help they can rise up out of their poverty.  And, reap the blessings of a God-centered life.

Orphange Kids and Team Members 2007

Huaycan is a hard place, a world-class slum with shacks clinging to a stark, rocky mountainside where there is no running water and few amenitites that Americans take for granted.  Even in Huacan, though, we are seeing improvements.  The paved roads go farther up the "cerros" and the unpaved roads are in better shape.  The orphanage is a much better place than it was four or five years ago.  Still, these children are among the pooerest in a very poor country.  In truth, not all are orphans.  Some have parents who love and cherish them but simply cannot afford to feed and care for the them.  Others have been abused and abandoned.  There are issues with the administration of the orphanage that prevent it from getting all the aid it could.  Its owners have resisted the kind of fiscal openness that most charitable organizations demand before agreeing to help.  But, individual churches and individuals (like Ros, Lori, Stephanie, Kathy and others on our team) find ways of getting help to the kids.

And, there are remarkable success stories among the children.  Luis, for example.  An extremely bright and handsome 18-year-old who has been riding busses for hours a day to and from the orphanage to doggedly continue his education.  Rosaline, I know, has mentored Luis and become like a mother to him -  as others in our group have with other children.  Luis is intelligent and hardworking.  He is determined to forge a better future for himself.  His English is nearly fluent now and he´s always wanting to learn more.  When I first saw him on this trip he was so excited to show me his new passport -- obtained with much effort, no doubt, and an important step in his plan to one day study abroad.  More importantly, Luis is a follower of Jesus Christ and assured of his salvation.

Luis reminds me of my favorite Bible verse in Spanish.  Coincidentally (or maybe not) it was the verse printed on t-shirts all team members and children wore Saturday -

"Todo lo puedo in Christo, que me fortalece.¨

(I can do all things in Christ, who gives me strength) 

Sunday afternoon and evening were spent in devotions and de-briefing.  It´s part of the process of growing and seeking a closer walk with Jesus.  It always produces emotional moments.  Much laughter.  Always tears of joy as team members share how God is working in their lives and in the lives of those around them.  I knew this team was an awesome bunch going in.  What I heard Sunday night just confirmed that each one of us was chosen by God for the work we are doing here.  Each of us has a chance to bless and serve others in the name of Jesus.  Each of us will be blessed and take out of this far more than we put in.

FINAL NOTE -

I just can´t help rub it in a little.  It is sooo refreshingly cool here.  High 60´s in the afternoons.  And, you need an extra blanket at night.  Somebody said it was 107 in Dallas yesterday.  Oh, my.

Rich

Catherine and I (and 16 others from Prince of Peace Lutheran in Carrollton) are about to embark on a two-week mission trip to Peru -- what will be our third visit to the South American country in the last four years.   This will be our second mission trip there.  But, it was the first visit in 2004 (purely a vacation) that played a key role in our growth as Christians, and really led to all the mission trips we've taken since.

We'd long wanted to visit Machu Picchu -- the fabled lost city of the Incans.  I'd bought guide books and a couple different histories of the American (an archaeologist from Yale) who was widely credited with discovering it and on the Spanish conquistadors -- really diving into the history of the country and what we were about to see.  But it was another book we packed in our suitcase that came to define our trip -- and to change our lives; The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. 

Our home church, like many across America at the time, had embarked on 40 Days of Purpose.  We'd missed out on it -- travel schedules and whatever getting in the way of our small group involvement.  So, we bought the book and decided to embark on our own 40 Days... just Catherine and I.  It started the day we left Dallas.  By the time we reached Machu Picchu we were 7 days or so into it.  And, totally involved.  We'd come to crave the daily readings and the discussion and soul searching they triggered. 

It would take hours to explain all that has grown out of those 40 days.  To relate how much it meant to us, how the book convicted us to get involved in the church, to get involved in the Missions Ministry.  I haven't enough space here to begin to share how much it enriched our lives.

Instead, I will share some pictures from that first Peru trip, promise more on the wonders we saw at Machu Picchu in blogs to come.  And, more importantly, encourage anyone who hasn't yet set out on their 40 Days of Purpose to buy and read the book.  It might change your life, too.

Rich

"I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  2 Timothy 1:6-7

A busy Sunday for the Rays and the rest of the Peru Mission team.  As I write this, 13 team members are sorting out and dividing donations, weighing suitcases and making final preparations.  Three team members are still in Guatemala on another mission trip and won't return home until tomorrow, one is already in Peru -- and, of course, I'm at work.  Eighteen of us will leave verrryyy early Thursday morning for the flight to Miami and then on to Lima.

Photos by Kim Seale

The day started early because we needed to be "Commissioned" in all four services at Prince of Peace Lutheran in Carrollton and the first one starts at 8am.  The Rays are faithful attenders of the 11 o'clock service and, thus, were a little groggy for the first go around but it was an opportunity to catch up with Brothers and Sisters we don't often see because we attend at different times.  That happens in a big church.

Commissioning involves congregational prayer and the "laying on of hands."  Much as Paul instructed Timothy to do in the verse above.   Urging him, as he would surely urge us --

 "do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace."

It is powerful -- to be touched and prayed over by fellow Christians.  And, they so often seem to pray exactly the words you need to hear, exactly when you need to hear them.

Catherine and I went to Peru last summer so we, mostly, know what to expect.  We'll once again spend a lot of time working at an orphanage in a slum outside the capitol city of Lima called Huaycan.  It's a hard place.  But, one where we can serve others -- beautiful children -- in the name of Christ.  And, where we can witness our faith.  Maybe make a difference in other lives -- an eternal difference.

I'm looking forward to it for so many reasons.  This is a remarkable team, with wonderful people.  Some we've known for years.  Others we're looking forward to bonding with.  And, nothing bonds people like a mission trip.

This mission also has a couple of "cool" payoffs.  For one, it's winter in Peru.  Winter.  Light jacket weather.  Not 100 degrees every afternoon.   Brother Don Kemp urged me today to "savor every shiver."  I intend to.

We also have a side trip planned at the end to one of the "Wonders of the World" -- Machu Picchu.

I'll pen more about that as we go along.  In fact, I'll write more tomorrow and, God willing, blog as we go.

"Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." Acts 8:17

Rich

The Star Telegram's Religion section on Saturday had an interesting article tracing the origin of The Serenity Prayer.   It's a re-print of a New York Times story previewing a new book by an author who "has debunked claims about the provenance of other famous sayings, including Murphy’s Law ('Anything that can go wrong will') and P. T. Barnum’s ('There’s a sucker born every minute')."  He apparently has set out to prove that a Protestant theologian named Reinhold Niebuhr was not the first to pen The Serenity Prayer in the early 1940s -- as many believe.  That debate aside, the prayer has played an important role for millions -- many recovering alcoholics, in particular. 

That's where I trace it's origins in my life - to my father's struggles.  After many failed attempts, Dad finally broke his addiction with an AA group that openly proclaimed Jesus as the ultimate Savior.  AA's official doctrine talks of "a higher power" but Dad and his support group made it clear Jesus was their higher power.  Pictures of Jesus and The Serenity Prayer were prominent in Dad's home until the day he went home.

Now, I find myself saying the prayer for loved ones in my family and others who struggle with addictions.  It gives me (and many others I'm sure) comfort in times of turmoil.  And, at the very least, Reinhold Niebuhr popularized it.   I think it's inspired.

 Reinhold Niebuhr

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

   "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."  1 Timothy 6:17-19

I find myself ending a lot on conversations lately with "thankfully, that is not where my true treasure lies."  Talk about the stock market, about a disappearing 401 K  (which some now refer to as 401 Not OK) and the general state of the economy can put us all in a real funk.  It is comforting to know none of that is our "true treasure."

Paul's letter to Timothy, written 2000 years ago, is perfect for Americans today.  We are all 'rich in this present world."  The poorest among us lives like a King by the world's standards.  Even by the standards of our forefathers.  Just a few decades ago only the rich had indoor toilets, private telephone lines and automobiles.  Now, look at the wealth virtually all of us possess.    

The Bible verses above came from "Our Daily Bread," a daily devotional that I have been starting my day with for years.  You can find it online or RBC Mnistries will send you a monthly booklet.  Today's lesson -- about enjoying the earthly riches God has blessed us with, BUT not relying on them -- is so timely.  As, it most often is.  Our true treasure is the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Now, that we can rely on.

Rich

I was toying with writing something about George Carlin today -- an encounter I had with him a few years ago at the airport in Amarillo.  I'll write about that in a moment but first I wanted to share an exchange I found on the Dallas Morning News website and its religion blog.

A reporter named Bruce Tomaso posted this:

Praying for Carlin? No, thanks.

10:34 AM Mon, Jun 23, 2008 | Permalink
Bruce Tomaso 

Some who responded to an earlier posting about the death of George Carlin said they would keep the comedian in their prayers.

Carlin would have guffawed. He was an emphatic atheist, and there's just about nothing that he would have valued less than knowing that people were praying for him.

His onstage rants against religion were legendary. Most contained language unsuitable for a family newspaper (or its Religion blog). If you're interested and won't mind the R-rated vocabulary, go to YouTube and search for "Carlin" and "religion."

Here are a couple of the responses that I thought were on point -

Posted by alex @ 11:04 AM Mon, Jun 23, 2008

Doesn't matter, as a Christian you pray for those in need and who have passed on leaving loved ones behind. That is the way it is and should always be. God Bless you George...if you want it or not. You need it you crazy, funny b****d.

love you

Posted by Dave @ 11:15 AM Mon, Jun 23, 2008

I bet he wants a do-over about now.

Posted by john @ 11:16 AM Mon, Jun 23, 2008

But does praying for a man who is a known athiest who has already passed make a difference? We know where he is. I know our prayers at this point are fruitless, but we can definately pray his family and friends who might have a chance to find GOD.

 I met George Carlin at a Southwest Airlines gate while waiting for a flight from Amarillo back in the 1980s.  The plane had been delayed.  He was without entourage and I was, frankly, surprised at how open he was to talking with me and my photographer, Max Stacy.  We just chatted.  Nothing heavy.  He was pleasant and funny.  Seemed a little shy.  But, genuine and not at all pretentious.  Rare in a celebrity.

Count me as among those who said a prayer for George Carlin -- even though he often ranted against God and those who believe. One never knows about a mortal soul. 

The Bible makes it clear that those who are called at the last hour receive the same reward as those who have labored all their lives. 

 Rich

This video comes from Christ Hillside Christian Church in Amarillo, Texas and is a powerful eight minutes.   Rosaline, one of my church friends, alerted me to it.  Thanks Ros.

It makes me wonder what my Cardboard Testimony should be.  I'm going to pray about it and come up with one.

Rich

The bride and I made our way to the movie theatre Friday (something we do less and less of because there is so little worth going for) to watch the The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.  It's the second of the movie series based on C.S. Lewis' novels (though not the second in the book series, I think it's the 4th or 5th). 

The first in the series, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, was an excellent movie with a clear Christian theme.  It was very faithful to the book.  We liked it a lot.  Christians shocked Hollywood and flocked to see it.  It broke box office records.

I'm reading the trades and this one will win the weekend box office but may not be generating the kind of excitement the first one did.  Here's my reaction after seeing it:  It's a decent movie.  Not great but certainly worth taking the family to.  The Prince Caspian book's Christian theme is more subtle then The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and the movie mutes it even further.   That's too bad.  There is a good and evil thing going on but the role of Aslan (the Christ-like symbol) was downplayed.  In the book, the message is to seek Him whether or not others follow.  That, I thought was lost (or at least harder to catch) in this movie.

My church (and others) were offering Narnia party kits for families who want to invite others to go along and use the movie to witness their faith.  I'm not sure what's in the kits but I'm guessing they would be useful.

I surely don't want to discourage anyone from seeing the movie -- especially considering the usual Hollywood fare -- but I was a little disappointed in it.  I'd highly recommend that children -- and adults -- read the whole 7 installment C.S. Lewis series.

Rich