Lately, I don’t feel like the presence of God permeates throughout my day. In fact, I think I act as though I don’t have time to really be with God. After I pray, I forget Him…I try not to. I feel like something’s wrong, but I’m not sure what it is. I’m so easily distracted by things of this world.
It’s like I don’t know how to be with God.
I recently read my mom's words from when I was a child with my twin sister. For me, walking became more natural than my twin sister. But as we came to an age where both of us could walk, I was more timid than she was in taking on challenges, like going down a stair.
Even though I was better and running and walking I would walk up to the edge, turn around, and shimmy over it backwards because I was afraid of falling. She would run and jump.
I think this also happens to me in my relationship with God. I often go slowly to make sure I don't fall, even though I have the capability to run and jump.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
I Am Mr. Torro
During the night, Monday the 6th, the family gave me the keys to the car after attending a church service. We drove around the city a bit and looked at some things and then returned home. We’re getting to know each other more and more each day.
To say “straight” here you say the word “torrecto”. I kept forgetting what the word was when asking for direction and would say “torro”, which is for a bull fight. In the end there were a lot of laughs and I received the nickname Mr. Torro : )
(The follow video is of my first day in Spain)
(This is a fun update of me in a park last week)
To say “straight” here you say the word “torrecto”. I kept forgetting what the word was when asking for direction and would say “torro”, which is for a bull fight. In the end there were a lot of laughs and I received the nickname Mr. Torro : )
(The follow video is of my first day in Spain)
(This is a fun update of me in a park last week)
Back to Kissing...And Other Things
I forgot about the way to greet women in the Spanish culture until my host’s daughter walked in the room. She went right up to me, bent forward and kissed me on each cheek (more like a cheek to cheek kiss). I remembered this greeting about the time her face was three inches from mine, and even then I wasn’t prepared for the double-sided greeting. In Peru it was only one cheek, but here in Spain it’s both.
Onto Other Cultural Stuff...
On my first day in Spain David, my host, explained the very different daily schedule that people in Spain have. Generally, the workday starts around nine, though some start at eight and still others at ten or eleven. This means they work till later at night.
We usually have breakfast between 10:30 and 12:30pm. Then we do some stuff. Then we have lunch around 3 or 4pm. Then we have dinner at 8ish. Then we have another meal around 11 or even later sometimes. After meals we usually have tea or coffee and sit and talk. I really like that part of the culture because we actually take time to slow down and be with each other. So yeah...four meals a day, one because more of a snack either during the day or later at night.
Greeting people...
My first day in Spain my greeting to a man on the street was ignored. Robert, a missionary here from the US, said, “It’s very different here from Latin America. People don’t say hello to people they don’t know. And if you do say hello to a stranger, they might look at you with a face that says, ‘Do I know you from somewhere?”
Onto Other Cultural Stuff...
On my first day in Spain David, my host, explained the very different daily schedule that people in Spain have. Generally, the workday starts around nine, though some start at eight and still others at ten or eleven. This means they work till later at night.
We usually have breakfast between 10:30 and 12:30pm. Then we do some stuff. Then we have lunch around 3 or 4pm. Then we have dinner at 8ish. Then we have another meal around 11 or even later sometimes. After meals we usually have tea or coffee and sit and talk. I really like that part of the culture because we actually take time to slow down and be with each other. So yeah...four meals a day, one because more of a snack either during the day or later at night.
Greeting people...
My first day in Spain my greeting to a man on the street was ignored. Robert, a missionary here from the US, said, “It’s very different here from Latin America. People don’t say hello to people they don’t know. And if you do say hello to a stranger, they might look at you with a face that says, ‘Do I know you from somewhere?”
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Motorcycle
Lately we’ve had to take a motorcycle to get around to the building where we’ve had meetings because of some road construction. I really enjoy it : ) I love the fluidity of the traffic, darting through it like a fish in a river.
Whenever I drive in the United States people tend to get uncomfortable because I’m more fluid with the road, generally unpredictable, and more-so aggressive, but that is perfect driving here in Bangladesh. A person here wouldn’t make it if they couldn’t drive like that.
Whenever I drive in the United States people tend to get uncomfortable because I’m more fluid with the road, generally unpredictable, and more-so aggressive, but that is perfect driving here in Bangladesh. A person here wouldn’t make it if they couldn’t drive like that.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Dance Video
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So, to raise support for missions I'm filming a video of me dancing in each country and making a list of people who pledge a certain amount (like $10 for each country I make a dance video in) to receive the links to the videos. This gives you something fun to watch and challenges me to step out of my comfort zone to ask strangers in other countries to dance with me on film.
If you want to be on the list just let me know with the amount you want to pledge. Then I can let you know where to send your donations.
(below in this blog and another blog are some other videos I've taken in Bangladesh)
This was the welcome party to the children's home we visited in the north of Bangladesh. They held our hands and led us into the field where they surrounded us with singing, which was awesome : )
This is some video in the last hour of our all-night train ride from the south to the north.
This was a cultural dance some of the children performed for us at a children's home in the capital city, Dhaka.
.
So, to raise support for missions I'm filming a video of me dancing in each country and making a list of people who pledge a certain amount (like $10 for each country I make a dance video in) to receive the links to the videos. This gives you something fun to watch and challenges me to step out of my comfort zone to ask strangers in other countries to dance with me on film.
If you want to be on the list just let me know with the amount you want to pledge. Then I can let you know where to send your donations.
(below in this blog and another blog are some other videos I've taken in Bangladesh)
This was the welcome party to the children's home we visited in the north of Bangladesh. They held our hands and led us into the field where they surrounded us with singing, which was awesome : )
This is some video in the last hour of our all-night train ride from the south to the north.
This was a cultural dance some of the children performed for us at a children's home in the capital city, Dhaka.
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Persecution
We just listened to the testimony of a man (pastor) who had just escaped from an attack of Hindu radicals. Others weren’t as fortunate. His shirt was torn and he has bruises on his body.
Apparently he was sharing the gospel in a Hindu community for the past 6 months. People began coming to him asking to know more about Jesus. Today 180 people were supposed to be baptized.
The Hindu radicals heard about the baptism and disturbed the people while they were worshiping that morning, waiting for us to arrive to be there with them during the service. One reason was because they were upset at what the belief change could do to the unity of their community.
The Hindu men told this pastor, Gotum, as he was talking to them that he would be beaten for each word he spoke if he didn’t shut up. He was pulled out into the street, his bike broken, and was beaten. He escaped then with the list of the people who were there to be baptized, a very important list that if taken by the Hindu men would be very bad for the people there.
Gotum expressed that he believed the church would grow bigger because of what happened. He has prepared the people for this reaction from the Hindu community. They knew they would be persecuted.
Unfortunately this isn’t over. He gave the list to another person in case he was taken by the radicals to ensure they wouldn’t get it because now he may be hunted down.
[A Variety of Responses]
One man from the US talked with the spiritual leader of the pastor who had been persecuted about pastoral care the spiritual leader said, “Don’t worry. We know how to handle this. I’ve been beaten before, and so has that man over there as well. We know what to do. We’ll take care of him.”
Those from the US gathered around the man and were very concerned and compassionate. One of the people in our group from Myanmar didn’t make the persecution such a big deal.
He explained that it’s a part of life. He’s been beaten and had rocks thrown at him multiple times, and it’s normal part of life.
My personal response was kind of like the guy from Myanmar. I had compassion and concern for the pastor, but I knew that he was prepared for it, that he knew it was a part of what he was doing in His own country and he knew that God was with him. So I was interested in listening to him tell the story of what happened and I wanted to encourage him, but I didn't feel like making it into a huge ordeal.
Apparently he was sharing the gospel in a Hindu community for the past 6 months. People began coming to him asking to know more about Jesus. Today 180 people were supposed to be baptized.
The Hindu radicals heard about the baptism and disturbed the people while they were worshiping that morning, waiting for us to arrive to be there with them during the service. One reason was because they were upset at what the belief change could do to the unity of their community.
The Hindu men told this pastor, Gotum, as he was talking to them that he would be beaten for each word he spoke if he didn’t shut up. He was pulled out into the street, his bike broken, and was beaten. He escaped then with the list of the people who were there to be baptized, a very important list that if taken by the Hindu men would be very bad for the people there.
Gotum expressed that he believed the church would grow bigger because of what happened. He has prepared the people for this reaction from the Hindu community. They knew they would be persecuted.
Unfortunately this isn’t over. He gave the list to another person in case he was taken by the radicals to ensure they wouldn’t get it because now he may be hunted down.
[A Variety of Responses]
One man from the US talked with the spiritual leader of the pastor who had been persecuted about pastoral care the spiritual leader said, “Don’t worry. We know how to handle this. I’ve been beaten before, and so has that man over there as well. We know what to do. We’ll take care of him.”
Those from the US gathered around the man and were very concerned and compassionate. One of the people in our group from Myanmar didn’t make the persecution such a big deal.
He explained that it’s a part of life. He’s been beaten and had rocks thrown at him multiple times, and it’s normal part of life.
My personal response was kind of like the guy from Myanmar. I had compassion and concern for the pastor, but I knew that he was prepared for it, that he knew it was a part of what he was doing in His own country and he knew that God was with him. So I was interested in listening to him tell the story of what happened and I wanted to encourage him, but I didn't feel like making it into a huge ordeal.
Homeless
We went around in a circle and were supposed to share our name, where we live, and what we do. When it came to me I didn’t know what to say about where I live. I guess this hadn’t really hit me, that I don’t live anywhere. I don’t have a place that I can call my own. I don’t have a home. I'm relying on brothers and sisters around the world, which is really encouraging. It's like everywhere I go I have family who will take care of me.
My home is made in God’s call on my life each day. My home is made in wherever He guides me. Thinking about this reminds me of the part of the New Testament where the writer of 1 Peter tells his readers to live as strangers in the world. So even if I had a “home”, a familiar place where I lived, I should not place my hope in that being my home. My home is beyond all of this and I will find myself there when I die.
My home is made in God’s call on my life each day. My home is made in wherever He guides me. Thinking about this reminds me of the part of the New Testament where the writer of 1 Peter tells his readers to live as strangers in the world. So even if I had a “home”, a familiar place where I lived, I should not place my hope in that being my home. My home is beyond all of this and I will find myself there when I die.
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