I just headed down to the church bathroom and guess what I found... A roll of the thin papery toilet tissue on the roller. Not my beloved gentle, squeezebly soft type of toilet paper. Who switched the roll? Now I know that I have a lot of better things I could be doing other than ranting about how somebody bought "unfriendly" toilet paper, but I think that the toilet paper has something to say about us and how we view our world.
The paper I found today could be a stop gap measure. Filling in for our regular brand until a run can be made to the nearest superstore for a restocking. Maybe we're sacrificing our own comfort so that we have more to give someone else. Or, it could be more expensive, rather than my assumption (or fear) that it is cheap stuff purchased purely because something needs to be provided and we might as well save some dough. I am concerned about what it might say about our church, God's house, and the way people who place themselves under our care (by worshipping at this church) get treated.
What's on the roll in your house? The thin papery stuff that could hardly clean your glasses or something soft that will treat the most used part of your body with pampering goodness? Would you keep the "goodstuff" to yourself in the master bath and place a lesser type in the guest bathroom? I hope not. Even simple things, like our choice of toilet paper, are opportunities to show people that the Kingdom of God is already present and active among us. If we can't care enough to spend an extra dollar or two on quality paper goods, why should we contribute thousands to overseas missions? We have to practice being kind to others and practice humble hospitality with the people who are closest to us - our families, friends, and church bodies. If it can't be done for the ones who matter most in our everyday lives, what will happen on an extraordinary day of opportunity? We'll fail and we'll have to wait for God to grace us with another chance recognizing that the one just past will never come again.
Be mindful of the little things and what they say about your walk with Christ. Actions speak way louder than words. Our behavior drowns out many things we'd like to say. Just thinking...
Monday, August 29, 2005
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Costa Rica - Day 3 June 22, 2005
Wednesday morning - probably the toughest day of the trip. We worked hard again. It's becoming the job that never ends. I'm amazed at how much the people around me can do - surrounded by "energizer bunnies" - they keep going and going and going! My body is becoming too sore for words - aches and pains from all of the activity and to top it all off, I haven't been drinking enough water. So I'm starting to feel sick too.
The day becomes a real opportunity to remind yourself why you're here. Not for a vacation. Not to do what you want to do. Just to offer your two hands to whatever work needs to be done. Not for personal gain or glory, but merely for Jesus and the Alejuelita church. At least there are friends here to share it with. By myself, I'd have probably quit long ago. I know that I've had jobs that weren't as tough, but that I'd quit long before I had this much time in them - working at the sawmill in Kentucky, getting a job at the Irish Lion in Indiana, and probably a couple of others.
After a lunch of chicken and rice with a potato and beet salad, while pouring all the liquids in me that I can handle, I'm still feeling more tired than I ever thought possible. We are making progress. At this point, the church yard is leveled out. The ladies had gotten all of the structural steel painted and had started picking up all of the rocks on the surface of the church yard - so that it would be just dirt. The men are starting to dig back toward the educational wing and around toward the kitchen to get that ground level with the church yard. Back near the building, the ground once dug, will be at least 18 inches below it's present level and stairs will be added for people to access the educational building easily.
The rainy season kicked in that afternoon. While providing a much needed break, we also found out that they would like us to provide some music for Sunday morning. Into the church we went to work out what songs we could sing and if we had anyone who could play some accompaniment. One guitarist and a pianist in the group helped immensely and we even talked Pastor Mario into playing the guitar for us as we sang "The Old Rugged Cross" in spanish. Now that took some practice! Steph Johanpeter was asked to speak on Sunday - don't have to be concerned about it anymore for myself - and she'll in all likelyhood be the first woman to speak in that role at the church. We're not just building a building, but we're also seeing walls get relaxed if not completely broken down.
A special excursion was planned for me by my hosts for the evening. We walked about a mile and a half to meet Mirania's parents and see their house. Her parents had hosted missionary workers from past trips and were excited to see me. The questions kept coming. Fortunately Mirania's brother and sister knew a little english, so that helped to keep us connected. It was a pleasant visit at a beautiful home.
A quick prayer to keep everyone safe and to restore our worn bodies and off to sleep. Ready for another day tomorrow.
The day becomes a real opportunity to remind yourself why you're here. Not for a vacation. Not to do what you want to do. Just to offer your two hands to whatever work needs to be done. Not for personal gain or glory, but merely for Jesus and the Alejuelita church. At least there are friends here to share it with. By myself, I'd have probably quit long ago. I know that I've had jobs that weren't as tough, but that I'd quit long before I had this much time in them - working at the sawmill in Kentucky, getting a job at the Irish Lion in Indiana, and probably a couple of others.
After a lunch of chicken and rice with a potato and beet salad, while pouring all the liquids in me that I can handle, I'm still feeling more tired than I ever thought possible. We are making progress. At this point, the church yard is leveled out. The ladies had gotten all of the structural steel painted and had started picking up all of the rocks on the surface of the church yard - so that it would be just dirt. The men are starting to dig back toward the educational wing and around toward the kitchen to get that ground level with the church yard. Back near the building, the ground once dug, will be at least 18 inches below it's present level and stairs will be added for people to access the educational building easily.
The rainy season kicked in that afternoon. While providing a much needed break, we also found out that they would like us to provide some music for Sunday morning. Into the church we went to work out what songs we could sing and if we had anyone who could play some accompaniment. One guitarist and a pianist in the group helped immensely and we even talked Pastor Mario into playing the guitar for us as we sang "The Old Rugged Cross" in spanish. Now that took some practice! Steph Johanpeter was asked to speak on Sunday - don't have to be concerned about it anymore for myself - and she'll in all likelyhood be the first woman to speak in that role at the church. We're not just building a building, but we're also seeing walls get relaxed if not completely broken down.
A special excursion was planned for me by my hosts for the evening. We walked about a mile and a half to meet Mirania's parents and see their house. Her parents had hosted missionary workers from past trips and were excited to see me. The questions kept coming. Fortunately Mirania's brother and sister knew a little english, so that helped to keep us connected. It was a pleasant visit at a beautiful home.
A quick prayer to keep everyone safe and to restore our worn bodies and off to sleep. Ready for another day tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Certain People...
Why is it that... when you screw up, it seems that you have a tendency to screw up for some people more than others? Has this happened to you? Life seems to be moving along and then you make a mistake. Something that hurts someone else in some way. It doesn't have to be big. It could be, but hopefully not. More often than not, I seem to keep disappointing the same people again and again.
Usually the person is someone I know. Not good enough to be friends, but more than just an acquaintance. They typically are not family - although sometimes family members on the "fringe" fall in this category. They are people who you have more contact with for whatever reason - member of a group you belong to, somebody from church, or a co-worker who you probably don't have daily contact with. Why are these people the ones?
Is it that we don't care? I hope not. Generally, I try to avoid repeating mistakes especially with the same person as the "victim". Obviously that doesn't always work out or I wouldn't be moved to write this right now. Do some people, who don't know us as well as some others, have higher expectations? Maybe. Are we just forgetful? Probably.
I didn't expect to arrive at an answer during this highlight. I just wanted to make a statement so that everyone who experiences this phenomena realizes that they're not alone. I too have a knack for messing up when certain people are available for me to mess up for.
Be encouraged. Stand strong. Keep trying even when you fall short!
To those people who I always seem to come up short for... I'm sorry. I'm still working on my follow through and interpersonal skills. I'll do better next time. I promise.
Usually the person is someone I know. Not good enough to be friends, but more than just an acquaintance. They typically are not family - although sometimes family members on the "fringe" fall in this category. They are people who you have more contact with for whatever reason - member of a group you belong to, somebody from church, or a co-worker who you probably don't have daily contact with. Why are these people the ones?
Is it that we don't care? I hope not. Generally, I try to avoid repeating mistakes especially with the same person as the "victim". Obviously that doesn't always work out or I wouldn't be moved to write this right now. Do some people, who don't know us as well as some others, have higher expectations? Maybe. Are we just forgetful? Probably.
I didn't expect to arrive at an answer during this highlight. I just wanted to make a statement so that everyone who experiences this phenomena realizes that they're not alone. I too have a knack for messing up when certain people are available for me to mess up for.
Be encouraged. Stand strong. Keep trying even when you fall short!
To those people who I always seem to come up short for... I'm sorry. I'm still working on my follow through and interpersonal skills. I'll do better next time. I promise.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Costa Rica - Day 2 June 21, 2005
Didn't sleep well last night. Strange bed in a strange place and the unmentioned apprehension of disturbing the people I'm staying with. Must have woken up a hundred times. Finally fell into a deep sleep and the call, "Taxi!" startles me awake. It was only six am.
Frantically, I pull on work attire - t-shirt, jeans, and workboots. Grab my floppy hat, a bandanna, and backpack, then head out to hop in the Hyundai for the trip back to the church. Breakfast is continental - bread, butter, jam (pineapple and guava - two different choices), coffee, orange-carrot juice, warm milk, and hot water.
Pastor Mario and the skilled workers are running strings across the grounds, getting ready for our work - whatever it's going to be. We're speculating as to what the task can be. Something that will utilize of all of our "gringo" skills and will give us a chance to flex our North American muscle!
A couple of words to describe the church building as it is and the grounds. The lot is on a busy corner - many cars, trucks, buses, and people on foot passing by. A tall (6 feet on top of two feet of block wall) iron bar fence topped with razor wire surrounds the property. There are three gates to get in. One on the north for foot traffic to get into the existing church building and two on the east for vehicles. The earth is rocky dirt covered with crabgrass and slopes gently to the north. An older frame constructed building is in the northwest corner (this is where church is held) and a new concrete "educational wing" is in the southeast corner. The educational wing will have four class rooms (all one large open room where we store our stuff while working and where we eat at one long table right now), a storage room, the garage for the pastor's residence, and on the second floor (presently under construction) will be the parsonage (two bedrooms, kitchen, bath, and living area). The educational wing and present church building form an L covering the west and south sides of the property.
Breakfast is consumed, reflections shared and it's time to get to work. Structural steel needs to be cleaned and painted for work to continue on the pastor's residence. Tables are moved for the beams to rest on and the ladies (Veness Walters, Margie Gibbens, Emily Gradle, Stephanie Johanpeter, and Shirley Rodgers) get busy on that. The men (David Carpenter, Bud Gibbens, David Johanpeter, and myself) are taken into the open area and given shovels, pickaxes, and wheelbarrows. Pastor Mario explains that the land needs to be leveled out for the next stage of the project. The ropes are set to be a level guide and we have a board that will show us how deep we have to go to get the ground leveled out. Thankfully the north end of the lot is too low, so our dirt can go down there to fill and bring that area up. This task looks like it could take all week, especially with the area of concrete in the middle - 8-10 inches thick from mixing it for the educational wing. Within the day we have the concrete broken up, the dirt moved, and the lot (in that area) leveled. Never have I worked as hard (physically) as I did that day and on the whole trip. I would not have thought it possible to do all that we did. God certainly multiplies what you put toward His kingdom!
One of the things realized was that here we would have hired a back hoe, front end loader, or a bulldozer to do the work and get it done with a minimum of effort. In the US, the equipment is the least expensive cost and the labor - the most expensive. In Costa Rica, the opposite is true - labor cheapest, equipment most expensive. So while we could have pooled our money to get the equipment for a couple of days, it would have taken away from the other work that continued on the parsonage. Besides, what else were we going to do for a week? None of us were skilled laborers. We all are involved in "technical" work or mental labors - a former high school principal, an emergency room physician, a mechanical engineer, and a pastor. Maybe God wanted us to know that our hands could still get something done - inspite of ourselves.
The day went by slowly, but there were breaks scheduled for food and we took brief rest times whenever they were necessary. In the afternoon, it rained a bit and that was another welcome respite.
That evening I borrowed a Spanish-English dictionary from someone who had an extra one in our group and started trying to wear it out when I got back home with my hosts. A lukewarm shower did wonders for my disposition and my odor. Following that, I walked with Marco to a little convenience store in the neighborhood where he picked up a few things and I was quite an attraction for the locals - not to many gringos around that area!
I was in bed and asleep before nine that night to be ready for another day tomorrow starting at six am.
Frantically, I pull on work attire - t-shirt, jeans, and workboots. Grab my floppy hat, a bandanna, and backpack, then head out to hop in the Hyundai for the trip back to the church. Breakfast is continental - bread, butter, jam (pineapple and guava - two different choices), coffee, orange-carrot juice, warm milk, and hot water.
Pastor Mario and the skilled workers are running strings across the grounds, getting ready for our work - whatever it's going to be. We're speculating as to what the task can be. Something that will utilize of all of our "gringo" skills and will give us a chance to flex our North American muscle!
A couple of words to describe the church building as it is and the grounds. The lot is on a busy corner - many cars, trucks, buses, and people on foot passing by. A tall (6 feet on top of two feet of block wall) iron bar fence topped with razor wire surrounds the property. There are three gates to get in. One on the north for foot traffic to get into the existing church building and two on the east for vehicles. The earth is rocky dirt covered with crabgrass and slopes gently to the north. An older frame constructed building is in the northwest corner (this is where church is held) and a new concrete "educational wing" is in the southeast corner. The educational wing will have four class rooms (all one large open room where we store our stuff while working and where we eat at one long table right now), a storage room, the garage for the pastor's residence, and on the second floor (presently under construction) will be the parsonage (two bedrooms, kitchen, bath, and living area). The educational wing and present church building form an L covering the west and south sides of the property.
Breakfast is consumed, reflections shared and it's time to get to work. Structural steel needs to be cleaned and painted for work to continue on the pastor's residence. Tables are moved for the beams to rest on and the ladies (Veness Walters, Margie Gibbens, Emily Gradle, Stephanie Johanpeter, and Shirley Rodgers) get busy on that. The men (David Carpenter, Bud Gibbens, David Johanpeter, and myself) are taken into the open area and given shovels, pickaxes, and wheelbarrows. Pastor Mario explains that the land needs to be leveled out for the next stage of the project. The ropes are set to be a level guide and we have a board that will show us how deep we have to go to get the ground leveled out. Thankfully the north end of the lot is too low, so our dirt can go down there to fill and bring that area up. This task looks like it could take all week, especially with the area of concrete in the middle - 8-10 inches thick from mixing it for the educational wing. Within the day we have the concrete broken up, the dirt moved, and the lot (in that area) leveled. Never have I worked as hard (physically) as I did that day and on the whole trip. I would not have thought it possible to do all that we did. God certainly multiplies what you put toward His kingdom!
One of the things realized was that here we would have hired a back hoe, front end loader, or a bulldozer to do the work and get it done with a minimum of effort. In the US, the equipment is the least expensive cost and the labor - the most expensive. In Costa Rica, the opposite is true - labor cheapest, equipment most expensive. So while we could have pooled our money to get the equipment for a couple of days, it would have taken away from the other work that continued on the parsonage. Besides, what else were we going to do for a week? None of us were skilled laborers. We all are involved in "technical" work or mental labors - a former high school principal, an emergency room physician, a mechanical engineer, and a pastor. Maybe God wanted us to know that our hands could still get something done - inspite of ourselves.
The day went by slowly, but there were breaks scheduled for food and we took brief rest times whenever they were necessary. In the afternoon, it rained a bit and that was another welcome respite.
That evening I borrowed a Spanish-English dictionary from someone who had an extra one in our group and started trying to wear it out when I got back home with my hosts. A lukewarm shower did wonders for my disposition and my odor. Following that, I walked with Marco to a little convenience store in the neighborhood where he picked up a few things and I was quite an attraction for the locals - not to many gringos around that area!
I was in bed and asleep before nine that night to be ready for another day tomorrow starting at six am.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Costa Rica - June 20, 2005
As you read through these notes of my trip to Costa Rica, don't be afraid to ask questions. I'll answer any at the start of the next post.
Spent the previous night at the Days Inn - Airport in St. Louis, MO. Hard bed, loud air-conditioner, and almost no sleep. Had to get up at 4:30am to be at the airport early enough for a 7:25 flight to Charlotte, NC with a connection to San Jose, Costa Rica. The flight down was turbulent, but uneventful. The nine of us traveling occupying three rows of seats on the plane.
We arrived at Costa Rica around 2:00 in the afternoon. The Baptist Federation arranged for a small touring bus to pick us up and take us to the Federation offices. We used the trip to gawk at all of the new sights and sounds. Costa Rica is a very beautiful country. We were in the central valley which is the most densely populated part of Costa Rica and surrounded by mountains. The vegetation is lush and the temperatures are very moderate. It was cooler down there with less humidity than we were experiencing in Illinois. San Jose is about a mile high in altitude - like Denver, CO - which helps the heat tremendously. That day it did not rain - the first day in two weeks that they had not had some rain, but it was overcast.
After a couple of hours spent meeting the people at the office and learning about the situation in Alejuelita, we got back on the bus and traveled 45 minutes to the church grounds - to have dinner and meet our hosts. When we got there, we received a taste of what a welcome in Heaven is going to be like - we were hugged, squeezed, kissed, and embraced like long lost family members. By the time we left, I think we had become family members. Dinner was a great spaghetti meal with garlic bread and everything cooked and served up by the ladies called the "Five Stars" because the food they serve could be right from a five-star restaurant. After dinner, the "rooming" assignments were made. Six people stayed with Mario, the interim pastor at the church, and his family; two stayed with Pedro, another church leader, and his family; and I stayed by myself with Marco and Mirania, a couple my age without any children.
That first night was easily the toughest of the whole trip - I knew very little Spanish and they knew very little English. All that was left was to be patient and trust God that we would be able to communicate somehow. I also got my first taste of Costa Rican plumbing systems, but I'll save that explanation for the next time. In bed by eight after such a short night and long trip to be ready for breakfast at the church by 6:30am and work at 7:00am. A bit of reading, prayers, and lights out.
More tomorrow!
Spent the previous night at the Days Inn - Airport in St. Louis, MO. Hard bed, loud air-conditioner, and almost no sleep. Had to get up at 4:30am to be at the airport early enough for a 7:25 flight to Charlotte, NC with a connection to San Jose, Costa Rica. The flight down was turbulent, but uneventful. The nine of us traveling occupying three rows of seats on the plane.
We arrived at Costa Rica around 2:00 in the afternoon. The Baptist Federation arranged for a small touring bus to pick us up and take us to the Federation offices. We used the trip to gawk at all of the new sights and sounds. Costa Rica is a very beautiful country. We were in the central valley which is the most densely populated part of Costa Rica and surrounded by mountains. The vegetation is lush and the temperatures are very moderate. It was cooler down there with less humidity than we were experiencing in Illinois. San Jose is about a mile high in altitude - like Denver, CO - which helps the heat tremendously. That day it did not rain - the first day in two weeks that they had not had some rain, but it was overcast.
After a couple of hours spent meeting the people at the office and learning about the situation in Alejuelita, we got back on the bus and traveled 45 minutes to the church grounds - to have dinner and meet our hosts. When we got there, we received a taste of what a welcome in Heaven is going to be like - we were hugged, squeezed, kissed, and embraced like long lost family members. By the time we left, I think we had become family members. Dinner was a great spaghetti meal with garlic bread and everything cooked and served up by the ladies called the "Five Stars" because the food they serve could be right from a five-star restaurant. After dinner, the "rooming" assignments were made. Six people stayed with Mario, the interim pastor at the church, and his family; two stayed with Pedro, another church leader, and his family; and I stayed by myself with Marco and Mirania, a couple my age without any children.That first night was easily the toughest of the whole trip - I knew very little Spanish and they knew very little English. All that was left was to be patient and trust God that we would be able to communicate somehow. I also got my first taste of Costa Rican plumbing systems, but I'll save that explanation for the next time. In bed by eight after such a short night and long trip to be ready for breakfast at the church by 6:30am and work at 7:00am. A bit of reading, prayers, and lights out.
More tomorrow!
Back Again
Sorry. I know it's been a while since much has been put up on the blog, but I'm back and ready to be a bit more dedicated than I have been in recent months (promises, promises) - so we'll see what works out.
Some people have been requesting some notes and memories from my Costa Rican trip. I'll try to get that going and have some regular, semi-daily thoughts to share as well. Let's get re-started, okay?
Have you ever felt secure enough in a relationship to reveal things that you've been wrestling with? Maybe they are issues that God is dealing with in your life or other challenges you're facing. Within the church, there is a term that describes such a relationship - discipleship or discipling. Both require a large step of faith, a willingness to be transparent or open about your life, and a friend you can trust. None of this happens easily, but the rewards can be great - having someone who is willing to listen without having the need to "solve your problem", building a real live deep relationship with another person (we are sorely lacking in this area), and gaining the opportunity to grow personally and spiritually through the process.
Through much of our lives, we live in relational isolation from each other. Your problems and concerns are yours and mine are mine. We're tough and are completely indoctrinated in the American idea of individuality - so give me some space and time - I'll work things out on my own or die trying. We miss out on one of the great cravings of our souls. Close connection (I can't use "intimate" relationship anymore thanks to Victoria's Secret) with another being. This one person being a flesh and blood manifestation of the living God. I don't mean Jesus, although He would fit the bill, but a person who acts like Jesus, treating us as He would if He were here right now - with love, respect, and not judgment because of what we say or what we have done.
The close connection allows us to unload some of the weighty things we carry around - things we've done that we're not proud of, struggles we have with other people (sometimes who are very close to us), diffculties we're experiencing in our relationship with God, and just the daily grind of life - and letting the other person do the same. Not that it has to be deep and heavy all the time, but someone who we can share our joys and victories with as well. Someone who will walk with you through life for a time - taking part in whatever the journey brings your way.
I know that I could use some unconditional understanding, patience, and love. Particularly from someone who I can trust to not use it for their own gain or my humiliation.
Thanks God, for bringing a few people across my path whom I can trust in just such a manner. I wouldn't be the person I am without their influence and understanding. Thank you.
If you haven't connected with someone else on this level and if you think it would be a benefit to your life, ask God to provide a friend who is willing to share on that level. Then be watchful for who God brings and be open to taking a risk of being transparent in that relationship. It doesn't come easily, but it sure is worth it!
Some people have been requesting some notes and memories from my Costa Rican trip. I'll try to get that going and have some regular, semi-daily thoughts to share as well. Let's get re-started, okay?
Have you ever felt secure enough in a relationship to reveal things that you've been wrestling with? Maybe they are issues that God is dealing with in your life or other challenges you're facing. Within the church, there is a term that describes such a relationship - discipleship or discipling. Both require a large step of faith, a willingness to be transparent or open about your life, and a friend you can trust. None of this happens easily, but the rewards can be great - having someone who is willing to listen without having the need to "solve your problem", building a real live deep relationship with another person (we are sorely lacking in this area), and gaining the opportunity to grow personally and spiritually through the process.
Through much of our lives, we live in relational isolation from each other. Your problems and concerns are yours and mine are mine. We're tough and are completely indoctrinated in the American idea of individuality - so give me some space and time - I'll work things out on my own or die trying. We miss out on one of the great cravings of our souls. Close connection (I can't use "intimate" relationship anymore thanks to Victoria's Secret) with another being. This one person being a flesh and blood manifestation of the living God. I don't mean Jesus, although He would fit the bill, but a person who acts like Jesus, treating us as He would if He were here right now - with love, respect, and not judgment because of what we say or what we have done.
The close connection allows us to unload some of the weighty things we carry around - things we've done that we're not proud of, struggles we have with other people (sometimes who are very close to us), diffculties we're experiencing in our relationship with God, and just the daily grind of life - and letting the other person do the same. Not that it has to be deep and heavy all the time, but someone who we can share our joys and victories with as well. Someone who will walk with you through life for a time - taking part in whatever the journey brings your way.
I know that I could use some unconditional understanding, patience, and love. Particularly from someone who I can trust to not use it for their own gain or my humiliation.
Thanks God, for bringing a few people across my path whom I can trust in just such a manner. I wouldn't be the person I am without their influence and understanding. Thank you.
If you haven't connected with someone else on this level and if you think it would be a benefit to your life, ask God to provide a friend who is willing to share on that level. Then be watchful for who God brings and be open to taking a risk of being transparent in that relationship. It doesn't come easily, but it sure is worth it!
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