Jamie's Sabbatical

We Love the Cov!

2010-07-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

“We Love the Cov!”

Every year at UCC we collect money in cans with a Campbel Soup look-a-like label on it:

This money goes to Covenant World Relief which distributes this money all around the world to various ministries within our denomination – the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Do you ever wonder how that money is spent?

Yesterday we were able to visit three churches that directly benefited from Covenant World Relief. These three churches and their pastors were very inspiring for me.

Two of the three Covenant Churches partners with the Colombian government to run a preschool at the church 8-4 5 days a week. Up to 100 children are nurtured, cared for, taught and fed.This is all free to the church! The church has to follow strict guidelines, but the Colombian government pays for the teachers, materials and the food. The church opens its doors to the neighborhood with about 60% of the families served not a part of the church family.

The third church we visited is pastored by a courageous Colombian named Pastor Munoz or “Pebe,” as he is affectionately called by people in the neighborhood. Pastor Munoz ministers in a very dangerous section of Medellin. He pastors people on what I call “the hill,” a very steep, densely packed section of homes on the side of a hill.

A few years ago a woman from the congregation by the name of Martha had a vision to plant a prayer and youth center further up the hill away from the church. She and her husband donated the land(they are not wealthy, but very generous) and the center was built. Two doors away is a building that is used as a gang headquarters.

After visiting these three churches I had a few thoughts:

1. “I love the Cov.” – I love that our denomination places such emphasis on church planting, evangelism and actively participates in ministries of compassion and justice.

2. I was inspired by the generosity of ……... Desiring to build their own home they felt compelled to give land away first so that the church could have a strategic outreach center in the middle of gang territory.

3. Money is a powerful force for the spread of the good news of Jesus. When we give our money to Covenant World Relief, when we support the efforts of churches and congregations like the ones I encountered yesterday, it is used in meaningful ways to educate children, care for the poor, tell people about Jesus and build up the influence of the church.

4. The church – I love the global church. It is wonderful to see the body of Christ – whether in Turkey, Israel, Los Angeles or Medellin – being the hands, feet, eyes and heart of Jesus. “And I will build my church and the gates of death will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18) While the gates of death put up a good defense, the power of the risen Jesus, working through ordinary people like you and me, cannot withstand the forward movement of the salt and light of the world. The church, for all our problems, dysfunctions, hypocrisies, weaknesses, phobias and sin, is still and will always be the hope of the world.

May the grace of Jesus, the love of God and the fellowship of the Spirit remain upon you and in you this day.

Jamie Gang headquarters two doors down from the prayer center(orange building)

Part of "the hill"

Colombia!

2010-07-17T07:34:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Medellin, Colombia. I am here with my two sons helping and observing a school connected with the Covenant Denomination. The school accommodates up to 100 students from 1st through 5th grade. Currently, 85 students are enrolled.

There are 5 class sessions each day from 7am to 12pm. We mostly hug, watch, listen, learn and participate as we are able.

Here are a few pictures from our first week:

George(director of the school and teacher) and me

Benjamin and friends

Me and my fifth grade friends

Teacher Diane

Andrew and kids

Kids helping each other

Teacher Adriana

Pillow Fight

2010-06-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

Benjamin and I had a great day yesterday, going to Homeboy Industries and visiting a church called the Dream Center. After we got home we both had a bit of energy left so we engaged in a little pillow fight.

I think I won........or lost........

Brian

2010-06-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Benjamin and I are in LA learning about urban ministry. This trip was encouraged when Benjamin read G-Dog and the Home Boys by Father Greg Boyle.

It is his story of working with kids in gangs in LA. Benjamin was so inspired by the book he insisted I read it. I did. It was inspiring and convicting at the same time.

I told him we could visit Father Boyle's ministry someday. It is called Homeboy Industries.

We visited this ministry on Thursday. We met a guy named Brian who took us on a tour of their facility - they have a restaurant, a bakery, a tattoo removal service and a few others ministries in their three year old facility. It was very impressive and inspiring. Most of the employees are former gang members. There was hope in the air as we walked from room to room.

Brian agreed to have lunch with us. Brian's story is somewhat typical of what you might find at Homeboy. Brian became a gang member at the age of 14. He never graduated from high school. He was arrested and spent several years in jail. He was released from jail a year ago at the age of 21. He was pretty desperate and hopeless. He has a little girl to support. With no job, no degree, a long record of arrests and tattoo's on his arms, neck and face, he has little hope of employment.

In jail someone told him about Homeboy Industries. With no where else to go, Brian went to Homeboy and met with Father Boyle. Much to his surprise Father Boyle or G-Dog, as he is affectionately called, hired him!

Brian says God is at work in his life. When he started his first college class and started the long and painful process of tatoo removal his Dad threw him a party! Brian is now working 40 hours a week, is taking anger management classes, he works out every morning at 5:30 am, is an aspiring hip hop artist and is filled with a warm and humble spirit.

What an inspiring lunch for Benjamin and me!

"May God continue to bless Homeboy Industries, G-Dog, the staff at Homeboy and every person that finds hope in this place of restoration and renewal."

Biking and Camping

2010-06-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hi all!!!

I made it home safe and sound from Israel!! Thank-you all so much for your prayers and I look forward to sharing with you in the fall.

This past week our family went with our dear friends on our summer adventure. In the past we have been hiking in Yosemite, exploring the San Juan Islands, mountain biking in Colorado, enjoying Lake Tahoe, surfing around San Diego and experiencing Mazatlan, Mexico.

This year, our 18th straight year, we went cycling along the coast and camping. It was a wonderful time of exercise, sleep, fun, food and experiencing the beauty and majesty of the California coast.

Tomorrow, Benjamin and I go to Long Beach for 5 days connecting with Fountain of Life Covenant Church (http://www.folcov.org/) and hopefully Homeboy Industires (http://www.homeboy-industries.org/contactus.php).

Here are some pictures from this past week:

Leaving

2010-06-04T01:11:00.000-07:00

Leaving.

I hate leaving.

When I was a child leaving family - grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends - after a visit or vacation, quite often brought tears to my eyes and a heavy heart. I hate leaving.

As I leave Jerusalem after three weeks of study and travel, I have that same feeling.

In many ways this three week experience in Israel has been very moving. Being at Caesarea Philippi where Jesus asked, "Who do you say that I am," to taste and feel the dirt and dust of the wilderness where God's people wandered and died for 40 years, to be in the garden of Gethsemane, to swim in the Sea of Galilee, to be on the spot where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, to stand on the floor where the apostle Paul made his defense in front of the governor Felix at Caesarea before he was sent off to Rome, was really, really convincing!

I know this is an odd thing to say but, this story is true! ("Ah, didn't you believe that before?" "Yes, but....") Somehow seeing and feeling the geography, walking "in his steps," walking through Jerusalem almost every night we weren't on the road traveling, brings home the reality that this story, this Gospel, this good news, is really true.

When the apostle Paul was being questioned about his faith in Jesus, the Roman procurator Festus interrupted, "Your are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane." To which Paul replied, "I am not insane, most excellent Festus. What I am saying is true and reasonable."

Very moving.

But there is another aspect of Israel that was....very earthy. I found myself in some of the spots previously mentioned and others which didn't stir me as deeply as I had hoped. I had expected and anticipated more. I even began to feel a bit guilty - "This is where Jesus healed a boy with an evil spirit." "This is where Peter lived." "This is where Jesus was flogged." Why am I not feeling this more than I do?

And yet I think that lack of deep moving emotion was part of the point - Jesus came to us in the ordinary ebb and flow of life. He grew up in a small village, he walked, he worked, he interacted with all kinds of people. The area is actually alot like where we live! Similar weather, vegetation and geography.

Jesus came to us in the spectacular, but also in the unspectacular, in routine of life. I am thankful for the many moments of stirring emotion which evoked prayer, praise and song, but I am also thankful for the "ordinariness" of this place.

As the disciple John put it "He came to that which was his own...."(John 1:11a) Jesus came to us on our turf. He came to us on our terms, with our language, on our geography, eating our food and living the life we live. Profound.

The rest of the verse also spoke to me almost everyday - "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."(John 1:11b)

Shalom!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Classmates

2010-06-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

I have been in Jerusalem almost 3 weeks. The class I am taking ends tomorrow with our final exam on Friday. Part of what has been so much fun and meaningful has been the 42 other people in the class. The group is represented by a variety of people at various stages of life. Most of the students are here taking the class for credit, while some of us, myself included, are just auditing the class.

Here are a few of my classmates:

This is Cam and Sandra. They are from Hong Kong. They are both from an Assembly of God church. Their pastor recommended that they take this course.

This is Nick. He lives in Natomas and is a graduate of UC Davis!!! He is currently working as a civil engineer. He is taking seminary classes at Western Seminary's campus in Sacramento.

This is Keane and Milena. The are from Greshem, just outside of Portland. They have two children, ages 12 and 10. He just finished seminary.

This is Sol. Sol graduated from Oregon and is currently attending Western Seminary. He has a twin brother and together they sing and talk to youth groups around the Pacific Northwest.

Here is Ron and Carolyn. They have been missionaries in Latin America. Ron taught missiology at George Fox University. They have three grown daughters.

Here is Elizabeth, Krissy and Mayon. Elizabeth is in her third year of grad school in clinical counseling. She is from Mobile, Alabama. Krissy is a graduate of Columbia International University and is looking for work as a teacher. Mayon is from Guyana and is in her second year of seminary also at Columbia International University.

John Mark is a father of two and helps lead a booming church in Portland called Solid Rock. Steve is an elder in that church.

This is Joshua. He is a pastor near Toyko and is finishing his seminary degree from Western Seminary in Portland. He is married and they have two girls.

Gary and Marie are both "retired" from government service. They currently live in Virginia, but will be moving to Kentucky next year so Marie can finish her seminary degree from Asbury Seminary. They have three grown children.

Here are a few pictures from today:

The Jordan River:

Who Do You Say I Am?

2010-06-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Question

2010-06-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks us THE QUESTION. The most important question you will ever answer. He asks, "What about you? Who do you say that I am?"

He asks this question at a place called Caesarea Philippi.

I was very excited to be there today! I have taught on this text many times and to be in the area and maybe the exact spot was very cool and insightful.

For example, when Jesus says, "and on this rock I will build my church," (V. 18) it is very interesting that the place where we were today has a huge face of solid rock.

When Jesus says "and the gates of death or Hades will not overcome it" (V. 18), it is interesting that this place today had a huge spring coming right out of the rock. It was believed in that day that the spring was the entrance to the "netherworld" or "the place of the dead" from which no one can return.

The water was seemingly coming right out of the rock. It was coming from a spring which flows at a rate of 29 gallons per second! That is a lot of water...from the side of the rock!!

We also went to the head of the Jordan river which is also a spring. Very cool figuratively and literately. Today was in the mid- 90's but the water was refreshingly cool!

Reporting live from Israel,

Jamie

Ahhhhhhh!

2010-05-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

After the heat of the desert, a cold, refreshing, dip in a spring fed pool under a waterfall is sooooo good!

This picture was taken just west of the Dead Sea. It is a place where many believe David hide from Saul when Saul was trying to kill him. This would have been a great place to hide and to escape from the desert heat.

Other pictures from the day are from Masada and Qumran - where the dead sea scrolls were found in 1947:

From Singing to Sinning

2010-05-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

When God’s people finally made it out of Egypt they responded with great praise and singing. This attitude of gratitude lasted for only three days….three days! After three days of walking in the wilderness, with minimal food and water, the Israelites began to complain and grumble against its leadership –“Why did you bring us out here to kill us?” “We want to go back to Egypt!”

When I would read these passages I would often, if not always, think, “What is wrong with these people? How can you see the power and provision of God firsthand in liberating you from Egypt, and then just three days later forget it all and complain?”

After walking in the wilderness today, I understand a bit better. I am sure I would have complained as well.

Here is what I wrote in my journal earlier in the day: “How easy it is to sing when God moves, when circumstances are favorable, when stomachs are full and thirst is quenched. But when fears mount, and stomachs growl, when throats are parched and feet burn – we so easily wander.

As the hymn writer wrote: “Prone to wander Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.”

Here are some pictures from today:

Mt Gerizim

2010-05-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today we went about 22 miles northeast of Jerusalem into the hill country. We went up Mt. Gerizim. As you look across Mt Gerizim you see another mountain(big hill), Mt. Ebal. In the valley below was Shechem and the well at Sychar.

These places are filled with history: read Deut. 27-28 and John 4 for example.

Here are some pictures from today: Mt Ebal

One of 742 living Samaritans - in line to be the next high priest(the one with the red hat!)
Ever present Israeli soldiers.

I leave for 3 days to the Negev, the dead sea and the desert wilderness. I will check back in on Sunday/Monday.

Grace and peace to you.

Pentecost Sunday

2010-05-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a group of us went to a local Anglican Church for a Sunday morning worship service. The church is "new" - built in the 1600's! It was a marvelous experience. I wept through most of the service.

The church was packed, about 200 plus in attendance. When we sang, because of the interior being all stone, it sounded like there were 2000 of us in attendance! The sounds of our voices singing praises to God was glorious! The liturgy was meaningful. Communion, with people from all over the world kneeling beside me, was moving. The sermon was heartfelt.

Here we were in Jerusalem, in a packed church, with hands raised, voices strained, with people from all over the world singing these words:

we the redeemed shall be strong
in purpose and unity
declaring aloud
be praise and glory, wisdom and thanks
honor, and power, and strength!

be to our God forever and ever
be to our God forever and ever
be to our God forever and ever

All we could do at the end was break into a spontaneous applause!!

It was glorious.

(My hair is growing, by the way)

Wilderness

2010-05-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today our class of 45 or so got on a bus at 7:00 in the morning and went east of Jerusalem through a wilderness area to Jericho. Jericho is an oasis.

It may not look like much, but after going through the desert it looked gloriously green and beautiful.

Jericho, a wonderful oasis in the wilderness.

But, to get to the oasis you have to go through the wilderness.
It was in the wilderness that the people of God were tested and failed. They wandered for 40 years in the wilderness and then died.

It was in the wilderness where Moses first met with God.

David was a young shepherd in the wilderness.

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching repentance of sins and hope.

Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.

The Apostle Paul was in danger in the wilderness.

The desert is a place of testing. Those who were liberated from Egypt into the wilderness failed the test. They hated the wilderness. After today, I can see why.

But others were strengthened and prepared in the wilderness – John the Baptist, David, Abraham, Moses, Paul and Jesus, all spent time in the desert and were strengthened.

They got to their oasis, only after spending time in the desert.

It seems to me that the wilderness is necessary, even essential for the strengthening of our faith. Why then, do we fight it so? Why do we seek to avoid the wilderness? Why when we know from experience and the Scriptures that an oasis of character, faith, strength and maturity await us do we dread the desert and avoid the wilderness?

I know why I resist the wilderness - the desert is hard, hot, desolate, lonely, seemingly endless and dreadfully dry. I get tired in the desert. I get thirsty and cranky in the desert. I have been through a few of those deserts in my life. On this side of those deserts, after the experience of oasis, I am thankful for them. Surprisingly, some of the worst wilderness experiences in my life, I am the most thankful and grateful.

Today I was reminded of what Isaiah said about the hope we can have in deserts:
“This is what the Lord says…I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring.” Isaiah 44:2-3

Peace

2010-05-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

We went to the Mount of Olives today. A beautiful view to the west looking at Jerusalem and a rather harsh view looking east toward the brown wilderness. I can picture Jesus coming up from the eastern wilderness area to the top of the Mount of Olives where he catches his breath, drinks some water and sits and ponders Jerusalem.

Jerusalem. The center of so much history. The center of so much warfare. The center of so much expectation and hope.

Jerusalem. It will be the place of his triumphal entry. It will be the place of his triumphant death. It will be the place of his triumphant resurrection.

The gospel writer Luke tells us that when Jesus came to Jerusalem for his final week he processed from the Mount of Olives. In Luke 19:41 it says of Jesus that , “As he approached Jerusalem(from the Mount of Olives) he saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day had only known what would bring you peace….”

Peace.

I have not found Jerusalem to be a place of peace. Here is a great irony: the Holy City doesn’t feel very holy. Here are three religions that have histories of mistrust, warfare and evil done in the name of their God. Disagreement and infighting within these three religious groups further the sense of disharmony, suspicion, and tension. There is unfriendliness in the air borne from years, decades, centuries of conflict and strife.

When you look around the land I am stuck by walls. The great wall around the old city of David. The wall still in process dividing Israeli from Palestinian living in the west bank(about 6 miles south west of Jerusalem). The Western Wall(the Wailing Wall as it used to be called.)

These are the seen walls. But there are unseen walls between those of different ethnic backgrounds, between Jew and Gentile, Christian and Muslim, between religious and irreligious.

What Jesus wept for was peace.

The apostle Paul tells us that Jesus “himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…(Ephesians 2:14)

May the peace of Christ which passes all understanding, guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Yabba Dabba Do

2010-05-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

Christians around the 8th century in the region of Cappadocia(Acts 2:9; I Peter 1:1) lived and worshiped in homes and "churches" carved into the unique rock formations in north central Turkey. They did this for protection from the elements(heat) and from their enemies.

On Wednesday night Rodney and I boarded a bus for a 10 hour evening trip from Istanbul east to the region of Cappadocia. We stayed in the "Rock Hotel." Our room was mostly carved into the rock from which much of the hotel was formed.

We were in this region for two days. We saw many very unique homes, churches and entire communities. One community of around 5,000 people lived underground!! They estimate that this community thrived around the year 1000AD.

One of the wonderful surprises for me here in Turkey is how willing and eager many people are to talk about religion, faith and personal beliefs. The Turkish people are very warm and love to engage in conversation. Over the course of these two days I had three good conversations about faith. I asked one young man what is the essence of Islam. With enthusiasm he shared with me and answered my questions. On the second day our tour guide asked me what I did for a living. I told her I was a teacher of Jesus. She said, "I want to learn about Jesus!" With a quick prayer, I shared with her about the Jesus who loves her and yearns to be in a relationship with her.

What a wonderful time of sharing, discussing and being in dialogue all the while seeing amazing landscape and learning about Christians who lived a thousand years ago!

Tomorrow I fly to Jerusalem and begin my three weeks of study and learning about the history and geography of the land where Jesus lived.

The Church I was with this morning for breakfast, study, fellowship and prayer sends its greeting to you all.

God's peace be with you on this day.

Jamie

PS Why the title Yabba Dabba Do? Don't these rock structures remind you of Fred Flinstone's neighborhood? In fact, in one of these rock structures was a little shop and as I entered the owner called out "Yabba Dabba Do!"

Letting Down My Hair

2010-05-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Turkey!

There are times away from home when one wants to do things that one normally wouldn't do:

* dance through the night
* watch 5 movies in a row
* eat cow intestines
* try a bunji jump
* sing karaoke

This generally gets put under the category of "letting down your hair."

I didn't want to dance through the night, watch 5 movies in a row, eat cow intestines, bunji jump or sing karaoke. So, I decided to let down my hair in another way:

Have a great day!

Ooooops!!!

2010-05-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those "ooops" moments in a foreign country or in trying to pronounce a word not of your own language?

You know - you are trying to call someone Peter in Spanish and you call them a dog or worse, a fart? All three words, at least to me, sound somewhat similar.

A few days ago I met a woman named Zeynep. When I meet her she flexed her muscles and said in her best english,"the warrior queen." There was, maybe is, a show on TV called "Zeena the Warrior Queen." She was helping me remember her name.

Later in the afternoon, I wanted to impress her that I remembered her name. I shouted out "Zina, Zina!" Rodney, the worker with whom I am staying said, "Don't say that!" He was very emphatic.

"Why not? That is her name, she told me."

"No, her name is Zeynep, but you are shouting "adultery, adultery!"

Ooooops

Picnic, Capture the Flag, the Running Father and Ice Cream

2010-05-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was special.

It was picnic day - all day!

On Monday I shared with you about a family with 11 kids. Yesterday we spent a day with them, other family members and friends at a park about 4 miles from their home. The kids only get to this park 2 times a year on these picnic days.

We arrived at 10am and didn't leave till around 7:00 that night. We ate a late breakfast and lunch together. The kids loved the food, but didn't linger long as they wanted to enjoy the freedom of playing on the green grass. Every other day of the year they mostly play on a narrow street on the side of a hill where they live. No open space. No grass. No ocean breeze.

But not on this Sunday!
We played soccer for about four hours(yes, I am so sore today it hurts to walk - really!) We then taught them the game captue the flag and they loved it! After a 10 minute break it was back to more soccer, jumping rope and a form of dodge ball. I was seriously exhausted.

The joy on the kids and adult faces throughout the day was heartwarming.

When it was almost time to leave I shared The Running Father and the Runaway Sons story with them from Luke 15. You can see that the Father of the 11 was my "lost son" who got hugged and kissed - he responded in like manner much to the delight of the kids and family!!

As the day was coming to a close, I asked Rodney if I could treat everyone to some ice cream before we all went home. He said many of the adults and kids had probably never had ice cream! As I bought the last of 26 ice cream cones and gave it to one of the kids, her face lite up! I chocked back the tears. Her first ice cream cone.

We have so much that we take for granted.

As we arrived home, the oldest daughter(19) was walking down the road to us. She couldn't join us this day because she was called in to work on a Sunday(her 7th 10 hour day in a row). As she walked toward us two of the girls ran to greet her. They hugged and turned to walk arm in arm toward us. They seemed to be talking about the day and the fun they had. I said that I was sorry she couldn't be with us today. She responded by saying that she really missed it, "and you had ice cream!"

Tomorrow night I am going to go visit this family one more time. I will represent your love, care and concern for them.

May God's peace, presence and passion for the lost be with you and with us, both now and forevermore.
Amen.

Devoted

2010-05-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

Almost every Saturday morning a group of 5 men meet for breakfast, conversation and Bible study. They meet at one of the men's shops of business. The morning I met with them we ate meat, cheese, bread, honey, tea(always tea), olives and tomatoes. The business owner led us in a Bible study in Romans 6.

I sat and listened. While I didn't know what they were saying I sensed an excitement in them as they studied and wrestled with this powerful passage from Romans 6:12 "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life...."

They spent a good deal of time sharing and discussing experiences with how to offer yourselves to God. The Bible study leader shared that he did not make time to read the Scriptures for an entire week. He shared how he had felt empty and weak.

As I watched and listened in I was reminded of the passage in the book of Acts which describes the first disciples as "devoted to the apostles teaching." (Acts 2:42) I had a vision that some day in this area of the world there would be hundreds and thousands of similar groups with new believers in Jesus gathered together, devoted to each other, studying the Scriptures and following Jesus.

Mosque Musings

2010-05-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to a Mosque for the 1:00pm worship service. Muslims are called 5 times a day to prayer/worship. It begins at 5am and continues throughout the day at about 3 to 4 hour intervals. The call to worship can be heard all over the city as the singing and scripture blares from speakers placed in minneretts situated beside the hundreds of mosques all over the city.

There were over 3000 people crammed next to each other on the carpeted floors of the mosque. We stood, knelt and bowed with our foreheads to the ground. I counted that we bowed 24 times(I was following the guy next to me!!) There was a sermon on(I was told) honoring your mother and father. The service lasted about 45 minutes.

As I worshiped the living God with these devout people, Scripture ran through my head:

* "You Samaritans worship what you do not know, we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in thruth, for they are the kind of worshppers the Father seeks." John 4:22-23

* "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

* "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6

May the Kingdom come to these warm, God seeking people!

Much love,

Jamie

11 Children

2010-05-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

Last night Rodney and I went to a home of a family with 11 children. They live in a home with two main rooms a small kitchen and a bathroom - 13 people! Four of the children went to a camp last summer where they heard and received good news. Rodney and another member of his team visit this home frequently.

Our time last night was so rich. The meal was delicious - mushroom soup, rice, bread and salad. We sat around a table on the floor, laughed, ate, tickled, laughed, ate,.... Afterwards, the kids played a simple game with Rodney using scrambled letters on a piece of paper. The kids had to look at the letters and use them to spell an animal. For example, ehsor - would be horse. They played this game for a half hour or so, laughing and competing against each other. It was very touching for me to see all 10 kids(the oldest son is in the military) having so much fun with each other.

After the game we sang songs of faith and worshipped the living God. Again, it was very moving for me to hear and see these kids with us adults praising God. I couldn't understand any of the words, but I do understand(to some small degree) the language of the Spirit, and it was there! I then shared the story of Jesus' tempation in the wilderness. Many of the kids were wild eyed and very engaged. Some were running around, not paying attention, falling asleep - but I have been well prepared for those kinds of reactions to my teaching! We ended in prayer.

As we walked up the hill away from their house back to our car to go home, I was reminded yet again of the well worn cliche "many of us have so much, yet so little, some people have so so little, yet have so so much."

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" Matthew 5:3

2010-04-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

I will be posting to this blog throughout my sabbatical. Please come back often!