Getting it

Every now and again I get just a touch giddy. A year ago I started planning this trip to India, dreaming about it, thinking about it, praying about it - and now it's here, we're here. But that's not what makes me giddy.

The people I'm here with, this team of 15 other folks is what is making me happy. It's making me happy cause they're getting it. The things I wanted them to see, to feel, to know all of it they're beginning to understand and be moved by. "Humbled" is how they keep describing it. But still more they all echoed my assertion of feeling very much alive - like this is what we were made to do.

Last night 75 kids sang out with all the gusto they had in them and all the strength in their diaphragms, "I'll never know how much it costs to see my sins upon that cross," and 20 Americans had tears of joy filling their eyes.

Another Land

This land where the words are different and the language unrecognizable. This land so far from home that east indeed has met west. This land of different customs and funny ideas. This land where we have gone and, though only for a little while, have become sojourners.

Rich Mullins sang about it, Abraham was one, Jesus became one, and so the theme runs with us - we are sojourners in a far off country. Where the customs are sin and the ideas are tied to our brokenness. Where to be a national is to be damnable. Not for sake of race or creed but because of sin. It is the plight of the world, the custom inherent in all everywhere.

For us here in India there is no where further away. To go any further east would mean to be closer to home and the same goes for west. But even that doesn't portray how far away from reality our sin has taken us from God. Our worlds of realities have been skewed and stretched and dismembered and disfigured so badly and completely that the only hope for any salvation or redemption had to be a Traveler from that perfect distant place. It had to be Jesus. Had to.

To leave the wonders of heaven to know the ways of men and to save them from those dastardly things they call "life." Those perishable hopes and dreams of fleeting nothing's and pithy longings of celebrity.

There is a place where none shall die and all will live; where tears are wiped away and sadness knows its end; where astounding is normal and unimaginable is seen; where the shadow of the real is touchable and the broken mirror in which we now see dimly is mended and we see our Savior face to face. There is a place and we call it "Home."

Starting a trip thoughts

1. I think I packed enough underwear.

2. This is the first time I've been to the same overseas place for a second time.

3. 48 hours of traveling & 12.5 hours time difference. Fun.

 4. Bacon & beef for dinner before the trip, good planning on my part.

5. 2 weeks of not seeing my nephews. Poo.

6. Pray no one gets sick. Cause that would suck. Any and all prayers would be appreciated.

 7. I'll need a job when I get back. Would love any and all recommendations.

8. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

9. Tons of curry and tylenolPM. Mmmmhmmm.

10. I don't doubt that Taylor Swift will be comfort music. 

Thoughts

1) Birdy can sing. Straight up.

2) Saw Les Miserables. Thought about crying. So good.

3) Writing the next series of blog posts. These should be good and interesting. Prieview: "The aim, or the end, of Christian living – the goal, if you will - is not to be the pastor or even a pastor."

4) Leaving for India on Monday!

5) Because I'm leaving on Monday it may be a couple weeks before the series gets posted. Maybe.

6) I have a mantel clock. It's beautiful and chimes and tick-tocks. The chimes are three hours off.

7) Kat has to know I'm leaving soon, she is getting super cuddly.

8) Taylor Swift and I should grab coffee.

9) Job hunting. If you have recommendations let me know. Por favor.

10) Thinking about changing the name of the blog anyone have any suggestions?

Friday's Thoughts

1) There's been some rather large changes in my life. Posts to come - if finals don't make my mind mushier.

2) One week of finals down, one to go. A 20-page paper will be owned. Like a boss.

3) The Uncle is in town from Idaho. I like spending time with him. Scotch and great conversations.

4) The Lord of the Rings is calling my name to be re-read. Well technically it's always calling my name, it's just stronger now.

5) I HAVE MY TICKET TO SEE THE HOBBIT! Opening night, at midnight, be jealous. (Nerd moment)

6) T-Swizzle and I have had some quality musical interchanges this week. We should meet.

7) India in a month!

8) "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2

9) Ironic how the Country's finical issues were supposedly great before the election and now we're at the "Fiscal Cliff"-of-doom.

10) I'm glad the end of the world is set for after when The Hobbit comes out. Now I just need to see Coldplay and U2 before the 21st to be golden... BTW is the end of the world at 12 midnight on the 21 or 12 noon, I feel like this will be a drastically important distinction.

(Those are little shrimps wrapped in bacon dipped in BBQ sauce in the picture. Yes, the were heavenly.)

Live & Die

This past weekend I was able to spend time with the leader and family of Love-N-Care Ministries.

Love-N-Care is reaching the people of India (as well as Germany and now stretching in South Africa) with the gospel of Jesus Christ while making disciples and calling others to make disciples. It was kind of intoxicating for me to be around them.

To dream.

About Wichita, about the world, about it all, about mission.

It’s a cliché word now-a-days, ‘mission.’ (I wrote a series of posts called ‘Rumored Thought’ about a pastor’s mission.) I hear it tossed around so carelessly, the meaning not really grasped.

Tombs.

He spoke of the tombs of missionaries in his country. Americans who had traveled to India to preach the gospel who never would return to America, they died there and were buried there. With tears in his eyes he said, “Thank you.”

My point is this: sooner or later we’re gonna die. Stop breathing and die. Get shot and die, car wreck, get old, bite the bullet, buy the farm, kick the can… Whatever, we’re going to die. And hopefully, by the sheer grace of God we’ll have lived for something worthwhile (the gospel).

Hopefully we haven’t spent our whole life on something pitiful. Even Aristotle got it, “The measure of good life is a life well lived.” Let’s just say this, a life well lived in the measure of eternity is the application and belief in the gospel.

Moms with their kids and dads with their wives and others whose call is to reach more than just a few folks: missionaries, pastors.

Some of us will be killed for the gospel. Others will die of old age having lived for the gospel. Both are the most admirable lives.

Friday Thoughts

1) Friday! I'm sleepy.

2) My friends from India are in town!

3) The book of Romans. Whoa.

4) Restarted Calvin's Institues of the Christian Religion, it's basically FREAKIN' AMAZING.

5) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Dear Sirus Black, you're my favorite.

6) 'Member that one time we lived in hell, I mean, Kansas?

7) Hung out in a dang cool church on Wednesday. (Look at da pichure)

8) I wanna see Brave. If you judge me I'll do something.

9) If you're not doing anything tomorrow night, be here.

10) Christianity shouldn't be man-centered. If it is, it's not Christian.

Trip Thoughts: Part 2

Could’ve sworn that sign said, "Judas Baptist Church." awwwwwkward.

The only thing begging for my time is an unfinished game of solitaire & a book.

Reminder: never buy a graphic tee, sport a mullet, or have a chester-molester mustache.

I hate being a tourist. But I love traveling. Issue.

Craziest line I've heard so far: "I started smoking heroine 5 years ago... But I only do it every now & again."

Merridees coffee house... Shoot Franklin, TN altogether is like a place I've been to in a dream. Gorgeous. I'd live there.

Southern hospitality? Nah.

I wonder how many broken dreams are in this town?

People are incredibly interesting to me.

Elevator do’s/don’ts means whaaaa?

That awkward moment you get off on the wrong floor and walk into the wrong room. That never happened to me... I mean it could've... Maybe.

"Honey, I'm in the car that's why it's so loud." said the man on his phone next to me at the bar...

Taylor Swift didn't take me up on my coffee offer. Fiddlesticks.

I've got a love triangle going on: Wichita, Nashville, & India... Scotland, Egypt, Germany... I'm in trouble.

Kansas roads- superb

Tennessee roads- wonderful

Oklahoma roads- meh

Arkansas roads- I can't think of a word worse than, "absolutely-terrible-and-deplorable."

Might as well work on my left arm tan while I'm driving.

I'm in a parking lot on I-40. Going nowhere. For the second time. Both times in Arkansas... Makes sense.

Merging seems to be a tricky task in this strange land.

I'm glad Wichita has more than 7 stoplights.

Shell & Subway are the saviors for most tiny Arkansas towns

Tulsa, get a life.

Wichita is like a tiny Nashville. & Without all the money.

Returning has been like a bad break-up. Fooie.

Mission

There’s still the dust of India on my boots (it’s red). There are still the hints of curry in the smell of my dirty laundry (and sweat, lots of sweat). There’s still the oddity of driving my car and the comfortable quality of me own bed (and a purring cat).

There’s still the memory of the trip, which’ll outlive the all other remainders.

India, where, at least in our minds, East meets West, that distant land a foreign people. I could write a story for every person I met, for every eye that looked into mine, for every smile made and close call encountered (and I was only there four days).

Everyone talks of the simplicity of other poorer cultures. Everyone talks about how they learned so much from the people they went to serve and how they didn’t expect to do so. I don’t wanna talk about those things.

We’re Americans. We think we can change the world, we’re told we can from very young ages (but if it were true the world would be changing millions of times over in a day). Why do we end up being the ones who learn from the ones we’re serving? Why do we talk of the simplicity and happiness of people who, “Have nothing?”

Because we go into the country with a mindset of saving the world, changing the landscape of wherever in two weeks then leaving. Who are we to change their world with Western (or Eastern) knowledge? Why would we change it? To make it more like ours? To make it more comfortable for us?

Perhaps we serve by giving them the tools they need to work in their own way amongst their own people. By coming in and doing what we can to help their service to others a little bit easier Maybe we just play a quick game of cricket and smile with some kids.

We won’t save them; we don’t even speak their language. But we can give them the tools they need to serve their own. Just like they teach us about how simplicity is really a good thing and happiness in the faith of the providence of God is a possible thing. Things we can use to serve others. (See the circle?)

India Thoughts (The rest of 'em)

1) Thank God for fans

2) Simple.

3) There's something about knowing no one which is beautiful.

4) Keep your eyes open.

5) The Bible is perfect curriculum.

6) We just get them the tools, they'll do the rest.

7) Leaving India was just as hard as leaving Egypt, 'cept I was Egypt for a ton more than 4 days.

8) Rule #2: if your phone rings during take-off it's really obvious someone wasn't paying attention.

9) No, we don't want to listen to your techno music. Yes, get some headphones this is a plane.

10) "If you never leave home, never let go, You'll never make it to the great unknown. Tell me you're strong tell me you see, I need to hear it can you prosmise me to keep your eyes open."

11) Everything I needed I carried on my back. Take that consumerism... But having a house is sure lovely.

12) I've been to where Americans would say East meets West.

13) You know you're almost back to America when an older African American lady is your flight attendant. And is awesome.

14) Lol, Dusseldorf

15) Washing & conditioning my hair is going to be glorious.

16) I just feel dirty.

17) My home for four days of this trip was a few a chair in the sky.
18) According to CST I've been gone 6 days. Technically I've been gone almost 8. Figure that out.

19) I wanna q-tip.

20) 'Merica

21) Played a fun game of "Is-that-a-guy-or-a-girl" in the US customs line.

22) I want & need bacon.

23) Aww they have a nice ole lady working at the front of the customs line!

24) Auntie Ann's first meal at home.

I got to sit in the Business class for one flight... here are the thoughts from that:

BUSINESS CLASS THOUGHTS:

1) I'll never be able to go back. You know, there, again.

2) I'm in business class. Where's my scotch, fiddle player, gourmet meal, & million dollars?

3) My chair has lumbar support.
4) If I stretch my legs out completely I can't touch the seat in front of me.

5) It should be considered inhuman treatment of humans to have an 'economy class.' I mean they're packed in there like cattle.

6) I'm ruined.

7) 2 rows in business class is like 400 rows of economy. So. Much. Space.

Mid-Trip Thoughts

Here's some mid-trip thinkings I've had thus far. It's just a short list, but it's a list nonethelesss.

1) Whoever decided boots needed zippers was a freaking genius.

2) Rule #1 don't get on the wrong plane.

3) Texas: Home of the over the top, loud, & occasional cool person... Or the birthplace of pride, arrogance, and big hair; whichever floats your boat.

4)"Kansas, is that in Texas?" German fellow on the plane next to me.

5) Harry Potter on the plane? Yes, please!

You'll get the rest when I get home!

Week Long Thoughts

1) Kat (the cat) was fixed on Wednesday 'cause she was broken. And is sporting a trendy shaved tummy, leg, and neck.

2) I regularly have two cups (at least) of coffee in the morning.

3) We say we believe x but we act according to y; when will our practical theology match our spoken belief?

4) I had lunch with my 6th grade math teacher, I sucked at math then too. Consistency.

5) My Grandma and I have a unique relationship.

6) The Protestants need another reformation. One away from themselves.

7) Preaching this weekend over John 4:1-42 (yes, 42 verses, buckle up).

8) Ever had a day when you have it planned out and want to do a certain thing(s) but are never able to get to it? Yea, that's been my week.

9) Wichita State University has homecoming this week... One of these days I'll legitamately be out of high school. I promise.

10) India!