AC TO THE MAX

Fill Us Up, Send Us Out

2011-07-04T04:00:00.002-04:00

We concluded our four days of training yesterday with a study on cross-cultural ministry. Today, we will begin putting into practice all that we have learned this week. We have split the 30+ young people who have been trained this week into three different teams, each sent into a different township. My group is heading to Daveyton, where we will be doing ministry in a squatter camp (an informal settlement). Justin and Wes will also be helping lead teams heading into Tsakane and a more rural settlement called Grootvlei. Please pray for our safety as we travel today, as well as for our ministry to the people in these townships. Pray that we would be an encouragement to the local church and that hearts would be moved toward Christ as the Lord works through our group. Thanks for praying!

Update

2011-07-02T05:19:00.002-04:00

Just a quick update from South Africa. Thank you to those who prayed for Justin. He was able to see a doctor who gave him a shot (you will have to ask him where! :) and also got him started on some antibiotics. He is already feeling much better today. Besides Justin's minor illness, it is a praise and a blessing that our team has been very healthy so far on this trip. Sickness can often be a distraction from the mission on a trip like this, but we have experienced God's hand of protection from sickness as we had long, tiring days of travel, as well as in our adjustment to a new environment and new kinds of food here in SA.

We just finished our first session this morning called "Triple T" (Telling The Truth). We learned that our own personal testimonies can be a powerful tool in sharing the gospel with others, and we were given time to write out our own testimonies and share them with a group. It has been amazing to watch our students really embrace the community here at J-Life, as well as the teaching. I have seen incredible growth in each one of our students in just the first few days here as they are stretched and challenged outside of their comfort zones. And this is just the beginning. Please pray that God would continue to grow our students into maturity as they are stretched each day.

STeM Day 2

2011-07-01T05:56:00.003-04:00

Today we woke up at 6:30am for a time of group prayer. It was great to unite our hearts together in prayer with believers from many different cultures and languages. We followed that with a time of personal devotions. We are studying the life and ministry of Christ for the next ten days--really exciting stuff! After devotions, we had a time of worship together as a group and then a group discussion surrounding the Scripture that we read for devotions. (And all of that BEFORE breakfast!). After breakfast, we had our first session of practical training for the short-term mission. We are on a short break now (it is noon here), and then we are heading back for another training session. It's been a very busy morning!

One concern for prayer...Justin has not been feeling well. He often has problems with inflamed tonsils, and he has started feeling an infection coming on. We wanted to take every precaution, so he has gone into town this morning for a doctor's visit and to get some antibiotics. He is really doing fine, but please pray that he stays healthy and strong so that he can continue pouring into our students. Thank you for praying!

Adjusting Well

2011-06-30T10:52:00.002-04:00

I'm super impressed with the way our group has adjusted to the new time zone already. We got a great night's sleep (us guys actually slept through our alarms and woke up at 10am!), and after a good shower and breakfast we all felt very refreshed. We went for a nice hike up in the mountains at Camp Eden this afternoon--even in the dry winter it really is beautiful here! As we came back to the campsite, we had the chance to meet several groups of African students who will be joining us for STeM. Our kids seemed to really connect well with the other students. Please pray that we would continue to be unified both as a team and unified with the rest of the students here for STeM. Tonight officially starts STeM training--we are very excited! Stay tuned for more updates, and hopefully I'll be able to put up a picture or two soon. As they say "goodbye" here in South Africa...cheers!

Settling in to South Africa

2011-06-29T18:14:00.003-04:00

The last two days of travel went as smooth as could be. We arrived in Johannesburg right on time about 3 hours ago, and we are just now settling in at Camp Eden. There is a 7-hour time difference, so it's currently almost 12:30am in South Africa. It may take our bodies some time to adjust, but we are all hoping for a good night of rest as we are pretty exhausted from two long days of travel. Pray that our adjustment to the new time zone and culture here will be quick--STeM training starts tomorrow afternoon! We are all very excited to be here and excited for what God has in store for us. Thanks to all of you who are keeping us in your prayers! We really appreciate your support!

Preparing Our Hearts

2011-06-28T00:11:00.002-04:00

Our trip unofficially began tonight as our complete team met together for the first time in Granger. The focus of the night was to begin building unity as a team and to prepare our hearts for the two weeks of ministry ahead of us. Justin really got us started out on the right foot, as he led us in a time of prayer and confession. We each went off on our own to pray and ask God if there were any barriers or sin issues in our lives that might prohibit His working in and through us on this trip. We then got together with a partner, confessed our sins to one another, and prayed for each other. After confession, then, the natural response was to worship God and thank Him for His forgiveness and the work He did through Christ on the cross. And we did just that, spending an hour or so worshiping God together as a team. What a powerful way to begin this trip. Our hearts are ready, and I'm excited to see what God has in store for this team! Africa, here we come!

Back to South Africa!

2011-06-26T09:25:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that it's been 18 months since I last stepped foot in South Africa. But, after much preparation and anticipation, I am heading back this week to the country and the continent that has stolen my heart! I'll be leading a team of students and leaders from The Crossing (the school where I taught this year), as well as the youth group from Rona Missionary Church (OH) which I am connected to through my good friend Justin Romine, youth pastor at Rona. We will be partnering in South Africa with J-Life Africa for their annual missions training/practical event called STeM (Short Term equipping Mission). We'll first spend four days at J-Life's training center about an hour outside of Johannesburg, where we will receive training in short-term missions, including the theory behind what we do on short-term missions, as well as practical training in evangelism, sports ministry, etc. We will then be sent out in teams to impoverished townships to partner with the local church there and apply what we have learned in our missions training. After five days of practical ministry, we will travel back to J-Life for one day of debriefing our experience. And, finally, our group will conclude our time in South Africa with a two-day safari in Kruger National Park, where we will have the opportunity to continue reflecting on our trip, all the while enjoying God's beautiful creation!

I couldn't be more excited about this trip, and I can't wait to see how God moves! Please consider partnering in prayer with our group. Here are some ways that you can pray specifically:

Pray that God will provide safety in our travels (both as we travel to and from South Africa, as well as during our time there).
Pray for team unity.
Pray for God to open our hearts to what He has for us on this trip.
Pray that we would encounter God in new ways.
Pray that God's name be glorified through our service to others around us.
Pray that lives would be changed.
Pray that people would see Jesus Christ and be drawn to Him through our lives and our ministry on this trip.
PRAY THAT GOD WOULD SHOW UP IN BIG WAYS!!!

Thanks so much for your prayers. I will be keeping this blog updated regularly throughout our trip, so feel free to check back in over the next few weeks to see how we're doing. Thanks!

The Crossing

2010-11-16T20:56:00.001-05:00

There was a great article on the front page of the Elkhart Truth on Sunday about The Crossing. Check it out here.

Funniest. Video. Ever.

2010-09-15T20:06:00.006-04:00

No folks, this is not a joke. This is the actual speech this man gave as he ran for treasurer of Stark County, OH. Enjoy.

Link love to Seth Bartlette for bringing this video to my attention.

Congrats Nick and Sarah!!!

2010-09-08T20:51:00.003-04:00

Congrats to my sister, Sarah, and her hubby, Nick, on the birth of their first child! Phinehas Blaze James Anderson was born this morning at 3:43am. He weighs 8lbs 4oz, and is 21.5 inches long.

The proud parents!

And one proud uncle!

A Life Marked By Faith

2010-08-17T23:44:00.003-04:00

“No Compromise: A Life Marked By Faith”
In Loving Memory of My Dad
12 August 2010

My dad was the enforcer of justice in our household. I guess that’s the nice way of saying that my dad had a belt, and he wasn’t afraid to use it. Or a ping pong paddle. Or a large wooden spoon hanging on the wall. I suppose anything that made a loud “smack” on our behinds was considered fair game when it came to corporal punishment.

But it was never the physical act of discipline that drove fear into our hearts. We knew that our dad loved us, and he would never truly hurt us. Rather, when dad corrected us, it was his absolute authority that was awesome and, truthfully, terrifying at times.

I remember once as a teenager getting in trouble, and my dad threatened that I was “not too old to get a spanking.” Thinking I was tough stuff because I was a big, strong football player, my cocky response was, “Try it. I think I can take you now, dad.” My dad immediately rebuked my rebellious and disrespectful attitude, putting the fear of God in me—a quick and frightening reminder that my physical stature was no match for the “dadness” of my dad; he was still the “Chief,” as we often affectionately referred to him.

My dad used to say, “Nothing ever gets by me.” And at times we truly questioned whether he might have omniscient powers because he had a knack for digging up all of our dirty little secrets. Like the time I tried speeding down a country road at night with my lights off and ran over a mailbox. Or the time when I got in a fistfight at youth camp and busted a guy’s nose because he was trying to flirt with my girlfriend. Luckily, it took my dad nearly two years to dig up that story, at which point the only logical response was laughter.

At the root of my dad’s discipline was not a love for punishment or even a love for justice. No, I believe dad disciplined us because of his own high moral standards, grounded in Scripture—standards that he faithfully imparted to his children by holding us to them.

My dad’s values never wavered, even when they fell in direct opposition to the world’s values, or even the values of other God-fearing believers. As a kid in AAU basketball, my dad took a firm stance that I would not play in games on Sunday mornings, even though the coach of the team was a believer himself, and he didn’t seem to have a problem skipping church for basketball. But in our household growing up (and still to this day), Sundays were set aside for church and family.

Or when other parents in the youth group allowed their kids to have co-ed New Year’s Eve slumber parties, my dad took a strong stand, not allowing us kids to put ourselves in situations that might possibly compromise our integrity or our witness to others.

As a child and teenager, I sometimes resented my dad for his uncompromising values and rules. But, my dad was more concerned about being my dad than being my friend. And, I believe it was because of his courage to be a great dad during my childhood that I was later able to call him a good friend. And, much to my dad’s shock, on my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary I wrote them a letter, specifically thanking dad for disciplining me as a child.

In today’s culture of friend-first parenting and discipline-less anarchy in the home, my dad stood in the gap as an example for other parents on how to discipline their children with love. Sure, sometimes it felt as if my dad’s favorite verse in Scripture was the old Proverb of King Solomon: He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. (I’m still convinced that my dad had that underlined a few times in his Bible.) But I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. And, in hindsight, I can clearly see that dad loved us too much to let us live by any other standard than God’s standard.

My dad recently lamented to me that he could never keep up with my mom’s level of spiritual discipline. (And, in reality, who could? My mom is a prayer warrior and a saint.) But what my dad didn’t realize is that for over 30 years he modeled for us kids a life marked by faith. His integrity in all things modeled a life grounded in the authority of Scripture. His commitment to church and family modeled a life centered on godly priorities. And his well-worn Bible found throughout the house spoke to an intimate relationship with his Lord.

While my dad was not a perfect man (and he’d be the first to admit that), he was a loving father whose life painted for his children a beautiful picture of our heavenly Father. And for that, I am eternally grateful. His was a life without compromise, a life marked by faith.

Pong Shots: The Original

2010-08-02T07:40:00.004-04:00

For those of you who enjoyed 4 Guys Pong Shots Deuce, here's the original pong shots video those same guys shot last summer. Enjoy.

Passion

2010-07-22T22:39:00.006-04:00

I've been reading like crazy in recent months. Right now I'm really enjoying a book by Mark Batterson called Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God. Here's a quote from the book that pierced my heart this week:

"I'm not convinced that your date of death is the date carved on your tombstone. Most people die long before that. We start dying when we have nothing worth living for. And we don't really start living until we find something worth dying for. Ironically, discovering something worth dying for is what makes life worth living.

"Maybe that explains why Jesus was so full of life. He had so much--or rather so many--to die for. No one was more passionate about life than Jesus. In fact, the final chapter of His life is appropriately referred to as the Passion. And we are called to follow in His footsteps. Christ followers ought to be the most passionate people on the planet. Pursuing God-ordained passions isn't optional. It is an essential part of chasing the [Holy Spirit]. And the adventure begins the moment we start pursuing a God-ordained passion."

I don't know about you, but that gets me fired up. I've experienced the passionless life of living for myself--for temporal things--and I've tasted the joys of passionately pursuing God's kingdom on this earth. And I know that I can never go back. Sometimes I allow myself to get distracted, but then the Spirit graciously pulls me back into the abundant life. I'm feeling that tug again, and I'm insanely excited about where the Spirit is leading me this time. He's got big plans for me, and He's got big plans for you. It's time to forsake all else and passionately pursue God at all costs!

Amen?

Pong Shots

2010-07-20T21:51:00.003-04:00

Wanted to give a shout out to some of the kids from my old youth group at St. Mark. They just released their second "Pong Shots" video on Youtube. While they may have wasted an entire summer shooting this video, I'm not complaining because it's downright entertaining and actually quite impressive. To all you youth pastors out there, I think this would be a good "just for fun" video to show at youth group sometime. Enjoy!

Jehovah-jireh, My Provider

2010-07-14T13:17:00.003-04:00

I've spent several months now trying to figure out what in the world God is doing with my life. These months have included lots of soul-searching, lots of frustration, some low points spiritually and emotionally, and a true test in my patience. After a year filled with purpose and adventure in Africa, I was forced to slow down and wait on the leading of the Spirit for my next step in life.

So I waited...and waited...and waited. I waited for what seemed to be an eternity, knowing that God had a plan for my life but uncertain of where He was leading me next. My heart was torn between returning as soon as possible to Africa or staying home and continuing to be there for my mom and dad as my dad fights for his life. To make matters more confusing, in the midst of my soul-searching I sensed that God was calling me back to Africa and had a purpose for me there. At the same time, I felt like to abandon my family at a time like this would be disobedience. In the midst of all this confusion, I found it really hard to trust God--to trust that He knew what He was doing in my life and that He had a plan.

This past weekend I was at a spiritual retreat, and I heard from the Lord in powerful ways. The most impacting thing I heard from God was this:

"Adam, My plans for you are better than your plans for you."

Wow. Here I have been, running around trying to put together my own goals in life and set into motion my own plans, and I've honestly failed miserably in those efforts. I want my life to count for the kingdom, but that starts by allowing the King to call the shots. As I'm learning to come to grips with that reality, I'm again realizing what it means to die to myself. When I give my future over to God, I'm allowing him to reshape my desires and my dreams. And in doing so, my life will look significantly different than it would have been if I continued to be the one in charge. But at the same time I know that this "new life" will be so much better--so much more fulfilling--because it will be for Him and not for me.

So the Lord has led me to two unlikely places that were never a part of my plans. Through his unmistakable leading, God has brought me to Granger Missionary Church, where I've accepted a position as their interim worship leader. At GMC, the Lord has provided a place for me to use the talents in music He has blessed me with, serving the body of Christ in leading them before the throne in worship each week. Having been there for a few weeks now, I feel like the Lord has anointed me for that position.

While I'm passionate about leading others in worship, more than anything my heart continues to beat for impacting the lives of young people. Over the past couple years, I've also felt the Lord drawing me more and more to at-risk teens--to the kids that face poverty, broken families, lack of education, addictions, and abuse. In light of those passions, the Lord has provided a full-time job for me as a teacher at the Crossing Educational Center--an alternative Christian school for at-risk teens. Honestly, I never would have imagined myself as a high school teacher, but I sense that this job will be perfect for me at least for this period of my life. I seriously feel so blessed right now.

In the words of the old chorus:

"Jehovah-jireh, my Provider, His grace is sufficient for me..."

Contextual Youth Ministry in a Diverse World

2010-07-13T14:56:00.002-04:00

I was recently given a really cool opportunity to write an article for Youth Specialties. For those of you who don't know, Youth Specialties is one of the largest youth ministry organizations in the US and a major publisher of youth ministry resources. The topic I was given to write about was "contextual youth ministry." The final product was an article I entitled Contextual Youth Ministry in a Diverse World. Give it a read, and let me know what you think!

*Shout out to Terry Linhart over at y.m.e.r.g.e. for helping me with the writing/editing/publishing process, and for helping shape my thinking for this article!

The Most Egomaniacal Man in the World

2010-07-09T11:55:00.007-04:00

That's right, LeBron...we are all witnesses. Witnesses to the Most Egomaniacal Athlete in the History of Sports. At least that's one title you've already won...

"God Is Not A White Man"

2010-06-30T13:21:00.012-04:00

I recently ran across a pretty sweet band called Gungor. Their song "God Is Not A White Man" challenges the faulty worldview and perspective about God that plagues many Christians in America today, which is why I really like it. Hope you enjoy the music video!

Link Lovin' It: Friends in Missions

2010-06-21T15:40:00.002-04:00

I want to continue highlighting some blogs that are worth checking out. You can follow these blogs in the blogroll on my sidebar, or better yet, add them to your Google Reader! Here's some link love for my friends on the mission field:

Amanda Lehman has spent much of the past two years serving as a teacher and working in an orphanage in northern India. You can read about Amanda's heart for "the least of these" here.
Jess Gates is mentoring teenage girls and doing some incredible sports ministry in the Dominican Republic with Students International.
Kory and Ali Lantz are missionaries in the truest sense of the word. They work with at-risk teens right here in our own backyard, in the Keller Park neighborhood of South Bend.
Miah and Michelle Collins train youth leaders with J-Life in South Africa. Miah recently ran a 56-mile race. You can read about that experience here.
Nick and Sarah Anderson are church-planters in Oaxaca, Mexico. They talk about "spiritual mapping" here.
Ranae Holdeman is a teacher for missionary kids in Botswana. She shares some good thoughts about wisdom here.
Jeff and Amy McKissick serve as medical missionaries in Paraguay. They also have the cutest kids E-VER!

I'm so blessed to have friends serving the Lord all around the world! Check out their blogs, pray for them, and send them some words of encouragement!

New Blog Design

2010-06-17T13:00:00.002-04:00

Over the past couple weeks, I've been learning about HTML code and tinkering around with my blog design. It was a fun little experiment while it lasted. But, I'm realizing that there are people out there with A LOT more knowledge and skill with this stuff, so I've scrapped the whole project and picked an entirely new blog template.* Hope you like it!

*Shout out to Josh Peterson for this template design!

Honey, I shrunk the world.

2010-06-17T12:06:00.006-04:00

I recently received a newsletter from some missionary friends that shared some interesting statistics about the world population. The following is a synopsis of what our world would look like if shrunk down into a community of 100 people:

57 would be Asian
21 would be European
14 would be from the Western Hemisphere
8 would be African

52 would be female; 48 would be male
70 would be non-Christian; 30 would be Christian
70 would be non-white; 30 would be white

80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would have a college education

These statistics remind me of two things:

My white, middle-class American worldview is so different from most of the rest of the world, and I have a lot to learn from other people.
I am SO blessed (especially considering those last four statistics), and I believe God has blessed me so that I can be a blessing to others!

Link Lovin' It

2010-06-15T12:23:00.005-04:00

I'm assuming by now most of you have noticed my new blog design. (If you're reading this on Google Reader, come over and check it out.) I've also added several links in my sidebar to friends in the blogosphere. Here's some link love to my blogging friends in youth ministry:

Derry Prenkert is Senior High Youth Pastor over at Nappanee Missionary Church. Derry has been one of the most influential people in my life, and his blog is a must read for anyone in youth ministry.
Jason Thompson has been a Middle School and Pre-teen Pastor at NMC for several years. Jason was one of my mentors when I interned at NMC in the summer of '05. Jason is currently using his platform to make a big difference in the DRC. You can read about "The Congo Project" here and here.
Jon Andrews is the youth pastor over at Wakarusa Missionary Church. Jon is doing some downright inspiring stuff right now, raising awareness and fighting against sex trafficking in Asia. At 300 lbs., John also just finished his first half-marathon!
Kara Szyarto is Youth Director down at Columbia City United Methodist Church. Kara and I studied youth ministry together at Bethel College, and now she's out there on the cutting edge of youth ministry!
Phil Strahm is the youth pastor at Trinity Park United Methodist Church down in Greenfield, IN. Phil and I have been good friends since 2005, when we interned together at NMC.
Seth Bartlette is the youth pastor at St. Mark Missionary Church. Seth and I were "partners in crime" at SMMC for several years, working together with the youth ministry. Seth continues to do an incredible job impacting the lives of young people at St. Mark.
Terry Linhart was one of my youth ministry professors at Bethel College, where he also serves as the Chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy. Simply put, when it comes to youth ministry, Terry is the man!

You can keep up with the latest posts from each of these guys on the blogroll in my sidebar, or just add them to your Google Reader!

encouraged.

2010-06-14T09:38:00.003-04:00

Last week was very discouraging, as my dad's health seemed to be declining daily. There were days when my dad seemed so near to death that I thought he might just give up. But each day he kept fighting courageously, refusing to give in to death. My dad has lost a lot of things, but he has certainly not lost his will to live!

We continue to take things day by day, and my dad keeps fighting. Yesterday was the first sign of my dad's health moving in a positive direction. The hospice nurse came in the morning and said that the sore on his back is finally starting to heal, which is a HUGE answer to prayer! Then, later in the evening, my dad was able to sit up in his chair and talk to us for a while. His mind seemed sharper yesterday than it has in a long time. After a week of discouragement, I left my parents' house last night feeling very encouraged. God continues to show us His mercy daily, and His hand is evident in my dad's situation.

So, I remain cautiously optimistic. I know and believe that God can still heal my dad. He could heal him instantly, or He could heal my dad through a long and painful process of recovery. I also know that it's a lot messier than that. Sometimes good people do not receive the answers to prayer that they seek. But that won't keep us from praying.

One of the most inspiring things for me has been seeing my dad's faith grow amidst such adversity. At times when he could very easily be cursing God, my dad cries out to Jesus for help. He encourages us daily to keep believing, to not give up on him yet. And I pray that you would join us in believing. God is not done getting glory in this situation...

Tough Days Ahead

2010-06-10T11:58:00.003-04:00

My family continues to receive overwhelming support from family and friends during these difficult times. Thanks so much to all of you who have offered words of encouragement, and thanks especially to those who continue to intercede on behalf of my dad. It means so much. This is the latest news on his health.

In recent weeks, due to his bed-ridden state, my dad developed a nasty pressure sore on his lower back. Over time, the sore began to grow and then became infected. On Monday, my dad was admitted back into the hospital and was in very critical condition. We almost lost him Monday night, but praise God the antibiotics fought off the infection that threatened his life. He has spent the past few days in the hospital, barely hanging on to life. He seems to struggle with nearly every breath, and his mind really seems to be going on him as well. I was, however, able to have one good conversation with him on Tuesday in which he shared with me his last "pearls of wisdom" for me. I will cherish those forever.

Today my dad will be taken by ambulance back home, where hospice will take over care of him. His desire is to die at home. At this point, the doctors say he could go any day. I would be surprised if he makes it another week. These are very difficult times for our family, and it looks like there will be even tougher days ahead.

Please pray:

for a spirit of peace to overwhelm my dad and my family during this time
for my dad's spirit--that he would be prepared to meet the Lord
for the Lord to release my dad from his pain
for my mom--she suffers with my dad
for a miracle. Our God is all-powerful!

Thanks so much, and I love you all!

Adam

What a blessing it has been to be a part of this family!

Wisdom from John Wooden

2010-06-05T09:53:00.007-04:00

Arguably the greatest basketball coach ever, John Wooden died yesterday at the age of ninety-nine. I wasn't even born yet when Wooden won 10 NCAA national championships in 12 years with UCLA in the 60s and 70s, including 7 in a row from 1967-73. All I know is that kind of success is absolutely insane. The crazy thing is, with all that success Wooden is known more for the kind of man he was than for his success on the basketball court. He's more famous for the wisdom he imparted about life, rather than his wizardry as a great basketball coach. Here's a collection of some of that wisdom--some of the greatest "Woodenisms."

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

"Never mistake activity for achievement."

"Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then."

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

"Be prepared and be honest."

"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

"What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player."

"Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character."

"A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment."

"I'd rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent."

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes."

"It isn't what you do, but how you do it."

"Ability is a poor man's wealth."

"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be."

"Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights."

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."

"It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it."

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."

"Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful."

"The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team."

"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

"Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts."

*Source: CoachWooden.com.

One More Week!

2010-06-04T16:32:00.003-04:00

I was never much of a soccer fan growing up, but my world travels have opened my eyes to the fact that on the international stage, soccer is the sport. And for the billions of soccer fans around the world, the World Cup is the event. As you probably know by now, this year the World Cup will be held in South Africa--the first time it has ever been held on the African continent! I'm excited for South Africa to showcase their beautiful country to the rest of the world. And I know this event means a ton to the people down in SA. Some of my friends at J-Life are really getting into the World Cup spirit, too. Check it out!

South African pride at its finest!

Blog Under Construction

2010-06-03T16:57:00.002-04:00

As you might have noticed, I'm doing a much-needed overhaul of the layout of my blog. Hopefully the final outcome will be a more aesthetically pleasing website than my previously all-black design. I should have it done in the next day or so. Hope you like it!

AC

Before and After

2010-06-02T16:24:00.003-04:00

No tricks this time--these pictures are for real! Enjoy the transformation!

Shave-Free for 393

2010-06-02T15:25:00.003-04:00

I know most of you have been sitting on the edge of your seats for the last four weeks since the poll closed, wondering what my decision was going to be. Well, wonder no more. After 393 shave-free days, I finally cut my beard! It was sad to see my faithful friend go, but with the rising heat and humidity and one or two job interviews on the horizon, it was just time to say goodbye to the beard. The dreads, however, live to see another day!

Because I have too much time on my hands (and apparently you do, too, because you're still reading this!), I decided to video this special occasion. Enjoy.

Currently Reading, Currently Writing

2010-05-27T11:50:00.004-04:00

I'm currently reading a book called On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. I've always considered myself a fairly good writer, but I've recently realized just how much I don't know about writing. Just a few chapters into this book, I'm learning a ton, and it's a really enjoyable read.

I'm also currently in the process of publishing an article with Youth Specialties on "contextual youth ministry." I just sent my first draft of the article to the editor yesterday, and it should be published in their online journal in June. I'll be sure to send out a link when it gets published.

The Vision

2010-05-19T15:34:00.002-04:00

The Vision¹

By Pete Greig

The vision?
The vision is JESUS--obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
The vision is an army of young people. You see bones? I see an army.
And they are FREE from materialism.
They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn't even notice.
They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the West was won.
They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.

What is the vision?

The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.

Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers
choose to lose
that they might one day win
the great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters.
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night.
They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards
and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"
And this is the sound of the underground
The whisper of history in the making
Foundations shaking
Revolutionaries dreaming once again
Mystery is scheming in whispers
Conspiracy is breathing...
This is the sound of the underground
And the army is discipl(in)ed.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes.
Winners.
Martyrs.
Who can stop them?
Can hormones hold them back?
Can failure succeed?
Can fear scare them or death kill them?
And the generation prays
like a dying man
with groans beyond talking,
with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and
with great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting. Watching: 24-7-365.
Whatever it takes they will give:
Breaking the rules.
Shaking mediocrity from its cozy little hide.
Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs,
laughing at labels, fasting essentials.
The advertisers cannot mold them.
Hollywood cannot hold them.
Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties
before the cockerel cries.
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside.
On the outside? They hardly care.
They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but
never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their very lives--swap seats with the man on
death row--guilty as hell.
A throne for an electric chair.
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and
fruitless days, they pray as if it all depends on God and live
as if it all depends on them.
Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centers.
Don't you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdos!
Summon the losers and the freaks.
Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes.
They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are
dwarfed by these children of another dimension.
Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient
dream of Eden.
And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it
will come soon.
How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the
groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God.
My tomorrow is his today.
My distant hope is his 3-D.
And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous,
resounding, bone-shaking great "Amen!" from countless angels, from
heroes of the faith, from Christ himself. And He is the original dreamer,
the ultimate winner.
Guaranteed.

Taken from Red Moon Rising: How 24-7 Prayer is Awakening a Generation, by Pete Greig & Dave Roberts, pp. 119-122.

Uncle Adam

2010-05-18T22:15:00.004-04:00

Hands down, the best part about being home these past several months has been getting to spend tons of time with my family. I've especially enjoyed getting to love on my nieces and nephews. Every Sunday, my 3-year-old niece, Brooke, reminds me that I have "silly hair." The conversation usually goes something like this:

Brooke: You're silly because you have silly hair.

Uncle Adam: No, you're silly.

Brooke: No, you're silly because your hair looks like that (pointing to my dreads).

Uncle Adam: No, I'm pretty sure you're silly.

Brooke (Speaking matter-of-factly now): No, you're silly.

Etc.

This profound conversation can go on for quite a while, until finally we just get in a tickle fight over who's the silliest! Being an uncle is AWESOME!!!

Lauren, Brooke, and Wesley with their (silly) Uncle Adam. (Easy on the stranglehold, Brookie! ;-)

Billy Graham (and the Apostle Paul) on Evangelistic Urgency

2010-05-17T17:37:00.004-04:00

"The evangelistic harvest is always urgent. The destiny of men and of nations is always being decided. Every generation is crucial; every generation is strategic. But we are not responsible for the past generation, and we cannot bear full responsibility for the next one. However, we do have our generation! God will hold us responsible at the Judgment Seat of Christ for how well we fulfilled our responsibilities and took advantage of our opportunities." (Billy Graham, Just As I Am, p. 565)

Amen, Billy. May we never lose our sense of urgency!

More than anyone in the history of the Church, it seems the Apostle Paul understood this sense of urgency. He writes:

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" (Romans 10:14-15)

Amen, amen, and a-men!

on genocide.

2010-05-14T10:47:00.002-04:00

The following is an excerpt from an interview in Jean Hatzfield's book Into the Quick Life. The interviewee is Berthe Mwanankabandi, a young Tutsi woman and one of the few survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Here are her words:

"When I hear news about all these African wars on the radio, I fear that the end is near for Africa. African leaders make decisions on affairs all too brutally. It is an insurmountable problem for us, the little people. But the case of Rwanda escapes African customs. An African massacres with anger or hunger gnawing his belly. Or he massacres as much as is necessary to confiscate diamonds or suchlike. He does not massacre on a full stomach and with his heart at peace on hills planted with beans like "interahamwe" [extremist Hutu militia]. I think they mislearned a lesson from somewhere else, from out of Africa. I do not know who sowed the idea of genocide. No, I do not say it was the settler. Really, I do not know who it was, but it is not an African.

"I do not understand why the Whites watched us for such a long time, while every day we suffered the blades. If you who witnessed the genocide on your television screen do not know why the Whites did not raise a hand in protest, how was I, buried in the marshes, supposed to know?

"I do not understand why certain suffering faces, like those of Hutus in Congo or the fugitives in Kosovo, touch foreigners and why Tutsi faces, even carved by machetes, provoke only thoughtlessness and neglect. I am not sure I understand or believe in a foreigner's pity. Perhaps the Tutsis were hidden too far from the road, or perhaps their faces did not adequately express this type of feeling.

"In any case, what the Hutus did is without question devilry. This is why, as long as there are "interahamwe" and their supporters incarcerated in Tilima, I will still tremble when I hear voices speaking from amongst the leaves in the banana groves."

Five Stack 2.0

2010-05-13T15:30:00.009-04:00

I just finished reading my second Five Stack. Here are the books I've been reading:

Spirituality
Red Moon Rising, Pete Greig & Dave Roberts

This book was both challenging and inspiring. Essentially, Greig chronicles his own journey as he was led by the Spirit to start a movement of 24-7 prayer that began in Great Britain just over a decade ago. The movement soon spread to believers all around the world. In some of the least likely places, often amongst marginalized people on the fringes of society, 24-7 prayer rooms have begun sprouting up all over the world. The stories of God's hand on this movement are incredible, and it's encouraging to know that more than ever Christians from all over the world are uniting their hearts together in prayer to our Creator. I'm still processing what this all means to me personally, but I sense that God is calling me to humble myself and pray like never before.

Africa
Into the Quick Life, Jean Hatzfield

This book is the flip-side of "A Time For Machetes," which I read in my first Five Stack. In this book, Hatzfield goes back to the hills of Nyamata, Rwanda and interviews the few survivors of the 1994 genocide left there. Again, this book is not for the faint of heart. No details are left out as the survivors recount this macabre atrocity, the most deadly month in the history of humanity. Stories of men, women, and children being hacked to pieces as they seek refuge in churches leave you wondering whether there is any goodness in the hearts of humanity. The fact that these such things and worse happened on such a large scale is utterly incomprehensible. But, as my friend Derry recently discovered firsthand on his trip to Rwanda, these are not just gruesome tales for books; this stuff is real. If you can handle it, this book deserves a read. Let us never forget...

Philosophy
Escape From Reason, Francis Schaeffer

This book comes from The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer, Vol. I: A Christian View of Philosophy and Culture. It's the second book in the five volume set, which contains all twenty-two of Schaeffer's published works. This specific book, Escape From Reason, addresses the historical shifts in the study of epistemology (ie. the theory of knowledge, its nature, limits and validity). According to Schaeffer, modern man has removed spirituality or religion from all rational thinking. The common modern man, for example, may use the words Jesus or the cross, but he has removed the meaning behind these words from their rightful place in real space-time history. Thus, there is no rational meaning behind the words. In the same way, Scripture is removed of its true power and authority. Spirituality is viewed through a lens of irrationality, which we can clearly see in the predominant mindset of religious universalism today. Unfortunately, the only rational conclusion man can make from his current position is that there is no God and man is nothing. This has led modern (or now post-modern) man into despair. As Christians, we must be prepared to offer the world a biblical worldview as a rational alternative, as a means for hope in this world drowning in despair. For Christianity alone can answer the deepest questions and fulfill the deepest desires in the hearts of humankind.

Finances
Just Generosity: A New Vision for Overcoming Poverty in America, Ronald J. Sider

This book really has very little to do with personal finances. It's more of an overall assessment of the current situation of poverty in America. Drawing heavily on sociological research and data throughout the book, Sider begins by making a strong case that poverty is a major problem in America. He makes it clear that as one of the richest nations in the history of the world, we should not be satisfied with the amount of people in America currently living at or below the poverty level. Sider then outlines the biblical imperatives for social justice. Finally, he essentially takes our current situation in America and runs it through the biblical grid of God's view for social justice. He tackles issues such as employment, family structure, health care, education, Welfare, and crime, among others. For each of these issues, Sider uses sociological research, as well as his personal experiences in dealing with the impoverished in his community, to help outline what the government, the media, and most importantly the Church should be doing to fight poverty in America.

Missionary Biographies
Just As I Am, Billy Graham

At 750+ pages, this book seemed to be the most daunting of all five books. However, Graham's incredible life stories sucked me in right away, and I actually finished this book first--I couldn't put it down! I was amazed by so many of the insane opportunities Graham had to preach the Gospel literally all over the world. Probably the most intriguing thing for me was the personal influence he had over every one of our U.S. Presidents over more than five decades, from Truman to Clinton. (The book was published in 1997, but I presume this influence continued with W. and Obama). In fact, he has individual chapters devoted solely to his personal relationships with each one of the Presidents. Incredible stuff...

There was so much to learn from Billy Graham's life experiences, but two things stuck out to me the most: (1) Billy Graham was a man of integrity, and (2) he was a man of prayer. His humble reliance on God through prayer throughout his many years of ministry was inspiring. I closed this book with a lot of respect for Billy Graham as an anointed man of God.

Each one of these books I would suggest as being more than worth your while to read. Hopefully as time allows I will be able to share more about what I'm learning through these various readings.

So, what good books are you reading these days?

Currently Reading...

2010-05-11T13:18:00.002-04:00

...A LOT! My goal at the beginning of the year was to read one book a week for the entire year, for a total of 52 books. Currently, 18 1/2 weeks into 2010, I'm slightly behind schedule, having finished 16 books (almost done with #17). More on my readings soon!

(no caption needed)

2010-05-10T13:26:00.002-04:00

Caption

2010-05-10T12:07:00.003-04:00

Whoops...I sort of "forgot" to put a caption under the picture in my previous post. :-P That was a picture of me after I shaved my head 5 YEARS AGO! You've all been duped!¹ Look for my real decision in Dread Vote 2010 to be coming soon!

1. Shout out to my South African friends Sue and Tara for figuring out that this was an old picture!

2010-05-07T20:06:00.000-04:00

Prayer Warriors

2010-05-06T15:29:00.003-04:00

Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,

As many of you might already know, my dad has been battling cancer for about two and a half years now. Throughout much of this time, he has been experiencing extreme amounts of pain as the cancer eats away at his bones and presses up against nerve clusters in his back. At the same time, up until this week, his doctors remained optimistic that they could keep the cancer under control. Two days ago, however, we received the news that we were hoping to never hear: the cancer is out of control, there is no longer anything the doctors can do, and my dad has about 6 months left to live. This was obviously a devastating blow for my dad and for our entire family. In this situation, we are forced even more desperately onto our knees to pray for God's miraculous touch.

I'm writing all of you to ask that you join me as an army of prayer warriors interceding on behalf of my dad. I'm asking you to join with me in believing Jesus' words in Mark 10:27: "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." You are all my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I'm asking you to help carry this heavy burden with my family and me.

Here are some specific ways you can be praying:

Pray for relief from the intense pain that my dad experiences on a daily basis.
Pray for strength for my dad. He has lost about 100 lbs. now, and he can barely walk.
Pray for strength for my mom. She has faithfully remained by my dad's side through all of this, often enduring sleepless, pain-filled nights alongside him.
Pray that both my mom and dad can find moments of rest and peace during these difficult times.
Pray that if these are our last few months with my dad, that they would be filled with meaningful and joy-filled experiences for my family.
Pray that the Lord would intercede with a miraculous touch, for HIS glory!!!

Please take time, even now, to bring these requests before the Lord! He hears our prayers!

Blessings,

Adam

Dread Vote 2010

2010-05-04T13:38:00.004-04:00

Dear Voters,

I do not want you to be uninformed as you enter the polls today. Within hours of the polls opening last week, my friend Eric called me up to gather some facts before casting his vote. I thought I might share with you some of these facts while the poll is still open. And, just in case your opinion is swayed by these new facts, keep in mind that you still have time to change your vote!

Okay, the following are the pros and cons of having a beard and dreads:

Pros

They look awesome! (Don't argue with this one...this is a fact!) haha
On the basketball courts in River Park, my new nickname is "Baby Jesus!"
Closely tied with the previous comment, when people see me they often think about Jesus! (Unfortunately, it's the way I look that reminds them of Jesus, not necessarily the way I act!)
I don't have to shave every day...or even ANY day!
I don't have to worry about getting hit on by girls anymore! Ha! Jokes...
On a more serious note, the way I look now--especially with the dreads--seems to immediately bring a deeper connection with certain types of people that would be harder to connect with otherwise. People like the youth in a local prison I've been working with and my black African brothers...

Cons

Sometimes when I'm eating I think there's a hair in my food...then I realize that I'm munching on a little bit of my beard!
Because of the dreads, people don't believe that I don't smoke pot!
My head is itchy sometimes.
I have to wear a shower cap when I shower.
My face gets pretty hot sometimes with all that hair, especially when I go running.
My hair requires WAY more upkeep than I'm used to.

These are some of the pros and cons to consider when placing your vote. Also, keep in mind that my dreads have not completely locked in yet, so there's something to be said about finishing what I've started! With that, I'll leave you to the polls!

Sincerely,
Commissioner, Dread Vote 2010

Update on My Dad

2010-04-29T15:00:00.002-04:00

My family has continued to receive an outpouring of love and prayers from many people as we walk through this difficult time with my dad's health. Here's the latest update so that you can be praying more specifically.

My dad has continued to suffer in excruciating pain as the tumors press up against nerve clusters in his back. A major prayer of ours for some time now has been that he would receive relief from that pain. God willing, that prayer will be granted today through a minor surgery. My dad will be having surgery later this afternoon to receive a pain pump. Basically, a small incision will be made in his abdomen to place a pump inside him, with a tube wrapping around under his skin to his back, where most of the pain occurs. The pump will be filled with meds which will be released directly to the point of pain in my dad's back. With this built-in pump, relief from the pain should be as easy as simply pressing a button.

Please pray...

that my dad's frail body (he's lost about 90 lbs) will have strength to make it through this minor surgery
that this new form of medication will relieve much of the pain that my dad has been enduring for so long
that the doctors might have wisdom throughout this procedure and in the days ahead
for restful, sleep-filled nights for both my dad and my mom
for HEALING!

Thanks again to all of you who are praying. You are such an encouragement to my family and to me!

To keep the beard and dreads or not to keep the beard and dreads, that is the question!

2010-04-28T19:00:00.003-04:00

So today I was pondering the deeper things of life, when I remembered that an important milestone in my life is quickly approaching: one week from today marks one year since I started growing my beard! That's right, it's been 358 days since a razor touched this face. Impressive, I know...

Well, it's been a great run, but I'm starting to think it might be time for a change. I was thinking it might be fun to have all my faithful readers join me in the decision-making process. (This is your chance to let me know what you REALLY think about my caveman look!)¹ So, I've set up my very first blogger poll to ask for your help in this all-important decision. Believe it or not, your votes will play a large role in determining what I do with my hair!²

So what are you waiting for?! VOTE NOW!!!

1. Mom, your vote doesn't count! I already know what you think! :-)
2. The poll closes at 12pm Wednesday, May 5th. At that point, 49% of my decision will be based on the top vote-getter, while 51% of the decision will be made by ME! :-P

Easter Traditions

2010-04-09T08:37:00.003-04:00

The annual family picture on Easter. It was great to have the whole family together this year!

And, of course, an Easter egg hunt with the little kiddos!

on prayer.

2010-04-08T11:25:00.002-04:00

"God thinks much more of your desires than of the words in which they are expressed. It may be natural for a scholar to consider the accuracy of your terms, but God especially notes the sincerity of your soul. There is no other place where the heart should be so free as before the mercy seat. There, you can talk out your very soul, for that is the best prayer that you can present. Do not ask for what some tell you that you should ask for, but for that which you feel the need of, that which the Holy Spirit has made you to hunger and to thirst for, you ask for that."

-C.H. Spurgeon, from a sermon entitled "Pray, Always Pray"

The Power of Prayer (and the Problem of Pain)

2010-04-07T12:43:00.006-04:00

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. (James 5:13-15)

Most of us have read this passage of Scripture before. We know that prayer is important--that God hears our prayers and answers them (though not always in the way we want). As good Christians, we "know" these things...

At the same time, most of us have known other good Christian people--people just like us--who have died too young. They begged God for healing, but God was silent. They believed in God for healing, but He had other plans. We all know someone like that. And I think, if we were honest, that messes with our heads sometimes. We have lots of questions for God:

God, why do you allow pain and suffering?

God, why didn't you heal ____________ ?

God, can you really hear me? Where are you!?

We all have these questions. And, sometimes, because of these questions we begin to doubt God. We may still want to trust in God, but our faith is shaken. And often times, for this reason, we stop praying. We disobey the command in James 5 to pray because we're afraid that God won't answer our prayers. We're afraid that God won't show up and do the miraculous. We don't want to look like idiots when God doesn't show up, so we simply don't pray.

Most of you know that my dad is terribly sick. In fact, if something miraculous doesn't happen soon, my dad's time left on this earth could be very short. His chemo treatments have not been working. The doctors aren't sure what else they can do. It's getting down to crunch time, and it's time that we seriously get on our knees in prayer.

Tonight we will be putting James 5:13-15 into practice. My dad has called the pastors and the elders of his church together to pray over him and anoint him with oil for healing. We are trusting God for a miracle. It's scary...I mean, what if God doesn't show up? But yet in faith we know that God has the power to heal, and in obedience to His Word we are asking for His healing touch.

PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE!!!

One more closing thought. About a year ago, I ran across a passage of Scripture as I was reading through Isaiah that shed some new light on situations like my dad's. In the first two verses of chapter 57, Isaiah writes:

The righteous perish,
and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.
Those who walk uprightly
enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death.

It's difficult to think of things this way, but I really do just want my dad to be restored and healed. And I know that in his glorified, eternal body, my dad will be in peace and free from pain. Selfishly, I want many more years with my dad, but God knows what is best. God may choose to heal my dad by "sparing him from evil" and allowing him to "enter into peace." And who am I to argue with God?

But regardless of God's answer in this situation...

WE MUST PRAY!!!

Subbing Day From Hell

2010-04-05T09:24:00.001-04:00

This past week I had by far my worst day of substitute teaching. I finally decided to venture back into the world of middle school teaching, taking a job at Grissom Middle School that included a half day of teaching math/science classes and a half day of teaching remedial reading classes. The morning math and science classes went relatively smoothly, although the teacher did not give enough work to occupy the students the entire class period. That was really no problem though, as by the end of class I had a handful of 13-year-old boys hanging out by my desk as we talked sports and they asked about my year in Africa.

Things got interesting in the afternoon, though. First of all, I learned that most kids in remedial reading classes are not "slow" or "special needs"--they are simply TROUBLEMAKERS! For the first time in my subbing career--going all the way back to a couple years that I subbed during college--I had to kick two kids out of class. In a class filled with way too much attitude, a couple girls started getting into it, swearing at each other and getting up into each others' faces. I seriously thought there was about to be a royal rumble!

The day wasn't all bad, though. I actually met three kids from Africa, which was cool. One of the girls, Lulu, was from Kenya, and I got to brush up on my Swahili with her.

Finally, the highlight of the day came when I confiscated this note that was circulating in one of my classes:

Ha! The kids freaked out when I took the note. I'm pretty sure they were relieved when I started laughing. I thought it was hilarious!

Thank You, Jesus.

2010-04-02T09:53:00.004-04:00

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal's death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

-Philippians 2:6-11

Thank You, Jesus!!!

Laying Down Some Tracks

2010-03-25T18:55:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, my buddy Tim heard me working on some music and encouraged me to record some of the songs I've been writing. To be honest, I've always felt like that would be something that I would enjoy doing, but I never had the motivation or confidence to actually record anything. Well, luckily Tim is a technical/sound guru, and he was able to set up a bit of a makeshift recording studio at my house. Check it out...

Tim's "studio" (aka my dining room table). With a mixer and some recording software, the sound was actually pretty good!

Jammin'...

The nice thing about recording in my own home was that I could wear my pajamas to the studio!

In all honesty, through this process I've learned that I'm definitely NOT a professional musician, but I still really do love music. I think I'm more cut out for leading worship, which is why I started playing guitar in the first place several years back. Anyway, it's been a fun little experiment. Maybe one of these days (or months...or years), I'll post the audio tracks of a song or two.

The Latest on My Dad

2010-03-18T22:37:00.002-04:00

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for my dad. Here's the latest update:

My dad is still in the hospital. He was discharged briefly last Friday night, but his pain levels shot right back up, and at 3AM Saturday morning my mom had to bring him in to the ER. So, he's been stuck in the hospital again all this week, as they try to keep his pain at a tolerable level and try to figure out how to best attack his cancer.

We received some pretty rough news this week, as CT scans were done on my dad's hips, pelvis, and tailbone. Essentially, the cancer has eaten through my dad's pelvis. There is a gaping whole where it should be, leaving basically just a shell of fragmented bone. As I mentioned earlier, the bones in the ball joints of his hips are also dead. As if that wasn't enough, his tailbone also has fractures and seems to be breaking apart. Needless to say, the pain involved with all these complications is more than most of us could ever imagine. Our most common prayer right now is that the Lord would provide relief for my dad's pain.

My dad is also on an incredible amount of narcotics to keep the pain bearable. In fact, one doctor recently said that if a healthy person took one dose of my dad's medicine--which he takes hourly--it would be fatal. His body is simply fighting so hard against the pain and the cancer that it goes through the narcotic drugs at an incredible rate. Another way that you can be praying is that they could slowly ween my dad off of the drugs so that he can return home soon.

Next week, they are sending my dad down to a tumor specialist in Indianapolis. Some major decisions will need to be made soon, potentially involving some surgical procedures that could put my dad in a lot of risk.

Please keep praying!!!

Two of My Favorite Things...

2010-03-17T21:09:00.005-04:00

Last night was a combo of two of my favorite things: Chinese food and my family (not particularly in that order!). Sarah and Nick, my sister and bro-in-law, are back home somewhat indefinitely from the mission field in Mexico due to my dad's current health situation. So, I invited them, along with my brother, Dave, and his wife, Andrea, over for some of my homemade Chinese food. We made Kung Pao chicken, pork steak with broccoli, and jasmine rice with Mae Ploy sauce. We even busted out some fancy chopsticks that I brought home with me from China a few years back! Good times...great food!

Jesus is Not a Weapon

2010-03-12T22:07:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I stopped by the hospital to spend some time with my dad. When I got to his room, my dad wasn't there. A few minutes later, he came rolling in on his bed, chatting away with his nurse about everything under the sun, including politics and the economy. (Fortunately, while my dad's body is in pretty bad shape right now, his mind is still sharp!) The male nurse--about my dad's age--was clearly a liberal, and my dad being the staunch conservative that he is, it made for an amusing conversation, to say the least. After the nurse (somewhat jokingly) rebuked my dad for being a Rush Limbaugh listener, my dad changed the topic and said, "Let's talk about religion." Much to my surprise, the previously jovial countenance of the nurse turned rigid, and he blurted out, "The way I see it, believe in whatever makes you a better person, but if you're going to use religion as a weapon against me, I don't have time for it."

Wow...

I was shocked on multiple levels. First of all, during the discussion on politics, it had come out that this man was a devout Catholic. Now, here he was saying that people should simply believe whatever makes them a better person. In light of the postmodern world in which we live, I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised to hear yet another universal claim about the relativity of "truth," but seriously I still find it absolutely mind-blowing that people who claim to follow Jesus Christ refuse to acknowledge that he is the only Truth. I mean, did he cut John 14:6 out of his Bible or something? I don't understand...

Upon further discussion, the nurse actually gave his definition of the Gospel: social justice. (Take that Glenn Beck!) This devout Catholic man did volunteer work with the homeless and with drug addicts over at Hope Ministries in South Bend. To him, THAT was the Gospel. And, given passages like Matthew 25:31-46 (the sheep and the goats) and James 1:27 (true religion = caring for widows and orphans), it's somewhat hard to argue against the "social gospel." However, this version of the Gospel is incomplete, and when it leads to universalism, it's VERY incomplete. I felt sorry for this man and his misunderstanding of the Gospel.

Finally, the imagery of using religion as a weapon left a deep impression on me. No matter the religious affiliation, people of religion can be downright nasty sometimes...and often times Christians are the worst. We walk around hitting people over their heads with our Bibles and preaching condemnation and eternal damnation, all the while proudly steeped in our own self-righeousness. We loathe the "pagan" much like the New Testament Jews despised the Gentiles (ie. Acts 22). Somehow, we believe that we can hate people to Jesus. (Have we cut Matthew 5:43-48 out of our Bibles?) We're so messed up...

Lord, may it never be said of me that I used You as a weapon to hurt other people...

Another Update

2010-03-10T06:48:00.002-05:00

My dad is still in the hospital, and they have been able to finally get his pain under control. The doctors have also figured out what is causing all the pain. Due to a lack of blood flow in his hips, the bones in the ball joints of both of his hips have died. Today is an important day, as my dad will be meeting with his oncologist and neurologist to try to decide what to do next. If things continue to get worse, hip replacement surgery is an option, although my dad's body is not in good shape for a major surgery like that. Other options include trying to stimulate the hip area in order to return blood flow, in hopes that the bones might regenerate, or simply continuing my dad on heavy doses of pain meds to keep him from being so debilitated by the pain.

Please keep praying that the doctors will have wisdom today in what steps to take, and continue to pray especially for strength for both my dad and my mom.

Update on My Dad

2010-03-08T10:40:00.004-05:00

Many people have been asking how my dad is doing. For those of you who don't know, my dad has been battling cancer in his spine and tailbone for more than two years now. This past week, he received some more discouraging news. The cancer has recently spread into his lungs, where numerous tumors are growing. As if that wasn't enough, he continues to battle excruciating pain, especially in his hips. The doctors are still trying to figure out the source of that pain. I know that many of you are prayer warriors.

Please pray...

for my dad to receive a Spirit of encouragement during these discouraging times
for my mom to remain strong during these difficult times, as she has for two years now
for supernatural wisdom for the doctors to know what drugs to use and how to best fight off these aggressive cancer cells
for complete healing. We serve a God who loves to restore the broken and has the POWER to do so! "Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' And immediately the leprosy left him." (Luke 5:13)
for God's will to be done...that however He chooses to "heal" my dad might ultimately bring Him all the glory.

My dad, brother, and me in Wisconsin a few years back.

Urgent Update: I just got a call from my dad. The pain has become unbearable; something is wrong. My dad is checking into the hospital this afternoon to try to get the pain under control and figure out what's going on. Keep praying!!!

Another Day on the Job...

2010-03-04T22:22:00.002-05:00

Today was another rough day in the world of substitute teaching. I subbed for a freshman World Geography class at Penn today, where we watched episodes of Man vs. Wild every class period. I would be offended that teachers assume that substitute teachers like myself are absolutely incapable of actually teaching, but to be honest I really enjoy getting paid to read or watch TV!

My highlight of the day came during my prep period, as I sat reading in the cafeteria during the students' study hall. A random kid came up to me with a goofy grin on his face and said, "You remind me of Jesus...can I take a picture of you?!" He was so pumped up when I laughed and said, "Sure." So he whipped out his iPhone and got a funny picture of the caveman-for-a-sub to show all of his friends.

All in a day's work! :-)

What if?

2010-03-03T19:07:00.004-05:00

These questions have been haunting me recently:

What if I truly believed the things Jesus said? How would I live my life differently?

I get excited and scared thinking about the answer to these questions...and the implications for my life.

***Special thanks to The Tom Carpenter for ruining my life with these questions!!!

Politics, Religion, and the Millenial Generation

2010-02-26T09:49:00.003-05:00

I ran across this interesting article this morning about the decline of "religion" among the Millenials (the generation of young adults between 18 and 29 years old). It's worth the read, especially if you're working with young people.

But, assuming that many of you won't take the time to read the article, I'll give you a brief synopsis. According to the article, recent research has shown that younger generations of Americans are not abandoning faith--they are simply abandoning religion. And, according to some recent research, one major reason Millenials are abandoning religion is because of the strong ties between religion and conservative politics. Here's a quote from the article:

"Young Americans are dropping out of religion at an alarming rate of 5-6 times the historic rate (30-40 percent have no religion today versus 5-10 percent a generation ago)....But youth's religious disaffection is largely due to discomfort with religiosity having been tied to conservative politics."

I find it interesting that in their "holy quest" to equate right-winged conservative American politics with the politics of Jesus, the Religious Right may actually be pushing an entire generation of young people further away from the Church, if not away from Jesus Himself.

Thoughts?

Best Job Ever!!!

2010-02-24T21:37:00.002-05:00

So today I was scheduled to substitute teach 11th grade English at Penn High School. I was pretty stoked about this job for multiple reasons:

I thought there was a pretty good chance that I might be able to do some reading on the job.
If I actually had to do some teaching, high school English is a subject that I knew I would really enjoy teaching. (If I had pursued teaching as a vocation, I think I would have chosen either high school English or History).

Well, I showed up to the job bright and early, only to find that there was a student teacher in my classroom! She was in charge of everything, and I was just being paid to be a "presence" in the classroom, I was told. Translation: just sit at the desk over in the corner and keep quiet! So, including three block classes and a two hour lunch/prep period, I got in almost 7 hours of solid reading time today, AND GOT PAID FOR IT!!! How awesome is that?!?!?

More Vail

2010-02-23T09:01:00.003-05:00

Me, Jordan, and Teddy on top of Vail Mt.

Teddy G enjoying a view of the Rockies.

One of the nasiest slopes we skied.

Check out those moguls!

Teddy's pumped up that he's almost to the bottom of that slope!

Vail, CO

2010-02-23T08:50:00.005-05:00

Day two on the slopes took us to Vail Mountain. It was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day, and Vail was by far the nicest mountain that I have ever skied. Here are some pics...

More Breckenridge

2010-02-22T20:47:00.003-05:00

Here are a few more pics from our day at Breckenridge...

Breckenridge

2010-02-22T20:25:00.004-05:00

Our first day of skiing was spent on Breckenridge Mountain. Here are some pics...

It snowed more than a foot the night before our first day of skiing, and it also snowed that whole day while we skied. We drove up to Breckenridge in blizzard-like conditions!

At the base of Breckenridge Mt.

Teddy G is ready to go!

Teddy and Jordan.

Teddy and me.

We thought we were pretty hardcore!

It was FREEZING up there on the mountain...

...check out the icicles on my beard and dreads!

Hiking in Nederland, CO

2010-02-22T11:41:00.005-05:00

On our first day in Colorado, we spent a little time in Boulder and then drove up a mountain to a little town called Nederland to do some hiking. Here are a few pics from Nederland.

Beautiful...

Teddy G down by the frozen lake.

Teddy and me walking out onto the lake...

...and trusting that the ice wouldn't break!

Teddy and Jordan on the dam in Nederland.

Jordan and AC on the dam.

Link Lovin' It

2010-02-20T11:12:00.002-05:00

Geoff shares some challenging and insightful thoughts about lent here.
Terry talks good books here and here. I also really like his thoughts on rekindling our passions. Read about that here.
Derry shares some of the funniest videos I have ever seen here.
Kent from Church Relevance shares about the future of evangelism here.

Scenic Shots

2010-02-18T10:16:00.002-05:00

Enjoy some of the sites from Colorado...

More to come soon...

Highlights from CO

2010-02-17T22:15:00.000-05:00

I spent this past weekend in Colorado with my buddies Ted and Jordan. We've started somewhat of an annual tradition of "Manly Men" trips (a little over a year ago we spent a week touring NYC together). Here are some of the highlights from the four days we spent in Colorado:

Dominating a burrito from Illegal Pete's in Boulder.
Waking up to a view of the Rocky Mountains.
A day of skiing on Breckenridge Mountain.
At least a couple dozen sweet (and humbling) wipe-outs on the slopes!
A day of skiing on Vail Mountain.
Four days of good fellowship with good friends.
Getting buried in several feet of snow after a wipe-out, and taking a solid 5 minutes to dig myself back out!
Watching HGTV in the hotel with the boys (and loving it!).
Cruising around CO in our tiny little Kia Rio (and barely making it up the mountains!).
Super greasy (and tasty) burgers from Smash Burger.
No broken bones!
Getting away and enjoying God's beautiful creation.
Growing icicles on my beard and my dreads while skiing in conditions that included heavy snow and temps. with a wind chill as low as -21!
Relaxing in the hot tub at the hotel after freezing our butts off on the slopes all day.
A romantic Valentine's Day dinner with the boys! (Mad props to these guys' wives for letting them take a men-only trip over V-Day!).
The best (and biggest) nachos I have ever eaten from the Dam Brewery Restaurant in Dillon, CO.
Interesting conversations with strangers on the ski lifts.
Challenging conversations with Teddy both on the way to and from the Chicago airport at the beginning and the end of our trip.

Great trip. Great friends. Great times!

Smooth Criminal

2010-02-08T15:08:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure how I've neglected posting this video for so long. During my time in Africa, I became good friends with a dancer from Zimbabwe named Tawanda (although I nicknamed him "Taekwondo"). Tawanda and I became friends when he joined me on a mission trip that I led into inner-city Johannesburg in July. It didn't take long for me to realize two things about Tawanda: He loves dancing and he LOVES Jesus. That made for a pretty cool combo, and Tawanda was able to lead our team in some incredible dance ministry during our week in one of Joburg's roughest neighborhoods. Not only is Tawanda an amazing dancer himself, but he is the choreographer for Zimbabwe's leading dance group. He's just an all-around great guy, and he loves to use his passion, dance, to share Christ with others.

Anyway, enough of the mushy stuff. During our mission trip, I shot this video of Tawanda free-styling to Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal. I repeat: THIS WAS NOT CHOREOGRAPHED! This is just Tawanda being Tawanda. Enjoy.

God Bless America (and don't forget to curse all the other nations!!!)

2010-02-06T13:47:00.010-05:00

I don't know if you caught any of Obama's State of the Union Address the other week. In case you missed it, here's a 10-minute clip of his speech, which lasted well over an hour (seriously, do they need to clap after everything the guy says?!). I'll be focusing in specifically on what Obama had to say in the first three or so minutes of this clip.

I must admit, after having spent significant time overseas these past few years, I see and understand things a bit differently than I did before. For example, growing up, if I had heard someone talk about "advancing industry" and "dominating the global economy," my response probably would have been, "Amen!" followed by a hearty, "God Bless America!"

But now, when I hear this kind of talk, I'm forced to wonder, "Dominate the global economy?...at whose expense?" I mean, for America to be #1, who do we have to trample on? Which nations or groups of people at the bottom of the food chain do we have to exploit to stay on top? Or, at the expense of sounding utterly unpatriotic, consider this: For all America has generously done in the public limelight to offer help to poverty-stricken Haiti in this time of crisis, how many other countries have we held captive in poverty so that our ideals, the American Dream, might be preserved? How many brutal African dictators did America bankroll during the Cold War, simply because they promised to spread "democracy" and fight off the evil Commies? Meanwhile, the people of these nations remained as oppressed, abused and mistreated as ever--sometimes even worse off than they were before America came in and "saved the day."* Something is definitely wrong here...

In conclusion, I certainly don't expect our American political system to ever reflect the politics of Jesus, but I do expect American Christians to view politics (and every other aspect of life) through a KINGDOM perspective. Otherwise, I think we've entirely missed the point.

What sparked these thoughts? Well, today I received an email from a friend of mine in South Africa. As a joke, she attached this picture:

It's okay to laugh when you see this (at least I hope so because I did!). It's quite the caricature of the average American's perspective on the rest of the world, but like most caricatures, there's definitely some element of truth involved here. And, I believe this way of viewing the rest of the world starts at the top, with our President. When Obama (or Bush or every other President before them) makes statements about America being #1, I believe what he is really saying is: "America should be #1...no matter who we have to trample on to get there." And when the average American uses a phrase like "God Bless America," I believe what we are essentially saying (whether we realize it or not) is: "God, Bless America...even if You have to curse all the other nations for us to remain 'blessed.'"

Thoughts?

*If you don't believe this, check out Martin Meredith's book The Fate of Africa. It's one of the best books I've read in recent years, and it will give you a perspective on American foreign policy that you most likely didn't get in your American History class!

Five Stack: The Books

2010-02-05T15:45:00.004-05:00

These are the books that I'm currently reading:

Spirituality
The Great Omission, Dallas Willard

Besides the Bible, this just might be the best book I have ever read. Seriously. If you've never read any Dallas Willard before, he's phenomenal. This book takes a deep look at what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ, as well as what practically we can be doing to develop our own personal character and spiritual formation. If you're looking for a challenging book, this is it. You can order it on Amazon here.

Africa
A Time for Machetes, Jean Hatzfield

This book combines two things that I love: Africa and history. However, this book is certainly not for the faint of heart. Hatzfield tracks down ten friends who are currently in prison for the atrocities they committed during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Through numerous interviews, the killers speak out about their experiences of slaughtering men, women, and children, many of whom had been their own neighbors and acquaintances. Some parts of this book make my stomach churn, but I think it's important not to sweep the parts of history that we don't like under the rug. This book teaches us a lot about the human condition and the sin nature that dwells in each one of us.

Philosophy
The God Who is There, Francis Schaeffer

This book comes from The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer, Vol. I: A Christian View of Philosophy and Culture. It's the first book in the five volume set, which contains all twenty-two of Schaeffer's published works. This specific book, The God Who is There, is dealing with the degeneration of moral absolutes in society. Schaeffer outlines the historical reasoning for society's shift in abandoning moral absolutes and turning to the modern view of truth: relativism. He contends that this shift began in philosophy, then sifted down to art, music, general culture, and finally, theology.

Finances
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy, Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. & William D. Danko, Ph.D.

This is a fun and enlightening read. The authors have really done their research in searching out what kind of people are really wealthy in America. Interestingly enough, America's millionaires are not exactly what you might expect. As the book's title suggests, the majority of America's millionaires are living among us, among the "middle" or "working class" Americans. Generally, these people are first-generation millionaires, entrepreneurs who accumulated wealth through good old-fashioned hard work, smart investing, frugal living, and saving. What I really like about this book is the way that it critiques/criticizes the mentality in American culture that "you are what you own." According to these authors, lavish lifestyles and over-consumption are just downright foolish and irresponsible. Those who are truly wealthy understand this--and that simple understanding is a huge reason why they are wealthy!

Missionary Biographies
Brother Bakht Singh of India, T.E. Koshy

To be honest, before opening up this book I had never heard of Bakht Singh before. A few years back George Verwer, founder of Operation Moblilization, was speaking at a missions conference at Bethel College. He brought a bunch of books with him and gave them out to students for free. So, I snagged as many books as I could get my hands on, and this was one of them. It was actually published and printed in India by OM. I'm only about 60 pages into this 600 page biography so far, but it's downright inspirational. Singh came to know Christ in the late 1920's and then spent the next 70 years of his life literally pouring out his life to the people of India, sharing Christ wherever he went. He truly considered his own life worth nothing, and he allowed the Spirit to lead every aspect of his life. Encouraging. Challenging. Inspiring!

Hopefully as time allows I will be able to share more about what I'm learning through these various readings.

So, what good books are you reading these days?

The Five Stack: 5 Categories

2010-02-04T09:50:00.002-05:00

For my first Five Stack, I've chosen the following five different fields of study:

Spirituality. I almost called this category "Soul-Feeding," but right away that made me think of Chicken Soup for the Soul and self-help books. That's not what I'm going for here. Mostly, this category is for books that will stretch and challenge me in my personal life and in my walk with Christ.
Africa. I brought a handful of books back with me from Africa. Some of these are about African history, while others are novels written by African authors about Africa. This section might eventually morph into something like "Multicultural Literature," but for the time being I'm content to focus in specifically on Africa.
Philosophy. I fell in love with philosophy in college, thanks to a couple really great professors. This is a bit heavier reading than what comes naturally to me, which is good for my mind. Philosophy forces me to really think, to engage my mind on a deeper level than I normally would. If the Spirituality section is my "soul-food," then this is my "brain-food."
Finances. Ever since I was a little kid, I have been interested in personal finances. I suppose I owe a lot of that to my dad, who has worked in the field of personal finances for over 30 years. He taught me a lot growing up about budgeting and saving, and he even helped me buy my first savings bond when I was 12 years old! But, I recognize that I still have lots more to learn, so for now I'm devoting a category to finances. Sooner or later this section might change into something simple like "Personal Interests."
Missionary Biographies. This category is all about inspiration. As I seek to become more and more selfless, more and more like Christ, I want to learn from and be inspired by others who have faithfully poured out their lives for Him. As I pursue God's missional calling for my life, I'm asking God to teach me through the lives and the stories of those saints who have gone before me.

The Five Stack

2010-01-30T12:53:00.013-05:00

I know it sounds like a new option on McDonald's "heart-attack-guaranteed" menu, but the Five Stack has nothing to do with feeding the stomach. It does, however, have everything to do with feeding the mind. (Cheesy, I know, but stay with me. Haha, get it? "Cheesy"...it's like a five-stack with cheese!).

Wow...

Anyway, so the other day I was lamenting to my brother, Dave, that there are so many different topics that I want to study, but I don't have a good system for studying them. I love reading books, but I'm not very purposeful in the way that I read. I sort of just read whatever good book seems to be laying around at the time, without any systematic approach to what I'm reading or learning, if that makes sense. So, I wondered out loud to my brother if I should just choose a field of study, spend a few months reading all the books I could get my hands on surrounding that topic, and then move on to the next thing. For example, I really enjoy philosophy of religion. Should I just spend the next several months only reading that genre of books?

The immediate problem I saw with this idea was that it seemed like by adopting that method I would be forced to neglect other necessary areas of study, such as personal growth. Well, in the midst of my confusion, my bro dropped a knowledge bomb on me.

(A paraphrase)

Dave: What if you chose five different books from five different fields of study and read them concurrently?

MaxAC: Wait, you mean read them all at the same time? (I'm a little slow...)

Dave: Yeah, just stack them up. Read a few chapters from the first book, and then put it on the bottom of the stack. Next time you want to read, take the next book off the top of the stack and read a few chapters from that one. Then repeat the cycle until you've read all the books, at which point you can choose five more.

MaxAC: So, I'm just clarifying...read FIVE BOOKS AT ONCE?!?!

Dave: Uh, yeah.

Brilliant.

Thus, the Five Stack was born! To be honest, I've never done anything like this before. I'm the kind of guy who really has a hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time (I guess that just makes me a guy, huh?), but I'm trying this out as an experiment, testing my own ability to multi-task read. Just a few days in, I'm realizing that it's not so hard to keep these readings separate because they are all vastly different topics.

There's actually a lot more that I'd like to say, but this post is already reaching "too-long status." More to come soon...

On the prowl...

2010-01-25T09:41:00.002-05:00

This is probably one of my favorite videos that I took while in South Africa. Unlike the other lion video, which was taken at a lion park (more or less a glorified zoo), this lion was actually spotted out in the wild, in its natural habitat, at Kruger National Park. We actually spotted two lions at the time this video was shot. This lioness was keeping watch and blocking the escape route as another lioness was circling around to make a kill for dinner. Pretty sweet stuff.

Anyway, I think you'll enjoy this video. Notice that the lion is only a few feet from our car, and WE ROLLED THE WINDOW DOWN! Not only that, but at some point in the video I start whistling to provoke the lion. What can I say...I'm a big dumb animal, folks!

One of those weeks...

2010-01-23T20:48:00.003-05:00

You ever have a week like this? You know, one of those weeks where you just want to bury your head in a tree? This was one of those weeks for me. I think the best word to describe this past week is stressful. It was one of those weeks where several stressful situations collided at once to form an atomic stress-bomb. It all started with three days in a row in which three different close friends of mine came to me so that I might bear their heavy burdens with them. Combo that with some stress-filled situations in my own life, not the least of which is that I'm still deeply wrestling through my immediate and not-so-immediate future plans. All that to say, it was just one of those weeks.

I'm not the type of guy to lose sleep over anything. Seriously, I could be placed in a war zone with live ammunition flying everywhere, but when it was bedtime, I'd lay my head on a pile of hand grenades and fall asleep. That's partly just the way I'm wired, and partly I just really love sleep. Anyway, this week I had multiple nights of little to no sleep, which is EXTREMELY uncommon for me. My prayer this morning was just for the Spirit of peace to come over me, even in the midst of the chaos that is life right now. For those of you who have been praying for me this past year, I ask that you continue to pray that the Lord would guide and direct my steps. And, if anyone out there is experiencing a week like I just described, simply take a look at this picture...it makes me feel better every time!!!

And then there were lions...

2010-01-20T16:55:00.003-05:00

My buddy, Ted, and I got to spend an afternoon chillin' with some lions on a little mini-safari just outside of Johannesburg. Enjoy the video!

Pictures of the Friendly Giraffe

2010-01-19T15:56:00.003-05:00

These pictures will make a lot more sense if you watch the video in the previous post. Enjoy!

More From the Dorito-Loving Giraffe

2010-01-18T10:07:00.003-05:00

Recently, I've been having fun going back through my pictures and videos from my time in Africa. You might remember this video of a Dorito-loving giraffe that I posted several months back while I was in South Africa. For your viewing pleasure, here's one more video of Ted and me with the friendly beast.

More Family Pics

2010-01-16T12:30:00.004-05:00

With my little nephew, Wesley James.

The Edison Clan: Michael & Emily, Lauren, Brooke, and Lance.

Dave & Ann, with the little philosopher, Wesley.

Nick and Sarah, making homemade pizzas with Lauren.

Uncle Adam and Wesley becoming buddies.

The "Cramer" kids with Grandpa and Grandma Cramer.

Little Princesses

2010-01-15T14:55:00.005-05:00

I offer the following as proof that my little nieces, Lauren and Brooke, truly are princesses!!!

It's crazy how much these little kiddos grew over the time I was gone, but it's awesome to be back and a part of their lives again! And, I'd say they've taken to their fur-faced uncle pretty well...once they figured out who I was!!! Of course, in order to remind them of how cool of an uncle I am, I bought them these super-cool African dolls! Man, I'm an awesome uncle, if I do say so myself! :-)

While totally stoked about the doll (I'm sure), Brookie unfortunately had an ear-ache that day...

My Re-Entry Into American Food: 3 Weeks in Review

2010-01-14T13:10:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe that I've been home for more than three weeks now! Shortly before coming home, I made a list of foods that I was looking forward to eating upon my re-entry into American culture. It's time to take another look at that list in order to evaluate how I've done so far!

*Foods in gold lettering have already been eaten, while I still need to eat the foods in red lettering...SOON!

Giordano's Pizza in Chicago. This seriously needs to happen soon!
A burrito from Chipotle. Again, what am I waiting for?!
Fajitas from Mazatlan.
Chips and salsa.
Anything from Taco Bell. With all the other great options, this one has fallen back on my list significantly. I'll get there soon enough, though.
A big juicy steak from Outback Steakhouse. Unfortunately, this one costs $$.
My dad's spaghetti.
Chinese food from Empire Express. Soon!
Our family's "chicken in a pot" Sunday dinner.
Bruno's Pizza.
Miriam Wertz' homemade chili.
The Grand Empire Chinese Buffet.
My dad's grilled chicken.
Wendy's dollar menu.
A foot-long sub from Subway.
My homemade Chinese food. I've started cooking again, but this one hasn't hit the menu yet!
Dairy Queen ice cream. I totally underestimated what freezing temperatures would do to my desire for ice cream. I'll wait a few months...
Fruity Pebbles.
Jack's frozen pizza.
Thai food.
A big juicy hamburger.
Frosted Mini-Wheats.
Wings from BW3.
Papa John's Pizza. I've been getting my pizza fix...just different kinds.
My mom's hot deli sandwiches.

Ok, it's time to give myself a grade. In 3 weeks, I've eaten 13 of the 25 foods that I was craving. That's 52% of the food on this list, and an average of more than 4 of these new foods a week. Taking into account the fact that I have not gained any unwanted weight upon my re-entry, I'd give myself a B+ on my totally subjective and arbitrary rating scale. I simply have no excuse for not having eaten American-Chinese food or Chipotle yet, but I'm confident that I'll be checking more and more off this list in the weeks to come! Woo hoo!

"For You Are Good, My God"

2010-01-13T15:56:00.002-05:00

As promised, here's a video of me jammin' down in South Africa with two good friends, Christian and Chevonne. This is actually a song that I wrote while down there. It's called "For You Are Good, My God," and as far as I know this was the first time that I ever performed a song that I wrote before a live audience. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer #1: The camera work on this video is pretty shaky. Sorry!
Disclaimer #2: Don't worry, I'm aware that my hair is ridiculous in this video!

We Be Jammin'

2010-01-13T08:32:00.005-05:00

This past year I was blessed with some really great friends from all over Africa. One common interest that I shared with many of my African friends was a love for music. During the "training phase," my first four months in South Africa, I connected with several friends who were brilliant musicians. Nearly every night for four months we got together for "Jam Sessions" where we would sing worship songs together, write some of our own music, and laugh a lot. I've got several clips and recordings of these Jam Sessions, which unfortunately I couldn't share with you while I was in Africa, but thanks to AT&T and the high-speed internet in my home here in the States I should have some videos posted soon. But, for now, here are a few pics of my jammin' crew.

Blast From the Past

2010-01-12T09:22:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I was back on the campus of my alma mater, Bethel College, to hear my old friend and professor, Chad Meister, give an address in chapel. Being back on campus and sitting in chapel brought back many memories of the four years I spent learning and growing at Bethel. It also reminded me of lots of fun memories, like the airband competition that my roommates and I won our senior year. Check it out!

The Fam

2010-01-10T21:32:00.004-05:00

Tonight, my sister, Sarah, and her hubby, Nick, are heading back down to Mexico where they serve as missionaries. Before they left, our family had a meaningful time of praying for one another and committing this next year to the Lord. Sadly, this may have been our last time to be together as an entire family for almost another full year.

Being away from my family this past year, I've certainly learned to value time with them a lot more, and God has really opened my eyes to how blessed I am to be a part of such an incredible family. Each member of my immediate family loves and serves the Lord, something that doesn't seem too common nowadays. I'm blessed with parents who have shown me what it means to love the Lord with all their hearts and fully trust Him, even in the midst of some very hard times, and I'm blessed with siblings who encourage and challenge me in my faith. It's tough to know that we won't all be together again soon, but I'm excited to see what God does in and through my family as we all collectively and individually strive to know Him better and to serve Him wholeheartedly literally all over the world this next year.

Our family picture this year. This was our annual family "game day," which was held on the day after Christmas this year. My brother-in-law, Michael, supplied the "Lancer Basketball" T-shirts, so we can now all support his LaVille Lancer high school basketball team, which he coaches. Notice the stark contrast between Michael (bald, clean-shaven guy on the far left) and me (hairy guy next to him)!

Fear

2010-01-08T17:58:00.003-05:00

One year ago today, I stepped onto a plane headed for South Africa. It was that day that several years of talking about being a missionary turned into an exciting and scary reality. I'll never forget the wave of emotions that rushed over me as I took my last deep breath of American air and stepped onto that plane, knowing full well that for a whole year the life that I had known up until that moment would seemingly not exist. I was walking into the unknown.

The emotion I felt in that moment can only be described as the most acute and real sense of fear that I have ever experienced. My legs felt like jelly, and I remember being surprised at how hard it was to leave. "I'm actually doing this...this is crazy," I remember thinking. But, it was too late to turn back, and deep in my Spirit I knew that going was part of God's sovereign plan for my life. That was assurance enough for me to take that last step.

It didn't take me too long in South Africa to realize how unfounded my fears had been. Not that it was silly for me to experience fear--I think fear naturally wells up in the face of the unknown (although we shouldn't embrace it)--but I quickly saw that God knew what He was doing. Within weeks, I was already to the point where I could no longer have imagined my life without the relationships I had built in Africa. I was so filled with joy that God had called me out of the comfortable life that I had known, to a new place, filled with new experiences, new relationships, and a new vision for ministry. It was in that place that I found myself growing more than I ever could have imagined. However, over the course of the year, as I embraced more and more of Africa, I found myself again in a comfortable place. I had carved out a niche for myself in South Africa, with a ministry, a church family, and many close friends. Life was getting comfortable again.

Fast forward to December 22, 2009, and there I was again at an airport, this time ready to step onto a plane headed back to my old world, my old life. It was that day that, unexpectedly, those exact same fears that I had felt a year earlier once again welled up inside me. It didn't make sense to me. I was going home. Why was I afraid of that? Home was a place that I knew. It was a place that I loved, filled with family and friends that I loved. What was so scary about that? I think the answer lies in one word: change.

Humans are creatures of habit. Most of us carve out a specific way that we live our lives--a framework, if you will--and then we exist within that framework. It's our safety net, our comfort zone, to use the old cliché. Even those of us who might describe ourselves as "spontaneous" or "adventurous" still have a propensity to form patterns within which we live our lives. What I have found, though, is that real adventure, real passion, real life is often found when we allow Christ to take us to a new place. I mean, that's what he offers us, right? A new life, new creatures in a new kingdom, serving a King who loves to take old things and make them new.

I honestly cannot imagine not having spent the past year in Africa. I experienced change and significant growth that I believe has shaped me in ways that will affect the rest of my life. God undoubtedly knew what He was doing when He called me out of my comfortable life.

Now, I'm certainly not saying that everyone is called to overseas missions. At the same time, my challenge for each one of you is to open yourself up for something fresh and new from God this year. I'm convinced that wherever the Spirit dwells, growth and change are sure to follow. If you are a believer, the Spirit dwells inside of you, so ask yourself, "In what ways does God want to mold me and change me this year?" This is a scary question because more often than not God takes us through the fire in the process of refining us. Simply put, change hurts. But I'm here to tell you that it's more than worth it. Most people will never step out and embrace change in their lives because of fear. Fear cripples us. Fear tried to keep my feet planted on the tarmac, but faith allowed me to embrace God's calling in my life and step onto that plane. My prayer for you is that this is a year in which you face your fears and step out on faith, embracing God's calling in your own life.

2010 World Cup

2010-01-07T10:20:00.000-05:00

Some of you might know that later this year South Africa will be hosting the FIFA World Cup. Granted, most of you Americans out there probably don't care much about it because they will be playing futbol and not football, but it's a huge deal for South Africa. It's the first time ever that the world cup will be hosted by a country in Africa, and I'm excited that South Africa will have a chance to showcase their beautiful country for the rest of the world to see.

Like I said, I know most Americans couldn't care less about soccer, but believe me, we are the tiny tiny minority in the world when it comes to that. Soccer is the world's sport, and they love it. While in SA this past year, I had the opportunity to go watch South Africa's national team, Bafana Bafana, play against Poland. Just to give you an idea of how much African's love soccer, enjoy this short video clip from the game.

Boris & Finnigan

2010-01-04T12:23:00.001-05:00

Probably very few of you faithful readers have heard my sob story about wanting a dog growing up (and being ruthlessly denied by my parents!!!). I'll get over it...someday. Basically, the Cliffnotes version goes something like this.

When I was a little toddler, we had a dog named Duke. My mom didn't like him digging up her flowers or making a mess in our yard, so we got rid of him. From that point forward, for years I begged and pleaded for a dog. It didn't matter what holiday it was, I was asking for a dog.

Christmas - Don't you think Jesus would be happy if we celebrated his birth by caring for a little puppy, Mom and Dad?

Birthday - It's MY birthday; can't I get what I really want for once!?

Halloween - Forget the candy; give me a puppy!

Valentine's Day - Don't you love me? If you loved me, you'd get me a puppy!

Easter - Forget the Easter Bunny! How 'bout an Easter Puppy!?

Hannukah - Jesus was a Jew...I think he wants us to have EIGHT puppies!!!

Okay, so maybe it wasn't exactly like that, but you get the point. I spent years of my life wasting my breath, and my parents never caved. If you wonder why I am the way I am today, I blame it all on the emotional trauma I endured from years of puppy deprivation. (It's okay, Mom and Dad, I'll forgive you sooner or later!!!).

Fast forward now to my year in South Africa. I mentioned in the previous post about staying with Uncle Johan and Auntie Brenda. One of the HUGE perks of staying with them was that they had not one, but TWO dogs! They were quite the dynamic duo. Boris was this monstrous Rhodesian Ridgeback who was ready to rip off the head of anyone trying to break into the house, but really was just a sweet dog. Standing on his hind legs, he probably came up close to my chest, though. Just a monster.

His antithesis, then, was little Finnigan. "Finny," as I often called him, was a tiny little Jack Russell, the runt of his litter. He was this crazy little puppy that would get so excited when I came home that he often peed himself--literally! A quick story about Finnigan...

So this little puppy loved to jump up on me, and he was always trying to lick my face. I thought it was cute and everything, and most of the time I let him. Well, what he really liked to do was lick my beard (I know, I know...it's gross), and I could never figure out why. Finally, it was pointed out to me that given my Osama-esque (yes, that's a new adjective) beard, whenever I ate, food was often getting stuck in my beard. So Finnigan wasn't really so interested in my beard as he was the leftovers stuck in my beard! Ha!

Anyway, now that you're all grossed out and wondering if I've got a few screws loose, here are a few pictures of my South African pets:

Posing with Boris and Finnigan on my last day in South Africa. This picture really doesn't do justice to how huge Boris is...

With my little buddy, Finnigan!

Seriously, cutest dog E-VER. Now you know why I let him lick my face...

My South African Parents

2010-01-02T12:58:00.004-05:00

Throughout this past year in Africa, I was blessed by so many generous people who just gave, gave, and then gave some more. I was seriously overwhelmed at times by the love I received from people, as well as their spirits of cheerful giving.

Two such people, whom I could never thank enough, are Johan and Brenda Swanepoel--whom I referred to as Uncle Johan and Auntie Brenda, and even sometimes jokingly as "Mom" and "Dad." They literally had an "open door policy" with me, letting me know that any time I needed a place to stay, their door was always open. So after the four months of training ended on the farm, I started taking them up on their offer.

At first, I would usually just come stay with them on weekends. They lived in a town just south of Johannesburg called Vereeniging, about 45 minutes from the farm. My church was in Vereeniging, and the internet access there was about a million times better than on the farm, so it worked out pretty well. But, as the year went on and I began traveling more, I ended up staying with them as often as I could, in between trips. Finally, for the last month or two of my time in South Africa, I moved in with their family. They seriously treated me like a son, which really meant a lot to me being so far away from my friends and family back home. Looking back, I really do feel blessed by the time I was able to spend with them and their family, and I'm thankful to God for bringing them into my life!

My South African parents: Auntie Brenda and Uncle Johan.

A Few More Dreadful Pics

2009-12-31T13:06:00.003-05:00

Not gonna lie, it's nice to have my guitar back!

Jammin' to a song I wrote in Africa.

And then some carols on Christmas morning!

Dread Me

2009-12-31T10:05:00.003-05:00

On my last day in Africa, I did something that I had been wanting to do for a long time...I got dreads! Now, they're still a work in progress (it can take several months for dreads to actually lock in), but I'm digging them so far. The best part was after I put them in, when for the rest of the day anytime a black guy saw my dreads, he would give me a thumbs up or yell, "Hey, my Rasta brotha!" Even the lady at the check-in counter at the airport told me she loved them! Apparently getting dreads = immediate solidarity with black Africans!

The "before" shot.

The "during" pic.

All done!

From the back.

So what do you think? Do I pull it off, or is a buzzed head in order? Leave me a comment!

Christmas Brunch

2009-12-28T16:03:00.001-05:00

Here's the whole clan finally together again for our annual Christmas brunch. This year seemed extra special...

Back Home Again

2009-12-28T14:14:00.003-05:00

Well, I've been home for about 5 days now. It's been great just reconnecting with my family this week, and in some ways with them it feels like I was never gone. This coming week, then, I will slowly start the re-entry into my life here, as I'll begin reconnecting with lots of old friends. If that includes you, call me up, and lets hang out!

Getting lots of love from the Edison clan at the airport.

Meeting my new nephew, Wesley James, for the first time!!!

Finals Days in SA

2009-12-18T13:07:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm finally getting a chance to breathe and just relax in my final week here in SA. After VAC Camp, I drove six hours down to Pietermaritzburg to spend a few days with some good friends, Josh and Jamie Quarandillo and family, as well as an old high school buddy, Andrew Myers, who is interning with the Qs for the next nine months or so. The past few days have been filled with lots of sleep, some reading and journaling, and endless hours of Nintendo Wii sports tournaments with the Q family...just what I needed. Tomorrow, then, I'll head back up north to Vereeniging to stay with my host family here in SA for my last few days, before flying back home on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.

I've got lots more to share about VAC Camp this past week, as well as some of my other experiences and thoughts from this year, but for now I'm just going to try to enjoy my last few days with some people I love, in a country that I have grown to love. Looking forward to reconnecting with many of you soon!

God is Moving

2009-12-14T08:39:00.002-05:00

The Spirit is moving here at VAC Camp in ways that I've never seen before. It's insane. We've seen many kids come to know Christ, and many more who have had major breakthroughs and experienced freedom from bondage, a freedom that only Christ can give. Much more to come later, but for now just keep praying. We have one more day left, and I'm excited to see what God has in store for us next!

VAC Camp: Day 1

2009-12-12T00:52:00.003-05:00

VAC Camp started yesterday, and nearly 300 young people from the Joburg area showed up at Camp Eden. The theme for camp this week is "Power," and we are diving into a power-filled life in the Spirit that so many Christians seem to be missing these days.

In the opening session last night, I walked through the entire Old Testament with the youth, focusing on the POWER struggle between God and man. Beginning with the first temptation in the garden--"...you will be like God..." (Gen. 3:5)--and the cycle of sin and rebellion that has plagued humanity from that point forward. Still today, I think our greatest temptation is that we want to be God--or at least "god" of our own lives. So we search for this power within ourselves, only to be perpetually frustrated by our inability to live a power-filled life. Only be surrendering and plugging into the power of the Spirit can we truly live power-filled lives. In conclusion, I had everyone pray this simple prayer: "Holy Spirit, show up in my life this week." I'm convinced that God wants to break through in powerful ways in the lives of these young people this week, and I'm convinced He met with us last night!

Please continue praying:

that God would transform the lives of these young people this week.
that the Spirit would fill Mthawelanga and me as we continue to share God's Word over the next four days.

Re-Orientation and VAC Camp

2009-12-05T11:23:00.002-05:00

There's a good chance you won't hear much from me for the next couple weeks. Tomorrow I head back to the J-Life headquarters at Camp Eden for a week-long "re-orientation" (that's what they call it around here--we would say "debrief") with the 2009 J-Life trainees. It should be a great time of reflecting on what God has done in our lives and ministries this year, as well as an awesome time to reconnect with many close friends with whom I went through four months of training at the beginning of the year.

Next Friday, then, begins "VAC Camp." J-Life is hosting about 250 young people from several churches around Johannesburg for a summer camp at Camp Eden, and I'll be one of the speakers at camp this year. I'll be splitting eight sessions with Mthawelanga Nkonzo, a super-gifted worship leader and youth pastor from Johannesburg. He will speak in the morning sessions, while I will speak each evening for four days. Our theme this year is "Power," and we'll be taking a look at what it means to live by the power of the Spirit. I've learned a ton over the past month or so as I've studied this topic, and I'm excited to share what God has laid on my heart for the youth. As VAC Camp approaches, please be praying with me that God would make clear the words He wants me to share to these young people, and that I would simply get out of the way!

Huntin' for a Job...

2009-12-03T14:54:00.003-05:00

Well, I'll be home in less than three weeks now--that much I know. What I don't know is what exactly I'll be doing once I get home. I'm planning on hanging out in northern Indiana for a while to spend time with my family and friends. However, odds are I'll be back on the mission field sooner rather than later--hopefully within the next year. So I guess the big question is: what will I do for the next year?

Being a person whose life has revolved around youth ministry for the past several years, my heart is definitely in investing in the lives of young people. Unfortunately, a year (or less) isn't really an ideal amount of time to get plugged into full-time youth work. It's really not fair for any church, and it's especially not fair to the young people. This puts me into kind of a tough spot. I certainly don't want to "waste" a year of my life just hanging out and waiting for God to reveal His next big plans for my life. After such a stretching year this year, the last thing I want to do is spend a year getting comfortable and not really pouring myself into young people, which is clearly God's calling on my life. But I also realize that I can invest in people's lives no matter where I am and no matter what I "do" vocationally.

I've considered even just doing some substitute teaching. Sure, the pay's not great, but it's a chance to hang out with young people every day, and it's obviously an extremely flexible job--I can just work whenever I want to work. Other than that, I suppose I can get some other job in the "secular" world--maybe work as a waiter or something. I think it would actually be kind of cool to be out in the "real world" for a while and really get a chance to be salt and light.

Most of all, I'm just praying now (and you can be praying, too!) that God will open up the right doors for me and make things clear. And who knows...maybe He will use you to show me the right door? I know that most of my readers are friends or other people involved in ministry in some way--or both. If any of you have a great job idea, feel free to let me know! Like I said, I'm not sure a full-time youth ministry gig is the best option for me right now, but I'm not totally ruling that out, either. Besides that, as far as ministry goes, I think I can add value to a church in the areas of worship and/or missions. I have a passion for worship through music and have been leading in that capacity for several years now. And, obviously, missions is my life and passion as well. Other than that, as I said before, I'm more than open to any job ideas you might have in the secular realm as well.

Okay, my shameless plug for myself is finished. Leave me a comment here on the blog or shoot me an email at ackosmo22@aol.com if you have any thoughts/suggestions. But, most of all, just keep praying that God's hand would continue leading and guiding me in every step I take in life, and pray that I would be sensitive to His leading! Thanks so much to all of you who have been praying faithfully!

Did You Know That There Are Penguins in Africa?

2009-12-01T06:17:00.001-05:00

While down in Cape Town in October, we stopped by Boulders Beach in Simon's Town, which is famous for, of all things, PENGUINS! Yep, believe it or not, there is a small population of penguins who find their natural habitat in the Western Cape of South Africa. The Western Cape is actually known for its less-than-tropical weather: high winds, cool temperature, and FREEZING water along the coast. The best part about this particular breed of penguins is that they're called "Jackass Penguins" because they sound like braying donkeys! Ha! Enjoy the pics....

Penguin Crossing: not something you see every day...especially in Africa!

I present to you: the Jackass Penguins!

I call this one "The Godfather" because he (she?) looks old and wise. It's also the ugliest penguin I have ever seen! I think there's a reason this guy didn't get called for the cast of Happy Feet!

Chillin' with the penguins.

One big happy penguin family.

I picture the penguin on the left with a New York accent saying, "Whaddya lookin' at, pal?"

Another sign you just don't see everyday!

How crazy is that?! Penguins in Africa?! Who would have thought???

Spreading Christmas Cheer

2009-11-30T07:15:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks back, I was at a mall in Johannesburg with some friends, where I ran across Santa's Workshop. Unfortunately, Santa was nowhere to be found, so I decided to spread a little Christmas cheer myself!

All I need is some white hair and a pot belly, and I think I'd make a darn good Santa Claus!

My friend Wayne didn't seem to notice that I wasn't the real Santa Claus! I think he might figure it out when his Christmas wishes don't come true...

Blogging Error

2009-11-30T06:50:00.002-05:00

For those of you following my blog via Google Reader, you've probably noticed by now that I prematurely posted my third installment in the "Faith, Hope, and Obama" series. Essentially, it's the same post from "Part 2." Hopefully I'll get a chance to actually write the third installment in the next few days, although there's much to do here and my time is running short. Anyway, my apologies....

Carols by Candlelight

2009-11-29T14:35:00.003-05:00

Last night, our church hosted a "Carols by Candlelight" service. It was pretty awesome. There were probably 150 or so people there, both from our church and others from the community (Our church itself is quite small...around 50-75 regular attendees). Everyone brought their own blankets and picnic baskets, and we shared a meal together. The children performed a short Christmas musical that was written by one of our church members. Then we all lit candles and sang Christmas carols together. It was a pretty neat service, although it was a bit surreal. I've never celebrated Christmas in another country, and there was something about the 80 degree heat that made singing Christmas carols feel a little bit out of place! I'm excited to be home a few days before Christmas to celebrate it the "right" way! By the way, has it started snowing back in Indiana yet? I hope so!!!