From the Heart of Bess: When Niah Prays

 I can't believe she's almost 2.5 and this is the first blog entry with her as the subject! She calls me Bess and I love it! She can totally say my full name correctly, but this has been her choice, I've even chuckled when she's corrected her Daddy, when he says, Mary Beth, she says, "No, Bess!"  

Over the summer I was visiting these cutest kids in the world (I'm NOT biased, I'm very well traveled & seen thousands of kids therefore this is a statement based on much research and therefore fact) I stepped off a curb and before my foot ever hit the ground something popped and waves of pain and nausea swept over me! Niah was on one side and her cousin Kyah was on the other so I was trying NOT to cry or teach either of the lil parrots any new words and trying NOT to throw up! Niah began to cry because she knew I was hurt and Kyah just kept saying, "Be careful! Be careful! and patting my back!"  Niah is super sensitive to other people's feelings so she was a bit frantic and kept saying, "Daddy pray!" Matthew said, "Niah pray!" And then they did.  Her prayer went a little something like this, "Jesus, Bess foot, amen." 

I have to say it STILL hurt, but Bess was brave and we went on about our business.  The next morning Niah's great G'ma Chickie asked me at church how my foot was, before I could answer, Niah said, "It's okay, Niah pray!" I mouthed silently, "It still hurts a little!" 

I drove back to Springfield went to a Cardinals game with my roommate all the while walking on the foot which by this time was twice the size and a nice purple color, but it didn't hurt.  My boss told me I needed to go to the doctor, so I did, after doing tests he tells me I've ruptured my Achilles and torn a couple of ligaments and wants to know what kind of pain medicine I want.  I said, "It doesn't hurt!"  He said, "Yes it does!"  I said, "No it doesn't."  He said, "It has to, what do you want?" I said, "My two year old niece prayed for it, so I'm guessing that's why it doesn't hurt!"  He snarkily replied, "Whatever helps you sleep at night," and handed me a script for pain meds, which I never had filled, and fitted me for a brace, which I think I wore twice, it didn't really go with any of my sandals!

If you asked me the hardest thing about being a missionary, for the past 2.5 years it's been being away from Miss Sassy Pants and now her chunky lil brother Malachi who pretty much just smiles all the time! Before they were born, I guess my answer would've been not being a good squatter and bed bugs! 

As much as I'd love to head home and open up my own private therapy practice in Niah's new play house, I rest easy knowing that's not where I'm needed at all. Jesus is the center of their home and she gets it! Her first instinct in time of trouble and fear was to pray! When Niah isn't excitedly telling me about her day, or sticking both fingers in her nose, or showing me her shoes, (I'm confident this happens EVERY Face Time conversation we have!), or telling me what her lil brother is doing, she's quoting her most recently memorized scriptures or telling me how much fun she had with her "friens" at church! She's safe, loved, very well fed (just ask her what she had for breakfast when you see her IF you have time for her very detailed list! "Umm.. I have pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, some of daddy's chocolate chip pancakes!" and her play house may or may not have more square footage than my current dwelling! But best of all Jesus is the center of her lil world, half the places I've been since she & her brother were born lacked all the things she has; safety, love, food, and the knowledge of where to turn in times of trouble or fear! Where I currently dwell Jesus not only isn't the center, but He's practically unknown.  So, for now, we'll face time and talk about boogers and shoes and breakfast and bows! And laugh! My luggage will be filled with gifts for her and her brother and my heart will be filled with peace that while I'm sharing Jesus here, she's surrounded by Jesus there! 

Bess loves you Niah!

10 NOT so Great Things about Driving a Motorcycle in Thailand

1.  Rain.  Even sprinkles hurt at 100kph (my friend told me) Also, no one looks cool in a poncho.

2.  Being behind garbage trucks, cattle trucks, and pig trucks.  Did you know when animals are in the back of big trucks, they get scared, like they're being taken to slaughter or something, and they potty a lot!? It stinks!

3.  Being behind concrete trucks, loose gravel trucks, pretty much anything that could be carrying loose particles of any kind.  They HURT!

4.  Thai parking lots, a.k.a. where ever they stop in the street.  Need to run into a store?  No problem, park in the lane and turn your flashers on while you shop or don't turn your flashers on, whatever.  Also, when they use the shoulder for parking the driver's door is going to open to the street side sooo seriously watch out!

5.  The A/C just plain stops at stoplights and works rather poorly under 50kph.

6.  Helmet head! Sometimes my head is soaked by the time I arrive somewhere! So that hope of meeting Mr. Southern, Short, Tan, and Handsome in Thailand is greatly diminished when I'm soaked in sweat upon arrival to any and all destinations. I was trying to order a Starbucks the other day and the guy taking my order said, I'm guessing you want something COLD?! I like to be told I look hot, but I don't think this was a pick up line!

7.  Giving an accidental stop light concert.  Ear buds are in and music is at 100% volume so I can hear it over the roar of the traffic so I sing at 100% volume too! Unfortunately, the roar of the traffic stops at stoplights and my motorcycle gang compadres at the head of the line with me get to hear NOT my music at 100%, but my singing!

7.5 Going deaf because of the 100% volume.

8.  Speed bumps! Sometimes ya see em sometimes ya don't, but you always FEEL them! Sometimes flying off the seat in a forward motion is kind of fun like when your bum gets lifted up out of the seat on a roller coaster, it's the coming back down part that's a real downer!!! Punny?

9.  When you have to go to the bathroom! We can all recall a time when we had to go real bad and we're on the road and there's just no restroom in sight so every bump and turn becomes a challenge and your friend starts singing TLC's Waterfalls or talking about leaky faucets or something more offensive.  Well intensify that by the start and stop of CANAL street which gets it's name because of the Canal running down the middle of it, as well as, feeling not just every bump and turn, but every pebble AND you're needing to use your core muscles as well as other muscles to hold the bike up right so they're not as useful for holding anything else! It's just a lose, lose situation.

10.  Bicycles! Dear cyclist, there is no bike lane, and if there was it would be for motorbikes not for YOU! Unless you can accelerate to faster than the speed I am going when you pull out in front of me or when you're riding with your buddies 3 bikes wide, then you should NOT get in front of me! Also, man who was weaving between my bike and a car and began to wobble, reaching out and grabbing me was not the appropriate reaction as you nearly gave me a heart attack. Also, it's super hot here in Thailand, I'm guessing from your short tight shorts that you're European, it's cooler there and I don't think the traffic is so bad either. Bike on back!

10 Great Things about Driving a Motorcycle in Thailand

1. Stop Lights.  Bikes go to the immediate front of all lines. And you all KNOW it was your favorite day of kindergarten when you got to be the line leader.

2. Cool Factor.  All the cool kids do it! Duh! And you know how I said all the bikes go to the front of the line.... so when I'm up at the front revving my lil engine with like a dozen other bikers it's kind of like I'm in a motorcycle gang!!!  Except the other night, I was up front all by myself and I start to hear this roar of engines behind me, like REAL engines. I thought it was a big truck, nope it was a REAL Harley Davidson motorcycle gang, with Pure Thailand bedazzled on the back of leather vests, before I knew it I was surrounded.  It would've made a great photo for Highlights, "One of these things is not like the others" section.

3.  Lanes do not apply to me - at all! Left lane AND Right lane moving slow, well down the middle I go! No room? No problem! Outside that yellow line was created with me in mind!

4.  Great AC at 50kph and above.

5.  Parking! I fit almost anywhere!

6. Gas mileage or is it kiloage?  It takes $3 bucks to fill up my tank ($4 if I forget a few days past red) and I can go for weeks!

7.  Stop light convos.  Pull up next to your friend at each stoplight and ask how their day is going or if you have bugs in your teeth or high five them for running over that cat back there!

8.  All lights are relatively green. For instance,  the light is red because cars are turning from the intersection, but I'm driving outside the yellow line anyway, therefore the light is relatively green and I need not stop.

9.  The Asia Pacific sun, the beautiful mountains, the wind in your hair, and the adrenaline that comes from knowing death could happen at any moment if the car in front of you stops short or the beer truck beside you loses a case causing you to skid into oncoming traffic, or if you resist the turn and end up under the bike instead of on it! It's all very exhilarating!

10. If you forget you're in a nation that drives on the left instead of the right, bobbing and weaving is much easier on a bike than in car! (A friend told me this!)

Standing for the King

I recently had an afternoon off here in Thailand. I was a bit stir crazy and a bit homesick so I thought I'd have an American day. I headed off to the mall to have some quiet time with Jesus & my new Bethel worship CD at Starbucks and also to see the new JOBS movie.

Just a few nights before I had gone to the Walking Street Market with some friends to find some post cards to send Thank You notes to all you wonderful supporters back home.  I was twirling the display looking at the cards when my friend touched my arm and shook her head and motioned for me to be quiet.

Walking Street is loud and bustling except for these two minutes.  I remember being fascinated by it my first trip last fall, EVERYONE stops in place, EVERYONE is silent, and respectful.  It's unbelievable really.  Over the loud speakers their national song a tribute to their king is playing.

The mall is loud and bustling too, thank God for headphones.  JOBS was playing in English so I figured as an all things apple user I should check it out.  Ashton does an EXCELLENT job, my disappointment in the movie was not his fault by any means. Don't get me wrong it was worth the $5.50 I paid to see it.  It's just... well... I don't know how to say this, it was somewhat depressing.  Sure it was fascinating to see how five guys in a garage ultimately changed the world, I mean I passed a sweet MAC store on my way to the theater & I'm in Chiang Mai.  I can iMessage and Face Time for FREE anyone in the WORLD who has an iPhone! Here's where I should start singing, "I love technology!" With an added verse of thanks to Steve Jobs and all those at Apple Inc! I'm not a Steve Jobs hater, but his biography made me sad. It appears he was a very Godless man, focused, brilliant, and self centered, a man who betrayed all those guys who labored with him in his parent's garage, a man who left an amazing mark on this world and changed the way we communicate, learn, listen to music, and so much more, but forgot where he came from or worse yet I'm not sure he ever knew Where he came from.  JOBS is part of our American, well, WORLD history,  but I left sad.

But before the movie started, before ANY movie starts in Thailand, there's another two minute moment of awe.  A video tribute to the king of Thailand is played.  Everyone puts down their pop corn, stops their chatter, and stands and quietly pays tribute and shows respect to their beloved king.

They take moments in the hustle and bustle of their shopping and before they indulge in entertainment to stand for the king. It is not controversial or only practiced by some. It's refreshing. It's moving. It's inspiring. Their diligence, their respect, the way they honor him, his picture is hung all over, and nothing is to be hung higher than his image.  Each piece of paper currency has his picture on it, therefore you do not wad your money up.  The way they speak of and honor voluntarily, the way they are protective of his image and his name, a Thai person would take great offense if anyone were to speak ill of, complain about, or question the king. The way they present him and speak of him and honor him, makes me want to know him, makes me want to stand for the king as well. I can't help, but relate all these things to my own King and hope that the way I speak of Him, honor Him, and present Him, makes others want to know Him and stand for Him too.  Thank you Thai people for sharing your king and making me want to stand for him, I hope you will one day want to stand for my King too.

One day.... every knee will bow and every tongue confess.

Here's a tribute video they were showing earlier this year.  The one they're showing currently is excellent though, so I'll try and snag it next time I take an American day!

Lessons Learned From the Field: #3 The Church is NOT a building. : El Salvador

One of my favorite churches in the Philippines.

I'm sure your pastor has said it from the pulpit in some way, form, or fashion, that the church is NOT a building.  And I'm sure you've nodded your head in agreement or said, Amen to the notion. And although I think this is a point we could all theologically agree on, the church is NOT a building, I think it might be something we say more than something we really believe deep down.

"We can't take out the pews and put in movie theater seats! Gasp!" (If God is particular about what we sit in then we definitely need to let our brothers and sisters overseas know this because they've got some raggedy wooden benches with no seat backs, plastic chairs that don't even match, and there have been times when I had to sit on the ground or stand the whole service!) 

"Cake Walk to install more stained glass windows!" Never EVER try to remove the stained glass windows from the church, they're sacred don't you know?  The Holy Spirit wafts thru those easier than regular ones! (Again, someone really needs to let Latin America, Asia, and Africa know about this requirement, I'm not sure I've ever been to a church with window panes at all, I'm thinking they've got it figured out that the Holy Spirit wafts in through an OPEN window best of all!)

"No food or drink in the sanctuary!" I knew God was particular about the COLOR of his carpet by how upset His people get when it's changed, but He's evidently a neat freak too! (This isn't so much of an issue for the dirt floors of Merille churches!) 

"We're in church boy! You can't say that in church!" Please save all crass, inappropriate, and malicious talk for once you've exited the church building. 

I won't even talk about the use of smoke machines, secular music, several electric guitar players, a caged drummer, and skinny jeans on the platform! In church, Gasp! All perfectly okay for the concert the night before, but not. in. church!  (These are often not issues for our international brothers and sisters because of the lack of electricity!) 

Sometimes, like in the cases above, we get a little confused and think that church IS a building! But sometimes we get REALLY confused and think the church is only OUR building! Like we'll help out those from OUR building, we'll have events for those from OUR building, if someone comes from another building, what on earth are they doing here? I'll bet they're spies! As a youth pastor I used to get so upset when I would find out that my students had gone to another church just to visit and really bent out of shape if they'd decided to go there permanently! I laugh now at the ridiculousness, I mean, I was literally upset that a teenager was worshipping God in another building!!!! Opens up a seat for the kid who isn't in church anywhere!!! 

All our Western silliness is not what this is about.  I really do think we can all agree on the fact that the church is NOT a building! And I honestly didn't learn this because of sitting on a dirt floor in Africa, or the rain blowing in in Latin America, or the plastic or wood splinters in my seat from my seat in any number of places around the world. Those are just buildings like our buildings anyway! For richer or poorer!

I learned that the church is not a building on the outside of a building all together in the streets of El Salvador in 1997.  It was our first day of street ministry.  It was hot.  Half the team was to do the ministry the other half was to pray out of sight somewhere. We needed electricity for our small sound system so a homeowner let us plug into theirs.  As the people began to gather from homes and the kids began to enjoy the program, my half of the team shuffled in the alley between two homes to pray. We leaned up against the concrete sides and began to pray for the people. After a few moments I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was an older lady with a glass of water and a plastic chair which she extended to me. I gratefully took both and continued to pray.  I assumed because she had let us use her electricity and gone to the trouble of bringing out chairs from her home for all of us in the alley that she was from our church. I was wrong. Would you believe she wasn't from OUR church at all, but from the Baptist church just down the street?  I couldn't believe that a Baptist was helping ME an Assembly of God to minister in her neighborhood! Weird I tell you! Even weirder, in the end when we gathered to pray for the needs of those who gathered, she and others in the community were moved to tears and even joined us in prayer from their door stoops! Ministry happened right there in the middle of the street in the hot sun that day with people from different buildings!  

I find it funny now that I was so impacted by this in 1997 as a Bible college student and that I STILL can remember it so vividly.  As THE CHURCH this should be the norm to partner with others to help out when we can help out so that worshippers can be added to the kingdom even added to the building down the street!

I had heard it lots before, but I hadn't really seen it till that day when the Baptist lady handed me the water and chair from her home. The church isn't a building. It's not just held on Sundays. It's not a denomination. It's not a western concept or an eastern spirit. It's every man, woman, boy, and girl who has acknowledged their sinful state, repented of it, and accepted Jesus as their personal savior. 

I take great comfort when I take long road trips alone knowing that it's likely that someone from THE CHURCH lives nearby all along my route in the event of troubles, it's an immediate connection on an airplane to know that the person beside is me is going to be calling on the same God of the universe in the event of a nose dive! I've heard and made many complaints about "the Church," but truth of the matter is if there's a problem with the church we need to take it up with the person who uses our tooth brush.  If we're believers in Christ, then WE are the church, if repairs need to be made then call on the fixer Himself and place wear an "Under Construction" sandwich board for a few days till He's done what needs to be done! I'm sorry the church is in such a disarray, "He's still working on me."

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#TBT

I've decided now that I know how to work my scanner and found a tub of old pictures to participate in this trend of #TBT or Throw Back Thursday.

Today I will shame, I mean feature a few of my former students from the good'ole days of youth ministry in the brick building also known as Englehood, Englewood.

First we have the class of 2006.  (Photo taken in 2001 in case you missed the neon orange date!)

Where are they now:   4 are in full time ministry.  0 are in jail! Good Job Youth Pastor!
They're parenting at least 7 ninos currently! Congrats to Jake who just had twins!  3 artsy fartsy jobs
One runs the hotel industry and gets me great deals on nice rooms, couple teachers, one plays with ammunition, and the rest need to update their youth pastor and facebooks more often.

Fond Memories: This was the straight edge group. They looked a little crazy, but they wore big black Xs on their hands to signify no drugs or alcohol.  Jeffrey always carried around a picture of Kurt Cobain's obit in his wallet, and one time carried an 8x10 framed photo of him on a trip, Lauren used to worship trees during prayer times, when Benita was a kids camper I accidently made her cry because I skipped her when putting sunscreen on the other kids, I didn't know dark skinnded people could burn! Bob's real name really isn't Bob we named him that when he was 10 and lied about his age to come to youth.  Rachel one time shaved her head and put giraffe spots on it! And Ryan used to sit in the car and cry because he hated church! The difficult ones were always favorites! ;)

Worst Memory:  They were actually a great group, but one time on a trip several of us were in the hot tub at a hotel and Jeffrey threw something out, when we looked to see what it was it was his swimming trunks! Jeffrey then found himself alone in the hot tub.  I chose NOT to address the issue in the moment! Jeffrey was obviously a favorite.

Now the class of 2002:

Where are they now:  Probably off crying somewhere because they're all about to turn 30!!! We're like the same age now cool! 3 in full time ministry.  0 in jail! Again, great job to your youth pastor! They're parenting about 10 ninos! At least 1 teacher, she was probably inspired from being my TA for a year!  There's a rock star, a politician, and a professional hockey player in the bunch. And several that need to update their FBs and their YP more often.

Fond Memories:  Celebrating Beka the entire month of October every year Octobeka.  Chris' wife,  who is not pictured, her antics in general and her crush and shrine to her secret crush Pierce Brosnon, aka Chris Rosson.  Always being able to go to this class to get things done!!!  Crusin with Crissy after she beat cancer. And Casey hating me and letting me know it for at least 2 years before falling in love with me! Trying to corral Tim and company during rehearsals.

Worst Memories:  I had the privilege (impossible task) of teaching this crew my first year of teaching, one day I came in and they had locked a kid in the file cabinet, one day my stool and stand were missing, but later fell out of the tile ceiling, one day I was trying to teach and they were playing Marco Polo.  Ryan was a drummer ALL day long!  (it was deeply appreciated in chapel and service, but the rest of the time it drove me nuts.)

Thanks for all the good times kiddos! Always remember the rules! Rule #1 No Complaining Rule #2 Shut Up!