Screaming Into An Empty Cave

I just returned last week from a hiking trip to my favorite place, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, near Munising, Michigan. This time I had along with me four young men who will be going into seventh grade in a couple of days and one of their dads. Now normally getting through to people at this age can be somewhat like screaming into an empty cave, the only response you get is your own voice ringing in your ears, but this was not the case. We talked about and experienced so much together during those four days it makes me wonder why anyone would send thirteen year old males to traditional school, ever. So many teachers are frustrated at the middle school level because the students appear to be brain dead, and they are! AND the way we teach boys at this time in their lives needs to be much more like apprentices rather than, “Sit and read this book Johnny.” I feel for all of those teachers and administrators who find themselves forcing all of these young square pegs through round holes, because they are screaming into empty caves. Young men are sponges waiting to be filled with the water of life if we would adjust our methodology. I have heard it said by someone (who?) that we should “take all middle school boys out of school and teach them how to build a boat.” In so doing they would learn much more than they currently do.

We had a great time together exploring Jesus, humility, humanity, and God’s creation. Memories that will last a lifetime were made, discoveries about how hard life is and where they fit in, were applied in real ways. I had a great time and I didn’t have to scream into an empty cave doing it! Go ahead and pick someone and live this life of following Jesus near them for a long time.

the mystery of time travel

Time travel is one of those nagging questions mankind has yet to answer. The goal would be to travel back or forward in time and see or affect the things that happened in the past or will happen in the future. Most of us have watched at least part of the Back To The Future trilogy, [another highly rated movie on the "Craigscale"]. Most of us have a few moments in time where we wish that we could go back and make some different decisions.

As I age I believe that I am discovering a form of time travel. You see, yesterday it was June 1st and today, well, I woke up and it’s nearly the end of August! How can this be? I experienced so much this summer yet it has passed me by at light speed. I drove about 6,000 miles, backpacked 23 more. Went 124 miles an hour on a roller coaster soaring to 420 feet. Jumped in Lake Superior form a cliff and walked on a dusty Mexican hilltop. Cried and laughed ‘til I cried. Felt close to God and in the center of His will and have felt alone, far from Him. I’ve slept in tents, on floors, in vans, on the couch, on a beach, on a mountain, under a zillion stars on a bluff. I met some great people and got to know many more along the way. Been to weddings and the hospital several times. Played baseball and kissed newborn babies. I broke and fixed lawnmowers, cars and a computer along the way. To top it all off I was only with my wife at home about 12 days all summer.

All of these things happened to me, I was there, I’m sure of it. But where did it go? I guess the mystery of time travel is still a mystery after all. Happy Fall.

Hope Is Just A Distant Land

Amazed is a good word, but not a complete one. Disturbed, ripped off, ticked, are other emotions that followed. The woman was in her mid fifties and tears streamed down her anguished face.

“Please forgive me,” she begged. “God has punished me for not doing what I told you that I would do, please forgive me.” At this we were all crying without shame.

“We forgive you’s” and "there is nothing to forgive you for's" were launched from all around the circle of tears, along with many hugs.

Imagine the emotion this poor woman has been through over the last year. From living in a shack in a place that she said was “ugly and hopeless” to getting a new home built for you and then given to you, for free! Then eleven months later having her dream destroyed in an early morning fire. Yes, she knows that they were very fortunate not to have suffered loss of a loved one and yet, it is still a crushing defeat in a place ripe with agony. She now lives with her sister, they lost everything in the fire a month ago, and hope is just a distant land located long over a horizon of constant guilt. These are real people, in a constant war against the reality of a hard life. It’s no wonder that so many of them bail on life and escape to a numb place where guilt only punishes them while sober.

Please Pray for Cecelia and do something to help the Cecelia’s of this world.

Back and Out

Mexico July 2006 trip is now over, we have returned safely and have accomplished most of our goals for the trip. And I am beat. Like down for the count. So a couple of days rest should help me recoup!

Anyway, news from the Anapra Mission:

#1. Chila is sick. She suffered an issue with her heart in May. She has high cholesterol and partial blockage of her arteries. She is on some very expensive medicine right now and is applying for medical insurance this week to help with the costs. Please pray for her. She is certainly not herself. Her family has opened an account that people can donate to help her with her costs. Let me know if you are interested in doing this.

#2. We built two houses. One for Maria. She is a grandmother with several kids and grandkids roaming about and the second for a family with four kids who were all very shy. Everyone worked real hard both weeks to accomplish this.

#3. We also built a new roof system for Pattie and her family that included a peaked roof for better water run off. We also insulated her ceiling to help with the intense heat. This is a very poor family.

#4. We visited everyone that we have built homes over the last three summers and brought them food and hope.

#5. We donated clothes to Verdad Y Vida which Chila and others distributed to people in the neighborhood. It was cool to see old Cornerstone baseball shirts walking around the streets on Mexican people.

#6. The Last house we visited (just before we left the country) was the first house we built last summer. What an emotional visit. On June 29 of this year the “house” that they had lived in before the Casas house we built caught on fire and burned to the ground. As it burned it caught her new house on fire and destroyed it as well. As Cecilia told us the story she wept and asked us to forgive her for not tearing down the old house as she had said that she would. She thought that God was punishing her for not doing what she told us that she would. There will be more to come on this story as we explore what can be done.

As we left Anapra with tears in our eyes over the unfairness of life, hope in Christ still stirs our hearts to continue the mission!