Do you have a sister?
If you’ve never played ”Guess Who”, you won’t appreciate the hilarity.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Костёр – I love you! Костёр – Я люблю!
What an adventure!
Well after 21 days away from home in foreign places, and 16 days at camp Костёр in Russia, I think I can safely call it a real adventure.
There are a stack of things I can say I learnt while I was away. Here are a few of them:
- God can use even me
- Russian kids really want to hear the Gospel
- You cannot put a price on one changed life
- Squat toilets over a pit aren’t so bad if you give it time
- Borsh (борщ) is yummo, despite appearances
- I’m a gifted pine cone (шишки) shifter, with my lanky toes
- Long distance travel hurts your butt
- Mother taught us to keep elbows in at the table in preparation for eating food in claustrophobic conditions on international flights
- Schoolyard handball - Aussie-style - is destined for universal acceptance and Olympic Games inclusion
- It’s true as the Russians say – Russia has two problems, roads and fools (though I didn’t meet that many fools – just bad roads)
- Read the fine print… and re-read the large print
- Finland is like the country you see in fairy tale illustrations
- Russia 2009 is lookin’ good
I managed to write over 100 pages of journal entries. Sure, I’d love to type them all out and post them online – right after I finish my book on the Amplified Analysis of Inter-Galactic Lightspeed Travel, And Its Effect on Photosynthesis.
But seriously, I can’t seem to dig up the words I need to express my love for those lovable kids. Will He send me again? I’m ready…
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Up, Up, AND AWAY!
ДОБРОЕ УТРО, РОССИЯ
So between my last post and now, a LOT has happened! (I guess that answers the question about Live Writer – see below).
Fundraising efforts were blessed and people gave generously. At first I expected to be getting a loan to try and cover half of my trip – but here I am going to Russia fully supported by people’s faithful giving, PLUS I was able to buy $2000 worth of Bibles and workbooks for the kids. INCREDIBLE.
It’s almost 7am here now, and I’m still in my PJs with hair all scraggy. I can hear the boys in the next room, they’re up early giggling and making typical boy jokes. The hardest part about going to Russia for 3 weeks is I’ll miss them!
Lovely Janene and Layna, my lovely wife and sweet, smiling daughter. Leaving is the hardest part! I love them all so much.
For only the second time in my life I had a coldsore for the last week. It was a sign of the strained emotions leading up to this day. It means I haven’t even been able to kiss Janene for a whole week! I’ve had a few very sleepless nights, but before bed last night I asked God to prepare me, relax me… and I had the best night sleep anyone could expect!
Well, my bag’s packed – it’s full of everything I’ll probably never need. I wonder what I forgot? Like they used to say on the old game show: “Don’t forget your toothbrush!”
Whoever’s reading this, please pray for me and the team, and for the orphans I’ll encounter. These kids (like all of us) need love. Touching these lives may only be a drop in the ocean, but how do you think the ocean got full? :P
Signing off, until I can find a computer.
До свидания!
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Windows Live Blog Writer?
Testing a new tool...
So, I've updated Live Messenger and it kindly offered to include another three hundred plugins during the update. As usual, I unchecked them ALL, but then read the description of the "Writer" tool.
So here I am, I've installed the Writer tool which allows me to write to my blog in a convenient manner - not having to login to Blogger.com for every entry.
Will this encourage me to write entries on a more regular basis? Check back periodically to see...
(I must admit, the interface is pleasing...)
Monday, March 31, 2008
Whom to serve...
Is my heart being reshaped? Am I being forged for some kind of mission?
The more I look at our greedy, self-magnifying culture, the more I wonder what cultural baggage I'm carrying that is causing me to miss the purpose and beauty of life.
Materialism has gripped the heart of the West and with its general rejection of God the Creator under the guise of spiritual "liberation", the choice to believe in nothing has resulted in a belief in anything. It's a smorgasbord of false gods where you take a spoonful of this, a slice of that, pile up your plate with what looks delicious... but in the end it all has the same bland taste and you wind up still feeling rather empty.
I'm feeling the pinch financially, and I'm sure we're in the clutches of a economic recession. But this is NOTHING. We whinge and complain about interest rates, bank fees, petrol prices, grocery bills, etc. But this really is nothing if we care to think outside of our immediate selfish wants.
As I prepare for Russia, I am hoping God will break my heart with what I experience. I want it broken and reshaped into something beautiful for Him. I want to rid myself of this cultural baggage and discover something real and lasting. I know I can only find it in Him.
What are your gods?
The more I look at our greedy, self-magnifying culture, the more I wonder what cultural baggage I'm carrying that is causing me to miss the purpose and beauty of life.
Materialism has gripped the heart of the West and with its general rejection of God the Creator under the guise of spiritual "liberation", the choice to believe in nothing has resulted in a belief in anything. It's a smorgasbord of false gods where you take a spoonful of this, a slice of that, pile up your plate with what looks delicious... but in the end it all has the same bland taste and you wind up still feeling rather empty.
I'm feeling the pinch financially, and I'm sure we're in the clutches of a economic recession. But this is NOTHING. We whinge and complain about interest rates, bank fees, petrol prices, grocery bills, etc. But this really is nothing if we care to think outside of our immediate selfish wants.
As I prepare for Russia, I am hoping God will break my heart with what I experience. I want it broken and reshaped into something beautiful for Him. I want to rid myself of this cultural baggage and discover something real and lasting. I know I can only find it in Him.
What are your gods?
Monday, March 10, 2008
SEND ME TO RUSSIA!
The brochure in the corner
Recently on a trip to Canberra with Janene and the kids (Janene is studying Christian Family Counseling and was doing res-school for 3 days), we visited the local Koorong bookstore to do some shopping.
In the back corner of the shop I, for some reason, decided to look at the local noticeboard. My eyes nearly popped outta my head when I saw the title of a big A4 newsletter "Love For Kids - RUSSIA".
I quickly unpinned the newsletter and started reading. The title inside presented its challenge - Will you send? Will you GO?.
That challenge ate at me for the next 10 mins or so while I walked around the shop holding the smaller brochure that I'd also unpinned from the noticeboard. Then finally, flexing my huge grin, I showed Janene... who returned a suspicious glance at me with a slow motion "Ahuh".
Needless to say I got a photocopy of the flyer from the staff at Koorong and thoughts of Russia consumed me for the rest of the day, and that night... and pretty much ever since!
I found the website (kidsoutreach.org) and emailed the director with a blurb about my long-time desire to be involved in some kind of ministry in Russia. Kari replied to my email in a very welcoming and encouraging way that just reinforced my desire to get busy!
So anyway, a few days later I'd made the decision - I'LL GO! Kari Lehelmä advised me it's likely I'll join a group leaving on the 15th June, that's around 3 months away so I better get crackin!
What will I be doing? Friendship evangelism! We're showing the love of Christ to kids who otherwise may not experience much love at all - especially since a large portion of the kids will be orphans, street kids and disadvantaged.
I'm brushing up on my Russian, although it's more like brushing a crew cut, because there's not much there to brush yet. So I'm really going back to basics and re-learning.
MONEY
It's terrible to need it, and even worse to ask for it. I personally hate it when I get phonecalls at dinnertime from telemarketing charities asking for donations. So I'm sure people are equally annoyed when I'm going to have to basically beg for support to get me over there.
I'm sure some people are going to think I just want a free holiday - but I think I'd be more interested in seeing the sights than being stuck in a dormitory with other leaders and eating cafeteria food. It's not a matter of where, but WHO. These kids are gonna love having us there as friends, while learning about our culture and our faith.
PLEDGE
I'm asking people for donations. Big or small! If anybody is reading this and wants to contribute even a few bucks, please contact me ASAP!
Whether you can afford a cash donation or not, please take a minute or so to PRAY for this. Thanks!
Recently on a trip to Canberra with Janene and the kids (Janene is studying Christian Family Counseling and was doing res-school for 3 days), we visited the local Koorong bookstore to do some shopping.
In the back corner of the shop I, for some reason, decided to look at the local noticeboard. My eyes nearly popped outta my head when I saw the title of a big A4 newsletter "Love For Kids - RUSSIA".
I quickly unpinned the newsletter and started reading. The title inside presented its challenge - Will you send? Will you GO?.
That challenge ate at me for the next 10 mins or so while I walked around the shop holding the smaller brochure that I'd also unpinned from the noticeboard. Then finally, flexing my huge grin, I showed Janene... who returned a suspicious glance at me with a slow motion "Ahuh".
Needless to say I got a photocopy of the flyer from the staff at Koorong and thoughts of Russia consumed me for the rest of the day, and that night... and pretty much ever since!
I found the website (kidsoutreach.org) and emailed the director with a blurb about my long-time desire to be involved in some kind of ministry in Russia. Kari replied to my email in a very welcoming and encouraging way that just reinforced my desire to get busy!
So anyway, a few days later I'd made the decision - I'LL GO! Kari Lehelmä advised me it's likely I'll join a group leaving on the 15th June, that's around 3 months away so I better get crackin!
What will I be doing? Friendship evangelism! We're showing the love of Christ to kids who otherwise may not experience much love at all - especially since a large portion of the kids will be orphans, street kids and disadvantaged.
I'm brushing up on my Russian, although it's more like brushing a crew cut, because there's not much there to brush yet. So I'm really going back to basics and re-learning.
MONEY
It's terrible to need it, and even worse to ask for it. I personally hate it when I get phonecalls at dinnertime from telemarketing charities asking for donations. So I'm sure people are equally annoyed when I'm going to have to basically beg for support to get me over there.
I'm sure some people are going to think I just want a free holiday - but I think I'd be more interested in seeing the sights than being stuck in a dormitory with other leaders and eating cafeteria food. It's not a matter of where, but WHO. These kids are gonna love having us there as friends, while learning about our culture and our faith.
PLEDGE
I'm asking people for donations. Big or small! If anybody is reading this and wants to contribute even a few bucks, please contact me ASAP!
Whether you can afford a cash donation or not, please take a minute or so to PRAY for this. Thanks!
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