WOW!

As I stated in my last blog update - I am going to be processing for quite some time, so I am not sure where and when all of what God has taught me as a result of my trip to Asia will come out - but here is a little more of what God is telling me, at least for today.

Something that I have begun doing since returning from Asia is prayer walking.  I realized on my trip that my heart and calling is for here, right here in the place that God has me - Apollo Beach/Riverview, FL!  And if I am going to truly LOVE my neighbor - shouldn't that be where I begin.  I have been in my neighborhood for almost 4 years now, and I know virtually no one.  We don't really have next door neighbors (vacant house to my right and language barrier to my left).  So, I am starting to look for opportunities to build relationship, but first - I am praying.  I go for a run at least 3x's a week, and I walk our dog every day - so I have turned my jog and dog walking time, into a time of prayer and praise.  I thank God for my neighbors, I pray for different things as I pass by the homes, I ask God that He would start a revival in our neighborhood - that this street would glorify Him, that we would be protected - all sorts of things.  Really whatever I feel led to pray...

So, as I was praying this morning, something that hit me - was how beautiful and awesome my neighborhood is!  I'm serious, my neighborhood is gorgeous.  I know in America, and even in Riverview - it's not much to look at, but man... I LOVE IT!  The homes may be small, and the grass is all dying and there are cars parked along the sides of the road - but we are all so blessed!  We have beautiful little ponds  - just to look at.  We don't need to use them to wash our clothes, bathe in, or drink from.  We have yards to play in, not sleep in or let cows eat from.  We have sidewalks to travel on, not muddy roads to walk on.  I doubt I passed a house without heating or air conditioning, to allow up to keep our temperature comfortable regardless of the weather.  I am sure every home I walked passed had some sort of refrigeration device to ALLOW US TO KEEP FOOD until we desire to eat it!!!!  What a huge blessing!  I am willing to bet that each home has multiple rooms, multiple beds, multiple showers and bathrooms, multiple devices to keep us entertained.  HOW RIDICULOUSLY BLESSED ARE WE!  

Then it occurred to me, when was the last time I was thankful for any of that?  My answer... never.  I had never been thankful for that.  I began to confess as I walked - for myself and my neighbors.  We take so much for granted, we feel entitled to so much.  I get frustrated if my house doesn't stay at 76, because then it is uncomfortable.  There are people sleeping in dirt and drinking from a river nicknamed the DEATH RIVER - and I complain about having to drink Aquafina instead of Zephyrhills???  

Then, another thing hit me - as I was walking along my wonderful sidewalk, across my beautiful ponds, with fountains going and the sun just coming up and the clouds glowing - God blessed me with a wonderful sunrise!  It was gorgeous.  And in that moment, I was so grateful - because I was experiencing the beauty of the Lord - and this is something that my brothers and sisters in Myanmar and Cambodia and all across the world can experience.  They may never know a home with A/C, or a refrigerator to save food (a foreign idea in some cultures, you have food... you eat it!).  But, they know the beauty of a sunrise!  They can experience God's magnificence in that way.  

So, this morning I made God a promise.  I don't usually like to make promises, but I did this morning.  I promised that as long as I am drawing breath, the rocks will not have to cry out to God!  I am going to praise Him, for He is worthy to be praised.  I am going to thank Him, because I have an abundance of reasons to be thankful.  And for the rest of my life, whenever I have to think about what to be thankful for... I now know - that in the grand scheme of things... I am rich!

Thank you Jesus, for the greatest gift, the greatest blessing and for opening my eyes to the wonder of your love and Creation.  You did a great job!

First Blog since Asia

My plan was to blog throughout my time in Asia... but God had a different plan.  I was unable to access my blog almost the entire time I was overseas and the few times I could - I was also able to speak with my wife and son, and I chose to do this instead.  So - for the first time, in what feels like months - I return to the world of blogging!

As I sit here and try to think about what to write about my experience, I find the same problem I had as I tried to journal my thoughts each day... words don't do this justice.  Really truly, anything I can think of to say about our experience over there - downplays the reality.  

There is so much I have learned and so much that I have experienced that to record them all would take a long time, and no one would want to read that all - so I will share in bits and pieces as God impresses on me different moments and different experiences from Asia.  

Right now, the thing that is sticking with me - is the Freedom we enjoy here in the USA that is completely foreign in Asia.  Each country we visited had to some degree - a level of persecution or restriction placed upon the Church.  It was heartbreaking to see what some of the Xians have to endure for the Gospel.  But, it was encouraging to see them enduring it and considering it a joy to face trials!

It really struck me in China - that we American Xians have NO IDEA what persecution is.  I have read the New Testament, and I see what the first Christians went through, and I know a little of Church History and what occurred - but it was always a history lesson, never something that I thought still happened today!  Wow, was I naive.  In Beijing - everything is under gov't control!  The cabs are all run by the gov't and there are literally microphones in every cab - video surveillance everywhere you look and NO RIGHT TO PRIVACY!  I asked one of the girls who helped a pastor we were getting to know, if they had a right to privacy, and she looked at me like a confused puppy.  She didn't understand the question!  What a different world we live in here in America.

It's funny - those who know me, would say that I am about as patriotic as an agnostic is religious.  Just don't care.

Well, that has definitely changed as a result of being in Asia.  You don't truly appreciate freedom and rights, until you experience them being taken away!  In China, you aren't allowed to get on Facebook, to get on Twitter, to access blogs.  You can send out emails, but the gov't reads them first.  Your emails come into your Inbox already having been read.  When you are out in public - it is wise to sensor your speech, we didn't use words like "missionary", "Bible", "preaching", "pastor", etc... because the gov't is listening to every word you say!

I knew that I was going to come back changed and that God was going to do a work in my heart - and I had prepared for God to tell me that I was suppose to move to China or something.  Never in my dreams did I imagine I would come back with a love for America and a heart to see our freedoms protected and ensured!  

We need to care about what is happening in our country, we need to care about the laws that are being passed.  And with each new law and each new regulation - we are surrendering our rights and giving more control over to the gov't - who little bit by little bit - is stealing our freedom.  And, having just experienced NO FREEDOM - let me encourage all of us, to get involved and be instruments of change and to become activists for freedom!  Because Xians are the first ones to be censored and monitored.  

Is that what we want????

Asia Bound!

Well - Drew and I decided that it would be a good idea to try and get on Asia time from the get go, so we are staying up all night.  We ventured out to Denny's at 1:00 in the morning in Minneapolis... let's just say that this must be the popular thing to do by the people who make up this lovely city, because we saw some winners for the "it's you" game.  I hadn't really eaten since lunch, and it was way too late (or early) to eat, but I figured I am on a mission trip, and gonna have to eat stuff like cat and squid or something here soon, so I should enjoy American food while I can.  So, I downed a cheeseburger that had hashbrown casserole and eggs on it - sounds interesting right?  Let me just say, it changed my life (and shortened it at the same time)!

So far, it has been an interesting journey - we got off to a rocky start.  The flight here was delayed about 3 hours due to weather and construction at the airport here in Minneapolis.  But, I ran into some people I knew at the airport and we aren't flying to Detroit until 6 am this morning, so we weren't really in a hurry.  I spent some time reading my Bible and a book that I brought with for entertainment.  I was reading in Psalm 26 and David praises God for allowing him to stand on level ground and bless Him in the great assembly.  That struck a chord with my heart, as I go to ground that has literally been shaking over the last couple of days, and I prepare to enter into a place that has different religions, morals, culture practices, social graces and - well, just about everything - I felt like God was telling me he was going to give me solid ground to stand on.  That I would continue to walk in His faithfulness, as I have been for 6 weeks now in regards to this trip.  Needless to say, it was an awesome time of being in the presence of God and hearing Him speak right in the terminal at TIA.

I am excited for this journey, I am tired already - but that is kinda on purpose right now.  Continue to pray for our journey, safe travel, my family (I am missing them already), and that we would experience a change of heart on this trip.

1 Timothy 1:5