Skydiving

The more time I spend trying to think about how to explain what Jerry and I have been doing, the less I want to write about it. Don't get me wrong; not for the purpose of not informing you - our fine friends, family, and supporters - but because I'm certain I won't do it justice. Things will be forgotten, exaggerated and minimized, but I'll do my best. Thank you for understanding.

I'll start with what I am sure of. God is large, incredible, unpredictable, and lovely. This month has proven that God does not have to follow any such formula or pattern as the previous months followed. We began in Nabire, went to Napan (which I'll explain), and now find ourselves in Jakarta - on an entirely different region. Presumably, we were going to Nabire for some of the month, and taking a flight to the natives in Sugapa. This clearly did not happen, and at times I think God is grinning so widely I can hear it.

First of all, if I were to describe the month in literal terms of 'we did this, this, this and some of this', then it may sound as though, at times, we were rather lazy. For we taught English, met with some teachers, and spoke a few times while in Nabire, but most days we had the largest span of the day to ourselves. So what did we do? Well, frankly, it seemed as though in these times we found the past couple months of our lives (and, at times, and then some) catching up to us. It was like jumping out of a plane with a parachute: initially there is such rush of speed that you find yourself simply doing things, but eventually you have to deal with the ground. And when you do hit the ground, you suddenly realize that you not only have the landing to deal with, but you suddenly recognize that the jump and fall themselves did something to you, and you must deal with this as well. Indeed, Jerry and I jumped headfirst, as strangers to one another, into a series of cultures, events, opportunities, etc... Then Indonesia happened, and we had so much downtime that we had to deal with it all and what it did to us. It therefore goes without saying that we prayed. A lot. Much like new skydivers do, I suppose.

On top of it all, we ate an incredible amount of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This brings me to Ado and Steven - our most gracious hosts. Ado is the sort of fellow who loves God, follows God, and has much to say, but does it all quietly. He picked us up from the airport, drove us anywhere we needed to go, and all in all took care of us. I've noticed in the past two months there were definitely two women who assumed the position of our mother for the month, and Ado, you could say, was our father this month. He is a man worth admiring, and Jerry and I are very thankful for him. Steven, on the other hand, was more like a brother and cohort in crime. Daniel Alexander sent him to assist us in Nabire (as he natively lives in the western island of Java, in the city of Jakarta) with his 'mad linguistic skills'. Indeed, as far as the language barrier goes, this has been the most difficult month, but Steven has helped us through it. (Indonesia is home to thousands and thousands of islands, and almost an equal amount of cultures - many with dialects of their own. Indeed, there was no unity of language until the beginning of the twentieth century, and it hasn't spread entirely just yet.) Steven is but a bit older than us, and we have enjoyed our conversations with him and his care and generosity toward us, and fancy the possibility of future correspondence. Praise God for the global church - of which, frankly, most of us are ignorant.

Nabire acquired the first two weeks of the month, and Napan the second. Napan. The word makes me want to get up, find Jerry, and make sure that we actually did go there and what happened really did. I believe Jerry is the same, but I went to the island with the understanding that it would almost be recreational with a touch of teaching. A marvelous couple - Refly and Maili - invited us to the island as a sort of neat idea, and as Jerry and I enjoy neat ideas, we aimed for doing it. What we didn't know was that it was a rather remote island of limited technology (no cars, few computers, etc...) and that we would be the first Americans to set foot on the island. Ever. And we would be the first westerners there in a very long time - since the Dutch were there generations ago. This, however, was unknown to us until the last day or so on the island, and it was said rather matter-of-factly. I think the only way to really explain the trip would be to start at the beginning - which is rather old fashioned.

Jerry, Maili, Refly, Steven and I were driven to the Nabire beach in the early evening. We went down to the water and admired the boats which would be taking us: something like a large canoe with bamboo flotations far out on both sides to help it balance (sorry seafarers, that's the best I've got). Complications arose, however, so we weren't able to leave immediately and wouldn't really be able to do so until night. (Not city 'night'; rural night where even the bugs carry lanterns its so dark, and you better understand the impossibility when people talk about counting the stars.) So it was night, storming, and our drivers were taking us on an hour (plus) trip with not so much as a compass. I was ecstatic. In blatant defiance to what some philosophers and English teachers may suggest, the experience can only be properly expressed with the word sublime. It was a sublime experience. We flew through the water (using a small engine) - twenty of us or so - on water so black it looked flat in spite of the waves. The sky was cloudy like gray, wet, dripping cotton, and hid most of the stars. It was cold and uncomfortable, but as Jerry and I later reflected, it was such a stoic experience that it had to be. But back to the water. It was so black and flat in appearance, and the sky so beveled, that it looked as though we glided along the sky and the ground was above us. What made this complete were the plankton. Thousands, no, tens or hundreds of thousands of very small fish flew by us glowing a profound green. How can I describe it? for they looked like thousand upon thousands of stars which shot passed us in the sky beneath. It was a sublime experience. Jerry and I prayed, and worshipped, and sang. We had to: God was so big and incredible, and we knew it.

From there we stayed our nights in a bungalow, but twenty feet from the waters edge. During the day we visited the natives, and spoke at different churches every day. The island of Napan was actually the first in its region to be missioned to many years ago, and actually was historically the reason that Nabire is a prominently Christian town. The island, therefore, is Christian, and of a very traditional variety. I felt as though God wanted me to quietly observe in the visit, so Jerry spoke at the churches on the subject of taking a traditional religion and making it personal; that God is a God that deals with us on a personal basis, and not only on Sunday. It was meant to encourage and challenge a deeper and more meaningful relationship to God, and we understand that it did just that. I'm afraid some of the circumstances and situations we found ourselves in were so strange and incredible that I would only feel comfortable telling the story in person. But it was awesome, and I challenge all who read this to immediately stop reading and pray for the people of Napan: that God would do a work in their hearts and bless the leaders who give their all every day. Pray now, please. Don't worry, this post will be here when you're finished.

Jerry and I then returned to Nabire and, once again, hit the ground: 'What just happened? and what did that do to us?' Then God decided to change plans a bit more and the trip to Sugapa fell through. We prayed about this and decided He wanted us to go to Jakarta with Steven (who had returned to his home city but a few days previous) instead. So we are here now, and I am writing this from one of the malls in Jakarta. More has happened since we got here but, quite frankly, I need to chew on my own recollections for awhile, and I'm getting a haircut. Priorities.

Please, as we always say, continue to be in prayer for Jerry and me. Indonesia has been an absolutely incredible month, and I'm only beginning to really be aware of the foundational changes God has been making in my life. I should like to say what they are, but, instead, I shall keep my eyes on Him and let his works in me reveal themselves. I am quite sure Jerry would agree, and I thank you all for your constant prayer and support. Please be in prayer for everyone and everywhere we have mentioned, and pray God continues to work in us as we conclude our time in Jakarta and head out for India on Thursday. I have a feeling there is much more skydiving to be done.

To God be all the glory, all the honor, and all our unceasing worship. Amen.

Four days, four countries...

Jason and I have made it to Indonesia! We are currently in Nabire, which is in the region of Papua, which is on the large eastern island of Indonesia- the island shared with Papa New Guinea. But before I go into our Indonesian adventures, let me fill you in on the ending of the Philippines, and our journey to Nabire. Because of our internet connection here, we'll be posting pictures at a later time.

As Jason told me, the Philippines could be summed up with one word- "Pastor." We spent the month giving Pastor Romy a one month sabbatical- the first one he's had in 8 years. From our time with Mamong, to leading Bible studies, to preaching, to spending time with the youth, Jason and I were missionary-pastors in the Philippines.

Every Sunday morning of the months was an opportunity to preach for Jason and I. While I've been continuing my preaching on the greatest commandment, Jason has been focusing on the topic of "Who you are." Jason and I would meet back up every Sunday afternoon after preaching in different churches with smiles on our faces. God does His thing every time.

Leaving our new friends was a bitter sweet moment for us- even now, we look back with fond memories of our Filipino family. Thank you all for a great month- we miss you and look forward to seeing you next time. Our final day was spent with my friend from New Jersey, Denart, who made the initial connection to the ministry in PI, and his friends from school- Dustin and Belle. We had our final Filipino meal and set off on the 31st for a 4 day/3 night layover in Singapore.

We were blessed to stay with Pastor Vic, Pastor Arnell, Pastor Jerry, and other Filipino Christians while in Singapore. We had times of sightseeing like our day spent on Sentosa Island as well as times of discipleship. The pastors had a powerful message of deliverance that left us challenged and praying. Times like those keep smiles on our faces and increase our faith in the way God works everything out in His timing.

For one of our days in Singapore, we decided to go to Malaysia. Since Singapore is only 40km long, our travel to the Malaysian border was only 30 min. and we continued to spend the rest of the day in the city of Johor. Jason sat next to a missionary from Mexico on the way to Singapore named Mariana, who accompanied us to Johor. We spent the day exchanging stories of God working, learning Malaysian, and trying new foods.

That brings us to our travel to Indonesia. On April 3rd, Jason and I flew from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at 1pm. At 4pm, we flew to Jakarta, Indonesia, where we met our contact and new friend, Steven. At 10pm, we flew from Jakarta to Makasa. At 2am, we flew from Makasa to Biak. At 1:30pm, we flew from Biak to our final destination of Nabire. I have never taken five flights to get somewhere before, but let me tell you, it is quite exausting.

So for the last couple days, Jason and I have been living in the beautiful town of Nabire, Indonesia.

A man named Daniel Alexander has been establishing schools and orphanages over the last couple years in this area for children from the tribal mountain areas of Papua. We have had the privelage of teaching English in one of these schools here in Nabire. All the students are great! We are greeted with huge smiles and high-fives everyday.

Over the next couple weeks, Jason and I will continue our teaching at the school. We also have the opportunity to fly into the tribal areas to teach English to those living in the mountains. We've been preaching and teaching at several church meetings and will continue to do so throughout the month as well.

Thank you all for your prayers- I don't know how else to say this everytime. Just know that we are truly grateful for your prayers for us and we hope you know that you are helping make a difference here in Nabire. All credit and attention goes to God for the great things He's doing. Til next time,

Jerry

Mamang

On Saturday, March 21st, our dear friend "Mamang" ("mother" in Tagalog) passed away.  Jason and I both wanted to take some time to reflect on our time her.

Mamang was one of the first church members we met coming into our time with the UBCC.  Pastor Romy let us know she had developed lung cancer and wasn't doing that well.  I remember the first time she looked up and showed us her beautiful smile.  Over the last couple weeks, we visited Mamang regularly sharing stories from the Bible, stories from our lives, and singing songs to her.  I was so blessed by her during our second visit when we were going to pray for her and she asked us to just be thankful to God.  Her attitude in the midst of greatly challenging times left quite an impact- one request- thank God.  The next couple weeks we spent thanking God- especially for Mamang.  Every visit was welcomed by a smile that I will always remember.  

The week following her passing away was her wake- having a nightly service, followed by a full night of games, food, and conversation every night until her funeral on Saturday.  I was able to speak on Tuesday night- sharing my experiences with her as well as going through John 3- sharing new life in the spirit.   The entire time from Saturday to Saturday was very impactful- not only were we able to remember and cherish the memories of Mamong, but we were able to meet her family, spend quality time with church members at night, and moved deeply by the reality of God's timing in bringing Jason and I to the Philippines.  

Thank you Father for our time with Mamang- it brings joy to think about her smiling for eternity with You.

-Jerry


Truly, it is incredibly difficult for me to express my heart as relates to Mamang. In life, spending time with her was a cherished, almost numinous experience. When I think of those times of stories, song and silence, her countenance reminds me of Titus where elder women are told to be worthy of reverence - i.e., awe and respect. In death I was shook to my core yet further still in experiences which shall forever come to define a part of me; experiences which I dare not write as are too precious, terrible, awful and incredible to share without certain injustice. 

I was, to my honor and astonishment, asked to speak at the last night of her wake when all of her family had gathered from the Filipino islands to mourn her death and celebrate her life. I stood before the crowd absolutely shaken, with nary an idea of what to say; some were Christians, most were not, a couple were drunk to fight their grief, and others soon to follow, yet all loved this woman and knew her better than I. Frankly, I felt terribly unqualified to be before them. With a trembling heart I sang before them Mamang's favorite song - Psalm 23 - and told them what it meant, concluding with the line, "'I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever!' That," I said, "means home." From there I poured my heart out with what I could and said while many would tell me how she lives, and others of us how she died, I wanted them to know that she lives and where. To many, I suppose, it could have appeared a shameless moment of taking advantage of pain to peddle a religion, but to me it was my gospel; my good news, and summarized my final wish for the woman I knew only at the end: 'I love you. Thank you. God loves you. I'll see you soon.'

-Jason

March of the Philippines

So check it out everyone- here's an update on our month so far in the Philippines. Jason and I have been serving at the United Body of Christ Church in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines. We have been actively helping Pastor Romy with Bible studies, youth activities, visiting Mamang (a member of the church who Jason wrote about previously), preaching, and leading discussions. This is a picture of where we're staying- and no, we're not living in the Coke store, the entrace is the gate next to it with a warning sign referring to their great dane "Copper" who greets us daily without fail.

This is Pastor Romy Rodriguez- we are spending the month learning from his lifestyle of ministry. We are giving him what he calls, "The first time off I've had in eight years." He's very encouraging and he, his family, and the church community have shown us true Filipino hospitality.

Jason and I with Kate and Unice- Jethro (aka Guapo) is taking the picture. These are the gardens of the roof of the Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.  They've been helping us get around the Tandang Sora area.

The group below is from one of the Bible studies we've been teaching.  Weekly, we teach 3 Bible studies for mothers.  Currently, the Lord's been leading us to discuss the beginning of Matthew 5- encouraging others with the words Jesus spoke to us. Our focus has been on being blessed, salt, and light.

Thanks again to everyone for their prayers!  This is God's trip and we give Him all credit for everything happening out here- please take some time to thank Him for all He's doing- Until next time,

Jerry

Some pictures in Taipei

Below are some pictures of our last couple weeks in Taiwan!

Pastor Joanna, Claire, and Brotha Joseph took us to the Palace Museum showing much of the Taiwanese history and artifacts brought over from mainland China.

Here is the Antioch Baptist Church- wonderful people and great friends!

Henning (From Germany), Jameni (Taiwanese), and Bynum (From Alaska) with Jason and myself at the beach! This is where Jason almost lost all of his toes on the razor shells.

This is me speaking on Sunday morning at the Antioch Baptist Church with Claire, the interpreting master, translating the message.

Jason and I on top (as far up as one can go) of the 101 Building- the tallest completed building in the world.

Outing with young people of ABC to wildlife and nature park.

The "Makeup" Small Group Jason and I spent time with.

Elaine took us to the beautiful Yangming mountains with some friends from school.  Fountains, waterfalls, and flowers filled the paths we walked through.

Thank you to everyone in Taipei for a wonderful month!  We miss you all- til next time!

Jerry

Taiwan in Retrospect

For the sake of being absolutely honest about the status of this trip, I will begin with a comment on our present state in the Philippines. From there, I assure you, I will do as my title and Jerry's post suggests, and talk about Taiwan. Here it goes: the Philippines is hot; it is ridiculously hot and humid, and it is only going to get hotter every single day. Also, we ate pig face. More about the Philippines after Taiwan.

Please note that both Jerry and I posted today, so be sure to read his post first.

I give a moment of reverence and some blinking as I consider just how quickly the month of February flew by and, consequently, how quickly our time in Taiwan passed. On one hand I remember how Clair suspiciously looked at us when we first arrived, then I remember vividly our last lunch with her went and the sharing of hearts; I remember feeling rather flat-footed as we were first introduced to the marvels of Individual Evangelism, then I remember in the end being thanked for sharing our perspective on loving the lost and getting to know them. I will, with great injustice, try to recall a few favored moments of the trip, that everyone may share in our Joy of the Lord, and be in prayer for those we've met.

Meetings with the Pastor:

Pastor Joanne, I assure you, is one of the more genuine women of Christ I have met. In those meetings it would be Jerry, me and the AMTC staff - including "Brotha" Joseph, Clair, Esther, Judy, and, of course, Pastor Joanne. We would sit in a circle and discuss the past week and, usually, what was on the mind of either Jerry or me. This may not seem like much, and to be honest I'm often not a fan of meetings, but the takeaway of said meetings were always good, and the teachability of the staff simply humbled me. Important decisions are made in these meetings, and they are always wreathed in prayer; I ask others to be in prayer for them and their ministry, for I cherish these Servants of God.

Lunch Time:

Per the generosity of the church, we would often be taken out by one of the staff or youth. I consider myself a connoisseur of one-on-one conversations and, I must say, these times of edible fellowship were wonderful. I am of the opinion that it is a long lost, and often unappreciated, art: a meal and a chat. I recall reading that eating is one of the most intimate forms of human interaction; there's just something about slowing down to a meal with a good friend and discussing life, the universe, and classical literature. These moments were so thoroughly enjoyed as I got to meet some marvelous children of God over such delicacies as American-style Cheeseburgers and Pork & Peanut Butter Pizza. This, I believe, is some of the best and most effective places to be a missionary, for behind the pulpit one is reduced to speaking en masse and reaching the heart through the ears; the heart, if one recalls in biology, is much closer to the stomach.

The Lulala Club:

Pronounced Loo-la-la, this was a club at the local Northern Taiwan University with a goal on serving, so as you can imagine we found an immediate mutual interest. Jerry and I were invited to speak at one of their meetings, in spite of being a secular group, and when we got there were delighted to find many of the members to be as strange as ourselves - to get to know one another, the Lulala conducted a small circle dance which included jumping, clapping, spinning, squatting and singing a goofy Chinese song. I felt immediately relaxed. Then, after an introduction testimony by "Brotha" Joseph, Jerry and I went up, introduced ourselves and let the Holy Spirit take over. This time, the Holy Spirit manifested itself in the form of me getting the students to act out the New Testament story where the four friends take their lame friend to the place where Jesus was staying and lowered him through the roof after finding it impossible to walk in the front door (roof deconstruction being an obvious, logical, secondary plan). The story ensues that Jesus, rather anti-climatically by immediately apparent standards, tells the lame man that he's forgiven him of his sins. From there the Pharisees inform Jesus they didn't much appreciate his forgiving of sins, for how could he? Jesus retorts by asking them if it would be easier to heal him or forgive his sins, and then heals the man. I talked about how Jesus sees the problem, but unlike us he sees the greater problem and seeks to put into perspective first what our real need is and will always treat that need. Jesus, as I concluded, was the Son of God and a doer of great works, yet he, by who he was, performed the greatest work in his sacrifice and met the greatest need. To be honest, my favorite moment was reminding the "four friends" not to drop their lame friend and how to properly hold a lame person - not, I assure you, by each person gripping a limb and lifting, for that yields disastrous results.

Taiwan Epilogue:

Ultimately, in spite of all they gave us, the church and training center gave us more parting gifts, which I will be sure to show off upon returning. Not because the gifts are so wonderful, though they are, but because I know the givers, and they certainly are most wonderful.

The Philippines:

As I said, we ate pig face, and drank mango juice. Also, we're now with the pastor in the urban area of Manila and, though it is true poverty, Jerry and I are certain already that these are absolutely wonderful people. We've already had the opportunity to meet and talk with a wonderful woman dying of cancer named "Mamang" - i.e. mother. My heart went out to the woman as she sat looking very, very weak, but had such a beautiful smile with kind, caring eyes. Speaking for her is difficult, so we do most of the talking, but I love this woman, and marvel at the opportunity we have to let her know. From there we met with the local youth (about twenty or so) and had a great time getting to know them, and finally told stories to the little ones (David and Goliath - a classic) most of today and will be with some young adults in the evening. Other than that, I say once more, it is so hot.

Please pray for the local ministry - specifically their need to own the lot of land they use and, in spite of no financial means at present, fully believe the Lord will provide. Incredibly, they are up every day at 4:00am at the church praying for this, the nation and each other. Wow. Then, as Jerry mentioned, please pray for us spiritually, for the enemy has most certainly being sending some pretty heavy attacks our way, specifically mine. We love you and thank you from our hearts for your faithful prayer and giving.

Month in Taipei

While we have just arrived to this wonderful church in the Philippines, I would like to first take time to reflect on the last 2 weeks we spent in Taiwan.  Since the last post, Jason and I have found ourselves leading small groups, preaching in church, speaking and praying at a nursing home, playing basketball at a juvenile detention center, and speaking at a university club.  I would like to share some of my favorite thoughts from these times.

So just to give a quick review- in Taiwan, we were working with a group from the Antioch Baptist Church called the Antioch Missionary Training Center- they were all great people who blessed us to the max and became good friends of ours.  Here are some of my favorite moments with them these past 2 weeks I'd like to share.

Women's Salon Small Group

We spent 2 weeks with these wonderful women.  The group is held at a woman named Candy's beauty salon.  The first week going in, we had a discussion about life- the life that Jesus spoke of- the life God has given us- and how we're able to pour that life into others- I talked about a good friend of mine named Ashli and how she uses her hair skills as a place to encourage and bring life to others.  The following week, there was nothing really pressing on my heart to speak about, so I asked God what He would want me to speak on, and immediately the word "Love" came to my mind- nothing more, just love.  So that time was spent discussing the Taiwanese view of the word "Love" and how it was used or shown in their culture and we as Americans talked about the same.  The Taiwanese women shared how the phrase "I love you" isn't said often in their culture, but is more understood through their actions, showing their love for each other.  Jason and I shared how the word "love" is overused often in the American culture to describe our feelings about our favorite food to describing our committed passion for God and others.  The discussion led to us talking about a view on love that was neither Taiwanese or American, but biblical- a love that's greater than us- a sacrificial love that goes beyond ourselves and only comes from our Father.

Sunday Morning Speaking

On the third Sunday of the month, I was asked to speak again.  The first Sunday, I spoke on loving God with everything inside of us.  On this Sunday, I spoke on "Greater things are still to be done in this city."  Title being taken from the song "God of This City" by Chris Tomlin.  I spoke on the greater things to be done being the fullness of life and love we have received from God being given to others or as many call it, ministry.  I encouraged everyone to understand they were all full time ministers and had three thoughts for their everyday life/ministry.  One is to be themselves and use their gifts God has given them- not just using the methods of others, but using the gifts God has them.  I mentioned Camp Melody and Red Sea Affair.  Two was a line I heard from Pastor Lloyd from MCUSA where he said, "Build big people, not a big ministry."  Since hearing that line, I haven't looked at ministry the same.  And lastly, encouraging everyone with the thought that in the end, love wins- love is what makes the difference.  Whether we hand out tracks, build relationships, or participate in acts of service, doing so with God's love makes all the difference.  The service went very well, and many good conversations came from that Sunday.

Basketball and Jesus

I have found it is really easy to bring up Jesus in conversations with others when He is the one who brought you to their country.  I've also been learning more personally, the more of my daily life is lived with Jesus, the easier and more natural it is for me to share Him with others.  In one small group, the Living Water small group led by Brotha Joseph, I shared if I just ate and breathed basketball, if it was all I focused on, if I spent a ton of time playing everyday and kept up with all the latest stats of the NBA, guess what would come up in conversation when you talk to me... yep, basketball.  And the more and more I'm spending time with Jesus and the more He works through me- the more natural I'm finding Jesus come into my conversation with any random people I meet.  For instance, the fellas I played basketball with- being able to sit after a game and have many conversations with guys was a highlight for me this month.  To be able to talk to them very normally, very unpreachingly (new word?),  about my faith and what God's currently doing in my life has made me feel alive and blessed for Him to work through me in those times.  So how bout we add basketball to the schedule every Sunday morning?  Think about it :)

So those are some thoughts on our awesome month in Taiwan.  We were so blessed by everyone- even in the fun days we had like going to see the pandas at the zoo, walking through paths of flowers at the beautiful Yang Ming mountains, and checking out the Palace Museum with Pastor Joanna, Esther, Brotha Joseph and Claire.  

Pray for Taiwan and the Antioch Baptist Church everyone- there are many people in Taipei who need to hear the good news about Jesus and the people at ABC are some of the great people God is using as a light to the world.

The Philippines have been fantastic so far and we'll give an update soon on our adventures here.  We appreciate your prayers more than you know.  We've felt attacked spiritually most heavily over the past week and we thank you all for fighting for us in prayer.  Jesus bless you guys!  Til next time,

Jerry