Like a Good Neighbor

Last weekend we were digging a stump in the back yard. It was pretty hard work since the tree had been fairly large. We chopped and dug and chopped most of the day. As we were getting down to the end of the day (and our energy) I decided that we were probably to the point where we could start a fire under the stump and just burn it out. I was going to be grilling for dinner anyhow, so half the charcoal went in the hole under the stump. I soaked it in starter fluid while I was grilling the meat. After a bit I went back and threw in a match. It started nicely and I was thinking that it would be a nice evening by a fire in a hole.
Fifteen minutes later I wandered back around to check on the fire and saw that it was out. Hmmm...it had such a good start. Wow, the charcoal didn't even burn. Why is everything wet? Oh, I see. Apparently, my neighbor decided it wasn't a good idea for me to burn the stump.

It took me a while to cool off. I'm still looking for an opportunity to (with a Hungarian speaker) find out the issues are for my neighbor. Lord, help me be a good neighbor!

The Week in Review 25 Nov 2011

Looking at my calendar, this has been an interesting week. But one that I like a lot. The previous weeks have been on the road, meeting new people, and having deep conversations over important issues. The role I find myself in is enjoyable to me and I think I'm well suited for it (by God's grace).

This week had many of the same elements as earlier weeks, but without the travel. Here's the report:

• Monday morning was a great conversation on anti-trafficking ministry, while that afternoon was a quick call on Roma ministry.
• Tuesday involved a call helping a young missionary sort through his calling/role.
• Wednesday was a call with a Lithuanian lady living in England working to develope a partnership between English and Polish churches to reach the Polish immigrants in England.
• Thursday was Thanksgiving (for which I'm thankful).
• Today was a call about developing a Christian community center in Kiev, Ukraine and helping an Albanian church planter think through how to refresh his relationship with God.
• Every day I'm facilitating an online course 'Intentional Living' through EQUIP, so I get to interact with new missionaries and pastors in the US on issues related to living with purpose

When I look at that list I'm excited that I get to be a small part of what God is doing in so many different locations, contexts, and lives. I'm thankful for the training I'm getting in coaching and how these people are being helped through that. I'm also thankful that I get to drive kids to practices and friend's houses and that I'm home each night.

Bragging

One thing that I really enjoy is spending time with my kids. Only half of their number live with us anymore. It was fun to spend some time with Matt in DC and Tim & Beth in Wheaton.

I’m hopelessly proud of my kids. It’s fun to be with them, I admire their spiritual maturity, and I love the people they are becoming. More than once I’ve had the thought, “Wow, I want to be more like him/her.”

Each one is different, so even with only three of them at home it’s never boring. This weekend has been full.

Nate was in the ICSB Middle school production of Aladdin.

John had a couple basketball games.

John making magic

Katie had her birthday party (a murder mystery that I got to host).

Today is the beginning of basketball season at ICSB, so we’re becoming a basketball family for the next few months.

Thanks, God, for such great kids.

Normal Day?

‘What is a normal day for you?’ Someone asked me that question a while ago and I found it difficult to answer. Well, here’s a shot at answering it by describing a little about today.

I started off by heading downtown to meet with a guy I’d never met. Howard is with Jaron Ministries and was in Budapest as part of the European Leadership Forum. A mutual friend wanted us to meet to see if there was potential for working together. We had a nice 90 minutes getting to know each other. I walked away with quite a few ideas about where we might be able to cooperate.

As I rode the bus back to where I parked the car, I started thinking about what needed to be done in the next two weeks. (The family flies to the US in 13 days.) My whiteboard at the office is full of tasks. My calendar has a few more personal ones for getting the house and family ready. I decided to try to work on both lists a bit today.

When I got home, the first thing I did was take the door off the house. This thing has been giving me fits. It would barely shut and I finally had to take it apart to figure out what the problem was. Only took a few minutes and several times on and off the pegs to get it sorted out. Now it shuts fine and that irritant is out of the back of my mind.  Since I had such success with one door I considered working on a second one before lunch. Unfortunately, the longer I looked at the closet door, the more I felt like it was going to take too much time for today. The door wouldn’t hang right anymore because the wood in the jamb had rotted away. Earlier I had taken out the rotted part, so now I’m percolating on how to repair it. I need to get it done before we leave, (and these are dangerous words) I’m just not sure when.

After lunch, I got back to work. I answered a few emails, but not nearly enough. Then I went to work doing prep for preaching when I get back to the US. I’m not sure how many times I’ll be preaching, but between that and telling people about what we’re doing I’ve got a lot of preparation.

The day was cut a little short because I’m trying to spend more time with the family after being gone for almost two months.

We went to see Katie’s class displaying their work from Hungarian culture class (gulyas, a folk dance, and dessert) and we capped off the evening at the Middle School Recognition ceremony. Here are a few pictures from the last few days and a cool video. I’m really enjoying being with my family. =)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back Home…for a bit

These three pieces of luggage held most of me for the past 53 days. I cheated a bit with odds & ends scattered around the car, but generally it was all in there.

Tim was laughing when I was up at 2AM the night before I was flying back to Budapest with stuff spread around the living room, trying unsuccessfully to make 65lbs fit in 50lbs of space. Well, actually 54lbs, the lady at the counter was very nice to me when she saw the stricken look on my face. When I unloaded everything back at the house I decided that I have too much stuff. I’ll be purging a bit more over the next 28 days. Yeah, that’s how long until the next trip. This one is with the family to the US for the summer. Way better. =)

I’m spending today reflecting on what happened over the past two months, the people, places, conversations, and thoughts that ran through my life. Hopefully I’ll be able to process everything well over the next couple of days. I’m also working on being intentional about the coming 28 days. What are the most important items on my agenda? Reintegrating into the family, tasks at the house/cars, people to reconnect with, items to follow up with from this trip, and plans for the coming months.

So far, my cogitation has given me one nugget. I lost about 25lbs over this trip (I wish the airline had credited me that in luggage). I was reading 1 Chronicles 11-12 about King David’s might men (esp. Benaiah in vv. 22-25).  David’s men had skill and devotion. They ordered their lives to serve him well in their capacities. Losing some weight is a good start for me. But what are the other changes I can make to be more focused and efficient in serving my Lord? Not exactly the thought I expected to consume me upon returning to my house, but there it is.

Home & Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a family holiday. We are headed to Berlin to celebrate the time with Mike & Debby Edwards. There is plenty of snow on the ground and in the forecast, so it should be a great time on the road and in Berlin.

Emily, one of Matt’s friends from Wheaton, wrote a bit on a topic (Home) that I have thought about, but stuck away in the back of my mind/heart because sometimes it can be really painful. At the same time it is incredibly comforting. Go figure.

I didn't really think about 'home' too much when I went to OSU because I generally returned home every weekend. I wrestled with it a bit when we moved to South Carolina, but it was still possible to jump in the car for a weekend road trip back to Ohio.

Then came Poland. No return.

I read that you can never step twice into the same river. Ohio changed. I’ve changed. I can't return to that Ohio 'home' expecting it all to be the same...and my kids don't even have those roots to look back on. Recently, I was talking on the phone with Tim, who was acknowledging a bit of 'homesickness' in his heart. He said something like, “I didn't expect this. I'm an MK. I mean, where is home?”

I’ve got six kids, but I still can’t fully understand the life of a person who grows up in the home of missionaries overseas.

It adds texture to the idea of being a 'stranger and pilgrim' in this world when you've lived outside of the state where you were born. I mean, if you haven’t moved around, sold, given away or just thrown away your stuff…If you haven’t felt the raw void in your heart of a relationship that will never be the same because of the distance, how can you connect ‘pilgrim’ to anything other than Thanksgiving or John Wayne?

Home and pilgrims and all that stuff, it’s not about things, geography or language. I think it comes down to relationships. It’s not the house I grew up in or where I used to hunt quail with Dad. Home is not a house—it’s those few people with whom I’ve shared the deepest parts of my heart and life.

I'm slightly tweaked at Emily for posting this right before Thanksgiving. She uprooted things in my heart that were neatly tucked away. (Thanks, Emily =]) Matt & Tim and my sister with her family, they're all at my parents' house this week. Tim is probably hunting with Dad, too. (expletive removed)

As deep and sweet and painful (I'm crying right now) as those feelings are, they help me understand that the profound longings and emotions in my heart are not to be stifled, but they point me to Christ.