Giving

Last night I watched Magdalena, a movie based on the Jesus Film. It brings out a lot of the more human aspects of Jesus's ministry, and a couple of things jumped out at me that I had read or heard hundreds of times but just made a bigger impact when put in context. The major one was giving. In the movie Jesus said, "give to everyone who asks of you." For some reason, I think I knew that was in the Bible but I never took it literally. I looked it up to make sure it is there, and it is. In multiple gospels.

So what did Jesus actually mean by that? If you live in the midwestern countryside, it might mean rescueing a neighbor once in a while. But if you live in a major city, does it also apply to the homeless folks who you see every single day? Jesus says to give to everyone who asks of you. Does it disqualify them if they are also asking of everyone else who passes? Does it matter? What is the heart of the issue?

This is a much more pressing issue for me now. Everywhere I go people ask for money, especially kids. On my way to church last Sunday I had 5 kids walking with me for several blocks, trying to talk me into giving them money. I was wary of contributing to a cycle of dependency. I cringed at the racism. I resented the manipulation. They were violating their own culture's values when they did that, not to mention American culture. So I didn't give them anything. But I don't want to live out either American culture or my host culture. I am trying to live out God's culture. What does that culture have to say about this issue?

I'll be thinking and praying about it a lot, and I'll probably start planning on things to give. Jesus said we should give to everyone who asks, but He didn't say we have to always give them what they ask for. Perhaps food rather than money. But who am I to decide what they need? I can't presume to know. I have to hope and pray that God will tell me in each situation. It's rather exhausting thinking about it, to be honest.

One thing is certain, though. I need to stop ignoring the needs around me. As exhuasting as it is to be unable to go shopping or do much of anything else without doing ministry, I came here to do ministry and I need to get at it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

As you may have gathered at this time last year, St. Patrick is probably one of my favorite unmet persons (as opposed to people I actually know). I have thought on his story from time to time since I began this international adventure. My situation is peachy compared to his, but sometimes I have felt a similar sense of loneliness, homesickness, and smallness that he dealt with as a slave in Ireland. I like Patrick because he was very very human, but he just learned to trust God and do what He said. And God used him for some amazing things.

Seasons wrote a song about him that I have listened to quite frequently this past year and it always encourages me. It is the third song on their playlist at http://www.reverbnation.com/seasonsmusic

“I am Patrick, yes a sinner and indeed untaught; yet I am established here in Ireland where I profess myself bishop. I am certain in my heart that "all that I am," I have received from God."

I would do well to pray often this prayer which reflects the faith of St. Patrick:

          "Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
          Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
          Christ in every eye that sees me,
          Christ in every ear that hears me!"

(taken from http://orderofsaintpatrick.org/breastplate.htm )

Close call

My roommate and I were down town visiting L on Saturday night. We got in a taxi at about 11:00 and were heading back home when we got stopped by a police officer. He asked us for our passports. Ironically enough, neither of us had them. Normally I carry mine but I was trying out a new money pouch so I wouldn't lose change from my pockets like I have done while riding in taxis before. I kind of forgot about the other reason I carry my wallet! And my roommate didn't even realize that he was supposed to.

So there we sat. The officer told us that we would have to go to the police station for the night and then pay about $25 the next morning to go and get our passports. I didn't argue with him, and he didn't seem to know what to do. He chided me three or four times, telling me I should never go out without my papers. And I told him, as many times, that I was sorry. I offered to call someone who could bring our passports. Then he dropped the price we would have to pay. I told him that I didn't have even that much. I honestly didn't, I need to take out some money tomorrow because I'm running on empty!

I had been praying pretty hard in between his questions about where we worked, what countries we came from, etc.  As I prayed, another taxi had come by and he pulled them over also. When he found out that neither my roommate nor I had any money, he waved us on and went to talk to the other taxi. Whew!!!!! I was never so happy to get home and sleep in my own bed!

Gecko

This nifty gecko likes to say howdy once in a while. I declare him my pet. Today I saw him on the window sill again. I don't think he can see through the window because of the reflection and the grime, so I can stick my nose right up to it and study him from just a couple of inches away. It's cool to see his scaly skin moving in and out as he breaths. Normally he has a very relaxed attitude, just kind of observing the world going by, but if a shadow from one of the circling birds falls across him his whole body gives an energetic twitch and his beady eyes dart skyward. Poor thing. Imagine always having to think about death from above. I have a hard time here just paying attention to what is going on in 2 dimensions!

Peoples!

There are all kinds of people here this week, especially kids, thanks to a national multi-school, multi-event sports tournament. Kind of like an olympics for kids. So my normally-quiet life has been looking more like this:

 Friday night we went bowling! That's right, there is actually a bowling alley in town. I think it just opened a couple of months ago. It's really nice, too.

 I just sat on the porch and watched the chaos for a little bit. Does that make me an old man?

 I wasn't the only one to sit around on the porch that afternoon.

 And then I had to get some pretty pictures. It's kind of hard to explain, but when I am back home, beauty is everywhere. Everything is green and/or colorful. Unless, of course, it is covered in snow. But even the snow is pretty. And at any rate, you know it will melt in a couple of months. Here, it is A LOT harder to for me to find anything that is beautiful, and sometimes that really bothers me. I pretty much have to find individual plants that are pretty and get really close to them. So that is what I do from time to time in order to kind of recharge my "beauty supply."
These are the plants growing in pots around our septic drainfield. Very beautiful, aren't they?

 I really like this plant with the spider webs.

Both my roommate and I have gotten a lot of pleasure recently out of playing this old guitar that I found in the conference room. It was missing a string so I bought a new pack of strings for it, and despite some misfortunes it works now! Pray it keeps working, the strings are not good quality.

Carte D'identity

This morning I went to the Police des étrangers (police for the foreigners) for the third time since I got here. The first time I was just going along to watch. The second time I had forgotten an important document (well, necessary at any rate). This time I was actually ready!
We went really early in the morning to avoid the rush and were able to walk right in. The officer I talked with was very pleasant and in less than 5 minutes I was on my way with an appointment to pick up my to-be-processed paperwork on the 11th.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for me! I am really happy to get this process rolling. Please continue to pray, and I will let you know how it goes on the 11th.

Tonight we played 4 square out in the parking lot. I haven't played that since elementary school! Well, with the notable exception of "elementary school games" night at college. The one major difference was that we were using a basketball. You gotta use what you have!

Here is a view of our parking lot looking towards the door and our guard, who likes to stand in the door and watch people go by because we aren't nearly interesting enough to keep him entertained.

That was a fun way to relax from work, which was a bit frantic today. I am doing the same series of processes, which together take maybe 10 minutes, 1,200 times. Fortunately some things can be done simultaneously, but I'll still be at it for more than a week for sure.

All this work is for an excellent cause, but that doesn't keep it from getting to be an awful lot to keep track of. It also gets sort of hypnotic in a way. It's nice to be able to go out in the parking lot and throw a basketball around.