January 1st, 2010. KLM Airlines. Somewhere over Europe. Over the Pond

We are, after a much needed ground rest, currently bound toward SE Asia! I can't imagine it yet, and I can't wait to be there after many months of prayers, tears, frustration, and careful preparation. Today's flight finds us warmed by ever present sunlight in an piercingly azure sky. A dappled blanket of fluffy clouds lies far below us, casting the view of the continent below in utter mystery. I am at the window near the from of economy class, right next to the wing. It appears that it will be a very relaxing day. As we travel, my mind wanders to those I love who are scattered across the globe on this decade breaker of a holiday. Winter break is sort of SBU's version of the ancient Jewish Diaspora. Exiled from our homeland, we travel to the places of our ancestry (home towns) and beyond. A few friends are safely arrived in SE Asia near where we will be. A few others are backpacking across a South Pacific island nation to youth hostels. Another friend, post graduation, is now well into a journey to share the truth with the people of the middle east. I pray that they will rise to meet the tasks and great adventures before them in this season, with the direction of our loving Father.

It is always a great and multifaceted struggle of submission to the King to travel for this work, but I would have life no other way. I do not live my life, or make decisions of this magnitude based on mere feeling. It is a careful combination of prayer, thought and much reasoning which leads me to such adventures. I am beyond blessed to have traveled and learned so much, and even if I never had, the Lord has still called me worthy and righteous. On this journey, and in the days beyond, I will strive to call on Him at every moment, as I never have. The issue is one of remembering in my conscious self to call on Him in every hour in spite of rampant distraction. I find that when I ask Him to make himself known to me, he never fails to do so.
....Now, it's time for airplane lunches that never fail to be interesting, but Abba has again provided and I'll be grateful no matter how it tastes.

*Later- Company Guest House. Port of arrival. January 2, 2o10. 2 a.m.
We have FINALLY arrived (in country at least, with a long way to go!) Words cannot begin to express how overjoyed we are. The guest house is a large, marble tiled and beautifully decorated affair with white walls, crown molding and American style restrooms. I've taken a small bed in the corner of the guest romm where I'll spend my next few hours before we leave at eight. Our flight here remianed relatively uneventful other than my demon posessed radio tuner, which switched stations by itself every second without stopping. We finally landed inthe midst of a low hanging, tepid haze that covered the city- a combination of moisture and jet fuel exhaust. As we prodded through the cloud of mist that had permeated a crowded airport (at 1 a.m. local time), we passed easily through security and retrieved our luggage. We exited in the midst of a mob of hundreds of people crammed into every available space, a combination of people waiting for friends and family, boarding flights, and drivers picking up passengers. It was so difficult not to be overwhelmed or to stare; I even became a bit dizzy, but I pressed on, heavy laden with a cart of our luggage. A few men and women begged in hallways and tunnels, some young and empty eyed, others stopped and ancient. What an opportunity to immediately begin prayer for God's people here. Being surrounded immediately by the spiritually and physically poverty stricken is heart rending, but I call on a God who saves and lifts lives from the pit of despair. One day this nation will know redemption and all peoples here will be represented in the kingdom to come. (may it be, Lord! and soon!) There are hundreds of unreached groups here. If God wants to lead me here again for further work, may he show me clearly, beginning with this journey. As we hurtled through late night traffic with our few personal items and a bit more for our friends here, I am reminded again of my blessings. Yet this nation is richly blessed in different ways than we are. They are a beautiful, kind, and proud people, gifted by God in thousands of ways, and I love them already. I wonder if I will grow as fond of our friends here as I did for my East Asian friends! It gets easier and yet more difficult to make friends and quickly leave them, like cutting pieces of my heart away and leaving them scattered over the earth. Tomorrow/today we leave early, on to G. in the Northeast and finally eventually to J., our primary place of short term work. May God be glorified in our every action and every word.

Charis.

Domestic Terminal. 1.3.09. 10:04 a.m.
(This morning, for the first time in many years, I wrote a poem in my head on the cab ride to the airport. This is my way of dealing with parts of life I do not understand.)

Progressivism- A poem paen to the people of Asia

Progress pushes purposefully past poverty,
People pensievely pursuing prosperity.
Preoccupying poverty parallels pretentious prosperity-
Passive pursuit poitless, prices paid present problems
Preventing precaution, propelling perversion
Pulchritudinous purity plateaued.

Progressivism...pointless?

This place inspires me to write and compose as I haven't in months. Our domestic journey to our northeast province is delayed by two hours or more due to the continuing hazy fog that chokes the city. Fortunately, my companions and I are never without entertainment in a place where careful people watching alone occupies the weary travel. The women here are fascinatingly beautiful, dark and lovely, clad in all manner of bright ethnic dress and modern, fashionable clothing. Perhaps it is due to the holiday, but they are a nicely dressed people almost without exception. I feel semi ridiculous in my hin t-shirt, jeans and flip flops. The above little poem is an interpretation of my brief view of this epic metropolis. it has always bothered me that such endless wealth and progressivism can run directly parallel to oppressive abject, oppressive poverty and never the two shall meet. The city is laden with obvious signs of the societal tenet of business of progress and business, yet beggars are without food and millions fight to survive. Lord, let me help these people one day! And raise up nationals to rescue them!

In his peace...