Posts Tagged: hope

Uncategorized — 4 Comments
11
May 08

Dreams, England, and the Mediteranean…

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvqzylp8I/AAAAAAAAAeY/WZ77KHF3Eak/s1600-h/blogupdate08050410 NULL.jpg)[Brassica napus (aka rapeseed) field near Doncaster, UK]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvMDylp4I/AAAAAAAAAd4/hR6Ya48cEEI/s1600-h/blogupdate08050403 NULL.jpg)[Snake Pass in the Pennines]

Leaving Amsterdam was bittersweet, as I had mentioned last time. Upon leaving, I flew to the middle of the United Kingdom to spend a number of days in a town called Doncaster. My uncle has been living there for the last 6 years and it is rare that I get to spend any serious time with him. Before this, I can’t remember having so much fun and such close communion with him. When I look back on this track, it will be one of the highlights. Thanks, Uncle Forest, it was such a blessing to be there with you.

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvMTylp6I/AAAAAAAAAeI/VNHnCL3S93k/s1600-h/blogupdate08050405 NULL.jpg)[Nesting swans on Keepmoat lake in Doncaster]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvLzylp2I/AAAAAAAAAdo/RovNGe8NMrc/s1600-h/blogupdate08050402 NULL.jpg)
[Young Lambs in a field near Snake Pass in the Pennine Range]

Driving through the winding, slithery roads of South Yorkshire,where Doncaster is located, a flood of memories came back to me. As a Member of Parliament for this area, William Wilberforce spent much of his time in the area. We can be grateful to his obedience to God in ending the slave trade in England, which set the stage for ending legal slavery all over the world. Hudson Taylor, one of the first missionaries to China was from the region as well.

These roads were rich in history, around every turn were familiar signs and names… “That was here?” Even most of the important scientific discoveries ever were made on this land by brilliant (and sometimes not so brilliant) minds. When the Western Church was expanding, Benedictine monks came to its shores and established abbeys that were vital to the reading and translating of the Bible. The Roche Valley Abbey (monastery and cathedral) was erected from 1147 to 1149 and remained an active area of studying/worship for at least 14 monks and many others for 389 years until the King Henry VIII had problems with the Catholic Church in Rome. With the dissolution of all of the monasteries in England the Roche became unoccupied and fell victim to the looting of the treasures and even stones of the buildings. Even the largest Abbey in England, the Fountains Abbey in Ripon Valley was subject to the wrath of Henry VIII. because of his issues with divorce. He broke off from the Catholic Church and formed the Anglican Church, which is still the official church in England.

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvMDylp5I/AAAAAAAAAeA/hX9ayMQXvtk/s1600-h/blogupdate08050406 NULL.jpg)

[Roche Valley Abbey near Doncaster, UK]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvMDylp3I/AAAAAAAAAdw/iaaa5xS1Ofo/s1600-h/blogupdate08050407 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvqjylp7I/AAAAAAAAAeQ/TwjiFSKbqKE/s1600-h/blogupdate08050409 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbwCjylqAI/AAAAAAAAAe4/0gVnSub79mw/s1600-h/blogupdate08050416 NULL.jpg)

[Fountains Abbey near Ripon, UK]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbwDjylqEI/AAAAAAAAAfY/GmvFy6_A0lU/s1600-h/blogupdate08050420 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvqzylp9I/AAAAAAAAAeg/Jx0JN8NnxNU/s1600-h/blogupdate08050412 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbwDjylqDI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/WihxuFTJYJ8/s1600-h/blogupdate08050419 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvrDylp-I/AAAAAAAAAeo/H9Ox47DeVHU/s1600-h/blogupdate08050413 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbwDTylqCI/AAAAAAAAAfI/rumpPzuye7k/s1600-h/blogupdate08050418 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbvrTylp_I/AAAAAAAAAew/WiqrSwPa5fk/s1600-h/blogupdate08050415 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCbwCzylqBI/AAAAAAAAAfA/aOFeNaoqvY0/s1600-h/blogupdate08050417 NULL.jpg)

Throughout history, especially in Europe and especially with Christianity, there have been divisions, wars, moral dilemmas, and intellectual supremacy that has kept Europe in much of a Dark Age. Many missionaries ended up coming out of England and Europe, but now in Yorkshire, less than 3% of the population considers themselves Christian? What went wrong? I think that many people used Christianity to fit their own actions instead of conforming to the image of Christ in word and deed. When the Age of Enlightenment came around, they no longer even needed to hide behind the façade of Christianity, but were now accountable to no one, neither man or God.

What happened along the way? Did science give us a reason to deny the existence of a Creator? In the academic course I am enrolled in, we must read an array of books by a myriad of authors. One of the books is called “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by a distinguished author named Bill Bryson. Throughout the book (which is lengthy and a bit difficult), everything points back to the absence of order in the universe, explaining scientific theories and their holes,but doesn’t explain possible reasons for the holes. What is evident throughout the book is that we really know very little, with gaps in conjectured (some solid) theories. However observant Bryson may be, he didn’t even allude to the possibility that there could be a Creator and Sustainer of the universe. I hold to the basic principles of naturalism and evolution, but know that it was God whom spoke it all into existence; He set everything in motion and continues to work in His creation – guiding it along. But for the majority of the scientific community, science gave a reason to question. [Maybe some day, I will dedicate a whole entry to my thoughts on creation, nature, science and evolution; this entry is for other thoughts.] To sum it up,in the minds of many, Nietzsche was right… We killed God. We have lifted ourselves up to a position of thinking that we don’t need God (which we obviously do) nor should we be accountable to Him (which is the basis for all morality).

I know that the I AM lives and I need more of Him… desperately – sometimes I just lose sight of it. The first week in Spain I had a dream; literally. My dreams seem to me as a movie in which i have the starring role. In most of them, I view myself from the outside as if I was watching but then participate emotionally and psychologically with what is happening… a little hard to explain. At the start of the dream, I was in the ‘missions field’ doing work, helping people, and feeling good about myself. The scene after that I was coming in through the front door of home. It wasn’t my physical house in Denver or anything, but it had the feeling that I had arrived at my real home… After placing my small bags down I walked around. There were a few people around, but ultimately I made it back to the dining room. As I walked in, I suddenly had to stop. There in front of me was a big table almost completely empty. At the head of the table was the Father God in physical form. I never saw His face, I just knew that it was Him. I did see his arms and hands, resting on the table on both sides of an empty, untouched plate. He had been waiting for me. I felt as though I made the most important date imaginable, but had forgotten about it because I was too caught up doing my own thing. I was instantly regretful, ashamed, and guilty that I was capable of doing such a thing. Then I woke up.
Throughout the morning, I came back to the dream, knowing that I am fully capable of doing good things for the wrong reasons. I am a selfish person. The dream made me examine my life and question my motives for doing anything at all. Do I live my life away from God, disregarding His willingness to have a relationship with me? Do I count Him out of my activities, unwilling to do what He wants me to do?
The Bible tells me that the driving force of my life should be loving God (Luke 10:27). There is nothing more important than that, and I know if from my own experience as well. There is nothing more fulfilling. Why then is it so easy to forget? I want to be in a position where I can love God above everything else, no matter what or where that puts me (even if it’s in Siberia studying lichen or in Africa working with HIV positive people). Nothing is better than my relationship with Him. He is still there, waiting to commune with me, to fellowship with me, to speak love to me. He has been there all along. One of the most beautiful things in existence is that He wants to have a relationship with all of us on an individual, unique, and intimate level.

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SCb0NTylqGI/AAAAAAAAAfo/A1p4e7lF_YY/s1600-h/blogupdate08050408 NULL.jpg)Because He loved first
John Paul

Uncategorized — 14 Comments
29
Apr 08

With Love and Flowers

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbq6W1WNxI/AAAAAAAAAbg/Z1eDiPBT6hY/s1600-h/0804029Blog12 NULL.jpg)

She is Beautiful, yet she doesn’t always think so

She has big dreams for a bright career

When she is nervous, she plays with her hair

She has a birthday… 1977 although I would have guessed the 80’s

She has two smiles, the real one is much better

She wants to have a baby and a family

She wants to forget about this part

She hopes for something more

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbqaG1WNoI/AAAAAAAAAaY/ysZzLDS3Y3U/s1600-h/0804029Blog26 NULL.jpg)[One of the many alleys in the Red Light District]

Awkwardly standing in front of the window I put my heart on the line by extending my love through a white and pink rose. Droplets of water had formed on the delicate petals and had smudged the writing on the love letter than accompanied the stem. I was no one, maybe even a potential client. The message was simple – God created you, your life is important, His love for you is better than life itself.

We all need to be loved. We were created with a desire for intimacy, for deep personal connection. Amsterdam is one of the last places that you will find it.

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbqam1WNpI/AAAAAAAAAag/m8PiVHGJXgc/s1600-h/0804029Blog25 NULL.jpg)[I was amazed at the amount of tour-groups threading through the district]

We got a small group together and started praying about what we should write to accompany the flowers that we would hand out to the girls behind the glass. We rifled through our pocket sized Bibles led by ideas and references that would speak life into a dark place. Although we didn’t get around to doing a whole lot with the ministries in the RLD because of the short time we were there, this was what God wanted us to do; possibly even the reason that we were here.

The next night we stared at all of the flowers before getting busy attaching the love notes. Someone had been looking for something to give money towards and when they heard of the Flower Campaign, the Lord provided more than enough through them. There were ten of us that were going out on delivery, carrying with us more than flowers and strips of paper.

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbytm1WN8I/AAAAAAAAAc4/OdfqUqb1QQE/s1600-h/0804029Blog11 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbqam1WNqI/AAAAAAAAAao/xz5rd6k-WNs/s1600-h/0804029Blog24 NULL.jpg)[The Cleft is in the middle of the Red Light District and provides some amazing ministries to the lost and broken]

The time had come. We paired up and headed out. I went with Deni, one of the staff of the track. As we walked, the closer we came to our destination, the more feelings stirred in our hearts. We arrived with an arm-full of flowers. The first interaction was the most difficult and nerve-racking. As far as we knew, people just didn’t do what we were doing; there was always something else involved. I have an odd way of explaining what happened when they received the flower and knew that it was a gift… It appeared as if scales fell from their eyes. It is a weird way of explaining the phenomenon, but words escape me if I try to say it any differently. Their eyes literally changed and they became human. Now, obviously, I know that they are human, made in God’s image and deeply loved, but they have been objectified to the point that there is a disconnect with who God created them to be. So when they received something beautiful for simply being loved by God, grace came flooding in. With some it was a little more obvious than others, but I know that the messages symbolized in the flower were delivered precisely to the people they should have. It was an amazing time, I too, felt valued and loved by God.

We continued to walk, praying. We realized that we were no different from the people walking around the RLD searching. They search for the girl that will satisfy, but we know that the love of Christ and the Father is the only thing. We have all given ourselves over to selfish desires as well, searching for that element of life that will set us on fire with fulfillment. It is part of what being human is. One of my favorite authors, Brennan Manning puts it this way. “To be alive is to be broken. And to be broken is to stand in need of grace.” We all need the remarkable, exposing, and uncomplicated love of Christ. Since I have seen a glimpse, it doesn’t make me any better, because without Him, I am nothing, wretched.

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbq6G1WNwI/AAAAAAAAAbY/ga7yUyM6EzA/s1600-h/0804029Blog13 NULL.jpg)[St. Nicholas Church in towers over the Red Light District (not seen here). Interestingly enough, St. Nicholas is the Patron Saint of prostitutes among other things]

We were on our way out of the district when I looked down and saw a broken flower on the ground… someone in our group had given it out. I reached down and picked up the discarded blossom saddened by what it represented. The paper was torn, the writing blurred beyond recognition. The head of the daisy was incredibly whole so I kept it, not knowing what the future would hold. As we passed the last window on our way out, my eyes met the disconnected glance of the girl who occupied it. I approached the window, again putting my hope on the line. She opened the window and we began to talk. Deni and I stood awkwardly as she explained all the scenarios of why we should come inside… It was difficult to stand there, extremely uncomfortable. Why was I standing there? Why had I found that last flower? Why this window? We eventually paid for 30 minutes of her time (how it usually works) and entered the room, flooded with red and black lights. We took off our rain soaked jackets and sat down on the bed. As we talked about life, hopes, family, and hard times, the
time flew by. 45 minutes later it was time to go, she had to get back to work, we had to go back to the base. Since then, my mind has replayed the events of that night over and over in my head… We said goodbye and I hoped that I would never see her in that window again. What can I say? What words can describe the thoughts in my head and feelings in my heart? There aren’t enough flowers.

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbqa21WNrI/AAAAAAAAAaw/H3Ytez3MRBY/s1600-h/0804029Blog23 NULL.jpg)["Window Shopping" as it is often called]

I came to Amsterdam frustrated, but left with a broken heart. I look forward to going back. It is a city of confusion, brokenness, and misguided seeking, but also a city where those who are searching can be filled with everlasting water and the Bread of Life. Where sin abounds, so does Grace(Romans 5:20).

May love flow from God into your life and from your life into the lives of others.
The opportunity is ours.

In Christ,
John Paul

Enjoy the Pictures!

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbruG1WNyI/AAAAAAAAAbo/luXlE5fSY_0/s1600-h/0804029Blog10 NULL.jpg)[Bikes are super popular... it is easy to make a biker mad, just get in their way]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbyB21WN7I/AAAAAAAAAcw/WywBW5wAQSc/s1600-h/0804029Blog09 NULL.jpg)[People lock their bikes up everywhere]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbyBm1WN6I/AAAAAAAAAco/ntPsdegV6Ys/s1600-h/0804029Blog07 NULL.jpg)[A little lightpainting at the "Skinny Bridge"]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbruW1WNzI/AAAAAAAAAbw/m5oJ5N-pM04/s1600-h/0804029Blog08 NULL.jpg)[Amsterdam is famous for it's canals as well]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbyBm1WN5I/AAAAAAAAAcg/UojO2KMgXwc/s1600-h/0804029Blog06 NULL.jpg)[The Hermitage Amsterdam... I have no idea what this one is for, but traditionally, Hermitages are religious centers]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbrum1WN0I/AAAAAAAAAb4/wQxut_CzYPc/s1600-h/0804029Blog05 NULL.jpg)[I really like this picture...}

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbrum1WN1I/AAAAAAAAAcA/ntoYbwHgi-8/s1600-h/0804029Blog02 NULL.jpg)[When YWAM first started in Amsterdam, the staff all lived on barges in the canals]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbyBG1WN3I/AAAAAAAAAcQ/UPaZ2JWEKGY/s1600-h/0804029Blog03 NULL.jpg) (http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbyBW1WN4I/AAAAAAAAAcY/iNPjIA70LhU/s1600-h/0804029Blog04 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbrum1WN2I/AAAAAAAAAcI/8WX-xXsv6as/s1600-h/0804029Blog01 NULL.jpg)[Old Buildings... budding trees]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbq5m1WNtI/AAAAAAAAAbA/jFU86gCx6WI/s1600-h/0804029Blog19 NULL.jpg)[Wooden Shoe (Clog) Factory, Zaandijk]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbyuG1WOAI/AAAAAAAAAdY/QGsiRRT0r8Y/s1600-h/0804029Blog20 NULL.jpg)[Some wooden tulips at the clog factory]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbq521WNuI/AAAAAAAAAbI/BtQeHUZmQfk/s1600-h/0804029Blog18 NULL.jpg)[Tulips, Zaandijk]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbyt21WN_I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/gxefhPl6e_Y/s1600-h/0804029Blog17 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbq6G1WNvI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/hAq29D62jIM/s1600-h/0804029Blog15 NULL.jpg)[There was also a Carnival at Dam Square]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbyt21WN9I/AAAAAAAAAdA/3KmcyeVhtGw/s1600-h/0804029Blog14 NULL.jpg)
(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbyt21WN-I/AAAAAAAAAdI/75WlquBdno4/s1600-h/0804029Blog16 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBbqa21WNsI/AAAAAAAAAa4/htcTgBkJv7Q/s1600-h/0804029Blog21 NULL.jpg)[Some Windmills at Zaandijk]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SBby6W1WOBI/AAAAAAAAAdg/ZGGCY_VqHPU/s1600-h/0804029Blog22 NULL.jpg)[Cottages on the Canals in Zaandijk]

Uncategorized — 3 Comments
30
Mar 08

Ethiopia plus pictures

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_5246a NULL.jpg)[A government owned forest on the northern outskirts of Addis]

You may remember about a year ago I posted the first blog on a community of believers in Uganda. It is not a typical community, not a neighborhood or even a church congregation but an orphan care center called St. Ameria. At the time there were about 120 full time orphans; their parents passing from the war in the North of Uganda, HIV/AIDS, malaria, or any number of other factors. All that is left is the memories and statistics on a page. Somehow or other, the children ended up in the care of Richard and Edith, the directors and full time parents of the children at St. Ameria. Edith founded the organization in 1994 when she accepted her first orphan and hasn’t turned away anyone since. When I was introduced to the home last year there were no beds to speak of, dorms and rooms submitting to the harsh rains and intense heat. Soon after the blog was published help was on its way and money started being sent – first for food and beds, then for new building projects. Then, the Not Alone Benefit Tour kicked off and most of the interest generated was geared toward St. Ameria. Thanks to John Bills and others, churches started picking up on the lead, sending teams to Uganda to document and come to the aid of the children. It is hard to say how much money and effort has been given, but I do know that about a week and a half ago, a bank transfer was sent from Los Angeles to Jinja containing over 7500 dollars. When the Benefit Show was coming together an outlet had to be available for people to send money tax-free. With the help of John Bills and Nigel at the base in LA – the African Orphans’ Fund was set up and continues to accept funds for St. Ameria.
Thank you for catching the vision, feeling God’s heart, and allowing yourself to be moved by love, after all, we know that love is a movement – first by God giving His Son, then His love flowing through us to the world and His special creation.

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_5080a NULL.jpg)
[Abune Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church at a women's rights forum at Meskel Square, Addis Ababa]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_5192 NULL.jpg)
[She didn't want her picture taken at first... then she did]

And now, Ethiopia. It was amazing to be back. I did my DTS outreach here over a year ago. This is the first time I have been back, but I am praying that it won’t be the last. A young, passionate, gifted speaker came from Kona with Paul Childers (our school leader). His name is Andy and he rocked our faces off (which is an expression that means that he blessed us tremendously). It is easy to get tired with so much traveling, class, culture shock every month, and to add to all of that, living in community 24 hours a day for months on end. Most of us were drained to say the lease, but then there was Andy. God used him to bring us a proverbial cold glass of water to our souls, refreshing us from the inside out, invigoration us for our relationship with God. It was just what we needed and we are now better equipped for the next four months of the traveling taking us into Kona.

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_5163 NULL.jpg)
[Construction site watchman]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_5148 NULL.jpg)
[Toothbrush (stick) salesman]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/DSC_0138 NULL.jpg)
[Garlic Saleswoman at Markato, the largest outdoor market in Africa]

Laura Fisher came to speak to us for the next week about African Worldview. There are an almost incalculable amount of people groups in Africa, so it is impossible to come up with an African Worldview, but there are many major characteristics of most of the people groups. Using those, we constructed the main areas of worldview: Reality, Human Nature, Value, and truth. It was an amazing week not only to observe African Worldview, but to examine my own worldview to see what I think and what I hold to be true. The Bible says that we are to be continually transformed by the renewing out our minds (Ephesians 4:23). I think that this means we should be continually examining ourselves and our thought processes and aligning them to God’s Word. The goal is to be a citizen and child of the Kingdom, having a worldview that sets the Word of God as the grid through which we see all.

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6037 NULL.jpg)
[Poor homeless woman approached me asking for a picture after church]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/Merkato_080314_0083a NULL.jpg)
[Various grains for sale at Markato]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/Merkato_080314_0090a NULL.jpg)
[The woman, and now friend, who was selling the grain. Her name is Mini]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/Merkato_080314_0020a NULL.jpg)
[A little guy having fun with his brother in a public mini-bus]

With our newly acquired information about how to see the world around us with our eyes open, David Fisher (Laura’s husband) taught about Documentary Photography and assigned us a project for the following week. A previous Family member had com
e to Ethiopia a couple years before and came again to do some follow-up work. I really wanted to go down to the Hamar Tribe where she had worked, but I really felt like God was asking me to stay in Addis Ababa to get a few stories around there that he had laid on my heart. I had met a woman the first time in coming to Ethiopia who was HIV positive, so that was the first story, and the other was about the population of street children in Addis and what ministries existed that provided hope for them. So I started researching (without the internet… tough), getting stories, and attempting photos. As far as photography goes, I had never been more discouraged. I really felt like none of the pictures were what I had envisioned and ultimately, I was disheartened. I questioned whether or not I had heard right; did God really keep me to be frustrated? Looking back on it, I can tell he really just wanted my obedience and humility to follow him first. I turned in what I had, but was completely awed at what the other students had been doing. We have some amazingly talented people searching for what God wants for the world, as well as His heart for it.

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/Kebenesh_080321_0553a NULL.jpg)
[Kebeneshe, the HIV positive woman and good friend, that I did one of the photo stories on]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/Kebenesh_080321_0531 NULL.jpg)
[Kebeneshe's Mother]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/Kebeneshe_080318_0339 NULL.jpg)
[Kebeneshe at home]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/Kebeneshe_080318_0355a NULL.jpg)
[Kebeneshe displaying her AntiRetroVirals (provided for free by the government)]

Officially, Spring Break started and most of the team left for Europe. Four of us stayed for a few extra days (as long as our visas would allow), so I kept working on the Street Children story. Abdissa, the direction of the Mercy Development Center helped me tremendously. He has the most passionate heart for street children that I have ever seen. His ministry was a beneficiary of the money that came in during the Not Alone Benefit Tour last summer, but even then, I didn’t really understand the tip of the iceberg of everything he does in the community. I had thought that his only (but massive) undertaking was the orphanage he runs (and lives). It is a center for children who have been taken right off of the streets. The home is actually a last resort for full orphans who have no family or guardians. When I left last year there were 18 at the home and now there are 25. These children are provided for in every way; food clothing, shelter, school fees, uniforms, and whatever else they may need. Abdissa treats them as he would his own children although he is only 28.to watch the interaction and love between them is amazing to behold.

There is also a huge community based support system as well. There are 16 families all over Addis. The children were full or half orphans who were either on the street or at risk of living on the streets out of poverty. Many have lived parts of their young lives on the streets but have now been reconciled to their guardians.

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6207 NULL.jpg)
[Standing with Genet in her one bedroom home (meaning space for one bed with a little extra space) in which she lives taking care of 4 children]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6217 NULL.jpg)
[Genet making Ingera, a traditional Ethiopian bread]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6175a NULL.jpg)
[Hanna, the youngest and most recent addition to the YMD Center Orphanage]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6239a NULL.jpg)
[Daniels parents died of AIDS and so did his youngest brother. Now he takes care of his brother and 2 sisters by himself with the help of Abdissa and the YMD Center]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6166a NULL.jpg)
[At 28, Abdissa has a heart for the poorest of children in Addis Ababa, sacrificing his life for theirs]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/DSC_0126b NULL.jpg)
[Solomon, a country-side boy who now lives on the streets]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6040a NULL.jpg)
[Another Solomon. Crazy how the Solomon of the Bible is said to have had splendor beyond all others. This Solomon doesn't know where his next meal is coming from. I met him last year at Hope Enterprise and randomly met him again this visit. Praise God]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6031a NULL.jpg)
[A couple of young homeless men sleep in their shanty tent outside of an Orthodox Church downtown Addis Ababa]

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6055a NULL.jpg)
[A Street Child in front of the Cuba
n Friendship Memorial on Churchill Road, Downtown Addis Ababa]

Anyway, there are plenty of other details, but I want to tell you about my last day working on the story. Abdissa and I got a taxi and headed to the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Addis. It is the nicest hotel that I have seen in Africa and probably one of the nicest I have ever seen. Immediately across the street of the Icon of Luxury is the poorest section of the city, Arogokera. We ventured into the thin, windy streets complete with creeks of refuse. We arrived at the home of Amabet, a former street girl who had been raped while she was homeless. Her son Yonathan, now a month and a half old, her, and her other 2 children live in a room that is 5 feet by 4 feet; the only place they can call home. It isn’t much, but it’s all they have. 3 other girls with children live in the same city in similar rooms as well. Their rent is paid for by the YMD Center and they are now living with hope that their children won’t have to live in the same situation they did. There is even an elderly lady in the community called ‘Mama” who looks after them and provides a safe place and gives them her strong Godly advice and direction. It was amazing to behold the dynamics of the group, not to mention I took pictures that I really like the whole day that I want to put into a more formal presentation/publication. I am encouraged continually with how God has used me to bring a change to a handful of children at St. Ameria and I am anxiously hoping that He will use me to bring change to the over 200,000 street children wandering the streets of Addis Ababa losing hope that there is anyone out there to care about them.

(http://i14 NULL.photobucket NULL.com/albums/a311/johnkwali/IMG_6271a NULL.jpg)
[Amabet and her son Yonathan in the doorway of their "house" in Arogokera, Addis Ababa]

So. Spring Break is now underway. We will resume back to classes on April 6th in Amsterdam. As for me, I am in Cairo for the break and will then travel to Amsterdam starting on the third. Pray for safe travels for everyone this week and that we find rest and refreshment from the Lord.

Pray for the children in Addis Ababa tonight; that the hope of Christ will infiltrate their minds and hearts.

In Him

John Paul

Uncategorized — 5 Comments
1
Feb 08

the Holy Land

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OLKXYZkFI/AAAAAAAAAWY/JmS80XWgYH0/s1600-h/IMG_7729a NULL.jpg)
[Near Empty Streets in the Old City... Rare for daytime]

Driving through the south of Israel, I couldn’t believe that I was really here. It was incredible, so much history. Our hostile is located near the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem and you can frequently find members of the team in getting photos and meeting up with new friends. Its such a different place. The feel of a new city with relatively empty, clean streets, McDonalds, and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (a company I worked for in SB while enrolled at Westmont) meets another world of cramped minimarkets, crowded alleyways, lousy plumbing, and suspicious glances. After it snowed, there were even snowballs hurled from rooftops on the unsuspecting and suspecting alike. I really love it here. I try to imagine it they way Jesus walked it, but I can’t really, cities change and evolve, as did Jerusalem.
 Tim, Naphtalie and I had a chance to head to Galilee for a couple of days in the Northern parts of Israel. It was incredibly green, lush with the new grain crops, rolling hills and peaceful valleys. We visited cities like Capernaum and Nazareth, and locations like the Sea of Galilee and the cliffs of Arbel. We even attended the Nazarene Church of Nazareth, which was a congregation made up of Christian Arabs; amazingly beautiful worship. I would love to come back someday.

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OLLHYZkII/AAAAAAAAAWw/XZJHo5Iq0Kk/s1600-h/IMG_7762 NULL.JPG)

For some reason, I thought that by my presence in Jerusalem, I would be able to make a stand for justice, find out all the issues of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, and be able to tell you a specific formula for peace and change in the land… They were lofty expectations, I realize, and now I am crushed because I can’t. I guess the real reason that I am crushed is because that, left to human hands, there can be no peace here.

I had this thought that Israel was right… that the land belonged to them. After all, they need it to fulfill the covenant that God made to Abraham and Moses. But what about the other people that have lived here for hundreds of years before the massive influx of Jews from all over the world began in the early 1900’s? This question was heavy on my heart because it was so easy for me to align myself with God’s “chosen people”… until I started reading the Scriptures for myself and listening to people who are much smarter than me.

As I read, I discovered the whole of the Old Testament points to a very specific moment and a very specific person… Jesus Christ. God promised Abraham that from his descendants would come a Light to the nations; the sacrificial practice so that the people would recognize God’s perfect son, sacrificed for the iniquity of all, and the promised-land? the promised land is the Rule of God… the Kingdom of God. Paul alludes to this in Colossians 2:17 – “For these rules (the Law) are only shadows of the reality to come. And Christ Himself is that reality.” Throughout history, Israel has refused to obey God but He kept bringing them back to Himself in order to ensure that Jesus would be born exactly at the right time. That leveled the playing field, and now we all have the opportunity to be called sons of Abraham. Paul says that it isn’t bloodline that connects anyone to Abraham… it is their faith in God (Romans 9). Jesus gave Himself as the new covenant, that those who would believe and trust Him would be invited into the Promised Land (Matt 26:27-29;Lk 22:20)

As followers of Christ, we must take a neutral ground to the conflict in Israel. Jesus made it obvious (as did the rest of the Bible [Jews were to be the light to the nations]) that salvation is for all people. There are injustices being done on both sides by people who haven’t had a revelation of the love of Christ, and that, is our mission. We can feed the hungry, proclaim freedom for the captives, give a glass of water all in the name of Jesus and remain unaligned to either side. But, we must engage with them and love them because God created them and wants them to know Him in a personal way. CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY for peace in this land.

I became completely frustrated that I didn’t have some say in the matter, that there was no explanation or method to bring these different nations to stop killing each other; to put down their weapons and embrace each other as brothers. Until all of them come to their knees and acknowledge that Christ is King, they will not. As a human, with all of my pride and arrogance, it was hard for me to accept… So what is my responsibility in the matter? I need to know God in a deeper way, so that I can help others to know Him and His love as well. Then, and only then, will these two religious and ethnic powerhouses come under the reign of the Prince of Peace. Israelis need Christ just as badly as Palestinians do. It is ultimately refreshing to see local Christians here, I have a deep respect for them in their efforts for peace and reconciliation. I hope that we can support our brothers and sisters in Christ and bring change to this world so rich in beauty and history.

Pictures faded in and our as I sat in horror in front of the computer monitor. Images of children barely alive, young men with the biggest scars I have ever seen from machete hacks, and young women who were the object of multiple rapes. I gasped that people could do that to each other. My heart has been broken for three consecutive days over the atrocities that are going on in the “Democratic Republic” of Congo. Since 1998, 5.4 Million people have died as a result of the civil war; the worst humanitarian crisis since the Holocaust… Have you heard about it? I hadn’t until this week.

This made me do some serious thinking. How could so many people be dying while I have just stood by so ignorantly? These are people that God created and that He loves. I even went through a crisis in my faith, whether I trusted God’s sovereignty in the midst of this situation. It seems like every time I find out something else is happening (and has been happening) in the world, I get more sad and depressed. I feel like Solomon when He wrote in Ecclesiastes, “The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.” (1:18). Have the eyes of God overlooked the suffering of the innocent; have His ears not heard their cries? Where can we find God in the midst of these miserable situations and circumstances?

I will never be able to control the injustices in this world. I will never be able to stop the flow of grief and pain. For who am I? My faith is weak; my trust lacking; my pride hindering. I am ignorant to the greatness of God; His sovereign ability to hear the groans of the anguish across the face of the earth. I want to trust that His grace really is sufficient. I want to trust that He is not deaf and blind to the captives, the hungry, sick, and oppressed; that He has plans to prosper them in the midst of the bleakest situations imaginable; and that even the darkest alleys and jungles cannot hide from the Light of Life.

Is it possible that Jesus was serious when He called us to follow Him? Is it possible that that He weeps for His creation? But is it possible that He wants to bring glory to Himself? Is it possible that He can’s wait until He can say, “Yes, the rescuers are My people; I have commissioned them for this work. The love that they show is My love – their words and My words – their heart is My heart.”? Is it possible that we are His hands and feet and that He desperately wants to work through us? He can still accomplish His will with the hands of those who don’t know Him, but we rob Him of glory when we are complacent and slow to act… oftentimes not acting at all. Is it possible that He wants to use you?

Please visit this website and look for the Crisis in Congo Photostory:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/ (http://www NULL.msnbc NULL.msn NULL.com/id/3842331/)

Some links to get involved

http://www.savethechildren.net/alliance/where_we_work/AE/mapCG.html (http://www NULL.savethechildren NULL.net/alliance/where_we_work/AE/mapCG NULL.html)

http://www.merlin.org.uk/Where-we-work/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo.aspx (http://www NULL.merlin NULL.org NULL.uk/Where-we-work/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo NULL.aspx)

I know that so many of you are involved in showing God’s love and telling people about Jesus. Thank you for your faithfulness and I pray that you will remain strong and diligent to the task at hand. May God continue to bless you.

In His love

John Paul

Mom and Dad, what words could I ever say to you to tell you what you mean to me. I love you guys so much; you are so special to me. I couldn’t imagine anyone who would love and support me like you do. You are truly a blessing from the Father.

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OLK3YZkGI/AAAAAAAAAWg/818sj51lItI/s1600-h/IMG_7752a NULL.jpg)

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OLK3YZkHI/AAAAAAAAAWo/BelCYWa6KoI/s1600-h/IMG_7761 NULL.JPG)

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OLLXYZkJI/AAAAAAAAAW4/8GDomjIorT0/s1600-h/IMG_7768a NULL.jpg)
[The Division between the different quarters of the Old City is remarkably defined]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJtnYZkAI/AAAAAAAAAVw/7ZZxC45LT5w/s1600-h/IMG_7804 NULL.JPG)
[View from Arab Quarter to Jewish Quarter]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJtnYZkBI/AAAAAAAAAV4/ZWwxBa185nI/s1600-h/IMG_7810a NULL.jpg)
[In the Jewish Quarter]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJt3YZkCI/AAAAAAAAAWA/w7AZ6zpOOuo/s1600-h/IMG_7840a NULL.jpg)[Young Israeli on guard... Thinking about his girlfriend in Tel Aviv]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJuHYZkDI/AAAAAAAAAWI/q_PX4RZ_R6A/s1600-h/IMG_7881 NULL.JPG)
[And it was]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJuXYZkEI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/rOjUVxt5Mps/s1600-h/IMG_7947 NULL.JPG)
[The Old City has tombs around half of its walls. Looking toward Mt of Olives]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJBHYZj7I/AAAAAAAAAVI/4-wd2z7uN5Q/s1600-h/IMG_7964a NULL.jpg)
[Arab Casket]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJBXYZj8I/AAAAAAAAAVQ/O8wwAt9T7as/s1600-h/IMG_8030 NULL.JPG)[Candles at the location some think Christ was imprisoned]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJB3YZj9I/AAAAAAAAAVY/rltyRqCIDKs/s1600-h/IMG_8031a NULL.jpg)
[Popular toys]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJCHYZj-I/AAAAAAAAAVg/GEh5ELbaax0/s1600-h/IMG_8062a NULL.jpg)
[Photo for an assignment. Taken at a bus-stop with 3 completely burned buses. This was the nicest looking one. The Israeli and Palestinian Youth have a choice to stand for Hope and Peace]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OJCHYZj_I/AAAAAAAAAVo/opVfeN9Hdmk/s1600-h/IMG_8127 NULL.JPG)
[Cliffs of Arbel looking over Magdal... read what happened at the cliffs 100 years after Christ died HERE] (http://www NULL.biblewalks NULL.com/Sites/arbel NULL.html)

(http://bp1 NULL.blogge
r NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OHp3YZj3I/AAAAAAAAAUo/QlLMIhMjPz8/s1600-h/IMG_8133 NULL.JPG)

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OHp3YZj4I/AAAAAAAAAUw/yLL59GYFa2g/s1600-h/IMG_8136 NULL.JPG)
[Some of the tools Jesus would have been familiar with, but He would have also been an expert in stonework]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OHqXYZj5I/AAAAAAAAAU4/HW_FbPEZPLk/s1600-h/IMG_8216 NULL.JPG)
[Minar]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OHqXYZj6I/AAAAAAAAAVA/UwaVHtLKbJ4/s1600-h/IMG_8223 NULL.JPG)
[Tim and his new best friend... he really wanted to buy one]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OGtHYZjyI/AAAAAAAAAUA/qBDwaGipGYk/s1600-h/IMG_8225 NULL.JPG)
[Naphtalie didn't really kiss Petunia (the lamb's name) and didn't want to buy one]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OGtXYZjzI/AAAAAAAAAUI/QJqA49dtPlM/s1600-h/IMG_8256 NULL.JPG)
[Millstone for crushing olives at an olive press]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OGtXYZj0I/AAAAAAAAAUQ/oo6maNhBdZ0/s1600-h/IMG_8297 NULL.JPG)
[Oil lamp and scroll]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OGtnYZj1I/AAAAAAAAAUY/Jrf1DKu7ODs/s1600-h/IMG_8424 NULL.JPG)
[Woman at an Arab-Christian Nazarene Church in Nazareth... yes]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OGt3YZj2I/AAAAAAAAAUg/02rX8AX62P4/s1600-h/IMG_8453 NULL.JPG)
[Grain field in front of the disputed Golan Heights]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OAyXYZjpI/AAAAAAAAAS4/oWeJe_awJUw/s1600-h/IMG_8475 NULL.JPG)
They say Peter’s house was here… all I could see were rocks with huge buildings built over them]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OAynYZjqI/AAAAAAAAATA/Ko6prKThTL8/s1600-h/IMG_8517a NULL.jpg)
[At the Sea of Galilee. This is probably the area where Jesus appeared to his disciples and fed them fish and bread before ascending to heaven]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OAy3YZjrI/AAAAAAAAATI/Ufz2OwFj9ac/s1600-h/IMG_8549a NULL.jpg)
[It snowed in Jerusalem... we got hit with snowballs and so did unsuspecting women and children]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OAy3YZjsI/AAAAAAAAATQ/L5yLewiTM3s/s1600-h/IMG_8567 NULL.JPG)
[One man's trash]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OUFXYZkKI/AAAAAAAAAXA/WX9yqAcw_1E/s1600-h/IMG_8574a+copy NULL.jpg)[One girl's treasure]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R6OAzHYZjtI/AAAAAAAAATY/bj7ib2facOU/s1600-h/IMG_8569 NULL.JPG)
[Streets of the Old City]
Uncategorized — 4 Comments
28
Dec 07

From Bulgaria with Pictures and Love

[Standing in front of my Bulgarian home]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R3Vwz7wuBmI/AAAAAAAAAII/KFqhvEOMDU8/s1600-h/12-28-07_1425 NULL.jpg) (http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R3Vw0LwuBnI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/b9gS_HqFVAo/s1600-h/122507_Pazardjik_1812small NULL.JPG)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I have written on Human Trafficking in the past, but now, I will make it possible for you to do something about it. A good friend of mine helped with a benefit recently called LOVE 146 (http://www NULL.love146 NULL.org/). Please visit the Website. I guarantee that you will feel something after reading the girl’s story. Trafficking is not far off. Even here around the neighborhoods that I am living in, people are being sold and stolen and taken to other countries to be used as Sex Objects. Read about the projects that LOVE 146 is undertaking, including the one to encourage CRAIGS LIST to take off the ‘Erotic’ tab from the ‘Services’ section of its website. Oftentimes, people offering these kind of services use trafficked people to make them money. I encourage you. Take part in this, it is so close to God’s heart for the broken and oppressed.

Snow, sub-zero, temperatures, and an extension of our family met Tim, Aaron, and I in Bulgaria where we would spend Christmas. Krassimere, Basim (Victor), and Mamma Mitchka have been so great to us here. We are never hungry, always full, and always warm.
We have traveled around to some different villages around Pazardhik, Bulgaria and have spent time here as well, visiting families, friends, and churches. I don’t think that I could have asked for a better Christmas. We leave here in a couple of days, and it will definitely be a sad departure.

[Victor]

[Krassie and Family (Krassie is between Aaron and I)]

[The boys with Mamma Mitchka]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/R3Vyd7wuByI/AAAAAAAAAJo/DrV7b5AOurk/s1600-h/SS850952small NULL.JPG)

[Speaking in a Roma Church]

[Praying for the sick (Victor's Cousin)]

[The three of us singing Silent Night on Christmas]

Tim and I went to a mountain village called Borovets today and actually got to do some snowboarding. We are both into snowboarding back in the States, so it has been something that we have missed. Last year we didn’t have a chance to go because we were doing a DTS and heading to Africa for Christmas. It was such a fun day and so beautiful as well. Most of the day was spent above tree-line in full view of Musala, the tallest peak in Bulgaria (about 10,000 ft). The pictures included are from a camera phone (which I am so grateful for, since I didn’t have to bring my big one)

[The high lifts at Borovets]


[That's the flag of Bulgaria]

Before we went to Bulgaria, we, and Carla as well, spent a few days in Istanbul, Turkey to take in the sights. The Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque were incredible, we spent the entire afternoon in the Hagia taking pictures. I would recommend anyone to visit if you can. The museum (no longer a church or mosque) has some beautiful mosaic work from Byzantine times as well as Arabic Style art.

[Interior of Hagia Sophia... much better than the outside]

[Chandelier]

[The paint from the Muslim era has been scraping off, revealing magnificent mosaics of Byzantine Christianity]

[The Blue Mosque at night reflected in a pond]

[Blue Mosque, sideview]

[Blue Mosque]

[Istanbul. i love this picture]

[Istanbul again]

Over the past couple of weeks, I have had some time to reflect on this last year. At this time in 2006 I was just arriving in Ethiopia. My life had recently changed and I had finally accepted God’s plan for my life. Ethiopia was just the beginning. Most of you knew me before my life was changed, and what God has done with me so far. Its hard to believe all of the people He
has put in my path, the countries He has called me too, and the projects He has enabled me to take part in. I am truly grateful to Him… It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. Praise Him for His Amazing Grace.

I added another sidebar element called “Needs”. Please check it out and pray about what you can do; even if what you can do is committing to pray! Thank you so much for reading the blog. I am honored to be able to have the opportunity to share this with you. I pray that you are blessed by it.

In a few days, we go to Athens to fly to Cairo, pray for traveling mercies as well as protection, favor, and divine appointments when we are there!

Uncategorized — 6 Comments
1
Apr 07

Less than 2 months until the conference.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket (http://photobucket NULL.com)

Happy April! I can’t believe the year is ¼ over already… and that there is less than two months until the conference.

This week we have experienced a range of emotions. I went with Lucy to pick Ruth up from the airport last Tuesday. It is really great to have her back. She adds a lot to our team and I guess I might not have realized it until she was gone for the 10 days. She was able to share about her time in London and was really blessed by God for the entirety of her trip.

Other than that, it has been a busy and hectic week. We all really feel that there is some kind of block on our work; like we are fighting against something. There is so much going on here at the base that isn’t really related to the conference, but affects it and our progress greatly. Please pray that we will be able to stay focused on the Word of God, His promises, and our personal relationships with him. It’s hard to explain such things…

The preschool was broken into by little girls this week and the managed to take off with a lot of equipment, lesson plans, books, and toys. They also bit Job’s wife as she was trying to stop them. It was in the middle of the day and they were the same girls that took some dog shampoo from our girl’s room earlier this week. Since the base is so large and spread out, its hard to keep tabs on everyone that is on base. The grass was long around the school building, so our team spent some time slashing at it on Friday…

Like most weeks, we had a team dinner on Thursday night thanks to Rachel and Rob. It was vegetarian spaghetti and garlic toast topped off with chocolate pudding (don’t ask me where they got it)… So Good. I haven’t had garlic toast since Ethiopia when Anna made it weekly. The team dinner is starting to become a bit of a competition, so I am eager to see who raises the bar next week.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket (http://photobucket NULL.com)Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket (http://photobucket NULL.com)

We also went out to a place called “2 Friends” in Jinja-Town on Friday night as a team. It was a great time of fellowship and a great time to get to know each other better. We all shared about some embarrassing moments from our lives, some movies that we felt embarrassed about tearing up over, and other random things. We all needed that time to get a fresh breath of air. It was amazing (and so was the Jack’s Chicken Tikka pizza that Alex and I split).

Since there wasn’t too much that happened this week because of all the craziness, I will tell you what I am doing, thinking, praying about, and reading.

This last week I finally turned in my application for a YWAM program coming up in September of this year. I have been taking pictures for a while, but have received no formal training; everything has been picked up along the way. A ministry within YWAM called PhotogenX is starting a photography DTS. This DTS is about to start this April and will run the normal length of a DTS. After that session is finished they are starting another session called “round the world”. It’s a track that starts off in India in September of 07’ and continues around the world, going to every inhabitable continent. From India, the tour goes to Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Chad, Southern Africa, Germany, Venezuela, then to Kona, Hawaii. We will stay there for a few months and then go on outreach again. Throughout the course of the tour, we will be learning many things. We will be taking photography classes, a school of biblical studies, graphic communications courses, as well as learning about the cultures that we are immersed in. Since we are going to a wide array of places, the program is lengthy; it doesn’t end until April of 09’. This may seem like a long time, but when I was hearing about the program back in Hawaii, it seemed to be perfect for me. I love to travel, take pictures, help people, and learn about different cultures and traditions. I will also get an associates degree in Photography and have a published work at the end.

I know that this is the next step that God wants me to pursue. With the hope of going on this track comes a dream for this coming summer. I have been thinking about setting up some benefit photography shows in a few cities across the states. This is all tentative right now, but I have been thinking about setting one up in Denver, Las Vegas (Alex is going to help me with that one since he lives there), Santa Barbara/Ventura/Los Angeles (somewhere in that area), and Chicago (Ruth is also a photographer/painter so it would be a joint showing). I would be going to all of these cities to share about my trip and raise money for some of the orphanages that we have been working with in Ethiopia and Uganda.

What do you think?

Also, let me know if you would like to be involved in the process. Please pray for clear direction and guidance.

Click for PhotogenX Track Outline



Click for PhotogenX Track Overview (places and dates)



In Christ Alone

John Paul

Uncategorized — 3 Comments
11
Mar 07

And We're Off!!! 3-11-07

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/RfRPthYRUQI/AAAAAAAAAAk/vy9ga61c0qI/s1600-h/blog+3-11-07+3 NULL.JPG)

(The football (soccer) field that some of us run around some mornings)


It kind of seems like it has been a long week, but when I look back, it flew by. We were assigned what we would be doing in preparation for the upcoming conference so we just started with our tasks. The responsibilities are broken down into three major areas: Communication, Program, and Logistics. I am on the Communications team with Jonathan and Gina. I am also going to working with Microsoft Access to database all of the people that register. Although we all were assigned to different aspects of the conference, we will all need to be working together closely to accomplish this task. Please pray that we will be unified and that we will not become easily overwhelmed by what lies ahead of us.

We have spent much of the last week in meetings, but also in prayer. We really want this time to be dedicated to the Lord. Even though we have the conference ahead of us, we all want to keep in mind the most important thing in life, our relationship with the Lord. It will be very easy to become distracted and even complacent in our relationship with God because of the busyness associated with the conference.

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/RfRQtxYRURI/AAAAAAAAAAs/WG8O9Wnmm0k/s1600-h/blog+3-11-07+2 NULL.JPG)

(http://photobucket NULL.com/)

(The building where the conference will be held [not quite finished yet])

I have been reading this little book called “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer this last week. Even though I am only half way through it right now, I strongly recommend that everyone read it. It was written a long while ago, but the descriptions of the church and the body of believers as a whole still rings true. It’s a very short book and an easy read, but I’m sure that it will change your life, just like it has changed mine. Here are a couple of paragraphs that have impacted me so far…

“When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God himself. The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the ‘and’ lies our great woe. If we would omit the ‘and’ we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing” (p.21)

“God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful that He can, without anything over than Himself, meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is” (p.43)

We also went to the Kingfisher again this weekend. It was a chance for us to spend some time beside Lake Victoria, but also a time where the Program team could plan something and work together to accomplish the goal. It was a huge success (even though the meat was extremely tough and sinewy). After we had all had our fill of beef, coleslaw, fruit salad, and chipote (pronounce chi-pot-ie) we gathered together and prayed for each team member individually. A few of us stayed behind until dark to have some quite time with the Lord before going back to the base.

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/RfRRWxYRUSI/AAAAAAAAAA0/KEohzQOkbCE/s1600-h/blog+3-11-07+6 NULL.jpg)

(Rob and Ruth getting ready for the Bar-b-Que)

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/RfRUVhYRUTI/AAAAAAAAAA8/mTTNbuBDe6E/s1600-h/blog+3-11-07+4 NULL.JPG)

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/RfRUZxYRUUI/AAAAAAAAABE/gd7HQv0fxsc/s1600-h/blog+3-11-07+5 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/RfRUaBYRUVI/AAAAAAAAABM/MsTs8Ag8Q-4/s1600-h/blog+3-11-07+1 NULL.JPG)

(Fishermen on Lake Victoria, and children commissioned by their parents and communities to carry water for long distances back to their homes) [check out Halfway There Water Project (http://halfwaythere NULL.org/en/index NULL.html) ]

There are some other team members which I don’t think I have announced yet. Their pictures will be posted later, but here are their names for your prayer lists and your thoughts:

Tom: from South Africa, he has been on base here at Hopeland for the last 2 years.

Job: a native Ugandan who spent a considerable time in Northern Uganda at a base in Soroti.

Lucy Burrows: the conference coordinator (our boss) from the U.K. who has been involved in the international HIV/AIDS crisis for some time now.

There is a website for the conference if anyone is interested in checking it out.

YWAM Global HIV/AIDS Conference (http://ywamhivaidsconf NULL.org/)

or, Click on the Image Below!



(http://ywamhivaidsconf NULL.org/)

Thank you for your continued prayers and support, they are definitely felt and appreciated by all of us. Keep then coming!

Also, if you have any words of encouragement for the team, please feel free to leave a comment on the bottom of this blog and I will be sure to pass the word along to the individual or the whole team.
Thanks again!

Grace and Peace through Christ our Lord,

John Paul Vicory

1 Corinthians 15:58

Uncategorized — 4 Comments
4
Mar 07

With Blistered Fingers!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://photobucket NULL.com/)

Our first week at the Hopeland Base in Jinja is almost over. It is much different than I had originally expected. Before we got here I thought that it would be a lot like the base in Ethiopia, which had only 2 people living on base (besides our team). There are three schools running here and over 50 people on base.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://photobucket NULL.com/)Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://photobucket NULL.com/)

(Jonathan, Jack, and Rob before going into Jinja, Jonathan and Tara walking down a local road)

The base here is so beautiful. It is so lush and green. The campus is pretty big, but reminds me of where we were during lecture phase in Hawaii; Makapala. Its kind of outside of towns and cities and has a lot of open land. Many places on campus have a view of Lake Victoria…. One of the most spectacular views on base is from the soccer field at the bottom of campus. One of the first mornings we were here, a few of us went down there to jog and I was blown away by the beauty. The sun had just risen and was the biggest I had ever seen it. I will try to get a picture of the view for next weeks blog update, so hang tight.

For the community base clean up on Friday, we spent the morning with these tools called “slashers” slashing one of the fields of grass. All of us have blisters now because we aren’t used to that kind of work, but I’m sure that our hands will toughen up because we will probably doing the slashing every Friday. It was a great workout, however, and my muscles are still a little bit sore.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://photobucket NULL.com/)Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://photobucket NULL.com/)Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://photobucket NULL.com/)Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://photobucket NULL.com/)

(Slashing Day… it was a little rough for us)

We haven’t been too busy this last week because we only had orientation to do. So we spent our time in various ways: going into Jinja (we are a few minutes outside of it), working out in the mornings, having brief meetings in the evenings, one-on-ones with Lucy, a bit of base management as a community, and yesterday (Saturday) we went to a resort on the shores of Lake Victoria called Kingfisher for a day by the pool.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://photobucket NULL.com/)

(Gina, Rob, Tara, and Scott [another staff member at Hopeland] at the Kingfisher pool)

Base life is different here than in Ethiopia as well. Since there are so many people, meals are prepared for everyone and served as soon as the bell rings. Alex and I learned pretty quickly that if you don’t heed the bell, you may not eat! Now every time we hear that bell, we run to the line. We have a cup of milk tea with 2 rolls every morning for breakfast (similar to what we fed the children at the feeding center for breakfast at Hope Enterprises in Ethiopia), but we have also bought some fruit, bread, peanut butter, and jelly to supplement our diet when we get hungry.

Alex, Jonathan, and I went to a church this morning called Abundant Life Church of Kikera (Kikera is the nearest town to the base; about 30 min. walk). We went with a staff member from Uganda in the DTS School whom Alex had met in Arusha, Tanzania. There weren’t many people who attended, and it was a bit hard to understand the pastor because the translation was pretty much sandwiched on top of the English, but it was still amazing to see how God works in the lives of the people here. It will never cease to amaze me. The minute I got there two kids came over and grabbed both of my free hands and held them through the whole worship service, testimonies, encouragement, and announcements.

During the last week, we have only begun to know our team leader, Lucy Burrows, in a better way. Like I mentioned, she had one-on-ones with all of us and found out about who we were and what God was doing in our lives. She found out that I was the only one with Microsoft Access experience (thank you, Mike at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History) and was pretty excited about that. She had convened with one of her good friends and intercessor back in the UK before she came out and also had stuff to share with us about what she had received from the Lord. Some of what she had received was precisely what I had communicated to her in my one-on-one (she shared at the end of it), so it was very encouraging to me because I had never met her before. God revealed to her exactly who I was and who I am wanting to become. God is so good!

This next week we will be going through some team building exercises and planning out what we will be doing for the next three months. It will be a key week in the grand scheme of our future at the Hopeland Base, so please pray for clarity of vision, teamwork, and unconditional love especially in this next week. Please continue to pray for our team members that have already gone home that they may continue to experience the Lord in new and powerful ways and that they may be witnesses to God’s glory! Thank you so much for your prayers, we see the effects of them in a powerful way at our end. I pray blessings over you for your faithfulness.

John Vicory

Uncategorized — 1 Comment
16
Dec 06

Intro and HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia

This is my first post and i wanted to give everyone an update.
I leave for Ethiopia in a week from today and it’ll take me three days to get there. The time at Makapala is winding down and i have been reflecting on how much i have learned here. It almost seems like i am a completely different person. During the next few months, i will be posting pictures and videos of the time in Ethiopia and Uganda.

Here is a little video that gives some staggering statistics for HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.
None of these photos are my own, but soon i will have some of my own.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi5YK3QEnnk]

Newer Entries →