Posts Tagged: photoblog

Uncategorized — 2 Comments
19
Dec 09

a little video for my church

My church asked me to talk about poverty a little bit to tie into a message  about how much money we spend at Christmas and what we spend our money. He asked us to think about how much we spend on people or how much people spend on us that is wasted because we don’t like the gift or whatever.

The sermon can be found online here : http://www.nsb.org/sermons/a-classic-christmas (http://www NULL.nsb NULL.org/sermons/a-classic-christmas)

Anyway, he asked me to put something together for the service, kind of like a voice from within Northshore (the church i go to). So, I asked Devin to help. We shot it all on a Nikon D300s, 50mm f/1.4 with a RØDE microphone with video lights in front of a huge seamless backdrop.

The song is Needles and Thread by Sleeping at Last.

Uncategorized — 3 Comments
2
Nov 08

Videos!

A few years ago, a good friend of mine, Alex Fung and I went to St. Ameria’s for the first time. We were looking for a way to get involved in the community around us in Jinja, Uganda, but what we found changed our lives. We returned many times and helped establish a way for people across the world to be involved in the lives of these children who have been orphaned due to HIV, War, Violence, and the vicious cycle of poverty.
Recently, Alex sent me some of the video footage that he was able to capture on a couple of the visits. Here is a brief history of the orphanage, a personal story from Edith, one of the directors, and a video of the Echo Children’s Choir of St. Ameria’s. It is a song that has brought me to tears.

Next is a new video from the people at These Numbers Have Faces. I helped them out a very little bit about a year ago when I was in South Africa. I was deeply impacted by meeting Ace, Anda, and Michael. The work that These Numbers is doing there is powerful and effective. They are currently sopporting 3 students from the township of Gugulethu to go to school. Check out the video and see what they are up to! Here is their website as well. www.thesenumbers.com (http://www NULL.thesenumbers NULL.com/)

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12
Jul 08

The Essence of Unseen

Sitting in front of an empty screen is consoling; the small blinking cursor in the sea of white reminds me of my current condition and the state of my emotions. After traveling for the last 10 months experiencing a myriad of situations, worldviews, and thought processes, my mind and spirit have been on a proverbial rollercoaster. It was a ride that I thoroughly enjoyed.

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SHk0S2hVAPI/AAAAAAAAApw/xpegXCKs4uc/s1600-h/DSC_0113a NULL.jpg)

Upon arriving back in the US, my expectations were sent soaring. The Not Alone Benefit made some money for the Mercy Development Home in Ethiopia, I saw some friends and family members, and then all of the sudden I was on my way back to Kona to resume studies and work on the publication from our experiences. What I didn’t anticipate was the slight depression that landed on me almost simultaneously with my plane landing in Honolulu. Depression is something that I have struggled with in the past, almost as if whenever I look behind me it is as if a shadow is always a hundred feet behind…sometimes closer, sometimes further, and sometimes I don’t even look.

Over the last few days, I think that I have been able to identify areas in my life that the depression feeds off of. I want to deeply trust God that He is who He says He is. I should know both in my head and my heart that He is good having witnessed His amazing provision and love. There is also this seemingly inherent fear of being hurt alone, as well as some psychological and emotional wounds in need of deep tissue healing. All of that culminating with the financial stresses of going through school with hardly any of the money than is required.

Maybe it is my inability to see God as my Father. In a recent talk to the body of believers out here in Kona, Andy Byrd, an amazing man of God, gave a parallel of his relationship with His son. Asher is about 4 years old and is passionate about his love for his father. He never distrusts Andy’s ability to clothe, feed, and give good gifts to him. Andy is not God, but the reliance that Asher has on his daddy is the way I want to relate with my Heavenly Father. In fact, that is the way that faith is supposed to work. With my eyes fixed on God, the waves around me are insignificant next to the power that He has. And then there is the promise that God’s power, the power that raised Christ from the dead, is living inside of me. Why do I worry? Why do I strive for control over my life when the Perfect Father, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe is alive within me? The reality of Jesus and His life is the reality that I need to be living in, not this façade, this thin, filthy veneer that I see. It about looking beyond, looking to the reality that Christ brought – the Kingdom that He ushers in – the Kingdom that He placed within.

As I have mentioned in some of my posts, I love the thought of Love. The word has lost a lot of meaning in our time and can mean anything from a red glass window in Amsterdam paid for by the hour, to the subculture of the 70’s, to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The love I speak about is the unending love, the love that gives expecting nothing in return, the love that costs something, unselfish. This is the type of love that God has for the world, the type of love that I have seen the world in desperation for. What I haven’t realized or taken to heart was that the passionate, unrelenting, undistracted, devastating, and unconditional love that the world is burning for is the same love that God has for me; that He has for you. He is mesmerized by one glance from my eyes; His heart blazes at one trifling word of affection from our hearts to His. I have to know that love, I need to feel it not only for the world, but for myself. Oh, to wake up to the reality of the love of Christ – the destructive love of the relentless Lion and the tender embrace of the Lamb.

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SHk0S6aoF0I/AAAAAAAAApo/QQ3pdKz3MgU/s1600-h/000001bulgaria NULL.jpg)

The program that I am enrolled in is expensive. It is even more expensive now that we are back in the States. The team of monthly supporters helps a great deal, but as it stands, I have no way of paying for the school fees as well as the bills that I have back home as well. I have this issue of pride with asking for others to come along-side me, joining me in accomplishing the goal and finishing the program, but after praying about what God wanted me to do, I felt that I should use the blog this week to do just that. It is a sacrifice of my pride, the idea that I should be providing for myself, and what I think the blog should be… but, in obedience, I have to.

I started PhotogenX last September and I intend to finish it. These next 6 months we will be working on a publication from our travels and experiences with injustice around the world. We want it to be a catalyst of change in the world. We are willing to be used, but we need help. I need help. My fees for the school are $4,000 just for this next 3 months and at the moment I don’t have it. I am trusting God for this provision believing that He can finish what He started. The waves of financial pressure are building all around me, but He knows exactly where I am and He is with me. If you would like to stand with me, there are many ways to do so; please let me know.

Thanks for reading about my journeys and experiences. I pray that you open yourself up to the Amazing Love and Grace that comes only through a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

In Obedience to Him,

John Paul

Uncategorized — 3 Comments
12
Jul 08

The Essence of Unseen

Sitting in front of an empty screen is consoling; the small blinking cursor in the sea of white reminds me of my current condition and the state of my emotions. After traveling for the last 10 months experiencing a myriad of situations, worldviews, and thought processes, my mind and spirit have been on a proverbial rollercoaster. It was a ride that I thoroughly enjoyed.

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SHk0S2hVAPI/AAAAAAAAApw/xpegXCKs4uc/s1600-h/DSC_0113a NULL.jpg)

Upon arriving back in the US, my expectations were sent soaring. The Not Alone Benefit made some money for the Mercy Development Home in Ethiopia, I saw some friends and family members, and then all of the sudden I was on my way back to Kona to resume studies and work on the publication from our experiences. What I didn’t anticipate was the slight depression that landed on me almost simultaneously with my plane landing in Honolulu. Depression is something that I have struggled with in the past, almost as if whenever I look behind me it is as if a shadow is always a hundred feet behind…sometimes closer, sometimes further, and sometimes I don’t even look.

Over the last few days, I think that I have been able to identify areas in my life that the depression feeds off of. I want to deeply trust God that He is who He says He is. I should know both in my head and my heart that He is good having witnessed His amazing provision and love. There is also this seemingly inherent fear of being hurt alone, as well as some psychological and emotional wounds in need of deep tissue healing. All of that culminating with the financial stresses of going through school with hardly any of the money than is required.

Maybe it has something to do with my struggle to always see God as my Father. In a recent talk to the body of believers out here in Kona, Andy Byrd, an amazing man of God, gave a parallel of his relationship with His son. Asher is about 4 years old and is passionate about his love for his father. He never distrusts Andy’s ability to clothe, feed, and give good gifts to him. Andy is not God, but the reliance that Asher has on his daddy is the way I want to relate with my Heavenly Father. In fact, that is the way that faith is supposed to work. With my eyes fixed on God, the waves around me are insignificant next to the power that He has. And then there is the promise that God’s power, the power that raised Christ from the dead, is living inside of me. Why do I worry? Why do I strive for control over my life when the Perfect Father, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe is alive within me? The reality of Jesus and His life is the reality that I need to be living in, not this façade, this thin, filthy veneer that I see. It about looking beyond, looking to the reality that Christ brought – the Kingdom that He ushers in – the Kingdom that He placed within.

As I have mentioned in some of my posts, I love the thought of Love. The word has lost a lot of meaning in our time and can mean anything from a red glass window in Amsterdam paid for by the hour, to the subculture of the 70’s, to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The love I speak about is the unending love, the love that gives expecting nothing in return, the love that costs something, unselfish. This is the type of love that God has for the world, the type of love that I have seen the world in desperation for. What I haven’t realized or taken to heart was that the passionate, unrelenting, undistracted, devastating, and unconditional love that the world is burning for is the same love that God has for me; that He has for you. He is mesmerized by one glance from my eyes; His heart blazes at one trifling word of affection from our hearts to His. I have to know that love, I need to feel it not only for the world, but for myself. Oh, to wake up to the reality of the love of Christ – the destructive love of the relentless Lion and the tender embrace of the Lamb.

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SHk0S6aoF0I/AAAAAAAAApo/QQ3pdKz3MgU/s1600-h/000001bulgaria NULL.jpg)
The program that I am enrolled in is expensive. It is even more expensive now that we are back in the States. The team of monthly supporters helps a great deal, but as it stands, I have no way of paying for the school fees as well as the bills that I have back home as well. I have this issue of pride with asking for others to come along-side me, joining me in accomplishing the goal and finishing the program, but after praying about what God wanted me to do, I felt that I should use the blog this week to do just that. It is a sacrifice of my pride, the idea that I should be providing for myself, and what I think the blog should be… but, in obedience, I have to.

I started PhotogenX last September and I intend to finish it. These next 6 months we will be working on a publication from our travels and experiences with injustice around the world. We want it to be a catalyst of change in the world. We are willing to be used, but we need help. I need help. My fees for the school are $4,000 just for this next 3 months and at the moment I don’t have it. I am trusting God for this provision believing that He can finish what He started. The waves of financial pressure are building all around me, but He knows exactly where I am and He is with me. If you would like to stand with me, there are many ways to do so; please let me know.

Thanks for reading about my journeys and experiences. I pray that you open yourself up to the Amazing Love and Grace that comes only through a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

In Obedience to Him,

John Paul

Uncategorized — 4 Comments
1
Jun 08

From the Desert to the Rainforest

I would like to begin with an update from St. Ameria’s in Uganda. John Bills, a close friend of mine was recently teaching and developing ideas with leaders in Uganda. He has been with me for part of the last year and had visited St. Ameria’s. They have never left his heart either so while he was there he made sure to stop by to see how everything was doing. We had both been working to see what we could do to provide them some much needed funding and encouragement for the well being of the children (starting, as you may remember, with the bunk beds to keep the children off of the floor). Even in the short year that has passed since I left Uganda, through the money that many of you have given, St. Ameria’s has been doing some substantial construction and have also ensured other immediate needs of the children like food, clothing, and medicine are being administered. They have almost completed with the boys dormitory, but need some more money to be able to do it. I am amazed at what God has done for those children in Uganda and honored that he would let me be a part of it. If you would like to get involved, even in flying out to Uganda to help in the construction, please let me know and I would be overjoyed to give you more information.

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SERyQTRIFMI/AAAAAAAAAk4/6LQN181OWpw/s1600-h/DSCN0151 NULL.JPG)

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A team from Germany came to Spain to teach us about photography. We didn’t learn heaps about photography that week, but we had major breakthroughs as a family that the students have become. Amsterdam was a difficult time for most of us, not only as a team, but on individual levels as well. We were disconnected, distraught, and visionless. In a way, we had forgotten why God had called us to do this program in the first place and, in our relation with each other, weren’t walking in love. Spain and the team from Germany provided a sort of intervention, keeping us all in the same room sharing what we were struggling with in relation to the team, ourselves, and with God. It was such a fruitful time that reignited our passion to receive and give the Father’s love freely.

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SERy4zRIFQI/AAAAAAAAAlY/7USCPpVWlic/s1600-h/IMG_8573a NULL.jpg)[A mountain that Tim and I climbed overlooking Torremolinos]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SERyQzRIFPI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/wlLYtYoxn8g/s1600-h/IMG_8527a NULL.jpg)[The lower part]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SERyQjRIFNI/AAAAAAAAAlA/o6Vx_5rCW9M/s1600-h/IMG_8393a NULL.jpg)
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We had a week to travel around Southern Spain and North Africa as well, so the next week Aaron, Anna, and I separated from the rest of the group, who took up their own travels, and headed to Morocco. I don’t know if I have been in a more beautiful nation. Morocco has so much from cold temperature to the searing hot deserts; Atlas mountains to Mediterranean and Atlantic Coastlines. We spent the week traveling all over the country and grew to know and appreciate each other more. We shared frustrating moments and as well as those of sheer beauty and delight. We met some amazing people while traveling and at our temporary destinations. Too much happened to record it all, so be sure to check out (and comment on) Anna’s Blog which contains a daily video diary from the trip. (Anna’s Blog (http://annamaria-nielsen NULL.blogspot NULL.com)) Hopefully the pictures and captions will give an idea about the trip as well, maybe even better than words can in this instance.

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM2JzRIFGI/AAAAAAAAAkI/0uOkMNliS1Q/s1600-h/blogupdate08060270 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMtYTRIEkI/AAAAAAAAAf4/QGIlZRZ_i34/s1600-h/blogupdate08060203 NULL.jpg)[A hillside in Tanger, Morocco]
(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMtYDRIEjI/AAAAAAAAAfw/kvgOnfQHRy0/s1600-h/blogupdate08060202 NULL.jpg)[Marrakesh is a city known for its craziness. It has one of the biggest markets in North Africa and competes with Addis Ababa for Africa's largest. Even on the first day, I needed to get away from it, so Scott and I headed into the back alleys away from everything else and found a small group of boys playing soccer. We spent a few minutes with them before heading back to the hostel.]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMtYjRIElI/AAAAAAAAAgA/lz4xz2QXxkI/s1600-h/blogupdate08060205 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMtYzRIEmI/AAAAAAA
AAgI/a5qk4A9PV0s/s1600-h/blogupdate08060207 NULL.jpg)[Morocco is known for a traditional dish called Tajin. You can find it everywhere along with the spices that are included. There is so much color in Morocco, more than I ever expected.]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMtZDRIEnI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/BHL0B_26Hvw/s1600-h/blogupdate08060210 NULL.jpg)[Anna and Aaron on the Atlas mountain pass. Our guide, Housine, asked us to count the number of turns on the way up. We didn't, but he kept asking. When we got to the top, he wouldn't tell us how many until we gave him good guesses, but after we did he revealed that there were only 2; right and left. Clever, Housine... very clever.]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMucDRIEoI/AAAAAAAAAgY/exGUCfwr7LY/s1600-h/blogupdate08060213 NULL.jpg)[When we were told that we would be driving through the Atlas Mountains to get to the desert, I wasn't expecting red earth, snow covered peaks, and windblown wheat fields filling the valleys. Anna and Aaron both said that it reminded them of Nepal. It just reminded me of something beautiful since I had never seen anything like it (besides maybe the Alberta Canada coat of arms).]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMuczRIEpI/AAAAAAAAAgg/Q_MbNS9iyCc/s1600-h/blogupdate08060214 NULL.jpg)[Housine says that the Berber people only live in the mountains. Its possible that they came from the Mountains, but they live all over Morocco. They make up about 60% of the population if you are interested in figures. They are a warm people, a point that I will explain in another caption.]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMudDRIErI/AAAAAAAAAgw/nrVe0ZjCioY/s1600-h/blogupdate08060218 NULL.jpg)[After driving through some diverse and amazing landscapes and biomes, we arrived at the end of the road, literally. Housine lives in a small desert town called M'Hamed and it is where the pavement ends as far as roads go. We stayed on the edge of the Sahara in Bedouin type tents at a campsite. Unlike many other of the tourist programs, it was just Aaron, Anna and I at the camp with Housine and his friends and family.]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMuczRIEqI/AAAAAAAAAgo/h8v71wH91l8/s1600-h/blogupdate08060222 NULL.jpg)
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(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEWo5DRIFXI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/IZjSfB_VGFM/s1600-h/blogupdate08060304 NULL.jpg) (http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEWo4jRIFVI/AAAAAAAAAmA/K6GVpDPAiyQ/s1600-h/blogupdate08060302 NULL.jpg) (http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEWo4zRIFWI/AAAAAAAAAmI/y3ZFOxhZ_aw/s1600-h/blogupdate08060303 NULL.jpg)

[Housine and his family come from the tribal Tauregs that once traversed the Sahara. They are also known as Nomads or the Blue Men because of their bright blue jalebahs (long shirts). Because of the Nation-States that have invaded the African continent in the lat 200 years, whole tribes have been cut off from each other, especially with countries with closed borders like Algeria, a mere 38 kilometers from the town of M'Hamed. The once itinerant Blue Men are mostly settled down now, but the freedom of wandering is evident in the infrastructure of their towns and the remains of vacated Kasbahs (old towns with refuges) that dot the desert countryside. Who knows how long Housine's family will stay in M'Hamed?]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SERyQDRIFLI/AAAAAAAAAkw/bV4wgGoN4nQ/s1600-h/blogupdate08060281 NULL.jpg) (http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEWo5TRIFZI/AAAAAAAAAmg/Oou_o8lwWIE/s1600-h/blogupdate08060312 NULL.jpg)

[After visiting the old M'Hamed Kasbah, we headed via Landrover to the Chicaga Dunes. It is one of the largest dune systems in Morocco and boasts the highest dune of 300 meters (or 990 ft). The desert is one of my favorite ecosystems and for some odd reason, I find refreshment for my spirit there.]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM2KjRIFKI/AAAAAAAAAko/wKlHcFWo_z0/s1600-h/blogupdate08060278 NULL.jpg)[A few tourists taking a rest on one of the lower dunes. We were surprised that there weren't many tourists and the dunes were relatively untouched, which was amazing for pictures.]

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMudDRIEsI/AAAAAAAAAg4/ElWqVKpaSBs/s1600-h/blogupdate08060224 NULL.jpg)[Anna making the long trek to the top of the highest sand-dune. There is this innate desire to see the highest point around and climb it. We gave in to this aspiration and reached the summit with a few minutes of sunrise left.]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMuvjRIEtI/AAAAAAAAAhA/DbXNFkCgIUg/s1600-h/blogupdate08060230 NULL.jpg) (http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMuvjRIEuI/AAAAAAAAAhI/2xEVIY7HuHU/s1600-h/blogupdate08060232 NULL.jpg)[Aaron and Anna at the top. We hauled Anna's MacBook to the top in order to record one of our daily video journals which can be viewed HERE (http://annamaria-nielsen NULL.blogspot NULL.com) on Anna's Blog (http://annamaria-nielsen NULL.blogspot NULL.com). We watched the sun drop beneath the horizon and praised our Maker for His amazing creation. Soon after, we headed back to the camp and fell asleep early (before the Blue Men were finished with their rhythmic songs) so we could get up for sunrise.]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMuvzRIEvI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/ZHgQgs5wJXE/s1600-h/blogupdate08060234 NULL.jpg) (http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMuvzRIEwI/AAAAAAAAAhY/wI9svErZmho/s1600-h/blogupdate08060236 NULL.jpg)

There were no thoughts of sadness, worry, or disappointment as my feet almost flew down the sand dunes in the Saharan section of Morocco. I was carefree (besides feeling that I might end up toppling end over end down the rest of the dune) experiencing excitement, joy and freedom. There are moments like this in all of our lives, some brief others long-lasting, that force us to forget about our issues no matter how big or small. In reflecting on the seemingly insignificant instance, I realized that many people as they get older don’t take the time or even feel like they can have moments they can let themselves go with childish enthusiasm to experience innocent joy and exuberance. Look for your sand dune.

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMuvzRIExI/AAAAAAAAAhg/fv6UMTvTyKY/s1600-h/blogupdate08060239 NULL.jpg)[Our camp at the Chicaga dunes was surprisingly cozy despite the fine layer of dust that covered everything (including our camera equipment). The sun rewarded our early morning efforts with spectacular views of the dunes and the textures of the sand. After breakfast we piled back in the Landrover and started the long journey back to Marrakesh, 12 hours away.]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMvTTRIEyI/AAAAAAAAAho/2ZlJW5abTvc/s1600-h/blogupdate08060240 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMvTTRIEzI/AAAAAAAAAhw/vtfW4CwEqIA/s1600-h/blogupdate08060244 NULL.jpg)[Along the way, we stopped in a Berber village high in the Atlas mountains. We had yet to experience hospitality in the way they showed it to us. We were invited to a terrace overlooking wheat fields and mountain dwellings where we enjoyed mint tea and broken conversations. We were invited to spend a few nights up in the village, but wouldn't have had a way to get back to Marrakesh had we done so. We all want to visit Morocco again and spend much more time in the Atlas with the Berbers.]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMvTjRIE0I/AAAAAAAAAh4/ToO-X_aRMj8/s1600-h/blogupdate08060247 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM0hTRIE8I/AAAAAAAAAi4/8uKukxLRikU/s1600-h/blogupdate08060254 NULL.jpg)
(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMvTzRIE1I/AAAAAAAAAiA/cYiyjheKuGI/s1600-h/blogupdate08060250 NULL.jpg) (http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEMvUDRIE2I/AAAAAAAAAiI/4abXXmzmDxE/s1600-h/blogupdate08060252 NULL.jpg)

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM0hjRIE9I/AAAAAAAAAjA/wgTU9k5RQrE/s1600-h/blogupdate08060255 NULL.jpg)[It is extremely difficult to get photos of women, especially in the Muslim world. Equally difficult is getting to know them and their stories. Outside of the craziness of the Marrakesh Medina, we wandered in a small community of craftsman and porters. There were no Westerners walking the streets so it was much easier to relate with the people on a personal level. Anna had been praying that she would be able to get connected with a local woman and possibly even get portraits of her. God presented the opportunity and we spent close to an hour and a half getting to know the Berber family who had come to Marrakesh. We were so blown away by their hospitality and warmth. We would all love to go back and visit them someday as well.]

(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM0hzRIE-I/AAAAAAAAAjI/XscGUXYWy-o/s1600-h/blogupdate08060258 NULL.jpg) (http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM0ijRIE_I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/YmTT-orNiZ0/s1600-h/blogupdate08060259 NULL.jpg)[Morocco is quite famous for its leather. The largest tannery is located in Fez, but there are also quite a few large tanneries in Marrakesh as well. It is popular for tourists to go and thus popular to be led to specific tanneries by a myriad of different people, including children and inebriated men. We finally made our own way through an open door into a tannery deserted by tourists. We walked around and took some pictures before heading back to our hostel. The man on the bottom is Abdallah Azziz who showed me the whole process of tanning leathers, a process that has become his life-long profession.]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM0ijRIFAI/AAAAAAAAAjY/mTu
C962HqSc/s1600-h/blogupdate08060261 NULL.jpg)[Some of the Arab influenced architecture in Marrakesh]
(http://bp0 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM1WzRIFBI/AAAAAAAAAjg/8uVxmlll2b8/s1600-h/blogupdate08060263 NULL.jpg)[The closest coastal town to Marrakesh is Essaouira (I am still terrible at the pronunciation). Translated, the name means "windy city" and it is very windy. It is also dominated by the tourism industry. There is also a history and tradition of catching fish in the Atlantic, so a generous fishing industry also brings in revenue for the coastal community.]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM2KTRIFJI/AAAAAAAAAkg/YgJxAtcXYOU/s1600-h/blogupdate08060276 NULL.jpg)[A man sits at the gate of the Essaouira medina in the traditional dress of many Moroccans, a hooded jalebah.

(http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM2KDRIFHI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/RXuAuNFLbYg/s1600-h/blogupdate08060272 NULL.jpg) (http://bp1 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM2KDRIFII/AAAAAAAAAkY/Jk7eBhaE_R4/s1600-h/blogupdate08060274 NULL.jpg)[One of the strays that Aaron and Anna (and I) fell in love with]

(http://bp2 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM1XTRIFDI/AAAAAAAAAjw/W8mRTl3mIEM/s1600-h/blogupdate08060265 NULL.jpg)[Another of Essaouira's medina gates.]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM1XjRIFEI/AAAAAAAAAj4/oPra0T00Ep4/s1600-h/blogupdate08060267 NULL.jpg)[Aaron standing in front of a colorful backdrop composed of rugs and blankets]

(http://bp3 NULL.blogger NULL.com/_qnp_-5yGoRQ/SEM1XjRIFFI/AAAAAAAAAkA/ph8L0EH1Mio/s1600-h/blogupdate08060268 NULL.jpg)[The medina walls of Essaouira]

We are in Costa Rica and Latin America for the next few weeks finalizing the phase of the track in which we travel around the world. It’s hard to believe that it has been almost 9 months already. Pray for us as we finish here, take a quick break at home, and then meet back in Kona. I will be sure to have another blog update before then.

In His Love,

John Paul Vicory

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]

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[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.

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[Roche Valley Abbey near Doncaster, UK]

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[Fountains Abbey near Ripon, UK]

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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.

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(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]

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

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(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 — 2 Comments
26
Feb 08

Holy Land, Egypt… then to Ethiopia!

Leaving the Holy Land was a surreal experience. It had been a month, spent almost all in Jerusalem, a haven for tension. A couple trips to Galilee broke up the monotony and opened my eyes to more of what the Holy Land has to offer and a better idea of where and how Jesus lived.

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[The Wall of separation from the Bethlehem side]

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[Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, Jerusalem]

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[Palestinian Man in the Old City, Jerusalem]

My head is still wrapped around the whole concept of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I don’t think that I will ever understand it; never be able to choose sides. I don’t think that is my job or my place; it belongs to the One who is sovereign of over the affairs of nations. My hope is that all nations go down in flames, not with the physical tongues of fire but with a fire that consumes the monuments of hatred concealed in the hearts of all men. Laid waste by the love of Christ, refined with unquenchable intensity, and transformed into citizens of the Kingdom whose new passion is found in the grace and love that flows from the heart of the King. The wasteland is replaced with streams of light and a garden of life; lush pastureland and abundant fruit trees.

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[Looking West from Arbel]

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[Area of Tubqa, Sea of Galilee: See John 21]

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[Group of Apples in the hallway market outside of our hostel in Jerusalem]

My heart burns for the Holy Land to have this kind of transformation, but I don’t want it to stop there. I want that for Egypt, East Africa, Nepal, Colombia, the United States; any location containing those God made in His own image.

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[Laurus (Seagulls) in the Rain, Galilee]

We arrived back in Cairo about a week ago and have been engaged in learning since we landed. I love this city and this country. I have a feeling there may be some more time spent here in the future. We have been learning some more about “Painting with Light” which is the actual definition of photography but also a type of photography which I will give examples of. This week, Luke Moon is back from Kona teaching us about Worldview; he actually leads the Humanities school at the U of N in Kona. He provides some practical and contemporary insight that enables me to think clearly about the world around me and how others think about it as well.

[Pictures that were taken as assignments during the week: Seeing Light, Studio Lighting, Night Photography, and Light Painting]

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[Said, one of the doormen/watchmen of our building]

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[Minibus driver in Tahrir Square (via sideview mirror)]

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[Tahrir Square Mosque]

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class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:0.5in;text-align:center;">[My model and friend, Wally]

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[Tahrir Square from the top of our building]

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[Experimenting with open shutters, satellite disks, and external flash units... and the moon]

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[Light Painting + Night Photography + Waterscape on the Nile]

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[Breakfast light painted]

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[I just like it]

At the end of the week I, as well as the rest of PhotogenX, will be going to Ethiopia. For those who didn’t receive my blog updates last year, I did my DTS outreach in Ethiopia from January through February of last year. This will be the first time I will be going back and I am so excited. Please pray that distant connections will be renewed and that Ethiopia will be a place for all of us to reconnect with God’s heart for the world. Sometimes it is easy to get tired and worn out with moving to a new place every 3 or 4 weeks. We need renewed vision and a greater revelation of the love of Christ for all nations and all people.

[Pictures from Garbage City, a Coptic Christian area of Cairo, Egypt]

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The financial needs on the Track are always present as well. Recently a student has to leave the program because of financial reasons. We all know what it is like to struggle with finances, but it was made very real this week. For my situation, I collected a bit of debt especially during college that has been weighing on me lately. God has always provided for my immediate needs and paying the bills as well, but I long to get out from under the pressure of those payments. I am trying to set up a website to make my pictures available for purchase, but am in need of assistance for that as well. I appreciate your prayers for me and the rest of the team as well. We are becoming very close (as you can imagine from constant time together) and it’s very hard when someone has to leave.

Pray for protection as we travel to and around Ethiopia and that we will do exactly what God wants us to do in Ethiopia and the rest of the time in Egypt. I have all of these ideas for opportunities and would love to see them come to fruition.

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Thank you for your time, thoughts, prayers, and communication as well. I would love to hear from you. In response, I will try to get back to you in a timely manner, but with the internet situation, might take a few days.

Because of Jesus

John Paul Vicory

Uncategorized — 5 Comments
1
Feb 08

the Holy Land

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[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.

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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.

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[The Division between the different quarters of the Old City is remarkably defined]

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[View from Arab Quarter to Jewish Quarter]

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[In the Jewish Quarter]

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[And it was]

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[The Old City has tombs around half of its walls. Looking toward Mt of Olives]

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[Arab Casket]

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[Popular toys]

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[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]

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[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)

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[Some of the tools Jesus would have been familiar with, but He would have also been an expert in stonework]

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[Minar]

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[Tim and his new best friend... he really wanted to buy one]

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[Naphtalie didn't really kiss Petunia (the lamb's name) and didn't want to buy one]

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[Millstone for crushing olives at an olive press]

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[Oil lamp and scroll]

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[Woman at an Arab-Christian Nazarene Church in Nazareth... yes]

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[Grain field in front of the disputed Golan Heights]

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They say Peter’s house was here… all I could see were rocks with huge buildings built over them]

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[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]

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[It snowed in Jerusalem... we got hit with snowballs and so did unsuspecting women and children]

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[One man's trash]

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[Streets of the Old City]
Uncategorized — 4 Comments
21
Nov 07

"Mars Hill really Rocked…" Last update from Greece!

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[One of the most amazing sunsets ever, Porto Rafti, Greece]

Thank you, Dan Shannon, one of our speakers this week, for that lovely quote. As part of our teaching this week, the entire class and our speakers took a trip to Athens to spend the day around the Acropolis area, including the Areopagus (Mars Hill). A couple of us had spent some time there before, but one of our speakers, David Hamilton, gave some stellar background information on the area and the lifestyle of Athens at that time.

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[First Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece]

It was the center of the world for the arts, education, and contemporary thought. The philosophers could gather around the monumental temples in the center of the city and toss around ideas of democracy, science, and life. We read Acts 17 where Paul walks in to the center of town and makes his voice and the Gospel that it carries known. They called him an idiot and threatened him with his life (Socrates had been put to death for introducing foreign gods). Even in the face of them, he spoke to them with the authority of the Holy Spirit. It was the first time the Gospel had been shared there, and he was all by himself

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[Acropolis Panorama at Night, Athens, Greece]

To gaze on these amazing buildings and to have insight into their structure and intricacies, there is no wonder that people worshiped those whom the buildings were built for. At one time in the Parthenon (the largest, most prominent temple to the goddess Athena Parthenon), there was a giant statue made of pure gold, diamonds, pearls and other precious jewels. These people held their gods in such high esteem, but why? In polytheistic cultures, people live in fear of the gods. They fashion their lives around pleasing them and bribing them with elaborate sacrifices and practices. When bad things happen, a god is mad at them so further action needs to be taken. The gods were always trying to do bad to them. As David Hamilton so eloquently put it, “Religion was a minimizing of fear not an establishment of hope.” So Paul waltzes in and challenges them by saying that there is an Unknown God, and that is a God that cares deeply about them; enough to send his Son to them to be the last sacrifice. This was revolutionary for them, a God that cared? A God of Grace?

Now, there are many lessons that I took away from not only from the teaching, but my time walking around the Acropolis.

The first is that the idolatry of the Greek culture was immensely beautiful. These buildings brought out emotion and awe, and who they stood for brought awe as well. They were still false gods, but they were, and still are attractive. Even now, there are so many things that are attractive to us, pulling us, but aren’t things of God. We start to worship materialism and set up mere humans in the places of importance in our lives. That’s just the tip of the iceberg with all of the things we place in the high places of our lives… But, just as with the buildings in the Acropolis, the things of this world will come to ruin. No matter how fast we work, or how much we maintain, they will always be temporal, no matter how great the appear. We can use the illustration for idolatry and sin in our lives; it might look great for a time, but in the end, it all turns to dust.

The philosophers must have looked at Paul like he was crazy; pointing to the vast buildings just beside them as testimony of their god’s greatness. But the God that Paul shared with them on that day in Athens is the same God that is alive and well today, dwelling in the lives of his people. He truly does last forever and it has been proven time and time again throughout the history of the world. When our hearts and lives aren’t built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, they will crumble to dust.

The second lesson was just as valuable. Like I said before, the people lived in constant fear because there was no way to please the multitude of manic, compulsory, selfish, immoral, and illusory gods. Paul submits to them that there is a God who actually cares for them and will extend perfect grace to them, not by a manner of bribery, but acceptance and revelation. So many times, even as Christians, we come with this thought of God like the Greek pagans did… If I do this for you, God, will you be satisfied; can I go to heaven? We have this mental block that he doesn’t really want the best for us; that our plans are more effective than his; that our comfort is of utmost importance. We believe the lies of the enemy that God is angry with us and will never accept us with our imperfections…

Well, I felt like this is what God was telling me earlier this week, even before going to Athens…

Then the angel showed me myself standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against me. And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen him, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.”

My clothing was filthy as I stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to me said, “See, I have taken your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” [Zechariah 3:1-4]

God is not far off, distant, and angry. He desires to take us as we stand before Him, filthy and unrefined. He cannot wait to extend his grace to us, but it does cost us something. We have to tear down the idols that we have and embrace him as the only Lord of our lives.

Last year around this time in my DTS lecture phase, I finally was able to co
me to this point. I realized that I had built my life on idols and didn’t know God. Those idols came crashing down and I found myself standing before God, afraid, but as my only hope. My clothes were black with sin, charred and filled with the smell of smoke. Satan stood there bringing accusations of all kinds which I had believed for so long. The Creator of the universe silenced him by extending his grace to me and I found myself renewed and clean; now standing before my Father.

If this is similar to your story, I would love to talk about it further. Like I said and my life testifies, God wants us to be in communion with him as His children. And, I want to challenge you all to examine your own lives and see if there are things that, although they may seem beautiful, you have built to unworthy places in you life. We can see from the story of the Greek gods, that they won’t stand a chance.

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[Pillars in the Agora (Ancient Marketplace), Athens]

That’s it for now, until Turkey, may the Lord bless you and keep you

In Him

John Paul


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