This is Joel's Old Blog

Sarah McLachlan: $15 music video and $150k to global poverty

You must go here to see Sarah McLachlan's music video, WORLD ON FIRE -  I am not sure how long this has been out but it surely raises some good questions, and hopefully will in the entertainment idustry --     I love the idea and applaud McLachlen for doing this and think more creative ways to channel resources to a world in need should happen.

• Instead of spending $2,500 for an editor, that same amount of money can pay for school fees for 100 street children in Tanzania for 1 year
• $9,500 would have paid for meetings, tax, and union fees for a video, instead it paid for film screenings in refugee camps in west Africa to educate 180,000 refugees

zayd to hospital: could not breathe

thank you for your emails and prayers for our son Zayd.   We awoke 2 nights ago to find Zayd desperate to breathe -  I rushed him to the hospital about 1 am -  We stayed in the hospital for about 16 hours  --  Zayd has a repertory infection and it is blocking his air passages.    All of the nurses and doctors at the hospital  loved Zayd and his blonde hair and all of his questions to them.  His favorite one was, "Why?"    He loved to push the little button to call on the nurses and wanted to ask for chicken and spaghetti.   He also kept saying,  "This is our hotel . not my house"     We left with several medications and instructions to rest.  Zayd slept about 14 hours last night  - Please continue to pray for his recovery.  He is a gift and great inspiration to us all.  During one conversation with a doctor who asked why we were living in

Thailand

, I got to share with her about the great physician who heals of us our inner pain and sin and brings hope for tomorrow.  She was intrigued and asked many questions.   I prayed with her before we left the hospital. 

A birth like experience: LAND purchased in INDIA

I have not written yet here on my blog about the day of Thursday, May 18 when i saw the land for the first time in north india that we have been working on purchasing for the past 4 years.. waiting, negotiating, waiting more, stalled, waiting.. I never thought it would happen. me of little faith, perhaps.   donors were getting weary, thought it would not happen.  On that may 18 day, tears filled my eyes as i walked over the land thinking of the lives to be impacted for generations to come after I am dead and with Jesus --   What lives would come to future building space on this land and hear and come to know the love of Jesus? be taught how to read?how many children will be educated?  My first time to step my own feet upon the land of India was 1992, NEVER did I think that God would allow property to be purchased in north India to see God's Kingdom come to the beautiful land of India.  May God continue to guide us, lead us, and grow our efforts for His name and GLORY! 

  more thoughts and reflections to come...

"I from America!" responded Zayd

Zayd is at that amazing age where he is picking up new words, phrases every day -  Being at school all day helps speed up the process -- Yesterday, we went to the local store to pick up something and as we were entering inside, some Thai people began talking to him in Thai and he quickly responded, "I from America! America"  I had never heard him say this but he is understanding his identity as  different than most people around him -- It made me really reflect and think what he will say when we go back to America  -- Will he be confused about his identity that he can understand everyone speaking english around him?   How will this time here develop his understanding of what is American?  obviously, many questions that i will not attempt to answer here ---

graduation of servlife workers in india

it was superb to see 8 new servlife workers graduate from our 1 year training school in north india -- they will be heading out to areas of india to love, share hope, and start new church communities!   

back to thailand

been away for about 1 week in nepal and india with a team from california -- jason, one of our team members, just gave me these photos of some snorkeling i took zayd to back in march in thailand

have a few bananas in your hand and you don't even need a mask --

The SKY out our back door tonight

in AWE of the story

every night when i lie down in the bed with Zayd he asks me, "Daddy, tell me tory"  (can't say that S yet)   He normally wants to pick the topic of the story: batman, superman, spiderman, a talking stick, dolphins, mean whales --   My story may go like this:  "A talking stick was lying the dirt and a man came by and heard the stick say to him, 'can i get a drink and you throw me in the water?' -" 

Zayd will then GASP in amazement and suspense to what will happen next, the surprise, intrigue, mystery, amazement.... I always think how long this gasping will last - How more complex will I need to create a story for his sense of amazement and wonder to continue?   

I wonder why it is that the story of God does not come to my mind and heart with the same sense of wonder, awe,  and amazement as it should? perhaps it use to? perhaps it will in the future?- The story of forgivness, hope, love does not leave me with a GASP as my 3 1/2 year old when he hears of spiderman's adventures... have we made it too complicated?  too many distractions that we loose the simplicity and beauty?   

I know that when the God story is revealed to us in the slightest way, we cannot help but allow ourselves to respond with knowing that he is worth it to give ourselves to HIM and his purposes on the earth.

dream of community OR community before us

One of the realities of being back in Asia is a community with us, living around the corner, sharing meals, prayer, conversations..daily - I am in an experience of community in mission unlike the past - There are realities of challenge and realites of surprise, joy, and discovery --  Many of us come with different "dreams" of community and expectations...some with little and others with much..indeed, we must all leave behind the dreams we have of a communal mission experience and embrace each other as community, sacrificing for the good of the other...

Dietrich Bonhoefer writes, "A community which insists upon keeping its illusion when it should be shattered, permanently loses in that moment the promise of Christian community. Sooner or later it will collapse. Every human wish dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be banished if genuine community is to survive. He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial."

Don't do this if you want to give something away

A friend in Seattle, Paul --  shared something his wife recently read on CraigsList --

"FREE, IN GREAT WORKING CONDITION - BUT VERY HEAVY.--I can’t deliver, so you’ll need to pick up. I’d like it gone by Saturday afternoon. Good working order with all attachments, came with all options available at the time. It’s the best I’ve seen but I really don’t use it enough to justify taking up the space."

This sounds amazing!  Free. heavy.  Only no one knows what it is.