Zaydaya's Dad

Sharing our Travelling Stories with others & God one day

I know far too well through the years of my travels through 70+ nations the numerous encounters, conversations, and moments that I was eager to share but ended up not being able to share or felt limited in sharing them..  How good this reminder is of the day we will be able to share with our loving God and the host of those who have gone before us (Hebrews 11) all of the moments that we feel no one else knows about...

Henri Nouwen says it so well..

"Travelling - seeing new sights, hearing new music, and meeting new people - is exciting and exhilarating. But when we have no home to return to where someone will ask us, "How was your trip?" we might be less eager to go. Travelling is joyful when we travel with the eyes and ears of those who love us, who want to see our slides and hear our stories.

This is what life is about. It is being sent on a trip by a loving God, who is waiting at home for our return and is eager to watch the slides we took and hear about the friends we made. When we travel with the eyes and ears of the God who sent us, we will see wonderful sights, hear wonderful sounds, meet wonderful people ... and be happy to return home"

Maybe Hope for Zimbabwe

My wife and I were in Zimbabwe a month ago and this past weekend's elections were very crucial in the possible change in the local gov't that could hopefully mean improvement on many levels.  Please pray for this nation -

It would be best if Mugabe does not continue as the leader..   Currently, the nation experiences 80% unemployement and 100,000% inflation rates annualy

Reflecting on what we value

Came across the words of Basil Pennington and how he defines unhappiness - "a result of not being able to do something I want to do, have something I want to have, or concern about what others will think of me"

Do we value what we have, can do, or merely what others think of us?    Indeed this is true and the struggle with anyone who is honest.  How true for anyone in any sort of public leadership type of vocation.   

N.T. Wright's throughts on Easter

“The Resurrection says this world matters!  That the injustices and pains of this present world must now be addressed with the news that healing, justice and love have won…Easter means that in a world where injustice, violence and degradation are endemic, God is not prepared to tolerate such things, and that we will work and plan with all the energy of God to implement the victory of Jesus over them.” (N.T. Wright)

Easter Wishes

I hope that this weekend of Easter reflection will be a time of renewal in your body, spirit, and mind.  Wherever you are and whomever you are with, be grateful for the gift that God has given in Christ.     There is much to be grateful for and rejoice about!   

Have joy-filled celebration!

numbers of interest

A few interesting stats I read today from a missions journal i get...

• Total number of denominations worldwide - 37,000
• Percentage of the world’s 6.6 billion people who call themselves “Christian” – 31.4% - 2.2 billion
• Ratio of “white” to “non-white” Christians - 44% are white, 56% are non white
• Number of evangelical Christians in the world – 259 million
•   Number of languages worldwide with at least a portion of Scripture translated – 2,238
• Number of women in full-time Christian ministry serving around the world – 4.4 million
• Total number of Christian foreign missionaries currently deployed worldwide – 443,000 in 4,340 agencies
• The six countries that receive the greatest number of foreign missionaries – USA – 35, 100; Brazil – 26, 400; Russia – 20,100; France – 16, 900; Britain – 15,800; D.R. Congo – 15,800

• Number of Africans who are serving as foreign missionaries on other continents – Almost 19,000

Recent Zayd quotes

Our little Zayd is 5 1/2 now and getting more and more curious and talkative -  Here are a few items of recent days

"Daddy, I don't like love a lot, I just like it a little"

"Daddy, how old you are is close to 100?"

"Daddy, do you know who my best friend is?  Jesus and the 2 boys I just met outside!"

"I want to go to school everyday"

"Can Jesus run faster than Dash?"  (from the Incredibles)

"Resist Cynicism" says Mariane Pearl

Last night, Elise and I went to hear Mariane Pearl - the widow of Daniel Pearl - The film, Mighty Heart, was made about their story and her husband's death/murder/kidnapp in pakistan -  Amazing stories and very inspiring - TIME interview

A Buddhist who had a few great thinks that have been a take away

1. Resist Cynicism -  It is easy to become cynical and crash -  As she recalled her living in Mumbai as her husband worked with the Wall Street Journal,   they refused to fall into cynical outlook of the surroundings, poverty, abuse to women, being cheated.  What a message for us all and especially for cross-cultural workers.    I remember Jack Nicholson saying in the movie Anger Management, "Cynicism is the cousin of anger"

2.  Dialogue -  We must foster dialogue and conversation to survive and thrive.  In all relationships, peronally and between nations/religions

3.  If you are not moving forward, you are movign back and not progressing, growing, changing