("Postulant's Path" article for Grace Sheboygan's November Angelus newsletter) As I sat in the pew at Grace during the 10:15 service recently, I was struck by how many faces were new to me. Seeing these faces reminded me of when, not so very long ago, I was new at Grace. It was October of 2008 …
What Next?
("Postulant's Path" article for Grace Sheboygan's August Angelus newsletter) Two months. Six countries. Three thousand photos. Countless memories. Now I am back in Virginia. I arrived less than a week ago and am attempting to adjust back to Eastern Standard Time living. There is a lot to process regarding what occurred over the past two …
How does one know?
My time in the Middle East is at an end. After all of the planning, it's completed. Now it's time for some processing before heading back to the US and my final year of seminary. Today, I ended up with tears streaming down my face as I was overwhelmed with signs that God has been …
Freedom: what does it mean to you?
This morning, I came across a Facebook discussion that stated that our freedom was bought by Christ and therefore we, as Christians, might want to consider not celebrating Independance Day. In light of being in this place, I nearly came unglued! One of the reasons this summer's journey was so important to me is that …
‘Trust’ is a future word
(July Postulant's Path article for Grace Sheboygan monthly Angelus newsletter) Grace and peace to you from the plains of Ninevah! Unlike Jonah, I am here willingly while sharing the Gospel. There are moments that I marvel, “How’d I get here!?!” Then I look back on my life and see the points where I chose to follow (despite …
Give us each day our daily bread
Daily bread. Whether it's the Matthew version ("this day") or the Luke version ("each day"), my time here has taught me to appreciate that each day's food provisions are a gift! A gift from God. There is no room for "likes" and "dislikes" in this place; there is food provided and we can choose to …
New Life in the Heat
There are so many stories in this one photo. It is a statement of new life and of the oppressive heat that exists in this place. Look closely and you will see three roosters who have found relief from the heat in the shade. With daytime highs in the 110's, we are all seeking shade. …
Cha(i)nge is a brewin’
It is the eve of Eid (pronounced "eed"). In a few hours, the sun will go down for the proposed last night of Ramadan. At 4 AM, the minaret will call the faithful to the mosque for prayer and the celebrations will begin. By 5 AM, the streets should be filled with people! Last year, over …
Red and Yellow and Pink and Green…
...purple and orange and blue. I can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, too." The words of this song have been floating through my head today as I've been surrounded by children. At one point, we were surrounded by and playing with about 100 kids while the doctor and other members of …
Whose face do you see?
We spent the better part of the afternoon serving a small community that has spring up outside one of the camps; individuals who did not make it into the camp. Today was medical team day. We are blessed with a remarkable young, Egyptian doctor. In 3.5 hours, we saw 76 people in need of care. …
"Krafting" Bridges 