"I'm Letting Go"

Who can ever predict the twists and turns our lives will take.  We reach a place of impasse or what seems to be a dead-end, never knowing what God has in mind just a few turns around the corner.

I've been sitting on my deck weeping this morning.  It dawned on me about an hour ago as I was finishing the preparations for my sermon that it was two years ago today that I hit the wall and reached the point of saying to Daphne "I'm done".  Two years ago today.  Burnout.  Leave of absence and two months of counseling in Colorado.  The decision to resign from my job as Director of Operations, then to resign from the organization and from ministry.  Wondering where in the world we would end up, or how God would provide for our needs.  A move to Conifer, Colorado where the only person we knew was Bob our realtor.  And here I am sitting on my deck, watching the sun rise over the mountain... wondering how in the world we ended up here? 

It is the Irony of God that I'm preaching today, and that the last point of my message is about yielding our lives to God because we can trust Him.  Wow, that is the understatement of the century.  We are a living testimony to God's faithfulness through times of doubt and darkness.  He never let go of us, never gave up on us, never stopped loving us.  I gave up Christian ministry to move to Colorado, then I gave up crisis management consulting to follow His leading to become a pastor at Journey.  And now I realize that He gave it all back to us - a role in ministry AND crisis management too.  I leave in less than two weeks for South Africa to lead a crisis management training for a mission group there, and in October I will be training one of the largest churches in Denver - and I have done absolutely nothing to gain these two training opportunities.  He has proven to us yet again (as if He needed to prove anything) that He is God and we can trust Him.  He will not leave us or forsake us.  All He asks of us is our TRUST. 

The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight."  Proverbs 3:5,6

Opinions on Everything by Nobody

I have a friend here named Mark.  One of Mark's talents is writing, and although he's often thought about putting his "musings" into print he's never actually taken his craft beyond the writing stage.  I enjoy his writing style, and while I don't necessarily agree with him on every point I find that I have more in common with him than where we might disagree.  I'm trying to encourage him to write more and explore the idea of publishing, and I suggested to him that one step towards this goal might be to start a blog.  So, I offered to put several of his short essays on my blog; if you enjoy his writing style please leave a comment on the blog for Mark to see.

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Opinions On Everything by Nobody - by Mark Ryan

Seat Belt laws and such…

Creating new laws seems an endless project doesn’t it.  We’ve been creating new laws for several hundred years – both federally and in each state of these “united” states….yet, every year we surely seem to need a few hundred, or a few thousand more. But who’s counting?  Righteous, pious, overacting legislators from sea to shining sea feel the need to rant and rave about something, so that they continue to look important and be of utmost value to us lowly, uninformed, incapable masses.

On this note, I wonder how the evolution of law making has progressed.  I imagine, the early laws (such as murder, theft, etc…) derived from the concept that in a good, free, civilized society, there should be rules about how we treat others.  Violate those rules, you no longer belong among us.  Seems like a sound concept to me.  Protect me from the bad guys…I get it…THANK YOU!  

But then, somehow, somewhere along the way, these wise protectors of the masses began creating laws to protect me from...well, me!  What?  When did that become their job?  I thought that job began with my parents when they told me not to run across a busy highway, or not to put my hand on the hot stove.  When did these overzealous orators decide it was their job?  Well, whenever it happened, they surely did welcome the task.

A good example is the seat belt law.  YOU MUST WEAR A SEAT BELT IN YOUR CAR…IT WILL PROTECT YOU IF YOU CRASH!  Ok…they are probably right…it’s a good idea…it’s probably the intelligent thing to do, but is it necessary to make it a “law of the land”…to protect me from being so foolish as to risk my life by driving without a seatbelt?  Sort of seems to me that if I want to behave as a moron at a risk to no one other than me (the moron)…I oughta have that choice.  How “free” is “freedom” when they start telling me I can’t risk harm to myself? 

How ‘bout parachuting out of a perfectly functional plane…that’s seems a tad risky, but apparently it’s not as bad as DRIVING TO KING SOOPERS WITHOUT YOUR SEATBELT!  Jumping from a plane is perfectly legal…as is NASCAR, Drag Racing, Hockey, Rodeo, Bungee jumping and a myriad of other activities in which you may injure yourself.  How do these ever-so-intelligent people differentiate between which activities they must protect me from and which ones are just “good fun”?

Now, now folks…I can hear your “comebacks” already…relax….I’ll address them in a minute.

Now, I actually agree with requiring minors to be protected by a seat belt when riding in a car…and the baby seat thing…GREAT idea.  You see, those requirements are protecting someone not yet granted the legal definition of an adult who is supposedly able to decide what is good for themselves.  No problem there!  If I’m an irresponsible guy who is putting people riding in my vehicle at risk, then I have no problem with a law which requires me to protect THEM.  My problem once again, is a law which protects me from me!

Now the greatest opponents to my position usually say one of two things:  1) it’s no big deal, just buckle up; or 2) but let’s say you get injured and don’t have insurance and then tax dollars are going to be used to take care of you…so there it is man…we’re all paying for your stupidity!  Let me take one at a time, ok?

1) Its no big deal, just buckle up.

I agree with you there…it truly is NO BIG DEAL and honestly, I DO BUCKLE UP…I just completely disagree with being REQUIRED TO BY LAW!  Educate me as to the risks and then #&@*ing let me decide.  That’s all there is to that one….

2) The “we will all have to pay for your stupidity thing”…

 There are certainly other ways to handle this issue.  For example, we could have car insurance companies (private companies with decisions to make as to how they run their business) include a clause where you are denied coverage if you are in an accident and not following certain guidelines…like, not wearing a seatbelt.  I tell you what people; more people would wear a seat belt fearing loss of medical coverage than would ever wear one fearing a $92 ticket.

Some of you may say that seems like the same thing….what’s the difference between the government telling you to wear it and the insurance company telling you the same thing?  Well here it is folks….the government telling me is a law with penalties; the insurance company telling me is a “choice”…that’s the difference AND my friends, it’s a big one!

Maybe we should just make it that you will not be treated at any medical facility if you should injure yourself while driving without a seatbelt.  Sorry dude, bad decision….can’t help you…you are dead.  I know that sounds harsh, but really, at least then you have a choice to be an idiot instead of being required to protect you from you…

Ok, I know we aren’t gonna just say, “your dead” in this country…I was exaggerating.  By now, you probably have seen my tendency to do so…but how about this choice:  If you wear a seat belt, your insurance will pay for your care in the finest medical facilities in the country – no holds barred.  If you “CHOOSE” not to wear it, you are left with whatever care is available at the local welfare clinic?  Then it’s a choice for a reasonable person to make…not a law telling me how to protect me…from me.

I could go on and apply this same argument about motorcycle helmets and life vests while in a boat, but you get the idea…

Give it some thought…is it the governments job to protect “you” from “you”?

Smoking in Public Places…

For the record, I don’t smoke.  Well, maybe an occasional cigar with my brother or during a friendly poker game.  But for my purposes here, when I refer to “smoking”, I mean cigarettes, ok?  Also for the record…I HATE the smell of smoke; the lingering odor on my clothes after being in a smoke filled room; the burning redness left in my eyes, the potential risk to my health, and all the rest of the things that come from second hand smoke.

With all these things in mind, I am completely, fundamentally, positively and unequivocally OPPOSED to these newly enacted laws prohibiting smoking in restaurants and bars.  What?  Did you read that right?  Yeah, go ahead and read this again…and yep, I’m opposed to these intrusive, Un-American laws.

You may be wondering why a non-smoker, who hates the smell and effects of second hand smoke is not standing up applauding my ever-so-efficient government and their efforts to make my life more pleasant.  Simple folks, it’s about freedom.  It’s about entrepreneurship.  It’s about free enterprise.  When you get right down to it, it’s about being free.  We preach a lot in this country about being free, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult if you really think about.

Follow me on this one.  You are a budding entrepreneur.  You decide to open a little bistro of your own.  You create the menu.  You develop the recipes and the menu.  You borrow several hundred THOUSAND dollars.  You sign a multi-year, several-thousand-dollars-per-month lease.  You buy the kitchen equipment, the tables, the glasses, the chairs, the table cloths and everything else you need to get started.  You don’t have enough personal funds to accomplish all this, so, believing in your dream, you borrow money from EVERYONE and every institution you can (mortgaging your house as collateral).  You risk your entire financial existence on this venture.  (If you think I’m exaggerating, you’ve clearly never started a business…try it sometime…) 

By the way, you are also risking your marriage and family because it takes an immense amount of time to get a business up and running and sometimes, that amount of time and effort away from the family is, well, just too much of a strain.  (Trust me on this one…I’ve seen it first hand)  But, with all the odds against you, you forge ahead – nothing will stop you in pursuit of your dream.  It’s America and you are staking your claim to the American Dream.

Whose decision should it be as to the menu?  Whose decision should the style of décor be?  Who should decide on the color of the table cloth?  How about whether you just serve dinner…or add lunch service as well?  Of course, you are thinking, these are all decisions of the owner, duh!  It’s his business after all, right?  And, you’d be correct.

BUT….who’s decision is it whether to allow patrons to smoke?  NOT the owners…at least, not anymore.  Isn’t that absurd?  Our governments have decided it is THEIR job to dictate to the person who has risked EVERYTHING whether to allow patrons to enjoy a PERFECTLY LEGAL activity in their own business.   Am I the only one thinking……..HUH?...What?

For a minute here, let’s pretend the government actually left this difficult, deeply complex issue to the “people” they are so eager to protect.  Question:  If I know of a restaurant that allows smoking….and yet, I hate second hand smoke…can I, as a free American decide NOT to give that restaurant my business?  Seriously, am I allowed that freedom of choice?  OF course I am!  And TAA-DAA…that’s the free enterprise system at work! 

If I, and enough other patrons, choose not to give a certain establishment our business because we are opposed to their smoking policy, then one of two things will “naturally” happen; 1) they will go out of business or 2) they will shift their policies to attract new customers (and past customers).  It’s simple.  The problem takes care of itself through an almost forgotten concept called “free enterprise”.

How about if I AM a smoker…and I consider it very important to my dining experience to “light one up” after my meal.  If I find a restaurant, whose owner allows it, what is the immense and great public interest in having our government “over-ride” the decision of the entrepreneur and ruin my dining experience?  I simply don’t get this one.

Oh, yeah…I remember one of the arguments now…

It’s about the workers who are “forced” to work in these smoke filled environments.  (If anyone is about to say it’s about the enjoyment of those who don’t smoke…you oughta stay quiet on that one…if you don’t like smoke…DON’T GO THERE!).  Whew…back to these workers.

If I wanted to be an elected member of our government, I could surely “sell” this law.  I’d talk about a poor single mother whose life and very health are at risk due to restaurant patrons “poisoning her”, at no fault of her own.  She’s just trying to get by…and is being “forced” to endure this health hazard just to put food on the table for little Joey.  I’d be elected…and then I’d be just as insincere and pandering as the rest of ‘em.

Come on…no one in this country is “forced” to keep a job.  If this entire issue was left to the “choice” of business owners, I have to believe it would all work out fine.  Enough restaurateurs would “CHOOSE” to be non smoking (to encourage those who wish to dine in that environment)….AND FOLKS, enough restaurateurs would “CHOOSE” to allow smoking (to encourage those who wish to dine in that environment).  AND…there would be jobs AT BOTH TYPES of establishments.

I mean, isn’t this all ridiculous.  We all have a choice of where to spend our restaurant and entertainment dollars…let’s leave it up to US!  I find it ever so insulting that our legislators feel that we are incapable of these decisions on our own.  What’s next… deciding that a restaurant shouldn’t serve fried chicken because deep fried foods might be unhealthy….?  A little personal responsibility would eradicate this issue – you CHOOSE where to spend your time and dollar – the business owner responds in a way to try to encourage your patronage….simple.

Now…with all that said…I actually agree with the non-smoking policy in buildings where I am REQUIRED to go.  When it applies to public buildings, such as Government buildings where I MUST go to simply comply with the ever-so-growing amount of laws and regulations, I GET IT.  I have no “choice” to go to these establishments…I have to get my new car safety sticker and registration…I have to apply for my marriage license, etc…

So, I have no problem there…in PUBLIC buildings where I MUST go to simply survive in this complex bureaucracy, fine…protect my health…and make the workers and patrons smoke right outside the entranceway where I have to walk through a nearly impenetrable cloud of smoke to enter the building…I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

But when it comes to a PRIVATE business owner…with his proverbial ASS on the line…let him or her make his own damn decision.  The free market and personal choice will determine what happens.  Government…stick with issues where you are needed… here…quite frankly, you are not!

Anyway…give it some thought…who’s choice should it be in a “free” country?

 

Movies in the Meadows

Last Friday night we organized the first of our Movies in the Meadows series, and it was a great hit.  I think we stopped counting at 346 people, and we had to find parking for over 140 cars.  We'd put up the screen and mowed a big section of the meadow as advertising a couple of days before the event, and it must have worked.  The movie only started after dark (around 8:45), but people were arriving as early as 6:30 to claim their spot on the field and to play frisbee golf, or get their faces painted, or just sit and chat.  The meadow was still pretty soggy so we couldn't use it much for parking except for 4x4 vehicles.  The rest we parked along the road that winds up through the property and eventually to the house and barn.  I was directing traffic down by the entrance to the driveway along with one of our church members who's a cop and was in uniform.  Amazing how much better people behave when there's a policeman on duty!  We really didn't have any problems to speak of - a couple of angry people who didn't end up staying very long, but everyone else had a great time.  Hopefully the Word of Mouth advertising will work it's magic and we'll

We even had a not-so-angry Llama on hand!

have a bigger crowd this weekend.  The weather report says thunderstorms today, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday... and 0% chance of precipitation on Friday... hmmm, almost seems like there's someone in charge of things :)

I will be preaching on Sunday, and I'm supposed to find the spiritual analogies in the movie True Grit (the new one with Jeff Bridges).  Mike spoke about this last weekend - how we can find truth anywhere in life because all of life originates with God.  Truth is truth, wherever you find it - and there are plenty of great lines from this movie that can be tied to some Scriptural truth.  As I was thinking about preaching on Sunday, it occurred to me that the last time I spoke on a weekend was a year ago and that the church has grown by 100% since then... no pressure!

Movies in the Fridge

"Mom, is there any particular reason why the Netflix DVD is in the fridge?"  This was Jacqueline's question to Daphne a few mornings ago, and although Daphne didn't have a clue how a DVD ended up in the fridge she didn't have to wonder long: Papa.  Seriously?  No one's ever told you that all DVDs have a "Refrigerate after opening" instruction on the label?  All joking aside, while I do not have a memory of putting the movie in the fridge, there is little doubt in our household about who the true culprit must be. For the past few weeks I've been going through one of my cycles of sleeplessness due to insomnia and restless legs. The morning after the DVD incident, I woke up at 12:30 am to find the entryway lights on and the front door wide open.  No one else will own-up to it, and I have no memory of opening the door - but more than likely I was sleep-walking, or possibly sleep-watering the flowers on the front deck.  As amusing as these nighttime incidents can be, there's a very scary reality that I could actually leave the house at night and have an accident.

The Lord and I have had many, many conversations about my chronic suffering due to restless legs, and to date He's never given an answer to my countless pleadings for healing.  I know my brother John can relate to what I'm about to say, but after trying countless home-remedies (even as bizarre as placing a bar of soap at the end of the bed at night), vitamin supplements, massage, acupuncture, etc I have become a true skeptic when someone calls me or writes with the latest RLS treatment.  I have an appointment with a local chiropractor next week who's absolutely sure that he can provide real relief: what can I say?  I'm tired (no pun intended) of getting my hopes up only to have them come crashing to the ground with the next sleepless night. You know what the hardest part of all this is?  Not being able to remember the last time I didn't feel tired.  None of our friends here in Conifer have ever known me when I was full of energy and gusto for life.  Even my daughter Nicole said yesterday that she can't remember life without her Dad always being worn-out.  I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've driven after dark in the last five years;  That role always falls to Daphne, because it's simply too dangerous for me to get behind the wheel.  Don't get me wrong: I'm truly not complaining.  I love our life here in Colorado and our new church family at The Journey, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.  I just find myself longing for the days so many years ago when I was mentally alert, engaged and full of energy.  

On a lighter note:  tonight is our first "Movies in the Meadows" event for the community.  A bunch of us spent the morning yesterday clearing out a spot to put up our big screen - even though it now looks tiny when you step back and look at it from a distance.  We'll be showing "Ironman II" tonight, then on Sunday Michael has the challenge of finding God in the message of Ironman.  I'll be paying attention, because I have to do the same thing next week with True Grit and the week after with Secretariat.  The weather report is for clear skies tonight, so we should have a grand kick-off for Friday Night Fun.

20 years

Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado Springs - now a beautiful B&B

 20 years ago (June 8th) I nervously walked down the aisle of Randburg Baptist Church in Johannesburg, South Africa to start the adventure of a lifetime.  Neither of us were particularly young (Daph was 30 and I was 29), nor did we have a clear idea about the challenges of cross-cultural, international marriage. But who thinks about any of that when you're in love and eager to start your new life together?  20 years, three continents, three countries and three children ago  -  what an adventure this has been!  It hardly seems possible today, looking back, that at one point during our engagement I got cold feet and actually wanted to back out.  I would not trade my life nor my marriage for anything now - Daphne and our three girls make my life complete.  We love living in Conifer, but in all honesty it wouldn't matter where we were living because we're a family, and wherever we are, together, is HOME.

Daphne had no idea what I'd planned to celebrate our 20th anniversary - all she knew was that we were going away for the night.  One of our friends unwittingly let the cat out of the bag a couple of days beforehand - but since Daphne's never been to Glen Eyrie it did not ruin the surprise for her.  We arrived at Glen Eyrie last Thursday,  just in time for the 1:00 Castle Tour (part of my very clever planning).  The tour included the fascinating story of the building of the castle in the late 1870's by General William Jackson Palmer - who also founded the city of Colorado Springs.  Palmer was undoubtedly a genius, as his castle was a showcase for many modern conveniences that were literally decades before their time - such as electricity, a central vacuum system, and a built-in fire protection system throughout the castle.  He even conceived of a centralized intercom system to communicate with the castle staff and with his family wherever they might be within the castle walls.

Tea of Two... so posh

After the tour we sat down for a real English Cream Tea in the "Music Room" (do I know my wife, or what?), complete with scones & Devon cream.  I resisted the temptation to drink my tea with my pinky in the air ;  I was too busy scarfing down the scones and cookies.  Most of the patrons were well dressed, which made me feel a little self-conscious in my shorts and Auburn T-shirt.  But who cares, right?  I was with my bride, and that's all that counted for me.

After the Afternoon Tea we decided to hike up to the waterfall that's about 1 mile above Glen Eyrie in the canyon. Since the castle is built literally next door to the Garden of the Gods,  the rocks all around the Glen are beautiful.  We were hoping to see some of the big horn sheep that hang out in the canyon and down on the grounds, but they weren't cooperative that day.  When we got back to our room we started looking on the internet for some places to go for dinner, and one of the first ones I found was the Flying W Ranch only 10 minutes away.  I'd never heard of it before, but apparently it's a working cattle ranch and a replica old-tyme Western town.  They do a western dinner show each evening, with a "Cookhouse" dinner of beans (reminds me of the movie Blazing Saddles), steak, baked potato and apple sauce. 

These 5 cowboys had awesome harmony and great senses of humor

The Western Show consisted of five singing cowboys who all have day jobs (apparently) working on the ranch, and then do the shows in the evenings.  There were four guitars and one fiddle, and man could those guys play!  We enjoyed a great evening of country-western music, and got to meet a Greek Orthodox priest and his wife from New Jersey who'd come to Colorado to attend a pastors' seminar at Focus on the Family.  Amazing how quickly you can get into a deep, personal discussion when you meet another believer.  This guy shared how he'd gotten so disillusioned with the politics in the church that he'd been on the verge of leaving the ministry altogether.  They both thoroughly enjoyed the seminar and they looked and sounded refreshed and ready to head back into the fray.  A great testimony for Focus on the Family.

The next morning we drove literally next door to the Garden of the Gods.  The park covers a pretty small area, but the rock formations are out of this world.  I cannot imagine how they were formed sticking vertically up out of the ground - gigantic, thin wafers of red rock.  We saw a couple of climbers making their way up one of the faces, and I took a few pictures.  I love to climb, but these guys were in a whole other league.  There's a sign down below that says, "If you're not a technical climber using proper gear and a permit, STAY OFF THE ROCKS!"  I was pretty surprised that they let anyone climb, knowing the damage that it does to the rocks.  It also looks fairly dangerous, as the rocks seem to crumble easily.  No Thanks.

The  rest of the pictures are of the park.  Who knows how many millenia it took for these rocks to end up in the position they're now in?  One more reason why I'm an "Old Earth Creationist".

Our first graduate

It was a packed house on the football field

 It was a beautiful day in the mountains - sunny but not too hot.  A perfect day for a graduation ceremony.  One down and two still to go!  Karine's plans are to work here in Conifer for most of the summer, then I'll probably buy her an inexpensive car and drive her to Alabama. She plans to live with my brother Bill and his wife Sandy, get a job and get involved with the singles ministry at their church.  I think a year away will be a great growing experience for her.

Jacqueline the movie star

Karine and her best buddy Jessica

Crazy Wedding Photos

My neice set up a photo booth at her wedding reception two weekends ago, and those of us who were present from the Myers/ St Cyr. Clan got in on the action :)

Graduation

Karine will graduate from Conifer High School today; can she really be 18?  Can I really be that old?  Her experience with High School and especially with graduation has been so radically different from my own graduation from Rift Valley Academy almost 30 years ago.  Karine has only been at this school for two years, and while she's built a few solid friendships she only knows a fraction of the 500 kids in her graduating class.  My graduating class was only 65, and we all knew each other very, very well.  Graduation was a BIG deal at RVA, because it meant that we would all leave Kenya and depart for schools all across America - and for many others back to their home countries of Holland, England, and Canada, etc.  Most of Karine's friends will go to college here in Colorado, and they'll see one another again on weekends and school vacations.  Since my high school graduation in 1981 I have only seen a handful of my friends from boarding school, and because I was living overseas for the past 20 years I've missed every one of our class reunions. 

Karine was considering not even attending her graduation, because her friends aren't interested either.  In the end I convinced her to go - if for no other reason than because Daphne and I want to be there to see her graduate.  I also believe one day she'll look back and be glad that she marked this important milestone in her life.  I can understand why this doesn't hold the same importance for Karine as my graduation did for me, because she's only been at this school a short time and hasn't built the lifetime friendships that many others have who are from this community.  In France there is no graduation ceremony at all, because all the attention, stress, and your entire academic future hang in the balance based on one final exam - The Baccalaureate.  That's the academic environment Karine grew up in, as opposed to here in the U.S. where your first 12 years of school end with your High School graduation - and then for most of them on to college.

This will be the first American High School graduation I have attended since my own 30 years ago.  My life has certainly taken some amazing twists and turns since that memorable day in Kijabe, Kenya in 1981.  I could never have imagined back then that I would spend 10 years in West Africa, and even less likely that we would take on dual French-American citizenship!  And now God has planted us here in Conifer, Colorado - where it snows a blizzard on May 19th, and bears walk down our driveway at night.  It's all good.

Nightime Visitor

Yesterday morning as the girls walked out to meet their bus, they called us from the end of the driveway to tell us about the huge bear tracks from the night before - heading right down the driveway towards the house.  There is no mistaking the paw print of a black bear, and a pretty good sized one at that.  Amazing, that these large animals can co-exist with humans in such close proximity - and yet remain completely hidden the vast majority of the time.  Hmmm . . . makes you wonder if we should let the girls walk down the 200 yard driveway every morning!

The tracks eventually made a detour down the hill before reaching our house - and disappeared into the forest on our neighbors property.

Missionary Kids

It snowed again last night.  Let's see - what's the date today... May 19th?  I hear that summer is bound to start sometime before the end of July.

Last night I taught from 1 Corinthians 8 and 9 where Paul talks about the issue of not putting a stumbling block in anyone's way, and he ends chapter 9 by saying that he is willing to become all things to all men, in order to save some.  Becoming all things to all men sounds a little like being a professional shmoozer, but that's really not the idea at all.  I think what Paul meant has more to do with being able to understand another person, or another group of people to the point that we can become an "insider" in their world, to bring the love and acceptance of Christ to their context.  Our Senior Pastor Michael Cheshire puts it this way:  "We don't ask the community to join our church; we want our church to join the community."  The question is whether I can relate to an un-churched athiest as well as I can to my local church community?  Am I able to step outside of my own way of thinking, my own lingo and my own Christian culture to befriend someone who is far away from God?  And not only befriend him/her, but actually enter their world in order to understand first-hand the challenges they face every day?

As I was thinking about what it means to adapt to another person's way of thinking, it occurred to me that there is one group of people who have mastered this art to the highest degree: Missionary Kids.  The very nature of our upbringing has created this chameleon-like ability to adapt to different cultures, languages and values.  All M.K.s grow up in a host culture (Kenya, in my case) that is very different from the birth-culture of their parents.  As missionary kids we realize early in life that we belong neither to our parents' passport country, nor are we 100% integrated into the host culture of the country where we live.  As a result we create our own, unique "third culture" that is a blend of both our passport culture and our host culture - with a mix of other cultures thrown in for good measure.  This is why (in recent years) we have become known as "Third Culture Kids".  We have learned to adapt to new cultures and new languages with amazing ease, more as a survival technique than by personal preference.  So, what does a missionary kid look like?

You know you're a missionary kid:

-  When your elementary school teacher asks you to state your nationality, and you reply "which one?"
-  If your childhood stories involve charging elephants, wild gorillas, or coup d'etats.
-  When you can imitate any English accent to near perfection
-  If you can be speaking to one person using a South African accent and terminology, then turn and greet someone else in perfect West African French.
-  If you can "fit" into virtually any culture in the world within 24-48 hours of arriving
-  If you've lived in five different countries and can speak four languages - but you don't know who Paris Hilton is.
-  if you've never driven a car with an automatic transmission
-  if you've ridden an ostrich, water-skied with hippos and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, but you don't know how to answer the question "Paper or Plastic?" at the grocery store.

C'est la vie pour les enfants des missionaires