Planes, Trains and automobiles (okay just planes)!!!

It's D-Day yet again! I leave this morning for Lagos, Nigeria on the final leg of my 'three-continent-tour' in three weeks. My body doesn't even try to mess with time zones anymore and just goes to sleep whenever and wherever it wants to (watch out all you drivers). Any way, while I'm looking forward to the trip, more than anythying else I'm looking forward to finally getting back. I guess the strong grace that accompanied my season for extensive and frequent travel, is long over. I love pastoring The Well, and I love being home with my family and my church family, serving our community. So, if you remember, send up a quick prayer for me as I travel over the next week, who knows, I might even see it going by while I'm flying to Lagos. I'll see you on the other side of the Atlantic!!!

Giddy about Guatemala!!!

Sadly, today marks the end of my Guatemala ’08 presentation (I could show you hundreds of photos, but I think the ones I’ve shown over the last week are fairly representative of much of what we experienced). Today I’d like to share a more personal story of Almolonga. Because it has always been my heart’s cry to see the nations of the world bow their knees before our Lord Jesus (my life verse is actually Psalm 2: 8), I have always hungered to make a personal pilgrimage to this place that boasts an amazing story of transformation. On my “Bucket List” this would rank quite highly. All the while we were in Quetzaltenango, I had no idea that we were roughly 20 minutes away from this city. It wasn’t until we were driving to Las Cumbres on the penultimate evening of our visit, that Claudia (our native Guatemalan, and Children’s Ministry pastor) began to tell us the story of this city we would be driving through. The story sounded remarkably familiar to me and so I mentioned that I was familiar with a similar story of a city called Almolonga. She smiled and calmly informed me that that was the very city we would be passing through.

I could have popped an artery! I was apoplectic with joy and, according to the rest of my team, became like a kid in a candy store with more choices than he knows what to do with. I had to take a photo. I had to walk around and ask questions. I had to touch the people. Frustratingly though, because we had to freshen up and return to Quetzaltenango for an appointment with a pastor, we couldn’t stop to sight-see. The next morning we were ready bright and early and headed back into Almolonga. Let me digress for a moment and mention that Guatemala has got to be the stray-dog-capital of the world! We lost count after around 700, and they all look hungry, lean, and mangy, running around in packs scavenging for food in every possible crevice they can find. Not so in Almolonga! The stray dogs were fat and happy, lounging around lazily as if they had also benefited from the prosperity that had hit the region. I was duly informed that they had. Everyone seems to smile in Almolonga, and 9 out of every 10 people are Christians (I’d hate to be the odd one).

Then Claudia suggested that we go take photos in front of the church that was started by the Evangelist whom God used to spark this amazing revival and transformation. Upon our arrival, we discovered that the church was open and so we ventured inside, only to run into two of their elders praying. They were in the middle of a 120 day fast!!! As we talked with them, Claudia said that they asked if we could pray for them. What??? Me, pray for them!?! I couldn’t do it, and asked if they would instead pray for us. Graciously they obliged, and proceeded to anoint each one of us with oil and passionately and fervently call out to Heaven on our behalf. Their wives joined them and you could hear their plaintiff cries as they prayed earnestly for God to touch our lives. I hunger to experience what God has done in Almolonga, in my adopted homeland of the USA. I have seen revivals come and go, but I have never witnessed a complete transformation of a city because of the touch of God. Imagine Orlando, FL, the entertainment capital of the world, without bars, brothels, or jails. Unimaginable you say. Well, that’s only because you don’t know the God I serve. Thank you Guatemala for reminding us of what is truly important.

To Him who is able to do exceeding, abundantly...

The story of the spiritual transformation of the city of Almolonga, Guatemala is unparalleled in the annals of recent church history. Perched at approximately 14,000 feet above sea level, this was a 'barren' city steeped in poverty, where alcoholism was the conventional pastime. Men were unruly, drunken, wife-beaters, living only for the next drink. Even though farming was the primary means of sustenance, the ground hardly yielded enough crop for the local families to feed.

Then someone had an idea that God could change a city through His love and power. This local preacher began to preach the Gospel, highlighting above everything else, the love of a God who could heal, forgive and restore. This small 'shanty town' built of corrugated metal shacks and wood, populated by 36 bars, and a large jail to house the unruly wife-beaters, suddenly began to pay attention. The story of their transformation was so captivating and inspiring, that George Otis Jnr. did a magnificent video production titled "Transformations" which featured, Kiambu, Kenya; Cali, Columbia; Hemet, California and Almolonga, Guatemala.

As hearts were healed, marriages restored, and alcoholism cured supernaturally, the number of bars went from 36 to 3. When we visited a few days ago, we were informed that there are no bars in Almolonga. There is no jail or prison (it has been converted to a community center) and they are now affectionately known as "America's Vegetable Garden." By their own admission, the crop they produce is supernatural since they are farming the same soil as previously, and are not doing anything differently. They produce carrots the size of your forearm, and their farms look like gardens laid almost vertically into the sides of the mountains. Everyone is prosperous in Almolonga. We observed, wide-eyed, as everyone seems to smile as they go about their business. There are churches on every corner, banks every few doors down, and even a Western Union.

Their corrugated shacks have been replaced by block buildings (still being built, as you can tell by the photos), and they purchase their Mercedes Benz delivery trucks with cash from their bumper harvests. How dare anyone suggest that God cannot transform a city through prayer, love, and faithful service. Behold: Almolonga, Guatemala!!! I'll tell you more tomorrow. Enjoy the photos.

Chicken anyone?

Our first meal in Guatemala was at Pollo Campero (arguably the McDonalds of Guatemala), a really popular chicken place. The chicken was absolutely delicious and it prepared us for the long and grueling four and a half hour drive up to the mountains of Quetzaltenango. We settled into our hotel at about 10.00pm (which was really midnight on the East Coast) knowing that we had a long day ahead of us at the Battered Women's Shelter.

Joey, our Community Relations Pastor, was really taken by the kids at the Battered Women's Shelter, we nicknamed him the Pied Piper, as the kids flocked to him continuously. It was such an experience as many of the kids generally spend much of the day entertaining themselves while their mothers do all the chores that keep the shelter running from day to day. With some of us doing their chores, and others playing with, entertaining, and ministering to the kids, the mothers had a chance to put their feet up for the first time in a long time. The little boy in the 'hoodie' was very aloof initially as his mother was in the hospital and so he was all alone at the shelter, where they'd only been living for about a week. He wandered around aimlessly, completely devoid of emotions and we couldn't even get him to smile. After a few hours, he was laughing and playing and telling us stories. It truly warmed my heart to be able to bring a measure of joy to his life amongst so many others. Tomorrow I will begin to talk about the story that impacted me the most and I'll have photos to go along with the story.

Glorious Guatemala!!!

This was truly an inspiring and rewarding trip. Clyde is carrying one of the young students from the elementary school we ministered at. We handed out school supplies, candy and scriptures to every single class and student.
I was incredibly proud of my fifteen year old daughter, as she prayed for the students in the middle school. It was such a delight to see her loving on the students and embracing them across the language barrier, especially since it was her very first mission trip.

I challenged the students to give me the location of a specific verse in the Bible so that they could earn a $20.00 bill. A young lady won the challenge and wide-eyed, came forward to receive her prize. Considering that the Guatamelan Quetzal exchanges for 7.5 Quetzales to $1.00, she made more than enough money to go shopping for some new shoes and clothes.
Giddy middle school girls are the same from one continent to another. These young ladies were so pleasant, and eager to find out all about American culture. Claudia, our childrens pastor (who is from Guatemala) was happy to answer all their questions.
The penultimate night of our trip was spent at a beautiful resort over 14,000 feet in the mountains, called Las Cumbres. It's a resort built on a natural warm springs, so their steam sauna's were incredibly therapeutic and refreshing. The view from my room made nonsense of the theory of evolution, as only a loving and creative God could have made such beauty and splendor.

This is a photo of Karen, my daughter Bimi, and I. Karen is the only woman whose underwear I have ever washed (including my wife). Karen is an abuse victim that lives at the battered women's shelter where we ministered on our first day in Quetzaltenango. A mere seventeen years old, Karen has a baby that she has refused to bond with (we speculate that she was the victim of incest or rape). Suspicious of men, we finally persuaded Karen to allow Bimi and I to do her entire load of laundry for both herself and her baby son. We cleaned, washed, cooked, swept, mopped and served the women and children at the shelter, while providing a supply of milk for the children, along with clothes and shoes, and of course, 'tons' of candy. Karen turned out to be the sweetest little girl. It was truly difficult for me to accept that she was literally two years older than my daughter, yet had been exposed to such a vile and sordid life. It was a privilege to serve and love on these women and their children.
These two photos (above and beneath) were taken at the elementary school where we did a special drama presentation which really inspired the kids to think about their choices, and understand how freeing God's love is. Over the next few days I'll be posting a few more photos with some really inspiring stories.

Here I go again!

It's D-Day again! I leave today for Guatemala, with a team from The Well. It promises to be a really fulfilling and exciting trip, especially since my 15-year old daughter gets to experience the joys of serving others through a mission trip for the first time in her life. I am also thrilled at the opportunity to be able to experience God's love through the eyes of another culture. I pray that our team will be extensions of His hands and heart. I pray that we will remember that we are not the 'experts' but simply tools in the 'Master Builders' hands. I pray that we will remember that it is more blessed to give than it is to receive. But most of all, I pray that we will always be reminded of the privilege we have to live in a nation that makes it possible for us to serve others. I truly am looking forward to the 'adventure' that God has in store for us, and I look forward to giving you daily (depending on several factors) updates from the road. Watch this space, and if you get bored watching, then spare a moment to say a prayer for our team.

So, what are you doing this summer?

I'm moving house!!! I'll be living on a plane the next month or so, as things are shaping up to become incredibly busy over the next few weeks for me. Tomorrow I leave for London, England, where I will be doing some ministry as well as connecting with my extended family. I’ll be back in time to do my laundry and then take off for Guatemala on a mission trip with a few folks from The Well. I am pumped about going to Guatemala since my almost-15-year-old daughter will be accompanying me on the trip. It will be her first mission trip and I am confident that it will dramatically alter the way she views life, for the better.

Shortly after my return from Guatemala I’ll be jumping on another plane and heading out to Lagos, Nigeria for a few days. I’ll be taking a young man with me who will spend the next two or so months serving, learning and growing in ways he never imagined possible. I know, I know, you’re thinking I’ll be completely wiped out by the end of these trips. Just writing about them makes me tired, so I’ll sign off now so I can finish packing, and then get some well deserved rest before the whirlwind begins. Whatever the case, I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to pour into the lives of so many people on three different continents in the space of one month. What are you doing this summer?

Great Expectations...

Okay, Is it just me or am I losing momentum after having missed posting a couple of times in the last week? Traveling will do that to you though, especially when you are up in the mountains away from the "civilization" of wireless internet connections. Any way, I'm determined to catch up on all that I've missed out, so here are my final thoughts on the ARC conference. Matt Keller of Next Level Church in Fort Myers, FL spoke about church planting using a football analogy. He explained that while most church planters hope for the long bomb down the field that gets you up and running at over 1000 people from day one, real world experience suggests that that is more the exception than the norm. Most people have to fight for every yard right up the middle. Blood, guts and tears are the reward of this type of church planting.

He suggested that some of the reasons why church planters struggle with where they find themselves are as follows:

• Unmet (unrealistic) expectations. Many who have come from "resource rich environments" think that their church plant will be an extension of where they have come from.
• We need permission to be where we are; to think small because external pressures often convey the message of failure if you are not at a certain place by a certain point in time. He explained five levels of church planting: Family phase (100 or less). This is where the focus is on relationships and DNA reproduction. Growth is a byproduct of these two factors. Your team needs access to your head and your heart during this phase. Organizational phase (250 or less). This is where systems, structure and schedules are put in place. Medium size phase (300-400). In this phase expectations are different. Keys to success are leadership, staff, and delegating responsibilities appropriately. Large church phase (750). Momentum carries you and you need to re-evaluate your systems, structures, and leadership. Mega church phase (1000+). He's not there yet so doesn't know what it takes. :)
• We need permission to have our own unique journeys rather than compare ourselves to others. You are not a failure because someone else has bigger crowds than you.
• We need permission to think differently. The what, why, and how are essential questions to our success so that we are not just copying the resource-abundant ministry thinking it will work for us because it works for them. We must be strategic in applying our limited resources.

Then the analogy switched to baseball (get the feeling he likes sports?): You can't get to second base unless you touch first base, but you can't get to second base with your foot still on first base. Some people who ran to first base with you cannot make it to second base. They form part of the scaffolding that helps to build the structure, but they don't make up part of the building.

• We need permission to learn at every phase. We must be willing to re-learn what we think we already know.
• We need access to those who are where we are as well as those who are a step or two ahead of us. This serves as tremendous encouragement on the difficult days so that we know that we aren't the only ones dealing with difficulties and pressures.
• We need a new definition of success: Success is significant life change, celebrating the stories of our "wins." Celebrating success is so much more than celebrating just numerical increase. Whatever you celebrate as a leader, your people will celebrate.

ARCing day 2

This conference has been explosive so far (well I guess for me it's over since I'm posting this from Houston's Hobby Airport enroute to San Antonio for a men's conference I'm speaking at), and I'm totally inspired by the humility, transparency and passion displayed by all the speakers I've heard. Brian Houston looked and sounded like he'd had too many cans of Red Bull, but other than that he was fun to listen to. Greg Surratt, Dino Rizzo and Stovall Weems (in the photo with me) all had great stuff to share. Here are the highlights:

• Feeding off Chris Hodges message on opening night, Greg Surratt informed us that not only had he had to contend with the "kings" that attack church planters and pastors, but he'd had to deal with an alliance between the king of discouragement and the king of rejection.
• he has lived through four waves of God's move in America namely, the thirst for revival wave; the performance wave; the purpose driven participation wave; the experiential wave.
• The current wave which is the experiential wave has demonstrated, based on a survey, that the unchurched would attend church if they knew they would experience God.
• God wants us to respond to His love in a physical way.
• Dino Rizzo inspired us with a video of the last fifteen years since the inception of Healing Place Church (HPC) and 750 plus Sunday sermons, by reminding us that most things will change over time and the course of ministry as you grow and learn. He told us that there were four key things that have not changed for him and that never will in order that he remain faithful to his purpose. These four things are: relational servanthood leadership; acknowledge, honor and celebrate what others have accomplished; protect his intimacy and passion for Jesus; enjoy life.
• Stovall Weems, speaking on diversity in the church said, "You will not have diversity in your pews unless you have it in your heart."
• Diversity in your church must be a core value for you if it is to happen.
• Diversity must first be reflected in our leadership, our staff and our "sound."
• In fifteen years there will be few if any uni-cultural environments or neighborhoods in the USA.

What are your thoughts on these different issues?

Jump into the ARC

I know, I know, you've patiently waited all day for the updates I promised would be coming your way. Well wait no more. The conference started yesterday evening at the amazing campus of Church of the Highlands. It is nothing short of a miracle that a seven year old church has built such an astounding campus. I'll tell you more about the campus in a later post but for now I want to give you some highlights of the incredible things the ARC is accomplishing through a group of guys that are relationally connected with the singular stated purpose of planting life-giving churches that impact the world.

Since its inception 7 years ago (Chris Hodges' Church of the Highlands was the first ARC church plant), the ARC has given away 40 million dollars to local and global missions. In 2007 the ARC planted a new church every 17 days. In 2008 that number is a new church every 12 days. There have been 59 church plants since inception and the average weekend attendance at all ARC churches combined is 99,976 people. All I can say is... wow!

Chris Hodges kicked off the conference with a powerful message highlighting the church planters favorite verse: "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you... Be strong and of good courage... Only be strong and very courageous." Joshua 1:3, 6-7. He reminded us that even though the territory had been promised, there would still be a battle that required strength and courage. He highlighted the kings that Israel had to contend with in order to possess the land. He likened it to the spiritual battles church planters face daily as they contend with their own demon kings. The following are some of the major battles facing church planters.

• The battle against the king of demonic attacks
• The battle against the king of rejection
• The battle against the king of loneliness
• The battle against the king of temptation
• The battle against the king of discouragement

He further highlighted the three things that would help us win the battle against these "kings."

• Humility - a man on his face cannot fall from that position
• Honesty
• Holy Spirit - the greatest church planting tool God gave us was the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Digest these amazing nuggets and I'll connect with you again tomorrow with some more great stuff from the conference.

Subway anyone???

Okay, I apologize for posting so late today, but if you read yesterday's blog you'll know that we headed out to Birmingham, AL today for the ARC conference. We left Orlando at O'dark thirty (4.30am) in a fifteen passenger van hauling 9 near catatonic people and a sleeping infant, heading for Birmingham. We finally arrived at around 1.30pm Central Time after having traveled for ten hours. I will begin posting highlights of the conference beginning tomorrow morning, but today I wanted to share a couple of photos with you that highlight the thrills of the trip up to Birmingham (at least from my perspective).

One of the photos shows a cross section of the van taken from the front seat (don't worry, I was in the front passenger seat and not the drivers seat). This photo was taken after breakfast at 7.00am so they all looked alive and well. I have kept the photos taken of the crew with their mouths hanging open and drool dripping down their chins, as a bargaining chip for some things that I've been wanting to get them to do. You can expect to see those lovely photos posted if I don't get my way (wink, wink!!) The other photo is priceless (I'm thinking of entering it in the Del Sol photo competition so I can win some money for our summer vacation. It's a photo of the restroom at one of our stops. It's obviously the men's restroom judging from the urinal but women were waiting in line to use it also since the women's bathroom was "Out of order."

Notice the poster on the wall. You have to credit Subway for trying so hard, right? I mean, when's the last time you stood in front of a urinal (guys) doing your business and saw a photo of a delicious Subway sandwich and thought to yourself, "Mmmmm, I could really use a juicy, meaty sandwich right now, I'm so glad Subway was kind enough to remind my tummy that I can go directly to their shop from here?" Besides this, it was a pretty uneventful trip if you don't count the number of bathroom breaks 9 people need to take at different points in the journey. Enough said. Now all you silent lurkers... names shall be witheld to protect the guilty... Nike A of Atlanta take note, please post your responses as I share the conference highlights during the week. Enjoy your Subway sandwiches everyone and see you tomorrow.

Home is where the heart is!

I'm finally home! Yay!! I left Naples at 4.30am this morning, with a couple of other guys who are riding all the way to Montgomery, AL today. Yikes! A number of the other "sissy" guys decided that they would sleep in and hit the road around 10.00am, which, incidentally is when I arrived home after a long and exhausting ride. Was the trip worth it? In tangible as well as immeasurable ways, it was well worth it. I connected with some dear friends and made some new ones. I had a chance to catch up on some much needed "me" time, as well as some great prayer times. You'll be amazed at how focused you can be in prayer when you have nothing but the hum of a harley and a wide open road.

I am posting a couple of photographs for you to see. One of them is the picture we took at the southernmost point in Key West. The other one is a photo of a wet and bedraggled group of guys at a gas station on Alligator Alley, having survived the downpour. If you can't tell, I'm the good looking one with the "high waisters" and suspenders. I hope you had a great week too. Come back soon and visit, and I promise that we are returning to our Chronicles of an Alien saga.

A Kiss of Grace

Today was without a doubt the most eventful and unusual day of our trip. The day started out ordinarily, with the traditional photograph at the southernmost point in the USA, which is only 90 miles from Cuba. In fact, at that point in Key West, you are closer to Cuba than you are to Miami. As we rode towards Miami, the first couple of hours passed by uneventfully, and then the drama began. One of the guys lost control of his motorcycle and ended up in a ditch while going 45 miles an hour. He hit his head and the bike landed on top of him. He had a welt on his head the size of a coconut as well as a deep gash. Against his vociferous protests, he was taken to the Homestead hospital ER where he literally spent the whole day until he was checked by a doctor and certified a veritable "miracle." Meanwhile Dennis' wife called him to find out how Rick (the injured rider) was doing. She informed him that for the last hour (prior to the crash) she couldn't stop interceding for him in prayer because she'd had this ominous sense that something was not right.

When Dennis informed her of the accident, it immediately made sense as to the urgency in prayer that she had sensed. Most people who crash on a motorbike at 45 miles an hour, without a helmet on, and who hit their heads, generally don't walk away from the scene of the accident.Dennis stayed behind with Rick at the ER while the rest of us left for Naples where we were scheduled to spend the night at the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club (a really swanky place).

As we hit Alligator Alley, the heavens opened up with a deluge the likes of which I have never ridden in before. For the next 90 odd miles we crawled along at 35 to 40 miles an hour. Even with our rain gear on we were soaked to the skin from the splashes caused by semi-trucks driving in the opposite direction at 70miles an hour. The rain was so heavy, even the alligators were smart enough to stay under shelter. We had decided on the route primarily because we wanted to see the alligators sunning themselves along the shore. We saw nothing! By the time we arrived in Naples, we were famished, and since it was our last night together, we decided to splurge on a really nice meal. Dressed in our biker gear (shorts, T-shirts, tank tops, skull caps and whatever other comfortable paraphernalia goes with the biker image), we rode up to Flemings ( a rather upscale steak house) and informed them that there would be ten of us for dinner. They said they would set up a table and let us know when it was ready.

About ten minutes later, the duty manager (a rather sorry fellow named Rick), came out and informed us that, while their restaurant was by no means prejudiced, they did not serve people of our dress style at that restaurant. He further stated that, since he didn't want to turn ten people away, he had arranged to have a "private" room set up for us where we could dine in peace. The only snag was that the airconditioning was not working and so it might be a little hot. A little hot? In a room with no windows or exterior egress? What a brilliant deduction. Now, a few of the guys have tatoos on their arms and legs, and evidently, Rick in all of his limited wisdom, figured that they would be bad for Flemings business to be seen hobnobbing with the more "comely" crowd. The amazing thing about Ricks steorotypical prejudice, is that one of the tatooed guys comes from a stinking rich family, and all of them are pastor's of incredible churches. If this wasn't prejudice then I don't know what prejudice is.

We calmly informed them that we would solve their predicament by taking our business elsewhere. We ended up at Outback Steakhouse, a few miles down the road from Flemings, where we ordered a sumptuous meal. Our meal would have totaled somwhere north of $250.00 with gratuity and tax, but when we asked for our bill we were informed by our waiter that someone had noticed us praying before we ate and so decided that we would be a great group to invest in. He had anonymously picked up the tab. So let me try and summarize the day. A miraculous deliverance from death, a heart stopping downpour, and then "kicked" out of one restaurant, only to be celebrated and feted at another. What an amazingly fitting ending to a really unusual day. I think it was a kiss of grace from God. What do you think?

Heaven is weeping

Today is our only down-time while on the bike trip. In other words, it's the day we get to rest our sore backsides from sitting in the saddle so long. We had planned to tour Key West and visit some of the historical sites, but interestingly enough, today turned out to be down time in more ways than one. I found out that Key West has the lowest amount of rainfall in the state of Florida (something about the land mass being too small to capture major rain clouds forming over it). While Key West boasts 57" of rain a year, much of the rest of the state would have had that much rain by this time of the year already.

It would appear that Key West decided to have all 57" of their allotted annual rainfall while we are here. It began to rain last night. Driving sheets of pelting rain. The kind of rain that turns a three hour bike trip into a five hour bike trip. It hasn't stopped raining yet and it is past 9.00pm. That means it's been raining for more than 24 hours non-stop. It almost makes a liar of the statistic that suggests that Key West has the lowest amount of rainfall in the state.

Then it struck me. Of course it's raining in Key West, Heaven is weeping on our behalf. Heaven knows how devastated we are at the passing away of Ify, and so heaven joins its tears to ours. She must have really made an impression, for heaven to weep for 24 hours straight, in a land that usually experiences very little rain fall. My wife tells me that it rained rather heavily in Orlando too. My tears are also incessant and unceasing. I am comforted though, by the knowledge that a wise man once said, "the darkest time of the night is just before the dawn." It seems to me to be pitch black right now, so dawn must be around the corner.

Goodnight Ify, we'll see you later!

I arrived in Key West this evening as planned, but today has been somewhat of a difficult day for me. You see, I just found out that the wife of a very dear friend of mine died of cancer yesterday. I was in London, England at the end of March this year and spoke at his church. I remember encouraging him as we spoke about his wife's illness, telling him how fervently we are praying for his wife's healing. The death of a spouse has to rank highly on the list of the hardest things a man might have to deal with. To have to bury your wife at a young age (I'm not even certain if she had turned 40 yet, and if she had she certainly wasn't much past that).

I grieve deeply with her family for their irreplaceable loss. She has left behind a couple of young kids who will have to come to terms with the fact that their mom will never see them grow up and get married. She won't be at any more recitals, sporting events, family vacations and all the great things families do together that create memories and history. Ify, you will be sorely missed! I'm not even sure what to say to my friend Agu, to help console him in this terrible season of pain and loss. What words adequately convey one's true feelings without sounding trite and empty? I imagine that the only way to get through this sort of devastating loss is to take it one day at a time. The loss is immeasurable. But that is only true for those of us left to mourn Ify's homegoing. For her, it is no loss at all. Like Paul stated in his inimitable style, "To live is Christ and to die is gain."

Ify is in a much better place than we are right now. Her labor is over. Her work is done. No more bills, no more laundry, no more exercise, no more traffic... all of the things that seem to loom so large while we walk on this earth, suddenly pale to insignificance when viewed through the lens of eternity. A good friend of mine used to say that our lives are simply micro-narratives in God's greater story, which is the meta-narrative. Like Shakespeare said in one of his many inspired writings, "Life is a stage...with its entrances and exits." Ify your part in the grand meta-narrative of God's story no doubt sweetened the plot for all of us. As you bow graciously and take your exit, we bid you goodnight with heavy hearts, consoled only by the knowledge that we will see you again soon. We love you, and thanks for the memories.

This Incredible Life

We didn't quite make it to Miami today. We stopped off in Boynton Beach (about 50 miles north of Miami). This was the plan all along. I just didn't know it! It's weird not setting my own schedule and having to entrust others with the daunting task of how my time is spent. I mean, what if they don't allocate enough time for me to save the world? The "road captain" tells us what time we will meet for breakfast in the morning; when we will meet for our Bible study; what time we will set off from the hotel, and on and on. Man, it seems the only thing not planned for me on this trip is when I go to the bathroom. But these are some of the rigors of the road and I am content to not have to worry about my own schedule for one week. We were supposed to have set out from Daytona Beach at 10.00am this morning, however, someone's bike developed a problem that had us sitting in the Daytona Harley dealership (the worlds largest Harley store) for more than three hours while the problem was being fixed. Mind you, I can think of a lot worse places to have had to spend three hours.

It turned out to be a really good thing, as we spent the time getting to know some of the other guys on the bike trip that we aren't quite as familiar with. I got to talk to a guy who has buried five family members in the last two years. His 17-year-old son was killed by a drunk driver two years ago. Last year both his parents were also killed by a drunk driver. In january this year he was diagnosed with a debilitating terminal disease (I forget the medical term used to describe his condition), and told to get his affairs in order. He was informed, rather matter-of-factly, that he may or may not live to see Christmas '07. As his condition has continued to deteriorate, he finds himself now needing to walk with a cane. He is, however, one of the most joyful people I have ever met. Constantly laughing and joking, he is convinced that God's plan for his life isn't fulfilled yet and so he isn't about to die soon. He came on the bike trip (though he moves with extreme difficulty and is in constant pain) because he wanted to be around godly men who could pray for and encourage him.

Godly men? I felt like such a whiner! I often think I am in dire straits with the stuff I have to contend with until I meet guys like Andy. Suddenly, in comparison, it is obvious that my life is relatively easy, and that instead of focusing entirely on my small universe and the pressures I face, I need to be about the business that has been appointed for me by God: Loving people and impacting their lives for the better. Parent's shouldn't have to bury their kids! In the Nigerian culture, if a child dies prematurely, the parents aren't allowed to attend the funeral, because traditionally a parent is not meant to see their childs corpse. I am praying for Andy daily this week. After all, it's not as if I'm busy doing a ton else. Why, I don't even have to set my own schedule! I'll speak to you from Key West tomorrow. And, oh, if you remember, and you can carve out the time, please send up a prayer for Andy too!

On the Road Again!

Okay, so I lied when I said that I wouldn't interrupt the posts on Chronicles of an Alien. I can't help but bring you up to speed on where I am this week. I am writing this sitting in my hotel room in Daytona Beach overlooking an amazing view of the ocean. For the last four years I've done this annual motorcycle ride with a group of pastor friends of mine. We spend a week covering roughly 2000 miles. We've ridden in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we've done the Florida East and West coasts, we've started in Alabama and worked our way up into Northern Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

This year we decided to do Florida again, which is particularly good for me since I don't have far to travel. We'll make our way down through Fort Lauderdale to Miami tomorrow. On Tuesday we'll go all the way to Key West. We'll spend a day in Key West and then begin the return journey on Thursday, up through alligator alley on Florida's west coast. This is one of the most relaxing and refreshing times for me. The open road and the sound of a Harley engine are all that I need to help me focus. I usually come back from these rides re-invigorated and ready to jump in at the deep end again.

I'll give you a brief summary of each day as we arrive at each destination. See you in Miami!