The Best of Both Worlds: Gecko Tales ~ June 25, 2017
A whirlwind trip to the Seattle area was full patches of heaven right
here on earth. One of those patches was seeing my son Jordan graduate from Sammamish
High School after a year of putting his nose to the grindstone. All my children were in town and I was able
to see them, and spend some extended time with my oldest son Matt.
On the day I arrived, wilted, exhausted and the victim
of an 11-hour lay over in Korea, Judy Runions picked me up at the airport. She
drove me to her house in Shoreline so I could borrow her truck. I then made a
beeline for SPU where the Jazzy Piggy (Jacqueline) was receiving her nursing
degree. Just before SPU, I got stuck at a drawbridge, and then overshot my exit
as the street signs shrunk the closer I got to the University. Got back on the
right road and it was bumper to bumper. I pulled into SPU parking lot at 4pm
exactly and was just on time for the service and to see Jackie pinned.
Was able to touch base with a number of long time close
friends like Jim Schmick, Rich Leatherberry, Bill Forbes (who climbed Rainier
this weekend), the Meisels, the Pommers, and more. Jim Schmick, an old mate
from World Vision, Cambodia, has been landscaping his back yard in Auburn since
1996, and after all his years of trial and error, it finally resembles the
Garden of Eden - with exception of the ‘Charlie Brown’ fir. A typical fir had
been ravaged by a windstorm in 2010. He called me to fix it and I did, but the
way the tree responded to the trauma and pruning over the years made it look
like a very strange new species of tree – an aberration. Maybe it’s a token “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?”
A
particular God thing was meeting up with Dan Daly, an old time friend from Paul
Smith’s college, the forestry school where I studied in the Adirondack
Mountains in Update New York. The last time we met was in 1980 or so. We shared
our life stories with each other and found out that each of our lives, miles
and contexts apart, had been transformed by God through similar crises, with
God having met us in those crises in very, very, similar ways. For me, this was
the second biggest highlight (Jordan’s graduation being first) of my trip as
Paul Smith’s was a sacred place for me, and the people and experiences there
were indelible.
My last two days in the PNW were gorgeous, just what I
imagine the future Kingdom of God on earth to be like. I stayed with John and
Penny, whose yard boasted roses of various hues in full bloom, intermittently
planted around in strategic places, buffeted by fresh mountain air, set in a
backdrop of tall firs reaching toward incredible blue PNW sky. I have inkling
of what John and Penny will be doing in the coming Kingdom.
It seems in our response to life, we can create patches
of heaven on earth in many places, enough to keep us going when tough times
come. And then, for me, came the long
flight on Korean Air back to Cambodia.
Without going into it, or else I will sin, I will concede the flight was
a patch of Purgatory or Limbo here on earth, not quite a patch of hell, but an
experience where I had to exercise much patience, control, and perseverance.
Back in the Kingdom after 18 hours in the air, I was
reunited with the love of my life at 11 pm at Pochentong Airport. The first
thing the following morning I had my favorite type of noodle soup with Mr.
Kimlieng, whom I have mentored for 2 or 3 years now. He is another person whose
life has many similarities to mine.
Bophal led worship at the Center of Peace this morning.
She used an ONYX PSF (Personal Spiritual Formation) lesson where each teen and
child selected a laminated photo or picture of different scenes of life, and
shared what God was saying to them through the photos. I felt very privileged
to listen to their very personal and transparent interpretations, and was
overjoyed to know that they are much aware that their responses to life can
open doors where the future Kingdom of God spills into their lives in the
present. They understood that this life is not just about getting to another
place, and that they can experience the Kingdom of God right here and now,
through their response to life, how open they are to God, their attitudes and
actions, their ability to see with eyes of their heart, and to what level of
consciousness they allow themselves to operate on.
On to Dove’s Coffee House Ministry at 3 pm where 60
teenagers (ONYX Students facilitating) learned about becoming peacemakers with
Peace Bridges. I sat there observing their energy, playfulness, humility, their
willingness to engage and cooperate with instructor and one another. Again, this was the reign of Christ, breaking
into the present and it was tangible.
I am very grateful to able to surf from patch of heaven
to patch of heaven on both sides of the Pacific.
Now, as Jetlag begins to take over, I will quit here.
As I sign off, I am hoping you will sign on. If you aren’t supporting us please do. Our
ministries may not hit the covers of major Christian publications, but God
allows us to reach deep into the lives of Cambodian youth.
Thanks for your friendship, support, finances and
prayer
Brian and Bophal
http://www.missiondispatch.org/giving/index.html
