I’m sitting in my room with the window open to enjoy the fresh air before it gets too hot and the air conditioning comes on. As I sit here, I notice many sounds around the community. There’s someone moving this morning so I hear the sounds from that. I hear traffic in the distance as I live close to a major roadway. There are a couple of birds chirping. …And then there are the ever present barking dogs…
I brought another friend to the airport today and in two hours; I make yet another trip that way. I’m getting tired of saying goodbye. I’ve had to bid farewell to so many friends already and there are many more to come in the next three weeks. On the other hand, there are many things I look forward to after I leave. It really is an exciting time in my life even though I don’t know what I’ll do when I get home. For now, I’ll just plan my trip home and look forward to seeing lots of people I’ve missed for the last couple of years.
I got a CD last week that created some strange feelings in my mind. On the front of it is the Hillsong Logo that is used on CD’s with messages from the weekend church services. The part that felt strange was seeing my name on it instead of the usual pastors who preach on a regular basis. True, it was a small group of people at the extension service where I preached, but it’s part of Hillsong Church and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I’ve received some really positive feedback regarding that message and I believe it went well. To me, the most encouraging thing is that I’m seeing fruit out of the pain I’ve experienced in the last few years. I was quite open and personal in the message as I talked about my wife dying of cancer and some things I’ve learned through my time of supporting her in sickness and my grieving her loss. I was able to testify of God’s goodness and provide some ideas on how other people can do life well when they face struggles. After I finished preaching, the pastor got up and presented an invitation for people to commit their lives to God; and a few minutes later, the angels in Heaven rejoiced one more person accepting Christ. While I have seen other sorts of fruit and people’s lives being impacted by God’s faithfulness in my life, this is the first person I know of who has responded in this way. While it does nothing to minimize the pain I’ve felt, it helps that I can see some benefit. It also makes me question again; how much am I willing to give up for the soul of one person. Jesus gave it all.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Preacher Boy
I had an interesting conversation the other day during which I was told I’d be preaching before I went home – yes, told; not asked. I’ve served in church closely under the leadership of Chris Mendez, one of the pastors at Hillsong, and he said he’d be getting me to preach at an extension service (a service held at a location other than one of the bigger, main locations). I just got confirmation this week that the chosen date is this coming Sunday, November 30. I had already started preparing the message when Chris confirmed the date and mentioned something he’d like me to include. I was encouraged by the fact that I already had it in my message. It’s a great privilege and a great responsibility. I pray God uses me in a powerful way to change people’s lives.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Goodbye, here I come
As we wind up for the Christmas season, my thoughts flood my mind. Yesterday morning I found out a friend of mine is flying home to America on Thursday and she won’t be back till after I leave, so I said farewell. It drove home the reality that I will soon be saying farewell to many of my closest friends over the last couple of years.
One of my housemates goes home two weeks from today and our paths won’t cross again till one of us take a vacation and goes in the direction of the other. He was my neighbour when I first arrived in Australia and we moved into the same house a few months later together with a few other friends who have since left. We’ve been a significant part of each other’s lives since we both moved to a new land and ended up becoming friends.
Then there’s my first connect group leader who was overcome with joy the second time she saw me (interesting story she’s a little embarrassed about).
There’s also my connect group; his amazing splattering of individuals who decided to come together and join under my leadership. What an amazing group of people!
There’s people I’ve done ministry with, ones I’ve done classes with, and still others I’ve done vacations with.
There have been so many people I’ve met and grown to love in the past few years and it’s not easy saying goodbye. But at the same time, I look forward to what lies ahead.
When I came to Australia, I prayed that God would help me to have a big enough impact that when I leave, I will be missed; that people will notice when I leave and wish I was still here. I also prayed that I would have trained up enough of the right people to fill my roles so the ministry and life impact will continue. I believe both prayers have been answered.
Goodbyes are nothing new. Some are for longer period than others, and some are more welcome than others. I remember the joyful comments of one man after quitting his job. He said he had never seen the company in a better way than “In the rear-view mirror for the last time.” I’ve also experienced the other type where there’s unimaginable pain with the knowledge of never seeing someone again this side of Heaven. I wouldn’t say I’m looking either of those in the face now, but it’s goodbye nonetheless. It’s a happy/sad time – kind of like sweet and sour meatballs – two flavours that shouldn’t mix yet when mixed in just the right combination, produce something really special.
One of the greatest blessings in my life right now is that I truly know there are people in multiple countries who all want more of my time. I could look at my situation and see the negative side of having to say goodbye, or I can look on the other side and realize that goodbye in one place is also hello in another. I therefore choose to look forward with anticipation to that hello.
One of my housemates goes home two weeks from today and our paths won’t cross again till one of us take a vacation and goes in the direction of the other. He was my neighbour when I first arrived in Australia and we moved into the same house a few months later together with a few other friends who have since left. We’ve been a significant part of each other’s lives since we both moved to a new land and ended up becoming friends.
Then there’s my first connect group leader who was overcome with joy the second time she saw me (interesting story she’s a little embarrassed about).
There’s also my connect group; his amazing splattering of individuals who decided to come together and join under my leadership. What an amazing group of people!
There’s people I’ve done ministry with, ones I’ve done classes with, and still others I’ve done vacations with.
There have been so many people I’ve met and grown to love in the past few years and it’s not easy saying goodbye. But at the same time, I look forward to what lies ahead.
When I came to Australia, I prayed that God would help me to have a big enough impact that when I leave, I will be missed; that people will notice when I leave and wish I was still here. I also prayed that I would have trained up enough of the right people to fill my roles so the ministry and life impact will continue. I believe both prayers have been answered.
Goodbyes are nothing new. Some are for longer period than others, and some are more welcome than others. I remember the joyful comments of one man after quitting his job. He said he had never seen the company in a better way than “In the rear-view mirror for the last time.” I’ve also experienced the other type where there’s unimaginable pain with the knowledge of never seeing someone again this side of Heaven. I wouldn’t say I’m looking either of those in the face now, but it’s goodbye nonetheless. It’s a happy/sad time – kind of like sweet and sour meatballs – two flavours that shouldn’t mix yet when mixed in just the right combination, produce something really special.
One of the greatest blessings in my life right now is that I truly know there are people in multiple countries who all want more of my time. I could look at my situation and see the negative side of having to say goodbye, or I can look on the other side and realize that goodbye in one place is also hello in another. I therefore choose to look forward with anticipation to that hello.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Things I'll gladly leave behind
Here is the 4th and final part of my series on things I love and love a little less about Canada and Australia.
Houses with no insulation or sound barrier to other rooms or the outside
The 11 most venomous snakes in the world and 20 of the 22 most venomous
Wide selection of poisonous spiders
Slow walkers. It took only two weeks after my knee operation before I was walking faster than the average Aussie. I’m sorry, but when I go shopping, I have a destination in mind. I’m not too interested in going slow to see all the scenery in the center of the shopping center hallway. There’s not that much to see! Now to be fair, I have found one other place where people walked this slowly. Uganda.
Vegemite – Imagine a bit of yeast mixed with lots of salt, some (rotten) vegetables, and some other disgusting compound that gives it a definite brown colour, and you have the worst “food” I’ve ever tasted
The word “Quality” not being in the dictionary
Trolleys (shopping carts) with 4 turning wheels – especially bad on slopes
A postal service that calculates shipping time by walking the route, walking the return route, finding the total number of minutes, then labelling it days instead of minutes (ie. A distance that takes 20 minutes to walk – 40 minutes return – may take 40 days for delivery in Australia). I’m still waiting for one package that was sent from oversees (express post) at the beginning of Sept. I’m also waiting for an envelope that was sent on Oct 15 from just down the street (a 20 minute walk).
UV index so high that skin burns on just the thought of going in the sun
3 other guys in my house – ok, they’re good guys, but I’ll gladly trade them in for one woman, but only one certain woman and only after the right ring is on her left hand.
Houses with paper thin walls and saran wrap windows
The neighbour’s annoying dogs
All those mosquitoes – NOT - I don’t know what’s wrong with Aussies that they think they have so many mossies! I increased my count this weekend by 28.6%. From August 25, 2006 till November 9, 2008 I have now encountered a grand total of 9 mosquitoes. Yes, I counted! Having been warned in advance of the number of these bloodsucking pests, I thought they would be a force to recon with. When I didn’t find any, I started noticing the odd occasion when they did show up
Being asked constantly if I’m Irish – by people who have never even met anyone from Ireland!
“A” being pronounced “r” and “r” pronounced as “a”. This rule is especially true if the “r” is at the end of a word and the next word starts with a vowel. This probably needs some explanation so here are some examples
· Hosanna = Hosanner
· Paper = papa
· Darling Harbour = Daaling haaba
· Colour = Coula
· From a radio advert – Paramatta accountants = Parammaterrr accountants
· More = moa
People being amazed that I say “house” not “hoose”. This is usually followed by the comment that all Canadians say “hoose” and that’s why I must be Irish. I usually respond that since the person telling me this has heard only a few Canadians speak and I have heard many thousands speak, I would be a little more knowledgeable in matters relating to Canadians' way of speaking and we do NOT pronounce it “hoose”
Oh, the joys of living in another culture! Even so, I’m a better man for it. I’m looking forward to being home, but have to admit, I’ll miss this place. Especially every winter. I hope this series has given you a little extra insight into our cultural differences and you've been able to have a little laugh or two along the way. I'm sure anyone who has spent a week or more in Australia can relate to at least some of my points in this series. For the rest of you, it should help you prepare for any future visit you plan. Happy travels! See you soon in my homeland (and the greatest nation on Earth!!!)
Houses with no insulation or sound barrier to other rooms or the outside
The 11 most venomous snakes in the world and 20 of the 22 most venomous
Wide selection of poisonous spiders
Slow walkers. It took only two weeks after my knee operation before I was walking faster than the average Aussie. I’m sorry, but when I go shopping, I have a destination in mind. I’m not too interested in going slow to see all the scenery in the center of the shopping center hallway. There’s not that much to see! Now to be fair, I have found one other place where people walked this slowly. Uganda.
Vegemite – Imagine a bit of yeast mixed with lots of salt, some (rotten) vegetables, and some other disgusting compound that gives it a definite brown colour, and you have the worst “food” I’ve ever tasted
The word “Quality” not being in the dictionary
Trolleys (shopping carts) with 4 turning wheels – especially bad on slopes
A postal service that calculates shipping time by walking the route, walking the return route, finding the total number of minutes, then labelling it days instead of minutes (ie. A distance that takes 20 minutes to walk – 40 minutes return – may take 40 days for delivery in Australia). I’m still waiting for one package that was sent from oversees (express post) at the beginning of Sept. I’m also waiting for an envelope that was sent on Oct 15 from just down the street (a 20 minute walk).
UV index so high that skin burns on just the thought of going in the sun
3 other guys in my house – ok, they’re good guys, but I’ll gladly trade them in for one woman, but only one certain woman and only after the right ring is on her left hand.
Houses with paper thin walls and saran wrap windows
The neighbour’s annoying dogs
All those mosquitoes – NOT - I don’t know what’s wrong with Aussies that they think they have so many mossies! I increased my count this weekend by 28.6%. From August 25, 2006 till November 9, 2008 I have now encountered a grand total of 9 mosquitoes. Yes, I counted! Having been warned in advance of the number of these bloodsucking pests, I thought they would be a force to recon with. When I didn’t find any, I started noticing the odd occasion when they did show up
Being asked constantly if I’m Irish – by people who have never even met anyone from Ireland!
“A” being pronounced “r” and “r” pronounced as “a”. This rule is especially true if the “r” is at the end of a word and the next word starts with a vowel. This probably needs some explanation so here are some examples
· Hosanna = Hosanner
· Paper = papa
· Darling Harbour = Daaling haaba
· Colour = Coula
· From a radio advert – Paramatta accountants = Parammaterrr accountants
· More = moa
People being amazed that I say “house” not “hoose”. This is usually followed by the comment that all Canadians say “hoose” and that’s why I must be Irish. I usually respond that since the person telling me this has heard only a few Canadians speak and I have heard many thousands speak, I would be a little more knowledgeable in matters relating to Canadians' way of speaking and we do NOT pronounce it “hoose”
Oh, the joys of living in another culture! Even so, I’m a better man for it. I’m looking forward to being home, but have to admit, I’ll miss this place. Especially every winter. I hope this series has given you a little extra insight into our cultural differences and you've been able to have a little laugh or two along the way. I'm sure anyone who has spent a week or more in Australia can relate to at least some of my points in this series. For the rest of you, it should help you prepare for any future visit you plan. Happy travels! See you soon in my homeland (and the greatest nation on Earth!!!)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Part 3 - Things I'd rather not go home to in Canada
Well, it should be no surprise that at the top of this list would be the weather! My last two years have been spent in a place where people go TO the snow for a vacation. I’ll soon be back in a place where people go FROM the snow for a vacation.
Having sales tax added to the price of items in stores rather than having it included in the price and actually knowing the final price without doing the calculation first. But then again, doing this mental (pun intended) math regularly could be a good thing
Needing a block heater in my car
A government that takes 3 months to issue a passport renewal. But then again, I’ve had to deal with that government the whole time, just not as much.
Frost and fog on my windows for much of the year.
Winter parka – actually, just the need for one. Considering the need, I’m glad I have one.
French labels on pretty much everything - and those annoying people who intentionally turn the French side out to face me!
Wind-chill
Having to choose between English and French every time I call a government agency
The feeling of my nose hairs solidifying as I breath the -40 degree air - wonderful picture I know :-)
Icy roads
Well, as I look at this list, much of it is centered around the weather. No wonder the first thing people from around the world think of when they hear I’m from Canada is the weather.
Having sales tax added to the price of items in stores rather than having it included in the price and actually knowing the final price without doing the calculation first. But then again, doing this mental (pun intended) math regularly could be a good thing
Needing a block heater in my car
A government that takes 3 months to issue a passport renewal. But then again, I’ve had to deal with that government the whole time, just not as much.
Frost and fog on my windows for much of the year.
Winter parka – actually, just the need for one. Considering the need, I’m glad I have one.
French labels on pretty much everything - and those annoying people who intentionally turn the French side out to face me!
Wind-chill
Having to choose between English and French every time I call a government agency
The feeling of my nose hairs solidifying as I breath the -40 degree air - wonderful picture I know :-)
Icy roads
Well, as I look at this list, much of it is centered around the weather. No wonder the first thing people from around the world think of when they hear I’m from Canada is the weather.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Aussie things I'll miss at home
After careful consideration and many items vying for pre-eminence in my mind, it’s time to bring up the next list and mention the down(under)sides of moving on; so here is part two of the instalments on things to miss…
The weather – um, lets see… the same temperatures here in winter as in Canada in summer… need I say more?
Hillsong Church. There is a phenomenal culture in this church, great teaching, incredible worship music, massive events, and the movement of God using willing people to do amazing things throughout the world. That description sounds pretty much like my church back home in Canada. Hillsong just has a few more people. A great church at home certainly helps makes the transition a lot easier.
Friends. One downside to my life is that no matter where in the world I live, I have people somewhere else whom I miss. On the other hand, I have lots of people to visit if I ever decide to do some travel. I’m highly blessed to have great friends across the globe!
Tim Tams – but apparently I can get them at home now too…
The Weather. Oops, did I already say that? Oh well, it’s worth a second mention…
Every tree being an evergreen. The leaves could fall off, many of them just don’t cause it doesn’t get cold enough
Did I mention the weather yet?
Ok fine, there aren’t that many things on my list, just a lot of friends vying for top spot on the list, a great church, and the weather. But hey, those are pretty important things!!! I’m sure there are more things to mention, but I have chosen to look forward and to not dwell on the past or on what I’m leaving behind.
The weather – um, lets see… the same temperatures here in winter as in Canada in summer… need I say more?
Hillsong Church. There is a phenomenal culture in this church, great teaching, incredible worship music, massive events, and the movement of God using willing people to do amazing things throughout the world. That description sounds pretty much like my church back home in Canada. Hillsong just has a few more people. A great church at home certainly helps makes the transition a lot easier.
Friends. One downside to my life is that no matter where in the world I live, I have people somewhere else whom I miss. On the other hand, I have lots of people to visit if I ever decide to do some travel. I’m highly blessed to have great friends across the globe!
Tim Tams – but apparently I can get them at home now too…
The Weather. Oops, did I already say that? Oh well, it’s worth a second mention…
Every tree being an evergreen. The leaves could fall off, many of them just don’t cause it doesn’t get cold enough
Did I mention the weather yet?
Ok fine, there aren’t that many things on my list, just a lot of friends vying for top spot on the list, a great church, and the weather. But hey, those are pretty important things!!! I’m sure there are more things to mention, but I have chosen to look forward and to not dwell on the past or on what I’m leaving behind.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Walk in the park
I spent a day in the Royal National Park with a friend. What we thought would be a nice walk in the park in fact was - with some interesting twists!!!
On the way to the park, there was suddenly a special car behind us with lights on top and a siren. We stopped to face the questions "Is this your car?" "Have you been drinking any alcohol today?" "How long have you been in Australia?" "...and there are no problems with your visa?" ......... it was a random stop looking for people drinking and driving on the long weekend.
After clearance from the nice officer, we were on our way and started the walk - along the beach, off the beach along the coast, up a hill, down a hill, up a hill, down a hill, up a hill - well, you get the picture... and speaking of pictures, here's one from the top of one hill. At the bottom is a nice beach and a camping area. Our initial plan was to camp here; but a few things didn't work out for that to happen, so one day will do for now.
And the view from on another hill...
The result of finding the leech AFTER it found it's way up my pant leg and had it's fill!!!
We walked a number of km's; up and down a few hills, through some bush, along some beaches, and down a road. We had cloud cover, sunshine, more cloud, rain, thunder, and a little more sun. With the exception of snow, hail, and frostbite, the weather was pretty much a typical summer day in Saskatchewan! I even got some colour on my skin! Just to add to the adventure, we managed to find a few different blood sucking varieties of creatures. I killed a mosquito (I think this was the 7th one I've seen in Australia (so much for the Aussie claims of having lots of them!!!!!!!!!!), pulled a wood tick out of Juergen's skin, and found one more variety - leeches.
On one stretch of trail we tackled through a heavy downpour, we each managed to clear at least a dozen leeches off our clothing. We were soaked through from the rain, tired from an early morning and a lot of walking, and hungry. Having thoroughly checked our clothing and bags for any more suckers, we got on in car and headed home. We hadn't even made it out of the park when I found another leech crawling up my hand. I quickly pulled over and sent it out the window. Back on the road, I looked down and found yet more - two climbing up my pants - not a good thing when behind the wheel. Managed to safely get them out of the car and kept going. Well, just to finish it all off, shortly before arriving home, I felt something different inside my pant leg and thought I'd kill it before it got me. Too late. 4 hours later, I was still bleeding. Oh well, on the brighter side, the most pain was from changing the bandaging, and the pants are clean and stain free.
Upon arrival home, I checked everything again before entering the house, took a shower, bandaged the hole, and went out for a BBQ. All in all, it was a good day. Now it's time to recover:)
On the way to the park, there was suddenly a special car behind us with lights on top and a siren. We stopped to face the questions "Is this your car?" "Have you been drinking any alcohol today?" "How long have you been in Australia?" "...and there are no problems with your visa?" ......... it was a random stop looking for people drinking and driving on the long weekend.
After clearance from the nice officer, we were on our way and started the walk - along the beach, off the beach along the coast, up a hill, down a hill, up a hill, down a hill, up a hill - well, you get the picture... and speaking of pictures, here's one from the top of one hill. At the bottom is a nice beach and a camping area. Our initial plan was to camp here; but a few things didn't work out for that to happen, so one day will do for now.
And the view from on another hill...
The result of finding the leech AFTER it found it's way up my pant leg and had it's fill!!!
We walked a number of km's; up and down a few hills, through some bush, along some beaches, and down a road. We had cloud cover, sunshine, more cloud, rain, thunder, and a little more sun. With the exception of snow, hail, and frostbite, the weather was pretty much a typical summer day in Saskatchewan! I even got some colour on my skin! Just to add to the adventure, we managed to find a few different blood sucking varieties of creatures. I killed a mosquito (I think this was the 7th one I've seen in Australia (so much for the Aussie claims of having lots of them!!!!!!!!!!), pulled a wood tick out of Juergen's skin, and found one more variety - leeches.
On one stretch of trail we tackled through a heavy downpour, we each managed to clear at least a dozen leeches off our clothing. We were soaked through from the rain, tired from an early morning and a lot of walking, and hungry. Having thoroughly checked our clothing and bags for any more suckers, we got on in car and headed home. We hadn't even made it out of the park when I found another leech crawling up my hand. I quickly pulled over and sent it out the window. Back on the road, I looked down and found yet more - two climbing up my pants - not a good thing when behind the wheel. Managed to safely get them out of the car and kept going. Well, just to finish it all off, shortly before arriving home, I felt something different inside my pant leg and thought I'd kill it before it got me. Too late. 4 hours later, I was still bleeding. Oh well, on the brighter side, the most pain was from changing the bandaging, and the pants are clean and stain free.
Upon arrival home, I checked everything again before entering the house, took a shower, bandaged the hole, and went out for a BBQ. All in all, it was a good day. Now it's time to recover:)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Things from home I've missed in Australia -
In no particular order, and I'm sure the list is incomplete - feel free to give me suggestions...
Family and Friends
Vern's Pizza - Double Double, T Rex, Vern's Special, Flame Thrower, even the Big Cheese. Then there's the lasagna, cheese toast, garlic toast, and pretty much anything else on the menu
Hockey - the real variety, played on ice (none of this crazy immitation stuff they play on a soccer field around here)
Ketchup Chips
Farmer Sausage
Coffee Crisp
Bothwell Cheese
La Cocina Tortilla Chips
Driving on the right side of the road (although this will now take some adjustment after two years of driving on the wrong side)
Canadian Tire
30-40% lower prices for almost everything
Walmart
Stores open later than 5pm
Canadian Beef
Many of the other home made foods that I can't make out here because the raw ingredients can't be found
Open space and a quiet community
Now lest anyone think I'm sick of Australia and just longing for the day I leave, let me assure you that's not the case. It's true that I look forward to being home again and there are things I've missed from back there, but I also love my life over here and there are many things I will miss about Australia too. I'll save them for another post. Both places are great and I love them both. Either way, I win!
So, if anyone in Canada wants to help me fill my two year old cravings for things of home, please let me know and I'll be sure to give you the opportunity upon my arrival at home in February 2009.
Family and Friends
Vern's Pizza - Double Double, T Rex, Vern's Special, Flame Thrower, even the Big Cheese. Then there's the lasagna, cheese toast, garlic toast, and pretty much anything else on the menu
Hockey - the real variety, played on ice (none of this crazy immitation stuff they play on a soccer field around here)
Ketchup Chips
Farmer Sausage
Coffee Crisp
Bothwell Cheese
La Cocina Tortilla Chips
Driving on the right side of the road (although this will now take some adjustment after two years of driving on the wrong side)
Canadian Tire
30-40% lower prices for almost everything
Walmart
Stores open later than 5pm
Canadian Beef
Many of the other home made foods that I can't make out here because the raw ingredients can't be found
Open space and a quiet community
Freedom to walk outdoors without caution for poisonous snakes and spiders
Fishing in quiet lakes
Northern Lights
Camping
Lots of stars visible in the night sky
CFL
Now lest anyone think I'm sick of Australia and just longing for the day I leave, let me assure you that's not the case. It's true that I look forward to being home again and there are things I've missed from back there, but I also love my life over here and there are many things I will miss about Australia too. I'll save them for another post. Both places are great and I love them both. Either way, I win!
So, if anyone in Canada wants to help me fill my two year old cravings for things of home, please let me know and I'll be sure to give you the opportunity upon my arrival at home in February 2009.
Monday, September 15, 2008
News Time
I previously posted a message telling you about my plans to stay in Australia for another year. My intention was to take on a pastoral care role at church for one year and then move home to Canada and start life there again. Since posting that message, I have stepped into the role and applied for the visa that would allow me to stay the extra year. After being assured by the first immigrations official, I received an unexpected phone call from another one telling me that my file had been transferred and I was not going to be granted the visa for as long as I applied for. The promise of the other official meant nothing and published documentation regarding the rules around this particular visa also meant nothing; because ultimately, the decision is in the hands of a person; and in this case, I was met by a very grumpy and rude person indeed. She refused to give a valid explanation or to waver on her stance. In the end, I was granted a visa till January 15, 2009 and the deal was done. I could take the case to higher authorities but have decided to accept the decision and move home shortly after Christmas.
In the two weeks since that phone call, I have notified family and some friends of the change in plans and made travel bookings for my trip home. The news has been met with anger, frustration, and even tears as I told my Aussie friends of the decision. On the other hand, I was able to bring much joy to many Canadians. I personally have mixed feelings about it but believe that God must have something better for me somewhere else. What exactly that is I don’t yet know; although there appear to be opportunities already opening to me in Canada. In due time, it will all become more clear and I’ll step into something great.
So, my plans are now to leave Australia between Christmas and New Years, travel through a few African countries doing ministry with a pastor/friend of mine, and seeing some friends (including my girlfriend!!!!), then head back to Canada where I’ll see a few more friends across the country before arriving home in mid February.
Once there, my only plans are to wear lots of warm clothing to deal with the expected 70 degree difference in temperature from Aussie summer to Canadian winter, catch up with old friends I’ve missed for a long time, get back into my home church, and enjoy many of the things I’ve missed in Australia – the list is a work in progress…
In the two weeks since that phone call, I have notified family and some friends of the change in plans and made travel bookings for my trip home. The news has been met with anger, frustration, and even tears as I told my Aussie friends of the decision. On the other hand, I was able to bring much joy to many Canadians. I personally have mixed feelings about it but believe that God must have something better for me somewhere else. What exactly that is I don’t yet know; although there appear to be opportunities already opening to me in Canada. In due time, it will all become more clear and I’ll step into something great.
So, my plans are now to leave Australia between Christmas and New Years, travel through a few African countries doing ministry with a pastor/friend of mine, and seeing some friends (including my girlfriend!!!!), then head back to Canada where I’ll see a few more friends across the country before arriving home in mid February.
Once there, my only plans are to wear lots of warm clothing to deal with the expected 70 degree difference in temperature from Aussie summer to Canadian winter, catch up with old friends I’ve missed for a long time, get back into my home church, and enjoy many of the things I’ve missed in Australia – the list is a work in progress…
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The day that was
I never would have thought that I’d get more birthday wishes on my 32nd than ever before. But then I also never would have thought I’d move to Australia two weeks before my 30th, or that I’d have to schedule around three different groups of people wanting to put on a party for my 31st. And then there’s a whole lot of other things I never would have thought I’d do. I guess that shows me that I need to expand my thinking. You either live to the capacity of your thoughts, or you think to the capacity of your life. I choose to live to the capacity of my ever-increasing thoughts; and thereby increase my capacity.
No human in recorded history ever ran a mile in under 4 minutes until one man did – and then they all followed. No one at the time thought that they could abolish slavery in England until one man dedicated his life to do so; or that the same could happen in America until one man said “I have a dream” – and now America has “A Black man” running for president. Few thought man could make it to the moon until it was done – and now we’ve been to mars and are reaching beyond. Few believed there was any unknown land mass in the world; and many thought you’d fall off the edge of the earth if you tried to find one – yet I now call North America home.
So many people live their lives under the restrictions that are set before them. So few rise above or push through. Someone once asked me if I was a “glass half full” or a “glass half empty” sort of person. I responded that I was just glad I had a glass. Now I wonder, shouldn’t I have been grateful for the glass but then also filled it up completely – not to mention what I could have passed on to others?
What does this have to do with my birthday? Not much, except that it’s a day to reflect on the past and dream of the future. It’s a day to be grateful for the many blessings in life, and plan for many more to come. It’s a day to evaluate where I am, where I’ve been, and where I’m going. If I choose, it’s a day of new beginnings. So many things to do, places to go, people to know. So many gifts to give, blessings to receive, and love to be shown. So much, yet so little time. what will I do with what I’ve got. How about you?
Thanks to all who remembered my birthday and no worries to those who forgot or didn’t know.
No human in recorded history ever ran a mile in under 4 minutes until one man did – and then they all followed. No one at the time thought that they could abolish slavery in England until one man dedicated his life to do so; or that the same could happen in America until one man said “I have a dream” – and now America has “A Black man” running for president. Few thought man could make it to the moon until it was done – and now we’ve been to mars and are reaching beyond. Few believed there was any unknown land mass in the world; and many thought you’d fall off the edge of the earth if you tried to find one – yet I now call North America home.
So many people live their lives under the restrictions that are set before them. So few rise above or push through. Someone once asked me if I was a “glass half full” or a “glass half empty” sort of person. I responded that I was just glad I had a glass. Now I wonder, shouldn’t I have been grateful for the glass but then also filled it up completely – not to mention what I could have passed on to others?
What does this have to do with my birthday? Not much, except that it’s a day to reflect on the past and dream of the future. It’s a day to be grateful for the many blessings in life, and plan for many more to come. It’s a day to evaluate where I am, where I’ve been, and where I’m going. If I choose, it’s a day of new beginnings. So many things to do, places to go, people to know. So many gifts to give, blessings to receive, and love to be shown. So much, yet so little time. what will I do with what I’ve got. How about you?
Thanks to all who remembered my birthday and no worries to those who forgot or didn’t know.
Friday, August 29, 2008
A cracked shell
Due to rising fuel costs and the economic downturn resulting in fewer passengers, an airline looked at all options to decrease costs. In their attempt, they found a company that used egg yolks in the production of shampoo and was willing to sell the whites to the airline for use on their breakfast menu. One airline employee approached management concerned about the quality of their food deteriorating by loosing freshness and not including the yolk in their scrambled eggs. Upon hearing the concern, management, convinced it was fine, responded that it was a necessary step that was saving many jobs and assured the employee that everything would be all-white.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Olympic stories
I’m watching the Olympics. I’ve actually spent quite a lot of time watching them this week. There have been some embarrassing moments – like the gymnast who ran into the vault beam instead of jumping over it, and the weightlifter who lost his grip on the bar – 7 times! But there have also been some phenomenal moments like the swimmer who won 8 gold medals (the only American I could actually bring myself to cheer for) or the runner who took off from the rest of the crowd and complete obliterated the world record in the 100 meter sprint (with enough time left to cheer, wave his arms, hit his chest, and saunter over the finish line). But the one that stands out to me the most is the one I just saw.
As I watched, the commentator mentioned how this competitor had lost his wife in a car accident just one year ago. Having experienced something similar, I know how difficult life becomes and how this emotional experience has such a massive physical effect. Competing in the Olympics is a feat few can accomplish. Winning such a competition is reserved for the very few elite indeed. All competitors overcome obstacles along the way, but this is something others don’t realize the significance of; and something so significant I don’t care which country he’s from, I cheered for him. He was a weightlifter sitting in second place and to win the gold, he had to lift 10kg (22 pounds) more than he had ever lifted in a major competition before. I watched as he approached the bar, got into position, and prepared for the lift. I cheered as he strained and lifted 258kg off the ground, to his shoulders, and up over his head. Held my breath as he held it there for the required time, then smiled as he dropped the bar in triumph, jumped in the air, hugged his coach, fell to the ground in tears, then jumped and yelled with excitement. A lot of emotion for a grown man, but emotion justified. Way to go Matthias Steiner of Germany!!!
As I watched, the commentator mentioned how this competitor had lost his wife in a car accident just one year ago. Having experienced something similar, I know how difficult life becomes and how this emotional experience has such a massive physical effect. Competing in the Olympics is a feat few can accomplish. Winning such a competition is reserved for the very few elite indeed. All competitors overcome obstacles along the way, but this is something others don’t realize the significance of; and something so significant I don’t care which country he’s from, I cheered for him. He was a weightlifter sitting in second place and to win the gold, he had to lift 10kg (22 pounds) more than he had ever lifted in a major competition before. I watched as he approached the bar, got into position, and prepared for the lift. I cheered as he strained and lifted 258kg off the ground, to his shoulders, and up over his head. Held my breath as he held it there for the required time, then smiled as he dropped the bar in triumph, jumped in the air, hugged his coach, fell to the ground in tears, then jumped and yelled with excitement. A lot of emotion for a grown man, but emotion justified. Way to go Matthias Steiner of Germany!!!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
A dream fulfilled...
I just put some photos on facbook. Don't have time right now to tell the stories, but you can follow the link below to see them.
Enjoy!
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53363&l=0afb0&id=566943522
Enjoy!
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53363&l=0afb0&id=566943522
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Long awaited update
So many things to do. So little time to write about them. It seems my life goes like that… Nothing out of the ordinary for a long time, then a whole month or more of exciting things! This has been one of those exciting months!!!
July 1st, I picked up my girlfriend from the airport and we began a 19 day whirlwind of activity. We started off by simply going to a park and talking the day away as we relaxed, enjoyed each other’s company, and she started getting over jet lag. Between trips to the city, sunsets on the beach, trips to the mountains, time with friends, time at church, and a week of Hillsong Conference, our time flew by. I’ll place some photos below to tell the story.
After Greta left, I had a hectic week of catching up and planning a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, then went up there, and now have the task of sorting out a visa to keep me in Australia another year. More on the other topics a little later.
For now, some pictures! They're kind of in random order 'cause I can get this up sooner that way, but here they are.
You can also use the following link to see photo's I'm putting on facebook (you don't have to be on facebook to follow this link and see the pictures)
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52343&l=1f3fd&id=566943522
We spent a lot of time with my friends, some of whom have now become Greta's friends as well. One night while at a friend's house, one of them asked for my camera and took this picture which turned out to be one of the best. Greta attended Hillsong Conference for a week while I was busy volunteering at the conference so during that week we didn't see each other as much but she did spend a lot of time with a few of my (female) friends. These same women have told me in the past that they would love to set me up and would love to see me in a relationship again but they just can't find anyone they believe is good enough for me. I've been warned sternly that I am not to settle for just any woman because I deserve the best.
Even now, 3 weeks after Greta left, people are coming to me and also telling others that my girlfriend is amazing! She was a bit concerned about what people would think of her - if she'd reach their expectations - and she certainly managed to leave a VERY good impression. I've heard from countless people how great they think she is and how great they think we are together. Needless to say, I'm quite encouraged by their support!
Since the day I got to Sydney, one of my dreams has been to take my girlfriend to see a performance at the opera house. It took 1 1/2 years to get the girlfriend, but now that it was possible, I took her to see that performance. Thankfully, there was something other than opera showing at the time so we had a really nice evening, had a great dinner at a restaurant overlooking the harbour, and took in the show. We both really enjoyed the night!
I did some homework before she came and found this great private beach to watch the sunset. I couldn't ask for a better location and we enjoyed some time alone before joining more friends for the rest of the evening. Thank you God for a fantastic backdrop to this photo!
I actually found a few locations for the sunset. It's so nice to see the evening sky turn colours and to know I'm with the woman I love.
July 1st, I picked up my girlfriend from the airport and we began a 19 day whirlwind of activity. We started off by simply going to a park and talking the day away as we relaxed, enjoyed each other’s company, and she started getting over jet lag. Between trips to the city, sunsets on the beach, trips to the mountains, time with friends, time at church, and a week of Hillsong Conference, our time flew by. I’ll place some photos below to tell the story.
After Greta left, I had a hectic week of catching up and planning a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, then went up there, and now have the task of sorting out a visa to keep me in Australia another year. More on the other topics a little later.
For now, some pictures! They're kind of in random order 'cause I can get this up sooner that way, but here they are.
You can also use the following link to see photo's I'm putting on facebook (you don't have to be on facebook to follow this link and see the pictures)
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52343&l=1f3fd&id=566943522
We spent a lot of time with my friends, some of whom have now become Greta's friends as well. One night while at a friend's house, one of them asked for my camera and took this picture which turned out to be one of the best. Greta attended Hillsong Conference for a week while I was busy volunteering at the conference so during that week we didn't see each other as much but she did spend a lot of time with a few of my (female) friends. These same women have told me in the past that they would love to set me up and would love to see me in a relationship again but they just can't find anyone they believe is good enough for me. I've been warned sternly that I am not to settle for just any woman because I deserve the best.
Even now, 3 weeks after Greta left, people are coming to me and also telling others that my girlfriend is amazing! She was a bit concerned about what people would think of her - if she'd reach their expectations - and she certainly managed to leave a VERY good impression. I've heard from countless people how great they think she is and how great they think we are together. Needless to say, I'm quite encouraged by their support!
I took her to places where she could pet the real kangaroos and koala bears; but for some reason, most of them walked away. It became quite a joke between us because it happened so often. Well, these two didn't run away!!!! I also had to take the shot because she looks so good in this hat.
Since the day I got to Sydney, one of my dreams has been to take my girlfriend to see a performance at the opera house. It took 1 1/2 years to get the girlfriend, but now that it was possible, I took her to see that performance. Thankfully, there was something other than opera showing at the time so we had a really nice evening, had a great dinner at a restaurant overlooking the harbour, and took in the show. We both really enjoyed the night!
I did some homework before she came and found this great private beach to watch the sunset. I couldn't ask for a better location and we enjoyed some time alone before joining more friends for the rest of the evening. Thank you God for a fantastic backdrop to this photo!I actually found a few locations for the sunset. It's so nice to see the evening sky turn colours and to know I'm with the woman I love.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Ponderings
As I sit here and ponder, many things flood my mind. There are things I want to do but can’t yet, those I hope to do at some point, some I’ve started and need to finish, others I didn’t but wish I had, and still more I never thought I could until it was too late. On the brighter side, there are also things I never dreamed of that I’ve now done and more I did dream of that are becoming reality.
Over the last month, I’ve spent a lot of time on the good side of activities – much of my time being spent in a very good way! July 1 marked a new day in the life of Larry Reimer as I drove to the airport to pick up a special guest. Only the second person to come visit me in Australia, she holds a special place in my life; a very special place. Having been widowed three years ago, it’s been a long journey back to what most people consider normal life. It’s been an unbelievably difficult battle to bring myself to the point of putting my heart on the line and allowing myself to love again. As much as I could plan and anticipate, there are too many things I could never have dreamed of in the recovery process. Someone asked me once if I was scared to start another dating relationship and I had to admit that scared was an understatement – absolutely terrified was more accurate. That said, I also know that love is too good a thing to pass up. So with that basis, I started a dating relationship in January of this year and today marks six months since it began. Strange thing is, although I’ve known this lady for many years, July 1st was the first time I saw her since we started dating. On July 19 I made the trip to the airport one more time, this time to say goodbye. It was a difficult trip and one I wish I hadn’t had to make, but for the time being, it is necessary. For the time being, I’ll summarize by saying this; a friend commented on me walking on air cause it looked like I was on cloud nine (I was so happy) and I said the only reason I was on cloud nine was that cloud ten was occupied.
Now I know many of you want details – stories, pictures, etc. But since she left, I’ve been trying to catch up on things I left while she was here and while conference was going on. At the same time, I’ve also been planning frantically for a vacation of my own. I leave on Monday for an adventure I’ve dreamed of for many years so when I get home, I’ll post some pictures of both my time with my girlfriend and the other adventure I embark on next week.
I couldn’t leave you all hanging forever, but I have to keep it short for now. Come back after August 6th for pictures and stories from one of the better months of my life.
Now this doesn’t begin to cover my ponderings, but if I wrote all them down, I’d have a book. Hang on, that doesn’t sound like that bad an idea!
Over the last month, I’ve spent a lot of time on the good side of activities – much of my time being spent in a very good way! July 1 marked a new day in the life of Larry Reimer as I drove to the airport to pick up a special guest. Only the second person to come visit me in Australia, she holds a special place in my life; a very special place. Having been widowed three years ago, it’s been a long journey back to what most people consider normal life. It’s been an unbelievably difficult battle to bring myself to the point of putting my heart on the line and allowing myself to love again. As much as I could plan and anticipate, there are too many things I could never have dreamed of in the recovery process. Someone asked me once if I was scared to start another dating relationship and I had to admit that scared was an understatement – absolutely terrified was more accurate. That said, I also know that love is too good a thing to pass up. So with that basis, I started a dating relationship in January of this year and today marks six months since it began. Strange thing is, although I’ve known this lady for many years, July 1st was the first time I saw her since we started dating. On July 19 I made the trip to the airport one more time, this time to say goodbye. It was a difficult trip and one I wish I hadn’t had to make, but for the time being, it is necessary. For the time being, I’ll summarize by saying this; a friend commented on me walking on air cause it looked like I was on cloud nine (I was so happy) and I said the only reason I was on cloud nine was that cloud ten was occupied.
Now I know many of you want details – stories, pictures, etc. But since she left, I’ve been trying to catch up on things I left while she was here and while conference was going on. At the same time, I’ve also been planning frantically for a vacation of my own. I leave on Monday for an adventure I’ve dreamed of for many years so when I get home, I’ll post some pictures of both my time with my girlfriend and the other adventure I embark on next week.
I couldn’t leave you all hanging forever, but I have to keep it short for now. Come back after August 6th for pictures and stories from one of the better months of my life.
Now this doesn’t begin to cover my ponderings, but if I wrote all them down, I’d have a book. Hang on, that doesn’t sound like that bad an idea!
Monday, July 07, 2008
5 star safety
Just like automobiles have crash safety ratings, so do computers - or now they do! Mine crashed very well (quit working in such a way that it doesn't turn on but I can still recover the data) so it gets a 5 star rating. I'm hereby asking for opinions and feedback on what to do with mine. It quit working and it looks like I'll be replacing it but I'm not sure what to do with it once that is done.
What I've thought of so far:
1. Use a hammer on it like I've dreamed of for the last year
2. See how high into the air I can throw it and see how hard it lands
2a. Repeat the procedure and take the average or the best result
3. Drive really fast down the highway and throw it out the window (can't do this though because it would be littering)
4. See what happens if I dump a jug of water or it's closest equivalent (Pepsi) over it
My girlfriend is sitting here telling me this sounds quite rage-full and violent, so I'll open up the discussion for other ideas. If any of you has something you have wanted to do to your own computer and didn't because of the cost involved, here's your chance - send me a message with your idea and I'll consider the different options suggested before destroying the beast. The more votes your idea gets, the greater the chance I'll use it.
Alternatively, I may go on E-bay and sell the right to tell me what to do with the computer. If I do this, there will be a couple of conditions (like I will do nothing illegal in the process) and I would record on video the process of what is done to the computer and send that video to the winning bidder.
In the mean time I'm using a friend's computer until I replace the old one, so I may not be on this blog regularly for a bit. (Ok fine, that's only an excuse, the real reason is that I'm busy with conference and with gb :) )
What I've thought of so far:
1. Use a hammer on it like I've dreamed of for the last year
2. See how high into the air I can throw it and see how hard it lands
2a. Repeat the procedure and take the average or the best result
3. Drive really fast down the highway and throw it out the window (can't do this though because it would be littering)
4. See what happens if I dump a jug of water or it's closest equivalent (Pepsi) over it
My girlfriend is sitting here telling me this sounds quite rage-full and violent, so I'll open up the discussion for other ideas. If any of you has something you have wanted to do to your own computer and didn't because of the cost involved, here's your chance - send me a message with your idea and I'll consider the different options suggested before destroying the beast. The more votes your idea gets, the greater the chance I'll use it.
Alternatively, I may go on E-bay and sell the right to tell me what to do with the computer. If I do this, there will be a couple of conditions (like I will do nothing illegal in the process) and I would record on video the process of what is done to the computer and send that video to the winning bidder.
In the mean time I'm using a friend's computer until I replace the old one, so I may not be on this blog regularly for a bit. (Ok fine, that's only an excuse, the real reason is that I'm busy with conference and with gb :) )
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Here we go again...
Here we go again…
For the last few months in church, there has been a countdown happening to Hillsong Conference. It’s now sitting at one week to go before our church is filled with thousands of visitors. At this time next week, Joyce Meyer is speaking in church; and the next day, we invade the Acer Arena in Sydney to host somewhere over 20,000 people coming from thousands of different churches representing a hundred or more different denominations coming from many different countries; all to build something in themselves to take back home and be a greater influence in their home areas for God’s Kingdom. It’s a great privilege for us to host all these people and I’m really looking forward to being part of this event once again. I would recommend that anyone who can comes to this sort of conference at some point in your life. It is truly amazing!
While conference will take much of my time for the next while, I will take time for some other activities as well and I anticipate a very busy month of July. I’ll do my best to get some pictures of special activities I’ve got planned for the next month so you can all enjoy my activities with me to a small extent. A small taste of what’s on my menu:
· Take in a performance at the Sydney Opera House; preceded by a nice dinner in yet to be disclosed romantic location (not alone!!!)
· Sunset walk along the beach (not alone!!!)
· Picnic lunch in a beautiful park overlooking some phenomenal natural landscapes (not alone!!!)
· Bush walk through some mountains, passing by beautiful waterfalls (you guessed it - not alone!!!)
So the theme here is that I won’t be alone!!! Does anyone by any chance sense some excitement??? If you haven’t caught on yet, I’ll give you another hint… the countdown timer is connected to this time of not being alone!!! That’s not to say I’m alone now, but it will be very different this time around.
If you’ve figured it out, celebrate with me; if not, watch this page for pictures and stories coming in the next month.
For the last few months in church, there has been a countdown happening to Hillsong Conference. It’s now sitting at one week to go before our church is filled with thousands of visitors. At this time next week, Joyce Meyer is speaking in church; and the next day, we invade the Acer Arena in Sydney to host somewhere over 20,000 people coming from thousands of different churches representing a hundred or more different denominations coming from many different countries; all to build something in themselves to take back home and be a greater influence in their home areas for God’s Kingdom. It’s a great privilege for us to host all these people and I’m really looking forward to being part of this event once again. I would recommend that anyone who can comes to this sort of conference at some point in your life. It is truly amazing!
While conference will take much of my time for the next while, I will take time for some other activities as well and I anticipate a very busy month of July. I’ll do my best to get some pictures of special activities I’ve got planned for the next month so you can all enjoy my activities with me to a small extent. A small taste of what’s on my menu:
· Take in a performance at the Sydney Opera House; preceded by a nice dinner in yet to be disclosed romantic location (not alone!!!)
· Sunset walk along the beach (not alone!!!)
· Picnic lunch in a beautiful park overlooking some phenomenal natural landscapes (not alone!!!)
· Bush walk through some mountains, passing by beautiful waterfalls (you guessed it - not alone!!!)
So the theme here is that I won’t be alone!!! Does anyone by any chance sense some excitement??? If you haven’t caught on yet, I’ll give you another hint… the countdown timer is connected to this time of not being alone!!! That’s not to say I’m alone now, but it will be very different this time around.
If you’ve figured it out, celebrate with me; if not, watch this page for pictures and stories coming in the next month.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
One small step
We’ve all been there. And don’t you deny it. We’re in a crowd of people or in some public place when we turn to follow the gaze of a dozen other eyes and rest upon something unusual. We’re in the middle of a crowd and somebody within eyesight is doing something different from the rest of the crowd. They’re actually doing something that most of us only dream of. The people doing it stand out from the rest because of the way they’re dressed, what they’re doing, what they say or how they walk. There’s something that distinguishes them from the rest of us. There’s something that makes us look; and something, that when we see them, causes us to be just a little bit jealous. Oh, we would never admit that we were jealous. We may even say to the person beside us that we would never do something like that. “It doesn’t interest me.” “That’s crazy.” “It costs too much money.” “I just wouldn’t have the nerve.”
Think back to the last time you saw someone driving that new car you’ve been dreaming of – the exact make, model, and year (or for all the women out there – the exact colour). Think about the time you walked into someone’s grandiose new home and thought “If only”. Think back to the last time you looked up in the sky and saw someone gently gliding to the earth with a parachute. Think of the person who walks past you when boarding an airplane; who boards first, and whom you must now walk past as you walk through the comfortable, roomy business class sofa’s on your way to your cramped and illegally uncomfortable economy nook or cranny surrounded by 3 screaming children and 5 people who didn’t put on deodorant that morning (Yes this has happened to me!!!!!) I’m sure there are many more things that you could think of, but I think you get the point.
Well today it was my turn. Today, just for one brief, fleeting moment, I had my go. Today, I was on the other side. Today, I was the one that others looked at with all the dreams in their eyes. I won’t claim that everyone dreams of doing what I did today; but the point is the same – just different activities for some people. At 4:00 this afternoon, I walked up a short, rocky ascent and saw the crowd. Today, I saw the other people look at me with eyes of wonder; thinking to themselves, “I wish that was me.” And for that one little child in the crowd with the biggest eyes of them all, I truly hope that one day you get your turn. But as for me, it was the end of a long and tiring day; the last leg on a journey of many firsts fulfilling a dream that’s been alive for more than half my life. Today, I did it.
I started my day by waking to an alarm (ok, that’s hardly something special – and certainly not a first for me), I then went on to pack up my bedding, grab a quick breakfast, and do the rest of a regular morning routine. After this, I went for a drive to a place I’d never been before, stopped in a classroom I’d never seen before and did a test I’d never written before for an online course I’d been taking in the last week, After this, I went to the next room and had some equipment explained to me, and let the fun begin.
Next step was a 200 meter swim; which for some people is no big deal; but for me, a middle aged Canadian student who’s been out of commission from a bummed knee and who’s spent more time sitting at his computer than doing anything else for the last 7 years, this was a big deal. I managed the swim twice as long as I’d ever done before and then was told to float in the water for another 10 minutes. Finishing that wasn’t too bad except I’d already run myself dry (ok, it’s tough to get dry while swimming but that’s beside the point) with the swimming. Well, I got through that and went to get my equipment on. That’s when it really began. It’s like a new birth. Like a child who’s just come out of his mother’s womb and takes that first big gulp of air – except this was almost the opposite, going back into a liquid filled cavern and feeling really restricted. The wet suit was tight, the equipment was heavy (until in the water) and the adjustment was difficult. But somehow I managed to wrap my head around the concept of staying underwater and breathing like normal. I went on to go without the air, to use someone else’s air, to use my second source of air, and to wish I had air. I swam with a mask, without a mask, and with my mask strung along my arm. After a myriad of other activities, I was deemed ready to move on to the real thing. We stopped for a light lunch then made our way to the open water where we would make us of so many things we had learned and practiced for just this occasion. North Sydney; Bare Island; Botany Bay; My first ocean water scuba dive. Lest I bore you with all the details, I’ll just say it was quite an amazing experience, I saw lots of great features that until now have been restricted to pictures and the TV screen, got to feed a big blue fish, and eventually made my way out of the water and up the short rocky ascent where I saw the wide-eyed young child and the rest of the crowd. It was a tiring yet great day and one I likely won’t forget anytime soon. It was, after all, the day I fulfilled a long-time dream of mine and for the first time, went scuba diving.
I’m now finishing this entry off after the fact and I can tell you I did three more dives on Tuesday, played with a strange looking fish, saw another octopus, something in the family of the stingray, a second big school of small fish, and a bunch more. It was a great experience and I’m now a certified scuba diver.
One dream fulfilled. Next time, see you on the plane as you all are walking past me sitting on the comfortable, roomy business class sofa on your way to your cramped and illegally uncomfortable economy nook or cranny surrounded by 3 screaming children and 5 people who didn’t put on deodorant that morning. On second thought, follow your dreams and come join me in the better seats on the plane.
(now for the male version... I got certified for scuba diving this week. It was good.)
Think back to the last time you saw someone driving that new car you’ve been dreaming of – the exact make, model, and year (or for all the women out there – the exact colour). Think about the time you walked into someone’s grandiose new home and thought “If only”. Think back to the last time you looked up in the sky and saw someone gently gliding to the earth with a parachute. Think of the person who walks past you when boarding an airplane; who boards first, and whom you must now walk past as you walk through the comfortable, roomy business class sofa’s on your way to your cramped and illegally uncomfortable economy nook or cranny surrounded by 3 screaming children and 5 people who didn’t put on deodorant that morning (Yes this has happened to me!!!!!) I’m sure there are many more things that you could think of, but I think you get the point.
Well today it was my turn. Today, just for one brief, fleeting moment, I had my go. Today, I was on the other side. Today, I was the one that others looked at with all the dreams in their eyes. I won’t claim that everyone dreams of doing what I did today; but the point is the same – just different activities for some people. At 4:00 this afternoon, I walked up a short, rocky ascent and saw the crowd. Today, I saw the other people look at me with eyes of wonder; thinking to themselves, “I wish that was me.” And for that one little child in the crowd with the biggest eyes of them all, I truly hope that one day you get your turn. But as for me, it was the end of a long and tiring day; the last leg on a journey of many firsts fulfilling a dream that’s been alive for more than half my life. Today, I did it.
I started my day by waking to an alarm (ok, that’s hardly something special – and certainly not a first for me), I then went on to pack up my bedding, grab a quick breakfast, and do the rest of a regular morning routine. After this, I went for a drive to a place I’d never been before, stopped in a classroom I’d never seen before and did a test I’d never written before for an online course I’d been taking in the last week, After this, I went to the next room and had some equipment explained to me, and let the fun begin.
Next step was a 200 meter swim; which for some people is no big deal; but for me, a middle aged Canadian student who’s been out of commission from a bummed knee and who’s spent more time sitting at his computer than doing anything else for the last 7 years, this was a big deal. I managed the swim twice as long as I’d ever done before and then was told to float in the water for another 10 minutes. Finishing that wasn’t too bad except I’d already run myself dry (ok, it’s tough to get dry while swimming but that’s beside the point) with the swimming. Well, I got through that and went to get my equipment on. That’s when it really began. It’s like a new birth. Like a child who’s just come out of his mother’s womb and takes that first big gulp of air – except this was almost the opposite, going back into a liquid filled cavern and feeling really restricted. The wet suit was tight, the equipment was heavy (until in the water) and the adjustment was difficult. But somehow I managed to wrap my head around the concept of staying underwater and breathing like normal. I went on to go without the air, to use someone else’s air, to use my second source of air, and to wish I had air. I swam with a mask, without a mask, and with my mask strung along my arm. After a myriad of other activities, I was deemed ready to move on to the real thing. We stopped for a light lunch then made our way to the open water where we would make us of so many things we had learned and practiced for just this occasion. North Sydney; Bare Island; Botany Bay; My first ocean water scuba dive. Lest I bore you with all the details, I’ll just say it was quite an amazing experience, I saw lots of great features that until now have been restricted to pictures and the TV screen, got to feed a big blue fish, and eventually made my way out of the water and up the short rocky ascent where I saw the wide-eyed young child and the rest of the crowd. It was a tiring yet great day and one I likely won’t forget anytime soon. It was, after all, the day I fulfilled a long-time dream of mine and for the first time, went scuba diving.
I’m now finishing this entry off after the fact and I can tell you I did three more dives on Tuesday, played with a strange looking fish, saw another octopus, something in the family of the stingray, a second big school of small fish, and a bunch more. It was a great experience and I’m now a certified scuba diver.
One dream fulfilled. Next time, see you on the plane as you all are walking past me sitting on the comfortable, roomy business class sofa on your way to your cramped and illegally uncomfortable economy nook or cranny surrounded by 3 screaming children and 5 people who didn’t put on deodorant that morning. On second thought, follow your dreams and come join me in the better seats on the plane.
(now for the male version... I got certified for scuba diving this week. It was good.)
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Decision Time
Late last year, a pastor suggested I should stay in Australia a bit longer, do another year of school, and do and internship with him. I turned him down. A few months later, another pastor asked me what my plans were for after July and suggested I do an internship with him. I turned him down too. A few months later, yet another pastor made a similar suggestion and I decided it was time to seriously consider it. I spent the next month labouring over the decision and finally made the commitment he was looking for.
After much deliberation, seeking advice from other people and direction from God, recalling memories and thinking of future direction, I’ve committed to staying in Australia another year. Assuming I can get an appropriate visa, I plan to stay here till July 2009 and take on a larger role within the church. I was asked specifically to start doing pastoral care for people aged 25-35; coming alongside those who are struggling and helping them through tough seasons in life. This is precisely the sort of “work” I’ve been training for and this is a great opportunity to get involved, be challenged, and become a better man. I’ll be working with the same pastor with whom I’ve now made two trips to Africa. In short, working with him will surely push me to grow in certain areas of life where I see weaknesses; serving in this capacity will provide opportunities to use my strengths, gifts, and abilities; and being involved with the area I’ll be in will give me great exposure to more of the inner workings of a large and influential church. I debated long and hard on whether to take this opportunity or to move home at this time and ultimately, I believe that by stepping into this role, I will be much better prepared to step into whatever roles await me in my future.
There are still many questions regarding how this will all work out but that’s not really in my hands. I need to do my part to make it work and leave the rest up to God.
So now instead of moving home in July, I plan to take a trip home somewhere between now and Christmas to pay a visit. I don’t know yet when that will be, but it won’t be anything before July 19th because of other plans I have between now and then. I guess for now, I’ll just say “hi” in passing to everyone reading this blog. I wish you all the best; and you now have one additional year to come visit me in Australia!
After much deliberation, seeking advice from other people and direction from God, recalling memories and thinking of future direction, I’ve committed to staying in Australia another year. Assuming I can get an appropriate visa, I plan to stay here till July 2009 and take on a larger role within the church. I was asked specifically to start doing pastoral care for people aged 25-35; coming alongside those who are struggling and helping them through tough seasons in life. This is precisely the sort of “work” I’ve been training for and this is a great opportunity to get involved, be challenged, and become a better man. I’ll be working with the same pastor with whom I’ve now made two trips to Africa. In short, working with him will surely push me to grow in certain areas of life where I see weaknesses; serving in this capacity will provide opportunities to use my strengths, gifts, and abilities; and being involved with the area I’ll be in will give me great exposure to more of the inner workings of a large and influential church. I debated long and hard on whether to take this opportunity or to move home at this time and ultimately, I believe that by stepping into this role, I will be much better prepared to step into whatever roles await me in my future.
There are still many questions regarding how this will all work out but that’s not really in my hands. I need to do my part to make it work and leave the rest up to God.
So now instead of moving home in July, I plan to take a trip home somewhere between now and Christmas to pay a visit. I don’t know yet when that will be, but it won’t be anything before July 19th because of other plans I have between now and then. I guess for now, I’ll just say “hi” in passing to everyone reading this blog. I wish you all the best; and you now have one additional year to come visit me in Australia!
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Curious????????????
Has anyone noticed the countdown timer on my page?
Wondered what it's there for?
Hint, it is not for when I come home......
Wondered what it's there for?
Hint, it is not for when I come home......
Friday, April 18, 2008
Air Miles cont...
Well, as has become my custom, it’s been a while again. But this time I have a bit of an excuse at least… I’ve been gone a lot and didn’t have much internet access; and when I got home, I was playing catch up. I’m still playing that game, but decided that since I can’t sleep and I need to get my mind onto other things than trying to sleep, I’d write something for here.
My trip started off with an offer of $400 and a hotel stay if I’d fly the next day but unfortunately I couldn’t accept the offer so I got on a really full plane. Thankfully, it was much better than some planes I’ve been on and the trip went well. We did end up waiting 1 ½ hours for our departure due to strong winds and some planes not being able to land, but we made up some time during the flight and they treated us well.
Upon arrival in Johannesburg, we was met by a really great man who’s part of the church Chris (a pastor I travelled with) was preaching at and were taken to our hotel. What we saw that night was much like any city in the Western world. I won’t go into all kinds of details but will highlight a few things combined with a few pictures. Here goes…
South Africa is dealing with a power shortage and so they have what they call load sharing. The electricity is turned off in rotating areas for a few hours at a time. We experienced this a few times. One of the times without power was during a service so there was some improvising; but it turned into one of the best services ever! Another time was just after this photo was taken. We found out there was a soccer match on when we had some free time so we had to experience it. After sitting through the first half with a dozen people around us smoking drugs, we heard an announcement that the power would be turned off for 20-25 minutes and we should watch our belongings closely. The people we were with are from South Africa and they decided it wasn’t safe for us to stay so instead of watching the second half, we found a restaurant in another area of town and had a good meal. The lights went out as we walked out of the building!
I was able to spend some time with a few friends of mine from college. This is Coral and her family. I met them on Sunday afternoon and we also went to a game park all day Monday.
5 minutes after arriving at the game park, we saw our first elephants. They got quite close!
...But not too close for me to get out and take a picture! The family we were with were quite scared about me getting out of the vehicle, but I hadn’t seen any lions and I was quite sure the elephant wouldn’t charge without warning (sorry mom). Following my example, Chris also got a picture like this.
Elephants weren’t the only animal to get close – this one looked like it might charge so we didn’t get out.
On to Cape town where I got to see a couple other friends of mine. This picture is taken on top of Table Mountain – the pride and joy of Cape Town and much of South Africa. I checked the elevation and found that the top of the mountain is almost exactly the same height as the base of the last ski hill I was on in Canada. I must admit that the view was great and Cape Town is an incredibly beautiful city.
We did some “touristy” type things but also took some time to see a little more of the country. We went to Robbin Island where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison and also spent some time at an orphanage. Here’s a shot of the children at the orphanage together with a few volunteers and those of us who were visiting. I enjoyed playing with the children for an hour or so before we left to see some other areas and people.
During the next part of our trip, we went through the poor areas of Cape Town. I didn’t see nearly as much poverty as I saw in Uganda, but it was still appalling. One thing that amazed me was that most buildings in the poor area were shacks at best, yet the majority also had TV antenna’s on their roofs. Apparently, it’s very unusual for someone in one of these communities to not have a flat screen TV and a cell phone. They can hardly put a roof over their heads, but they can watch the boob tube under it! This picture is one of the poorest churches I’ve ever seen.
After a trip that went very quickly, I made it home in time to have 10 minutes at home before heading off to church for the evening. I pulled off 4 meetings before church, one church service, and someone at my place for a couple hours after church before going to bed and attempting sleep. Making the mistake of not taking a sleeping pill, I didn’t manage any sleep till 3AM and was completely shot the next morning as I went to church after sleeping through my alarm for an hour! When I did wake up, I managed to get ready in 10 minutes before someone I had promised a ride to church showed up at my door. Another busy day and late night, then came Monday…
slept in like I haven’t in my memory, then got up and did some much needed unpacking and laundry
…as I talked with a certain special someone back in Canada…
My trip started off with an offer of $400 and a hotel stay if I’d fly the next day but unfortunately I couldn’t accept the offer so I got on a really full plane. Thankfully, it was much better than some planes I’ve been on and the trip went well. We did end up waiting 1 ½ hours for our departure due to strong winds and some planes not being able to land, but we made up some time during the flight and they treated us well.
Upon arrival in Johannesburg, we was met by a really great man who’s part of the church Chris (a pastor I travelled with) was preaching at and were taken to our hotel. What we saw that night was much like any city in the Western world. I won’t go into all kinds of details but will highlight a few things combined with a few pictures. Here goes…
South Africa is dealing with a power shortage and so they have what they call load sharing. The electricity is turned off in rotating areas for a few hours at a time. We experienced this a few times. One of the times without power was during a service so there was some improvising; but it turned into one of the best services ever! Another time was just after this photo was taken. We found out there was a soccer match on when we had some free time so we had to experience it. After sitting through the first half with a dozen people around us smoking drugs, we heard an announcement that the power would be turned off for 20-25 minutes and we should watch our belongings closely. The people we were with are from South Africa and they decided it wasn’t safe for us to stay so instead of watching the second half, we found a restaurant in another area of town and had a good meal. The lights went out as we walked out of the building!
I was able to spend some time with a few friends of mine from college. This is Coral and her family. I met them on Sunday afternoon and we also went to a game park all day Monday.
5 minutes after arriving at the game park, we saw our first elephants. They got quite close!
...But not too close for me to get out and take a picture! The family we were with were quite scared about me getting out of the vehicle, but I hadn’t seen any lions and I was quite sure the elephant wouldn’t charge without warning (sorry mom). Following my example, Chris also got a picture like this.
Elephants weren’t the only animal to get close – this one looked like it might charge so we didn’t get out.
On to Cape town where I got to see a couple other friends of mine. This picture is taken on top of Table Mountain – the pride and joy of Cape Town and much of South Africa. I checked the elevation and found that the top of the mountain is almost exactly the same height as the base of the last ski hill I was on in Canada. I must admit that the view was great and Cape Town is an incredibly beautiful city.
We did some “touristy” type things but also took some time to see a little more of the country. We went to Robbin Island where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison and also spent some time at an orphanage. Here’s a shot of the children at the orphanage together with a few volunteers and those of us who were visiting. I enjoyed playing with the children for an hour or so before we left to see some other areas and people.
During the next part of our trip, we went through the poor areas of Cape Town. I didn’t see nearly as much poverty as I saw in Uganda, but it was still appalling. One thing that amazed me was that most buildings in the poor area were shacks at best, yet the majority also had TV antenna’s on their roofs. Apparently, it’s very unusual for someone in one of these communities to not have a flat screen TV and a cell phone. They can hardly put a roof over their heads, but they can watch the boob tube under it! This picture is one of the poorest churches I’ve ever seen.
After a trip that went very quickly, I made it home in time to have 10 minutes at home before heading off to church for the evening. I pulled off 4 meetings before church, one church service, and someone at my place for a couple hours after church before going to bed and attempting sleep. Making the mistake of not taking a sleeping pill, I didn’t manage any sleep till 3AM and was completely shot the next morning as I went to church after sleeping through my alarm for an hour! When I did wake up, I managed to get ready in 10 minutes before someone I had promised a ride to church showed up at my door. Another busy day and late night, then came Monday…
slept in like I haven’t in my memory, then got up and did some much needed unpacking and laundry
…as I talked with a certain special someone back in Canada…
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Air Miles
Well, 12 hours from now I'm in a car on my way to the airport...again! This time it's off to South Africa. Two days from now I can say that in the last two years I've been in 2 1/2 times the number of countries and 4 times the number of continents, and flown somewhere around 20 times the amount of miles as in the 30 years before. Quite a change! I'll post some details of the trip when I get back...
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thanks
A friend of mine had a little problem the other day. Today, she doesn’t. Two weeks ago, she slipped while walking some stairs and ended up in hospital where x-rays were taken, confirming a break near her ankle. Sporting a new cast, she started using crutches and had other people driving her around in her own car (very much like I did when my knee was damaged).
A short while later she had another slip and thankfully didn’t break anything but the slip happened close to some water and she fell in. Since casts are not meant to get wet, it had to come off.
Three days after the cast was put on, she was back to see a doctor who would tell her if she needed surgery to fix the break properly. She went in with her sister and as they walked in, the doctor asked which one was the patient. He was busy looking at the x-ray and saying that it was definitely a bad break; giving the name and location of the break. After figuring out which girl had the break, he examined her leg and where there should have been pain, there was none; where there should have been a broken bone, there was a completely healthy bone. He looked at the X-ray again and asked her when it had been taken (I guess the fine print on the X-ray was too small or something so he didn’t just read the date on there) and upon realizing the bone was broken only three days earlier, was left speechless – giving her the chance to declare to him that it was simply a miracle.
She had a three hour dance class the next day and four days after the break was back to functioning completely normally with even the bruising around the break gone.
Thank God that he still does miracles today!
A short while later she had another slip and thankfully didn’t break anything but the slip happened close to some water and she fell in. Since casts are not meant to get wet, it had to come off.
Three days after the cast was put on, she was back to see a doctor who would tell her if she needed surgery to fix the break properly. She went in with her sister and as they walked in, the doctor asked which one was the patient. He was busy looking at the x-ray and saying that it was definitely a bad break; giving the name and location of the break. After figuring out which girl had the break, he examined her leg and where there should have been pain, there was none; where there should have been a broken bone, there was a completely healthy bone. He looked at the X-ray again and asked her when it had been taken (I guess the fine print on the X-ray was too small or something so he didn’t just read the date on there) and upon realizing the bone was broken only three days earlier, was left speechless – giving her the chance to declare to him that it was simply a miracle.
She had a three hour dance class the next day and four days after the break was back to functioning completely normally with even the bruising around the break gone.
Thank God that he still does miracles today!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Random Ramblings
Welcome back! I got an email from someone commenting on me disappearing from the face of the earth… well, the email wasn’t that far off.
I spent last week helping out at the women’s conference where I took on the same role as I did for Hillsong Conference last July. We had somewhere around 14,000 women out this year (my guess only) and as every time before, it impacted many lives. I had a couple of interesting situations; like two women who tried to convince me that I should let one of their friends into the resource center when it was closed – they used the argument that she was pregnant and I had no idea what it’s like to be pregnant (REALLY??? What gave that away? I’m sure it wasn’t the facial hair J) All in all, it was a good week. I struggled a bit with the physical side of things because my knee has not yet fully recovered from surgery in October and spending 14 hours a day on my feet while walking 20km on a concrete floor can be hard on a bad knee. One day was enough that I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without using the handrail to support my weight; but that too is settling back into recovery mode again. A few weeks ago, I thought my girlfriend might make the trip to conference, but she couldn’t get enough time away and I was going to be really busy so we wouldn’t see each other much anyways so we decided to wait for now. So after a busy week, I now have two days off to recuperate and clean house before starting back to classes on Wednesday. My connect group meets again tonight so I also need to get a study ready for that…and so goes the life of Larry.
Before I leave you again, I’ll just mention one more thing. I have some big decisions to make in the next couple of months. I’ve been asked to take on a much larger leadership role within one age group here at church but some of that leadership depends on me staying here for another year. So I have an incredible opportunity here in Australia for another year, but I know great things await me at home in Canada as well. Please pray for wisdom in the decisions I need to make.
I spent last week helping out at the women’s conference where I took on the same role as I did for Hillsong Conference last July. We had somewhere around 14,000 women out this year (my guess only) and as every time before, it impacted many lives. I had a couple of interesting situations; like two women who tried to convince me that I should let one of their friends into the resource center when it was closed – they used the argument that she was pregnant and I had no idea what it’s like to be pregnant (REALLY??? What gave that away? I’m sure it wasn’t the facial hair J) All in all, it was a good week. I struggled a bit with the physical side of things because my knee has not yet fully recovered from surgery in October and spending 14 hours a day on my feet while walking 20km on a concrete floor can be hard on a bad knee. One day was enough that I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without using the handrail to support my weight; but that too is settling back into recovery mode again. A few weeks ago, I thought my girlfriend might make the trip to conference, but she couldn’t get enough time away and I was going to be really busy so we wouldn’t see each other much anyways so we decided to wait for now. So after a busy week, I now have two days off to recuperate and clean house before starting back to classes on Wednesday. My connect group meets again tonight so I also need to get a study ready for that…and so goes the life of Larry.
Before I leave you again, I’ll just mention one more thing. I have some big decisions to make in the next couple of months. I’ve been asked to take on a much larger leadership role within one age group here at church but some of that leadership depends on me staying here for another year. So I have an incredible opportunity here in Australia for another year, but I know great things await me at home in Canada as well. Please pray for wisdom in the decisions I need to make.
Friday, February 29, 2008
A brilliant plan from the government!!!!
Just for old time’s sake, I need to say something about finance…
Exciting isn’t it!!!!!!!
For those reading this page who have no idea why I say it’s for old time’s sake, before moving to Australia, I spent a number of years studying business and finance and working in the finance industry. Dealing with finances is something I enjoy, and keeping current on the subject not only interests me but has also been highly influential in me making thousands of dollars and saving thousands more.
And it’s on that note that I decided to write something. Even from across the world, I’m able to keep up with current news from my beloved homeland and I just recently read through some documents regarding the budget set out by the Canadian federal government this week. One thing in particular caught my attention and I had to find more information on it. What I read is really exciting because people who properly use this particular provision stand to save many thousands of dollars of income tax in their lifetime. I plan to be one of those people.
The new provision allows Canadian to set aside up to $5,000 per year into a special account in which they can purchase all the same investments they can currently purchase in an RRSP. Like an RRSP, there is to be no tax on growth in this account. Unlike the RRSP, there is no deduction for money put in, but also unlike the RRSP, there is no tax on the money taken out.
Over the years, it has bothered me that financial institutions, governments, and most of the general public has pushed RRSP’s as a great investment for every Canadian earning income. The fact is that for some people, RRSP’s are great options (if the right investments are chosen within the RRSP account) but for many of us, they really aren’t that great. In my case for example, I have had one year in my employment history when RRSP’s were a good option. In every other year, there were better investment options.
With the new provision, the options just got a whole lot better. Starting in 2009, I can take $5,000 per year out of my other investments and transfer that money to this new account. After that transfer, I need not pay tax on that money or its growth ever again. For me and the majority of Canadians, this is a great opportunity to save for the future without paying tax on that saving. Personally, I think this is the most brilliant idea a government has come up with in my lifetime – thus my desire to post something about it. I could get into details of how it will work but I know most people don’t share my passion for great financial ideas and details so I’ll spare you that, just hear that the new plan is wonderful for many millions of people and I don’t think the press has given it enough coverage. Hopefully financial institutions will. I also hope that people will develop the discipline required to actually make use of this new benefit. To give you a taste of what’s possible with the new plan, by simply placing $5,000 each year in this account instead of an RRSP, at my current return on my investments, I can look at buying a really nice new car every second year in retirement and giving the two year old car away instead of selling it or trading it in. Other options (at today’s prices) include taking a Caribbean cruise every second month, flying first class to Australia twice per year, buying two homes in Uganda every year to provide shelter for one widow and eight orphaned children, replacing my bed every second week, eating out at high class restaurants every night of the year, taking a trip to Disneyland ten times in a year – and staying at the Disneyland hotel, buying three Super bowl tickets (or one sideline ticket every 4 years), traveling (economy class) around the world 10 times (flight cost only), or paying 80% of the cost to send a child to any top university in the States. Are you getting the idea??? It’s a simple thing for me to do and I shall reap great rewards.
Now with all that being said, I’m not holding out too much hope that I truly will benefit from this great idea; reason being I don’t trust that the program will stay around. We can reasonably expect the current government to keep it as long as they are in power but nobody knows how long the current government will be in power and we have no guarantees they still be our government come 2009 when the plan is to be implemented. Governments have a tendency of making changes to things the previous government set up so if we end up with a change of government in the next year, I would hold out little hope that the program will actually come into place. It also seems governments like to change their minds as often as some men change their underwear, so while I’m excited about the program, I’m not overly confident it will actually happen. I’ll wait and see. But as long as this program is in place, I plan to take full advantage of it.
Exciting isn’t it!!!!!!!
For those reading this page who have no idea why I say it’s for old time’s sake, before moving to Australia, I spent a number of years studying business and finance and working in the finance industry. Dealing with finances is something I enjoy, and keeping current on the subject not only interests me but has also been highly influential in me making thousands of dollars and saving thousands more.
And it’s on that note that I decided to write something. Even from across the world, I’m able to keep up with current news from my beloved homeland and I just recently read through some documents regarding the budget set out by the Canadian federal government this week. One thing in particular caught my attention and I had to find more information on it. What I read is really exciting because people who properly use this particular provision stand to save many thousands of dollars of income tax in their lifetime. I plan to be one of those people.
The new provision allows Canadian to set aside up to $5,000 per year into a special account in which they can purchase all the same investments they can currently purchase in an RRSP. Like an RRSP, there is to be no tax on growth in this account. Unlike the RRSP, there is no deduction for money put in, but also unlike the RRSP, there is no tax on the money taken out.
Over the years, it has bothered me that financial institutions, governments, and most of the general public has pushed RRSP’s as a great investment for every Canadian earning income. The fact is that for some people, RRSP’s are great options (if the right investments are chosen within the RRSP account) but for many of us, they really aren’t that great. In my case for example, I have had one year in my employment history when RRSP’s were a good option. In every other year, there were better investment options.
With the new provision, the options just got a whole lot better. Starting in 2009, I can take $5,000 per year out of my other investments and transfer that money to this new account. After that transfer, I need not pay tax on that money or its growth ever again. For me and the majority of Canadians, this is a great opportunity to save for the future without paying tax on that saving. Personally, I think this is the most brilliant idea a government has come up with in my lifetime – thus my desire to post something about it. I could get into details of how it will work but I know most people don’t share my passion for great financial ideas and details so I’ll spare you that, just hear that the new plan is wonderful for many millions of people and I don’t think the press has given it enough coverage. Hopefully financial institutions will. I also hope that people will develop the discipline required to actually make use of this new benefit. To give you a taste of what’s possible with the new plan, by simply placing $5,000 each year in this account instead of an RRSP, at my current return on my investments, I can look at buying a really nice new car every second year in retirement and giving the two year old car away instead of selling it or trading it in. Other options (at today’s prices) include taking a Caribbean cruise every second month, flying first class to Australia twice per year, buying two homes in Uganda every year to provide shelter for one widow and eight orphaned children, replacing my bed every second week, eating out at high class restaurants every night of the year, taking a trip to Disneyland ten times in a year – and staying at the Disneyland hotel, buying three Super bowl tickets (or one sideline ticket every 4 years), traveling (economy class) around the world 10 times (flight cost only), or paying 80% of the cost to send a child to any top university in the States. Are you getting the idea??? It’s a simple thing for me to do and I shall reap great rewards.
Now with all that being said, I’m not holding out too much hope that I truly will benefit from this great idea; reason being I don’t trust that the program will stay around. We can reasonably expect the current government to keep it as long as they are in power but nobody knows how long the current government will be in power and we have no guarantees they still be our government come 2009 when the plan is to be implemented. Governments have a tendency of making changes to things the previous government set up so if we end up with a change of government in the next year, I would hold out little hope that the program will actually come into place. It also seems governments like to change their minds as often as some men change their underwear, so while I’m excited about the program, I’m not overly confident it will actually happen. I’ll wait and see. But as long as this program is in place, I plan to take full advantage of it.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Air Miles???
In case the last post didn't raise enough interest, I won't give you more on that topic just yet, but on another topic, I just booked a couple more flights yesterday. It almost seems as though my blog title "Larry in Australia" should be modified to include other places :) I'm now scheduled to fly to South Africa on April 3. I'm travelling with the same pastor I went to Uganda with. He’s been asked to preach at Ray McCauley’s church in Johannesburg so we’re going there for a while, then to Cape Town where we’ll be spending time with some people at the new Hillsong church starting there. I’m also looking forward to spending time with a good friend of mine who moved back home to Cape Town in December. Like I said about the other trip, I don’t think I’ll grasp the significance of it for a while but I’m sure there is something very significant about this trip.
So how’s that for news? Something worth posting on my blog???
So how’s that for news? Something worth posting on my blog???
Monday, February 18, 2008
Don't know what to say
I’ve been thinking about this blog and the fact that I haven’t posted anything recently and I feel bad because I know there are people who check it faithfully; holding onto every thread of what I say and longing desperately for the day they can see me again (ok, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration). Then I remind myself that there are others who check it once a month or less so for those people it can be overload to have a new post every couple of days.
Is there something happening that is significant enough to put up here? But then again, why should I need something really significant? Why can’t I just tell people how life is going, what the weather is like, what I ate for lunch, and how long I slept last night? After all, if that’s what life is, shouldn’t that be enough?
So I came to a conclusion that I would write something here but still wasn’t sure what – actually, I’m still not sure. I’m just rambling with the hope that something will come to mind before I’m done; sort of like an impromptu speech.
Now, there is something in my life that is significant enough to post here but I’ve been waiting a bit with posting it because there are people I wanted to tell personally rather than have them find out through the internet or their friends who found out through the internet. Now that all those people know (and a lot of others) it may be time to tell the world – or maybe not. I also enjoy keeping people in suspense sometimes… So maybe I’ll just go with this for now… someone has posted comments to my blog in the past and although it’s been a while since I’ve seen comments here from that person, I’m sure that person is still reading the blog once in a while. Maybe I can ask for another comment telling people who you are…Would “GB” like to identify yourself….???
Is there something happening that is significant enough to put up here? But then again, why should I need something really significant? Why can’t I just tell people how life is going, what the weather is like, what I ate for lunch, and how long I slept last night? After all, if that’s what life is, shouldn’t that be enough?
So I came to a conclusion that I would write something here but still wasn’t sure what – actually, I’m still not sure. I’m just rambling with the hope that something will come to mind before I’m done; sort of like an impromptu speech.
Now, there is something in my life that is significant enough to post here but I’ve been waiting a bit with posting it because there are people I wanted to tell personally rather than have them find out through the internet or their friends who found out through the internet. Now that all those people know (and a lot of others) it may be time to tell the world – or maybe not. I also enjoy keeping people in suspense sometimes… So maybe I’ll just go with this for now… someone has posted comments to my blog in the past and although it’s been a while since I’ve seen comments here from that person, I’m sure that person is still reading the blog once in a while. Maybe I can ask for another comment telling people who you are…Would “GB” like to identify yourself….???
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Fake or Copy?
Having hit the ground running when I arrived back in Sydney, I haven’t yet put up an entry from my time in Bangkok. I took a bunch of photos and could put many of them up here, but at this point, I’ve chosen to simply make one point based on an observation I made while out there…
I spent a lot of time around shops and markets in Bangkok. There was much bartering and were many deals to be had – if you can do well enough on the bartering front. My first day there, I stopped at an electronics store and was offered a great price on an Ipod. It was good enough that I had to ask if it was real – and thus I was introduced to their shopping system. With that question, I was then offered a real Ipod for a price higher than I would pay in Canada. As my time went on, I found I could get a copy of anything I wanted – from luggage, to cashmere wool suits, to perfume, silk ties, oil paintings, computer equipment, Billabong t shirts, and Rolex watches that even included a fake seal of authenticity.
The second thing I noticed is that everyone was constantly smiling. Smiling flight attendants, taxi drivers, hotel employees, shop owners, and pretty much everyone else on the street.
My first thought with the smiling was that the people were so incredibly friendly – which they were; together with polite and courteous. But I can’t help but ask… in a culture where you can get everything fake and they take pride in the real appearance of everything fake; in a place where people appear happy at times when you’d expect them to be sad, depressed, or upset; in a culture where people are continually courteous, even when faced with situations that would drive most of us to respond with substantially different words and attitudes; in a world of fake, do they even know what’s real? Are the people even capable of anything real? Not to say they aren’t, but I wonder…
And then I have to ask myself what I’ve been like. I have to ask if I’ve been real. Have I been real with others? Have I been real with God? Have I been real with myself? Am I now?
Are you?
I spent a lot of time around shops and markets in Bangkok. There was much bartering and were many deals to be had – if you can do well enough on the bartering front. My first day there, I stopped at an electronics store and was offered a great price on an Ipod. It was good enough that I had to ask if it was real – and thus I was introduced to their shopping system. With that question, I was then offered a real Ipod for a price higher than I would pay in Canada. As my time went on, I found I could get a copy of anything I wanted – from luggage, to cashmere wool suits, to perfume, silk ties, oil paintings, computer equipment, Billabong t shirts, and Rolex watches that even included a fake seal of authenticity.
The second thing I noticed is that everyone was constantly smiling. Smiling flight attendants, taxi drivers, hotel employees, shop owners, and pretty much everyone else on the street.
My first thought with the smiling was that the people were so incredibly friendly – which they were; together with polite and courteous. But I can’t help but ask… in a culture where you can get everything fake and they take pride in the real appearance of everything fake; in a place where people appear happy at times when you’d expect them to be sad, depressed, or upset; in a culture where people are continually courteous, even when faced with situations that would drive most of us to respond with substantially different words and attitudes; in a world of fake, do they even know what’s real? Are the people even capable of anything real? Not to say they aren’t, but I wonder…
And then I have to ask myself what I’ve been like. I have to ask if I’ve been real. Have I been real with others? Have I been real with God? Have I been real with myself? Am I now?
Are you?
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Africa...
Where do I start? I guess at the beginning… I was concerned about luggage space for a two week trip with one checked bag and one carry-on. I ended up with tons of extra room which was nice. I also had lots of spare time before heading in to the airport. Upon arrival at the airport, my travel started getting “interesting.” I waited in line for almost an hour to check in then was told my carry on bag was too heavy. The airline’s website said 13 kg limit and the person behind the check in counter said 7kg. Nice to know. So I had to move things to my checked bag and some of the things were the gifts I had bought for my sponsor girl, Scovia. From there to Bangkok was good with a nice airplane, decent leg room, good food, and amazing service. I got to Bangkok with a little over two hours to get to my next flight. Another ½ hour in line to find out that I wasn’t at the right counter to get my next boarding pass. Nice to have the correct instructions on arrival. Off to the next counter ½ mile away in one of the biggest airports in the world; and then another hour waiting to get my boarding pass. This is where my experience with Kenya Airways began.
The hour spent in this line was to with only 9 people in front of me. Well, I got the boarding pass and went on my way to the boarding gate. I waited a little longer and started the boarding process 10 minutes late. We all got on the plane and sat. And sat. And sat. My knees up against the seat in front of me. “Can I have your attention please… This is your captain speaking. Due to uncontrollable circumstances, we have missed our departure time. We were to leave 8 minutes ago and as you can tell, we haven’t. We’re just working out a new departure time with air traffic control and will hopefully be on our way shortly.” ½ hour later… “This is your captain speaking. “ok folks, we have a new departure time almost worked out. Unfortunately, we now have had to adjust our route and the flight time will be ½ hour longer than originally anticipated. We are just refuelling the ship and then we’ll be on our way.” 15 minutes later… “Could I have your attention please…we’ve now finished refuelling the plane and we’re waiting for clearance from air traffic control. There’s another plane in front of us and we have to wait 10 minutes after they take off before we can leave. (nothing like the 43 seconds they take in Chicago). We’ll be on our way just as soon as we get the clearance.” 15 minutes later… “Cabin crew, prepare for takeoff.” …And off we were – less than 1 ½ hours late. Welcome to Kenya Airways! As we flew, I decided to put my seat back a little and try to sleep. I had already been up for around 20 hours and thought that might be a good idea. I pushed the button and got no movement. I pushed harder and got nothing. The seat was broken so sleep wouldn’t come. Realizing this, I turned on the TV to watch a movie; plugged in my earphones and got no sound. Broken. Maybe I can read something – wrong again, my light didn’t work. I pod time. The only problem with that was my battery was starting to run low. Ok; so maybe the food will be ok and I can entertain myself with that. Wrong! It was the worst food I’ve had yet on a flight. Morning came as we flew and I saw the most amazing sunrise over the Indian Ocean. There was the deep blue water below, a deep, bright red on the horizon, and the lighter blue of the sky above. It would have made for some spectacular photos but I couldn’t get any because of the three people between me and the window.
So we landed in Nairobi 1 ½ hours late and I ended up with 50 minutes from the time the wheels touched the ground till my next plane was to leave. Thankfully, it was a really small airport so walking clear across it and going through security again took only15 minutes and I even had time to stretch my legs, sit down, and take out my computer. As it turned out, I didn’t need to get there on time because that flight left late too. I arrived in Entebbe ½ hour late, spent a long time in line for my visitor’s visa and went to get my luggage.
As the rest of this trip had been, it continued. I searched and did not find. The belt turned on again and I searched some more – and did not find. So I went to the Kenya airways desk and took care of the paperwork for lost baggage. That was something they did really well. I could tell they have much experience. Finally, I’ve arrived – late, tired, one bag short, but here. I walked out the door in hopes of finding the person there to pick me up and was met by 15 taxi drivers – but not my ride. He had waited a long time for me and with my delays and no way to contact him, he left without me. Having experienced this before, I just got into a taxi and went to my hotel.
Thankfully, they were expecting me and I could check in.
After my challenging journey, my sponsor child was waiting for me at the hotel. No time for a shower or a nap. I put my bag away, changed my shirt, and put on some fresh deodorant before running back out to meet her. She was really shy but happy to see me. I explained that I had bought some gifts but they got lost on the way and that I would get them to her as soon as I could. As it turned out, someone from the organization came a few days later once my bag arrived and picked up the gifts to deliver to her. We talked a bit, I showed her some pictures, and we went for lunch. We were joined by someone from Childcare Worldwide who could also translate since she doesn’t speak English very well yet. It was good to finally meet her.
The next day, we spent time touring some of the Watoto work. I’ve never been impacted so much by the work of an organization and the vision of the leadership. Gary and Marilyn Skinner asked us to join them for dinner Sunday night and I really enjoyed the chance to talk with them for a couple hours. Again, I was so inspired by their vision.
This is inside a typical Watoto home
We stopped for lunch on our way to Kasese, where Chris’s sponsor child, Isaac lives. I ordered a hamburger and couldn’t believe the size of it. Obviously, I had to split the burger before eating it !
We checked into the hotel and spent the evening. This was our bathroom – not attached to our room . It had the old keyhole that you can look through and access from both sides – reminds me of heritage buildings. Sitting on the toilet meant having my knees up around my chin; and the shower was quite interesting with pressure being similar to holding a bucket of water above my head. I made sure I didn’t leave my clothing on the floor since the water went everywhere while showering; which I guess was a good thing because that meant the floor got washed for the first time in weeks.
We enjoyed the sleep inside our mosquito nets. See the nice romantic floral arrangements on the blankets? The air conditioning unit was noisy enough to wake us up each time it turned on; but then again, we were just happy to have air conditioning.
The hotel had a fitness area with a statue outside. Looking at this picture, I won’t ever believe again that women aren’t affected by big muscles – now if only I had some… big muscles that is…
Check the instructions beside the story of Adam and Eve… how to use a special toilet.
As we were walking around the site where Isaac goes to school, Chris was talking some crazy pictures with Isaac and I noticed this little guy, Gideon, imitating them and looking jealous so I handed my camera to someone and asked him to take a few pictures with me and Gideon. It really seemed to make his day. It was only later that I learned his name and seeing the way he carried himself, I just knew he’s one who wishes for better things and feels like he can’t so I spent a little extra time with him and gave him some encouragement.
After seeing the project, we took the van up a mountain dirt road in the rain. We really weren’t sure we’d make it without 4 wheel drive, but we got as far as the road went and then walked a ways down a slippery muddy path in the rain. This was what we were met with. There were about half a dozen homes in the village and they were fortunate enough to have a steel roof over their mud huts. Inside Isaac’s home are two bedrooms for the 4 children and two parents, one living area, and a kitchen area. The whole thing could have fit inside my hotel room! (except it was about a foot too high at the peak) Apparently there is a tap in the village where they can get running water. The whole community was so lovely and it was a great novelty for them to have us there. For many of them, it was the first time they had seen a white person. Everyone gathered either inside or just out the door of Isaac’s home. Isaac’s mother also made a beautiful handbag and hat for Chris and his wife.
One thing that really stands out here is the number of children. Everywhere we go, there are children; most places have adults, and only a few have seniors. The demographics out here are so different from the Western world. In many cases, there are children taking care of children. This was one such example and I just had to take the photo.
After meeting Isaac and his family, we went off to the next town where we were scheduled to see Kim’s sponsor child, Hope, the next day. We got to our hotel and thought it look quite good but realized later it wasn’t quite what it appeared to be. The shower had similar pressure to the last hotel, but ¼ the volume. This tap has water running at full force. Oh well, we hadn’t really expected anything different.
So after a less than refreshing shower and a trip to find an ATM that actually works so we could withdraw cash to pay our hotel bill, we went on our way to meet Kim’s sponsor child Hope. They had 50 or more children lining the road, waving flags to great us upon arrival. Another 200 or so were singing by a tree close to the building. They were in the midst of a morning service and set up chairs for us at the front. One 7th grade girl preached a message from the book of Job and did a fantastic job. This picture shows 1/3 of the group there. Seeing the crowd and the view, I thought of Jesus teaching on the hillside and saying “Let the little children come to me; and do not hinder them…” Pictures can’t do justice to the sight. They asked the three of us to say something to the children and one of the staff members translated for us.
The children did a cultural dance for us
Chris turned the viewfinder on the video camera so the children could seen themselves. As the picture shows, they loved it.
We then went to Hope’s home which I dubbed the brick hut with a million dollar view. It really was a spectacular view. Hope’s family seemed to be much better off than Isaac’s family, but they are still in deep poverty. The home was just a touch bigger and was made of brick. They had something covering the dirt on the floor, and they owned a few animals. The toilet was a hole in the ground, just find one and bend down.
Having seen the sponsor children, it was time to head back to Kamala. Our initial plan was to leave for Kenya on the 17th, but because of the violence happening there, the meetings Chris was to preach at were cancelled and so were our travel plans. We went back to Kampala and Chris preached at Kampala Pentecostal Church twice instead. This change also meant we had to find a different hotel to spend our last three days and we also had some extra time to fill.
We had unanimous consent on the thought of going back to the baby’s home and help out with some of our extra time so the day after we got back to Kampala, that’s just what we did. We basically sat down close to a group of children and then came flocking to us. We played with them and fed some of them. One little guy fell asleep in my arms as I tried keeping him awake to finish at least half his meal. The children are so precious and each of us had one in particular that really took to us. For me it was Hope – the girl in pink playing with my ear in the picture below. As we were getting ready to leave, Kim, Chris, and I were standing near a few of the children and Hope came over to us. Kim was closest to her and tried to pick her up. She squirmed free and came over to me with outstretched arms. I picked her up, hugged her, and just held her for a while. I lingered behind while the Chris and Kim started walking out and as I put Hope down, she tried to hold on and started crying. I could barely hold back the tears myself as I walked out after that!
The only reason for this picture is that the little guy is so adorable. Need I say more?
Random pictures…
Bicycles are seemingly used for everything. This is a normal sight with the driver unable to ride the one speed bike up the hill. At least on the way down it beats walking.
Interesting trees in this nation. Here’s one.
We were there so we took the photo. I’ve now been to a northern country (growing up in Canada) a southern country (Australia) and the middle.
I used to wonder how big an effect the emission control laws around home have. Not any more. Most of the vehicles around here are in really rough condition and it is quite normal to have so much smoke coming from a vehicle in front of you that you can no longer see the vehicle. Bring on tougher emission control laws!
What a local man called the quickest way to Heaven - the Buga buga...
There are so many motorbikes on the road carrying one, two, or three people. They will hold anything from a bunch of bananas, to briefcases, to 12 foot planks of wood while riding on the back of these bikes. The danger comes from the way people drive around here – whoever is the most aggressive has the right of way.
Here’s a night shot of the hotel we stayed at the first few nights. It was quite nice and in a great, quiet area.
Another thing I came to expect was armed security guards. As most other people, there were really friendly. Chris asked this guy for a photo so I bummed off that and got one too. In case you’re wondering, the look on my face is not so much from the picture as from the way Chris was acting – completely random and free to do anything. Just a couple of examples were opening the window as we drove to do his best cow imitation if we passed some and stopping to yell at a man wearing a Chelsea (soccer team) jersey and tell him he supports the right team. I guess I’ve got a ways to go in letting loose.
Chris insisted on driving amongst the insanity of the road system. Notice anything peculiar about what he’s using his hands for – remember, the traffic here is the wildest I’ve ever experience (and I have been to Asia)!!!
Because of the changes to our plans of going to Kenya, we had to move to a different hotel on the day we were scheduled to leave for Kenya. As it turned out, it was a great hotel in a great location at a better price. We wondered why we had been at the other one in the first place.
I just have to leave you with one last picture and story…
Oh yea, before I do, the little girl on my lap was really excited to see Chris and me. “My Masungu” (My white man) is what she said. She loved the attention we gave her. There’s something about a father figure in the life of young children that don’t have one. This is especially true of young girls and also of young black girls in the presence of loving white men.
On our second last day, Kim went with another woman who has been helping this woman out. She came to our hotel room that night and told us about Agnes as we decided to get some food and bring it to her the next morning as well as pay off some debts for her. It was such a blessing as we were able to give it to her. Agnes is the oldest child in her family and her parents passed away leaving her to take care of her younger siblings. She’s done the best she can but has had some serious trouble along the way. She got married and when she was pregnant with her first child was caught in an ambush in Northern Uganda. Of the 14 people caught, 9 died including her husband. Agnes was shot three times but survived with no major physical problems resulting from the attack and the rest were all blinded, crippled, or sustained some other serious injury. She went on to give birth to her daughter as a widow and moved to Kampala in hopes of a better chance of survival. She ended up with major problems there too and eventually was faced with the decision of taking a “Housekeeper” job or starving together with her family. She took the job but had to give some extra “perks” to the man who hired her. This man eventually left and she was again out of work and with no way to live. She managed for a while and just a few weeks ago was feeling really sick and landed in hospital where she found the cause of the way she felt was HIV – contracted from the man she had worked for. It was so sobering and heartbreaking to hear her tell the story and I thought of easy my life has been and how blessed I truly am. She’s made contact with a church and people are working on getting her the help she needs – including medicines that will enable her to live a long life despite HIV. Of all the ways to end this trip, I couldn’t think of a better one than this. It’s heartbreaking but so worthwhile.
So I’ve now been to Africa… What difference does it make?
I’ve now seen, heard, touched, tasted, and smelled the reality of what this country is. I’m not in a position to say whether or not Uganda is the same as the rest of the continent, but I’ve also seen more of this country than most of the locals have.
I’ve seen the poverty in both the city and the country. I’ve seen the extreme contrasts of having expensive mansions right next to mud huts or makeshift wood structures that could fall down any minute. I’ve met the children taking care of children and held in my own arms others who have been orphaned due to sickness (often resulting from poverty) or abandoned by parents who couldn’t take care of them or fathers who didn’t care and mothers who couldn’t cope. I’ve been in the places where the locals shop and been served by the poor in hotels and restaurants. I’ve felt guilty accepting anything from people, knowing that I have so much more than any of them; and like I was taking advantage of people by allowing them to carry my luggage for me or serve me in any other way. I’ve also experienced what it’s like to stand out and have people make assumptions about me based on the colour of my skin. For the most part, I’ve benefited from these assumptions, but that doesn’t make it any more right! I walked through the markets and had people call out “Rich man” to me. I went to change money to Ugandan Shillings and had special treatment, being taken from the van directly to the front of the line and inside the office instead of waiting in line and going to the service window. Why should I be treated better than anyone else – especially considering that the only reason for it is that my skin is white and the skin of the others is brown? It’s wrong! You may expect that those being treated worse should cry out and those of us treated better would enjoy it and fight to keep the better treatment, but I’ve come to believe that we who receive these benefits need to stand up for the rights of the poor. We are the ones who need to stand up and make a difference. We are the ones who need to reach out and help those in less privileged conditions. It’s not up to them to pull us down; it’s up to us to pull them up.
While I’ve seen the conditions of the poor, I’ve also seen the difference made by a good organization doing something to help them. I’ve seen the joy of people coming out of unbelievably dire situations and being offered hope for the first time in their lives. I’ve seen in people’s eyes the undeniable look of hopelessness saying this is life and it will not change; yet I’ve also seen completely different faces on people in similar situations who simply believe. I’ve seen the physical difference in people stemming from the spiritual change of believing the message of Christ.
One of the greatest questions that rings in my head is what would this world look like if our churches got serious about helping the poor. This is after all, one of the over-riding teachings in the Bible. What would happen if we no longer saw humanitarian aid as a way to bring people into the church, and started seeing the Church as a way to get the aid to the people – no strings attached, no desire for recognition or reward, not even wanting a “thank you;” just simply helping them because we can and we must. What would it look like if we finally started to truly care for those in need? What would the results be if we laid aside our own agendas and picked up the agenda of God?
So what now? Well, I can’t say; but this much I know, I believe strongly in the ministry of the local church and I believe strongly that we cannot fulfill the call of God without centering our lives around a local church. Mission work is essential, but Jesus said he would build his church; and it is that church that must fulfill the great commission to reach the world for him. I still want to be involved in a local church and I believe that is God’s call on my life, but I really wonder what I can do through a local church to help people in less fortunate circumstances. I don’t know if God will send me to Africa someday. I don’t think so, or not for more than a month or two at a time, but that is up to him in his time. For now, I’ll continue to be involved where I am and continue to plan a move home to Canada when I’m done school in July; hopefully to my hometown in Manitoba where I would love to get involved in the church I call home. I’ll see down the road how that looks, but I also hope that through my involvement in a place like that I can also be involved in making a difference in the lives of people in other places like Africa. Within my first two days here, I said to my travelling companions that I don’t see how anyone can spend time here and not fall in love with the people. I’ve also come to realize over the last while that there is no way we can love God and not do something for the plight of the poor.
So there you have it. I’ve done the trip I never thought I would. I’ve been the places I never thought I would. I’ve seen the things and met the people I never thought I would. I’ve definitely been impacted and come home a different person. It may or may not be obvious on the outside, but there’s something different inside…and one more thing I’ve learned is that I need to raise my expectations for my life.
The hour spent in this line was to with only 9 people in front of me. Well, I got the boarding pass and went on my way to the boarding gate. I waited a little longer and started the boarding process 10 minutes late. We all got on the plane and sat. And sat. And sat. My knees up against the seat in front of me. “Can I have your attention please… This is your captain speaking. Due to uncontrollable circumstances, we have missed our departure time. We were to leave 8 minutes ago and as you can tell, we haven’t. We’re just working out a new departure time with air traffic control and will hopefully be on our way shortly.” ½ hour later… “This is your captain speaking. “ok folks, we have a new departure time almost worked out. Unfortunately, we now have had to adjust our route and the flight time will be ½ hour longer than originally anticipated. We are just refuelling the ship and then we’ll be on our way.” 15 minutes later… “Could I have your attention please…we’ve now finished refuelling the plane and we’re waiting for clearance from air traffic control. There’s another plane in front of us and we have to wait 10 minutes after they take off before we can leave. (nothing like the 43 seconds they take in Chicago). We’ll be on our way just as soon as we get the clearance.” 15 minutes later… “Cabin crew, prepare for takeoff.” …And off we were – less than 1 ½ hours late. Welcome to Kenya Airways! As we flew, I decided to put my seat back a little and try to sleep. I had already been up for around 20 hours and thought that might be a good idea. I pushed the button and got no movement. I pushed harder and got nothing. The seat was broken so sleep wouldn’t come. Realizing this, I turned on the TV to watch a movie; plugged in my earphones and got no sound. Broken. Maybe I can read something – wrong again, my light didn’t work. I pod time. The only problem with that was my battery was starting to run low. Ok; so maybe the food will be ok and I can entertain myself with that. Wrong! It was the worst food I’ve had yet on a flight. Morning came as we flew and I saw the most amazing sunrise over the Indian Ocean. There was the deep blue water below, a deep, bright red on the horizon, and the lighter blue of the sky above. It would have made for some spectacular photos but I couldn’t get any because of the three people between me and the window.
So we landed in Nairobi 1 ½ hours late and I ended up with 50 minutes from the time the wheels touched the ground till my next plane was to leave. Thankfully, it was a really small airport so walking clear across it and going through security again took only15 minutes and I even had time to stretch my legs, sit down, and take out my computer. As it turned out, I didn’t need to get there on time because that flight left late too. I arrived in Entebbe ½ hour late, spent a long time in line for my visitor’s visa and went to get my luggage.
As the rest of this trip had been, it continued. I searched and did not find. The belt turned on again and I searched some more – and did not find. So I went to the Kenya airways desk and took care of the paperwork for lost baggage. That was something they did really well. I could tell they have much experience. Finally, I’ve arrived – late, tired, one bag short, but here. I walked out the door in hopes of finding the person there to pick me up and was met by 15 taxi drivers – but not my ride. He had waited a long time for me and with my delays and no way to contact him, he left without me. Having experienced this before, I just got into a taxi and went to my hotel.
Thankfully, they were expecting me and I could check in.
After my challenging journey, my sponsor child was waiting for me at the hotel. No time for a shower or a nap. I put my bag away, changed my shirt, and put on some fresh deodorant before running back out to meet her. She was really shy but happy to see me. I explained that I had bought some gifts but they got lost on the way and that I would get them to her as soon as I could. As it turned out, someone from the organization came a few days later once my bag arrived and picked up the gifts to deliver to her. We talked a bit, I showed her some pictures, and we went for lunch. We were joined by someone from Childcare Worldwide who could also translate since she doesn’t speak English very well yet. It was good to finally meet her.
The next day, we spent time touring some of the Watoto work. I’ve never been impacted so much by the work of an organization and the vision of the leadership. Gary and Marilyn Skinner asked us to join them for dinner Sunday night and I really enjoyed the chance to talk with them for a couple hours. Again, I was so inspired by their vision.
This is inside a typical Watoto home
We stopped for lunch on our way to Kasese, where Chris’s sponsor child, Isaac lives. I ordered a hamburger and couldn’t believe the size of it. Obviously, I had to split the burger before eating it !
We checked into the hotel and spent the evening. This was our bathroom – not attached to our room . It had the old keyhole that you can look through and access from both sides – reminds me of heritage buildings. Sitting on the toilet meant having my knees up around my chin; and the shower was quite interesting with pressure being similar to holding a bucket of water above my head. I made sure I didn’t leave my clothing on the floor since the water went everywhere while showering; which I guess was a good thing because that meant the floor got washed for the first time in weeks.
We enjoyed the sleep inside our mosquito nets. See the nice romantic floral arrangements on the blankets? The air conditioning unit was noisy enough to wake us up each time it turned on; but then again, we were just happy to have air conditioning.
The hotel had a fitness area with a statue outside. Looking at this picture, I won’t ever believe again that women aren’t affected by big muscles – now if only I had some… big muscles that is…
Check the instructions beside the story of Adam and Eve… how to use a special toilet.
As we were walking around the site where Isaac goes to school, Chris was talking some crazy pictures with Isaac and I noticed this little guy, Gideon, imitating them and looking jealous so I handed my camera to someone and asked him to take a few pictures with me and Gideon. It really seemed to make his day. It was only later that I learned his name and seeing the way he carried himself, I just knew he’s one who wishes for better things and feels like he can’t so I spent a little extra time with him and gave him some encouragement.
After seeing the project, we took the van up a mountain dirt road in the rain. We really weren’t sure we’d make it without 4 wheel drive, but we got as far as the road went and then walked a ways down a slippery muddy path in the rain. This was what we were met with. There were about half a dozen homes in the village and they were fortunate enough to have a steel roof over their mud huts. Inside Isaac’s home are two bedrooms for the 4 children and two parents, one living area, and a kitchen area. The whole thing could have fit inside my hotel room! (except it was about a foot too high at the peak) Apparently there is a tap in the village where they can get running water. The whole community was so lovely and it was a great novelty for them to have us there. For many of them, it was the first time they had seen a white person. Everyone gathered either inside or just out the door of Isaac’s home. Isaac’s mother also made a beautiful handbag and hat for Chris and his wife.
One thing that really stands out here is the number of children. Everywhere we go, there are children; most places have adults, and only a few have seniors. The demographics out here are so different from the Western world. In many cases, there are children taking care of children. This was one such example and I just had to take the photo.
After meeting Isaac and his family, we went off to the next town where we were scheduled to see Kim’s sponsor child, Hope, the next day. We got to our hotel and thought it look quite good but realized later it wasn’t quite what it appeared to be. The shower had similar pressure to the last hotel, but ¼ the volume. This tap has water running at full force. Oh well, we hadn’t really expected anything different.
So after a less than refreshing shower and a trip to find an ATM that actually works so we could withdraw cash to pay our hotel bill, we went on our way to meet Kim’s sponsor child Hope. They had 50 or more children lining the road, waving flags to great us upon arrival. Another 200 or so were singing by a tree close to the building. They were in the midst of a morning service and set up chairs for us at the front. One 7th grade girl preached a message from the book of Job and did a fantastic job. This picture shows 1/3 of the group there. Seeing the crowd and the view, I thought of Jesus teaching on the hillside and saying “Let the little children come to me; and do not hinder them…” Pictures can’t do justice to the sight. They asked the three of us to say something to the children and one of the staff members translated for us.
The children did a cultural dance for us
Chris turned the viewfinder on the video camera so the children could seen themselves. As the picture shows, they loved it.
We then went to Hope’s home which I dubbed the brick hut with a million dollar view. It really was a spectacular view. Hope’s family seemed to be much better off than Isaac’s family, but they are still in deep poverty. The home was just a touch bigger and was made of brick. They had something covering the dirt on the floor, and they owned a few animals. The toilet was a hole in the ground, just find one and bend down.
Having seen the sponsor children, it was time to head back to Kamala. Our initial plan was to leave for Kenya on the 17th, but because of the violence happening there, the meetings Chris was to preach at were cancelled and so were our travel plans. We went back to Kampala and Chris preached at Kampala Pentecostal Church twice instead. This change also meant we had to find a different hotel to spend our last three days and we also had some extra time to fill.
We had unanimous consent on the thought of going back to the baby’s home and help out with some of our extra time so the day after we got back to Kampala, that’s just what we did. We basically sat down close to a group of children and then came flocking to us. We played with them and fed some of them. One little guy fell asleep in my arms as I tried keeping him awake to finish at least half his meal. The children are so precious and each of us had one in particular that really took to us. For me it was Hope – the girl in pink playing with my ear in the picture below. As we were getting ready to leave, Kim, Chris, and I were standing near a few of the children and Hope came over to us. Kim was closest to her and tried to pick her up. She squirmed free and came over to me with outstretched arms. I picked her up, hugged her, and just held her for a while. I lingered behind while the Chris and Kim started walking out and as I put Hope down, she tried to hold on and started crying. I could barely hold back the tears myself as I walked out after that!
The only reason for this picture is that the little guy is so adorable. Need I say more?
Random pictures…
Bicycles are seemingly used for everything. This is a normal sight with the driver unable to ride the one speed bike up the hill. At least on the way down it beats walking.
Interesting trees in this nation. Here’s one.
We were there so we took the photo. I’ve now been to a northern country (growing up in Canada) a southern country (Australia) and the middle.
I used to wonder how big an effect the emission control laws around home have. Not any more. Most of the vehicles around here are in really rough condition and it is quite normal to have so much smoke coming from a vehicle in front of you that you can no longer see the vehicle. Bring on tougher emission control laws!
What a local man called the quickest way to Heaven - the Buga buga...
There are so many motorbikes on the road carrying one, two, or three people. They will hold anything from a bunch of bananas, to briefcases, to 12 foot planks of wood while riding on the back of these bikes. The danger comes from the way people drive around here – whoever is the most aggressive has the right of way.
Here’s a night shot of the hotel we stayed at the first few nights. It was quite nice and in a great, quiet area.
Another thing I came to expect was armed security guards. As most other people, there were really friendly. Chris asked this guy for a photo so I bummed off that and got one too. In case you’re wondering, the look on my face is not so much from the picture as from the way Chris was acting – completely random and free to do anything. Just a couple of examples were opening the window as we drove to do his best cow imitation if we passed some and stopping to yell at a man wearing a Chelsea (soccer team) jersey and tell him he supports the right team. I guess I’ve got a ways to go in letting loose.
Chris insisted on driving amongst the insanity of the road system. Notice anything peculiar about what he’s using his hands for – remember, the traffic here is the wildest I’ve ever experience (and I have been to Asia)!!!
Because of the changes to our plans of going to Kenya, we had to move to a different hotel on the day we were scheduled to leave for Kenya. As it turned out, it was a great hotel in a great location at a better price. We wondered why we had been at the other one in the first place.
I just have to leave you with one last picture and story…
Oh yea, before I do, the little girl on my lap was really excited to see Chris and me. “My Masungu” (My white man) is what she said. She loved the attention we gave her. There’s something about a father figure in the life of young children that don’t have one. This is especially true of young girls and also of young black girls in the presence of loving white men.
On our second last day, Kim went with another woman who has been helping this woman out. She came to our hotel room that night and told us about Agnes as we decided to get some food and bring it to her the next morning as well as pay off some debts for her. It was such a blessing as we were able to give it to her. Agnes is the oldest child in her family and her parents passed away leaving her to take care of her younger siblings. She’s done the best she can but has had some serious trouble along the way. She got married and when she was pregnant with her first child was caught in an ambush in Northern Uganda. Of the 14 people caught, 9 died including her husband. Agnes was shot three times but survived with no major physical problems resulting from the attack and the rest were all blinded, crippled, or sustained some other serious injury. She went on to give birth to her daughter as a widow and moved to Kampala in hopes of a better chance of survival. She ended up with major problems there too and eventually was faced with the decision of taking a “Housekeeper” job or starving together with her family. She took the job but had to give some extra “perks” to the man who hired her. This man eventually left and she was again out of work and with no way to live. She managed for a while and just a few weeks ago was feeling really sick and landed in hospital where she found the cause of the way she felt was HIV – contracted from the man she had worked for. It was so sobering and heartbreaking to hear her tell the story and I thought of easy my life has been and how blessed I truly am. She’s made contact with a church and people are working on getting her the help she needs – including medicines that will enable her to live a long life despite HIV. Of all the ways to end this trip, I couldn’t think of a better one than this. It’s heartbreaking but so worthwhile.
So I’ve now been to Africa… What difference does it make?
I’ve now seen, heard, touched, tasted, and smelled the reality of what this country is. I’m not in a position to say whether or not Uganda is the same as the rest of the continent, but I’ve also seen more of this country than most of the locals have.
I’ve seen the poverty in both the city and the country. I’ve seen the extreme contrasts of having expensive mansions right next to mud huts or makeshift wood structures that could fall down any minute. I’ve met the children taking care of children and held in my own arms others who have been orphaned due to sickness (often resulting from poverty) or abandoned by parents who couldn’t take care of them or fathers who didn’t care and mothers who couldn’t cope. I’ve been in the places where the locals shop and been served by the poor in hotels and restaurants. I’ve felt guilty accepting anything from people, knowing that I have so much more than any of them; and like I was taking advantage of people by allowing them to carry my luggage for me or serve me in any other way. I’ve also experienced what it’s like to stand out and have people make assumptions about me based on the colour of my skin. For the most part, I’ve benefited from these assumptions, but that doesn’t make it any more right! I walked through the markets and had people call out “Rich man” to me. I went to change money to Ugandan Shillings and had special treatment, being taken from the van directly to the front of the line and inside the office instead of waiting in line and going to the service window. Why should I be treated better than anyone else – especially considering that the only reason for it is that my skin is white and the skin of the others is brown? It’s wrong! You may expect that those being treated worse should cry out and those of us treated better would enjoy it and fight to keep the better treatment, but I’ve come to believe that we who receive these benefits need to stand up for the rights of the poor. We are the ones who need to stand up and make a difference. We are the ones who need to reach out and help those in less privileged conditions. It’s not up to them to pull us down; it’s up to us to pull them up.
While I’ve seen the conditions of the poor, I’ve also seen the difference made by a good organization doing something to help them. I’ve seen the joy of people coming out of unbelievably dire situations and being offered hope for the first time in their lives. I’ve seen in people’s eyes the undeniable look of hopelessness saying this is life and it will not change; yet I’ve also seen completely different faces on people in similar situations who simply believe. I’ve seen the physical difference in people stemming from the spiritual change of believing the message of Christ.
One of the greatest questions that rings in my head is what would this world look like if our churches got serious about helping the poor. This is after all, one of the over-riding teachings in the Bible. What would happen if we no longer saw humanitarian aid as a way to bring people into the church, and started seeing the Church as a way to get the aid to the people – no strings attached, no desire for recognition or reward, not even wanting a “thank you;” just simply helping them because we can and we must. What would it look like if we finally started to truly care for those in need? What would the results be if we laid aside our own agendas and picked up the agenda of God?
So what now? Well, I can’t say; but this much I know, I believe strongly in the ministry of the local church and I believe strongly that we cannot fulfill the call of God without centering our lives around a local church. Mission work is essential, but Jesus said he would build his church; and it is that church that must fulfill the great commission to reach the world for him. I still want to be involved in a local church and I believe that is God’s call on my life, but I really wonder what I can do through a local church to help people in less fortunate circumstances. I don’t know if God will send me to Africa someday. I don’t think so, or not for more than a month or two at a time, but that is up to him in his time. For now, I’ll continue to be involved where I am and continue to plan a move home to Canada when I’m done school in July; hopefully to my hometown in Manitoba where I would love to get involved in the church I call home. I’ll see down the road how that looks, but I also hope that through my involvement in a place like that I can also be involved in making a difference in the lives of people in other places like Africa. Within my first two days here, I said to my travelling companions that I don’t see how anyone can spend time here and not fall in love with the people. I’ve also come to realize over the last while that there is no way we can love God and not do something for the plight of the poor.
So there you have it. I’ve done the trip I never thought I would. I’ve been the places I never thought I would. I’ve seen the things and met the people I never thought I would. I’ve definitely been impacted and come home a different person. It may or may not be obvious on the outside, but there’s something different inside…and one more thing I’ve learned is that I need to raise my expectations for my life.
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