Last nights sleep in Nagercoil is over. Bags are packed with just a few loose ends and a couple of hours left until the trek home begins. Its a long journey back of course but I will do my best to make the most of it. Three legs: Mumbai (Bombay) landing at 3:30 pm local time and leaving for Newark at 11:00 pm. Landing at 5 am Tuesday and getting thru customs, boarding another flight to LA arriving at 10:30 am. Where Cindy will be waiting for us.
Long, but, a bit of me time. Lots of reading or watching movies or sleeping. You now know my travel plans. Fun isn't it?
I have been thinking about lessons that I have learned about my time here. I want to spend a bit of processing some of the deeper things within me. But just a few from the top.
- I realized more than ever that we do have a very special teaching within our 'tribe' and that is the doctrine of holiness. We have basically put it up on the shelf because we can't either comprehend it or we think we cannot live up to it. But as I spent time here I find that those excuses are really no excuses at all. To seek to the live the life of Christlikeness is not impossible but really needed. I am committed more than ever to live it, preach it, teach it, promote it. Not flawless but maturing. I think in North America we might be more relucant because we might be afraid of being convicted of the things we have to give up. I rubbed shoulders with people who have just enough to survive. They seemed very happy and very holy. Lesson learned is I will be putting more of an emphasis on this.
- Our world wide efforts are amazing. We stood before a memorial at the tip of India that had been made in memorial of the thousands of people's whose lives were lost on that December morning in 2004. On one side of the memorial was a list of the agencies that were involved in the relief efforts that went on for years. As a Rotarian I was proud to see Rotary International listed. But as a Salvationist, I was even more proud to see the name of the Salvation Army listed at the bottom, as the foundational organization that coordinated the massive project to restore so many broken lives. With me were two of the officers that played a significant roles in restoring a community and many lives. They with great humility told us briefly of some of the things they had to cordinate. The SA was the group tasked with taking care of the bodies for burial. Mass graves. The rebuilding of homes, giving families two months rations of food, etc. I explained to them my commitment to teaching Cadets EDS and this moment in time confirmed to me how much of a vital role the SA plays in all of this and how much of a real ministry that is.
- The Joy of the Lord truly is my strength. I will be sharing a few videos I was able to take when the people were praying and singing. Great passion. The volume was great but then again this place is filled with noise and congestion. I have never seen such intensity in worship. And its simple songs. It wasn't a show. It was pure joy. It was connected. It was real.
I am going to mull over a few more of my thoughts but that will suffice for now. I must finish packing and head to the airport within the hour. Will write more later. Again, thanks for your prayers and your comments.
Long, but, a bit of me time. Lots of reading or watching movies or sleeping. You now know my travel plans. Fun isn't it?
I have been thinking about lessons that I have learned about my time here. I want to spend a bit of processing some of the deeper things within me. But just a few from the top.
- I realized more than ever that we do have a very special teaching within our 'tribe' and that is the doctrine of holiness. We have basically put it up on the shelf because we can't either comprehend it or we think we cannot live up to it. But as I spent time here I find that those excuses are really no excuses at all. To seek to the live the life of Christlikeness is not impossible but really needed. I am committed more than ever to live it, preach it, teach it, promote it. Not flawless but maturing. I think in North America we might be more relucant because we might be afraid of being convicted of the things we have to give up. I rubbed shoulders with people who have just enough to survive. They seemed very happy and very holy. Lesson learned is I will be putting more of an emphasis on this.
- Our world wide efforts are amazing. We stood before a memorial at the tip of India that had been made in memorial of the thousands of people's whose lives were lost on that December morning in 2004. On one side of the memorial was a list of the agencies that were involved in the relief efforts that went on for years. As a Rotarian I was proud to see Rotary International listed. But as a Salvationist, I was even more proud to see the name of the Salvation Army listed at the bottom, as the foundational organization that coordinated the massive project to restore so many broken lives. With me were two of the officers that played a significant roles in restoring a community and many lives. They with great humility told us briefly of some of the things they had to cordinate. The SA was the group tasked with taking care of the bodies for burial. Mass graves. The rebuilding of homes, giving families two months rations of food, etc. I explained to them my commitment to teaching Cadets EDS and this moment in time confirmed to me how much of a vital role the SA plays in all of this and how much of a real ministry that is.
- The Joy of the Lord truly is my strength. I will be sharing a few videos I was able to take when the people were praying and singing. Great passion. The volume was great but then again this place is filled with noise and congestion. I have never seen such intensity in worship. And its simple songs. It wasn't a show. It was pure joy. It was connected. It was real.
I am going to mull over a few more of my thoughts but that will suffice for now. I must finish packing and head to the airport within the hour. Will write more later. Again, thanks for your prayers and your comments.
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