bigger eyes, wider embrace, longer stride

Doma in Ethiopia

An update from Doma's team in Ethiopia: Ethiopia update- bags and long johns!

all saints (sermon from revelation 7:9-17)

You can listen to my sermon from Sunday here:

All Saints

reformation day

Today is the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door in Wittenberg.  So it is the day that Protestant and Reformed Christians celebrate those courageous and influential moments in our faith story.  Here is a great article from First Things.

team off and team up

After a brief encounter with airport police paging Amber over the loudspeaker, the Doma team was off to Ethiopia! (Some of the medicine was in ’suspicious’ packaging’– which warranted a ’show me your papers’ incident… haha).

We’ll be sure to keep you posted whenever we hear from Amber. As part of their itinerary, they would be walking several (cold) miles up a mountain (with heavy medical equipment and medicine) to reach a small village… So I’m not sure how much access they’ll have to internet or texting. Want to be involved, but don’t necessarily want to walk up a mountain while jet-lagging? Read on…

Doma is officially beginning registration for our “Team Up 4 Orphans” walking/running team fundraiser. Going into the holidays is a great time to sign up for Doma’s official running team. It helps to keep the focus off of the over-indulgences that permeate our November and December– and gives us a reason to think about orphaned children as we train every day! Team Up’s team coach, Lisa Rainsberger (Weidenbach), is the champion of marathons worldwide (including the Boston marathon– and even one in Japan!)– and can be your personal running/walking coach starting today! Visit teamup4orphans.org to read about the event and our coach– and to register! All money raised will go toward programs (food, clothing, bible studies, maternal care, etc.) for the children that Doma serves. Some proceeds can even go toward YOUR future international trip with Doma. Contact our Team Up Director to find out more: Jennifer@teamup4orphans.org.

I hope to see you all at the Capital City half marathon in May!

Pray for our Ethiopia team today! The last medical trip served hundreds and hundreds of orphaned children, and laid the foundation for critical long term relationships with them.

friday listening party: Mike Reeb and Johnny Cash

I met Mike about a dozen years ago - we had a short stint as band mates in a Poor Old Lu and Delirious influenced worship rock band called Ethan's Worthy Project.  Since then, he's gone on to bigger and better things.  If, like me, you like the roots music of Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, and the way that modern artists like Wilco and Ryan Adams are keeping us connected to the dusty soul of America, then you'll love Mike Reeb.  You've got to check out his cover of The Man in Black's 'What Do I Care?' (it's being played on Johnny Cash Radio.  You can also hear my favorite song of his, 'It's Been A Hard Year' at his myspace.  It gets better... he's giving away free digital downloads of some of his records.  Join the looting party.  I love Mike and I love his music.  I hope you do too.

pray for Doma's Ethiopia team

Doma is sending the Uganda medical team to Ethiopia.  They leave on Thursday.  There have been numerous challenges with the logistics of this trip-- mainly because we had to make a last-minute decision given the political unrest, violence, and arrests in Uganda's capital in early September.

Please pray that everything goes well in-country.  The team will be experiencing extreme temperatures.  Sometimes in the 80's or 90's, sometimes below freezing.  They were told to bring long johns.  And they will have to walk HOURS to get to one clinic- with their heavy medical equipment and medicine etc.   (On a thankful note, we had several thousand dollars donated for the medicine necessary for this trip-- thanks to Amber's hard work-- I think over $2000 cash got over $15000 in medicine again!)

Specifically, our Ethiopian host, Alli, writes this: 

Prayer.  I don’t want to withhold info because it sounds daunting, so I’ll dish it out in the form of prayer requests….things you guys can pray about now, and then it won’t be a problem later.  Road safety is a big one here that could use some prayer…there are, indeed, more accidents per vehicle in Ethiopia than any other country, mostly because nothing is ever enforced, so people drive like maniacs.  I’ve seen accidents here, and been a de facto EMT for road victims, but have never been in one myself.  Also, the altitude can affect people, usually in terms of shortage of breath or some dizziness the first couple days, usually compounded by jet lag.  If you take it easy, rest when you can, and intentionally do some deep breathing to keep the oxygen going, it goes much better.  Just wanted you to be prepared.  As far as crime, this country is extremely safe.  There’s some petty crime in the cities to be watchful for, but violent crime is extremely rare and generally motivated by personal issues….but, prayers for safety are still useful.  And, prayers for smooth government relations are important, for a smooth (and tax-free) check in at the airport, for good relationships in the villages, and for trust in the different communities.  There’s still a lot of mistrust and confusion about foreigners that manifests itself in bureaucracy and “show me your papers” syndrome.  But, if the Spirit goes before you, you’ll be just fine.

Please pray with us for this team.  And please keep on praying.  We ust found out today that a team member has a herniated disc.  She and her partner will not be meeting up with the team in Ethiopia.  Pray for her healing, but also pray for the team as they try to navigate without these two important team members.

praying with eyes open (sermon on mark 10:46-52)

You can listen to my sermon from Sunday here:

Praying With Eyes Open

life in a whirlwind

Another great blog post from my wife about our trip to Ukraine and our return home: We're Home.

people in bloom (a poem based on Isaiah 35)

People in the wilderness, waiting and watching and wandering, thirsty and dry,
Afraid: the sound of jackals, the threat of lions, vultures fill the sky.
But here and there, and now everywhere, I hear a song of joy.  You will become
People on the way – people in bloom – blessed people of God come home.

Father Damien moved into the neighborhood

Father Damien, the Catholic priest who volunteered to live in a leper colony in Hawaii in the 19th century, was canonized by Pope Benedict on Sunday.  His is an inspiring story of sacrifice and service to those on the fringes of society.