Bridge-sitters

In His Strong Arms

Petronas Towers - KL

This was taken about 3 years ago... not a great picture, but good memories of an awesome structure....

Getting B(l)ogged Down...

Honestly, to keep up with a blog you almost need to be married to your computer!  I'm tied to my computer enough at work, that I don't relish sitting in front of it too much at home. I guess you can see how (un)disciplined I am at keeping up with what is happening in my life.  Wow, life can be so busy!  Here we are at the end of July, half way through '08!  Just celebrated our 29th anniversary 2 days ago.  God has blessed me with a wife who delights in being a channel of His blessings.  Over these years we have truly blessed by all the wonderful people God has placed on our path and in our lives.  More and more I am realizing how unfathomable is the depth of His grace!  

Gospel Truth

When it comes to life, we all struggle with something or another.  For some, it is sickness; for some, broken family relationships; for others, financial problems. Some struggle with habitual sins or with their situation in life, with jealousy or anger or pride... I imagine the list could go on and on.  Over the last 10 years or so I (and a number of good friends) have been learning more about the Gospel. Many people have caught on to this simple truth so much quicker than me. Some of this really hit home a few days ago as a good friend led our church camp in an exploration of Paul's Letter to the Galatians. Often we followers of Christ forget that the Gospel is not just "getting saved", but rather "total help for total need".  It's not the Gospel, plus church attendance, or plus giving, or  plus good works, or plus witnessing, or living a perfect life (as if that were possible)... .  We could do nothing of our own to gain salvation, and there is nothing we can add to it.  We often mess up... but God the Father patiently waits for us to realize that He, as Holy as He is, loves us with such an indescribable love.... There is such a wonderful freedom in that realization... 

Paul, in Romans 8, says that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God which we find in the Messiah, Jesus (Isa).  Not even death can come between us.  And all we have to do is believe in Jesus.  So simple.  So simple that many people cannot believe it... they think there is more we must do.  But there isn't. We need only believe.  Just like the thief on the cross who believed in Jesus.  No chance to go to church, be baptized, give some money, witness to others.... yet, Jesus promised Him a place in Heaven because in his heart this wicked (just like you and me) person believed that Jesus is the Messiah.. the Holy One... Almighty God.   Whether you are a pre-believer in Christ (haven't accepted Him as your saviour) or a believer who is struggling with some habitual sin that is bogging you down... why not come to Him in humility and ask His forgiveness?  He freely gives to all who ask.  

My prayer is that I will always remember that He has done it all... and that I do not need to prove anything... even if I fail Him.  My life is In His Strong Arms.....

People I am Proud of

*My wife, Jenny (Janet). Born and raised in the jungles of Kalimantan, she introduced me to a wonderful world on the other side of the globe. Her love for the Indonesian people still shines. During our 15 years there, all the while struggling with some serious health issues, Jenny served people from villages all around us. With no medical training she cared for upto 30 people a day on our front porch, while teaching our children in home school and keeping up several other ministries. She delivered babies in very unsanitary conditions while trying to teach village mid-wives that saving the baby was more important than getting the after-birth out.Jenny is the type of person every church wants. She excels at seeing potential in every person, she loves to encourage through her spiritual gift of giving, she loves to enhance people’s lives by giving them insights into life and helping them to find teachable moments for their children.Creativity just oozes out of this lovely lady. Her ability to see potential in junk, and then to make something beautiful out of it is just amazing. She has this way with people, too.
*My only son, Joel. An infectious smile, a love for people, a desire to make people feel welcomed and accepted. That’s Joel. Raised in the jungles, Joel made a lot of friends… back in Canada he was the ever-popular good friend to just about everyone. Perhaps the toughest thing for Joel would be deciding where to concentrate his efforts and in which direction to take for life. He seemed to be good at everything he attempted. As an actor he made us proud with his accomplishments in high school and college. Recently he has been concentrating on electronic music… and is doing very well at it. * First daughter, Andrea. The quietest of our 3 children, but underneath lies a heynonnynonny character. Andri is a lot of fun. An accomplished painter/illustrator with a super creative mind, Andri is also very musical. Beautiful smile backed by a beautiful character. *Youngest daughter, Johanna. Joey is bubbly, creative, determined. She has a real big heart for helping others. Great eye for photography… and like all the others, very creative in music, art and drama. Has a way of getting to know a lot of people....

Our children are TCK's (Third Culture Kids). Like all TCK's they face a lot of challenges that most people would not even know exist. Their world view is so great from living in several cultures...

reflections on a good life.

Recently I have been thinking back on my life. Who would have thought that this shy immature kid from the farm would end up living in Singapore? Who would have imagined the privilege of living in the jungles of Borneo for so many years? Of raising 3 great, talented children? Of the thousands of people from various cultures that we count as good friends? God has been so gracious to us. We certainly don't deserve any of it. Back in the early 70's when I was trying to figure out my life (hey, if you think I'm strange now, you should have known me back then!), some good friends, whom God used to steer me back into a personal relationship with Him, introduced me to the music of Andre Crouch. Perhaps his most famous song is the one that could describe my feelings right now: "How can i say thanks, for the things you have done for me? Things, so undeserved, yet You gave to prove your love for me...... To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the glory for the things He has done...."

Post Departure Thoughts

Our friends left a few hours ago. The amazing thing for us as followers of Jesus is that our farewells are never final, never forever. No matter what happens... to us or to them, ... we will see each other again. We have that blessed assurance of life after death... in fact, Life as it was originally designed to be... not a poor imitation as we now know it today. How privileged we are!
How much we need to tell others about this LIFE!

Going Home?

Less than 12 hours from now we will be saying goodbye to a couple whom we have known and worked with for over half our lives. As we will see them again sometime in the future back in Canada (we think), it is not such an emotional drain on us. As we remain here among people we have come to know and love, there is a measure of comfort. However, for them, after having lived and ministered in S.E. Asia since 1976, this is a very traumatic time. Ill health has forced them to return to a country that somehow is no longer their home. Sure, they have friends and family there, but almost certainly most of them have no clue as to all the things this couple will have to process in their hearts and minds as they return to a country that they are now so different from.
Oh that the churches "back home" would try to understand the emotional turmoil that missionaries go through when they leave places and people they love and have gotten to know over the years. Though I know that God will provide for this couple in every way, yet the journey back will not be easy. They have poured their lives into people here for 30 years, and now they are having to walk away from all that. And they are going back to well meaning people who won't be able to understand what is going on in their lives.
Praise God, that He understands and has promised to supply our every need. It will not be an easy transition, but He will be there with them and for them. All along the way, they will be.... In His Strong Arms.
-Henry