Friday, December 25, 2009

A Special Merry Christmas

He naps on the easy chair, mouth wide open as the chair is fully extended. While we have just exchanged gifts, ate breakfast with mom, my sister, her husband, and my nephew, still this Christmas with my dad is perhaps the most special.

Monday October 12, an oncoming car got too close to Dad on a very narrow part of Jericho Rd in Virginia. When Dad moved over to miss the car, his right front wheel hit soft pavement and then dropped into a deep ditch. The resulting swerve turned the home heating oil truck completely around, rolling over NASCAR-style onto a soybean field coming to a stop about 100 feet off the road.

With the driver's side laying on the ground, Dad was suspended almost upside down for about an hour. What is more incredible is that dad was partially thrown out of the truck on the last roll and the cab actually RESTED ON THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD, his feet suspended up in the cab. Yet between the soft ground and the ladder on the truck tank's driver side, dad suffered no skull or head damage.

First responders to his accident told him that they thought that he had been killed. Rescue teams had to cut the truck with metal jaws and saws to get him out. He was airlifted to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg.

Result? One small crack in one neck and back vertebrae. A neck and back brace for six weeks. A few scratches on the head requiring 6 stitches. Two nights in the hospital. Later the doctors discovered a crack in his lower back that is healing on its own. And that's it. 77 years old--wait, he turned 78 November 21, and that's the extent of his injuries. He has a little tingling in his fingers, and walks bent-over a little, favoring his neck, but otherwise he is well. Judy is working with him to exercize his neck.

We are indeed grateful for God's protection of Dad during this ordeal. Dad said that he knew the LORD was with him. He said that God really made his presence known to Him and he is indeed grateful for God's protection. With no airbag, and with the seatbeat having been unloosed during the roll, I feel that God's hand kept dad in place, protecting him and especially his head. He remained conscious throughout the accident and rescue, and even explained to the police how he wound up in the field. And despite Judy's concerns (Judy is a nurse and worked at Parkland Hospital in Dallas years ago), he turned out to be a very nice hospital patient--the nurses really enjoyed him. Judy had told dad that he had better be on his best behavior with them--and he obeyed Judy!

Dad is now AT home, and as a result, we didn't have to GO home to care for him, although we are now here for a Christmas visit. We return to the DR January 1. In fact, Judy's mom will brave airport security and flying at 80 years of age and visit us in the DR from January 1 to 19!! So this Christmas, we will be able to spend time with BOTH sets of parents!!

The truck was totaled yet God interviened there too--the truck lost no fuel so there was no fuel spill (and no further mess to deal with!).

The miracle continues--Dad was able to return to work December 17. None of us wanted dad to end his truck driving career with an accident, so he drove and I rode with him, doing the heavy work of dragging the hose and filling up the home heating oil tanks. While he is still not able to lift anything, still helping him return to work was a thrill for us. He did fine and showed no ill effects from the accident. Oddly enough, our first delivery took us up Jericho Road, right by the accident site.

I told dad, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Thursday, October 29, 2009

September 09 Newsletter

Five years ago we traded our rural Haitian lifestyle for the big city of Santiago, Dominican Republic (DR). Now we have the best of both worlds—discipling Haitian university students, while working with a fast-growing Dominican church at a time when the Dominicans are receptive to the good news of Christ.

After four months of home ministry—14 different states (not counting emotional ones), two summer camps, one Vacation Bible School, countless visits and ministry presentations—we return to the DR October 3, Lord willing. Bob thrives on marathon visiting. I tend to wilt after awhile. However, it’s a paradox. Those same visits that drain my energy have refreshed me, so that I’m eager to return to the DR. What energizes me is seeing you—God’s family—honoring Him, faithfully serving Him, and inviting Him into the difficult messes of life to do His gracious handiwork. These are some of the God-things that we’ve witnessed these past four months:

--Parents who let you move in, fill their closets, upset their routine, and double the mileage on their vehicles.
--Teenagers who actually hang around to talk to graying and wrinkling missionaries when they could be out with their friends.
--A mother’s testimony of her faith in a loving God, as we tearfully watch a video of her youngest daughter who recently died in a tragic accident.
--An entire family using their vacation time to run a Bible camp for junior highers.
--Two women voluntarily working in the camp kitchen for two weeks—cooking three meals a day for 30-100 campers.
--Teenage boys arriving at church before 9 a.m. on their summer vacation to help corral high-energy kids during Vacation Bible School.
--A 10-year-old girl running excitedly to get her journal so she can show me what she wrote that morning about her love for Jesus.
--Three good friends living with cancer (make that four—the list is growing) whose hope is in the Lord, even when it hurts and He’s not telling what’s around the next corner.
--Pastors who teach God’s Word and shepherd his people season after season.
--Emails from young campers asking, What can I do to grow as a Christian?

This list is incomplete. Every conversation where you’ve honestly shared with us what God is doing in your life—every example of practical, Christ-like living—has encouraged and challenged us.

Please pray as we return to a people-intensive discipleship ministry in the DR. Bob looks forward to helping young leaders of two Haitian congregations become solid, Christ-like leaders. We also go back eager to mentor new believers in the Dominican church, and teach others to do so, so that each one can be complete in Christ. Thank you for enabling us to have this privilege. Pray that we, and those with whom we work, will learn to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (Col 1:10).

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Here Am I, and the Children God Has Given Me...

…even if He does take them away temporarily. Part 3

We left Texas July 20 after living six weeks with Judy’s mom. Saying good-bye to Judy's mom never gets any easier, especially since she's 80. Yet she remains in excellent health and spirits, and her love for the LORD expressed in plain-spoken common sense-wisdom continues to amaze me.

One of the reasons that momma’s faith in Christ is so strong is because she has had to weather a number of storms in her life, especially the death by suicide of her son and Judy’s brother Roy. Momma told me after I married Judy, “The hardest thing in life is to have to bury your child, no matter what age you are.” Years later, I asked her what God did to enable her to cope with Roy’s death. In essence, she said that she felt that God spoke to her some months after Roy died, letting her know that he was ok.

We visited the second North Highlands Bible Church family on July 12. Sarah, their articulate adult daughter introduced herself, then introduced her two daughters. She added, “We also had a third daughter, Audrey, but she is no longer with us.” Two- year old Audrey was killed in an accident, when a repair truck backed over her while leaving the driveway. Sarah had not realized that Audrey had run out the door, and the driver did not realize that she was behind his vehicle. Audrey died some 20 months ago.

When someone shares their grief that openly, you don’t know whether to duck, run for cover, or dive in. Changing the subject looked like a good option especially with someone with whom I had just met. Yet while I will never understand this kind of tragedy or grief, Momma’s perspective on Roy’s death has helped me. So armed with Momma’s wisdom, I dived in.

Dr Ken Quick of the Capital Bible Seminary, Lanham MD once stated 90 percent of all couples who lose a small child to death wind up getting a divorce. Bryan and Sarah have been able to weather this tremendous storm so far and they now look to share publicly with others how to cope with such a tragedy.

As we talked, her mom showed us a DVD of Audrey singing “Jesus Loves Me” with enthusiasm, singing her heart out for our LORD. (Hang on, even now I can’t seem to keep typing, and my throat is getting tight). She sang that song TWO DAYS before she died. Both mom and grandma said that Audrey’s song was preparing her to see Jesus.

The other touching scene that God gave me was of their two daughters, one seven, the other six. Both girls played together like normal girls. I have heard that if the parents do not properly cope with the loss of a child, the children will reflect that with bad behavior. One child responded to his little brother’s death by urinating in the house.

That day NHBC allowed us to get to know some real heroes.

While Bryan and Sarah would not agree with the last statement, still…in giving us permission to share this post, Sarah writes, “There is certainly nothing heroic about the way Bryan and I or our family and friends have handled this loss. The thing I have taken away from it all is that God’s grace is absolutely sufficient to meet all of our needs when they arise, whatever they are, no matter how painful. And, the promise of Heaven has captured my heart like never before and has taken root in my life. It is this hope that now fuels my passion for telling others about Jesus and for living each day with strength in the face of great pain…and we continue to face other pain…God has not spared us of dealing with life’s other struggles, too!

You see, I think many Christians live knowing and believing and standing on only half of the truth: that Jesus was born, lived a perfect life, and died for our sins. While we need to focus on his sacrificial atonement, we will miss God’s big picture perspective if we do not finish the story. Jesus AROSE, and we too will be resurrected when Christ returns to rescue us once and for all. His other promises have been fulfilled, and we can count on this one as well! With the full picture, we can live in real victory, no matter what we face here on earth. We await perfect bodies in a perfect world without sin and death…the physical and spiritual realms as God intended them to be.

Now, that is something to get excited about!”

"O death, where is thy victory, o grave where is thy sting?"

Monday, August 17, 2009

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.” Part 2

HMA in Texas was a fast-paced time of ministry, visiting friends and family, vacation Bible school, and helping out with our two supporting churches. One of our churches, North Highlands Bible Church scheduled us to visit a number of families for Sunday dinner after church. Two families stand out and blessed us immensely. We’ll present one here now, the other in a later post.

A few families, like Judy and me, are OINKS (one income no kids). We don’t know why God didn’t give us kids, but in His grand plan, He chose not to. And we have accepted that. I will admit the term OINKS makes me want to “pig out”. Excuse me while I take a break to eat some pork chops (seriously, right after I wrote this, I had pork chops for supper!)

The Sunday we visited Trey and Kristen after church, Kristen and her daughter greeted us and cordially invited us in. Another young lady came and said hi, introducing herself. And then another kid came. And another. And another. I thought, “It seems like the kids are coming out of the walls here. They must have a lot of company.” WRONG! God has given Trey and Kristen (and they have lovingly accepted) EIGHT kids. Wow! Twelve strong gathered at the dinner table, and please accept my apologies for not remembering nobody’s names! There were too many!

In Isaiah 8, Isaiah went to the royal courtyard in Jerusalem. Since he was a prophet to the kings of Judah, they were used to seeing him there. However, that particular day, he went to publicly rebuke the Judean king and nobles for making an alliance with neighboring kings against Assyria. Judean kings confirmed the alliance by participating in idol worship, rejecting the protection of the LORD God of Israel. Isaiah had the nerve to even take his two sons and pronounce the judgment as they stood by his side (8.18). Imagine the dirty looks the kids received as their dad rebuked the nobles!

Later, I got up the nerve to ask them later how people responded to them when they went to public places. Some have been very encouraging. Others have not—and yes, they have received a few dirty looks. Yet their kids love the LORD, they were very well behaved while we were there, and we had a fun visit in large part because of the kids!

In fact, a couple of the girls told us of their trip to New Orleans to help an inner-city church do a vacation Bible school. I was impressed at the way they spoke to us--it was like we were talking to adults! Their experiences eerily reminded us of Haiti—the way witchcraft and superstition can destroy a culture while the one thing that can lift a culture out of its misery is the good news of Jesus Christ.

I have every reason to believe that these kids will grow up to become Godly, responsible members of our churches and society!

Friday, August 7, 2009

"Here am I, and the children that the LORD has given me."

Furlough. Ok, that’s the old fashioned term. Now, the hip expression is Home Ministry Assignment or HMA, using initials like hundreds of other entities both profit and non-profit. At least typing HMA is easier than repeating furlough.

We spoke at a camp in south-central Missouri working with a couple of our personal supporters. Paula is Judy’s best friend; Lance received Christ at this camp and has come back for years since then to share Christ to some 30 junior highers and some 15 counselors.

The locals at camp told us that they saw a bear about a mile away, but the bear never showed up. I guess he decided to stay in the woods. Good thing for him, we had junior highers at our camp! Our JHers would have been too tough for that bear to handle!

Lance also told us that he kills about one copperhead a year at camp. We didn’t see any this year (and I am VERY grateful!) I guess the JHers scared them off too!

Located deep in the Mark Twain National Forest, The Hammond Mill Bible Camp's cool weather gave us a much needed break from the Dallas heat which hit a high of 108. We donned jackets and rejoiced at the rain and the high of 66 degrees.

Despite being JHers, we were impressed at how receptive the kids were. They were very well behaved and I think five of them prayed to receive Christ during the week. Three were baptized.

The camp cost the kids only $30 for four days. It’s that low because the workers volunteer their time. Even the cooks who came from Kansas City, five hours away, came at their own expense. And despite the low budget, the food was great!

We are in Virginia now and will return to the Dominican Republic October 3.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Heading for the States




Bob is practicing piano for his last performance with the praise team at Central this Sunday--at least until we return from home ministry. We fly to Virginia on Monday the 25th to begin 4 months of visiting with family and with those of you who partner with us in the work here in Santiago.

It's not easy to leave. God is really at work in the Central Church, and it's fun and challenging to be a part of it. On Friday, Bob and 30 of the young men (and a few not so young men) from church camped out on the beach, talking around a campfire until the wee hours of the morning! They dragged in on Saturday in time to rest up for Sunday's activities. Eight men and women were baptized after church on Sunday--one of them was Juan Pablo, a young man in our Wednesday night small group who came to the Lord through the basketball ministry. Central has no baptistry; so after church we all piled into cars to go to another church across town. Tuesday night, Bob attended a meeting of the small group leaders at Central. He came home rejoicing after hearing all that God is doing in the various groups.

Please pray for continued unity in the church and for us while we are in the states. Pray that we will be an encouragement to the churches we visit. Thanks.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Family Dynamics--May 2009 Newsletter


It seems like the whole family gathers at the church on Saturday afternoons. Earlier in the afternoon, Margarita, petite and elderly, shared her artistic skill with a group of children who are learning how to draw and paint. At the same time, Jonathan was keeping an eye on his roaming little ones while editing and printing tomorrow’s bulletins. Upstairs, Dyan just led a group of 30 youth in an animated discussion on seeing difficulties as opportunities for blessing—who knew Jacob and Bartimaeus had so much in common? In the office, 12 new believers gather around Marino, learning what it means to be born into the family of Christ. In a nearby classroom, I hear Bob’s laugh rise above the chorus of men’s voices who are studying about sanctification—all six are sanctifi-edly talking at once.

As the youth filter out, the members of the praise team stay for practice as Alejandro gives a pep talk on perfecting tomorrow’s worship songs. Bob will soon join them to share keyboard duties with Jose. I’m sitting here waiting for Bob, and reveling in the mystery of Christ’s body. I love seeing the body of Christ functioning as a healthy family—individuals giving of their time and using what God has uniquely given them to build up the whole.

Ironically, Bob and I are in the midst of co-teaching a series in the monthly couples’ gathering (now attracting almost 100) on how to parent. What do we know about family?! We’ve never had children. Bob has never changed a diaper. I’ve never sat up all night with a feverish child. Yet God has placed us within His family in Christ, and more specifically in the Central Church family of believers in Santiago. The church’s vision is to be a loving family, living God-honoring lives. We are by no means a picture-perfect family, but we are learning…

…to drop what we are doing and come alongside a family member when illness
or death or disaster strikes.
…to patiently pray for a struggling, newly-married couple, even when they choose
not to follow advice.
…to accept and try to understand those family members who are different—who
just don’t relate well socially and seem to have excessive needs.
…to call and encourage a brother who isn’t participating like he used to.
…to let go, but keep on praying, when a family member decides they don’t want
to be a part of this family anymore.
…to continually seek and welcome newcomers into the family, realizing that
the family dynamics will change (18 new believers joined the family in March).
…to meet regularly—even at the end of a long, tiring day—to sing and laugh
and pray and figure out how to put God’s Word into practice.
…to be transparent with each other, admitting our struggles.
…to rejoice in what each generation offers—the exuberance of youth, wisdom of
age, and steadiness of those in-between.
…to neither ignore nor exaggerate problems, realizing there is a purpose
in the struggle.

As we learn to love each other, the learning curve sometimes looks like the nearby 4000-foot peak that we just hiked with the youth, but we persevere. It’s worth it. It’s eternal. And we are eternally grateful to you who offer your prayers and gifts to make our presence here possible. Lord willing, we will be on home ministry in the states June – September this year to thank you in person, and tell you more about what God is doing in the Dominican Republic.

First Anniversary Celebration


As I look over the blogs, I realize we haven't said much lately about our ministry with Haitian university students. A year ago, the core group of students who attended our weekly Bible study in Villa Olimpico established their own church, with the help of a Haitian pastor from New York. Robinson, a young man who studies at the university, is pastoring the church. In the course of a year, this church has grown to almost 200--in spite of having to change locations! They now rent space in a local school, ideally located close to the university. This month they celebrated their first anniversary as a church.

Bob is occasionally invited to preach--he just did a study on eternal security for two Sunday evenings--but his major role is mentoring and encouraging the leadership. Pray for Robinson and for Vilardeau.

When we first started ministering to the Haitian university students, they adopted us as their parents away from home, and we spent a lot of time together as they were adjusting to life in the Dominican Republic. Now, we're like parents with grown children who have established a life for themselves. We're here, and we connect at crucial moments, but they don't need us quite as much. It's a joy to see what God has accomplished in and through them!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Bob and All Those Women?!?!? (Part 2!)

Ok, ok, like I said, the ladies don't play attention to me. They're cooking. A couple weeks ago, we had the biggie--cheesecake. (You can see why I stick around). Cheesecake is served only at very formal and/or fancy meals here. It's not something that Dominicans eat on a regular basis because cheese here is very expensive. It shouldn't be, they produce it here in-country, but it is. And so Judy makes it only for special occasions.

The ladies enjoyed making it--and even though it's expensive to make, in the battle of the budget, we did fine :-) And even though it's fattening, so far in the battle of the bulge the waistlines remain the same! We gave away most of the cheesecake we made, to the ladies who came (20 each for both Thursday and Friday nights), to a deacon in the hospital, and to two elder ladies--one named Margarita, who does this cutest painting class with about 10 kids on Saturday afternoons. And their paintings are really good--they did one with a sailboat in the water with an island behind it (reminded me of La Tortue!)

By the way, the deacon is now out of the hospital. He had hemorrodes. The operation was successful, and he's been back to church a couple Sundays. We were sure glad he came back too. We laughed because every question after, "Is Santiago well?" was followed with, "Was he able to go to the bathroom successfully?" (I'm translating the general sense. The questions were FAR more explicit than that!!)

Back to the cheesecake, three other really neat things happened. One, one of the younger ladies who come on Thursday night has just started coming to church. I overheard one of the older ladies in the group talk about God’s love with this younger lady during the cooking class, a wonderful application of the 1 Timothy 5 passage where the older women are commanded to mentor the younger women. Two, Judy invited an unchurched lady to church who came for the Friday night class. Three, our unchurched neighbor came again to the Friday cooking class. She had attended the first one.

Pray that the fruit of these classes will be more than excess calorie intake. We're hoping that the ladies will develop closer relationships, and that some will be able to help their families financially. Plus pray for the ladies mentioned above.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Bob and All Those Women?!?!?

What in the world am I (Bob) doing with all these women in my house?!?!? Actually, they aren't paying much attention to me. They are all crowded around our dining room table which is covered with utensils, bowls, and an ample supply of flour, sugar, and other ingredients.

My job is to simply greet them at the door--and try to help Judy anyway I can while she teaches a cooking class with the Central church ladies. Judy is teaching them how to make desserts that they can sell to bring in extra income for their families; plus, it's an opportunity for us get to know them better.

We praise the LORD for Central's growth. The last time I counted, we had 235 seats in our sanctuary, and since I play the piano for the praise band, I can see that almost every seat is filled--and that does not include the workers and children who are downstairs in children's church, which accounts for the 300-plus people.

So when Judy announced the cooking class to the ladies, over 50 ladies signed up! Yikes! Our apartment isn't THAT big! So we split up the group, offering the class on two separate evenings, Thursday and Friday--and picked up seven more ladies. We also had several guys inquire, but Judy told them "ladies only" (except for her luvy dubby hubby :-) Sorry guys!

Twenty-six people attended the first class (including one older man who drove his wife); each subsequent class has had a very manageable 15-17. The class gives us an outreach to neighbors as well; one came last Friday. The March 12 and 13 classes made over 100 brownies and lemon squares that Judy took to the Women's Ministry meeting March 14. Even though we had only 40 ladies, the youth group who meets downstairs got wind of the goodies and helped the ladies finish them all up! (And yes, Judy is VERY popular with the youth group now!) The week before, the classes made carrot muffins. Next week will be cheesecake. (You can see why I stick around).

Pray that the fruit of these classes will be more than excess calorie intake. We're hoping that the ladies will develop closer relationships, and that some will be able to help their families financially.

Friday, February 6, 2009

February '09 Newsletter

Being married to a long-suffering Arizona Cardinal fan, I have become aware of the phrase uttered by the Cardinal coach in 2006, after losing to the Chicago Bears, “They are who we thought they were.” Cardinal foes and fans have since created many variations on this theme, culminating in “We are who nobody thought we were!” after the Cardinals won the NFC championship this year.

I have my own variation on this theme which has absolutely nothing to do with football, but everything to do with ministry here in Santiago. Here it is: “We are where God thought we should be.” You see, we have a joyful sense of being in the right place at the right time, ministering alongside the Dominican believers of the First Christian Bible Church of Santiago (a.k.a. Central, due to its location). We have always enjoyed the fellowship and the worship times at Central. Yet, over the past 4½ years we would sometimes ask ourselves if we were where we should be.

When we arrived in the Dominican Republic, the Central church was the least “needy” of the churches that our CrossWorld team was working with in Santiago. There are two godly Dominican co-pastors leading the church. But we needed this loving community as we learned the language and culture. Integrating into the life of the body in many small ways, we became part of the family. As the church grew, Bob became a small group leader, and I participated in a weekly prayer group and the women’s ministry. This was the “Dominican” side of ministry, while we were also discipling Haitian university students across town.

Currently, God is blessing Central with growth that has the leaders scrambling to buy more chairs and seeking God’s wisdom for what to do next. In these uncertain times, people are responding to their neighbor’s invitation to come and hear what God says in His Word. As a result, there are many new believers needing coaching in this new life in Christ, and older believers with a renewed hunger to study the Bible. The “small” groups don’t fit in anybody’s living room anymore. They are ready to divide as soon as more leaders step up to the task.

Benefiting from the relationships of trust that we built during the years of wondering if we were where we should be; we are now being asked to teach, mentor, and train others to do so. We work with two small groups each week, one with mostly new believers, whose questions are both a delight and a challenge as we sit around snacking on cornbread and cheese. More than half of the group members are young men, struggling to find employment and living in strife-filled neighborhoods. Please pray for Antony, Sandy, Miguel, Juan, and Michel.

Pray as well for the next line of small group leaders, a group of 8-12 men who are studying the Bible with Bob on Saturday evenings. We love it when people ask us to study the Word with them! Alberto, a university student, enthusiastically leads the youth group at Central, and is studying 1 Peter with Bob two to three mornings a week, after they play basketball for an hour. They don’t seem to mind studying while dripping with sweat—must be a guy thing!

There’s other good stuff going on as well, but I think you get the picture that God is at work in and through this church; and we’re glad to be here at this time in their history. Thank you for making it possible. Pray that we, together with the church body, will be the salt and light that God intends for us to be.
Looking forward to being what God knows we are,
Bob and Judy

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Psalm 126 and the Miracle In Glendale, AZ

Warning--you may not believe what you read below. I'm finding it hard to believe too. But it's all true.

"We were like men who dreamed...our mouths were filled with laughter...the LORD has done great things for us and we are filled with joy!" (Ps 126.1-3) In 536 BC, after 70 years of captivity in Babylon and Persia, over 40,000 Israelites returned home to Jerusalem, to rebuild the city and to re-establish Israel. Psalm 126 records their joy as they arrived, the celebration of a miracle that no one thought possible.

Imagine their joy arriving after a dangerous journey up the Euphrates River and then across the desert. Having to travel by foot and animal, the 700-mile trip could have taken more than a year.

Imagine their joy at the miracle of returning home to Jerusalem. History reveals that captives are either killed, enslaved, or dispersed. They do not return home. Also, Jerusalem had no temple, no walls, and only a cluster of houses. The Babylonians had destroyed the city 50 years earlier. The city needed to be rebuilt.

Yet the Israelites rejoiced because they had returned home. And although they had needed a miracle to return, God provided just that.

The following will NOT compare, I know, I know, I know. But for me, the miracle in Glendale, AZ recently stirred in me the same emotions described in Psalm 126.

The Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC championship on January 18. I cannot believe it. It does not seem true. But it is, a miracle of sorts in the NFL.

Back in the 1970's, I began rooting for the then St Louis Cardinals because I felt that then quarterback Jim Hart was a good role model. Even after Hart retired, I continued to root for the Cards throughout the '80s and '90's.

However, those teams became synonomous with futility and losing. I never talked much about the Cards, because with the teams going mostly 6-10, 5-11, and 4-12 for over 20 years, there wasn't much to discuss.

I kicked the habit of rooting for the Cards and began rooting for Kurt Warner due to his outstanding testimony for our LORD Jesus Christ and Warner's Super Bowl victory in 2000 with the St Louis Rams.

But after being benched twice, Warner signed with the Cardinals in 2005. I became a Cardinal fan again.

Even with Warner, the Cards continued losing, going 5-11. And worse yet, Warner was benched twice more. He talked of retiring after the 2006 season.

However, he won his job back, had a record-breaking year in 2008, and led the Cards to their first division title in 33 years (I remember the last one, in 1975, when I was a freshman at the Washington Bible College!)

The Cards were given no chance to advance in the NFL playoffs. After all, with their history of losing, they did well just to get there. Yet, they beat Atlanta, upset Carolina, and set the stage for a showdown with favored Philadelphia for the NFC championship.

They jumped out to a 24-6 lead, only to see Philly rally to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Warner then led the Cards on a long, tense drive completing it with his winning touchdown pass. The win completed the miracle and touched off an amazing celebration.

I saw tears rolling down Adrian Wilson' face during his interview with Foxsports. Other players cried as well. Warner called out his wife from the stands, and embraced her. He later choked up twice in his post-game interview. Other fans, even grown men, cried. Long-time Cardinal fans congradulated their sons, and sons their fathers. I read on a blog where strangers actually hugged each other celebrating near the stadium.

I admit, I got a lump in my throat. And then I just started laughing. In fact, I'm laughing right now as I type this. I still cannot believe it. And yet because it's true, I feel this crazy sense of joy, like a dream come true kind of joy--joy for me, joy for the Cards, joy for Kurt Warner, who was benched four times in his career, and then comes back and leads one of the worst teams in the NFL to the Super Bowl.

And joy too because as the Cards advance, Kurt is getting more attention for his outspoken testimony of his faith in Christ. His boldness with the media has encouraged me here in the Dominican Republic.

The Cardinals play the Pittsburgh Steelers for the NFL championship Sunday Feb 1. Again, the Cards are expected to lose. But that's ok.

If they win, I'll laugh and joyfully celebrate the miracle described Psalm 126 all over again. And maybe get another lump in my throat.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Bob's Piano Story

When I was young, I mowed the lawn for my folks. I had this habit of talking to myself (and to God) so loud, they could hear me over the mower. Years later, on January 15, 2004, I had an engaging conversation with myself. And while I kept it inaudible, this time God talked back to me. And I’m glad He did.

Judy and I had just returned from Texas to begin our second semester as missionaries in residence at the Washington Bible College. I was a line monitor at evening registration, but since most everyone had registered, only I and the professors were left in the gym. A few guys were playing basketball at the other end—I found myself wishing I could play with them.

And then a thought hit me like a ton of bricks. “Bob, aren’t you going to take piano?” I had talked to Judy briefly about it, but hadn’t given it any though since. I had taken piano lessons as a WBC student years earlier, but had abandoned it in Haiti. On La Tortue Island, with no running water, electricity, or even a telephone, I had no piano teacher, and no way to get a piano there.

But this time we were not returning to Haiti. We were going to Santiago, Dominican Republic where we are now. And I thought, “I should take piano again. If I take lessons now, and stick with them, where could I end up in 20 years?” But the next thought was, “No way, man, you are crazy, you’re too busy….” And I began to list excuses why I couldn’t take piano again.

But a thought inside me kept at me, “Bob, go for it! You’ve got an excellent chance to improve if you simply try. But you must take that first step. And don’t wait! It’s getting late!” I remember the time being about 8 PM. Registration was to close at 8:30 or 9, but some of the profs were already standing around as if to leave.

So I countered, “Ok, how many men do you know who are 46 years old, haven’t taken piano for more than 20 years, and then all of a sudden decide to take lessons again?”

There! “Gotcha”, I thought. I’ve made my decision. No piano.

WRONG! The very next thought was, “Bob, you are a young 46. Your health is excellent. You play basketball with kids half your age, and you are able to keep up with them. There’s no reason why you can’t take piano. Think of what you could become in the next 20 years if you go for it. But you must start NOW!”

I was beginning to sense that the pro-piano thoughts inside me weren’t really me. I was sensing that I was engaging in an argument with Someone else using my thoughts—and I had a growing realization that that Someone else was the Holy Spirit in me—and that my anti-piano thoughts were wrong. I knew that WBC had an excellent music dept despite being a small college, and I knew that this was an opportunity that I should not miss.

Then God brought to mind 1 Peter 1.2, “Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ.” The Greek word for “obedience” in that verse is hupakoe, meaning “to answer a knock at the door.” When that verse ran across my mind, I thought, “I have preached this sermon to many people in Haiti. God is knocking at my heart’s door and I’d better answer!” So I began to register.

During registration, the music department told me that even though I was a faculty member, the school had a rule that I would be required to pay for my lessons. “Okay”, I thought, “That’s my out—it will cost $400 and we really shouldn’t pay that much.” But the assistant registrar overheard our conversation, came to the music chair, and stated that due to another arrangement we had made with the school, the school would waive the music fee.

Remember your first day of school? I do. I remember being in the back of the bus, watching my parents following me in their car, wishing that I were home. I got that same feeling going for my first piano lesson (and this was 40 years later!) Walking to the music room, I remember my legs taking me to a place that the rest of my body didn’t want to go to!

Yet God provided. He gave me an excellent teacher, changed my attitude, motivated me to work hard, and I left WBC four months later determined to continue.

About a year later, as a birthday present, Judy asked our Dominican church’s pianist to give me lessons. The talented Adonis taught me how to play beautiful Spanish praise songs written by Jesus Adrian Romero. English praise songs that I had heard in years gone by, longing to play but couldn’t, God was now giving me the ability to play them. God filled my heart with joy learning these songs, a joy that I had lacked in Haiti. It’s as if God rewarded me for all those years spent in the desert, so to speak. I felt like that I was drinking from an overflowing fountain of joy,

Recently Adonis and his wife moved to Santo Domingo, leaving our church praise band without a pianist. And this time I (maybe?) thought, “Why don’t you play? It’s wide open.” I hadn’t played in public in years, but mustered the courage to volunteer.

I play with four guitarists and two drummers. Since Dominicans love their music LOUD, and I sit right next to the drummer, sometimes I can’t hear myself play, giving new meaning to “We walk by faith, and not by sight….” Yet I love playing, and I feel like I’m swimming in that fountain of joy now!

The first Sunday I played, a number of people came up and thanked me for playing. Judy said that the piano sounded fine, that it complements the group. But we both wondered if I’m being heard at all! Maybe it’s not all bad not being loud especially when I hit a wrong chord—to which I say out loud, “Sorry guys!” (in English no less. But then again, they don’t hear that either!) Judy has also remarked, “Bob, sometimes you play so slow, the people could actually fall asleep singing.” One Sunday she told me that she could see the music director motioning me to actually SLOW DOWN! (I did by the way—I can still see!)

In the booklet Real People, Real Faith, John Kasay, kicker for the Carolina Panthers encloses a quote from Charles DeBox, “The important thing is this…to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become….”

I’m grateful that He got my attention five years ago on that cold night at WBC.

May God grant that we become all that He wants us to be.