Since I last blogged, I've been counting... my blessings!  Many of you have read "One Thousand Gifts:  A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are," by Ann Voskamp.  If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it!  I recently started the book, and I'm learning to take time and notice God's blessings all around me,... and thank Him for them!

I'm thankful for the bird that sings to me every morning, when I rise before the rest of the family!

I'm thankful for yellow trees! (They have a name... guayacán... but I like to call them "yellow trees"!)

I'm thankful for the tornado-less thunderstorms I witness coming down the mountain!

I'm thankful for oxygen!

I'm thankful for the bread and wine, for the body and blood, for brokenness and forgiveness, for healing and victory.  (God showed me that one at last week's communion service.  No, we don't use wine at our church!  Rather, referencing Christ's words.)

I'm thankful for hugs and kisses I receive every morning when my two favorite men leave the house and every afternoon when they return safely home!

At this stage in our lives, I'm thanking God for every pastor who accepts my request and invites us to share in their church in our upcoming itineration!

I'm thankful for those of you who faithfully give your faith promises!

I'm thankful for those of you who faithfully lift us up in prayer!

Everywhere around me, there is something to be thankful for!  Even when our water goes out for two days due to damage in the line, I can be thankful that I have a home with clean, running water!

Count your many blessings, name them one by one!

Count With Me.....

I count things.  I don’t do it on purpose… Well, sometimes I do.  But many times (too many times to count) I find myself counting things.

Fifteen stairs make up the staircase in our house.

There are 22 stairs between the classroom level and the office level of the Bible college.

I recently counted ten blooming and brilliant yellow trees visible from my office window.  At the same time, I noticed twelve birds sitting on an electric wire.

Quite often, on my trips downtown to the Bible college, I notice career dog walkers and I quickly count how many dogs they have on leashes.  The highest for one person was nine.  One time I saw two walkers, and they had at least twelve between the two of them.

The ascent from the city of Medellin (down in a valley) up to the airport is quite a journey, and I’m always amazed at the people who bike up this windy road.  One Sunday, on our way to preach at a church near the airport, I decided to count how many bikers we passed.  I stopped at 100… not because I couldn’t count any higher, but because I’d proven a point to myself – there were a lot!

When I’m bored or can’t sleep, I find myself not counting sheep, but counting rhythms with my fingers.  Not just counting to make sure I have ten, but counting to an unheard beat.  One, two three,… four, five, six,…  You get the point!

But one thing I have been unable to successfully count – even past 100 – are God’s blessings!

Years ago, I purchased a book at a little shop in the Amana Colonies (in Iowa), entitled, “14,000 things to be happy about.”, by Barbara Ann Kipper.  I must confess – I’ve never read her entire list.  But I dare say I could come up with more things to be happy about… things I’m blessed with.  Because I’ve been blessed beyond count… beyond measure!

One of my favorite songs these days is “10,000 Reasons,” by Matt Redman.  The song challenges me to find 10,000 reasons why I should (and can) sing praises to and bless the Lord!

November and December seem to be our months of “thanks-giving.”  But we don’t have to wait until then!  Right now, we can begin to count all of God’s blessings in our lives!  If we make a list of 25-30 different blessings each day, we’ll have our list of 10,000 in one year!  (I also love math, but that’s the subject for a future blog…..)

Signing off...  I have some counting to do!

Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Vacation!

It's officially vacation season in Colombia!  You may think to yourself, "That's not anything unusual.  It is mid-June, after all."  But it IS different in Colombia!

The official school year in Colombia begins in February and ends in November.  Though most of Colombia is north of the equator, the country uses the southern hemisphere school calendar, and considers December and January as "summer break" and mid-June to mid-July as winter vacation.  Vacation season officially kicked off Saturday, June 15, complete with fireworks and neighborhood all-night celebrations.

Of course, living in this City of Eternal Spring, we never experience "winter," as we know it in Iowa.  And, in fact, "winter break" takes place at the end of one of the "winter" (i.e., "rainy") seasons.

So what does vacation season in Colombia mean?  It means quiet days and noisy nights!   It means fewer school buses on the streets, but more people on the streets and in the popular gathering places. It means special activities in daycare centers, at the zoo and the museums, and at shopping centers for the kids.  It means all the popular vacation destinations – whether an hour out of town, or an all-night bus trip away – are packed with families vacationing together.

Vacation season at the Bible College means students have completed their quarter of studies.  It means we're getting ready for two, separate week-long intensive classes, this year offering Greek and Pastoral Theology III.

Because Christopher studies at a U.S.-based school that follows the U.S. school calendar, it means he's on break for two months instead of just one.  It means mentally winding down from 11th grade and anticipating 12th grade.

In our house, it means catching up on all the things we've fallen behind in – office work, blogging, cleaning out closets, etc.  It means hosting AIM teams.

Yes, it's vacation season in Colombia!  That doesn't necessarily mean a vacation!  But it does mean change... and a change of pace!

A Colombian Christmas

Last night, we went to a unique cultural celebration at our son’s school, recognizing the beginning of the religious Christmas season.  It reminded me that I’d purposed to blog about the many unique cultural influences of the Christmas season here in Colombia, in addition to how our family adapts to two different cultures and celebrates Christmas.

The season is unofficially ushered in with fireworks and parties all night November 30, welcoming in the month of December.  A big event to mark the beginning of Christmas in Medellin is the lighting of the Christmas lights.  Medellin is known worldwide for its elaborate Christmas lights display, this year boasting 18 million LED lights!

Because of Colombia’s deep religious roots, the religious aspect of Christmas is very important.  The religious commencement of the season takes place on December 7, the “Day of Immaculate Conception,” also known as the “Day of Candles,” when the people light candles on the sidewalks and in the streets, ushering the way for the mother Mary to come.

December 16 marks the start of the “Christmas Novena,” which, in effect, means nine nights of prayers.  There are general prayers to pray each night, in addition to different specific prayers to pray each of the nine nights, concluding the 24^th of December, which is considered Christmas Day in Colombia.  These prayers include prayers to the Virgin Mary, to Joseph, and to the Baby Jesus.

Another important aspect of the religious celebration is the building of the Nativity.  Whether it be a small nativity displayed in a family home, or a neighborhood nativity displayed outside the local Catholic church, the familiar images of the nativity are added, one each night, concluding with the figure of Baby Jesus being added on December 24.

Typical, seasonal food is also a big part of the Christmas celebration.  Natilla is a dessert made with milk, cinnamon, corn starch, cloves, and panela, which is processed from sugar cane.  Buñuelos look like very large donut holes, but they are actually made with cheese and are quite salty.  They are very tasty if prepared well and eaten warm.  We’ve already eaten natilla and buñuelos twice this season!  Sancocho, a stew made with chicken or beef, along with potatoes, yuca, and plantain, is also very popular to eat this time of year.  People prepare it in a big stock pot over a fire on the sidewalk or on the curb.  Sancocho “kits” are actually sold along the streets the days leading up to Christmas, which include the stock pot (I would guess they hold about five gallons), ladles for stirring, and sticks to build the fire!

The Christmas celebration that begins on December 24, and includes the “Boy Jesus” bringing gifts to the children, usually goes all night long, into the wee hours of the morning.  December 25 is a very quiet day, as everyone sleeps in and rests up from nearly a month of celebrating.

But the celebrating isn’t over yet.  There’s still December 31^st!  But that’s another cultural experience all together!

Obviously, there are many cultural differences in a Colombian Christmas and an American Christmas!  So how do we celebrate?  We enjoy some of the Colombian traditions, yet we hold on to some of our American and family traditions.  We make sure we enjoy the 18 million lights at least once during the season, with our car windows rolled down, dressed in short-sleeve t-shirts and shorts (for the guys, at least), listening to Kenny G or Michael W. Smith Christmas music, buying popcorn and chuzos from venders off the street!  It’s always a little “different” with no snow and winter coats and boots, but this is one area where we’ve adapted very well!

We also enjoy some of the typical Christmas foods of Colombia, but we also make sure to enjoy our traditional Christmas dinner, including turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, etc.  Our first Christmas here eleven years ago, a turkey cost about $80.  Prices have gone down considerably, and last year I was able to get a free turkey with points I’d earned from my weekly grocery shopping!  (I’m working on points for this year’s bird!)

When we arrived eleven years ago, none of our churches gave any special emphasis to Christmas, feeling the need to separate themselves from the Catholic culture.  But now, more and more churches are including Christmas music and drama in their celebrations, seeing it as an opportunity to share the true reason for Christmas to their neighbors.  We typically add some of these events to our busy calendar and enjoy their creativity in presenting the Christmas story, yet another quite different cultural experience!

We usually enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve (December 24) as a family, sometimes attending a church service if one of our local churches has one.  Our small family of three usually exchanges gifts on Christmas morning.  Then, because our Colombian friends have already celebrated on the 24^th, we often invite a Colombian family over to share our typical Christmas Day turkey dinner, complete with the trimmings.

With all the differences in these two cultures in which we live, we’ve learned even more that it doesn’t really matter HOW we celebrate Christmas!  What’s most important is WHO we celebrate and WHY we celebrate!  JESUS is THE REASON for this beautiful season!

You've Got Mail!

This comes as exciting news to all of us, whether email, facebook or twitter posts, or honest to goodness "snail mail"!  It's especially exciting when you live overseas and know that someone took the time, effort, and money to send you something in the mail!

We recently were expecting a package in the mail (Speed the Light equipment sent to us by the Iowa Ministry Network -- thanks to Iowa youth!).  It was shipped by UPS which, because they don't actually have an office here, is therefore handled by a local carrier when it reaches Bogota.

Kevin was keeping track of the packge online, and it finally arrived in Bogota on a Thursday.  So we started watching and waiting and expecting it the following week. 

Monday came and went, with no package.

Tuesday, as I jumped in a taxi to go to the grocery store, I let the guard know we were expecting something from UPS and that I would be back in an hour.

That afternoon, the guard called to let me know that the delivery truck had indeed come while I was at the store, but that we had to pay customs fee, so the package could not be released.  The guard gave me a phone number to call to verify the information and make arrangements.

Wednesday, with the cash tucked away, I expectantly waited for the truck to return.  Finally, about 3pm, it came.  He confirmed Kevin's name, I gave him the money, I signed in three different places, he signed a receipt, and he left.  The package was one-fourth the size and weight I expected.  I called Kevin with the good news, but while talking to him, I realized it wasn't addressed to us!!!!!

We had the wrong package!

Since I didn't recognize the name on the package, I called the guard and found out that the named individual lived in another house down the street! 

Because the local carrier doesn't use the UPS tracking numbers, once they'd communicated with Kevin the afternoon before, they just assumed they were giving him the package he expected!  We believe ours, indeed, was what they had attempted to deliver the day before, because the dollar amount for customs was the correct amount, but in the meantime, another package had been put on the truck, at the same address.  When the truck arrived, the guard assumed it was the same package and sent him to our house!

"What are the odds," I asked myself, "in a city of four million people, that TWO packages would be sent from the United States via UPS, would be addressed to two houses in the same housing complex, and would arrive for delivery at the same time!?!?"

I will skip all the details, but after days of phone calls, both to the UPS in the United States and to the local carrier, both by Kevin and the Bible school secretary, one week later Kevin went directly to the carrier's office, returned the incorrect package and retrieved the new package.

The purpose of this blog is to give you a window into life in another culture and some of the joys, frustrations, and humor we experience in living life.  I don't know if, in trying to keep this "brief", I've portrayed how complicated and interesting an experience this was!  But it took Kevin bringing two cultures (US-based UPS practices/policies and Colombia operating systems) together, and showing up unannounced at the office to finally receive our package!

We are relieved that this experience was all eventually resolved, as we were looking at the definite possibility of losing the package and/or the money!

Thank you, God, for being concerned about all the details in our lives, even UPS packages!

Not Your Typical Easter Dinner!

It's unbelievable that Easter Sunday has come and gone!

Easter is one of those holidays that we can become homesick, because we miss the traditional American Christian/Evangelical church celebrations -- Easter Sunrise services, church cantatas, classic Easter hymns (such as "He Arose").

And then there's Easter dinner - ham, potatoes, green beans, eating too much, as though we didn't learn our lesson from Thanksgiving and Christmas family dinners!

When we first came to Colombia, and we realized Easter wouldn't be "typical" for us, not just in the church service, but also around the dinner table, we decided to make it feel as close to "home" as possible.  Colombians do not typically eat ham they way we Americans (or at least Iowans) do.  The best I could do for a ham was to buy a four-inch slice (or "chunk") of ham lunchmeat from the deli counter.  I would wrap it in foil and put it in the crockpot, along with three potatoes, and then fix a quick vegetable when we got home from church.  This was becoming our "typical" Easter dinner.

But this past weekend, it didn't turn out that way.

Kevin was scheduled to preach two services Easter Sunday morning.  Because we'd had a busy week of ministry with visiting US pastors, he'd not had a lot of time to prepare for the sermon.  Saturday, therefore, was spent mostly studying and preparing.  Between needing to give him the time to do that, and the very rainy day we were having, we decided rather than going to the store to buy the "chunk" of ham, we'd just go out for lunch.  After all, who said you had to have the typical Easter dinner at home?!

Resurrection Sunday finally came!  Kevin preached an awesome message, with many people responding at the altar, including several first-time salvation commitments.  After the second service, we discussed where we would go for lunch.  Trying to think of something "different," rather than our normal favorites, we decided upon one of our pizza favorites (for those of you who know us really, really well, you know that pizza is always a hit and a unanimous decision in our family!). 

So our Easter Sunday dinner ended up being 1969 Pizza ... with ham!

I got to thinking later that day how "untypical" our Easter Day had been, but then I realized...

When God raised Jesus from the grave, it became an "untypical" day, not only in Jerusalem on that first Easter Sunday, but also on the Christian calendar.  I realized that God doesn't want me to have a "typical" Easter Sunday, or any Sunday for that matter!

Every Sunday should be a day to celebrate Christ's resurrection power, Christ's healing power, Christ's saving power, Christ's delivering power, all as a result of that first Resurrection Sunday over 2,000 years ago.

So next year, I don't expect we will have a "typical" Easter, but that's okay!

A Wedding in Colombia

We recently had opportunity to attend a wedding here in Medellin.  Because some have asked what cultural differences there might be in the ceremony, I thought that would be a good topic to blog!

I will preface by saying these are my observations, based on the 10-12 weddings we have attended, all of which have been Christian weddings.  I have no knowledge of what takes place in a non-Christian ceremony.

The bride prepares herself at home, rather than on location, and eventually arrives by taxi.

The wedding typically starts one or one and one-half hours late.  It's usually blamed on the bride, who arrived late due to heavy traffic!  The wedding we recently attended started just 55 minutes late, with the officiating minister arriving just 40 minutes late.

Speaking of the minister, he is not recognized in a legal capacity to unite individuals in marriage.  The "legal" ceremony typically takes place the week before in front of a justice of the peace.  The minister then performs the exchanges of vows and commitment before God and witnesses.

The ceremony may be held in the local church, or an auditorium or meeting hall may be rented.  It is common that the location/room for the wedding will also be the location/room for the reception, and will therefore be arranged such that the guests sit at tables to watch the wedding.

It is also typical to have only two-three attendants with the bride and groomsmen with the groom, each of whom wear whatever attire they have chosen, based on a color theme.  The recent wedding was the first wedding we've attended that had more continuity.  All NINE of the ladies wore a black dress and black shoes they'd individually chosen, and the bride provided a dark red sash to wear around the waist.  The nine men wore black suits.  However, it still wasn't how we are accustomed, where the bride and groom choose the attire, the pattern, the tuxes, etc.

When the ceremony begins...

It's common to have an MC, who introduces that the ceremony is to begin and thanks everyone for coming.  The bridesmaids are ushered in by the groomsmen and typically line the center aisle.  The groom is accompanied by his parents to the front of the auditorium, then turn and face the back.  When the bride is ready to make her entrance, the groom and his parents return to the back of the room (about two-thirds back).  The bride is ushered in by her parents, and they stop in front of the groom and his parents. 

The minister asks who gives the bride to the groom, to which we are accustomed, and the bride's parents respond.  Then the parents present the bride to the groom; the two sets of parents greet one another; the bride and groom go to the front of the auditorium, and they sit down, facing the minister.  The flower girl and ring bearer sit beside the bride and groom, respectively.  The couple stays seated throughout the ceremony, until time for the vows and exchange of rings.  The attendants sit with the rest of the congregation, rather than staying with the couple.

The ceremony is similar to one in the US -- a brief message by the minister, followed by the vows and exchange of rings.

Music plays a large part in the ceremony, usually with the entire church worship band and singers -- keyboard, drums, guitars, possibly other instruments, and several vocalists. 

After the minister pronounces the couple as husband and wife, it is common practice that one of them sings a song to the other, or the couple sings a duet.  It doesn't seem to matter what the level of talent is... It's the thought that counts!

At the conclusion of the wedding, the MC once again thanks everyone for coming and gives instructions regarding greeting the couple, reception, etc.  If the auditorium was arranged in a typical "church" setting, with chairs in rows, immediately upon termination of the ceremony, the chairs are moved to the outside walls to make the space more inviting for the reception.

Whether the reception is simple or elaborate (hors d'oeuvres, cake, or dinner), it usually starts with all being served what appears to be champagne (but contains no alcohol) so that all can give a toast to the new couple.

We have never stayed to the very end of the wedding event, so I can't give you any information on how the couple leaves.  Usually, because the ceremony starts late and we're tired, we excuse ourselves after we've had opportunity to congratulate the couple and the parents!

This was long, but I hope it was interesting and entertaining, to see how the wedding ceremony is similar and how it is different.  Whatever the culture, it is a special time and we enjoy being a part of the celebration, as two people commit themselves and their future to God and to each other!