Love Is In The Blair

So… blog world… the long awaited closure to the Tra nsnis tria and Moldova chapters of this race has finally come.  I know you were feverishly checking your emails and my blog page, just in case you missed it.  Well, fret not, it has arrived. There came a time in my life when I found myself in the magical, yet not-so-official, land of Tr ansnistr ia, what some people know as Moldova.  As you may recall, if you frequent this blog and have a good memory, I was handed a piece of paper and instructed not to lose it.  Seeing as how losing it could potentially lead to a fine or imprisonment, I planned to keep a tight grip on it.  However, my pocket had a different plan, and it may well be in one of Tira spol’s finest abandoned buildings or dumpsters by now. So what ever became of me?  Whatever happened with the cliffhanger I dropped two blogs ago, only to not address last blog?  What is this? “Bones?” Nope.  This is my blog, and if you d...

...(ANNOUNCER VOICE) "Previously on this blog... you read things (allegedly)... here are more things... I promise." This, once again is a little late, but it’s a part of the journey that “needs” to be shared.  I spent a second week in “Daughter Russia.”  This time I moved a little to the south and a little less to the east to a little place I can’t spell in any language, but if I had to give it a shot I’d say Slovodzeah,  but again… I’m pretty sure I just butchered that like a madman. In terms of “ministry,” this wasn’t some extreme mission.  We spent time with some teenagers from the church and painted in an orphanage, unless you are talking to the Narnian government, in that case the orphanage is closed, because they don’t like Christians taking care of children.  But the things we were doing weren’t “extreme” by any means, not “life-changing” things in and of themselves, but then again it’s learning to serve God and others in the simple things ...

So I know, this is like a month late, and I’m in Mozambique now, and we always wanna read about the new stuff, but you’re gonna have to wait on that, at least from me.  Because meaningful things have happened, so I thought I’d give you a recap of Moldova… in three parts.  Why?  Well, because we lived it in 3 parts.  Don’t ask such pushy questions!  Geez!  Here’s part one, more is pending posting. This is more of a recounting of events than an exploration of deeper concepts.  Unveiled Pursuit(UP) had a little secret unveiled to us.  There’s a place called Tr ansni stria, or as I like to call it “Daughter Russia.”  It’s a pretend country, a political Narnia, if you will in that “monstrously” dominates the eastern landscape, of what most of those who know of Moldova, think is Moldova.  People think it’s Moldova, partly because it is, but this Soviet nook is it’s own deal, complete with Russian military, and their own currency...

So what is a guy to do when it’s Mother’s Day and he’s on the World Race in Mozambique, with no internet, and hasn’t spoken to his mom on Skype in a few days?  Well first he asks his friend who’s going back to America to call her and tell her Happy Mother’s Day from him, but then his friend would think that’s too much trouble.  So then when he sent his mandatory text message into the home office with his monthly SIM card information he’d include for the mystery person on the receiving end of his message a request with his mom’s phone number to call her and tell her he said Happy Mother’s Day.  But, of course, he’d have to assume that this mystery person behind the veil would quite possibly not oblige his, according to his presumption, uniquely original request. (ß repetitive redundancy alert) So based on that assumption he’d decide to give her the only gift he could other than, “staying safe” and “having fun.”  He’d write a Mother’s day blog, in her ...

Bob Dylan once wrote ... "The times, they are a' changin'."  Ron Burgandy never heard that song.  I wrote, " The teams, they are a' changin'."  The two are very similar, except I never actually wrote my song, and no one has ever heard it, but you could imagine what it'd be like if I did right? Right? At the end of month 3, before leaving Romania we my old team, Mosaic, got the ax.  Some garbage about breaking up monopolies and some anti-trust mumbo jumbo... I don't know I wasn't paying attention. I had feelings about leaving my old team.  I knew I would miss them, but I mean hey this is The World Race... time to suck it up and move on.  Besides, it's not like I'm being thrown into a group of people I hate.  Ahem... Speaking of segways... I now have a pretty awesome team too.  Don't worry Mosaic, you will always hold a special place in my heart, more specifically each of you individually. ______________________...

...FALSE!!!  If you feel misled, and are hurt by it you can feel free to only read the 1st 500 words of this blog (or look at half of a picture... your call.  But if you decide you wanna read more... I suppose I'll welcome the dedication. By now you may know that I'm out of Romania, or maybe you don't.  But either way I am... I'm in Moldova... kinda, but that's for another blog.   I just thought I'd take a few minutes to fill you in, vaguely of course, on the month that was Romania. My team of old, Mosaic, was in Draganesti-Olt  (pronounced DRAHHH GONNE ESH TSSSS!!!) with Monarch (kah kaw), spending our nights nestled in "the mission house," and our days praying, working with children, helping with church logistics, doing garden work, and digging a well.  We also tried our hands at a little "construction," nevermind the fact the wind was a little stronger than one of the walls we built.  Although, to be fair, what tall, one-block-wide wall wo...

What's the point? Is it to get things done?  Is it to change the world?  Is it to even make a difference? Seems like a no brainer... Or is it? Perhaps somewhere along the line, in the midst of knowing the right things, we've forgotten them in favor of what our thoughts and feelings tell us is the "right thing." Sometimes we get to the point when we want to do the right thing, but we're so bogged down by how ineffective we think it might be.  We might have been shut down so many times before in what we view as our sincere attempts to do the right thing.  And though they may have been sincere, we may be discouraged because we feel like our attempts to love or serve the interests of others will be a failure. But what determines failure? I would say that with no goal, there is no failure. But fear not... I'm not saying to not have goal, that would be boring and lame... not to mention wrong, but rather that we re-examine what the goal is.  If the goal is for our lo...