I grew up in one house. My children, for the most part, grew up in one house. I like staying home but it can be selfish, at times, to center any life on me me me – my stuff, my choices, my plan, etc. I’m on my first holiday since retirement that is not with family or serving someplace. A friend traveled here also but now I have a couple of days on my own and the quiet is a chance for me to ask God about things on my heart and try quiet listening. It is different when I’m staring at a pile of laundry at home. When I live out of a suitcase I’m not maintaining a house and worried about replacing the leaky dishwasher, it is about others who are approaching Jesus’ return and don’t know it. I’m having a wonderful time except for keeping an eye on my weather app to squeeze in some walks and a few activities between rainstorms. I’m just slightly north but still in another country. I appreciate people and variety more all of the time. For instance, can anyone tell me what a Peruvian cocoa tea fog is? How about the taste of a vanilla turmeric oat latte? I prefer plain so will pass, as it is just another thing I’ve not seen or tried. I have never had a plan to travel as much as I have recently. One bucket list destination was Florence, Italy, and that is accomplished. As a high schooler, I once applied to become a foreign exchange student. I think I failed the interview with my explanation of communism. I have never been an excellent student in civics and history. My choice of country in 1968 was Greece. Guess where I am going in October? Yes. A group from my home church in Lawndale, CA, are touring Paul’s mission trips there under the tutelage of Dr. David Matson. I saw him grow up so this is a fine connection to the past. The doors that have been open to me have been concentrated in post-Christian European countries. First Biel, Switzerland, East London, England, a short stay in Albania, Prague, in the Republic of Czech, then Berlin in Germany. On these trips my intention has been to contribute to someone accepting Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior. When I am at home, the intention remains however evangelism is not the first thing on my mind but it should be. God preserves us for a purpose. It is not to have the cutest and best kids (and I do) but to lead those kids to a believer’s life with evidence of following Jesus. They are leading their children well so I can be absent in body but never in spirit. Our families are the best gift and fellowship with them, at each stage, is so precious. Lessons learned? There are so many but the following comes to mind today from being other places. God is gathering His people all of the time from all over the world. He has a plan and will accomplish it with or without me but it is an honor to pitch in a bit! The countries that allow religion but order state churches control the narrative. The independent churches in those places have more freedom and an evangelistic role. The Middle East is conquering Western Europe. Not in any violent way but the background color has changed. There are mosques, temples, specialty food stores, specialty clothing stores, different languages, different sounds and smells in an open farmer’s market. Streets in London can look very foreign compared to forty years ago. Nothing I am saying here is surprising you, is it? Albania feels more like the Wild West but not visually. The men sit with their morning coffee while the ladies go off to work. They are all in dark somber attire, but very social. In the foothills, away from cities, it looks very early American. A small plot of land to grow what the family needs. School may or may not be important. Prague is another beautiful place. Czechoslovakia became the first country in the world to scientifically demonstrate nationwide eradication of poliomyelitis in 1960 but many people my age walk with poles and have bowed legs. The people who lived under communism until 1989 lived without freedom. It marked them. Being invisible was everyone’s goal and trust was absent from their lives for so long that recovery is challenging. I had to button-down my natural friendliness. Berlin was probably the hardest place for me to live. It’s big and varied. I’ve seen graffiti before and it is another melting pot but has an edge of unrest from the Nazi’s and how do you recover a national reputation? I was blessed in every location and it is an honor to come alongside the real missions people to relieve them or release them to do other things or just take it easier. We are never finished until glory. Romans 5:12, to the end of Chapter 7 talks about our citizenship. We are now out of union with the sin habit of Adam and have died to the dominion of sin but sins presence is not yet destroyed. There is a war in my life, yours, and those who serve abroad where we live in a broken world and still fit in too well. Go to these other places and talk about Jesus. I’d like to go to some warmer places for a change! We learn from these others in other places, about their lives and challenges and can always pray for God’s guidance and wisdom to make a difference. I’m inviting you to ask God if there is some evangelism He has assigned to you in your sphere here or elsewhere – retirement with a purpose. I am so blessed.
