IF ONLY I COULD ELIMINATE THIS FROM MY LIFE......

You've no doubt felt frustrated and angry about something in your life and said, "if only I could eliminate this from my life, things would be just fine".  And if you haven't said it, you've no doubt thought it.....or if you can't admit to that, my guess is.........that feeling has existed deep down inside the innards of your soul. Somewhere.  That's the kind of being we are.  Prone to wanting everything to be hunky dory.  But as most of us have experienced, that's just not possible. Have you ever wondered why?

Recently I read a piece which hit home on the subject courtesy of  Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling".  Here are her words:  "Do not long for the absence of problems in your life.  That is an unrealistic goal, since in this world you will have trouble.  You have an eternity of problem-free living reserved for you in heaven.  Rejoice in that inheritance, which no one can take away from you, but do not seek your heaven on earth.  Begin each day anticipating problems, asking Me to equip you for whatever difficulties you will encounter".  Wow....if that's not spot on!!!

We're wired one way.....or so we think

Problems aren't causing you trouble; you are using problems to cause yourself trouble.  A problem for you may not be a problem for your best friend.  And a problem you had a year ago may not be a problem any longer, even if it is still present.  Here is an example from a young person trying to make sorts of life.  "In 2004, I was 18.  I was comfortable.  I had money, but I didn't have peace.  Happiness was out of sight.  I thought money would provide happiness, but it didn't.  As time went on, I became frustrated with the endless search for happiness.  People all around me were looking, but weren't happy.  I became frustrated, then impatient, and then curious.  Why were some people happy, while others wallowed in their own misery.  Some were happy with little, while others were miserable with a lot.  It tickled my brain".      

Where our young lad found a "tickle"....many others would perhaps describe it as a "weight on the brain".  Because that's what the days have become to them.....a constant search in ridding themselves of life's hiccups.

I found myself drifting to the Bible for a thought...."who would I think faced one of the biggest problems in their life?"  Let's see.  There was Noah, Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Isaiah, John the Baptist and Peter, just to name a  few.  And of course, Jesus.  He would be the problem sufferer leader hands down.   But then I thought of Daniel.  And clearly, he made real sense to me.

Many of us know the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den.  Daniel, in Daniel 6, is a highly esteemed government official whose colleagues become jealous of.  Seeking to get rid of him and knowing that he is a religious man, his colleagues convince the king to enact a decree saying that prayer can be made to no God except for the King.  Once the decree is made, Daniel continues on praying and giving thanks to his Lord just like he always did.  When he is caught, his colleagues tell their king and he is forced to throw Daniel into the den of lions.  The next morning, the king finds Daniel alive.  The lions had not harmed him.  The point?  Daniels faith in his God is what made him great in the first place.  Knowing he would not recant regardless of what happened to him....despite the problems he's facing.

Is there a simple solution?  Some would say yes and some would argue that it's a life-long battle....however,
"The best equipping is My Living Presence, My hand that never lets go of yours", concludes Sarah Young.  "Discuss everything with Me.  Take a lighthearted view of trouble, seeing it as a challenge that you and I together can handle.  Remember that I am on your side an I have overcome the world".  

YGG,

John

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight"-Proverbs 3-5;6  

ROBLES....FROM UNKNOWN TO UNSTOPPABLE

"When opportunities don't present themselves, you have to look for other doors to walk through", said a confident and smiling Anthony Robles Monday night.  My gosh, if that didn't resonate with me.  And it sure made me inquisitive of what else he might be passing along our way.

The night, was the 2013 Fellowship of Christian Athletes Banquet for Central Iowa.  It's a night I've attended many times, but none with the effect I was left with on this particular evening.  If you don't know of Anthony Robles, you're probably not alone.  He's not what you'd call a household name.  At least not yet.  He's a former NCAA wrestler who in his final season won the 125-pound weight class while wrestling for the Arizona State Sun Devils.  That fact alone is not so unusual, but given that he only had one leg is.  In truth, that's his story....the past, present and future of what he encounters each and every day.

If ever a mother (Judy Robles) could have said, "I told you so"

Robles was born with one leg, just his left.  And his mother was young, just sixteen.  So given those odds, wouldn't it be easy to see failure written across much of these two lives?  That was not the case.  His mother, Judy, always reasoned things out by saying, "God made you this way for a reason", over and over and over again, until he believed it.  For sure, it was her unwavering push that enabled him to be where he is today.  Was it a cakewalk to fame?  Far from it, as Robles would say......

He's never met his real father.  In fact, he didn't know much about him at all until he needed to add that portion of his life to the book he's written, "Unstoppable-from Underdog to Undefeated".  His step-father,who had served as a father figure since he was four, left the family.....walked away from Anthony's mother and three other siblings because he could no longer handle the financial pressures.  Strange considering his step-father was a pastor at a local church in Mesa, Arizona.  Nonetheless, the remainder of Robles family leaned on their faith.  Somehow, Judy reasoned...."you stay in school and we'll be alright".

It was around this time, the sophomore year of Anthony's career, that there were also changes in his mind-set.  He became more focused......his prayer life became deeper and he depended on his God for strength......and he also kept thinking about his mother's message...."God made you this way for a reason".   Weeks later, Robles placed fourth in the NCAA Wrestling Tournament.  The next season, he enjoyed a 32-4 campaign, but finished seventh at the NCAA's.  There was but one year left.

In the 2010-11 season Robles enjoyed his achievements, going undefeated through the regular season and right up to the final match against Iowa's Matt McDonough, the defending champion at 125 pounds.  Scared....but determined.....and relieved to see his family in the arena....Robles wrestled "the match of his life", winning 7-1.  He had, in many respects, gotten his glory.  Hours later when the meet was wrapping up, he grabbed further accolades by being named "Outstanding Wrestler".   Later would come other forms of recognition through the NFL Hispanic Leadership Award and the Jimmy V Perseverance Award.

Today, Robles is working on a movie deal, serves as an analyst on ESPN wrestling coverage and.....is on the motivational speakers circuit.

To me, what a crowd of some 400 saw Monday night had much to do with humbleness.  Truth is, it could have been an evening where disabilities took center stage.  But they didn't.....and after the initial walk to the podium, the two crutches that were positioned under Robles' armpits seemed as natural as a stool.  That's how much he held the interest of the crowd.

Yes, Judy Robles, God did make your little Anthony for a reason.  Just like he has for each and every one of us.  It's our path......much like the one Anthony painted of his Monday night, that we need to find.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance"-James 1:2

YGG,

John              

****The evening ended with a poem Anthony read after receiving the Jimmy V Perseverance Honor which he shared so graciously...it goes like this:

Every soul who comes to earth with a
leg or two at birth must wrestle his
opponents knowing its not what is, but
what can be,  that measures worth.  Make it
hard, just make it possible and through pain,
I won't complain.  My Spirit is unconquerable.
Fearless I will face each foe for I know I am capable.
I don't care what's probable, through blood, sweat
and tears, I am unstoppable"---Anthony Robles.

WHEN DEATH DROPS IN

Are we ever truly ready for death?  An unusual question to ponder no doubt, but one many of us have considered from time to time.  When death happens quickly, say in the way of a accident, there is no time to make plans.....touch base with old friends and tie up loose ends.  However, when there is an illness involved......when death is knocking at the doorstep....our opportunity to "square" things is staring right at us.


Last night I received news that a former high school classmate and college roommate of mine passed away  after a couple months battle with cancer. His name is Gary Burman, one most of you don't know.  That's really not the relevance of my words today.  What is......is the fact that Gary did not die a Irrelevant Death.

Peace Be With You Gary.....

When I first heard of Gary's illness in March I struggled with reaching out to him.  It had been some where in the neighborhood of 30 years since we'd talked.  After college graduation, he'd gone his direction and I went mine.  There wasn't a real connection to us anymore, or so I thought.  So for days, I wrestled with the "Should I" or "Should I Not" and looking at the phone numbers for Gary and his wife, Linda.  Finally and slowly I punched the digits of my cellphone.

As the phone began to ring I was filled with all sorts of uncertainties.  What condition would Gary be in?  What would we talk about?  Would I be walking into uncomfortable waters?  What compassion or friendship would I be able to offer?

"Hello?", echoed the strong voice at the end of the line.  "Ahhhh, Linda, this is John Kelling, Gary's old roommate from college", I somehow forced out.  "Hi, John", she shot back.  And that's all it took.  Just a couple of quick words and the rest of the conversation took its own course.  For all the anxiety I put myself through in making the call.....it was long gone now.  (let that be a lesson to us all).  The two of us must have talked for five minutes or so as she explained things of what was going on until she passed the phone over to Gary.  What I heard was a weak, soft-spoken Gary....but it was a voice exactly as I remembered.  .    
    
As we talked, I thought about a whole lot of other remembrances.  Like the fact that our parents were both in the restaurant business in our growing up in small-town Iowa, we were in Cub and Boy Scouts together, he was on the Little League Cubs and I was on the White Sox (two Chicago teams), we both played the saxophone......we got into trouble together (I'll leave that to the imagination) and we both went on to the same college, Mankato State.  We had a whole lot of commonality, the two of us.

Our conversation must have lasted half an hour and in it was some laughter and some tears. But definitely more laughter, especially when Gary related a parasailing experience he had in Florida.  Seems like his fellow employees all got together and sprung a trip on the family to a warmer climate.  Apparently, Gary's son, Joe, wanted to parasail, something Gary had little interest in. However, as the story goes, the driver of the parasail boat had a shirt on with the letters, Y-O-L-O.  And as curious sorts, the family asked what the letters stood for.  "You Only Live Once", the driver responded.  I'm not sure of all the details other than the fact that it was toward the end of the day and the crew offered to let Gary go up with his son.  In many respects, the shirt's "message" couldn't have appeared at more appropriate time.  For both Gary and his son.

That was the last time we talked. And as I hung up the phone, I knew it probably would be.  But that didn't keep me from calling and checking in with Linda.  Over the course of the next few weeks Gary had very little strength, yet....and this is what I find amazing, he'd wake up each day with Hope.  "What's on the calendar for today", he'd ask his wife.

The more I thought about Gary's calendar comment, the more I was intrigued.  How often do we look at each day as a challenge, ready for what's in store?  How important was it for Gary to try and keep his family at a point of "normalcy", when things were clearly close to the end?  Was Gary's desire for another day, another task what kept him alive.....without pain throughout his entire struggle?  Yes, Mr. Burman, that's a relevant statement.

CaringBridge was an especially good tool for Linda (and family and friends) to use during Gary's illness.  There were many days I read her comments and left with a big hurting hole in my heart.  But this morning, as I sat down to share a few words of a life that was not Irrelevant, these words presented themselves.

"As the sun was setting over the lake and began to shine on Gary's face....and into his eyes.....he saw the light and peacefully passed at 1907 (time)......Gary is at Peace with our Lord!"  

'What's on the calendar for today?"......Somehow, Gary, I think you have the answer to that question.

YGG,

John

"Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended"-Isaiah 60:20
 

COURAGE SOMETIMES SKIPS A GENERATION

In my last writing I spoke of some of the trials of the mission field....and the fact that missions are not to be looked at as some impossible leap of faith.  It does require some courage, I will grant you that.  The notion of courage led me to suggest a line, "courage sometimes skips a generation".

As much as I'd like to say that was an original thought on my behalf, I'd be lying.  It came from the movie, "The Help", a story concerning blacks and whites in the south and the relationships between the slave/maids and their owner/boss.  Courage was prevalent throughout the show......first from the maids ability to weather tremendous amounts of disrespect.....to the wherewithal of a young white woman who chose to write a book about the maids and the treatment they received in her southern city.

What type of a role model had her mother been to the little southern belle?  Well, not much really, that is until shows end.  It was then that the mother realized her daughter had stepped out of the stereotypical attitudes of the town and had forged her own ideas as to the worth and respect the black women should have been given.  In many cases, the maids were more of a mother to the children than their own biological parent.  The mother's remark, "courage sometimes skips a generation" was as much a smack at her own deficiencies.  But truthfully she could have been speaking on behalf of millions of people who let "things happen", by turning the other cheek.  Why?...because their afraid of any kickback to a status in life they think they are entitled to.  And oh, how wrong we are on that account?  

It can seem this daunting to have courage.........

It leads me to the question, "how courageous are you?"  If so, is it something you have passed on to your children?....is it something they see in you....OR, if you aren't.....why not?

The dictionary offers this nice little package of words to describe the action.  "The mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.  But it's not that simple.  If it was, I believe we'd see it far more of it than we do.  So, I wonder, why is that?

Author Steve Maraboli offers this response, which is pretty right on.  "People who lack the clarity, courage or determination to follow their own dreams will often find ways to discourage yours.  When you change for the better, the people around you will be inspired to change also...but only after doing their best to make you stop.  Live your truth and don't EVER stop".  

And then there is our former President John F. Kennedy who stated, "In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience--the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men--each man must decide for himself the course he will follow.

If I think a little deeper on the subject, I see two forms of courage.  One comes from a direct plan.....going against the grain, so to speak, where you are a risk taker.  The other has to do with a reaction to something, say for instance, the type of courage Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta exhibited in Afghanistan in 2007.  For his actions in an ambush of the eight members of his 1st Platoon ....heroic by all standards, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.  The first living soldier to have received such an honor since World War II.  

Giunta remarked, "In this job, I am only mediocre.   I'm average.  I did what I did because in the scheme of painting the picture of that ambush, that was just my brush stroke.  That's not above and beyond.  I didn't take the biggest brush stroke, and it wasn't the most important brush stroke.  Hearing the Medal of Honor is like a slap in the face".

I'm sure it took courage for Giunta to utter those remarks.  But isn't that what so much of this is about?  When the easy way out is right in front......when Giunta could have taken all the glory....he opted to go the other way.....knowing that his fellow soldiers were equally important that particular day.  Courage is not  something easily achieved.  It takes an individual who is resolute and focused. And those seem few and far between any more.   Perhaps that's why we see it skip a generation. And in the world we live in now, that's a  doggone shame.

YGG,

John

A MISSION IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE

"I believe that in each generation God has called enough men and women to evangelize all the yet unreached tribes of the earth.  It is not God who does not call.  It is man who will not respond.-Isobel Kuhn, missionary to China and Thailand

The quote from Isobel Kuhn, above, is such an impactful statement when you discuss mission trips and the relevance they play in our lifes.  Why is it that man/woman have such a difficult time leaving the comforts of their surroundings.....to challenge themselves......and to see what God has in mind for them once their heart changes?  Why do we run the other way?  Or make excuses that appear logical, at least on the outside.

It's been about a month now since 24 of us from Project 52 traveled to the Dominican Republic to assist Lighthouse Schools in Los Alcarrizos, a suburb in Santo Domingo. Our 8-day stay was packed full of work, eating, work, work, prayer and sleeping.  No question it was an educational trip   Shortly after setting back on U.S. soil I sent an email request to each of the mission trippers asking them a couple of questions and some word associations.  I believe their responses offer the full gamut of emotions, sacrifices and thoughts.  One, in particular, jumped out at me. It's a thought many people could or can relate to.  And this from someone who feels he doesn't put things in perspective.

"So many things to sort out", said Donn Anderson, a farmer from Wellsburg, Iowa.  "Sometimes words cannot describe what one is feeling.  There is definitely something going on in my life, but I don't have a grasp on it yet to comment.  I wasn't going on the trip for a second time after unfortunate illness that gripped me after our return last year", he added.  "Something influenced me to go, changed my mind or heart to buck up and deal with it.  I am certain to WHOM that was.  I'm happy that I went for a second trip, my outlook at this has significantly changed and God willing, I will be going next year".

Before each meal a prayer of thanks and compassion 

Reading on, came more words of wisdom....this time from the mouth of babes. Fifth grader Verity Carstensen, age 11,  from Clive, offered these thoughts when I asked how her life might be transformed or changed by the mission trip experience.  "It has changed my life about how I look on sharing.  I now look at it like it was never mine....God gave it to me to give to someone else who needs it more than I.  And the trip has made my heart content.  By seeing what little they (Dominican people) have and they are content and we have a lot but cannot be content, it made me realize how spoiled I really am....and don't even deserve it".  Wow...  

Sometimes.....the changes come in unexpected areas as Corey Viet from West Des Moines, Iowa alluded to.  "Before I started going on these mission trips, I didn't really know how good God was.  I have always been a believer, but not to the point I should have been.  I can tell now that God has a plan for everyone, and even though we may not know what that plan is, we can be assured that he will lead us through life if we just trust in him".  Lastly, this mission trip makes me believe that there still is good in this world.  A lot of times, the news or social media talks about all the bad in the world.  It is always refreshing to go down to the Dominican Republic and see that there are happy people in the world who are genuine.  Being cut off from pretty much everything while we are down there is always refreshing and as I said, really makes you think that there can be good in this world".

"Each year I think I transform a little more", related Matt Banzhaf, of West Des Moines. "I think that comes from the different experiences I get to encounter on each trip and also from the different perspectives I take away from listening to my peers on the trip (some new voices and some familiar).  I seem to become more motivated because of those things".  Banzhaf went on to relate of the first trip he took in 2011 to the Dominican Isle.  "It changed my life"....to see how much it transformed some of my friends and to hear them talk about the same things I felt just the year before....it was one of the more, if not the most, gratifying feeling I've had in my life".    

Many times a mission trip is not so much about building anything concrete.....or leading someone to the Lord.....but it's about new found friends.  But as one might expect, there can be a language barrier.  There are, however, ways to combat that says Lesli Clark of Urbandale.  "I do feel motivated to learn Spanish so that I can communicate with the Dominicans better.  Mission trip experiences are so much about relationships and not being able to communicate thru words is frustrating to me".  Sounds like she has a solution.

A Dominican smile communicates acceptance and  love

"For me", began Mark Javers of Harrisburg, South Dakota.  "It was the joy in the faces of the young school kids.  But in addition to that, Javers offered, "mission trips, even though they are only for a week or so, help me to remember that the rest of the year my focus is to be on other people and how God is calling me into his adventure to love others and work with them wherever He is leading".

In addition to the questions I asked, I also offered up a chance for word association.  Now remember, these answers were done in different locations and at different times....but look at the results:

LIGHTHOUSE SCHOOLS:

Karen Meyer of Wellsburg, "A Beacon for all".
Nancy Buskohl of  Grundy CenterWellsburg, "A Blessing"
Jen Carstensen of Clive, "A Beacon of Christ".
Bill Clark of Urbandale, "A Beacon to the Community".

DOMINICAN PEOPLE:

Sheila Steinmeyer of Grundy Center, "Content and Loving".
Sydney Clark, age 12, of Urbandale, "Different Lifestyle".
Corey Viet, of West Des Moines, "Grateful".
Bill Clark of Urbandale, "Warm, Content".

And how about lasting images?  There no doubt will be many for all of those on the trip....but a couple of outstanding remarks had to do with the young Dominicans they encountered.  Kelsey Clark will always remember going to the Compass Point School.  "It was a really neat experience to be able to give the kids school supplies", she offered.  And then there was the experience at Las Charcas involving the national sport of the country.  "It was pretty awesome seeing those kids faces light up when they got those new baseball gloves", said Matt Banzhaf.  "Those are the experiences and feelings we get to experience, but when trying to   relay that to people when we get back.....the words just DON"T and CAN"T do justice".

A pretty happy, content bunch of young athletes with new equipment

As I put a wrap on the experience of Project 52's Dominican Mission Trip for February 2013, I'm left with a few lingering words of thought.  Sacrifice and Courage.

It shouldn't go without saying, there was a multitude of sacrifices that took place to enable all 24 individuals to go.  Wives were left alone, husbands were left alone......and some were left with young children.  Some faced opposition from family members and some from friends. Some struggled to leave work and their daily routines.  Yes, it took much sacrifice.  But....it was not a Mission Impossible.

If anything...I'd like to offer my fellow mission members this thought.  Thank you for your courage.  You see, sometimes courage skips a generation.  Let me say that one more time.  Sometimes COURAGE skips a generation. What you've done is a witness to many.  Perhaps more than you'll ever know.  Thank you for your willingness to step out of your comfort zone and your desire to do what is right.

YGG,

John

"It is possible for the most obscure person in a church, with a heart right toward God, to exercise as much power for the evangelization of the world, as it is for those who stand in the most prominent positions".  -John R. Mott

IT'S A PROCESS IN PROCESSING A MISSION TRIP

"How was your mission trip?  Did you have a good time?  Sure seems like you did a lot of neat things from the pictures I saw on Facebook.  What was the highlight of your trip?"  Those are just some of the comments and questions I've heard since our mission group of 24 made it back to the states.  And as you might expect, those were the easy questions to answer.  But they're more to be answered.  Some questions haven't even surfaced yet.  And how can they; were still in the processing mode.

A Man on A Mission....Christopher Columbus Statue near downtown Santo Domingo

Yes, the group from  Project 52 did have a good time spending eight days in the Dominican Republic.  But we also found time to let our emotions and circumstances challenge our preconceived thoughts. Every one of us is going through some transforming change.  It no doubt will dictate how we view other cultures.....enable a glimpse of our own spoils or perhaps even a desire to find out more about what God has in store for our lives.

This past weekend at Generation Word Church in West Des Moines, Iowa, I was reminded of Paul's First Missionary Journey.  I wondered as I read line by line of the book of Acts, how a man could be so devoted....so focused, so determined to fulfill his......well, mission.  Here is but a part of the story:

Let's catch up with Paul and Barnabas.  They've left the church in Antioch after hands were placed on them and the Holy Spirit directed them with "set apart for me these two for the work for which I have called them".  With them was John Mark, a helper.

The three traveled to Cyprus and Paphos, Salamis and to Perga.....where John Mark, left them to return home.  He apparently didn't feel he was being used in the proper manner.  That his gifts were not being utilized.  Yet Paul and Barnabas continued on,  facing Jews and Gentiles who were in amazement of their knowledge and wisdom of Jesus. And then there were those who distrusted them and made life miserable.

In the town of Lystra, things took a decidedly different note.  "Then the Jews from Antioch and Iconcium (where they had been previously, but been run out of town) came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.  However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city.  And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe".

Okay, first off.  As our pastor Galyn Weimers so eloquently put it, "how many of you would have gone back into the city?"  I mean you've been stoned and dragged...presumed dead.  And by most accounts you'd probably look pretty beat up.  Like black eyes, puffy and scarred face.  Why the heck would you make your way back for more?  I think I might have said, "hey, let's go on down to Derbe and forget this place, shall we?"  But Paul had a different plan. Here's what he did ....

"And when they had preached the gospel to that city (Derbe) and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God".  

Now, that's what I call a tribulation.  What more can one expect to have to endure?  But that was Paul.  Doesn't it make you wonder why Barnabas went untouched?  There was not one mention of Barnabas being throttled.  Apparently, Paul was the bigger threat of the two.

So let's process this for a minute.  How much different do you think Paul's experiences were compared to Barnabas....or even John Mark, who ended up rejoining them on the journey?  Would you expect either John-Mark or Barnabas to be as bold.....as convicted as Paul?  Interesting to say the least....

And now almost two weeks later, I'm in the processing stage of our mission trip to Santo Domingo and the Dominican Island.  My experiences were unique to me.  I've got images of people and their culture that might not resemble any other snapshot a person took in their mind.

Am I the same person as I was before I left?  Not on your life.  As I'm sure most of the others aren't either.  But they probably have the same question eating at them....that is, if they truly want to use this trip for furthering God's kingdom.  What's next God?

That's the process many of the 24 of us are in today.  Praying, waiting and listening to God for direction.

And if it's any help, imagine what Paul had going through his mind after completing his first journey.  You know what he did?  He did it all over again.  Paul's Second Missionary Journey.

If you wonder what this mission trip stuff is all about and how it will impact your life, perhaps this might help in the processing......

Several years ago I interviewed a young man by the name of Scott Wallace.  Wallace, 18, had returned from his first mission trip to Africa.  I asked him to forget the camera was rolling and to talk to his friends in a manner to convince them of the importance of a missions trip.  Here's what Scott gave me.....

YGG,

John

A DOMINICAN DOG WITH A THOUSAND NAMES

Before boarding the bus to take us from us from Camp Buenn Nuevas, where we had been staying the past week to a Santo Domingo Hotel, I looked around and wondered....is there a story I'm leaving behind?  Am I overlooking something that needs to be told.  And then, there he was.  Sitting right in front of me.  I shook my head wondering how in God's name could I have forgotten him?   Afterall, I'm a sucker for a dog.    

Bending down, I scratched behind his ears and asked him ever so politely if he had a few minutes where we could relax.  He chose one of his favorites locations...the sand pile which was actually pretty cool.  His name is Chiquito which means "tiny".  But he's been called a lot names.  Everything from "King" to "You Little Piece Of ____.  And just about everything in between.  People have all sorts of ideas of dogs.  Some like them, some are afraid of them and then there are the ones that have never gotten to know one.

Our group called him Jukey.  Not really sure why, but that gives you an idea that each mission group that comes to Camp Buenn Nuevas tags him according to their estimation of the little guy.  He's kind of a hit or miss kind of dog.  He's here one minute and onto something else the next.  He seems to do most of his heavy work at night.  During the day he lies to take long, long siestas under the vehicles on camp grounds....

I like to think of him as "Ambassador", chiefly because he is there to greet everyone and to make the guests stay a little more enjoyable.  However, it's up to you to take at least a little initiative.  He wasn't going to push himself on you.  But he was always around, somewhere.

Looking out his window (with a yawn) at "siesta" time

Here's a little of what I found out:

Me:  So, boy, how did you get this job?

Chiquito:  Really, I'm not sure.  I mean look at me.  I'm not very big.  Don't have much hair.  And I'm only three years old.  I don't have a special breed attached to me.  Some people think I'm a mutt.  But, it's kind of funny, because I think God is using me, just like he uses you humans.  He uses little old imperfect me to help make his perfect plans.  I see it all the time.

About this time, I figured I was getting far more than I bargained for.  But....he had me hook, line and sinker.  I had to go on and see where this was going to go.
        
Me:  What do you mean by that?

Chiquito:  Well, I see all sorts of people come here for mission trips.  Some come thinking they are going to change the Dominican people and they end up changing themselves.  I see it in their eyes...in their attitudes.  They even treat me different.  It's awesome to see.

Me:  How so?

Chiquito:  I hear it when they're at the picnic tables.  Most of them forget about my hearing.  I can hear almost anything they say.  And they kind of forget I'm around.  But they say things like, "I'm glad I came along on this trip.  It's opened my eyes to so much.  I feel like a changed person".  And this is the thing I really like.  They start talking to me and petting me.  I think they use me as a buffer for the pet they had to leave at home.  And through me, they feel like they're connecting with them.  It's pretty awesome. Some even go so far as to give me a hug.

Me:  What's the most rewarding thing about your "job"?

Chiquito:  I'd have to say it's hearing people say they are going to come back. There's nothing like having a familiar face get off the bus.  It makes my day, for sure. Even though you can't tell, my heart leaps for joy when I see that.

Me: Most disappointing part of the "job?"

Chiquito:  Kind of the opposite.  I just have that extra sense of who's going to come back.  They don't have to say anything.  I just know.  How about you?

Me:  Me?

Chiquito:  Yeah, you.  I've been watching you all week wondering what you were up to.  When I found out you were a writer a lot of it made sense.  Because you sure asked a whole bunch of questions and did a big bunch of people-watching.  A little like me, really.  But how about you?

Me:  Chiquito, I thought I was asking the questions.  I wasn't really ready for this.

Chiquito:  I'm sure not.  Well, are you?

Me:  Am I what?

Chiquito:  Coming back?

Me:  Okay, I'll try to answer that as honestly as I can.  Yes, hopefully, I'll come back.  But there's some hurdles to clear.  We've talked about building a new baseball diamond in Las Charcas.  If everything comes together, I'll be back in November.  If not, I don't know.

Chiquito:  Hmmmmm.  Okay, that's acceptable.  Hey, you'd better go.  The bus is getting ready.

Me:  Thanks, boy.  My best to you and everyone else you meet.

Chiquito:  Gracias.

With that, the skinny little four-legged guy got up from the sand pile and began walking away.  He had the walk of a dog with bountiful pride.  He clearly did not have his tail between his legs.

YGG,

John

P.S.  As the bus began to pull out of the Camp Buenn Nuevas driveway I looked down.  There was Chiquito, or whatever you want to call him, peering up at the windows as if to say "Adios". "You little stinker" I thought. And you wonder why God chose you for that job.