Wrestling Life

I was really unsure what to write about this week until just a few minutes ago. I just finished watching the movie "The Wrestler" starring Micky Rourke. The movie tells the story of a former professional wrestler from the 1980's who 30 years after his prime (modern day) is still performing in small venues feeding off the fame from his glory days and trying to make his way back to the top. Since the specifics of the plot are not necessary to this blog post I'll keep from going into it much more.

At the end of the movie I was left with a question, "what do you devote your life to?" In the movie, Micky Rourke's character has devoted his whole life to wrestling and when the question comes up of his retirement he is at a total loss for what to do with himself. Now, I'm not going to say that wrestling is a poor choice of occupation, entertainment, or past time; the minute I do someone else will point out that Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are equally pointless and I just can't take that; but at the same time I feel like there should be something greater to attach yourself to than beating another guy to a pulp for money (or a good light saber battle). To put it bluntly, imagine putting that amount of energy and effort into God's service, to devote yourself so fully to the cause of Christ that if someone were to try and tell you that you could no longer do it you would not know what to do, or you would just do it anyway. I believe that is a truly noble way to spend a life.

Click here to view a trailer of "The Wrestler." Note; it's a nice trailer that will give a clear idea of what the movie is with out telling the whole story.

Assurance That Comes After Faith

Exodus 3:12 "And God said 'I will be with you. And this will be a sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

This verse is from Moses' conversation with God at the burning bush. God appeared to Moses and told him to return to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh demanding the Israelites be let go. Moses' faith faltered at this request and he asked in verse 11, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh...?" Verse 12 above show's God's response.

When I was reading this chapter recently something strange struck me, the sign that God gives by which Moses can know that it really is God who has called him to this and not just a dream, brought on by delusions of grandeur, is to come AFTER all the work has been done! It seems like if I were Moses I would have wanted to say "Wait, no, can't you give me a sign on the way? You know like I'll see a mountain shaped like a bunny on the road to Egypt. That would be impressive and then I can walk on with confidence."

To put this another way, it's as like when you're going a place you've never been before and the person giving you directions gives you landmarks to watch for, the really big tree, the railroad tracks, the Bates Motel, and so on. These landmarks are given so that you can rest assured of your course along the way. However, the direction God gave Moses was more like your friend saying, "well you'll know you did everything right when you get here."

Now to be fair, God did give some pretty amazing signs to Moses there at the bush, including the bush itself that was "on fire" but "did not burn up" {vs 2}, but the bush was meant to get Moses' attention, the staff turning into a snake { chapter 4 verse 3} was a sign for Pharaoh and the Israelite elders, the one sign meant specifically for Moses was that he would eventually return and worship on the same mountain he stood on.

As I have reflected on this sign I think the thing to realize is that God was asking Moses to demonstrate his faith with out a sign. It was to be an exercise for Moses' soul. God's assurance that everything was right would come after Moses had completed the task by pure faith. Really, if you look at it by the time Moses and the Israelites returned to the mountain they had seen the 12 plagues of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea, so when they returned to the mountain and God appeared in a terrifying cloud Moses' faith was strong enough he no longer needed a sign he simply heeded God's calling to the top of the mountain to receive the law, the Ten Commandments.

Considering my own life this idea that God may not provide a sign until after you have walked the path is both discouraging and encouraging. I feel like for the past couple years I have been trying earnestly to seek God's will and direction for my life, I've been looking for a sign that says "turn here" or "go there." For the most part I don't feel like he's shown that sign so I keep driving wondering if I'm on the right track. What I'm learning from Moses is that it might be after I've turned that I get a confirmation of weather I'm on the right road or not. While this is frustrating it could also be liberating in that if I decide I want to try a path, that may be confirmation enough to move forward with it. I guess if God does not want me on a road I can also trust him to make that clear.

What Gives You the Right?

It's been quite a long time, but I'd like to get my weekly post commitment going again. To that end...

I was getting ready for bed last night and as I do each night I was coming to God in prayer with thanks for the day behind me and a list of requests for the day ahead. I took a moment to think about how I do approach the throne of God with my list of requests such as, please help me to focus on my work and get things done. I thought about the idea of supplication, humbly requesting or even begging a Holy and Awesome God to listen to your needs and wants. Suddenly another question struck me, "what gives you the right to even come to Him and beg? Why should the One who created of the universe in seven days care what you want to accomplish tomorrow?"

I knew that God did care, and had granted me that right, but for a moment I could think of no reason why He should.

Then I remembered every one's favorite Sunday school answer, "Jesus," more specifically my relationship with Jesus is what gives me the right and the privilege of being able to approach the throne of God and ask his blessings on my day. God, for some reason, loved us enough to give His son on a cross and thus destroy the barrier that kept us from reaching the Father.

It's important to remember not to take this sacrifice for granted for only by it are we capable of reaching out to the Throne of Grace.

I guess in a way this a bit of an early "Happy Easter" greeting.

God Bless,

Jonny

Lynn Adkins Memorial Details

A memorial project is being set up in Lynn Adkins' name, to aid the ministry of the Africa Gospel Church Baby Center in Nakuru, Kenya. The Baby Center accepts orphaned babies and cares for them up until they are around four years old, providing them with warm beds and
clothes, food, and most of all love. The center's goal and main hope is to be able to get each baby adopted into a loving, Christian, Kenyan home.

The funds given in Lynn's name will be used to send a packet containing a Bible, Christian-storybooks and other items home with babies who are adopted. Staci Keter, the Center's director, said, "That way, we can even let the families know that what they're given is in honor of someone who so much wanted people to know about Jesus and be able to use it as an encouragement and reminder to raise the children they are taking home to know and follow Jesus."

The cost of these packets and the specific items that would be put into each is currently under investigation. If you would like to give toward this fund you can send a check to

World Gospel Mission
Box 948
Marion, In 46952

Make the check payable to World Gospel Mission and include a SEPARATE NOTE with the account number 125-31238, and indicating the gift is in memory of Lynn Adkins. Staff at the Baby Center will receive the money from that point and will see that it is used appropriately.

At this time WGM is unable to take online donations for most field projects, but if you would like to give by credit card you can call the office at 765.664.7331 and they can take the information over the phone.

You can learn more about the AGC Baby Center at www.agcbabycenter.org and more about World Gospel Mission at www.wgm.org

Thank you,

Jonny, for Doug and Daniel, Adkins

Saying Goodbye

My time in Kenya is quickly drawing to a close. Right up through
December it still felt like i had a while to go. After New Years
however, I started thinking about how much time i have left and how I
was going to spend it. Suddenly I realized there wasn't much time
left! And now 2 weeks have already flown by into this new year. I
have a little more than a week left and I still have much packing to
do and I have a list of people I need to see and say goodbye to before
I go.

It's not just that I have to say goodbye to people either, but places,
foods, random facts of life, and just Africa in general. Not since I
graduated from high school in 2001 have I spent such a long time in
Africa and so I find I'm feeling the need for closure much stronger
than in the past when I've been able to slip in for a few weeks and
then slip out.

The goodbye's have not necessarily been sad yet. I have a very strong
feeling that i will return to my beloved Kenya some day and I am sure
that I will stay in contact with many of my friends here and see them
again. However, I also feel like I'm closing a chapter in my life,
one which I've been building toward and experiencing for several years
now. It was the summer of 2007 when I first talked to John Muehleisen
about coming for this trip. Now as I enter 2010 and I'm finishing my
time here I really feel that I've come a long way.

It is amazing to look at how God has worked since that first talk in
2007 and carried me to Kenya, and all over East Africa. He has been
intricately involved in providing for my financial needs, through
supporters in the US, and He has travelled with me everywhere granting
safety and guidance, He has been a comfort and companion in the trying
and lonely times. I feel truly blessed to have been on this journey
and I am also very thankful for the support of friends and family back
in the US and around the world who have stood by me on this journey.

As the VIA chapter of my life closes I am looking forward to seeing
what the next chapter holds. My immediate plan is to set myself up
for freelance video production and start saving and planning for the
short film I want to produce. I'll also be using my tie to reflect on
this year and try to detterming if this kind of work is where God
wants me. I appreciate your continued prayers and thoughts as I close
one chapter in my life and open the next.

Stepping into Time

Last night was Christmas Eve, and as I did my devotions I realized
that, by an intentional design, I was in the opening chapters of Luke
just three days ago. The births of both Jesus and John the baptist
were foretold, John was born. The next night Jesus was born and the
shepherds were told by the angels of the Messiah's birth. A few
paragraphs later Jesus was twelve years old and sitting in the
temple. Following the reading plan that I've been on this whole year
in Africa meant that by last nights reading brought me to Jesus, a
full grown man, preaching and telling the story of "The Good
Samaritan." Suddenly I realized that by that point in the story Jesus
was somewhere around 30-33 years old, and I'd just jumped through all
that in three nights.

It seemed strange to me that while I had just been reading about the
birth of Jesus, by the third reading he was already older than I am
now! I took a minute to feel how long my life seems to be and
compared that to how short Jesus' life is in the Gospels. Then I
considered the concept that an eternal being would step into time and
submit to it for more years than I have been alive.

I guess it's just humbling to consider how He humbled Himself and
stepped into the confining restraint of time as well as a physical
body, and so many other limitations. He lived the life of an average
man and all that goes with it. The God of Heaven and Eternity stepped
into Earth and Time so that we might have a relationship with him, and
for no other reason.

Merry Christmas,

Jonny

The Strange Disconnect

Right now back in the US people are flooding the grocery stores looking for those forgotten, but much required items that make Thanksgiving just perfect. Turkeys are flying from the frozen section and landing in shopping carts as if they were flightless birds (wait...), a middle aged man is about to fight an old lady for the last can of cranberry sauce, and every one's asking the stocker boy, "where the heck are the bags of stuffing?" At the same time the temperature is dropping quickly, there may even be snow on the ground, and at every gathering people are talking about the same thing, "what are you doing for Thanksgiving? Are you going home? Do you think the Lions have a shot at winning the game this year?" For my family, I'm sure all the Thalers are planning to hit the bowling alley for their one trip of the year and if I were a little closer I would definitely be joining them.

So what does Thanksgiving look like in Kenya? Well I haven't seen any Turkeys anywhere, I'll bet most of the people around me have no idea what a cranberry is, and very few of them have had the opportunity to ever see snow, in fact it's much more like spring than Autumn or Winter. They may be interested in talking about an upcoming football game, but it features teams like Chelsea and Manchester United. This Thursday is just another Thursday, and if you ask them they may have some things to be thankful for, but they won't know why you're asking them.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining that I'm lonely or missing out on my favorite American Holiday (Christmas and Easter are pretty universal unless you're in an Arabic country or an unreached people group), but what I'm noticing is that there's a strange disconnect as I compare the hustle and bustle of what I know is happening with friends and family back in the US as compared to what's going on here. Over the past 8 years I've been in the US for every Thanksgiving and it always feels like the Holiday is such an event that everyone in the world must be celebrating it. In fact, I actually have an Australian friend who told me one year she was celebrating it with an American family in Australia! But here in Kenya, out side of the American Expatriate community there's nothing.

The disconnect doesn't only apply to Holidays, but to so much of life. Occasionally, I take a moment to stop and actually think of what my life was like before I arrived in Kenya on January 28 and it seems like someone else's life. It's almost like that was a movie I saw and then came into this life. So many of the characters featured in the story of my life in Michigan are little more than occasional Facebook cameos in the story of my life in Africa. I don't mean to diminish the significance of those friendships (man this is a post that could really alienate people if I'm not careful), but really other than occasionally popping in to send a message of encouragement or make me laugh they don't really have anything to do with my daily life. I'm sure in the same way I seem like a distant memory to them much of the time. And I know that when I return on January 26 this life will become that exact same thing.

Even more disconnected is the world. Right now Kericho, Kenya feels very real and tangible. I can smell cooking fires in the houses around me, I can see the green grass in the bright sunlight, and I can feel the soft dark earth in the places that never seem to get quite dried up before another rain comes. At the same time, when I picture Michigan my first impulse, even in July and August, has been to see it the way I left it in January, dreary, snow covered, and -10 degrees. If I really think it over I know that the seasons are changing, but from here even that seems a foreign concept.  Technically speaking we have two dry and two rainy seasons, but for all practical purposes the difference isn't that noticeable.

I don't really know where I'm going with this, but I guess I just felt this was a good opportunity to try and relay to anyone who's interested just how it feels to be so far away. I guess if you've ever spent a long period away from the place where you grew up or where you live, you have an idea what I'm talking about, and if you haven't you're probably not interested in my blog. I guess the reason we feel this disconnect is because wherever we are the world and our lives are already so beautiful and complex we can only sense so much and then to be able to comprehend that AND the other world and life we've been in previously is just WAY too much.

And that brings me to a God thought, think about your sense of strange disconnectedness and then think about the fact that God doesn't have that sense. He is all places, all times, and all knowing. So even as I sit in the Kericho "spring" in November 2009 He is with me and also you in the North American late autumn, or the Australian summer or wherever else you may be. Now consider that He was just as with you in another place you've come from that now feels very far away and strange. Guess what, He's still there right now and knows the weather both there and where you are now. If you can wrap your mind around that, go see a shrink because you're just crazy.

By the way, think of your poor cashier when you set you 15 pound turkey on the belt. He or she has been lifting thousands of these heavy icy things in the past week and is getting very tired, not to mention he/she may have to work the holiday AND will definitely be in on Black Friday as well.