The Darden Family

Owen's American Hero

2008-10-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

Some days you come home from a long day at work and are presented with a precious jewel that makes you smile. You can imagine the joy to this father's heart when Owen brings home this from his first grade class. I asked Owen to finish the line This is my hero because..., he said I love him and he's so good. I then asked him to describe the picture for me, and he explained he's the small person on Earth and God is the one with big hands up in the sky. :)

Five Days in America

2008-08-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

Five days in America. It's almost unfathomable that it's only been five days since we set foot back in Maryland. I remember how quickly life thrusts itself back in one's face from last year's trip, but it still is difficult to comprehend all that's happened in the past week. It's an odd feeling, like being in the gulf between two worlds. Time has raced by, and I fear I will never be able to back-post the many stories and events that never made it into this year's blog report. The most sleep I ever got this trip was one night of six hours, most nights were four hours, and one night (the night of the long blog posting) I only dozed for less than three hours. One thing I did manage to do was put together the following slide show from some of the 300+ photos collected by Wendy, Dr. Logsdon and myself during our trip. I hope it gives you a taste of the people and ministry that continues in Apizaco, Mexico!

Where to begin.....

2008-08-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to describe the past two days, and I'd be up until daybreak to capture the entirety of what we've seen God do here. This post will inevitably fit into the "you had to be there" category, but here it goes....

Our morning's VBS went very well, with nearly 60 children present. Each day we have scoured the local community giving out flyers for our week's activities, and each day we've had 10-15 new children come. In the minutes before closing I had a father come up to me and speak in good English "Do you know anyone in Chicago, Illinois? I am leaving for Chicago on Friday and want to find a church of the same religion as you to find God". To completely butcher an amazingly long and awesome story I'll sum it up by saying that he gave me the phone number and address of his Uncle who he will be staying with in Chicago, and I agreed to find a bible-believing church in his local community over the Internet. I then asked him if he died today does he know without doubt where he would spend eternity. He was unsure, so I shared with him the Gospel illustrated by the six-colored bracelet we've been using here in Mexico. I shared with him that he didn't need to wait until he reached Chicago to learn of God's love, and after hearing the story of salvation in the Bible he decided to turn his life over to God and accept Christ's gift of eternal life through his death on the cross. Please pray for Samuel, as his journey to Chicago will be long and dangerous. Also pray for his wife Anna who will be left behind with their two children while Samuel works in America.

After VBS we left for lunch, but first had to drop off clothes for cleaning at the local laundry one block down from our restaurant. This is the same laundry we used last year, as well as many other teams before us. Today the owner seemed agitated, and said that he didn't have time to launder our clothes today or tomorrow. Surprised, we asked if there was another laundry nearby. We followed his directions two blocks down, and the owner said that she would have our clothes clean today, and volunteered to stay open after her normal closing time of 8pm because we said we couldn't return until near 9pm. On our way out, she asked Abel if he was a Christian (based on two tattoos on his arms). She then asked if he could share a message from the Bible, because she wanted to learn more about God. We agreed to do so when we returned to pick up our clothes that night. It was not lost on anyone in our group that this was a God-appointed meeting.

After lunch and a brief rest we returned to the mission in San Andres with plans to launch into the nearby community to pay return visits to a handful of homes that prayed to receive Christ during visits from last week's team from LBC. We arrived at the Mission in San Andres to steady rain, but just as we were pondering how we were going to walk the streets without knocking on doors looking like drowned rats the rain cleared and the sun shone through. We visited 5-6 homes in San Andres, several of which opened up their homes for lengthy conversations. Two mothers still had the six-colored bracelet on their wrists that were given to them last week when they prayed to receive Christ. One mother is arranging for a home bible study at her house tomorrow at 7pm. Another is bringing her children to VBS tomorrow and the film tomorrow night. One even remembered the names of the team members who visited the week before (Jorge and Katiy). It was a very good night of following up with and fellowshipping with new Christians.

We then moved to visit two homes in Royal Woods, another community on the suburbs of Apizaco where a mission church is being considered. The first home was thrilled to be visited by fellow Christians, and received Dr. Logsdon and Jorge for some 20 minutes. Dr. Logsdon shared this week that the Potomac Baptist Association is looking to build a Christian church mission in this community of Royal Woods because of the population density. More on this in a minute (the story gets better).....

Tonight's team meeting ran until 11pm, and included a powerful time of prayer for all that's happened this week. I don't know the exact number, but we have had more than 10 individuals decide to accept Christ and His gift of salvation during the team's visits thusfar. The prayer time included prayer for each of these new Christians, especially that they will seek out a local church body and grow as newborn Christians.

One of the other things that happened this week is that one of our local (to Puebla) team members (Alejandra) spent time Monday night with the night clerk named Francisco at our local hotel and found that he was seeking the Lord and had a hunger to learn more about the Bible. Alejandra led Francisco to the Lord that night, and Francisco had asked that someone share more with him on his next shift (tonight) as he wanted to learn how to read the Bible. Tonight Alejandra and I spent nearly 90 minutes explaining the Bible, sharing scripture throughout the New Testament to describe and illustrate God's love for us and desire for us to accept His offer to reconcile us to him through Jesus Christ. Francisco absorbed and understood everything we shared, and our Q&A session revealed what appeared to be a heart genuinely seeking to build a Christian walk and one that understood everything that was shared. I believe it to be a clear example of God demonstrating the promise in His word that all who seek and ask for wisdom through reading God's word will find it. We exchanged phone numbers and addresses with Francisco, and asked him to show us on the map of Apizaco where his home was. After some time to get orientated, his finger fell smack dab on top of the small community named Royal Woods, where we visited tonight and the PBA is hoping to start a mission church.

All this is only that which I saw and experienced today. I haven't taken the time to list the stories shared tonight by the other team members, but suffice it to say that there was many more examples given by the other team members.

I will close with a prayer request for our activities tomorrow, but which also is a long-term prayer need for this town. David, a local church planter from Puebla, shared that last week he visited the home of a dear lady in San Bartolo named Yolanda. She had accepted Christ several years ago during a previous visit by John Fields and an LBC team. David went into Yolanda's home last week for a home bible study, and preached on holy living. He closed by challenging everyone there to consider taking a sack and putting away anything in their home that took away from their focus on Jesus Christ. The next night David returned to Yolanda to see how she was doing. When he prepared to leave, Yolanda produced a sack she had filled that day based on the words shared from the Bible the night before. David took the sack, and without looking into it turned to leave. He then felt a strong tug on the sack and turned expecting to see their young boy pulling back as if the sack included his favorite toy. Instead he saw no one, and his co-visitor later said that she saw a nearby curtain flutter as if something passed through it. When David left the home, he looked inside the sack to find it filled with idols that are common in the homes of this area and deeply ingrained in the traditions and beliefs of the people. David is certain he experienced a very real manifestation of the spiritual struggle that actively pulls at the surrounding community. Yolanda's parents just two days later (last Friday) were struck by a car, and he mother was hospitalized with injuries that threatened to claim her leg. We learned today that her mother had been released from the hospital, but then suffered a heart attack. They prayer request is this: these are circumstances that underscore to the family the reality of the spiritual warfare surrounding them, and are intended to make them question their decision to be obedient to God's word and seek God only. I ask that you join me in prayer for the health of Yolanda's mother, but more importantly that the entire family not be tempted to return to the inclusion of idols in their belief and understanding of God.

Tomorrow is going to be another full day. In addition to VBS, hosting a leading doctor from Puebla for four hours of free medical consultations, and showing a movie in the evening we also hope make several additional home visits in San Andres to follow up from last week, honor our commitment to lead a bible study in the home of one lady in San Andres, and send a team up to San Bartolo to pay crucial follow up visits with Yolanda and several other key brothers and sisters in Christ there. It will have to be a God-thing to make all this happen, something that we have become accustomed to seeing this week!

And now to find a bible-believing church in Chicago for my new friend Samuel.....

Buenos Noches. :)

El Primer Día

2008-08-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

The scurry of the inevitable last-minute preparations quickly melted away when the children arrived on our first day of VBS today, and in three short hours our hearts were melted for the children of this small community known as San Andres. 48 children from the surrounding neighborhoods joined us today. This was heart-warming for the church because there are only four children who regularly attend worship in San Andres - meaning the majority of those today were new visitors from the surrounding area. These numbers are building on the work done by John Fields' team last week, and is exciting to see. One of the local interpreters said that most of the children have little to no entertainment during the summer months, and these events bring great memories for them.

The VBS event went almost without a hitch until Pastor Jorge fell with a badly twisted ankle on the rutted soccer field. Later visits to a local doctor for x-rays showed no break, but anyone who has badly turned their ankle understands the pain can be almost the same. He is out of commission for at least two weeks.

After lunch five of us left to scour the neighborhoods surrounding San Andres to give out flyers inviting the children to the VBS activities, and to announce two days of free health exams by both Dr. Abel Williams (from Puebla) and Rebecca Cromwell (from Maryland). I paired up with Dr. William's son, Abel Williams (Jr.) and we distributed at least 75 flyers - many of whom expressed interest in coming. Patrick Walsh paired up with Pepe Rojo to distribute the same. Pastor David launched off solo in a third direction. All told some five or six individuals listened to the Gospel and prayed to accept Christ today.

Worshiping together in Christ

2008-08-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

We began today in Puebla, having breakfast together before checking out of the Hotel Panamerican. There are two paths to drive the 40+ miles from Puebla to Apizaco, the "bumpy" road (sliced by speed bumps every mile or so) or the "pothole" road (the toll highway). It took us 45 minutes to dodge both the potholes and the waves of cars streaming by at 140+ kph (85+ mph) to reach San Bartolo for a worship service at 10:30am. It was wonderful to see and worship with the friends made during last year's missions trip with Leonardtown Baptist Church. The dirt floor had been replaced with a concrete pad, and restrooms have been added (roof and doors to follow!).

From San Bartolo we quickly left for a second worship service in San Andres at 12:30. It is in San Andres that we will be spending the majority of our time this week leading a Vacation Bible School for children, offering medical services to the community, and hosting home bible studies. Pastor John Fields led a team from Leonardtown Baptist Church last week that spent time in both San Bartolo and San Andres, and the tent used in their sports camp activities was left up for our week. This picture is of the small two room concrete building the church is currently renting, with the big top tent set up in the front courtyard.

The service in San Andres was followed by a planning meeting with the Pastor and his wife Violeta, then lunch served by the church families (at 3pm much to the dismay of several of our team members!). We arrived at our home in Apizaco, Hotel Grysell's around 4:30. Some rested for the afternoon, others of us spent a few hours walking the streets and central plaza of Apizaco. The Gospel was shared with several individuals on the street, one of which asked our group to lead him to
understand and accept Jesus Christ as his savior.

We ended the evening with a team meeting at 8pm for prayer and final planning of our week. We then used Daniel Newberger's Skype account to video conference with John Fields in Maryland - technology is a wonderful thing!

Yo estoy en Mejico, otra vez!

2008-08-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

No problema entering Mexico today, the flights were on time and the logistics came together well. Six team members flew out today, where we joined two others who came down with the LBC team lead by John Fields and are staying into this week. We are joined by four local men who will help interpret for us, Pepe, Pastor Eduardo, Pastor Jorge, and Abel Williams. Abel is the older brother to Liz, our interpreter on my trip last summer. Abel lives in Bel Air, MD nine months of the year, and returns to his family in Puebla during the summer months.

After settling into the Hotel Pan American in Puebla, several rested in the afternoon while others of us took in the sights and sounds of the local market in downtown Puebla. We later joined together and made our main shopping event of the week in Puebla, buying supplies both for ourselves and for hygiene kits we will be giving to families in Apizaco. We then joined seventeen others who traveled today from Taneytown Baptist Church and had a huge cookout at Lucy's home in Cholula, just outside of Puebla. It was a wonderful time, and it was good to fellowship with others who will be spending their week in Puebla.

And with this, I am quickly running out of steam. 21 hours of traveling have worn on us all. An evening of rest and a day of worshiping with two different churches tomorrow is sure to recharge the batteries.

Vamos a México mañana

2008-08-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

389 days. They go by fast. It's been over a year since my first missions trip to Apizaco, Mexico with friends from Leonardtown Baptist Church (LBC). Tomorrow I leave for a return visit to the same city. This year I will join seven others from various churches in the Potomac Baptist Association and help lead a Vacation Bible School for the children in the small town of San Andres on the outskirts of Apizaco. We are following in the heels of a team comprised of LBC members who worked in the same town this past week, spreading the word of our team's pending arrival.

We leave at 0600 tomorrow from Reagan National Airport. For those interested in tracking our flights, here are links to our flights using FlightAware.com:

* DCA to Houston, Flight CO559, Saturday, Aug 2nd
* Houston to Puebla, Flight CO3135, Saturday Aug 2nd
* Puebla to Houston, Flight CO2129, Saturday Aug 9th
* Houston to DCA, Flight CO458, Saturday Aug 9th

A late look at the weather forecast for Apizaco makes me glad I packed an extra sweater!

I hope to post a few updates while in Apizaco this coming week. This has been an extraordinarily stressful week leading up to this trip. Only tonight have I truly been able to begin thinking about the week ahead, and the excitement is building for me. I've kept thinking about the faces of the children from last year, and the joy of sharing time together in worship with Christian brothers on Sunday. This year we will be involved in adult evening bible studies with the men and women in Apizaco. I would welcome your prayers for safe travel for our team, for the men and women we will meet, and also for Barb and the boys as they will spend the week with Grandma and Grandpa on the farm in Pennsylvania!

Music Monday: Slow Fade

2008-07-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read and seriously considered the lyrics to Casting Crown's song Slow Fade? I never had until I went to a Casting Crown's concert last November at a friend's invitation. Their hard-hitting, message-centered lyrics are more five minute sermons than contemporary Christian music. In August I have the opportunity to lead a short Sunday School series that will center on the lyrics of several powerful "Modern Psalms", starting with Slow Fade. If you're interested, I will be building the lesson notes on my personal wiki page here.

Music Monday: He's My King: Do You Know Him?

2008-07-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

How do you describe the indescribable? Dr. S.M. (Shadrach Meshach) Lockridge puts a dent in it with his speech "He's My King: Do You Know Him?".

Read more about Dr. S.M. Lockridge here.

Music Monday - Clear the Stage

2008-07-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

My good friend Kraig Smith passed along this song by Ross King titled Clear the Stage.

The lyrics are as follows:

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that's the measure that it takes to crush the idols.
Chuck the pews and all the decorations too
Until the congregations few then have revival.
Tell your friends that this is where the party ends
until you're broken for your sins you can't be social.
Then seek the Lord and wait for what he has in store
and know that great is your reward and just be hopeful

Cause you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
you can sing all you want to
And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Take a break from all the plans that you made
And sit at home alone and wait for God to whisper.
Beg Him please to open up his mouth and speak
And pray for real upon your knees until they blister.
Shine the light on every corner of your life
Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open.
Then read the word and put to test the things you've heard
Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken.

Cause you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
you can sing all you want to
And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Anything I put before my God is an idol.
Anything I want with all my heart is an idol.
Anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol.
Anything that I give all my love is an idol.
We must not worship something that's not even worth it.
Clear the stage and make some space for the one who deserves it.

Cause I can sing all I want to.
Yes I can sing all I want to
I can sing all I want to
And still get it wrong, worship is more than a song.

And you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
You can sing all you want to
But don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Universalism would bring the end of Christian influence

2008-07-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across a thought-provoking opinion piece by Tim Wildmon of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Don't ask how I find these... :)

An excerpt: But the Pew Forum survey found that "57 percent of evangelical church attendees said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching. In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion." "The survey shows religion in America is, indeed, 3,000 miles wide and only 3 inches deep," said D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion.

Olive Garden Stuffed Chicken Marsala

2008-01-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

One of Barb's favorites, copied from Flora's Recipe Hideout....

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
---CHEESE STUFFING---
1/2 cup smoked provolone or gouda cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato flakes, if in oil, drain first
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

---CHICKEN---
2 pounds Skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 ounces cooking oil
2 cups flour
salt and pepper, to taste

---SAUCE---
1 small onion, chopped
6 cups button mushrooms, thinly sliced
24 ounces marsala wine
8 ounces heavy cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. STUFFING: Combine all cheese stuffing ingredients in a bowl.

3. CHICKEN: Butterfly thickest section to create two lobes - pound until 1/4"-1/2" thick. Place pounded chicken breasts on a plate and place desired amount of stuffing on one half of chicken breast. Gently press stuffing down and fold over other side of chicken breast.

4. Preheat a large saute pan on stove top. add 4 oz oil, heat oil until shimmering. Place approximately 2 cups flour in a pan and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess flour. Place stuffed chicken breasts in saute pan with the preheated oil. Cook each side until golden. When chicken is seared on both sides remove them from saute pan and place them in a baking pan and into the oven for 10-20 minutes. Bake until juices run clear and stuffing and center reach a temperature of at least 165 degrees.

5. SAUCE: Add the onions to the saute pan. stir with spatula. After 2 minutes add the mushrooms, saute mixture until onions are translucent. Deglaze saute pan with the marsala wine - make sure to incorporate particles from bottom of pan. Bring wine to a simmer and add heavy cream. Simmer sauce on low heat until reduced by half.

6. Place cooked chicken breast on a plate and top with onions, mushrooms and sauce. Serve with your favorite garlic mashed potato recipe.

Axis and Allies Gamenight #1

2007-12-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

This is the first of a series of entries that have virtually no value to anyone other than myself. I and a small group of men play a board game titled Axis and Allies. Each night we meet for dinner, then play until after midnight. It's effectively a man's answer to Creative Memories Crop Nights. I've played in these game nights for nearly five years. The original crew that invited me included Kraig Smith, Brent York, Matt Cook, and Scott Stringer. They've all moved away, I'm left holding the torch (which is now about the size of a match stick).

This first game night of the 2007-2008 season (these are almost always played over the wintertime) occurred tonight. Most players were busy/out of town due to the holiday season. Allen Acker backed out due to a sinus infection. In the end two played, Rob VanFosson and myself. Here's the game summary:

Host: Darden

The Players:
Darden: USA, UK, Russia **WINNNER**
VanFosson: Germany, Japan

Special Rules:
Salvage (Russia), U-Boat Interdiction (Germany), Enigma (UK), Banzai (Japan), Superfortresses (USA)

Round One Summary:
Russia: Bought mix of infantry and artillery, typical first move, nothing special.
Germany: Rolled two dice for weapons development, winning Jet Fighters. Bought 1 U-boat, 2 Fighters, and tanks. Typical counter-attack to Russia. Took out UK's Mediterranean battleship.
UK: Bought Indian factory, consolidated African tank and Mediterranean Destroyer to India. Forgot to move transport/sub around Australia.
Japan: Did not buy Asian factory. Rolled two dice in attempted weapons development (long range bombers) but failed. Took Pearl. Moved southern fleet against UK's Indian fleet and lost. Japan failed to hold serve.
USA: Bought two bombers and an aircraft carrier. Lept for West Africa due to Germany's land move east, thereby bottling up German battleship in the Med. Otherwise laid low.

Middle Rounds Summary:
Russia: Typical game exchanging blows with Germany. Slowly gained upper hand because Germany's penchant for Jet Fighters failed to replenish ground troops.
Germany: Bought one U-Boat and 1-2 Jet Fighters for first three rounds due to special rules. Slowly lost momentum in ground war against Russia. Lost tank in Africa, failed to dominate the continent.
UK: Cranked tanks into Asia, taking upper hand due to Japan's lack of production capacity on the mainland. Got luck rolls and had two Australian troops island hop from East Indies to Borneo to the Philippines, thereby strangling Japan's IPC's while gaining at one time a 56 IPC production count. Used growing production capacity to build transports, moved first to Norway (Germany left it open), then to Karelia, then to Eastern Europe, then to Western Europe. Germany was left counter-attacking the UK. UK shifted focus from Asia to Europe after Round Three in attempt to deliver knock-out blow to Germany. This starved India (1-2 tanks per round). Late in game Japan began moving troops to Asian mainland using up to four transports, thereby threatening India. Because Germany was weakened, Russia switched to tank production in Rounds 4-5 and helped recover India via counter-attack.
Japan: Eliminated initial US fleets, but failed to remove UK fleet from Indian Ocean until Round Three. Was starved of IPC's due to losses of south pacific islands to UK. Failed to fight for Asian mainland until late.
USA: Bought two bombers per round every round. Moved them all to UK for strategic raids against Germany. Slowly began strangling Germany's production. Never wiped out Japanese fleet, and never significantly pressed Japan. This would have been regrettable if the Allies' concerted effort to focus on Germany failed.

It Was Over When... Japan failed to buy an Asian factory and missed on weapons development. This opened the door for the Allies to focus on Germany.

Cream of Crab Soup

2007-12-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

Got this recipe from Richie Stevens, brother-in-law of our former neighbor Amanda Adams. Good stuff!

Ingredients:
1lb backfin crab meat
1/2 stick butter
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 cup half and half

Directions:
Melt butter in pan. Blend in flour and stir. Stir in broth and simmer 2 minutes. Add milk and half and half, stirring constantly until thickened (DO NOT BOIL). Add crab meat and salt and pepper to taste. We also add old bay seasoning to taste as well. It takes a while to get it thickened but once it gets hot enough without boiling it will thicken.

Blue Ribbon Googled-Last-Night Red Bean Chili

2007-12-22T06:44:00.001-08:00

This October our church celebrated it's 25th anniversary with a huge fall picnic. The Men's Ministry held a chili cook-off challenge. Over 20 men across the church were talking it up. Some pulled their family's secret recipe out of retirement. One commented on how he had been soaking (Barb calls it marinating) his beef for two days to get the right zing. I had decided to cook a pot to help feed the masses (a male's version of a pot luck dinner). I enjoy chili, but my couple attempts at cooking it was average at best. So I did the next logical thing - I googled for a new recipe. At 6pm the night before the cook-off.

I shopped at Giant that night, threw everything the recipe called for into a crock pot. And slept. The next day was showdown at the OK Corral. There was some jockeying, some jabbing, some posturing (all in fun) by most. I stayed out of it lest I be found for the poser that I was. There was some good chili that day, and mine didn't hold water against some of them. But what mattered was the judge's results, and in the end this Google recipe (which I can't even trace now) was the near unanimous choice for Best of Show. Three of four judges voted this #1 out of 22, the fourth judge tallied it #2. I've made it four times since, and it continues to receive rave reviews. Head and shoulders above the rest, I now gladly share with you the Blue Ribbon Googled-Last-Night Red Bean Chili recipe.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. ground beef
1 (really) lg. yellow onion
1 (really) lg. green pepper
2 (28 oz.) cans Furmano’s chunky crushed tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
2 (10 oz.) cans Rotel tomatoes (Original flavor)
2 (16 oz.) cans Goya red kidney beans
2 (15 oz.) cans Hormel Chili Hot with Beans (yes, Hormel)
Diced jalapeño peppers to taste (I use about 1 Tbsp)
Chili powder to taste (I use about 1.5 Tbsp.)
Adobo seasoning to taste (I use about 1 Tbsp.)
Black pepper to taste (I use about 1.5 Tbsp.)
Raw sugar to taste (I use about 1 Tbsp.)

Directions:
Brown beef. Chop then saute onion and green pepper. Throw everything into large crock pot. Cook 8-10 hrs on Low. Best if refrigerated and warmed the next day. Makes 6 quarts.

"I'm watching everything you do Daddy!"

2007-12-22T06:34:00.000-08:00

Life has two speeds these days - hectic and chaotic. But you know that already. Then Fantasy Football season rolled in and elbowed into my computer time, so I've set aside using the blog to capture some of the memorable family moments in recent months. And there's been some good ones.

One that I want to remember in 10 years is the night I was driving the boys home one night without Barb when I realized I had been deep in thought for some time. And the boys were quiet (I figured asleep). I glimpsed Cameron leaning sideways in his back seat, so I asked him what he was thinking. "Nothing" was the reply. "Com'on son, you have to be thinking something". "No" was the repeated reply. "So you're just sitting there and your mind's just going buzzzzzzz...." Without hesitation Cameron interrupted me to say "I'm learning how to drive, daddy". Gulp. "Whaddya mean?" was my nervous reply. Then blammo - "I'm watching everything you do daddy!".

I won't capture into words the look of "I told you so" that came from Barb later that night. How'd my boys get this old this fast???? :)

Music Monday - Aaron Shust

2007-08-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

I was slow to catch on to Aaron Shust. His song One Day comes with a catchy tune, but it was the lyrics below that made it a favorite for me. It reminds me of James 4:13-14 where the Bible says "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." One day we will have a day like no other, and this song reminds us that everything we do in the meantime should be preparing for it. Hope you enjoy.

One Day I will leave this body
and I will get a perfect one
That day I will see His glory
shining like the noonday sun
One day, I'll take a walk with Jesus
He might explain the mysteries of life
Some say, I just can't believe it
but I know that one day

We will gather at the Crystal Throne
All these years: we're finally home
I can actually see His face
And all I can do is say,

Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come
We lay our crowns before You
Every heart and soul: adore You:
The God of gods, Almighty One

One Day, death will be abolished
And sin will have its mastery no more
And I know that we will be astonished
At all that our Creator has in store
One day we will meet our Savior
And He will give each one of us a stone
Engraved with our names upon it:
known by God alone

Annual Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight!

2007-08-11T08:29:00.001-07:00

I remember my grandfather tell me about one early morning in the mid-60's when he was driving down the lane leading to the farm house when all of the sudden every star in the sky began moving. He saw the Leonid meteor storm of November 1966, (picture is from a similar storm in 1833) an annual meteor shower that peaks every 33 years. Ever since then I have dreamed of seeing a true meteor storm, with rates peaking at 10,000 per minute.

Tonight is the annual recurrence of the Perseid meteor shower, regarded as 'Old Faithful' because of it's reliable-but-not-spectacular nature. The Baltimore Sun reports this year's event is nearly ideal with a New Moon and good weather forecast. I'll be out there at 1am tonight with the dreams of a young boy of seeing the stars fall out of the sky just like my Grandfather saw, but knowing I'll be lucky to see but a few. Hopefully I won't wake up at 4am with ants up my pants!

Music Monday - Rich Mullins

2007-08-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

I remember hearing Awesome God for the first time at a Campus Crusade for Christ Friday night gathering at Virginia Tech in 1990 or 1991. I've been a Rich Mullins fan since, and loved the fun little song Screen Door. The lyrics carry the line

Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine

The quirky lyrics and straight percussion accompaniment I first heard on the CD years ago fits the band's live performance. I stumbled across this fun but grainy video of a live show by Rich and his band of Screen Door - hope you enjoy!

And the countdown's on....

2007-08-05T17:57:00.001-07:00

It's August. The last month of summer. Time to get ready for school's return. This year there is new excitement in our home as we are preparing to homeschool our oldest - a new adventure for us. We've seen many of you, our friends, lead the way. Many reasons factored into our decision, but they all seem to fade into memory as the logistics of starting a homeschool for the first time flood in. It seems there's a difference between watching others do it with ease and actually going through the mechanics yourself.

After much consideration and prayer we've already tackled the curriculum decision. We reviewed the full gamut of options available to homeschoolers at the CHAP (Christian Homeschool Association of Pennsylvania) 2007 convention in Harrisburg PA in June. For several reasons we chose to start this first year by continuing with the A Beka curriculum series Cameron started in First Grade at Kings Christian Acadamy. First decision down.

Our next decision was to consider options with several homeschool co-ops in the local area. We looked into the Homeschool Christian Acadamy (HCA) based out of Patuxent Presbyterian church just up our street. We know one of the administrators (Alisa Albers), one of the teachers (Sandi Hepler), and several of the kids there. We enrolled Cameron in a full day of classes. Each Thursday he will take Science, Math Games, Art, Music, Latin, and Phys Ed with 10-15 other First and Second graders. This gives Cameron continued interaction with peers, and gives Barb one day to continue working with several children with her National Institute for Learning Development (NILD) training. Second decision down.

This week we make the final decision on where to register our homeschool for outside supervision. I read the Maryland State Department of Education Fact Sheet on Home Instruction, which states we must choose to have our home instruction supervised by one of the following entities:

1. The local school system.

2. A nonpublic school that holds a Certificate of Approval from the Maryland State Board of Education.

3. A nonpublic school registered with the Maryland State Department of Education as exempt from education regulation because it is governed and operated by a bona fide church organization.

4. An education ministry of a bona fide church organization.

Right now we're considering registering directly with the local county school system. If anyone has any other suggestions or insights we'd welcome your comments!

After this, we then can start focusing on lesson planning. Again, we're open to any tips, tricks, or words of wisdom from anyone out there! Homeschooling will become a central theme in blog posts to come.

Air Traffic Controller needed

2007-08-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

This summer Barb added a hummingbird feeder to our deck. We waited patiently for our first sighting. Then he came. Over time he brought friends. Now we need an air traffic controller to direct traffic. At least five hummingbirds have taken up shop in our back yard. I've learned a few things about hummingbirds this summer. I never knew they chirped - a lot! This morning we had two birds chase one another right in front of our chairs. The resulting battle sounded like a clash of light sabres from Star Wars. They're also trusting of us. One bird fed from the feeder with Barb standing just two feet away from it. Barb now spends time each morning reading on the deck while she watches them come and go. Below is a video of just one of the birds feeding. We've yet to capture one of their mid-air duels, but will upload it when we do!

Not being an avid bird watcher, I thought it unique to have four or five hummingbirds take up shop in one's backyard, until I saw this video on YouTube!

Houston, We Have a Problem!

2007-08-01T17:51:00.001-07:00

I once thought my wife's penchant for snapping photos was out of control. We upgraded our hard drive once, then had to buy an external drive for backup (you do have yours backed up, don't you Rich?!? :). It kept growing. And that was just from the film camera. It exploded with the addition of the digital camera.

But something's happened. I can't put my finger on it, but something is definitely amiss. First was Monday when Barb took the boys to Six Flags for the day (while I sat sequestered away on a source selection panel!). Cameron rode his very first big boy water slide. The boys rode roller coasters. They went with 'Grandma Myrtie' and Owen's best friend Philip. Not one photo.

Then yesterday Barb took the boys to the Solomons Annex pool, complete with water slides and diving boards. Both boys took and passed the swim test. Owen was a champ, and was beaming with pride when he got his wrist band certifying this milestone in his life. Not one photo.

So, I have many firsts to report from the Darden family this week - but all you get is this plain white text. If you see Barb this week, ask her if her camera's broken. :)

Music Monday's Tuesday debut

2007-07-31T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our friends 50 toes posts favorite music clips they title 'Music Mondays', and invited others to join in. I'll bite. I've avoided the whole YouTube scene for much the same reason as we turned off our DirectTV feed - it's a time drain with virtually no lasting value. So pardon my surprise and amazement when I discovered the unbelievable wealth of great music videos when I began research to take up the 50 toes challenge! So here it goes.....

One insane tidbit of info I have etched in my mind from my misspent early teen days was an interview of Eddie Van Halen on MTV News with Kurt Loder. I was a huge Van Halen fan, the year was 1982, the band had just released Diver Down (with Hang 'Em High a hit) and Kurt Loder asks Eddie what it was like to be the greatest guitar player in the world. He said 'I dunno, go ask Phil Keaggy'. Phil WHO I asked???? I never heard Phil Keaggy's name again for over 15 years. Then I saw him live in concert with my friend Drew Ham in Colorado Springs, and realized that he is, in fact, the greatest guitarist ever recorded. The clip below is the tip of the ice berg. When you watch this, keep in mind he is playing solo, with no backup recording. Read this article to hear how he uses digital delay/sampling effects to build and overlay tracks live. Barb and I went to see him live 8 years ago - he often plays in coffee houses and small theaters. It's a great night out if you can catch a tour stop in your hometown!

Here's Phil Keaggy in Salvation Army Band. It's over nine minutes long. Get another cup of coffee and enjoy....

I've got several months of clips already in the queue, so until next time..... :)

And the lights went out in California.... AGAIN!

2007-07-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of living at the end of a small peninsula is that there is one tree-lined feed for SMECO's power lines. Our power outages here in Kingston Creek are memorable. The 1994 Valentine's Ice Storm was eight days. Hurricane Isabelle was seven days in 2003. The tornado (which clipped the trees between our house and the neighbor's) was a three day outage in 2004. Tropical Storm Ernesto was five days in 2006. The wind storm of last week was an all-nighter, and last night's lightening outburst (the worst I remember in five years) was nearly an all-nighter.

We've learned to appreciate three things through all of this:

1. You can cook ANYTHING on a grill (pizza and fries are a family favorite)!
2. The neighbor's pool is INVALUABLE to flush the toilet, but buckets of water get heavy after the first 100 yards!
3. These niftly Brinkman GO-LED lights deserve an award for cheap, safe, effective emergency lighting.

I trekked back to Target last night to buy two more packs. $4.99 at Target for four of these little guys. Disposable, cheap, and good enough to keep you from stubbing your toes on the toys the boys left out in the hallway (and to read a book in bed by).

Back in the USA

2007-07-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

Our team returned to the States yesterday. The cocoon that surrounded me in Mexico has been stripped away. The intense closeness that comes from setting aside the cares and worries of one's own life is now intruded upon by the realities that awaited my return. Being reunited with the family was wonderful, especially as my boys rapidly shared their experiences at Grandpa's farm, the beach with Laura & Mike McFarlin, and with our former neighbors Zack and Amanda. Barb had returned home from family and friends only hours before I did, and had a week of memories herself.

But soon the excitement settled. The boys fussed over computer games. The bags need to be unpacked. The dishes had to be put away. The water pump failed again (I need to finally replace that flaky pressure switch). The neighbor's dog through the night, waking me up for good at 5am. I'm home.

And yet in some way's I'm not. Being my first missions trip abroad, I am suffering from the emotional overload that comes from shifting not just time zones - but newfound friends and cultures all in a matter of 12 hours. In many ways my heart is still with Jorge and Eduardo and the men, women, and children of San Bartolo. I wonder what Julio is going to do today. I encouraged him to spend time reading his Bible. I pray he stated with at least five minutes in the Word of God this morning. I can't wait for an update from Jorge.

Life will move on. I will return to my job Monday, and the 154 emails that await me. If not careful one can drift forward with one's life and allow friends and events to fade to a distant memory. It requires intentional effort to maintain such bonds. I hope Jorge, Eduardo, and Lis are able to keep in touch. Last night I shared with my boys stories of the boys and girls of San Bartolo, and of the work that Jorge and Eduardo are doing there. In our family prayer time Cameron, my oldest at seven years, prayed that they would be excited about sharing Christ with Mexico - something I hadn't even asked him to. Jorge and Eduardo have just joined Scott Stringer and John Albers in his nightly prayer requests for safety and strength. If I go a day forgetting them, the Lord will be using Cameron each night to remind me.

I will be adding a few more posts to this blog about my memories of Mexico in the coming days. If you hadn't figured it out, this blog was more for me than for you. I wanted to preserve in this journal the experiences and people that I hope to return to in the coming year. I will be returning to this blog in time to remind myself of the joys and the hopes that I have for the church in San Bartolo. I hope that you have enjoyed getting a taste of some of the sights and sounds of Mexican culture, of the wonderful people there, and of the work that is underway there.

When you see me, ask me how my Spanish lessons are coming. Drop me an email to remind me. I'm serious that I want to return to San Bartolo. I promised the kids there that if I am able to return that my Spanish would be better (but probably not my soccer game). Hold me accountable to that!

Our final day in San Bartolo

2007-07-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

We wrapped up our sports camp mission to San Bartolo today. We had almost 50 kids today, many of them coming for the first day. My friend Julio brought a second helper today, a 14 year old named Lucio. At the day's close we spoke one last time with the large group about the purpose of our visit, which was not to show how badly I play futbol. Many of the younger kids were squirming as little ones do, some of the older boys were not interested in listening, but there was a good group of kids who listened intently and understood the message.

Several of the adult men from the church stopped by to see how camp went. Jesus returned to pick up his weedeater that we used to clear the soccer field on Sunday. Eduardo´s father, himself a pastor of a large church in Puebla, MX, paid a visit. Dr. Victor made the rounds. Our final lunch at Dr. Victor´s home was special. After photos (hopefully to come to the blog after my return to the states), Dr. Victor gave us each one of his business cards, which said on the back: "Si tú y yo nos conocemos y tú me olividas, no pierdes nada, pero si conoces a Cristo y lo olvidas, entonces si lo habrás perdido todo.", which roughly interpeted says: "If you and I meet and you forget me, you lose nothing, but if you meet Christ and forget Him, then it is as if you lost everything". Dr. Victor`s contact info is: Dr. Victor Manuel Sabbagh García, U.N.A.M, Lardizabal Sur N° 2512, Apizaco, TLAX, tel: 01 (241) 418-00-59 or 417-57-68. One of his various business activities is the Gas Central de Apizaco, S.A. de C.V.

I hope I can return on a future visit. If I do, I hope to see many of the same kids again. I look forward to seeing Lupe, Joel, Arturo, Juan Carlos, Lizabeth, Liz, Liz (popular name!), Cinthia (the tickle monster!), and many others whose name escapes me. I hope to see Gabriel and Chava, as well as Enrique and his friend (or brother) come as well.

We pack up tonight, and head to the airport at 0500 hrs tomorrow morning. I will miss the children, the weather, the sights and sounds of San Bartolo and Apizaco, and most importantly the friendships struck both with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Mexico, as well as our team from Leonardtown - memories that will stay for a lifetime (again, I heard that "I told you so" from Wyoming, Kraig!).

More sights and sounds from the streets of Apizaco....

2007-07-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

We have been driven back and forth from San Bartolo each day by three of our brothers and sisters in Christ here in Mexico (and John once, thanks again for the prayers for safety!) Lucy as I said in a previous post lives in Puebla and has a three-hampster Ford go-cart of a car. Pepe, who works for the Potomac Baptist Association and lives in both Maryland and Puebla, has a four-hampster bright yellow car that is comparable to a Honda Civic. Eduardo, the local pastor for San Bartolo, drives a 1980's stype red Chevy van with captain's chairs in the middle row. The drive between Apizaco and San Bartolo is only 10 minutes at most. San Bartolo is on a hill that overlooks Apizaco. The vistas and landscape here remind me in part of views from southern New Mexico, only there is grass and agriculture here. There are two large mountains (I'm going to guess they are 12,000 feet) close by, one on either side of the town. There also is a large volcano (guessing 14,000 feet) a bit further away.

The streets of Apizaco resonate all day (starting at 6am) with the blaring of various advertisements from each of the delivery trucks in the local area. Most often, it is the propane delivery men, with each company having their own jingle and slogans blasting from their truck's roof. Most locals are not on a delivery schedule, the trucks roam the streets much like an ice cream truck back home, and the jingles are intended to draw customers out of their home and businesses. I'd hate to be a delivery driver, I don't know how he sleeps at night with that jingle playing in his head!

Another amazing sight is the tractor trailers who rumble through the streets all day and night. These streets are narrow. The street in front of our hotel has a narrow median strip, and parallel parking to the left and right in both directions. The single middle driving lane is maybe 15 feet wide with cars on either side. Double tractor trailer loads rumble by at all hours. These double-trailers are not the US style, where regulations limit the second trailer to be half-length. These are full length double trailers in tow. Right through the downtown streets. Don't park on any street corner here if you visit. Poor Jorge and Wayne have a room whose window fronts the street. Tractors rumble through all night, with their jake breaks belching 10 feet away as they slow for a turn just down the street.

Learning Spanish? Here's a resource list!

2007-07-11T23:37:00.000-07:00

OK, this post is mostly for me. I'm capturing several web links I've found for learning Spanish. They are:

Spanish Verbs
I've found Spanish verbs difficult to master. Each verb infinitive has over 14 variations depending on the tense and pronoun mix. Several websites I've found that focus on Spanish verb conjugation are:

http://www.conjugation.org/ - Enter any Spanish verb, and it will provide every conjugation of the verb infinitive, including the irregulars!
http://users.ipfw.edu/JEHLE/VERBLIST.HTM - Provides links to conjugations of all Spanish verbs in index form, includes English translations of each tense.

I will be expanding this blog entry over time to include other resources I find on learning Spanish. Know a good resource? Include it as a comment to the blog entry! Thanks!

Yo hablo poquito Espanol, pero estoy tengo mejor, no? No!

2007-07-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe the week is nearly over. Tomorrow (Thursday) is our last day hosting the camp. We depart for the Mexico City airport at 5am Friday morning.

I opened today's camp asking the older kids (aged 10 and up) this question - "I speak little Spanish, but I'm getting better, no?" Their answer was a chuckles, followed by "No!" I've taken quite an interest in trying to draw from my faint recollection of Spanish classes in High School to communicate with the kids, and the pastor Eduardo, in their native tongue. I think I'm wearing out my new friends from Puebla with 'Como se dice.....' (how do you say....) to grasp at understanding the language. I know I've asked five times over how to say that one of the soccer balls is flat - their patience is a living example of Job of Old Testament time! While I still can't carry a conversation in Spanish, I am beginning to piece together bits and pieces by listening to others (although I had no chance following the rapid-fire rants and chants given by Lis and Pepe at tonight's Copa de Americana futbol game!). Given the rapidly expanding Latino community of our Southern Maryland area, I'm feeling a call to continue studying in an effort to be able to be semi-fluent in their native tongue. I would love nothing more than to have the opportunity to return to San Bartolo next year and be able to speak directly with the kids vice hand signals and an occasional interpreter.

Walking the byways of San Bartolo...

2007-07-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

Another great day working the the children of San Bartolo in beautiful (but blazingly bright) sunshine. During the initial half hour Lis (the interpreter from Puebla) and Amber Cook welcome and register the kids, then do face painting. Today everyone wore the Mexican flag proudly as Mexico faced Argentina in the semifinals of the Copa de Americana in football - even the staff (except John!). After face painting, the younger kids play in the Moon Bounce that the Leonardtown Baptist Church bought the San Bartolo mission four years ago. It's a bit torn and ragged, the plan is to look into a patch kit to replace the duct tape repairs that held it together. The older kids have joined John and I in the soccer ring to play futbol de americana. It's been fun working down-and-out patterns with the kids with no common language to speak of. I've also been impressed with how well many of them can throw and catch - it's been more impressive than my attempts to join them in soccer pickup games after the camp is over each day! Today I scored three goals in a 5-2 loss in the late pickup game. All three goals were into the wrong net. It got quite the smirk from Lis, who has been touting the superiority of futbol over futbol de americana.

Our team has enjoyed terrific (and most authentic) Mexican lunches each day at the restaurant in Doctor Victor's home. Today was a garlic meatball soup that had egg buried in the center of each meatball. We didn't dare ask the source of the meat. Tomorrow will be garlic rabbit stew I've been told.

After lunch I was able to join John, Jorge (a local computer programmer originally from Vera Cruz, and now works as a consultant for the government in Puebla), and Lucy (an American missionary from Maryland who now lives in Puebla supporting mission trips and teaching English to locals) in an afternoon of visiting homes in the local neighborhood. The four of us piled into Lucy's car, one of the comically small cars one sees only on television footage of foreign streets. The first stop was to Senora Leanora's home. After parking, we hiked a quarter-mile up the hillside to her home (not an insignificant task in the altitude here) only to find that she had gone into town and would return in a couple hours.

We then drove a half-mile over to the pulloff for Senora Lenora's home. Senora Lenora's home is an annual stop for John. His first visit four years ago did not find anyone home. They only left a tract and an invitation to the sports camp on a large rock near their door. The next year John returned and found the family home. They remembered the calling card left from the previous year, and opened their home to John for a visit. I don't recall if it was that visit, or the one last year where the family (I believe it was both the husband and the wife) prayed to accept Christ. Today's visit was to deliver a health pack for the family, and to see how they and their three children are doing. John knows each of the kids by name, and greeted them with a full tickle contest when they walked up the drive. Their home was most modest by American terms, but John noticed it had a fresh new tiled floor that covered the dingy concrete slab of a year ago. The quality of the tile matches that found in only the best of American homes, a reminder that the cost of living here in Mexico can be most inexpensive in some ways. Some of the finest tile you will fine is manufactured here in the Puebla area, and are sold cheap to the locals. We visited only briefly with the family, but they warmly opened their home, and offered bananas to us. The husband remembered that the team has offered eyeglasses in past trips, and asked if we were doing the same again this visit. He will be bringing the entire family to Dr. Victor's for tomorrow's last day at the camp - the kids will join us for the morning, he will be fitted for a new pair.

These homes on the hillside are mostly cinder block homes with concrete floors and deeply rutted drives for as far as the eye can see from the road. Lucy's tiny car scrapped bottom just pulling off the street. The hike down to Senora Lenora's home was most interesting, as John led us down the wrong path trying to find it. After walking downhill for a good half mile John realized his mistake, and we then trekked cross-country through fields, rocks, ditches, and back yards trying to jog to the left to get closer to their home. At one point I thought we were certainly going to be attacked by three loose (and unhappy) dogs as we skirted one home's back yard - their retreat at the last minute was for me a testimony to answered prayer from those back home for safety. When we finally found and reached the home (from the back side), the family got quite the giggle over our chosen path and sent the kids with us on our return to show us the more direct way back. (It turned out the rutted dirt road had be rerouted since John's last visit, thereby clearing him of culpability in the matter) The return trip took us directly through another family's walled-in back yard, and just a few feet from a chained pit bull. The kids petted the dog, I gave him an extra two feet. The neighbors looked from their back window in wonder at the 'Blondies' (their term for fair-skinned Americans) meandering through their yard with local kids. I have to say there was a warm feeling in my heart to be a part of John's ministry visiting with these local families. Not many outsiders venture into these parts of the countryside, and the surprised look, followed by warm reception offered by them to John and the team was touching. I'm more interested in ever to continue learning the spanish language and be a part of future mission teams to the area. (Yes, Kraig, I heard your 'I told you so' all the way from Cheyenne, Wyoming!!!!)

¿Agua caliente? No! No agua caliente para tu!

2007-07-11T06:07:00.001-07:00

"Hot water? No! No hot water for you!". As I've learned more of the spanish language I'm picking up more and more by reading the street signs - and boy are there street signs here! I noticed some hotels had 'Agua Caliente' posted, others did not. Our weekend stay in Puebla last Friday and Saturday spoiled me, as we had the most amazing hot water shower I've ever seen. The water pressure was enough to take skin off, and the water was muy caliente. Our hotel here in Apizaco (Hotel Meson de Alfonso, Blvd. Emilio Sanchez Piedras No. 104, Apizaco, Tlaxcala, Tel. 01(241) 417-19-54, C.P. 90300) does advertise agua caliente, just not for the first 10 minutes. And then only for the next three minutes, no mas (no more), and only for the first person in the shower, and only on days of the week that begin with 'T'. Today was Miercoles. No agua caliente. And it was 60° in the bathroom this morning.

Last evening John and a few others went to Dr. Victor's to measure one family for eyeglasses. He had advertised to the communities that he would be at the top of the hill near the bus station to fit people for glasses as they came home from work, but our daily hail storm hit just as the bus arrived, so we will hope today's bus stop wait yields fruit. Please pray that the weather holds out for us, and that John can reach the community with the news of this ministry.

The rest of us went to Eduardo's home (the local pastor for the church in San Bartolo) to make the final assembly for about 25 frames of glasses, and to cut the lenses for the four family members who visited Dr. Victor's. We also cut lenses of the most needed prescription strengths for about 10 more. Our time around the table each night is one of great fellowship, much laughter, and sore fingers! Brian Gass' frankensteinian frames made from scrap pieces are quite the hit, we almost have enough for the entire team to take home. "Gass' Glasses" they've been dubbed.

Our head count of children yesterday for Day Two of the sports camp was up to about 35-40, but still well below the 70-80 of previous years. We learned yesterday that our visit coincides with the start of a four week optional summer session of school for the local community, thereby keeping our numbers lower than hoped. Still, each of these children are a blessing and a joy, to see their faces of excitement as we go through each of the stations is wonderful. Please pray that the older ones will begin to understand the true purpose of our visit and that hearts and minds will be opened to seek the Lord through us this week.

One other sight and sound I failed to mention in an earlier post is the roadside family food stands we pass each evening coming home from Eduardo's home. On Monday night at around 11pm we drove by several such stands a good 10 minutes outside Apizaco's city center offering anything from candy to a full meal.

Sights and sounds of Apizaco

2007-07-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today's camp was bien (I learned the difference between bien, buen, and bueno today, the three ways to say 'good' in spanish!). Today a sixteen year old boy joined us, having been invited by John during his walk through the neighborhood the previous day. Julio was the oldest of the kids, and was given the option to help me with the soccer drills. He was a terrific addition to our camp, as I found myself without any interpreters for most of the day. Julio was sharp, and picked up everything I was trying to show him, and did a great job herding the kids into action!

Several other random observations while driving and walking the streets of Apizaco and San Bartolo that I wanted to capture for my later recollection:

The walls around homes have an ingenius security system - shards of glass stick up from the mortar - probably a hundred per linear foot!
Most of the auto repair shops do their work right on the street - parallel parked with the car standing on a lone jack with the handle pointed out into traffic!
The food markets are jaw-dropping, with fish, pork, and chicken hanging raw for hours (and supposedly for days) in the heat for sale!

Many more, but time is up, need to run to begin making more eyeglasses.

I estaba una vez oculto, pero ahora veo!

2007-07-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

"I once was blind, but now I see" is the title of the posting. Last night we made about 15 full frame sets of glasses at Eduardo's home, with the piece parts for many more when we continue tonight. I can't wait until I can post some of the pictures of our time together at the table bending these frames into place. Amber Cook made a most excellent (and entertaining I might add) video of how to bend the ear pieces that had us chucking, but the highlight of the night was Brian Gass's own personal creation of a "different" design from the scraps that were left - we were in tears at the example of 'how not to make glasses'.

John visited the home of the family that invited him yesterday. He reported it was a most excellent visit, with the head of the hous evening they wereehold gathering his entire family to hear the message of the Gospel. The head of the household shared with John that he had a hard time reading and needed eyeglasses - an 'interesting coincidence' then that we will be giving eye tests at Dr. Victor's home this evening! He will be join us this evening to get his eye's tested for a pair of the glasses we made (no, not Brian's!). The eye test John uses has the patient read from a text that asks them have they ever reached a point of knowing for certain if they would be in heaven when they die. Pray that this evening will be fruitful in sharing the Gospel with the community, especially for this man from last night's visit.

I didn't capture the full measure of what I wanted to do here, but have to run back for breakfast. By the way, I just have to close with this for my friends back home in Maryland - it's freezing cold here this morning!!!! Wayne Hetrich and I went to the local square for devotions, and could see our breath as we walked the streets!!!

Sports Camp - Day One

2007-07-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Day one complete of our VBS sports camp in San Bartolo. About 20-25 children came, better than average for the first day. We expect more to come as the word gets through the streets and neighborhood. John Fields walked the streets of the neighborhood while we hosted the camp, sharing 200 tracts, distributing 20 health kits, and talking with families. One man asked John to come to his home tonight to share the news of the gospel with his family.

I hosted the soccer portion of the camp, quite a challenge when working with 8-10 teenagers who know the game quite well! After the camp we stayed and played a 5v5 pickup game for a half hour. I was gasping for air in the 8,000' elevation of the town! Today went very well. I have a terrific interpreter - quite a blessing. We had 30 minutes with each group, divided by ages. I'd spend 15-20 minutes going over a few drills I've learned, and asking the children what they learned from the drills. It's neat to see first-hand the obvious - that kids are the same everywhere. The smiles on each of their faces was wonderful, and to a one they beamed and said 'si' when asked if they were having a great time.

A storm is rolling in again today, looks much like the hail storm that poured through yesterday. I've quickly come to appreciate them as they knock the temperature down into the low 60's (down from the swealtering 75° of the day!). Tonight we head back to Dr. Victor's to begin preparing eye glasses for those who need them in the neighborhood.

The joys of living in a different culture....

2007-07-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

We went to Eduardo's home last evening to put together the health kits and plan for today's sports camp. A storm rolled in just as we pulled into his drive. By the time it was over, there was pea-sized hail stones covering the ground, and the temperature had dropped from the day's high temperature of 75° down to 55° again. It's just as cool this morning. I'm still in disbelief of how traveling to Mexico in July is a wonderful respit from the 95° heat and humidity of Maryland!

Our hotel here in Apizaco is clean, unique (every room is different), and 'interesting'. I had to ask others who had traveled here before where the shower was, because our room was only a small half'-bath (about the size of a typical guest half-bath in the foyers of most homes). They pointed out the shower head coming from the ceiling of the room - you shower in the bathroom, getting the entire room soaked (including the bathroom tissue!) in the process! Just one of the many interesting aspects of life in a different culture.

Another interesting thing is the home construction styles. Most every home is poured concrete with rebar that sticks anywhere from 2-6 feet above the flat roofs. Virtually none of the homes are finished - it's as if they are planning to add a second story one day, but never do.

Worshipping with new brothers and sisters in Christ

2007-07-08T14:59:00.001-07:00

Today we worshipped and celebrated our Lord´s supper with the church in San Bartolo in the back yard of Doctor Victor´s home. There are about 5-7 families who worship together in San Bartolo. The church sits under a lean-to next to the chicken coop and the row of roosters in their pens. After church the families hosted a most wonderful lunch under the small orchard of shaved steak, rabbit fajitas, and cactus tacos!

It was awesome to see the love of Christ in the eyes of several of the church members and worship with them in a different tongue. But over all it must be said that the church is not thriving, and in fact is struggling to survive. One sister, Yolanda, is the heart of the church. Her dedication to her Lord is unmistakable in her countenance, her acts of service for the church, and her efforts to spread the news of the Gospel throughout San Bartolo. Many others who attend are believers, but I´ve been told have not yet understood the full measure and impact of I Peter 1:13-16, ¨Therefore, prepare you minds for action, be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy.¨

Tonight we begin bagging the 100 health kits we have purchased, and make final preparations and planning for the start of the sports camp tomorrow. Please pray that the language differences will not be a barrier to sharing the love of Christ to these children. Also pray for me as I, yes I, am called upon to teach Mexican youth up to 15 years old how to play soccer.

Yo estoy en Mejico!

2007-07-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

One scan of our family blog shows how deeply ingrained we are into blogging..... many months of fond memories have never made it into writing, something I will regret in time. Barb´s joy is to keep up with the scrapbooks to capture our life on film, mine is blogging - thank goodness Barb is better than I!

So what brings me back to the keyboard? I am on the second night of a week long mission trip with our local church in Mexico. For anyone who´s used a Mexican keyboard you know this can be a challenging thing! There´s a handful of extra key´s wedged into the keyboard, and most of the special characters are shuffled!

Anyhow, we flew into Mexico City last evening, landing around 9:30pm. After 90 minutes to register our visas and clear customs, I had my first experience ordering dinner without an interpreter - boy do I wish I had spent more time brushing up on my two years of High School spanish!!! The meal was most needed to settle the stomach for the two and a half hour drive to the city of Puebla east of Mexico City. There´s a very good reason American auto insurance companies will not cover your travels in Mexico! We rode in a chartered bus similar to the small rental car buses in an airport, and wondered why all the windows were covered with black curtains. One peek outside the windows would make one close them fast! Bumper-to-bumper traffic, four cars abreast on a three lane highway, with tractor trailers on both sides and the rear earned muchas respectos from me to our driver! It´s unbelievable the amount of traffic on the roads of Mexico City at 12:30 in the morning! Our host said rush hour for the city of 20+ million is from 6am to 1am. The first hour of our trip was spent going 10 miles! We arrived at the Hotel Panamerican in Puebla at 2am, praising God for the safe journey and the driver´s alertness!

Tomorrow we drive to our destination - Apizaco, Mexico (a city of 50,000). Basing from there, we will travel each day to the small remote village of San Bartolo to host a sports camp for the children during the day, and make eye glasses and distribute health kits to the adults in the evening. Today we spent our first day on the mission trip shopping in Puebla (a city of 1.5 million) at.... yes...... Sam´s Club and WalMart! We purchased $11,000 pesos ($1,000 dollars) of supplies for health kits, sports equipment, and some personal supplies.

One pleasant surprise is the weather here in Puebla and Apizaco. It averages 50° at sunrise, and 75° as a high in the afternoon - a far cry from the 95° heat and humidity of Maryland this week!!! The 8,000 foot elevation makes the climate most pleasant here - I now understand why most Mexicans are not accustomed to heat!

I also have been struck by the number of mission teams active in the city of Puebla. In our small hotel alone there are four teams who checked in the past two days, including a group led by Andrew Flagg. He is leading a Baptist church from Elkton MD. I first met him when he spoke as a guest at Lexington Park Baptist Church a couple years ago. A second group is from Ocean View Baptist Church in Norfolk, VA. The third group is from Fort Worth, TX.

Tomorrow we move to Apizaco to the north of Puebla. It is closer to the base of Mount Popocatepetl (or Mt. Popo), one of the most active volcanos in Mexico. It erupted in 1994, after more than 50 years of dormancy, and has been quite active ever since. Lava is often visible at night pouring from the crater. We saw steam and ash rising from it today - a normal daily occurance!

Time to turn in. Don´t know if and when I can get Internet connection in Apizaco - but I intend to add posts each evening if I can. Please be in prayer for the mission teams throughout the Puebla area, and for our team as well. Pray that some last-minute logistics will come together for our sports camp activities. More importantly, please pray that the hearts and minds of the local villagers in San Bartolo would be open to the message of the Gospel.

Owen & His ABC's

2005-12-24T18:17:00.000-08:00

Our family had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner with my father, and the boys were eager to share with Granddad everything they had learned the past few weeks. While wrapping up dinner at the table Cameron quoted many of the bible verses he has learned through AWANA and preschool, and Owen proudly raced through his ABC's. Owen hesitated for all of about five seconds when Granddad challenged him to say his ABC's backwards at the same speed, then proceeded to rotate 180 degrees and run through them once more with his back turned to us! Barb and I hadn't stopped choking back the tears of laughter before Owen then proudly announced he could say them sideways too, then turned and rattled them off for a third time.

I think the most unnerving part is knowing that what we consider as out-of-the-box thinking is in fact Owen's normal brainwaves activity!

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Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. - Luke 1:26-35
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Merry Christmas everyone!

Owen's mysterious dripping shorts

2005-09-16T13:26:00.001-07:00

OK, it took all of 10 seconds to have an Owen story to share. Barb shared that yesterday Owen (who is now one month post-potty training) had his shorts and underware in a pile on the living room carpet, soaking wet. I mean SOAKING wet! When asked what happened, Owen replied 'I was cleenin' em Mom, cleenin!'. With the initial relief passed of not holding a dripping accident in her hand, she flashed back over the past few weeks and realized that Owen (who learns by observation most excellently) had observed her during the past few weeks of training washing his dirty shorts in the commode. Owen's look was priceless when Barb asked him where he cleened his shorts, when with a look of 'geez Mom, can't you trust me?' he said 'the sink, Mom, the sink'! Tracing the water trail Barb was, in fact, able to verify that we had a pool of well water on our floor, and not a toxic dump.

My wife must have cut her teeth in this line of work by reading Nancy Drew mysteries as a child!

Might as well just start right here

2005-09-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever not started something because you wanted to do it just right, and didn't have everything together yet? That's me with this blog. The idea first flashed by over a year ago, but it was going to take too much work and time and effort. Then my good friend Scott Stringer showed me his blog (stringerzoo.blogspot.com) several weeks back, and I was finally motivated enough to create my own that night. Then, it hit me - how do you start a life's story mid-stream? I sat frozen, unable to begin until I could catch up on nine years of stories? Then there was this morning......

Cameron (our five year old oldest son) wakes up early this morning crying from a nightmare. The story was hard to piece together, but it was something about being chased and having something heavy land on him. Barb (my wonderful bride of 9 years now) soothes him by saying that it was just a dream, to which Cameron replies 'but dreams really do come true!'

So there you have it, my son's nightmares are that much more horrific because of Disney World, and you have an abrupt start to our life's story because of one cute kid!

(We'll have a story or two of our youngest son Owen (age three) in short order, guaranteed!)