Pigeons, Parks, and The Pleasures of God

Whew! What a race it's been readjusting to life in the mini-Apple. Benaiah's been to the park everyday, except when it rains, and it turning it into his home turf. Today was the first day though that he noticed his park has pigeons and squirrels. What a realization that was! He would get all excited and run after the little animals who were not too disturbed by this tiny person. We have no idea what we're going to do when winter hits :-)

Rachel's summer work schedule is almost over, then we'll start to get into a groove for the fall. It's been good for us to just enjoy a few weeks together as a family after the summer apart. Sharing memories of our experiences together. Dreaming for the fall and beyond together. Playing with all our super-cool toys together. And just generally being together.

We're grateful to God for these simple blessings. Thank you for your prayers as we prepare to transition into the fall.

We're Home!!

Just a brief bulletin, we made it. More reflections to come. Thanks for journeying with us.

Where's Daddy?

I'm getting closer buddy, only lake Michigan is between us now. Tomorrow I will be getting up at 4:00 to jump the pond and be reunited with my family. More reflections will be posted here...when I make the time to reflect :-)

Summer Hebrew 29

Not much today, just wanted to splash this picture before your eyes. Awww. Reminds me of reading Jonah from a few weeks ago :-)

Tomorrow is the final exam and then I begin the long journey home. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.

Shalom.

Summer Hebrew 28

Hazy sunrise as the clouds linger just above the hills. My time here is quickly drawing to a close. But it feels more like a sunrise as I think back over this experience of language learning. Only God knows what the day that has dawned holds for us.

This I do know, "The sum of your word is truth and every one of your righteous rules endures forever." (Psalm 119:160) So, we'll hold on to that and let His word lead us down this newly lit path.

Shalom

Summer Hebrew 26

You never know what you might stumble upon. Walking back the Yafo Gate in Jerusalem, we wound our way through the Jewish quarter. Lo, and behold, we came upon this site which to you may just look like a pile of rocks. It is actually the foundation layer of the great Broad Wall of Jerusalem from the time of Hezekiah. This wall wound it's way around the large western portion of the city and used to be over 21 feet tall until the Babylonians destroyed it.

This whole summer has been full of ordinary days and stunning surprises. I came expecting to get into the groove of rather mundane language study. But I have been so surprised at how much fun we have. Yes, it is fun to read the bible in Hebrew. And on top of that our teachers make the class time very enjoyable. Today we sang a few songs taken from Psalms and Isaiah. After that we recited one of our memory verses together and began acting out the vocabulary to Genesis 2.

The winding path of this summer course has only 4 more days to roll and in 10 days I'll be back with my family. And after that the language learning journey has only just begun!

Summer Hebrew - Reflection

I read an interesting quote this evening that feels very real at the moment: "A simple but elegant fact about humankind is that if we avoid risk, we do not learn."

This summer was certainly a risk in the best sense of that word. There were a lot of unknown factors about this summer and about what could be accomplished in just 6-weeks of language learning immersion. But, surprise, surprise, this risk has resulted in a harvest of learning - linguistic, pedagogical, cultural, ... and Hebrew!

As I approach my last week of classes here I am struggling to put into words what has been going on inside of me. Today I visited an archaeology park in Jerusalem and took this picture from inside a ritual bath that all worshipers must pass through. They came down the stairs on one side - unclean. After washing they would mount the other side - clean.

At this point, that's the best I can do for analogy, I feel different in my approach to the Hebrew text - but there is a lot more work to do!

As we've been studying this week, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...and God said, "let there be light." And there was light." But on day two, God didn't content himself with light, he moved on to more creative acts. And so I feel like this summer has been a summer of light...and it's just the beginning of an exciting process.

Thank you to all who have been praying and encouraging. One more week to go.

Shalom.

Summer Hebrew 25: When you feel like a mountain goat!

After 5 weeks of language learning by immersion, when you finally get a pause in the action, the question comes to mind, "How in the world did I get up here?"

It's actually been a fantastic climb thus far and we're feeling more and more comfortable in listening to the language, speaking in full sentences, reading pages of text in our homework, and just beginning to write short sentences. These are the 4 basic skills of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, writing. They are usually listed in that order because it's often best to begin mastering them in that order. That's been my experience here thus far and it is paying off!

Tomorrow is Shabbat (Sabbath) and I'll be enjoying a restful day of reading my hebrew texts, reading other things (in English :-), and going for another countryside run. Sunday I'll be heading to Jerusalem for the last time - I hope to visit the Israeli Bible Society, an excavation of the 1st century steps to the temple, and the archaeological dig in the City of David (the original Jerusalem).

More pictures then! Shalom.

P.S.- these goats are called ya'el (יעל) which is also the name of a famous heroine in the book of Judges - I'll let you figure out who :-)

Summer Hebrew 24

Only at the Biblical Zoo will you find signs like this posted (Bereshiyt bara' elohiym 'et hashamayim ve'et ha'arets...) "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..."

It's also only at a Zoo like this where you'll find exhibits of donkeys, goats, and chickens :-)

We've just finished the Genesis 1:1-2:3 account of creation. It's absolutely marvelous to read it in Hebrew and feel the poetic nature of the text. It's been a refreshing contrast to our readings in Jonah. In conjunction with the creation readings, we're also reading the Exodus and Deuteronomy records of the 10 Words (Commandments) and Psalm 8 - "O YHWH, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth..." What a great mix of texts!

Last night for homework we received a sheet of questions in Hebrew, like we've received before, but this time there were no multiple choice answers...just a blank line. I was amazed in class today as I listened to my classmates read their answers. Sure, we used up some of our 30,000 mistakes on that exercise - but we were composing basic answers to questions all in Hebrew. Wow!

This morning I was meditating on the text from Psalm 119:125 (only five words in Hebrew) "I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies." That is our prayer here everyday - "we are your servants here learning Hebrew, we need your help to understand the text, to understand the language, because we want to know more of you through this your precious Word."

With one week left, we appreciate you offering that prayer for us too.

Shalom.

Summer Hebrew 23

Tonight I went for a run through the Judean hillside again - vineyards, orchards, scenic overlooks, rocky paths...oh yeah, and hills! There is one hill on the map whose name is aptly translated - steep hill. It's about a 1/3 mile long, 60 degree slope, and somehow it's always more convenient to run up it. Such way my lot tonight, but my aching muscles are satisfied at their accomplishment.

7 days left of classes and 15 until I'm reunited with my family in Michigan. A lot of days this summer have felt like "steep hill" - no where to go but up. As much fun as we have in class and as motivating as reading the Hebrew Bible is, at times its just plain hard work.

But the good news is that God is with us on the hillside and he cares about us more than we know. Just this morning I was reading in Galatians 4, "God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying, "Abba!"" That's a name I hear echo around the Kibbutz at night a little children, unconscious of my listening ear, call out for their father's attention. An so we can call out, in any language of the world, and our father will hear us and help us conquer "steep hill" and all other such trials.

Thanks for your prayers. Shalom.

A New Week, A New Course

Wow, the weekend is over already. Last week ended with a celebration of sorts as we ended the Jonah course. A few of us went out to a shwarma place the night before the final (think chipotle Israeli style). Then, after the final we had a celebration and Sabbath welcoming ceremony with the advanced class. It was a very festive and joyful atmosphere.

Then we took a taxi back to our friends' apartment to help them paint the old apartment they just moved out of this week. The next morning we joined them at their congregation for worship in Hebrew (translation to Russian, English, and Sign). Today I mostly spent time resting, reading, and preparing for the next 2.5 weeks here in Israel.

Rachel and Benaiah have enjoyed a happy weekend up at the cabin making mud puddles, splashing around in the lake, and visiting Lake Michigan. (I'm sure they did other things too :-)

Thanks for staying with us. Stay tuned for more updates - and I'm told some ridiculously cute pictures of Benaiah are on the way.

Shalom.

Summer Hebrew 19

"...and many cattle?"

That line is just a fitting end to our beginning Hebrew course as it is also the closing line of the Book of Jonah, which we've been reading. I cannot count how many stories we've told this semester as a class that involved male cattle, female cattle, herds of cattle and so on... Quite fun and very effective for language learning. As a story is being told, the language learning almost become second nature because everyone is so excited to get involved in telling the story.

And today we retold the story of Jonah as a class. Our teachers helped us to both tell the event of the story and then to actually tell the story the way the Hebrew Bible records it. There is a special word form in Hebrew for telling the progressive events of a story and we had a great time using it today.

Tomorrow is the big exam. We'll walk into class and be handed a test with no English written on it, just Hebrew questions. But most people aren't concerned because by this point the language has gotten so much inside of us that we're ready for a test. Besides, I know that I haven't used up my 30,000 mistakes yet! (that's a class joke, haha)

Shalom

Summer Hebrew 18

Just a quick update and example of our classtime activities. Today we were working on the hardest part of Jonah, the prayer in chapter 2. The prayer is actually a poem and this type of writing in the Hebrew Bible contains unique challenges - most notably is the vocabulary, sometimes these words are only used once in the whole Bible!

So, to help us grasp the meaning and give us confidence, our teachers prepared a storyboard and walked us through the poem. We did this all in Hebrew, no translation. Yeah, some things are still a little fuzzy - but this afternoon I was able to read through the poem multiple times in Hebrew and answer both comprehension questions and analytical questions about the poetic structure. Thank the Lord for this gift.

I remember back in my Bible-school days when I took a Psalms class, the professor said that there was a unique delight to reading the Psalms in Hebrew. At the time that seemed an impossibility to me but today was one huge step in that direction. I am grateful to God for this opportunity and for your prayers - may it bear much Kingdom fruit.

Summer Hebrew 16

We've crossed the half-way threshold for our studies this summer and we're rapidly wrapping up Jonah. Here are a few reflections on the language-building process from this summer. (by the way, the picture is of a Talmudic village we visited on a field trip, you can see the pillars of the synagogue in the back)

1) It's a good thing the allow every student 30,000 mistakes. I've certainly cashed in on my share. Just like children have to be allowed margin to err, so language learners must allow themselves such margin. When a 2 year old says, "We go to store!" we accept it, possibly repeat the idea correctly, and generally encourage them to keep trying. That's what we're experiencing here.

2) Short-cuts are for adults only. When a child is learning language they have nothing to compare it to. Not so with adults! So, even though 95% of class time is in Hebrew, we do occasionally diverge into explanations to "short-cut" the learning process. These explanations or grammar, etc... are not language acquisition but they can be helpful.

3) Stories are not just for children. Movies, novels, and even our music today is testimony that people of all ages love stories...and especially language learners. We might spend 45 minutes working through a 5 minute story in class, telling it from the present, telling it like it's past, guessing what will happen next, pulling in the craziest vocabulary to keep the story rolling. Right now we're at an intermission in the epic drama of the donkey and goat who took a boat ride to Greece... (spoiler - they got shipwrecked :-)

4) God made us language learners. I've been extremely refreshed by learning the language of Biblical Hebrew as a living language that people used to hear and speak, read and write. People of ages past used this language to express their greatest joys and deepest sorrows. They used it to worship the one true God of the universe. They employed it to record his word and deeds for the next generation to read aloud and obey. I am very thankful to be here now.

Summer Hebrew - Sidetracks

Today brought back memories. Memories of waking up well before dawn. Memories of packed lunches and painted hands. Memories of sunburn and scaffolding. Memories of learning new skills and leading other people. Memories of painting, woodstaining, and all that goes along with that trade.

Today we helped some friends paint their new apartment before they move in this week. Friends we've only met once or twice before but have a deep bond together in the Messiah. A fiery sunset red, smooth baby blue, and a cool lime green characterized our afternoon. Next we'll return to help some more.

But as for this week, we enter our last week of the Jonah class. By now I can read two whole chapters of the Jonah narrative in the Hebrew text, no translations, no vowels, no kidding! (And I say this not to exaly myself because many others in the class can do this as well.) Tonigh another classmate and I went for a walk and just spoke basic sentences to each other about what we did today and what we would do tomorrow. This after only three weeks! What will three more brings? I'm excited to find out.

Thank you for your prayer support thus far, halfway! Rachel begins teaching swim lessons again this week in Michigan, as for sustaining grace on her behalf. Remember also our friends who are moving - pray for good connections with their new neighbors.

A Clip from Gat Hefer

After a lovely day of study I realized I had forgotten to post anything from our Galilee trip like I planned. So, here's a brief clip from our visit to Gat Hefer, the hometown of Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet whose book we're studying in class. As our instructors said, it's not an exciting place to visit, but certainly exotic. Most of the local inhabitants looked at us rather quizzically as we drew near the historic tell which is entirely unexcavated. But it's also a place the Jesus would have walked past regularly as he went down to the Sea of Galilee from his town of Nazareth as a boy.

Hopefully more tomorrow and some reflections on being half-way through the course...Shabbat Shalom.

Field Trip to Galilee

We just got back from our field trip to Galilee and Gat Hefer, the home of Jonah (the book we're studying). Be sure to check back here and the YouTube page (marcusleman) in coming days for more thoughts, pics, videos, and updates. For now this is just one shot over the Sea of Galilee as we waited for the sun to rise atop a cliff we had conquered. Very peaceful. Shalom.

Summer Hebrew 11 - Freedom

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

I've been reflecting on that description of Jesus lately, and today especially as we remember and celebrate earthly freedoms. How much greater those purchased for us in the Kingdom by our Risen Lamb. Let us continue to pray for the true freedom of America and all the peoples of the world.

I'm thankful today for a restful weekend and to be back into the studies full bore. This time of study is truly a gift which I am thankful for everyday. We were told today that after just two weeks we've learned or been exposed to almost all the vocabulary of Jonah. Amazing!

I'm also thankful for the people I've been able to meet, especially a few guys who are interested in serving future pastors through training in the biblical languages. We've enjoyed many a delightful lunch conversations together.

Rachel and Benaiah are probably enjoying my burger for me right now. I celebrated with a good ol' American PBJ.

Shalom.

Summer Hebrew 09

When I'm not in out little classroom hut or burying my nose in our homework there is great beauty to behold all around me. The Judean hills are so different from the fertile Midwest flatlands or the Minneapolis concrete jungle that I am used to looking over. Even as we read at prayer meeting last night, "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and all those who dwell therein..." (Ps. 24:1)

Studies are going very well as we approach the half-way point in the first 4 week course on Jonah. Once that course is complete I'll be staying for an intermediate course in Genesis 1-3 that is offered for the following two weeks. Rachel is driving today through some of that fertile midwestern flatland as she and Benaiah go to celebrate Independence Day with her family and stay until my return.

Thank you for your prayer on our behalf - for courage, perseverance, focus, discipline, joy, and communion with God.

הודו לאדני כי טוב כי לאולם חסדו

Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Summer Hebrew 08

Greetings and Shalom to you,

Yesterday was an exciting day as we first delved into the book of Jonah. That will be out main course of study for the next 2.5 weeks along with a host of other activities to help us understand the book in Hebrew as Hebrew. Remarkably, by this point in our studies I'm reading the text pictured above (Jonah 1:4-5) out loud in Hebrew and understanding what's going on, no translation! Praise the Lord. Pray that all of us here would be able to proceed with due diligence and ample humility.

Summer Hebrew 07

Talked to Rachel again today - amazed at the gift of technology and the irreplaceability of face to face relationship. Tomorrow morning she begins her trek home to Michigan for the month of July. Benaiah is excited too, it will be his first long car trip facing forward in his car seat!

They'll be spending the month of July at Rachel's parents home in St. Johns. Rachel is planning to teach some backyard swim lessons with her mom, see some old friends, and get in a little relaxation time in the country and at their cabin. Benaiah, well, he doesn't have any plans but everyday is an adventure. I'm sure he'll enjoy getting acquainted with grass, trying out his walking in a bigger house, and getting pushed in the swings grandpa has been hanging up for him.

Pray for them as they drive the next few days. I miss being with them but am very glad they can make this journey and be with family for the next while until I return home.

Shalom to you all in Jesus.

Summer Hebrew 06 - A Day in the Old City

Har Zeytin is its Hebrew name, we know it as the Mount of Olives. I took the long walk up this hill yesterday for the first time. Across the valley from the temple mount was one of Jesus' favorite places to sit and teach. It's also the place where he made his famous prayer for us in John 17. And it was in a garden on this hillside where he was betrayed to his death, a death we have celebrated for millennia because of its eternal implications!

We have studies to fulfill on the weekends but much more time than is needed to complete them. Between rest, exercise, and soaking in the beautiful Judean countryside a few of us decided to travel to Jerusalem and see the Old City. After 8 hours of exploring just this small section of greater Jerusalem I can say that there is still so much more to see - perhaps another weekend.

One of the sights that struck me the most was seeing two groups of Christian pilgrims carrying crosses through the streets of Jerusalem, praying aloud, singing, and seeking to remember our Lord's great work of redemption. What struck me even more was that the first group I saw was clothed in all white and of obvious African descent. The second group, though not color coordinated, was all of Asian descent. How beautiful the body of Christ from every tongue and tribe and people and nation (Rev. 5:9).

Summer Hebrew 05

We have officially finished our first week, whew! So far we've communicatively used over 200 Biblical Hebrew words, learned three songs and began learning the Shema, moved from hesitant speakers to giving commands and answering questions in Biblical Hebrew (making lots of mistakes, of course!), and just today we began the book of Jonah.

This picture is from the end of our class period today where we prepared to welcome in the Sabbath. This is usually done in the evening among family but we did it before parting ways. To do this Dr. Buth, pictured here, taught us about the blessings we would say and the culture behind it. He did this almost entirely in Biblical Hebrew - and praise the Lord, most of us understood most of what he was saying most of the time!

We used something similar to the blessings that Jesus would have used at the last supper to bless God, the King over everything, giver of the fruit of the vine and bread from the earth. And may he be praised for this wonderful week of learning, may he be honored in all those who have supported us in prayer and by financial means and through encouragement, may he be magnified in the coming days of rest and study - through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thanks for your support. Shalom.

Summer Hebrew 04

Boker Tov! Every morning I wake up, shower, spend time in private worship and then step out the door to face my new host culture. "Boker tov" is their simple "good morning" statement. When I get up to the dining hall I'm greeted by this - a lovely kosher breakfast. Actually, it's a buffet so I can chose what I like but this is my normal fare: hard yellow cheese, a few eggs, salad (peppers, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, wet white cheese), juice, milk, tea, and pita with honey. [meat and dairy cannot be mixed in kosher settings]

Usually I sit by an open window and spend some time reading Pilgrim's Progress before class starts while eating my breakfast. Today Christian met and parted ways with Mr. Formality and Mr. Hypocrisy who entered the narrow way from the city of Vain-Glory. It seems that in this land where I am a guest religion has lots of formality, lots of legality, and yet sadly misses the narrow way.

Pray for me and the various peoples God has placed me among for the summer. May it be replete with worshipful language learning and witness-conscious living. Shalom.

Summer Hebrew 03

Short update tonight but a fantastic day!
-I got to watch my little buddy play for almost an hour on Skype today. He's having great fun with mommy, Mimi, and aunt Courtney. (I think he misses daddy though :-(
-Got a glimpse of a wild antelope on my run today through the countryside.
-Spoke a full sentence in Hebrew to an Israeli and was understood!
-Hosted a wonderful prayer meeting in our hotel room tonight for all the students.
-Tomorrow I may be going to Jerusalem for the first time!

Contrary to what the picture may seem to indicate, our teacher actually do like one another. Here they are just demonstrating some Hebrew vocabulary for us as we were introduced to the sacrificial system. 95% of the class time is in Biblical Hebrew so they will do almost anything to help us understand without giving us a translation. This makes for a pretty wild four hours every morning!

Thanks for your prayers. Shalom.

"A Blast from the Past," or so it seemed. Upon arrival in Israel 3 days ago we met some friends at a popular shopping mall near the airport. I knew our quest would take us to some historical places, but I didn't expect this! (Don't worry, they're not real.)

This was just a small surprise from our initial days - which are common in international travel - but here are a few more serious ones:

-How expensive a taxi is on the Sabbath
-How in your face the culture can be
-How open people are to talking about what Americans would consider too deep for public conversations (i.e.- religion and personal faith)
-How clear the Muslim call to prayer echoes through the valley beneath my hotel
-How beautiful the Kibbutz is that we're staying at
-How much fun it can be to learn another language, especially a "dead" one

Thank you for your prayer. Shalom

Summer Hebrew - Day 01

We finished our first day of Hebrew class at 12:30 today and I hadn't written down a thing! In fact, the teachers encouraged us not to write anything, even when we got back to our rooms. The key learning words this summer are: relax, enjoy, absorb.

Now, after that description it may seem like we didn't do a thing today, but in fact we were very busy. Though we knew some of the vocabulary coming into class, we interacted in a living setting with approximately 70 different Biblical Hebrew words or forms in just 4 hours.

I have some homework to do later this afternoon and then we're required to get 8 hours of sleep. Ha! How's that for homework.

Many thanks to all who are praying for our family and for my studies. Here's just one photo off my balcony of the hill-country just north-west of Jerusalem. (we're on top of one of the taller hills)

Greetings family, friends, and supporters. I've arrived safely in Israel. Last night we (myself, Scott, and his wife Vanessa) met with some friends who live locally. They gave us a brief introduction to the land and to the people who call Israel home. It was very helpful.

After a stop at the grocery store we hired a taxi to take us and our luggage to the Kibbutz. The airport is on the west coast of Israel and the Kibbutz hotel where we are staying is near Jerusalem in the center of the country. So, it was quite a ride with our cabby Yosi who at times expertly navigated one-lane roads through the mountains.

I hope to be posting pictures and videos from the days to come. Today is a time for rest and reflection - tonight is orientation - tomorrow classes begin at 8am.

Rachel and Benaiah are doing well. It's sad to be missing them on our first Father's day but they slipped a card in my bag before I left. We're holding on to the promise Jesus made to us, "everyone who has left (lit.- let go, released) houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."

We are grateful for your prayers during this season of our lives and preparation.

Back From the Dead...7 Days and Counting

After a three days in the dehumidifying process, it appears the Lord has spared our computer. It got splashed with some water last week and I was pretty sure it was finished. But apparently we acted fasted enough and the Jesus who holds the universe together by the word of his power kept water from going down into the sensitive innards. Whew...relief.

So, a brief apology to all for any delayed emails, etc...

This morning we packed my backpack and prayed together. This week will go far too fast. And I will miss mornings like this...

A Video Worth 98 Minutes

It's two men, sitting in chairs, talking about doctrine...but it's worth your watching. Carve it up into 10 minute segments or watch it all at once. May the Lord bless your viewing.

VIDEO

The 17 Day Countdown

Summer days sure do fly when the strictures of school are laid aside. But we have certainly not been wasting the time, especially since the weather has been so chaotic. Rachel is working through a bag of books Grandma Leman gave to her, I cracked my 600pg "concise" history of the Middle East, and if you haven't seen the video's...Benaiah's walking. In fact, today he pretty much preferred to walk instead of crawl whenever possible. Very amazing!

But we're also busy praying and prepping for our summer adventures. So far we've received 65% of our needed financial support for the summer as I prepare for my language learning in Israel. Rachel, while dreading the day I leave, is also very excited to be free from her work schedule for a while and go home to Michigan, only to be teaching more lessons there. But she assures me that those are way different :-)

Many of you have mentioned that you are praying for us and we greatly appreciate knowing that. It may seem a small sacrifice for me to give up my summer to go learn Hebrew in Israel, bigger for Rachel who is letting me go. But we're looking at this as something God has called us to pursue - with whatever future possibilities it opens up. (e.g.-like the fall Hebrew course I'll be co-teaching here at Bethlehem) So, please continue to pray for us as the Lord leads - I've been leaning into the everlasting God of Isaiah 40:28-31 lately in my prayers, perhaps you can join us there.

Here is an intermediate level video from the school I'll be attending - though it is all in Koine Greek, you'll still get a flavor of what the second half of my summer will look like.

YouTube Star

Greetings to all our beloved readers. We'll still post videos and pictures to the blog, but I also wanted to alert you to our YouTube page. There are two new videos of Benaiah walking. Yes, walking! Go check them out.

Read the Bible this Summer

Wanting to read the whole Bible in a year. My Old Testament professor has come out with a reading plan that takes you through a Law, Prophets, Writings, & New Testament reading everyday. Download it and read more here.

Halfway Reflections

It occurred to me the yesterday as I walked home from class - 2 years of seminary are past, 2 more ahead. What a ride this has been and we're still in the saddle by God's grace.

This journey to Israel over the summer seems a fitting halfway house to describe the last two years: learning languages, studying history, wrestling through theology, the birth of our son, serving in global outreach...and now a journey to the land where our faith was born.

The God who called us to pursue this education in Minneapolis and this summer in Israel has been faithful to carry us this far. And through the many kindnesses of friends and family we're also felt the tangible love of God through his people. Our apartment will be filled with families from our cohort tonight - the brothers and sisters that Jesus promised when we commit to following him.

Thank you for your prayers - we always love to hear from you! Next week, an update on plans for the summer.

July 2008

August 2009

April 2010

January 2011

May 2011

Defining Terms

You can judge the quality of a book when it is still life-giving the fourth or fifth time you read it! I'm finishing off Let the Nations be Glad for my final class period tomorrow – and I was struck again. This time it was something simple but extremely helpful.

What is a missionary? The term is not found in the Bible, it's root is Latin meaning "sent." But even if the term is not in the Bible, is the concept there?

One of our pastors here at Bethlehem gives a short answer from 3 John 7, "they went out on behalf of the name [Jesus], accepting nothing from the Gentiles [pagan nations]." He comments, "here is perhaps the best definition of a missionary in the New Testament...a missionary is propelled by a deep love for the name and glory of God" (LNBG 2003, p.237).

So, let us test our own motives day in and day out. Are we people living for the fame of God's name? And for those willing to be sent out and go to places where there is very little witness for Jesus, let us make sure God is our motive and that God is goal.

Thinking of Eternity

We just arrived back in Minneapolis from a 2 graduations. One was my brother-in-law's graduation from college, the other was my uncle's graduation from this life to the next. Someone sent me this video and I don't have words to describe it, just watch and worship...

Booked! Better! Breaking!


Much has transpired recently but we've been too out of commission to write about it. Two weeks ago, through a number of generous support gifts, God provided just under half of our support needs for the summer so we booked the plane tickets. Soon thereafter Rachel and I came down with a debilitating stomach illness and only just have gotten back to normal eating. (thankfully Benaiah was spared this sickness) And now we're celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ by being with family and breaking from our normal routine.


Today we were hiking in the Wasatch national forest and ran into a rather interesting predicament - the bridge over the rushing creek was covered in 10 feet of snow. The peak of this pile was packed, icy, and only 12 inches wide! Carrying Benaiah on my back, I could tell we should not trifle with this the icy path. You can see the result below

One month until the semester ends. Two months until I leave for Israel, Two and a half until Rachel heads back to Michigan. Thank you for your continued prayers during this pressure filled time in our lives that God would sustain us through these years of study and direct us for the future.


Here are a few more pics from recent events:

Playing with Pops at my Park!

My first wave pool, bring it on.

There's no place like...Omaha?

Rachel, Benaiah, and Becky just got back from a road trip to see cousin Jake and aunt Cheryl. They had lots of fun as you can probably tell. Meanwhile, back in the Norseland I was holding down the fort. I just about got all the snow melted before they returned.

Hanging in the Jungle

A Couple of Sub-Mariners

Can I go Swimming, Mom?

Everyone enjoying the slides!

Even space cowboys need to hold mommy's hand still.

We're Breaking, When Does Spring Arrive?


Today began my spring break from studies here at Bethlehem Seminary. While we're happy to see the six foot high snow banks melting down to the size of small shrubbery - when does spring arrive? I saw some red-headed sparrows outside my window this morning, but when does spring arrive? My wife is now wearing flip-flops on a daily basis, but when does spring arrive? My running shoes are feeling neglected, when does spring arrive?


I think it's like a lot of things in our walk with God, we wake up one morning and somethings we've been longing for are here. We struggle and fight and pray for more faith and one day face a trial where we notice - it's here, although still imperfect. We long and fight and pray for release from a besetting sin that almost seems to be part of our personality and one day we feel its grip released, though it remains crouching at the doorstep.


These are vague generalizations, proverbs if you will. But what's most important is that one day soon I'll wake up and cast off the mantle of winter because spring is here. Even so, come Lord Jesus, we await the eternal spring of your presence.


From the sublime to the... well, you can label them...

We got a little fussy, so the bottle became a prop.

My new favorite place to play, the couch!

Why is this monkey attached to my pants?

Dad builds with blocks and I eat them.

Mum, could you fetch the Rolls-Royce for me?

So it Begins!


Even though we've been offline lately, many of you have been keeping up with us and know about our new language learning venture.  About one month ago we began a basic curriculum in preparation for my studies in Israel this summer. (Rachel's doing the pre-course studies with me :-)  If you have time you can watch this video and see how we're learning biblical Hebrew.



It's a basic audio-lingual method that helps you connect the meaning straight to the target language without translation.  This helps get the language inside the learner instead of learning about the language as some sort of external entity.


Today I just sent in my registration for 6 weeks of study in Israel where this curriculum will be followed up by 8 hour days of immersion in Biblical Hebrew.  We'll target the books of Genesis and Jonah during those six weeks of class time, personal study, field trips, and other interaction with speakers of modern Hebrew in the community.  Lord willing this will be followed up by two years of teach Hebrew here at Bethlehem, a master's thesis, and beyond that as the Lord would see fit to use us... (feel free to contact us if you want more details :-)


Meanwhile, we're making plans for Rachel and Benaiah to be in Michigan over the summer with Rachel's family.  She'll be teaching swim lessons and enjoying summer-time in the country. (It can get pretty hot here in Minneapolis.)  So, please pray for us as we make this venture out of our comfort zones as we follow God step by step.  Pray for focus and endurance as we face this summer.  Pray for financial provision as we have some funds saved but not the full amount and will need to raise some support.  Pray for us to hear his voice more clearly over the summer as we seek his direction for our time beyond seminary.


And as for Benaiah, he just keeps on smiling and swimming.  Kick, buddy, kick!

Star Student!

The Little Monkey Fell Asleep

Trying to Play with Dad's Books

Daily Bible Reading & Middle-East Unrest

Here's a thought I had after reading God's word this morning and the news at noon:

Days of protest in a few cities have turned into weeks of unrest across the major cities of the Middle East.  Some are chanting slogans for economic, political, and domestic reform.  Others are chanting for the death of certain individuals they see as the cause of their hardships.  News commentators are all over the place in terms of predictions and implications of these events.  But when God spoke about the later times by the prophet Zechariah, we know his words are certain, "I will changed the speech of the people to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord" (Zech. 3:9 ESV).  For them to call upon the name of Jesus and begin living a life of service to the true King requires God to change their speech.  Join in praying today that these movements of unrest would serve as Kingdom movements of God changing the peoples of the Middle East to praise him with pure speech.

Home Again, Home Again


It felt like spring standing outside my Africa themed guest-room.  Clouds were rolling by from a recent rainstorm and I was watching the pond to see if our neighborhood alligator had been stirred up.  There were five of us from Bethlehem at this conference providing some wonderful community in which to process the sessions together.  The main point of these three days was to discuss how to meaningfully communicate the message of Jesus Christ to Muslims without going too far and thus compromising that message; missiologists call this "contextualization."  We are the recipients of someone else's work of contextualization (i.e.-we don't live and think like 1st Century Middle Eastern Jews) and we should be diligent and faithful laborers to help make the gospel meaningfully understood in all cultures.


Here are just a few of my take-aways from the weekend:


1) God moves in mysterious and wonderful ways to draw people(s) to himself.  We should be ready to rejoice at testimonies of this amazing deeds like the angels in heaven.  We should also be careful not to assume that a miraculous work of God should then become our standard for outreach.


2) God's Word does not tell us what to do in every situation we'll face in life, that's why He also gave us prayer and the Holy Spirit.  But we must not be too quick to assume that God's word has nothing to say about most situations we'll face.  On the contrary, this is why we are to be diligent "Bereans" in God's word ourselves and why we set apart certain people in our congregations (i.e.- elders) to study even more deeply and help us connect the dots our own study may pass over.


3) Islam is a religion that has stipulations for everyday life, for politics, and for relating to other faiths.  Christianity is also a set of beliefs and practices build around the teachings of Jesus and his apostles, affirming and fulfilling the Old Testament writings as well.  But there is something about Islam that forces a certain conformity to a more rigid set of principles (e.g.-dietary laws, patterns of dress, even the precise form of prayer).  Jesus taught his disciples about the content of their prayer but never an exact form.  This is one of the major differences between these two worldviews.  One carries a uniform system around the world seeking outward conformity and the other carries a central message seeking to transform the world from the inside out.


4) Muslims need to know Jesus the Messiah and we must take the initiative to love, serve, and bless them.  If they encounter him in the transformed life of his followers and through his living and active word, they don't need to become "Christians" exactly like we express our faith.  I do believe it is not appropriate for them to continue in the Muslim faith but should certainly seek to retain aspects of their heart-culture.  And we can be confident that since they have taken on a new identity in Christ and having been indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are now governed by the Bible - whether Arab, Afar, Uzbek, Pashtun, or Malay - their expression of faith in Jesus will help form one of the beautiful and distinct aspects of the great throng around the throne of the Lamb from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9, 7:9).


Pray that the leaven of God's Kingdom would truly spread among these communities, that God would call out his sheep from blind wandering, and that the Light of Christ would dispel the darkness, especially in these tumultuous days.

Geeky, I guess...


OK, I'll admit it.  I did just spend the last 45 minutes creating a tool on my computer bible program to be able to search and link to all the map files the came with my ESV atlas - my wife just laughed at me when I tried to show her how sweet it was.  Oh well!


We're all thanking the Lord for better health this week.  It's good to see Benaiah crawling all over the place and up to his daredevil explorations again.  He had an excellent swimming lesson this week and would peacefully float on his back, stare at the fish on the ceiling, and kick those chubby little legs.  Good job buddy!


Next week I'll be heading to a conference in Orlando as part of my internship.  Yep, Orlando - I've been getting grief over that for months now :-)  I guess I'll just have to enjoy being cooped up in air-conditioned buildings for all three of us.  The conference topic is quite controversial these days and should make for some very thought provoking discussion - "can a follow of Jesus who was once a Muslim consider himself a true Muslim and remain within Islam?"  This also makes for a very timely discussion as riots and uncertainty grip much of North Africa and parts of the Muslim world.  May the Peace of Jesus Christ come upon them all!


Thank you for your prayers on our behalf.  Rachel continues to work faithfully as a swim teacher and loves her days as a stay at home mom.  I'm so grateful to be studying the wealth of God's word - going deeper everyday.  And Benaiah enjoys the adventure of every moment...and so do we.