The Good, the Bad, and the Nausea

Greetings and salutations. We have arrived in Uganda and are now enjoying the settling in our bellies of breakfast at the Eby estate, or as Flem (Aaron that is) calls it, The Garden of Eden Part 2.

Goodie and Flem were able to share the gospel on the trip, while KK and Spencer worked on fleshing out how to convey the gospel within their own testimonies. Kendall slept a lot, and was very nauseated with motion sickness and airline food. Short beat me soundly in a game of Reversi, and I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks and thought a lot. Kendall told me, as I sat next to her on the plane, that I drool when I sleep; I thought: "Well, you sleep with your mouth wide open." But I didn't tell her that...

It was good to be in Europe again, as we spent a layover in Amsterdam. It's very familiar to me; I lived in Germany for a number of years and traveled abroad while residing there. It seems some things never change... Goodie and I were walking through an electronics store within the Airport to find a plug adapter for the laptop, and there, in the movie section, first row and spanning the entire rack, were all adult movies... To give you an idea, it was eye level with a 10 year-old's height. There was even a casino in the airport, and a multi-faith meditation room... This has been flashing through my mind and mixing in with the scene from CS Lewis' "Last Battle" where the dwarves are stuck in the same room with Eustace and Jill. The dwarves see only a black hole and keep thinking the human kids are going to hurt them or take things from them. But Eustace and Jill find themselves at a feast, a banquet table... Someone tries to give one of the dwarves some food from the table, but the dwarf is unable to taste the succulent meal. And it is revealed that they are simply unable to taste the goodness of the feast because they refuse to see beyond themselves... I was saddened at the airport.

I am set upon by a more intentional and purposeful mentality, at least call it thus because 1) I have two weeks in Uganda and need to make the most of it, 2) for what other purpose do I serve as one being sent, and 3) the end conclusion of all my ponderings still are God... Piper wrote: "evangelism means depicting the beauty of Christ and his saving work with a heartfelt urgency of love that labors to help people find their satisfaction in him."

I wonder if as we grow, part of our growth is our weaning off of "good" things into a single-mindedness of the reality that we really are satisfied in Christ, and Christ alone. As babes we dance with shadows, but when we are grown up we pass from the fanciful shadows to dance instead with the Shadow-Caster Himself.

That day of rest and knowing just as we are known will come soon, just not today. And today, there is much work to be done.

I woke up this morning at 3:30 or so Uganda time. I lay in bed till about 5 am, then got up and read and watched the sunrise over Kampala. I read this morning: "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law of righteousness for everyone who believes." (Romans 10:1-4)

May we all reveal this reality of God's mercy and grace, in deed and in action, in life and in death. Whatever part of the body of Christ that we may be, may we be it, and may we rejoice in the work of God at hand; laboring as ambassadors, God making His appeal through us, and through you, to reconcile all who will receive His Word...

Continue to pray for us, and we will do the same for you. Living, laboring, and loving with you all; for the King.

-Matt