"Why God..."

My best friend told me the other day that every time I share a new story with her of God working in my life it reminds her of how intricately God is involved in our lives. I was thinking about this and all the conversations I have had with people all over the world. It seems that everywhere I go people are trying to come up with an explanation to replace a loving caring God. I don’t quite understand this, it almost seems as if a loving caring God seems too good to be true so people try to explain Him away or replace Him with some other religious practice that involves more rules. Well I have always been a loud preacher that our God is intimate and how He will show Himself to those who are available. Well here I am, I couldn't be more available than right now and yet it has been a really hard past few weeks. Looking back today I can of course see God's hand every step of the way but in the moment I remember being extremely confused and I even remember looking up to the raging PNG sun and wondering if God was really there. I remember the morning we tried to cross the border into Papua New Guinea. Everyone told us we needed to apply for our visa's ahead of time but the consulate was closed until the following Tuesday and this was a Saturday so we conjured up all our faith and put ourselves out on the line. I remember riding in our little mini bus on the way to the border, my 40 pound bag on my lap and having such a strong confidence that God was going to show us a miracle and get us across that border. Well 4 hours later we were back to the border town now with no money, the bank closed and huge disappointment on our hearts. I felt hurt like I had been wronged for having faith. It's easy to look back today and tell everyone "oh it was a good character building time, God always uses those moments to test us” but in that moment, I remember sitting on my backpack in that empty gravel parking lot looking out onto the open water of the ocean and asking, "why God...you really hurt me today" not that God had to get us to Indonesia, in fact He doesn’t have to do anything for us I mean really hasn’t He done enough? I have breathe everyday, that’s from Him isn’t it? So I guess what I am trying to say that in those moments when you feel like the world is falling apart and God has let you down don't forget who gave you breathe in the first place. We had a tough weekend waiting for that border to open up but I must say without it being cliché that God was leading our every step and yes my character was stretched. The day we finally got to Indonesia we caught a flight all the way to Jakarta where God blew me away. As we were standing in that airport our hearts beating faster as our bags didn’t show up I remember turning to the guys and saying, "this could really turn into a blessing, lets see what God has up His sleeve” Well a few hours later we found ourselves in a beautiful home, a bowl of rice in front of us and the experience I have always dreamed about. Do you know those times when you imagine something and how amazing it would be? "Oh that would be so cool if we could...” Well mine was to stay in the home of a Muslim family. It was a dream come true, sitting around a table shoveling down rice with our hands and talking about our faiths together. We even asked them to say their prayer in Arabic before the meal and we said ours. Lukeman, Uni, Nova, Feby and Jimmy, here's to you, you are amazing. It is times like those that make me really wonder if the God that we are serving is so much bigger than we think He is. Well to give a brief update things are looking on the up and up for us. South East Asia is an interesting world of scooters and squatty potties. We are always doing our best to be culturally involved but there is something about squatting over a hole with a water hose in your hand that just doesn’t seem right. But I suppose Malaysia is an upgrade from the Indonesian culture, which will look at you funny if you use your left hand for eating because the hose doesn’t exist in Indonesia but rather a bucket of water, you figure out the rest. We had great day touring the booming metropolis of Singapore and hope to be in Thailand in 2 days time. We are all excited to be on the road again and can’t wait for our parents to get here in 2 weeks. Things are feeling pretty positive for us and on the bright side of things Jordan finally saw the doctor about his rash he has been hiding and the doctor tells Jordan he has got to start wearing underwear, if only he had listened to his mother a long time ago, but as all rebellion has a consequence now Jordan has met his, so after he figured what size he might be after the last time (10 years ago) he got some brand new briefs. So Jordan is feeling much better and should be up and kicking in at least a weeks time. As for my skin fungus my stubbornness has yet to give in and it only grows but I am sure it will go away any day now. Well as the good Lord gives us breathe and leads our every step, we shall follow. Daniel

Jakarta

After leaving PNG we had a strong sense lingering with us of caution. Thinking 'what else will go wrong?'. For example when we sitting on the plane to leave Jayapura, still we questioned if we were truly able to leave, or if at any moment the flight attendant may come and ask us to get off for some kind of delay. However, I had a strong hope and belief that God will not delay our plans any further as we left PNG. On Wednesday we caught a flight across Indonesia Landing in Jakarta in the evening. When we got off the plane to collect our bags we could not find them, any of them. I remembered our ticket stubs for our bags were on my ticket, which I had left in the pocket in front of my seat on the plane. We had no bags, and no proof that we had bags. It happened to be a flight where we left more things in our undercarriage than ever before. Panic struck the three of us, and perhaps anger towards me for the loss of the stubs. We stood there in the empty airport in a foreign country with no bags, no plan, and no one we knew. Hard to imagine that God was working out a pretty sweet deal for us. An airport worker named Lukeman walked up to us with his airport uniform, he asked us what our situation was, and began working to solve our problem. He sent people to retrieve the ticket from the plane, called all the airports of our transfers, and began doing everything possible to track our lost luggage. Lukeman assured us that perhaps the flights tomorrow would bring our bags if we came back the next day. But he was unable to get us a hotel because he could not contact anyone to authorize that payment. He began to look for anyway to help us, and found that all he could offer was him home. We were shocked, he was willing take us three foreigners into him home until he found our luggage. A few minutes later he received a call from his people that were searching. They informed Lukeman that our bags were found in a warehouse and would be 10 minutes for them to get them to us. We when we finally had our bags in our hands, and our stress lifted from us. Lukeman said to us, we would still be able to stay with him in his home if we liked his offer. We did like it and took his offer and went home from work with him, and met his entire Muslim family that soon became our huge blessing. We spent the next three days with the family, eating with them in their beautiful home and going with them to the Fantastic World Theme Park with the family. In our 3-day stay with the family, we learnt so much about the Indonesian Culture, the Muslim traditions and met new people who we hope to someday visit again. We found that having our luggage misplaced was the way God lead us to meet a different culture in a foreign place through a very great family. Kenton

Escape From PNG

What should have been a simple two day exit route became a stretched out Jail sentence of two weeks. No matter how hard we tried we could not get transport to leave the country. We took a PMV to Madang and even on the way there, a simple taxi ride, the driver got stuck in a river and we had to help to get unstuck and outta the river. Then once we arrived in Madang, we booked our boat tickets to go to Vanamo. But then outta nowhere the day we planned to leave on the boat, there was a tsunami warning and everything was shut down. The boats were delayed, everyone had abandoned the city. People were left waiting for food in restaurants and everyone was running down the streets in a panicked state. So then we had to figure out how to get a refund for our boat tickets and get another way outta Madang. We found a plane ticket but it only went half way, so we took it. That flight brought us to Wewak, from there all the boats and flights were cancelled because of the tsunami, so we spent some time there trying to get away. Finally a guy gave us a ride to the next town and said that there would be boats from there. So we took the ride and went to Adepai where we ended up having to wait again for a little banana boat to take us to Vanamo. After watching heaps of boats leave with out us, a local man helped us to get on board one of these little vessels. From there it was a five-hour ride filled with big waves, water splashing and really sore bums. But we were excited because we had made it to Vanamo, and therefore we were just a short one-hour drive from the border and freedom! But then as soon as we got our hopes up the famous PNG saying, "Expect the unexpected" happened yet again. Because of the Easter holiday everything was closed down for the next five days. The consulate was closed, the borders were closed, all of the stores were closed, and even the banks were not open. So during that time we lived off of crackers and noodles. Once our money ran out we started a tab with a little snack shop so we could still get noodles to eat. It was a complete ruckus, and we were not impressed by the whole scenario. But after a short five-day wait there we finally got a visa to enter Indonesia and we caught the first PMV that we could get and made our escape from PNG! I am really hoping that the movie about this part of our trip is released soon. Although I am not so sure if it will be a suspense movie or a comedy! Either way we escaped and we are now on our journey to meet our parents in Thailand! Lehmann

We will be entering into a stint of travel from Madang to Indo. Where we may not have much internet access, so we will be having to respond to you emails and comments at a latter date. Off for now. We have a boat to catch.

Ukurumpa Life

Our time here in Papua New Guinea, although different from what we had anticipated has been full of blessings. The renovation project on the teen center has been coming along slow and steady. Which truly is encouraging to see. It is something tangible that is growing each day and we see the results of our labor. Also we have been blessed so much by the community here. Different families have gone out of their way to have us over for meals. So here is a big shout out to the Clements, Russells and the Banks. Thank you so much for opening your homes and tables to us and especially thank you for the friendship that you have shown to we three. Just recently the opportunity came up to go on a medical excursion to a small village. As we pulled up in our land cruiser all of the small children of the village ran behind the SUV yelling and waving with big smiles on their faces. In the village everyone was bare feet and lived in small grass huts. Playing with the kids and entertainment fell upon us as the nurses examined the babies and sick in the village. So we played games with the kids and mostly ran around laughing and chasing them. We also had the chance to put on a small concert for the village which was a fantastic sight. A whole village gathered around the three of us while we sang worship songs and praised our Lord. They kept shouting for more songs every time we tried to stop. But eventually one of the guitar strings gave out and it brought the music to an end. This past weekend we were honored to be asked to chaperone the grade 12 guys road trip to Lae, a small city on the coast. The weekend was an amazing time of swimming, playing full contact sports and having some amazing talks with the guys. It was such a privilege getting to know these young men who are about to be stepping into a new world of work, university and figuring out a new step in life. We got to share our stories about college and what we have experienced since leaving high school. We are hoping to see some of these guys in November when we get home attending FGBC, the college we all went to. Tomorrow is our last full day here in Ukurumpa and although we are excited to get back on the road we will also be sad to leave such good friends behind and the distinct land of PNG. This far corner of the world although remote and difficult to get to is an amazing place. It is a land of contrasts, people who can be ferocious warriors and also the most friendly loving people willing to walk an extra mile to help a person out. Because of the tribal living here it is still a country of different dialects, tribal warfare and close family bonds , but it lacks the unity as a whole nation because of these unique aspects. I do not think that we will find a place like it in the rest of the world. We have been blessed to be here, it has left a mark on all three of us in many distinct ways. Lehmann

Life on the Colony

A few months ago when booking plane tickets I thought to myself, If we fly into Bali Indonesia it's really close to Papua New Guinea so we should have no trouble finding transport into the country. Well we did find transport but I wouldn’t exactly say that it was easy. After 2 small domestic flights, 4 days stranded in a small town, 1 day sitting in a consulate office for visas, 5 hours in an extremely smelly cramped mini bus and 1 walk across a river we have arrived. I would like to say it is the hardest travel we have done so far but fortunate for us most people in this county actually speak English making finding information extremely. I must say that the people of PNG are the most friendly people we have met in the 12 countries so far. Everyone we meet goes out of their way to guide us around. We even had a fellow take us around the entire town of Vanimo. Vanimo is a small town on the border of PNG. We arrived to this town in hopes of catching a boat south seeing as how roads do not exist. We found out the boat comes once a week and just left the previous day. So we booked a flight hoping to leave the next day. After them filling the plane without us we had to wait out the weekend, then on Monday the plane didn’t show up and so Tuesday late afternoon we took the 2 hour 10 passenger plane to the city of Madang, city of flying foxes (gigantic bats filling the skies). With hearts of expectation we entered PNG and being stranded in Vanimo was one of those moments where you keep looking over your shoulder wondering what God had up His sleeve. Well, we were quickly introduced to the Mr. John Barry. John came to PNG as a lay missionary years ago and today runs a shipping company and grocery store. We were told he had a cheap guesthouse for us to stay in. What the town people don't know is that by cheap he means free! Vanimo is a peninsula beach town and in fact feels just like a small island. Every person we walked by said hello and most shook our hands. We quickly found ourselves on the beach with about 25 little black kids, throwing them through the air into the water and building sweet sand castles. We had a great time and yet again God was faithful to cross our paths with many people giving us multiple opportunities to share our faith. We eventually got to Madang and took the 5 hour van ride up to the mountains of PNG. The highway bridge was out so we walked across and transferred vans a very interesting experience. When we arrived to Ukarumpa it was like nothing was had expected or hoped. We are pretty much living on a missionary version of a Hutterite colony. This is a center for people translating the Bible into the surrounding tribal languages and so the missionaries all kind of conglomerate together. I am positive it is the biggest missionary center in the world. With over 1000 missionaries all living in one small gated community. So we found ourselves doing to prep to frame an addition on the youth building. We had high hopes of living and working in some foreign village in the heart of PNG and this place is sure foreign alright but in a whole different way. The people here are great and we know that God has things in store. The work that Wycliff does here is fascinating and we are pleased to be a part of it for this short time. Dan

Prayer Request

Well we are at somewhat of a standstill right now in our journey. We just arrived here in Bali a little while ago and the plan was to travel slowly through Indo to Papua New Guinea and there build a school. But it looks as though this is going to be extremely difficult and very expensive. So apparently there are no flights from here to PNG unless we go back through Australia. Which would cost around three thousand for us to do that. So now we are looking into taking a shipping route that leads us from Dempansar to Jayapura. Then from there we would have to somehow charter a boat into PNG and then take transport of somekind to our destination in PNG. This is all a lot to consider and pray about. Our desire is to be in the will of God wherevere that leads us and whatever that cost may be. We are aware of the many different ministries here in Indo as well as all around South East Asia that we can get involved with. But we are truly seeking the Lords direction for what to do. So please we ask that anyone reading this would pray for wisdom and discernment for the three of us. That we would know without a shadow of a doubt where our next steps should be. We are stoked for the unknown adventures that lay before us and what God has in store over the next little while. Thank you so much for your prayers, we look forward to seeing where they take us. Lehmann

Bali

As we walked out of the airport here in Bali, we were able to pause and smile as we look around seeing the prices. Australia was wonderful, and God provided for our needs while we were there, but I've found a bit of ease coming to a place where you have such cheep prices.

Yesterday I was laying on the beach and was approached by a man selling a cross bow and a blow dart gun, both of which you would clearly need while relaxing on the ocean side. I began considering how ridicules it would be for me to buy this. So my response was clear that I didn't want it. However, because of my persistence in not wanting to buy, the price began dropping rapidly... By the time I had Him down to $1 U.S. I began to inspect it and ask him to demonstrate how well it worked, as I was suspicious of my incredible bartering skills. It seemed like a great purchase but as I thought of trying to explain to officials at customs the reason for carrying a blow dart gun, I decided not to buy. Jordan although, came to Bali with an agenda, as you find in the picture above, he was able to find a few ladies who were willing to give his mullet braided extensions. As we all know the anticipation of having a long flowing mullet is just excruciating, and he was able to speed it up for a small price. Unfortunately the braids were not able to withstand the crashing waves of a few days of surfing, and he will just have to wait the old fashion way. As the saying goes 'good things come to those who wait.'

We have been able to rent scooters since we've been here, and go surfing which has been a blast. But the interesting part of being here in this country is their rituals. The Hindu life is so incredibly different, they have such a respect for people pasted on and it is seen everywhere. People each day lay burning incense with special flowers and crackers all over in respect to their Hindu way of thinking. There is a large spectrum of what people think about religion or purpose in life. Often the travelers of the world we meet, are very open to many things and committed to living life as they feel is right. Now we are meeting a culture of people who have a belief system that leads them to perform rituals each day, and it has been a part of their lives from a very young age. We hope to explore more into the thinking of the Hindu religion to find more of how their worldview allows them to find purpose and happiness. It has been so incredible meeting so many people and learning about how they live and what they live life for. It has been cool to even sometimes share our own view of life. For the next little while we will be traveling an unknown path east, and would appreciate your prayers. Kenton.

Meeting Mick Dundee

The three weeks in Australia is coming to an end. It has been a fascinating time of meeting amazing people that have blessed us immensely. I have found that coming to Byron Bay has led me into a time of rejuvenation. I have been inspired to dream and think of fresh new ideas for my life and for the future. There is a brilliance to this little surf community that inspires the soul and makes ones spirit jump to life. A big part of this inspiration is just the accepting people here. They have reached out to us so much and just made us feel at home. And truly it has been not like just visiting, but instead a place where we could be ourselves a true home filled with family. We have discovered so many individuals that just on a day to day basis go out of there way to demonstrate their faith in practical ways. Whether that is taking a hitch hiker the extra five miles, or just taking the time to listen to how someone is feeling in any particular moment. I have drank deep of this unique culture, the surf, the BBQ's and the people, and that has left a permanent mark upon my character. Lehmann

One step at a time

Landing into Australia was almost like coming home, I say almost cause it is plus 35 instead of -35. Everywhere we turned we could hear English, it was a beautiful sound. The streets are paved everywhere we can communicate with everyone and they even have real Nacho's. Yes coming to Australia has been a very nice breather. Before arrival we all really felt like God had something in store for aussie so we didn't make any calls except to the legendary Cortez who has been our fourth traveller for the past 2 weeks. After meeting Curtis in Sydney we rented a car and went inland where we found ourselves picking pumpkins in the 36 degree sun. It was less than exciting but more than boring and we payed for our time here in aussie. We hit the North Coast and found ourselves in a town called Byron bay not knowing a soul, where to go or what to do. This is where the one step at a time comes in. I have found that it is in the moments of complete availability that we really see the divine hand of God in our lives. And when we step out He is more than faithful. We found out there was a YWAM base here and so showed up after many wrong turns we were welcomed with open arms and have had a blast with them ever since. We also found ourselves in a little church called the surfside church, upon the first 10 minutes of arrival Pastor Sid asked if we would do the service on Sunday morning. So here we are I still have to try to think of how in the world we got here. I remember the 3 of us prayed one night in Tahiti and God giving us such a peace that He had something in Store for Australia and that He had people there that He wanted us to meet. Everyday we are meeting new people and sharing our faith and the stories of our lives. YWAM does some awesome things. We did a free BBQ yesterday and leave right away to do another. God is moving in Australia and we are delighted to be a part of it for this short time. Dan

Tahiti

We arrived in Sydney Aus. today have been waiting to write more about our time in Tahiti. As you can see Tahiti is absolutely breath taking. It has so much beauty in every corner of the island, however this beauty has a cost. Tahiti is one of the most expensive places in the world. When we arrived in Tahiti to the capital city of Papetee, we were still very unsure of what the Lord had for us while we were there... like most places. We began staying in the down town area of Papetee the first few days while we became familiar with the people, the culture and began preparing for the youth night that we were guests for. The church had organized an outreach night for any young person who was interested, right in down town Papetee, called Marama Night "Light Night". We prepared by handing out flyers to the people on the streets, (all to french speaking people) simply telling everyone to come to our party. We each prepared a testimony dealing one with faith, another with hope, and the last being love. We performed a short skit, and did a few English song for them. It was a very fun night as we shared with the people through a translator and watched other people share as well. We were really able to experience the flavor of the traditional culture of Tahiti during our stay. There were traditional dances and songs that were very unique to island culture that was really great for us to experience. After Marama Night we moved out to the rural area of the island and stayed at the church, where we were surrounded by mountains, rivers, ocean, and waterfalls. The two greatest things about Tahiti for me was the beautiful creation of the island, it was something that was able to often stop me in my tracks to simply stare and be in awe of God's had of beauty in creation. The second was the people in the Church. This church was an obvious example of people being a light in the darkness. A large reason I decided to travel the world was to see the different lights in the world and to see how each one reflects God's light uniquely. This Church was truly seeking to know God more, and to seek after a Kingdom of God here and now. This Church has shown us that God has plans for the people in Tahiti, and things are underway for big changes. This has inspired the three of us as we spent our days with them that we can truly, offer everything to God for him to prove his faithfulness to us. We have been beginning to see that God desires to bless his children, and to show himself as miraculous, as Jesus knows and even his disciples began to understand God to be. In return for all that the church has done for us we were able to help repair their floor and extend the front stage, and a few other odds and ends. I do feel that as we helped out with a few jobs at the church they most definitely did so much for us with meals and beds to sleep in. Our time in Tahiti should have been the most expensive 10 days of the trip, but has proven to be the time we spent the least, to the credit of the Tahitian generosity. We were very excited seeing the Lord's will unfold while we were there. And we also pray that God has used us as a vessel for His message to His people in Tahiti. Kenton

Soul Trek

Life over the past number of weeks has been a journey of distance and of the soul. In Bolivia we had many adventures of going 4x4ing and getting stuck in the jungle, taking a group of kids to the zoo in Santa Cruz and building great friendships. But for me it was travelling from Bolivia to Los Angeles that really made me think and realize many things about life and the culture of Central and South America and also the culture of North America. In South America we live in a mentality of orphan children, it’s a place where many have no father to look up to and have been abandoned to the streets or abusive homes. The country of Bolivia has so much beauty that is hidden behind a veil of poverty and oppression. And these things people think can be solved with money and economic development. But then when I return to the United States I see a different view. It is a country of beauty hidden behind a materialistic and shallow mask. A country that has the money and a developed economy. But what they lack is the same as those that reside to the South of them. It is a lack of love and acceptance. We all feel the insecurity of being vulnerable and therefore we put masks over our true selves. Whether it comes across as a tough street kid who will never let himself cry or as a man driving a new Bentley and only thinking of himself and his world. Maybe we all try to hide behind a mask of some sort to protect our true self. When what we need is to open up and be vulnerable to the only person that can save us from ourselves. I am really not sure of the answers but I know that I want to make a difference in people’s lives. I want to love people unconditionally just as I am loved and who knows maybe it will rub off and create a chain reaction where we all begin to let our true beauty hang out. Hey I also want to just give a big shout out to Ken Switzer our friend and great host, also to Jake and Dorothy for the great home cooked meal and last but not least our family in the United States the Trosts, thanks for the short but so sweet fellowship while we passed through and also to Jackie and Danny, thanks for putting up with all of our antics! Much love, Lehmann.

Dream

Have you ever had one of those moments where you have to keep pinching yourself because you could swear that you were inside one of your dreams. These last 2 months I have seen things I never imagined and found myself in some pretty amazing situations that I will always look back on with a large smile but this past weekend for me was a completely different story. I was literally inside one the dreams that I kept having. Tears fill my eyes sometimes when I think of the people in my life. I have heard the saying that a true friend is someone willing to lay down their life down for another but how often does that really happen, I mean really we throw that off like some distant ideology of a friend but when it comes down to it many of us are not willing to take the worst seat in a car for a friend. However I do have a friend who takes this to a whole new level. Sacrifice describes him in so many ways. He has done something for me that I never thought possible. He may never understand how much it meant to me and I have no way of telling him. I would say this. When God puts amazing people in your life, don’t look over their shoulder but cherish them, sometimes the people we idealize are right in front of us. I had the best weekend in my life! We had a great breakfast with the Trosts on our way through Orlando before spending the weekend in LA with Jordan's really cool cousins. Our plane ride to L.A. was the longest one I have ever taken not in literal time but in mental time. I found myself 30,000 feet up in air and shaking uncontrollably, my hands sweating, and my heart taking the liberty of beating double time. I don’t know if I have ever been that excited in my life, and I must say that I get excited often. We landed and I found myself in the arms of a beautiful young woman, My very lovely girlfriend Kendall, Yep its true, at least I think it was cause I pinched myself enough that I still feel it. Walking the streets of Los Angeles and running our toes through the sand of Santa Monica beach was a memory sure to stick in my mind. Renee and Kendall flew down to meet us for the weekend and what a refreshing, heart wrenching weekend it was. Talk about being in the moment of your wildest dreams and that was it! Words do not do any justice to say how much I appreciate the people in my life and the sacrifice some of them make. So Nigel here's to you, I couldn’t ask for a more true friend and Renee you rock any time you want to swim in sub degree ocean water I am by your side and I must tell the world that I have the best girlfriend in the world She is the most beautiful, sensitive and understanding person that I know and the whole world ought to know it, So thanks Kendall. What I am trying to say is I am a blessed man. I don’t deserve any of this and yet I have a heavenly father who delights in giving good gifts to His children, He Loves to do things like this and smile down on His kids. I am finding that the more we make ourselves vulnerable to our God He does things like this that really blow a person away and question the reality of their existence. In moments such as this past weekend I have to really question dreams vs reality and how phenomenal it is when the 2 become one in the same.

Daniel

Rubbing Shoulders

Last night we had a great opportunity. We me up with some Ywam'ers and hit the downtown streets of Santa Cruz. Walking down those dirty streets rubbing shoulders with the poorest of the poor is one of those things in life that you will always look back on in life when you are complaining about your food not being hot enough or too much sugar in your coffee. Its the flashbacks to those images that I know will pop up next time I open my mouth to complain. The poorest people in Boliva live here. Bolivia is the poorest country in the America's next to Haiti. So you can imagine despair. Most of the people we interacted with in our short time were having their wounds properly cleaned by the Ywam'ers or leaning up against cars sniffing some illegal shoe glue in order to get a high and escape their world while the missionaries spoke words of love to them. These words of love go a far way. People need to know they are loved by something greater than their world. It would be great to rip them off the streets and put them up in a beautiful home but reality be known, many would wander their way back in a matter of days. It breaks my heart to see the pull of drugs on the dear lives of God's children, and not just drugs but toxic glue! It opens one's eyes to see this hurt in the eyes of Gods dear children. It makes the ministry of Nacer and so many other children's homes in Bolivia come alive when you see where these kids are coming from. Just 2 nights ago I was sitting playing worship songs in Spanish with the very guys who have successfully walked away from this world. Jordan and I also had an epic water fight with two of the guys late at night, (how many times can you say that about January huh?) Well Bolivia has been great, hard to believe in less than a week we will be on the West coast, and from there the tiny Island of Tahiti. The adventures ahead are intimidating but exciting we look forward to what God has ahead in the next few weeks. Daniel

Seeing More

Hearing from home has been awesome, it turns out that since we´ve left everyone has decided their gonna get married. This must have been the most romantic Christmas holidays ever. Maybe it was a little something like this Latin culture we are seeing; in the parks, the restaurants, back streets, front streets. They let everyone know they´ve found romance. "It´s not wrong it´s just different." That is something Ken has reminded us of often, usually when we are in traffic or paying more then their advertised price. (ALWAYS... probably cause we´re white) Right now the boys from the home are at camp for the week, and Ken has taken us to Cochabamba, to show us this very beautiful city. It was a 9 hour drive through incredible mountain scenery. The road varied from smooth pavement curves, that you would simply love to drive a sport bike through, to a wash out with rocks and mud and no pavement. We had a nail pop into a tire when we were near a summit (far from anywhere) that we had to hurry to some village to find a tire guy before we got flat. When we finally did stop to fix the tire, we had it fixed with a plug and were charged $1.50 and Ken also gave him his coke. These mountain people are very often poor, working very hard for very little. They have a short stature often with round wind burnt faces. Many of these women come to the cities to beg on the streets with their children. Unlike Canada, there are no government social programs for these people to get money. It seems that instead of welfare we are all faced in person by the people that we should all contribute to. This poverty is very unavoidable and forces to you ask yourself if you will give to the poor, and how much. A very difficult challenge day to day. This lack of money seems to disprove the old saying `money is nothing´ for these people the importance of money is very real, and quite sad. Because I find that with the constant worry of having enough money, and it having such an importance, other valuable and important things are lost. Some have lost joy, hope, and their faith is tested. Some of these people need to find someone to lift them up. I have prayed that they would receive the hand of God in their lives, and bless them, with faith, hope, and love. God may want to do this through people that are able and I also pray that we would all respond to our calls. Jesus´ life example and message of the `The Kingdom of God´ is much more than a personal message of how I should live. It should also apply to how we should all work together as a church, community, province or country to live that example. Perhaps greater than ourselves, we may have a calling as church, town, country that is very real and not to be ignored. Lets pray for these people. - Kenton- (Feel free to comment more on this more.)

Pictures

Hey ya'll we finally got our pics figured out. They are a little out of order but that was kinda part of the process of figuring out how to get them on the blog again. Well enjoy and be blessed. Lehmann

Feliz Ano Nuevo

Well it is the new year. I can hardly believe that 2006 has slipped through our fingers so incredibly fast. I can remember back to the beginning when I was thinking about the fact of going back to school. It was a very exciting time, where I did not know what to expect or how things would go. But that semester went like a flash, from getting my sweet dorm room with an incredible balcony that overlooked a sea of openness. To the excitement of ditchboarding behind Mavis' truck and the epic feeling of graduation. Then there was the summer of working different jobs and dreading work until I was taken under the wing of Daryl Bueckert. All of a sudden waking up in the morning and going to work was a chance to go be with some of my closest friends. A place of encouragement, somewhere that made time speed by from day to day. And soon after we were moved out of our place in saskatoon and prepping for this trip. This journey has been a blur of latin culture. People that speak from their hearts, and are filled with life giving energy. These past two months on the road have humbled me and taught me the love of Christ. A love that stretches to all people and needs to be shown by us the body in practical expressions. I have seen the need for father figures, financial aid, political changes, social programs and more importantly a church that lives out their convictions. I have seen how beautiful she looks in places and I have seen nothing in places. In all I am so grateful for the experiences of this past year. They have developed a depth of character in each one of us that excites me and will hopefully have prepared us for whatever lies ahead. Lehmann

Green Christmas

We finally made our destination. It feels so good to be staying in a home and to be far away from buses. I haven't ridden in a bus or a taxi for almost a week and it feels almost heavenly. Since we got to town we have been helping a mission in the city of Santa Cruz who is feeding 4500 homeless people for Christmas. We are the delivery boys I guess you could say, hauling ovens and an entire cow, in parts of course. Last night we went to the streets and began to hand out meals to the homeless and we literally saw people crawl out of the sewers to come have a meal. Once again I am humbled, I have learnt that I need a lot of this whole humbling thing in order for God to use me. When I look at what we have done for work in the past week, month I can´t list too many things and it frustrates me sometimes cause I am a real doer, I like to see physical accomplishment. But all three of us can quickly agree that their has been a dynamic work in progress and it has been in our hearts, in our character, the way we treat one another, our attitude towards the frustrations of cultures and the list carries on. I am beginning to grasp the concept that God will always be stretching our character and causing us to grow for as long as we all live. It is marvelous really to think that the God of all the earth takes delight in us and is not content to leave us where we are. Christmas is a heartbreaking time for us and we cannot help but think of home. When you really love people I think you really can actually hurt to not be with them. The missing home changes from memories to a pain in ones heart that makes you want to do anything to take your mind off of home. I love my family, I love them more than words can describe and I cannot help but image them at home today surrounded by all the beautiful snow. Bolivia is a different world at Christmas, there are lights everywhere and loud music to celebrate. Traditionally here the Christmas starts tonight and goes all night with loud music, lots of food and lots of family and friends. We will spend our Christmas eve at the home for homeless boys. It is where we are spending our next month. Hanging our with boys ages 10-19 who have literally come to the home straight from the streets. Tonight we will celebrate the Lords birth with them. It is truly a time to celebrate as we can see the redemptive power of Jesus in the lives of these youth. So as we are missing home in our hearts we will celebrate with our Latin brothers and sisters a green Christmas here in Bolivia! Daniel

Seeing Snow

It was late last night that we three passed through the Andes Mountain range. It was a long and cold bus ride, something that we did not anticipate. But as the sun arose over the great peaks I saw my first snow of the season. It was illuminated brilliantly by the sun and reminded me of home and the deep snow that has engulfed our farm over this past month. Since leaving Quito we have been blessed abundantly in our travels. We had the oppourtunity to meet four other travellers that spoke english and who were wandering down the same path as us for a brief time. They were incredible people and encouraged our spirits greatly. There is something about good conversation that can just transform a 35 hour bus trip into a highlight. Along with these amazing new friends we have also been able to see much of the unique country side that is solely Peru. From Ecuador to Peru the landscape has changed in drastic ways. Ecuador was a magnificent view of mountains and thick vegetation. But it was almost as if a line had been drawn between the two countries. Peru´s coast was an absolute desert. A place filled with massive dunes and rock. And then along the road small communities of people who have carved an existense out of the barren wasteland. In Lima we stayed with our friends in a nice little hostal close to the ocean. There we had an oppourtunity to surf and hang out with some of the locals. From Lima we ventured out to a small oasis town in the middle of the desert called Huacachina. It was there that we got to try some sand boarding on the dunes of Peru and also cruise around in dune buggies. We are slowly learning that no matter what the sign advertises it is rarely that which you expect. Prices and times are constantly adjusted to whatever the sign is not saying. So with only one more long bus ride ahead of us we are all sitting and waiting here in La Paz with anticipation. Please pray for patience as many things on this journey have seemed to get lost in translation with the locals. Also pray for our time in Santa Cruz with Ken Switzer, that we can be a huge blessing and encouragement to his ministry. Lehmann

Quito

It´s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Shops filled with gifts and shoppers, Santa is visiting in every mall. There is shiny wrapping paper and Christmas candy in each window. The palm trees are being lit with many different lights, and the weather has dropped as low as 20 degrees C. We found ourselves playing in a Nativity scene, on a shore line park of Panama City. While we were in Panama we saw the Canal, many ships, and beautiful views of the large downtown of Panama´s tall skyline. It is very beautiful there. We found that, like Costa Rica, Panama is very Americanised. Even their currency is American dollars. Our short stay in Panama held us back from a deep look into the Christian lives being lived. The people of Panama, were incredibly loving, and warm to others, but it is an openness that is not searching. Perhaps the 'in your face' message of the fires of Hell we saw while we were there, is not the Grace and Truth Christ intends for these people. To relate to this culture is with warmth and love. The most foreign part to these people, is good examples of father figures, who display commitment and responsibility to their children, who will also be those supporters in the future. Now we are in Quito, Ecuador, searching for direction in our travels. We are awaiting God to teach us about this country, to show us his sorrows and victories. We are living in a hostel, that is very cheep and has been a very in depth look at a specific need God has in this City. We feel we are called to spend some time praying for victory in a spiritual battle, and to ask for Cleansing. If you can help us pray for this break through, change will begin. We expect God has us called here to be his, and that we would share his love with people here that he loves. Today our experience of the city was very rich, we went to a hill top that looks out over the city of 2 million people as we suspect. An incredible view of the city´s rolling hills, spotted with large catholic churches everywhere. We even got to check out Huge Cathedral Tomorrow we expect to seek deeper into the life of Quito, and maybe find more to do. In the next few days we will be continuing further south by bus to Peru, and down to Bolivia, where we are excited to meet with Ken Switzer. Thank you for praying for us. Kenton