From Croatia to Hungary

Tuesday, July 15

Conference is over. I now head to Budapest with my brother-in-law for a few days of down time before I head back to the States. The last 8 days have been hectic, insightful, and humbling. And I’ve got an 8 hour van ride in front of me to chew on these things.

Interesting experience here – you have to pay to go to the bathroom in MOST places. There’s either a person in front of them collecting coins or a little vending machine thing. So when we stop at a gas station – the boys and I have an aversion to pay to pee. I mean – we can pee standing up and pretty much anywhere. Girls – not so much. Put another notch in the column of why being a boy is better than being a girl.

Back to the story – so we stop at this gas station somewhere in the middle of Croatia and the boys and I go pee in the field while the girls go in to pay to pee. It was a moment full of pride and accomplishment until Valerie came out and told us that this was the one gas station in the country that had free bathrooms. Oh well.

Some deeper thoughts about the conference…(I hope.)

Teens Everywhere Struggle
I hung out with a group of teens for 8 straight days. The first few days I was painfully reminded about how guarded teens can be. I was the new guy. I was on their turf. I was the oddball. I was the one looking for a way to fit in.

What’s odd about that is this – they were going through the same thing. Not just with me but on multiple levels. With their friends, their culture, the missionary culture, their future just to name a few.

Come to learn that these teens were/are not all that different than teens in the US. They are trying to figure out who they are and how they fit. Throwing Jesus in the mix only makes things harder – not easier. It’s easier for them to look at our American culture and pinpoint what is bad about it. Just like it was easier for me to look at their Eastern Europe culture and pinpoint what was bad about it. It’s harder to see the soup you’re swimming in.

Number 1 Obstacle To Ministry
I got a chance to listen to some of the issues these missionaries wrestle with. I had in my mind what I thought would be the biggest obstacles for them – money and governments that are set are getting them out of the country.

Those are problems. I don’t want to minimize them at all. But overwhelmingly the number 1 obstacle that they talked about was the lack of authenticity. The lack of vulnerability by BOTH missionaries and who they are trying to reach has put a ceiling on the work. National pride plays a part in this but the larger issue is – if you really knew who I was, would you still love me? Would I still be accepted?

I wasn’t ready for this to be the number one obstacle. I guess I’d fallen trap to exactly what people do to pastors in the states – “you’re a pastor? Oh, then you must have it all together and are super close to God and have no struggles.” I know that’s not true…why would it be different anywhere else? People are people. (Wasn’t that a Tears for Fears song? Songs From The Big Chair…85? 86?) It’s true – the level of spiritual transformation is directly correlated to the level of vulnerability. It’s the lynchpin of everything.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.
In a time of strategic plans and mission statements, there is something to be said for ‘just doing it.’ Just tell people about Jesus. Just disciple them. Just serve them. I love that most about missionaries – the mindset of – we’ll start it and figure it out as we go.

Again this insight was convicting to me…humbling. I think I’ve fallen into that trap this past year or two – having to have it figured out before I pull the trigger. Is it because I’m getting older? Is it because I’m afraid of failure? Tired? Don’t know. Just know it’s a habit I don’t like and I really need to break. Just do it…then figure it out later.

I’ve got a few days more in Budapest to chew on these things.

Croatia, July 14th

Monday, July 14th
Last full day at Porec and conference. Tomorrow we’ll load up and I’ll drive the 8 hours to Budapest with my brother-in-law.

Morning excursion we did motor boats. I use that term loosely. It technically had a mechanical engine of the sorts on the back of it…all 8 horses of it. I wouldn’t recommend using an 8 horsepower motor on the open seas. It’s like strapping a trolling motor on a surfboard. It did make some the bigger waves i
quite interesting. We hit one of the islands and let the students explore it. They had a blast but the water was so rough, Brian and I could not anchor and swim in with them. It was a minor annoyance but we all had a blast.

In the afternoon, I tagged along with Trent, Reed, and Tom. They went dune-buggying at the same place we did the ATV tour. I don’t have pictures of this because we originally went to parasail but the wind and seas were so rough, they weren’t doing it. In the shuffle of changing plans…I left my camera in the room. I’m an idiot.

Evening Session
Looked at John 11, the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This of course was the straw that broke the camel’s back with the Pharisees. That’s not what stuck out to me this time. When Jesus asks Martha “do you believe?” it’s not a theological question. She answers him theological – “yes, I know in the last days…” I can see Jesus almost shaking his head…no, no, no…that’s not what I mean.

And he asks her again.

This time she gets it. Her answer is about identity – particularly Jesus’ identity. “I believe you are the son of God.” It’s not her theological beliefs that’s Jesus is after. It’s her identity beliefs.

Maybe that’s what good theology is in the first place – figuring out the identity of Jesus and God. I think so because Jesus seems to keep going back to it in John. Looking at the miracles, the crisis points all surrounded the identity of Jesus, not the theological positions of the day.

Not a whole lot has changed honestly. The challenge for teens everywhere is figure out where they fit. It’s part figuring out who they are, part figuring out what the world is around them. The rebellion and confusion comes in where there is a conflict of values and some third voice has to come in and determine a winner. Parents? Tradition? Friends? Politics?

We’ve been doing this dance for years – evaluate culture and take what is good, ignore what is bad and throw in enough Jesus to get saved. Or imagine three overlapping circles. The trick is figure out how much of Jesus’ circle you can stay in while maximizing your space in the culture circle. What gets lost in that equation is … you.

So we throw out this idea that we seemed to see as a pattern in the miracles. What if you lost yourself first in Jesus. Then let those two circles – you and Jesus – go meet culture. There’ll be some of the circle that fits. They’ll be parts that don’t fit and won’t ever fit but the sense of loss won’t be as acute if we’ve first figured out our circle in Jesus.

Great night. I’ll have more thoughts on the overall conference tomorrow.

Pula and the Ruins

Saturday, July 12
Day Off

Technically this is a day off but so many us went to Pula together. It’s about an hour south or Porec. Roman ruins – ampitheatre, Temple of Augustus and Diana, Fortress.

The Amphitheater was breathtaking. You pull up to it and WHAM there it is….just built right into the hillside, not 100 yards from the docks. It’s the centerpoint for the city.

Inside was even more impressive. We took the little tour and a couple was on the tour that had been to the ruins in Rome. I overheard them the entire time – this is so much better, this is so much better. I asked them why.

They said because the one in Rome is about gone. There is almost nothing left on the inside. It’s a little bigger than this one but this one is more complete and more stunning to look at.

I’ll walk you through some pictures.

I’m standing on the east side, across is the west. The east side was built into hillside where the common people entered and sat. The sun would beat down on this section in late afternoon when the important matches would take place.

On the west side – royalty and noble families would sit there. There was shade and often a breeze. (Gotta love using the technology.)

North entrance would be for gladiators and performers to get to the arena (floor of the amphitheater).

South end was where the lions, wild boars, dogs, or other animals were stored.

Trent here is on the south end.

Christians were killed in this arena, normally held in cells right next to the animals they were going to be released to. This changed with Constantine ruling…because his wife and daughter became Christians.

The floor was covered with a fine sand to absorb quickly the blood and sweat. So that multiple matches could be held on the same day.

The slits above the windows were where awnings were put to create shade for the people. When it rained, canals were in the walls that diverted the water to these shades so that it sprinkled the water for cooling purposes.

Other runoff water would go down below the arena to water the animals or prisoners.

Underneath there is both olive and grape presses. Extra virgin olive oil is the most valuable olive oil because it’s the first press. The olive normally gets two more presses after that but the contents aren’t as valuable.

Pots were used to store olive oil and wine for the guests, royalty that showed up to the arena.

This is Merilee with an olive press. The next picture is of the wine press.

The Amphitheater is still used for concerts, music festivals and film festivals today. They were setting up for a two-week long jazz festival.

This was the Temple of Augustus. Pretty much completely what it looked like in the day.

No evening session today, instead I ate with my family. It’s bizarre to think that we’ve never lived anywhere remotely close to each other, that when we do get to see each other it’s a large family deal.

I imagine the time that we have physically spent with each other to be small, relatively little but it’s also amazing to me that the vulnerability level and authenticity level is so high. I think very little of that has to do with us being family. I think most of it has to do with us co-workers in the Kingdom.

I also met a man today who was kicked out of his country for evangelizing. He’s married, got about a bizzillion kids (okay, only 6) and the government forced them from their house to another country. They are in the region, meeting folks at the border doing training but trying to figure out – ‘now what?’

What amazes me about these people is not the courage to stare down a communist government, but their faith in the middle of the “what’s next” question. If there was a time for a letdown in the guard, a chance for the chink in the faith to get exposed – it’s here. Where it’s safe and God is seemingly silent. What’s next?

“We don’t know so we just keep helping wherever we are needed until we are clear.”

A place where bitterness and “why me” could take root but…it doesn’t. It’s humbling to watch and experience. I’ve got much yet to learn in my walk with Jesus.

ATV’s and the Feeding of the 5,000

Friday, July 11
We went ATVing today. Check out the blue jump suits. Some of us looked like Oompahloompahs. I won’t mention any names. I couldn’t get totally in my blue suit. I ripped the crotch right out of it because of my height. That got more than a few laughs.

We rode through olive groves and vineyards.

This is what Trent wants to do with their family van.

There are so many facets of American life that we take for granted. For example, hanging out. Teens do it all the time in the states. We take it for granted that there will be someone who speaks our language and has remotely the same interests around us to have a conversation.

Many of these students don’t. It’s not just about having meaningful conversations about scripture – but about all aspects of life that make these two weeks so precious to these teens.

Like riding ATV’s. American teens always love the fact that the drinking age here is 18. What they don’t get is this – so is the driving age. So until you are 18, you rely on mom and dad or public transportation to take you anywhere.

So the opportunity to drive anything – it’s a big deal. We had a blast. I rode with Katie because she’s a small little 13 year old that drives like a bat out of …. the hot place. She did awesome. I want to adopt her. That of course would give us 3 girls in the house…on second thought.

Evening Session:
John 6 – Feeding of the 5,000
Bread was everything to a Jew. It just wasn’t a staple of their diet, it represented God’s provision. Having Brian around has been huge because he talks about how every year at passover there is an empty plate set at the table for Elijah. Elijah will tell us when the Messiah has come. A glass of wine is placed before it, a piece of bread. All evening long they check the plate and glass to see if Elijah has come.

Bread reminds them of manna – God’s provision while in the desert. The unleavened bread before the Exodus.

So when Jesus blesses the bread, breaks the bread, multiplies the bread then says – I am the bread. It’s HUGE to the Jews. It’s claiming equity with God, he’s claiming that he himself is the provision of God.

Then Jesus withdraws. Jesus isn’t going to allow you to mold him to your expectations. He can’t be bought or manipulated to perform the way we want him to. “He’s a wild lion, you know.”

When the people want to make Jesus king by force – he knows that’s not enough. That’s not how God works. He wants more than that – he wants their hearts.

Thursday, July 10

Thursday, July 10
Today is my sister’s birthday. So..happy b-day, sis.

Today was fun. We went spelunking. Baredine Cave just outside Porec. Legend has it that two lovers got lost down in the caves looking for each other.

Moral: Don’t follow a girl in a cave without a sure fire plan on getting out. Words to live by there.

We did our traditional ice cream treat afterwards. One of the students asked me why I loved ice cream so much.

It’s comfort food. Plus – it’s pretty much impossible to be sad and eat ice cream at the same time. The reason is this – the ice cream is awesome – Italian gelato, really.

Couple of observations at this point. Teens aren’t that different around the world. They like to hang, they like to talk about music. They’re trying to figure out where or IF they fit. Those are the constants I think.

Couple of pics:

Streets of Old Town Porec. We were walking and somebody said – “It’s just like Disney but real.” I had to laugh….mainly because I was thinking the same thing.

This night they had a family movie night, so my session got bumped.