I CAN Lions

I am thrilled to be able to say that the International Christian Academy of Nagoya, affectionately known as ICAN, is proud to present its first graduating class. The class of 2013, after the tears, heartaches, frustrations, prayers, life lessons, accomplishments, and joys, has arrived! It takes a lot to achieve a first ever graduating class. Tenacity and perseverance are but a few of the characteristics of the seniors of 2013. They have heard it could not be done, but yet they stand in front of the world today as a testimony that obstacles can be surmounted. Culture said, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Uncertainty said, “Look for pastures that appear greener.” Individual needs led others to look elsewhere. Friends came and friends went. Yet through it all remained faith. We all know that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” By the very definition of faith given in the book of Hebrews the class of 2013, and their parents, have faith. They did not say that because others have succeeded and gone before me I will also follow. They said “I do not see it but I believe” and consequently they blazed a trail. Two seniors stand before the world as the first graduating class of ICAN, but they will not be the last.

Going through high school is certainly something that we all know is possible. Yet being the first is not as easy as it may sound. Who do you look towards to see the trends and standards? Who reaches out to show you how when it has never been done? Loneliness creeps in, self-doubt slows progress, fear grips you and refuses to let you go and the tyranny of now can be overwhelming. You know you’re part of the crowd, yet at the same time you stand alone. When I look at the two seniors and the two paths that led them to graduation I am amazed and in awe of their ability to adapt to their ever-changing surroundings. Both of them have transferred in to ICAN overcoming the challenges of being new. They learned and overcame a school culture that was different from anything they had ever known. They have both survived what must have seemed like endless “discussions” of life lessons from me. They listened and learned to apply, pushed where they thought they needed to, and compromised on cosmetics but not on principles. The earth shook yet they still remain standing. With faith they persevered. Congratulations Mariko and Fucoo, you have climbed to the top of the mountain.

With your head held high you will leave ICAN and look to your next mountain. New goals, new directions, and most assuredly new accomplishments await you on your next odyssey. The application process truly begins. According to Oswald Chambers, “The things we go through either make us a sweeter, better, and nobler men or women or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way.” So work towards being noble, find the good in others, be grateful for what you have and have gone through, and by all means work hard to make your dreams a reality. And when the mountain seems too steep or you feel all alone remember the faith of ICAN. The writer of Hebrews goes on for thirty-nine verses to illustrate those who took God at His word and had faith in what He said. They are not all outstanding believers. They made mistakes, messed up, and were all too human in their failures, but they all believed that God had a purpose for their lives. They had a confidence in a reliable Creator/Savior, in spite of an unreliable world, and they believed. We too must believe what God says in His word. But believing also involves deciding either for or against Christ and His offer of salvation. To believe is to take action.

As you take action to move into the “real world” to discover all that you were created to be I encourage you to remember one of the most important lessons learned through ICAN and never let it be said that you can’t. After all you are a graduate of I Can.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”   Philippians 4:13

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Thank you to everyone for the prayers and financial contributions throughout the years as we worked at ICAN.

Day by day

Sometimes I’m tempted to sum up tidbits of my life in Kenya with a song. Not that you shouldn’t relate to meaning in songs, but if I can’t use my own words to describe my thoughts then perhaps I shouldn’t be writing in this forum. With that being said, here are the words I would steal to relate to the last couple months.

Yesterday…. All my troubles seemed so far away…

Now it looks as if they’re here to stay….

Yesterday came suddenly…

I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday…

An aspect of life in Karen, Kenya:

Doom, the highly toxic “all insect killer” spray of Kenya, now comes in lemon fragrance to make your house smell of dead lemons and toxic waste. Small creatures of the house…. beware! I have often felt that the little critters feel that this is their home. They literally walk in, or under, the front door. It doesn’t matter if the lights are on or I’m standing there watching, they just enter and make themselves at home. It greatly makes me feel as if I’m not in control of my own house. I’m thinking of putting up a sign that reads “Spiders, Termites, Ants, Beetles, and other insect mutant creatures, that have yet to be identified, do not have the right of way!” The Lower Passage, as they refer to it, from the front to back door is closed. Traps have been set, treaties have been made and broken, little bodies and exoskeletons have been crushed and still waves of immigrants appear each day. Now a shot of Doom awaits. I’m sure they will just use the Upper Passage, up the walls and through the crawl space above the ceiling, instead but there has to be a line of acceptability drawn somewhere, right? Is it too much to ask that I take back my life from these creepy crawlies? They are certainly an obstacle to my comfort so I’ll fight on until the onslaught ends or my wife quits screaming.  The lizards may need a sign of their own as well but if they promise to keep eating misquotes they can stay. However please have a little courtesy when playing in our pantry. No playing peekaboo and jumping out to scare us. If you, or any of your relatives, are unwilling to comply we do have an alternative…

Yesterday, in a manner of speaking, I was in control of my life. I obsessed about how things were to be. I was compulsive about order. My disorder was certified. Now I realize that I was delusional and never really had control of anything. I no more can control the bugs of Kenya than I can the obstacles crossing my plans for life. By moving to a more rural area of Kenya I have been forced to let go of my perceived control and live more in each moment. Even though songs make it sound so easy, trusting God step by step and leaning not on my own understanding is not so simple. Letting go is never easy. Fascinations and frustrations are around every corner when you live in Kenya, especially when you follow two little people around as they strive to experience everything. While certainly not the plan I would have chosen for my life, I can see that God is the one in control and, truth be told, this is a better life than anything I could have planned myself. I still have Doom on the shelf and do my best to work though the obstacles and bugs of life placed before me, but after accepting that ultimately I can control nothing on my own I have more peace knowing that life is not about stock piling Doom to help create a happy little home.

Not lost in matter-less affairs or doomed to the emotional roller coaster of fighting for control. Oh sure, I still wrestle God for control much too often but life is richer and more meaningful than I could ever have imagined when I converse with and accept that God is in control. The bugs of life simply help us see more clearly. And after seeing, at least for me, it is so much easier to love for what it was intended to be. To sum up, I’ll steal the words of my wife that she sent out to the Facebook world; Received a text from Tim today: “just chased monkey out of kitchen.  heart still pounding.”  ahhh, life in Africa, wouldn’t change a thing!

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Oh dear Lord, three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
To love thee more dearly
To follow thee more nearly
Day by day