Muxia for the holidays

On what might become a new family tradition, we took a day trip on the day before Christmas eve (December 23rd). We drove an hour and a half to Muxia. It is one of the final destinations of the Camino de Santiago (Fisterre being the other, or Finisterre in Castellano). The weather was spectacular - bright, clear, sunny skies with warm sun and warmer temperatures than we had been having recently (around 60 Farenheit). We all had a great time, and Faith and I took more than 240 pictures. I don't know why she keeps bringing up the idea that we should each get our own camera. Be assured, I culled that down to about 120 in my library, and I posted 60 of them on Facebook and on Picasa. If you click on the slideshow above you can go to the Picasa website to see bigger pictures with comments.

What is Christmas without football?

One of the many things I miss about the holidays while living abroad is the after-meal football game on TV. I can live without it quite easily, but it was funny to find football mixed in with some Christmas sentimentality in a couple of articles. It'll have to do : -) I do like having some tangible examples of the love of Jesus impacting today's world at Christmas time.

ESPN had a column from Rick Reilly the other day that highlighted a really nice event at a high school football game. I won't waste my poor writing skills to retell the story - you can read it here. It just struck me as a really good example of some Christians choosing to do something with their actions to share the love of Jesus with some kids who really need to hear it. And sharing Jesus' love in the context of a football game speaks a language our culture gets. It really struck me as a great witness.

I'm not normally one to get too excited every time a Christian gets a good write-up in the press. I used to get too tied up in how Christians get presented in the media. However, I guess Christmas is the time that ESPN can write articles about Christians.

They also have a nice article on the front page today about Kurt Warner. It seems most people know already about Kurt's open faith, so on that front there is not much new in this article. It remains however a nice portrait of a man who does seem to live what he preaches. Merry Christmas everyone!

Mi Familia

Kathryn brought home an art project from school last week. She kept putting her right hand over the her hand-print before flashing a great-big proud smile. (Faith later drew faces on the end of each finger for each member of our family and the project went back to school)

The birth of a movement?

Our family spent 5 nights in Amsterdam more than a week ago so that Faith and I could attend a Backpacker Ministry Forum.  The Shelter City youth hostel hosted 30-35 adults who are involved in or interested in ministry among backpackers.  

This general term 'backpackers' includes young adults (think early to mid 20's) who travel Europe (at the rest of the globe) for months at a time on a budget, with their belongings collected in one backpack.  It also includes pilgrims, much like those who walk the Camino de Santiago, as well as a global 'hippie' population that still travels and gathers in places like India.  

It is not an easily defined group, but the common thread they all share is a unique window in life as they are traveling and looking for something beyond themselves and their own experience.  They are 'seekers' in a very true, but broad sense.  For all of the people gathered at this forum, we believe that God is calling us to reach out to these wanderers with his love at a time when they are very open talking and thinking deeply.  

It was both exciting and refreshing to be around a group of people with similar dreams, callings, and visions.  We were able to share experiences, thoughts, successes and difficulties with each other.  And perhaps most importantly, as we dialogued over the week, a broader collective vision of a global movement to reach out to backpackers emerged.  Each individual, and each individual organization represented, had one specific location or sub-culture they felt called to.  When we put our callings together you could begin to see how God is moving around the globe to reach this community.  

This was especially neat for a couple of reasons.  First of all, many of us often feel at best unique, and at worst, alone in our ministries.  Most of us have pursued our visions in small groups or individually.  It's really great to share this road with others.  Second of all, it is abundantly clear that God is leading this, as pretty much each individual or group has, up to now at least, not been connected.  It is not something that has grown out of a well-planned or well-run organization, nor even a clear motivating vision cast by a charismatic leader.  Rather, this is coming out of a collection of previously unrelated hearts following the Lord's leading individually. 

It's not accurate to consider this a birth of any movement for many reasons.  First of all, ministries like the Shelter youth hostels in Amsterdam and Youth Hostel Ministry out of Wheaton College have been doing ministry among backpackers for around 40 years already.  Second of all, there have already been a few forums like this one held in Australia in years past.  But regardless of the history, it is clear that more and more people and groups are becoming interested in reaching this global population.  I am excited to see how these different parts grow, connect, and work together over the coming years.  And more importantly, I'm excited to see how God works in these traveling sub-cultures. 

Picture of the Day

Castillo Santa Cruz at dusk.  Taken yesterday on a family walk not 10 minutes drive from home.

This may be true all over the globe and I'm just noticing it more here, but I love the way that light 'plays.'  It seems like the light here is always changing and reflecting in a thousand different ways.  I really like how this picture captured the light of that moment. 

Welcome to the Family

The sad truth is there are many things in our life that almost demand to be blogged about.  The even sadder truth is I have little time to capture many of them during some of the crazier times of life.  Within the last two weeks we visited Amsterdam, enjoyed a visit from some pilgrim friends, took yet another test in our Spanish class, and purchased a new car.  Today, I choose to blog about the car.  Stay tuned for details on the rest (or - if you can't wait, check out Faith's blog).  

I had hoped to get a goodbye picture and post a fitting obit for our first car here in Spain.  There was never a good time or place to get a picture of the poor old broken-down car.  It died for the last time almost a month ago on us.  In the end I think it's more fitting to post the picture above from happier times.  It was taken during our first week in Spain - we were learning how to drive stick, we had yet to put any of our numerous dings and scratches into it, its engine had not yet begun to decompose, and it was still under 300,000 kilometers.  I won't miss how it became unreliable, but I will miss how comfortable it had become to us.  It truly became 'ours' in the short time we had it, and I do miss it a little.  I will always have a soft spot in my memory for it.  

Having said that, we are definitely ready to move on to the next - and expectedly more reliable - chapter in our automobiling life.  We were excited to finally bring our new car home tonight, a mere two weeks after we signed the papers to buy it.  It is a 2008 Toyota Corolla Verso.  You can't tell by the picture below, but it actually has 7 seats inside.  It's not a sedan, but it's not quite a minivan.  Either way, we are glad to have a vehicle with the flexibility to add in a few extra passengers when needed. 

Faith and I are considering naming it Zwarte Piet - after the culturally awkward and uncomfortable Christmas helper of Sinterklaas in Holland.  Zwarte is the Dutch word for black, and you might guess how to translate Sinterklaas.  In Holland, Santa's helpers aren't little green elves, rather, he/they are black guys named Pete.  Only, in their holiday tradition, white folks put on black face paint and dress up in a manner that, at least where I come from, is so offensive that you might describe it as beyond offensive.  Yet somehow, being the Dutch, and being in Holland, it brings a smile to my face.  Does that make me a bad person?

Last week our family took a walk through central Amsterdam on the day that happened to be the day that Santa comes to Amsterdam.  There is a parade and everything.  I only saw one Sinterklaas, but downtown was swarming with Zwarte Petes.  Faith caught this Zwarte Pete on film as he was handing out candy and cookies to all the kids. 

My Election Day (after) post

Months of agonizing over my vote, a historic election, global hysteria, and this is all I can come up with? 

Yup. 

Saw this online yesterday and it cracked me up.  Still does.  

Spain is hard, yet God is still at work here.

A new friend pointed brought this article about missions in Spain from Christianity Today to my attention. The only word I can think of to describe it is sobering. The article is a little dated in that it is from 2003, but the sentiment expressed is not new to missions in Spain, nor is there any hint of change at the moment. Almost all evangelical/protestant church growth in Spain right now is directly through immigrants. The reasons for this is complex and many-sided. But the reality remains that the vast majority of people here are living in a spiritual poverty.

On a more positive side - I'd like to leave you with an excerpt from a recent e-mail from this new friend. Faith blogged about Craig Wallace recently. He is a South African missionary living some hours south of us on a branch of the Camino, and he has a heart for pilgrims as well. He has plans to create a campsite/albergue for the peregrinos where he lives. When we met him a week ago, he had just completed one of his trips on the Camino where he seeks to share Christ with pilgrims.

After he returned home he sent out an e-mail that included these four short paragraphs telling of some of the pilgrims he met and the nature of their conversations. I thought it would be valuable to share these stories to highlight the interest, need, and hunger that some pilgrims on the Camino have for "something more."

"On the first day out I met a Belgiam called Jan and spent three to four hours sharing the gospel with him.After growing up in a communistic atheistic family, and dedicating many years to communism, he is now disillusioned and was most surprised to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.Many trips behind the iron curtain left him with a sad despair and he lost his faith in humanity.I put the Bible into his hands and showed him the gospel of John before I knew his name , and he wanted to know what the name John meant.Jehovah is gracious , I told him, so he wanted to know what grace is.Jan, or John the Belgian, was crying as I left him having heard about the grace of God for the first time in his life.

That night I met in the refugio a Chinese girl and a British woman, Lin and Christine.Lin is a research scientist in behavioral genetics at Oxford university and a lively discussion ensued. Her grandfather was one of the leaders of the Three Self Church in China , and this heritage caused her to ask me about Christ and his message.Chrsitine , a British Anglican , insisted that she was a Christian but does not believe in the resurrection….so I took out my Bible and showed them the scriptures.Seed was sown in their hearts.

Coming into Puebla Sanabria I met Keren, an American woman on a cycle who I continued to travel with for the next few days. Keren progressed from being suspicious to opening up her heart to my answers to deeply probing questions concerning the christian faith.We will continue to correspond through email.

Antonio from Seville, who grew up in Germany, a marathon runner who had been walking an average of 40 kms a day for a thousand kilometers, was challenged in our sharing and vowed to begin reading the Bible to strengthen the faith which he has come into through a series of life circumstances.I will be sending him literature."

The Oxford Project

"In the Storytelling tradition of Studs Terkel and the photographic spirit of Mike Disfarmer, The Oxford Project tells the extraordinary true tale of a seemingly ordinary Midwestern town through the pictures and words of its residents. Equal parts art, American history, cultural anthropology, and human narrative - The Oxford Project is at once personal and universal, surprising and predictable, simple and profound.

The Project began almost twenty-five years ago, when Peter Feldstein undertook the remarkable task of photographing nearly every resident of this town, Oxford, Iowa (pop. 676). The collection of photographs that resulted is a fascinating glimpse into the ethos and character of small-town life. In those stark, full-body images Feldstein managed to capture not only the visage of rural America, but a sense of its underlying spirit."

- from the opening pages of The Oxford Project

I discovered the website for this interesting book/project via another blog. The book is more than 250 pages long, but on the website you can view quite a few of the photographs and stories of the townspeople. What I was able to read and see online was fascinating and gripping in it's own way.

I never actually grew up in a small midwestern town, but have family in rural northwestern Illinois. It definitely reminded me how different the world can seem in different places. Even though I lived in Chicago for 10 years, and now live abroad, part of who I am can be traced to small town and rural Illinois. It also reminded me of how precious small town life can be, when often it's overlooked as so common and uninteresting. I'm convinced that much of America has lost it's connection with our rural roots. And to me there is some mist of sadness about this loss as we become a more urban and global society. Something like this helps shine the light on the unique and valuable way of life that continues unnoticed in many small towns like this.

Update: I discovered this short 3-minute video on youtube about the project. Enjoy!

As an added side note, I am also currently reading the book Gilead, which is also set in a small rural town in Iowa. It's funny how these two things found their way into my life from so seemingly far away. I guess there's nothing like a little nostalgia to offset the difficulty of learning Spanish!!

Don't go!

At least that is what it seems like Kathryn is saying to Po Po. Faith's mom has been with us for nearly two weeks, and we all are a little sad to see her go already. Her visit did not go as we thought it would, with four of us getting sick while she was here. But it was refreshing to have her help during the week sickness ravaged our house, and to enjoy some of her home-cooked Chinese food.

Gone Fishin'

Faith blogged yesterday about our walk along the coast. It's one of our favorite places, and she already posted most of the artsy/romantic pictures. I just noticed today the fishing theme that came out on a number of pictures - here are three of the best.

If you like to fish, this might look like heaven to you.

A broader shot to show just how little this fisherman looked against the backdrop.

A small fishing boat common in the waters of Galicia.

Voter's Agony

Hi. My name is Nate, and I have Voter's Agony.

This is my first election living abroad, which means I have less time to procrastinate making my decision because we have to get our absentee ballots returned soon. I payed more close attention to each party national convention than I ever have before. Just now I spent the last hour or so online trying to find anything to help me find clarity on this election. It seems to me that this is such a polarized election that I must be one of the few who genuinely am not sure what to do. More than anything, this is due to the fact that I am growing increasingly weary with, and wary of, both political parties, and I really don't expect much significant change from either candidate, regardless of what they say and promise now. In the end, each ends up being the tool of their party - which leads me to believe nothing will change. One party will be in control, and blamed for everything under the sun by the party out of control. The party that is out of control will promise the moon, and besides, anyone could do a better job of governing than the current party. It's as predictable as it seems useless.

I was struck by some various web pages designed to 'help' the undecided voter and how everything is defined in terms of 'positions'. Who you vote for should be based on what position you have on various issues, and you should vote for the guy who has the most similar stances. Or something like that. Anyhow - this is what irks me - why does it come down to positions? What ever happened to ideas? No matter how much either candidate tries to present himself as an agent of change, or a maverick, all I see is the same old tired republican vs. democrat battle. It sure seems to me that anymore, candidates decide what positions to take on an issue based on their party, or even worse, because it's opposite of what the other party is for. It seems to me there is far too little room for nuanced thinking, and truly new ideas. I think we as a nation face a host of very serious issues that threaten us. But I can't possibly believe that they all will be solved with either/or solutions.

Anyhow - I guess this is more rant than thoughtful post, but clearly I am concerned about the future of our country, and I am none too confident in either party right now to make much significant change. If anything, let this be a reminder for us all to take this freedom seriously, to pray hard over our decisions, and pray even harder for whoever happens to win, because regardless of who wins, we have a mountain of serious problems to address.

Takeaways

And I'm not talking about turnovers in football (Go Bears!). I'm resisting the temptation to write some lengthy and flowery post about the grand things I learned on my walk. I think it's easier to bring together a few random points I think I learned along the way. Some may tie together, others may not. So in no particular order, here are some lessons I hope stay with me from my camino.

1) If the camino is an allegory of life's journey, one thing I learned was that sometimes the most important thing is to keep on going in the face of difficulty and adversity, even when you feel like giving up. (as a side-note, I also learned that sometimes it's good to put your plans aside and rest for a bit before moving ahead with a difficult task).

2) I felt the Lord affirming to me that everything and everyone on Earth is his. That this camino, this spot on earth, these pilgrims, and the local inhabitants all belong to Him. He knows every person and every detail. It is his world and we are passing through it. It's a beautiful place, full of valuable things and people.

3) I finish my short camino with a renewed encouragement that the vision we have for a hostel/albergue in Santiago is both good and unique. I sense that there is a service we can provide these pilgrims that is not currently being provided in Santiago (that we are yet aware of). So much of the camino experience is about this special community, and I believe now more than ever that many pilgrims would really appreciate an albergue that creates a community space and environment that most hostels and albergues do not have.

4) My confidence in my fledgling Spanish skills grew over the week. Even thought feeling out of my depth at times, I definitely walk away knowing I can communate in Spanish better than ever before : - ) I really think one of God's gifts to me over my week of travel was continued community with Spaniards.

5) It's about the people and the relationships. Even though the setting is different, in the end, it's not that much different than real life. The walk is interesting, the landscape is beautiful, and the destination is cool. But all of that is secondary to the relationships and community you build along the way. The people are the real treasure of this journey.

Arrival

Arco do Pino to Santiago de Compostela

Saturday, September 27, 2008
Less than 20 kilometers (I must say I'm still confused by exactly how far apart some of the stops are - regardless, I walked somwhere between 10-12 miles on this last day).

Believe it or not, I have much less to say about this last leg. I walked for the first hour or so with two brothers from New Zealand. Very nice guys. We started in the dark, and none of us had a flashlight, so it might not be hard to imagine that we did manage to lose our way for a short bit in a forest during the nearly pitch-black pre-dawn. I used my cell phone as a flashlight with meager results. It all worked out alright, and we were back on the right path soon enough. After some good conversation, and sometime after daybreak, the two long-hikers from the South Pacific kicked into another gear I didn't have. They were trying to make it into Santiago by noon in order to catch the Pilgrim's mass at the cathedral. I saw them later, and they did in fact make it in time for the mass (I also learned, sadly, that they ran into Gilles, and his walking poles had been stolen at the cathedral). I walked another good portion of the day with my new temporary Spanish community. I had another good lengthy spiritual conversation, this time with Antonio and Jesús. We covered a lot of church history, as they had a lot of questions about Protestants and evangelicals. Most Spaniards don't know many people of faith from Protestant and evangelical traditions. I tried my best to explain what I knew were the differences between 'us' and the Catholic faith, as well as explaining the differences with groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons.

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure my emotions were different from many pilgrims who arrive in Santiago. Living so close by, we go to Santiago relatively often. I've seen the cathedral many times now. It's not yet home, but it is certainly a familiar place. I definitely was excited to get to Santiago, and I enjoyed the satisfaction of completing a (relatively) long and difficult walk. I enjoyed getting to know our anticipated future home in a new way as well. But it was not all that emotional of an arrival. I was excited to get home to my family, a long hot shower, and my own comfortable bed. I didn't even have much time to spend in Santiago as my train back to Coruña was leaving in a few short hours. I rested briefly in the square in front of the Cathedral before heading over to the pilgrim's office to precent my credencial and receive my Compostela - an official document confirming my completion of the Camino. I then returned to the cathedral to say some quick goodbyes to my Spanish companions as they explored the interior. I didn't even have time for a 'proper' meal after arriving. I had to settle for wolfing down a quick Burger King meal as I scurried down to the train station to catch my train. But it really was great to step down from the train in Coruña to a warm welcome from my family. I received heartfelt little leg-hugs from each of the boys. It was good to see Faith and the kids, be somewhere even more familiar, climb into the car, and head home.

I had the chance to visit Santiago again 3 short days later as we introduced some friends visiting from the States to Santiago. I took this picture that day of a group of pilgrims capturing their arrival at the Cathedral on film. It definitely brought back memories of my arrival just a few days prior.

Food and Fellowship

Ribadiso do Baixo to Arco do Pino

Friday, September 26, 2008
approximately 20 kilometers (12 1/2 miles)

Another day of rising early for the day's walk. Today's walk was the shortest and easiest of the bunch. For the first and only time I arrived at an albergue before it opened for the afternoon. There was a crowd of at least 50 other pilgrims who had arrived before me waiting on the front porch and lawn of the albergue. The walk itself was good - I walked a good portion of the day with David - we saw Jesús and Antonio less than on other days. I spent the last hour or two with a remarkable Canadian - you can read more about him in the Pilgrim of the Day section below.

One of the highlights of the day was sharing lunch with about 12 Spaniards. I left for lunch with my three most regular companions - we ran into some other friends we'd made on the camino over the last several days. But rather than head for a restaurant right away, we stopped first at a cafe for a round of drinks. We hung out and talked and waited for some others to join us. We then sauntered on down the road to a restaurant that someone in town had recommended. I certainly never would have found or picked out this restaurant on my own, because through the front door it looked like just about any other bar or cafe in Spain. There was, however, out of sight behind a door, a dining area that looked much more like a nice restaurant. By the time our food arrived our party of 4 had ballooned to something like 12 people.

The waiter started off with the standard baskets of bread and a wide variety of drinks (soda, wine, beer, water, etc). The group then ordered a few starter plates of Pulpo. Pulpo is a local Gallego delicacy - The legs of the octopus are cut up into circles (think like a carrot) and boiled (or perhaps sauteed?). It's only the second time I've had it. And I must say that it does have a good flavor, and the meat is good. I'm still not real fond of the skin or the attached suckers. The rest of the menu was standard in that the options were normal: various choices for 2 plates (or courses), and a dessert. Only it was not standard in that the food was absolutely fantastic!! I know I walked 20 kilometers that morning, and that might have played some part in my enjoyment - I was far more tired and hungry the day before, and was far less impressed with that meal.

At any rate, as good as the food was, the best part of the meal was not the food, but was being welcomed into a community of festive Spaniards as they shared a meal. It was a different cultural experience than I have had in the year I've been here. Not that I havn't shared meals with Spaniards, but in this experience I felt more immersed, and more welcomed as part of the group. While I still felt my 'otherness', that welcome into this group was rich and satisfying. I still could hardly keep up with the multi-layered and high-speed conversations, but I was much less exhausted, and far more appreciative of the opportunity. The entire process took probably 2 1/2 or 3 hours and felt so incredibly Spanish. The restaurant turned off the lights signaling to us it was time to leave. As we left, believe it or not, most of the group decided to stop off at yet another cafe for another round of drinks, and more conversation. I opted at this point to return to the albergue for some time alone.

I made two separate stops at the Pharmacy to find some material to care for my small but growing blisters. I made my last visit to a local supermarket to purchase some fruit and other snacks for the next day's walk. In the end I was finally able to get out and explore the city of Arco do Pino a little bit. I probably walked more than I would have liked to, but enjoyed exploring another corner of this unique planet. Later in the day I had another good conversation with a long-hiker from Poland. He spoke excellent English, and had been hiking the camino alone. It's unfortunate I did not have more time to get to know him, as our conversation was easy and pleasant. All of the long-hikers I met definitely left me with the impression that I was missing out on something special and with the desire to make the whole journey someday. It seems to be a rich and challenging experience that does impact people deeply in different ways. This was the day that I felt like I was just starting to get a glimpse of the unique relational potential that the camino offers. It really is a great way to get to know someone quickly - it's a place where you are able to move into deeper levels of conversation than you normally would with friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you see on a regular basis.

Pilgrim of the Day:

Gilles is truly an inspirational person. I met this French (and English)-speaking Canadian from northern Ontario (not Quebec) near the end of his 40 day camino. It's a remarkable journey for anyone, but I was especially impressed given that Gilles is 74 years old. In addition to his remarkable adventuresome spirit, he was also one of the kindest and gentlest people I have met in a while. This soon-to-be-retired Catholic priest definitely exuded an unassuming love that had the air of Jesus to those that he met. I met Gilles briefly Thursday nite in the albergue, and walked and talked with him for more than an hour when I caught up with him on Friday. It was rewarding to meet him and talk with him. I only hope I can be as vibrant both physically, socially, and spiritually when I reach that stage of life.

Strength in Communty and Solitude

Palas de Rei to Ribadiso do Baixo

Thursday, September 25, 2008
approximately 25 kilometers (15 1/2 miles)
(click anywhere on the slideshow to go to Picasa for larger pics and comments)

I discovered today the power of community for someone walking the camino alone. I walked almost the entire day with three Spaniard guys who had more or less adopted me into their group. David, Jesús, and Antonio are three friends from Valencia who were walking for various reasons. I was tempted to name the three of them my Pilgrims of the Day, but they were a big part of nearly my entire journey - Pilgrims of the week would be a more appropriate title. Walking and talking made the 25 kilometers pass so much quicker. I found I needed fewer breaks, and felt like I was flying along the trail. It was still tiring, but much less so.

David, Antonio, and I discussed spiritual matters for a significant portion of our walk. Converstaion ranged over a variety of topics, but kicked off when they asked me if I was religious. Not being fond of that term, it took me some time to explain (mostly in Spanish) that I take my faith in Jesus very seriously, but that to me it is different from being 'religious.' I really worked hard to communicate that my faith is centered on the person of Jesus and my relationship with him. Over time, the conversation wandered over several other topics, but in the end I pray (and prayed!) that I was able to communicate this very important point and give them pause to consider Jesus a bit more as they journeyed.

When I first met Jesús in Portomarin, he asked me to sign his walking stick, and I noticed that he had writeen "Jesús es mi guia" (Jesus is my guide) on it. I asked him about it, and probably gave him a puzzled look when he said, "Soy Jesús." (I am Jesus), because I thought he was making some vague spiritual allegory about his camino and comparing himself with Jesus the son of God. It made a lot more sense to me when I finally realized the simple truth that his name actually was Jesús.

This perhaps would be a good place to explain what a typical day on the Camino is like, because this was the first day I truly followed a standard schedule that carries most pilgrims the entire length of their journey. An albergue usually sleeps many pilgrims in one room - I shared rooms with as few as 5 other pilgrims, and as many as 109 others. You wake up about 6:30 and pack up your gear in the dark as quietly as possible, in an effort not to wake the few fellow pilgrims in the room who choose not to get an early start. You may eat a small breakfast right away, or simply start walking without food. Either way, you are on the path by 7:30, give or take 15 minutes or more. About 2-3 hours into your walk you stop for coffee/breakfast/snack. Usually at a cafe or bar located right on the camino. 4 to 5 hours of walking may still be ahead, and depending on your company, your energy, and pace, you may take other breaks along the way (with a minimum of 1), including one for lunch around 1 or 2 in the afternoon if you've not arrived at your final destination in time.

The goal is generally to arrive at your final destination for the day before 2, as many albergues fill up quickly around that time. In most cases, you arrive before 2, check in, shower, wash your clothes (you travel with 2, maybe 3 sets of walking clothes), and hang them out to dry. THEN you often go looking for food. You have two choices, first, to find a market and buy food to eat on your own. This is much cheaper, but much harder to do when traveling solo. Many albergues even have a kitchen you can cook a meal in. The second choice is to find a bar/restaurant that offers a menu of the day. The menu includes a drink, two courses, each of which gives you several different options to choose from, and a dessert. All this for a relatively reasonable price. Once the meal is done, you have what's left of the evening to relax, check out the area around the albergue, meet people, read, journal, etc, etc. The day winds down sometime between 10 and 11 as you lay your tired body to rest in bed and try to get some good sleep before tomorrow's early start. Earplugs are a must!!

The albergue in Ribadiso do Baixo was situated in a peaceful and bucolic location, nestled in the hills of the Galician countryside next to a creek and an ancient roman bridge. Pilgrims have been staying in this spot since at least the 1500's, and perhaps longer. It was here in Ribadiso that I was reminded also of the power of solitude. Physically and mentally exhausted after a long day of walking and struggling through complex discussions in Spanish, I chose to share dinner with a group of 9 or so festive Spaniards that formed a large part of my temporary community as I walked. I made the decision partly out of a desire to be around others, but I quickly realized that I did not have the mental energy to keep up with a multi-layered and fast moving conversation. After a while, I simply gave up trying to keep up, and just ate. I realized that more than my need for community at that point, what I really needed was some time alone to recharge. I took the rest of the afternoon to do just that. It was a beautiful spot to take a few (very short!) exploratory walks and enjoy the country-side and the albergue. And as usual, meet a few other pilgrims. It did feel wonderful to dip my tired feet into the freezing cold water of the creek. I found genuine refreshment in having time alone for the rest of the day.

Better days, and even better evenings

Portomarin to Palas de Rei

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
approximately 25 kilometers (15 1/2 miles)
(click on the slideshow to be taken to the Picasa website where you can see larger photos and more comments).

"The Camino is a place where many, perhaps most, walk with limp that manages to be humble and proud at the same time. Humble because the world can see your weakness, but proud too, that you soldier on in the face of pain and hardship. I have a limp - mine has several causes... In the end, I keep going because I have no other option." I wrote this at the end of my second day of walking. I had recovered enough to complete the walk. It was still difficult, but it went much better than that first difficult day.

The first 5 hours or so felt quite good (or as good as can be on the Camino), but the last hour or two was difficult again. At this point I faced loneliness again as I saw no other pilgrims for more than two kilometers towards the end of my day. The biggest disappointment was arriving at my targeted destination to find all the albergue beds full (albergues are the housing specifically for pilgrims). Rather than walk 3 kilometers ahead (0r 1 backwards), I chose instead to get a room at a pension - a private room. Certainly a disappointment considering my goal was to meet other pilgrims and experience as much of the pilgrim life as possible. Not even considering that the 20 euro cost was nearly 7 times the 3 euro charge for the government run albergues.

I arrived in Palas de Rei tired and a bit put-out by a number of things, but it turned out to be a stop that I think was divinely appointed. I connected with Psalm 24 and the idea that "the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, The world, and all who live in it." So many evangelical and protestant people give little thought to this place, and this event because it is 'Catholic', but in the end, all of these people, and all of these places are still God's. I often visit Catholic churches and cathedrals and walk away having really noticed and felt the differences from my own faith experience. However, today, I instead noticed and felt the familiar things of this small catholic church in town. In many ways it reminded me of a church from my youth. Sure, the artwork is different, but much else could have been in an evangelical or protestant church from any small town in the states.

Pilgrims of the Day: I wish I had a picture to share, but I saw the same father and teenage son several times over the course of the day. I suspect they were Japonese, but I'm no expert in these things. But there were clearly happy and content. Happy with the day's walk, happy with the weather, and content to be experiencing this together.

Pilgrim of the Day II: I had hoped to have a favorite for each day - but turns out I had 2 today, and one more on another day (stay tuned). Due to my late arrival, and discovery of a reasonably priced private room, I was able to assist another late arrival to town when I overheard her trying to work out in english where she'd be staying. Several hours later, she arrived at the restaurant I had chosen to eat dinner at. We shared a table and some conversation. Turns out she was on her 2nd full-length camino (for lack of a cooler term, I've been calling them 'long-hikers.') Up until this point, I had not yet met a long-hiker. We had a fascinating conversation as I was able to pepper her with questions about her experiences - why, what she's learned, etc, etc. And she was also very interested in our vision, and was very encouraging. I did not see her again after that meal (somewhat rare with 3 stages more), but I am convinced that our meeting had been another that was divinely appointed. I walked away with a sense that there are pilgrims out there that would really love to stay at a place like we have in mind.

Putzing around Portomarin

Tuesday, September 23, 2008.
Portomarin
0 Kilometers

Portomarin is a town of 2,000 residents found on the river Miño. In the 1960's the town moved from the banks of the river to the bluffs overlooking it before the arrival of a new dam. It is a beautiful town, and was a great place to spend a day of solitude. After a difficult first day, and an equally difficult first night on account of my fever I was seriously considering calling it quits, returning home, and delaying my first Camino trip until another time. After consulting with my advisory team (Faith) I decided to stay put for a day in Portomarin to rest before attempting to complete the journey. As a result, I had plenty of time to read, journal, listen to music, and take pictures.

I had this to say in my journal: "I think in my mind I imagined a trip of exploration, discovery, wonder, and relaxation. So far, 2 days in I'm already confronting lonliness. I'm reading a book (Gilead) that is grappling with mortality and purpose. I'm afraid I don't have what it takes to finish, and I've hardly begun - and a short journey at that (many pilgrims walk for 30-40 straight days). It is harder on many levels than I expected. Despite the free time, I'm finding it hard to focus time towards God. I'm having trouble "connecting" - whatever that means. I guess it means I am seeking some direct relating - no shock, I guess, considering my growing awareness of my own lonliness."

I did enjoy some down time, wandering around the ruins of the old town on the river, listening to music, and exploring the little town with my camera. But the best part of the day was seeing God provide once again in the form of new 'roommates.' Another group of outgoing Spaniards invited me into their newly formed community. We played Mafia in spanish - a game I have enjoyed very much in english. They adopted me into their midst despite my elementary communication skills. I ended up walking parts of the next 4 days with them.

You can click on the slideshow below for better quality pictures on the Picasa website. I've also added a few more details than normal in the comment sections.

Camino Fever

This is the start of several postings covering my first experience walking part of the Camino de Santiago this past week. Each post will cover one day of my journey.

Monday, September 22, 2008.
From Sarria to Portomarin.
approximately 25 kilometers (15 1/2 miles)

Walked out of our piso at 8am, not quite daylight on an overcast morning. A little past 8:30 I boarded a train at a station across the ria from our neighborhood. Fortunately, the train to my starting point, Sarria, goes by the closest station to our house. The clouds splattered the train with bits of rain as we entered deeper into the Galician countryside. At times it seemed like the mist and the forest conspired to swallow the train whole - this sensation was puncutated when we actually entered into tunnels. After arriving a little late to Sarria I found my credential after three stops and was finally on my way shortly before noon. (If you walk more than 100km of the Camino you have a 'credencial del peregrino' - a sort of passport that you must get stamped twice a day to prove you walked the distance. When you arrive in Santiago, you present your credential and recieve a 'Compostela' - a certificate confirming the completion of your camino.)

The day was harder than I imagined. I was very tired and sore quite early in the walk. The going felt slow, and I felt off-schedule from how I planned things in my head. I found taking breaks and eating food to be difficult this first day. God provided for me anyhow, when some fellow pilgrims shared some of their home-made empanada with me, and then when I joined three young spaniards for a portion of the walk. They were university students, and were very friendly and out-going. This was the beginning of the trend that carried me through the rest of the week - most of my community on the camino was with Spaniards - which was also a blessing. It provided me with a precious opportunity for extended practice, it grew my confidence in my skills, and it allowed me to grow in my cultural knowledge as well.

The walk the first day really reminded me many times of northwest Illinois, where my Dad grew up on a milk farm. The landscape was lush and green, dotted with fields of corn, wheat, and cow pastures. Plenty of the familiar black and white mottled milking cows were around, as well as tractors and farming equipment. The main differences were found in the size of the fields, herds, farms, and the structure of the houses and farm buildings (stone here vs. wood).

Of my five days of walking, this first day had the steepest ascending and descending. It was a long day, and I finally arrived stumbling into Portomarin somewhere between 6 and seven in the evening. I felt like I had zero energy, and could hardly believe I actually made it after such a long and hard day. I hauled myself to the showers, and realized after I was freshly clean that I was really cold - really, really cold. I put on as many layers of clothes as I could and retreated into my bunk. I was able to conjure up a blanket from the staff, but spent more than two hours both shivering with the chills while feeling really really hot. I realized at this point that I had a fever and had been likely walking for most of the day with this growing illness. I had no energy, and could hardly get out of bed. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, with the help of some Ibuprofen I brought for muscle pain, I was able to crawl out of bed and make it over to a restaurant for a little food.

I wrote in my journal that it had already been nothing like I imagined. If I were to learn anything from this journey, my first day showed me that as a mirror to the journey of life, the camino showed me that things can be hard and difficult, and that above all, it takes hard work. It takes willpower to go on even when you feel like you have nothing left.

Regrettably, I did not take any photos on this first day. It was probably the most remote portion of the camino I walked, and was quite pretty. It did threaten rain all day (but never did rain), and that combined with my focus on finishing kept the camera in my bag. Stay tuned for photos from other days.

Mmmmm.... Queso!!!!

I'll be blogging a lot about my recent trip on the Camino, but first, a shot of our little booster-seat-bound thief. We left her alone in the kitchen (momentarily) strapped into her chair thinking she was restrained from getting into much trouble. Only to return to find she had absconded the last two (yes that is two slices thick!) pieces of Gouda. As Dora would say - "Delicioso!"

Someday We'll Go All the Way

I think I knew Eddie Vedder was a Cubs fan, but I didn't know he'd written a tune about the Cubs, "Someday We'll Go All the Way." (Looks like he threw a mean opening pitch).

I'm not usually one to go for cheesy sports songs (The Super Bowl Shuffle excluded, of course). But this one has a classic feel to it. Obviously, much of Cub Nation is excited and hopeful that this year will be that year. If you are interested, you can listen to the song on myspace.

Go Cubs!

First-Class Accommodations

A friend pointed out this interesting bit:  A 747 is being turned into a hostel in Stockholm, to be located at the Stockholm airport.  

I remember a hostel in Stockholm from my backpacking days that was in an old boat.  At this juncture, our plans do not include planes, boats, or trains.  But it is fun to see some creativity out there. 

It's good to be bi-lingual

A mother mouse and baby mouse were walking along when, all of a sudden, a cat attacks them.

The mother mouse yells "Bark!" And the cat runs away.

"See?" the mother mouse says to her baby, "Now do you see why it's important to learn a foreign language?"

...If it is your will.

Jesus never concluded a prayer for others with the phrase "...if it is your will." At least that is what Dallas Willard says in Celebration of Discipline. I havn't actually fact checked that one - but I'm going to accept it at face value for now... it is a pretty well respected and widely read book.

For some reason that really surprised me and captured my attention today. Prayer is such a mysterious thing. I feel very dichotomous if I think about it, because I know through both accumulated knowledge and experience that God answers prayers. I know the theological truth in my head, I've experienced it first-hand, and I've heard too many other personal stories to count. Yet still, so often, I pray with this "if" mindset, if not the exact words. He goes on to explain that using such a phrase is completely appropriate when seeking God's will in our own lives - and Jesus did the same. But when praying for someone else, it is so easy to approach it with uncertainty. It is a thought provoking reminder to consciously consider how I am praying.

Photos

I added two small albums (less than 2o pictures) to Picasa. Thought I'd post some slideshows here. If you'd like to see larger images, click on the pictures and you will be taken to Picasa.

Puente Romana

This roman-era bridge is near our house - it's on the way to and back from Ryan's school. It's reserved for foot traffic now. It's clearly not big enough for cars and trucks. This slide show is of the best pictures we've taken of it over the last nine months. As cool as it is, it's actually difficult to get good pictures of - partly because of the modern, not-so-cool, bridge right next to it.


Boats

Just a few more pictures of local boats. If you've seen previous boat photos I've taken, you may start to recognize a few.

Thomas Merton

The person "...who has meditated on the Passion of Christ but has not meditated on the extermination camps of Dachau and Auschwitz has not yet fully entered into the experience of Christianity in our time."

Holy Leisure

"If we are constantly being swept off our feet with frantic activity, we will be unable to be attentive at the moment of inward silence. A mind that is harassed and fragmented by external affairs is hardly prepared for meditation. The church Fathers often spoke of Otium Sanctum, "holy leisure." It refers to a sense of balance in the life, and ability to rest and take time to enjoy beauty, an ability to pace oursevles. With our tendency to define people in terms of what they produce, we would do well to cultivate "holy leisure."

This passage is from a chapter on meditation in Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. It got me thinking about how it does seem that much of my experience in American Christianity is one of frantic activity and defining ourselves by what we 'produce.' I think in that we are reflecting our broader American culture. I have heard many sermons about taking sabbath, but little more than making sure we take a day of week to rest. I also think that it seems many pastors (and missionaries) are driven by proving we did not choose this vocation because it's 'easy' - trying to prove to a rightly cynical world that we are productive. It is a pressure that I feel keenly (mostly internally) as we are in our early days here in Spain.

I know that this idea of holy leisure sounds good, and that I often choose to pursue other forms of leisure that add to the cacophony and frantic activity instead. I know I do not experience this sense of this holy leisure often enough, but I have experienced it enough to know it is good and life giving. I am sure I am not alone, and that many of us would benefit from pursuing God through this.

Christians and Politics

Here is an interesting reminder of how we can engage in politics without losing our soul. I think #10 was the reminder I needed most as I can feel pretty frustrated with politics at times.

This post was my introduction to a blog that seems to be pretty interesting overall. I'm not crazy about the name, but the author of smartchristian.com definitely has some interesting things to say.

Who am I becoming?

In the aftermath of my final oral exam today, I've been thinking a bit about what I'm doing, and how I'm doing. As you might guess at that statement, it didn't feel like I did all that well - I won't know how I did until I see the results. But I can say that I've felt a lot of pressure, mostly internal, to really 'succeed' at learning Spanish. Obviously, if we want to not only survive here, but thrive in running a business and ministry, it's of the utmost importance. To add to that, I certainly feel added pressure to perform well because in a very real sense, this is my job at the moment. It seems simple enough - one thing. And there are many fantastic people who are sacrificing their prayers and finances for us to be here. So the felt pressure can be very real to me.

It's not something I readily admit, because it doesn't fit with my adaptive and flexible personality, but I do give quite a bit of thought and emotion to the things I am doing, and the next things I will be or ought to be doing. It was in this context I was reminded this morning of some words a friend spoke at church long ago. He was talking about following God's lead - seeking for his will and his leading. He made the point that it's not about what you are going to do, but it's about who you are going to be. God has made this point to me very clearly before, and for me, it's a powerful message, one that I tend to forget if I don't revisit it. I'm quite certain that God is far more concerned about who I am becoming than what I am doing for him. But I forget that too often. So today I am considering if I am living my life according to that reality. Am I spending enough time seeking God on who I am, and who I am becoming? Or am I spending more time and emotion than I ought on what I should be doing?

I definitely have lots to do - both now, and in the future. But I want to make sure I don't forget the importance of becoming who he is calling me to become in the midst of seeking a path forward as we figure out each next step.

Images of Santiago

Our friends Larry and Megan visited in May. They made this video of their time spent in Santiago. I enjoyed the images they captured and wanted to share them.

Words about change

"The greatest problems of our time are not technological, for these we handle fairly well. They are not even political or economic, because the difficulties in these areas, glaring as they may be, are largely derivative. The greatest problems are moral and spiritual, and unless we can make some progress in these realms, we may not even survive. This is how advanced cultures have declined in the past."
- D. Elton Trueblood from the forward to Celebration of Discipline.

This statement did a good job verbalizing how I feel about the many issues in our world today. Not that I don't find things like politics important - I do. But in the end, I'm increasingly convinced that any long-lasting solutions must begin with spiritual and moral resolutions.

"Our world is hungry for genuinely changed people."

This just struck me as simply true. Nothing is more dramatic and motivating than deep and genuine change in a person you know.

"Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people."

"Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself"
- Tolstoy

I must admit that I am as guilty of this as anyone else. I spend too much time thinking about changing everyone else, and too little time concerned with how Christ might be calling me to continue to change and become more and more like him.


Posting quotes is the second laziest way to blog (posting videos would be the first in my opinion), and today I am quite happy to take the easy route. It's also a simple way to recognize that often the things that are worthwhile thinking about originate outside of myself.

All of these are from Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, and are his unless otherwise noted.

Abscence

So I've been a little absent from the blog lately. What with a visit from my parents-in-law, a trip to a conference in Manila, raising pressure and stress as this semester of language school coming to a close soon, and not to mention raising three energy-absorbing kids - I've had little will to pound out another blog post. Faith, however, has been good about blogging - especially with pictures and the happenings of our family. You can go to her blog to fill in the last several weeks if you havn't already.

Here is a picture from the Philippines to entice you to check her blog for more.
We had an excellent time at International Team's leadership conference in Manilla. It was a long way to travel for a short 5 nite conference, but it was worth it. We were really encouraged by many people we met and heard from. Manila is a very fun and unique place. We were especially touched by the Filipino missionaries that are spreading across the globe to serve Jesus.

Dodging Danger in Iraq

I received an e-mail from a college friend who is serving with the military in Baghdad. When he has time to send e-mail updates to his friends I always find them impactful. I thought it would be good to share his latest one (with his permission). He lives and works in the green zone - so he's not even in the 'proverbial' front lines - none the less, his e-mail paints a picture of the danger to everyone who is serving over there. In posting this I hope you are reminded to pray for anyone you know serving in Iraq, and everyone there in general. And I hope you can get a snapshot of daily life there through his words, and the sacrifice that the men and women serving there are making.

"I am so terribly grateful to so many of you for the wonderful letters, packages, and emails. But, as great as these things are (and make no mistake, they are an essential boost to my morale) they pale in comparison to the prayers. Your prayers have sustained me throughout this trip, and continue to do so. My wife has repeatedly chastised me for not relating enough aspects of my experience out here. One of the issues I have struggled with is how open and forthcoming I should be with her (and then everyone else) regarding the more negative aspects of life out here. I mean, sure, the heat is oppressive, the sandstorms blot out the sun rather apocalyptically, and the hours would make Roman Galley Captain blanch. ("Row well and you may live.")

"The real issue, however, is the danger factor. It is easy to read or watch mainstream news and believe that, at times, all of Baghdad must be on fire, at war, overrun with medieval pestilence, what have you. The truth is quite different, but the danger is all too real. My base does take rocket and mortar fire on a somewhat frequent basis. It is an unnerving experience that may be beyond accurate description. We have alarms that sound when our radar/anti-rocket systems, and when one goes off you need to hit the ground fast.

"Most of the time I am in my office when this happens. The explosions can be heard from some distance; they also shake the walls. There are occasions, late at night, where explosions will wake you up. Your trailer rattles from the concussion. As quickly as you can, you roll out of your bed onto the floor; most people get under the bed until the "all clear" signal is sounded.

"My wife encouraged me to let those close to me know about my life here. In this fashion, she said, they would know how to pray for me and, also, that their prayers were effective.

"One evening (exact time and date withheld for security reasons), I was walking to dinner from just getting my haircut. We get some time to workout and run errands almost every afternoon. As I was headed to eat, the warning sirens began to blare. They sound "Incoming, Incoming, Incoming," whenever the radar picks up an incoming rocket or mortar. When you hear that siren, you need to haul butt to a mortar shelter (concrete bunker). These are placed all around the base. I looked ahead and saw one about 50 yards off. Something told me, very clearly, that it was too far to run to. At that moment, one of our defensive weapons systems fired in an attempt to intercept an incoming a rocket. Almost as soon as it fired, there was an explosion about 150 yards to the north of me, on the other side of a building. I glanced around and saw a concrete barrier about 3 ft to my right. I literally
dove behind the barrier and tried to hug it as close as I could. As soon as I landed, the weapons system closest to my location fired. At that moment I knew that one was going to hit near me. Similar to the first impact, as soon as the system fired, another rocket impacted about 25 yards away. The explosion was deafening. The ground and concrete wall shook. I was showered with rocks and dirt from the impact. After not hearing anything else for about 30 secs I moved out from the barrier. One guy near me had been hit; his leg was all torn up, but the medics responded incredibly quickly. I then stumbled back to work in a bit of a daze. It did not register until later that had I chosen to run for the shelter I would have run right through the impact zone.

"The time between the first warning and the rocket landing near me may have been like 5 secs, but the sheer intensity of the fear I felt from the moment the rocket hit to when the debris stopped raining down was unbearable. It was pure primal terror felt on a level that I have never experienced and never hope to again. I just don't know how to describe it in any other way.

"The next day I sent an email to my good friend. I did not know how to tell my wife (or other members of my family) or even if I should. There are about a hundred different schools of thought out here related to this topic. My good friend defined being a true friend in the midst of a storm in his reassuring responses.

"So, as I look back at the days I have spent here, and the days I have left (114 down, 85 to go!!), I see the effects of prayer, I feel the effects of prayer, and I am now living because the effects of prayer. Thank you so much, every one of you! Please please keep them coming. I just wanted you to know that prayer matters. Thank you again! I cannot wait to see each and everyone one of you!"

He also asked me to clarify that his note should not be read as critical of the war. I didn't read it that way, but want to honor his wishes to make that clear. He believes in what they are doing there, but in the end, war is still war. I think he did a good job of communicating to his friends and family.

Quote of the Day

"You can continue to smoke the cigar as long as the flavour is agreeable. Every cigar has a turning point, after which the cigar loses its mild nature, and becomes somewhat obstinate. Then it is time to say farewell. Put it in an ashtray and allow it to extinguish of its own accord. Stubbing a cigar out is an ungrateful response to the pleasure you obtained from smoking it."

This is from the website of my favorite cigar store in the world - PGC Hajenius. Faith and I found this quote hilarious and share-worthy.

I discovered this store when I lived in Amsterdam more than 10 years ago, and their store brands are my favorite cigars. (self-disclosure: I have neither been to that many cigar stores around the world, nor tried that many brands. I did however decide I enjoyed their cigars more than the cuban cigars they sold.)Our friend Sarah is visiting Amsterdam, and I am so excited for her to bring some back for me that I can almost taste them right now.

Quick Visa Update

With the help of a neighbor Faith visited several offices to sift through what was needed to complete her Dad's visa. The process so far has been so typically 'Spanish' that I thought it would be good blog fodder.

Everything here requires a mountain of paperwork, and it's often not very clear why exactly any of it is necessary. You can guess, but are never sure. In this case, Faith and her friend visited the police office that the visa requirements specified, only to find out that that office was for Spaniards only. The office for foreigners (extranjeros) was the one that could help her with this particular letter. After arriving at the correct office, they discovered that in order to receive one simple letter of invitation from the government for her Dad to visit for 3 weeks she needed to provide the following:
1) photocopy of Faith's Spanish ID card
2) photocopy of her passport
3) photocopy of our rental contract
4) Certified copy of our registration with the local government
5) photocopy of Faith's birth certificate
6) photocopy of her dad's passport (since he is the one we are inviting)
7) 101 euros.

And the reward for jumping through all of these hoops? We would be awarded said requested letter of invitation from the police for Faith's dad in 1 month!! ("more or less")

Obviously Faith and our friend were sent into a panic at this. Which led to something else very Spanish - a way around all of this rediculousness...

In the original visa application, if you are visiting Spain as a tourist and staying at a hotel, all you need is a hotel reservation - no letter of invitation needed. It's only people who are visiting someone they know in Spain that need all the other stuff. So - instead of going through all that hassle for something that couldn't possibly be done in 8 days, we are just reserving a hotel, and that should be approved by the consulate, no problem.

Stay tuned :- ) And I know I said this would be short in the title - but like seemingly most everything else here in Spain, things just take longer to get done than you think they will :- )

Hasta Luego

Más barcos (more boats)

Still havn't outgrown my fascination with the little boats here. I walked Ryan to school today, and as Kathryn and I moseyed home I took a plethora of pictures along the way.



If you'd like to see larger images just click anywhere on the slideshow and you will be taken to our Picasa album(s).

So this is progress?

(this post was written late Tuesday nite, April 15 - HA! Tax day!!)

So, imagine that you went to the mechanic today because your only car died last Friday. Now - this mechanic doesn't speak your language, and you barely speak his. Yet, he shows you how totally jacked up your engine got when both of your belts broke. You understand the seriousness of the car's injury, and you understand his estimate that it will cost more than 1,000 euros to fix. Where would that fit into a ranking of things that happened to you today?

If your answer was "one of the best things," you might be living in a new culture. (or perhaps you really had an awfully crummy day.) For me, as I thought about this tonight, I think it is a sign of some progress that something like this would have been somewhat of a crisis several months ago, but was not the dominant issue of my day today.

My day started out with a complicated trip to my Spanish class. Complicated, you'll remember, because my car has all of it's important parts laid out on my mechanics workbench and was unavailable. We took a taxi to school which was far to expensive to take home. We walked part of the way home and took a bus the rest of the way - arriving home an hour and a half later than we do with the car. My reward for getting to class - a brutally difficult exam that made me feel both slow and dimwitted - despite the fact I knew exactly when the test would be, and what chapters of our textbook it covered.

After gathering the boys from their respective schools, making it through feeding time, and finally putting them down for their naps, I was looking forward to sitting on our couch, listening to some new CD's, and folding laundry. This moment of peace was interrupted by a call from my mechanic (who, to give him credit, did get out the english words "You... Come.... Now..." followed by whistling the our national anthem). So, after a confidence shattering encounter with the morning's exam, I boldly set forth to find out what exactly was wrong with my car, and how much it would cost to fix it. And as difficult as it was to communicate, I felt good in the end to discover I really had understood almost everything he was trying to communicate. Now, I did not understand even close to every word, nor could I even translate for you what he said - but I got all of the important parts non-the-less. Now, it was much harder for me to find words to communicate back to him - but I was able to call in the help of a friend to make sure we were all clear on the details.

The rest of my day included a cafe, a store named 'Bizaar Chino,' and a party for a newly minted 5-year old. On the whole these were also good things. We especially enjoy going to birthday parties - I may blog separately about that. By the time we returned home from an extremely full day, we were hungry, tired, and ready to make and eat dinner. This is when we learned that Faith's father had discovered that the Spanish Consulate in D.C. was asking for another letter before they would approve his visa.

This was a stress-raising problem for several reasons. First of all, we thought we had resolved all of the necessary details for the visa 5 weeks prior by taking the time, effort, and euros to create a notarized letter of invitation. Secondly, this new request from the consulate came 8 days before Faith's parents are scheduled to come visit. Additional pressure is added because one of the reason they are coming to visit is to watch the kids while Faith and I attend an International Teams leadership conference in Manila. So there are 4 round-trip international airline tickets hanging on this visa approval.

This would be an example of some of the frustrations of making this cross-cultural life change. Paperwork is a way of life here - we've experienced it from the beginning. On the whole, nothing is truly urgent, because there seems to always be time to get something fixed. This is our first experience with something that has a concrete deadline and significant negative impact if it is not completed. It will be interesting to see how the system works from here.

A Walk in the Park

On Friday Faith and I had a date, and we went to our favorite local lighthouse. OK, it's really the only lighthouse I know of around here, but we love it, and we go pretty often. If you've seen any of our pictures from Spain, you've probably seen the lighthouse. It's very photogenic. Yesterday, we actually paid the two euros and climbed all 202 steps to the top for the scenic view.

This short slideshow (9 pics) are my favorite shots from our expedition. To see larger sized photos, or other random picasa albums, click on the slideshow.


We took a family excursion Thursday evening to another of our favorite spots. Faith posted quite a few fantastic pictures on her blog here.

What is your image of heaven?

Do you envision fluffy clouds and harps? Green meadows and mountains? Do you think of reuniting with loved ones? Theologian NT Wright was interviewed by TIME magazine about heaven. He explores what he sees are common misconceptions that many christians have about heaven. It is an interesting and fairly short read.

Mother Nature reminds us of her destructive power

The big news this week in La Coruña was a shockingly big wave that came ashore during a storm on Monday. It destroyed a part of the pedestrian walkway that is above a rather large beach, and flooded out the busy road that runs along the beach and some of the businesses. It is a place that we often have visited and I would have never thought it was possible. Some of the youtube videos are calling it a 10 or 20 meter wave. That is a big difference, but that probably puts the wave somewhere between 30 - 60 feet high. I'm not very good with gauging that kind of thing, but I do know it would take a huge wave to do this. Thankfully, there were no fatalities that I have heard of. But some were injured. It broke a solid cement fence and some rather large cement benches as well.

Here is a link to a short video of a Spanish news report about the wave.

10 Millones

In November US News and World Report published this article about Santiago de Compostela, and El Camino de Santiago. It is a nice, short, and informative read about the phenomena of the pilgrimage to Santiago.

One part of the article says this:

"A lot of people set out not being really sure what they are looking for," says Laurie Dennett, a former chairman of the London-based Confraternity of Saint James, which promotes knowledge of the Camino. Dennett says that, like many others, she didn't embark on her first pilgrimage 21 years ago as a religious undertaking.

I like this quote because it brings light to the fact that many travelers, backpackers, and pilgrims are looking for something. Many of these people recognize the reality that there is something missing in their lives that is worth searching for. And many don't know what they are looking for. It often reminds me of when Paul visited the Areopagus in Acts - he recognized that some in Athens were searching for something more than the numerous gods they worshiped. He used it as an opportunity to share the answer he had found in Christ. There is a tremendous opportunity in Galicia to reach out and help these pilgrims in their search for something more.

It also says that "some 10 million visitors are expected in Santiago for the 2010 Holy Year." That's a lot of visitors for a city with around 100,000 residents.

Faith and I took this picture in 2005 of the cathedral overlooking the rooftops in Santiago.

The picture at the top of this post was lifted from the linked article.

I Live Here

Today I am in awe of the beauty of this place. Brennan and I visited a park on top of a local mountain overlooking the city and the ocean. It was an absolutely perfect clear and sunny day that highlighted the beauty of creation, and by extension, of the creator. Somewhere inside this midwesterner, there is a voice that regularly states in disbelief, "I can't believe I live here... I can't believe I live HERE!!"

Note Brennan in the foreground moving lickety-split to the park. There might not be a playground on earth with a better view.

I have no words

Seriously.... I live here.

And I love it.