Summer 2010 Travelogue Part 1 (July 12-18)

So, I disappear for awhile, and everyone wonders where I went and what I did. ... Or, more realistically, I return and they suddenly realize I must have been gone, lol.

I covered over 1600 miles, served at 2 youth camps, spent a weekend with great friends, and generally had a great time!
The first camp was Aldersgate in West Virginia ...

Steamed
The first part of the trip started off rough -- I was boiling - er - the car was boiling, er, uh, both. I had repairs made to my car the week before I left so it would be ready to go the 1600 miles. But something must have gotten bumped ... I ended up with a radiator crack. A patch didn't hold real well, and I left Monday morning with a noticable coolant leak. In addition, my air conditioning (which I had just recharged) all leaked out again. So I was plenty warm with no A/C. I stopped every hour to keep an eye on the coolant level, and generally felt like I hobbled the car to the camp (6 hour drive). The leaking radiator wasn't quite doing its job (especially sitting still in road construction after being on the road 5 hours), so I was running the heater before I made it to the camp to help keep the engine from getting too hot.

Flexibility
To make the trip a bit more complicated, our evangelist had to cancel at the last minute due to his wife developing some health problems. I tried to make some calls to help make arrangements both before and during my trip. I was to be song evangelist, but we had to figure out how to cover the services! We had the KMBC group Set Apart do a full service the first night, then 3 local pastors covered the other nights for us.

The Wheels That Carry Me
I took my car to a shop once I was at the camp (as I now had a week where I would not be driving). I had them replace the radiator, as well as check over everything else really good, as I had noted some other shaking and noises. The cost was more than reasonable (which could be taken more than one way, of course. I mean that they charged me a good $150 more than it would have cost me here), but I was glad to be back on the road with no more worries.

Beautiful Camp in the Hills

We won!! Thanks for all your hard work! Go Reuben!

Aldersgate Camp went great! I served as Song Leader, Counselor, Tribe Leader, and Class Teacher. We had an awesome group of young people (be sure to shout out if you read this!) and my tribe worked hard, and was 1st place! Congratulations tribe of Reuben! We built picnic tables for activities, studied "What does it mean to be a Christian" in class, led vespers (mini-service) and campfire, and had a great time getting to know each other! And who will forget the ultimate -- trying to put our entire team through the electric wire! Kudos to Zach and Seth, who got thrown over a few times too many, and props to everybody's great ideas, from the sticks (rendered against the rules, although we got points for the creativity), to the pole-vaulting (hilarious, but didn't work), to the cheerleading throws, to the just-toss-people-over throws, to handing people through the wire, and finally to the concrete blocks (successful!). It was a blast! I enjoyed having you all on the team.
I got to see and visit with a number of my great friends in WV! I appreciate you all! I enjoyed seeing you.

The tribe of Reuben! I had a blast with you guys!

Aldersgate Senior Camp 2010!

What do you do on a Weekend?
After a meeting on Saturday morning and early afternoon, I visited with a friend of mine for awhile, then headed to Apollo, PA. The car ran fine, with no more problems. I arrived shortly before the Men with Vision meeting, at which I was to give a devotion. Had a good meeting with some wonderful godly gentlemen. I gave a short devotion, and we visited for awhile afterward.
On the way back to where I was staying, I got to watch an amazing display of God's creation! There was a HUGE cloud in the sky, which was having its own lighting show! It looked like a war was going on, or like fireworks were going off. All the lightning appeared to stay within the cloud (not striking the ground), but there was lots of it! There were between 1-3 strikes per second! It went on for about a 1/2 hour. I wish I would have had a video camera.
Sunday, I visited Apollo Faith Chapel for service. I gave a greeting and got to visit with a few folks. Then, I headed across PA to my Aunt and Uncle's house. My cousin and her husband and kids were there also. I got to meet my cousin-in-law for the first time - that was pretty cool! I really enjoyed hanging out and visiting with all of them. You can SO tell that we're related, lol. :-)

To Be Continued ...
Another week of camp coming up next! Be sure to check back!

Are vaccines safe? Are they worth it?

There have been some concerns regarding the safety of vaccines over the years. I was struck by the opinion of one parent on the subject.

"In 1736 I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the small-pox, taken in the common way. I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it; my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen." - Benjamin Franklin

Celebrate Freedom!

This July 4th, I celebrate freedom.

I hear some clamoring for more freedom -- freedom to exercise their "rights"; freedom to have their "rights" met; and freedom to do whatever they want without fear of guilt, disdain, or punishment. But this is not freedom. This purported "freedom" is in fact, a cry for anarchy! If everyone could do whatever they wanted chaos would reign, then yield its throne to tyranny. This is not freedom. I celebrate something quite different this July 4th.

I celebrate freedom from things which I have never experienced. Things which I had heard about, but had never understood.

I celebrate freedom of religion. I am thankful that I can worship God in my own way. I have been freed from a state - yes, even international - church, whose priest is greater than any king. I am free from religious persecution if I happen to choose a different doctrine than the one imposed by this tyrannic church. I do not have to face torture and death from the church if I belong to a different denomination.

I celebrate freedom of press. I am thankful that I am allowed to print and read all the truth. I have been freed from a regulated and dictated media. I am free to read for myself in my own language. I do not have to go to someone who can read, who must tell me how and what to think. The Bible is in my language. I can read it, and it is not a capital crime.

I celebrate freedom of speech. I am thankful that I am allowed to speak my mind. I have been freed from a systematic destruction of opposition. I am free to speak out and oppose that which I do not agree with. I do not have to fear losing my property, my position, or my life because I spoke against a ruler.

My freedom is so complete, that I cannot even understand nor comprehend what my ancestors had to endure. Oppression of that degree is so far gone it is but a story. I have been freed from the tryanny and oppresion; from even the memory and lingering fear.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to those who freed me from tyranny.

This July 4th, perhaps for the first time, I am beginning to understand what liberty means. I am beginning to love and appreciate those who died, so that I might be freed from tyranny. I celebrate their victory. I celebrate America.
I celebrate freedom.


If you want something to be thankful for this July 4th, read Foxe's Book of Martyrs.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22400/22400-h/22400-h.htm#Page_57

"... they slew of all ranks and conditions to the number of 10,000. The bodies were thrown into the rivers, and blood ran through the streets with a strong current, and the river appeared presently like a stream of blood. So furious was their hellish rage, that they slew all papists whom they suspected to be not very staunch to their diabolical religion. From Paris the destruction spread to all quarters of the realm. . . .
"At Augustobona, on the people hearing of the massacre at Paris, they shut their gates that no protestants might escape, and searching diligently for every individual of the reformed church, imprisoned and then barbarously murdered them."

"When the reformed religion began to diffuse the gospel light throughout church, he accordingly instituted a number of inquisitors, or persons who were to make inquiry after, apprehend, and punish, heretics, as the reformed were called by the papists."
"The principal accusation against those who are subject to this tribunal is heresy, which comprises all that is spoken, or written, against any of the articles of the creed, or the traditions of the Roman church . . . and of such who read the bible in the common language . . . ."
"Upon all occasions the inquisitors carry on their processes with the utmost severity, and punish those who offend them with the most unparalleled cruelty. A protestant has seldom any mercy shown him, and a Jew, who turns christian, is far from being secure. . . .
"A defence in the inquisition is of little use to the prisoner, for a suspicion only is deemed sufficient cause of condemnation . . . ."
"A prisoner in the inquisition is never allowed to see the face of his accuser , or of the witnesses against him ..."

"A. D. 1546, Peter Chapot brought a number of bibles in the French tongue to France, and publicly sold them there; for which he was brought to trial, sentenced, and executed a few days afterward."