Travel Pictures

Fighting the Good Fight

This last weekend I had the opportunity to go with a fellow missionary (Naphtali) to the lowlands. The lowlands are the surrounding communities around Brookes Point, (the closest city).

Friday morning we hiked out, and within about an hour of the hike we came across a guy who was passed out along the trail. His mom was with him, but she was powerless to carry him to the clinic or down to the hospital...and it was about the halfway point on the trail. The man who was passed out would come in and out of consciousness and he was obviously in a lot of pain. We didn't know the reason he was passed out, but Naphtali recalled that this man (Litu) had intestinal surgery before and was given a 50/50 chance of living. We decided that we needed to carry him out so he could get to the hospital as soon as possible. The trail out is very steep and can be very slippery, so carrying someone out the mountains is just as hard as it sounds. We took turns carrying Litu on our back, and because Litu was in and out of consciousness he was a dead weight that we had to grip tightly so that he would stay on our backs. We also periodically checked his pulse because at times we thought he may have stopped breathing.

Eventually we made it down and were able to call a fellow missionary (Brian) who was able to come with a truck and take Litu to the hospital. I think the doctors diagnosed Litu with gastric intestinal disorder (or something like that) ...but apparently that is the most popular diagnosis down here, so who knows if that was correct. Litu is now stabilized and said that even when he was unconcious he could hear what we were saying...and we were praying for him, because we literally thought he could die at any minute.

The reason Naphtali and I went to the lowlands was to give bible studies and encouragement to some of the members down there. For me it was a great opportunity for more intensive language learning. Friday night Naphtali asked me if I could give the sermon the next day. I didn't know I was going to be giving the sermon so I wasn't prepared really, but Naphatali assured me that it would be fine and that the Holy Spirit would give me the words.

As I thought about what I would say that night the story from Exodus 4:10 came to my mind. Moses is talking to the Lord about what the Lord has asked him to do and basically says, “ Lord I can't do that because I am not a good speaker and I am slow of speech and tongue. But God reply's saying, who gave man his mouth....It is I, now go and I will help you speak and teach you what to say. Moseus however is still apprehensive and asks God to please just send someone else. God was not happy with Moseus's lack of Faith, and then says, your brother Aaron can speak for you. “You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and teach you what to do.”

Remembering this story was very encouraging to me. The last two weeks I had been very discouraged about my lack of language learning, and like moses I felt that in the Palawono language “I am not a good speaker and slow of speech and tongue.” However I also felt impressed that it was very important for me to persevere and not give up despite my feelings...in short I was fighting the fight of faith. Like moses I knew that I was not eloquent in words, but I also know that power is made perfect in weakness (2 cor 12:9). I was encouraged that God allowed Moses to have a helper in his brother Aaron. And I knew that I could have a helper in Naphtali.

God did give me the words, they flowed easily...and the words I didn't know which were a lot, Naphtali was able to translate for me. I talked about the first four commandments and how my life personally has been effected by them. God recalled many verses to my mind, and it was a real blessing to me to see how God's power can shine forth in my weakness.

We continue to fight the fight of faith when it comes to language learning, but it is encouraging to have victories along the way. Because of my faith I know who ultimately wins the war, but that doens't mean we won't continue to have struggles until that time comes. Danelle right now is fighting the fight against malaria once again...and that fight isn't easy either. So please continue to pray for us. Thank you so much for the packages and words of encouragement we have received, they really help uplift our spirits.

Drip Drops

So as I write this, I am in a nice little spot in our house that doesn't leak. Our roof is getting quite old, and termites and rats, and chickens, all age it quite well. Before we left for vacation, we had 1 or 2 little leaks, kind of in the middle of the room so it was no problem. When we got back from vacation, we found more. I guess there had been some chickens or roosters trying to get up here and scratch around.

For a temporary fix, Napthali and Kevin put some plastic and some tarp up here. That is working pretty well. Pretty well as long as it isn't windy anyway! Last night and today we are having lots of gusts of wind and rain. Our roof would be the perfec roof for Arizona in the summer. When it rains we feel a nice little mist. You know, like those outdoor airconditioners? Half of the plastic stayed on fairly well, the other half is half way off our roof right now. We are thankful though because at least our bed is dry! For the most part anyway. There's a tiny little drip at the very foot of the bed. But it's only when the wind blows a certain way I think.

So, until the grass can be cut and dried out, we will have our temporary fix. Usually it's not too windy like this for very long. I wonder though if the rats will be more attracted to the nice new soft grass that is nice and plump. We'll have our poison out and ready. It will also be nice because right now, when it is windy, little crumbs from the roof fall all over the place. You know, all the little cockroach poops and bits of termite eaten grass and wood.

But for now we are enjoying the extra loud sound of the rain on our tarps. And will look forward to our new roof.

Short update

My last email was quite wordy, so I thought I would give a quick update here on the latest. We just got back from a wonderful two week vacation, would post pictures, but while on vacation our computer crashed. This may limit the quality of our blogs from here on out because our time is so limited but we will see what we can do.

We are excited to see what the new year will bring. The holiday's are a lonely time, and we did miss our friends and family...but we are glad to be here and have the opportunity to witness, and build our foundation in Christ.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Much love

Kevin and Danelle

Happy New Year

Starting a new decade makes me reflect on the decade that has just passed. Remember 10 years ago the speculation and apprehension around the “potential computer meltdown” of Y2K. The year 2000 came and went...eventually my computer did meltdown but it died a natural death of old age and the misfortune of not being a Mac. But as you may recall there was a lot of anxiety around what the new century would bring.

In the year 2000 I was an acne prone 15 year old kid, the following year I moved away from home and started my junior year of high school. In September 11 of that year a freeze frame, world changing moment took place. It was the type if rare event that is so significant that even 9 years later, I can recall exactly where I was and what I was doing in that moment in time. The event is known simply as 9/11, and on this date in the year 2001, America changed forever.

It has been said that the only thing constant is change, but change is not always perceptible. For instance we don't really notice the 15 or 20 pounds a friend has gained when we are with them everyday, but if we haven't seen them in over a year, the first time we see them again, the change is noticeably profound.

In the same way, America has changed dramatically over the last decade. But the change is only perceptible if we compare the current version with the pre-September 11 one. Change is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be, especially if we are oblivious to it. A good illustration of this point is the famous parable of the frog that boils to death. In the parable, the frog is enjoying the relaxation of a warm pot of water, it does not the notice the increase in temperature, because the change is subtle, it adapts, but the end result of coarse is the frog becomes dinner due to it's ignorance that it was in the stew.

Historically I believe we are living in significant times. Last year we elected the first black president in the history of the USA, there are constant rumblings and fear of a total economic collapse, and some people are speculating that civilization as we know it will end in the year 2012. Obviously I don't buy into all of the speculation I hear, but I do believe that the world as we know it will eventually come to an end, so it is important to be watchful and aware.

Jesus says in Matthew 24:42, to watch therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. And Paul tells us in Thessalonians 5:4-6 that we need not be in darkness so that “this” day should overtake us as a thief. Therefore let us not sleep as others do, let us awake and be sober. And finally Peter says in 1 Peter 4:7, the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer.

Jesus, Paul, and Peter all advise us to be watchful and aware because the end of all things is at hand. And it is interesting that one out of every twenty five verses in the new testament is a direct reference to the second coming, ie: the end of this world. The obvious implication of being told to “watch” is that there will be observable indicators that the end of the world is drawing near.

The idea of the eschaton, that is, the end of the age, is more than mere sensationalism and biblical fundamentalism. World famous scientists such as Stephen Hawking, have gone on record, stating that the long term survival of our species is in question. In his lecture entitled, Is Man Determined or Free, he says, if we can keep from destroying one another for the next 100 years, sufficient technology will have been developed to distribute humanity to various planets, and then no one tragedy or atrocity will eradicate us all at the same time. Of course Dr. Hawking is operating from an evolutionary paradigm, but many intelligent people from a variety of fields have come to the same eschatological conclusions.

The evidence in nature as well as the degradation in societal moral suggests that the world is ever nearing some sort of cataclysmic event that will end in Armageddon. That this world will not last forever is agreed upon, and that time is becoming increasingly short is a growing consensus. The difference between Dr. Hawking and people like the Apostle Peter or Paul, is the method by which, they believe humanity will be saved. For Dr. Hawking the savior is science, for Peter and Paul our only hope is Jesus.

We are living in extraordinary, unusual, radical times. Times that have never been seen before in the History of mankind. This is a strong statement, but it is not based soley on biblical fundamentalism, but is also rooted in an evidential basis which is becoming increasingly fascinating to both the secular and religious world.

In Matthew 24:3 the disciples ask Jesus, “what will be the sign of your coming?” The very first thing Jesus says is to watch out that no one deceives you. He then lists several signs and says these are the beginning of labor pains (meaning that as the end nears these signs will increase in frequency and intensity. It is interesting to note that more people were killed as the result of war in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries combined. In regards to famine between 60 and 93 thousand people starve to death every single day! All of the signs listed in Matthew 24 are dramatically increasing in frequency and intensity...these are the labor pains Jesus told us to watch out for. While these labor pains are intensifying the general public is increasingly indifferent to the hardships and trials that are inflicting humanity. We are living in the age of Matthew 24:12,13 which says, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

In 1940 Readers Digest compiled a survey asking teachers what the biggest challenges were they faced in the classroom on a daily basis. The top 7 complaints were as follows:
1)Students talking out of turn.
2)Chewing gum in class.
3)Making noise.
4)Running in the halls.
5)Cutting in line.
6)Dress code infractions.
7)Littering.

The exact same survey was given to 8000 teachers nation wide in 1990, this time the top 7 concerns were as follows:
1)Drug use.
2)Alcohol abuse.
3)Pregnancy
4)Rape
5)Robbery
6)Assault
7)Suicide.
We are living in extraordinary times, and humanity's condition is not improving. Our only hope is a savior whether that savior be science or Christ!

In the last decade I graduated from high school, college, and my teenage years. I traveled the world for 8 months, nearly died while storm watching, and married my beautiful wife. I say all this simply to note that time moves fast and is very fleeting so it is important to make the time we do have meaningful. In the last decade, I went on a quest for truth. I questioned my most fundamental beliefs. In regards to religion, I was challenged by a good friend who said, “If we believe this stuff, we should do it.” I came to the brink of giving it all up and deciding the religion I grew up believing was a false theology and not for me. But before I gave it all up, I prayed an earnest prayer for truth! My prayer was answered not with an instantaneous epiphany of “truth”, but with an unquenchable desire to read, and to search out truth for myself, wherever it may lead.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7, that if we seek, we will find, and it was through this process of searching that I discovered for myself that God is real, and that His word, the bible, is faithful and true.

Obviously I have not discovered all truth, but the truth I have discovered is profound and I can say confidently with the Apostle John, that we may know Him who is true (1 John 5:20). “Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.” “For the world and it's desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (Proverbs 23:23) (1 John 2:17)

The search for truth is a search for meaning and at it's core, it is a search for happiness. As part of this search last year, I read a book with this description on the back:
Over five billion of us live on this planet now and we are rapidly on our way to six billion. We're seperated by a lot of differences: sex, race, religion, language, customs, and geography. But we also have some things in common. We breath the same air. We all bleed the same red blood. We all need food, and rest, and shelter.
And – Oh, yes, one other thing. We all want happiness. Happiness, an ellusive, sort of nebulous something that every one of us spends our whole lifetime pursuing.
Some of us try to find it in things. We think that if we could only be rich, we'd be happy. When you're rich you have money. Money buys things. And things make us happy. Or do they?
Others of us try to find happiness in becoming well known, maybe even famous. If the masses adore us, surely then we'll be happy, right? Or maybe we look for happiness in being powerful and important, or in trying to find someone else who can make us happy.
We want happiness. We desire it, all of us. Through all ages of history we have desired it. But this inexpressable desire of all ages cannot be found in things, in fame, in power, in pleasure seeking. It can be found only in a Person. And you can probably guess who that Person is. This book is His story, and this book is the end of your search.
If you're interested in reading this, the book is called Desire of Ages.

I don't know what all will transpire in this next decade, life may continue as it always has... but if it does, I do know a few things. I will become 10 years older, which means at the end of this decade, I will be 35. My parents (hate to say this) will officially be old. And statistically, at least one of my friends will be divorced, because the divorce rate is now at 60% the majority of which happen in the first two years. Thankfully we are not destined by statistics, we all have a choice in how we live our lives and manage our time. If we make a decision to live our lives as if we don't have another 10 years to live, but life continues as it always has, we are not worse off for having made that decision. However, if the end of the age comes, and we haven't prepared ourselves, we will be caught unaware, and blinded by our own laodician condition.

Famous mathematician, Blaze Pascal, proposed a theorem to the same effect, now known as Pascals Wager. The essence of the wager is this; if we believe that God does not exist and wager our lives as such, but ultimately find out He does exist, the cost of the wager is our eternal existence. However, if we believe that God does exist and wager our lives as such, the reward of the wager is eternal life. Furthermore, there is no risk by wagering on God. If we wager our lives as if God exists, but find out He does not, we lose nothing, yet still gain the results of peace, health and happiness for having done so.

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the lord stands forever ( 1 Peter 1:24,25). Time is fleeting, and this life is to important to simply role the dice and hope for the best. The word of the lord is true, but each person has to search and discover that for themselves. It is only through seeking that we can find, and this experience, like the oil in the parable of the ten virgins, can't be given away.

For those who are interested, and have actually managed to read this far, I would like to recommend three lectures that were behind the inspiration of these thoughts. The lectures are part of a series of sermons that seek to answer the question, does God exist and does it matter? The three sermons I would like to recommend are: Pascal's Wager, I Have Found my Beloved, and The Evidence and the Escaton. You find these sermons by following the link to audioverse on our website, and then typing in David Assherick.

My Heart Wants to Speak and Listen

I am just really feeling pensive and nostalgic right now. (Danelle). I just really miss some of my friends and I wish so bad that I could go get dinner with them and sit in a little private booth and just really talk. You know, that type of soul to soul talk. That type of talk where you talk about things that matter in this life, the big picture, but also the little things that matter to each other. To REALLY see how each other is doing. To share about life and to hear about life. To laugh a little or a lot. Maybe cry too. To encourage and to be encouraged. To sit there and sip and/or nibble for at least a good hour. Probably more. Then, that sense that when the conversation is finished and you can just sit there a little in silence, deeply satisfied and encouraged. Feeling blessed because it was such a God given soul touching moment. And to know that relationships matter. I'm feeling convicted that I need to put more effort into relationships. This is what life is about; to love and to reach out, to encourage and to be encouraged by encouraging. To praise God more fully because of the small taste of experiencing these kinds of relationships. Relationships matter.