Boycott Christmas!!!

Actually, don't boycott entirely.... maybe just streamline. I recently found this website called "Advent Conspiracy." It's aiming to redirect the western thinking on we 'spend' Christmas. There are lots of good alternatives to purchased Christmas presents. Including ways to put our money to use for people who don't have the basic necessities.

www.adventconspiracy.org

Last year in Indonesia I did all of my shopping online... I gave my parents 3 guinea pigs for a family in South America. My parents asked me what they do with guinea pigs there... find out for yourself...

http://www2.worldvision.ca/gifts/app?service=external/Gift&sp=l2063

A Humble Campsite

We discovered it wasn't a popular time of year for camping.

The Trip to Pataua Bay

Here's my friend on our hilly trip to Pataua Bay... approximately 30km. Hard work, especially pulling that trailer. I was using M's wife's bike, which was pretty small, although light. I managed fine.

I call this one "Grazing Brown Cow on Hillside takes interest in Cyclists."

Here's the footbridge from one part of Pataua Bay to another. There is no vehicle access bridge, so cars have to drive 30 minutes back into Whangerei and 30 minutes out again if they want to drive from one part to the other. I think the hike across the footbridge is much better.

Whangarei, New Zealand

I visited a friend from University in Whangarei, (North Island) New Zealand during my school break. Here are some pics...


A toilet picture is always the best way to start a photo journal. I used a toilet in a pub in Whangarei. I walked in and this was what I saw. I panicked. Where do I do my 'business'? Where do I wash my hands? I opted for the sit down toilet across the hall. Looking at this picture afterwards I figured out which was which.


This boat as in the middle of this roundabout. I couldn't resist getting in.


Here's yachting harbour in Whangarei. People from all over the world dock here.

I've been reading...

I have been reading a lot over the past few months. I picked up God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew a while back and finished it just before my holidays. Brother Andrew is about a Dutch man who started a ministry taking Bibles to communist countries in the 1950s and 60s. Reading this led to a more well-known “Dutch” book called The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. If you’re not familiar with this book, it’s her family’s story of hiding Jewish people in the occupied Netherlands of World War II. I was then given To Own a Dragon by Donald Millar, which is his thoughts on growing up without a father. Now, I have just finished The Revolution, edited by Heather Zydek. It is a compilation of essays on Christianity and social justice issues.

These books have been strangely following similar veins, and impressing on my brain two things. First of all, God uses really ordinary people for incredibly exciting things. Brother Andrew was an injured soldier who fought for the Dutch military. Corrie Ten Boom was a watchmaker. Both seemed to be pretty ordinary up to certain points in their lives. When they were confronted with the suffering of others, however, their lives became excitingly ‘dangerous.’ I hope I’m not romanticizing their work, but there is this element of serious risk that appeals to me.

The other two books, To Own a Dragon and The Revolution have taken these thoughts a step further. Both of these books commend readers to spend their resources on other people. To Own a Dragon was a lighter (although wholly worthwhile) read, and impressed on me the importance of men mentoring fatherless boys. While this was a funny and enjoyably quick read, The Revolution really depressed me at times, and I had to slow myself down to only a chapter a day. I was frustrated to learn that human trafficking generates 9.5 Billion USD a year, 130 countries still practice torture, and that 150 children die every hour from illness due to unclean drinking water (and that was only 3 of 12 chapters!) So what am I to do? Facts like these do motivate me to do something, but also paralyze me by their sheer enormity.

Maybe my problem is comfort... the more I focus on my own comfort, the less I can give for the "comfort" of others. If I spend all my time making money so I can buy more toys for myself, I may feel more comfortable as I have cool stuff to spend my free time with, and stuff to show to my friends. If I spend more time in service to others, maybe even using some of my time that I would ordinarily spend 'making money' to help others, I am sacrificing my own comfort for the comfort of others. Maybe I could even take a job that pays less, but makes a bigger difference in the lives of others. Maybe the money I do make could even buy less 'comfort' things for myself and more for the basic needs of others. Maybe I could even try trusting God to provide my basic needs, and spend even more of my excess money on others. Wait a second, doesn't Jesus talk about this? And yet it sounds kind of dangerous to me, even exciting. In fact, maybe it is a little revolutionary.

So this has been my food for thought over the past few weeks. I still have a long way to go... I mean, what exactly are my comforts? What are my needs? I'm going to go wash my Lexus right now while I think about it....