2019 "A New Beginning"

As we enter into the new year, we are looking forward to a year of new beginnings; a year of putting the past behind us and moving forward. Like the poem below, we are trying to forget the drama of 2017 and 2018 and trust the Lord for a fresh start.

Rich has settled into his teaching classes at Arizona Christian University and is enjoying working with the students. He is constantly amazed how little these kids know about the bible and it is a challenge to help them understand that 1) the bible is true 2) all religious roads don't lead to heaven and 3) there is more to life than sports. But as you would guess he has won their hearts and tomorrow night we are headed to a gymnastic tournament to watch them compete.

I'm loving being home and enjoying some solitude. The Peace I feel from viewing the mountains from my back yard and the constant sunshine has been good for my soul. The friendliness of Soteria West Valley and the Arizona people in general, has helped me to overcome my anxiety. For the firsts time in years, I feel free to be myself. Murph and Murphette keep me company and Sally (our new robot floor cleaner buzzes around that I feel she is now part of the family.

Greece No. 3

Not sure how or why, but Greece has become our go to destination to relax and unwind. In 2005 we took a Sabbatical and spend 6 weeks wandering Athens, the Greek Islands and Turkey. Of course, Rich took it as an opportunity to do some research and came home and preached a series on
"In the Steps of Paul" (available on www.sermonaudio.com/wftw and wrote a book called Priority Mail available at www.rbpstore.org.

Since we didn't get to Crete, we headed back in 2016 to visit Crete, Rhodes, and a few days in Athens.

When it became apparent that we were headed to Arizona we decided to take a break between ministries and visit Greece one more time. And it was our pleasure to take two other couples with us to share some of our special places.

We arrived in Athens on May 9, 2018 and spend two days and three nights. When we were there in 2005, just after they hosted the Olympics, we found it intriguing, clean and enjoyable. However, the in 2016 and again in 2018, we found it dirty and crowned with lots of graffiti. After viewing some of the "must see" spots, we escaped to the islands.

On May 12 we headed to Santorini, Samos, Aegina and then after Poros. Before heading home we spent a night with the Hensler's who are ABWE missionaries now stationed in Athens. Once again we  came home refreshed and ready to begin our new life.

It's Amazing

Six months! What really happens in six months? Although our retirement plans were to move to Arizona, in January 2018, I would never had guessed that by July we would be sitting in a new home in the beautiful Estralla Mountain Community. It's another situation where I feel that God has carried us along through a difficult situation and set us down in a place where we are loved and appreciated. 

For over a year Pastor Mike has been asking us to move to Arizona to help mentor a new church plant that were starting with people he knew who had for one reason or another moved to Phoenix. Of course it sounded interesting, but for various reasons we felt we needed to stay put for awhile longer. 

However, when God really wants you to do something, he makes it impossible to say NO! In our case he made our life so miserable and then opened a window of possibility that we decided it was time to take that step of faith and move forward. I kept thinking about the Hornet song that I remember from Children's Bible Hour choir as a child.

When the Canaanites hardened their hearts against God

And grieved Him because of their sin,

God sent along hornets to bring them to time,

And help His own people to win.

The hornets persuaded them that it was best,

To go quickly, and not to go slow;

God did not compel them to go 'gainst their will,

But He just made them willing to go.

Chorus

He does not compel us to go, No! No!

He does not compel us to go.

He does not compel us to go 'gainst our will

But He just makes us willing to go.

If a nest of live hornets were brought to this room

And the creatures allowed to go free,

You would not need urgings to make yourself scarce,

You'd want to get out, don't you see.

They would not lay hold and by force of their strength

Throw you out of the window, Oh No,! 

They would not compel you' to go 'gainst your will,

But they'd just make you willing to go.

ETC.

Just a side note! Just because it worked out well for us, does not excuse the sin of those involved. I't been a struggle for me to forgive and believe God when he says "vengeance is Mine" but everyday I pray that God will deal appropriately with them and leave it in His hands. That frees me up to live my life with no regrets and enjoy the life He has given me today.

And yes! We did take Murp and Murphette with us along with all the little state and country bears. This kids here are loving them! Other that that we left everything behind and are enjoying a new start.

The next blog I will talk about our trip to Greece.

Chapter Five

When I started this blog (Chapter Four) I really thought that our New Jersey adventure would be our last adventure until we retired. And I have to admit that it was a great place for the kids to congregate; we enjoyed the shore and seafood; and we enjoyed our visits to Philadelphia and New York City. But the Lord had other plans.

In November it becomes obvious to us that it was time to say good-bye to New Jersey and head to Arizona. Although we have always wanted to live in Arizona, the decision was not an easy one, but as we took each step, the Lord made it clear that we were headed in the right direction.

Putting our house on the market the middle of January made it real. In February we met with the core team in Arizona, arranged for a rental home for the month of April and decided to sell  most of our belongings instead of transport them. It was amazing the feeling of freedom we had as drove out our driveway on March 13 and headed to New York (to see Brad's family), to Michigan (to see our siblings and my parents) and then meandered through Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and finally Arizona.

Rich's first message with this small group was at a park on Easter Sunday as we watched the sun rise over the mountains.

Please pray with us as we develop the core group and minister to everyone God brings into our path

Happy Birthday to Rich!

May 31, 2016

Today is my birthday. I get to spend it in Athens!

It seems like only yesterday, I was graduating from college with my life goals and a job waiting. But after 5 years, God stepped in and changed my heart from bridge building to preaching, which has been my passion every sense.

As I turn 64, I'm looking back and evaluating how I want to spend the next years of my ministry. I have to admit that even though the road has not always been smooth, I have few regrets with the path the Lord has led Lynette and I down. Now more than ever, however, I want to spend my time investing in people, focusing not on growing a church but making disciples.

This was reinforced today when we visited the Greek Bible College that your missionary, Mark Henzler, will be involved with when he returns from the States. After a crowded metro ride and a 30 minute bus ride, we arrived at a beautiful campus. It's cleanliness stands out amongst the dirt and graffiti of the rest of Athens and we could only say WOW!

We were met by Bob Hill who is the last of the original founders of the school. Since Saturday had been their graduation, the faculty was meeting to evaluate their last year. They graciously allowed us to step in and visit with them for 30 minutes. What a joy to sit with these who are training others to know God's Word and be able to make it known.

If there is a theme that has developed on this sabbatical it comes from the life of Soren Kierkegaard.  Aware that in his day and country everyone claimed to be a Christian yet few were truly born again believers, Kierkegaard was determined to be a "Missionary to Christians." It is the work so needed not only in Greece but increasingly in America. As noted by others, Christ did not command anyone to admire Him but to follow Him.

The Acropolis

Even though it was only a 45 minute flight from Rhodes to Athens, we spend most of the day getting to and from our destinations. Like I mentioned before that Rhodes is another world, now that I'm in Athens, my immediate reaction is to flee back to the islands. We were met with crowded, dirty streets, crowded metro, and disrepair everywhere. Unlike our time in 2005, when they had just cleaned up the city for the Olympics, we saw a very unorganized, self-centered city.

Their frustration with their economic situation was apparent with a demonstration starting in Syntagma Square ending in the Plaka with police everywhere prepared for a riot. We were standing on the fringe of the crowd  but after singing the national anthem (I think) in one of the market squares, they walked quietly away.

Breakfast was on the roof of the hotel with a view of the Acropolis. What a sight! Standing head and shoulders above the modern city of Athens, it stands as a reminder of a greater, more majestic city with the worship of the goddess Athena at its center. We can not only see the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena, but also Mars Hill where Paul preached of Christ in a city filled with temples to the gods.

Today we head to Corinth. It is an hour drive and was the city which developed on the isthmus of land separating the Aegean Sea from the Adriatic Sea. The short land journey would save hundreds of miles of potentially rough and dangerous sailing.  We look forward to seeing the Corinth Canal that was finished 1820 and see the Bema Seat when he stood before Galileo and other sites referred to by the Apostle Paul.

Why Rhodes

After watching Agatha Christie's Poirot:Triangle at Rhodes our heart was tugged towards Rhodes. Last night we watched it again and paid close attention to some landmarks and decided to follow his footsteps. So off we were today to see if we could find them.

Rhodes is situated in the south-eastern corner of the Aegean Sea. It is the largest island of the Dodecanese with an area of 1400 sq. kms. In its interior, Rhodes is mountainous, but has very green, with beautiful valleys. It has a mild Mediterranean climate with warm winters and cool summers with a population of 90,000.

The Mycenaeans arrived on Rhodes around 1450 BC; the Dorians occupied it during the 8th and 7th centuries BC. When the great new power of Rome arrived on the historic stage Cassius conquered the island in 42 BC. In the 1st century AD Christianity spread as Paul went on his missionary journey's.  This peaceful period was interrupted in 1522 when the Turks began 390 years of suffering under their barbaric yoke. In spite of the Greek Revolution in 1821 Rhodes remained under the Turkish yoke until 1912 when the Italians captured the island and held power through WWII until, on March 7, 1948 the Greek flag was finally raised at the Governor's Palace.

We limited our visit to the Old City as we will be here for only one day. The massive walls build and rebuilt and expanded over time still remain. A maze of narrow, often covered streets now filled with shops, restaurants and historical sites all situated on the ancient harbor make it a city one can lose his thoughts and way.

We stayed in a quaint little (and I mean little) AirBnB apartment in the old city. As we wound our way through the allies to get to it, we wondered if we would be able to find our way out. It reminded us, once again, of Poirot's visit.

Tomorrow we head back to Athens.