Last Steps (Doug)

At the beginning of this year Mandy and I finally found a walking route through our neighborhood that allowed us a decent 30 minute walk. That might not seem like a terribly difficult task that would take two college educated young adults the better part of a year and a half to accomplish. Yet it is more challenging than one might assume. Lest you forget, we have been living in what is biblically referred to as the “hill country of Judah.” They don’t call it that for nothing. Unless you want your walk to contain sharp ascents and descents you’d better be prepared to be creative. So as we got to know our Little Town of Bethlehem we finally discovered a route that was relatively flat. Tonight after the blazing middle-eastern sun had finally dipped safely behind the hills of Beit Jala we embarked upon what will probably be our last daily walk through Bethlehem.

These last steps are sort of symbolic of the many ‘steps’ we’ve been taking of late. We cleaned our classrooms, handed in our books, cleaned our apartment, and threw away a ton of junk. (It is amazing how much junk two human beings can acquire in only two years. We’ve pretty much filled the big green dumpster down in the playground.) And of course there are the goodbyes. There has barely been a day this week where we haven’t been invited over to someone’s house for a huge Arabic meal and a goodbye. Today we had two! (Hence the importance of the aforementioned 30 minute walk.) It will be so hard to say goodbye to this land. It has a piece of our hearts and always will. More importantly these people have a piece of hearts. Our students, our colleagues and our friends will be sorely missed. We place them in God’s hands knowing that He who watches over Israel & Palestine “will neither slumber nor sleep”.

I’ll miss our walks here. Most days I wouldn’t have said that. Looking back though, our walks were beauty mixed with ugliness. We would walk past a beautiful rose garden, then a trash dumpster that had been set on fire. We would see palm trees and cedars of Lebanon and then someone would drive by and throw trash out the window. We would stare in amazement as a flock of sheep would waddle up the road behind a shepherd who looked like he walked straight out of a Bible story. Then we would have to cross over to the other side of the road because man, do sheep leave a mess! We would watch children playing in the dirt, flying kites, or kicking a worn out soccer ball and then we’d be stared at by a group of young men who would make your skin crawl. We saw amazing sunsets, bright blue skies, full moons, crescent moons, starry skies, we laughed and talked.

Walking is good.

A few weeks ago in church we sang a song that I first learned in Mrs. Bloem’s second grade class. It was called “This is My Father’s World.” The third verse struck me so that it bought me to tears. I guess when some look at all that is wrong and ugly here they might lose heart and say there’s no hope. I look at all that God is doing here in the lives of students, colleagues, and friends not to mention the beauty of sunsets, sheep, and cedars and I brought back to verse three of that beautiful song. So as this will most likely be our last post from the Holy Land, I leave you with these words…

This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

Graduation (Doug)

I dont think it will make sense to my brain when my fingers type this sentence. It's June. As short as that sentence was it's still mindblowing to us. But we are praising God because we've made it this far.

Today was a significant day. Many of you know that we have been praying about a position at a church in Fitchburg, MA. Just moments ago we got off a video call with the pastor of that church and it's now official. By a unanimous vote I am now an associate pastor. That sentence was also very weird for my brain to comprehend as my fingers were typing.

Yesterday was also a significant day. It was graduation day here at our school in Bethlehem. I was asked to address the graduates at last nights proceedings and so I thought I'd share with you all the text of the speech I gave to the 7 graduates last night. Enjoy...

Dear Parents, fellow colleagues, esteemed guests from the Ministry and Municipality, Representatives of Miss Martha’s group, and beloved students,
Though I am honored to be speaking to you tonight I am in actuality addressing the 7 young men sitting behind me. So, shebab, please listen as though you had your name and 2 checks on the board. We’ll make one last deal. You sit quietly and I’ll never write your name on another board for the rest of your life. Ok?
When I was asked to speak at the graduation of these 7 distinguished gentlemen I was reminded of a story I once heard. There were two brothers in a certain town. They were despicable characters. They lied, cheated people, robbed people. One day, one of the brothers died and the other brother went to the town priest and said Father I will pay you a large sum of money to do my brother’s funeral on one condition. I know that you know what kind of life my brother led but if you want the money, at some point in the eulogy you need to say that my brother was a “saint.” Say whatever else you want about the man but you need to refer to him as a saint. So the priest agreed with some reservation. How could he call this character a saint. But he took to the pulpit, wiped his brow and began. “Dearly beloved the man who lies before you was a thief, a liar, and a cheat” he said “but compared to his brother, he was a SAINT!”
Enough jokes, let me address the 7 saints seated behind me. No I’m only I kidding. I love you guys. It was Ten years ago this very month that I myself graduated from high school. To some of you that makes me hardly old enough to know anything of value to share with tonight’s graduates. To others, you may feel that I’m so old I can’t remember what it’s like to sit in that chair awaiting a diploma. Actually I feel that I have quite a unique perspective. In truth I have lived a bit since graduation and I have a few life lessons I’d like to share with you. That having been said I DO REMEMBER what it it’s like to sit there and listen to 15 different people make speeches while all you really want to do is get this over with and go celebrate. So I will try to keep my remarks brief.
I have 3 lessons I want you to remember as you embark upon this next chapter in your life. The first is “Never forget where you came from.” I want you gentlemen to look out at your families sitting in the audience tonight. They love you so much! They love you so much that they work and sacrifice to put you in the American School and they will stop at nothing to give you every possible chance to succeed. Don’t waste that. You each owe them so much. Never forget that.
May your parents love also remind you of God’s love. God who would also stop at nothing because He loved you so much. He sent Jesus into the world to die for each one of you. May God’s love inspire you even more so than your parents love for you.
You will very shortly be graduates of the Jerusalem School – Bethlehem and I don’t ever want you to forget that. Though you may be very anxious to forget about school and move on with life right now. Very soon you will look back and appreciate the foundation of learning that you received here. When I graduated I wanted nothing more than to get out and celebrate with my friends, have a vacation and then get off to college. I was a big fish in a little pond. I found out all too soon that in the world I was a small fish in a very big ocean. So though you may be excited to move on, never forget what we’ve taught you and always realize that you have another family at the Jerusalem School – Bethlehem. Never forget where you came from.
Second: “Life is what you put in, not what you take out.” The world tells us all today to grab what you can get. Hoard it all for ourselves. Make as much money as you can get not matter who you may hurt in the process. Let me remind you that there is no such thing as “ENOUGH”. If getting STUFF is your goal you will never reach your goal. I read a bumper sticker once that read “The one who dies with the most toys wins.” Don’t let this be your philosophy. Not long after that I read another bumper sticker mocking that first one which read “The one who dies with the most toys…still dies.” Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourself treasures on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, rather store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Do not fall victim to the lie of this world that makes us obsessed with getting more stuff. This will leave you with and empty whole inside that will never be filled. Only God’s love can fill that hole inside you. And you’ll find that if you let him fill that whole inside of you not only will you have “Enough” but you will have so much that you can actually give of yourself to others.
Which brings me to my last lesson for you this evening: Be servants. This sounds like a strange thing to say to a group of bright, promising young students who have the world in front of them tonight. But you can choose right here and now whom you will serve from this day forward. Jesus’ Disciples ask him who is the greatest. Do you remember what His response to them is? The one whom I consider to be the greatest, Jesus says, is the one who serves others the most. That attitude of Humility before God and your fellow human beings is a rare and beautiful thing. Dedicate your life to serving others. Use your many wonderful talents to serve others and you will find that your life has meaning, purpose, and value beyond what you could ever hope for.
So as I stand before all 7 of you for what will probably be the last time I pray you will remember a lot of what I have taught you over the last two years. However I am a realistic kind of guy. So if you will just remember these 3 lessons I think I’ll be happy. Never forget where you came from. Life is what you put in, not what you take out and Be a servant.
Gentleman it has been my privilege to be your teacher it is now my honor to be your friend. Thank you for all that you have taught me. Congratulations and may God richly bless you all the days of your life. Thank you.