Paul's PNG Mission Trip - Ep 03

[pandrews]

(September 4th, 2009)

Many places have mottos. I've just come across the motto for Enga,
which is in the highlands of Papua New Guinea; "Our best is none too
good."

Now, I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like the most
winning of attitudes to me. However, it is quite fitting in this
situation of my paperwork approval for PNG as the most recent news
includes the words "lost your papers" and "resubmitted"... You might
not call this progress, but I certainly do, now I know exactly where
we
are in the process... the beginning... HA!

In other news, I've now met my fund raising goal (give or take a
couple
hundred dollars), and I have my Malaria meds and am continuing to work
at the Open Arms daycare in the after school program. (And it's Moose
season in Alaska!... Maybe there will be a good hunting story for next
month!)

Recently I went to a punk rock show in Fairbanks. Those of you that
have known me for a long time know that I always enjoy a good punk
show... This was not one of the best, but it taught me something
nevertheless. I went with my friend who wanted to keep an eye on his
fourteen year old son who would like to start a band of his own. The
opening bands were decent, but the headliner decided to inform us of
his
political stance (not unusual for punk bands) and his background.
He'd
dropped out of school at sixteen to start a band, and now is having
the
best time of his life touring around the country in a van which had
just
broken down before the show. Then, during the short set, he proceeded
to to "hang" himself with the microphone cord strung through the
rafters.

At some point, all I could think about was how lost the youth (or at
least the lead singer) in this building where; how much the "culture"
of
punk rock anarchy had polluted their minds, and how far from Christ
they
had strayed. And yet, they had a passion for what they believed and a
drive for living it. Where is that kind of passion for Christ? Why
do
I not yell and scream my love for Him and demonstrate the love for my
neighbor with such fervor that makes people take a step back and go
"what's gotten into him?"

By the end of the show I was convicted with the desire to live with
passion, to LIVE truth, and to reflect His LIGHT into this world of
darkness.

This is my prayer for all of the professing Christians that I know:
That
the reckless passion for Christ would take hold of us and we show a
strength of character that cannot be tarnished by a misdirected
culture.

Will you join Him passionately?

For His Glory Alone,

Paul