I'm back...trying to find a way to stay home.
Y'all thought I'd kicked the habit...or died in China...or'd been taken out by their government. NOpe! I'm safely home...arrived in Portland 5:20pm Sunday evening...seven new stamps in my haggard passport. They (customs officials) kept thinking I was moving drugs out of asia! I guess it was the dreads on my head in my passport photo that had then worried...anyway after being padded down numerous times and sent to line A instead of waved through just as many...I have safely cleared...and cleanly cleared for any of you out there wondering!

Fresh off an intense week of traveling throughout backwards and previously closed parts of China. What an amazing exposure to life there. And the church! The church (legal) is thriving...sharp leaders are leading and training and releasing young leaders...the church is really exploding...filled with good problems...not enough registered churches...not enough pastors...not enough training centers...all good problems for a place where God is releasing big waves of the kingdom. I return with incredible insights of the true status of the church in China and not only that but an understanding of the general movement of the nation out of communism and into "controlled" captolism.

It was amazing to me to oberve the ways in which western "pop" culture is being imported in such heavy doses. The most strategic praying we can do for the church there is that the leaders will recognize what is happening to their young people and give new shape to their very formal and reproducialbe church "services." With out this movement many young people will be captured by western culture and overtaken and unable to see the relevance of an ancient traditional service...hmm this is sounding similiar to a conversation I have already been having here at home? Go figure...what does global culture mean? global!

So what's going on with me? Well, I've been drawn warmly to the prodigal son narrative as told by LUke in the gospels. I find my heart longing to identify and probe and eat of its true meaning for me...I realize suddenly how often I am running off to distant places to waste the things God has given me on myself. It's so easy to run...I fear I know little about what it means to "be at home" to "live at home" with a FAther who celebrates me...I don't know what that means...my heart is cold like a friend has recently said...and life is screaming past me...its all moving too quick...my heart races my head pounds, and fear shakes the life from my bones...I am not at home, I am lost in some kind of "wild living" even if it mainly is taking place in my heart. Yet I long for home. I believe it's a place that is real. I know it exists so I will set my inner course to pursue it...and to find it.

- posted by Jacob B. @ 10:10 AM (0) comments

 
BLIP
ן AM ALIVE.

YES LIVE AND KICKIN IN CHAING MAI, THAILAND. ALOT IS GOING ON, ALL AROUND ME, WITH ME, IN MY HEART. PLENTY TO SHARE ABOUT AS IT TAKES SHAPE. A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, A BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, A BEAUTIFUL CULTURE...BUT MANY MANY DESPERATE NEEDS. LOOK FOR MORE LATER. I AM TOO TIRED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT

CHAING MAI, THAILAND 1055PM WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 12TH
- posted by Jacob B. @ 7:56 AM (0) comments

 
bangkokk day 2
Wow!!

It's like 10pm and I need to be in bed. But I am not...siiting next my friend Duane. He is uploading pic's of our trip to the U.S. ...nice! HE is the tech man - my personal tech savior...

Wild day in the city...spent the morning at an international church (CMA). That was nice. I have to say the people were great. Everything was nice...but....In a city like this I just feel there has to be more...the statistics about the sex industry here are tragic. Where is the church in this? Where is the missional community... I can almost taste it....is seems so close to me...the church exploding into these dark places...

Spent the afternoon exploring the streets and back allies - awesome... just sokeing everything in deeply. I need to have some quiet time and tune in if you know what I mean...Too tired must retire... sa-waa-dee-cap! (good night - thai)
- posted by Jacob B. @ 7:05 AM (0) comments

 
live from Bangkok!
Yes! We're live from Bangkok. I am a bit hung over from traveling but feeling ok. Hanging out here with Duane. WE are in this manky internet cafe that runs 30 baht per hour...It's actually 3pm ...Satuday! That's right. It's warm...90 w/humidity. The city isn't pretty. Looking forward to heading north to Chang Mai on Monday night via sleeper train.

Met a woman named Gargi on the plane to Hong Kong - 14 hours together does alot for making friends. She is maybe in her mid fifties, retired teacher, scientist husband, Hindi (lives in Reno w/family in New Delhi) on her way to India. We talked much about religions and the world today - her perspective was unique. She asked good questions of me and the faith...I asked her questions too...it was..our intelectual discussion got us nowhere basically..but then something happened.

She opened up and asked me if i believed there was a god behind this chaos we find ourselves living in...I began to talk about something like a bigger story that I believed in..and she piped in "It's my mother...why hasn't God taken her? Why is she dragging on like this." Gargi's mother was in her nineties and suffering now for years. She was enroute to see her. I asked her what her mothers name was and wrote it down. I told her I would pray for her and tears began to fall. Grace emerged...so much for the rational argument and thoughtful speculations...

We all have to live this life...and grace is what saves us....

(We got a sneak peak of China and Hong Kong - I am already really looking forward to next week and being there! )

- posted by Jacob B. @ 12:17 AM (0) comments

 
one more time...
This may be my final entry before I punch keys from Asia(hopefully!). Tomorrow at noon I leave for Portland - SF - Hong Kong - Bangkok...

Exicited, a bit nervous, feeling a little unorganized too. Today's been all about tieing up loose ends. Enough of that I am ready to go home and spend some time with my wife and kids - too bad it'll be nap time when I get home...

What can I say...I am looking forward to the solitude time on the way to Asia. Bringing along two books: The Return of the Prodigal and Truth to Tell. I read Nouwen's book before but it is calling me back again.

So here I go (to asia)...falling deeply into something that Jesus want's me to know or experience. I have a notion it will be rich. Pray I don't get lost exploring...I am tempted to!!!
- posted by Jacob B. @ 1:30 PM (0) comments

 
When a "churched" kid F's up!!
It's so easy to love people. No at times it is very difficult. But this morning I found it easy. Loving people can be a simple as asking questions. Loving people can be as simple as listening. I admit I love this kid.

I spent time with him this morning, we took a walk under the cut of this morning's brisk temps. How can we expect these kid's to survive today? From lonliness to alcohol, from alcohol to speed - what the (I want to you a four letter word here but I will refrain) do we expect???

He looked for a church but found nothing. Where were the people of the Kingdom that should have chased him down? No where. Not there. Not in the places he was.

We must incarnate the gospel of Grace and have the faith to see where God's is giving birth to communities that will rescue with love these lost ones.
It's too easy to love these kid's - no it's costly, but I have been made for nothing less. Ephesians 2:10.
- posted by Jacob B. @ 12:44 PM (0) comments