Family together

The year end brings the joy and tradition of family spending time together.  It's wonderful to have my daughter and her husband visiting from Atlanta, and enjoying the hospitality of my son and daughter-in-law's home in Cypress.  Our best wishes to you for a blessed New Year!

O final do ano traz a alegria e tradição da família passar o tempo juntos. É maravilhoso ter a minha filha e seu marido visitando de Atlanta, onde ambos trabalham como advogados. Nós nos encontramos juntos na casa do meu filho e sua esposa em Cypress, California. Meu filho trabalha como um pastor de tempo integral em uma Igreja Batista e minha nora é uma enfermeira de oncologia. Sua filha tem 19 meses de idade e uma segunda criança está chegando em janeiro. Nossos melhores desejos para você para um ano novo abençoado!

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El fin de año trae la alegría y la tradición de la familia pasar tiempo juntos. Es maravilloso tener a mi hija y su marido de visita desde Atlanta, donde ambos trabajan como abogados. Nos reunimos en la casa de mi hijo y su esposa en su casa en Cypress, CA. Mi hijo trabaja como pastor a tiempo completo en una iglesia bautista y mi nuera es una enfermera de oncología. Su hija tiene 19 meses de edad y un segundo hijo está llegando en enero. Nuestros mejores deseos para usted para un Año Nuevo bendecido!

Year End and Christmas Greetings!!

As we come to the end of the year, I am so grateful for your prayers and support of my ministry with JEMS.  The year has been an incredible expression of God's faithfulness as doors were opened for ministry in Argentina and Paraguay, as well as slightly ajar for exploratory visits to Lima, Peru.  

As much as it has been my honor to serve you and the Lord in these endeavors, the year has not been without its challenges.  Recurring back problems have threatened to limit travel and ministry.  And yet, God is gracious and provides strength for each day as I was able to invest close to five months in South America in 2014.  

While I am currently recuperating from a spinal epidural procedure, and will not travel to South America as part of my January schedule, my prayer is to return to the field in July.  In the meantime, I hope to use the spring months to visit churches and to share about the wonderful opportunities God is giving to us in South America.  JEMS hopes to field at least five teams for mission service in response to national church requests that we have received for the month of July.

As the Christmas holiday rolls around, I am blessed to be able to visit with my son, Brandon and his wife, Alyssa.  Because they live locally, I am able to get together with them periodically throughout the year here in southern California.  The four of us (including my granddaughter, Kaya) will get together the days around Christmas.  These days will also be preparation for the arrival of Brandon and Alyssa's second child in January. 

Last minute schedule changes (as of Dec 22) will include the visit of my daughter, Tracey and her husband, Will who were not scheduled to come out west.  But the good news now is that my children, my granddaughter and I will be able to spend some time together around Christmas.  

They send their holiday greetings:

Merry Christmas from all of us!!

A Brazilian Christmas?

How does one celebrate Christmas in Brazil?  In a country of palm trees, beaches and tropical climes, it seems far removed from the image of reindeer, freshly fallen snow and sleigh rides.  By the same token, the landscape of Palestine doesn't lend itself very well to the Nordic scenes we in the US tend to associate with the holiday.

Many of our snow and winter-related customs can be traced to the appropriation of traditions such as Sinterklaas and St.  Nicholas, Europeans combining the holiday with the pre-Christian observance of the Winter Solstice and the Victorian celebrations in England.  Personally, I think the old Coca Cola ads probably reinforced this idea as well. In the 1930s in the US, there were no less than six ads featuring Santa and winter images.

Bing Crosby has us longing for a "White Christmas."  And one of the most popular non-religious Christmas song has us "dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh." (Which interestingly enough was originally written as a celebration of Thanksgiving, not Christmas).  

So Christmas in the USA is done up in trees of spruce and pine, flocked with artificial snow and tinsel to represent the sparkle of a wintry night.  Aaand this is where we can get stuck.  We get caught up in the accouterments of the holiday.  The external, peripheral stuff.  And in so doing, we miss the heart of the celebration. 

My children were born in La Mesa, near San Diego.  When I remember their birthdays, my focus isn't on the Chargers, the Padres or Sea World.  That would be ludicrous to substitute the joy of Tracey and Brandon's births with such minor trivialities. 

In much the same way, Christmas isn't about the where.  It's not whether we celebrate in Brazil, in southern California, in Japan or in the Netherlands.  It isn't even about the what.  Not what trees are best, not what our holiday table will include, not the best deals, not what should go beneath the tree.

Christmas is about the who.  Christmas is about Jesus. He is the focus of our celebration, the source of our joy.  I invite you to find a quiet time and place to rediscover the wonder and the heart of the Christmas season.  To find comfort and consolation in the presence of the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.  And may we find no end in his rule, his peace and his lordship over our lives.  

Blessings to you from Pastor John.

USAF Band at the Smithsonian

I loved this expression of celebration during this holiday season!

Medical Updates: December

Spinal column xray. Not mine.

I am looking to answer your questions about the involvement of JEMS in South America this January 2015. I was awaiting some news about my health before deciding whether or not to lead a team to Buenos Aires in January.

I am hoping to receive medical treatment for my spinal column, which has been experiencing more pain. Some days it's difficult to walk or even to stand for any length of time.

It seems that my treatment process will begin with an MRI next week and continue during the beginning of 2015.

I think it best not to make any commitment to lead a team in January. This is unfortunate as there is a Brazilian team interested in serving in Argentina, however as there would be no experienced leader to provide spiritual and emotional guidance, we thought it best not to participate in January. What a shame.

I hope to be able to be back on my feet and able to serve on the field by July of 2015. In the meantime, I continue to meet with other mission partners, I will move forward with planning our short term projects for next July, recruiting and preparing teams and speaking at churches about the opportunities to serve with JEMS in South America.

(Português)

Estou querendo responder às suas perguntas sobre o envolvimento do JEMS na América do Sul em janeiro de 2015. Eu estava aguardando alguma notícia sobre a situação da minha saúde antes de tomar uma decisão ao respeito do ministério em Buenos Aires em janeiro.

Eu quero saber mais sobre o tratamento médico para a minha coluna espinal, o que tem vindo a registar mais dor. Alguns dias é difícil de andar ou até ficar de pé por muito tempo.

Parece que o meu processo de tratamento vai começar com uma ressonância magnética na semana que vem e continuar durante o mês de janeiro. Para mim, é melhor não tomar qualquer compromisso para fazer uma viagem em janeiro. Do mesmo, tendo uma equipe brasileira interessada, não há um líder com os contatos e experiência para fornecer a orientação espiritual e emocional. Então nós pensamos melhor não participar em janeiro. Que pena.

Espero ser capaz de voltar ao campo missionário em julho do próximo ano.

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(Español)
Estoy queriendo responder para su pregunta sobre la participación de la JEMS en el enero de 2015. Yo estaba esperando alguna noticia sobre mi salud antes de tomar una decisión acerca de liderar un equipo a Buenos Aires en enero.

He estado esperando para aprender más acerca de mi tratamiento médico para mi columna vertebral, que ha estado experimentando más dolor. Algunos días es difícil caminar o estar de pie durante mucho tiempo.

Parece que el proceso de mi tratamiento comezará con una resonancia magnética en la semana que viene y continuará hasta el mes de enero. Para mi, es mejor no tomar ningún compromiso para viajar en enero. Mismo que tiene un equipo brasileño interesado, no hay un líder para proporcionar orientación espiritual y emocional. Entonces pensamos mejor no participar en enero. Que lastima.

Espero que voy a ser capaz de volver al campo misionero en julio del próximo año.