The electric cable had shorted out in the street - no power for our house nor several others. We were out of water (our house is fed from a tank in our roof) and the emergency generator was not working. Guests were coming (with the whole family) in minutes and Hamroz was not feeling well and I was feeling like I had not protected her. As I silently offered up a Brother Lawrence style prayer, "Lord God, I can not take care of this woman, nor this house, nor accomplish the mission expected of me but I know that you can do these things for me," my wife said, "why are you not happy?" All I could do was shrug my shoulders.
Five minutes later the generator roared on and electrons surged through the wires. We pumped water into the tank, turned on lights cleaned the room and prepared the tea. But the BIGGEST blessing was our guests themselves - it was such a sign of trust (in this culture) to have brought the entire family over for a visit. And their motive was to give thanks that I was not hurt in a recent traffic accident. And the conversation was so uplifting. And the children were so beautifully behaved. And we were so happy and blessed that they had all come over.
Thank God that I did not "protect" my wife, nor "take care" of the house, nor "accomplish" anything.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
South Jersey Parks
I have had a long relationship with South Jersey’s parks. My black dog would follow me forever in the Canon Park, or Hoff’s Park, where crowds of us kids would gather (and when they didn’t I wouldn’t mind being alone) and the frisbees would fly. In the winter, there were sleds sliding and wood burning, in the summer, shade and fields. I memorized the entire Sermon on the Mount behind the tennis courts before my first submarine patrol in 1982. In preparation for Christian service in Costa Rica in 1988, I made sure that all my memorized books were firm in long sessions at the same benches where Mr. Hoff himself used to set up shop. In 2004 I would listen tapes of the Dari language strolling my white dog through those same Heights parks.
Since I ran ridiculously long workouts in High School, all the parks in Camden County would gang up and join themselves together. If you start out at the Cannon Park it will quickly take you to Kings Highway. Cross that, and you go around the back of Audubon Lake. Duck through the woods and past Audubon Shopping center. A field beckons from behind and you’ll soon find yourself cutting through Oaklyn’s Little League park. If you zig and zag from there, there is a park around a lake that will take you from Haddon Twp. into Collingswood. Cut past the near side of Collingswood High until Knight’s Park appears. Take a right under the Speed Line and soon the Cooper River Park draws you in. Go to the border of Camden, then around the far side, and when you get back to Cuthbert Road, cross to the near side and keep going towards Haddonfield. The park will turn into woods – don’t worry – the high and low trails end up at the same place. Get back on the road and stay on it because it still follows next to the same river bringing you to Grove Street. The park reappears on the far side of the river, which now looks more like a brook. There are jogging trails that all take you back to King’s Highway. From there, you have to make it back to Haddon Heights using the roads.
Constructing this course was the major accomplishment of my High School years – far surpassing in impressiveness both my grade point average and my placement at the State Championships (I over trained for the short distances and was not national class except in 26 mile marathons). The loop is 17 miles long, includes parts of what were (in the 1970’s) the cross country courses of nine different high schools. It can be altered to wiggle in many ways and to pass by the houses of some of my main athletic competitors in the 70’s (that’s right Lane and Rodilloso, I know where you used to live).
What a joy it was in summer of 2008 to see how much Hamroz fell in love with those same parks. She was raised in the Central Asian steppes and had never seen so many trees standing so tall. In the early morning, I would run my 17 ½ mile course (a new house, built in the 80’s, now blocks one trail). Afterwards, our favorite way to spend time was to pick up some coffee (my high school friends will notice that my drink of choice has changed) and head to the parks to sit. There, the kids would gather, and the frisbees would fly. But even if they didn’t, we wouldn’t mind being alone.
Since I ran ridiculously long workouts in High School, all the parks in Camden County would gang up and join themselves together. If you start out at the Cannon Park it will quickly take you to Kings Highway. Cross that, and you go around the back of Audubon Lake. Duck through the woods and past Audubon Shopping center. A field beckons from behind and you’ll soon find yourself cutting through Oaklyn’s Little League park. If you zig and zag from there, there is a park around a lake that will take you from Haddon Twp. into Collingswood. Cut past the near side of Collingswood High until Knight’s Park appears. Take a right under the Speed Line and soon the Cooper River Park draws you in. Go to the border of Camden, then around the far side, and when you get back to Cuthbert Road, cross to the near side and keep going towards Haddonfield. The park will turn into woods – don’t worry – the high and low trails end up at the same place. Get back on the road and stay on it because it still follows next to the same river bringing you to Grove Street. The park reappears on the far side of the river, which now looks more like a brook. There are jogging trails that all take you back to King’s Highway. From there, you have to make it back to Haddon Heights using the roads.
Constructing this course was the major accomplishment of my High School years – far surpassing in impressiveness both my grade point average and my placement at the State Championships (I over trained for the short distances and was not national class except in 26 mile marathons). The loop is 17 miles long, includes parts of what were (in the 1970’s) the cross country courses of nine different high schools. It can be altered to wiggle in many ways and to pass by the houses of some of my main athletic competitors in the 70’s (that’s right Lane and Rodilloso, I know where you used to live).
What a joy it was in summer of 2008 to see how much Hamroz fell in love with those same parks. She was raised in the Central Asian steppes and had never seen so many trees standing so tall. In the early morning, I would run my 17 ½ mile course (a new house, built in the 80’s, now blocks one trail). Afterwards, our favorite way to spend time was to pick up some coffee (my high school friends will notice that my drink of choice has changed) and head to the parks to sit. There, the kids would gather, and the frisbees would fly. But even if they didn’t, we wouldn’t mind being alone.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
An Argument for Snow
In our security briefs, it is reported that traffic accidents are the worst problem for foreigners here. More foreigners are killed in traffic accidents than by any other cause. If that weren’t bad enough, if you survive there is little, if any justice in the traffic court system. Mobs will form that always take the side of a national against a foreigner in any dispute. And the mobs often turn violent – traffic accidents involving foreigners have been the spark of several major riots. Police will often not do the right thing without bribes and we don’t pay bribes. Or so they say at the security briefs.
As I was turning left onto the street where I live, the left side of my vehicle was struck by an auto which was trying to pass me by speeding into the oncoming car lane. A crowd gathered and five witnesses, all claiming to be off duty policeman, claimed that they had seen me strike the other car.
When a policeman came, he stated firmly what had obviously occurred, standing up to five or six “witnesses” screaming the contrary in his face. First, the witnesses suffered the indignity of being asked to explain how the car that had been struck in the side (mine) had hit the one with the front end damage. It seemed to me that they had expected that stating who hit who would end the dispute. They attempted no explanation, but rather all agreed that they had seen the accident happen in the far right lane. In a court of justice, such a change of story itself would constitute perjury. My observation that all the debris was on the far left side of the road did not matter much.
Though they were not vocal, it could not help but be noticed that there WERE some present in the crowd who were on the side of truth. The other driver and I were able to arrive at an agreement, (heading off the possibility of both vehicles being impounded and us both going to jail pending a government investigation). It was an unusual agreement in that the foreigner (me) paid no money. During the discussion I had the opportunity to say to the other driver, “I didn’t hit you, you hit me”. As a believer in the power of the spoken word, I know that this will not return void – it will have an effect.
In retrospect, the accident demonstrates hope for Afghanistan. If everyone everywhere is ready to lie without fear, than hope for the heart and mind of this nation is gone. But there is good reason for hope here. God saw the Afghan police officer standing up to six young men in his face. No bribe!!! God saw the teenage boys inspecting my car and agreeing, “It is not possible that this car hit the other”. God saw a national friend being summoned by the neighbors on my behalf. He came and took the risk of milling with the crowd to ensure that I was safe. Remember how Abraham bargained with God for Sodom? If we bargain the same way, I believe this people will not be destroyed. Let us persist in prayer for snow this year.
As I was turning left onto the street where I live, the left side of my vehicle was struck by an auto which was trying to pass me by speeding into the oncoming car lane. A crowd gathered and five witnesses, all claiming to be off duty policeman, claimed that they had seen me strike the other car.
When a policeman came, he stated firmly what had obviously occurred, standing up to five or six “witnesses” screaming the contrary in his face. First, the witnesses suffered the indignity of being asked to explain how the car that had been struck in the side (mine) had hit the one with the front end damage. It seemed to me that they had expected that stating who hit who would end the dispute. They attempted no explanation, but rather all agreed that they had seen the accident happen in the far right lane. In a court of justice, such a change of story itself would constitute perjury. My observation that all the debris was on the far left side of the road did not matter much.
Though they were not vocal, it could not help but be noticed that there WERE some present in the crowd who were on the side of truth. The other driver and I were able to arrive at an agreement, (heading off the possibility of both vehicles being impounded and us both going to jail pending a government investigation). It was an unusual agreement in that the foreigner (me) paid no money. During the discussion I had the opportunity to say to the other driver, “I didn’t hit you, you hit me”. As a believer in the power of the spoken word, I know that this will not return void – it will have an effect.
In retrospect, the accident demonstrates hope for Afghanistan. If everyone everywhere is ready to lie without fear, than hope for the heart and mind of this nation is gone. But there is good reason for hope here. God saw the Afghan police officer standing up to six young men in his face. No bribe!!! God saw the teenage boys inspecting my car and agreeing, “It is not possible that this car hit the other”. God saw a national friend being summoned by the neighbors on my behalf. He came and took the risk of milling with the crowd to ensure that I was safe. Remember how Abraham bargained with God for Sodom? If we bargain the same way, I believe this people will not be destroyed. Let us persist in prayer for snow this year.
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