Blogging Our Furlough

After flying on 5 planes and being in 6 airports over 5 days, we arrived in Lansing, MI, on Friday evening the 9th. We slept pretty well--maybe dividing jetlag into two sessions is a good idea! While in Lansing we're staying with our niece Amy and her husband Albert, who we love. Interestingly, this is kind of returning the favor, since Amy lived with us last furlough while I was finishing my MA and she was in college. And Albert would come over to see Amy!

Early Saturday morning I was out front waiting for Prof. Milligan to pick me up and take me to the Ambassador Martial Arts Christian Fellowship annual meeting, where I was scheduled to be the guest instructor. I had never met this man, but we had a blast talking over the martial arts styles and people and history we knew on the way to Kalamazoo.

Now you may be wondering how I taught the martial arts what with what I've been saying about my knee problems. I chose to teach Saam Chien ("3 Wars"), a linear form from Fushan, Fukien, in southern China. This form is not only an excellent way to teach kung fu principles (breathing, energy, posture), it is a very historical form, being the Chinese basis for the famous Okinawan Karate form called Sanchin. And it requires almost no twisting and turning, so it caused no knee pain. I then taught the energy of striking (snap, shock, push), and finally the famous one inch punch, which is really a push.

I found the leader of the AMACF, Phil Lewis (7th black), and his Shinsei Kenpo style to be excellent, and the other instructors of the organization to top notch as well. Had a great time serving Christ in this unusual manner!

 

Is she ever! Saturday while I was gone her best friend, sisters and nieces took her out and shopped all day at Macy's! Her best friend bought her a bunch of furlough clothes. At one point they had her in a dressing room for a couple of hours straight, bringing outfit after outfit for her to try on. As the young folk say, "Woohoo!"

 

She made it to green belt, and usually goes with me to events. When I run an event she makes a great karate secretary! But this time a girls day out was irresistable to her. :smilewinkgrin:

Sorry about your back. That's rough, but God understands of course.

 

Very cool. Ever think of trying Tai Chi? It might be a lot easier on your back, and does have self defense applications if you get the right teacher.

 

Well, how close do you need to be in Colorado, anyway?

 

A Baptist with no spine?? It cannot be! :smilewinkgrin:

 

We're in Chattanooga now staying with my sister Faith. Today we saw Mom for the frst time in 3 years for me, 6 for Patty. Mom's Parkinson's has taken its toll. This may be the hardest thing about being a missionary--being away from loved ones and friends for years at a time.

This eveining Faith had Dr. and Mrs. James Price over for supper. Dr. Price is a noted Hebrew scholar, an editor of the NKJV OT. He was my Hebrew teacher in seminary, and a fellow teacher at Temple with Faith, so they have have been friends for decades. He is a quiet, thoughtful type, and Mrs. Price is an outgoing, witty woman. We had wonderful conversations about how they met each other, how we met each other, a little about happenings, etc. At the end Dr. Price prayed a prayer of blessing for our travel, ministry and NT translation effort, which he is very interested in. Before leaving we said we'd have to get together to discuss the translation some time.

God has been wonderfully supplying our needs. We have a 2008 Chevy Impala from Dave Hall, Inc., a car dealer in Marlette, MI. Dave turns over the car for the furlough, then the missionary pays the difference in what it would have sold for, and what it actually sells for at the end of the furlough. There are always 30-35 cars out to missionaries from this missions-minded car dealer.

In the meantime, Patty's brother Phil gave us a nice new laptop for use on furlough and in Japan. And Faith just today took us down and got us cell phones on her family plan. God is so good! And I do believe that believers are more aware of the needs of missionaries than when I started deputation 33 1/2 years ago.

Next week--our son, finally!

 

Will do. :wavey:

 

Uh, huh, right out there in the open on the Internet!! But of course if someone PMs me....:thumbs:

 

Wow! I forgot how big Colorado is.

 

Had a great time with my sister and her kids in Chattanooga. It was nice to see Mom, but she's much less alert than the last time I saw her three years ago. The Parkinson's has taken its toll, and she has dementia now.

We're in Wake Forest NC now where our son is. Last night we three were together for the first time in 6 1/2 years, though I saw him 3 years ago and Patty saw him almost three years ago. It's so good to be here with him. This evening we'll have dinner with his mentor in the Ph. D. program, Dr. David Alan Black. We're looking forward to meeting him and hopefully his wife, though she may not be able to be there.