We Are Safe

I know that the western media has been explaining the dangers of being where we are for the last three days. I just want to let everyone know that we are safe. We have bunked down with the resident missionaries and we are not leaving the house until it is safe to do so. I do not want to frigthen anyone as we feel God’s protection, nor do I want to understate the situation as this is the most serious time in the country for quite a while. I just want you all to know we are safe and to ask you to pray that this would continue to be the case. God is doing great things and the enemy is fighting hard but greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world!

Merry Christmas

I have been off-line for a few days now, but I have some great stories to share with you after Christmas. I just want to thank you all for staying in touch with us and for all your prayers. God bless you and have a Merry Christmas.

 

Bad Puns and a Night on the Town

Last night we went out for a meal with a local pastor. We have become close to his family and we try to get together whenever we can. Last night he took us to a very famous restaurant that seats the dinners on the roof. They had outdoor heaters set up at every table to keep you warm. The food was excellent but it is the view that the restaurant is known for. From the roof you can see out over the old city and right into the largest mosque in town. All of the buildings in that area of town were built between the 10th and 17th centuries so we got to see a great example of Mogul architecture. The restaurant is also famous because it is situated inside a former brothel! Anil, the pastor, took the time to show us the dancing floor where the prostitutes used to lure men in with their dances. He explained that the Mogul emperors left three lasting legacies on this city: Their love for prayer, their love of architecture, and their love of dancing! It was interesting to learn a little more about the city we live in! The meal was very good. We had a wide variety of dishes. Anil and I even shared a helping of curried buffalo brains! They were actually quite tasty. Here most of the meat is butchered in a way that almost every piece has a piece of bone in it. So the brains were pleasant because they have a smooth texture that was a nice change! So I guess you can say that I had a good meal of “Brain Food”! After the meal Anil and I (can you see a trend here) ate Betel (pronounced Beatle, which grossed Amanda out) Leaves for dessert. They are a special leaf from India that is soaked and then filled with various spices and nuts. The mixture acts as a tool to settle the stomach. It aides digestion and fights various stomach ailments. It also freshens the breath and has a licorice aftertaste! On the way home from the restaurant we say a van broken down. A rickshaw driver pulled in behind the van and gave him a push. He literally just stuck his foot out the door of his rickshaw and planted it on the back of the van. When he revved his vehicle they both moved. I guess you could say that the van got a real “Kick Start”!

Well, enough of the bad puns for one day!

Christmas Celebration

We were the “Chief Guests” at a Christmas party this weekend. Basically that means that I got to preach and that we were honored in a few ways. We got garlands put around our necks and Amanda received some fabric for a new outfit. The pastor bought me a bag of peanuts after the service to sort of make up for the fact that I didn’t get a present. We also got to feel like we were getting married again. We pulled on to the street that the church is on and the lane was blocked by a large tent. Everyone told us it was a wedding tent. When we walked by the people were singing and shouting and we realized it was a surprise church service. Half way through the service Amanda and I were asked to step forward and cut the Christmas cake. There is a picture of the cake below this post. We were already feeling like this was very much like a wedding, then the pastor told us we had to feed each other a piece of cake! Anyway, it was a lot of fun! Thought you might enjoy seeing the culinary masterpiece they served up. This is actually a fruitcake! It looks a lot nicer then the ones I’ve had at home.   

Just like Canada… sort of

This morning we were able to go to a Sunday School Christmas Presentation. It was very much like being home. A few things were different: Amanda and I got to relax and watch, normally we are running around trying to get things ready for the presentation and we never got to actually just enjoy a show. Also, there was no worries about having to cancel because of snow (I love that part!). And of course, most of the presentation was in a language we do not understand. Other that those things, it was just like home! Check out the picture below! The costumes here are great! This picture is Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus

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Thank God for Christmas!

We returned to our home base yesterday, it took over 5 hours in a bus, but it is nice to be home. On the way into town we noticed that there were many new shopping stalls set up on the sides of the road. The stalls, however, did not contain the usual fares. All of these stalls were selling animals: sheep, goats, cattle. On the Muslim calendar there are two very special holidays called Eid days. The first, Eid ul-Fitr, was a few days before we arrived here. It marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. The second, Eid ul-Adha, is on Dec 21st this year. This marks the day that Abraham offered his son to God. However, the Muslims believe that God told Abraham to offer his son Ishmael as a sacrifice, otherwise the story is the same as the Biblical account. So on Eid ul-Adha the Muslims sacrifice an animal, keep some meat to feed their family, and leave the rest to be collected by poor Muslims so that they can also feast. The whole thing sounds like it will be a touch grotesque. The streets here will have a number of dead animals and blood flowing as the country celebrates this “happy” day. Seeing those animals for sale, and knowing what they were for, made me so much more thankful for Christmas. We no longer have to slaughter animals and spill their blood to cover our sins. Thank God that He came, manifest in the flesh, to pay the price for all of our sins! Because of Christmas, because God came to us, because he took our place at Calvary, we do not have to take part in animal sacrifices. And as the streets are filled with animals being prepared for death, I thank God for Christmas!

Think of us this Christmas, think of what we will be witnessing in just a few days, and then take a few moments and really thank God for Christmas. Forget for a moment about the presents, cards, and shopping. Think about the true meaning of this season. I know that as we watch blood flow from sacrificial animals this Friday, as our stomachs are filled with nausea, our hearts will be filled with joy. The joy of knowing the value of that virgin birth! Why not take a few minutes and join us in worship to the God who loved us so much that he humbled himself and came to earth to be our substitute! You couldn’t ask for a greater gift then that!

Out of Touch

We are in Islamabad for a few weeks and we will not have internet access. So I am just writting to let everyone know we won’t be back on-line until December 17th. When we come back on-line we will have an update on the seminar with Bro Stoneking and Bro Willoughby!

Chillin’ on Saturday

Well, winter is finally coming! We had the first winter rainstorm on Thursday night. With the rain has come the cold weather. The daytime temperature is down to the mid 20’s now and we’re feeling the chill! Anyone back in Canada feeling a little jealous? We are spending the day today getting ready to leave our apartment for a few weeks. Rev Steve Willoughby and Rev Lee Stoneking arrive on Monday to do a national seminar. So far there are about 500 people registered so it should be a good couple of days. Please pray for these meetings, as there is a great need for Apostolic teaching in the nation. We will be going to the seminar site on Monday and then spending the next two weeks in the capital city. The missionaries here will be out of the country attending a seminar with Bros Stoneking and Willoughby. While they are gone we will be in the capital doing some work to help them while they are gone. When the missionaries return we will come back to our apartment for a week or so and then return to the capital for Christmas. It will be nice to spend the holiday with friends as this will be our first Christmas away from home.