Going....Going....
Dear fellow Doubter,
May, 2019
The resurrection celebration is over. The disciples of old went about their usual business…eating, going home, fishing, and so forth. We all know that real celebration comes in what you find and see, not in what you don’t find or don’t see. So someone ran to a cave and didn’t find anything. For a while it was a big deal, and then everyone went on with life.
We celebrated too, and then I hopped on a plane and went to Manila for courses. Debbie spoke at a women’s retreat. The International House Baltimore basement renovation project had another team arrive to help. And life went on.
But when the women arrived at the tomb on that first resurrection morning, they were met with the message, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly”. They came, they saw, they went, they told. It was not emptiness but fullness and hope.
On Resurrection morning this year we had the joy of sitting with four Chinese scholars who had never been to church, had never seen or heard the message of hope and joy proclaimed in community. They came wanting to “be appropriately dressed” and so had bunny-ear head ties. But they left with songs of joy in their ears.
When I arrived in Manilla for classes I found out that Debbie had gone to the hospital rather than getting on a plane herself and going to Malawi, which was the plan. Meeting the resurrection angel does not always allow us to go away quickly. Sometimes it means sitting quietly and waiting to know what the risen Master is saying and where He is directing.
About two months ago Debbie was diagnosed with yet another auto-immune disease, Myasthenia Gravis. It has some strange interactions with her Ankylosing spondylitis. Yes, sounds like Greek to me as well. You can look them up. She remains now more than a week later in the hospital while specialists attempt to figure it all out.
So the plane seat was empty and the hospital bed full. The hope of the resurrection is not a cold cave holding back disappointments, but looking to see what is next in the Master’s appointments.
It is the certainty that He has not left us. He leads us every step of the journey.
He is risen indeed!
Karl and Debbie
The International House Baltimore glows in the spring
Read closely and you will find what our Chinese Scholar considered important and helpful in this explanation of Easter
Pray with us as we seek to know what this step of change in health means.
Pray with us as we seek to successfully transfer some of our responsibilities to others (Karl has identified at least one possible replacement director and the process is starting while the fourth cohort of students begins in July)
Give thanks with us for many new opportunities of service and light-bearing (Debbie has new program opportunities in at least three offices)
Give thanks that financial support is still keeping on (and it allows our health insurance to keep on with existing providers)