Jury Duty

I am 71 years old and have never been called to jury duty until two weeks ago. They told us that it was an important part of our "civic duty" and likely the only time we would be directly involved in government service. We were actually subpoenaed by the court, so it was far from voluntary. Our "pay" was $5 per. day plus $7.50 expenses. It actually cost $6 per day for parking and we had to provide our own lunch. There was not even coffee!! So when you do the math, it's not the highest paying job I ever had.
On the other hand, I did learn a lot about our justice system and how the courts actually function. I also met some interesting people. The jury pool is supposed to by a sample of the entire community. I served on one jury with a former basketball star from the University of Louisville and met a lawyer who had played on the same team with him. I learned that almost no one is exempt from jury service, police, doctors, business people, even judges.
It was a good education, mostly in patience as we spent most of our time sitting and waiting (I did finish reading one entire book), a lesson in human nature and a "once in a lifetime experience" that I can wait for 71 years to do again.

Snow Bound

I don't think I ever read all of Whittier's "Snow Bound" but last week I had time to do it. Our family was snow bound in, of all places, Louisville, KY. We were far more fortunate than many of our friends and neighbors who had no electric power, heat, and sometime no water. We shared our home with our son James and his family for 3 days and spent a lot of time finding things to do. The kids got out grandma's sewing stuff and we even started putting together a 500 piece puzzle. We had not done that for years. Even the kids enjoyed it.
During our years in Africa, we almost always had a puzzle going on a table in the living room and there was always a kerosene lamp ready to go. For over a year, Greta and I lived in a rural village with no electricity. We had solar pannels and deep cycle 12 vold batteries for our ham radio and travel trailor lighting at night. Our kerosene refrigerator worked well and we had no need of heat. I even built Greta a charcole stove with an oven. It seemed fun in those days, but it is much different to be snow bound.

Time Gets Away

I have been away from this for too long so I won't try to catch up on everything. Christmas and the New Year were great and we had a good time. We did not do much this year and the family all did their own things. Next year we plan to get together here in Louisville.
Last week Greta and I did a Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshop with OMS in Greenwood, IN. I was under the impression that I needed to do a better job of confronting people about problems but learned that I probably need to work on listening skills. Life would be a lot easier if we didn't have to deal with people all the time. :-)
Another blessing of the workshop was to meet people involved in missions with other groups and organizations. People who have a heart for the lost among the nations and who are willing to put their life on the line for it are special people and it is always good to share with them.

Election Day

Greta and I stood in line about 30 minutes this AM to vote. I saw people walk away when they saw the line was so long. Government is a gift from God, to vote is a civic duty and sacred privilege. Our brothers and sisters have died on battle fields all over the world to gain and preserve this right and privilege, so it is too valuable to lose for the sake of a few minutes time. If you have not done so, GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY.

TRAINS

It has been a long time since I took a train trip in the US. The last one I remember was a trip to Chicago, IL back in the late 1960s. The earliest train ride I remember was a trip with my grandfather who worked for the Southern Railroad. The Southern was still using steam engines in those days, so it was a rather romantic trip to Papa's work site in somewhere in Tennessee.
During our trip to Europe in September we used the train between Hungary and Romania. Last year we used the train to get to the airport in Hungary and three years ago I used the train to travel back and forth across Italy to visit our friends there.
In most of Europe trains are relatively inexpensive, clean, safe, dependable and quick. With gas prices so high and air travel getting more and more expensive, I would like to see someone try to bring our US railroad passenger system back.

To Steve

Last Wednesday I received a shocking phone call from our friend and former teammate in Cote d'Ivoire, Andy Rayner. Andy lives and works in Prince Edward Island, Canada and was part of our team for several years in Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
Andy called to tell me about Steve Rehn. Steve was killed in a bicycle-car accident somewhere in northeastern Nigeria on September 26. He had been part of our team in Cote d'Ivoire for over 2 years. Steve was, to put it mildly, an avid biker and he loved riding in Africa. He had been in Burkina Faso to help some Bible translators and after finishing his project there, decided to take a "vacation" and ride across Burkina Faso, part of Niger, through northeastern Nigeria into Cameroon, a daunting trip anywhere but both challenging and obviously dangerous in Africa. He had covered well perhaps 1500 miles of his trip and sometime during his second day in Nigeria, a speeding car came around a turn, lost control and hit Steve on his bike. He was killed instantly. The sad part is that the family did not learn what happened for 11 days. The Nigerian police in that area had no phone and did not use personal phones to call the Embassy or even notify anyone. The family finally started a "Mission Persons Abroad" inquiry through the Canadian Embassy which quickly found out what happened.
We first met Steve as an intern in Cote d'Ivoire. We soon learned that he "marched to the beat of his own drum." He loved Africa, he love biking and he wanted to see Africa up close and personal. We often cautioned him about his adventurous bike rides, but he had the "bug" and couldn't resist. He was adventurous. He loved Africa. He was fearless.
After his internship, he returned to his home in Canada where he met the love of his life, Nicki. They met (no surprise here) on a transcontinental bike ride across Canada. After they married, they returned to Cote d'Ivoire to work with the team in Abengourou and chose to live in the village among the people. The only transportation they owned was their bikes.
After their service in Cote d'Ivoire, they moved to Cameroon where they worked for two years before moving back to Canada. Nicki taught in a Christian school and Steve drove a truck for a construction company and continued his mission work, often making mission trips to help wherever he could.
Steve died as he had lived, out on the edge, serving the Lord and riding his bike through Africa. If you would like to follow his adventures up to the moment, take a look at his blog. http://justaboutcrazy.blogspot.com/ I did. You will find his last entry from somewhere near a town name Madawa, Nigeria. He had spent the night with a Muslim mechanic for the French medidal group called Doctors Without Borders. Steve talks about breaking the fast with the family who were celebrating Ramadan and watching the people pray and pondered the question, "What if we Christians took 15 minutes to pray faithfully five times a day?" Good question Steve.
There will be a memorial service for Steve Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Oak Park Church of Christ, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Please pray for his wife Nicki and his parents, Rick and Linn Rehn during this sad and trying time.

More of Europe

We are back in Dublin again after visiting four other countries: Italy, Kosova, Hungary and Romania. We found our co-workers doing well and having good success in their work. We were able to worship with the team in Ancona, visit the new American High school in Kovova, preach in a Sunday morning service in Hungary and visit a school for Gypsie children in Oradia, Romania.
We only had one travel problem worth mention. We missed a flight in Rome because of a connecting flight delay and a mix-up in the airport largely caused by an airline workers strike that threatened to shut down the Rome airport. We were able go get a flight the next day, but have heard the Ilatalia, the national airline is in danger of failing somewhat because of the strike.
Tonight I will go out with our team here to do street evangelism in downtown Dublin. Some think that type of thing is of the past, but it has been so successful here, (see the previous entry) that dozens have been baptized and a new church has started from the results of the John 3:7 group and their work. Our co-worker, Philip Thompson is leading the effort to disciple the new believers and establish the church.
Pictures: Above left is sign carriers on Grafton street. Right is the infant church meeting in a home. Philip (brown shirt, center right) is leading the Bible study.
Monday we will be heading home after a total of 26 days, five countries, and a total of 12 take-offs and landings. We appreciate all those who have prayed for our safety.

Here is a link to a Youtube video about the John 3:7 group.

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=DDULbxbaYnE&feature=rel