Men's Choir

Had a great practice last night with our Men's Choir for Father's Day. Thankfully, this is not a picture from last night.
There were over 50 guys there -and we're expecting even more on Sunday. Only one practice but they sounded terrific.
We're doing a couple of songs by Lincoln Brewster..."Today Is The Day" and "God, You Reign". Lincoln's writing some terrific things.

Holy Blogs, Batman

Ok -so is one new post a month too much? I just don't want to overload the reader. :)
Well, it has been a pretty incredible start of the year. I seem to have found myself in an awesome place. So many people I've met here have lived in Bakersfield all their lives. That says something really cool about this place....and it really comes down to the people. Some of them have even moved away and then missed it so much they moved back.
Because I'm also the Small Group Pastor, I've been visiting most all of the Small Groups. This has meant being out almost every night of the week. It's been exhausting at times. But it's also been awesome to meet so many people. As an outsider coming into the church, my one word description, because of this inside look, is "healthy".
It makes a lot of sense because the Pastoral staff is also incredibly personable and loving.
Some of the office staff, however, are pranksters. I was sending a thank you note to a family that had me over for dinner. At one point in the evening, their little boy came out dressed as Batman, to our surprise. So on my thank you note's return address, I put "Batman".
Rachel, one of the secretaries, noticed this, and put a Batman logo on the back of my jacket. I didn't see it -and went to the grocery store on my way home. I didn't really understand the funny looks in the store until I got home and took off my jacket. Don't think I'll be shopping there for awhile.

Let There Be Choir

Well, I see that time keeps getting away from me. Been meaning to blog for awhile. It's been incredibly exciting to be at Canyon Hills Assembly and they've got me pretty much on a steady run. I'm looking forward to the point when I feel I've got a better grasp on the situation. Maybe that'll come in about ...10 years.
We had 49 people at our first choir practice. If everyone who expressed interest in joining the choir would show up, we would actually have 78 people! Sometimes the commitment factor can be a problem. Other times it's sickness, vacation, or the director suddenly has appendicitis. Regardless, I'm really looking forward to our first Sunday on the platform ...this weekend!

Happy Birthday Sheri!

Today is my sister Sheri's birthday. She is one of the most awesome people in the world. I lucked out in the sibling pool. Not so sure she did -with the little brother pool. But she has always been full of grace -even when I shot her. Wow. Think about that. How many sisters would keep that quiet for 10 years?
So glad we're related. It means she has to put up with me.
In fact, she has really spoiled me over the years. You would never see a cake like this one at her table. She does everything with excellence. More than that...she does it with love.
Hope you have an awesome birthday Sheri! I love you much!

Unshakable

My first week in the office at Canyon Hills was pretty cool. Pastor Wendell and Pastor Steve filmed segments for a new small group series they'd put together titled, "Unshakable". This study centers around the end times and a key scripture is Luke 21:31. "When you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near." Isn't it awesome to know that things are about to wrap up ...and we're on the winning side?
The DVD was beautifully produced by a man in the church who is a professional -and actually makes commercials for television.

Canyon Hills Assembly

Well, it's only been a week and I'm already in love with the whole church. lol My first day in the church office was last Tuesday. Executive Pastor Steve Vinson had said he'd like to start things out a little slower by just taking me to breakfast. When I arrived at the restaurant I discovered that the entire staff was also joining us -which was somewhere around 14 people. It was a little overwhelming as they put me at the head of the table. I'm sure there was some curiosity as to what the new guy would bring to the table -but I was met with smiles all around.

This past Sunday morning, Senior Pastor Wendell Vinson introduced me to the entire congregation and then had me go down the aisle to the foyer as he was dismissing everyone. He instructed them all to welcome me in. Was it ever a welcome! I was so encouraged by many who were very excited to get a choir singing on a regular basis again. I guess it's been a couple of years.
I can see I'm going to have to be very careful here when it comes to eating. When I first arrived at my apartment, the refrigerator and shelves were packed with food! The pastors had asked for a key to my apartment before I arrived. I was blown away by what they did. After church this past Sunday, the staff welcomed me for my first Sunday with a prime rib lunch.
Guess the gym better be one of my more frequent stops.

God Leads Us Along

I'm moving! After living in the Long Beach/Lakewood area for 25 years, I'm packing up my things and heading north. I'm very excited to say that Canyon Hills Assembly in Bakersfield has asked me to come on board. The pastors are Wendell and Lynda Vinson -who actually founded the church 25 years ago. Steven and Renee Vinson are the Executive Pastors. I actually worked with Renee's sister, Robin Garvin, for many years.
When I visited the church a few months back, I led them in the chorus of the hymn "God Leads Us Along":
Some through the waters, some through the flood
Some through the fire, but all through the blood
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song
In the night season and all the day long

There have been moments in the past year when it was difficult to find a song to sing. But as tough as it got, I knew that God was orchestrating events to eventually compose a better symphony than I could've imagined. There were moments when I didn't have any answers at all. But we don't have to have all the answers when God leads us along. We've just got to follow Him.

Embrace The Adventure

Well, it's New Year's Eve. This day can be full of incredible anticipation for some -and apprehension for others -for what the new year will hold. Maybe these feelings get jumbled together for most and it's why we bring in the New Year with noise makers, just to let off some steam. Maybe we make the noise in the face of fear just to say, "Bring it on!" Maybe we're celebrating just having survived another year of life.
Last spring, I was in the middle of a pretty difficult time. It seemed that nothing was working out and discouragement was settling in. During that time, Aimana, Sindy and Taimoana were in town for a quick vacation. As they were packing for the airport, 5-year-old Taimoana noticed a little present someone had given me that hadn't been opened yet. He brought it to me and told me to open it. I was ironing a shirt and needing to leave for church so I told him I didn't have time right then. But this little guy persisted until I could resist no longer. When I opened it, I discovered that someone had given me a little plaque with these words on it:

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


I recognized that God used little Taimoana to get my attention that day. This new year is a gift to us that is unopened as yet. As we open it, let's recognize that it is given to us from God Himself. He wants to give us a hope and a future. Don't focus too much on your feelings. They change like the seasons. Put your trust in the One who never fails, never lies, and never leaves or forsakes us. Then, embrace the adventure.

Car Dieu Est Si Grand

I'm so thankful to God for granting me my heart's desire for an adventure. Do you know that He's listening when you pray? He really is.
I've now posted a lot of pictures along with many of my blogs about my time in Tahiti this year. Now you can see I've got proof to back up what I've written! So you may want to take a look at some those.
I am humbled and incredibly grateful to the Jamet family- Yves and Mirella, Aimana and Sindy and Taimoana, Tama and Herehia and Hauareva, and Toimata for their incredible hospitality, generosity, sense of humor, and, most of all, their love. I feel that I have been grafted into their family. But that happened 11 years ago on my first trip to Tahiti.
I think the world could learn so much from Tahitians. They value people more than things. Their thoughts aren't fixed on how soon they can run out the door. They love people and their actions show it. They spend time just enjoying each other. That sounds like the Trinity to me.
Thank You, God, not just for the beauty of the islands, the delicious food, the exciting journeys, but for a place where I can see Your love overflowing from the hearts of Your people.

Youth Camp In Tahiti-Iti

Well, there was one last adventure for me in Tahiti. And if you can believe it, I wasn't even sure I wanted to go. The last time we'd been to this location, I'd cut my foot on corral and had to deal with the lemon. Also, it just seemed odd to go to the other side of the island to sleep in a tent the night before I was going to get on a plane to go home. But I was SO GLAD that I went! It's funny how I've desired the adventure and yet the predictable, routine, comfortable thing is still tempting. All through my time here I felt that God just kept whispering, "Embrace the adventure." So I did...one last time.
We drove until the road ended. Then we boarded a boat. When we arrived at the camp site, we set things up and then huddled under canvas as it rained for a few minutes. When the sun came out we had some free time just to kick a ball around. Then they divided the camp up into 4 different teams. That night they played game after game that involved learning other people's names. It was so cool -except that I still have an incredibly hard time with some of the Tahitian names. It was kind of a relief to hear a "Victor" and "Peter". It was amazing how quickly this group bonded together. They had my heart in no time.
The next day we had breakfast. It was fish, cooked on beach fires, and bread. There was a devotional and then we were off to hike in a valley. This hike included a stop at a burial site and an altar where human sacrifices were made many years ago. Later on, we rested at a beautiful place along a river where most of the Youth went swimming. I took a walk deeper into the woods -as I knew I'd be leaving soon. These woods were filled with beautiful green-moss-covered trees and sometimes vines and jungle-type terrain. The camp had an Indiana Jones theme and it couldn't have been in a better location. I half-expected a native to jump out with a spear.

What really struck me though is the difference in sound that day that one heard in the valley -compared to what must have been 200 years ago. I could imagine the screams of loved ones horrified with the sacrificial ritual. And then I thought of how awesome it is that today -laughter is heard there -from the children of God.
After a lunch of New Zealand corned beef with beans and lemon, we headed back to camp. It was time for me to go and suddenly I realized that Thierry Albert, the camp director, had gathered the whole camp together to say goodbye. They all started to sing a beautiful Tahitian song and I couldn't help but cry. Then they gathered around me and prayed. They followed us to the boat as I was saying my goodbyes to Toimata and Yves and Mirella. Then they waved as we pulled away from the dock. It was Mario's boat, the same one we'd taken to Hawaiki Nui, and suddenly he was putting my hands on the wheel. As I pulled the boat around the island, the Youth had run to the beach and were waving from there. I was glad to be distracted from the huge lump in my throat by the need to steer the boat.

Speedy Sheep

The morning after Orovini's Christmas program was La Bonne Nouvelle's Christmas program. Taimoana, Aimana and Sindy's 5 year-old boy, was going to be in the program. So we were all excited to see what would happen there. He did not disappoint.
His particular scene opened with three adults dressed as shepherds standing and calmly speaking to each other with microphones. At their feet were Taimoana and 2 other kids with sheepskins on their backs crawling around them in a circle. Well, I guess they thought they needed to spice up the scene a little bit because suddenly the sheep turned it into a race. I couldn't stop laughing as these kids went faster and faster as the shepherds did their best to ignore them. At one point, Taimoana even attempted to cut a little girl off on her turn. (He likes the movie "Cars".) After many laps, the scene came to an end. As the curtains were closing, Taimoana straightened up on his knees and waved to the audience.

That evening, the Orovini church started a choir. Pastor Coucou invited me to do some warm-ups with them and speak with the choir members. I was very honored to do so and was so excited that they were starting a choir. It seemed that there were anywhere between 40 to 50 for this first practice. Once again, Toimata helped me with the translation. She has been incredibly helpful to me!

Orovini's Christmas Program

When I first arrived in Tahiti and went to the Orovini church, I happened to notice in the bulletin that there would be a Christmas program the evening of December 13. My first thought was how cool it would be to be there to catch that. My second thought was, "Dummy, you'll still be in town!" I've never stayed in Tahiti for nearly 2 months before so it took some getting used to. This time we were able to make some more far-reaching plans.
One of those plans was that I was invited by Teremu and Toimata to work with the Youth Group to sing "Car Dieu Est Si Grand". ("How Great Is Our God") We sped it up a little bit, added a chorus of "Joy To The World", and then sang it for the end of the Christmas program at Orovini. The Youth fell in love with "Joy To The World". In fact, when they started singing it that night, we went acappella for a bit and the congregation loved it too.
The program was filled with a terrific variety of things -including the Children's Choir, a Pastor's ensemble, skits, beautiful Polynesian-flavored dances, Teremu's group, Kades, (which is a Greek word meaning "consecrate") and the Youth Group. At one point the youth group dressed completely in black and wore white gloves. They turned out the lights and lit up a black light on the platform. Then, along with a song about the cross, they formed shapes and words by putting their hands together. It was incredible. Toimata choreographed and danced a beautiful dance to "O Holy Night" with several girls.
Christian, the host of the program, asked me to close the night in prayer. I felt honored to be able to do this and, in fact, gave the call of salvation with Toimata by my side to translate. Several hands went up and we all prayed together. Often, at Christmas, you can get more folks in the door than at any other time of year. It's a great time to hold out hope to everyone who comes. I also heard stories about others who rededicated their lives to God that night. Is there any greater gift one could receive than inviting Jesus into their heart? Jesus has come to bring joy to the world. There was a lot of joy in Tahiti that night.

Tahitian Political Upheaval

There was an interesting development in Tahiti today. Two members of the current political majority party resigned -suddenly making it the minority party. So now, in spite of the elections that were just held 6 months ago, the President of Tahiti must step down and the new majority party will elect a new president.
When Yves and I went to Huahine, I actually saw the President and was, in fact, just a few feet from him at the airport. He was all smiles that day. But today I saw him on the front page of the newspaper -as well as on the news, and he didn't look happy at all. Yves and Mirella told me that in the past 4 years they've had 6 presidents. When people vote here -they vote for a political party -not a specific candidate. If that party loses their majority status, no matter when the elections were held, you get a new president.

Diadem

Tuesday morning of this week Yves and Mirella took me up to one of the highest places in Tahiti. We took a dirt road that just kept ascending. At one point we saw an elderly Chinese couple working in a garden. Yves stopped to talk for a bit and asked them how old they were. The woman was 75 and the man was 81. Then he beamed and said, "I'm young!" There is such a mixture of cultures here and for some reason it's just fascinating to me to hear a Chinese couple speaking French.
Onward and upward we went with some amazing glimpses of the ocean far below us. But what really took my breath away was when we turned inland and then saw one of the most beautiful mountain ranges I've ever seen. They are a tropical green color and one of them looks like a crown -which they refer to as "Diadem". At that spot there was a little ramp that just stretched into space. It's where you can take a parachute- or actually something that looks like a parasail -and jump off -gliding down through one of the most beautiful valleys I've ever seen. However, I was quite happy just to stand there.
We went further on up until you could go no higher. We walked the last part of the way picking raspberries as we went. We passed an Air Traffic Control Tower -and then at the very top was a huge antenna servicing phones, I believe. By this time it seemed that we had actually walked into a cloud. We weren't able to see the 360° view but I sure hope to go back one day. If I worked for Disney, I would definitely suggest a Soaring Over Tahiti ride.

Moorea

Yves and Mirella thought it would be fun to go over to Tahiti's nearest neighboring island, Moorea, and I completely agreed. So we -including Tama, Herehia, Haurareva, Toimata, Teremu, and Rua, decided to go over by boat -which takes about 30 minutes. The boat, or ferry, has to be one of the most modern I've ever seen.
We drove their truck onto the ferry. Yves, Tama, Teremu, and myself were touring the island by bike. Before we started we stopped at a huge grocery store which seemed to be about the size of a Wal Mart. We got food for lunch and I took time to put on sun tan lotion. Because I burn so quickly, I bought pretty strong lotion (50) which is actually for babies. lol So when I put it on I tend to look like a Geisha. I think I startled a few people in the market as I walked around.
Then we were on our way. I haven't ridden a bike in years but it's really true what they say....you have to learn how to do it all over again. Our first stop was at a memorial stone near the site of an airplane crash that happened about a year ago with Air Moorea. The passengers names were on a plaque. Tama explained that a piece of the plane had come off during the flight making it impossible to fly the plane. I always wonder what a pilot is thinking when they talk about a deadly crash.
Next we stopped at a beach and went swimming. This is a place where the water is incredibly clear. We'd come here with Lauren a few years back and she actually took some pictures under water that came out great. This is my favorite place to swim in Tahiti so I was very happy to be there. For lunch we had sandwiches with corned beef & onions & beans with some squirts of lemon. It was incredibly tasty.
Then we were off again. The ladies (and baby) stayed with the truck while we rode the bikes. It made me feel like a kid again to be riding those bikes. Later on it started to rain and at times it really rained hard. But I didn't mind because it cooled us off. At one point we stopped and a man started asking me for directions. He spoke English but with an accent I didn't recognize. He was from the Czech Republic. He was a bank manager and when he found out I was from L.A. he mentioned that he has some friends who live there. But then he made a comment about the world having to pay for all of America's economic problems. I thought it was a cheap shot considering all the good my country has done as well. But I thought it would be in bad taste to start a war with the Czech Republic right there in Moorea so I let it slide.
As the day progressed, the bike ride became more and more challenging. The toughest part was having to sit on that bike seat. I really think Laz-y Boy should put out a bike seat. But the beauty of the island keeps you going. Eventually we got to the Jamet's vacation cottage and it was such a welcome sight. A man who watches over several properties around it welcomed us. I noticed some additions to the cottage from the last time and told this man that the last time I'd been there was 11 years ago. He got a kick out of that and came up to talk to me -and I then realized that he was drunk. He would just kind of weave toward you as he talked and he would drift back and forth from French to Tahitian making it impossible for me to understand him. But from the motions of his hands, he seemed to be talking about a flower that was blooming. Or maybe it was an eel coming out of a cove. Or maybe it was about how the world has to pay for America's economic problems.

News About America

Well, yes, I've posted about a hundred blogs in a row. There are several reasons for this. I'm not always sure of when I'll be near a computer. I'm back at Tama and Herehia's house now in Papara and it happens to be a pretty rainy day. Tama probably thinks my fingers have become attached to the computer. But I'm glad to journal all of these things out before I forget them. Feel free to read as much or as little as you want.

Juliette has been in town and, in fact, spent the night here. I was happy to show her that I'm asking others to pray for Raiatea. She left to go home a little while ago and I had a lump in my throat. She said "a la prochaine" -which basically means "See you next time." She has left us with pai d'ananas (pineapple pie) which she specially ordered. It is delicious.

One more thing for now. At one point Tama thought I might want to hear some English on the television and mentioned that they get CNN. So I turned to that channel. But I didn't realize that there's another CNN that seems to be more European-oriented. The anchors usually have English accents and there's very little news about America. I suppose that is because Obama dominated international news for awhile and so they're now getting back to their regular programming.
But I especially got a kick out of their weather report. While hoping to catch some news, really anything, about America, I saw them go into a weather report. They mentioned specific cities throughout Europe and then closed the report by saying, "...and it's also cold throughout the United States."
Ok, so now I know. It's cold over there. Maybe these anchormen from England are still upset about that Boston Tea Party thing.

Trapped In Bangkok

A little over a week ago now, Aimana and Sindy flew to Bangkok, Thailand. Aimana is a pilot and has to go there on occasion for training with a simulator. Well, you've probably heard the news about the protests at the airport there. It appears that there's been tampering with their latest election and the people are not too happy about it.
So, suddenly Aimana and Sindy have found themselves stuck in Bangkok. I wasn't able to completely understand the newsbroadcast. It just looked like there were a lot of upset people standing around the airport waiting for departing flights. Some were even getting massages in the airport because of the city's concern for their tourism industry.
But it was nice to see Aimana and Sindy, literally, a couple of nights ago as they called in on the computer program, Skype. They are fine but a little bummed to be delayed there unsure of when they can return.

Lunch With Jean-Claude and Tiare

After church on Sunday, Yves and Mirella told me that we were going to lunch with Jean-Claude and Tiare. These two are a couple that I first met at a prayer chapel next to the hospital. A group from the Orovini church goes there every Saturday morning. Though they are getting up in years, they haven't been married all that long. And they are a total kick.
We went to an exhibition center where Jean-Claude often works. At the moment, it is featuring an exhibit of the Marquese Islands. We had a typical Marquesian lunch and it was delicious. Even the rice was awesome as they add sugar and coconut milk to it. I had raw fish with lemon. Mirella had octopus and, though I was reluctant, I took a bite -and even that was delicious.

After lunch we walked through the exhibition hall. The craftsmanship of these items is incredible with intricate designs worked into the wood. But mostly what they featured were tikis. One man also showed me a weapon that was typically used to beat a person over the head. I'd heard of this being done to facilitate a human sacrifice. I didn't stay at that booth very long.
There were musicians playing the whole time and at one point I was surprised to hear them go into "Tiny Bubbles".
At another booth I saw some very sharp pieces of wood that could've passed for long golf tees. They were really crafted down to a point though. I asked a lady sitting there if they were used as weapons. She laughed at me, picking one up and demonstrating that they were used to tie up long hair.

Jean-Claude took me over to see a place where they are adding onto the exhibition center. It looked like a pretty major expansion. Later on, he saw a dog that he likes and whistled for it. What he didn't see was about 6 other dogs in another place at the work site who then came running along with the one. Mirella said he simply said, "Uh oh." Then he went to find them all some food.
We went back to Yves and Mirella's home for an extended visit over coffee and dessert. Tiare told a story about going to see a movie on one of the islands. At one point during the film, she was surprised to see a pig walking through the theater. I asked her if he'd bought a ticket.

Taiau, Toimata and Teremu

Saturday morning I found out that Herehia's little brother, Taiau, had a soccer game and it was for the championship. She said that he's always asking if people will come to see him play. He is a "mark" and plays well, scoring often. So I decided to walk to the stadium.
Because the sun is so hot here, their games go for 20 minutes and then they take a break. When I arrived, they'd already been playing. He spotted me and came over -followed by most of the team. He had an injury and his finger was bandaged. He explained that part of his fingernail had bent backward. As I asked him questions about his Mom knowing and if he's going to a doctor, he asked if I was thirsty. I think hospitality runs in the blood of Tahitians at the youngest of ages. Taiau is 11.
He proceeded to play and as soon as he got the ball it was obvious the control he had over it. They won the championship that day.

Later that day, Toimata (Tama's sister) picked me up and took me to the Orovini church to practice with the youth for their Christmas program. I explained to them, as I have many times to my other choir, that they will need to smile when singing about joy. It's an odd thing for people to see a group scowling at them while singing, "Joy To The World". I think smiles come easy here though.
After they sang, Toimata worked with them choreographing a song -but instead of dancing, they will simply use their hands. She is incredibly creative. With a song about the cross, they are in three seperate groups, at times spelling out words, at other times making shapes. I got chills at one point when the side groups pointed toward the middle -as the middle group placed their hands together in the shape of a cross.
After the youth meeting, we had dinner in downtown Papeete. In the main square of the town is a large open area where many food trailers (or roach coaches -as we say in America) park at night. Some had steak frites (steak and fries) -but I opted for poisson frites (fish and fries). The look of this area changes often as many different ships dock here. We were surrounded by 3 huge ships that were just beautiful.
Afterward we took Teremu, the worship leader for the youth, home. He writes songs and would like to be a Youth Pastor. He currently creates websites and, in fact, created one for me just for fun. He also happens to be Toimata's boyfriend. Because I first met Toimata when she was 9 years old, it's odd sometimes to see her as an adult. Earlier on this trip we jumped in the car and she was driving. I expressed mock concern and Teremu said to me, in regard to her driving, "Tu connais Jesus?" (Do you know Jesus?)
The pictures here show us doing a little shopping and checking out Teremu's office in downtown Papeete.