Meh

So this last week incorporated the adventure of surfing once again. It was a wonderful time though I was not able to enjoy the second day of surfing due to a pain in my shoulder. Nevertheless, the time spent on the furthest west of coast was great.

As far as what has been happening in my life lately, it has all been quite bland. The food, the weather, my thoughts, and ambitions. There is little motivation to finish off the year within the three week time period. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to learning what Cal Macfarlane has to teach us this week and for the times of fellowship with friends before we disperse. The educational focused year is winding up and I'm ready for Kaleo to be done. I want to continue with my life, I want to get out of this bubble of a greenhouse and move on. I love it out here, I don't miss Manitoba, though I do want to reunite with friends and prepare for tree planting.

This last Sunday, the youth lead the morning service which went really well. It was also the last Bridge of the year. The time that was spent helping with the Bridge and fellowshiping with the community of Cobble Hill Church was quite a growing experience as far as being so connected with everyone. Being apart of that community taught me what a tight interconnected body of believers means and looks like in a 21 century church setting.

I could use prayer for the energy to serving these last weeks. The focus to be studying both school work and the Book intertwined. For excitement with people, for people and to continue to engage in people's lives before the Kaleo exodus.

Soli Deo Gloria

Mark

(surfing pictures coming soon)

The orb of confusion (the continuation within the 'off' position)

Sure, this last week has had its fills of adventure and fun like snowboarding, rock climbing, bouldering, steak, races, gospel's exam and paper, camp ministry paper, cutting my hair, etc. but the lesson of the week comes from last night.

Missing The Bridge last week put me in a position where I had no idea what was going on this Sunday. The entire week I was fretting over whether I was supposed to do something for the Bridge or if someone else had taken care of it. It came to Sunday morning and I was hoping that Lech would come talk to me about that night but he never did. I confronted him after the

service and by the end of the short and rushed talk that Lech he gave at me (yes, 'at', that's how any conversation happens with him), all I found out was that we were practicing for the Brid

ge at 4:30 that night. When the afternoon passed and the time to practice came, nothing more was settled and I sat before the preparing worship team and began to read The Cost of Discipleship for the second time in about 2 years. Thirty minutes before the Bridge started and I am still sitting on the same chair, reading Bonhoeffer, feeling lazy, not wanting to help with anything, and not looking forward to serving that evening. At this point, I came across Bonhoeffer writing how the grace that Jesus gives us costs us everything and how living a life by grace that is cheap leads to damnation. He talks about how it is tough to serve, to live the life that God calls us to, and easy to dilute His commands, to let life drift by. Quite shortly after that, a rough schedule is put into my hand with the request to chose prayer, scripture, and people to lead us into these things. Though it did not come easy to do this task, I was quite glad to have just been hit with such wise direction that it made the evening bearable and beneficial. I have been trying to keep those words in my head ever since my "epiphany" and am hoping that reasoning for such living will n0t leave me.

Please pray for a strong life serving attitude to continue within me. Pray that I may be able to show and explain such a lifestyle to believers and unbelievers alike. Pray also for safety as we head out surfing this week once again. Whoooo!

Soli Deo Gloria

Mark

P.S. I have hated my long hair ever since I started growing it over a year ago. I very much

disliked the last surfing trip so I cut it off myself before this one. Here's my artistic abilities:

Before-

After-

If you are not firm in faith, will will not be firm at all. (Isaiah 7:9)

The events of this past week are know to some of you, though I will fill everyone in with my side of God’s story in my life.

Before last weekend I received an e-mail from my mother saying that my grandfather on my father’s side will probably not live past the weekend. He recently had surgery and his physical state after that point did not want to recover. For the next several days I continued with pre-course work with this issue rising up in my mind periodically. His body became extreamly tired and communication and even acklowledgement between the family and him decreased to nearly nothing. One day while he was the most disalusioned and unresponsive, my mother sat by his side alone. As she began to sing Great Is Thy Faithfullness, he hears her voice, opens his eyes, turns his head towards her, and stares at her watching her lips as she continues to sing until the last verse. As she stops, she says to her, “God is still good, isn’t He?” My mother replies with, “He sure is” and he returns to the state that he was in before. Through the pain and the agony that this journey entailed for him, we believe God protected his mind from what could have been. Even the medical staff were amazed as how he lived his last couple of days. I got a phone call Monday after class knowing full well what news was comming to me. My grandfather died at 3:05pm that day.

We were privilaged to receive this week’s class, studying the gospels, with Mr. Wes Olmstead. An amazing man he is and being gifted with such an intelligent mind, I was honoured to study under him. Studying the gospels gave me such light to main theams, message, and mission of Jesus. Being able to see stories of Jesus side by side the other gospels and finding out why some authors change, add to, or not have at all a story about Jesus gave me useful insight in how to better read scripture. The main piece of knowledge that I received from that class is why and how to live a life completely devoted to God. What is better than to keep the words of Jesus and glorify God in this life and the next because of it. Tools complementing this idea were gained all throughout the week

I left Thursday afternoon along with Haley(my cousin) to catch our flight back home for the funeral the next day. The day of the funeral was difficult to grasp the reality having to wait a couple years to interact with my grandfather again though, since he was first diagnosed with the tumor on his liver and esspecially this last week and following days, I have been swamped in an excitement and joy for him to be in a place he has been desireing for many a year. My tears came when thinking about the events of my life that I would have wished for him to be closer for and for those who loved him dearly and would have a tough time living with his absence. As one of his grandsons who may not have hung out with him often enough, I knew him well enough to know that he lived the most God fearing and hounoring lifestyle that I have ever see on a personal level. I was one of several who was asked to give a tribute at the funeral. I post now the words that I spoke then:

Who was Ralph Guenther to me, he was grampa. He was a man whom in my mind never looked back. Rather, he looked forward to what had not yet come to pass. He worked hard for a solid financial state, taught his children morals of honour and Godly ways of living, and he desired that his grandchildren that would walk in the ways of Jesus Christ. Grampa was a man who may not have lived a perfect life, but nor have any of us. Though through all that he did, his aim was for righteousness. “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss of the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.” (Phil. 3:7-11). Grampa knew what this life entailed. He knew that it would have its challenges and trials but he also knew what it would take to live through them as he lived in the kingdom of God. As Matthew writes in his gospel, Jesus asks his disciples, “‘Have you understood all these things?’ They said to him, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”” (Matt.13:51-52). Those who study God’s word, as we know full well that grampa did, train in the kingdom of heaven by living according to how the treasures of both the old covenant and the new covenant have instruct us to live. As for the old covenant, remember Jesus’ words as he says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, nor a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matt. 5:17-18). Jesus says this as he presents the new covenant not only by the words that he speaks here in the sermon on the mount but through his life as well. The entire gospel of Matthew presents this overall theme of eternal life both future and present through the key word of righteousness. We are not saved by acclamation and verbal acceptance of Christ. Rather, it is by how we live the remaining days of our lives in response to God’s glory by the goodness that he gave us through death on a cross. “And from his fullness we have received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17). John here echoes what is written in the Old Testament scriptures, “And God said, ‘I will make all my good ness pass before you and will proclaim before you m name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” (Exodus 33:19). It was not hard to see grampa live every aspect of his life in light of God’s goodness that God revealed to him. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” (Phil. 1:21-24). Grampa has died and left. He has gain far greater than he ever could have received here on earth. During the time that he was here on earth, his presence was necessary on the account of those he lived with and came in contact with. He now lives in the presence of the All Mighty. How do I now carry on his name? First I need to ask, ‘What named did he bear?’ I know for a fact by the way he lived his life that the name he bore was Christian. In Greek, Christian literally means “little Christ”. Therefore, as grampa took upon the yoke of Christ, so too shall I carry the same yoke. The name of Ralph Guenther will fade away like the flower. “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” (Ps. 103:15-19). Thus, to me at least, for this entire procession not to end up in vain, I am to carry on the name of Christ, not just by what I acclaim with my lips but how I step within the footprints of Jesus with my life. For only then will I find true comfort and peace. “For thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an over flowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounce upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; you bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.” (Isa. 66:12-14).

Please pray that I may still be able to collect my thoughts in a way that makes sense with this significant change in my life. Pray that myself specifically but that all of the family my see the glorification of God's name in what we have experienced. Pray also that I may be able to get done the papers that I have a slightly less time to work on as well as the gospels exam coming up that I need much time to study for. I thank you greatly for the prayers that you have already lifted up to God on my behalf.

Soli Deo Gloria

Mark

Reading Break: Round 2

This past week has been packed with adventure like a can of tune with nothing to wait for but the smell of mayonnaise. On 3rd of March, a small group of us Kaleos went to duncan and walking near a used book store I entered in and found an old poetry book by Robert Service. I recognized his name through seeing some of his work on the Mt. Washington ski trip and so I added the book to my bookshelf here in my dorm. The next day several of us boys hiked up to the top of Mount Zuhalen in the evening to catch the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen descend behind the mountain range on the other side of Duncan. After we hiked down, we stopped by the grocery store to pick up some necessities such as steak strips, beans, alphagetti, peppers, havarti, and some goat cheese. Upon arrival back at camp, we made some bannock dough and hiked for another 40 minutes to "The Point", a rocky outcropping at the edge of the ocean. We settled down on a nice large rock where we made a fire and ate a gourmet steak dinner, far better than anything camp has to offer. A further distance up, away from the attracting fragrance of food, we set our sleeping bags down and slept under the wonderful array of stars. Waking the next morning with dew on our faces and a warm sun overcoming the mountainous horizon we hiked back to camp for breakfast and to prepare for the vans leaving for Mystic Beach shortly after. Now Mystic Beach is a beautiful place which requires a 30 minute walk through a wonderfully forested area on dirt paths and steps carved our of a 150 yard tree with a chainsaw. Then you get to the sandy beach with large, climbable boulders and caves to your right and a waterfall to your left with ocean everywhere in front and forest behind. We spent much of the day there, exploring, on the rocks, playing frisbee or soccer. The next morning I woke with Tim Everett and rushed down to the dock to see another glorious sunrise. Not one that consisted of as many colours as what I've seen but rarely does the sun rise over the mountains here where it is not blocked by clouds as it rises over the mountain top, today it did.

All of these days have been filled with sun and warmth. It has made it difficult to get homework done but homework is being accomplished nevertheless.

The Lord has also been gracious to me this past week and in very short time from applying, I was accepted onto a tree planting crew based out of Prince George, B.C. with a solid Christian foreman.

This week, the interactions I have had with people in a relaxed and natural setting have been well needed and beneficial for continuing to grow as a community. I have felt very comfortable with all the people here at camp lately and am quite enjoying everyones company. Maybe I've just had too much sun. Pray that we will be ready and equipped for Gospels coming up this week and that our friendships may continue to grow strong and Christologically.

Soli Deo Gloria

Mark

Mexico: Dangerously Exciting

Hello again! I have safely arrived home from Mexico. It was a well needed adventure.

It started with the trials of travel; cancelled flight, lost baggage and a non-English speaking chauffeur. It quickly brought the story to me of Jesus' temptation in the desert before His ministry with the people as God's testing for the qualification of Jesus. All of these troubles worked themselves out through prayer due to the thanks of you!

We spent the first night in Juarez, Mexico at a bible college which hosts several people from the canyon as they partake in classes. The next day we drove down to the base camp of Rio Chico. There we painted both the chapel and the dining hall in fervent Mexican colours: bright orange and yellow. The following day was spent driving five hours to the village of Creel, where we stayed in a hotel, visited tourism shops and ate dinner at Pollo el Gordito (hefty chicken). The day after that was our final day of travel in which we went off-roading with a fifteen passenger van on cliff edges and hiked four and a half hours into the village of Quecivo in the Copper Canyon.

Our time in the canyon was spent carrying bags of sand and gravel down the side of a cliff to mix cement for a fish pond floor and walls as well as trucking large rocks from higher up in the canyon down to be used for a wall. We also made crafts with the children and distributed bags of food to the Tarahumarian people that had travelled as far as three days to receive it.

The work that we did for these people never seemed to have a reason behind it or a use in the near future. We would often only spend about an hour and a half in the morning working until they would break for lunch which wasn't for several hours and then return to work in the afternoon only to work another hour and a half before they called it quits. It was difficult to understand our work during this missions trip to be beneficial to the people there. What they asked us to do would end up with them telling us that what we just did would probably be unusable or a long time before it is completed (we had enough man power but there was no motivation by the Mexicans) It was only about half way through the trip when God revealed Habakkuk 3:17-19 to me through a morning devotion time. This verse helped me to realize the importance not on what we do physically for the people but rather what we do for the kingdom of God. Another bible passage that was helpful was Hebrews 11:1. To me, this trip meant being faithful to God by doing the work that was asked of me and being assured that what I did would benefit the kingdom in one way or another eventually. Even if the physical aspect of what I did does not create progress, I have hope for their future within my prayers for these people.

The return journey had some adventures of its own. I lost my passport for which God gave us a miracle in bringing it back. Then we came home and I took a retreat on the top of Maple Mountain the next day to think things out.

Please pray that I may continue to understand and process what has happened in my life these past two weeks.

Soli Deo Gloria

Mark