Party In My Tummy!

This is possibly my favorite video ever, and definitely the theme song for Thanksgiving!

Yanyan photographs AM Sunday school

Today one of my morning kids offered to work as my photographer at Sunday school. Most of the pictures were blurry (a facet of cameraphone photography, alas), but a couple came out better than my own attempts!

Hello!
These are two of the few SS students whose fathers attend the church. The boy is Autistic, and the girl is (usually!) great at helping him fit into SS.

The Killing of a Conscience

Recently I came across a copy of the book Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi. Having grown up with the silly, simple Disney version of the puppet boy, I was amazed to discover the intentional wickedness of Pinocchio in this book on which the film is based! The scene that shocked me most was his first encounter with the Talking Cricket.

Pinocchio, just born, has already kicked his father, made him cry, and gotten him arrested under false accusations of child abuse. He returns home, "happy at his escape," and soon hears a strange chirping in the rafters. This is the insect conscience anomaly that Disney will later dub Jiminy Cricket. In the cartoon, you may recall, this introductory scene stars a cute insect/puppet signalong about whistling when you want your conscience to appear. Their banter, however, doesn't quite play out that way in the book.

"Shall I tell you something?" asked Pinocchio, who was beginning to lose patience. "Of all the trades in the world, there is only one that really suits me."
"And what can that be?"
"That of eating, drinking, sleeping, playing, and wandering around from morning till night."
"Let me tell you, for your own good, Pinocchio," said the Talking Cricket in his calm voice, "that those who follow that trade always end up in the hospital or in prison."
"Careful, ugly Cricket! If you make me angry, you'll be sorry!"
"Poor Pinocchio, I am sorry for you."
"Why?"
"Because you are a Marionette and, what is much worse, you have a wooden head."
At these last words, Pinocchio jumped up in a fury, took a hammer from the bench, and threw it with all his strength at the Talking Cricket.
With a last weak "cri-cri-cri" the poor Cricket fell from the wall, dead!

I don't know about you, but I never saw that one coming.

Original Pinocchio murders his would-be conscience less than one page after meeting him. Just like that! Just for warning him about his behavior and telling him obvious truth about what he really is!

I was astounded and horrified when I read this. What kind of person - er, puppet - would fly off the handle like that and kill Jiminy Cricket?! Pinocchio has proven himself to be wicked already, but you really can't go lower than hurling a hammer at a tiny singing being, you know? And Pinocchio doesn't even feel bad: Collodi writes, "If the Cricket's death scared Pinocchio at all, it was only for a very few moments." Then the wooden boy is back to running around causing mischief and avoiding the one man who really loves him, his father and creator Geppetto.

...Wait, what was that?

This isn't the Disney movie we're used to, but it's definitely starting to sound familiar. A created being hand-crafted from nature in the image of his maker... A lesser form given life by a greater one, even adopted as a son... Sin that starts at conception, selfishness that destroys... A winding path of rebellion, and the relentless pursuit of a loving and long-suffering father...

So which story is this again? Because, honestly, it's beginning to sound a lot like mine. And yours. And mankind's.

If I must resemble a marionette, I like to think I'm closer to the cartoon character. I admit I stray easily, letting others pull my strings, but I'm not trying to cause trouble. Surely I'm not this original Pinocchio, who deliberately seeks his own way, even when he knows it's going to inflict hardship and pain on those who love him most. Right?

Unfortunately, all I have to do is re-read his first exchange with the Talking Cricket to know I have more in common with the naughty Pinocchio than I'd like to admit. The trade he spoke of may not be my official career, but it's how I prefer to spend my time. And when others confront me about it, or any pet selfishness, I get defensive like Pinocchio did. I evade, or escape, or counter-attack. Even if I go so far as to nod and agree outwardly, inwardly I've tuned out. And when my conscience follows up by chirping from its shadowy perch in the rafters, I admit I can be exactly as brutal as that puppet. I may not sling chisels, but I've found many ways to silence that still small voice inside of me, telling me the truth when I least want to hear it. I've ignored it. Laughed at it. Slammed the door in its face. I've turned up my music. I've starved it, or drowned it. And maybe, if I'm really honest, I'll confess that I've tried my best to kill it.

I haven't finished the book yet. There's a lot going on, and I'm having my doubts about whether it will ever reach that fairytale end Disney taught me to expect. I've peeked ahead, though, and it looks like there's hope: just like a real conscience, the Talking Cricket reappears, a ghost of his former self but still speaking the truth.

There on a beam sat the Talking Cricket.

"Oh, my dear Cricket," said Pinocchio, bowing politely.

"Oh, now you call me your dear Cricket, but do you remember when you threw your hammer at me to kill me?"

That brief interaction shows me the cricket's the same, but Pinocchio's quite different. And I guess if there's redemption for a wayward wooden boy who defies his earthly father, I have much more to hope from my heavenly One.

Barbie and Ken 101

I love this so, so, so much, but I have to issue a language warning before you watch it...

Halloween!

At 1pm, a bunch of us (The Ks, the Ws, Jimmy, Joy, Nick, Luke, Amy, Kevin, Cecilia, Connie, Sharon, and three women from Chinese Church) met at church to compile 300 bags of candy and tracts in Chinese, Spanish and English.
At exactly 4 o'clock, we moved the tables outside.
And by 4:05, all 300 bags were gone! We handed out hot dogs, and those, though less popular, were gone by 4:15. We passed out brownies after that, and by 4:30 we were all back inside, incredulous and catching our breaths after the whirlwind of our Halloween outreach.

Last year's event went quickly, but this has to be a new record! After cleaning up, we collapsed around a table at church, sipping tea and hot chocolate, completely blown away by how quickly our weeks of planning had passed into nothing. Hopefully, of course, the work of those bags has just begun, and tonight 300 kids around the neighborhood will flip through the tracts inside and see, some for the first time, how much Jesus loves them. Please pray that these papers would be viewed, understood and accepted rather than simply thrown away or forgotten.

Images of October

Beloved

My baby brother and new partner in ministry just finished his first Citi Serve support letter! I know it's long, but please give it a skim and see what you think. Personally, I love being reminded of the strategic way God has drawn me and my family to this ministry! Seeing His presence year after year reassures me that He's brought me to this point for a purpose, and there's so much work still to be done!

Dear friends and family,

I would like to share with you my current ministry in Brooklyn, New York.

But first, I will give you a quick overview of how exactly I got here.

September 11, 2001, changed the world forever. The events of that day took many lives, shattered many dreams, and spread panic and devastation across the country and beyond. It left people asking why this happened, which in turn opened many doors. People began to reflect on not only their physical safety, but their eternal safety as well.

FEFC of St Louis, Missouri, quickly dispensed mission teams to New York to aid in this time of turmoil. Among those sent were my mother, Paula, and sister, Rachel. The work of those teams sparked a five year partnership agreement between my home church and SEFC in Brooklyn, New York, along with the passion of my family. In the following years, my mother and Rachel participated in every one of the summer teams my home church sent, eventually encouraging my other sister, Sara, and my dad to join in the ministry as well. In June, 2008, Rachel was called to stay at Second Free, where she has since become an active member and the Sunday school superintendent.

I bet you’re wondering where I come into all of this. For eight years I watched my family grow through their involvement at Second Free. Every single member of my household had gone, yet I didn’t feel the calling.

That all changed this February 2009, when Sara and I spent a month visiting Rachel in Brooklyn. For four weeks I got to work at the church’s elementary after-school program, S.A.Y. Yes, and with the two Sunday schools - one for the English service and the other for the Chinese congregation. My time flew by, and as I returned to my regular schedule in St Louis, I realized I was no longer content with my life there. Ministry at Second Free had changed me, as it had my family members before me, and I felt an intense call to join in the fellowship there. After a lot of prayer, I decided to return in July to work at the church’s summer school, and see where the Lord might lead me.

Starting July 2009, I spent six weeks in Brooklyn teaching second grade from 8am-5pm Monday-Friday. During that time I continued to fall in love with the ministry at SEFC. I connected with the kids and the community, and more and more I knew this was where God wanted me to be. As I worked and prayed, the Lord opened numerous doors for me. I began to meet with the pastor of SEFC, and he asked me if I would consider partnering with Citi Serve as a missionary. Citi Serve (formerly U.T.O.P.I.A.) is a ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of America that assists young adults in serving urban churches across the United States. After meeting with the director of Citi Serve, I prayed about the opportunity and felt led to accept.

That brings us to now. I’m currently working as a teacher with the S.A.Y. Yes after-school program, Sunday school (which includes services for both our English and Chinese congregations), and various other ministries. I’ve made a minimum commitment of one year, and during that time I know I will need continuous support in my endeavors. First and foremost, I need constant prayer for my daily interactions. Please pray for spiritual strength and integrity, as well as good communication, since English is not the first language here.

Secondly, because my position is not compensated, I also need monthly financial support. If you would like to partner with me in the ministry here, then thanks be to the Lord for He has helped me in my time of need. With this letter I’ve included a form that tells how you can contribute.

I’m looking forward to growing in the forthcoming year, emotionally, physically and most of all spiritually. Though my time here may prove to be a challenge, I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me.

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 22:1-5

May the Lord be with you in the coming months.

God bless,

Luke

P.S. Luke's started a blog! You can keep up with his side of the ministry at BelovedUntilSleep.blogspot.com