Building Fences: Cambodia 2014

Our good friend Trent Culver just got back from a life-changing trip to Cambodia. Enjoy!

—Dan Foote

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Cambodia 2014

 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”  Matthew 19:30

The most defining experience of my life; sweating alongside orphan children and my brothers and sisters in Christ. We worked in sweltering heat and overwhelming downpours, in the dirt and mud of a rural Cambodian orphanage. I may never see these Cambodian brothers and sisters again in this life but I am certain we will meet again when we reach our eternal home.

Even better, Jesus will have removed the language barrier.

What a privilege to meet these kids. They live at the absolute bottom of the food chain. They are the stray dogs at the bottom of the heap in the poorest country in Asia. What can we bring? Why should we go? Their dominant religions attribute them no value. They live on the streets or in the wilderness. They live off the meager scraps from the only slightly better off families in a nearby village or town. They forage an existence of bananas and bugs in the wilderness. Prostitution and trafficking is everywhere and dignity is stolen. Massive genocide under an evil, psychotic dictator followed by uncontrolled HIV and Aids has left an entire country full of young people and a LOT of orphans. Jesus gives them value. He tells them that they are as important as anybody. Buddhism and Hinduism provide them nothing but discouragement. Religions that teach karma tell these beautiful children that they are flawed and full of bad luck, or karma. As a result, they are kicked to the side.

To the orphan child, and even more the community in which he lives, Christian ministry creates one question. A question that their religions can't answer. What are these rich, white Americans doing here helping the dirty little orphans? Don't they know that these kids possess bad karma? The Americans, the most privileged people on the planet are sweating in Cambodian mud? Don't they know they're doing the worst work in Cambodia and for whom are they doing it? The stray dogs? Of course these white giants have good Karma, they live in America where everybody is a movie star, athlete or master of business.

Cambodia is a country ripe for Jesus Christ. Whole towns receive Jesus and God performs miracles. Their hand-to-mouth existence makes them more aware of the supernatural. They simply know there is something bigger than themselves. So often Americans have to hit rock bottom to look up. When you believe you're at the top, rock bottom is a long fall. Cambodians, especially its orphans, live at rock bottom. They have nowhere to look but up.

I just recently completed a two week trip to Cambodia. It included four and a half days of the hardest work I've ever done. I helped build a chain link fence that totaled over a half mile in length. In addition to removing the old, dirty, termite and fire ant infested fence and posts and clearing heavy rainforest vegetation, my team carried and set approximately 45 tons of concrete fence posts. Shouldering each post I imagined Jesus carrying His cross to take the weight of my sin. I carried many of these posts with a small 13 year old orphan with a work ethic only exceeded by an enormous spirit. He never stopped to rest and he never stopped smiling. These are incredible people. Our work tells both the kids, and their community, that these kids are valued to a group of Christian Americans. A few consider, who is this Jesus Christ that gives grace instead of condemnation? The orphans gain respect and lives are both temporally and eternally changed. Jesus gives the stray dogs value and confidence. The fence more firmly establishes property boundaries. It is a daily visible reminder to the community of the value inherent in these kids. I could work the rest of my daily career and not find a significance comparable to what I realized in 4 and a half days of work at the bottom of the heap in the poorest country in Asia.

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25: 37-40

Christ is the hope for Cambodia. What a revealing and awesome experience. 

—Trent

Men of The Book

I wanted to share a story from my childhood. Sorry. It’s sort of long, but it’s got a point in the end. Here goes:

I’m an old fart now. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s in a time when school always started the day after Labor Day…ended on June 1^st…and all the mothers I knew were (what is now called) stay-at-home moms. But one year, as I started 2^nd grade, my mom went to work. It was a HUGE deal. My dad was a teacher at the time and the addition of my younger brother Doug, a couple of years before this, taxed the household budget. My parents had to make some hard decisions…and as crazy as this was in 1967…Mom went to work and got a job as a secretary.

Needless to say, they had to find childcare, for my brother Doug who was at home all day, and for my older brother Dave and I when we got home for school. After lots of searching and interviews, my folks landed on Mrs. Leveau—the widowed mother of one of my dad’s former students. In reality, Mrs. Leveau wasn’t that old…maybe early 60s…but she seemed ancient to every 2^nd grader.

But more importantly, there was something I didn't like or trust about Mrs. Leveau.

It was hard for me to understand at the time—let alone articulate—my feelings towards Mrs. Leveau. There was just something about her. I later came to know it as “hypocrisy”—meaning this: Mrs. Leveau was just downright mean when my parents weren’t around, yet as soon as they got home, she was so sugary-sweet I nearly developed diabetes. Mrs. Leveau’s brand of babysitting consisted of keeping Doug in the playpen most of the day while she planted herself in front of our color TV in a rocking chair. When Dave and I came home from school each day, she would barely look up from the TV and mumble a greeting. Then, when Dad came home she was bubbling with, “Why hello, Mr. Foote! Davey, Danny and Dougie have been JUST wonderful today. Haven’t you, boys?” It was enough to make me puke. This went on for most of the school year.

Then, an event occurred that changed everything. It happened on March 4^th—my birthday. It all started with the fact that I had to go to school on my birthday. Every kid thinks they should get the day off from school on their birthday, right? But that was not the case in 1968. Still, I was looking forward to birthday cake and presents after dinner later that night and hardly paid attention when my brother Dave got off the bus early to go to a neighbors for Cub Scouts.

I walked in the door that afternoon and found everything as usual. Doug was standing in his playpen and Mrs. Leveau was parked in front of the TV. She didn’t even look up. I bounced in and said, “Hi Mrs. Leveau! Did you know today was my birthday?” Nothing. She never even acknowledged me—and something started to stir in me. I didn't know what it was. I later came to understand it as “righteous indignation”. I scowled at Mrs. Leveau and asked, “Aren’t you going to wish me a Happy Birthday?” She simply mumbled, “I don’t wish sassy little boys Happy Birthday”.

And that’s when I snapped.

Something deep inside me let go and I marched back to my bedroom. Slowly, methodically and deliberately I began carrying out stacks of our Beginner Books to the living room. The Beginner Books were the (now famous) books published by Random House—written by the likes of Dr. Suess, Bennett Cerf and P.D. Eastman. The Cat in the Hat…Go, Dog, Go!...Green Eggs and Ham. We had them all.

As I stacked the books about 10 feet away from Mrs. Leveau and her throne she looked up from the TV and asked what I was doing. I responded to her the same way Mrs. Leveau had responded to me throughout that school year. I said nothing. I just continued to trot back and forth from the bedroom and stack my books. When I felt like I had enough, I stopped and looked at her. “Will you tell me what you’re doing, young man?” she squawked. I gave her nothing. I simply grabbed the first book and…

…threw it at Mrs. Mrs. Leveau’s head.

I chucked it with all I had in me. The book hit her square in the face…knocking off her glasses—breaking them. As she reeled from my first volley…I pelted her with another book…then another…and another. Sam the Firefly…Hop On Pop…A Fish Out of Water…each book knocking Mrs. Leveau back, defenseless.

She screamed as I showered her with books. When I threw my last…I bolted for my bedroom and jumped into the top bunk. Mrs. Leveau stormed into the bedroom and preceded to yell and flail at me with the paddle my parents used for spankings. I squirmed and squeezed close to the wall, out of her reach—waiting for her to give up—which she finally did. “You just wait until your father gets home, young man!” she huffed as she left the room. I quickly sprang from the top bunk and bolted past Mrs. Leveau in the hallway—just missing her grasp. I ran out the front door into a drizzle of rain.

I ran to the empty lot two houses down and stood with no jacket on—in a daze in some puddles. I waited for the greater storm that was soon to arrive: Dad. I knew I was already dead meat, so what did it matter if I got all muddy. I remember sloshing in an ankle-deep puddle when Dad’s car pulled in the drive.

I waited.

After a time, Mrs. Leveau came out, got in her car and left. Soon after, Dad stepped out and whistled for me. This was it. It was The End.

But it wasn’t.

As a matter of fact. I never got a spanking or even yelled at for the “Beginner Book Incident”. Yes, I had to call and apologize to Mrs. Leveau on the phone, but that was it. And in short order, Mrs. Leveau was gone, Mom quit her job, and home was back normal. My parents knew things obviously needed to change.

The reason I share this long personal story is because I sometimes think about it when I read about Jesus temptation in the desert (READ: Matt. 4:1-11). Each time the enemy throws a temptation at Jesus, what does He do? He throws a scripture verse right back. Boom. Boom. Boom. Like the books I chucked at Mrs. Leveau each time she tried to get out of that rocking chair, Jesus slams Satan with the Word of God. He was a Man of The Book.

That’s a great lesson for us. Now, I’m not saying that Mrs. Leveau was Satan, but what I am saying is that my righteous indignation was warranted. Mrs. Leveau was a hypocrite. I knew something was wrong and it festered in me until I couldn’t take it any longer. I needed to fight. Likewise, we need to get good and angry about the way the enemy is constantly trying to destroy our lives…and we need to get serious about the fight…the same way Jesus did! And the best way to arm ourselves is with His words—the Word of God. We need to be Men of The Book.

And that’s what we’re trying to do with Wake Up Call. We’re trying to help arm each of you for the fight…to try and help you know, and study, Jesus’ life and His words…the best ammunition for the war we’re all in.

I sure hope you’ll get signed up for it (www.flatironschurch.com/mens/#wakeupcall) ...and that your belly will get full of righteous indignation…and that you’ll arm yourself to protect your heart, your home, your family, and your friends. 

Let’s be Men of The Book!          

—Dan  

I Am That Man

We’re deep in the middle of January 2014 and I’m already behind.

Am I the only one who feels that way? Am I the only one who’s late on responding to emails…and phone calls…and has this ever-growing list of undone chores at work and at home? It’s bad. I feel like I’m behind on everything. I mean, I’ve been talking about washing “Lil Red” (my ‘97 Ford Ranger pickup) since Thanksgiving. I may as well just re-name it “Lil’ Gray” at this point.

And all of the joy from the holidays has been snuffed out or deafened by the cry of guilt I feel from leaving so many things left undone.

And there seems to be no end in sight.

I’ve recently asked my admin Lori to help me get some of this monster under control—and help me schedule as much of my world as possible. I hope it helps, but I know myself too well…and I don’t have the best track record, when it comes to transformation and change.

But I want to change.

I want to be…as Jim Burgen’s teaching in the “I Am That Man” series over the last couple of weeks…“a common man with an uncommon desire to succeed.” I want to succeed at home as a husband and father and (recent) grandfather…I want to succeed in my relationships with the people God has put along my path…and I want to succeed at flatirons as the men’s pastor.

The truth is…my success in those areas all rises and falls on whether I have an uncommon desire to succeed in my relationship with Christ. It’s been sobering listening to Jim talk about this—pointing out my failures in putting Jesus first in my life. I know this is true, but so often (and I’m sure I’m not alone) that growing list of things to do gets in the way of what should be at the very top of the list: Jesus.

So I’m going to succeed this year…and I want/need you to hold me accountable to this. I want to follow what Paul writes about in Romans 12:1-2 when he writes,

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Emphasis mine)

I need to change (transform), but the only way that change can happen is if I no longer cling to my bad habits (conform). And the only way I can transform is by renewing my mind…which comes from walking closely to Jesus…and reading, studying, mulling over His word.

So, in this New Year…2014…I’m committing myself to reading through the entire Bible again—something I haven’t done in a couple of years. I’ve done it in the past, but I slacked off in the last couple of years. I’ve let other stuff get in the way.

And hopefully, by this time next year, if you ask me, “Are you that guy who read through his Bible last year…who drew closer to God through his study…and was transformed and renewed?” I’ll be able to say… 

      

I am that man.

Want to join me?           

—Dan