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Turn right to go left.

Jaimie Lancaster — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:11:30 +0000

I once read that many motorcycle accidents are caused because the riders are trying to steer them like a car. When they want to avoid an object in the road they veer away from it as they would in a car but this actually steers them directly into the object. The trick is to learn how to consciously counter-steer to the point that it becomes second nature. For instance, if I am entering a curve that bends to the left, I need to turn my handlebars to the right and the motorcycle naturally follows through into the curve. It doesn't seem logical until you do it.

I am always pointing out to the students in my Sunday School class that the Christian life is one of paradoxes. Who would ever think that in order to become rich, you must become poor? Who would ever think that if you want to lead you must serve? Who would ever think that the true strength comes from being weak? Our natural tendency is to go along with the mindset of this age. The truth is, however, that we must consciously "counter-steer" in order to maneuver through the curves in our journey.

Riding in the Rain

Jaimie Lancaster — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:24:11 +0000

Saturday was a great day! Only two days away from the start of the trip and I had all day to prepare the bike. 3 hours of checking every detail, washing and polishing left the motorcycle looking like it had just come off the showroom. This bike was ready to make the trip and look good doing it.

Monday morning, we awoke with the anticipation of beginning this long journey together. We also awoke to the sound of rain. A quick check of NexRad radar showed that if we waited about 45 minutes we'd miss the heavy stuff but we would probably be riding in some liquid sunshine. The worst part was that I was waiting till we got to a large city to get Tammy a rainsuit for the trip. We improvised with a raincoat and some wind pants that we inserted garbage bags in the front.

For me, the first 50 miles of the trip are the ones where I worry the most about the trip. Is it safe to continue on? should we wait? are we going to be soaked all day? Needless to say the day was pretty tense, until we saw sunshine at the Alabama/Tennessee state line.

Lessons learned:

1. Polishing and shining are important but the gas, oil and tires will get you there. Before I could get on the main highway, all that shiny chrome had turned into an ugly mixture of road film and scorched water. Those hours of work of polishing and cleaning were negated by a couple of minutes of rain. The changing of the oil, the filling of the tank and keeping the right air pressure, however, kept the bike in good running condition and allowed us to make the trip safely and without problems. The key point is not to spend all your time polishing your ministry without taking time to do the essentials.

2. Be prepared and if you aren't prepared, improvise! Circumstances may not always allow us to have the latest and greatest rain suit. The main idea is, though, not to get wet. So find a way to not get wet. Tammy's rainsuit wasn't the most "chic" outfit on the market but it kept her dry. She even considered using it again after she did have a rainsuit. Many times we lament our lack of resources instead of using what we have.

3. To get to your final destination, you are probably going to have to go through some bad weather. One of our first motorcycle trips involved bad weather and it was not a pleasant experience. While I had been on motorcycles since the second grade, I had never been more than a 100 miles away from home and in a storm on one. My lack of experience added to the frustration of that trip. After countless soakings on a bike, riding in the rain is just like riding on a sunny day, only wetter. If we have a destination to reach, we just need to remember the journeys of the past, put on our rain suits and head out. One of the funniest experiences of the trip was when we were coming out of Cincinnati and it was threatening rain. We felt a few drops and kept on. About 5 minutes later it started coming down harder. We stopped and did the rain suit dance (hopping around on one foot while trying to get them on) and took off. We hadn't gone a mile and topped a hill and had sunshine all the way home! It might be raining when you start out but who knows what's around the corner!

2000 miles of balance.

Jaimie Lancaster — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:57:31 +0000

In July of this year we were privileged to spend some time in the States visiting friends and getting our son ready for college. One of the highlights of the trip was a 2000 mile trek that Tammy and I took from Alabama to Pennsylvania and back again. More than 30 hours on a motorcycle can give you a unique perspective on the world and while you are "balancing" your bike, you find a unique time to "balance" your life.

So close your eyes, listen to the rumble of the engine, tighten up your helmet and get ready for the lessons learned from the journey.

Smiling on the outside.

Jaimie Lancaster — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:36:17 +0000

It was 30 minutes before the program started on the 21st of December. The people were flowing into the Emanuel church and the members were bringing in more chairs to accommodate the crowd. Rosita * was a bundle of nerves. In less than an hour she would be playing her piano solo. She anxiously watched the doorway, looking for her mom, dad, brothers and sisters as well as a host of uncles and aunts that she had invited.

Rosita has been taking lessons from Tammy for about 6 months. She is in her twenties but has an physical condition that has left her with a body and mind of a 10-11 year old. When Tammy asked her mother if Rosita could take piano classes her mother replied "I don't see why you would want to bother, her fingers are crooked, she'll never be able to play the piano."

With no family support and a toy keyboard for practice Rosita studied diligently and came to class faithfully. She picked up quickly and progressed at a fast pace. While certainly no piano virtuoso, she did exceedingly well.

On Sunday night, December 21, Rosita gave her first recital to over 70 people. The notes rang clear and true and her rendition of "The Balloons" was a success. When she finished she was greeted with warm applause for her accomplishment. She was smiling from ear to ear.

Her family never showed up.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;

Is. 61:1

*(not her real name)

Shining lights

Jaimie Lancaster — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:34:04 +0000

One of the main reasons that I have this blog is so that you can see ministry in Uruguay from our perspective. In this entry, I think I'll share the perspective of another person.

We have been working with a local school in the Malvin area. We have painted, cleaned, repaired, purchased an air compressor and even hosted an appreciation tea for the teachers. We were invited to a ceremony where the name of the school was officially changed.

After the ceremony we received a kind letter from the director lamenting the fact that she couldn't publicly thank us for all that we had done. Schools in Uruguay must be totally free of religious instruction and she didn't want to cause problems.

The thanks that she gave us was great but the best part of the letter is in this excerpt below. The director states:

"We are very happy that there are people like you in our community because many times words are empty if they aren't accompanied by actions. In your case, the actions have exceeded the words and fill our hearts with gratitude and warmth.

The Emanuel church does not need to worry that its faithful know how to show the Christian spirit that it projects to the community with soberness and service.

Thank you so very much."

In the words of the classical southern philosopher Forrest Gump, "That's all I'm going to say about that."

Matt. 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

View from afar

Jaimie Lancaster — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:18:04 +0000

On a chilly October spring night in Montevideo hundreds of people assembled in the street to see a drama. This drama addressed issues that everyone in the audience sees, and possibly lives with, each day: drug use, teen-age pregnancy, and AIDS. As a missionary it is encouraging to see full chairs and crowds standing, attentively watching the presentation. Knowing that for one whole hour a large group of people were held spellbound by a story of God's transforming power in the lives of two young adults who wrote this drama as they were dying of AIDS is an opportunity you rarely get.

I nominated myself as event photographer and made it a point to walk around and observe. As I got further and further away from the event I observed something that would have normally just passed right by me. I noticed several people who were 20-30 yards away, standing with ears and eyes tuned in to the drama being presented in the distance. It was as if some imaginary line was drawn that they could not cross, but they were seeing the gospel lived out in front of them and they could not deny it. Many times we judge the success of an event by the number attended. We had close to 200 people. Success is sometimes judged by the number of conversions, we had 5.

We sometimes forget, however, the people on the fringes who stand in the darkness, observing from a distance.

May God help us to see those on the fringes.

Smoke on the Water

Jaimie Lancaster — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:30:40 +0000

It was the stuff that dreams are made of. We were staying in a lovely (huge) bavarian style home in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. We had finished up two teams and shipped our boys off to the states and now we were going to remember what life was like 18 years ago! The only pressing tasks were to see the sights and find the one coffee shop of the many that had the best "Italian Cappuchino." It was going to be tough but we were up to the task!

God blessed us with sunny weather each day and temperatures in the 70's. Normally it is overcast and in the 40's and 50's. We really felt "taken care of" due to all the wonderful things falling into place. Here we were, a couple again with time to talk, plan, reminisce and miss the boys together! The first day we took a train to "El Tigre,"a small town on one of the tributaries of the Rio de la Plata.

As we rounded the corner to the canal,I saw a sight reminded me of France. The boats, the people milling about and just the atmosphere reminded me so much of the time I spent in Nantes.

After about two seconds of discussion we decided to take a boat ride. As we boarded the boat, we picked our seats and were pleased with the number of passengers on the boat. Maximum capacity was 92 but there were probably only 60 people on the boat. As the captain was making preparations to leave, some people boarded the boat. In a few minutes our once comfortable boat turned into a shoving, squeezing match to see how many they could pack on.

There were no worries though, it was going to be a great trip. Life was good! The sun, the water, the scenes were worth the trip and even being crowded didn't dampen our spirits. That is, until the lady right in front of us lit a cigarette. "Whaaaaaat?" My only thought was that out of a boat of 95 people I had to choose the seat right in front of the only smoker on the boat!

Thankfully she only smoked two cigarettes on the whole hour-long trip. Isn't it amazing how something as small as a cigarette can ruin your whole day. Isn't it amazing how we can let small problems ruin our spiritual motivation? Many times we let the troubles of the world overshadow all the blessings that God has abundantly poured out to us. As a missionary, dealing with fallen people, finances, falling currencies, expanding budgets, shortage of monthly gifts are some of the "smoke" that blows in our face from time to time. The reality is, however, that God is working and these things are the "momentary afflictions" in the midst of His abundant riches. What a breath of fresh air!

I want to be a worker.

Jaimie Lancaster — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:57:53 +0000

On June 26th I stood by Thomas' bedside after the doctor had just given him an injection to help with the "mystery" illness that he had contracted in Uruguay. I asked him if he needed any clothes washed while we were in the hotel. He replied "Mr. Jaimie, really the only clothes that I have worn have been these work clothes, if you remember, we've worked just about every day that we have been here." His words hit like a ton of lead as I recapped the previous week. Sure enough, with the exception of Sunday where they did their mime 3 times, sang, gave testimonies and passed out flyers in the market (their day off), they had worked every single day.

As I left the hotel room to rejoin the two groups that were working, I thought about how different this group was. Rather than the up and back trip to Rivera we were spending 5 days, a considerable amount of time. Pastors Julio and Ruben Figueroa had scheduled work for them and as Julio mentioned in his orientation, they were going to "squeeze the juice" (work them very hard) out of them.

Two projects were chosen. The first was a house that had a dirt floor and a tin roof. In the winter it was terribly cold in the house and while not a fancy tile floor, the poured concrete would be an improvement over the dirt. The wood from the ceiling that we were going to put up would also help insulate the room.

The second house had the same type of roof of exposed tin. The people who lived there had a cement floor but all 5 of them lived in a small room with no dividers. We planned to make a division for the parents, and the three kids could share the other room.

Both homes had men who had problems with alcohol. Both homes had problems in their families. Both homes had children that needed to hear and see the love of Christ.

In those five days great changes and learning took place. Young men and women from the States learned how to put up a ceiling, mix cement, whitewash, wait, pick oranges and not to cross over the fence where the male sheep is staying. Uruguayan christians learned the value of service to those in the community and the pleasure of working side by side with brothers and sisters in Christ. The families of those receiving the workers in their homes learned of the love of Christ that is transmitted by smiles and service. They also learned the "good news" as the pastors used these actions as stepping points to illustrate the "remodeling" that Christ can do in our lives. The missionaries learned once again that the expressions of joy and thankfulness on the faces of the receivers and the enthusiasm and excitement about serving on the faces of the givers put us in one of the greatest jobs in the world.

Two of the families are attending church now. Pray for the other.

Looking back, we did work, and we worked hard. Pray that the Lord will give the increase.

Houston, we have several problems! (Part 4 and THE END)

Jaimie Lancaster — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:03:50 +0000

It's amazing what a couple hours of sleep can do for impossible situations. The boys were prepared to go Wednesday but were enjoying last minute goodbyes with friends and even asked to stay longer in Uruguay. I was with E-Team in Rivera and things were going smoothly. At 1 pm, we gathered hands and the E-Team along with the church members present prayed that God would be glorified in this situation and that he would accomplish His will.

Meanwhile, in Montevideo, Tammy approached the American Airlines counter. The lady who had helped us on Monday did not even speak to her. A gentleman motioned for her to come to his counter. He looked at the tickets and said "These are for Monday, correct?"

Tammy replied "Yes, we missed" and in mid sentence he said, "We'll just fix this!" In a matter of minutes, both boys were on the flight to the US with confirmed seats. Tammy then asked the million dollar quesiton, "Is there a charge?" to which the man replied "No, everything is in order!"

For reasons beyond our comprehension, God allowed this whole ordeal to happen. In the end, however, he showed His power and His glory in ways that were unimaginable. I think He knew that I would blog about it!

Houston, we have several problems! (Part 3)

Jaimie Lancaster — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:54:55 +0000

Hurrying back to the American counter we were informed that the next flight that was available (due to high season) was two weeks later. The other good news was that it was our fault that we didn't have the paperwork and we would be responsible for a $200 apiece change fee. The icing on the cake was we would also have to pay the difference in the fares and that would be $400 apiece. Yippee!

I was devastated. God had done so much in this day and he was going to leave it like this? The whole E-Team had been at the airport for two hours while we tried to work it out. Was God just going to give up?

After being a little too forceful with the agent, she called her supervisor over to protect her from this irate American. They worked until they found a seat for John William on the 25th. Jonathan was on standby. They told us to return on Wednesday at 1:00 pm and we would know if he had a seat. Otherwise, it would be two weeks before he could leave.

That was all we could do. The next morning I left wth E-Team to go to Rivera, six hours away. Looking back on it, this was the hardest thing to do. I left all of the responsibility of the situation on Tammy's shoulders. I called her from the rode and she broke into tears. The whole situation was a heavy burden and uncertainty wasn't helping any. We resigned ourselves as powerless in the situation and patiently waited on the Lord to do His thing.

That's hard.