Lazarus the Un-Dead Dog

Driving on Rewa St a few weeks ago, we passed a dog.  He was strangely stiff, laying on the sidewalk, and it crossed my mind that he was dead, possibly hit by a car on the busy road then dragged onto the path.  But I wasn't sure.

The next day, I was sure.  There he was, stiff as only a dead dog can be, his mangy shape lying forlornly in the exact same spot.  It was drizzling rain, and for Fiji, was a cold morning.   I felt sad for him.

That afternoon, someone, I guessed a schoolboy, had dragged him just a few metres along the path, and placed his lifeless form on the top of a steep nearby driveway.   I wondered how long it would be, until the garbage collectors tossed him in the truck.

The following morning his body was gone.   I felt a sense of relief.  Dogs here are very neglected.  Most are mangy, and half starved.  He was better off dead.

Early the next morning,  he was back.

I did a double take.   Definitely the same dog, or a clone of it, walking.
I got home and told the kids.  No one believed that it was the same dog.

We all had our eyes on that spot, next trip past, and sure enough, there was Lazarus, our Un-Dead Dog, doing his Dead Dog impersonation.  Stiff as a board.  Full rigor-mortis. His tongue hanging limply from his mouth for dramatic impact.  A blowfly buzzing overhead.  Dead.  As only HE could be.

Since then, we've seen Lazarus many times.  He is very easy to recognise.  He's dead.   At least, most of the time.


Jesus said, "Remove the stone." The sister of the dead man, Martha, said, "Master, by this time there's a stench. He's been dead four days!"   Jesus looked her in the eye. "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"    John 11:39-40  The Message

Lord, how do I limit you with my unbelief?  What stones have I put in your way?   I give you full access into any tombs within me.
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Ridiculosity

This morning as I drove through the traffic, dodging buses, and pipping red lights so heavily that they were nearly green, I laughed to myself at the ridiculosity of everything.  I thought I was actually creating a new word.  I didn't realise someone else had already been to that place, and named it.

I was blessed to spend the morning at the Worship Centre in Pender St, Suva. Pastor Maika Rainima was holding an international conference there, and Faylene Sparks from Gloryfire Ministries, Anne E Banks and two aussie guys named Rod and Mark that I didn't learn the last names of, were speaking.

I found myself soaking up the Aussie accents and terminology, and smiling quietly to myself when Aussie jokes went sailing over the sea of Fijian heads.  It was comforting.  A delicious taste of the familiar.  Chicken Soup for the soul, as they say.

Powerhouse Teen

17 year old Owen Braaksma from NZ tells of healing miracles experienced in Fiji.  What a mature young man!

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Crazy Day

Jeanette, Ilebere and Lucilla with some of the completed gingernut biscuits.

Today's prison visit obviously had some spiritual opposition. See the post below. A portion of the inmates are mentally challenged, and to say this made our visit "interesting" is probably kind. Very kind.

Today I am heading downtown to the Worship Centre's conference, where Faylene Sparks will be speaking. I am looking forward to recharging...

Joseph's Aunties

Joseph is two months old, and the youngest inmate of Suva Women's Prison. His mum (shown above with Joseph) lives in the area set aside as a nursery, which is outfitted by charities with a decent cot complete with mosquito netting, and a small amount of nursery equipment. He never lacks for attention from all his "aunties". Joseph is permitted to stay with his mum until he is 6 years old.

The prison garden yields an abundance of fresh vegetables daily, which are then brought in and prepared into chop suey, soup or similar.
Wednesday saw Jill, Jeanette and I back inside, cooking madly. And that's fairly accurate. It was one of those days when it seemed absolutely everything went wrong. Major ingredients were missing, muffins stuck to trays, slabs of brownies were put on trays that didn't fit the the oven, biscuits burned...yada yada yada. Even the majority of photos taken were blurred!

But God is so good, what saleable product we did create was adequate.

Lessons in Suva Prison

I had the privilege of helping Jill Schultz from www.operationfoundation.org.fj in the Suva Women's Prison today. Our mission was to help oversee the production of biscuits, slices, and cakes to be sold at the Hibiscus Festival this week in Albert Park. It's the Big Deal in Suva, the place where fairy floss and nauseating rides are still only $2.

We had two amazing young women inmates to help us. Ilebere (pronounced with m before the b) and Lucilla excitedly and energetically helped produce a heap of wonderful goodies which will be sold to raise money for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Remember the old song, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"?

"I'm really still in prison and my love
She holds the key
A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free."

Operation Foundation is heavily involved in the Yellow Ribbon Program, rehabilitating prisoners back into society and employment; seeking forgiveness from family and society, when it is slow to be given, or not there at all. Check out www.operationfoundation.org.fj and see what an incredible, vital job they do.

I learned Hindi in Prison

Today my friend Jill and I had the privilege of helping in the Suva Women's Prison.   Peter and Jill Schultz head up"Operation Foundation",  a ministry aimed at rehabilitating prisoners back into the community.

Our goal was to supervise the making of delicious biscuits, slices, and other treats to be sold at the Hibiscus Festival, this coming week. (see post below for more photos)

One of the creations involved popping corn, and we had a crowd of inmates and guards peering into the glass topped pot with fascination as the popcorn did it's thing.  Then we covered it with a slather of hot toffee, and made popcorn balls, which we thought could be a good substitute for toffee apples. We hope they sell well! The girls had a ton of fun, hurriedly making them before the toffee set.

Custard biscuits, chocolate and ginger brownie slice, scones, chocolate peanut biscuits, and sultana biscuits gradually joined the collection of completed popcorn balls.   A delicious custard flavoured cookie of Jill's was called "Grandma's Biscuits", so we jokingly named them Boom-Boom Biscuits. Boom-Boom is fijian for grandmother. Actually, it might be Hindi. I can't remember.

I learned another Hindi word today. I don't know how it's spelled, buuuuuut, it sounds like So Much Ghia, with the emphasis on Much. : ))) and it means "I understand". Which is a handy Hindi word to have up my sleeve! (NOT!)

It was SUCH a blessing to be there for the day.

I took a chicken, lettuce and carrot sandwich, with ranch dressing, but asked permission at lunchtime to give it to our two girls to share.  The reverence given to the sandwich was phenomenal. It was cut, painstakingly, gently, tenderly, into perfect quarters.  You would think it was about to be eaten by the Queen. It looked PERFECT.

After a prayer, the girls slowly and delicately took a first bite. I nudged Jill. The look of rapture on Ilebere's face was incredible. She looked like she'd died and gone to heaven. As the sandwich moved around her mouth, her head looked heavenward and she closed her eyes in bliss. She had no idea we were watching. When she opened her eyes, we teased her gently about her reaction.  She explained that they rarely have salad, and never anything like the sandwich with dressing.

When a neighbouring workmate asked for it, there was just a heartbeat of hesitation, then she good-naturedly gave the lady the remaining quarter, of the two she'd been given.

I suddenly ~ and sincerely ~ lost all appetite for my box of salad.  I think it was the huge slice of humble pie I had.

So the two girls shared it, with Lucilla pouncing on pieces of celery like it was chocolate.

The two apples I produced were meticulously quartered and shared amongst themselves.  I like to think they had a wonderful day!

I am so excited to know that I get to go there again this Wednesday!  God is so good to me. He truly does give us the desires of our heart.

Please pray for our girls in the prison. 
They really do need our prayers.

Popcorn and Boom-Booms

Ilebere and Lucilla making the popcorn balls.

Ilebere, Lucilla, Nancy and Jill with those delicious
"Boom-Boom Biscuits"

Diamonds in the Dust

This morning we headed to MHCC, a shopping complex in the heart of Suva.  Out the front was an elderly indo-fijian man, loudly berating an invisible and vast audience with a barrage of Hindi.  He is a regular.  In agitation he paced, to and fro, waving his arms wildly and waggling his finger at the disobedient and invisible recipients of his tirade.   The first time I saw him, months ago, he was commandeering the pedestrian crossing, hurling abuse into the air.  Very intimidating!   But this morning, we stood off to the side and, like everyone else waiting for the store to open, simply observed him with curiosity...and pity.

We tried to guess.  Perhaps, in earlier days, he was an old school headmaster.  A politician.  A preacher, perhap?.   The indo-fijian taxi drivers watched him with respectful amusement as the old man stormed out onto the crossing in front of a bus, and began to try to push the bus backwards, away from the crossing.  

When I asked a taxi driver for a translation, he chuckled.  "He's saying,  Don't park here! It's a $200 fine!"

As I looked at the man, I remembered a story a friend told me.

It was a winter morning at Gloria Jeans in Suva.  My friend had enjoyed a hot chocolate, and was preparing to go, when the door opened.  In slipped a tired old man, obviously a street-person. 

He quietly took a seat up the back, and pulled out a battered newspaper from his bundle of belongings.  My friend watched as he tried to soak up the warmth, and blend into the surroundings.  Incoming customers hesitated, then chose seating away from him.  The staff began giving him cautious looks.  She wondered how long they'd let him stay.

The woman rose to go, and impulsively walked to the cashier and ordered another hot chocolate, with instructions for it to be given to the man, then slipped out the door.  A few minutes later, she walked by, and saw him sitting up straight, delightedly stirring sugar into his hot chocolate.  Legally, he now had a right to be in Gloria Jeans.  No one would throw him out.

Matthew 25:40  Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me--you did it to me.'   The Message.


Lord, let us recognise the unpolished diamonds of humanity, the way You see them.  Precious.

Lessons from the Gym

For years, I've had a weak back, weak legs, and lately, flabby arms.  I've been spending some time at the USP gym, lately, intending to focus on these areas.  Malcolm, the trainer, explained that I need to strengthen my abs and stomach...my "core".  A foundation, a core of strength, brings balance.  With balance, comes increased strength and endurance.  Everything I do is easier - and more effective - with a strong core.  A weak core makes me susceptible to injury.

It's easy to know if I am physically out of condition.  Those extra kilos are visible to all.  The spiritual condition, though, can be covered with Christian body spray.   Things I put on, to cover up the real smell.  False smiles, busy activity, anything but attention to the whiff of decay. 
Lord!  I give You permission to strengthen my core.  Let the fragrance of my heart be sweet.

1Sa 16:7  But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."   NIV