We had the pleasure of welcoming Berti Berhami into our home tonight. He's an Albanian missionary who ministers to college students on campuses in Albania, Bosnia, Turkey, and Macedonia. It was inspiring to hear his story and I could've talked with him all night about growing up in communism and his thoughts on the Kosovo war. He enjoyed hanging out with Luke -- he has two daughters (age 5 and 9) back home.
Luke and the pastor wore matching sport coats for the dedication...
Both grandpa's were in town for Father's Day...
In her first appearance on stage as Missions Director at Central Peninsula Church, Natalie highlighted our missions partners around the world, spoke of her vision for growing awareness of and participation in our missions/service opportunities locally and abroad, and interviewed Ruslan, a missions partner from Ukraine and visiting America for the first time.
Ruslan has planted churches and trained church leaders in Andrushevka, Ukraine; Irkutsk, Siberia; and is now back in Kiev, Ukraine preparing a church plant in Chernobyl. 
Pictured above: Vitaly (friend of Ruslan, CPC member, and great translator), Ruslan, and Natalie. After church we enjoyed lunch with them at Mimi's; Ruslan was impressed with the restaurant's well appointed interior.
Last weekend was our church men's retreat at Mt. Hermon (I'm in the second row from the bottom behind the guy in the red coat); we packed out the camp with 160 men. I learned, deepened friendships, and my team even won the basketball tournament... again.
This is what our 20s group looks like:
Luke is the crying baby in the center. Each week in this group we split up into smaller groups to discuss the Bible passage we're studying that week. The makeup of my group this year was of note: 1 Palestinian, 1 Iraq war combat veteran, 1 Homeland Security agent, 1 Chinese guy, 1 Egyptian, and me, the white Californian.
I know what you're thinking: "Dave, why are you in a 20s group when you're almost 31?" I can answer that. This group's official age range is 21 to 31, and if you're married to someone younger you get to average your ages so I'm good for a year or two. However, it looks like we're going to stop going to this group and host a small group bible study in our home. That'll be a lot easier since Luke's bedtime is the same time that we meet.
This year's party was a hit and even came complete with photographer...
This is what it looks like when you try to get 3 1-year olds and a baby in a picture together:
Luke enjoyed his first church experience today. Justin was preaching on contentment from Phillipians 4:8-13 and I think Luke really took it to heart. He looked very content as he slept through the entire service. He also enjoyed his first long ride in a car seat, he didn't complain at all and slept most the time.
Dad and son...
The whole group...
Us on a bridge...
Picture at the peak of the big hilly trek...
Great speaker, good basketball, spectacular friends, firey campfire, hilarious games -- an all around uplifting and refreshing weekend.
Justin writes a great summary of the retreat (with some more pictures) here.
Last night I had the honor of meeting Micheal, one of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan, who came to speak at our Bible study. His incredible story reminded me once again that I have nothing to complain about. Here's a short synopsis of his account of the genocide in Sudan:
In the mid-1980's when the Muslim government was killing the Christians in southern Sudan, Micheal's friends and family knew they would soon have a choice--covert to Islam or die. His village would choose death...
One evening in 1987 Micheal was playing with the other boys his age (5-7yrs) outside the village when they heard gunshots back home. The elders had taught the kids that when the government came to kill them, they were to run and never get captured--so they ran. They traveled by foot for 1000 miles, meeting up with thousands of other kids along the way. Many of them were caught and killed by the Muslims, many were killed by wild animals and disease, while others died of starvation and dehydration.
30,000 kids ended up in Ethiopia where they were held in refugee camps, but still without food, running water, or medical attention. After 4 years there, their numbers had dwindled to under 10,000--then war broke out in Ethiopia. Once again, Micheal was on the move; after a dangerous river crossing where many of his friends were eaten by crocodiles or shot, he walked 1000 miles south into Kenya, where he found another refugee camp and was able to eat one small meal a day. He said all of the kids were begging the U.N. workers at this camp for education, and they finally got it. For 10 years he lived there; he'd get up, go to the church service, go the school, eat one meal, and go to bed.
He lived that way until 2001 when 3800 lost boys were brought to the United States. He went to Atlanta, then Wisconsin where he got his GED and majored in International Studies in college. He is very grateful to the US for bringing him in for a better life. Amazingly he still keeps in touch with 90% of the 3800 lost boys, and he's not sure how old he is (his mom said he was born in 1982, the U.N. says he was born in 1980--all the lost boys celebrate their b-day on Jan 1st).
Regarding the current conflict:
Micheal said that the Muslim government misled the people of Darfur in the 80's by promising them that they would go to heaven if they killed Christians. The government even went so far as to give them keys around their neck that would "open the door to their house in heaven." The people of Darfur were the ones who killed Micheal's friends and family, and destroyed their way of life. But Micheal forgives the people of Darfur, he knows they were misled, and now he seeks to save them from the current genocide as the Muslim government turns on the people of Darfur.
Q&A (paraphrased):
Q: What are the best ways to help?
A: 1. Pray 2. Encourage the church leaders in Sudan 3. Support for food, water, transportation, and education.
Q: How did you make it?
A: God protected and saved me, there is no other way I could have lived. I think it is for some reason that he kept me alive, maybe to speak with you tonight. I also knew that Jesus understood my suffering, because he also suffered.
Q: How did you deal with all the death and atrocities you witnessed?
A: Our life here is short, we will be in heaven soon.
If you want to read more about the history, here's a good short summary.
This weekend I attended an incredible men's retreat at Mt. Hermon with these guys:
Natalie and I have been attending CPC for only about 8 months now, so this was a great way to meet more of the men in the church and grow friendships with the guys in the 20s group. It was also a great way to get really sore for a few days by playing too much basketball. Our team consisted of Mark Buzzard, our ringer who drove to the hoop with ease, Justin Buzzard, who owned the boards, Mark Mitchell, our clutch shooter scoring every winning shot, and myself, able to stay out of the way enough for them to put on the clinic.
Guy Gray, our Oregonian speaker, taught us that Christian courage is not necessarily a 'great adventure' or 'dying for a cause', it is: answering God's call to join him in his redemptive mission to heal a broken world. Some quotes I noted:
"Courage is always doing something in response to a desperate need." (i.e. thrill seeking is not courage)
"The answer to self-doubt is not self-confidence, it is a greater awareness of Christ."
The outline... A courageous man:
1. Focuses on Jesus' mission
2. Lives out of faith and obedience in all areas of his life
3. Draws his power from prayer
4. Pursues Love
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love."
