Eastmoutainsouth

As the music at the banquet

As the wine before the meal

As the firelight in the night

So are you to me.

As the ruby in the setting

As the fruit upon the tree

As the wind blows over the plains

So are you to me.

Daryl

Thursdays are very busy days.  Non-stop movement for thirteen hours.  Yesterday was one of many many Thursdays, one of many days of routines and going to certain places at certain times to do certain functions.

God always uses the waiting period in the in-between.

It was about 9:15pm, I had just left Intervarsity large group meeting and was now not so comfortably sitting on the bench at a bus stop.  Already slightly nervous to be traveling on public transportation at such an hour, God used the waiting period.  A tall black man came to sit next to me as I waited for the bus to come.  

"You Chinese?" he excitedly asked.

"Yep," I replied.

"You speak Chinese?"

"Yep."

"Which kind of Chinese?"

"Mandarin."

"Ohhh, you would speak the main one.  I am pretty fluent in Cantonese."

I looked at this large and in charge black man with wide eyes, excited to hear his story.

"My name is Daryl."

"Nice to meet you.  I'm Kim," as I shook his stretched out hand.

Conversation struck, and we continued talking as other buses passed.  I'm pretty sure he purposely missed his own bus to continue talking.

Daryl used to work in a Chinese restaurant as a cook.  A lady he worked with asked him to teach her to speak better English.  He agree to this in exchange for lessons in Cantonese.  He told me an instance where he was on the bus one day and a few ladies were talking in Cantonese about a certain 'ha gui' stunk.  He turned to them and replied in Cantonese asking which 'ha gui'?  To their surprise, they readily apologized in embarrassment waving their hands saying "Oh! Sorry sorry!"  He told this story with perfect Chinese accents.

After working in the restaurant, Daryl got into a bit of trouble with drugs and whatnot, sending him to jail, and only recently getting out and trying to survive, living at a hostel for $22 a week.  He's been clean for 12 months now, and even to my unknowing him, I am excited and proud of him.

God uses the waiting period.... when we least expect it.  He said, "Love my people, love them with MY love, and love them well."

Profoundness.

I'm referring to a great writer, one of a hand full of repeat offenders, putting into words what some ... just can't.

Super Soaker

An excerpt from Saturday, 21 June:

Today after handing out tracks/flyers for Camp Glorious, Pastor Porter took us to Fort George, a lookout point in the west portion of Trinidad, just beyond the Port of Spain.

It rained, and it was a beautiful pour.  I love getting soaked.  Like the afternoon at the Calvin's - downpour croquet in the backyard.

End excerpt.

That afternoon at the Calvin's, about nine of us were determined to squeeze in a few games of croquet before the storm rolled through.  Needless to say, we didn't beat the storm.  Rather, we enjoyed it together.  Thunder, lightning, screaming at teammates over the sounds of the rain hitting every surface... it was wonderful.  We were soaked to the bone.  Not an inch of us was dry.  Each one of us was drenched in the beauty of God's creation.  Head to toe.  As we were and are originally imagined and created.

Prince Darius

Preface:

Damian Wilson was once a Youth For Christ staff worker.  He met his wife Anisha and they now have two children, Diarra, 3 years old, and Darius, 2 years old.  He is no longer an official employee of the YFC in Trinidad due to his desire to finish his schooling.  When YFC called him up and asked if he would like to drive around a bunch of Americans (and a Canadian) for one month, he jumped at the opportunity.  He's an adventurous man.  At 27 years young, he's still eager to travel around, never staying in one place, wanting to see new sights, meet new people.  One day we were on the way to a concert in San Juan, Darius was with us that day.  He was quiet, a little cranky, tired for the most part.  So being separated from his dad by sitting in the back seat wasn't an option of liking for him.

An excerpt from Sunday, 6 July:

Everyone met Damian's youngest son, well, only son - Darius.  One of the cutest kids I've ever seen and met.  On the way to the church from the house, he wanted to sit up front by Damian.  So this time he let him until we hit San Juan, where there are a lot of police.  "Dari, if the police pull us over and catch you in front he's going to arrest you and take you to jail. You want to go to jail, Dari?" Darius nods his head, not particularly paying attention to his dad. "Haha, okay, then you're not going to have a mommy or daddy in jail," Damian continued as Darius continued to nod his head in approval.

All of that... his daddy knowing what's best for him.

God always knows best.  He's my daddy.

Repeated Message

An excerpt from Sunday, 15 June:

Made to love.  We were made in the image of God.  He made us like Him. He made us to love like Him.  Love others how He has loved.  Love Him as He first loved us. 

He loves me.  He loves me?

Frick.  That's so cool.

Bermudez Biscuit Company

An excerpt from Sunday, 20 July:

In Trinidad, in the mornings when it would be early enough to watch the sun rising, and in the evenings as bed time approached, the smell of bread... from the bread factory up the road a little, would fill the air as the breeze would bring it.

I craved the smell.

Just like the bread in the morning and night... I want to crave God.