Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 19, 2011

On Buffalo Bayou

My son Jonathan and I set off on an enjoyable, albeit hot, urban adventure this morning. We loaded our gear and strapped our canoe atop his Chevy TrailBlazer and headed to Buffalo Bayou. This 52-mile slow-moving waterway originates west of Katy and winds its way through Houston before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. Earlier this year Jonathan participated in the Buffalo Bayou Regatta — Texas’ largest canoe and kayak race. He thought this 15-mile race course would be a good training run for us as we continue our preparation for the 260-mile Texas Water Safari in 2012. I’m glad that we spent time on the water this morning because we are also gearing up for the Colorado River 100 canoe and kayak race on Labor Day weekend. And, after competing in the Neches River Wilderness Canoe Race earlier this month I am certain of one thing — canoeing looks easier on television and I need all the practice I can get.

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to forget I was in Houston once we started paddling down the bayou. Although there is some litter along the route, urban dandruff that somehow ended up in the bayou, the route was quite pleasant. The banks along the first several miles of the route are lined with large and lush trees and the occasional well-manicured lawns of homes that overlook the waterway. Until we reached the downtown area, we did not hear the sounds of traffic. We did see an alligator gar that was at least five feet long that splashed water into our canoe as we paddled by. The landscape changed as we neared downtown Houston where the Buffalo Bayou Partnership has done some excellent work through its conservation and capital projects initiatives. It was nice to be able to enjoy an urban adventure without having to travel so far from home. Jonathan and I will definitely canoe down the Buffalo Bayou again in the months to come.

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Posted in Texas Rivers

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 18, 2011

A Summer of Blessings

Packaging beans in zip lock bags.

Last night was our final Summer of Service initiative at Kingsland. Over the summer months we devoted five Wednesday evenings to equipping our partners with resources with which to serve the least of these and people in need in our community. Through these initiatives we supplied hundreds of bags of hope for the homeless, hundreds of bags of redemption for our justice ministry’s outreach to women in the commercial sex trade, backpacks filled with school supplies for inner city kids, and approximately 3,000 books for the Generation One library in the Third Ward. And last night we collected groceries and hygiene items to help supply the food pantries at Katy Christian Ministries and the Mission Centers of Houston. We had a great night as families worked side by side to prepare packages of rice, beans, sugar, and coffee for distribution by our partners. And, our families also provided hundreds of pounds of groceries and personal hygiene items that will be distributed to families in need in Katy and in Houston’s Fifth Ward.

Our purpose statement at Kingsland states that we are all about loving God, loving people, and equipping the next generation one home at a time. Our Summer of Service initiatives provided us with five opportunities to fulfill our purpose statement — and to equip the next generation in the process. What a blessing it has been to see grandparents, parents, and kids working shoulder to shoulder to bless the least fortunate in our community. Mike Kelley, our Senior Adult Pastor at Kingsland, sent me the following email that says it best.

Mary and I and our 11 year old granddaughter participated in last night’s Bags of Nourishment ministry to KCM and the Mission Centers of Houston. What an exciting time as we did service together with our granddaughter. And, I was thrilled to see families with children putting rice, sugar and beans into zip lock bags for distribution.  How exciting to serve God together as a family. But I kept thinking of the teaching value this was for the next generation as they participated with parents and grandparents in loving God by loving people. When Jon led us in prayer I held the hand of my granddaughter, and I felt she and I were so connected in our bond with Christ. It was awesome (that’s a next generation term). Thanks for providing us that opportunity to serve together.

Thanks to each and every one of you who participated in our Summer of Service initiatives. We will continue serving others throughout Katy and Houston in the coming months through our regular Saturday service initiatives. Look for these and other opportunities to build more memories of serving others with your children. These are lessons that will serve them well for a lifetime.

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Posted in Local Missions Initiatives

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 17, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

Grocery vendor in shakira boat on Dal Lake. | 2009 | Srinagar, Kashmir

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Posted in India | Kashmir, Wordless Wednesday

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 16, 2011

My Travel Packing Tips

In my previous post entitled At Peace With Packing, I mentioned that packing is one of my least favorite things to do. But because I travel so often, I had to finally make peace with packing. As a result, my wife no longer has to hear me complain about how much I hate to pack. In fact, she won’t allow me to speak those words at home! Through years of trial and error and trying every method recommended for packing, I have settled on what works best for me. The following are my personal recommendations for packing a checked and a carry-on bag.

Checked Baggage

My favorite all-time travel bag is the Bob Timberlake East West bag. This is a tough bag crafted of heavy-duty 22-ounce cotton canvas with paraffin weatherproof coating. This is the most durable bag I have ever used for travel and has survived everything from trips to the African bush to the steppes of Mongolia. The feature I like best are the zippered flaps that open to the East and the West (thus the name). I keep these compartments packed at all times with my first-aid kit, shower flip-flops, toiletries kit, all-weather jacket, travel towel, and under garments and socks rolled neatly into packing cubes. I also have room for two pairs of shoes in one of the side compartments. The large main compartment is ample enough for me to pack my clothes. I generally keep the weight of my checked bag under 45 pounds.

I pack all of my clothes in Pack-It Folders available from Eagle Creek. Samsonite also has its own version. The Pack-It Folders come with a hard plastic insert that serves as a guide for folding shirts and pants in a way that reduces wrinkles. I also carry an extra folder to pack my dirty clothes so that I can maximize room in my luggage. I have found that stuffing dirty clothes into a laundry bag is not as efficient as using a Pack-It Folder. And, packing in these folders and the smaller zippered packing cubes also makes it easy on those occasions when my bag is opened for inspection because everything in my bag is visually accessible to the inspector.

Carry-On Bag

Over the years I have used a variety of backpacks and flight bags but have settled on the Bob Timerlake Rucksack as my favorite carry-on bag. This heavy-duty backpack has zippered compartments for my laptop, a light parka, a small toiletries kit, my electronic gadgets, my ticket and passport pouch, and a complete change of clothes. I always carry one complete change of clothes in a smaller Pack-It Folder just in case I get temporarily separated from my checked bag. This rucksack also easily fits into the overhead compartments on both larger and smaller airplanes or under the seat in front of me.

Luggage Tags

Some of the folks who have traveled with me over the years have expressed concern about how much of their name and address should be exposed on a luggage tag. I don’t share these concerns because I want to make it easy to identify my bag from a distance and to make it harder for someone to take it … intentionally or unintentionally. I use bright yellow luggage tags and also a yellow retriever tag (available from Magellan travel supplies) that contains a copy of my flight itinerary. If I get separated from my bag, the retriever tag has instructions in eight languages that alerts baggage agents to check my itinerary and forward my bag to my next destination.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 15, 2011

At Peace With Packing

Because I travel so often, occasionally someone will ask me if I always keep a bag packed and ready to go for my international trips. The answer to that question is a qualified yes — I always keep a bag partially packed and ready to go. And, those who travel with me frequently ask me questions about how and what I pack. So, I thought I would start a new category on my blog entitled Travel Tips and include some posts on how to pack for an international trip, my favorite travel apps, and more. I will devote a few posts to this topic over the coming days.

Let me begin by saying that packing is one of my least favorite things to do. Over the years I have tried just about every recommended method for packing — from rolling my clothes to stuffing them into those vacuum bags you often see advertised on television. But, after more than sixty international trips and lots of trial and error, I have finally settled on what works best for me. I am finally at peace with packing. I understand that what works for me may not be what works best for you. But the best way to make peace with packing is to develop your own method through trial and error.

In this first installment I want to address the importance of buying the right piece of luggage. Over the years I have bought lots of suitcases, some of which survived several trips and others which barely made it home in one piece. Based on my experience with luggage, the following are three things to consider when choosing a piece of luggage.

Purpose | Consider where you are going and what you will be doing. I visit lots of Third World countries where my luggage takes a beating. My luggage has been strapped on top of safari vehicles, stuffed in the holds of boats, crammed into the trunks of cabs, and buried under mounds of miscellaneous stuff inside and outside of buses. Thus, one of my personal considerations in choosing luggage is strength and durability.

Cost | Remember that you get what you pay for. Cheap luggage is cheap for a reason. In my early years of travel I bought several cheap pieces of luggage, most of which lasted only a couple of trips. However, I finally got tired of dealing with broken wheels and straps, zippers that would not zip, and various other luggage maladies and malfunctions. So, a few years ago I purchased the most expensive piece of luggage I have ever owned — and it was worth every penny. More on that in another post.

Features | Make a list of the features you need in a piece of luggage. Consider the size, weight, and material of the bag, whether you need compartments, how you can secure and lock your luggage, wheels or no wheels, and whatever other features will make a bag highly functional for you. In my experience you can get lots of features in a cheap bag but because the components are often cheap you may experience malfunctions along the way.

Character | I personally like luggage that is easy to identify. One thing I notice on every trip I take is the number of people who have trouble identifying their own luggage as it circles around on the luggage carousel. Bags that look similar in color or style present the perfect opportunity for someone else to walk off with your bag. So, color and bag style are two things I factor in when purchasing luggage.

Read my next post on my favorite and most expensive but worth every penny piece of luggage and how I pack for an international trip.

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Posted in Travel Tips | Tags:

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 14, 2011

The Cost of Believing

I received an email this morning from one of my friends in Bangladesh. This young man came to faith in Christ ten years ago when one of my teams distributed copies of the Bible in his village. Of the five Bibles given away in his village, four were later confiscated and burned by Muslim villagers. His was the only remaining copy because he refused to give it up. And because of pressure from his neighbors, he left his village and traveled to Dhaka where he connected with a Christ-follower who led him to faith in Christ and mentored him. Today, this young man leads a network of national evangelists who take the story of Jesus from village to village. His faithful service to Christ is making a difference.

In his email, my friend asked for prayer for five house church leaders who are suffering persecution because of their faith in Christ. This past week, these five men were approached by the Muslim leaders in their village who demanded that they disband their house churches. These house church leaders protested that they have the right to follow and serve Jesus and that they must continue to worship and study the Scriptures together. As a result of their refusal to stop worshiping, the local Muslim leaders have taken the following punitive measures against these men and their families.

• They will not be allowed to purchase anything at local shops.
• They will not be allowed to work for hire as laborers.
• Their children can no longer attend the local school.
• They will not be allowed access to the village water supply.
• Locals will not be permitted to purchase anything from shops owned by Christians.

This is not the first time that something like this has happened to Christ-followers in Bangladesh and it will not be the last. Every time I receive this kind of news I am reminded of how privileged I am to have the freedom to worship as I please in America. And I am also reminded of my responsibility to pray for Christ-followers who live in places that are hostile to the gospel. Because these five house church leaders refused to disband their churches, they will pay a high price. They will have to walk farther to buy food, find work, fetch water, and get their kids in school. But they are willing to pay the high cost of believing in Jesus and telling others about His redemptive work on the cross. We must do no less.

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Posted in Bangladesh, Persecution of Christians

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 12, 2011

From Plant to Plate

Among the many things that kids will learn when they return to Dodson Montessori School in Houston’s Third Ward in a couple of weeks is how things get from plant to plate. Kids who live in densely populated inner-city neighborhoods and don’t have many opportunities to see open land will have an opportunity to become little farmers. They will plant seeds, cultivate their plants, and then harvest and enjoy the fruit of their labor over the course of the semester. In preparation for this hands-on learning experience, our missions ministry built eight raised planting beds at the school yesterday morning. Fourteen volunteers ranging in age from 15 to 80 worked hard to lay out and build the beds. We had a great time together in spite of the heat. And we trust that the urban kids who attend Dodson will also have a great time as they learn about what it takes to put food on a plate.

Helping schools in our community is just one of the many ways that we demonstrate God’s love in practical ways. Over the past six years our missions ministry has assisted schools from Katy to the Third Ward and helped to bless lots of kids in the process. Earlier this month we assembled 300 backpacks stuffed with school supplies. Generation One, our urban ministry partner, will distribute these backpacks to kids in the Third Ward. We also donated several boxes of school supplies to Dodson so that teachers can help kids throughout the school year. As Christ-followers we care about the welfare of the the children who call Katy and Houston home and are committed to doing all that we can to help improve our schools. I’m looking forward to visiting the kids at Dodson later this year to see their planting beds filled with plants.

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Posted in Local Missions Initiatives

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 11, 2011

Bags of Books

Yesterday evening, the people of Kingsland brought bags of books filled with almost 3000 books to give to Generation One, one of our urban ministry partners. Generation One reaches out to at-risk kids in Houston’s Third Ward. Among other things, Mike and Kenzie Malkemes and their staff recruit volunteers to help tutor kids and teach them to improve their reading skills. That’s why we devoted the fourth of our five Summer of Service initiatives to collecting books for the library at Generation One. We understand that before a child can excel at other subjects, that child must have good reading skills. Essentially, children must learn to read before they can read to learn. Generation One is committed to helping kids in the Third Ward grow in their reading skills. And, we are committed to helping Generation One with resources to help the children of the Third Ward realize and fulfill their potential.

Mike also shared his personal story of how God directed him down a broken road to the place where he committed his life to Jesus Christ. Mike did not become a half-hearted follower of Christ. Instead, he jumped into the deep end of the pool and swam hard to make up for lost time. One of the things that attracted me to Mike when we first met six years ago was his vision and his faith. Mike thinks big and trusts God for great things. He has a God-sized vision for transforming an inner-city community that had become a breeding ground for violence — a place fraught with dangers and a place where Satan actively works “to steal and kill and destroy” (Jn. 10:10). It takes someone with courage and determination and the willingness to devote a lifetime in order to salvage a generation of at-risk kids. I believe that God has placed Mike in the Third Ward for such a time as this. Mike lives by the words of William Carey, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”

Once again, I am grateful for the people of Kingsland and our commitment to provide the resources that help our various ministry partners make a difference throughout our community. We understand that we cannot do the work alone but must partner with others to advance God’s purposes in our corner of the world — especially in those areas where the resources to help are more limited. My prayer is that the books we provided to Generation One will inspire a generation of inner-city kids to read and to dream and to one day attempt great things for God. The children of our community belong to all of us and we owe it to them to help them get the best education possible. Thank you, Kingsland, for caring and for helping the children who live in Houston’s Third Ward.

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Posted in Local Missions Initiatives

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 10, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

In front of a ger with my friend Lee Pullin. | 1998 | Zuunmod, Mongolia

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Posted in Mongolia, Wordless Wednesday

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | August 8, 2011

The Kansas Flyer

In February 1917, seven-year-old Glenn Cunningham survived a schoolhouse fire in Elkhart, Kansas that claimed the life of his older brother Floyd. Glenn suffered severe burns to his legs and torso and lost all of the toes on his left foot. His injuries were so severe that the attending physician told his parents that he would never walk again and recommended that Glenn’s legs be amputated. His parents would not agree to amputation, a decision that would later prove to be more than wise.

Over the next two years Glenn was motivated by an ironclad determination to walk again. Although he was unable to straighten his scar-tissue-constricted legs, Glenn set attainable goals for himself. He began by crawling and then eventually started to stand by holding on to household furniture. Soon he began to take small steps, and then eventually he started running. Glenn said that it was painful to walk but that it hurt much less when he ran. So, he started to run.

During his senior year at Elkhart High School, at the Kansas state track meet in Manhattan, Glenn set a new state record for the mile at 4 minutes 28 seconds. Soon after that at a track meet in Chicago, he ran the mile in 4 minutes 24 seconds, a new world record for the interscholastic mile. By his senior year at Kansas University, Glenn had set a new world record by running the mile in 4 minutes 6 seconds.

Glenn competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin where he finished six-tenths of a second behind Jack Lovelock from New Zealand. Glenn went on to win many more races and was inaugurated into the Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1978, just ten years before his death. Madison Square Gardens recognized him as the most outstanding track athlete to compete in the legendary  building during its first one-hundred years. Glenn’s remarkable speed earned him the nicknames “The Kansas Flyer” and “The Elkhart Express” and “The Kansas Ironman.”

Glenn suffered stiffness and burning pain in his legs every time he ran, but he never complained. “Complaining about something I had no control over would have diminished what I was trying to do,” he said. Glenn lived by Proverbs 23:7, his favorite Bible verse: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” He had a never quit philosophy and often said, “I’d rather be dead than be mediocre.”

Glenn’s wife Ruth told him: “You have lived unselfishly, Glenn, never quitting on any person or difficulty. I prayed a long time that the Lord would give you a significant and fulfilled life. He answered that prayer magnificently, and He did it in a double dose, because along the way we both discovered Jesus Christ as the source of every provision in life. How great that we have had the opportunity to learn about Him, about His plan for our lives and sharing all of this with those youngsters who came our way.”

I don’t know what you are facing today or this week. I don’t know what has burned or demoralized you along the way or what threatens to cripple you. I don’t know what may be causing you agonizing pain with every step you take or what makes you feel like giving up. But I do know that the same God who sustained Glenn Cunningham and strengthened him to achieve what nobody ever imagined he could achieve stands ready to help you.

Be encouraged by Glenn Cunningham’s example and determine to overcome your obstacles one small step at a time. And remember Isaiah 40:31, another of Glenn’s favorite verses: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

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Posted in Biographies

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