Happy Thanksgiving | My family on November 27, 1958 | Mission, Texas
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 21, 2012
Wordless Wednesday
Posted in Home and Family, Thanksgiving, Wordless Wednesday | Tags: family, home, Thanksgiving
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 19, 2012
My Blogging Adventure
To say that I enjoy blogging would be an understatement. Little did I realize when I started my blogging adventure in September 2008 how it would challenge me to become even more intentional in how I see and perceive the world around me. As someone who had journaled for years, blogging became a more convenient form of journaling for me — a way of inviting a broader audience to read over my shoulder. Knowing that others read and can hold me accountable for what I write is sobering and forces me to write with conviction, clarity, and accuracy. These are good disciplines for anyone who seeks to communicate effectively with others.
Over the past few years I have posted blogs from almost thirty countries. That in itself has presented more than a few challenges. I have wandered down lots of unfamiliar streets after composing my field reports late at night, looking for an internet cafe or some place that might have internet access. I can’t begin to express the frustration at spending more than an hour trying to upload a blog and photo at a dial-up cafe only to have the connection time out at the final minute. But, that is just part of the glamorous adventure of posting blogs from around the world. This process has at least made me a little more patient.
Like most bloggers, I keep a watchful eye on my dashboard stats because they give me insight into who is reading what I write and what attracted them to my blog. My dashboard also provides me with country stats that show me how many places a single blog post can travel to in cyberspace. I remember how excited I was when my blog stats crawled past the 100 mark and the ecstasy of finally pushing past the 1000-guests-to-my-blog mark. And now, as we approach Thanksgiving four years later, I find myself thankful for the more than 225,000 guests who have either intentionally visited my blog or simply stumbled upon it as they wander the endless avenues of cyberspace.
This Thanksgiving season, I am thankful for every reader who has visited my little booth in the marketplace of ideas — regardless of whether or not they have bought what I am selling. I appreciate those who stroll by, those who linger for a bit and offer their feedback, and those who stop by on a regular basis. Each of you help to make my blogging adventure all the more enjoyable. I wish each of you a happy and meaningful Thanksgiving. And, thanks again for stopping by and visiting.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tags: Blog, Blogging, Writing
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 16, 2012
Paddle With Style
Preparing for the 2013 Texas Water Safari
This morning, my friend Doyle and I drove to TG Canoes and Kayaks in San Marcos, Texas to pick up our brand new safari-rigged Alumacraft canoe. This is the boat we will use to compete in the 2013 Texas Water Safari, the world’s toughest canoe race. Perhaps the word compete is a bit strong. Doyle and I will participate in the race with the hope of making it to the finish line in less than the 100-hour time limit. We chose to do the race in an aluminum canoe because we are still in the ranks of novice canoeists and an aluminum canoe is rugged enough to take the punishment that this 260-mile race dishes out. But, as long as we keep paddling, we can make it to the finish line in this boat.
Veteran safari racer Tom Goynes made the spray skirt and sleep sling that we will use on the race. Tom competed in his first water safari in 1968 when I was just 12 years old and Doyle was 8 years old. He is a highly respected multi-safari finisher and a really nice guy. The last five miles of the race are across open water from the mouth of the Guadalupe River across San Antonio Bay to the finish line at Seadrift, Texas. A spray skirt is essential for keeping water out of the boat on this open water crossing. The sleep sling is a convenience that will allow one of us at a time to take a nap while the other keeps paddling. This way we can get some rest along the way without having to stop. Movement means progress on this race.
Doyle and Tom snapping in the sleep sling on our new canoe.
Saying goodbye to Tom and heading off to meet Holly Orr for our first lesson.
Doyle and I also had our first paddling lesson on the San Marcos River this morning with Holly Orr (a great name for a paddling instructor) of Paddle with Style. Holly is also a multi-safari finisher and is a respected paddling instructor. She gave us some great advice and helped us to work on our basic paddling strokes. Doyle and I could tell the difference in our paddling after our almost two-hour lesson with Holly. After our lesson we spent another hour on the water practicing what we had learned. It’s amazing the difference that good instruction can make. We still have a lot of work to do to perfect our technique but we made a lot of progress today and can’t wait for our next training run in two weeks. After today, we have fourteen more training runs scheduled before the Texas Water Safari next June. If we expect to paddle with style and make it to the finish line next June, then we must pay the price one training run at a time. Now that we have our own boat and have finished our first lesson, we are more excited than ever about the great adventure ahead of us. I’ll keep you posted on our progress throughout the coming months. Thanks for following our journey.
Posted in Texas Water Safari | Tags: Adventure, Canoeing, Sports, texas water safari
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 14, 2012
Wordless Wednesday
A struggling survivor at Zam Zam IDP camp. | 2005 | Darfur, Sudan
Posted in Sudan | Darfur, Wordless Wednesday | Tags: Photography, Travel
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 13, 2012
Sister Act
One of the things I appreciate most about Kingsland is how we embrace and support other churches and ministries that serve the people of our community. We understand that in order to bring glory to God in our own community we must work shoulder to shoulder with our sister churches. Over the past few weeks, our missions ministry has worked on a prayer path and gazebo for our friends at Iglesia Sobre La Roca (Church on the Rock). Pastor Jorge Cardenas is a friend to our staff and a man deeply committed to reaching the growing Hispanic population in our area. It has long been a dream of his to have a prayer path and garden at the back of their property — a peaceful place that church members and the people of the surrounding neighborhood can enjoy.
Pastor Jorge’s dream is a lot closer to reality because our ministerial and support staff worked together today to continue work on the prayer path and to complete other landscaping work. We closed our offices and enjoyed a fun time of fellowship as we shoveled and spread a whole lot of crushed granite, top soil, and mulch. We all enjoyed good conversations and hearty laughter as we worked alongside one another. More than once today I thought about one of my favorite verses of Scripture — “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). I am grateful to be a part of a team of friends that are committed to advancing the kingdom by serving the people and the churches of our community in a selfless and compassionate way. Thank you Kingsland staff for your willingness to go beyond by serving a sister church and, by so doing, to make our community a better place.
Posted in Local Missions Initiatives
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 11, 2012
Overcoming Immapancy
A friend recently emailed me a copy of an interesting infographic entitled The True Size of Africa. It really is a fascinating graphic that puts the size of the African continent into proper perspective. The infographic is the brainchild of Kai Krause, a brilliant software and graphical user interface designer. Krause developed the graphic in response to what he calls “rampant immapancy” — a term he uses to describe those with “insufficient geographical knowledge.”
Unlike the maps based on the Mercator projection that distort the relative sizes of countries and continents, Krause’s map puts size into a more proper perspective. For example, on maps based on the Mercator projection, Africa appears the same size as Greenland when, in reality, Africa is 14 times bigger. Krause makes his point by placing the outlines of other countries within the borders of the African continent. The impact is sobering. Africa is huge!
Krause is on to something. Immapancy is something that should concern us as much as illiteracy and innumeracy. In spite of all of the cartographical resources available to us today, I don’t know how many times I have heard people refer to Africa as a country instead of a continent. If we are to understand the world in which we live, then we need to foster a better understanding of geography.
A good place to start is by looking at a map of your own town in order to better understand the context in which you live. Then, expand to increasingly larger areas so that you can broaden your understanding of the relationships between countries, oceans, deserts, and other landmarks. Make it a point to become familiar with the shapes and characteristics of continents and countries on the planet. And, when you hear a place mentioned on the evening news, look it up on a map and fix its location in your mind. These are just a few simple steps that can help anyone to overcome immapancy — one country at a time.
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 8, 2012
The Nations Still Beckon
From the first century to today, Christ-followers have left the comfort and security of their homes in order to take the good news to the nations. Whether that means walking across the street or flying across the planet, taking the good news to others requires a willingness to go beyond — to step across the line that delineates the farthest we’ve ever been and the most we’ve ever done for God and His purposes. We must have the courage to step across that line even if it means leaving behind all that is familiar, comfortable, and convenient. The late A.W. Tozer once said that the kingdom of God advances at our inconvenience, never at our convenience.
History illustrates what can happen when Christ-followers lose their resolve to go beyond. When Marco Polo’s father and uncle met Kublai Khan, this great Mongol leader asked them to bring one-hundred missionaries on their return trip so that his people could learn about God. Marco joined his father on the return journey, but the Pope sent only two priests instead of one-hundred. Within a short-time, these two missionaries turned back because the journey became too inconvenient and difficult for them. This sad episode stands as the greatest missed missiological opportunity in the history of Christianity.
Mark Twain said: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe offers a complimentary warning: “Hell begins the day God grants you the vision to see all that you could have done, should have done, and would have done, but did not do.” The truth of the matter is that we cannot make progress unless we are willing to leave the security of the harbor, lose sight of the shore, and endure dangers and inconveniences.
In April 1901, John R. Mott, leader of the Student Volunteer Movement, spoke on the responsibility of young people for the evangelization of the world. He challenged the students of his day to forsake conveniences for the sake of the kingdom. His words are as relevant today as on the day he spoke them. In this speech, Mott said, “The last command of Christ is operative until it is repealed. It is not optional, as some would assume, but obligatory. It awaits its fulfillment by a generation which shall have the requisite faith and courage, and audacity and the purpose of heart to do their duty to the whole world.” Regardless of whether we are young or old, every Christ-follower is responsible for the evangelization of the world.
The book of Acts records the story of a vision that the Apostle Paul received while in Troas, a city on the extreme western shores of Asia Minor. In the vision, a Macedonian man was standing and appealing to him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). Paul and his companions recognized the urgency of the message and departed for Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called them to preach the gospel there. They did not allow themselves to be swayed by whether this venture would be convenient or inconvenient, only by the fact that they needed to get to Macedonia quickly. We must have the same attitude when it comes to sharing and showing the gospel. We must do so when it is convenient and when it is inconvenient as well. Like the Macedonian man in Paul’s vision, the nations still beckon us to come and help. We must listen to their cries and then go beyond!
Posted in Missions Musings | Tags: Christianity
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 7, 2012
Wordless Wednesday
Along the Brahmaputra River | 2003 | Bangladesh
Posted in Bangladesh, Wordless Wednesday | Tags: Photography, Travel
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 6, 2012
We All Run On Our Record
Today is Election Day — the day when we have the privilege and the opportunity to cast our vote to select those who will govern us. The right to vote is no small matter. I have made it a point to vote in every Presidential election since the day I became eligible to vote. Although I don’t always care for the way presidential candidates tout themselves or trash their opponents, a candidate’s record is ultimately at the heart of these matters. It’s up to those of us who vote to do our homework by looking at the record because a record weighs more than rhetoric. We must intentionally investigate and carefully sift through the spin in order to determine which candidate’s record best aligns with our respective worldview. We must do this because the decisions made by those in positions of responsibility can reverberate for generations and either do great good or devastating harm. That is why, as a Christ-follower, I want to make my vote count.
Long after any candidate leaves office their record remains — forever a part of history. I especially like the way in which the Old Testament summarizes the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah. The record always begins with a summary of their administration before offering selected details about their deeds. The Scripture records that they either “did evil in the sight of the Lord” or they “did right in the sight of the Lord.” Either way, everything a leader does is “in the sight of the Lord.” Nobody does anything behind His back! And ultimately, all leaders will have to give an account of their deeds before the Lord. That is a sobering thought.
As for us regular folks who are not running for office, the same holds true for us. Everything we do becomes a part of our own record and either adds to or diminishes our credibility. Every decision we make either draws us closer to or farther away from God. And, in the case of an election, our single vote combined with the votes of others helps to shape our national welfare and destiny. I know who I want to win the presidential election but I do not know who will win. Perhaps by the end of the day that question will be answered, hopefully in a decisive way. However, at the end of the day, I cannot put all of my hopes in the man who wins the office. I must instead continue to hope in the Lord, to live as a responsible citizen, and to make certain that my own record is unmistakably clear.
Posted in Miscellaneous
Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 3, 2012
Training On The River
Preparing for the 2013 Texas Water Safari
There is no question in my mind that the 260-mile Texas Water Safari indeed lives up to its billing as the world’s toughest canoe race. After my son Jonathan and I reached the finish line this past June, the feeling of relief was almost as intense as my physical exhaustion. Still running on the adrenaline of our final push to the finish line, I managed to stay awake for a few more hours to enjoy the food and fellowship at the awards ceremony. And then, I slept — a lot. I fell into that deep slumber I associate with the first couple of days of jet lag after returning home from one of my long international trips. It felt surreal to actually take a hot shower and crawl into my own bed after paddling a canoe for almost four days with little rest.
The top question that family and friends asked me after the race was, “Will you do the Texas Water Safari again next year?” In the days immediately following the race I did not want to think about the possibility of spending four days in a canoe again. I was thrilled that Jonathan and I had spent 90-plus hours together and had reached the finish line. So, my standard answer was, “Possibly, but I am just happy to have reached the finish line with my son.” In the weeks following the Safari, Jonathan and I competed in two more races, the longest of which was 100-miles. When Jonathan told me that he really wanted to improve his time in next year’s Texas Water Safari, we agreed that he needed a younger and faster partner and I told him that I would be honored to serve on his support team. He thanked me but did not let me off the hook and suggested that I seriously consider doing the race with my friend and fellow staff member, Doyle Lowry.
Doyle at the Martindale Dam portage.
Long story short, Doyle and I will compete together in next year’s Texas Water Safari. I agreed to do this because it has now been a few months since competing in this year’s Safari. Time has mitigated my memories of the physical exhaustion, sleep deprivation, hunger, heat, headwinds, night-time hallucinations, wearing the same clothes for four days, and not being able to feel my hands by the end of the race. On Friday, Doyle and I did our first training run together on the San Marcos River. We borrowed a canoe from the Whittington’s because the canoe we purchased is still being safari-rigged for the big race. Our canoe will be ready in a couple of weeks, just in time for our next training run.
Friday was the first time that Doyle and I have paddled a canoe together. We had an adventurous time on the river, thanks in large part to the low water and lots of exposed rocks and debris. We had a couple of spills and more than a few laughs. Doyle got a really great bruise on his leg from a spill at Cottonseed Rapids. I suggested that he wear shorts to work for the next week so that folks can admire his new badge of courage. The bottom line is that we know we are going to have to spend a lot of time on the water in order to learn to paddle efficiently and navigate effectively. We are all in! We hope to do at least fifteen training runs and two lessons before next June. Barring something unforeseen, our goal is to reach the finish line of the Texas Water Safari. That in itself will be the equivalent of a gold medal for these two 50+ year-old pastors!
Posted in Texas Water Safari | Tags: Adventure, Sports, texas water safari
Categories
- AMONG THE NATIONS
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