Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | November 1, 2012

Lesson From A Dying Man

This afternoon my friend Doyle and I visited with an elderly man who is not a member of our church. This man recently entered hospice care because he is losing his fight against multiple tumors. His doctors expect that he only has weeks of life remaining. The old gentleman is already losing his hearing, his strength, and experiencing some loss of memory. In the course of our conversation, Doyle asked this septuagenarian if he was prepared to face death. The man paused, looked down, and began to weep. Through his tears said that he did not want to die until he had told his younger brother that he loved him. And then the rest of the story unfolded.

Almost a decade ago, this man and his brother, fourteen years younger, had a falling out — an argument that led to a physical fight that resulted in both of these men going their separate ways. One day at a time, these brothers allowed their anger and bitterness and pride to keep them apart until the accumulation of days turned into years. Neither of them was willing to take the first step toward reconciliation. Finally, the coming of death forced the older brother to do what he should have done years ago. A couple of days ago he located his brother with the help of the hospice staff. The old man wept as he told us that he had finally apologized to his brother and told him that he loved him.

Over the remainder of our time with him, the old gentleman wept and confessed other regrets that he had lived with for years. One by one, he had allowed these unresolved tensions and frustrations to distance him from his family and to rob him of peace. And now, he is at the end of his journey wishing things would have been different. He had gotten what he wanted but, in the process, lost what he had. After our time of prayer and efforts to encourage him, Doyle and I walked away with heavy hearts. I was again reminded of why we should never allow the sun to go down on our anger but should seek to make things right with others while we still have opportunity. I don’t want for regrets to rob me of peace in my final days.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | October 31, 2012

Wordless Wednesday

Dreaming of going beyond! | 2007 | Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | October 29, 2012

On The Right Path

One of the things I enjoy most about serving at Kingsland is working alongside our members to bless the people of our community. Every year, our missions ministry mobilizes more than 3,000 volunteers to serve from Katy to the ends of the earth. This week, we have teams serving in Indonesia and Bangladesh as well as in our own community. This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to work alongside two-dozen Kingsland students and adults on one of our local initiatives at Iglesia Sobre La Roca (Church on the Rock), the largest Hispanic church in Katy. It has long been a dream of my friend Pastor Jorge Cardenas to build a prayer path and garden area on the back side of their property — a place where church members and the people of the surrounding neighborhoods can walk or just sit and enjoy some quiet time. So, we are working to turn that dream into a reality this Fall.

On Saturday, our team wasted no time in getting to work. Our volunteers fired up their mowers and weed-eaters, picked up post-hole diggers and shovels, filled wheelbarrows with crushed granite, and started bringing definition to the prayer path. Our students reminded me throughout the morning that they were glad for the opportunity to get a blister. And, many did get blisters! This initiative also provided some good teachable moments to discuss why we need to work alongside other churches in our community in order to bring glory to God. As I watched the first segment of the prayer path taking shape I could not help but give thanks that our church is on the right path. The people of Kingsland continue to faithfully pray, selflessly give, and tirelessly serve the people of our community. We are doing more than consuming Bible calories, we are providing opportunities for folks to burn off those calories in ways that are practical and meaningful. Thanks to all who have already invested time in our newest local initiative and who are scheduled to help us complete this project in the coming weeks.

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Posted in Local Missions Initiatives

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | October 26, 2012

Be Prepared

Preparing for the 2013 Texas Water Safari

Although I am not a Doomsday Prepper, I do keep First Aid kits in my home and in my vehicles. I also keep a special international kit in my luggage that includes my own syringes and needles and other stuff I do not want to be without in some of the remote places I visit. I started putting together my own First Aid kits when I was a Boy Scout — mainly because in those days stores did not carry the variety of ready-made First Aid kits so easily available today. So, I enjoyed the challenge of making my own kits for our troop hikes and camp outs, always working to make each kit smaller, lighter, and more compact than the previous. I also made it a point to study every page and first aid illustration in my Boy Scout handbook and earned my First Aid merit badge and Red Cross certification.

Check out the illustrations in my Boy Scout handbook, especially the guy on the phone!

I recently announced that my friend Doyle and I will compete in next year’s 260-mile Texas Water Safari marathon canoe race. One of the requirements is that we have a First Aid kit for the race. Of course, I volunteered to assemble our kit rather than buy a ready-made kit. This morning I purchased and collected the items for our kit and put all of these items into a water bottle that we will attach to our canoe using a carabiner. This will keep the kit easily accessible at all times. I am happy to say that our kit weighs about 12 ounces. During this year’s Texas Water Safari, I accidentally cut my hand just before my son Jonathan and I crossed San Antonio Bay to the finish line. I was definitely glad to have everything I needed to clean and bandage the wound. Hopefully Doyle and I will not have to use our First Aid kit. But, if we do, like every good Boy Scout, we are prepared! This is now one more thing we can check off our list as we continue our preparation for the race.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | October 24, 2012

Wordless Wednesday

The view from my tent. | 2008 | In the bush country of southwestern Tanzania.

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | October 22, 2012

United and Excited

La Grange, Texas

Every year our Kingsland staff spends a couple of days at a retreat setting in order to focus on team building and encouragement. This year we have returned to a favorite setting just north of La Grange, Texas — a beautiful country home, made available to us by the Meyers family. Our agenda for today and tomorrow includes worship, encouragement, team building exercises, and a look at the coming months. We’ve also built in a little time for play and, of course, watching tonight’s third presidential debate. An added bonus is the delicious meals cooked especially for our staff by Jill Burnside and Sandy Westervelt. These sweet ladies can cook up some of the finest cuisine in the Lone Star state.

KBC Ministerial and Support Staff

We arrived at the Meyers home about mid-morning, excited to breathe in the refreshing country air. While we were preparing for our sessions, our administrative assistants were preparing a special surprise for us. Dressed in camouflage and brandishing water guns, they arrived an hour later, crept through the high grass and between the tall trees, and surprised us with a shower of blessings. Oh my soul! They doused us. There was no escape. We all had a great laugh together and then spent the next half-hour singing songs of praise and worship. We then enjoyed a time of fellowship and eating burgers and hot dogs on the deck before our team of assistants returned to Katy. I’m really glad they were able to join us in spite of getting soaked.

Our support staff planning their sneak attack.

Sneaking through the woods.

This time away is important to our team as we continue our journey into the interim months ahead. We are committed to strengthening our bonds and to praying together as our church begins the search for a new senior pastor. We are not only united, we are also excited about what the future holds for the people of Kingsland. While we do not know how long it will take for us to find a new senior pastor, we believe that the days ahead can be some of the greatest in the history of our church. And so, we are committed to working as a team, seeking God’s guidance, and staying the course. We do not want to lose momentum but instead make even greater strides for the sake of the kingdom from Katy to the ends of the earth. We can see great days ahead if we will all remain united and excited and committed to growing God’s kingdom. If we do that, then I am confident that God will care for Kingsland during the interim days ahead.

Enjoying a time of praise and worship together.

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Posted in Miscellaneous

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | October 21, 2012

The Preparation Begins

Preparing for the 2013 Texas Water Safari

This past summer, my son Jonathan and I had the incredible privilege of competing in the Texas Water Safari, billed as the world’s toughest canoe race. I was thrilled when Jonathan asked me to do this 260-mile endurance canoe race with him. We prepared for the race by spending some hot days paddling long stretches on the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers. We also competed in four shorter races ranging from 22 to 100-miles prior to the Texas Water Safari. All of this preparation served us well and enabled us to finish the Safari in less than the 100-hour deadline. I don’t mind saying that it was the toughest physical challenge I have ever faced. I am grateful to Jonathan for believing in me and for pushing me to go beyond any physical challenge I had ever faced.

Atop Mount Arbel in Israel.

Jonathan is planning on competing in his third Texas Water Safari next summer. His goal is to finish the race in a time faster than his first two finishes. We discussed that in order for him to reach his objective, he will need a younger and faster partner than me. However, we still want to be on the river together. So, Jonathan will paddle with a younger friend and suggested that I consider doing the race with Doyle Lowry, Kingsland’s Executive Pastor. Doyle and I have shared a few adventures together around the globe. He especially enjoys off-road motorcycle treks and has kayaking experience. When I asked Doyle if he was interested there was no hesitation at all. He’s all in! So, Doyle and I will join Jonathan and his friend and about 150 other contestants in next year’s Texas Water Safari. We are more than excited about competing in the race. Like the majority of contestants, our goal is to reach the finish line. That in itself is a tremendous accomplishment.

Although the Texas Water Safari is scheduled for next June, we have to begin our preparation and training now. This week, Doyle and I ordered our boat. We have purchased a safari-rigged Alumacraft Voyager for the race. There are faster boats, but we chose to do the race in the aluminum class primarily because the boat can take a beating and will get us to the finish line as long as we keep paddling. Our boat will be ready for pick-up in about a month, after it is completely rigged for the race and our spray skirt is fabricated. In the meantime, we will train in a borrowed canoe starting Friday, November 2. Our plan is to do 15 training runs that will cover the entire distance of the race course and to take a couple of paddling classes. As long as we remain faithful to our training regimen, we should be in pretty good shape for the race.

Jonathan’s boat will keep the Team Go Beyond name. It only seems right. After all, he and I competed in and completed seven marathon canoe races in his boat — number 1984. Doyle and I have already received suggestions for the name of our team and our boat, including: The Two Pastors, Out to Pastor, Paddlin’ Pastors, and Two Tough Pastors. We are definitely open to suggestions, so please feel free to add your thoughts and give us your feedback. I will keep you posted on our progress as we prepare and train for the race. Jonathan and I are both excited about our new partners and about doing the race. If it was not for Jonathan and his encouragement, I would never have competed in the Texas Water Safari or any of the other races we have enjoyed over the past year. Sometimes all it takes to discover new ways to go beyond is for somebody to believe in you. Thanks, Jonathan!

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | October 18, 2012

The Failure of the Taliban

Malala Yousafzai started her journey toward national prominence in Pakistan when she was asked to write Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl — a blog featured on BBC’s Urdu-language website. The eloquent eleven-year-old chronicled the hardships of life under the Taliban in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. When the Taliban took control of the area, one of the first things they did was to close all schools for girls. This action forced Malala and other girls to go underground in their quest for an education, clearly a risky venture. Malala, however, continued to use her voice to highlight Taliban atrocities and to champion education for girls. She gained so much popularity that the Taliban actually feared the growing influence of this young girl who refused to allow fear to silence her voice! So, in typical Taliban fashion, these stupid-in-every-sense-of-the-word-thugs went after this now fourteen-year-old girl on the grounds that she was “promoting secularism” —a crime deserving of death.

Earlier this month, Malala and her friends were on their way home from school in northwestern Swat when a gunman approached their vehicle. Once he had identified Malala, he shot her in the head and injured two of her friends. Fortunately, Malala received timely medical attention in Peshawar where military neurosurgeons removed the bullet from her head. She was later flown to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, a hospital that specializes in this kind of trauma. Latest reports are that Malala will recover from her wounds but will require additional surgeries to replace damaged bones in her head as well as undergo neurological treatment.

In the meantime, this failed attempt to silence Malala has helped others throughout Pakistan and the world to find their own voices. Thousands of outraged Pakistanis have rallied in support of Malala while demanding that those who attempted to kill her be brought to justice. President Zardari said that the attack on Malala “is an attack on all girls in Pakistan, an attack on education, and on all civilized people,” He’s right! Sayeeda Warsi, Britain’s Foreign Office minister for Pakistan, wrote in The Sun newspaper: “The Taliban have failed. Malala’s message of freedom and equality has now gone global. Our duty isn’t just to help this little girl. It is to carry on spreading her message.” I agree! By trying to silence one voice the Taliban unwittingly helped thousands of others to find theirs. May God help young Malala to recover fully, and may He give each of us the courage to add our voice to hers. She is a courageous champion, an inspiration, and a reminder of what one person who refuses to be silenced by fear can do to help make our world a better place.

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Posted in Current Events, Justice, Women's Issues | Tags: ,

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | October 17, 2012

Wordless Wednesday

Still smiling and still working hard. | 09 October 2012 | Tonalá, El Salvador

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Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | October 15, 2012

From the Edge of Space

Yesterday afternoon, I was among the estimated eight million people who watched Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner fall to earth from the edge of space. I was riveted with suspense as the 43-year-old Baumgartner stepped out of his capsule suspended beneath a balloon twenty-four miles above the surface of the earth. Once he had completed all of the items on his checklist, this real live Buzz Lightyear leaned forward and plunged through the stratosphere toward the state of New Mexico below. With NASA-esque commentary in the background, I watched as Baumgartner quickly accelerated to more than 800-miles per hour, becoming the first human being to break the sound barrier outside of an airplane. His five-minute descent was the culmination of five years of hard work and overcoming obstacles. Throughout those years of preparation, Baumgartner kept his eyes on the prize — and broke several world records as a result.

Five things in particular caught my attention about Baumgartner’s fabulous feat. First, he found a willing mentor in Joe Kittinger. In 1960, Kittinger set the record for the highest parachute jump from a height of almost 20 miles. Second, Baumgartner broke the sound barrier without an aircraft on the anniversary of the day that the renowned Chuck Yaeger first broke the sound barrier in an aircraft in 1947. Third, Baumgartner’s jump gathered lots of info for NASA which could have implications for astronauts and high-altitude safety. Fourth, Baumgartner expressed his gratitude to his team and supporters. He acknowledged that he could not have accomplished his record-breaking feat all by himself. And finally, Baumgartner is the real deal. He worked hard to prepare for and to execute his dream. After his jump, Baumgartner said, “We live to conquer fears and pursue dreams. May our attempts and accomplishments prosper humankind.”

Perhaps another reason I was so impressed with Baumgartner is because of a 20/20 segment I watched on Friday evening about other people who go to extremes — in the case of this segment, people who go to extremes to alter their bodies through plastic surgery. The report featured a 32-year-old guy named Justin Ledlica, who refers to himself as a human Ken doll. This guy has an amazing-looking sculptured physique. The troubling thing is that it’s all the product of carefully placed silicone implants. This dude has spent $100,000 and endured more than 90 plastic surgeries in the past ten years to achieve his faux-physique. When asked why he did not go to the gym instead, he replied that working out is “not exciting, glamorous, or fabulous.” We live in a day when folks can take all kinds of shortcuts to create a certain image of themselves. As for me, I don’t have much respect for Barbie-doll boy. He’s not the kind of example we need. I prefer those who are willing to break a sweat to pursue their dreams and who inspire others to do the same. Kudos to Felix Baumgartner. He not only has the right stuff. He is the real deal!

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