All Quiet on the Home Front

I am trying to get used to the Quiet!

At one point Rita and I had 6 kids living at home. (Two were indian children that we had taken in to teach and are now living in Puerto Ayacucho, Venezuela.)

Our oldest got married a few years ago and has her own life in Paraguay. Our son was married a month ago and is getting a good start on his life. It is totally cool to see them happy with the mate God brought into their lives and we pray that they will be as happy as my wife and I.

But to add to the quiet, our 18 years old daughter is in Paraguay with her sister until our arrival and our youngest went to Bible camp this week.

It is really quiet her. We will get the two girls back together once we arrive in Paraguay and have them for a while longer, but this week, truly is a glimpse into future.

I love it. It is totally different. I can also see that it is something to prepare for.

I want to make sure that Rita and I will continue on with our life together as it changes and not meddle in the lives of our children or others. What a careful balance to achieve. We want to be active in our children's lives but not meddlesome. (that will be hard cause those are my grandbabies!!)

Twenty Five Years Ago

Twenty five years ago I stood at a church altar and swore my eternal love to this beautiful girl. It was about a year earlier that I had asked her to marry me and promised to love her for the rest of her life. At first she laughed in my face. (to her defense.. I was trying to act romantic on one knee instead of the crazy , funny guy I usually am, so I had caught her off guard.)

When she actually responded in kind, instead of giving me the "yeah right!" look I was ecstatic!!!
I was also scared to death that I would fail her in some way and not keep my word. That fear of wounding the one we love , should always be in the back of our minds.

Those who fail at their marriages are the ones who stop caring and trying to understand. Who quit caring if anything they are doing MIGHT be hurting their loved one.

God don't ever let me stop caring!! Don't ever let me stop being scared that I might lose her.
You made her for me.

Thank you Lord

The Greatest Things About Being a Father

Having children.

Seeing them Married

Getting a new Daughter.

Seeing their Happpiness

Remembering your Happiness

Thanking God for His Blessings

I Gotta Post

I have decided to post something, admittedly I don't know what to post, but since that doesn't stop most bloggers, why should it stop me.

My wife has shown me a woman blogging about her birth while giving birth, others blog about the laundry, and I have even seen a blog about knives. (the cutting edge for sure!!!)

Jungle Mom is in shock that I am posting at all. She will read it when she regains consciousness.

This morning I got a call from my daughter telling me of my grandaughters excitement to learn that she was going to see "coco" the Ye'kwana term for grandfather. She started singing and yelling coco and Baloo!! Some people have told me that my personality parallels the caracter of Baloo on "The Jungle Book". The last time we were with her in Paraguay we watched Baloo quite a few times. She would sit still and cuddle until the song "Bare Necesities" then we would both stand up and move to the tempo of the music...(not dancing .. we are baptists after all!!!) with Baloo and Mowgli.
So I look forward to watching Baloo with my little LELE and getting down with a little prickly Pawpaw

Come Uppins!!!!

My mom used to tell me while I was growing up such nuggets of wisdom. I learned as a young man that what ever goes around , comes around. I honestly never expected to experience the truth of this wisdom in such a fun way.

If you were to talk to our children and nephews and nieces, they would tell you that they lived a few years in Venezuela all together and they really enjoyed that time of our lives. Then they will tell you that they lived in fear of walking down the hallway alone. They "claim" that they learned to think strategically at a very early age. They would always walk in groups of at least two, preferably three.

The reason for this way of life was that they shared the house with a gang of terrorists, three to be exact, they were the terrible trio and could attack at any time, as a band or alone. You must understand that the terrorists were much larger than the children. One terrorist was capable of holding captive two children while torturing another with the dreaded taiwanese tickle fingers!!!!

The attacker(s) would strike and it was the responsibility of any child who remained free to run for assistance from the rest of the Rugrats Regiment. The terrorist were cowards (or so claimed the rugrats) as soon as assistance would arrive the attack would end with some admonition to watch out for the furniture or some such excuse!!!!!

The day came when the terrorist disbanded due to excess pressure from the growing Rugrats. it was deemed too dangerous to continue operations and they dissapeared into history thinking they would be forgiven and forgotten.

As you can see in the video.....they were not forgiven nor were their actions forgotten. Revenge is sweet and also alot of FUN!!! also note then end of the video when one of the terrorist who thought he was safe since he was filming and even betrayed his 'compinche' and joined in the attack got his come uppins too!!!!!

Who are the terrorist you ask? the leader of the infamous band was Big Daddy Vernoy, His accomplice was known by the alias Little Ed the last member of the band was the kindest of all, Clint (known for his ability to tickle with the force and not lay a finger on the poor children) thus he was known as Kind Clint the gentle. Any other accusations against him are purely sladerous!!!!

Come Uppins!!! Judgment Day

Chocolate Bloopers !!!

During our rehearsals and many takes to arrive at the finished product we, just like those amatuers in Hollywood, had a few bloopers....

Listen for Josh's words as he falls the second time and you will understand the dangers of doing your own stunts!!!!!! Jewel really got into caracter!!!!

Jewel thinks she could be a Marine

Jewel likes being here in Beaufort since it is so close to Parris Island. Maybe all the training that goes on out there get in to the air and is effecting her. When it comes to Chocolate she can be sort of Violent!!!!! Especially when it is the last pie!!!

The cast of Characters in order of appearence....
Jewel Vernoy as the Potanator
Jared Vernoy as the Stinking thieving cousin
Jared Vernoy as the other Stinking Thieving Cousin
Jason Vernoy as the MP3 bagel maker
Joshua Vernoy as the Brother who should pick sides better

Photographer --- Ed Vernoy
Writer and Director --- Clint Vernoy

There will be bloopers and a Sequel!!!

Presenting the Director's Cut

Jewel - You can see the devious nature in her eyes
Elena - the only reason she isn't into something is that Jewel has her held down
Abbie - She is still not sure what she is gonna do but she will be right behind the other two.

Jayde - giving Elena her first lessons in hacking!!!!!

Girls are one of God's greatest creations. Man of course was made in His image!!!!

I know what the girls are going to say now..... Man is the rough draft and Woman is the final product. yada yada. Merry Christmas!!!!

Jungle Mom's Husband

Yes it has happened! One of my wife's readers came up to me and said, "Hey, aren't your Jungle Mom's husband?"

Do I mind.... Not at all.
To be her husband is one of the greatest honors in my life.
When people ask me for news on Venezuela, I "redirect" them to Junglemom's blog.
I hear about everything she finds and read her posts first!!!
She is a great kisser!!!!!!

Wouldn't trade being her husband for all the steaks in Paraguay or all the grubworms in Venezuela!

Yup, Jungle mom is my girl!

The Job I Love that is not a Job, but a Joy

A lot of times you hear of guys that work in a dead end or boring job everyday of their lives. I am so glad that I am not such a man.

In September I made a trip to visit four or five churches in the state of Ohio. While there I saw a friend with whom I had gone to Bible college for a time. met his wife and family and rejoiced to see a friend from 27 years ago, still in the ministry and faithful to God. I had not seen him for 27 years. I get paid for that, it is my job while on furlough to visit new churches and faithful supporting churches. Seeing old friends is merely a fringe benefit.

I then traveled from Cincinnati to Zanesville, Ohio to visit another supporting church in New Concord Ohio. I stayed at the home of a High School buddy, We laughed , remembered discussing evolution with our biology teacher, His wife is his High school sweet heart and they are still faithfully and happily married. I know, because I stayed in their home for a three days and watched them. You can only fake happiness for one meal. It was great to be with them and share all the things that have passed during the years. Dale and Cindy Lewis have been my friends since 1975.

I drove by the RollerRink where I met the girl of my dreams. Her most famous alias is JungleMom! and she is mine!!!!! This is the building in which JM fell at my feet in LOVE!!!!!
Witnesses who were there are Pam and Kim!!!!!!


I also went to Tom's Ice Cream Bowl, opened in the late 40's it hasn't changed a bit. They still make their own ice cream and it is an icon of Zanesville. It was written up in USA Today as one of the top ten Ice cream stops in America. Be warned though before you make a special trip..... it is closed on Mondays!!!!!







I had my High School favorite!!!! Hot Fudge Sundae with extra hot fudge and crushed peanuts!!!
and yes it is even better than it looks!!!!!!!!


While in Zanesville, I played tourist and went to see the World Famous Y bridge!!!!! The only city where someone can tell you to go to the middle of the bridge and turn left and not be telling you to go jump off a bridge!!!! but that is not all!!!!









It seems they like the alphabet bridges in Ohio because I also saw one of the last remaining S bridges on the old national trail or Zane's Trace. It is about 5 minutes from the church in New Concord Ohio





I then traveled to Bucyrus and saw my nieces and nephews for a few days. Debbie had made a Texas sheet cake!!!! Totally awesome!!!!! Played a game of golf with my nephew and totally spanked him too!!!!! Put that pup in his PLACE!!!!!




My final stop in Ohio was Canton Baptist Temple, pastored by a longtime friend, Mike Frazier, His wife, just as a note of interest, is the daughter of the man who pastored the church in which I was saved at the age of 6 in South Carolina. (Small World!). While at CBT I was able to have a meal and spend an evening with Jonathan Reed, a young man who had worked with us for 2 months in the indian village and now had a wife with whom he plans to move to Brazil and begin a work among the indians of the Amazon of Brazil.

All of these things took place in the space of 14 days. God is good. God always brings us back together. He is a father who likes reunions!!!!!!

I wont even bring up what the girls thought of their trip on the Auto Train up the east coast! It was totally cool!!!!



I'll have better pictures next time!!!

Security, What is it Worth

I just saw that a venezuelan has been speaking in paraguay link here and he speaks of the dangers of sacrificing freedoms for security and the fact that often we loose both.

So I ask myself, is there any true security in this world.... how often we deceive ourselves into thinking that we have security. It brings to mind the bible story of the man who built bigger and newer barns to store his goods. He was secure and content, in need of nothing, God said,"You fool" for this night your soul shall be required of thee. *translation* "your ticket is going to be punched tonight!

In the last few weeks, two different missionary families, on different continents, have lost loved ones, one couple on their way to church. A dear friend from college days had a stroke. From one day to the next, sorry , from one minute to the next everything changed for them. They had no control over the matter.

We talk of planning for the furture and preparing for the future, but we should never make the mistake of finding security in our planning. Plans change, we adapt to different things that come up..ok. but we are never in control, or secure in the things to which we will have to adapt.

I guess what I am trying to say, short and sweet.....If we sacrifice something tangible, time with our family (as an example), so that we can obtain security (an imagined, false security) by working to build a bank account to be "secure" in our future. We are fools in believing that the "security" is real. the security will always be imagined. There are too many things that we cannot control.

Be prepared, yes. Plan, yes. Believe that we are secure because we have done this and that... Foolish. All of the plans and preparations we do are never more than a mere buffer to hold back the consequences of the bad things that might and will happen. Often, they are buffers that hold back opportunities for us to see true security in God's provision for us.

The only security that exists is in God. His salvation, His love. His Son. Now the atheist will say, we christians are foolish for believing in a divine being that cannot be seen and proven....God is a 'maybe' in the atheist mind.

The atheist also must agree that true security doesn't exist. No question..


So who is the fool?....I would say it is the one who chooses to reject the probable (humanly speaking) (God) for the impossible (security in this life).

Venezuela Family Tragedy

I found this article posted on www.AlbertMohler.com It is posted for May,31,2007.

I had to post it because it is so true of what has happened in Venezuela. Where there is no Father, most often there is a malandro in the making. A terrorist in the making, it all epends on who becomes the controller/manipulator. (socialist, Marxist, islamist) there is an entire generation of boys in Venezuela who's only father figure is Hugo Chavez. He tells the poor that the rich are evil. Those boys hear that as a license to kill that is more explicit and open than for 'James Bond' . I can't say it better. Check out his Blog. Christianity is the best answer because God says he will be the father to the orphans. and that , sadly, is what most of these young men are.


What happens when boys grow up without the influence of male authority?
Stewart Dakers warns that the absence of engaged males in authority -- fathers in particular -- leads to brutal, crude, dangerous, and narcissistic teenage boys and young men.

In a brilliant essay published in The Guardian [London], Dakers introduced his readers to two teenage boys, "Split" and "Pole," who are an intimidating presence in a London shopfront. From this Dakers moves to the heart of his story:

Split's mum is effectively single and has devoted her life to bringing up Split and his sister, Paige. Pole's mum has been on the edge for years, following her discovery that she did not really like children after all. By then, she'd had another two. While neither young man could be expected to appreciate the full implications of this, they know well enough that they owe their mums big time. And they resent it - as the immoderate language shows.

"I can sort her all right. Just don't wanna have to listen to her all the bleedin' time." Both of them have indeed become good at "sorting" their mums. They have an instinct for weakness in others, which is daily expressed in small acts of intimidation in malls, at bus stops, in queues. These are the symptoms of a more chronic disaffection. They are masters of manipulation.

Dakers explains that far too many boys are now raised by women, virtually alone. Even when husbands and fathers are still part of the family picture, they do not give attention to their progeny or invest in their children. They have no emotional attachment to their sons and they do not discipline their boys. All the emotion, care, guidance, and discipline -- what discipline there is -- comes from females. Boys raised in a female environment learn quickly to become masters of manipulation, Dakers advises. They first learn to manipulate their mothers, then move on to other females:

From a very early age, they demanded attention - Pole because his mother starved him of it, Split due to competition with a smarter, older sister. When the guerrilla tactics of smash and grab failed to deliver the goods, Split learned trickery, cheating, inveigling, flattery. Their success was due to the overwhelming preoccupation of their mothers simply to survive and provide.

With the years, both boys had acquired level-five NVQs in getting their own way: treats, early smoking, bunking off school, avoiding domestic duties, getting the trainers, the bling. Once they had their mothers under their thumbs, they moved on to girls. They were first to lose their virginity - and take that of others. After a few fumbles, they quickly discovered that their skills of manipulation were equally effective up against the back wall.

Dakers explains that boys and young men learn two basic ways to manipulate their mothers and the other female authorities in their lives -- "sweep her off her feet or pull the wool over her eyes." They make their way through a progression of bad behaviors, manipulating their way around and through female authority.

And female authority is virtually all many boys see. As Dakers reports:

It is not necessarily the absence of fathers. Split's was around, during those intervals between being a guest of Her Majesty. Pole's is around all the time, but might as well not be. He lounges around expecting food, drink, TV, clothes, sex - OK, so he handles the remote. He offers words of wisdom, shouts instructions, but anything unpleasant - tantrums, homework - is women's work. And on the occasions when anything requires discipline, handling, he'll find some pressing errand in the shed, under the car, down the pub, to excuse himself.

Which reflects the reality of the wider world. At the sharp end, the rock face, there is hardly a man in sight. In their early years, up to puberty, authority is exercised on young men exclusively by women - shop assistants, teachers, health visitors, social workers and, of course, sisters and mothers.

As the boys get older, the problems grow more serious:

When the hormones kick in, when they move up to the more serious stuff - vandalism, graffiti, shopfront intimidation - here again, the delivery of reprimand, caution, assistance is delegated primarily to women. When it is a male voice, it is likely to divert the miscreant to the parent - and we know which. Even statutory stuff, in the pupil referral units, special schools, probation office, youth offending service, disciplinary hearings, the staff are overwhelmingly female.

Boys are increasingly raised without fathers and without the force of male authority. They are coddled, entertained, and reinforced in self-assertion by a constellation of female influences. So many mothers and other women give themselves selflessly to the raising of these boys, but boys need the controlling force of male authority -- the male voice they cannot ignore. They need a man -- a father or father figure -- who knows what boys are up to when they try to manipulate, and who will put down an insurrection the moment it starts.

They need the influence and discipline of a man who will say no and make it stick, who will hold the boy accountable, and who will provide the necessary instruction in becoming a man. They need the male voice, but so many boys hear only the voices of women.

Stewart Dakers puts the blame on men, many of whom are fathers only in a biological sense, who pour themselves into professions and activities but have little to do with their boys. As Dakers relates, too many fathers "stand back or walk off" when their boys need attention -- especially discipline -- leaving mom all alone. This blame is rightly extended to an entire culture of males who shirk their responsibilities to the young, especially to boys and young men -- and to a society that creates a feminized world of social assistance, education, and care.

Split and Pole spend their time strutting their exaggerated masculinity as they intimidate citizens on a London sidewalk. Rest assured that the boys and young men who do the same in American neighborhoods and shopping malls are doing so for the same reason -- the absence of male authority.

We no longer have to wonder what a society of boys raised without fathers would look like. That society is taking shape before our eyes.

No one cared that Freedom of Religion was attacked when the Indians were told to go back to their old ways and stopped following the teaching of the Bible and the missionaries. Now they care because the attack is on them. The Indians won't care, because they don't get TV were they live unless the pay for Direct TV.
The question is.... What are they going to do? I don't think anyone really knows.
I pray for the peace of Venezuela.

The Best Message I Ever heard on the Ressurection

When we had been in Chajuraña for a few years, some dear friends of ours lost their only son. He was born in the city of Puerto Ayacucho, and they named him David. The mother, Linda, flew out to the village with her newborn son and other daughters. Two days later, he was dead.

He died of heart failure, there was nothing we could do. Linda and her children were in our home throughout the entire ordeal. There was an emergency flight scheduled to get them in the morning, but he didn't last the night. The father, Antonio, flew out to the village to be with his wife and family for the burial.

I made the coffin during the night. At dawn, other friends and church members went to dig the grave. We carried the child to the burial ground on the side of the hill, deep in the jungle. It was raining that morning and it felt like God himself was crying with the family.

This was our first burial, and through the years I realized it was to be the first of many. But this was the first. I tried to imagine the heart ache of placing my own son in a cold wet muddy hole in the middle of the jungle and tried to understand how Antonio and Linda felt that day.
My heart and mind would not go there.
There was no shiny coffin with satin inside, there was no carpet of green grass around the hole. There were no flowers, just a muddy hole.
The pastor of the church spoke for a few minutes and then Antonio asked to speak.

He said, "Today I am sad because I bury my son here in Chajuraña. But I will not be sad forever because I will see my son again. The Bible has taught me that God has my son with him. When I die, I will also be with him. On resurrection day God will raise up my son's body and mine if I am dead. This is a resting place and nothing more. My son will not stay here forever. We will be together again.
He preached to those around the grave site of their need to believe in Christ as their savior if they also wanted to have that hope.

What great hope we have. Christ rose from the dead and promises to do the same for us. I needed to hear that message that day.

One thing I will miss about Venezuela

The coffee in Venezuela is absolutely the best I have ever had. That includes Cuban, Starbucks, Barnie's, Java Joe's and the other imitators. Coffee in Norway, Peru, Canada, Paraguay, Mexico , Colombia and Germany. They truly do not compare. I feel sorry for the rest of you who have never had Venezuelan coffee. It is like explaining how a motor works to a woman.

Let's Define Ethnocide!

Chajudaña was the village of choice for hosting most of the inter-village reunions because it was the healthiest, best organized and most able to provide food for the other villages. The other indian villages chose Chajuraña repeatedly for these cultural events.


I recently received an anonymous comment that said I was guilty of ethnocide. Here is the comment ....

"The word ethnocide barely begins to describe the atrocities your ministry is inflicting on indigenous cultures along the Rio Caura."

Now, since there is no name I am not going to post it in my comments sections. I do feel, however, that there is a need to consider his comment as to it's veracity. For if it is true, we need to stop mission work.

ETHNOCIDE-- The purposeful destruction of an ethnic group or culture.

It is true that indian groups are diminishing and we should consider the causes. I will list a few that we saw in the jungle.

Infant mortality due to lack of medical care
Unnecessary deaths from sickness due to lack of medical care
Drunkenness which causes fights and often deaths or chronic illness
Suicide
War between tribes and villages (90% of all tribal wars are for the purpose of stealing females)
Mercury poisoning due to illegal mining causing birth defects
Sterility in the women from being raped and infected with venereal diseases by illegal miners
Female deaths during childbirth from uterine ruptures and hemorages

When you look at the villages where missionaries worked in the jungles of Venezuela you will see some things that are statistically true.

Where the Gospel is preached there is...
Lower Infant mortality rate(due to medicines and emergency flights provided by the missionaries)
Lower death rate among all ages (Due to medicine and basic care provided by the missionaries)
Fewer Drunks(Due to the gospel being preached and people choosing to stay away from such addictions and its unhealthy consequences)
Lower Suicide Rate(Due to the teaching of the scriptures which give people hope, purpose and a future.)
Less Warring between tribes ( due to people following a lawful order and developing a respect for all life, both male and female, raising the value of the female from being a piece of property to a person with equal rights)
Less mining and mercury poisoning (Due to the fear of being reported by conscientious indians who have been made aware of their rights and responsibilities by the Biblical teaching of the missionaries)
Less Rape and venereal disease (The young girls have been taught not to get drunk with the miners, the fathers have been taught not to trade or sell the services of their female family members to the miners)
Fewer deaths in Child birth (Due to the fact that the husbands have been taught from the Bible to love and care for their wives and thus provide prenatal care and take them to the city for birth if needed.)

Since the effect of the missionary presence does not cause the destruction of tribal people, but rather strengthens the tribe, I don't see how the accusation can possibly be true. I have seen the statistics kept by the health department comparing all the villages of the Caura region. The statistics show the truth. Guess which village doubled in population in less than ten years? Dare to venture a guess of which village had the lowest infant mortality rate of the region? Which village had a lower mortality rate overall? Or, which village had the better quality of life and longevity according to the Doctors of the State Government? Which village had the higher percentage of school age children? Which village had the best trained teachers? Do I really need to go on?

That doesn't sound like Ethnocide to me!

Serious Softball Interveiw

(Translation: We invite all Venezuelans to watch the interview of the year.
The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, "comandante" Hugo Chavez Frias, leader of the XXI century socialism, in an exclusive interview with the journalist Barbara Walters, star anchorwoman of the main US network ABC news)

This announcement appeared in every major newspaper in Venezuela. It was also advertised on the radio and TV. The rumors down here are that she was paid over 100,000US$ for her interview! I am done with MSM, thats for sure! I guess she doesn't realize that journalist down here don't have the same freedom she has! Her incredibly shallow interview was aired on what we call CADENA. This is where the government takes over all airways, radio and TV and we all get blessed to watch what he deems appropriate. Cadena means CHAINS in Spanish. And that is how we feel! Imprisoned by his words and unable to see the light of day. Sunday he spoke for 5 and a half hours.
That is life in Venezuela! To see further information about security in Venezuela at

http://caracaschronicles.blogspot.com/

and see if Barbara was in the same Venezuela as the rest of us.... or in Chavezuela or Hugoslavia?

How Far should we Go?

Over ten years ago we moved to the village of Chajuraña. We felt that God wanted us there and through the years saw visible proof that it was the place for us. We arrived in Oct of 1995 to begin our life among the Ye'kwana tribe. After a few weeks in the village I was invited by Victor, the christian leader in the village to take a trip with them to visit family in a nearby village. I figured, 'why not!' so off we went, myself and about 20 ye'kwana. I, as a jungle newbie, was gloriously oblivious to the dangers of river travel. We arrived at one set of rapids, and they told me to get out and walk around while they drove the boat up through the rocks. Guys jumped from the canoe in the middle of the rapids onto large rocks and grabbed onto the rope that Victor threw to them. When they had a good grip he shut off the motor and tilted it out of the water. His life depended upon the grip of those five guys on the rocks. The boat would have been smashed in seconds if they had lost their grip or slipped into the water. I was glad that I was walking. I wondered if maybe I should have stayed home. After all, we had come far enough to preach the gospel.

BOCA DE PIÑA
It is a small village on the Caura river where the in-laws lived. When we arrived they went off to see the family and I, blissfully, walked around trying to make friends. Unfortunately, every child that I saw ran away screaming when I waved for them to join me for a cookie. I later found out that they were doing exactly what their parents had taught them to do. They mistook me for an embodied spirit that they believe in in their tribal culture. They believe there are spirit beings that come to collect friends of those that have died so the dead ones won't be alone. The parents always tell their children to stay away from the Wiyu. They will trick you and take you to the spirit world. The children ask how they can tell if it is a real Wiyu, since they are known to take the perfect form of a human. The parents tell the children that it is easy.... The Wiyu´s can't quite get the color right. They always look WHITE! not deeply tanned like a real person!!!! So all the kids thought I was trying to take them to the spirit world.
Later, a young girl came straight up to me and asked if I was a missionary. I said yes and then she took me to her grandmother who had asked to talk to me. She told me her story and asked me a few questions... She was from Brazil and had come to Venezuela to say goodbye to her family as she knew she was going to die in the coming weeks. When she saw me walking around the village she thought I might be a missionary and wanted to ask me about another missionary that had come to her village when she was a little girl. She couldn't remember much about what he talked, but she did remember that there was a story about someone that loved her so much that he died for her, and if she believed, he would show her how to get to heaven with Him. She could not remember any more. His name, why he died for her, How did he know how to get to heaven. So then she asked me If I knew the man´s name. I said "yes....His name is Jesus." She then asked If I knew His story and I, with tears in my eyes, again said "yes." She said, "Please tell me His story and why he died. I have waited all my life to learn the rest of the story."
45 minutes later, she was my sister in Christ, and three weeks later she met Jesus face to face.
How far is far enough.....Unto the End of the World.

Love This Socialism Stuff!

Another beautiful morning in Venezuela. If you didn't read the news you would think that nothing has changed.

I read in the paper today that due to controls and red tape, the car manufacturers will have problems operating their factories. They are unable to obtain parts. The government won't give them money at the controlled rate of Bs 2150 to the $. If they try to buy $ on the parallel market at Bs 3800 to the $ they are either not allowed to charge more for their products even tho it costs them more or better yet they can be put in jail for operating with the Black Market. Consequences of all of this is that workers who live from paycheck to paycheck will be laid off since there are no parts and the owners have no desire to lose their factories, money or go to Jail.

The Government is now forced into importing more at the controlled exchange rate thus putting more of the 'Pueblo' out on the street without a job. Overseas, however, the government looks good since they help factories in Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay and more to sell more goods and keep their people working.

A well known Government slogan is that "Venezuela now belongs to everybody" In Spanish it means 'all Venezuelans' not just those in power. But the joke is that Venezuela now belongs to Cuba, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Harlem (think Citgo Gas), etc... The saddest thing is that the crash that is coming, will be real, it will effect all of the people and the poor worst of all. All will be equal....equally poor.

Chavez says that anyone who tries to protect his family from this coming disaster is a criminal, Buying and storing extra goods while they can be bought (meaning found or affordable), selling your products at a fair price at which you make money and provide for your family, or not selling your products if it means you must sell at a loss.

The only way Chavez will be happy is if all depend on him, bow to him, and serve him in his quest for World Wide glory.

What a Beautiful Morning. God Will Always control that. We must always remember that.

Chairs for Couples anyone?

I don't know what I am going to Blog about really but I do know that it is my responsibility to Blog and so I do.

My Wife and I just finished a three day conference in our church here on the subject of marriage. It was a privilege to do it and we were glad when the pastor asked us to teach the course.

We aren't experts, but after counseling quite a few couples over the last year, it seemed it would be a good plan. We expected at most 30 couples and ended up with over 85, on the final night there were over 200 people. Some newly married and others, after 20+ years, that were barely married by a thread. The couples all enjoyed the teaching and learned what their personal responsibilities were to their spouses. If I were to break it all down into one phrase it would be this..... It doesn't matter if you feel like it....just do what is right anyway.

I will teach the same material in another few weeks to over 400 men from various churches throughout Venezuela. That's right... the same stuff..... Again!.... Why you ask?.... From very personal experience I have learned that men don't just get it......they get it ...EVENTUALLY!. It takes a lot of teaching to reverse the bad habits that have been formed in marriages over a lifetime. We have to break down barriers that 'machismo' has formed. We have to make them believe that when they obey the Word....their wife will usually follow them. Eventually! (tho not always) But then that is no excuse to stop doing what is right.


We hope to see families changed. It is not a question as to whether the teaching works or not, but, as to whether they work it out in their lives by doing what they have been taught.

The men were taught to love their wives by remembering the acronym C.O.U.P.L.E.S.
Closeness, Openness, Understanding, Peacemaking, Loyalty, and Esteem.
The women were taught to respect their husbands by remembering the acronym C.H.A.I.R.S.
Conquest, Hierarchy, Authority, Insight, Relationship, and Sexuality.
This all comes from a book titled Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.

Get the book. It is worth it.