RockTheDesert

Save-The-Citrus Campaign

Phoenix is known for its beautiful winters and scorching summers. We tend to have a very short, icy cold spell in December. That's when we actually turn on the heater for about 2 weeks, add an extra blanket to the beds, and have hot tea or hot cocoa on hand to keep us warm inside. The only problem with our usual plan is that our thermostat broke (bumped into it with a large piece of furniture a few weeks after Thanksgiving) and therefore it is impossible to turn on the heater. I'm sure it's a quick and easy repair. Pretty sure there's not a shortage of thermostats at any of the local hardware stores. But for some mysterious reason, this repair has been at the bottom of a pretty extensive home-improvement list.

Right before Christmas, after hearing forecasts of a possible deep freeze (in the 30's), Dan decided to build a shelter for all of our citrus trees. Keep in mind that I was in full-blown Christmas mode, meaning all my attention and energies were focused on Christmas music and Christmas worship services. (Also keep in mind that our house was so cold I'd started wearing my coat and scarf to bed by this point.) I didn't pay much attention to Dan's "save-the-citrus" campaign.

First, he purchased a 20x30 ft blue painter's tarp from Home Depot. Off to a good start. Then he started gathering common household items not already in use. For example, striped shower curtain, hot pink/purple patterened sheet, striped primary colors sheet, water bottles, extension cords, outdoor Christmas lights, miscellaneous lamps. He added in a couple of wood pallets (he collects these from alleys and uses as firewood when camping), 2 metal fence posts (previously used as garden trellis for corn which was planted then withered to dust in the summer), twine, safety pins, binder clips and large pieces of firewood. Then he started building a magnificent structure with the tenacity and fervor of a team of beavers building a massive dam. 

Christmas came and went with no freeze. Then Dan and Steven left on a short jaunt to California for Christmas with most of his family in Orange County. Mike and I stayed behind because Mike had to work all weekend. The day they left the freeze began. Of course. After I picked Mike up at work (10:30 pm) Dan called and asked me to add an extra lamp to the "greenhouse" he'd built. I realized that I had never ventured out to the backyard to check out the project. When we got home (11 pm), Mike found a flashlight, I grabbed a lamp (from Dan's nightstand-why not) and we headed into the freezing cold backyard together. Upon entering the yard, I noticed a strangely misshapen, 30 ft long, glowing-from-within monstrosity along the south wall of our yard. I was almost too cold to laugh. But I couldn't keep from laughing. I tried to get a decent picture of it, but the flash on my little Kodak washed out the Christmas lights which really were the crowning touch to the whole thing. Here it is in broad daylight from different angles. Quite impressive, don't you think?

The good news: the trees survived the freeze. The bad news: the thermostat is still broken...brrrrrrr!!!

Summer Rains

So, last Thursday, I was driving Michael to work at Chick Fil A on a hot, early summer day. I hadn't traveled more than 6 blocks when it started to rain. I fumbled in my purse for my trusty little Kodak. Had Michael snap a few photos so I could prove to the rest of the family that it really did rain.  The rain stopped right before I hit Scottsdale Road - about 30 blocks (10 minutes) of progressively harder rain. It was surreal. Once we crossed over Scottsdale Road, it was instantly clear and sunny. Bizarre. Today it is sunny and hot in Phoenix. When I left the house at 7:30 this morning, it was 90 degrees. I just checked The Weather Channel - we're at 106 right now at 2:50pm.

WCW - Where Would You Live?

It's Watercooler Wednesday - join me and many others around the watercooler at Randy Elrod's Ethos blog. Randy's post today is about Walking. Check it out!!

Yesterday afternoon the temperature hit 102 in Phoenix. Every year when the thermometer rises to uncomfortably hot levels, I desperately want to move out of AZ. After being in Santa Barbara, CA over the weekend (friend's wedding), I'm ready to move there. Right along the coast. I'm even willing to live in an RV if I have to. In fact, I'd live just about anywhere along the coast of California. The ocean has an undeniable call and I'm ready to answer it.

Another favorite spot is Franklin, TN. I'd live relatively close to downtown and soak up the small-town, Americana, vibey way of life. Each time we've visited Tennessee, we've fallen in love with its breathtaking beauty. All those trees. All those leaves. WOW!

Of course, there's always New York City if I want to be in complete denial about the icy, impossibly cold winters. And the potential muggings. The arts and culture has got to outweigh the snow, freezing conditions, and safety issues.

In all actuality, I'm most likely to end up in a ruggedly beautiful spot in East Africa.

How about you - if you could live anywhere - let's limit it to the US - where would you live?

New Believers In Sudan

I received this email yesterday from e3 staff in Sudan. Many new believers are being added daily to the kingdom of God. The team referred to at the end of the email is the team that Dan will be a part of from Sept 19-29. Please keep him and the team in your prayers. Thanks!

[begin email]

Adjumani? Wasn’t that a movie? No, I’m thinking of Jumanji, the movie with Robin Williams. Adjumani is the town (village?) where David Kaya has been on an all-Sudanese church planting campaign. I spoke with David this morning and here is what he told me the Lord did.

It’s as if, once again, we walk into the book of Acts. First, allow me to reset the story for you. A man in Adjumani was possessed by a demon, and he caused terrible problems for the villagers by destroying things. The villagers turned to the few believers in the village for help who, in turn, sent a messenger to David’s home church. The church sent a pastor to Adjumani who, through the power of Jesus, delivered the man of his demon(s). Guess what? Just like in the book of Acts, the villagers wanted to follow this Jesus. Hence, these past three days.

When David and his men entered the village and began to go tukel (hut) to tukel, many people made professions of faith in Christ. When they gathered the people together that afternoon many more followed Jesus. Recall, that a family blessed David with a Landcruiser. David learned that the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) was in the area, and that vehicle draws attention. The LRA is a rebel military group in northern Uganda and southern Sudan. He withdrew from the village that night and slept elsewhere. In the village that same night, the new followers of Jesus worshiped Him and fellowshipped African-style, David’s description. That night the Lord encouraged David to go back to the village the next day.

Go back they did and began to baptize the new believers in the Nile. As darkness fell, they finished baptizing 105 people and were ready to finish the day. Then a wave of villagers came to the river and asked to follow Jesus and be baptized.

[I realize that this sounds so storybook as to be unbelievable, but I’m telling you, this really happened.]

When they finished baptizing them, a second wave appeared asking to follow Jesus and be baptized. Then a third group appeared and were baptized as well.

David was so excited when he shared this story. My favorite thing he said was, “Those demons helped us to open the door.”

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

Thanks for praying and being a part of God’s amazing work.  There is a campaign with U.S. workers leaving tomorrow for another town in Sudan, and David tells me to pray about the rain. It’s rained so much that a dorm at our bible school collapsed and the latrine filled up. Obviously the roads will be terrible.

Slurpee Hot

It is slurpee hot in Arizona right now! I find myself craving a cola slurpee just about every day. I don't typically drink sodas. I prefer water and iced tea. But lately...slurpees are on my mind. They are just so cold. And yummy. And satisfying on a very hot day. The monsoon season is in full swing. This means it's really hot during the day. Then in the late afternoon there's a cool wind that starts up. And the huge clouds roll in and around the valley. If we're lucky we get buckets of cold rain. The streets flood. The gutters swell and overflow. The parched soil drinks greedily. The wilting flowers make it thru another steamy day. And we tell our favorite monsoon stories to anyone who will listen while we slurp our slurpees and watch the rain from inside our air-conditioned comfort.