Focusing through the glass

You can never go home again

2009-04-07T01:27:00.004-04:00

On my way home from Nepal last week I had a nine hour lay over in San Francisco. My original plan was just to wait in the airport for the whole time but after trying to pass the first hour I decided to venture into the city via the BART transit system. After spending about half an hour try to navigate the subway system I found my self sitting in a park in downtown San Fran. As I sat there watching the people go about there business I thought to myself, “I wonder how many of these people know what’s going on outside their boarders?” I wondered if there was a feeling on the streets that this place was not the center of the universe or if they still believed that America was above all else.

Its funny coming back to North America after being in a third world country, life is so orderly here there are rules governing everything we do and we have a procedure to fallow for every circumstance. It feels like we have tried to create this utopia to protect ourselves from the bad things in life, the injustices of the world. In doing this however a terrible thing has happened; whether by accident or on purpose we have forgotten about the undeveloped world. We as a culture have shut ourselves of to injustice because we like to think that everything is fine, we like to chase after the things that our culture tells us are important and forget that for some people chasing after food is all they have time to do. Don’t get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with nice things. I myself like to have a nice place to live and nice stuff to do the things I like to do. My point is this; have we striven so hard to achieve these things that we have forsaken those not fortunate enough to be born in the western world?

Personally if I think of this question and if I am truthful with myself I would say that I have forgone being generous so that I can get the things I want like new climbing gear or a new jacket. I like nice things but I think there is something really wrong with our mindset if we put those nice things above helping those in need. I herd a statistic the other day that last year North Americans spent 600 BILLION dollars on Christmas expenditures, even if this number is exaggerated just think of how many people could be fed with just a fraction of that money . I think next year I will give up my presents and give that money to the people who go hungry every day.

boiling water

2009-03-22T00:26:00.002-04:00

Have you ever sat and actually watched a pot of water boil? It is surprisingly entertaining, the water is initially calm and peaceful and then slowly there begins to be movement beneath the surface. Little bubble form on the bottom of the pot, then slightly bigger bubbles until they begin to pop off the bottom of the pot. This continues until the bubbles become more frequent and bigger then the real excitement begins. The bubbles break the surface of the water and a visual symphony of small explosions create the climax of the rolling boil. Then everything quiets down again when I turn off the gas and I am left with nice hot water.

This is what has become of me here in the un-touristed regions of western Nepal; standing in front of the stove in my cousins kitchen watching water boil. it has been five days now that I have been waiting for my flight up to Mugu in the remote northern regions. The first two days we didn't fly because the pilot didn't feel like it, the next two we didn't fly because of bad weather at our destination. So yesterday I made the hard decision to scrap my trip to Mugu and head back to Kathmandu early. I changed my ticket and wouldn't you know it they flew out this morning under sunny sky's. Life is funny that way.

It has been interesting though, having to wait for something that may never happen. I have learned to enjoy the moments that come for what they are and not what you wish they could be. I whole heartedley believe there is a reason that I was unable to go to Mugu and God has been teaching me contentment over these last few days. Soon enough I will be back in Canada living my crazy fast pace life and I will probably wish to be back here in Surkhet sitting on the roof with a cup of Chia (tea) and watching the sun set over the rolling foothills of the Himilaias. The present is truly when time touches eternity.

Nepal Update.

2009-03-13T04:38:00.002-04:00

Where to begin, I think I have experienced every emotion on the spectrum over the last few days. Everything form joy while playing with my little cousins to great empathy from seeing the living conditions of a widow with four kids who lives in a road side ditch. My heart has been touched while worshiping with churches in mountain villages and I have been encouraged by stories of God working in the local churches.
My first experience in Nepal was meeting my Aunt and Uncle in Katmandu with no idea as to what my schedule would be; a question that would soon be answered by my uncle when he said, “hello James ready to go again.” They then took me to the regional airport where we went through ‘security’ (they didn’t even find my uncles knife that was on his belt) and bout my ticket to Nepalganj. Four hours later, which was only supposed to be 2 hours later, I was in the air heading to the west.
When I got off the plain I was met my by cousin Tim and my cousin in law David, they told me that the road from Nepalganj to Surkhet was closed and we would have to take a Rickshaw to meet the van that was supposedly waiting four us. At first this was a nice change of pace from flying but after 2 hours on that hard wooden seat riding through the pitch dark with no lights in sight I was ready to get off that cursed bike. As these thoughts were going through my head I saw head lights come up over the hill ahead of us and I hoped it was the van, hopes that were quickly dashed when the van sped by us. This happened a few times until the last van passed us and then slammed on it breaks as the drive realized we were his cargo. Finally by 10:30 at night we arrived and my Cousin's house in a western region of Nepal. I shoved some food down and then went right to bed as we would be leaving early in the morning to go to a mountains village for three days.
The next day after a one and a half hour jeep ride and a three hour hike we arrived in the village. We would spend the next three days there having evening services and a 5 hour teaching time on the second day. It was amazing to fellowship with Christians who I couldn’t even speak with and yet we had such a great time getting to know each other. The evening of the first night we all sat in a circle and worshiped by the warm glow of candles, even though I didn’t understand the words being sung I felt God in that place stronger then I have felt Him for a while. We sang songs and shared our stories, the mother of the house where we were staying shared the story of how she became a Christian.

“She is the Mother of 9 Children, eight daughters and one son, her husband was a drunk and she was sick for many years. She always had a sore throat that felt like someone was choking here and sometimes she could not swallow and wouldn’t eat for days on end. She tried everything to get better, traditional medicine and doctors, witch doctors and there remedies but nothing would work. Finally she herd that there was a church in a village 3 hours away and that if she went there people would pray and she would be healed. So see walked by herself over the mountains for 3 hours to this church and the people there prayed and she was healed immediately. She became a Christian and went back to her village but she was the only Christina in her village. She asked the pastor of the church what she should do and he told her just to pray. That was three years ago and now her entire family are Christians, her husband has stopped drinking and there is a church of 40 people in the village.”

This was just one of the many testimonies we herd during our stay in that village, many of them had similar stories of healing. The people there were such a blessing to me, there kind spirits and hospitality were truly amazing.

The day after returning from the village the roads across the entire Terri (lower more populated half of Nepal) were closed do to civil unrest. So we spent the next few days around the house playing with the kids and preparing bamboo for a hut we were making for a widow in town who lives in a ditch with three children. It turned out that the road wouldn’t open until the day after we carried bundles of 30 foot sections of bamboo two KM‘s to the building sight (funny how things work). We finished the hut for the family and they now have something that resembles a home more then a pile of twigs.
So now I am waiting at my cousin's house for the 18th when I will fly to a village in northern Nepal to start a solar panel and stove project. The Roads are still closed however and the stoves we are planning on taking to to village are on the other side of Katmandu so we are praying that they will be able to get here before we have to leave.

Well that about catches you all up on what I’ve been up to, there is so much more to say but I am on cell phone internet which is even slower then dial up. I hope you all are well and I look forward to sharing more stories with you soon.

Leaving in less then 12 hours

2009-02-28T03:24:00.002-05:00

Well it is the night before I leave and of course I can't sleep. I hate the night before a big trip, its like the night before Christmas except your Santa Clause and you can't stop running through the naughty and nice list in your head. I think I have pack and repacked about 10 times in the last 3 days. I am in Langley now though so anything I haven't got on me isn't coming on the journey with me.

As a wait for these next 12 hours to go by I am thinking about what I am going over there to do. The itinerary isn't exactly set in stone and I am a little nervous. I know that whatever happens it will be great and I will find it rewarding but still I can't help but be a little nervous. I am thankful for the thoughts and prayers of all of you while I am away. I truly find peace in the knowledge that God has a plan for me while I am over there.

I spent my last night in Canada with some old friend from bible college. It was so refreshing to spend time with old friends again and it reminded me of the importance of community and how we were made to be in relationship with others. We laughed and talked and played games and just shared our lives together. Before I left they all prayed for me and while praying my good friend Adam mentioned that he was thinking, "this is a big deal, it shouldn't be but it is". I think what he meant by that was it is a big deal that I am going somewhere to help people because I feel God leading me to yet it should be very ordinary for people who are followers of Christ. This is not to say that I am special because Lord knows I am just as small and broken as the next guy but I think we should all be a little more open to what God is calling us to do and if we where I think Christians would have a much better reputations in this world

Well those are my two cents at 12:40 in the morning. I guess the next time I write on this blog I will probably be in Singapore. Maybe I will have a better story to tell by then:)

God bless and thank you again for your thoughts and prayers.

Update Fall 08

2009-01-02T01:26:00.005-05:00

Hello Friends and Family,

Many of you I have not seen in far too long. It is my ongoing dream to be able to teleport but alas, I am bound by the laws of physics and cannot visit all of you as often as I would like. I am writing you as a sort of update to what has been going on in my life over the past while and to fill you in on my plans for the near future.

As most of you all know I have been living in Squamish, British Columbia over the past seven months and am truly enjoying my time here. This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and I need to remind myself of that constantly lest I grow numb to the awe inspiring beauty around me.

I have spent the summer on various adventures with friends, whether it be climbing or mountaineering. I have been able to keep myself busy and have found time to work now and again as well. My job at Arcteryx has truly been God-sent, in the seven months I have been there I have not once begrudged going to work and I think that is a pretty special thing. The people and atmosphere make it truly a wonderful place to work. Where else can I work in an office that has a climbing wall in it?

I have to admit that these past months and year have not been the easiest despite all of the blessings that God has given me. There have been times of great loneliness when I have thought of many of you and wished to be able to sit down and chat about life. I have found myself on a bit of a roller coaster in my life both spiritually and emotionally. I have recognized God through all of it however, and have been amazed at His patience and how He continually picks me up after I have fallen.

If I am honest with you all I have spent the summer trying to see if I could live my life with the awareness that God is there yet without having the life changing relationship with Him that He desires to have with me. I would go to church when I had nothing better to do, (usually on rainy days) and would listen to the sermons but resisted the tugs on my heart and conscience.

This went on for most of the summer until the Fall came and I had a unique experience that I recorded in my journal that I would like to share with you now.

October 13, 2008

Driving home tonight after spending the weekend in Langley with Kim’s family I was in a funny mood. I wouldn’t call it a bad mood but perhaps a troubled mood. As I drove through the rain and fog, around the corners of the windy sea to ski highway I was thinking about my life and how its become lonely over the last few months. Not that I don’t have people in my life that care about me because I do, it’s that I don’t have a person in my life that I can share everything with. I have no one to share life with.

As I came into Squamish, I looked up at the chief (a large rock formation in Squamish) that was shrouded in cloud and decided to go for a little late afternoon hike. It was raining fairly hard but I had the gear I needed in the trunk and I thought, “why not”. As I started to hike quickly up the long uneven stairs that led up the chief I realized how I wasn’t in the best shape of my life and how I wouldn’t make it to the top with time to make it back down before dark. So I continued on for a few minutes then stopped and sat on a large rock for a while.

I sat there and watched the thick cloud like mist wisp through the trees and I began to pray. I ask for forgiveness for the way I had been living for the last year and a half and I thanked God for not giving up on me. I asked for guidance in this next season of life. This post-Kim pre-something stage of life. I asked that He would bring community back to my life; I ask that He would give me strength to do what is right and to go where he called. Then I sat in silence for a while enjoying the creation I found my self in, enjoying the beauty and subtlety of the darkening forest. As I stood and began to hike down I asked that God would speak to me as I descended.

I took my first few steps and heard a voice in my head say, “I’m proud of you”. I thought for sure this was just my own thoughts, I asked aloud “God how can you be proud of me for how I have acted?” Then the voice said, “I’m not proud of your actions, I am proud of your heart. I am proud that you desire so much to live for me and that you will not settle for mediocrity.” This thought stopped me in my tracks, “could this be God speaking to me?” I can’t be sure of course but it makes sense to me. Jesus is a God that knows what it is like to be temped and he knows that my heart is good, why would he not be proud of it. I continued to hike.

Moments later I continued to listen and as I did, it was as if I was walking with an old friend talking about life. He told me that there were more hard times ahead and that I needed to find faith in him during those times and not run from the pain and not try to mask it with earthly things. I asked God if I should go to Nepal next year, the response was not a voice in my head but a feeling of peace and assurance. To be honest I would have liked a voice but the lord will speak how he chooses I suppose.

So I am here looking to the future, I know there will be pain yet there will be joy as well. I don’t know what to expect but I do know that whatever happens life will go on and will all be worth it in the end.

That was the moment that I had been needing, the moment when God reminded me of who he was and also who he has created me to be. I don’t think I will ever forget it.

So this is where I find myself, ready and willing to serve and a little scared at the same time. I’m not sure what the future holds but I am open to where God wants to take me and it is in that spirit that I have made the decision, with Gods help, to travel to Nepal this coming March. I will be going into western Nepal in the Surket region where I will be working with my cousin Steve Regnault and the organization “Beyond Tears International” to build a church for a new church plant that has started there.

This was not an easy decision to make with the times of economic uncertainty. I am not sure if everyone would agree with me that this was the right decision. They might think it is a little illogical and maybe it is; however, I don’t believe that God works within our logic but instead asks us to do things that appear to be illogical. So I will go and I ask for you prayers.

In making this decision to take this trip I have also decided to pay my own way. What are Visas for if not for building the kingdom, right? However the church that we are building will cost about $4,000.00. I am working with my local church here in Squamish to help raise these funds but every little bit helps. If you would like to support this project financially please make cheques out to “Church on 99” with a note that says it is for the Nepal project and mail to:

Church on 99
Box 1729
Squamish, BC
V8B 0B2

And so, my friend, I will leave you with my apologies for the long winded letter. There is so much more to say yet I fear your attention span is waning J I love you all and thank you for your prayers.

Be Blessed.

Sincerely,

James Bronson

Simplicity

2007-11-23T17:51:00.000-05:00

I lay here on the balcony of my thatched roof bungalow swinging ever so gently in the hammock that hangs from the rafters. I am in Pai in the northern mountains of Thailand. It is so beautiful here, if I were to Imagine heaven it would look like this. the crickets are buzzing and the river bubbles only a few meters away. Through the milky haze of the moon lit night I see the gentle rolling lines of the surrounding country side. its so quiet here life is so simple and slow paced.

We explored the back roads of the surrounding country side on our moter bikes today. we came upon a small village which was untouched by the local tourism industry. as we drove through the narrow main street children ran to greet us yelling, "Hello...Hello". The people seemed so happy and I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to grow up in a place like this. To not know about north American culture, global warming or the war in Iraq . I thought to myself, "ignorance is truly bliss".

WE in north American culture put such wait and importance in being informed, busy and goal oriented that I think we have lost something. I think we have lost the ability to just be still and listen to the sounds of life around us. To hear the crickets not as an annoying sound that prevents us from sleep but instead as a glorious symphony created by God as therapy for the soul. I think it is a gift to be able to find joy and contentment in the little things in life. a goal that I am striving for on my travels.