Good Friday 2018

Last year, my first daughter Joy carried this backpack walking the camino with me. The pack became heavier each day of the walk but finally she could let it slide off of her back at the end. What a wonderful feeling it is when you take the backpack off your back. Life is full of burdens, worries, fears, shame and sorrow.. We carry the burdens, all of the things which weigh us down to sink us. It's like carrying your heavy backpack for the rest of your life. How can I be free of the burdens? I have found the way! 
"Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest" said Jesus. 

Do you feel burdened with the pressures of life? With sorrow, with heartache, with pain? Do you feel pressed on every side? Perplexed? Hunted down and knocked down? Here are the words from 2 Corinthians 4:8-10.
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body"
Jesus is waiting for you to let it go then to walk away free and whole. Come just as you are..  
Buen Camino! 
Good Friday 2018

50 Years!

Yes, It's my 50th! 

Last week I took a time off to retreat from all the busyness and to walk alone with God. It was my 50^th birthday. Yes, I spent my 50^th birthday alone in a salt flat called the Sala de Uyuni in Bolivia. It is a huge salt flat that becomes the largest mirror in the world when the rain water fills the whole place during the rainy season. For many years I had been planning to go there alone on my 50^th birthday. I wanted to reflect my life in the mirror of God’s grace and faithfulness. So I flew to Lima, Cuzco, and La Paz, Bolivia. From La Paz I took an overnight bus for 11 hours to reach Uyuni. 

The place is about 4000 m above sea level. I suffered from high altitude sickness and later food poisoning. The sun was so close that I had a sunburn. The skin on my face got peeled off.. There was no birthday cake, birthday song or birthday dinner but God’s presence and me. When I stood there I felt so tiny but blessed.

And I really felt that my time was ticking.. 50 years has gone just like a wind. In 10 years, if God willing, I will be 60.. and then 70.. 80.. 90 .. 100.. 110.. if God willing.. The bottom line is that today is the time to prepare for eternity. I wrote in my journal “I want to be a clean vessel..”  To be a sacred and pure vessel to be used by God for God’s kingdom, that’s my goal for the rest of my life..

Thank you, my family and friends, for your prayers.