Friday, November 13, 2009
God is getting better at choosing a place for me to die.
Rewind:
It was 2:45 pm Tuesday December 5, 2003. It was a cold dreary damp December day. I was in Perth, with my in-laws in my car waiting for me to make a bank deposit and then come to our house for supper.
To get to the bank, my in-laws suggested I take a short cut through the pharmacy which opened into the bank. As I entered the pharmacy my right hand felt exceptionally cold on the door knob.
Once inside, I became overwhelmed with a strange feeling and my legs got wobbly. I walked over and leaned on the counter and immediately asked the clerk to call an ambulance because I was having a stroke. She did not believe me and then I lost all control over my right hand and she and I both saw it drop at my wrist and just hang flopping at the end of my coat sleeve. Then my right arm fell limp to my side up past my shoulder and my face went numb.
As I waited for the ambulance I looked around the room and laughed to myself. I was going to die (I really thought I was dying right there) in a store that I had never been in before. I continued to think to myself “God you have such a sense of humour............You are having me die in a pharmacy in Perth, when I would much rather die on a Mission experience in a developing country”.
Since this is now 2009, we know I did not die that day. The lasting effects of that episode six years ago was a slight loss of sensations on my right side especially with a very slow recovery for my right hand.........my fingers are still numb and I have little fine motor abilities.
Fast Forward 6 years.
It was 11:30 am Sunday October 25th 2009, a beautiful fair festive fall day in Cayuga, Ontario..... ½ an hour west of Hamilton. I was in the Cayuga United Church and had just finished telling a story of my several visits in Nairobi, Kenya with my friend Bishop Joseph Moffat Killioba.
Joseph’s son Paul Killioba, is visiting here in Canada and he was just about to preach the sermon. As the host church Pastor, Paul Currie, was thanking me for my introduction of Paul’s Nairobi church I could hear him, but I could not see......focus ....on him or the front of the church. Either my eyeballs were rapidly spinning or my brain was out of control....again.
All I could make out was two circles of objects turning in front of my eyes and I could not stop this vision with my eyes open, so I sat down and closed my eyes, rested my head on my arm on the pew in front of me, and began to be cold and sweat profusely at the same time. Once, I realized I was in ‘grave’ trouble again, but still alive I again laughed to myself and thought: : “O.K. God ..........this is much better........at least this time I am in church and have just talked about my mission visits to developing countries and now the son of my dear friend Joseph Moffat .................Paul Killioba, is preaching as I die”.
Why did I tell those two stories.......... well in both of them even though I felt I was dying on the spot, I felt at peace and comforted that all was unfolding as it should.
There was no white light to go into like in the TV series Ghost Whisperer, however, there definitely was a great sense of peace and excitement of what was to come next.
You see I know I am going to die most likely in the next 5 -20 years maximum.......or maybe tomorrow
And I want you to know that is fine with me.
Do you realize that you too are on an eventual 'path to death'. If it is tomorrow for you, will you have that peace to go?
It’s easy to have it. If you don’t know how to have it drop me an email or a phone call 613-272-5477 and ask.
For those of you have been praying for me.......thanks.
For those who do not believe in prayer ..................thanks for your thoughts.
They all work and are much appreciated.
So far my lasting effects of this episode are constant left side headache, dizziness and loss of balance...........this too shall pass if God wants it to.
Ron ......A bit more ‘unbalanced’ and ‘dizzy’ than usual, however.......... still here.
Thanks
Love
Ron
It was 2:45 pm Tuesday December 5, 2003. It was a cold dreary damp December day. I was in Perth, with my in-laws in my car waiting for me to make a bank deposit and then come to our house for supper.
To get to the bank, my in-laws suggested I take a short cut through the pharmacy which opened into the bank. As I entered the pharmacy my right hand felt exceptionally cold on the door knob.
Once inside, I became overwhelmed with a strange feeling and my legs got wobbly. I walked over and leaned on the counter and immediately asked the clerk to call an ambulance because I was having a stroke. She did not believe me and then I lost all control over my right hand and she and I both saw it drop at my wrist and just hang flopping at the end of my coat sleeve. Then my right arm fell limp to my side up past my shoulder and my face went numb.
As I waited for the ambulance I looked around the room and laughed to myself. I was going to die (I really thought I was dying right there) in a store that I had never been in before. I continued to think to myself “God you have such a sense of humour............You are having me die in a pharmacy in Perth, when I would much rather die on a Mission experience in a developing country”.
Since this is now 2009, we know I did not die that day. The lasting effects of that episode six years ago was a slight loss of sensations on my right side especially with a very slow recovery for my right hand.........my fingers are still numb and I have little fine motor abilities.
Fast Forward 6 years.
It was 11:30 am Sunday October 25th 2009, a beautiful fair festive fall day in Cayuga, Ontario..... ½ an hour west of Hamilton. I was in the Cayuga United Church and had just finished telling a story of my several visits in Nairobi, Kenya with my friend Bishop Joseph Moffat Killioba.
Joseph’s son Paul Killioba, is visiting here in Canada and he was just about to preach the sermon. As the host church Pastor, Paul Currie, was thanking me for my introduction of Paul’s Nairobi church I could hear him, but I could not see......focus ....on him or the front of the church. Either my eyeballs were rapidly spinning or my brain was out of control....again.
All I could make out was two circles of objects turning in front of my eyes and I could not stop this vision with my eyes open, so I sat down and closed my eyes, rested my head on my arm on the pew in front of me, and began to be cold and sweat profusely at the same time. Once, I realized I was in ‘grave’ trouble again, but still alive I again laughed to myself and thought: : “O.K. God ..........this is much better........at least this time I am in church and have just talked about my mission visits to developing countries and now the son of my dear friend Joseph Moffat .................Paul Killioba, is preaching as I die”.
Why did I tell those two stories.......... well in both of them even though I felt I was dying on the spot, I felt at peace and comforted that all was unfolding as it should.
There was no white light to go into like in the TV series Ghost Whisperer, however, there definitely was a great sense of peace and excitement of what was to come next.
You see I know I am going to die most likely in the next 5 -20 years maximum.......or maybe tomorrow
And I want you to know that is fine with me.
Do you realize that you too are on an eventual 'path to death'. If it is tomorrow for you, will you have that peace to go?
It’s easy to have it. If you don’t know how to have it drop me an email or a phone call 613-272-5477 and ask.
For those of you have been praying for me.......thanks.
For those who do not believe in prayer ..................thanks for your thoughts.
They all work and are much appreciated.
So far my lasting effects of this episode are constant left side headache, dizziness and loss of balance...........this too shall pass if God wants it to.
Ron ......A bit more ‘unbalanced’ and ‘dizzy’ than usual, however.......... still here.
Thanks
Love
Ron
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Ron's final #9 DR Ramble March 24, 2009
Ron’s Rambles - Dominican Republic - March 9 -25, 2009
Ramble 9 – Day 16 Tuesday March 24, 2009. (no new blog pictures)
Just when you thought you were done with me here I am again.
If you wondered what happened to yesterdays Ramble – so do I. It was kinda a ‘wipe/out recovery day’ for the “old camera guy”.
I made my midnight ramble blog deadline on Sunday night and then crashed.
Monday I slept in till 9:30am or so, went to the breakfast buffet ( I was at the same hotel the team came for breakfast on Saturday).
The rest of the day went real fast between MSN-ing Nancy in the morning and evening and walks to the pool for naps (I never got in) and long naps in my room, supper buffet 7pm, and re-packing untill10:30pm lights out – my self imposed curfew - my ‘day off’ was gone. However I feel a lot better than I looked (according to Andrea – Rob’s wife via web cam) Sunday evening. I really was wiped.
Today I was up all rejuvenated at 4:45am checking American Airlines web site and found my Santo Domingo – Miami flight was delayed from 7:50am to 9:50 am.
I thought I already had a taxi coming for 5:30 am, so I proceeded to get ready anyway.
The taxi I thought I prearranged did not show up, so at 6am I took a Hotel taxi to the airport.
There is no reason given for all the flights this morning being delayed (this flight yesterday was delayed as well), but all flights are delayed.
I am now booked to fly (2 hours late) to Miami which makes me miss my Chicago ‘milk run flight’
So they have rebooked me for a 4pm Miami to Toronto flight. Yeah! ( I am going to be sure to wait at the right gate in Miami this time).
So, as I wait my final 2 hours here in the Dominican Republic I am awake enough (wasn’t yesterday) to reflect on this mission accomplishments.
Part one (a)Visit with Rachel in Puerto Plata/Montellano/Assencion Village - Latienda:
That went very well, I am always encouraged by the “guts” Rachel has in ministering the way she does amongst the poorest of the poor, raising two Haitian children as her own and being “the hands and feet of Christ” in all she does. I am not sure how encouraging my visits are to her – but she really encourages me. We were able to talk over several ministry questions re IATW and Rachel’s mission/ministry, so that was good.
The bonus on that visit was my time spent with a Dominican family. They physically are better off than the women and children Rachel ministers to – I would say it helped me to even more understand how Rachel lives – their accommodation and diet would be similar to Rachel’s. Rachel is always concerned that she is living ‘above’ the ladies she ministers too. I have stayed with Rachel (2007) and now with Dominicans and “it ain’t what we are used to folks”. Two days is a breeze or an adventure – but a lifetime? I was impressed with Jhonny’s family’s faith – I don’t know all of their theology and don’t care, but they have the mind of Christ in their hospitality to a stranger.
The same with Eddy my ‘personal taxi driver’ – He, with his bible on the dashboard, was more concerned about giving me a big discount (which I refused) than making a huge profit from an unknowing “Gringo”. He even offered to have me stay with his family on my next visit to Rachel.
Conclusion Part 1.a – I learned a lot from people living and being willing to share their faith and trust in ways I never imagined before. It was good for me. I believe it was beneficial for them as well.
Part 1.b – Visiting with a World Vision sponsored child an giving her a gift package.
Nicarys DeLacruz the young girl will receive her gift package sent with me by Joan Ford FBC,SF, however ,we (Cristian and I) were not able to make the delivery personally. We tried to set it up several times. The World Vision protocol calls for two months advanced notice to visit a sponsor child. In talking with them they were going to try to set it up anyway. Nicarys lives two hours out of Santo Domingo in a rural community not in the direction of Los Alcarrizzos where we were, so it would really disrupt her life to have her miss school etc. for a day to come into Santo Domingo to meet with us. It would have interrupted the CBOQYouth project for Cristian and I to take a day away also, so I opted not to impose on World Vision and Cristian.
Conclusion Part 1.b - The parcel will be delivered to Nicarys by World Vision.
Part 2 – CBOQYouth Mission to the DR March Break 2009.
62 youth and leaders will never be the same. You cannot participate in overseas mission without it changing you – no matter how many times you do it. As Dave Boelsma said in 2001 on mission in Guyana, “it’s not about the ceiling – is it – it’s about us” (referring to the work project of installing a ceiling in a church in Linden, Guyana).
It wasn’t about the 2 walls, the house foundation and the house roof , the school visits and playing sports with the DR kids – or my video taping/pictures – although that construction work was greatly needed and will have a huge impact on the lives of the two DR families receiving good accommodation and a complex for worship being started. The Dr kids will always remember beating the ‘Americanos’ in all the sports and having their faces painted and playing with balloons, stickers, etc., and receiving clothing, tooth brushes, school supplies and sports equipment.
It was really about the morning devotionals with Tim McCoy. It was about the evening worship with Cristian, Tim and Tanya, and team times and closing communion service with Tanya Khran. It was about finding God in a more personal way by travelling to another country to see God in the eyes of poverty stricken children, mothers trying to feed their families, fathers literally trying to put a foundation under the family’s feet, or a roof over their family’s head. It was more about changing the lives of the 62 team members than the physical work accomplished. I get the unique opportunity to record some of those changes as I get as many team members who wish to tell my camera (and the other team members when they all get the mission DVD) how God has impacted or changed their lives while on mission.
Conclusion for Part 2: Was the mission successful?
For those of you who read this who know someone who gave up their March Break 2009 to slug it out for a week in the DR (Student or Leader) ask them – or better yet, just watch them in their renewed continued walk with Christ. It might be a dramatic change for some and for some it may take years, but for all, as we each “Remember the DR” - nothing will ever be the same for us again.
Ron on my way home.
PS 9pm - and I made it to Toronto – home on Wednesday.
Ramble 9 – Day 16 Tuesday March 24, 2009. (no new blog pictures)
Just when you thought you were done with me here I am again.
If you wondered what happened to yesterdays Ramble – so do I. It was kinda a ‘wipe/out recovery day’ for the “old camera guy”.
I made my midnight ramble blog deadline on Sunday night and then crashed.
Monday I slept in till 9:30am or so, went to the breakfast buffet ( I was at the same hotel the team came for breakfast on Saturday).
The rest of the day went real fast between MSN-ing Nancy in the morning and evening and walks to the pool for naps (I never got in) and long naps in my room, supper buffet 7pm, and re-packing untill10:30pm lights out – my self imposed curfew - my ‘day off’ was gone. However I feel a lot better than I looked (according to Andrea – Rob’s wife via web cam) Sunday evening. I really was wiped.
Today I was up all rejuvenated at 4:45am checking American Airlines web site and found my Santo Domingo – Miami flight was delayed from 7:50am to 9:50 am.
I thought I already had a taxi coming for 5:30 am, so I proceeded to get ready anyway.
The taxi I thought I prearranged did not show up, so at 6am I took a Hotel taxi to the airport.
There is no reason given for all the flights this morning being delayed (this flight yesterday was delayed as well), but all flights are delayed.
I am now booked to fly (2 hours late) to Miami which makes me miss my Chicago ‘milk run flight’
So they have rebooked me for a 4pm Miami to Toronto flight. Yeah! ( I am going to be sure to wait at the right gate in Miami this time).
So, as I wait my final 2 hours here in the Dominican Republic I am awake enough (wasn’t yesterday) to reflect on this mission accomplishments.
Part one (a)Visit with Rachel in Puerto Plata/Montellano/Assencion Village - Latienda:
That went very well, I am always encouraged by the “guts” Rachel has in ministering the way she does amongst the poorest of the poor, raising two Haitian children as her own and being “the hands and feet of Christ” in all she does. I am not sure how encouraging my visits are to her – but she really encourages me. We were able to talk over several ministry questions re IATW and Rachel’s mission/ministry, so that was good.
The bonus on that visit was my time spent with a Dominican family. They physically are better off than the women and children Rachel ministers to – I would say it helped me to even more understand how Rachel lives – their accommodation and diet would be similar to Rachel’s. Rachel is always concerned that she is living ‘above’ the ladies she ministers too. I have stayed with Rachel (2007) and now with Dominicans and “it ain’t what we are used to folks”. Two days is a breeze or an adventure – but a lifetime? I was impressed with Jhonny’s family’s faith – I don’t know all of their theology and don’t care, but they have the mind of Christ in their hospitality to a stranger.
The same with Eddy my ‘personal taxi driver’ – He, with his bible on the dashboard, was more concerned about giving me a big discount (which I refused) than making a huge profit from an unknowing “Gringo”. He even offered to have me stay with his family on my next visit to Rachel.
Conclusion Part 1.a – I learned a lot from people living and being willing to share their faith and trust in ways I never imagined before. It was good for me. I believe it was beneficial for them as well.
Part 1.b – Visiting with a World Vision sponsored child an giving her a gift package.
Nicarys DeLacruz the young girl will receive her gift package sent with me by Joan Ford FBC,SF, however ,we (Cristian and I) were not able to make the delivery personally. We tried to set it up several times. The World Vision protocol calls for two months advanced notice to visit a sponsor child. In talking with them they were going to try to set it up anyway. Nicarys lives two hours out of Santo Domingo in a rural community not in the direction of Los Alcarrizzos where we were, so it would really disrupt her life to have her miss school etc. for a day to come into Santo Domingo to meet with us. It would have interrupted the CBOQYouth project for Cristian and I to take a day away also, so I opted not to impose on World Vision and Cristian.
Conclusion Part 1.b - The parcel will be delivered to Nicarys by World Vision.
Part 2 – CBOQYouth Mission to the DR March Break 2009.
62 youth and leaders will never be the same. You cannot participate in overseas mission without it changing you – no matter how many times you do it. As Dave Boelsma said in 2001 on mission in Guyana, “it’s not about the ceiling – is it – it’s about us” (referring to the work project of installing a ceiling in a church in Linden, Guyana).
It wasn’t about the 2 walls, the house foundation and the house roof , the school visits and playing sports with the DR kids – or my video taping/pictures – although that construction work was greatly needed and will have a huge impact on the lives of the two DR families receiving good accommodation and a complex for worship being started. The Dr kids will always remember beating the ‘Americanos’ in all the sports and having their faces painted and playing with balloons, stickers, etc., and receiving clothing, tooth brushes, school supplies and sports equipment.
It was really about the morning devotionals with Tim McCoy. It was about the evening worship with Cristian, Tim and Tanya, and team times and closing communion service with Tanya Khran. It was about finding God in a more personal way by travelling to another country to see God in the eyes of poverty stricken children, mothers trying to feed their families, fathers literally trying to put a foundation under the family’s feet, or a roof over their family’s head. It was more about changing the lives of the 62 team members than the physical work accomplished. I get the unique opportunity to record some of those changes as I get as many team members who wish to tell my camera (and the other team members when they all get the mission DVD) how God has impacted or changed their lives while on mission.
Conclusion for Part 2: Was the mission successful?
For those of you who read this who know someone who gave up their March Break 2009 to slug it out for a week in the DR (Student or Leader) ask them – or better yet, just watch them in their renewed continued walk with Christ. It might be a dramatic change for some and for some it may take years, but for all, as we each “Remember the DR” - nothing will ever be the same for us again.
Ron on my way home.
PS 9pm - and I made it to Toronto – home on Wednesday.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
March 22, 2009 Ramble #8
Ron’s Rambles - Dominican Republic - March 9 -25, 2009
Ramble 8 – Day 15 Sunday March 22, 2009. (see new blog pictures)
What a joy to sleep in to 7:30 and not hear the bell till 7:45am. As Cristian quietly walked past my room I hollered out that his singing was much better today. He laughed in his loud Dominican accented laugh.
Morning devotions with Tim, reflections on reflections and what do we do with what we can see pictured in our minds of this mission experience.
Breakfast at 8:30 am was French toast, salami and pineapple and papaya.
At 9:30 am we walked the 8-10 locks to the Canaan Church for morning worship. We sang Spanish worship songs with the worship band – drums, three female vocalists and three male vocalists/guitar players and the worship leader for an hour. Then the worship leader also preached the message in Spanish which was translated for us. The message in both languages was that when we offend another person we need to go to that person and apologise and ask forgiveness, because when we don’t we run the risk of harming the person we have offended because they may be hurt which might cause them to do something wrong in reaction.
After the walk back from church we had some free time before what we thought was our last camp meal – rice and beans, chicken, fried cornbread chips, salad and beets. At lunch a large cheer went up when Tim announced that we weren’t going home tonight. The 9:38 flight had been delayed till 1:59 am.
Folks in Canada were notified of the change of arrival to 6:30am at Pearson Airport – provided there were no more delays. So we had some more free/packing time. Cristian and I did some extra footage shooting for the DVD I am producing for him and then at 3pm we began our community prayer walk and dedication service at all of the community work sites and then we returned to camp for final packing for home.
At this point (5pm) I decided to abandon ship. My flight isn’t until 7:50 am n Tuesday morning. My plan had been to catch a ride to the hotel when the team headed to the airport. I am too tired (too many 2am rambles) to wait for the team to leave at 10 pm, drop me off and then for me to ramble & blog, so I said goodbye to the team and took a taxi to the hotel.
Once here, I started to ramble until Rob’s wife called in, Keesha tried, and then I had an email from Miranda’s dad about an outreach mission he is helping us at FBC, Smiths Falls on May 1, 2009. Then Nancy came on msn and we chatted a while, AS Cristian phone to tell me (laugh at me) that this time I left a my video camera battery and charger plugged in the wall. Rob is bringing it home for me.
Then I went to the buffet (Lee they had French fries) for my late night supper (10pm) and am back in my room trying real hard to be done today’s Ramble and blog done before midnight and my son William signed in msn for a while. It’s going to be touch and go for my midnight deadline.
Tomorrow, while “in transit” I will be sorting a couple thousand pictures and writing a summary of the two missions.
Remember my blog is set up at:
Website address is: www.ronfergusonrambles.blogspot.com
So, you can forward the Rambles to those not on my list that want it or you can give them the link to my DR Blog.
Ron With(out) the CBOQYouth team in the DR.
Ramble 8 – Day 15 Sunday March 22, 2009. (see new blog pictures)
What a joy to sleep in to 7:30 and not hear the bell till 7:45am. As Cristian quietly walked past my room I hollered out that his singing was much better today. He laughed in his loud Dominican accented laugh.
Morning devotions with Tim, reflections on reflections and what do we do with what we can see pictured in our minds of this mission experience.
Breakfast at 8:30 am was French toast, salami and pineapple and papaya.
At 9:30 am we walked the 8-10 locks to the Canaan Church for morning worship. We sang Spanish worship songs with the worship band – drums, three female vocalists and three male vocalists/guitar players and the worship leader for an hour. Then the worship leader also preached the message in Spanish which was translated for us. The message in both languages was that when we offend another person we need to go to that person and apologise and ask forgiveness, because when we don’t we run the risk of harming the person we have offended because they may be hurt which might cause them to do something wrong in reaction.
After the walk back from church we had some free time before what we thought was our last camp meal – rice and beans, chicken, fried cornbread chips, salad and beets. At lunch a large cheer went up when Tim announced that we weren’t going home tonight. The 9:38 flight had been delayed till 1:59 am.
Folks in Canada were notified of the change of arrival to 6:30am at Pearson Airport – provided there were no more delays. So we had some more free/packing time. Cristian and I did some extra footage shooting for the DVD I am producing for him and then at 3pm we began our community prayer walk and dedication service at all of the community work sites and then we returned to camp for final packing for home.
At this point (5pm) I decided to abandon ship. My flight isn’t until 7:50 am n Tuesday morning. My plan had been to catch a ride to the hotel when the team headed to the airport. I am too tired (too many 2am rambles) to wait for the team to leave at 10 pm, drop me off and then for me to ramble & blog, so I said goodbye to the team and took a taxi to the hotel.
Once here, I started to ramble until Rob’s wife called in, Keesha tried, and then I had an email from Miranda’s dad about an outreach mission he is helping us at FBC, Smiths Falls on May 1, 2009. Then Nancy came on msn and we chatted a while, AS Cristian phone to tell me (laugh at me) that this time I left a my video camera battery and charger plugged in the wall. Rob is bringing it home for me.
Then I went to the buffet (Lee they had French fries) for my late night supper (10pm) and am back in my room trying real hard to be done today’s Ramble and blog done before midnight and my son William signed in msn for a while. It’s going to be touch and go for my midnight deadline.
Tomorrow, while “in transit” I will be sorting a couple thousand pictures and writing a summary of the two missions.
Remember my blog is set up at:
Website address is: www.ronfergusonrambles.blogspot.com
So, you can forward the Rambles to those not on my list that want it or you can give them the link to my DR Blog.
Ron With(out) the CBOQYouth team in the DR.
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