Don’t you love animals, scaly, furry, feathery, wet, dry, big or small? Pondside, I point out the floating frog to young Shumi. I chuckle over the parrot on Anwar’s shoulder. I stop by Ben’s home to see the big monitor lizard they caught, pat a cat’s head, run some veggie peels to the sheep. And I drift off to sleep comparing croaking frogs to orchestral instruments. “CheeeeCheeee.” They’re the piccalos. “Soo. Soo.” Yes, the clarinets.
The more I love you and see you in your greatness, The more, dearest, I see you in true light. The more I lower you, the less I seem to know you, Sometimes losing you, sometimes keeping you in sight. This spring day, with my mind enlightened, I see a vision I’ve never seen before: This world’s vanished; there’s nothing at all Before me only a vast ocean unfolds.
Thanks to the quick action of Dr. Heather Fowler, these twin boys are alive after their mother's membranes ruptured and the umbilical cord prolapsed. "Just happened" that she was at the hospital. "Just happened" that our doctor was close by. "Just happened" that an operating room and OR techs were available for a stat C-section.
It’s early morning. Sunbeams pierce through arching tree branches as our nurse-aide students walk in clusters toward Memorial Christian College of Health Sciences. Our MCCHS teachers love the opportunity to teach these capable Bangladeshi students. Daily the students grow in medical knowledge and ability. Under careful supervision they practice what they’ve been learning.
Two thousand years ago the apostle Paul knew the importance of financial accountability. He wrote, “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.” (2 Corinthians 8:20-21).
This Christmas I, a language student, have contemplated Jesus’ birth in a new way – with new understanding. He came not just a man but as a baby who had to learn to walk and talk.
Do you remember the Bible story of Abraham sacrificing his own dear son on an altar? At the last second, the angel of God shouted from heaven, “Abraham, stop!” Then Abraham saw a ram caught in the bushes nearby. God had provided the ram to use as a sacrifice instead of his son. Abraham was so happy. I’m sure his son was thankful too! Abraham renamed that place “The LORD will provide.”
Friday morning. Cool sunbeams. We scurry toward the church building. Dogs sleep in the churchyard. Kids wave. Friends smile greetings. A deacon clangs the metal oxygen tank that serves as a gong. People wrapped in shawls swarm in. Church begins with loud songs; misty air puffs from our mouths. Then the preacher compares the beautiful Bengali culture of hospitality to Jesus’ strange comments in John 6: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” I sit up straight. I gasp at the thought.
Mitu grabbed my hands and looked into my eyes. Her chin quivered as she asked, “Why didn’t you come to our home for Christmas?” (Oh, great. Well, we were kinda busy visiting myriads of other people, and hadn’t I just visited her a couple weeks ago?)
“I’m sad that I couldn’t come,” I answered, with a gentle, wistful smile.
“What good does your sadness do now?” she wondered. “I missed you then.”
TIME magazine has revealed 2014’s Persons of the Year: Ebola Fighters. We applaud their decision. 2014 had been a year of plague, fears, deaths, research, volunteers, quarantine, and slow hope. For good reason, Ebola fighters have been in the headlines and in media-debates. Ebola has been a major topic in US news. But frankly, we haven’t been thinking about it every day here in Bangladesh. A number of you, our dear friends and supporters, have asked valid questions, so we’ll address your concerns:
Don’t you love animals, scaly, furry, feathery, wet, dry, big or small? Pondside, I point out the floating frog to young Shumi. I chuckle over the parrot on Anwar’s shoulder. I stop by Ben’s home to see the big monitor lizard they caught, pat a cat’s head, run some veggie peels to the sheep. And I drift off to sleep comparing croaking frogs to orchestral instruments. “CheeeeCheeee.” They’re the piccalos. “Soo. Soo.” Yes, the clarinets.
The more I love you and see you in your greatness, 
Thanks to the quick action of Dr. Heather Fowler, these twin boys are alive after their mother's membranes ruptured and the umbilical cord prolapsed. "Just happened" that she was at the hospital. "Just happened" that our doctor was close by. "Just happened" that an operating room and OR techs were available for a stat C-section.
It’s early morning. Sunbeams pierce through arching tree branches as our nurse-aide students walk in clusters toward Memorial Christian College of Health Sciences. Our MCCHS teachers love the opportunity to teach these capable Bangladeshi students. Daily the students grow in medical knowledge and ability. Under careful supervision they practice what they’ve been learning.
Two thousand years ago the apostle Paul knew the importance of financial accountability. He wrote, “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.” (2 Corinthians 8:20-21).
This Christmas I, a language student, have contemplated Jesus’ birth in a new way – with new understanding. He came not just a man but as a baby who had to learn to walk and talk.
Do you remember the Bible story of Abraham sacrificing his own dear son on an altar? At the last second, the angel of God shouted from heaven, “Abraham, stop!” Then Abraham saw a ram caught in the bushes nearby. God had provided the ram to use as a sacrifice instead of his son. Abraham was so happy. I’m sure his son was thankful too! Abraham renamed that place “The LORD will provide.”
Mitu grabbed my hands and looked into my eyes. Her chin quivered as she asked, “Why didn’t you come to our home for Christmas?” (Oh, great. Well, we were kinda busy visiting myriads of other people, and hadn’t I just visited her a couple weeks ago?)
