Jesus said to his disciples that the secrets of the kingdom of God had been given. And I'm under the very strong impression that Jesus is still in the business of opening eyes to see and ears to hear these very same mysteries.
Living Parables
Sheep for Surgery
When Ulan's nine-year-old sister needed her appendix out, you'd be surprised what his parents were required to do to ensure a successful surgery.
A Central Asian Birthday
We're all looking for something. We found it in a mud-brick house in the slums of a Central Asian capital.
Places Where Flowers Bloom: A Long Month
Tidal waves of raw emotion wash over me as I reach back into my memory and revisit our early days in this country. To be honest, a part of me doesn't want to tell the tales. Perhaps they'll disappear if I can just keep them locked away long enough. But I know it doesn't actually … Continue reading Places Where Flowers Bloom: A Long Month
Places Where Flowers Bloom: Meeting the Landlady
Introduction The melted snow in our yard left a mess of mud behind. Dead leaves, twigs, and apricot pits littered the ground. We were glad the snow was gone, but the brown death it had for so long covered was finally revealed. Then it began to rain. Puddles collected. The yard looked like chocolate soup. … Continue reading Places Where Flowers Bloom: Meeting the Landlady
Outlook’s Not Great
She had a big black mole on her cheek hugging her nose and was breastfeeding her newborn the entire time Laura was talking with her. They'd gone on a full two minutes before she asked Laura for money. She was from the south and spoke fast, and it was hard for Laura to understand her. … Continue reading Outlook’s Not Great
On Loving and Leaving and Getting Left Behind
The image of putting down roots is a beautiful one. The mightiest trees didn't appear overnight. Instead, day by day, they slowly sank their fibrous fingers down into the earth, drinking in the very essence of the soil in which they were planted, and converting that essence into a towering trunk, sprawling branches, wind-kissed leaves, … Continue reading On Loving and Leaving and Getting Left Behind
All The Things That Shouldn’t Be But Are
Bazaar workers shouldn't have to work all day long for peanuts. Their fingers, toes, and noses shouldn't freeze from the cold trapped in all the concrete and metal shipping containers that surround them. They shouldn't try to milk you for every last cent. Yet they do. A service called Drunk Taxi—no joke—shouldn't be a thing. … Continue reading All The Things That Shouldn’t Be But Are
Our Fingers Didn’t Freeze and Break Into Little Pieces
This past weekend temperatures plunged to -15 degrees F (-25 degrees C). We turned our gas furnace up. Then we turned it up again. We got dressed and put our bathrobes back on. Our friends asked if we could reschedule the get-together we had planned for Sunday because of how cold it was and because … Continue reading Our Fingers Didn’t Freeze and Break Into Little Pieces
Just Across the Table
He wasn't sitting more than two feet away from me. The seats at the coffee shop were comfortable. My latte was within arm's reach. And all I could think was that the intelligent, likable, well-educated young man across the table from me was hurtling full speed toward the edge of a cliff with a blindfold … Continue reading Just Across the Table