Two for the Road: August 4th, 2013

Woke up groggy and moving slow. Had spent the latter part of the evening researching churches in Berea - there are at least 30 churches and my head was starting to spin. We went over to the office to ask if they knew when the service was at the camp, but the two people working there didn't know. So we went back to the RV and went online again.

One church sort of stood out because of the name...River of Life, a Foursquare Church - found out it represented Jesus as the Savior, the Healer, the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and the Soon-Coming King.

It was 10am. The service was at 10:30 and just 5 minutes away, so we decided to go there.

We came in, sat in the back. It was fairly crowded. A few people greeted us. And then it began. This church radiated joy - they were full of life and excited about worship and the work they are doing, in their own congregation and in the world. The leader of the music ministry was so energetic and had the greatest smile on her face as she sang!

They had just finished VBS week and the theme was Love for the Nations. The whole congregation cheered even before it was announced that the children raised $212 dollars to make sign language Bibles for countries in Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania). The kids and teachers - about 20 in all, then came up in front and did a song in sign language (narrated) with a young boy (who was in the music ministry) playing bongo drums. They then showed a film of people who were recipients of the sign language Bibles - who signed songs, moving to the vibrations of the drums. Awesome.

The church has a couple that are currently doing missionary work in Costa Rica and a program that promotes hosting young people from other countries, to give them a family connection while they attend college at Berea.

This week there was a guest speaker. Kris Russell and his wife Kathy are part of the Wycliffe Bible Translator Missionaries. They attended a service in Oregon where they are from, many years ago and realized they wanted to be a part of this organization. Back in the 80's there were over 6000 languages in the world and around 3000 of them didn't have Bibles in their language. In 1995 they went with their two young children to Papua New Guinea which is near Australia. They stayed there for 10 years. It took about three years to learn the language. Their children picked it up quicker than them! Kris's background is a graphic artist. As he spoke today, he used colored chalk on a black board to create a picture, stopping at times to focus in on each story he told us about (we had no idea what it would be until his story had unfolded near the end). The people of this country's ancestors were cannibals. Since they no longer practice this (which they were very happy about!) the population has doubled so there are many, many dialects among the different groups.

They met this young man, I think his name was Erz, who had contracted polio and could only walk in a crab-like position with his hands and feet. The leader of Kris and Kathy's group had begun to befriend him and Erz was so excited, he began to help translate the Bible into his language and would spend 6-8 hours a day working on it. When he would sit in front of his home, he would call out to passers-by and evangelize to them. This one group of young men kept shouting at him to shut up. He continued. They threatened to kill him, and he said, "Go ahead, I will be happier in heaven than here!" They continued to taunt him, but finally went away. So the Russell's go to the Bible Celebration in the town, and their leader says "You see this large group of people eager to attend?" "Yes." "See the group in the front of the line?" "Yes". "This is the group of young men that threatened to kill Erz!" Awesome...

There was a Banaro man. He would be outside, gathering sticks, sharpen one end and then bring them inside. So their leader was curious. He asked the man if he could come inside. He saw all the sticks imbedded in the wall. "Why do you put the sticks in the wall?" "These are pay back sticks"...all the people who had done him wrong that he was going to get even with. "Are any of them for me?" "No." There was a lot of fear, stealing and warfare among this man's people. Their leader began to speak with him about hope (there was no word for that in his language), Jesus and how God removes the sticks from the wall. They began a translation in the Banaro man's language. His village now calls God "the Remover of Sticks".

Kris explained how today there are over 7000 languages in the world, and asked "How many are English? One! Yet we have at least 400 different translations!"

At one point in their stay in the village, their son became ill - he had cerebral malaria, which could cripple him...he could die. While they waited for their leader to come, the people wanted to help. So they put the boy in the middle of the village and covered him with damp cloths - to keep down the fever. The leader arrived and thought the worst had happened because he was entirely covered! He was brought to a medical facility and thank God recovered. He is now at Stanford getting his doctorate in environmental engineering!

During their 10 years there with the Wycliffe Bible organization, the New Testament was translated into 63 languages and over 5000 Papua New Guinea people now have access to the Bible in their own language.

Whatever happened in their journey, Kris just kept saying "I'm available". And he challenged everyone in the church to do the same...and "watch the adventure begin!"

Kathy, Kris and one of their granddaughters...

I can rightly say, this was quite an amazing morning!

We decided to go to the next town north of Berea and hit a Starbucks. (Yay!)

It was so nice to be together we decided to make a day of it. We headed to the town south of Berea, called Renfro Valley - home of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame!
Yee-haw!

It was a modest, but informative and entertaining experience!

Steven Curtis Chapman was inducted in April of this year!

There were movies, costumes, memorabilia...great stuff!

The "Father of Bluegrass" playing an F-Style mandolin...

Saw Joan Osborne at Stephen's Talkhouse out in Amagansett many years ago...she was absolutely amazing!

Love this dress!!

This display was neat - you could stand in front of one instrument and it would begin to play. Then you move in front of another instrument and that one is added on, and you continue until all of them are playing - mimicking a bluegrass band playing solos!

My first piano was a an old player piano. It didn't have the rolls or the pedals though...that would've been pretty cool.

Well we didn't expect this place to be so chock full of history...we really enjoyed it!

Greg got some new strings for his mandolin and I got me a fancy fly swatter!

The lady at the Welcome center yesterday had mentioned that there was a third artisan area in Berea, so we drove back to Berea in search of it...made a wrong turn, but found....!

Greg on the phone...but not for work! With family!!

Wow, the jeep looks pretty clean from a distance!

Forgot to mention, the other day after picking Greg up we were following a group of cars that were behind a painting truck - they were painting double yellow lines - we didn't drive on the double yellow lines - but we got bright yellow paint all over the left wheels and inside the wheel fenders! Yuck!

Found the art center. There were no demonstrations of crafts today, but we wandered around the shop that sold the artisans wares...and I ask one lady at the cashier and she says I can take pics of whatever I want! Amazing!

This artist's work was just beautiful. The wood was so smooth - the two larger hats were actually wearable size!

This artist's write-up was up so high...just held camera above my head and clicked - glad most of it can be read!

2000 gourds!!

Yeah, they have a World Chicken Festival in Kentucky! In Laurel County, home of Colonial Sanders first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant!

A sock monkey??

Yes, you are correct! That IS bacon in a artisan center!

And last, but not least...

I found out there are 12 hands...the rest are somewhere in town!!

Finally remembered to ask about the designs I've been seeing on buildings...

...there's actually a quilt trail that weaves through Kentucky!

Greg hadn't walked around the main part of town, so we headed back, hoping to go in the dulcimer shop, but it was closed...

We would have loved to see this artist at work!

Found out more about Berea College...
In 1855 the settlers built a one room school in this area. The founder, Reverend Fee, was a crusader against slavery. He believed in a school that would be an advocate of equality and excellence in education for men and women of all races. A prominent leader Cassius Clay offered Fee ten acres to settle on.

Fee built an anti-slavery church called Berea from Acts 17:10-11, a town whose populace was open-minded and receptive to the Gospel.

In 1859, they were driven away from their land by pro-slavery sympathizers. They returned in 1865 and by 1869 the college was established! In 1904, interracial education was overturned by the government. And finally, in 1950 the law was amended. Fee's vision became a reality that has blossomed into an amazing college that also opens its doors to the entire world. Fantastic. Also found out ALL students who attend are given a 4 year scholarship. Room, board, books, etc. fees are determined by what each student can afford. Great program.