MIDLIFE CRISES!

With women it's called menopause, but with us men its referred to as "Midlife Change" or "Midlife-Crises" and I've seen it happen. A man gets about middle age and decides he can d better, so he dumps his wife and kids, buys a new motorcycle and drives off into the sunset with his secretary.

Something like that.

Well, my midlife crises came a little late. Real late. In my 80's ... to be exact in my 84th year.

My late life crises is called retirement.

As I'm not really into being retired, I'm making a new start in ministry. Late I am, but new it will be. Wow! Retired. Flying on my own wings once again.

I'm no longer Spectrum and Spectrum is no longer me. This afternoon we made a clean amiable break. Spectrum was more than kind in giving me a package of my salary ($1,500 per month) as well as my medical insurance.

Now to continue in Ministry.

Happy as I am to have my salary taken care of, I now have to pull together some of my friends to provide me with prayer and ministry money to continue helping me support the poor and in many cases the desperate. Yesterday it was Spectrum's money, today it will be what money I can generate.

You can send your comments and checks (made out to DeAnza Community Church) to:

Pastor Von

1043 Emma Drive.
Cardiff, CA 92001

If you don't need a tax exemption, simply write a check to:

Pastor Von

1043 Emma Dr.
Cardiff, CA 92001

Or, you can donate though our new web site at http://ministry.pastorvon.com/

GOOD LORD! MY CAR'S AN ALCOHOLIC!

I can't pass a gas station without my car urging me to go in for just a little more juice.

On one of my first trips to Brazil I noted two interesting things, first, was the fact that almost every vehicle I saw was a Volkswagen and second, all of them were rolling alcoholics!

Brazil has plenty of sugar cane and from this cane they make alcohol and a good portion of this alcohol goes to fueling their vehicles.

I was content to leave that to Brazil; I prefer the old fashion fossil-fuel. I might add I flew home on a fossil fueled plane.

I live in the bankrupt State of California where each summer they split our fuel with alcohol. You can smell it at the pump as you watch your numbers spin ever higher. The benefits of this summer mix are two. First, the price is higher for this mix, and second it gives you less mileage ... oh yes, and it's been proven that the summer fuel mix doesn't help the environment that much. So much for the mix. (Cheers for the corn farmers, they win.)

Drinking while driving is dangerous enough without driving a drinking car.

Like I said; its summer and my car has become an alcoholic and can hardly pass a gas station or even a bar without wanting to turn in ... for ... just a little more.

FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS

As a youngster in California I lived near several beaches. I found the "board-walk" an interesting place. The board-walk at the beaches I lived near was a walkway of wooden boards above the sand. Each board laying side by side was about a half-inch from the next one.

Crawling under the board-walk wasn't hard and afforded a nice shady spot where a variety of small stuff would fall. There was always an interesting scattering of trash and on occasion, treasure. Under the board-walk were gum wrappers and chewed gum, candy, cigarette butts; anything less than a half an inch, gravity would claim and it would fall to the lowest level.

With the trash there would be the occasional penny, nickel or dime ... if it was a very lucky day.

The world in which I minister is indeed below the social board-walk. Yesterday was a day interacting with the lowest and most hurting social level. A day in which the only hope was the sunshine that came from far above the board walk.

The call was "von, can you get my son into an orphanage?"

I entered the small room and met the "family" of three. Mom, her boyfriend and tall slender Alex, her twelve year old son. Alex is quite honest about his past and that he's homosexual and a thief ... and has run away from two other orphanages. Abused since age eight there isn't much left for this twelve year old. The two want him out ... not only out of the bed all three sleep in, but out of the house (room.)

I watched the boy as they listed his failures. He sat quiet, and motionless, accepting the truthful abuse. Alex is on his way to becoming worthless trash working the lowest level of society.

As happy and carefree as the traffic above, is the lonely pain below. Alex has fallen through.

God sees Alex as treasure, society sees him as trash!

Orphanage? No orphanage will take a chance with a kid like Alex.

Please pray for us as we work this seemingly hopeless strata.

We care because He cares.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

At my age, I'm classed as a senior citizen, on Social Security, and of course, I'm on a limited income. So when the BIG day comes, my annual Birthday, I have to limit my spending. I have to be responsible.

What does a senior citizen really need to put together a real, yet conservative party of one?

A von Birthday kit ... and that's what I got!

I knew I needed a fire extinguisher and fortunately I had one in my garage. On an occasion such as this one needs to consider safety. Fire. Flame. You know!

Well, I thought it over and made a trip to the dollar store a few blocks away to make some responsible purchases. Now the dollar store is full of great and colorful Chinese bargains and indeed one is tempted.

Now what did I need?

A Birthday Cake! To be honest, a simple cup-cake would do, nothing large and of course a candle to symbolize the 84 plus years I've been around ... I couldn't find the old fashioned kind, so a survival candle will have to do. Lets face it, a candle is a candle. A large box of matches, as I have a little trouble getting a match to burn.

I picked up an inexpensive little silly birthday hat to liven up the party. An atmosphere thing.

Oh yeah, I got a card this year, thought I would include it in the photo!

Well, the party was going well until the burning candle fell down and lit the box of matches. Truthfully it was quite exciting for a short time ... At my age almost anything is exciting! I had to use the extinguisher, which pretty well blew the party away!

Hope it works out better next year ... if I'm still around.

MAN OF GOD SCREWS UP

Sunday I was slowly driving in Tijuana's Red-light district, which we call "The North Zone". (Zona Norte) I was to preach in a local Church called "The Rock" (La Roca) I love that Church and preach there about once a month.

I was about to make a right turn, when I noticed a policeman watching me. Oh! Oh! My seat belt! "Oh Lord help me!!" I quickly tried to buckle it, but he caught me, red lights and all ... he pulled me over! "You didn't have your seat-belt on did you?" (By then I had it on!) Well, I couldn't lie, after all I'm a Christian and to be preaching in about ten minutes. "No sir I replied." "You know that's against the law here," he said. "But officer I was traveling so slow ..." "He interrupted me." I'll have to give you a ticket." Looking sad and about to cry! "But Officer, I'm to be preaching at LaRoca Church over here, and I pointed; in about ten minutes, this will make me late." "Well, the Officer replied ... there is a Police station near the Church."

I sat, there defeated, looking old, sad, and pathetic.

The Officer broke the silence. "Maybe we can work things out..." Cheers! I was waiting for that statement. I said " How much will a thing like this cost me?" As I was saying this he slipped a small notebook on top of my instrument panel. I looked pained, "But officer I have only ten dollars on me." and I started reaching into my pocket.

I heard him say "Ten dollars? That won't make much of a breakfast."

Well, I thought I only had a ten ... BUT, NO ... it was a twenty!

"Oh Man! I said, it's a twenty. He smiled and replied. "That will make a much better breakfast" and he took the twenty! I looked at the twenty, and the smiling officer, and asked if he had change, he said no! (I really asked him that!) We left on good terms. I put the seat belt on for the next three blocks.

I was on time. The sermon was good ... even though it was delivered by an apprehended criminal who committed a serious crime.

I've worked in Mexico for half a century. I understand Mexico. Mexico is corrupt completely, from the top down to the cop on the street ... but it's sort of an honest corruption. I can work with it, I understand it.

Have a nice breakfast Officer, you've been working hard.

I happen to be a citizen of good clean Christian America. Where there is just as much corruption if not more, but it's an invisible and dishonest corruption. We paint our corruption over with a convenient Judio-Christian whitewash and pretend it doesn't exist.

I shouldn't blame our Cops ... as city employees, they do all they can to bring in lots and lots of revenue!

LINK IN A CHAIN

Dear Pastor von,

I'm heading out to work, so I'll be short.

Words cannot express the gratitude we feel as we are reminded of how you opened God's Word to us when we were young.

The excitement has never diminished, even though many years have passed.

Even this morning, one of our grandchildren said to me "Poppy, I want to have God in my heart." She folded her little hands and said "dear Jesus ... please come into my heart."

 ... It was so thrilling to have been there.

You are a very important link in the chain of Faith in our family.

God Bless you Pastor von, Rob and Carol Van Horn.

My reply:

Early in life I made a decision to cancel out of the traditional life of marriage, kids and family and dedicate my life, and time, to God's work. I figured I could do this better being single. Looking back, I don't think I've made a mistake, even though at 83, I have no family as such, and in that sense, I look forward to a rather lonely future. Out-living many of my peers produces a strange sort of lonely feeling too. (Being this old is new to me.)

Letters and notes like this are a real encouragement, and remind me that I'm actually not alone; I'm indeed part of a larger family. A spiritual father to some, even grandfather to others. What a privilege to be "a link in a chain of faith" in a family's life. A sweet letter indeed.

Thanks Rob and Carol! You didn't just make my day, you made my whole week!

DAVID'S SURGERY UPDATE

A little update on our boy David and his mom way down in huge Mexico City. As you might remember David's surgery by a leading specialist would be free if we could get him to the Doctor's Hospital in Mexico City. We made it possible for David and his mother to fly down early so his doctor could make some last minute checks. David's mother was praying that his long six hour surgery would be finished successfully.

For three days after the major abdominal surgery, it was touch and go. He was hooked up to tubes, David developed a high fever and high-blood pressure ... and was in a lot of pain. His doctor works closely with him and will supervise some further work here in Tijuana.

We're all thankful now that David's doing better and is out of intensive care. He's in a different facility but is in constant contact with his doctor.

It will be a few more weeks and tests, until he will be able to return home. Thanks so much for your prayers ... oh, and little Maribel caught up with me this morning in Laguna. She pulled me down and gave me a big kiss, saying thank you ... and she walked to school. So I pass her kiss on to you who deserve it!

FRANCISCO'S TURN!

His family called on us to help and he was one of our Bible Clubbers.

You might remember reading my post "HEAD FIRST" last December 7th. Teenage Francisco crashed headfirst into a pole! The resulting damage crushed his skull, blinded his left eye and left him slightly crippled. His heart stopped twice as he was being operated on. So Francisco has been through a lot.

They are very poor and the bill for a plastic-cap to be placed over his brain was over a thousand dollars. The government will pay for his surgery. To finance this cap the family begged, scrounged and borrowed all they could from everyone they knew, and they were still short hundreds of dollars. We couldn't say no, so we put in the rest of the dollars to complete the bill.

It's been over a year now. It seems it was very difficult to locate the special plastic to create the cap. Now it's ready.

This afternoon his mother proudly handed me the payment receipt for the plastic-cap and said that the surgery date was set for May 15th. There are still more expenses so the family is selling candy Apples to get some extra money.

They are so grateful for our help which made it possible to get him this surgery and cap. (We're hoping the Candy Apples sell! )

When I asked how Francisco was feeling about his up-coming surgery. His mother was a little hesitant in her reply. "Francisco wants to cancel the surgery ... he's afraid!" Forming the plastic to his brain and placing it over his open brain is indeed a critical surgery. But the family says they will go ahead with the surgery.

His mother asks for our prayers.

OUTREACH?

No, I don't believe in outreach ... and I never have. A few years ago outreach became a popular term ... it came blazing into the Church and before we knew it there were outreaches everywhere. It's still a popular activity ... It's still a popular term!

Back then it sounded so new, so good and so healthy and so out, rather than In!

It seems to me today's Church has always been an outreach Church; that is, the Church reaches out to bring people intoThe building, into the service, into the Believers activities.

"A bring 'em in Church" to teach them a "GO YE" Gospel? This is a paradox at best.

While outreach isn't altogether bad, it isn't altogether what the Lord's Church is all about.

Admittedly I'm using "outreach" in its literal sense; the act of reaching out from where we are to bring people to us; if that's what outreach is, the Church has been doing that for years. What's new about outreach?

As to myself, I'm more of a go-out person than a reach-out person.

Healthier by far is GOING to the need and minister, rather than ask the needy to come to you and be ministered to.

Healthier by far is taking the Gospel to those in darkness rather than pulling a few from their dark world into the light of our nice Church building to hear our preacher present the Gospel.

Be it the Gospel, or ministry ... the Church's calling is to SPREAD OUT rather than reach out. GO YE!

AS A KID SEES IT

It was Pizza night and I had just finished eating a slice of pizza at La Roca's small orphanage in Zona Norte, when Victor came over to me and thanked me for his glasses. He didn't have his glasses on at the time. His thanks threw me off guard. Glasses? Then I remembered; some weeks ago several of the kids in the orphanage needed glasses and Pepe, the Director, asked for our help. Victor, about eleven, was really happy because now he could see the blackboard in his school classroom. Hopefully grades will improve accordingly.

No one prompted him to thank me. It was sincere. It was spontaneous and, well, it was Victor, a cute little boy that appreciated his new glasses. Several of the kids now have their glasses. They look very intellectual, and well ... pretty cool!

Often I've mentioned that I get the thanks you deserve; not that I mind ... but so grateful for you who make it possible.

In the "little-things department" I might mention the five teeth Pepe gave me; each wrapped in a small piece of paper and closed with scotch tape. The younger kids save their teeth until I return because I give them a dollar for their tooth. (Mexico has a tooth-mouse ... but these days he's very poor!) Later that evening little Freddy came up to me with a big smile and handed me a very small bloody-tooth.

He finally got it out!

WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD

Do you ever wonder what happens to your old tires? Almost everywhere you look in my world you will see tires. I don't mean tires on cars but old tires from old cars. Well used American tires. In these barrios of the poor, tires may form the foundation of a house or tires placed on the roof that keep it from blowing away. Many tires create walls or fences.

The most difficult tires to negotiate are old tires that form stairs. Up and down the hillsides tire stairs become a common essential. Dusty in the summer and slippery in the winter.

When we go to visit a family, their shanty is often perched high on the side of a hill with a long line of tire stairs leading to the doorway. Of course when you go up, then you have to come back down and that's the hard part. (Click Photo Above)

Flexible stairs with no handrail is getting a little dangerous for this old man. Stairs like these look daunting when you're in the eighties ... thanks for your prayers for me.

Take another look at these stairs; imagine bringing a load of groceries or gallons of water up to your house, or worse, a heavy tank of propane.

Our ministry is going to the people rather than having them come to us, consequently these conditions become a norm to us. However meeting people where they are; meeting them in their homes we know the truth about what's going on in these houses and communities. We know where the needs are ... and how to direct your giving.

JESUS CHECKS IT OUT

Things were falling apart in Jesus world. A year ago he had quit school to help his mother scavenge metal, cardboard and glass to eke out a living for his five brothers and sisters. The police are searching for his step-father and when caught, he'll be in for a long time.

Pedrigal, the boy's barrio, is as tough as they get. Jesus, 13, and his mother want him to get an education. They talked to me about getting Jesus into an orphanage. One less mouth to feed yet one less kid to help scrounge trash; In their lives a major decision.

I held him by his shoulders, looked him in the eye and asked, "Are you serious about this Jesus?" "Si Pastor von." "Jesus I want you and your mother to think on this a few days and I'll be back to take you to an orphanage, so you can check it out."

He gave me a big hug, which I wasn't expecting from a "cool" thirteen year old boy.

Yesterday we dropped by and he was ready to check the orphanage out. He got into the back seat of my car. I don't think he had ever been in a nice car like mine, he sure checked it all out. I gave him a pair of sunglasses so he could look cool.

Children of Promise Orphanage has a great collection of kids;

Julian and Jesus checked it all out.

"Lets go back so you and your mom can make this decision. Then let us know what you decide." We returned him to his downstairs shack, promising him that we'll be back in a couple of days for his decision.

If he goes, it will be the best decision for him;

For us it will mean more help for her and the other four kids as they struggle for food. Indeed life is a struggle for so many of our people.

A QUIET DEATH

"Von, there's a family that wants you to visit them."

So we headed a few blocks down the road to see them. We walked carefully through the small front yard while Philip's mother, Alecia, held on to their Pit Bull guard dog. We filed into the open door to their small two-room shanty. Philip, a tall good looking sixteen year-old walked into the room along with Paul his thirteen year-old brother. They are not in school.

Alecia attends two of Spectrum's big food give-away days every month. She has to travel quite a distance for the few vegetables she gets. They are very poor. Her husband brings very little money home. Alecias trying to feed the family of eight a better diet. On the stove she had a small pot of vegetables cooking and some corn tortillas on the table.

The evening meal.

Her son Philip, as young as he is, is a serious diabetic! He has to have two insulin shots a day. Also he cannot hear .. it's been a year now without hearing.

Well, as we talked we found that the free insulin Philip was getting from the General Hospital was no longer available, and they had no money to buy more. I sat at the table holding the two empty bottles while trying to explain to Alecia what would happen if he doesn't get his shots on time ... disorientation; an insulin coma and death. I hope I scared her.

We left the family some money both for Philip's insulin and food for all.

In my travels I always ask the Lord to get the money to the right needs, and this was yesterdays answer.

BRIAN'S TOP

I gave Brian a new plastic top! I haven't seen someone so happy in years! He actually jumped up and down in joy.

Just a little $1.20 plastic top!

Brian, his little sister and brother are road-workers ... that is, they have one shovel between them and they fill up chuck-holes in the long winding road that leads to barrio Ijido ... Lets face it, great potential ... the dirt road is nothing BUT chuck-holes. The little girl holds out a can hoping for someone to donate a few pesos.

They know my car and run out to meet me. I generally give them a chocolate bar and sometimes a dollar.

The whole family of seven, including mother, work in two different locations, filling holes and looking for donations. That's their work. That's their living. Indeed they are dirt poor.

I've met their mother and the kids. I've been to their small, rather stark house. One big bed. Roof leaks when it rains.

Brian is only 13. He's not in school, he has to work the road. Money comes hard. Mom's seven months pregnant and not able to work the road for a while.

So now it's up to Brian and his brother and sisters to keep the family in food. (Anyone want to help on food, shoes and schooling?)

Brian was bare-foot and wearing old torn and dirty pants.

But that top! That little top, made it all worth while.

Life is great when you're a kid ... and get a top!

THE TRINITY OF TENSE; PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

As much as we would like to re-live the past or even alter the past we can't. The past is locked by Divine decree. Every minute that passes forms into a fixed history. The past does not vanish it simply appears again as history.

As much as we would like to know the future, we can't; it too is locked tight. We can predict, but never know for sure.

We are forced to live in the now ... the moving present. The fluid in-between of past and future. The measured ticking of twenty-four hours is the sound of the simple span of now.

What I do now won't alter the past, but it will alter my future and can alter the greater future.

The future is always coming at its consistent, divinely measured speed; whether we like it or not.

I need the simple skill of seeing and taking the opportunities presented me to build the future I want.

Lord, I need your wisdom.

ENERGY

Let's face it, music carries with it a unique energy. Today people are not only attracted to energy and hungry for energy, but we are actually addicted to energy . . in any form, in any way we can get it.

There is platform energy. "Entertainment energy" is another form of transferable energy. Singers, bands, groups ... secular music is a great example of a popular source of what I call, platform energy. Dynamic personalities, dynamic beat, add to the projected energy. (Lyrics? No way!)

Good question: Why do you or I like the music and musical groups we like? What do we get from the music? For an example, why do we prefer a live outdoor concert to a simple CD or DVD? Could it be projected energy?

The transfer of energy from the platform to the seat ... the performers to the hearer. A growing phenomena. We love it and we pay big bucks for it!

A truly vicarious experience; a vicarious transfer of energy by music ... by beat.

This is true even in listening to speakers or preachers. Why do we prefer a moving dynamic speaker to a statue like academic speaker. Of course the content is important ... but "dynamic" satisfies an inner energy hunger. The dynamic speaker transfers energy to his audience. He's a giver, we're takers. He's there to give we're there to take.

We travel miles simply to get a charge, by a big name charger.

Caution! The medium of secular "energy" music, can be caught by the Church ... misunderstood and misused. Caution! Culture can invade and corrupt the simplicity of honest worship in our Lord's Church. Synthetic man made energy vs God's Holy energy.

Have I a point here?

Man made energy is less expensive and sadly ... often more to our liking.

THERMOSTATS

We all know about thermostats. There are thermostats in cars, homes and of course Churches have thermostats too. Temperature controllers. Ah man's technology!

Our church was small, and we had a lot to learn ... one lesson was where to locate the thermostat. Well, at first our Sanctuary thermostat was available to all and we never gave it much thought.

The location and thermostat soon became a tricky problem, we found everyone seemed to have a different opinion on what was a comfortable temperature.

A couple of ladies with "hot flashes" thought it was always too warm so they felt a liberty to cool the ambient temperature down ... and they did. It was too cool for old Richard and Florence, so they warmed it up a bit. For skinny people it seemed always too cool and for heaver people it always seemed too warm. They all took a turn at adjusting our thermostat.

It seemed we all had a different idea of what the temperature of the Church should be.

We had to re-think the thermostat issue.

I think you can see where I'm going here ...

A long time ago the Lord checked on the temperature of His Laodicean Church. Their thermostat was set at "Tepid" ... or lukewarm! ... and they were all perfectly comfortable

The Lord's reaction to their setting? "You have become comfortably lukewarm" ... continue in this temperature and "I will vomit you out of my mouth!" (Rev: 3:16)

I was thinking about tepid, lukewarm, and even vomit! They all have one thing in common ... they're each the temperature of flesh! The temperature of man.

There are plenty of Churches today who's thermometer is set at that comfortable flesh setting everyone enjoys ... lukewarm!

Even thinking about Holy fire bothers us.

It's no secret that God's desired temperature for His Church is Red Hot! Fire hot! After all, His Church started in flames (Acts: 1:1-4)

Isn't it time we let the Lord re-set the thermostat in His

Churches ... and learn to enjoy a new Holy heat wave!

Amen?

GOTCHA!

What is it you and I cant live with or can't live without? The answer is simple;

Its gravity!

Gravity binds us to earth and that's fortunate as there would be countless multitudes of us floundering in space along with rocks boulders and space junk, Gravity's job is to pin us to earth and for sure, gravity is determined to plant us there too.

Today, at 84, it seems a gallon of water weighs more than it did when I was twenty. Gravity power seems to increase the older we get. We may fight gravity for a while but the victor will ultimately be ... gravity.

Who of us will escape its influence alive?

As the years slowly pass, our bodies gradually show the effect of the 24/7 gentle and constant pull of gravity. From jowls and skin that hangs, to bulging varicose veins, even boobs; as we age everything starts to hang!  The body slumps into that old man 'S' shape.

At home we sit quietly in our easy chair; each day finding it more difficult to get the old body up and going. 

Ah Gravity, indeed you'll get the last laugh.

LITTLE ONE EYE

Osvoldo is too little to lose an eye. He was only two. But he did, and they called on us for help, and we helped on his surgery and new eye. The family of six were so thankful. Teresa particularly.

The months have passed now and the father lost his job; things got worse inside their one room shack and he just couldn't take it, so from alcohol it went to drugs and then to hard drugs. Soon he sold the big bed that several of them slept in, then it was the little T.V then their propane stove ... what's next? What's left? Now they are all sleeping on the floor and mom's cooking outside using the paper and wood she finds as fuel. No schooling for the kids any more. Teresa's shy, she didn't ask us for help. How would you walk away from a situation like that?

Does this paragraph of text above frustrate you?

The story, which is much more than just text; frustrates us too! Do we get this family another bed? Will he sell it too? A new stove? Will he sell it? How do we help? One thing for sure ... they need food! And schooling.

We always appreciate your prayers as we enter situations like this. We need ... Compassion! Understanding, Wisdom! ... and yes, money!

Dust

Our young Church was a small group of people and just starting to grow; we held our meetings in a neighborhood house. Mr. and Mrs. Stringer's home hosted the Church. Their living room was the sanctuary while the bedrooms and back-yard played their part as the Sunday School areas.

One afternoon I was sitting in the Rosenberger's home talking with Eileen while nonchalantly doodling/fingering in the dust on the magazine table in front of me. When I realized what I was doing I became embarrassed. Admittedly their home always looked a little unorganized and a bit dusty ... it looked like it was lived in.

Eileen worked as part time secretary at an aircraft company. Bob her husband was a mechanic. They had two young children; one of their children was handicapped. Both Eileen and Bob were super active in our church. Eileen was the church secretary, a Sunday school teacher, Choir director, church pianist, a youth sponsor and my secretary as Youth Worker. Bob was active in other areas including teaching a Sunday-School class. On special church occasions, like a Church work-day, Eileen and Bob would be in charge of preparing the food for all workers.

Did the family suffer for its dedication? No, the Rosenberger family was healthy and happy. The kids? They turned out fine.

That dust on the table taught me a lesson in priorities.

Bob and Eileen had their priorities right and their priorities didn't include a super neat and clean house here on earth.