What a year, huh?

For us, obviously, 2005 has been a wild ride.

From moving into the 5-bedroom ESTATE in Mountlake Terrace (just a stone’s throw from I-5) to living like gypsies from house-to-house in Mill Creek, Snohomish, and Edmonds, Washington and then FINALLY uprooting ourselves to a new continent entirely.

We sweated in Singapore.

Our feet got wet in Thailand.

We were under construction in Xining…

And now the year is nearly over. What a blur! I wonder what percentage of my year was spent in airplanes, hotels, and customs lines. It’s amazing that my daughters have already been in more countries in their combined 6 years of life than I had been in in my first 16 or so.

What an adventure.

Yesterday, as I was walking down our street (Ba Yi Lu, or in English, 8-1 street) listening to my Ipod I saw two Tibetan monks get out of a car. They looked a bit lost as they conversed and gazed at the building in front of them. I knew they were monks because of their maroon robes and short hair (what tipped me off?) As I approached one of the two gents gazed at me intently. I felt his stare burning through me as I passed. It felt like a mixture of suspicion, amazement, curiosity and shock. Has he ever seen a Western guy, I wondered. I can only predict what was going through their minds–I’m still too new here and obviously no mind reader. But it seemed like he may have been thinking along these lines.

A few paces ahead of me were a group of Muslim Chinese men looking at new cars for sale in front of a dealership. In their black suits and flat white hats they stared at the sticker prices and makes/models of the latest cars Xining has to offer. What contrasting realities, I thought to myself. Three different groups of humanity represented and passing one another on the street. Christians, Muslims, Buddhists. From different locations, worldviews, and ways of life. With different pursuits, expectations, and dreams. With so much differences all around me, it’s easy to wonder what the heck am I doing here?

But as the music reached a crescendo in my ears (my new favorite Dave Crowder song, "You are My Joy!") it was easy for me to feel a sense of purpose. The last 4 months here I have had a pervading (but inaudible) voice in my head, "You are right where I want you to be." That voice has made all the difference. In this diverse world I was born into (twice), God’s love saturates me. It saturates everything. He fills us with his joy as we pursue Him. I suddenly felt a great hope for my Tibetan and Muslim neighbors. I felt great and renewed hope for myself and for all those I love.

2005 was a good year.

You are my joy!
You are my joy!
You are my joy!

Happy New Year! May 2006 fill you with the increasing joy of Christ Jesus our Lord…