Tuesday 25th June I woke in good time to be able to pack all my things, strip my bed and tidy my room. I shared prayer liturgy with Adam and Michael, had breakfast – did some last minute washing! - and I was all ready some time before Wes Magruder arrived. It was great just to be able to relax for a while and catch my breath and energy before the next stage of my journey. Wes arrived in good time and we talked around a number of things and he showed me the video he had taken of me doing stand-up story telling on the ‘Naked Stage’, on the ‘Open Mic’ the other evening at the ‘Union Cafe’. I had not been sure how it had gone, so was grateful to see it seems to have come across OK. Soon it was time to head towards the airport. We drove into the city to return some books to ‘Barnes & Noble’ bookstore; then we got a quick lunch before our final stop at ‘Dallas Fort Worth International’. As we drove Wes talked to me about his work with refugees and the ‘Daraja’ (meaning ‘bridge’ in Swahili) programme he has founded, working to help them settle in and receive all the help that can be given them to weave them into their local community – really great stuff. We arrived at DFW and it was tough saying “Goodbye”; considering Wes and I had only met 7-days before, but now we are firm friends, found that we shared so much in common, but with a sense that there are strong links for building into the future. Being ‘processed’ at DFW was as straightforward as could be expected. I never quite get used to it (though I have had enough practice that is for sure!). It is always just a relief to stand the other side of the x-ray machine putting my shoes on. I was in good time, so I found my departure gate, took a seat and started reading a book, with a good hour and a half to wait. But that was fine because the book was good! As is so often the case the plane didn’t leave on time but wasn’t too late either. We finally got on board, the usual routines played out and we were airborne. The flight was only 2 hours and 45 minutes long and we arrived at Los Angeles perhaps even a little early – so a good flight indeed! Having retrieved my big case from the reclaim carousel, I was soon standing at the exit door waiting to be picked up by two friends, Sue and Hyun Hur, with whom I had only spoken to on Skype previously. They are Korean Anabaptists and are keen to begin a grassroots-based Christian / Anabaptist learning programme in Korean across North America, in South America and within Korea itself. We have spoken (as I said) on Skype several times, they have seen our Workshop material on line; they are also reading my book. They are seriously considering whether to follow the ‘Workshop model’ in achieving their aims. The plan was that they would pick me up from LAX - along with their children - take me to a restaurant where we would all meet up with Tim Nafziger and Charletta Erb, get something to eat and talk, which we did. The curry was delicious and the conversation stimulating. Sue and Hyun, quite understandably, have a lot of questions and a whole lot of thinking to do around this big decision – we will be meeting up in Phoenix early next week - where there will also be a number of Korean pastors who they would like me to speak with. I would just love to work with them putting a course together based on what we have both done and learned in the UK, but it is vital that they feel that is what they need and want. After we had eaten, Tim, Charletta and I set off north along the coast road through Malibu and on about 80 miles to the Ojai Valley where they live (Ojai is pronounced ‘oh-hi’). It was a beautiful evening with the sun dropping slowly behind the hills in a blaze of phosphorescent light – stunning! At one point we stopped at a beach and just enjoyed the scene. The tide was coming in, waves crashing and running the sand to our feet. The dying light was catching the surf in azure tints against a bright orange-white sky; the Pacific Ocean in all its glory (how could it not be a ‘shalom moment’ when ‘Pacific’ means ‘peace’). Then suddenly we saw the heads of seals fishing in the surf right in front of us – just feet away – and then they were gone just as quickly as they appeared. As darkness fell we returned to the car to continue our journey to this valley, which the guidebooks call, ‘the Shangri-La of southern California’! Can’t wait to get there. Tim and Charletta are personally the reason why I am on this 7-week tour of North America. We met about 10 years ago when they were in London at the Mennonite Center. We just connected. They did Workshop and the bond between us grew. After three years they returned to the USA first settling in Chicago and then almost exactly a year ago moving to California to work with Ched Myers and his wife Elaine Enns. Ever since they returned to the States they have been asking me to come to North America to share my teaching and ideas; however, being totally unknown and a ‘nobody’ here I just could not see how it would work. However, once the book began to take shape it seemed this might give a focus around which a tour might work, and that has proved to be so. So I owe the whole reality of this whole trip to Tim and Charletta, both in terms of enthusiasm, persistence and just believing in me – joined by Vic Thiesen (Winnipeg) once the book was published. I owe them big time! We finally swept into the parking space at the front of the Ojai Valley Community Church (OVCC) complex where Tim and Charletta live. I bundled out of the car and crashed into bed with little ceremony. I was exhausted!
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 20:43:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015