I woke up on the bus, looked out the front window, and jumped when I saw the vehicle careening toward us.
About then I figured we weren’t in Kansas anymore.
When you’re on a mission trip there are two things that are inevitable: crazy food stories and travel adventures. You have to get there, and you have to eat.
Going to Thailand from Lakeside, Montana was an adventure in itself. Kalispell -> Spokane -> Seattle -> Tokyo -> Bangkok. Eleven hours to Tokyo and another nine to Bangkok. That’s some serious seat time.
Too bad Bangkok wasn’t our destination.
We were heading to Chanthaburi, a town about 5 hours away by bus (I’ve heard there’s a new highway and it’s only 3 hours – nice!). When the mission leaders met us at the airport, they talked to us and refreshed us with some fruit (got another food story there, maybe another time). We then loaded the bus around 1 or 2 am local time. The excitement from hitting the ground ended, and we all crashed.
That leads us to my near panic attack.
I was on the very back seat lying down. I had the view straight down the aisle when I awoke. The bus was passing another vehicle, and I was freaked out when I saw another car coming right at us. This wasn’t hundreds of yards away, mind you. We swerved back just before the car sped by.
Remember the line in Pirates of the Carribean (the first one that was really good, not the crappy sequels) when Barbossa tells Elizabeth that the Pirate Code is more like guidelines than actual laws?
Yeah, that’s Thai driving laws too.
I held on for dear life the rest of the way.
Watch out for bumps!
And this was a nice bus. It wasn’t one of those Asian ones with people hanging out the back or riding on top (been on those too).
I also rode as the third person on a motorcycle built for two, and almost fell out of a Thai version of an El Camino, except the back was the size of a Toyota Corolla. Good times.
I know other missionary friends that have hiked over scary suspension bridges, climbed mountains, and ridden elephants, all in the pursuit of reaching people they want to help. My experiences are tame compared to some stories I’ve heard.
They say life isn’t just a destination, but it’s a journey as well. Sometimes the journey is all the adventure you need! —
It’s Mission Monday again here. I’ve discussed before how I am a believer in foreign missions. However, I know there is a great need for outreach here in the United States.
One of my heroes was Rich Mullins, a Christian singer who died in a car crash in 1997. He could have been living a very comfortable life in Nashville as a popular musician and songwriter. Instead, at the time of his death he was living on a Native American reservation in the Southwest to help spread the gospel to children through music. He didn’t just support a cause with prayers or money, he lived it.
I live next to the Shoshone-Bannock Reservation in southeast Idaho. It is a poor place with a lot of needs. I know that some of the poorest in the country are Native Americans.
I’ve found a few links to ministries or agencies that work specifically with Native Americans. I’m not endorsing them, but they are a place to start if God is speaking to your heart on helping this unreached people group within our own borders.
Rich Mullins’ brother gave grants for several years for these type of ministries. This page lists many groups, some no longer active, but it is a starting point.
These are just a few suggestions. I hope this will touch someone’s heart to find a way to be a blessing to the various Native Americans tribes in the country. —
It’s Mission Monday again here. I’ve discussed before how I am a believer in foreign missions. However, I know there is a great need for outreach here in the United States.
One of my heroes was Rich Mullins, a Christian singer who died in a car crash in 1997. He could have been living a very comfortable life in Nashville as a popular musician and songwriter. Instead, at the time of his death he was living on a Native American reservation in the Southwest to help spread the gospel to children through music. He didn’t just support a cause with prayers or money, he lived it.
I live next to the Shoshone-Bannock Reservation in southeast Idaho. It is a poor place with a lot of needs. I know that some of the poorest in the country are Native Americans.
I’ve found a few links to ministries or agencies that work specifically with Native Americans. I’m not endorsing them, but they are a place to start if God is speaking to your heart on helping this unreached people group within our own borders.
Rich Mullins’ brother gave grants for several years for these type of ministries. This page lists many groups, some no longer active, but it is a starting point.
These are just a few suggestions. I hope this will touch someone’s heart to find a way to be a blessing to the various Native Americans tribes in the country. —
I had written my opening chapters years ago. I had edited them many times when trying to get unstuck, but I had never really revised them. I knew with entering the contest that I had some fatal flaws. The generic weather opening? Check. The first character has nothing to do with the main story? Check.
Since I’ve heard how horrible it is to revise, I didn’t look forward to it, but a handy thing called a deadline forced my hand.
I sat down, hands at the keys.
It flowed.
It wasn’t bad at all! In fact, I rather enjoyed it. It took me a few days to do the first two chapters, but because I had a framework to build off of, I could adjust weak links, build up strong points, and overall tighten things up and make my characters jump out more (I hope).
I guess some of it is I’ve learned so much in the last several years that I can see what didn’t work with my initial thrust, but I could identify the kernel that did click in the writing.
I don’t know if this will be true through the whole novel. I still need to finish it, so I went back to my new work. I really wanted to keep revising, because I felt a sense of accomplishment and improvement. I know that I need to get the skeleton laid down though, and come back to help put the muscles and skin on later.
Hopefully it won’t be long until I get back to revising again. Does that make me strange?
Don’t answer that…
P.S. In an attempt to be a little more helpful, here is a link that talks about revision.
I had written my opening chapters years ago. I had edited them many times when trying to get unstuck, but I had never really revised them. I knew with entering the contest that I had some fatal flaws. The generic weather opening? Check. The first character has nothing to do with the main story? Check.
Since I’ve heard how horrible it is to revise, I didn’t look forward to it, but a handy thing called a deadline forced my hand.
I sat down, hands at the keys.
It flowed.
It wasn’t bad at all! In fact, I rather enjoyed it. It took me a few days to do the first two chapters, but because I had a framework to build off of, I could adjust weak links, build up strong points, and overall tighten things up and make my characters jump out more (I hope).
I guess some of it is I’ve learned so much in the last several years that I can see what didn’t work with my initial thrust, but I could identify the kernel that did click in the writing.
I don’t know if this will be true through the whole novel. I still need to finish it, so I went back to my new work. I really wanted to keep revising, because I felt a sense of accomplishment and improvement. I know that I need to get the skeleton laid down though, and come back to help put the muscles and skin on later.
Hopefully it won’t be long until I get back to revising again. Does that make me strange?
Don’t answer that…
P.S. In an attempt to be a little more helpful, here is a link that talks about revision.
The rough estimates (rough because the criminals behind this don’t advertise their numbers specifically) for human trafficking are 27-30 million people around the world under some form of modern-day slavery.
The word is getting out more and more. My church joined with thousands of others yesterday for Freedom Sunday, and it was a great blessing.
There are many quality organizations out there who are doing work in various avenues to combat human trafficking. One such group is The A21 Campaign, with a specific focus on Greece and eastern Europe. A comment on their website suggests 80% of their work is awareness – letting people know about the problem and shining the light so that those who hide in the dark with this evil have no place left to cower.
To this end, A21 has partnered with one of the most well-known names in the modern worship movement – Matt and Beth Redman. Along with British hip-hop group LZ7, the Redmans have created a song called “Twenty Seven Million.” The video below was shot when the song debuted at the recent Passion conference.
Today for Missions Monday I have a simple request that can raise awareness for human trafficking. Go to iTunes or Amazon and download the single “Twenty Seven Million” that debuts today in the UK and Australia, and tomorrow in the US. [UPDATE: It is now available in the US!] For the price of a Coca-Cola you can get a song that stirs the soul and lets the world know that we are growing in our knowledge and desire to fight for those who are in bondage to slavery.
The rough estimates (rough because the criminals behind this don’t advertise their numbers specifically) for human trafficking are 27-30 million people around the world under some form of modern-day slavery.
The word is getting out more and more. My church joined with thousands of others yesterday for Freedom Sunday, and it was a great blessing.
There are many quality organizations out there who are doing work in various avenues to combat human trafficking. One such group is The A21 Campaign, with a specific focus on Greece and eastern Europe. A comment on their website suggests 80% of their work is awareness – letting people know about the problem and shining the light so that those who hide in the dark with this evil have no place left to cower.
To this end, A21 has partnered with one of the most well-known names in the modern worship movement – Matt and Beth Redman. Along with British hip-hop group LZ7, the Redmans have created a song called “Twenty Seven Million.” The video below was shot when the song debuted at the recent Passion conference.
Today for Missions Monday I have a simple request that can raise awareness for human trafficking. Go to iTunes or Amazon and download the single “Twenty Seven Million” that debuts today in the UK and Australia, and tomorrow in the US. [UPDATE: It is now available in the US!] For the price of a Coca-Cola you can get a song that stirs the soul and lets the world know that we are growing in our knowledge and desire to fight for those who are in bondage to slavery.
I left off yesterday’s post with somewhat of a cliffhanger.
I was still trying to finish the book we are touring.
I received a couple of exhortations (thanks Keenan and Eve). I managed to finish this morning on the commute. No, I wasn’t driving.
However, I have one more confession. I have avoided most posts on our feature book, The Realms Thereunder, by Ross Lawhead. One of the best parts of the CSFF Tour is the camaraderie and intelligent discussion on the various books. However, sometimes I find my opinion shifting in reading other blogs. I didn’t want to do that this time, to see if my feeling is unique and to keep it honest.
Unfortunately, my honest opinion is that I didn’t really like the book.
I wanted to. I was very excited for this tour, and jumped right into it when it arrived. Yesterday I mentioned that Ross’s father is acclaimed fantasy author Stephen Lawhead. I’m a big fan of the elder Lawhead, so I knew I had some expectations going in. I tried to keep them under wraps, but I’m also giving the full disclosure here.
As with most stories, there are elements that were enjoyable. Ross is as imaginative as his father, and he pictures a series of realms connected to our own, with the passages that connected the worlds starting to open and bleed into each other. He uses an Anglo-Saxon base for his main underground realm, which is different enough from the common Celtic fantasy troupe to make it stand out, yet familiar to fantasy fans.
He uses a varied structure that others on the tour have commented on. He tells the story of Daniel and Freya both in modern times and when they were 13 and lost as schoolkids for months while in an underground realm. The back and forth of time was not difficult for me to follow.
In particular, 13 year old Freya is encouraged in an encounter with an elderly woman who acted like one of the Fates weaving everyone’s destiny into a grand tapestry. The language and ideas presented there were a real high point for me.
There was just too much that distracted me from his overall story thrust. I think a major problem was that I didn’t enjoy his “voice,” the way he writes. This is very subjective, and his voice never won me over. We’ve all had authors we love, but when we recommend them to friends, we are disappointed when they don’t enjoy it as much as we do. That may be the main problem, so take it for what it is worth.
Other aspects of the writing were more objectively an issue for me. He shifted point of view between his main characters all the time. I’ve heard many say this is something only another writer would complain about, but I’ve seen omniscient POV done in such a way it wasn’t a distraction, but it constantly threw me here. There were large sections of the book that I don’t feel added much to the story progression or world-building. I would argue that some of these sections could be curtailed and tighten the flow of the plot. Perhaps they become significant in later books, but I didn’t detect any of that occuring.
I didn’t even have much empathy for the characters. They were not developed deep enough, so I didn’t have much connection to them.
It disappoints me to give a negative review. I enjoy fantasy and I really wanted to like this book. I also feel that an honest opinion is better than papering over my differences with the book to go along with the crowd. I hope any readers today will check out Becky Miller’s blog, where she keeps tabs on all of the posts for this tour, and read what others are saying. I am only one voice, and I plan on checking them out now myself.
Legal Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book without obligation for a positive review in return, which I think is evident. —
I left off yesterday’s post with somewhat of a cliffhanger.
I was still trying to finish the book we are touring.
I received a couple of exhortations (thanks Keenan and Eve). I managed to finish this morning on the commute. No, I wasn’t driving.
However, I have one more confession. I have avoided most posts on our feature book, The Realms Thereunder, by Ross Lawhead. One of the best parts of the CSFF Tour is the camaraderie and intelligent discussion on the various books. However, sometimes I find my opinion shifting in reading other blogs. I didn’t want to do that this time, to see if my feeling is unique and to keep it honest.
Unfortunately, my honest opinion is that I didn’t really like the book.
I wanted to. I was very excited for this tour, and jumped right into it when it arrived. Yesterday I mentioned that Ross’s father is acclaimed fantasy author Stephen Lawhead. I’m a big fan of the elder Lawhead, so I knew I had some expectations going in. I tried to keep them under wraps, but I’m also giving the full disclosure here.
As with most stories, there are elements that were enjoyable. Ross is as imaginative as his father, and he pictures a series of realms connected to our own, with the passages that connected the worlds starting to open and bleed into each other. He uses an Anglo-Saxon base for his main underground realm, which is different enough from the common Celtic fantasy troupe to make it stand out, yet familiar to fantasy fans.
He uses a varied structure that others on the tour have commented on. He tells the story of Daniel and Freya both in modern times and when they were 13 and lost as schoolkids for months while in an underground realm. The back and forth of time was not difficult for me to follow.
In particular, 13 year old Freya is encouraged in an encounter with an elderly woman who acted like one of the Fates weaving everyone’s destiny into a grand tapestry. The language and ideas presented there were a real high point for me.
There was just too much that distracted me from his overall story thrust. I think a major problem was that I didn’t enjoy his “voice,” the way he writes. This is very subjective, and his voice never won me over. We’ve all had authors we love, but when we recommend them to friends, we are disappointed when they don’t enjoy it as much as we do. That may be the main problem, so take it for what it is worth.
Other aspects of the writing were more objectively an issue for me. He shifted point of view between his main characters all the time. I’ve heard many say this is something only another writer would complain about, but I’ve seen omniscient POV done in such a way it wasn’t a distraction, but it constantly threw me here. There were large sections of the book that I don’t feel added much to the story progression or world-building. I would argue that some of these sections could be curtailed and tighten the flow of the plot. Perhaps they become significant in later books, but I didn’t detect any of that occuring.
I didn’t even have much empathy for the characters. They were not developed deep enough, so I didn’t have much connection to them.
It disappoints me to give a negative review. I enjoy fantasy and I really wanted to like this book. I also feel that an honest opinion is better than papering over my differences with the book to go along with the crowd. I hope any readers today will check out Becky Miller’s blog, where she keeps tabs on all of the posts for this tour, and read what others are saying. I am only one voice, and I plan on checking them out now myself.
Legal Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book without obligation for a positive review in return, which I think is evident. —
I introduced the book yesterday, and mentioned the author may have a familiar name to speculative fiction fans. Ross Lawhead is the son of Stephen Lawhead.
I wondered in approaching this tour whether having a famous name and a legacy would be a help or a hinderance to an author. I suspect it is a little of both. I came to Ross’s book expecting some mythical elements (this is the first in the Ancient Earths trilogy, so I was justified), but I tried to come to the book without expectations of it being a Mini-Me experience.
I tried to resist…
Ross has his own body of work already. He has collaborated with his dad on another book as well as Hero, a comic book adaptation of a modern day retelling of the gospel. As you can tell by his attire in the above picture, he enjoys his comics. Nothing wrong with that on this blog!
So what does this speak for The Realms Thereunder? Well, I’m not sure. Still working on finishing the book!
I know, that’s so rare for me to be racing to finish in time for the tour…
In the meantime, Becky Miller always keeps tabs on all the other posts for the tour, so check her link out here. I will endeavor to bring you a review tomorrow.
