Fish 'n Chips 'n India

I've discovered the hidden wonder of this thing called fish and chips. For the longest time (meaning the last week and a half) I've heard the words "fish and chips" as if it's the newest thing since Starbucks, but I still hadn't eaten them. Of course we have fish and chips, or something called that, in America, but here in New Zealand... well you'd just have to taste them for yourself. It's the funniest thing, they fry up all this random stuff, like crab, sausage, chips* and, well, fish, throw it all onto a stack of paper, wrap it up, and hand it to you. Then you open the sack of deep-fried deliciousness on the table (or wherever you happen to be), and everyone diggs in. A community plate. Don't forget the tomato sauce*.

It's been a fairly laid-back week of some administrative jobs in the office and lots of reading at home. I've made it through one and a half books so far, plus or minus a few pages, and with a cup of tea, life doesn't get much better. Yesterday the Petrini's took me up to Rakaia Gorge (pictures will have to come later, as my laptop is still in the shop). Unfortunately, it was rainy and pretty cold, but still a lot of fun.

On a more seious note, tonight I went to the Sunday night youth service (though not exclusive to youth) called Grow, where the associate pastor was speaking about his trip to India. For the second time this week I was moved by the story of God's mission being fulfilled around the world through ordinary people like me. Like you. As he showed pictures and videos of the streets of Bangladesh and Calcutta, I couldn't help but hope that I will be a part of that work - of spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth, as Jesus commands in Matthew 28. It might mean helping to bring clean water to the millions of people who drink from the sewer every day, or maybe helping to rescue women from the sex trafficking industry opperating all around the world - yes that includes the US - or maybe just singing about Jesus with a group of kids who are braver than I am, who have buried their own parents after the earth shook one day in January. There is so much hope out there, only truly found in the name of Jesus. Why debate each other over whether social justice or evangelism is more important? How can we do one and not the other? Why not surrender our hands to the furthering of the Kingdom of God? Why not our money, our feet, our breath?

I sure haven't. I want to. I want to want to.

Lord, use me.

*chips = french fries
*tomato sauce = ketchup