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September 2, 2010
 Baby Cram chillin' in the womb The baby countdown is now at about 8 weeks! It’s amazing that it’s taken me this long, but it’s finally starting to hit me that we’ll have a child in less then 2 months. I think it really connected during our birthing class last week. We were going through what exactly happens during childbirth, and for some reason, a tidalwave of realization swept over me. “Holy moly! I’m going to be a dad!” It’s weird to admit it, but I don’t think it really had sunk into my heart until that point. I’m going to be a father. We’re going to witness this crazy biological, spiritual, experience called birth. There’s going to be a little Cram soon. Unbelievable.
I was praying and meditating over all this a while back, and at one point I sincerely felt God’s pleasure in having a baby. More than any other experience on earth, having a baby is the closest thing we’ll ever have to knowing the creative heart of God. We get to participate in something that is so fundamental to who God is: the creation of new life! I find myself being so thankful that we get to have a taste of God’s joy in life.
August 25, 2010
 Kevin: Pesky Kid or Social Deviant? It’s amazing to me how much someones name can influence the way you view a person. For example, if someone mentions the name Shaniqua – for better or for worse – certain images and stereotypes flood your mind. Well, I’m finding out that Kevin is one such name here in Germany. I read an article in the Cologne newspaper this morning reporting on a recently released study which found students named Kevin in Germany are more likely to receive bad grades regardless of their performance. And we can all thank Macaulay Culkin.
We all remember the lovable and resourceful Kevin from the Home Alone movies. The same misadventures that made the movie the third-highest grossing film at the time also caught on big in Germany as well. Here it was released under the title Kevin – Allein zu Haus or “Kevin – alone at home” and it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. In fact, the same year that it was released here, Kevin briefly topped Jan as most popular boys name in Germany.
The Kevin-mania didn’t last long though. For some reason, the name quickly became a social stigma. Today, the name Kevin in Germany is associated with laziness, behavioral problems, and even social deviance. So, now you have a bunch of 18- and 19-year old Kevins running around Germany, most of whom are probably going by their middle name.
The whole thing just made me chuckle. Fortunately, I haven’t run into anyone yet who has given me a hard time because of my name. But, it does kinda make me daydream about what sweet German name I’d use if I ever had to abandon Kevin. I’ve always been partial to Horst.
So, what do you think? If I were to change my name, what awesome German name should I adopt?
August 20, 2010
Germans are generally very private people. It’s not uncommon to live next to someone for years and never speak a word beyond hello with them. Many times that is as much as one can hope for. The alternative is the nightmare scenario of the completely stand-offish, rude, and disruptive neighbor – of which we have heard many horror stories here. So, when you end up getting good neighbors in Germany, it is something to be very thankful for.
When we moved into our apartment in Cologne in January, the neighbor next to us – a wonderful older woman named Frau L. – immediately reached out to us. She would stop us in the hall and talk with us. She would give us good tips on the best places to buy house plants. She has always been extremely friendly and open.
Since we moved in 7 months ago, our interactions with her have mostly been surface conversations. But, this past week, we’ve had some really amazing talks with Frau L. She’s been very excited about Kathi’s pregnancy, and that has opened her up to talk about her family. She shared with tears in her eyes about her chronically ill husband whom she cares for. She bubbled with joy and excitement as we talked about the coming of our first child. Both Kathi and I felt very strongly that God has opened up this new depth of friendship with her to be a blessing to her.
So, please be praying for us as we interact with our neighbors. Pray that God would use us to bless Frau L. and to be a joy and light in her life. Pray that we would have more open doors with our other neighbors. And, pray that God would open up these relationships to give us an opportunity to share Christ’s love with those around us.
August 16, 2010
 Andrew Murray: Rockin' the Beard When it comes to Christian authors, I’m a sucker for the classics. The funnier the outfit and beard, the more spiritual authority they have! Seriously though, I’m deeply suspicious of religious fads. Every six months a new Christian spirituality books seems to surface that people absolutely gush over. But, nine times out of ten, those books tend to sink into obscurity. How many people are still talking about Wild At Heart or Prayer of Jabez? So, I figure that if a book can have an impact over the course of at least a generation or two, then it’s probably well worth reading.
Right now I’m wading through Andrew Murray’s Abide In Christ. Murray was a powerful and prolific South African preacher and missionary during the latter half of the 19th century. Many people consider him to be the forerunner of the Pentecostal movement of the 20th century. A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon an unbelievable statement:
And if the question is asked, “But surely there is something for us to do?” the answer is, “Our doing and working are just the fruit of Christ’s work in us.” It is when the soul becomes utterly passive, looking and resting on what Christ is to do, that its energies are stirred to their highest activity, and that we work most effectively because we know that He works in us.
I actually did a double-take when I read that. Did he just say that the fundamental spiritual posture of the Christian should be passivity? It was so shocking, I think, because it is so contrary to my American Evangelical nature where the “doing” holds paramount importance. We tend to measure our very spiritual worth by our activity – i.e. how many converts do you have, what are you doing for social justice, and so forth. When I was a part of Campus Crusade back in college, I heard the comment often that unless you were sharing Christ once per week you weren’t truly spiritually disciplined.
That’s not to suggest that our deeds don’t mean anything, and it definitely doesn’t mean we can just sit around on our duffs. However, I think that Murray is trying to teach us is what the proper source of those deeds should be. This lesson is beautifully captured in John 15. We are to be bearers of Christ’s good deeds like a branch bears the fruit of the vine. The verb here, to bear, is essentially passive. Who is ultimately the producer of that fruit? Is it not Jesus? We have the privilege of bearing that fruit just like the branch has the honor of bearing the product of the vine.
What is that supposed to look like practically? Good question. I’m still trying to work that one out. But, I’m convinced that much of the ministry activity done today is probably done more out of our own flesh as opposed to being a product of the indwelling Spirit. I’ve concluded that the most important activity that I can possibly do in this life is devoting myself entirely to drawing near to Jesus more deeply through prayer, meditation, and His Word. In having my eyes fixed on the vine, I’m finding that I’m producing fruit – sometimes without me even realizing it. What a wonderfully freeing feeling knowing that it is God who works in us to do good!
So, what do you think? What is the relationship between doing and abiding?
August 13, 2010
This past Monday we went to our very first birthing class. It was about what one might expect. Lots of factual information on female reproductive anatomy and the birth process. I kept it together when the instructor pulled out all of the diagrams and flip charts. But, then she started to talk about some of the side effects a women should expect following the birth. Namely, she mentioned that due to the weakened pelvic muscles it was common for a woman following birth to pee in her pants a little whenever she coughs or sneezes. Well, at that I started giggling like a little girl. I quickly realized that I was the only one laughing.
So, I figured I would use my embarrassment to bring up a prayer request. We’re really looking forward to this class because of the potential of building some relationships with other young German couples. Please send up some prayers that God would be opening relational and Gospel doors with people in our class. It would be really cool if we could have chances to share our lives and faith with people there.
August 11, 2010
 As I mentioned earlier, we just got back from our annual conference which took place in a small Dorf in southern Poland. This town is actually situated less than an hour from Auschwitz – the WWII Nazi Concentration Camp. We made it a priority while we were there to take some time and visit this camp, which was the focal point of Hitler’s plan to annihilate the Jewish people. We knew that this would be an emotionally exhausting and deeply troubling visit. But, we needed to see and experience for ourselves this thing that was so horribly evil, especially since we’re trying to minister to the people that still in some ways carry the shame of this act.
Over 1.3 million people were held in Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945, of which 1.1 million died either in the gas chambers or of starvation, disease, or brutality. How can one even grasp the enormity of it? As we walked around, our minds, our hearts, and our senses had a hard time grappling with it. We felt heavy inside.
The evening before we went to Auschwitz, I picked up and read through Elie Wiesel’s Night, which is an Auschwitz survivor’s autobiographical account of his suffering at the camp. In it he describes his how he, a pious Jew, struggled to come to terms with God in light of the gas chambers and crematoriums. He wrote, “Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever…Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust.”
I ask myself, “If I had been in his position, how would I have reacted?” It’s easy from the outside to assure yourself that your faith and hope in God’s goodness would stand firm. But, I certainly can’t comprehend how such sights would change me. Would I deny God’s goodness and justice? From my comfy, warm living room, I think I can say one thing for sure – such horrors confirm to me every thing Scripture says about the sinfulness, brokenness, and rebellion of fallen man.
I also ask myself, “If I had been German in the 1930s and 40s, how would I have reacted?” For me the greatest lesson of the Holocaust is how easily very ordinary people can partake in despicable things. It’s true that the vast majority of Germans never saw for their own eyes the depth of brutality that was occuring in Auschwitz and all over the Reich. But, the hate and evil that drove the Holocaust was hardly a secret.
Those who had connections to the death camps – the bureaucrats, the industrialists, the soldiers – who were normal people who otherwise would have led very normal lives, took part in the atrocity. And, those that had no connection with this industry of death ignored the trickle of cries that emerged from the camps throughout the war. Yes, Hitler, Himmler, and their gang were madmen. But, in the end the Holocaust was possible because very normal people gave their silent consent. So, I can’t say for certain that I would have been any different.
Maybe it’s overly dramatic to say this, but the Holocaust teaches me that the potentiality of this kind of evil resides not just with the madmen but in the heart of every person. And, because of that, it makes me that much more convinced in our absolute necessity for the divine grace that came through the Cross. It is the only thing that could possibly reconcile that kind of evil.
If you’re interested in seeing our pictures from Auschwitz, I posted them on my Facebook page, which you can view here.
August 8, 2010
 We got back from GEM’s Annual Conference in Poland last night. Usually, I’m not big on conferences. Conferences typically seem to push trendy, en vogue ideas or methods that tend to pass into eternity within six months. So, whenever I have to attend a conference, I frequently have to battle a good amount of cynicism going in. That’s not to say that I was counting on this one to be the same – regardless of the topic, I enjoy hanging out with mission friends and getting a little training. But, I usually just want to find encouragement and renewal in the fellowship with other missionaries as opposed to getting some new missional fade thrown at me.
Most of my hesitancy with conferences, I think, stems from my personality. I generally prefer more to learn about how to “be” as opposed to how to “do”. In my heart, I believe that the “doing” flows out of how we are living and dwelling with Christ. We tend to reverse that in our culture.
The Annual Conference this year was such a refreshing experience. Of course, there was a lot of stuff on “doing”. Understandably. Most people are not like me, and thankfully so. I need those doers to shake me out of complacency sometimes. But, the conference organizers arranged small groups around the main teaching times. Kathi and I had the blessing of being paired with 5 other people who all seemed to be in the same place spiritually. We shared our struggles and fears with each other on a level I don’t normally experience. And, through that I learn something REALLY important: Community changes lives.
That kind of exposure with other followers of Jesus – the bringing to light of our sins and struggles – has tremendous healing power! Why do we in the church tend to sweep all of our sins under the rug? Why do we expend enormous amounts of energy to keep people from finding us out? I discovered on a much deeper level this week that community intimacy, although completely contrary to our natural impulse to hide, is blessedly wonderful.
July 30, 2010
Do you guys remember the movie Airplane!? My favorite character from that movie was the Air Traffic Controller Johnny. When asked during the press conference scene what kind of plane was involved, he muttered the classic line, “Oh, it’s a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the windows and wheels and it looks like a big Tylenol!” I always think of that whenever I get on an airplane.
Please be praying for us this coming week. Tomorrow we board the big, white, shiny Tylenol for a flight to Krakow, Poland. We’ll be attending GEM’s annual conference in the small Polish town of Wisla. Pray especially for Kathi as we travel – it’s a little stressful traveling while 7 months pregnant. And pray that this conference will be a good opportunity to recharge and to take advantage of some good fellowship and teaching.
July 26, 2010
 One of the things I love about the German language is just how descriptive it is. In English, when something new comes along, we tend to make up an entirely new word or reach back to some obscure Latin terms. Television. Pfpfp. Not German. When the TV came along, they just stuck together two existing German words: Fernseher, or distant seer. Another great example is the German word for a truck – Lastkraftwagen, or burden (or load) powered car. It can get so ridiculous that Germans will just refer to things using their abbreviation. A Lastkraftwagen is simply known here as an LKW.
When Kathi got pregnant, we thought that maybe we would be spared having to learn an entirely new vocabulary for pregnancy. I mean, medical terminology should be pretty similar across the board, right? In fact, the German word for baby is Das Baby! Well, we learned pretty quickly that the similarities stop there. So, here’s a few examples of German pregnancy terms that we found the most interesting followed by their literal English translation:
The German word for delivery, I think, is pretty cool. It’s die Entbindung, or “the unbinding”. Very descriptive!
Anatomical terms, you would think, would be similar no matter what the language. Most English anatomical words are derived from Latin. Well, Germans decided they had enough words of their own to cover it. For example, the German word for cervix is der Muttermund, or “mother’s mouth”. Or, how about the German for amniotic fluid – das Fruchtwasser, or “fruit water”.
But, my all-time favorite has to be the word for the delivery room at the hospital, which is der Kreißsaal. The word comes from two sources. The -saal is the German word meaning hall or chamber. The kreiß- comes from an old medieval German word meaning screaming or crying. So, the word literal means “screaming hall”!
July 23, 2010
 Kevin and Kathi sharing a smooch in front of the Dom at Christmas time One year ago today, we exited our flight from Detroit in Amsterdam setting foot on our new home continent. It boggles my mind that we have been on the field for one year now. What an amazing adventure of faith and trusting in God. He has certainly not disappointed. We think about all that has happened in this last year, and the only suitable response is thanksgiving and praise. He’s encouraged us, provided for us, strengthened us, protected us, grown us, and used us. The blessing that this first year has been we owe completely to Him!
At our pre-field training in North Carolina last year, the instructors were very keen to hammer home the necessity for reasonable expectations for the first year. Many missionaries make the move to their new culture with the idea that great exploits and vibrant ministry immediately await them. We were trained, however, to recognize that moving to an entirely different culture – learning how to speak, interact, buy groceries, be apart from friends and family – is a process that completely dismantles a person’s confidence and self-assurance. Instead of thriving, many missionaries perish in that first year. Our instructors boldly declared: “You primary goal in your first year is, first and foremost, survival.”
Looking back on this first year then, we are grateful that we have not only survived but have in many ways thrived. It has definitely been difficult. There have been a boat-load of tears. It was particular hard leaving behind so many dear friends and family knowing that them and us would be different people the next time we met. But, the fact that we were able to do as much adapting and ministering in this short period of time is a definite sign of His grace to us.
This morning, I looked over to Kathi and said, “We made it. We’ve been here for one year.” She smiled, walked over to me, and gave me a big hug. And she said, “It’s been a good year.” It is because of God’s grace that we can say that!
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