Mud on my Boots

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, on the call to discipleship, said this:

It is NOTHING else than bondage to Jesus Christ alone, completely breaking through every programme, every ideal, every set of laws. No other significance is possible, since Jesus is the only significance. Besides Jesus nothing has any significance. He alone matters.

What a statement. In a time when we put so much joy in things of the earth, it is refreshing to hear someone (over fifty years ago) remind me that that nothing else matters. Our joy is found in desperately clinging to the cross. It’s our salvation and our reason to celebrate. I hope that touches you similarly to how it touches me. It’s just so humbling, to realize that we are desperate people in need of a savior more than anything else.

Today is the true beginning of Kafas (men’s conference) here at Zakosciele. It was quite a crazy morning. First, at 7 AM, a team drove over sixty miles upstream to begin a Kayaking journey. They actually are just now returning (at 6:30 PM). Sounds like a pretty manly activity, until you hear what happened next.

At about 9 AM, I left with a group to go “wade” through a creek (Erich was the smarter one who stayed behind). The creek ranged anywhere from ankle deep, all the way up to our thighs, not to mention the fact that the water was about 50 degrees. Anyway, we went close to 2 hours in the water, just walking down stream. My feet were frozen, so I couldn’t even feel my step.

We finally arrived at the point we got out of the creek and, come to find out, it was literally a swamp. Guys were sinking in mud past their knees. It was ridiculous. After getting through this, we hiked for a while and ran across a ‘villa’ that was used by a former communist president of Poland. It was beautiful.

We continued the journey, and eventually landed in water again. We walked through the creek for about 40 minutes this time, but as we were finishing, I stepped into a mud-hole and sunk. Water was up to my chest. After throwing my camera to someone else I was able to get out. It was quite the adrenaline rush.

Not much else has happened this afternoon. We’ve been waiting for the conference to begin, so I had some good time to sit back and read. Erich is playing bass for the band tonight. We have a man from Savannah Christian Church in Savannah, GA here to speak. It will be great to hear a message in English and I’m excited about what he has to present.

Hope all is well back home. More updates to come after our “manly events” tomorrow.

-Dane