Stories My Friends Have Heard a Thousand Times [Submission #2]

• September 5, 2010

PART 1:

I have a serious heart for missions. I actually spent 3 years as a missionary in Copenhagen, Denmark - it was amazing. Before that I had multiple opportunities to go on some short term mission trips. (If you’ve never been on one, they are life changing.) My first overseas experience was to a country in Asia. I am leaving out the name of the country because of the secrecy required of the work there.

Maybe you think my last line is a bit over the top… It’s not. This trip was my James Bond dream come true. It was one HUGE covert op. Our mission? To smuggle The Gospel into a country that does not allow Christianity, let alone missionaries. The Bible is literally illegal to bring into the country and we were going in with suitcases packed with materials. This was such a huge covert op that I actually only had a backpack with one change of clothes for a two week period because the reality was: The less I packed, the more materials I could smuggle.

Now the first story I’m going to tell about this experience is something I will never forget in my entire life. This was only my second day in the country and I would soon find out that this wasn’t Kansas anymore. (Well, I’m really from Illinois, but you get the idea).

The team I was with wanted to check their emails so they slipped into an Internet cafe. (Remember those back in the 90’s?) I of course didn’t have email yet - I mean come on, who did?! My friend Aaron and I were sitting on a step. In front of us was a massive sidewalk, the likes which of could have eaten ten sidewalks from my neighborhood. The gigantic sidewalk was separated from the street by a yellow, metal fence that covered nearly all but the shoulders of the casual passerby. We got to talking and time slipped away from us. Suddenly as if snapped back into the real world we heard someone shouting to us from across the sidewalk. A man had ridden by on a bicycle and was calling to us from the other side of the yellow fence.

Problem #1: We don’t speak his language - this will come back into the story later.

We cautiously approached him and to our delight noticed that there was some kind on animal on a leash near his feet. A few of us huddled close to the yellow fence as the man clicked his teeth and the animal came into view. This dude had a pet monkey and it was awesome!! He clicked his teeth again and the monkey started doing flips for us. I’m snapping pictures like a new parent in the delivery room, then I noticed something interesting… THE MONKEY HAD ONLY ONE ARM!!!

I have pictures of a one armed monkey doing flips in a street in Asia! Jealous yet?

My friend Aaron and I, laughing, turned and made our way back to the step we were sitting on. Aaron broke out some cookies and we started munching on them and talking. What seemed like ages later the man was again yelling at us from across the fence. He seemed angry, which brings us back to Problem #1. We picked our heads up as he started waving some money around. Now THAT will cross all cultural barriers.

Problem #2: We don’t have any money.

Are you intrigued yet? Stay tuned to Part 2 of this post later…