New (awesome!) Family Addition

It is my utmost privilege, as Uncle Darin, to introduce you to Sophie Grace Constance Lovell!  This precious 7lb bundle of cuteness was born Saturday, April 26th making, for the first time, very proud parents of Cheri and Iain. Hugest brotherly congratulations!

Sophie, you are adorable.  I want to meet you right now.  I used to joke with your mom that I would be the rich uncle...right now I am a missionary (i.e., not-so-rich-uncle)...so I won't be coming with any ponies (although a chicken might be doable in the future) but I will be coming with tons of love and excitement to meet you!   

Soon, Uncle D.

Bad Nal-genes?

Is there really a problem with my Nal-genes (sorry, had to go for it).   But, in all seriousness,  I'm kinda hoping for a second (third, fourth, fifth,...) opinion on the recent (at least recent to me) problem with Nalgenes.  More specifically with Bisphenol A (BPA) which is the chemical compound that makes up the Lexan polycarbonate found in Nalgene bottles.  According to some researchers, BPA may also cause hormone-related problems such as premature puberty and weight gain, breast cancer, low sperm county and an enlarged prostate.  

What to do? I love my Nalgene.  Not just for the great effort I've had to make it oh-so-cool with trendy brand stickers but because it is durable, functional, and encourages me to drink water and not coffee.  I've taken it around the world and it has served me well.

So, what to do?  If you have any thoughts let me know.  If you're wondering too, here's a couple links:

Learn About Plastic

Bisphenol A

Tornado Hits Maria Auxiliadora

Areas of the Dominican Republic were hit by a tornado this week. With a trail of damage and debris in its wake, many of my friends in the barrio of Maria Auxiliadora were forced to evacuate their homes as winds ripped off roofs and rain & hail damage took its toll.  In addition to many homes, the TEARS school lost its roof and has not been spared the devastating effects of structural and water damage to school supplies and classrooms.  

These images show some of the damage to the home of my friends Rosmary (teacher at TEARS school) and Obed (TEARS missionary). Together with their newborn, Zion, Rosmary and Obed have relocated safely and temporarily as rebuilding takes shape.  

You can view recent video footage by following this link.

NOTE: Four vertical pictures were put together to make these two horizontal images.  The pictures on the left of each horizontal image shows the rooms with the roof ripped off and then the pictures on the right of each image show the fallen roof.

Open Hands Lifted Up

Family and friends recently celebrated my grandfather's 90th birthday.  Jake is 90, Roland is 60, and yours truly is 30.  The 30-year generational spacing is a tradition I am not doing well to continue. 

I have always admired my grandfather (and grandmother...but it's his birthday so he gets special attention).  His life has been marked by a rich, enduring faith; consistent, hard work; and a deep love for his family.  Anyone who spends a moment with Jake will quickly hear him speak of what God has done and is doing in his life and-in the same breath-he will give all glory to God.  He truly lives with open hands lifted up.

This posture of open hands lifted up speaks to both giving and receiving.  Open hands that are ready to give  thanks and praise to God and open hands that are postured to receive God's direction and blessing.  It is this posture that, at least in part, captures his legacy thus far.

In thinking of this posture I became mindful of the following passage from Exodus 17:15-16:

"Moses built and altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.  He said, 'For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord.  The lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.' "

I am grateful--to God--for my grandfather.  A man who has lived life with open hands lifted up to Christ who is his Banner.  

Grandpa, it is this posture of praise and dependence before God-in all things-that I am grateful for as I celebrate your 90th birthday.

19487

Well, it is (was) that time of year again: Sun Run Sunday.  With almost 60,000 runners this year, the Vancouver Sun Run is quite the experience.  In the sea...or river..of people winding their way through downtown Vancouver I was "19487".  

What an experience to run with that many people.  By the time I crossed the starting line many of the elite athletes had crossed the finish.  More than a race it is 10K of dodging runners...and walkers (love you walkers but if we could just keep the walking a little more to the right hand side it would be perfect), listening to live music along the route, eating mini bagels, quartered bananas, oranges, and of course getting your name in the paper the next day.  To be honest I don't really care about my name in the paper but a friend of mine who works at the Sun Run said that if & when peoples' names do not appear there are many a phone call from some...not so Sunny Runners.  Cause really why do you do the Sun Run?  This was our post-race lunch question.  Sure you can do it for the exercise, sense of accomplishment, the T-shirt, and even the post race snacks (suggestion: more refined sugars...chocolate and the like) but I think most people do it to say "I did the Sun Run"  or in other words "I belonged to that crew of 60,000..I was one of them...I was 19487 to be exact".

I remember a university professor saying that the #1 human need is the need to belong.  Whether it is a COSTCO membership, a community group, a relationship, or Sun Run participation we want find meaning & identity in belonging.

But where do we...can we...find true belonging.  Belonging that brings true soul-rest.  I want to point to a few words--"belonging words" that Paul writes in his letter to the churches in Galatia.  Talking about life by the Spirit, Paul writes:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those we belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Gal. 5: 22-25)

Perhaps the reading of these words is familiar territory.  While it may be familiar or fresh my hope is that these would be "belonging words".  Words that give life.  Words that bring hope.  Words that bring to mind the truth of what is accomplished by Christ's work and in the Spirit-stepped life.  Yes Christ is our example BUT he is also our substitute...it is His work sets us free and the Spirit that enables us to step forward in this new life.

I feel somewhat love-hate with blogging at this point.  This format, at least for me, seems to let you spill a bunch of thoughts (as though people want to read spilled thoughts?!) and then just sign off hoping that maybe people will somehow appreciate your spilling or that kind readers' comments will tie up loose end.  Somehow I have tried to dot a line between the Sun Run-->raise questions of "belonging"-->and then wrap it up with a quick quote from Paul.  Just feels a bit sloppy.  Feels a bit sloppy.  I hope its not.  My intent isn't "sloppy" but that you would be mindful of the truth of life by the Sprit and that we will only find true belonging as we are found in Christ.  Centering life on anything else will fall short--just won't work.  Jesus lived the life we couldn't live and died the death we should have died. (I think this is a Keller line....not sure but I can't claim it).  In this I find belonging.

Journey on.  Step forward.  Spirit fill and enable you.

Stepping Forward

Greetings from....chilly & overcast....Vancouver.  After 4 months in the Dominican Republic (specifically the community of Maria Auxiliadora)  I am experiencing a bit of clima-shock.  Having been back for two weeks it has been great to enjoy time with friends, family, and warm showers...although a splash of cold water in the morning is quite refreshing.  My four months in the Dominican Republic were formative.  It was an incredible time with new friends, new language, new culture, new food, living with a (wonderful) family, and asking life questions.  While I can wrestle with "life questions" I do enjoy that mental-terrain as it is there where I find myself pressing into God and more attentive to his voice and direction.  Sometimes, I feel...and you may feel... that life questions should get ironed out.  Sometimes I can feel or self-talk "hey, Darin, you're 30...you should kind have nailed down what you are going to DO....no more adventures of discovery or "rabbit trails" in a seemingly new direction."   Perhaps we think "just make a decision"....or "God give me the answer"....like we gain unwavering clarity, make a decision, and then move forward in a fixed trajectory and rhythm.  This may happen. Or you may need to (poco a poco) take steps down the path--with all its bumps, options, and turns with no real sense of "clarity". 

The four months in the DR have been a good journey down the path....exploring the possiblity of a longer term opportunity living and working in Maria Auxiliadora.  I am thankful for the ways in which  God was speaking and directing along the journey...and thankful that this journey is continuing as I head back for a full year.  

Pause: take a visit to these three sites: www.dueckphoto.com, www.tears.org, www.partnersindeed.org // If would like more information on partnering with me, definitely send an e-mail to darin@dueckphoto.com.

Ok, I am sharing this in part to update but also to segue to a great quote...long, slightly dense, but great.  I was packing up books last week which is always a long process (lots of books and lots of stopping to thumb through pages of books I forgot I had).  Pause: HUGE thanks to my parents for trucking ALL my "stuff" back to Alberta and storing it there house.  Promise: Mom and Dad I will sort through it.  Question:  Is it worse to have kids move back or just their stuff?!  

Ok, back to the quote.  I wanted to share this quote with anyone who is asking questions future questions...Self-Knowledge questions.  

(Pardon the non-gender inclusive language)

"In relation to the personal presuppositions which he himself brings, the action of man must be one which always and in all directions is open, eager to learn, capable of modification, perpetually ready, in obedience to the exclusively sovereign command of God, to allow itself to be oriented afresh and in a very different way from those which might have seemed possible and necessary on the basis of man's own ideas of his ability and capacity.  In the last analysis man has no more knowledge of himself, then [consists] only in constant attention and openness to that which, as God claims him, will be continually disclosed to him as his true self, as the real aptitude which he has been given together with its limits, and then in the corresponding decision for perhaps a much more daring or possibly a much more humble action than that to which he has hitherto considered himself called." (Karl Barth.  Church Dogmatics, III, 4, 52.2)

Journey on.  Step forward.  God enable & direct you.