4/12/2014  =======ON TURNING 75------A celebration of my gift from The Lord

Now that''s kinda wowie!!! Should be somewhere else by now but Thank YOU, Lord, for the extra innings!!! Walt Whitman wrote 'I celebrate myself'--but we cannot do any celebrating with our lives without the gift that God gave us.

So many blessings that YOU, Lord, have shared with me and my Bird Woman: our 2 boys strong and spiritually with the You, Lord!!! Our DIL who sometimes I don't understand- and vice versa about me--but still she is with YOU, Lord, and has her own insight and talents. Our grandsons, Matthew, nearly 14 and Colson, turned 9 years 3 days ago are so formed different by You, Lord; thank you for your designs of us!

You planned us long before we were born and your plan for Matthew is being hewn our of rocky material, a diamond in the rough, that at times melts down for him and  blows us away, but you know haw he will be a man for You, Lord, like Joshua, be strong, have courage, and therefore we should never lose hope; he will come to us one of these days like a butterfly, portraying his wonderful beautiful talents, his music and his amazing personality--what will he say about these past  ugly cater-pillow days??? Colson so much more placid and smart too and his play and loving and creativity already exhibited and shared. Both boys we love so much even with these rough hewn rocky days for Matthew; its groaning days for him and as he struggles to understand himself he grows stronger and 

will survive these days of trial and tribulations--bless him, bless them both, Lord!!!

A Big Blessings, Lord, has been Your Word which I finally got around to reading and studying these past nearly 2 years with the Men's Bible Study and of course how it links and networks up with Pastor John and others sermons and other sources of scripture exposure. Before in my life it was hit and miss and just not connected; I am glad i was raised in a Christian home and was baptized at 8 (and again in the Pacific Ocean Jan 1, 1996 by Ted Goslen on the Big island) but my life of sinning and being selfish even when I thought of myself as a Christian was deceiving, going along w many other boys of the South who had dichotomous views of romance and deeds of just good old boys who could snatch here and there and get away with it--even with a smirk.  I was even worse because of my own belief in myself, yes even asking for forgiveness, but turing right around and sinning again, in the face of You, Lord..

How do we reconcile those years of that kind of life except by accepting YOUR son's love and grace for us. How lonely it would be if we had to pull ourselves out of the mire of muddy sinfulness and try to find some other Rock to save us?? What would it be like on our last day, our last moment facing death and blackness, a void and the only thing we had was our sinful past and useless accolades and possessions, gone to dust?? Your Son, Jesus, came to me in my most desperate hour when I was sure all my sight was lost after the eye surgery in 1979. He was on the cross giving me hope and telling me not to worry but carry on., but giving up that 'old self' and selfishness.

And I did, sometimes just because of the momentum of my calling: from my undergraduate days, even in high school, I  was driven to be a physician; it was a tough road, struggling many times late at night in the Wake library, trying to break through dense learning barriers of some sort of emotions, of what I could call brain blocking; but I would drive on and cram for the upcoming test or goal. I was just driven to succeed. And this same persistence and perseverance (doggedness) continued in my profession through the 35 years of practice;( but at times like in 1995 I ran away from the bad times (the suspensions resulting from  my attempts to right some many wrongs--Don Xioti complex) by selling my practice to the hospital for a year, then started it back up  and continuing for 12 more years). Selling the practice Feb 1, 2008 was the best day and worst day of my life, but as I look back now 6 years later I see Your Hand in this Lord; I needed to take away the sin and give it up for YOU, and not regret but to go forward with the further mission work and love of my life's companion, my BW..

Other blogs: DocAloha(AlofHawaii), Al&Shirley'sHawaii

Bound for the HolyLand!!! Written May 2011

I am starting this new blog as we prepare for our time with the Campbell Univ Divinity School, led by Professors Tony Cartledge, and Barry Jones, both who have visited Isreal several times. Shirley went in 1963, I have never been. We have prepared by reading materials given by the school, w recommenced reading of course the Bible, the Source by James Michener, a Bible Atlas by Taylor.

My own feelings are that: of a pervading sense that I am not worthy: I am not a Biblical scholar, that somehow my own spiritual maturity is not of a level to deserve such an endevour, and of course an underlying worry of safety. But on the other hand, I would regret missing this journey of a life time, and especially with Shirley, as I catch her enthusiasm. I will enjoy 'connecting the dots' of real time and place Biblical points, hopefully enriching my spiritual life; I don't want it to be just a tour. I really don't like 'tours' as most of my travels in the past 25 years have been on missions, mostly medical, overseas.

So I hope this journal/blog will not just be a tour but an insight in a deeper way while we journey through the different places where Biblical scripture occured.

Mabopane, Souh Africa August 2013

This was another amazing story of how God works in our lives connecting strings of years ago for His Good works.
In June, 2000 a group of Snyder men and women traveled to S Africa, to help build a new church for the First Baptist Church of Mabopane about 30 miles N of Pretoria. This was thru the auspices of the NC Baptist Men and the brotherhood partnership with the SAfrican Baptist. Roy Smith headed this up from his home in the Johannesburg. We also found time to be involved with the Door of Hope run by Don and Cheryl for orphans and some kids with HIV.

God's strings stayed connected and in the spring of 2013 I wondered, since I was committed to seeing kids at Mathara in Nairobi, Kenya, why not go see the church we helped build in South Africa; it was only another 2000 miles south??!! So to drag out the old journals and pics I found Roy Smith in Va Beach as head of an association there. He connected me with Pastor Willie who was at Mabopane then with a series of emails. But Roy was not finished with that; he said Al, you must call Becky Young in Cary and maybe visit the orphanage she has been working with for several years.
And so I did and it was the most loving experience: 5 mothers, many from Zimbobwe took care of kids from few months old to kids in early 20's in 5 newly built homes in a compound there in Mabopane.
Father George was their leader and just a whirling dervish of organizing and managing the place.
I saw and examined thoroughly all 30 kids and three had to be referred for more care: one with nasal foreign body that I attempted to remove but had been in there for over 2 years, another with esotropia (crossed eyes) actually George's 3 yo daughter, and newly diagnosed HIV child.

Azania and her granddaughter

George, bless his heart, drove me to Pretoria to meet with Pastor Willie; we had a wonderful meal and time with his family; he connected by phone and email with David Crocker who led our group in 2000. Then on another day we met with my host mother, Azania and her daughters of 13 years ago, and then on the last Sunday we visited the First Baptust Chruch of Mabopane; it was alive and strong but only 4 original members were still there; we surprised them and in the middle of the service they recognized me. After the service we had a wonderful memory time. God is good!!! and He is ever present!!!! It was a wonderful week with old and new acquaintances made and renewed!!!
I was happy to supply the gas for the old truck George drove and was happy to make a donation for a new van later at the recognition banquet in Cary in October where we were invited as Becky's guest.

Pic also of Father George and kids

Natalia of Nairobi

 In August 2013 I was blessed to go from my church, Snyder Menorial Baptist in Fayetteville, NC to Nairobi, Kenya and visit Mathara, home of Mission of Hope International. There over 1000 children and their families have been lifted up by God's hand to a better life, being pulled up and out from the mire of the slums there, not only school for the kids but training venues for the parents, sewing, jewelry making, computers, construction, etc that then helps then set up their own businesses.
My job was to examine all of the kids at the Bondeni school over 4 days. With the help of 3 excellent nurses who are as good as PA's here in the states, we saw and treated 267 children. Most were skin ailments, ringworm (Tinea fungus) some scabies and impetigo. We measured and weighed all and found lower height and weights than our standard published graphs, but in general most kids were fairly healthy, but none were obese.
One child stood out though and needed help and moved our hearts: Natalia was burned at 2-3 years old, reportedly fell into an open kettle of boling water, frequently used outside for their kitchen.
When I returned to NC, I spoke to several plastic surgeons and ENT docs, then appealed to colleagues at Campbell University where I am an adjunct professor of pediatrics with the PA school, and a new medical school has gotten off the ground. Some how a connection with a missionary doc in Kenya by the name  of Bruce Dahlman led to a plastic surgeon at the Kijabi Misssion Hosptial near Nairobi; his name: Peter Nthumba. Somehow I found him at the Billy Graham Cove during a physician conference in October 2013.
Long story shortened Dr Ntumba agreed to accept Natalia if we could raise $3500 for her plastic procedures and she would remain in Nairobi and travel to Kijabi Hosptial. By God's grace and to His glory over $4000 was raised and sent there and she has had her 1st procedure of saline skin stretching. One of the nurses, George Kimani, with whom I worked at Bondeni,  has been the wonderful shepherd for she and her mom, accompanying them to and fro to Kijabi already multiple times.
More recently an article about Natalia has been published in the MOHI newsletter and we pray that it will lead to more prayers and support for her and her family.

Spirituality and Tragedy early Nov 09

The full moon has probably been unfairly related to bad events, but it does seem that there is an uncanny association.
(unfinished) I will try later to tell this story from my position as John is my best friend. I know God has a purpose for everything so that He can turn bad into good for His glory!!!

40 years ago in Hawaii

Its like being a ghost being and working here again; Shirley was expecting finally-
unfinished--see DocAloha (AlofHawaii)

GoTo DocAloha (AlofHawaii); also Al&Shirley's Hawaii

These are 2 more blogs that are about Hawaii, missions to Haiti, Samoa; our lives in Hawaii from 1967 to 1974, then the continuation there for work, jumping off place for missions to Vietnam, Cambodia and Samoa and the Philippines.

Contributions Left hand does know the right all for God's glory!!!

Terry Sanford Tennis Courts and Scholarship 1997
Snyder Carillon'A'Bell
SnyderTithing since 1975
Little David McCaskill Group Carillon Bell
HartnessChoice/SanfordMillingCo Scholarship Wake Forest U
Kristin Olson Help Fund
NataliaOfNairobi Fund
Yabana Orphanage, Mabopane South Africa
Campbell PA Student Scholarship
Campbell University Chapel Fund
Kennedy Children's Home Fund
Enhanced Classroom/SE Asia Humanitarian Fund
Old Memphis Preservation Society

Taclaban, Philippines Dec 2013

Remembering Taclaban, Philippines, Dec 2013
A Cross hanging upside down

12 days of Xmas in Taclaban

a cross hanging upside down on a shattered steeple, a grey dawn heavy w rain, Silent Night heard in the distance,

bells peeling, loud clanging, unashamed, with courage, calling the huddled masses, young and old, scouring thru the debris, honoring the birth of their Savior, 

remembering His body, "for to them 'it is to live in Christ, and to die was their gain", honoring their love ones, thousands gone to glory to be with their Lord; Paul was speaking loudly from his Epistle Philippians to us in this modern day disaster Typhoon Ylonda. that hit the Philippines Nov 6, 2014 right where we NC Baptist Men and Women had come t offer help.

Our group led by another Paul, awaking on the church floor, slid out of our mosquito nets, sat and watched w amazement, the joy, the resilience, the praising, singing,

Merry Xmas they sang out as they passed; we 8,  had our own bewilderment, 10,000 miles from home, missing our loved ones, came to help w medicines, clean water,

hopefully to comfort-yet I  needed comfort; then "let each of you look not to your interest, but to the interest of others',: 'Christ Jesus, though in the form of God, humbled himself, taking the form of a servant'--I honestly struggled w my own discomfort and immaturity: I was not sure of my endurance;  Please Holy Spirit, comfort me--

staying in a church with roof third gone, plumbing gone, noisy generator, 'working out our own salvation with fear and trembling', buckets of well water for our bodies, seeking a peace that passeth understanding; and yet, I struggled---I needed Paul's 'learning to be content in whatever state I am in--I can do all things thru Christ that strengthens me--'

The days of clinics, hundreds with physical needs, many without homes, only make shift things, scraps, tarps, everything gone, big piles of belongings all along the roads, snaggled tooth grandmother w headaches, babies at distraught mothers' breasts, a 12 yo girl by the wonderful name of Mary Joy, and her joy actually beaming out, an angel proclaiming: 'I will bring you GR888 Joy'--they were looking for more than their physical hurts and needs, they wanted our prayers, affirmation that they had not been forgotten, and they said "Salamet", thank you for coming!!!

we all  needed Paul's admonition to press on, for them and us, 'forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward to the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus'--these people in their moment were the epitome of the message of Philippians, amazing that God inspired the name of this book as well for the Philippine people for now!!!

College students practicing Michael W Smith's Christmas songs over and over, for their cantata, like our own youth back home giving morning by morning, new mercies--just listen and see--(Amazing that Great is Thy Faithfulness was the first hymn sung at the first Sunday there in that church!)

Christmas Day was just like Phil 4: 8--you know it: 'Finally brethren, whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, anything of excellence, worthy of praise, think about these things--do these and the God of peace will be with you--'

The students sang MWSmith's cantata just like that verse with joy and hope!!  With tears of relief and joy myself,  I heard the pastor preaching from John 16--I heard again in my heart for several years now:  'My peace I bring to you, you will have troubles, fear not, have courage, take heart, I have overcome the world--'

 Under a cross hanging upside down, under a shattered steeple, people standing strong, hope never ceasing, God supplies our every need, according to His riches in the glory of Christ Jesus--forever and forever,

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, and love,  Amen