Ultrafidiations

Well, despite trying to use a quick template, my attempt to non-conform my blog to others’ style took forever so I won’t write long tonight.

My attempts to get in to hear the Ten Commandments Cases at the Supreme Court did not quite work out. I was there at 7am (court begins at 10am) but others had camped out all night, so I was right in the middle of the line…and thanks to a few line-skippers, I ended up 2 people from the cut-off that got to actually go in. Oh well. It was still exciting to be there. The worst was that it was SO incredibly freezing cold we all thought we were going to die. After 5 hours of waiting out there, I could hardly walk, and won’t be surprised if I get sick after that experience. I love being in the middle of the action though—unbelievable crowds of protestors. At first just atheists and secularists with obnoxious anti-Christian signs. Then buses of Christians showed up and I was even more embarrassed by some of the “Glory, Hallelujah” sermons they set up soap boxes to deliver. I appreciate their effort though I guess. There were also some Christians out there taking on the atheists in one-on-one arguments that actually did know how to defend the display of the Commandments from a secular perspective. Overall, the atheists were a minority, especially since many Christians came from all over the nation. I felt really bad for those who traveled days and didn’t get in, but they mainly came to make a statement anyway. I thought it was funny the news story say they were “marching” cause I would have called it “huddling” it was so cold! I got to know a trial lawyer from MO, a Republican in town to lobby against TORT reform. I also talked for a while with the chair of the Idaho Keep the Commandments organization. A couple students who just happened to pick this day to visit the court and I talked, and I got a chance to talk to them about the Lord a little, since they were open but not Christians. We were all bonded together by the cold, and left with several more friends than we came with. Even though it was disappointing to be so close to getting in and not make it, I was glad I went afterwards—not during the freezing temperatures. I’ve been unable to get warm ever since and have been shivering even in the heat all day.

Nothing particularly fascinating to report at work. The Ambassador finally got on a plane to Hanoi and we all breathed a sigh of relief. The meetings with the Vietnamese are Friday and Monday so please be praying. Accompanying the Ambassador is Matt, whom I’ve been working with a lot on Vietnam issues…Matt is a great guy but not a believer…and I have really felt strongly that the Lord is going to work on him during this trip—possibly through the Ambassador… but I’ve been praying for that. Matt is the super-star student type…two Masters and a PhD by the time he was 25 etc..… traveled and worked all over the world studying unbelievably complicated science stuff and ultimately came to DC where he’s excelling at the IRF office—seems to have accomplished more on the countries he’s assigned to in his short months of handling them than his predecessors did in years. He’s 30ish and getting married shortly to a long-time fiancé who has followed him around the world…but he seems to have just never pursued personal religious convictions of any kind. He’s the perfect candidate for God to do something really cool in and through… I’ve been trying to take every opportunity when he asks me about myself and my life to share a little of my testimony with him. Anyways, I just really believe that in the midst of everything God does in Vietnam, God has his eye on Matt’s heart as well….

Well, I have another conference in the morning and need to get some stuff done. Hasta luego…