Right now our passports are in the hands of another country's government, actually the sixth largest by population if you either know it or want to look it up. We're hoping they will allow us to visit in January--but we haven't bought tickets yet. As US citizens who travel, we can get used to being treated special because of that. When special means nice, we seldom object. The first time we visited Thailand I misunderstood the signs and got in the wrong line. After taking pictures and filling out visa application forms, I was waiting in a line to talk to an official when it gradually began to dawn on me that there were no other US citizens in the line. Some of you already know why--US citizens don't need visas for Thailand. Since then, I reflect on that scene when I think about what it means for our world. You see, I had nothing to do with where I was born nor did they. We all are equally people, yet they had to work harder and wait longer just to enter a whole country while I could walk right up to immigration and hand them an empty passport.
So this fall we've stayed put--relatively. I have made three trips, with one more planned for this week, and they've all been in the US. We've been to Oregon and Washington, Illinois, Texas and Florida, and (now, Lord willing) Indiana. (Laura is exercising her discretion and staying home from Illinois and Indiana.) You may remember me saying that we want to maximize face time with those we are serving--first going to where they are, second inviting them to come to us, third meeting them where they gather, and then connecting virtually. Oregon and Florida may seem pretty far away from Colorado, but compared to the countries where those people sometimes live, those places are really close and really easy to get to! Indiana is one of those places where people are gathering. I am going for a conference for people passionate about the intersection between wellbeing and international ministry. I first went to the conference in 1988, when Sarah was nine months old, joining about sixty others. This year there will be about 300.
When I write you I try to make it interesting, and part of our adjustment to being based in the US now instead of Taiwan is that things just don't seem quite as exciting to talk about. I could tell you someone else's stories--we continue to enjoy hearing fascinating stories and sharing in the journeys of the people we are loving on in the Father's name, but I learned some hard lessons in Taiwan about telling other people's stories. Even if I feel confident that you can't figure out who I'm talking about or I have explicit permission to tell someone's stories, ultimately those stories have other owners, and these email updates are about our story, whether it is exciting or quite ordinary.
Thank you for reading our stories. Thank you for caring about us. We are still passionate about our ministry and happy to invest our time and energy this way. It is because the Father cares for us that we can care for one another, reaching beyond the barriers that might naturally prevent that care, including language, place, citizenship, culture, and so much more. May we have grace to care for those the Father brings to us and the initiative and energy to reach out in love even when, to the world around us, it might seem most unlikely or unusual.
On a family note, my son Rob has been joking that we have no family Thanksgiving traditions. Probably having Turkey for Thanksgiving last year didn't much help. (The country Turkey--we ate chicken but we saw live turkeys nearby, as well as sheep, asparagus fields, ancient ruins, and persimmons.) All the same, we are going to be here for Thanksgiving this year, and will welcome "home" (briefly) Sarah from grad studies in Texas, Joey and his Laura from their new home in Austin, Texas, and two of their cousins whose family is in Taiwan from Minnesota and Illinois. Maybe we can make up for lost time or something!
In him who keeps us, Steve and Laura
PS Regarding the language in these emails, we ask your tolerance. We try to avoid certain words not to mislead, but rather just to be respectful where certain words are taken differently by some people and to avoid attracting off topic attention from search engines. If you are unsure what we mean, please ask. Sometimes what I think is clear is actually not so clear, as some of you have reminded me now and again.
Steve and Laura Spinella
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>
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