Did i meet famous people and not even know it?

So i sitting in the LAX (might've been chicago but I think it was LAX waiting for my flight back to IN a week ago and ran into two people i think were famous:

This guy in the picture above was huge like a wrestler, had a some tattoos, and this group of guys asked to take a picture with him, i didn't know who he was so i didn't feel right asking to pose for a picture. Is this a WWE guy or someone else i should know?
at the same moment, i always like talking to the people next to me but i was sitting next to an attractive girl in normal clothes that had a wedding ring on and across from us was another guy chatting up the girl next to him and i didn't want to be that guy so i just contently played a game on my ipod instead. After awhile I was curious though, because she had ski boots on her louis vuitton carry-on so i asked where she was going and she said, "New Zealand to meet up with her team" and after i asked she said she was "a professional skiier." As she got up for the first class customers to board her plane, i quickly asked, "wait so are you well known? i didn't get your name" She humbly responded, "Lindsey Vonn" (with a kind laugh) "i don't know, maybe." and she was on the plane. I didn't know until i just looked up her name yesterday that she is a 2010 US gold medalists and that she has been on the front of Sports Illustrated and has a Facebook Fan page of like 150,000 followers among others things!

Resting and Taking it in.

Me and my nephew Jaylon by the barn

me and pappaw resting in the air conditioned house.

I am officially back in the states spending time with family for the next few weeks. I am looking forward to putting together a large NZ update after I take some time to process and resettle over this time. It is definitely a big time of transition as the people in New Zealand have become my home and close friends over the past two years. Thank you so much for investing or being interested in how God has been working in New Zealand and my part in that. I have so many stories to share and can't wait.

officially home

back for a day and resting and enjoying family time

Funny Moment

I was going to look up Proverbs 19:21 in light of me making future plans and God being in control but i accidentally put in Proverbs 21:19 instead and it said rather bluntly:

¹⁹ Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

not hating on women, the verse just caught me off guard.

4 Days left in NZ

My time to leave New Zealand has come up quickly. I will update my blog and you in more detail soon, but right now i would just appreciate your prayers as i try to connect and end this time well over these next couple of days. I leave this Monday at 12:15pm NZ time.

NZ and my involvement in the future are still heavily in my prayers as well but nothing has been decided.

As for my immediate next steps:

July 5-9- Australia for a few days to process the transition back home

Mid July- Family vacation in North Carolina

July 31- My ordination in Indiana

August- Potentially start a job stateside

Thank you so much for your involvement and support in my life.

Brent Dongell

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

Life is Like the Game Rush Hour

I was reading Purpose Driven Life a few years ago and it asked the question, "What is your life metaphor?" ie. "Life is rollercoaster full of ups and downs," "Life is a sport with a goal, strategy, and objective," "life is garden dig it," etc.

I concluded that mine was, "life is a game" back in the day.

Well today i decided, I feel like "My life is like the game Rush Hour." I used to play this game when i was bored at my grandparents farm and loved it.

If you don't know the game, I put an example below. The goal is to get the red car through the gap on the side of the board that it is facing, but you have to move the other cars forward and backwards to make this possible.

I feel like this is how and why i am constantly processing life. It is like there is this clear objective of living this life well, but to do that seems like a big puzzle that sometimes you have to take a step back and look at and other times you have to just keep watching and moving the pieces around until it starts to make sense.

Either way, it definitely all seems like fun and games until your patience runs out and you get frustrated with all of the obstacles in the way or how much time you have spent trying to figure out something so stupid and you just want to walk away and call the game dumb because your frustration has won over. i am tempted with this thought a lot. Life seeming too much or the frustrations of figuring out life not always feeling like they are worth it, but once i have started something, i hate not finishing it. Also most of us have learned that pain and struggle are often worth it and sometimes more rewarding than when they are lacking.

All this to say, there is a lot to process and do in these last couple of weeks in New Zealand. Sometimes i am tempted to call my execution planning stupid because i don't know how to piece these last couple of weeks together, but i try and remember the fun parts of this game we call life and to keep moving around and loving people and being loved by people as it all just seems to make sense and come together in the end.

Me Rambling

3 funny things happened this last Thursday:

1. I made a friend a worship cd to practice the piano with the songs. When I asked him about it, he said thanks, and went on to explain that he has had trouble sleeping and that he played one of those cds and it put him right to sleep!!! hahaha that wasn't exactly what i had in mind, but i guess that works to.
2. I was having so much fun singing to a song in my van at a stoplight today, that the 2 girls and guy in the car next to me had rolled down their window to try and here what i was listening to! Now that is dedication to car dancing! What was i listening to? A random American song that i have been newly enlightened to called "Mysterious Girl" by Peter Andre. :)
3. A random remembrance: There was a girl i remember being extra flirty when i was back in the US like 3 years. I finally pinpointed it one day that one of the main things she did that made her this way was that she would never look at you straight face to face but would always look out at you from the side or the corner of her eyes. Just a random observation.

If You Want to Listen To My Latest Sermon

Just over a couple of weeks at cession|community ago I preached on Judgement. It was a sermon that i received a lot of cool responses about. If you want to listen to the sermon you can click here and it should start downloading.

They included about 10 minutes of testimony before my actual sermon just as a heads up and also, towards the beginning, when i ask "what are your honest opinions about this?" i have on a crazy pair of American flag pants.

It was for a series called The Apprentice discussing whether you had what it takes to follow Jesus standard of living in terms of gossip, judgment, and revenge.

Personality Driven Ministry: To do or not to do?

Having a stronger personality, this has been one of my bigger questions and areas of tension as i try to give to the church and people around me.

I hear both sides:

A) More often i hear: "Don't build a ministry around one person or personality."

The reasons are usually explained by someone who has felt the direct effects of this type of ministry when a pastor like this leaves the church. Often the people still at the church after the leader leaves are left trying to pick up the pieces or trying sustain or pick up where the other pastor left off without developing leadership and delegating other leaders to carry on what he started is one of the most common explanations.

B) On the flipside, some ministries just have worked that way like the Billy Graham Ministry.

I am not criticizing its inner workings at all, but all i am saying is that the name of that ministry and what it stands has centered around Billy Graham and his message. I was recently asked, "What is it that only Brent can do for the church? ...that God has created you for?" There seems to be a case for also leading a dream or passion that God has put in your heart and rallying others around you.

The fear of A is holding back. It could be good restraint, but i also believe there can be a negative restraint if i never feel free to fully pursue the dreams or directing God leads

The fear of B is selfishness and pride. It could become less about the team and more about your own desires.

I believe both kinds of ministries can have a time in place, but i have often felt in the middle. Wanting to just "unleash" and allow my personality and hearts desires to run free and to see where God takes them, while often holding back fearing whether it would become prideful or whether i would make sure to do this around a team and create something that goes beyond me rather than just living in the moment.

just ongoing ponderings...

My Top 10 Most Pet Peeves

I grew up trying not to have too many things that annoy me, but as i get older my list has grown a little bit :) so i decided to put my top ten list of annoying things together. This has been a week long process, but i finally have a solid list so here it is!!! I hope it entertains you :)

My Top 10 Most Annoying things

1. Speed bumps.
2. When people walk by or beside you and they are intentionally having to try and ignore your presence by looking the opposite way or looking to the ground to avoid eye contact or conversation.
3. A zit on the nose.
4. Using a bathroom with thin walls that is right next to where everyone else is at.
5. The continuous car beep when the front seatbelt is undone, the van is reversing, or the keys are left in the ignition while you are just trying to listen to music with the door open.
6. Burning the top of your mouth or biting the inside of your cheek repeatedly.
7. The awkwardness of pulling up next to someone you know at a red light after the 5 seconds of the surprise excitement runs out and you awkwardly don’t know whether to keep talking or to pull forward so there is no pressure to keep conversation going.
8. Getting honked to hurry up when you are already rushing to do something in the house.
9. Serious or spiteful sarcasm with an added smile.
10. Getting hit by a shopping cart on the heel of your foot.

I love artists

Here was a random Christian video that i came across that i found intriguing. I am always so impressed with artists expressing themselves in different ways.

One of the Best Parts of Missions...

Missions has its hard times and its good times, but one of the reasons I was so grateful for my job over the past week is that a big part of what I do is focused on being a gift to others.

What a great occupation and job description: be a gift to others.

Not in a cocky sense like, "Hey, here is Brent Dongell with a bow tied around his head, isn't your life just that much better now?!?" haha

But in the sense that the reason I am sent to New Zealand is to be a gift from the US and wider body of Christ to the church and people of New Zealand with my time and finances. I get to go around and hopefully encourage and challenge people, be a listening ear, and give of my education, tithing, and extra spending money where i can and try and be a refresher to those around me.

Thanks to my friends, family, and supporting churches back home that make this a reality.

"...he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

but I also have definitely felt blessed on both sides of this coin as always. Where ever i have been giving, I always wonder whether I am giving or actually receiving back way more from those people than i have ever given them.

For those in a Waiting Season

I was reading and wanted to share the insights I gained.

When i was in the team building process for New Zealand, a friend wrote this on a paper and gave it to me. I have held on to this and it is pretty much the condensed version of the following book insert:

"Brent, you have heard God speak to you of Joshua 1, but before Joshua conquered the land he was known as a man who tarried long in the Lord’s presence (The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent Exodus 33:11). In the same manner, you must know this tarrying to know the conquering. 11/26/07 Brian Holda"

Others "...would describe their current place of service as an intermediate point in the career journey. It may be a stop that is fulfilling or long-lasting, but it is definitely not the destination of their dreams…

Psalm 37 is a special text for this season of waiting. It seems written just for second chairs who are struggling with the contentment-dreaming paradox. The first nine verses (particularly three through seven) are profound in their description of waiting on God: “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:3-7).

God has an important part in the waiting process and so do we. These parts go hand-in-hand. Our responsibility is to trust in the Lord, do good, dwell in the land, enjoy safe pasture (or cultivate faithfulness, as in the New American Standard), delight in the Lord, commit our way to the Lord, trust in Him, be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.

In a season of waiting, we have a lot to do! We are responsible to trust in Him and do good at every opportunity. In doing this, we can cultivate faithfulness wherever he has placed us. As we worship God, we are to commit our lives and ways to Him. These responsibilities are great reminders of how we should be living in faith if we truly trust God in our season of waiting on Him.

It appears that Joseph did exactly these things during his seasons of waiting. He believed God was ahead of him, working things out for His bigger, unseen purposes. Joseph chose to make the best of each situation, so he cultivated faithfulness everywhere he went. The Scripture shows that God was with Joseph, and we see that Joseph honored God with his actions, displaying his commitment and trust in the Lord.

It is easy to see our responsibility in this passage, but do we see the good part- God’s part? Do we see God’s response to our responsibility? Psalm 37:4 and 6 promise that god will give us the desires of our heart, make our righteousness shine like the dawn, and make the justice of our cause like the noonday sun.

Do we need to say anymore about God’s response in our seasons of waiting on Him? No matter how hard we try, manipulate, or jockey for position, we can never capture the desires of our heart or make the justice of our cause shine like the noonday sun. Simply stated, there are great advantages in choosing contentment and waiting on God. He will do what we cannot do, even in our greatest strength and effort. We are responsible for the waiting, trusting, and dwelling. He is responsible for the outcome…

We all go through seasons of waiting…Even if we are not waiting for God to move us somewhere else, we may have to wait for an organization that does not change quickly enough. How we respond while waiting tells us (and those around us) much about our faith. Two competing forces pull at us during these seasons: the pace of society and the grace of God.

The pace of society tells us we should always be on the lookout for the next opportunity, never staying in one place too long… the cruelest part of the clash between society’s pace and a season of waiting is the false hope that is often created… thankfully, God’s grace seeks to offset and overcome our impatience. In the challenging seasons of waiting, we have a unique opportunity to experience the grace of God at a whole new level… You might feel overwhelmed by your present circumstances. You feel you could abandon it all- your ministry, your faith, your church family, everything! You do not understand why you are in this prison experience or what you did to deserve it… Robin Smith, who has endured some difficult seasons of waiting, says he has often prayed, “God, I am asking today for the ability to cast all my cares on You.” (Leading From the Second Chair by Mike Bonem & Roger Patterson, 128-130)

People's View of the US

It is interesting to see other people's opinion of the USA sometimes. A friend just sent me an article from BBC saying that the USA's popularity is rising again in the past few years from a rather negative place...

You can Read other stats and the Article Here

I know i may get slack for this opinion, but I guess my first reaction is a lethargic "what can you do?!" If you are a major world power and you have the third largest country by population i just don't think your odds are gonna be good that you are going to make everyone happy or not have a large group of people against you.

I also wonder from a theological point of view whether you would ever want to be in the majority or minority positive view point of the world's eyes.

Jesus says such contradictory statements about loving and serving everyone yet coming to take up sword and divide even close families at times, that i am not sure whether you could live out the gospel and be the most popular in the world.

just thinking out loud. now back to ground work.

headed back to New Zealand

I'm signing off. Leaving for Auckland from Indianapolis at 6:15am Thursday Morning

Food I enjoyed in the USA

I tried to eat as much of the food i liked every meal i have been stateside the past week.

In New Zealand, people asked me if there was any food i missed from the USA, but i couldn't really think of it while i wasn't here. But now being back this is what i have eaten and missed.

Cinnabon

Taco Bell's Cheesy Gordita Crunch

Kraft MacnCheese

Cinnamon Cheerios (any sugary cereal)

Al8 one (an ale only really sold in Kentucky)

Red Robin- California Chicken Sandwich

Chipotle- Burrito (i had meat even though this picture doesnt)

Bread Sticks, Cheese sauce, and polar pop for 32oz for $.63 (college favorite)

BW3’s- BBQ Buffalo Wings & BBQ Ribs (I love bbq sauce)

Ivanhoes- Ice Cream (a college spot)

American Hot Dog & Cheesy Potato Casserole (church potluck dinner)

Cinnamon Pop tarts

Bargs Root Beer (reminds me of root beer float called a spider in NZ)

Dairy Queen's Reese's Peanut Butter Blizzard

Pimento Cheese Sandwich (from North Carolina southern taste buds)

Jimmy Johns- Beach Sub (love guacamole)

Chic Fila Sandwich and Wedge Fries

Oreo Shake (shakes are so thick here they don't fit through the straws sometimes)

Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwich with Arby Sauce

Mom's Blue Berry Peach Coffee Cake with Milk (personal favorite)

Chips ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie (they are so soft!)

Gatorade & Big Gallons of Milk

Things I also enjoy that i Missed this trip:

In-N-Out

Krispy Kreme

Carne Asada from a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant

Jen’s Cheesy Salsa Dip

I Surfed with a Humpback Whale Yesterday!

You can check out a video and the article on the whale to get a better feel for what i saw.

I was sitting in the water on my board yesterday watching a whale flap his fins and spray water from his blowhole about 100 yards or less in front of me yesterday. Unreal.

I took a new California surfing friend who is visiting NZ out to Piha yesterday. The surf was small so we were hanging inside a little bit, then my friend pointed out a whale out behind the waves. I never got within probably 100 yards/meters of it.

Some of the surfers out back behind the break were paddling towards it and one surfer told me that he got within about 4 meters(10-15ft) from this whale as he came towards the cove and said he had a moment where he had no clue what he would do if it came towards him!

The whale headed back out to sea with the helicopter and lifeboats circling him after playing around for a goo 15 minutes around the beach.. Here once again is the video from the helicopter.

Crazy Good times. not sure that will ever happen again.

My Sketch from the Stations of the Cross

Title of the Piece: Crossed feelings

Station: Jesus Taking up the Cross

Scripture reference:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame…

Hebrews 12:2

What feelings must have Jesus experienced as he took up the Cross? And what similar emotions might we have experienced over this Easter Season? Four things specifically came to mind: Agony, Tears, Overwhelmed, and Joy.

AGONY (cringing eyebrow)

Jesus has been whipped and has a crown of thorns on by now. I know that Acts 8:33 says that as a lamb is silent being led to the slaughter, Jesus also did not open his mouth. Yet I have to wonder whether this meant he simply didn’t defend himself or whether even in the midst of all the torture he didn’t even make a noise. I still picture him screaming in agony at some point, but since I did not decide to have him yelling in the painting, I tried to show agony in the way his eyebrow formed.

TEARS (wet cheeks)

I have to also wonder whether Jesus cried. Would he be cried out at this point, too tough to cry, or were tears rolling down his face. I would like to think there were tears at some point. It could’ve been the physical pain or the pain of rejection or even the sorrow for these mistaken people, but I picture Jesus crying.

OVERWHELMED (bloody eyes)

I wonder whether he was tempted to give up. Even though Jesus didn’t sin, I still believe he could be tempted. As he picked up the cross and looked at the walk ahead of him, I wonder if the state of humanity or even the frustration of blood running into his eyes would be enough to just want to throw in the towel. Did Jesus, much like his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, ever think about not picking up his cross and just dying or asking for God’s intervention again?

JOY (smirking mouth)

Hebrews 12:2 says, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” I loved how in the film, “Passion of the Christ” Jesus has a flashback of a good times in his life as well as bad. I know he was in excruciating pain, but I have to wonder if there was ever a moment where he smirked or a small smile came across his face as he picked up the cross. Maybe he caught a glimpse of a disciple he loved dearly or maybe he thought about how the disciples actually being able to understand what he had said about picking up their cross so many times before, or maybe he thought for a moment to the Father, “We can do this.”

Have you experienced these emotions over the Easter season?

Agony

If you have been in pain over this Easter season,

There are stones lying around. Hold and squeeze one as hard as you can for as long as you need to express the stress you have experienced and know that God understands and has been through pain. He even promises for us to come out glorious on the other side.

For this reason [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18

Tears

If you have shed tears over this Easter season,

There is a jar and a bowl. You can pour the water in the bowl or dip your finger in the water and run your finder down your cheek like a tear and know that Jesus cried during this season as well.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.

And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Joy

If you have experienced joy over this Easter season,

Take a piece of paper or card. Write a note to yourself or someone with a verse, story, or thought that has brought you joy in this season. Be amazed at how Jesus would’ve encapsulated all these actions below as he picked up his cross:

Be joyful always, Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances...

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Overwhelmed

If you have been overwhelmed over the Easter season,

There are paper, pens, and a trashcan. Write down all that is overwhelming you, tear it up and throw it in the trash, to express how you have felt throwing in the towel in the past little bit and be encouraged.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

Will you pray for the youth of new zealand

My friend Kris put a video together about youth and some of the NZ statistics that is pretty cool. You should check it out on his blog.