Gas prices

I hear that gas prices are up in the USA. The same thing here. We are paying a little less than $5.15 a gallon. It costs us a bit more than $100.00 to fill up the van, which gets about 28 miles to the gallon (or 8 liters to 100 kilometers, as they say here). I take the train when I can and ride my bike in town.

I saw the pictures of flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi. Incredible. So many homes destroyed. The same thing here. Though less people were killed, all of central Switzerland was cut off from the outside world last week because of excessive rains.

I read that we can give money to help those who suffered damage from the hurricane. The same thing here. There is an organization called The Chain of Happiness (Chaîne de Bonheur) that collects funds every time there is a disaster somewhere in the world. This time it’s for bailing out the Swiss. And this in itself has caused some problems, since Switzerland is the most insured country in the world.

That’s where the two countries are different. I read on USA Today’s site that 45.8 million people in the USA have no health insurance. We have to have it. If you’re poor, the state chips in and subsidizes whenever needed.

Mountain top

The mountain cabin “Panossiere” is tucked in at 2650 meters on the edge of a glacier that curls by to the south. The start of the ice flow is at the base of the Grand Combin, a mountain that towers above the surrounding peaks at 4,314 meters (14.154 feet). It is covered with snow because of the recent storms. We actually saw an avalanche tear open the side of the mountain as we were crossing a nearby pass.

Hiking is not a sadistic work-out, though certain readers of this here blog might think so. It is true that you pay 20-odd dollars to sleep on a bed shared with 12 others, (often strangers, often snorers) lined up like sardines in the tin. It is also true that the evening meal (ham, rice, soup, Chinese veggies and fruit salad) can set you back 25 dollars. And the night’s sleep (without sweet-dream medication) is interrupted by snorts from a neighbor and trips to the toilette for the small-of-bladder… But the view. Ah! The view.

My colleague from Geneva asked the Bible-study group whether it was easier to worship God in the mountains or the city. After a long hesitation someone chose to reply in a soft whisper: Why, it really doesn’t matter, does it?

And I thought to myself: That sister needs to get her rear to the mountains.

In the Alps

I’ve gotten up extra early today to get ready for our annual hike in the Alps. 4 friends from the church in Geneva, 4 others from Belgium and one from Zurich… We’ll be heading for the canton of Valais where we’ll walk for 5 hours or so to a mountain cabin that’s run by a guardian. We’ll pay for a meal and a night’s sleep, then have some breakfast before heading back down the mountain.

We were planning on going to the Bernese Alps, but major rains have washed away roadways and trails (have you heard about that?), so we had to choose another direction yesterday. Normally, my mountain-climbing buddy Philippe and I do a 4,000-meter peak (a lot like a 14,000 foot summit in Colorado) at the end of every summer. But schedules got mixed up and we’ll settle for lower altitude and more company.

I’ve always loved the mountains. Blame it on my dad, or on my old friend Brent. Or maybe on Yosemite. Covering the distance, taking in the scenery, walking in the snow in August, wishing you could do this more often, sharing a nice, cold drink at the bottom of the hill… Way too fun.

And the winner is...

Test results describe different life orientations:

Supporting/Giving (SG)
Controlling/Taking (CT)
Conserving/Holding (CH)
Adapting/Dealing (AD)

SG’s are usually principled, cooperative, dedicated and loyal, wanting to do what’s right and being helpful.

CT’s try to get results by being confident and seizing opportunities. They want results. They are often persistent, initiating, urgent and directing.

CH’s plan ahead and do with what they’ve got. They’re logical and sure. You’d say they’re systematic, analytical, maintaining and tenacious.

AD’s try to fill others’ needs, “throwing bread upon the waters”. They want to really know people and get along, generally being tactful, flexible, aware and sociable.

Amazingly, the hotel-school students opened up about their lives and doubts through the profile testing. One young person revealed after only 5 minutes that what was wanted more than anything in life was a home. A 25 year-old said that her value as a person depended entirely on what she could accomplish. When asked if she were to wake up blind tomorrow, would she have less value as a person, she responded immediately with a YES, admitting that she would always have to produce more.

BTW, if you chose Costco, Best Buy and ABBA, you’ve won free room and board in Switzerland. Sorry, no refunds or exchanges.

How do you score?

Some of you asked about the kind of questions these tests ask. The little thing is called L I F O and actually stands for something. It exists in French and English (and perhaps other languages). It’s copyrighted, so I can’t just give you more than some sample questions. But I will send you a photocopy. ☺ You can also go to this site!

Here we go… You must answer the question by putting a 4, 3, 2, or 1 next to EACH answer, with the 4 describing you best, and the 1 describing you the least. You can only use 4, 3, 2, and 1 one time for each question.

And before taking the test, repeat the mantra 5 times: There are no right or wrong answers!

My driving goal in life is to be a:
1. sincere, dedicated and ethical person.
2. bold, masterful and assertive individual.
3. composed, practical and cautious person.
4. friendly, jovial and enthusiastic person.

I am most apt to talk to others in a:
5. serious and respectful fashion.
6. straightforward and energetic way.
7. rational and organized way.
8. lively and entertaining manner.

And lets try this one:

In a disagreement with another person I desire to:
13. have him/her see me as fair and honest.
14. win my point and get what I want.
15. establish a calm and reasonable framework for discussion.
16. make sure we remain friendly and open to compromise.

If you answer all 18 questions (found on the test) honestly and thoughtfully, we can tell if you are more liable to shop at Costco or Sam’s, Circuit City or Best Buy. Just kidding. But we CAN determine if you're apt to listen to the greatest hits by ABBA and Neil Diamond.

We’ll interpret your scores tomorrow.

News from Glion

Today I'm at the Hotel School in Glion, Switzerland. A good friend of mine is a consultant and every year invites me to come spend 4 days at this school to help final semester students who will be graduating with a BS in hotel management figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Before I arrive on the scene, my buddy has given all 60 students a long series of psychological tests that measure how they deal with life under normal circumstances and also during stress. Yes, some people do turn into monsters under stress, much like gremlins who get caught in the rain.

Anyway, I can't tell you much about it all because the interviews are confidential, but the testing is often right on target. It's amazing how answering 120 questions can, in many situations, tell others exactly what you're like.

So we get to do two 45 minute sessions, talking to the youth about their futures. The good news is that most of these youth think you should treat others as you want to be treated. Few of them see others as a means to an end, though many of them consider relationships more important than the tasks they are called upon to complete.

Tomorrow, I do the ultimate role play. They will look to me for advice about how to reach their goals. And I will be thinking the whole time... Man, oh man, I can help you not only get there, but get you to the RIGHT there... To the destination that you were really created for. The only destination that counts.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Working on a project

No, I hadn’t given up on blogging. It’s a good way to keep all 6 of you up on what’s going on here in Switzerland and wherever else the wind might carry us. It just takes a while for me to get my rhythm back after camp.

It’s amazing to work on a project with people who are so in love with God, who have enormous energy, cisterns of love that never seem to run dry, and un-dying hope that what God is doing will absolutely, without a doubt, make things better.

And so you are empowered. Working with encouraging, giving and loving people allows you to get by with less sleep. Your energy comes not only from much-needed rest, but also from living-together communion. (Maybe that’s one reason Paul and Silas could sing and pray at midnight in a Philippian prison cell and still have the energy to proclaim Jesus, baptize a family, and sit through a celebration feast without yawning).

Then there’s encouragement to examine your own heart when you see others’ sincere joy expressed through service. Spirit’s at work (don’t doubt it) bringing about good and uncovering some of that hidden junk stuck in your heart.

Back from camp 2 weeks ago

We left for the 2-week kids’ camp in the center of France (Ardèche) on July 13.

My favorite question from church members when we got back was: How was the vacation? I promptly warned them not to phrase their query in that manner when they spoke to Stephanie. She had cooked in a team of 4 for 145 people. 65 of the eaters were under 12, which meant they would only eat white bread and mashed potatoes. 41 of them were between 13 and 17, affectionately called adolescents, and they wouldn’t eat anything that didn’t look like pizza. The rest were counselors and toilet cleaners, and they were too tired to eat and had to take their nourishment intravenously during the 3-hour rest periods between 2 and 5 AM.

Jordan was amazing. He worked 14-hour days from the beginning, cleaning toilets, washing pots and pans, and never complained.

I had a small room of 5 guys. ages 15 to 17, and taught Bible classes each morning with afternoon activities. Besides the emotional breakdown I experienced halfway through camp, all went pretty well.

Camp is good. It reminds you that nothing is impossible for God, and nothing is possible without him.