Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 8/7/2008
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28
Sudden tragedies are difficult. Obviously. They are physically, emotionally, and sometimes spiritually draining. It throws off your routine, your plans, your whole life. Yet, I've seen some very beautiful things in the midst of tragedy.
On Saturday, July 26th, my parents and sister were in a very serious car accident (read: Prayer for my Parents) right outside our neighborhood. Immediately, despite that it was late on a Saturday night, people rushed to our side with prayer, support, and encouragement. I've spent the majority of the last 12 days in the hospital watching a steady stream of people come in and out of their rooms. Groups of people lay hands on my dad and mom and ask for strength, protection, and healing. We've seen God answer these prayers as their conditions have improved each day. There are a lot of prayers going up for Brie (my sister) and me as well. I know God has been answering those prayers too because I am not going to the hospital and taking care of my parents everyday solely on my own strength. To be perfectly honest, I lost it the moment I walked up to the car accident. It's been God this whole time. Not only are people praying, but they are willing to do practical things to help our family and they give out of love, not obligation.
I never realized how many lives my parents have affected and how many people love our family so dearly. The stacks of cards in each of their rooms moves me. We created a website to keep people updated on my parents' condition. In the 10 days that it's been up, it has received over 1400 visits and the guestbook has been signed 106 times. The outpouring of love is overwhelming! God has richly blessed us with Christian brothers and sisters, true friends, and an amazing family.
Yesterday there was an article published in the Palm Beach Post about the accident ( click here to read the article online) and since then tons more people have been calling and stopping by the hospital. It's been bringing us back together with people we lost touch with and haven't seen in years. In the most extreme case, there was a lady my parents were very good friends with back when we lived in Miami. We lost touch with her and haven't seen or talked to her in 22 years. Since then she's moved up to Palm Beach County and happen to read about the accident in the paper. She called the hospital and talked to my dad and now she's going to come by to visit. It's amazing how a tragedy can bring people back together.
In the face of tragedy, some people question why God allows these things to happen. Being a Christian doesn't mean that God prevents anything bad from happening to you; rather, He walks with you through the bad times. God's mighty hand is so intimately woven into every detail of this situation that there's no question He's been watching over us from the very beginning. Let's make a quick, not nearly exhaustive, list:
- I had been out of town for the last month, the last two weeks of which I wasn't even in the country. I arrived home at 8:30pm and was less than a mile away when the accident occurred at 9:00pm.
-David, Brie's fiance, is in paramedic school and had just finished a day of clinicals at Columbia Hospital. He was still in his uniform with gloves in his pocket when Brie called. He was able to assist at the scene, helping to get my parents out of the car, onto to stretchers, and on their way to the hospital.
-The accident was bad, but had the car hit two feet farther back, the injuries would have been much more extensive and likely devastating.
-One of the witnesses was an off-duty Sheriff's officer. How much more credible of a witness can you get???
-Another witness was a paramedic. The officer and paramedic jumped out of their cars and were already checking my parents' vitals when my sister called 911.
-One of the other witnesses saw the cars when they originally pulled out onto the main street and began their drag race, which will be very helpful if this ends up as a court case. She's also a Christian and has been praying for and keeping up with my family.
-The nursing staff at St Mary's has been taking incredible care of both mom and dad. Dad's been talking about Jesus to everyone that comes in and has had some wonderful conversations with the staff. I know that the steady stream of visitors doesn't go unnoticed by the staff and it's a testament to God's love and the bonds created between people who truly care about one another.
It's been so wonderful to see beauty amidst tragedy. I don't know how anyone survives the hard times in life without being able to see God in it. I thank God that He reveals Himself to me and my family, even in our most difficult times. Tragedy is not the time to blame God and abandon Him. It's a time to run into the safety and comfort of His arms and rest in the fact that He loves us and has everything under control.
"You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses."
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Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 7/28/2008
As most of you know, I've been away for the last month. I spent 2 weeks in South Carolina visiting Heather (my friend and teammate from the Race). The first week I went with her and their middle and high school youth group to camp in TN. I had a great time getting to know the youth and helping to lead the camp. After that, I picked up some friends and we flew to Guatemala for 2 weeks. We traveled around the country visiting the ancient Mayan ruins, swimming in waterfalls, hiking the volcano, and touring the cities. We flew back into Ft Lauderdale on Thursday (July 24th) and I dropped them off at the Orlando airport early Saturday morning. After stopping to visit my grandparents for several hours I arrived home around 9pm.
At 9:30 my sister called her fiance (who lives with us) to say that her and my parents got into a car accident at the entrance to our neighborhood. We drove out there immediately and arrived before they even got out of the car.
My mom had the green arrow to turn left into our neighborhood but two cars that were racing each other ran the red light and T-boned the passenger side of mom's car. We think the boys were also drinking, as broken Corona bottles littered the scene. My parents were both air-lifted to the hospital.
We've since found out my dad has a concussion, 3 broken ribs, fractured clavicle, broken thumb and possibly wrist, stiches in his arm, staples in his head, a lung contusion and pain in his back. He basically hurts everywhere but he's able to think pretty clearly and communicate well. He's definitely retained his sense of humor and the morphine only enhances it. Visiting his room is always entertaining! When we left the hospital this afternoon they were moving him out of ICU and into a Step Down unit (in between ICU and a regular room.)
My mom is allergic to the air bag powder so her throat swelled and she had difficulty breathing. They had her intubated and sedated up until last night when she pulled the tube out of her own throat. (I must note here that she had been trying to do that all day and was therefore tied to the bed. She still somehow managed to get herself twisted around enough to pull it out. Anyone who knows my mom laughs and says, "Sounds like your mom." Now you see where I get my stubborness from!)
They decided to leave it out and let her breathe on her own so she is no longer sedated. Unfortunately, now that she's no longer heavily medicated, it appears she's been seriously affected by the concussion and cannot think or communicate very well. However, aside from the physical and mental effects of her concussion, she seems to be doing alright physically.
My sister had scans and X-rays that night and was thankfully released from the hospital that night. She's dealing now with the pain that comes from the bruising and sore neck and back muscles. They've given her medication and she's doing relatively well.
The driver and passenger of the other vehicle were taken to the local hospital and then the passenger was airlifted to another hospital. Other than that, we don't know of their condition. The third car blew a tire but fled the scene of the accident. We don't know whether or not they were injured or caught.
It is a miracle, as you can see from the pictures, that nobody died or was any more injured than they are. God certainly has had his hand on this situation and continues to be a comfort to my family. Right now, we all really need your prayers, especially my parents. I had planned to move up to Georgia on Friday but I'm now staying in town until they are home and have recovered a bit. It's another miracle that I was home, or even in the country when it happened!
My sister and I have been trying to keep everyone updated by phone daily but as you can imagine, that gets tiring and I'm always worried I'm forgetting to call someone. Therefore, I will be posting updates every evening after returning from the hospital and on a Christian blogsite: www.caringbridge.org/visit/denger. The site is password protected so email me if you'd like access to the site.
Please feel free to leave comments here or on that website. It's great to know that people are praying! If you want to call, please do. It's always good to talk to friends. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. I love you all!
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Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 5/15/2008
I was sitting in my dad's office today sorting through insurance papers. It's not my top choice of activities but I needed to make some money and my dad needed help. Today he was out of the office so I had my iPod plugged into speakers and on my favorite setting "shuffle songs." I love to hear the random playlists it comes up with, especially when it plays something like Bob Marley followed by Jason Upton, then something from Moulin Rouge and then Frank Sinatra.
Anyway, as I was sitting there "Inside Out" came on and my brain immediately brought me back to Nicaragua and our music group, Cinco-che. Sitting on the front porch of Ezekiel's house surrounded by sunflowers, trying to learn this song in Spanish. Then we're standing on stage at a church singing it and truly worshiping, even though we don't speak the language we're singing in. Then a spanish worship song started playing and I almost lost it. My heart broke. I cried out to God:
I don't want to be here!
I know that I'm only here for a season, not permanently.
I know that I'm working by choice, not out of need, and that alone is a huge blessing.
But it's still hard. My heart cries out for the nations; it's where I want to be.
It was easy to transition back to America, a life of big beds, hot showers, my own car, and feel almost as if I never left. Sometimes it feels like the Race was some extravagant and extremely vivid dream.
But then I have these moments where I feel like an alien in my homeland. I feel like I don't belong here. This isn't where I'm supposed to be. I miss my teammates. I miss our contacts. I miss playing with orphans. I miss worship World Race style. I miss the excitment of the unknown that each day would bring.
I know God is here with me. I know he has me here for a reason. I know that it's important for me to see my family, friends, supporters. It's important to share what God has done in my life this year and what He's continuing to do. I know that God has already revealed what's next for me and I don't have anything to worry about. Yet, I struggle.
I'm here, but my heart is there. I love my friends and family, but I miss the world.
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Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 5/3/2008
...we made this update video. Below are some pictures of us working on the new location of Solomon's Porch (Porch de Salomon) in Panajachel, Guatemala. By now, they've moved in and are re-opening on the 9th. Please pray for them and if you're in the area, stop by for a cup of coffee! (By the way, it's a GREAT place to take short-term mission teams. Let me know if you're interested and I'll get you connected.)
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Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 5/2/2008
Well friends, it's official. My feet are back on American soil and I have no plane ticket to leave (at least for a little while...)
I'm not actually "home" in West Palm Beach yet. Heather and I decided to take a detour down to the Florida Keys, my home away from home. I lived and worked here for a year before the Race and it's nice to show Heather a part of my pre-Race life. Today our only plan is to go have a picnic at the beach. I'm excited!
I drop her off at the airport on Saturday and will be back in West Palm Saturday afternoon. For all the Good Shepherd folks, I'll see you Sunday morning. Anyone else who wants to hang out, my cell number's the same. If you don't have it, click "Contact Me" to the left and I'll email it to you.
Once I'm back up in West Palm and had a couple days to hang out with the family I'll start going through pictures and processing a bit more so stay tuned, the updates aren't finished yet!
I can't wait to see you all!
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Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 4/27/2008
When we first arrived in Guatemala, we spent a few days in Antigua. One of those days we had the opportunity to hike the Pacaya volcano. Hereīs how it went...
First, let me introdice you to the crew:
The hike was long and we were at approx. 7500 ft. in elevation so we took frequent rest breaks.
After I thought I couldnīt possibly go any farther we came over a ridge and saw this:
The abrupt change in vegetation was amazing! (I canīt help but care. Itīs the biologist in me)
But the hike wasnīt over. We had to go down a steep and narrow path...
Once we got down we walked along the recently solidified magma (it was only 3 days old!)
And if you looked in the cracks you could see the magma flowing underneath!
Finally, we reached the Holy Grail of our adventure- a flowing river of liquid hot magma!!!
So what do we do? Roast marshmellows of course!
After hiking back up the steep and slippery slope, we rested before heading down the rest of the volcano. Some even squeezed in a little cat nap.
The End.
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Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 4/27/2008
He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.
Jose Rizal
I think Iīm in denial. Iīm pretending this is just another debrief, just another teaching time, and soon weīll be moving on to our next country. In actuality, our next country is the United States and I will be saying good-bye to my World Race family, the only constant thing Iīve had over the last year.
I was sitting in worship the other night and as I started to sing I could feel the emotions welling up and I started to cry. Nothing wrong with that, except that I decided I didnīt feel like having an emotional breakdown yet so I stepped outside to compose myself. I ended up sitting outside, listening from a safe distance, hoping that no one would come and ask what was wrong. When they did come ask me (because they always do) I willingly admitted that I was avoiding intimacy to avoid the pain. I told them I wasnīt ready to have a breakdown so I shut myself down. Of course they told me what I already knew, that itīs not healthy and itīs okay to feel the way I do but even still, I havenīt gotten emotional about leaving since then.
Jimmy McCarty (former World Racer and now AIM staff member) was walking us through the re-entry process. Part of the exercise is to go through blogs and journals from the year to help you remember stories and emotions. I was reading my blogs from before the Race and I ran across this one- the last insightful blog I wrote before I left: The wall dividing Heart and Mind.
Itīs amazing how the emotions I was dealing with and the way I coped with them before the Race are the same as now. Unfortunately, just because I write insightful blogs doesnīt mean Iīve learned my lesson. It was really interesting how the Lord used my former self to minister to my present self.
Iīll be in the States in 3 days. I better start working on breaking down these walls...
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Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 4/25/2008
Only 5 days until our return home to the US! We're in Panajachel, Guatemala doing our final debrief. Ministry is over and we're spending our final moments together, making as many memories as we can before we have to leave. It's a pretty emotional time and I struggle to put it into words for you. Instead, I give you the following: a blog from my squad leader Allison. She's been counting down the days to our return home by writing a blog a day about each one of us. Day 23 was my lucky day and below is the blog she wrote about me.
Thanks Alli- I love you!
Brady has come alive this year. Her quick smile and amazing hugs were a huge blessing to me all year long and they are still coming!
I remember Brady's brokenness from training camp and was amazed at her love for the Lord even then.  She has a way of coming with all or nothing, and most of the time it is all. She truly seeks after the heart of God in everything she does and it is so much fun to watch. From the beginning Brady's desire to worship God trumped everything else; evidenced by her dedication in toting around our ONLY guitar all year. I have sweet memories of her playing on the train to China, in the barn at Alabanza, in the Swazi bush, and just about everywhere else we have traveled.
She chases the heart of God with everything she has and has fought through so many barriers the enemy put before her this year. She has battled fear of man and WONin the name of Jesusand I can say it is my joy to worship with her.
My fondest memory with Brady is in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We had breakfast together one morning and talked about things we were scared of, things we were working on, and things the Lord was healing in us. It was a sweet time of sharing and that sweetness continues. Brady vowed long ago to give me a hug every time she saw me, and she still does without fail. I can always count on an encouraging word and simple truth and honesty.
Braids, I love you girl and love watching God in you. Thank you for being so transparent and a light in the darkness. Keep walking in His ways and you will never wander alone.
Psalm 149:6 "May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands
"
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Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 4/17/2008
Gabe, Jenny, Jane, Erick (our guitar player/teacher, translator, friend and brother) and I spent last month traveling around Nicaragua worshiping the Lord through music. We played and sang in many churches and parks throughout the month. I had a hard time blogging while we were constantly on the run so I thought I'd do a little "month in review" for you.
 
We started the month with a couple days in Granada practicing and learning new songs. For our first gig we arranged to play at a high school in town. It wasn't our best performance by far (always, always remember to tune the guitars before a performance...) but I spoke about finding our satisfaction and worth in God, not in others, and I think at least one student paid attention.
The next day we grabbed a cab and several buses before landing ourselves in Ocotal, up in northern Nicaragua near the Honduras border. It's a gorgeous little city stashed away in the mountains and filled with simple people loving our simple God.
  
We stayed busy the 3 days we were there spending our mornings doing door-to-door ministry, our afternoons praying for church members in their homes and playing in 3 different churches at night. I really felt the Lord working in that place and although we left exhausted I know we did what the Lord wanted.
Special thanks to our contact Orlando who took us for a drive through the mountains to see the amazing scenery and visit a coffee plantation!
 
After arriving back in Granada we led worship at El Puente (The Bridge) church. One night that week just us girls grabbed the guitars and walked to a church in the barrios where we had been asked to lead worship. It was one of the tiniest yet loudest churches I've ever been in. We led worship and then Jane preached in Spanish. Way to go Jane!!!
And we were off again, heading this time to San Jose on the island of Ometepe. The island is made up of 2 volcanoes, one active and one not. Our contacts run a preschool and sewing class and let us crash there while we were there.
 
We played at a local church on Good Friday and I spoke, this time about Jesus' teachings after his resurrection. We spent Easter on the island having a picnic, kayaking, and swimming on the beach and then worshiping around a bonfire on the beach that night.
 
 
We left Ometepe and went to Rivas where our contacts that owned the preschool live and run an orphanage. We weren't able to work with the kids but were there to pray for our contacts and their ministry as they were undergoing some serious trials. From there we got a cab and drove down to Costa Rica. We spent a couple days there practicing and playing in the local park before going back to Granada.
  
Thanks David for letting us stay in your garage! (first pic above)
We took a day that next week to visit Casa Esperanza (House of Hope), a prostitution recovery ministry in Managua. They provide jobs making cards to enable women to support themselves outside of prostitution. The woman gather once a week to have a service and make cards. Jane had the women come up and read God promises from the Bible. Gabe and Jenny shared a few verses that were special to them and then I played one of the songs I wrote. Afterwards, we helped by making cards and entertaining their children.
 
 
Our last 3 days in Granada were as busy as ever as we played somewhere different each day. Friday night we partnered with a local church who wanted to do something to bring more young people into their body. We jammed out with electric guitars, keyboard and drums (thanks Lester and Valentin!!!) in the middle of the local park and the dance team from Torre Fuerte (another local church) also performed. It was so much fun! Definitely my favorite show of the month.
On Saturday night we played at a youth service in Masaya (about 30 minutes away) and on Sunday morning we led worship again at El Puente.
It was a crazy and exhausting month but one of my favorites on the Race. It wasn't without its share of drama and rough times but in the end I hated to leave. Although we didn't get to see much fruit from our labor I know the Lord was right there with us and that we followed His voice all over the country. Nicaragua has a special place in my heart, as do each of my fellow Cinco-che members. I love you guys and will miss the music we shared. Don't forget about our reunion- November 23rd, 2011!
Extra special thanks to Ezekiel and his family for housing us in Granada all month. You guys took us in and made us part of your family. I'll miss our crazy family dinners!
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Posted in General Articles by Brady Denger on 4/9/2008
After spending 2 months in Nicaragua I have left and rejoined my squad in Antigua, Guatemala. I really felt like I left a piece of myself back there. I couldn't explain to you what it was that I loved so much about Nicaragua (and Granada in particular), I just know I did. As we rode the bus that would take us north through Honduras, El Salvador, and eventually here to Guatemala I struggled to put my feelings into words. This is the best I could do:
a renegade tear slips down my cheek
tearing an invisible hole in my heart.
healing will come in time but the scar will remain,
a steadfast reminder of my time in this place.
change is as steady as the hands of a clock.
time moves on and I must too.
I'm just so tired of leaving
of changing
of rearranging.
I'm tired of "goodbye"s
and
"see you later"s
and
"hopefully I'll see you soon"s
can't time stop,
wait a beat,
let me catch my breath?
I'm running in circles
dizzy and confused
lost and disoriented,
grasping for a strand of normalcy
trying to remember something comfy...
what country am I in?
A page turns, a leaf falls
I've heard it all
All good things must come to an end
and nothing lasts forever.
I don't want to hear the truth quite yet,
just give me a minute to process the pain
embrace the change, embrace the pain
there's a purpose, there's a plan
it's bigger than me
deeper than this tear
I just wish I could get one small glimpse
of why my heart remains here
this tear will dry up, my heart will mend
i just hope time allows us to remain friends.
then again,
for reuniting there has to be parting
for reminiscing you need time.
the collection of memories is only starting
as God writes this story of mine
Leaving is hard. I know it's what I signed up for but the emotional stress of a life constantly on the move is draining. It feels like just when we find our niche, build relationships and things are going great it's time to leave. As much as I'm going to miss this life, I find myself looking forward to getting home and finally getting a chance to rest. Only 21 days. At the same time, I know that 20 days from now I'll be able to write this poem again about leaving my World Race family. It's just so hard to say goodbye to yesterday...
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