Renaissance Man: The Life Of Floyd Lima

The Chilean Resurrection

2010-10-13T12:14:00.004+08:00

My schedule was changed today, so instead of grading papers I watched as the first few Chilean miners were lifted to the surface. Having survived over two months underground, the men were in good spirits as they came up in a what resembled a red, white, and blue rocket ship. 33 men, who for days were presumed dead, have captured the attention of the world. Thousands of news organizations from over 200 countries were present for the rescues, capturing on film, video, and newsprint how this "miraculous" story had finally reached its conclusion.

There are many detractors who say that this is nothing more than a PR stunt for the mining company, and the conditions and concerns that trapped the miners down in what very well could have become their final resting place will continue. That may be true, but they are missing the point. The only reason the media is covering the event is that people care, and the reason that they care goes beyond merely the popularity of the story. They want to see these men succeed, and the families reunited, because people want to believe that such things are possible.

True, even if all 33 men make it out alive, their lives will be forever changed. They will experience more than their 15 minutes of fame, and yet that fame will dissipate quickly, perhaps more quickly then they would like. They will probably grieve the loss of their "family" in the mine, and will discover that their relationships with family and friends will be forever changed.

Even though this rescue is being carefully choreographed, it still has real emotion. I watched both Florencio Avalos and Mario Sepulveda emerge from the rescue capsule. Both men were beaming and their embraced their families and thanked the rescue personnel. Sepulveda went a step further, running toward the barriers that separated the main rescue operation from onlookers. After hugging several people, he led the crowd in an impromptu chant invoking his country's name.

Months ago, these 2 men were "dead", buried deep in darkness. Now they are "alive", free to experience things that we on the surface take for granted such as free air and sunshine. This resurrection of their lives gives them what many people long for: a second chance. I pray that these men use their second chance wisely.

Going back to the place of my birth

2010-05-29T07:06:00.004+08:00

We have only one week left at Morrison before the break. I am looking forward to returning to California, to see family and friends, and to help care for my grandmother who had a stroke back in February. I believe that it will be a good summer, though it will be filled with struggle and heartache. The jobs are all closing out smoothly, and I believe that next week will go smoothly.

Until next time,

Floyd

Morrison Academy Senior Retreat

2008-03-09T08:35:00.003+08:00

One of my "jobs" here at Morrison is leading a "Senior Topics" class discussion group. Senior Topics is a 2nd semester class for high school seniors that gets them ready for the transitions they are going to be facing as they leave for college, many of them in a scary, foreign place called ... the USA.

As part of the class, the seniors go on a four day/three night retreat up to a bible camp in the mountains. There they are taught by a professional "transition preparation coach" about transition, grief, and how to build a plan to reconsile with the place they are leaving before they leave it. I was privledged to come on this retreat and probably got as much out of it as the seniors did. I am looking forward to the rest of the semester of the discussion groups, and to continue just being involved with the senior class.

My first post in a while

2008-02-17T13:08:00.007+08:00

Life has been very busy for the past few months. I would never have thought that working part time would be so exhausting. I never realize that when you have extra time, people who need that extra time will ask you to help them. And when I am truly unable to say no, I end up trying to volunteer to do everyting I can. And as usual, when I get overloaded my body collapses on me. This has been the story of my life in the last few months.

Fortunately, I have been able (or forced at times) to relax. We live in a very hospitable community that tries to include us. The picture in this column is an example. The Mui family (pronounced MOO-EEE in Cantonese) invited us over for a Chinese New Year celebration. The food was traditional Hong Kong hot pot and was very good.

Busy Few Weeks Part 1

2007-11-22T10:19:00.000+08:00

That last few weeks have been crazy for us. I have been busier than ever, if that is even possible. The first thing was the Christmas project, which I signed up for in September to raise money for charity. We called it "Celebrate The Child". Up until last weekend I had no footage for the video I was supposed to produce. (The projects are both located pretty far away. I finally was able to rip some video off of a promotional DVD and edit it for my own evil purposes (I asked premission first!). Annie wants to go on a walk so I will say so long for now.

Floyd

Fire in Southern California

2007-10-23T20:19:00.000+08:00

For the last few days, I have been listening to KNX 1070 via the internet, praying and hoping that lives and property will be sparred. So far, only one life has been lost. I have heard back from Sunday School members at our home church and they seem to be doing ok. Missionary Kids Ministries in the San Bernadino Mountains has been evacuated voluntarily. Please pray for the Wisners.

Another Week

2007-10-20T09:01:00.000+08:00

Another week gone. This week seemed longer than others, maybe because of the Taipei trip draining so much energy from me last weekend. Overall, it was a good week. I was able to go through most of the week without Fibro pain. I still have not been able to get more practice in on the bike. I am looking forward to buying a helmet, and doing some more driving around campus. The weather has been downright pleasant, with lower humidity and cool winds that remind me of November or December in California.

Well, thats all for now. Annie is headed to the Shui Nan Market this morning for some shopping. I am working on getting these new blogs operational as well as getting some CE done for my Pharmacy Tech license.

- Floyd

My First Post

2007-10-19T21:10:00.001+08:00

This is my first posting on my own Taiwan Journal. I am hoping to put a little bit of my own writing into this experience.

Floyd