Keegan Longueira Adventure: July 2016

Wednesday 20 July 2016

The goodbye thats forever, the one you never recognize

Its been a month like no other when it comes to death. I have never seen so many people that I know pass away, and sitting here all sorts of questions flood my mind: why them? why God? why, why why?

The truth is we will never ever know but the good news is we don't need to. When I was 5 years old a friend of mine in nursery school passed away after suffering from leukemia, I don't remember much of it and doubt I was told the truth at that age but I do remember him losing his hair, getting really pale and skinny, and then one day, never coming back to school. When I was six years old I was sitting in my bedroom, playing with my toy trucks, crashing them into each other when suddenly I realized that a crash that bad, somebody must have died inside my "toy trucks". I suppose I had seen death in movies but not yet real life, except for my nursery school friend who never came back. I suddenly had this wave of anxiety in realizing one day, i would never come back. I ran around the house crying looking for my mom wanting to tell her the sad news that had just rocked my world. "Mom, one day Im going to die and never come back..."

Quite depressing words from a child so young but I will never forget that die. I think death is this. A goodbye, expected or unexpected where you will never get another chance to say another word. Its frightening, because we know this, yet we live on borrowed time as if we own it and control it, thinking we have so much of it. We put things off, we put people off, we walk away, we say things we don't want to and forget to say the things we need to until its all over and we are left with this sinking feeling of regret.

I was supposed to chat to Dylan about a photo album book he was doing up on his trip and meet up with him sometime to chat about the charity he so badly wanted to start. I should have recognized the deep longing for more in his eyes, I should have seen his sadness, I should have seen more...but I didn't, and now he's dead and those "plans" died with him. Suicide at an age younger than me, shook my whole world. I couldn't believe it, I still can't.

I was supposed to fly down to Cape Town and attended a leadership sports ministry training with my friend Hein who headed up the organization. I was supposed to meet him after my Euro cycle expedition. He was my great mentor and friend somebody who always counseled me and held me accountable and gave me such good advise. It was a tradition to meet up with him after every trip. I was supposed to go, but I was to busy, and now he's dead. A heart attack while out jogging in Stellenbosch.

I was supposed to show more love and kindness to my own family member and uncle in a sticky situation. A slippery slope of drugs he had walked down had its claws sunk deep into his body and mind. I was supposed to be unconditional with my love, I was supposed to help...I had to do something...I didn't know what, but I didn't, I was to busy and now he's dead. Organ failure from a final drug overdose.

I was to busy...I....I...I...
I have always had a need to serve and help people its brought me, my greatest purpose in life, I enjoy it and I am good at it. Sometimes we turn our back on everything real in order to chase something that seems like it should be done in the eyes of the world, in the eyes of everyone. The problem is with these "things" is that they can all be justified, they don't look bad, in fact they are good and noble. Do more work, make more money, spend more time, more more more...can often be hidden behind some pretty fake motives like: "I need to provide more for my family" "People are relying on me" "its my work" and hundreds more.

I say its cowardice! Its the avoiding of real life matters of the heart and its hiding behind a true motive with a lying heart. We are scared...and in the past couple of weeks I have realized that I need to wake up and look around at the people close to me. Their time will end one day, maybe soon, maybe after yours but it will end and you will have an unfinished story with them, one you will always crave. This "business" happened when I stepped out of Gods strength and timing into my own strength. It happened when I stopped wanting to please God and tried to please others...

It happens so quickly and today I only want to encourage all of you to seek first the things of God, his promises are eternal and when we stop trying to figure life out and every second of the day we can step into that rest he has to offer, we can labour fruitfully with no stress and pressure, we can be lead by the holy spirit in every action of every day. That abundant life is so real, but the distractions and "ought to's" and "people pleasing" can become real.

On a more positive note I have been meditating on the way forward and I felt God really emphasizing forgiveness not him to us, but us of us. When I get to a point like this I know I need to and maybe you need to as well, start with this:

1) Forgive Myself: I am not God, the world doesn't depend on me, I am part of a beautiful story and no matter how badly I do or how well I do, I can not mess up Gods plan for the world. Take the pressure off yourself, strip those layers of burden and hand them back to God. I heard a quote "Those mountain that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb." I think this beautifully illustrates our purpose here on earth. Walk with God let him be your comfort, your strength your guide.

2) Instead of more, decide on less: do less, less business more effectiveness. Less talking more listening. Just do less, cut back some tasks sue that time for you and use that time for people you love.

3) Pray: Pray daily, let no worry or burden get to large that it pulls you out of Gods rest and into an uncontrolled battle field you have no control over

4) Be patient: with yourself and with your walk. it doesn't happen overnight but if you will commit to starting the journey of patience with yourself, it will change your life.

5) Start with loving you: Often when I find myself irritable and unloving towards others I find that its started with me. I disappointed myself again and Im hard on myself. I stop recognizing the unconditional love God has for me and start to make the love for myself very conditional. By learning of Gods unconditional love and grace and forgiveness for us, how can we decide what we are or who we are, outside of that. We were created out of that love, we walked away in the Garden with Adam and Eve, we tried to do it our way, we needed strict laws and still we failed and that same love came down and died on a cross and showed a new way for us to live! Accept that work on the cross fully, lift your eyes and see truth, not your thoughts and feeling, but complete truth.

Theres somebody you know in your life that will possibly die in the next year or so...make sure you have no regrets, say the things you need to say and love them everyday!

I just want to say goodbye to my friend Hein, I love you and you will remain a massive influence in my life! I can't believe you are gone. You leave a beautiful family behind! I pray that God may keep them safe and protected and blessed always! To Elzette and your amazing boys, don't ever hesitate to make your needs know to us, you are in our prayers, may you be comforted. You can rest in the knowledge that Hein was one of the most incredible servants of God, his life's blessings will continue to fall upon you.

Sunday 3 July 2016

Morocco to Norway: a tale in pictures

The plan was simple, to cycle 10 000km across Europe, from Morocco, Casablanca to Norway. I guess the full plan was to reach NoordKap in Norway but financially I just couldn't reach it...But what an incredible journey! Heres my favorite pictures from Each country and a little summary of each. I hope you enjoy it!

And off I went from Johannesburg International Airport. I caught two flights, one took me to Cairo where I had a stop over and met an amazing young South African on his way to Germany from Cape Town. A month after I got home, I realized that my new friend Dylan, had tragically passed away, taking his own life...the news shocked me. The second flight took me from Cairo to the beautiful city of Casablanca.

I met some incredible people in Morocco, here I am with a group of students and young men. We sang songs, played guitar and ate a traditional dish served with fresh bread. These guys had so little to share, but their love and hospitality was heart warming. I met them that day, travelled around town with them, slept over at their house and left the next day...they will remain friends for life and we are still in contact.

I soon realized that the scenery in Morocco was nothing like I had ever seen in Africa. It is a beautifully diverse country with a strong European influence. Its clean, everything works well and the people are super kind, except for one group of teenagers who tried to rob me. After a short fist fight I managed to get away, all in a days adventure.

When I saw these camels on a beach close to Tangier, I knew I couldnt waste the opportunity to get closer. I parked my bike in a nearby bush and ran down to the beach. I found an old bearded shepherd there who happened to speak English. I chatted to him and he offered me a ride on one of them. Riding a camel on the beach in Morocco, what an incredible thing to experience!

Hola Amigo! After a week or so I had ridden all the way to Tangier, hopped on a Ferry and left Africa to enter Spain. The beaches were simply wonderful, the sunsets golden and the people exotic and romantically dedicated to their lives. Sleep, great food and family were things valued very highly in Spain.

Cycling along the Camino Santiago in certain areas was a profoundly beautiful spiritual journey. To think that pilgrims have walked these ancient routes for thousands of years is thought provoking.

Although it was beautiful, it was cold! Here on top of a mountain, snowing and well below zero. I took my gloves and balaclava off for the photo.

Posing at a beautiful cathedral next to the brass statue on the Camino Santiago the pilgrims way. I really think Spain was built on Cobble Stones! The architecture blew my mind.

And then I got to France! The prices went up, so from the border I decided a tent would be the way to go! Which was difficult because of the cold! France was everything I imagined and more. Great foods, great coffee, beautiful towns, concertina's playing in the streets...it was simply amazing.

I took a train from Paris to Switzerland Zurich for a well deserved break. It was the greatest decision I made. I met the Gahwiller family who impacted my life greatly! Their love for each other, service to family and kindness literally transformed my view on the world and to this day their example inspired me! I found a new family in Switzerland.