The Chest of Visions: New Pathways ‘cross Broken Highways. Tim Ferguson
Our team was in the championship game. With two minutes to play the score was tied. The other team was very tall, and they were hard to stop when it was their turn to shoot. They scored twice and with one minute to play, we were behind by four points as they made two shots. You get two points for a close to the basket shot and three points for a shot much further away.
Being down by two baskets with a minute to play was challenging. We had to score quickly and play good defense to get a second chance to score. At this point in the game I was shooting well, and the coach drew up a play for me. It is called a backdoor cut. I do not have the ball and another player holds it. I run towards him and my defender follows. Then I stop and suddenly run to the basket. My friend Toby had the ball and, when he saw me cut to the basket, he threw a perfect pass to me over my defender’s head. In this way we scored two points in a very short time, and we were losing by just two points.
Then we had to play defense. The rules say that the team with the ball must take a shot at the basket in thirty seconds or the ball goes to the other team. There were thirty-seven seconds to play so we knew that, if we played good defense, we had a chance.
Our opponents held the ball for twenty-five seconds then took a poor shot that missed. We then got the ball with nine seconds to play and our coach called time out. We got together and made a plan. The ball would be passed to me, and I had nine seconds to move the ball up the court on which we played. Our coach decided to go for a long shot, a three point shot to win, rather than a two point shot that was easier but would only tie the game.
I had scored twenty-four points, more than anyone else on the team, and our coach thought the other team would put two players on me. That would mean someone else would be left alone. My friend Toby, who was also part of our youth group, was a good long shooter. I dribbled the ball (bouncing the ball as I ran) and was able to get near the basket even though two players were guarding me. But it took seven seconds. With two seconds to play I saw Toby all alone in back of me. I could have taken an easy shot to tie the game but passed to Toby.
Toby took a long shot with one second to play. It looked good to me. It hit the rim and bounced up in the air. It seemed to be in the air forever. It fell towards the circle and just hit the metal rim, bouncing straight up again up above it. I jumped up and tipped it with my hand into the circle. The ball went through. Everyone cheered. The score was tied. But then the judges of the game got together and decided that my tip was too late. The game was over. Toby and I were heartbroken.
We thank God for Laura. She came down from the stands, where she was sitting watching the game. When she got to both of us, I saw a tear drop down her face. “It almost went in, Toby . . . it almost went in not once but twice. Your shot was a good one,” she assured him. The three of us hugged, not realizing that most everyone was watching. The players on the other team let us hug then shook our hands telling us we played a great game. We did the same.
I don’t know if I will ever play in a championship game again. It still hurts. Then I think of all of you in Caperston and the challenges you are facing. It doesn’t hurt so much when I think of you all.
For now, my heart is in two worlds.
Alex
March 25th
Hi Alex,
Chihaysu called us together to announce his decision for a new follower to replace Mattpaul. Chihaysu stated that he wanted another youth to replace Mattpaul, but none of us was ready to accept the challenge. He knows we are believers and understands that there are risks a youth would take to join the group.
Without a new youth follower, Chihaysu decided to choose a man named Ammed. Ammed is married and his wife, Jewel, agrees with this special task he will take on. They reside in one of the lake houses and are quite wealthy. Both he and Jewel work for the Caperston bank. When Ammed is away with Chihaysu, Jewel will be able to do his work.
Chihaysu asked Ammed to watch over the funds that he and his followers have received as donations. He trusts that Ammed’s work at the bank gives him the experience to keep good records of funds received and expenditures made. Some of the funds were a percentage of earnings made by followers as they worked, when there was free time from Chihaysu’s activities.
We youth do not have much money but Michaeling and I have decided to ask youth to donate one denorite each at our meetings. These will be given to Chihaysu. Since I have one of the better paying jobs amongst youth, I will give two denorites each time we meet.
I told Chihaysu that your group is praying for us, particularly that the anger of the Mountain Youth will subside. Chihaysu asked me to share thankfulness for the prayers on behalf of his ministry
Huchfee
April 2017 Letters
The Massacre
April 7th
Alex and Laura,
Thank you for sharing with us. We are sorry that Alex and Toby’s team lost the championship game. Thank you for telling us of the game basketball. We play nothing like that here.
Things are really getting revved up here in Caperston. The Mountain Youth are ready to challenge Pontos. It could be any day. They blame him for the death of Mattpaul. We will keep in touch with you. We will hold another prayer meeting soon and Michaeling is, once again, volunteering to hold it. Please pray that Pontos might see that he needs to do something. So far, he just stays in his fancy home and seems to hope that the problems will go away. We do not think that they will.
Huchfee
April 8th
Hi Huchfee,
I went to the Soup Kitchen in New York City for the first time since Kevin’s death. There were many children there and Laura and I were asked to take them aside to share some Bible stories, while their parents stood on a line, waiting for food. It was a nice day with almost two hundred homeless people on the line.
Laura and I took the children to a nearby park. Laura knows the Bible stories much better than I do and told them of the family of Joseph. His brothers were jealous of him and sold him to slave traders. Many years passed and there was a famine in their land.
During the famine the brothers walked for many days to another country in order to ask for food. The brothers met with an official to make their request. They had no idea that the man they were speaking to was their brother, whom they had sold into slavery a generation before. The brother forgave them and gave them food and the family was once again together.
The children loved the story and I saw one boy, resting on a crutch, holding a comic book. I asked him what his injury was, and he said, “My ankle. It is not too bad. Pastor at the Soup Kitchen gave me this crutch.” I asked him about the comic book, and he showed me. It was called, “Forbidden Universe.”
I told him that I did not know of the forbidden universe, but I knew of a wonderful other universe, the universe of Caperston. I started telling him your story and he was very interested. Then his mother came and, after listening to me finish, she asked “Where is this place called Caperston?”
I relied, “in another universe.”
His mother responded, “My son already imagines too many things. Did you see his comic book? I don’t want you filling his head with fantasies from another world. There are too many problems right here.” She then called her son, “Matthew Paul, we have to find a place to sleep tonight.” She looked at Laura and me and said, “Yes, we are homeless.”
We will pray for you in Caperston. Please pray for Matthew Paul and his mother on Earth.
Alex
April 12th
Hi Huchfee,
This is a short letter. We must share a new concern. Alex seemed to enjoy staying with us at the Soup Kitchen four days ago, but he is now missing. He disappeared two nights ago. He said nothing to anyone.
His