Bob a.k.a The Banana Guy
Having lived here for the last 2 years - I've slowly acclimated to becoming a transplanted New Yorker such as: learning to avoid empty subway cars no matter how tempting, referring to directions as uptown/downtown and cross-town instead of north/south and east/west, knowing what a "regular coffee" is, eating meals out of push carts without fear, and knowing which subway car to get onto so that I can be right at the stairway when I get off. But now I think my transformation of becoming a real New Yorker is finally complete. The final phase of this change started about a month ago and culminated last night. It started a few weeks ago when I was able to broker a deal with the dry cleaning owner near my building. She agreed to give me the "neighborhood discount" on both my dry cleaning and laundry. Also, in the last couple of weeks, I started buying fruit from the local fruit stand guy instead of my way overprice neighborhood grocery store. One night last week I came by to get my usual bananas and when I got there he said - "Hey it's the Banana Guy". So we chatted for a bit and since he was out of bananas he offered me a free peach and some nectarines. As much as I like free - I couldn't just take a man's livelihood like that so I paid for the nectarines. So now I have a friendly relationship with the fruit guy as well. Then last night the final event took place. I was walking home and came across some furniture that was sitting on the curb. I glanced over it and saw a nice little entertainment center/table that would be great as an end table in my apartment. So after dragging it up 5 flights of stairs - it is now sitting nicely in the corner of my living room. Everybody knows that you can't really call yourself a New Yorker unless you've furnished your apartment with at least one item you found on the streets. As someone once said "Once a cucumber has been pickled - it can never become a cucumber again". So I guess it's official - Yep, Bob the Banana Guy is now a pickle.
And now - I am off to go to the U.S Open to sit in a fancy suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium with food and drinks watching #8 seeded Serena Williams in the ladies match and #2 seeded Rafael Nadal in the men's match. Ahhh life is good as a pickle.
And now - I am off to go to the U.S Open to sit in a fancy suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium with food and drinks watching #8 seeded Serena Williams in the ladies match and #2 seeded Rafael Nadal in the men's match. Ahhh life is good as a pickle.
posted by Bob at 3:53 PM
7 Comments:
Hi Bob
I've been missing you! Glad to see you back! Once you're a New Yorker, there is no going back! Banana guy it is from now on! Greetings from your Bahama mama!
Bob,
Life seems so good for you!
Live it up!
-SM
Hi Banana Guy
I heard there is an e[idemic of bedbugs in NYC. Check out all those street furniture finds carefully! Always willing to help!
You go guy!!!
The Exciting Story of Mr. Binh Nguyen
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By David Hackett
Mr. Binh Nguyen is just the sort to bring the faith of Jesus Christ to the Vietnamese of Seattle. In fact, he's already given considerable inspiration to the Presbytery of Seattle as the result of an impromptu testimony at the first presbytery meeting he attended. God's presence shines from Binh, who already leads one of our Presbyterian Frontier Mission Projects sharing Christ among an unreached people group right here in the United States.
In the midst of a routine meeting, a pastor presented Binh as the presbytery's new candidate to become a commissioned lay preacher to the Vietnamese located around Seattle's former Brighton Presbyterian Church. The action, an easy vote to approve him, was a first for the presbytery. After that brief introduction Binh (his full name is pronounced "Bin Win") smiled at the gathering and headed for his seat.
That's when a member of the presbytery asked if Binh could at least briefly tell the story of his life and ministry. Binh returned to the podium and, surprising the presbytery with his proficient English, held the group spellbound with a riveting testimony. The Presbytery's response: a standing ovation at the end! Here's the story he shared:
Binh grew up in a non-Christian family in Vietnam, a country not known for its receptivity to Christianity. His early school years, however, were at a Roman Catholic school that gave the students about an hour of Christian instruction every day. Over the course of those 12 years he learned a substantial amount about Christianity and the Bible. In fact, he seemed to excel in his Christian knowledge. That knowledge did not lead him to make a faith commitment, but it did make it clear that Binh was soaking up the lessons.
In the seventh grade his teacher asked him to consider joining the Roman Catholic ministry. His parents as well were asked if he might be prompted to join the ministry. Binh refused. He says, "I had a big question for them: 'If God is a loving Father, why can't I go directly to the Father when I know I need forgiveness for my sins? Why go to the priest? Why even be a priest?'" Binh said to his Roman Catholic teacher, "Give me more years. I can t go into ministry yet."
Those years passed, and beginning in 1975 Binh was imprisoned by the Vietnamese with the fall of the Saigon government. For the first time he knew his real job in life was ministry. Now his problem was finding someone to minister to! In isolation for long periods of time, Binh only occasionally got time to be with other prisoners.
One time, he recalls, he was given a cellmate. "Are you a Christian?", Binh asked. The fellow nodded yes. "Then," said Binh, "What's the difference between an angel and the Holy Spirit?" [The words for angel and Holy Spirit are only slightly different in Vietnamese.] The man couldn't clearly distinguish between them, and so Binh said, "It's such a big matter, the difference between angels and the Holy Spirit! You don't know, and yet you call yourself a Christian! Can I spend time with you to explain the difference?"
The cellmate agreed, and they spent much time talking, snatching the moments when they were alone. The cellmate was frightened that they might be caught discussing faith in Christ and said, "If the guards knew we were talking about Christ, we could get into trouble. Do you know the risk you re taking?" Binh replied, "I know exactly what would happen -- but it doesn't matter, because they can never take Jesus Christ from me." His cellmate and others asked, "Are you a Roman Catholic priest? You know so much!" "No," Binh replied, "I studied the Bible for 12 years -- daily -- and that's how I know so much."
In 1992 Binh got the opportunity to meet with an official screening people for immigration to the United States. The official asked Binh, "Where do you want to go in the US?" Binh almost said "San Diego," as many others were asking. But instead, on a whim, he asked the interviewer, "Could I choose Washington State?" The interviewer was caught off guard and said, "So many people have asked to go to California that I've started turning them down. Not many are asking about Washington State! So you can go there."
Only a few years ago Binh and his wife Chau and three children came to the U.S. They began to build a new life in Seattle. Early on he ran into a Vietnamese friend, Kimberlee Smith, whom he had known back in Vietnam. He was thrilled to connect with an old friend, and soon learned that she was a member of Brighton Presbyterian Church in Seattle. Not only that, he learned that Kimberlee was an elder at the church. She was, in fact, the first Vietnamese elder in the whole presbytery. Binh was encouraged by the openness of the church to Vietnamese, and he started attending the church regularly.
Three months later Binh was approached by the pastoral associate at the former Brighton church, the Rev. Tony Calvert. Tony was a pastor who brought a big vision of developing indigenous leadership in order to reach out to ethnic groups with the gospel. He asked Binh, "You've studied the faith and know so much. Why not become a Christian?" Binh answered, "My family is not Christian. I don't want to leave my family behind by joining when they can't join. Pray for us to ask God to give me a big gift that all of my family might become Christians." Seven months later his wife, Chau, asked to become a Christian, just ten months after being in the US. That joy was followed by others as their three children also became believers. They all joined the church.
Binh's ministry at the church has blossomed. He has long since become Seattle Presbytery's first commissioned lay preacher. He first began translating the sermon into Vietnamese on Sundays and then found himself well placed to be a pastor to this growing group and its ministry to the Vietnamese immigrants in Seattle's Rainier Valley. Now the facilities of the former Brighton Presbyterian Church are the site for the Good News Vietnamese Presbyterian Fellowship, and Binh is the fellowship's leader. This Vietnamese fellowship is eager to have its own pastor so it can gain strength for the huge task of raising up Christian disciples and witnesses. It's the next step for this group of disciples as they keep on reaching out to the largely unevangelized Vietnamese in Seattle.
And about that ovation. There's something refreshing in the air when the sturdy faith of a recent immigrant rouses a staid presbytery to a standing applause. It was clear he was a preacher. He had the gift, he knew the gospel, and he had blessed the presbytery with his zeal. "In Vietnam," Binh says, "we don't have the chance to preach the gospel. Those of us who come to the U.S. have the freedom to share -- and there's nothing to stop us! I ask for God to give me the chance to preach about Jesus Christ."
To that we say, Binh, preach it!
Readers can help support Binh's study and ministry by contributing to Extra Commitment Opportunity #863001. Donation checks should be made out to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and noted "ECO 863001 - Binh Nguyen" and mailed to:
PCUSA Central Receiving Services, 100 Witherspoon St. Louisville, KY 40202-1396
Bob, are you OK? passing up something free!!! What has happened to you? The "Old" Bob would have taken anything free! You have stood in a line 10 miles long for a free dip of ice cream... you go to all kinds of social and sporting events for free....so...what is going on????
The Big Mooch
Hi Banana Guy
Who is this other Binh Nguyen from Seattle and Presbyterian? Have you been leading a double life? What gives? More please?
Anxiously waiting for the next chapter
Hi, just visited your blog first time, and found it quite interesting. Nice post indeed. Thanks for sharing it to all
Regards
Prabhat
Furniture Cleaning New York
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