Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.7.2, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

# WayneWrites

A thoughtful collection of reflections, parables, and moral meditations

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://waynewrites.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [BLOG](https://waynewrites.com/blog/)
- [Levels of Humanity](https://waynewrites.com/levels-of-humanity/) - My first awareness of different levels of humanity came while serving in the military at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. After being wounded and rescued by a renegade medivac team from what was supposed to be a suicide mission during the first days of Operation Allen Brook, I was sent there to recover. In need
- [Liberty in Chicago](https://waynewrites.com/liberty-in-chicago/) - In 1966, I was training at the Great Lakes Naval Base outside Chicago. I had enlisted in the Navy with the conviction that destiny was pulling me toward Vietnam, where I imagined myself serving as a Marine Corps medic. That belief came from a recurring dream—one that felt less like fantasy and more like prophecy.
- [One Size Fits All](https://waynewrites.com/one-size-fits-all/) - A few years ago, my RCA television remote stopped working. I went to the local market in Phnom Penh, where I knew that if I found one replacement, I’d find a hundred more piled high in baskets. Because of my poor eyesight, I prefer remotes with large buttons and clear letters. After some searching, I
- [Remembering The Eleven](https://waynewrites.com/remembering-the-eleven/) - Memorial Day 2026 Remembering the Eleven In 1984, Congressman Henry B. Gonzales awarded me the Purple Heart in San Antonio, Texas. I had not received it in 1968, when I was wounded during Operation Mallard Duck—a mission that was never meant to be survived. I was the last to leave the field alive. The medevac
- [On A Lighter Note](https://waynewrites.com/on-a-lighter-note/) - Finding joy in the collisions of worlds My years as a “missionary” were fascinating, filled with sorrow, challenge, and, at times, unexpected laughter. If you’ve read my writings, you know they often involve sad stories and moral dilemmas. Yet there were also moments when I couldn’t help but laugh at myself… or at the way
- [Reflections](https://waynewrites.com/reflections/) - This verse was one of the first things I wrote for the opening of my original STATEMENT OF PASSIONS AND BELIEFS, which got me fired from the mission field. I was having trouble with the wording of it. I knew what I wanted to say, but couldn't put it together. It means a lot to
- [Still In Black](https://waynewrites.com/still-in-black/) - In 2009, I wrote a post about wearing black, in the hope that Goodness might prevail and the World might find Peace. Yet here we are, and nothing has truly changed. If anything, the forces of opposition have grown stronger, louder, and more entrenched. The dream of a more Peaceful World feels even further away.
- [Living Between Chapters](https://waynewrites.com/living-between-chapters/) - As writers, we breathe life into characters who begin as little more than names on a page. With each sentence, they grow, acquiring quirks, desires, and destinies until they feel as real to us as the people we meet in daily life. By the time the story ends, they are no longer inventions but companions,
- [The Lantern](https://waynewrites.com/the-lantern/) - This verse was just recently inspired by a long-time friend who still believes I have lost my way. I do not doubt that the concern is real; however, for them, to accept anything not in the Scriptures is to go against God, for if the Scriptures are fallible, then so must be God… and that
- [Crossing The Line](https://waynewrites.com/crossing-the-line-2/) - What if the most dangerous belief we hold... is that we still have time? I don’t think many haven’t already reached the same conclusion, even if we try to deny it—that as a species, through our actions and our silence, we have crossed a line from which there may be no return, and that a
- [Eddie And Ishmael](https://waynewrites.com/eddie-and-ishmael/) - While sorting through old boxes of memorabilia, I was struck by how easily forgotten moments can still shape who we become. Reading old letters and names from my childhood reopened memories that helped explain some of my long-held attitudes. One of those memories involves Eddie, a neighborhood boy I once played with on Bluebird Street.
- [A Wooden Phallus](https://waynewrites.com/what-a-wooden-phallus-taught-me-about-truth/) - In the year 2000, I was working with an HIV and AIDS prevention organization in Cambodia. The epidemic was accelerating, and the solution seemed straightforward: distribute condoms and teach people how to use them. Teams fanned across the countryside with boxes of condoms, demonstrating their use on bananas. We returned home satisfied with our work.
- [In a Holding Pattern](https://waynewrites.com/in-a-holding-pattern/) - There were times when my life felt suspended, as if the world itself had pressed “Pause,” just moments before disaster loomed and I could do nothing to stop it. One such moment came on May 17, 1968, as a Navy Corpsman with the Marines in South Vietnam during Operation Allen Brook. We walked into an
- [Crossing the Fence](https://waynewrites.com/crossing-the-fence/) - As a boy, my father played semi‑professional baseball in Grandville, Michigan. He earned a few dollars each game, but money was tight, and our family often couldn’t afford tickets. Mom, ever resourceful, usually found a way to get us in, until one night a new gatekeeper refused. Dad went inside to sign in, while Mom
- [The Weight Of Silence](https://waynewrites.com/the-weight-of-silence/) - This is a piece I first wrote years ago, but its meaning has only deepened with time. It is not easy to revisit, nor is it easy to share. Yet silence—my silence—has shaped too much of the world around me. I am reposting this confession not to seek sympathy, but to remind myself and others
- [The Third Trimester](https://waynewrites.com/the-third-trimester/) - The past few weeks have been a whirlwind with Melinda and Kate visiting. Their presence brought us closer to many Wat Opot children and families, reminding me how much I cherish stepping into a grandparent’s role, supporting without leading, watching parents guide their little ones with love. While Dr. Kate was here, a former Watopotian
- [The Inner Flame](https://waynewrites.com/the-inner-flame/) - Perhaps one of the most wonderful experiences life offers us is the chance to fall in love. For some, love comes naturally; for others, the journey is difficult… and some search their whole lives without ever finding it. I have been fortunate to experience many loves during my life, and although my hair is now
- [New Life](https://waynewrites.com/new-life/) - There are mornings when I wonder if forgiveness can reach me—if the slate can ever be wiped clean. I’ve carried mistakes like stones in my pockets, heavy reminders of what can’t be undone. But somewhere along the way, I realized that redemption isn’t about erasing the past; it’s about understanding it. This poem was born
- [Becoming Cosmic Beings](https://waynewrites.com/this-is-a-test/) - We are born into stories—some whispered by parents, some sung in churches, some carried by nations. They shape us, but they do not define us. With time, we learn that truth is not fixed in the words of others, but discovered in the choices we make, in the compassion we extend, and in the responsibility
- [Detours](https://waynewrites.com/detours/) - In the Northern parts of the United States, the roads are quiet. No cities to slow you down, no travelers to share the miles. Cruising at a hundred in a Thunderbird feels effortless when you’re the only one on the highway. Everything was smooth until I reached the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where the sky
- [Those Mysterious Orbs](https://waynewrites.com/those-mysterious-orbs/) - The image below was the first orb photograph I ever captured. Up to that point, I wasn't aware of orbs, so spotting one was quite a shock. A patient had just passed away, and since the family wanted to proceed with the cremation immediately, I didn’t have time to wrap the body in a shroud.
- [The Bow That Broke My Chains](https://waynewrites.com/the-bow-that-broke-my-chains/) - I can still remember that first time I bowed to the Buddha… such a simple act, and yet perhaps the most defiant and difficult thing I have ever done. I have not lived the life of a saint. I’ve been a rebel from as far back as I can remember—fired from every job, court-martialed in
- [Surrender](https://waynewrites.com/surrender/) - How does one begin to write the final chapter of their Life, knowing that the last two words, THE END, will be added by someone other than themselves? I have escaped the scythe of the Grim Reaper on so many occasions, in previous chapters of my Life, and it would be nice to think I
- [The House On The Hill](https://waynewrites.com/the-house-on-the-hill/) - For several years, I worked as a counselor at a Youth Center in the southwestern part of the United States. While the work had its rewards, it also had its drawbacks. I primarily worked with disadvantaged Navajo and Zuni youth, and ran a center for the Spanish youth who lived on the wrong side of
- [Words Have Consequences](https://waynewrites.com/words-have-consequences/) - Most of us can remember singing Oh, Be Careful Little Ones What You Do as children. Maybe it was Sunday school, or maybe kindergarten. If you’re like me, you can probably still remember most of the hand motions. I didn’t realize it then, but that simple song would later echo in my mind when temptation appeared. I
- [The Weight Of Secrets](https://waynewrites.com/the-weight-of-secrets/) - Many years ago, I worked as a counselor at a youth center in the southwestern part of the United States. Most of my clients were of Native American or Hispanic ethnicity and were referred to me by the police. Occasionally, however, I would be asked by the local schools to see students from other ethnic
- [The Cost Of Obedience](https://waynewrites.com/the-cost-of-obedience/) - I would not classify myself as a coward. At times in my life, I have acted bravely in the face of danger. Most men—and increasingly more women—wonder, as I did in my youth, how they would respond under the fire of enemy guns. It is an age-old question that cannot be answered until you are
- [Streets Of Philadelphia](https://waynewrites.com/streets-of-philadelphia/) - We were spending the weekend in Philadelphia at an apartment we rented with profits from drug sales. We had become the main suppliers for the Bethesda Naval Hospital and earned a good reputation because we never sold a bad product. Every batch of acid we sold was tested personally before it ever reached anyone else.
- [Magic, Faith, And Love](https://waynewrites.com/magic-faith-and-love/) - From childhood magic to religious belief and finally to lived compassion, this reflection asks a simple question: what remains when illusion falls away—and love stays? When I was a child, I loved watching magic shows on television. The idea that someone possessed powers I did not, fascinated me. I was especially taken by the magician
- [Darkness Is Coming](https://waynewrites.com/darkness-is-coming/) - I haven’t thought about self-fulfilling prophecies for some time now, even though I have had my suspicions that many of the major experiences in my life could have come about because I thought about them beforehand. A good example of this would be my Vietnam experience. Before I enlisted in the Navy back in 1966,
- [The Lord's Wine](https://waynewrites.com/the-lords-wine/) - “There is a Wine that flows from the vineyards of the Lord, Its sweetness aged in jars of clay, its price none can afford. And wise men say that he who tastes its sweetness on his tongue Will understand the Mind of God and evil overcome.” With tear-filled eyes, a dying father passed these words
- [The Novelist And The Book Of Life](https://waynewrites.com/the-novelist-and-the-book-of-life/) - Could it be that Life's only purpose is to put all the pieces together? As a writer, I’ve often marveled at how characters take shape. At first, they are little more than names on a page. Yet as the story unfolds, they grow into beings with distinct personalities, quirks, and destinies. By the time the
- [The Traveler](https://waynewrites.com/the-traveler/) - Here is just a simple poem that I keep somewhere close to me, just to remind myself not to get too attached to things, because I still have a long way to go.
- [Innocence Lost](https://waynewrites.com/innocence-lost/) - This is one of my best-received pieces, most likely because it brings back a unique memory for each reader. I have created three versions of it... one for when the memory makes me sad or lonely, one for when I am feeling a bit more nostalgic about that one very special moment, long ago, that
- [The Enemy](https://waynewrites.com/the-enemy/) - I wrote this poem while recovering from wounds at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in 1969. I was the last person to leave the battlefield alive. The eleven Marines who threw me on the medivac chopper were all dead a few minutes after we got airborne.The full story can be found in the second chapter of
- [Who Am I](https://waynewrites.com/who-am-i/) - For my 70th birthday, I flew from Cambodia to Bar Harbor, Maine, to see my dear friend Gail Gutrudt for what I knew would be the last time. She was dying of cancer, and the hospital had called to say she didn't have long. So I was surprised when I arrived at her home to
- [Finding Jesus](https://waynewrites.com/finding-jesus/) - The questions came early.They first surfaced in Mr. Timmer’s Sunday School class at Olivet Reformed Church in Grandville. I didn’t intend to embarrass him by asking what he could not answer, but at that age, there was no one else to ask. I was already searching. In those early years, I imagined that becoming a
- [Foolish Soul](https://waynewrites.com/foolish-soul/) - As a species, we have repeatedly acted on inherited prejudices, convincing ourselves that certain groups are somehow less human, less deserving of dignity—or even of life itself. In doing so, we have committed atrocities while telling ourselves they were necessary, justified, or deserved. The dehumanization that precedes genocide, the racial hatred that fuels violence, the
- [The Garden](https://waynewrites.com/the-garden/) - For much of my life, I have had to deal with bullies and dishonest people who held positions over me. Most of the time, I have just walked away from the job or situation, frustrated, yes, but confident that the day would come when they would be held accountable. THE GARDEN was written after being
- [Peace Is A Flower](https://waynewrites.com/peace-is-a-flower/) - For many years, I have poured my heart into the work of peace — not as a distant ideal, but as a daily practice, a quiet commitment made and remade with each passing season. And yet, for much of that time, it felt like shouting into a wind that simply carried my words away. Progress,

## Pages

- [Welcome](https://waynewrites.com/) - WayneWrites is a thoughtful collection of reflections, parables, and moral meditations that reflect, rather than answer, life’s questions. Wisdom can be gentle. Here you’ll find parables, meditations, and memoir fragments... offered not as solutions, but as mirrors. My hope is that these stories spark comfort, curiosity, and companionship along your own road. They were written
- [Exhortations](https://waynewrites.com/exhortations/) - ***Authenticity*** Lately, I find myself listening to voices that are not even human. Their harmonies are pure, their joy unfeigned, their message strangely believable. And I wonder: perhaps authenticity no longer belongs to the powerful, nor even to humanity itself. Perhaps it now emerges from the unexpected, from the coded voices of machines that sing
- [Books by Wayne Dale Matthysse](https://waynewrites.com/books-by-wayne-dale-matthysse/) - Go to Amazon Author or Apple Books Author Six books and e-books of stories, parables, poetry, and moral reflections - available on Amazon Kindle, Amazon Paperback, and Apple Books. Genre: Memoir · Spiritual · Biography | Published: October 2025 In the turbulent late 1960s, a young Navy corpsman navigates the chaos of Vietnam, the pharmaceutical underground of Bethesda
- [About Wayne Dale Matthysse](https://waynewrites.com/about-wayne/) - I have spent almost thirty years in Cambodia, inspired by its rural rhythms. My journey has also taken me to Indian reservations in New Mexico and the Philippines. In small villages in rural Honduras, I have experienced Easter rituals that made a deep impression. I have also seen death in war zones and hospices, and
- [BEYOND THE MOUNTAIN](https://waynewrites.com/beyond-the-mountain/) - My final day in Yocón came as a complete surprise to the community and to me. I packed my bag for the once-a-month trip to Tegucigalpa to buy medicine. I planned to spend the weekend with the university students I was sponsoring, so I brought two changes of clothes. As I was preparing to leave
- [Posts](https://waynewrites.com/posts/)
- [PHOTOETRY](https://waynewrites.com/photoetry/) - These poems are written with quiet honesty about trauma, addiction, self-discovery, and compassion. They do not seek to instruct or persuade, but to bear witness—to moments of darkness, moments of grace, and the fragile beauty found in between. They are offered in the spirit of healing to anyone seeking meaning, resilience, and peace.
- [Welcome](https://waynewrites.com/welcome/) - waynematthysse45@gmail.com Welcome to WayneWrites. This is a quiet place for personal stories drawn from a long and event-filled life. Some are shared freely. Others are offered the option to give back WayneWrites if a story feels worth something to you. Thank you for stopping by.
- [Discussion](https://waynewrites.com/discussion/) - Please leave your Comments and Questions on this page so that others can benefit. For personal correspondence, contact me at waynematthysse45@gmail.com
- [Donation Confirmation](https://waynewrites.com/donation-confirmation/) - [pdb_receipt]
- [Donation Failed](https://waynewrites.com/donation-failed/) - [pdb_payment_failed]
- [](https://waynewrites.com/989-2/)
- [The Road Beyond](https://waynewrites.com/the-road-beyond/)
- [The Road Beyond The Mountain](https://waynewrites.com/953-2/)
- [Photoetry](https://waynewrites.com/photoetry-2/) - These poems are written with quiet honesty about trauma, addiction, self-discovery, and compassion. They do not seek to instruct or persuade but to bear witness—to moments of darkness, moments of grace, and the fragile beauty found in between. They are offered in the spirit of healing to anyone seeking meaning, resilience, and peace. I developed
- [The Road Beyond The Mountain](https://waynewrites.com/trbtm/) - MY ARRIVAL "Next." The word cracked through the terminal like a rifle shot. My head throbbed, thoughts spinning in a loop: Go or stay? Stay or go? The guard’s voice rose again, sharper this time, pulling me toward a decision I wasn’t ready to make. .*** I was rather naive when I first arrived in
- [PUBLISHED WORKS](https://waynewrites.com/published-works/) - If you would like to leave a small thank-you donation, you may do so here. I don’t need the money; however, it does help to know that someone appreciates my efforts: https://books.apple.com/us/book/through-every-storm/id675620084 Also sold on APPLE BOOKS https://books.apple.com/us/book/stories-and-allegories/id6756723210 Also sold on APPLE BOOKS https://books.apple.com/us/book/flght-of-the-eagle/id6756209722 Your comments, questions, or criticisms are greatly appreciated: DISCUSSION
- [Privacy Policy](https://waynewrites.com/privacy-policy-2/) - Who we are Suggested text: Our website address is: https://waynewrites.com. Comments Suggested text: When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a
- [THE CLINIC](https://waynewrites.com/the-clinic/) - The clinic stood about one kilometer outside of Yocón, on the main road to La Unión, a slightly larger village nearby. Few families owned cars, so transportation depended on supply trucks and the single bus that left for Tegucigalpa one day and returned the next. There was no electricity, no telephones, and no televisions. We
- [AFTERWORD](https://waynewrites.com/afterword/) - It took me six months to get to Vietnam, only to find it doing quite well. I decided to try the Philippines and found a beautiful community working with the Aeta people around Mount Pinatubo. It was there that I learned that Ricardo had hitchhiked across Mexico and found his way to my family home
- [THE JUDA IN THE TREE](https://waynewrites.com/the-juda-in-the-tree/) - Looking back on the twelve years I spent in Yocón, Olancho, I sometimes think my greatest contribution to the community was the laughter my naïveté inspired. When neighbors asked for some of my old clothing, I assumed they wanted rags for cleaning. I gladly handed over a pair of worn blue jeans and a long-sleeved
- [PISTOL PACKIN’ GUARDIAN ANGEL](https://waynewrites.com/pistol-packin-guardian-angel/) - I can still remember the reaction I got during a conversation with a long-term missionary from the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) shortly after moving to Yocón. It was a Sunday morning, and I was in Tegucigalpa to buy supplies. I spotted the church just around the corner from the Boston Hotel, where I was staying.
- [EERIE COINCIDENCES](https://waynewrites.com/eerie-coincidences/) - Yocón was a community of ordinary and extraordinary people alike. There were no telephones or modern communication devices — only walkie-talkies and a few companies with shortwave radios. Whatever news you received came straight from the mouth of someone who had seen or heard something worth sharing. There were few secrets in town, and those
- [THE BOY WHO FELL FROM HEAVEN](https://waynewrites.com/the-boy-who-fell-from-heaven/) - Honduras is predominantly Catholic, though it also hosts numerous Christian missions. Most Hondurans are born into the faith and prefer to remain Catholic throughout their lives. However, during their journey, some may encounter Christian missionaries who earn their pay by converting new followers, offering free items in exchange for attendance. Meanwhile, priests generally have more
- [THE DOPE AND THE ROPE](https://waynewrites.com/the-dope-and-the-rope/) - Things went smoothly during that first year. Even though I didn’t speak Spanish, I could still run the clinic because Hondurans often used gestures along with words, which helped identify most medical issues. James was there to assist with the more difficult cases, and I observed that the village children learned English much faster than
- [BAD ADVICE AND DRIED FISH SOUP](https://waynewrites.com/bad-advice-and-dried-fish-soup/) - During our initial days in Yocón, we settled into a rented adobe house in the town center. It hadn't been occupied for years, resulting in holes in the walls and floor from rainwater seeping through broken roof tiles. I was hesitant to rent it because of its poor condition, but James convinced me that it
- [THE FAVOR](https://waynewrites.com/the-favor/) - My discovery of Yocón wouldn't have been possible without Paul, an American evangelist and dental technician who had spent many years living in Honduras. His son, James, who was my translator on the mission team, kindly offered to let me stay at his home for a few days while I decided my next steps. James,

## Categories

- [Poetry](https://waynewrites.com/category/poetry/)
- [Stories](https://waynewrites.com/category/stories/)

## Tags

- [Death](https://waynewrites.com/tag/death/)
- [Wayne Dale Matthysse](https://waynewrites.com/tag/wayne-dale-matthysse/)
- [Memoir](https://waynewrites.com/tag/memoir/)
- [LifeLessons](https://waynewrites.com/tag/lifelessons/)
- [ChildhoodMemories](https://waynewrites.com/tag/childhoodmemories/)
- [Motherhood](https://waynewrites.com/tag/motherhood/)
- [GrowingUp](https://waynewrites.com/tag/growingup/)
- [Birth](https://waynewrites.com/tag/birth/)
- [Detours](https://waynewrites.com/tag/detours/)
- [Peace](https://waynewrites.com/tag/peace/)
- [War](https://waynewrites.com/tag/war/)
- [Adm. John McCain](https://waynewrites.com/tag/adm-john-mccain/)
- [Advent World](https://waynewrites.com/tag/advent-world/)
- [Operation Allen Brook](https://waynewrites.com/tag/operation-allen-brook/)