may 17th:
arrived in Aizawl, Nic's old pad, to see some of his friends and check out the people of Mizoram. THe state is a mixture of both India, China and Myanmar but it's not at the same time. We went to some schools and talked in front of giggly 8th and 12th graders about our lives in Canada. One of the girls said she loved me, so I guess I know I can always go back to Aizawl. we met some of nic's good friends; Mr. Supreme and his supreme family, LP and Daisy (best cook in India so far) and some beautiful young Mizo girls. Nic met Sentai (age 18) last time he was there and so we were invited to there house for our last night. Sentai's older sister, who is 21, is a Mizo pop star and has put out a CD. the house was incredible and by far the nicest and biggest we have seen in India so far. we are not sure where the money is coming from though, but the mom does grow roses in her huge green houses and sells them all over the world. or they could be drug lords, you never know.
May 21st:
We head on our first train journey to SIliguri for a wedding of Nic's old friend. We miss our actual train becuase Nic is discharging from both ends and is very sick. We hop on a train the next day and are picked up at the train station. We had no idea where we were going, but the dudes had a sign with our name on it, so it seemed legit. We showed up at a wedding and the putting on of the rings was interrupted to invite us, the guests in. It was awkward to say the least. A meal followed to ceremony which was also delicious and then we went in search of our hotel.
May 22nd:
Took a jeep up to Darjeeling, one of the famous hill stations in India , sitting at 2800 m. You are able to see Everest and Katamungo on a clear day, but there were none for us unfortunately. We visisted some sights; the zoo, the himalayan mountaineering institute, some religious places, a tea estate and some good restaurants that served us up some pizza's.
May 24th:
We took our big train ride to dehli. The train was nice and we had our own little compartement with four beds. It was also 9 hours late, making the journey a total of 33 hours. We arrived Dehli and found the way to the hotel. This morning we headed to Agra and got ripped off by a taxi. As much as that sucked, seeing the Taj Mahal is unbelievable.
So here I sit in Agra. We have one full day here tomorrow to catch the sunrising behind the Taj and then the red fort. Train back to delhi on Wednesday, see some sights and then hop on a plane for Oman on Friday. I am very excited to go back to Oman.
We are safe and continually blessed on this trip. See you guys at home soon.
T.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
namaste
we are back in the city for a couple of nights to regroup, get some clothes washed and eat some solid canadian food at the McMillan's. They are doing a great job feeding so many mouths and we truly grateful for their hospitality.
it is crazy to think that a huge cyclone has hit so close to where we are and I have heard almost nothing about it. please keep those people in your prayers. for a read about the country and what has happened, click the "Kori and Lisa" link on the right. they visited the country very recently and have some good insight on the situation.
our time here in kalapani / guwahati has gone by both quickly and slowly. we decdided that we would stay in the village, sleeping in a room at the back of a school and paying a local nepalese woman to cook meals for us. we call her "didi," the respectful nepalese term for sister. she is a little taller than my waste level and her face lights up when we try to communicate with her through the little hindi and nepali that we know. i like to think of her as our own oompa loompa, without the singing and dancing unfortunately. every meal is complete with rice and dahl (boiled lentils, chili's and some sort of spice powder) complimented by a small dish of another type of curry. In the mornings she cooks roti, which is a small chipati or naan bread along with a curry. the food is delicious. we have been taking a risk by drinking the water there, and a lot of it, as it flows down from the surrounding mountain somehwere. THey put it through a slow sand filtration system, and then it is filtered again in an indian equilavent to a Brita Filter, except it looks like a church coffee urn. Boiling the water would be best, but so far we have been safe. I will not be suprised if we have some nice stomach parasites upon returning to Canada. Worth it.
every morning we wake up at 6, have tea and then work on the fence for two hours. breakfast is served around 8:30 and then we try and work for a little while longer in the heat. most days have been 30 plus with 100% humidity. the school starts at 9, and we teach the older students english from 11:30 to 1 and then eat some lunch. the afternoon usually consists of a nap. everything shuts down in the hot hours of the day. if we feel like it, we do some more work around 4, or play cricket and football with the local kids that come up to the school in the afternoons. tea is served around 5, we have a small devo for whoever wants to sit down with us and listen to us speak in a language they don't understand, and then we hang out by candlelight until dinner at 8.
the village people seemed very shy at first, but everyone is becoming more friendly as they get used to us. many of the men in the village drink heavily at night, which has been causing some problems. none for us thankfully.
we will stay in kalapani until saturday and then head to another city, Aizawl on the 19th for a visit. on the 23rd we will come back to Guwahati in order to catch our 30 hour train ride to Dehli on the 24th. 4 days spent in Agra and Dehli will be followed by a 6 day visit in Oman.
emotionally and spiritually, we have all been feeling the same things. the short term mission dilemna has hit again, all of us wondering if we are being more of a pain than help. it is interesting living in the village. you are constanty dirty, sweaty and hot. We wouldn't have it any other way.
India is such a diverse country, with so many different cultures and languages. All of us are pretty bummed that we only get to see a small portion of the country. You could easily spend 4 months travelling around here and still not be bored.
Check out Nic's blog (link on the right) for some good stories too.
peace and love from everyone here in India. namaste.
it is crazy to think that a huge cyclone has hit so close to where we are and I have heard almost nothing about it. please keep those people in your prayers. for a read about the country and what has happened, click the "Kori and Lisa" link on the right. they visited the country very recently and have some good insight on the situation.
our time here in kalapani / guwahati has gone by both quickly and slowly. we decdided that we would stay in the village, sleeping in a room at the back of a school and paying a local nepalese woman to cook meals for us. we call her "didi," the respectful nepalese term for sister. she is a little taller than my waste level and her face lights up when we try to communicate with her through the little hindi and nepali that we know. i like to think of her as our own oompa loompa, without the singing and dancing unfortunately. every meal is complete with rice and dahl (boiled lentils, chili's and some sort of spice powder) complimented by a small dish of another type of curry. In the mornings she cooks roti, which is a small chipati or naan bread along with a curry. the food is delicious. we have been taking a risk by drinking the water there, and a lot of it, as it flows down from the surrounding mountain somehwere. THey put it through a slow sand filtration system, and then it is filtered again in an indian equilavent to a Brita Filter, except it looks like a church coffee urn. Boiling the water would be best, but so far we have been safe. I will not be suprised if we have some nice stomach parasites upon returning to Canada. Worth it.
every morning we wake up at 6, have tea and then work on the fence for two hours. breakfast is served around 8:30 and then we try and work for a little while longer in the heat. most days have been 30 plus with 100% humidity. the school starts at 9, and we teach the older students english from 11:30 to 1 and then eat some lunch. the afternoon usually consists of a nap. everything shuts down in the hot hours of the day. if we feel like it, we do some more work around 4, or play cricket and football with the local kids that come up to the school in the afternoons. tea is served around 5, we have a small devo for whoever wants to sit down with us and listen to us speak in a language they don't understand, and then we hang out by candlelight until dinner at 8.
the village people seemed very shy at first, but everyone is becoming more friendly as they get used to us. many of the men in the village drink heavily at night, which has been causing some problems. none for us thankfully.
we will stay in kalapani until saturday and then head to another city, Aizawl on the 19th for a visit. on the 23rd we will come back to Guwahati in order to catch our 30 hour train ride to Dehli on the 24th. 4 days spent in Agra and Dehli will be followed by a 6 day visit in Oman.
emotionally and spiritually, we have all been feeling the same things. the short term mission dilemna has hit again, all of us wondering if we are being more of a pain than help. it is interesting living in the village. you are constanty dirty, sweaty and hot. We wouldn't have it any other way.
India is such a diverse country, with so many different cultures and languages. All of us are pretty bummed that we only get to see a small portion of the country. You could easily spend 4 months travelling around here and still not be bored.
Check out Nic's blog (link on the right) for some good stories too.
peace and love from everyone here in India. namaste.
Friday, May 02, 2008
a lot can happen over coffee
Nic and Bonnie have been journaling a lot, recording the events that have happened so far. I find it difficult to journal for some reason. Maybe it is because I feel like I am talking to myself. At least on here I know there are one or two people who will read it, so that makes typing things worthwhile.
There are too many stories to tell so far. We went to the Mother Theresa house. Unfortunately it was closed on Thursdays because it is the sisters day of prayer so all we got to see was her tomb.
We saw a sweet bollywood movie called "Tashan." It was all in Hindi but it was still the best 50 rupees we have spent so far. The action was ridiculous and the dance moves were intense. I learned a few to show you when we get home.
After that we went to New Market, a touristy bazaar. the salesman and beggars were very aggressive. many of the beggars followed us for awhile, grabbing on to and cutting in front of us. they seemed to target bonnie the most, so we made her walk in the middle of us boys to shield her a bit.
On the way home we stopped at the Golden Fast Food restaurant and had some rolls. These are chipati and egg with a bunch of vegetables. delicious, filling and cheap.
We had met some boys on the street the day before and played cricket with them. As we walked home they were already waiting for us to play. Eric, Nic and I actually won a game.
Today, we went to a big mall that was A/C'ed and hung out for a while. We didn't really shop but it was a nice place to escape the heat. We enjoyed an espresso at Cafe Coffee Day. Espresso is one of those things I always think I will like and I always end up hating it. maybe one day I will learn.
We made it to the airport and waited for our flight that was delayed 2 hours. the weather was bad so the flight was pretty bumpy. one spot we hit was the worst turbulence I've ever experienced, but we made it to Guwahati in one piece.
Ray and Ellen's should be fun. I'm sure Nic will put a much better blog up than this one soon, so stay tuned for that.
There are too many stories to tell so far. We went to the Mother Theresa house. Unfortunately it was closed on Thursdays because it is the sisters day of prayer so all we got to see was her tomb.
We saw a sweet bollywood movie called "Tashan." It was all in Hindi but it was still the best 50 rupees we have spent so far. The action was ridiculous and the dance moves were intense. I learned a few to show you when we get home.
After that we went to New Market, a touristy bazaar. the salesman and beggars were very aggressive. many of the beggars followed us for awhile, grabbing on to and cutting in front of us. they seemed to target bonnie the most, so we made her walk in the middle of us boys to shield her a bit.
On the way home we stopped at the Golden Fast Food restaurant and had some rolls. These are chipati and egg with a bunch of vegetables. delicious, filling and cheap.
We had met some boys on the street the day before and played cricket with them. As we walked home they were already waiting for us to play. Eric, Nic and I actually won a game.
Today, we went to a big mall that was A/C'ed and hung out for a while. We didn't really shop but it was a nice place to escape the heat. We enjoyed an espresso at Cafe Coffee Day. Espresso is one of those things I always think I will like and I always end up hating it. maybe one day I will learn.
We made it to the airport and waited for our flight that was delayed 2 hours. the weather was bad so the flight was pretty bumpy. one spot we hit was the worst turbulence I've ever experienced, but we made it to Guwahati in one piece.
Ray and Ellen's should be fun. I'm sure Nic will put a much better blog up than this one soon, so stay tuned for that.
one quote from the Blessed Theresa that struck me: "We can do no great things...only small things with great love."
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
sweet lime.
The trip has gone extremely smooth thus far. We got all our bags in Kolkatta and even each had a row to ourselves on the flight here so we could sleep. We are staying at some friends of Nics, and they do not have A/C and it is about 40 degrees outside. Not very pleasant, but we are getting the full experience. Breakfast was had at a little vendor on the street. Some nan, onions and chick pea curry. Delicious. We got haircuts after that and all look the part well. While hanging out at the house for the morning we were greeted by a gang of white monkeys. everyone was outside there homes chekcing them out. they said it was the first time they ever saw white monkeys here. We went to the Victoria Memorial later in the afternoon, a big marble building via autorickshaw and underground transit. the driving, like Uganda, is unreal and never gets old. constant horns and dodging in any space the car can fit. We are here for tonight and tomorrow night, then fly to Guwahati to be greeted by Ray. hopefully they have A/C! it's the first day but it feels like we have been here a week. everyone says hi. will update more later.
Friday, October 12, 2007
mormons, mormons everywhere
here I am sitting in the Salt Lake City, Utah and this is the first free hour I have in a long time to sit, surf friends blogs and think about life. The only sucky thing is I paid 5 bucks for this internet. I better make this blog worth it.
I have been enjoying reading Kori and Lisa's blog and as they contemplate our living situation in Canada and try to relate that to the experience we just had in Uganda. I would echo every word that they have said so far, so there is no reason for me to delve into the, I hate to say it, cliche comments about how we have so much and they have so little. For some reason it is so easy to shrug those type of words off as cliche and to forget what they are communicating before we finish reading them. John has asked me to talk for a couple minutes about my experience at ignite this weekend, so I want to try and bring a fresh approach to talking about the experience of visiting a third world country.
I am continually frustrated when I think about what I can actually do to help the people I interacted with. They had already been given the only thing that has any meaning and importance; the message and love of Jesus Christ. What more can I bring apart from the luxuries of the western world and basically money? Don't get me wrong, our trip was definetely not in vain. The spiritual encouragement on both sides far outweighed any cost of the trip to get there. Sure, we built them a playgroud, worked on their school, taught them and brought them things that they could not afford, but the trip meant so much more. We were able to strengthen their hope in the one true God, the only one that they have to rely on, trust and confide in. The only thing that gets them through their long, hungry days.
But let me go back to the question: what more can I bring them?
When we go and take with us these 'things,' and by things I mean our VBS program, the soccer balls, the jerseys, the pencil cases etc etc. These are not bad things, but are we not taking them the things that have so corrupted our own society, turning it away from trusting in our God to provide? What are communicating to the young children in Africa? That these things bring happiness? Do we help those in Africa by trying to make their lives like ours? I'm not so sure.
Hopefully you can see my thought struggle here, and I'm sure there is no easy answer. For those who don't know, I am coming home this weekend for a visit. Maybe I'll get to see you.
I have been enjoying reading Kori and Lisa's blog and as they contemplate our living situation in Canada and try to relate that to the experience we just had in Uganda. I would echo every word that they have said so far, so there is no reason for me to delve into the, I hate to say it, cliche comments about how we have so much and they have so little. For some reason it is so easy to shrug those type of words off as cliche and to forget what they are communicating before we finish reading them. John has asked me to talk for a couple minutes about my experience at ignite this weekend, so I want to try and bring a fresh approach to talking about the experience of visiting a third world country.
I am continually frustrated when I think about what I can actually do to help the people I interacted with. They had already been given the only thing that has any meaning and importance; the message and love of Jesus Christ. What more can I bring apart from the luxuries of the western world and basically money? Don't get me wrong, our trip was definetely not in vain. The spiritual encouragement on both sides far outweighed any cost of the trip to get there. Sure, we built them a playgroud, worked on their school, taught them and brought them things that they could not afford, but the trip meant so much more. We were able to strengthen their hope in the one true God, the only one that they have to rely on, trust and confide in. The only thing that gets them through their long, hungry days.
But let me go back to the question: what more can I bring them?
When we go and take with us these 'things,' and by things I mean our VBS program, the soccer balls, the jerseys, the pencil cases etc etc. These are not bad things, but are we not taking them the things that have so corrupted our own society, turning it away from trusting in our God to provide? What are communicating to the young children in Africa? That these things bring happiness? Do we help those in Africa by trying to make their lives like ours? I'm not so sure.
Hopefully you can see my thought struggle here, and I'm sure there is no easy answer. For those who don't know, I am coming home this weekend for a visit. Maybe I'll get to see you.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
thank you
i'd like to thank all of those who replied to my last post. i didn't think it was at all one that would start a series of replies like it did. i owe it all to alicia.
if you haven't read all the comments in 'processing' I encourage you to do so. there are some great things to contemplate.
there is a chapel on campus called 'seekers chapel' which focuses on discussing difficult christian topics. this week the theme is "to what extent can God know the future." It would be nice to hear you opinions.
I will blog and make mine known at a later date.
if you haven't read all the comments in 'processing' I encourage you to do so. there are some great things to contemplate.
there is a chapel on campus called 'seekers chapel' which focuses on discussing difficult christian topics. this week the theme is "to what extent can God know the future." It would be nice to hear you opinions.
I will blog and make mine known at a later date.
Friday, August 31, 2007
processing
i've been doing a lot of thinking.
we talk about coming back to our western culture and coming back to our 'routines.' there is talk of not letting ourselves slip back into them, whatever they may be.
how do we live life after coming back from a missional experience, such as africa, and not go back into our routines?
the fact is, how we live life in north america is how we live life. when I first came home, I almost felt bad for using the tap to get water, for buying groceries and for even using my computer.
we are blessed people. is it wrong to use these blessings? I can't see that God would think so.
but the problems come when we get selfish.
it is such a simple truth that we hear all the time, but is so hard to do.
Africa taught me many things, but this sticks out the most and is hitting home the hardest these days:
God wants us to have the mentality of "what's mine is yours." Give abundantly, recieve abundantly.
hopefully you guys enjoyed some of those pictures.
we talk about coming back to our western culture and coming back to our 'routines.' there is talk of not letting ourselves slip back into them, whatever they may be.
how do we live life after coming back from a missional experience, such as africa, and not go back into our routines?
the fact is, how we live life in north america is how we live life. when I first came home, I almost felt bad for using the tap to get water, for buying groceries and for even using my computer.
we are blessed people. is it wrong to use these blessings? I can't see that God would think so.
but the problems come when we get selfish.
it is such a simple truth that we hear all the time, but is so hard to do.
Africa taught me many things, but this sticks out the most and is hitting home the hardest these days:
God wants us to have the mentality of "what's mine is yours." Give abundantly, recieve abundantly.
hopefully you guys enjoyed some of those pictures.
fish out of water.
i've been so busy since returning to the west that I have hardly had anytime to think about the experience I just had half way across the world.
all I know is that when I do have time to myself and can think, I feel empty, sad, angry, confused, blessed, guilty, convicted, motivated, stuck.
why am I so blessed? the dream of every ugandan child in the school was to go to university. i am at a university except I hardly percieve it as a dream fulfilled. do I wish to change places with them? maybe; that way I don't have to feel so...I don't know.
it was so good to see my rwandan friends again and to understand a little more. I held hands with one of them. it was a neat moment.
uganda felt like home almost. hard to describe i guess. all I know is that i need to go back there soon. hopefully in may.
i got a job on campus to help make some extra cash so I can pay for a plane ticket in the summer. anyone who wants to join kris and I is more than welcome.
check here for all my photos from africa.
more updates soon.
all I know is that when I do have time to myself and can think, I feel empty, sad, angry, confused, blessed, guilty, convicted, motivated, stuck.
why am I so blessed? the dream of every ugandan child in the school was to go to university. i am at a university except I hardly percieve it as a dream fulfilled. do I wish to change places with them? maybe; that way I don't have to feel so...I don't know.
it was so good to see my rwandan friends again and to understand a little more. I held hands with one of them. it was a neat moment.
uganda felt like home almost. hard to describe i guess. all I know is that i need to go back there soon. hopefully in may.
i got a job on campus to help make some extra cash so I can pay for a plane ticket in the summer. anyone who wants to join kris and I is more than welcome.
check here for all my photos from africa.
more updates soon.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
the bad place
Saturday was our one 'day off' in Jinja.
We used the time well.
All 9 of us went on a white water rafting trip down the beginning of the white nile.
Needless to say, it was intense.
The trip consisted of 11 rapids, four class 5, five class 3/4, and the rest class 2.
The last rapid of the day was a monster class 5 called the bad place.
No white water rafting company in Canada would dare to take customers on something like this.
Kris, Kori, Ernest, Sheri and I all flew out of the raft. The rest were lucky enough to stay. The next 3 seconds under water felt like an eternity. We were all rescued by kayakers after that.
Worth every shilling.
Not much longer before I hop on a plane for home. See you guys at the airport.
We are all safe and healthy and thank you for your prayers.
We used the time well.
All 9 of us went on a white water rafting trip down the beginning of the white nile.
Needless to say, it was intense.
The trip consisted of 11 rapids, four class 5, five class 3/4, and the rest class 2.
The last rapid of the day was a monster class 5 called the bad place.
No white water rafting company in Canada would dare to take customers on something like this.
Kris, Kori, Ernest, Sheri and I all flew out of the raft. The rest were lucky enough to stay. The next 3 seconds under water felt like an eternity. We were all rescued by kayakers after that.
Worth every shilling.
Not much longer before I hop on a plane for home. See you guys at the airport.
We are all safe and healthy and thank you for your prayers.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
slaughter house kris
it is no lie.
today, kris was the honoured Canadian to slaughter a goat. The culture of this place is unbelievable as you can imagine. The community and school brought us gifts to show their appreciation of their dear visitors. We got tons of fruit, eggs, a live chicken and a live goat. The gifts were presented to us by the mothers in the community.
Everyone gathered outside to watch Kris kill a goat. Then they roasted it in a pit. And then we ate it. Delicious.
Needless to say, Kris felt like a man.
There is so much that has gone on, but an update will have to happen later. The internet is slow and there is much to talk about.
These updates will be for those who are worrying about it. We are safe and healthy. Keep praying for us. Talk to you soon.
today, kris was the honoured Canadian to slaughter a goat. The culture of this place is unbelievable as you can imagine. The community and school brought us gifts to show their appreciation of their dear visitors. We got tons of fruit, eggs, a live chicken and a live goat. The gifts were presented to us by the mothers in the community.
Everyone gathered outside to watch Kris kill a goat. Then they roasted it in a pit. And then we ate it. Delicious.
Needless to say, Kris felt like a man.
There is so much that has gone on, but an update will have to happen later. The internet is slow and there is much to talk about.
These updates will be for those who are worrying about it. We are safe and healthy. Keep praying for us. Talk to you soon.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
safe and sounds
We have made it half way across the world safely. The trip was very long and we have had our first full day in Kampala.
There is a lot to say about it but to make it short, it is an african city. For those of you who have been, you know what I mean. For those of you who haven't, no description can come close to the experience.
Full of noises that make no sense, random things happening all over the place and people and cars everywhere.
The people from Fields of Life are extremely friendly and hospitable. Our rooms are great and the showers are cold and crisp. Thanks for you prayers. Keep them up.
Will update soon with more details!
There is a lot to say about it but to make it short, it is an african city. For those of you who have been, you know what I mean. For those of you who haven't, no description can come close to the experience.
Full of noises that make no sense, random things happening all over the place and people and cars everywhere.
The people from Fields of Life are extremely friendly and hospitable. Our rooms are great and the showers are cold and crisp. Thanks for you prayers. Keep them up.
Will update soon with more details!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
this is africa
or as Leonardo Di Caprio would say in his suave south africa accent: "T.I.A."
blood diamond = great movie
as most of you already know, or are guessing, I will be making the trip to Africa this summer. The Journey Church team is heading for Uganda on Aug 9th and I will be coming back slightly earlier than everyone else on the 23rd. I wish I could spend more than 2 weeks there, but c'est la vie. Even though it is a short time to go so far, I'm sure the experience will be worth it.
As our departure time nears and our preparation is in full gear, there is always a hint of doubt that we are not ready. However as we slowly check off the to do list, things are feeling pretty good.
There are many reasons why this trip is already special:
1) The team
- God has brought together a unique group of people for this trip from different backgrounds, ages and experiences. Our fearless leaders, Kori and Lisa Jones, have done a great job and bring such passion to our purpose.
2) Money
- God is good. This trip has been flooded with money from everywhere and from enexpecting places. Our financial situation and impact in Uganda is definetely a result of God's provision. Thank you to those who felt inspired and motivated to support this cause.
3) Donations
- In addition to money, we were in need of various goods. Here is a peek at what has been graciously given to us:
blood diamond = great movie
as most of you already know, or are guessing, I will be making the trip to Africa this summer. The Journey Church team is heading for Uganda on Aug 9th and I will be coming back slightly earlier than everyone else on the 23rd. I wish I could spend more than 2 weeks there, but c'est la vie. Even though it is a short time to go so far, I'm sure the experience will be worth it.
As our departure time nears and our preparation is in full gear, there is always a hint of doubt that we are not ready. However as we slowly check off the to do list, things are feeling pretty good.
There are many reasons why this trip is already special:
1) The team
- God has brought together a unique group of people for this trip from different backgrounds, ages and experiences. Our fearless leaders, Kori and Lisa Jones, have done a great job and bring such passion to our purpose.
2) Money
- God is good. This trip has been flooded with money from everywhere and from enexpecting places. Our financial situation and impact in Uganda is definetely a result of God's provision. Thank you to those who felt inspired and motivated to support this cause.
3) Donations
- In addition to money, we were in need of various goods. Here is a peek at what has been graciously given to us:
- Over 500 Pencil Cases. There is enough for every child in the school and extra for next year's new students. Thank to those who put so much time into making them for us.
- Pencils, Pens and Erasers. We have enough pencils/pens/erasers to fill every pencil case with one each.
- Soccer Balls. The Calgary Southwest United Soccer Association gave us over 80 used soccer balls, and over 100 team sets of very nice used jersey's. They deflated all the balls for us and even bought two huge suitcases to put them in. They are ready for the plane ride.
This is just a portion of what was provided. Thank God for providing us with so much. We have more stuff than we can even take on the plane.
Personally, I am ready to make this journey. All those who read this thing, which is probably a whopping four people at most, we want your prayers.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
means again
i tried to take a few pictures at the show, but the digital camera has trouble capturing so much movement. the venue also had a lot of crap in the air, so the light reflected off the little particles in the air. here are a few decent ones.
Not great. but still cool. also, when the boys headed out I was in class, so they decided to leave a little present for me. 
normal looking room
the means aftermath. but it was probably all Kris. what a jerk.
Not great. but still cool. also, when the boys headed out I was in class, so they decided to leave a little present for me. normal looking room the means aftermath. but it was probably all Kris. what a jerk.i really miss those guys now. say hi to them for me when they hit your home town.
means
i returned from spring break to means staying in my dorm room and then going to a show in wichita. great time.
those guys are quality and the show was stellar. after the show in wichita, they came back to OC to sleep again before going on to Joplin, Missouri. It is sad to see them go because they are a great dose of true canadian greatness.
hopefully they will come back soon.
more posts to come. soon. with pictures. maybe.
matt had to go to the bathroom, and I said, "going to the john?", he said "yah, Im going to drop a D in the John Close." oh man.
those guys are quality and the show was stellar. after the show in wichita, they came back to OC to sleep again before going on to Joplin, Missouri. It is sad to see them go because they are a great dose of true canadian greatness.
hopefully they will come back soon.
more posts to come. soon. with pictures. maybe.
matt had to go to the bathroom, and I said, "going to the john?", he said "yah, Im going to drop a D in the John Close." oh man.
Monday, February 19, 2007
psalms
i have been thouroughly enjoying my psalms class this semester, especially since the teacher is Curt Nicuum. This is guy is one good teacher, and really makes you think. He has given us the assignment of coming up with our own psalm and the instructions are vague in order to inspire creativity on our part. I am not a very creative person, so minimal instructions leave me helpless and unsure of what road to take.
However, after some divine inspiration, I decided I would write a psalm to the tune of "the failsafe" by misery signals. listen to it here. Now the challenge is determining what I actually scream to God in a psalm. I have found a program that removes lyrics from songs, and so I am going to add in my own screaming using a friends recording programs. If all goes well, I should have a copy for you to listen to within the week.
I am excited about how this could turn out, but the road is still long. So far I have two lines, and I don't even like them. This is going to be a long week, but the process should be good for me.
However, after some divine inspiration, I decided I would write a psalm to the tune of "the failsafe" by misery signals. listen to it here. Now the challenge is determining what I actually scream to God in a psalm. I have found a program that removes lyrics from songs, and so I am going to add in my own screaming using a friends recording programs. If all goes well, I should have a copy for you to listen to within the week.
I am excited about how this could turn out, but the road is still long. So far I have two lines, and I don't even like them. This is going to be a long week, but the process should be good for me.
agreed
kori has a great comment from the "prayer" blog I posted yesterday. I definetely agree with him as I did not mean to convey the motion that we stop praying all together during gatherings of various types.
i guess my main frustration is that I am on this christian campus and I don't see the church. then this frustration is amplified by the fact that I am not taking more responsibility in my own relationship with God because I am too busy doing all these christian things at a christian school. ironic, but I can see how it would be a problem at most christian schools.
when it comes down to it, I am very grateful to be on this campus, annoying prayers and all. I think a problem like this is only solved working from the inside out, starting with my own walk.
miss you guys.
T.
i guess my main frustration is that I am on this christian campus and I don't see the church. then this frustration is amplified by the fact that I am not taking more responsibility in my own relationship with God because I am too busy doing all these christian things at a christian school. ironic, but I can see how it would be a problem at most christian schools.
when it comes down to it, I am very grateful to be on this campus, annoying prayers and all. I think a problem like this is only solved working from the inside out, starting with my own walk.
miss you guys.
T.
prayer
I am continuely amazed at the south and how different the church experience is down here compared to home.
One of the things that really stands out is the question "does anyone have any prayer requests?"
Every time prayer happens here that question is asked, the person who is going to pray writes everything down, and then goes for it. I don't think we ever did that in youth group and I am not sure what to think about it. In the right situations, that is a great question and true prayer can take place. But in the south we have to pray before and after EVERTYHING we do.
for example:
1) In my chemistry class the teacher would start each class asking for prayer requests. then someone would volunteer to give the same mundane prayer. it goes something like this: "dear God, we thank you for the opportunity to learn, and to be at oklahoma christian. help us to learn today and continue to grow. God, help those that are in need and please heal (insert name) if it be your will. in Jesus name. Amen" I hate that.
2) After every intramural basketball game we huddle up at center court and another monotonous prayer is said. "dear god, thanks for sports. thanks for no injuries. help us to injury free for the rest of the season. (sometimes they throw in the "thank you for the your son Jesus who died to save our sins") and help us through the week. in Jesus name. Amen"
At this christian institution, we for some reason feel the need to squeeze in these prayers everywhere. I may be way offline but I'm not sure God appreciates these very much. They are so heartless and forced. These prayers almost become the substitute and justification for it to be okay that we don't take our own spiritual/prayer lives as seriously as we should. Prayer needs to be genuine. Let's take out our hearts and plop them before God, holding nothing back.
here is one last thing to add some more insight to the south. at our basketball game on Saturday morning the first half buzzer went and everyone was called into the centre of the court. The guy who had been running the scoreboard then started to preach! It lasted for like 5 - 10 mins and then it was game on. I was so confused. I asked my teammate what the heck happened and he said that they do a "commercial for God" at every half time throughout the day. priceless.
One of the things that really stands out is the question "does anyone have any prayer requests?"
Every time prayer happens here that question is asked, the person who is going to pray writes everything down, and then goes for it. I don't think we ever did that in youth group and I am not sure what to think about it. In the right situations, that is a great question and true prayer can take place. But in the south we have to pray before and after EVERTYHING we do.
for example:
1) In my chemistry class the teacher would start each class asking for prayer requests. then someone would volunteer to give the same mundane prayer. it goes something like this: "dear God, we thank you for the opportunity to learn, and to be at oklahoma christian. help us to learn today and continue to grow. God, help those that are in need and please heal (insert name) if it be your will. in Jesus name. Amen" I hate that.
2) After every intramural basketball game we huddle up at center court and another monotonous prayer is said. "dear god, thanks for sports. thanks for no injuries. help us to injury free for the rest of the season. (sometimes they throw in the "thank you for the your son Jesus who died to save our sins") and help us through the week. in Jesus name. Amen"
At this christian institution, we for some reason feel the need to squeeze in these prayers everywhere. I may be way offline but I'm not sure God appreciates these very much. They are so heartless and forced. These prayers almost become the substitute and justification for it to be okay that we don't take our own spiritual/prayer lives as seriously as we should. Prayer needs to be genuine. Let's take out our hearts and plop them before God, holding nothing back.
here is one last thing to add some more insight to the south. at our basketball game on Saturday morning the first half buzzer went and everyone was called into the centre of the court. The guy who had been running the scoreboard then started to preach! It lasted for like 5 - 10 mins and then it was game on. I was so confused. I asked my teammate what the heck happened and he said that they do a "commercial for God" at every half time throughout the day. priceless.
he's back.
it has been awhile. the main reason for my absence is lack of interesting things to say. sometimes the homework piles up and that is all that seems to be going on. however, spring sing (a stupid show that the clubs on campus have to participate in that includes choreographed dances and parodies of songs tailored to the clubs theme, ours being elves) is now in full swing and we have too many practices. we had our first lock in on saturday night where we practiced for 7 hours straight. it wasn't so bad, but my body was not at peak performance level for my hockey game on Sunday. Needless to say my two goals could have turned into so much more if only I wasn't so tired from doing silly dance moves. hockey has been a lot of fun so far and team is really bonding well, producing some sweet chemistry on the ice. We have one guy from New York who plays for the full 54 min game, and skates harder than anybody else. He is one of the fittest guys I have ever seen. He scores a lot of goals. More than me even.
Clair and I have been doing very well lately. We got into a weird lull at the beginning of semester where we just annoyed each other to death and it was creating quite a bit of tension. We are now back to normal (according to me anyways) and are enjoying each others company.
Here is the question of the week: if a homeless person asks you for money, should you give it to him?
Clair and I went out on Saturday to dinner and a blazers game and at the end of the game was approached by a homeless looking gentleman. He made up some story about how he was at the hockey game, he and his wife got into a fight, she took the car home and left him in downtown with no money or way to get home. I didn't by the story but the guy was only asking for a couple bucks to "catch a bus," so we thought it wouldn't hurt. He kept complimenting us, saying we looked great as a couple, and that my glasses were cool. Good tactic, because he got the money. As soon as we gave this guy the dollar bills, another homeless gentleman was walking by and noticed. After the first guy goes on his way, the next one catches us right before we are about to get into the car. He asks for "some change for a brother" and I offer to buy him some food. It was a pretty cold night and he said that he wasn't hungry but that he needed 5 bucks to get into the Salvation Army Shelter, and that would pay for a week there. I wasn't sure if that was true or not, and I only had a 20 so I was hesistant to give it to him, but I did.
God was definelty testing me with this whole thing, because my friends and I had been talking about this very situation that week. Why are we so hesistant to give to someone who asks for money? I judge people and don't give them any money becuase we all think we know what they, the homeless people, are going to do with it. How fair is that? Did God not bless me with this money even though I am a sinner to? Why do I want to hold on so tight to an earthly possesion that is not even mine?
In the end, I was reminded of Jesus. he healed and blessed not expecting for people to be perfect once he had done so. in the same way, I need to be a generous giver of whatever I have to give at that time, regardless of how I think the person will use that gift.
i hope everyone back home and around the world is doing well. there is a new banner at the top of the blog screen but it doesn't go to the right site unfortunately. you can go here tho. I can't wait for this album.
Clair and I have been doing very well lately. We got into a weird lull at the beginning of semester where we just annoyed each other to death and it was creating quite a bit of tension. We are now back to normal (according to me anyways) and are enjoying each others company.
Here is the question of the week: if a homeless person asks you for money, should you give it to him?
Clair and I went out on Saturday to dinner and a blazers game and at the end of the game was approached by a homeless looking gentleman. He made up some story about how he was at the hockey game, he and his wife got into a fight, she took the car home and left him in downtown with no money or way to get home. I didn't by the story but the guy was only asking for a couple bucks to "catch a bus," so we thought it wouldn't hurt. He kept complimenting us, saying we looked great as a couple, and that my glasses were cool. Good tactic, because he got the money. As soon as we gave this guy the dollar bills, another homeless gentleman was walking by and noticed. After the first guy goes on his way, the next one catches us right before we are about to get into the car. He asks for "some change for a brother" and I offer to buy him some food. It was a pretty cold night and he said that he wasn't hungry but that he needed 5 bucks to get into the Salvation Army Shelter, and that would pay for a week there. I wasn't sure if that was true or not, and I only had a 20 so I was hesistant to give it to him, but I did.
God was definelty testing me with this whole thing, because my friends and I had been talking about this very situation that week. Why are we so hesistant to give to someone who asks for money? I judge people and don't give them any money becuase we all think we know what they, the homeless people, are going to do with it. How fair is that? Did God not bless me with this money even though I am a sinner to? Why do I want to hold on so tight to an earthly possesion that is not even mine?
In the end, I was reminded of Jesus. he healed and blessed not expecting for people to be perfect once he had done so. in the same way, I need to be a generous giver of whatever I have to give at that time, regardless of how I think the person will use that gift.
i hope everyone back home and around the world is doing well. there is a new banner at the top of the blog screen but it doesn't go to the right site unfortunately. you can go here tho. I can't wait for this album.
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