Sententia

My host family in Granada, Spain

2010-09-19T20:32:00.001-05:00

One of the big perks of my program is that we stay with host families, which greatly increases the Spanish we are exposed to and forces us to speak in Spanish. Last summer I went to Chile, and while that's where I really became fluent, I would have learned a lot more had I not been speaking English in the dorms our group stayed in.

My host mom and dad are on the elderly side, super kind, a little quiet at times, but very reasonable and communicative. At first I was concerned they weren't going to speak to me much, but I soon learned that they are more used to students with only a few classes of Spanish experience. I have to ask them to repeat themselves often, but we understand each other pretty well most of the time. On the first day of orientation my host parents walked me and some other students that live near me to the Centro de Lenguas Modernas, which turned out to be about a 20 or 30 minute walk (Google maps). We're all ready to have super calves by the time we leave in December.

In Spain, meals are between 8-9AM, 2-3PM, and 9-10PM. Sometimes people have a "merienda" around 6 or 7, which is usually a coffee or a beer with tapas. Lunch is the large meal of the day, dinner is lighter, usually just one plate and maybe a salad. Meals are when I interact the most with my host parents, Ascension and Miguel (I think, still haven't gotten clear on his name...). Miguel always has the TV on during meals. While at first I found this annoying, it's really a blessing in disguise because it's a great source of conversation, and great exposure to the language as it's spoken naturally. I can't wait to be able to understand the awesome Spanish soap operas on Univision when I return to the states.

My typical lunch in Granada.

When I mentioned to my host mom that although I don't eat red meat I do eat chicken and turkey, she of course thought I realllllly love chicken and turkey. I don't think I've had a lunch or dinner without a bird in it yet!

John Reuben

2010-07-20T00:47:00.011-05:00

So this past weekend I went to Trinity Music Fest with Julie (props to Jennie W for the sweet ticket hook up). The main pull was David Crowder Band , but other greats like John Reuben and Jeremy Camp were there (oh and God too, let's not forget that, gosh*).

Although nervous ("what am I even going to say to him?"), I mustered up the courage to go say hello to the ever intimidating-just-as-thin-if-not-thinner-than-David-Crowder John Reuben, as he stood by his merch after most of his fans had passed through.

My interaction follows (I hope this is not just hilarious for Julie and I):

Me: Hi John...(move closer, shake hands) I'm John
John Reu: I'M John
Me: Hahaha, hey I saw you out in Soulfest (that's in NH if you don't know) a few years back
John Reu: Oh yeah? What were you doing out there?
Me: Well I live out there but I go to school out in Valparaiso
John Reu: Oh yeah, Valparaiso University, gotcha
Me: Yeah, you're from Texas right?
John Reu: Nope, Ohio... uhhhh ummm (he literally forgot) Columbus, Columbus. David Crowder is from Texas
Me: Yeah I know that... ...it's you skinny scruffy guys (John Reu had a large amount of scruff for himself that day, but nothing close to Crowder) like you I think are from Texas, clearly
John Reu: Hahahaha
Me: Hey, well I really appreciated Boy Vs. The Cynic, I haven't heard your new stuff yet but I will definitely get to it
John Reu: Oh thanks man
Me: Hey well can I grab a photo with you?
Julie: Yeah I want to get a photo of you guys
John Reu: Yeah, yeah sure thing
Me: Cool, cool (put arm around John semi unconfidently but doing so nonetheless)
Julie: (takes photo)
Me: Well thanks dude, good to meet you
John Reu: Yeah sure thing man...

The End. Well, much laughing about Texas ensued as we walked away.

*this is serious thought I have that needs to be fleshed out some time

Streets of Chicago

2010-07-06T00:59:00.006-05:00

I was in Chicago recently nearby the riverwalk and after seeing a homeless person I wrote this later in the the day.

Bustling.
Motivated.
Excited.
Compassionate?
Hard hearted.
Does a sidewalk city stop for a man lying still?
Just to look twice
or maybe take a picture
or to tell their friend, 'oh my'
They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly.

What joy is there when pride is so thick man does not love?

Surely, It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

End of School

2010-05-11T02:14:00.004-05:00

Alas, it is the end of the school year.

From the beginning: Opening the year at the dunes, playing frisbee and being terrified of stepping on nails, thank you Alfred.
To the end: Breaking glow sticks in the dark and splattering them all over each other in the woods, and of course, finishing the night with sporcle.

And now, having a slumber party in Kyle's room:

On to the Summer, Spain, and Mexico, God willing.

House Restoration

2010-03-03T23:07:00.000-06:00

Monday we painted a Restoration Ministries house. The local government had recently donated it to them. Restoration Ministries (the guys that live in Harvey House) then fixes it up, sells it, and pockets the profit. The government makes money on the property tax, and the community has one less vacant, ugly, foreclosed house, a win for everyone.
In the evening we went to Branden House, which is a secular drug and alcohol rehab/withdrawal program, for a bible study with some of the Harvey House guys. We heard a provocative message about the lies of Satan and Fear and the Spirit of God and Faith. We heard a lot of practical suggestions in the form of particular verses from the Bible. The speaker was Barb, the wife of the pastor at Spirit of God Church, which started Restoration Ministries. She also brought up the subject of illness and evil spirits. It rubbed some of our group the wrong way, but it brought up good conversation that needs to be had. I always believe that If everyone agrees with a certain speaker, that speaker really didn’t say anything.

Kyle got the tall job

Sarah was a big fan of painting.

Spring Break: Restoration Ministries

2010-03-01T22:19:00.001-06:00

So it's been a while. I'm now back on some adventures so here's something I wrote earlier. Harvey House is a 12-18 month Christian program for Drug and/or Alcohol addicted men. It is not for withdrawal, but for men who have already decided to change their lives.

On Sunday we went with some Harvey House guys to Chicago with Trinity College to give out sandwiches to homeless and pray with them. Needless to say it was a great time. My sub-group was with two Trinity College (funny, I almost applied there) students and Scottie, one of the Harvey House guys. Scottie was a pro on the streets because his life used to be the streets. He said he’d bought heroin all over the city. That, apparently, is the drug of choice in Chicago. We spoke, prayed with, and gave sandwiches to over six homeless people. Scottie made conversing with them simple. He was kind, straight to the point, and he steered conversation exactly where it needed to go. I learned a lot from seeing how he interacted with the homeless and from talking with him after. I learned how to pray with drunken people, I learned how to trust God for provision, and I learned how to be humble when offering help to someone older than me. I learned to rely on the Spirit.

Later Sunday night I spoke with Alex and Dave, two other group members from Valpo:

finish them midterms - victory bell

2009-10-12T17:03:00.003-05:00

1 paper in english, one spanish one to go, two tests tomorrow and I'm home free, i.e. to Tennessee! Rest and photos to come I hope!

they moved our campus victory bell the other day. my punk friends aaron and eric were walking by:

Back in the US

2009-10-03T18:32:00.003-05:00

So I've been home from Chile for quite some time now, it's good to be back. After we made the Machu picchu climb one of my favorite memories was a $30 river rafting trip! It was class 2 and a little bit of 3. Pretty fun:

I'm away from the Valpo campus (nice break) for the weekend to go to my friends house with some people to go to an Apple Festival in Kendallville, IN. Miss Indiana happened to be present and my buddy Austin got her autograph (after we shoved him in line):

Homeward bound!

2009-07-24T10:50:00.005-05:00

Leaving for Santiago in 3 hours! However weird it feels to leave, I also feel like it's time and I'm ready. I miss home a lot and am going to love being back in the Boston area for a month!

A couple photos before I go. First is a view of Cuzco from the village San Blas.

Second is the Plaza de Armas in the center of Cuzco. This is where we spent most of our time walking around, getting amazing $2 sandwiches, and staying in a $13 and $4 hostal.

Finally, the payoff:

When we came back from Cuzco, we flew into Iquique, Chile at about 4AM, took a 40 minutes taxi to the YMCA there, slept, went to the beach, and then at 9PM hopped on a 26 hour bus back to Santiago and then Valparaiso! We got in two days ago at 2AM.

More journaling to come!

Cuzco and Machu Picchu

2009-07-16T16:30:00.003-05:00

Writing from the center of Aguas Calientes, also known as the village of Machu Picchu, where everyone stops for a day or so around their hiking of Machu Picchu. Our journey here has been absolutely spectacular. We're very blessed to be here!

First we took a bus from Valparaiso to Santiago on Tuesday afternoon where our flight left at 7PM. We stopped briefly in Iquique and arrived in Lima a little after midnight. The customs lines were ridiculously long, and there were a lot of stupid forms regarding the swine flu that we had to fill out but we're never really checked by authorities. Once through we got our bags and went to the 'lottery,' as I call it, where you press a button and are randomly given a red or green light, telling you if you have to get your bag scanned or not. Of course (this happened to me in El Salvador, and let's not forget The Apple), I got a red light, but luckily my scan went through with no problems and we were in the clear. We got Peruvian currency (Nuevo Soles), got snacks and went the security to sleep at our gate until 4:30AM when we boarded the next plane to Cuzco. After a breathtaking trip we arrived at 6AM and quickly got a gentleman from a tour company to accompany us to a hostel, which was only $13 with all the ammenities of a hotel! When we arrived the getleman showed us several different routes we could take to Machu Picchu. We had been planning to buy all the bus, train, and entrance tickets by ourself, so we already knew the prices and were able to get exactly what we wanted for only a little more money which saved us the trouble of finding all the places to buy tickets etc.

After resting a bit we went out to explore the city and found great sandwiches for $2!!! Everything is so cheap once you arrive, if I can find cheap flights here I will definitely return many times in my life.

Finally, this morning, we woke up around 6 to get a bus at 7 which took us to a train. Both trips were spectacular, but the bus was a little rough because the road had loads of 180 degree turns as we went down into a valley where the train was. I've been trying to upload photos this whole time to space this hunk of writing out but the internet must be too slow here. Wish I was in Cusco! Faster internet I've had since home!

Evita Las Multas

2009-07-13T16:55:00.003-05:00

If only I had seen this before I arrived in Chile maybe the HUGE apple would have reminded me I had one on me...

14th Anniversary at Colegio Jorge Williams

2009-07-08T09:46:00.003-05:00

On Thursday, June 25th, the Colegio Jorge Williams of Valparaiso Chile celebrated it's 14th anniversary. It's the school that we've all been working at down here, and it is sponsored in part by the Y, and also in part by the Chilean government. On a side note, I've been very impressed with the Chilean Government's co-operation with the YMCA (well ACJ in Spanish). They work together on several colegios (primary schools), residencias (foster homes), and family/social intervention and child psychology programs. Their work is effective, but could use at least double the programs it now has.

But back to the anniversary. It was a really cold morning, but the entire school sat in chairs on the patio/soccer area/recess area and watched several presentations of music, a skit, and some short speeches. I only uploaded small versions of the photos to save time, click them for bigger versions.

All of the kids on the patio.

Gabriel and Dilan, two kids in Primer basico, first grade. I assist in their Language and Phys Ed classes.

Many of the other kids in Primer basico. They look adorable, and they are, but I assure you they're often more than difficult enough for me and the young teacher who is often at the end of her rope.

The best recorder players from various music classes played a couple songs with their professor.

The music professor, second from left, played a lot of cultural and indigenous (Mapuche I believe) music with his band.

The kids got to march around with them.

Halfway

2009-07-01T12:14:00.003-05:00

With the halfway mark just gone by this weekend I feel good about what we've done so far. This past weekend I got some sort of stomache flu which thankfully only lasted one day. I have no idea what the cause was, I hadn´t eaten anything the rest of the group hadn't had and they were fine. Now I'm back to full health which is still remarkable because at least one person in the group has had serious congestion or a cough pretty much since we arrived.

We've only got the remainder of this week and the next week to work at the school, then they have their winter break! We didn't know how soon that date was until we got here. I wish we could have come sooner. Luckily however, the time won't be wasted. All 6 of us are similarly strapped for cash, but we've decided to go for glory and head to Peru to see Machu Picchu. One the way back we'll stop in Iquique (northern Chile) to relax at the beaches for a day.

However, getting up there is amazingly difficult. Luckily we met a guy from North Carolina who's been here for almost a year and already went to Machu Picchu. First we take a 5 hour flight from Santiago to Lima, then a 19 hour $56 bus to Cuzco (takes so long because you're going through the Andes). Spend one night there, then take a 4 hour bus, 1 hour van, 2-3 hour walk, spend another night in a hostel in Aguas Calientes, and then finally wake up at 4 AM to walk to the gates of Machu Picchu which open at 6:30 in the morning. This is a slightly cheaper route than the $70 train that is the 'only way' to Machu Picchu from Cuzco.

Apparently the Peruvian Government protects their world wonder very well and uses it to get as much cash as possible. It literally has a gate with turnstyles. Marcus said it's kind of horribly like a ballpark, complete with expensive hot dogs and burgers. The only good thing is theres a 50% student discount for tyhe entrance fee, which is usually $44.

More photos to come, right now I'm just at a internet cafe waiting for the rest of the group to meet me at lunch. The other day there was an 14 year anniversary celebration at the School, so a story and photos are on the way.

Freedom from computers

2009-06-24T11:49:00.001-05:00

Since about the first two or three days here I've realized that I do so much more of what I want to do when I don’t have unlimited access to a computer. It's as though I live under a myth that a computer will help me do what I want to do, when really all I do is check many different networking and communication websites and end up switching between them so much that I trick myself into thinking I’m doing much more than I actually am.
With out having my computer here with me, I have been able to:
• Read Future Grace by John Piper, a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while.
• Read Romans and it's study notes.
• Write in a journal almost every day. Sometimes recording just the day’s events, other times including details, and things I've learned here.
• Started several lists:
o Characteristics I want my future home to serve.
o What I look for in a girlfriend/wife.
o A list of what I think my gifts are. Romans: 12: 3, 6-8
o A list of life goals/bucket list. I have 54 so far, and writing it is a blast, I highly recommend it. Nothing quite gets you excited for life like writing it does.

I'm planning on remembering this when I go back home and back to school in the fall. I'm definitely going to use my computer less, and not have it on as much. I've really been enjoying reading and getting to know myself more.

Puesta del Sol

2009-06-11T20:47:00.005-05:00

More than a week has past! I can't believe it.

We've found out that we don't start working at the primary school until this Monday, which is a little dissapointing, but we're just rolling with what's dealt to us.

We have very limited time to use the computers so I'm just going to share a few photos:

Meeting at Jorge Williams to get to know the school, see all the kids, and give the school a bunch of supplies we brought.

The sand dunes. About 40 minutes north of Valparaiso. I wish these were the dunes that are south of Lake Michigan where we go to school!

At the water on the other side of the dunes. Behind us is a memorial for Pablo Neruda, the famous Chilean writer.

An amazing "Puesta de sol" from the sidewalk which winds along the bay of Valparaiso.

¡Bienvenidos a Chile!

2009-06-02T20:08:00.008-05:00

I finally made it here after a few problems. First, my plane from Boston to Miami was delayed (by fog of all things) by over an hour so I missed my 11:25PM to Chile. The next flight wasnt (its really hard to find the apostrophe key here) until the next day at the same time. The redemption was the hotel and $35 in food vouchers I received. There was also another guy, Sasu, who missed the flight so I had someone to have at least a few meals with. He was going to Antofagasta (a city in northern Chile) to teach english for seven months (with a small stipend). After walking to a pharmacy for an international calling card I got to sleep around 3 and woke up at 6, 7 and 9 to call the Y in Chile, but no one answered. Luckily they called me back later and we made arrangements. Thats not all, once I got to Chile and putting my bags through customs and waiting for an hour, I was fined $200 for an apple I forgot I had, and thus forgot to claim! I tried to plead a little, explaining I was teaching english, not going on a vacation, and thus could use that money for good things, but to no avail. The only good thing about that catastrophe is that I have a nickname: Juan Manzana (apple in Spanish), and that any apples we see are an instant source of laughing.

Differences in Chile:

1. Meals are at very differnt times than in the U.S. Right now our meals are at 9AM, 2PM, and 8PM.
2. The 24 hr clock is very common here.
3. Unless you make an effort to pay someone back for something, they will not ask you to.
4. On the highway, people actually only use the left lane for passing, wish it could be like that in the states!
5. Very little food is imported, mostly just red meat. Staples like rice, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, potatoes, chicken, is from Chile. Ive never liked avocado more!
6. Bus drivers are pretty crazy (but pretty fun, next best to a roller coaster), although maybe thats not really a new thing, hahaha.

Ì think thats all for now, more to come!

Its absolutely amazing here, a lot like San francisco, and very much like a latin american New Orleans where the wide streets and plazas are.

Summer and Preparation for Chile

2009-05-19T20:27:00.010-05:00

Thinking a lot about my upcoming trip to Chile. I leave a week from this Friday on the 29th, which is coming on really fast. I've decided to not think about any logistics or packing until Sunday, and just enjoy the peace until then.

I don't think I've ever felt as deserving of a summer break as I do now, which I think is a very good sign that Valpo is a good school for me. I got involved in a lot during the year, and stuck my toes in a lot of activities. I found a lot of things that kept me busy that I'm stepping up next year like the Torch (school newspaper) and the Social Action Leadership Team. I got super lucky and landed the photo editor position for next year. The last week I've done a really good job of taking things slowly, and just relaxing. During Christmas break I went nuts trying to see as many people as possible and I just got myself exhausted really fast. Recently I've been reminded by some friends of the importance of enjoying everyday life, and relaxing our focus on the future and ideas like "I'll be happy when I achieve x." It's important to have those aspirations, but not to get so caught up in them that they are the only place we find happiness.

Back to Chile:

Here's an image from Google Maps that show's where the YMCA I'll be staying and volunteering at is. Valparaiso, Chile is a port city in central Chile and is neighboring the beautiful Viña del Mar. Valparaiso is also about 1 hour from the Capital, Santiago, and 3 hours from the foot of the Andes mountains (where I hope to hike and ski). Chile has one of the most stable and model economies in South America, many thanks to President Aylwin in 1990, and the current president Michelle Bachelet (the first female president in Chile).

The main piece of preparation I've done is email my friends to set up some accountability for the trip. Being my first time out of the country in a different culture with a language I am not yet fluent in for two months I wanted to have some people checking in on me and how my relationship with God is, my emotions, and the cohesiveness of the group. I'm pretty excited for how effective the emails I'll get will be. I have really solid friends, and I think having them ask me some deeper than usual questions will help to motivate me to write my thoughts down.

Home

2009-05-14T22:55:00.003-05:00

Made it home in 15 hours. We started at 5AM and made it back at 9PM. I went with two other people so it only costed us about $60 each with tolls. It was really great to drive back and see the slow but drastic change in terrain. Upstate New York is really cool, and the trees were awesome.

I slept in today, went for a run, and then saw some friends in Medford and watched the Celtics game at the Summer Shack in Cambridge. They have awesome grilled cheese and the game was good until the 4th quarter when we blew it and lost by a few. At one point in the game, Alston, a Magic player was so happy he got a call that he kissed one of the refs, turns out he got suspended after!

It's good to be home, but I'm thinking a lot about my friends at school and the people (especially seniors) in SALT! Chile's on my mind too, so I've definitely got a lot to be thinking about and mentally preparing for.

I just caved and got a Twitter account, so we'll see if it consumes my life or not hahaha.

Procrastination

2009-05-09T20:56:00.004-05:00

"And I so hate consequences
And running from you is what my best defense is"
-Relient K

So I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, even though I've finished off 3 of my 4 finals. Before we discuss Macro Economy I'l follow up on the run: Kyle, Austin, and I tied for third, behind two runners on the track team, coming in at 22:05, 7:12 minute miles.

Back to now though, I'm thinking of Economy. I've elected to take the final with the Monday section instead of Tuesday so I don't have it hanging over me, but that all depends on how much I get done between now and tomorrow afternoon. I haven't looked over any of the review sheets, and I have no idea how prepared or unprepared I am. I think I have about a B+ in the class, maybe if I go check on that it'll help me get motivated. Even writing this is getting me a little more ready, so that's good news.

I'm sure it's super exciting to be reading another age old lament of procrastination, so I'll just end this now and get to studying.

Run Night

2009-05-02T00:08:00.007-05:00

Tomorrow morning is the Social Action Leadership Team's 5k to raise money for a sustainable well in China. I'm pretty pumped. Running has become more and more enjoyable for me since I came to college. My best time is 21:58, on Thanksgiving break, so we'll see how tomorrow goes.

It's also the last weekend before finals, which don't start until Thursday (we still have class on Monday and Tuesday), so I'm pretty excited to be done with my first year of school and on to the summer. I leave for Chile exactly a month from today, so I'm pretty exhilarated for that too. It's kind of crazy how fast this year has gone, and how little time I'll be home before going to Chile, so I hope to have a lot of peaceful, slow days this summer.

I signed up for classes this week and I had a little extra room so I decided to take first semester Greek. I'm really interested in learning how to read the bible in it's original Greek, and I've been you can start to do that after two semesters. It will also leave my options open for adjustments I may make to my major in the future.
My class list:

Greek 101
Hispanic Literature
Political Developing States: Latin America
Comparative Economic Systems
Theology: The Christian Tradition

That's 17 credits, pretty manageable, I hope. Plus I will also get an additional credit because I'm working with the Torch (the school newspaper) next year.

Listening to: God of This City, by Chris Tomlin
It reminds me of going to Passion Boston: http://www.268generation.com/2.0/splash2.htm

My crazy, hectic, tiring, but good day:

2009-04-23T00:47:00.005-05:00

7:40 AM Friend knocks on door to go running, I wave him off and go back to sleep.
8:30 Wake up, shower.
9:05 Economy class (my eyes didn't close somehow!)
10:05 Breakfast. $52 left on my card :/ (thankfully I have friends that have extra)
10:30 Finish reading for class.
11:10 Morning Prayer. Have a hilarious conversation with an admission counselor I know about a prospective student I hosted.
11:25 Leave chapel to register for my classes.
11:30 Registration goes through!
11:32 Friend I haven't talked to in months calls, I answer.
11:40 Get copies made of a flier to publicize 5k run to raise money for a well in China.
11:50 Class: CORE.
11:42 Sit down to talk to a friend really quickly.
11:55 Comparative Politics.
1:50 Get smoothie, $48 left.
2:05 Sit down at a workshop on Liturgy hosted by a week long conference coming through.
2:20 Realize I'm in the wrong room, find right room, the one on Bilingual church services.
3:00 Return to dorm while discussing Theology majors with a friend.
3:10 Attempt emails/homework
3:40 Realize I have to run to an appointment I had across campus at 3:45 to take a photo of a professor for the school newspaper.
3:50 Take photos, the guy's eyes blinked whenever I used flash, he couldn't even control it, weirdest thing ever:

4:00 Return to dorm, actually get some emails and homework done.
4:50 Leave for Chapel to help with the offering, again for China. Call mom on the way to say hi.
4:55 Receive call telling me I don't have to go to the chapel until 6.
5:05 Receive two more calls about the Chapel arrangement while keeping my mom on hold.
5:30 Say goodbye to mom, return to homework.
5:50 Return to Chapel.
6:00 Sell Indian hand crafts, again to raise money for China.
6:10 Have an endless conversation with an enthusiastic visiting pastor who loves Valpo students.
6:30 Brief dinner with a friend, have important conversation.
7:00 Meet a friend to be an interviewee for her Comm class, minutes after finding out it was video not audio.
8:00 Photograph a documentary and discussion meeting.
10:10 Run late from discussion to Chapel with a friend for contemporary worship.
11:30 Meet friend to continue a conversation.
12:10AM Meet a second friend to start a conversation.
12:30 Find myself in my room.
12:47 Start writing this.
1:07 AM finish writing this.
Now: SLEEP.

La Via Crusis

2009-04-11T00:32:00.004-05:00

I did a lot today. After today I think I've had about 4 different and recent experiences of the Passion of Christ. These experiences start back about a week ago when we covered the four accounts of the Passion in one of my classes. It was a really enriching experience; I understand much more of the difference of the accounts and how their four views of the same event enrich our understanding of them. My experience of this holy week would surely not been as good or powerful had I not read the four Passions.

Then today, I went to an interesting Good Friday service at the University Chapel. They read the Passion according to John and the choir sang the the parts where the crowd speaks, an interesting way to place emphasis on the crowd. Later, after doing some baking for our Chile fundraiser on Sunday, I participated in La Via Crusis, which is done by the Gloria Dei Mission. It's a reenactment of the Passion that actually takes place on the streets of Valparaiso.

For me it was powerful especially because I felt self conscious following 'Jesus' in the city where a lot of people were staring at us. It was a lot like my moment in the 9th ward of New Orleans when I had to choose between doing what felt right and what felt safe. However powerful, it was astounding to me how many people had cameras and camcorders. More participants were using them than media workers! I was pretty frustrated by how distracting they became; when 'Jesus' was being 'nailed' to the cross there were about four people recording it, most of them smiling like it was just another event their loved one was participating in. In today's culture we need some media for publicity, but couldn't just one person take video and another photos, which could then be made available to anyone wanting it later.

Finally, just a few hours ago I watched the Passion of the Christ movie with a couple of friends. It was the second time I saw it, and by far the most powerful. I was about 14 or 15 when I first saw it and I think my understanding of the importance of Jesus has developed a lot since then. The most powerful moments for me were as follows: when there's a flashback of Jesus falling down as a child, Mary hurriedly runs to his side, just before Jesus falls while carrying his Cross and Mary runs to him; when Jesus teaches about Love with the message to love our enemies - also saying "If you love those who love you, what reward is there?" (Matthew 5:43); when Jesus is on the cross and he pleads "Father forgive them, they don't know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34); and finally, when one of the bandits next to Jesus on the Cross states that it is right for himself to be crucified, but asks Jesus to remember him, and Jesus says "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

Well this has turned out to be a heck of a long post. I really enjoy writing when it just ends up flowing like this.
I'm eager for the life that comes with understanding Jesus' life and message, and his promise that what we ask for in accordance with his word will be given to us (in God's time).

Rest, Battle of the Bands

2009-04-10T01:42:00.012-05:00

So I made it to the weekend. Thankfully at VU we get Good Friday off, so I'm finally able to relax a little. A lot has been going on as I've been fundraising to go to Chile this summer (the 5 of us made over $300 on a raffle, not a bad start), been staying on top of reading for classes, and enjoying the outdoor weather whenever possible. I also finally got fundraising letters out to family and friends. My goal is about $1,450.

Last Sunday a small group of friends and I did a music Bible study. We've done about 4 albums now and it's been really enjoyable and insightful. This time we covered Jars of Clay's title album, which we found to describe and press the importance of childlike faith, and an educated faith; faith that makes us respond to God with the desire and dedication to living the way he shown for us. It's been a great way to talk about a lot of topics and broaden perspectives.

Battle of the Bands was also last weekend. It was a really good time. A lot better than I thought actually; VU's really got some musical talent. Photos:

DJ, guest playing for Stop. Drop. Rewind:

The next 5 are of Grant Goeman and the Magic Men:

Laura Hewitt from the winning band, The Still Life:

Retreat

2009-03-25T14:26:00.010-05:00

I spent this past weekend at Donaldson, Indiana, at a retreat sponsored by Valpo's Chapel. It was at Lindenwood, which is a ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, a convent. The area was really beautiful, and I could feel that the air was cleaner.

We had a lot of time for meditation via different forms of prayer, as well as some time to play and take walks outside by the lake.

Their chapel was built in 1920, and is one of a kind for north west Indiana, a real catholic specialty. Here's a close up of their stain glass.

This is a long week for me. I had a test a couple hours ago, and I have three more on Friday. Also this afternoon for my major, International Economics and Cultural Affairs, we're doing a simulation on the U.S. response to international conflict, particularly in Columbia, which has been stricken with drug problems primarily with the Revolutionary party, the FARC.

In other news I'm locked into my trip to Chile this summer! It's organized by our local YMCA. I'll be there for two months assistant teaching English in primary schools. You know what's next: let the fundraising begin! We're starting a raffle on campus soon, and are hosting a huge babysitting night for YMCA members, hopefully it'll be a doozy.

Looking forward to the weekend

2009-03-19T14:28:00.005-05:00

I'm in the library taking a break from writing an 8 page research paper on vocation. I've interviewed a Professor from Valpo that's done some interpreting and translating work. I've learned a lot! I've also been pouring over reference encyclopedias and governments books on jobs, they actually have a lot on interpreting. Initially, my research has actually made me a little bit skiddish of the interpreting world, but I think going to Chile this summer will help my career choice a lot. I'll have time to teach some english, probably do some translating, and of course be immersed in the language. The real test is not just fluency, but speed and accuracy when interpreting. By the end of the summer I hope to know if I should keep my international economics and cultural affairs major, or maybe switch it to social work, I will definitely keep Spanish though.

This weekend there's a retreat hosted by the Chapel, that I'm really looking forward to. It's supposed to be on discernment, but regardless of that I just look forward to taking a break from school lifestyle (even though I just got back), time to be quiet, time for god conversation, and some time to play sports (they have a lake).

Listening to Imperials, by Ratatat, on the album LP3, very good studying music, no lyrics.

Back to Valpo

2009-03-15T01:10:00.005-05:00

I’m on the train from O’Hare to downtown Chicago where I’ll connect to the South Shore Line to Valparaiso. I’m jamming to some electronica a friend of mine, Ben Harel, mixed, check it out: http://www.purevolume.com/JohnnyRealgood

A crapload of St. Patty’s day celebraters just flooded my part of the train. Why sit next to me? I don’t know, but they’re actually pretty chill so far. For some reason I’m looking forward to seeing a load of hung-over faces at my 9 AM class this Wednesday.

A lot’s on my mind as I near Valpo; a great week in New Orleans, the new friends I made and the older ones I bonded with; an amazing week home in Mass; the friends I miss at Valpo and how I look forward to furthering our relationships; my hopes for my classes, especially the three tests I have in the next two or so weeks, and the research paper due Friday; the B- I have in Spanish, a class I’ve found to be a lot harder then I’ve expected.

The St. Patty’s people just started talking to me somewhat indirectly. “Hey you get internet on there?” “Can I like, check my facebook?” We chatted a bit, and I was told I sounded like I was from the South. Apparently my week in Nawlins affected me more than I thought or my cough is just wreaking havoc with my voice, in a southern way. Go figure. Anyway, I got some beads out of the deal.

On the topic of New Orleans I ponder more about what I took from it. I’m not left with a great sense of helping a hurting city, just a sense of doing a little bit. In construction terms, we left less than a tiny mark on the 850,791 homes (http://www.throughtheeyeofthestorm.com/KatrinaFacts.htm) that need to be rebuilt. In emotional and spiritual terms I hope we did more. Wherever we went we shared our brief story, and met many looks of appreciation and happiness.

Now I’m having tea (fighting the cough) at Starbucks in Millenium Station. A friend from Valpo, Emily, just dropped by; she’s going for St. Patty’s drink with a friend at the Millenium Bar (there’s also a Recession Buster deal at the pizza place down here, it’s a pretty wild station).

Leaving Camp Bethlehem

2009-03-07T14:29:00.009-06:00

What a week. I’m writing while on my flight into Boston. I just wrote out a brief play-by-play of our activities for every day and I’m already forgetting things! I believe part of this is due to the intensity and busyness of the experience and part due to my lack of sleep this week, especially the last two days. It's been tough at times, but far worth it.

Last night we had a brief meeting before bed. Everyone shared their best moments during the trip. It was a really great experience for me because I got to see what others were pondering throughout the trip. It always amazes me how many different things, small and large, can be important to people in many different ways.

For me, the most powerful moment actually came on our last day, during our visit to the memorial of the victims and survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. When we got there were all pretty solemn and quiet. Personally, I felt extremely awkward being there, because I wasn't sure how the surrounding neighborhood felt about the many groups that come to visit. Almost immediately a few cars started honking at us. I became more nervous, but then I noticed the gentleman in the next car that honked gave us the peace sign. Graciously I realized they were honking for us, in true appreciation for our care for them. Words don't describe the peace and unity I felt.

A little later while gathered around the memorial, Red, one of the members in our group, asked me to pray. Red's a great guy, I wouldn't have had the courage to pray with the group unless he had pushed me. I knew it was the right thing to do, but I felt very fearful of what those driving by and those living in the area would think. We made a circle and bowed our heads in prayer together. That moment brought the whole experience together for me, including my other times in Mississippi. It was another moment where I realized although I travelled to help the gulf coast, the gulf coast helped me.

In that moment, God viscerally affirmed for me that as long as I do his will and follow his ways, all things in my life will be taken care of by him. This great fact effects my entire life. I need not worry about my resume, GPA, future jobs, or what the economy will be like when I leave college. My father will take care of that in ways I can't imagine.

I can't control what others think of prayer, but I can do it and trust that God will ultimately use it for good.

Wednesday - day of productivity

2009-03-05T00:18:00.004-06:00

Today (the 4th) was a pretty long day, but very productive. We completely finished packing up Miss Alberta's belongings, raked the lawn, mowed and weed whacked the lawn, and finally took out a shed.

In the interest of my health, I'm going to go to sleep because it's 1 AM and I have to get up at 6:30. However, I'm jotting down brief things in a document which will l coming spilling out into a huge blog on Saturday when I'll be waiting for my flight home for about 8 hours :)

I had a video I was trying to upload but it was taking forever, so for now enjoy this photo of what used to be Miss Alberta's shed:

First day of work

2009-03-03T00:04:00.004-06:00

So it's way too late for me to be writing this, as we have to get up at 6 to eat and get to work every day here, so I'm going to make it super brief. We started working today, we were assigned to a 96 year old woman who has been a foster mother all of her life and STILL IS for two of her grandchildren (15 and 17). Their house was flooded and had plenty of wind and rain damage. She's getting money from the government (I wonder how many people can say that?) to rebuild her house so we're taking everything out of it and putting it into storage.

Then this evening (after a super performance by our singing group, The Back Seat Boys - videos to come I think) some of the group decided to rest while 6 others and I went out to walk around the french quarter and get some Beignets from Cafe Du Monde.
After that, we headed down to the river for a few photos and good conversation.

I had several photos to upload but it's been uploading for about twenty minutes some going to call it quits and try tomorrow. Until then.

New Orleans travel

2009-03-01T22:27:00.011-06:00

We made it! Those words are surprisingly significant. We set out at about 1 PM yesterday and didn't arrive to New Orleans until this evening at about 5PM. 28 hours. The shocker, we never made it to our sleeping point in Memphis (Trinity Lutheran Church). There was a snowstorm in Arkansas that slowed us down to about 25 MPH for 3 hours, had we continued, we would not have gotten to the the church before 3 or even 4 AM. At that point we decided to get to a hotel. A decision we had made to late, we found when we called over 10 hotels that had no vacancies. We trekked on until the two lane highway that had become a one laner came to a full stop. We sat for over 45 minutes, and had finally come up with a plan to take shifts sleeping and turning the car on and off for heat, when things picked up again and we stopped at a gas station. After much difficulty getting the gas pumps to work and thorough contemplation of our plan we decided to sleep in our vans in the gas station lest we end up doing the same on a highway.

Sleeping conditions in the back of the van

My technique for blocking out the bright lights under the Shell station.

Breakfast of (Shell)Champions

Morning eyes at breakfast after about 2 hours sleep plus anything gained while driving

Finally, after settling in and having a sort orientation at the LDR site, we went to the French Quarter to have dinner at Cafe Masnero on Decatur and Toulouse. Here's the trademark New Orleans Muffaletta Sandwich (this one has meat, I got the one with olive salad):

and then we went off to check out the better/healthier (haha) parts of Burboun St.

Setting out for New Orleans

2009-02-27T21:01:00.006-06:00

We're going to New Orleans! Our group of 14 is departing tomorrow afternoon. As you can see, Kyle is pretty stoked. This picture was taken with a sweet point and shoot that Valpo gave us so we could take photos and videos for PR stuff (once we're down there of course, I just started early). We're stopping at a church in Memphis Saturday night, and then we'll finish the almost 15 hour drive Sunday morning. We're staying at a Lutheran Disaster Response facility in New Orleans. Until then. Peace.

Preacher shoes

2009-02-26T15:56:00.005-06:00

I was on the job for the Torch (school newspaper) the other day snapping some pictures at a gospel choir performance, and the preacher had a clean cut button down shirt, jacket, nice jeans, and then these crazy kicks:

Just one of the things I love about losing the hold of time while taking photos.

Cell Phones

2009-02-26T12:49:00.001-06:00

Last night while walking back from frisbee practice I walked past a few other students, as usual. Three in a row we're talking on their cell phones and I was reminded of my love/hate relationship with cell phones. For me they allow easy communication with those I don't get to see much, easier organization of meetings etc., and an easy place to take a brief note. Seeing those students also reminded me of how whenever I set off on a walk that will be more than 5 minutes I usually think of who I need to call. It's only in the moments where my hate relationship for phones is present that I notice what a burden they are and how they keep me from enjoying the moment around me. There is no ordinary moment and I'd rather Be Here Now than Back There wondering what I "have to do" next.

Back in the middle of January, Valpo had a pretty big celebration of Martin Luther Kind Jr. weekend. One of the guests was poet Lawson Fusao Inada. I attended his reading, and his focus group the following day. At age 4 he and his family were unjustly "interned" (held in a camp-like prison) in Fresno, Arkansas, for the duration of WWII, as were most families with Japanese heritage. Inada read poems from his book Legends From Camp. I really enjoyed his style of writing and reading. All this description just to say that during the focus group at one point cell phones came up. Inada was describing a moment he had had recently in line at a pharmacy. The girl in front of him in line was on their phone, and Inada shared what he wondered in the moment "What do you say on the phone while in line? 'Hi mom, yeah, I'm at the store, yeah, I'm in line, yeah I'll be home soon.'" He then laughed uproariously which alone was quite funny to behold. His tone of honest amazement in the girl's need to call her mom made me stop and think. I asked myself "yeah, what do we say on the phone?" The image he imprinted on my brain was someone talking at (not to) a phone, just a piece of plastic with electronic chips in it, not a tool for communication. It was simply a visceral, basic, earthly, ideal feeling that made me realize just how fake cell phones are to our true experience of life on earth.

On a side note, it's moments like I had listening to Inada that I've always wanted to write about. I'm really happy I can do that here.

Ash Wednesday

2009-02-25T18:36:00.005-06:00

Ash Wednesday is a day for me to think about the many ways God has blessed my life, and how hopeless I would be without him. I decided to fast on water and juice for today, and it's been a good experience so far. When I get hunger pangs it reminds me to think of all the good in my life, and how much is provided for me. It reminds me how I usually take food and my meals for granted, despite that God provided it for me.

Also today, is my dad's 64th birthday. He's a trooper and I bet he's fasting as well (I'll check later when I talk to him on the phone). I learned the idea of fasting from his example, not his teaching, an important aspect of how my dad raised me. He's gaining on years, but not quite over the hill yet. He's still super healthy, and he's a great dad.

For Starters

2009-02-24T14:06:00.008-06:00

I'm not going to bother with any formal "welcomes" or all that jazz. Suffice to say I simply want to write and upload photos to place where I can log my experiences as a young student exploring vocation. I highly enjoy journaling and photography so I'm really excited for the potential for this kind of project.

Over the recent years while observing the progressive function of the internet I've found that blogs are a great way to keep in touch and share our thoughts in writing and photos. Google makes it very easy to write your own blog, and to keep track of your friends and other favorite journals. Google makes the experience integrated; thus I'm not writing to show off my life, I'm writing to integrate my life in text and photos with my friends and others in my community and those that share similar interests.

I expect that the majority of my posts will not be very long, and I hope that most will include photos. I'm starting this blog now because I'm excited to write and share photos of my experience in New Orleans next week, and in Chile this summer.