Rise up

Life in AZ...

2010-01-04T08:17:00.002-07:00

I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything on here, so here is a brief run down of the past year.
After passing the NCLEX, I began working at a major hospital, on a cardiac floor, the first six months the work was very tough, and I found myself frequently asking why I became a RN. However the past few months have been better--I still am challenged frequently, but feel more confident now.
Kaitlin and I have done some traveling this past year, we went back to the NW last spring to see our baby nephew, then again last summer to go to my family's lake cabin. For my birthday last september we went to Durango, CO to visit a good friend of mine.
We hosted Christmas at our house this year, which was good. It was my first Christmas away from my family, but Kaitlin's family was here, and it was a great time.

I am now a Registered Nurse

2009-02-12T17:45:00.003-07:00

A quick update for anyone out there in reader land, I just took the big NCLEX (RN license) test this past Tuesday morning, and found out Wednesday that I passed, and am now an active Registered Nurse here in Arizona!
I did a lot of studying before the test, which paid off, and now I am able to spend a few days relaxing, before I start work Monday the 16 of February.
Kaitlin is busy studying to take the NCLEX this next Tuesday, so wish her luck (but I know she will do great, she is a smart woman).
That is about all, I am looking forward to a fun Valentines day this weekend, and then Kaitlin's mom will be here in Tucson next week, which will be fun, but we will be at work most of the time.

Lots of studying, and some fun outings

2009-02-05T10:08:00.002-07:00

Life is pretty great right now, Kaitlin and I are having a good time in Tucson, although right now most of our time is spent studying for our RN license test. We will be taking it soon (next week for me, end of Feb for Kaitlin).
We have been able to do some fun hikes in the area, and ride our bike a lot which is a nice change after being in cold cold Spokane, where I wanted to spend as little time outside as possible!
Today we are heading down to a small town named Tubac, it is having a big art festival this week, so we are going to go check it out for a few hours, then more studying.
I love the married life, and feel so blessed to have such a wonderful best friend, and wife.
In other news, Kaitlin and I have a new nephew, my sister delivered her first baby (a boy named Owen) in mid January, and he is healthy, and the pictures look nice. I haven't met him yet, but will in the next 6 months or so.
That is all, now off to Tubac!

We have gone South.....

2009-01-03T17:01:00.002-07:00

Wow, sometimes things all happen so fast. Kaitlin and I are now in the Tucson area, and very happy to be in warmer weather, and out of the 60+ inches of snow that are on the ground in Spokane. We have spent the past few days here getting used to the main roads, and figuring out how to get around. We have also gone on a few hikes, bike rides, and walks, and are so happy be able to get outside and exercise some.
Now our main goal for the rest of January is to study a TON, and do all we can so that we both pass our RN boards (which we will be taking at the end of this month).
Life is good, and we are excited about our new life together, and all the great adventures that lie ahead.

Lots of big changes......I'm married!!!!

2008-12-23T21:03:00.002-07:00

The past month has been very exciting, and fun, and has held many big changes in my life. First off, I was busy finishing up my undergraduate program, and had to complete 120 hours of clinical/practicum in the emergency department at the largest hospital in town. That was a great learning experience, and it will serve as a great transition from school into practice.
Kaitlin and I are now married!!!! I know it is a HUGE commitment, but it is one that I know I am ready for, and Kaitlin is as well. We had originally planned to have the wedding next spring, but since we are moving down to Tucson, AZ very soon, and starting full time nursing jobs there, we didn't think we would have much time for planning a large wedding, and we didn't want the extra stress. Most of my family and some of Kaitlin's were already coming to Spokane for our graduation on the 14th, and my family had already reserved a large private dining room at the Davenport Tower Hotel (one of Spokane's finest), and so we thought hey, lets see if we can get married then. We were able to have our pastor perform the ceremony, and get Kaitlin a dress, and a fancy cake. Amazingly, a much larger amount of our families were able make it up on only 13 days notice, and we felt very blessed to have them there. It was an intimate wedding, with just our family present.
We are hoping to have a large party/celebration next summer that we will invite our friends to come to, and it will be held in Spokane.
It has been an exciting week to say the least! On top of everything else we now have about 3 feet of snow in our front yard. We were planning on driving from Spokane down to Tucson, the day after Christmas, but due to the crazy weather have instead decided to ship our cars down, and fly down. So, next Monday the 29th we are flying down to our new city, Tucson.
I am so thrilled to be married to Kaitlin, and feel that I am immensely blessed to have her as my wife! Life is good, and I am excited for a wonderful new year! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you in readerland.

BIG NEWS!!!!!!!

2008-11-08T15:28:00.002-07:00

As of October 17th, I am engaged to Kaitlin Wiggins!! I wanted to update this blog sooner, but have been overwhelmed with school work, and have not had time.
However, after purchasing the ring, I did some good planning, and made a 12 page story of Kaitlin and I.
After making the story just how I wanted it, with lots of pictures of us together, I printed it on nice paper at a print shop here in Spokane. Then I worked out with two of Kaitlin's room mates that one would take Kaitlin out to coffee that Friday morning (Oct. 17th) at 11 am, and one would be at their house to let me in.
However, due to Kaitlin planning to do a school project that Friday morning, and not letting me know until late Thursday night, the coffee plan did not work. However, Kaitlin was still out of her apartment, so I went down, and placed 18 multicolored roses on her desk in her room, and placed the first few pages next to the vase, with a note that led her to the next few. I had three different sections hidden in her bedroom, and then the next two were up at my place, and then from there the scavenger hunt lead her to Manito park, where I was waiting at a bench that was on a hill over looking the flower gardens. Once she got to me, I read her the last page, and then got down on one knee, and proposed.
She said yes, and started crying, and I did too. It was very good, and while I had to be a bit flexible, it was well worth it, and I am very excited about our future together.
We will be graduating in mid-December, and then after the holidays, will be heading down to Tuscon, AZ together. We plan to live and work down there for at least a year.
We don't yet have a date set for the wedding, since things are so crazy for us right now with school, graduation, finals, and everything. Once we get to Tuscon, AZ and start working, we will plan out the wedding. We are planning to have it here in Spokane, and hopefully late spring/early summer 2009.
Yeah, pretty crazy to think that I am now engaged, but it is very good.

Busy, busy, busy.....

2008-10-15T10:52:00.002-07:00

Right now, school is keeping me very busy, but it will be over mid-November, and then I'll be doing a three week practicum here in Spokane hopefully in a Hospital Emergency Department setting.
Other than that, life is going great, Kaitlin and I are doing very well, and after graduation are planning to move down to Tucson, AZ and hopefully not have to deal with the amount of snow we had in Spokane last year.
The fall is definitely here, the weather has cooled down quite a bit, but fall days in Spokane are beautiful. Yeah, I guess that is about it--just trying hard to keep my focus up for school, and finish off on a good note.

ahhh 24, and still kicking.....

2008-09-30T21:58:00.003-07:00

It is true, last Friday was my 24th b-day, and it was a great day. It worked out well, because this semester we don't have any classes on Friday so I spent the day w/ family, friends, and of course my special Kaitlin.
School is going along pretty well, about 8 weeks left until I am done with classes, and onto practicum (hopefully in the E.D.). Then graduation in December, and off to Tucson, AZ to hopefully start working.
Life is going pretty well, I keep fun things interspersed. This upcoming Sunday, Kaitlin and I are going on a wine tour with 28 other peers for $25 which includes a bus ride to and from Prosser, WA (in the Columbia Valley) lunch, dinner and wine and cheese tasting. It should be pretty fun, and will be a nice break from Spokane.

Going to a football game...

2008-09-15T21:54:00.002-07:00

It is true...I just won one of 15 free tickets to go down to Pullman this weekend and watch the Cougars play Portland State. It will be my first game at Martin Stadium as a student, and we are also going to have a little tailgate party. It is especially fun because Kaitlin (my girlfriend) also got one of the 15 free tickets.
I hope the Cougs can pull it together and win this weekend. I think it is one of the few games we have a good shot at.
It will be a great time of relaxation, because school is crazy right now, and we have a test this Thursday, and one next Monday. So a nice afternoon of fun will be greatly appreciated.

That is all for now....Go Cougs!

Back in school......see the light at the end of the tunnel.

2008-08-26T20:55:00.002-07:00

Yes, the time has come, I am now back in school, and feeling a wee bit over whelmed at the moment, but it will all work out fine.
Only one more semester until graduation, pretty crazy!!! I am ready though, as much as I enjoy learning new things, homework and classes get a bit taxing.
This fall will be pretty interesting though, I am now in my community health and psychiatric rotations, and they are promising.
This weekend Kaitlin and I will be going camping up at a peer's ranch with a bunch of people from our class, it will be a fun outing. Not much else to say right now.

I'm back!!!

2008-08-10T15:09:00.002-07:00

I have been gone for the past 6 weeks on the Salmon River in Central Idaho, as a whitewater raft guide. It was a summer full of fun, adventure, and great stories. I have a spectacular tan, and am leaner than when I started.
I am going to Chicago this next tuesday and will be gone for 4 days, I am going to Kaitlin's oldest brother's wedding, and it will be the first time I'll have met the brothers and extended family, it'll be a busy week of sight seeing, wedding stuff, and meeting everyone.
School starts in about two weeks, and I'll graduate in December (finally:)
I don't have much more to say, other than I'm still here, and still loving life.

ahh summer.....

2008-06-09T12:06:00.002-07:00

Life is going pretty well, I have two more days of work at the retirement home, and then I'll be going to Olympia for my brother in laws graduation next weekend. Then I will be going well be starting work as a white water raft guide for the month of July. It will be pretty exciting.
The weather here in Spokane has not been very warm as of yet, only in the low 60's all last week, and lots of rain. Hopefully summer will come soon.

A sweet summer job....

2008-05-31T16:01:00.001-07:00

For any of you out there in reader land, I just thought I would let you know of an awesome summer job that I'll be doing for 6 weeks (June 28th - August 10th). I'll be a white water raft guide on the Lower Salmon River in Southern Idaho going over class 3-4 rapids w/ boyscouts. I should be pretty great, I am really looking forward to getting paid to do something that will be so fun, and get plenty of fresh air as well as get into good shape. I can't wait!

good weather to go backpacking...

2008-05-15T08:34:00.002-07:00

Summer weather is now here!
Kaitlin and I are leaving today to go backpacking with her dad and friend at Lake Chelan for the weekend. All weekend it is supposed to be in the 80's, peaking out in the 90's on Saturday. We'll bring along sunscreen. It is going to be a fun weekend.
Everything else is going pretty well. Once again I am looking for a new job. The job I have now doesn't want to give me any more hours than 8-12 per week, which is not enough for summer. I have to make up for the school year, and replenish my saving account.
While the job market here is a bit scarce, I am looking, and hope to find something in the next week or two.
That is about all.

Enjoying summer

2008-05-03T18:21:00.002-07:00

The weather has warmed up, and no more snow. It is nice to wear shorts, chacos, and not have to study. Books that have been on my self for the past year are now being read. Movies for the summer to see: the new Indiana Jones, and Prince Caspian. Pretty excited. Also on the list of things to do, go backpacking in two weeks, and go to my brother in law's graduation in June (pig roast as well), and then Kaitlin's brother's wedding in Chicago in August.
A great summer full of adventures ahead.

Another year done....

2008-04-29T20:01:00.002-07:00

I am now done with my third semester of nursing school, and will graduate w/ my bachelor's degree next fall.
I am happy to be done for a while, and have time for rest, relaxation, and fun. I hope the weather will warm up soon, and that I can get lots of great exercise/fun outside in the sun.

Ready for Spring?

2008-03-29T22:43:00.002-07:00

I know I am! It is the end of March, and I woke up today to a lovely 3 inches of snow covering everything, wait I thought it was spring?
The semester is quickly disappearing, in just about a month I will be done. I am pretty excited about summer, warm weather and sleeping in.
Right now March madness is going on. The Cougs did well, and made it to the sweet sixteen but then we couldn't buy a basket against North Carolina. I think Kansas will win it, but I guess we shall see.
Right now my mom and sister are visiting, and it is pretty fun to see them and spend some time with them.

just a little longer.....

2008-03-06T16:12:00.002-07:00

Right now I am waiting for spring break. I have only a few more hours of class. I am not really doing much over break, but it will be nice to wake up later, and have time to catch up on homework. I am also going to a concert with a friend, and will get to see some good friends who no longer live here.
Life is good right now. Kaitlin and I are doing great, and are continually challenging and learning from each other, and growing in the process. The weather is very spring like here in Spokane right now, in the high forties, low fifties, and I am happy, I hope to get the road bike out next week, and do some riding.
Well, I am now half way through the semester, and know that after spring break it will go fast. Summer will be great, I hope to get down to Colorado for a week, and see a good friend of mine.

I am ready for warm weather.

2008-01-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

I do appreciate the winter, and the snow and fun that can happen- at least for the first month. After that it just becomes more of a pain than anything else, and this weekend is that sort of weekend. Too much snow to drive anywhere, and I had to put the cables on my car last night to get home. I wouldn't mind so much if I didn't have to be at the hospital at 6:30am the next two days in a row for clinical.
I am not too excited for this week, I have two tests, and work and clinical and on top of all that, I have to deal with driving in the snow. I can't wait for it to warm up and be spring.
This time too shall pass, but I would not mind if it passed faster. I am going to go take a nap, then do some more studying for the tests that I have.

A new year

2008-01-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Well, a new year is now upon us. I hope it is a good one, and while I am not much of a person to make new years resolutions, I am going to try and do some things differently this upcoming year.
First I am going to try and spend more time with friends, my girlfriend, and my family, and try and plan fun things to do in the time spent with them. I believe that this will not only make the time more enjoyable, but will also will deepen the relationships.
Second I plan to do well in school this semester, but also leave time for life outside of school to do other things, such as go skiing, go for walks, read books that are not medical textbooks, and exercise.
While it is easy to say these things now, and then let life happen and forget these goals, I am going to try to remember them, because life is not all about school, nor 'preparing for the future' but it is important to have some time to enjoy today as well.
Life is a wonderful gift that we are given, with an unknowable future. I think one of the best ways to show our appreciation of that gift is to enjoy today, and not let life pass us by. While preparing for the future and getting a college education are worthwhile goals, it is easy to let that be the main focus, and forget to enjoy each day.

tis the season....

2007-12-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

It is Christmas!!!!!! To all you out in bloggerland, Merry Christmas. I just got home from a trip to visit my mom over in Vancouver, WA. It was a busy few days, and I didn't get to see much of my family there, but the little I did was fun.
The rest of my family is here in Spokane, and we are going to have a big family Christmas here, my sister is driving over tomorrow. It will be very fun, and it is nice that I can come back to my apartment and sleep in my bed each night. I don't think people realize how nice there bed is until they are sleeping on a couch, the ground, or an air mattress and then come back to the bed.
The next week will be very busy, but I hope it will be a lot of fun.
I pray for a joyous and safe Christmas for you all.

snow, final, snow, break

2007-12-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

It is snowing up here in Spokane, and supposed to continue to do just that.
Today I have my one and only final for the semester, and am pretty excited to be done. It is going to be a long day though, because the final is at 3:30pm, and after the final I have to go to work for 3-4 hours.
It will all be worth it when I am able to sleep in tomorrow.
The rest of the week pretty much looks like this, go see "The Golden Compass" tomorrow night with Kaitlin and my family, hang out with some bros at Whitworth Wednesday morning, work some more, and just kick it.
A snow walk with Kaitlin is definitely a high priority though, since we haven't had one in a long time.
Just thought I would give a quick update.

a time of giving thanks.....

2007-11-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

This Thanksgiving was a lot of fun, Kaitlin and I drove over to her parents house in Edmonds, WA and spent it with them. It has been a nice, relaxing few days, and now I am rejuvenated enough to go back and finish the last few weeks of this semester.
We will head back to Spokane tomorrow, and celebrate our 6th month anniversary of dating, and will do so by watching the Apple Cup, and then go out to dinner.
On Sunday I will be busy doing the homework I should have done this week, but I needed a break.
It is a beautiful day outside here in Edmonds, and Kaitlin and I are going to go ride the Ferry and enjoy the scenery.

a well deserved break.....

2007-11-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

As Thanksgiving is this next Thursday, there are no classes this next week, something I am very thankful for. It has been a very long semester, and one that has drained me.
This next week I will be going to Edmonds with Kaitlin to see her family, we will be leaving on Tuesday, and coming home on Friday. It will be very nice to get out of Spokane for a few days.
The winter is starting to show up here in Spokane, grey and cloudy skies are the norm now. No snow yet, but probably within the next week.

Life is like that.....

2007-11-04T09:09:00.001-07:00

It has been a hard semester, for many reasons. School being only one of them, my room mate being another. This years room mate compared to last years room mates is like black and white. Last year I lived in a place where I had brothers who I could not only hang out with and have a blast, but who would hold me accountable, and lift me up when I needed it. Now I have one room mate who calls me selfish when I say that I don't approve of him and his girlfriend staying half the week at our apartment.
I am trying hard to not let this ruin the year, but know already that next summer when the lease is up I will be moving again, either into a one bedroom apartment, or finding a new room mate.
I truly don't know if I could have made it through thus far in the semester if it were not for Kaitlin's love and support. She has definitely been a God send in my life.
She had her car stolen on Friday, which really pisses me off, because she is one of the best people I know, and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. I hope the police can find her car, but we'll see. Until then, I have told her that I am more than willing to give her rides to work and around town.
I have to write a paper today-argh...
I know that this too will pass, and in the end, it will be worth it. Glory be to God, I just need to keep in mind what is truly important, and not be bogged down by the taskiness of things right now.

getting there.....

2007-10-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Fall semester is hard, because there are no breaks from the beginning until Thanksgiving. Only a few more weeks though, and then a well deserved rest.
I just started working a new job as a nurse tech, which is great because I will be making some money, and getting some experience in healthcare at the same time.
Today the Cougars play UCLA at home, I am afraid that it is going to be a wipe out, but I'll still watch the game.
Things are going well between Kaitlin and I, we just had our 5 month anniversary. Still a process of learning though, but as time goes on, we are growing closer, and I am trying to serve her.
In other words, I am sort of a bum as far as working out goes, I am going to try and get up to the gym today, but we'll see about that. I want to work out, but after school, I am just too tired.

a busy and difficult week.

2007-10-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

School is keeping me very busy, and clinical especially. I am trying to do well in the hospital, but am finding it difficult. I know what I need to do, but when I need to do it I seem to forget how. I often wonder if maybe I should forget nursing and go into something else.
I just recently got a job as a nurse tech, at a retirement home just a few blocks from my apartment. I will be working 2-3 evenings a week. This job will be great for a lot of reasons. It will give me clinical experience, which will help me feel more confident about what I am doing, the pay is great, and the hours will work well with my school schedule.
Thanksgiving break is only a month away, but sometimes that feels so far off. I know it will be here and gone before I know it, but school is really getting me down right now. I have never felt this way about school before-- granted I never loved every class I was in or the homework, but now it is so draining that almost daily I have serious doubts as to whether or not this is right for me. But then I remember that all of nursing is not in the hospitals on the floors, and that helps me get through the day. I just don't think I would enjoy that. I plan to eventually get further education and become a family nurse practitioner, but need to focus on the here and now to make it through this step first.
I am so glad that I have a wonderful girlfriend right now to help me through this time. Without her I really don't know what I would have done, because this year I am not close to Whitworth anymore, and thus have lost almost all connections there. Just goes to show that when you really need something, God will provide. Last year I had great room mates and people in my life to lift me up when I needed it, now I don't-so I have an amazing girlfriend to help me.
This weekend is going to be a great time, I am going to a movie tonight, bowling tomorrow night, and a David Crowder concert on Sunday night. The only down side is that I will have to start my homework this afternoon.

a difficult time....but faith prevails.

2007-10-04T14:09:00.001-07:00

This past week has been a bit difficult. I am having some difficult times with my room mate, we are not really jiving. I guess I was hoping for more of a friendship with him, and he seems to want more of a room mate to help pay rent type of thing.
Also as of late I have had some struggles of my own. A lot to do with feeling much more alone than I did last year. I live with one person, who is always either at school or with his girlfriend, I don't live near Whitworth anymore, so I cannot walk to campus really quick and be involved in things there, and I work so hard in school, but don't like it most of the time.
This past weekend though, I reaquainted myself with my faith in Christ. He moved in me, and showed me that while a lot of things right now are hard, it is all still worth it. I have a wonderful girlfriend, some good friends (albit a ways away) and good family. So, I have been trying to focus on those things, and trying to be intentional about getting together with some good friends who I haven't seen much of since school started.
I have been trying my best to focus on the good things in life, and not let the bad overcome me. It will be a struggle each day, but it is one worth fighting, and in the end it will all work out just fine.

23!!!

2007-09-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Its that day of the year, 23 years ago today I was born. WOW. Pretty crazy to think of where I've been, where I've come and ponder where I'll go from here.
I am 23, and everything is good, I already celebrated my birthday with my family, last weekend. Tonight I am going out with Kaitlin, and its a surprise, so I don't know what she has planned.
Happy birthday to me.

Finding contentment......

2007-09-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

This past week has been crazy! School is really bearing down, and getting tough. It is not really hard, just so much work that I have barely any free time. I am keeping my head though, and trying to find a calm in this storm.
I have noticed, that lately I have been looking for contentment in all the wrong places, and walking away empty handed and frustrated. I need to find my contentment in Christ alone, and then I will be satisfied.
I find myself constantly comparing myself to others, whether that be in my relationship with my girlfriend, how I do academically, how I do in sports, and almost everything else I can think of.
It is crazy! Here I have everything I need and more, God has blessed me much more than I can ever thank him for, and beyond what I deserve, yet I complain. I have an amazing girlfriend, something I was convinced I could not have, or at least not this year. Yet here I am, with a girl that I have so much in common with, yet she still challenges me, and keeps me honest.
Life is an adventure, and it is important that during our journey we stop, and ask ourselves what is really important, or we will lose sight of it so easily. All I am saying, is take some time to really sit down and find where you place your hope, and what you look for to find contentment in. Don't forget that life is a miraculous thing, and one that all of us takes for granted.

Learning how to be genuine.....

2007-09-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

So, I have found a great girlfriend, that has made the past 3 months of our dating more than I thought I could ever have in a relationship.
Now I am learning how to not be selfish, and what it means to have her best interest ahead of mine.
I know I still have a lot to learn, but am more than willing to do so.
For those of you who have found someone who makes you light up, you understand, for those still waiting, don't give up hope. I don't know why things happen when they do, but believe it all is for a reason.
Life is good, God is better.
Its all an adventure, and everyday is worth living.

School has begun.......

2007-08-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

It is now back to the grindstone, school is in session, and I am having some difficulty getting started on studying. It has been a good semester thus far, and tomorrow I will have my first experience at the hospital.
It has been a busy week, and busy weekend. I am excited for the holiday weekend coming up, and if the weather is nice, I will go out to my lake cabin.
Not too much else to say right now.

yeah, here she is...

2007-08-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

So, this is a picture of my girlfriend Kaitlin and I, we have been dating almost three months now, and it has been great. This photo was taken last week when we were visiting her parents over in Edmonds, WA.
This weekend is going to be busy, my sister is having her wedding celebration tomorrow, and so all of our family is in town, and all of her friends, it will be great though. I have entered a period of life where lots of my friends, and now my only sibling are/is married. It is pretty crazy, but good. I hope someday I can get married, but that will have to wait until I am done with college.
Then on Monday we start classes again, it is going to be busy! 17 credits, and 10 hours a week at Sacred Heart Medical Center doing clinicals. But I am ready, and looking forward to the challenge.

It has been awhile.....

2007-08-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

Well, the past month and a half I was working out at a golf club by my families lake cabin. It was an ok job for the time I did it, but I really never liked it, and so I quit a little earlier than planned so that I could have a nice few weeks of summer to enjoy myself.
I have just moved into a new apartment, and like it so far. School starts in two weeks, pretty crazy.
The rest of this week I will be over in the Seattle area visiting my girlfriends parents, should be pretty fun.
Not too much else to say here, except that I have almost read all of the seven Harry Potter books this summer, I am just now finishing book six, and will read book seven before school starts.

Wow, summer is here and everything is totally different than I planned!

2007-06-17T15:26:00.001-07:00

It is true, summer is now here (acutually I have been out of school for more than a month now!) I have been looking for a job these past 3 weeks, and finally found one that I want to do. I am working in a kitchen at a large fancy golf resort out by my families lake cabin on Couere da lane lake. The resort is called 'Black Rock' and is about 4 miles from the cabin. So I am living out there, and bike riding to and from work--when I can. I just started 2 days ago, and it is pretty busy, but will be a good summer job.
Other big news.......I have a girlfriend!!! Yes, it is true. Her name is Kaitlin, and she is a fellow Nursing major that I met this last semester at school. She is awesome, and she challenges me in great ways. We have been dating about 3 weeks now. Thus far it is a good thing for both of us, and hopefully will last for a long time.
Just wanted to give you all a quick look into my life.
Blessings and peace.

an ending, and a beginning....

2007-05-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

Well, now that Whitworth has had this years graduation, and school is out for summer, everyone on our street is moving out, and going either home or to other places for the summer to work. Most of our leases will be ending in a week, so everyone right now is busy cleaning, and getting things out.
This afternoon, my good friend and room mate left to go home. Micheal, I shall miss you, and I don't know when he will be back, because he is now graduated.
So now it is just Stephen and I in the house, and I will be completely moved out by this weekend, and sounds like Stephen will be moved out by Monday.
I will be moving up to the south hill, and living with my grandparents for a month or two until the guys I will live with next year are ready to move into a house. I have been looking and applying for jobs this past week, no job yet, but I am keeping my fingers crossed, and trust that I will have one soon.
This past year has been a great year, and I am very thankful for the time that I had in the house with these guys. But now it is time to start a new adventure, and I know that many great things are in store for all of us. I am excited to see what is in store for these guys, and know that I shall keep in touch.

Searching......

2007-05-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

In life I am constantly searching for things, acceptance, friendship, joy, God, a vocation, and many other things.
However right now I am searching for a summer job. I toyed with the idea of trying to work at Sacred Heart Hospital as a Nurse's Aid, but decided not to when I found out that I would have to take some tests, and wouldn't be able to start until mid June. I (and my bank account) would like to start working before that.
So I have applied at Red Lion Hotel for a bellboy position, and am waiting to hear back, and am filling out applications for the Davenport hotel, I would like to have a job at either of these places because I could get tips, and it wouldn't be a very demanding job. So hopefully in the next week or so I will have a job somewhere.
Next week my room mates are moving out of Spokane, and I will be moving up to the south hill to live with my Grandparents for a few months. It will be nice, to not have to pay rent for a while, and see them more. Then in August I will be moving into a house on the South hill with a friend from nursing school named Stephen, and some other guys.
I really don't like moving, but it must be done. Moving so often these past few years has definitely made me keep my material possessions to a minimum.
Today is supposed to be a warm balmy summer day, it will be pretty nice.

DONE!!!!!

2007-05-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Summer here I come!! I just finished taking my last final, and it feels pretty great. I am still not sure what I am doing this summer, or where I will be living. As of right now it sounds like I may be working at the Red Lion hotel (pending an opening my friends told me about last week still being open) and may be living on the South Hill from July on w/ a friend named Stephen, and some other guys.
So tomorrow I will head down to the Red Lion, and fill out an application, and hopefully be able to start working pretty soon (because after a semester of not having a job my funds are almost gone).
Right now it is such a relief to be done with finals, and I am fairly confident that I did fine in all of my classes (but I won't really know until grades are posted). But now I can hang out with friends, and get ready for bloomsday this weekend, then next week be sore all week from bloomsday. Hopefully in the next few weeks make it out to my families lake cabin and do some prep work for summer out there, and play some guitar.
YAY for summmer!!!!!

only a few more days.......

2007-04-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

I am now all done with classes, and have finals on Monday and Tuesday. This weekend will entail a lot of studying, and then next week will entail finding a job after Tuesday.
I am pretty excited for the summer, and being done with classes. I am not too stressed about finals, because my grades are pretty set, so I will study and show up for the tests and be good to go.
That is all for now. Off to study some more.

Things are happening....

2007-04-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

Some great new things are happening in my life, I won't say what right now, but they are good.
Summer is quickly approaching, one more week of class, then finals, and then on to an unknown summer. What I mean by that is I don't know where I will be working, or living this summer, and that is a bit unnerving, but I know it will all sort itself out.
In two weeks I am running bloomsday (a 7.45 mile run) here in Spokane with my room mate, it will be good, but I know that I am not in shape for it, so sore legs here I come!
That is all for now.

one more month....

2007-03-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

As the weather continues to get nicer and nicer outside, it is harder and harder for me to keep up on my school work. I am running a lot outside, and riding my bike a lot. I have fallen over once in my bike because I couldn't get the clipless shoes out in time, but that has been the only time so far.
I am pretty excited about summer, it will be great to not have homework to worry about, and to be able to spend my free time outside.
This past week has been a little lonely around the house, because all of my room mates were on spring break, however one of them will be back tonight, so that is good.
Not too much else to say from here, just trying to keep focused on the school, and pass my classes.

Get in shape, help save the planet......

2007-03-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

So it is indeed my spring break right now, and the past few days have been pretty great. I drove over to Vancouver, WA on Friday afternoon, and stayed there until yesterday. I made a quick day trip up to see my brother in law in Olympia (my sister was gone on some school trip) and I bought a sweet new road bike. Justin (my brother in law) works at a bike shop in Olympia, and so I went in with him to find a bike, and just learn more about road bikes. He showed me some of the bikes in the shop, and then mentioned a bike that one of his co workers at the shop built, and was selling. So I said that I would like to see it. It turns out that the woman who built the bike used to be the Cannondale Regional Manager for that area, and so she got all the top of the line equipment for the bike at cost. It is a Cannondale cyclocross frame (the same as a road bike, but can hold a little bit wider tires) that she had ground down at the shop, so there is no paint on it, and it is a single speed (which will force me to get strong), and has disc brakes, and sweet tires, a $150 dollar custom built seat, clip-in pedals, and great tires. I got the bike for $550, which is a steal, the bike and all its components would probably retail at around $1000. I really like the bike because it is unique. I plan to use it as a commuter bike, and not have to drive as much. I will use it mainly this summer, or whenever the weather gets really nice outside. It has two benifits, it will get me in great shape, and I will be doing my part to slow global warming. Ever since I saw the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" I have felt convicted, and that I need to be a better steward of this beautiful Earth that God has blessed us with. I am excited to get in great shape, and maybe even build up to riding the centennial trail out to Post Falls.
Now I am back in Spokane, and have plenty of work to do that I don't really want to do. Or at least not yet.
Here is to getting in shape, and saving the planet!!

Spring Break!

2007-03-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

Today was my last class for a week and a half!
I still have a few things to do at school, but not "classes". I will be heading out friday afternoon to drive over to Vancouver, WA and stay the weekend at my mom's house, and then up to Olympia to stay a few days with my sister, then be back in Spokane on Wednesday to get some projects done.
It will be great to get out of Spokane for a few days, and get to see family.
Also having a break from classes will be nice, it has been very busy, and I need some rest.
Not too much else going on right now, off to play some raquetball.

living each day....

2007-02-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Life is an adventure, and a precious one at that. We all take it for granted. We all have problems that seem too big for us to overcome. I am not going to blame it on the culture, because as much as this culture has gone downhill, we all still have control over what we do.
I am trying my best to live each day to the fullest, and to appreciate the time I have, and the people in my life. Which is by no means easy, but it is much more satisfying than living in despair. Sure I have lots of problems, but it is not about me. As much as I think it is.
Rather it is about how can I use the things I am good at to help others, and to bring them joy. I know from experience that when I serve others, that in turn makes me happy.
Just think about that, and live today the best you can, no matter what your circumstances.

Making a change.....

2007-02-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

The past several months I have struggled with intermittent depression. What I mean by that is that is that I will be happy one day, and then fairly depressed the next. This past weekend was tough, one of the worst.
I decided that it was time for a change. I am learning what it means to live joyfully, and show grace to myself, and others. By no means are all of my problems gone, I just choose to not focus on them anymore.
So this week has been really a great week for me. In fact, yesterday was one of the best Valentine's days that I have ever had. Mainly because I didn't allow myself to wallow in self pity over the fact that I don't have a girlfriend (which is how I had spent all but one of the past 10 Valentine's days prior).
Thanks to all of you out there who have been there for me, you don't need to worry for me any more, this change is for good.

joy vs. happiness........

2007-02-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

Joy is something that runs deeper inside a person than merely being happy. Joy is something that does not come and go. While happiness is important, it can come and go. Joy is not dependent upon being happy. I think that you can fake being happy, I have several times. Joy however is something that try as you might you cannot fake.
This post is mainly because I tend to not be a bubbly, over happy person. I realize that there are things in life I would like different, and don't pretend that I love it the way it is. However, I am generally joyful. Happiness can be effected by daily events, joy runs deeper than that. There usually are things that do/don't happen daily which rob me of my happiness, however my joy runs deeper than just that.
What I mean is that yes, I tend to be melancholy, but that doesn't mean that I can't find anything good in life, or think of things that make me smile. I just means that were I am right now is not where I want to end, I still hope for things to get better, that is what keeps me going.

life marches on....

2007-02-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

So that last post was definatly a downer. But it is true, and I continue to struggle with that.
But life is a roller coaster, one day you are at the top, loving life, and others you are at the bottom, and need someone to pick you up. There is also a lot of time between, where you work one way or the other.
I am still working hard in school, but no longer beating myself up if I am not perfect. I have realized that I can still be a great nurse even if I don't get straight As.
That is all for now, off to a patho/pharm tutorial I go.
Peace.

Difficult times....

2007-01-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

I am not going to lie, this past week has been difficult! I am extremely busy with Nursing School, and am enjoying most of it, but don't have time for a social life, and am getting annoyed at my housemates.
Nursing School is great, but definately a challenge. There is no way I can get everything done that they ask me to, so I have to prioritize, and manage my time effectively. Which I am doing, but this semester is so much more academically demanding than any I had at Whitworth. So, all that I ever do is school stuff. Which makes any chance of a social life a joke.
One of my housemates is being extremely inconsiderate of the rest of us, he never cleans up after himself, and just expects the rest of us to do it for him. I am going to talk to him, and tell him he needs to do his share.
The constant problem in my life is that I am too focus/goal oriented, and don't allow myself to be spontaneous often. Also, I haven't been on a date these past two years, but am watching my friends all date or get married. Further down the self-esteem goes. I know what you are thinking, who am I to complain, I have so much compared to so many. I know this is true, and everything I do have I am thankful for, and do appreciate it. However, the one thing that I have wanted as long as I can remember, is the one thing I can never seem to get, yet it comes so easily to everyone around me. As time marches on, my hope continues to diminish. Everyday when I wake up, I know that today will be just like yesterday, and that I will not meet a girl. I am also extremely realistic, too much so for my own good. That is just how I work, it is easier for me to accept that this is how it is, rather than hoping and constantly being let down, and having my hopes shattered. While I don't have much hope for ever being in a meaningful relationship, it is still one of my deepest desires. I know what I am good at, and it is a lot of things, but romance just is not one of those things.
I am not depressed, though it may sound like it. I know that being a bachelor has its perks as well, such as this brand new computer that I am typing on. Also I have seen a lot more of the world than most of my peers, in the last year alone I spent 4 months abroad in Europe, and Kenya. Someday I do want to do long term medical missions, and it will be easier to do it alone.
I just ask all of you who do have meaninful romantic relationships to realize how blessed you are, don't be like I was, and waste it on something stupid. Relationships take a lot of work, and allowing someone in. Neither of which I am very good at.
Well, I am off to my second home for the semester, the library to study.

a new computer...

2007-01-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am now the owner of a new Macbook laptop! I have wanted a smaller laptop for a while, and wanted to buy an apple. This semester it happened that I won't have to pay tuition, so I decided to buy a new laptop. It will be good for many reasons. First, it is faster, and more compact, so more portable. Second, the battery will last longer. Third, since there is the option of buying microsoft office 2004 for macs now, I can still download the powerpoint lectures for classes.
The classes I am in are intense!! Lots of work, and everything is still so new to me. However it is very exciting, and will be great. I am already making new friends, and feel professional because I own a stethoscope, and scrubs now. Classes are good, and the material while challenging is what I want to know.
That is about all for now.

a new year, and new school....

2007-01-03T22:49:00.000-07:00

Well, Christmas break was pretty great. It was very busy though, and I was in 9 different cities.
Let me explain......
Barely after my last final, I immediately flew out to Durango, CO to be in Brian and Emily's wedding. I was a groomsman, and it was a great 5 days. I had a lot of good time to catch up with a lot of friends. However, I was in Colorado when the blizzard hit the state. In fact, electricity had been knocked out due to snow the morning of the ceremony, and came on 20 minutes before the ceremony started. Wow, God is good.
I caught a ride to Albuquerque, with the brides parents on the 20th, and was supposed to fly out that afternoon. However, the airline I was supposed to fly on has its main hub in Denver, so of course I had to fly through Denver to get to my final destination, Portland, Oregon. However the Denver airport was shut down for 3 days. So I stayed two nights in a hotel, in Albuquerque, and was bored out of my mind. Then the friday before Christmas came, and I was still there, and was not sure when I would get out, and the airline was doing nothing for me except saying go back to the hotel. Well I was not going to stay indefinately in Albuquerque, and possibly spend Christmas alone. So I bought a plane ticket on another airline, where I was routed through California, and made it up to Portland on the 22nd. My mom picked me up there, and we drove to her house in Vancouver, WA. Most of my family was there, just missing my aunts, uncles and cousins. It was fun to be at my mom's house.
On the 26th, my sister and I drove down to Portland, and watched a movie in the theater, and just got out of the house for an afternoon. It was fun, and then we drove up to her house in Olympia, and I stayed there for a few days. While there I got to go out and see the classroom that she teaches in, and also got to see my friends Kyle and Brea. Which is good, because I probably won't see either of them anytime soon, Kyle is in Turkey for January, and Brea is a Jan-term RA. On Saturday the 29th, my sister and I drove up to Seattle, and saw the Bodies exibit at the convention center. It was very cool, because it is real human cadavers, but injected with some plastic polymer so that they can be preserved excellently. Also they can mold the plastic so that the bodies are able to stand on their own.
The next morning I drove back to Vancouver, and saw a friend of mine who lives there, and who I met last summer when I worked in Kenya. It was fun to catch up with her. On the 31st, I drove back to Spokane, and spent New Years at my grandparents, and we had family and friends over. Since then I have been pretty lazy, just watching tv, and getting ready for ICN (Nursing School) to start. I have manditory orientation tomorrow and Friday, and then an all day CPR class on Saturday. Classes officially begin on Monday. Today I went down to the book store, and bought a pair of scrubs, and found out which books I will need. I bought two of them online this afternoon, and will buy the rest from friends who had the classes last semeter.
I am very excited to be starting at ICN, but will miss Whitworth. I will miss the small classes, and the friends I have there. However, ICN will be very good as well. I will be so busy that I will not have time to be depressed like I have been the past few semesters at Whitworth. I will be able to meet new people too, and can start over. What I mean is that it is so hard to change once people know you a certain way, even if you want to change. I also hope to make more friends that are girls. My odds at nursing school are good, and I am not looking to rush into a relationship, just hoping to be able to meet some girls, and see what happens.
I definately want to have a girlfriend someday, and even get married and have a family. While Whitworth and most of the people I know are all dating and married super young, it does not mean I am a failure if I am not. Just that I have things I need to complete before that, and things to learn. It is going to be a great semester, and I am very excited.

almost done.....

2006-12-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well, as it is now the middle of finals week, I am almost done with finals/classes at Whitworth forever. I have only one final left, and it shouldn't be too hard. Then early Saturday morning I will be flying out to Durango, CO.
I am going down there to be a groomsman in a close friends wedding. It will be fun to see him, and others, and be there to support him/celebrate with him this time.
Then next Wednesday I will be flying back up to Vancouver, WA to spend Christmas at my mom's house w/ my family.
It is so close, but I still have a lot to do, like confirm plane tickets, and buy a lot of stuff for nursing school, and pack.
It is kind of sad to see my time at Whitworth end, however it will be exciting to start at the nursing school, and that is what I want to do.
Well, that is about all from here.

where to go/what to do?

2006-12-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

So right now I am starting the process of studying for my finals that I will have both this and next week. I am not too excited about it, but who ever is?
Next semester I will be transferring to the Nursing School here in Spokane run by WSU. That is exciting, but will be a TON of work.
Also I just got some news last week concerning my intrest in serving next summer w/ Mercy Ships. I applied to serve on the Africa Mercy Ship which will be on the coast of Ghana and Liberia next summer. However, since I don't yet have a degree in Nursing/medicine, the only medical work I could do is and Operation Room Sterilizer, but I just found out that there are no posistions open for that next summer on the ship I want. So now I have the option of working in the dining room or kitchen on the ship, and during my free time I could go help out in the wards on the ship. However I am realizing how large a time and financial commitment it would be for me to spend the summer serving there, and how it would put everything on hold here, such as housing for next school year, and I would not make any money. So I emailed back and said that I will give them a final answer in the beggining of January, because right now I don't have the time to sit down and think this through like I need to.
If I stayed in Spokane, I would try and find a job in a hospital, and if I couldn't then a job somewhere else, and also would have time to find a house.
In other news, a very close friend of mine, and an old room-mate is getting married in about two weeks, and I am going to be one of his groomsman. That is very exciting, but again it brings up the issue of how to be happy for someone else, yet not compare myself to him. Something I shall struggle with the rest of my life.

So easy to say....but can I just live it??

2006-11-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

I know most of the right answers to life. I have the head knowledge. I know that I should be loving God and people more than myself, and that to do so requires me to die to my selfishness everyday, day in and day out. I know I believe in the good news of the Gospel.
However sometimes I let myself put that knowledge aside, and get jealous at what I see others have and I don't. It doesn't matter how much I really have, there will always be that "it" that I don't have. *SIDE TRACK: ebay has a great marketing ad out right now....whatever IT is, you can get IT on ebay.....we always want more.* Why do I look at my friends, my family, and my room mates and fall into jealousy rather than be happy for them, and forget about myself. Why is it that I cannot be content with who and where I at this point in time and just trust in God when he says 'I will not forsake nor abandon you'? Why do I let myself fall back into sins that have long controlled me, but I had a handle on, and was disciplined against, and then just let go and commit the same sin?
I am so tired of being this way. Of hating my life, and being rude to others because they have the 'it' that I don't. Why do I constantly have to look out for #1? Do I really think I am that important?
I know how to love others unconditionally, but often I don't let myself. Why do I know so much if I can't put it into action.
The true test of faith is not knowing things, but being able to live the basics day in and day out. That is much more real than unlimited knowledge that does no good for anyone.
These are some big questions that I must constantly turn to God to find answers for, and must constantly be disciplining myself in order to live the fullest I can.

a time for Thanksgiving......

2006-11-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

As we all go to our respective homes this Thursday, and have a large meal with our families and friends, let us remember that it is about giving thanks for what we have been given. I know from personal experience it is easy to say "yeah, but what do I have to be thankful for?" and just scoff at the whole idea. I tend to be pretty cynnical, especially when it comes to my life. I look at all the things I don't have, and do want. Then it is really easy to complain.
But I must remember that God has really given me a lot to be thankful for. From the basics (food, shelter, health) to the lavish gifts (money to go to school, good friends, and a loving family, not to mention all the travel I have been able to do in my 22 years of life).
Lets keep it real this holiday, and be thankful for what we do have, and have faith that those things we desire, if they are good, will be given to us in time.
Have a safe and joyful time of thanksgiving, and make sure to work out this weekend after the big meal.

I'm in....

2006-11-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday I recieved my official accpetance letter to the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing. I will be starting January 8th, and as of December 15, will be done with my classes at Whitworth.
This is very exciting, and it is nice to know.
It will be a lot of hard work, but I am prepared, and excited to go forth and be in Nursing school.
For those of you in reader land who don't know, it is very competative to get into this school, and each semester less than half of the applicants are accepted.
It is nice when to be in a position to finally see that all the hard work, and late nights I put in these past two years have paid off.
That is some big news in my life!

ahh anticipation.......

2006-11-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

The time is near approaching, I got the application in last August, had the interveiw two weekends ago, and just heard that there is a letter waiting for me at my grandparents house from WSU Intercollegiate School of Nursing. I will pick it up later today when I get the chance.
I shall let you all now when I do if I have been accepted for Spring 2007 or not.
In other news, I had some tough, but good talks last weekend with three close friends. I have decided to not worry so much about girls (I know, I know I have said this hundreds of times before), but now I realize that when it is right, God will direct my paths, and until then I must have faith. But I must continue to die to myself, and learn how to serve God and people where I am at right now.
Thanksgiving is only a week and a half away....I am so ready. Then the final push to finish off the semester, potentially my last one at Whitworth *see above*.
Life is good, God is awesome, and each day I continue to learn more of why those two statements are true.
Peace and grace friends.

A good weekend...a bad start to the week though...

2006-10-31T15:23:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was really fun. I had the house to myself, and my old roomie from Calvin Crest was up for the weekend to visit. It was great to catch up, and hear about his upcoming graduation and wedding next summer, and just sit and have some good time hanging out with someone.
Yesterday all my roomies came back to the house, and I found out that we are hosting a halloween party at my place tonight. Which is all fun and games, except that I cannot be there, since I have a night class, and then have to study till the library closes for a test I have tomorrow morning, and have barely started studying for- not due to procrastination, but rather I had 2 book to read, a paper to write, and 80 pages of another book to read this past weekend.
I am a bit bitter at the moment, it feels like all I do/have done these past 3 months is homework, work, and class. I don't ever get a chance to go out and do anything fun, and feel like life is passing me by right now. What tops it off, is that when I look around me, I see my house mates and friends all having fun taking weekend trips, or dating, or getting married. I don't have the time for any of that.
In other news, I felt that my interview for acceptance into nursing school this past Saturday went pretty well. In a month or less I will recieve a letter letting me know if I got in, or not.
Thus far, this fall has been more difficult than I had expected, and the house not what I had hoped it would be, which only makes it harder.
I know that I will make it through this difficult season in life, but don't know when it will end.

on the garage, spiders, and adventure......

2006-10-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Life is good, just today, God reminded me of what I blessing I have in so many of my good friends, and my great family.
Lately, I have been allowing myself to be depressed about girls, and continued lack there of in my life. But as of now, I have accepted that I will not have a girlfriend anytime soon, and that it is ok.
This weekend, I has been pretty successful, I talked to a lot of friends of mine who live in other states, got to play tennis with a new friend yesterday, and have had some great times around the house. We cleaned out our garage so that we can now park two cars in there, since it is frosting most nights, and snow is just around the corner.
Spiders have been a bit of a problem in my area of the house, and have multiplied, so yesterday I went out and bought some spider traps, basically small plastic trays with a thick layer of glue to trap them, we will give it a week and see how it goes.
Adventure, I need more of it in my life--that is part of the reason I have been more depressed lately, lack of adventure in my life=more time to contemplate my life=depression.
So I will try and get out more, and just have fun with friends, and not worry too much about girls.
Next weekend I have a very important interview that will affect the rest of my college career. It is an interview for acceptance into nursing school here in Spokane, so last friday, my room mates came out and helped me pick out a good looking sport jacket and shirt and tie for the interview (I already had plenty of steller slacks).
Also, next weekend is a four day weekend, so after my interview at 9:15 am on Saturday, Gabe and I may drive to Vancouver, Washington for the weekend to visit our family members there (my mom and his brother).
That is about all--cheerio!

A season of marriage......

2006-10-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

School and work and such are still keeping me ridiculously busy, this is the busiest semester I have had in college thus far-junior year is the toughest I have heard.
Don't worry, I am not getting married, it is just that SO MANY people I know are. I am in a wedding in December, one of my past room mates, another of my old room mates is now engaged, my friend Ben just recently became engaged, same with my buddy Ross, a friend of mine named Annie is getting married in the next week or so.
What really tops this list off, is that last week my sister got married, and didn't tell any of the family until after the fact. She is not a Christian, so they didn't do a church wedding, but went to a justice of the peace, and became legally married. The reason they didn't invite any of us was that they had planned to get married on a Wednesday in October, which is when all of their friends and family are busy with school and work. They chose that date because it was their 10th anniversary for dating. But next summer, they will have a big celebration, when more people will be able to make it.
Not that I need to be comparing myself, or that I feel all that bad----but I don't even have a girlfriend. My mom asked me just the other day (after finding out about my sister) "Brian are you getting married anytime soon?" No mom, usually you have to be dating first.
If all goes as planned, next summer I will be living on a cruise ship on the coast of Ghana and/or Liberia in Western Africa, so I won't have to attend a lot of these upcoming weddings, not that I dislike weddings, but most of these people are not really that close of friends with me. I am very glad that I will be able to make it to be in Brian's (my old room mate from Colorado and a close friend)wedding.
I guess that is the price I pay for being a 'world traveler' and spending over 1/3 of this year in foreign countries, I am not in one place long enough to find a girlfriend.
But don't lose heart friends, if I get in to nursing school next semester, I will be one of very few men, so the odds should be with me to at least meet some girls. Trust me when I say that I don't want to rush into a relationship just to be in one, but I would like to at least start meeting some girls and becoming friends with them. The only girls I see now are my room mates girlfriends.
Well, back to my busy life of work, then class, and then school work. God is good, all the time (yes that means even now when I can't understand all that he is doing).

the big 22....

2006-09-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

That is right, as of today I am 22 years old. Pretty crazy! But it has been a great day, I got to sleep in, and have a nice homemade breakfast, and then a pretty chill afternoon.
Tonight I do have a night class at 6:30, but it will be fun.
Life in the house is great, all of my room mates are a lot of fun. I now have a guitar, and am learning how to play--it is a slow process though.
Not too much else going on right now. Just thought I should update this thing.
So happy 26th to all of you, and birthday for me!

college life part 3....

2006-09-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

I call this part three, because it is my third year of life in college. This is an interesting time in life, I am very loaded with class work (16 credits) and working 17.5 hours a week. I also am reading a lot.
I am not complaining, just saying that it takes a little getting used to. I think it will be a great semester. I am living in a house with four awesome guys, and really enjoying the time I have with them. I am also trying to learn how to play the guitar, which I know will take years to be proficient, but it is fun.
This is a wierd time in my life as well. I am happy with where I am, but I still wake up some days, and struggle w/ discontentment, and jealousy. I know that God calls us to be thankful for what we have, and I truly do have way more than I actually need, but still there seems to be 'more' needed. I guess it is part of the whole desire conflict, we naturally desire some things, but when we get them, then we lose the desire, and want something new.
I have spent the last 16 months single, which is fine, and I have learned and shall continue to learn good things about myself, and things that I need to work on before I can have a successful relationship. But I still struggle, especially seeing friends of mine who are my age or younger in great meaningful relationships. I am going to be in a good friends wedding in December, and it will be great, but I wonder if I will ever be married. It is easy for me to get down, especially when it comes to girls, my self-confidence in that area is pretty well non-existant. Most days I do my best to not let that effect me, and to make the most of each day God gives me, and be the best person I can non-dependant on if I am dating or not. However, a very natural question is why don't I have that? Why do some people get the things I have always wanted? I try my best to not be bitter, but it is hard.
On a brighter note, today was a pretty good day. I had only one class this morning, and then worked this afternoon, and went to a public forum lecture at school tonight about "Christian response to Global Climate Control". It was informative, and made me think about what I do, and how I need to make myself a conserver more than a consumer of this great planet that God has let me live on.

life at the moment......

2006-09-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

Life is good, for the most part. I have spent a lot of my free time lately out at my families lake cabin, which has been really good, and a ton of fun. Also I have been trying hard to be intentional in relationships w/ people, and in building solid connections.
Tomorrow I start classes, which will be great. I am excited for school, though I will be taking more credits this year than I did last year.
Just recently, I bought a guitar, and am slowly learning how to play. I think that I will ask for private lessons for my birthday.
This year I have decided not to play on the club frisbee team at Whitworth, a hard decision for me to make, but I just don't have time for everything, so I needed to cut something out, and that was the choice that made the most sense.
I guess that is about all for now. Peace.

moved in, but feeling a bit lonesome....

2006-08-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

I am now almost fully moved into my new house. I have enjoyed the past few days here, but it does feel a bit lonely at times. Maybe that is just part of the transition from 3 months in a super close community of 23 people to barely any community now.
In a few weeks school will start, until then I will be working full time to try and make some rent money. I am looking forward to school starting, and the house being full. Also it will be nice to have a lot of friends back in town, right now it seems like everyone is gone.
I have had some good time to process my time in Kenya, and all that I learned there. I am very glad that I went, it was a life changing trip. I am sad though, for I know that since most of the people I worked with live in the southern U.S. I won't have any chances to see them, and most likely friendships will just fade away, I shall try hard to keep in touch, but it is going to be difficult.
I am sorry that this post is a bit of a downer, but I am in a bit of a funk right now, and wish that I had friends around to spend time with, and hope that this year I find a girlfriend, but I won't put too much stock into that, for I know that when it comes to romance, I am definately a novice.

I'm home.....

2006-08-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

I flew in to Spokane late Tuesday night. My sister and grandpa were at the airport to pick me up. I have been just relaxing here at my grandparents house these past few days, and tonight my mom is driving in. So it is nice to see so much of my family. Most of my friends are still out of town, but will be coming in soon for school.
Tomorrow I will be going out to my families lake cabin, something I have been waiting for all summer.
I loved my time in Kenya, God taught me many things, and I met a myriad of great people. I may be going back next summer, but that is a long ways off, so I don't have to decide any time soon. Thanks for reading, and have a great day.

a safe and exciting trip, and now for a day of rest....

2006-08-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Jinja, Uganda was great, we went up for 3 days. Our main purpose in going was to raft 30km of the white Nile, right out of lake Victoria. We had 3 eight man boats, and of the three, mine was the only one not to flip once. Which is pretty amazing, considering we rafted 4 class 5 rapids, 4 class 4 rapids, and 4 class 3 rapids. One of the girls bought a dvd that was shot of our day of rafting, and hopefully I can get a copy. I would have bought one, but $45 is a bit ridiculous for a 25 minuted dvd, not to mention after 3 months of not working, my funds are running a bit low. Pray that I don't contract Malaria, because where we were is prime spot for malarial mosquitos, and I got at least one bite. However, due to the nature of the disease, I won't show any symptoms for 14 days, so one week after I get home, and am starting work. I also hope I don't get it, because it is a lot more expensive to both test for and treat the disease in the U.S. and if I did get it, I would never be able to donate blood again.
Today we are going to have a day of rest here in Nairobi, and last minute shopping. Tomorrow morning we will leave for Massai Mara game park, where we will have a few days of safari before flying home on Monday night. I will arrive in Spokane sometime Tuesday afternoon or evening, not sure yet because I haven't looked at the plane ticket in a while.
It has been a great summer, and God has taught me a lot, but I am ready to come home. I am ready to see family and friends, and go to the lake cabin.

almost done....

2006-07-28T00:45:00.000-07:00

Well, my time here in Kenya is quickly drawing to a close. Today is the last full day of camp, and next week is my last week in Kenya. This past week has been pretty good, but I had 12-15 year olds, and so it was a bit of a challenge to get them to listen to me. The weather here continues to be cooler, and wet, much like western washington in March.
This next week will be pretty fun. We are having a week of fun for the staff. On Sunday, we will leave for Uganda, and will spend a few days there, one of which will be rafting some of the Nile river. I have been assured that we will be thrown out of the boat a lot, but luckily the Nile is the largest water carrying river in the world, so we don't need to worry about hitting the bottom. After that we will drive back to Kenya, and will spend three days on safari in Massai Mara game park. Then I will be flying home. Pretty crazy to think I have only a week and a half left in Kenya! I will be sad to leave all of my new friends, but excited to come home to the warm weather, and to move in to my new house with some of my friends. Life has been good here, but I am ready to come home.
Peace and grace of Christ to you all.

Some great skills to have....

2006-07-19T00:56:00.000-07:00

So, here at camp everyday the campers spend the three hours between breakfast and lunch learning skills. These skills are taught by the councelors, and range from rock climbing to ultimate frisbee to karate. They have 6 skills they learn in a week, three on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and three others on Tuesday and Thursday. Due to my involvment with the school ultimate team and my love for the game, I usually teach ultimate frisbee to campers. One of my favorite drills to teach is one where I set up 4 cones in a very large square, about 60 feet apart. Then I have the campers line up behind one of the cones, and sprint the first two cones, after they round the first cone, I throw them the frisbee, and they have to run to it and catch it. I tell them they must sprint the first two cones, and after either catching the frisbee, or picking it up off the ground the can jog the last two back into line. I also tell them that the must get a certain number in a row without dropping it. I usually start with 10 catches in a row the first day, and then on the last day I will make them get 20 or 30, adding ten each day. I tell them that if anyone drops the frisbee, they start again from zero. I tell them that if I hear anyone complaining, or see anyone not jogging back, or don't hear them encouraging each other that I will add one to the total that they need to get. Each skill session is about one hour, so the last five minutes of the hour, I stop and gather the group to talk about the experience. I ask how they felt about it. Then I tell them that I was hard on them, but for a reason, I want them to learn how to work together, and see each others successes or failures as everyone's successes or failures. I tell them that in life, like the drill, great things can be done if they work hard, help each other out, encourage each other, and believe that they can do the task at hand. I have done it this way all summer, and all the kids love the drill. Mainly because it teaches them some great life lessons as well as how to play the game, and gives them some good excersize.
On anouther note, I am feeling pretty good, I am in Lengai again this week, and have 9 boys in my cabin, and I am the only counselor. They are good boys though. Tonight is campout, and this week I will be able to go, I am pretty excited.
I hope that all is going well with you, whereever you are, and that God is filling you, and you are allowing his love to penetrate all you do. Blessings and peace my friends.

Mapey Mapey Lengai.....

2006-07-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
This past week has been very fun, but offered up several challenges I had not expected. I was a Lengai councilor, and so I had four boys in my cabin, between the ages of 10 and 12. The title ot this post is part of the cheer that the Lengai mountain group chants all the time. The boys were a lot of fun, and I hope that throughout the week I was able to minister to them, and present Christ to them through both my words and my actions.
The weather has gotten colder up here, very similar to Seattle in the spring, lots of rain, and cool. Along with that came a lot of sickness, both to staff and the campers. Three people on staff contracted malaria while we were in Western, but since it takes 14 days before it affects someone, they all were sick this week. I did not get that thankfully, but I did get this other weird sickness. It started out on Wednesday, after 2 of my campers had been sick since Monday. First I got a pretty bad headache, and then I threw-up for about 2 hours, and couldn’t do anything other than just lay in my bed. On Thursday, I woke up, and the only symptom was a bad sore throat. After drinking lots of water, and another good nights sleep, I was much better. Today my throat is still a little sore, but I plan on taking it pretty easy the rest of the day.
This past week I have learned how I really am pretty selfish in life, and in order for Christ to actually work in and through me, I must daily carry my cross, and die to my selfish desires, and selfish ways. It is not easy, but I am getting better at serving others out of unconditional love. For this next week, please pray for health for all who are here. I hope that all is going well back home. Blessings.

the last two weeks....

2006-07-04T04:56:00.000-07:00

These past two weeks have been amazing! We spent the first week in the Western Kenya province, in a small village. Each person stayed with a different host family, Corey and I stayed with a young newly wed couple, Amos and Stella. However we were really only at home in the nights, and during the day we would go out and visit the local churches and encourage them. It is amazing to see the faith that these people have, they live in mud walled huts, and have no running water nor electricity (except for battery), yet they have such a vibrant and alive faith that I wished I could stay longer. I never cease to be amazed at how much these people are able to love life, and be happy amidst such difficult situations. It makes me wonder, in America we have everything, yet live so unappreciative and only have a drive to get more-we don’t take time to enjoy what we have. The roads from our house to the different churches were all dirt, and often very rough, so driving was a challenge. While I was in Western, God reminded me of what is really important in life, and how the past two years I had pushed those things off to the side. While I have been doing good things the past two years, they were not as good as they could have or should have been. God reminded me how to love people, even when they don’t love you back, and how to be intentionally and unconditionally loving to all. It is no easy task but it is the main purpose of my life. I am not saying that I will change everything when I get home, in fact I won’t change much as far as my actions go. It is a good thing to do well in school, and work hard, and stay in shape (all the things I have been doing). However I would get so focused on those things that I would forget how to interact with people in an uplifting and loving way. I have spent a lot of time these past two weeks, and two years trying to fulfill a hunger inside of me, and receiving nothing but frustration and jealousy. The reason is that I was trying to do it by myself. I still have great dreams and aspirations for my life, but while waiting for them to be fulfilled, I need to remember to live today, and enjoy where I am at now. It is hard to be single, and not see any girlfriends in the near future in fact my self confidence has been pretty shattered due to recent attempts and failures at dating. I plan to graduate college some day, and work as a nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant, to have a family, and be the father I never had. While in Western, God reminded me that today is still a good day, and worthy of being lived to the full. I don’t know what the future holds, and do need to take some action to plan for it. But in doing so, I cannot take advantage of the people that God has placed in my life today, or the opportunities that I have today. My biggest prayer right now is that I can curb my jealousy, and learn to be content with my life. It will take work, but I am willing to do it, for life is indeed a good thing, and God intended that we be happy, and not compare ourselves to others or waste our precious time here working for things that in the end will only fade away and be forgotten. In the end, all we have, and all we can take with us are the relationships that we have made in life.
So, after our time in Western Kenya, we came back to Brackenhurst for one night. We hadn’t planned to, but one of the vans we had died, and so it took a lot longer for us to meet the Over-lander truck that would take us to Tanzania. It was nice to be back and get a quick shower. Last Tuesday morning, one week ago, we got up early (3am) and headed out. We had 24 people in the Over-lander, and 7 in the Defender. It took us the entire day to drive to our destination in Tanzania. When we arrived, we all got our tents out, and pitched them inside of a school that we would stay the week in. I stayed with Gabe, but the entire group was together at the school, which was nice. Each morning we would wake and have breakfast, and then split up into separate cars and go out to visit churches, and encourage them. We worked with a missionary who has been there for several years, and followed her lead. There were five groups, and each group had about 6 of us, and one translator. At the churches, we would give a service, and then each day we would pass out dried corn to the most needy families in the church, and the communities. One day I got to preach, something I was not too excited about, but I did a good job, I told my testimony, and how it related to the parable of the lost/prodigal son. At the church my group went to, we passed out 22 bags of dried corn, and each bag had a weight of 220 pounds, so a lot of corn. It may not seem like we did a lot while at the churches, but you need to remember, that most of these people had rarely if ever seen a white person. So, to see us driving up, they would all be very excited, and encouraged by the fact that we would take time to leave America, and come visit them. It really gave me a taste of what missionary life is like. While in Tanzania, we would have some free time each night, so Gabe and I would go out and explore. Within about a 2 or 3 mile radius of where we stayed there were several big rocks, so we made a point to climb a new one each day. I got some amazing video footage, and pictures while in Tanzania, and Western Kenya. While in Tanzania, God continued to show me how to live in contentment, and how to love others. I also decided that I want to learn how to play the guitar, so when I get home, I am going to try and buy a guitar. Yesterday morning we left Tanzania, and drove for 18 hours straight, and then got in to Brackenhurst at 9 pm. The rest of this week will be spent taking day excursions from camp, to go visit different areas of Kenya, such as a slum on the outskirts of Nairobi, which is one of the largest in the world.
Today is a day for us to relax, and celebrate in our own way the 4th of July; it will look a bit different than if I was at the lake at home, but still will be a great day.
So, my new plan for the next several years is this…..I will go home in August, and finish up school. I will go to nursing school, and then after receiving my BSN degree may work for a year at a hospital in Spokane, and then go back for my master’s degree. Then I hope to go and work on a Mercy Ship, either before or after my Master's degree, whenever I receive the opportunity to go. That is an awesome program that is designed for healthcare workers to spread the love of Christ to the world by getting on an ocean going ship, and spending time going to some of the poorest ports in the world and holding free clinics to help people who would never be able to afford the care they need medically. I looked it up earlier today, and still have a lot to learn about them, but I do have a good amount of time before I graduate college. These plans are not set in stone, just things I hope to do, and will work hard to do. May the peace and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all today. Bwana Asafiwe, and Mungu Acubu Riki (Praise God, and may God Bless You).

off to village time....

2006-06-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning we will be leaving camp to go start the village time. Our first week will be spent living with pastors out in west Kenya. It will be pretty fun, and I don't really know what is in store, but I am excited.
The second week we will be going down to Tanzania, and working with a missionary there.
I will not have any internet access, but will be fine. My shoulder is healing, and hopefully before weeks end will not be bothering me.
I am taking the video camera, and my digital camera, so I hope to get plenty of good footage.
Much more updates when I get back to camp in a few weeks, until then, I shall be praying for you all.
If you want to pray for me, than pray that I would be content, with that which I have now.
Blessings and love to you all.

A new adventure....

2006-06-16T01:42:00.000-07:00

So, today is the last full day of camp for this week session. Today started out well, but when I was teaching my skill (Ultimate Frisbee) I played a game of Ultimate with the campers, and I dove for an endzone catch (I caught it) but landed really hard on my right shoulder, so now can barely move it. I don't think I dislocated it, but rather jammed it really hard. Hopefully in a day or two it will be better. I can move my arm, it just hurts a lot.
I don't really know a lot about where or what we are doing as a staff these next three weeks, because it has been kept a secret. I am pretty sure we will be in villages in Uganda, but I don't know where, and I think we will be staying with families.
Kira- congratulations on graduation! Tell everyone hello, and send my love.
My next post will probably be after our village time. So keep it real, and blessings for the next three weeks. Peace.

a great group this week.

2006-06-14T01:27:00.000-07:00

This week I am a counselor of middle school boys, and part of a larger mountain group that is great. We have 24 boys in our age group, but the same girls age group has 23 so we have a great rivalry going this week.
Last night we had our camp-out, and it was good, no rain, and I slept pretty well. Tonight we have a game called Kamandant, which is where the counselors dress in camo, and hide in a feild after dark, and we are armed with flashlights. The campers try and get from each of seven check points without being spotted and flashlighted? by the counselor. We have to shine the light on the camper, and be able to recognize who it is by name, and call out their name, if we can, then they have to start over. This will be my first week playing the game, and it should be pretty cool.
The next 3 weeks we will not have any camp. Rather we as staff will be going out to do service works and home stays in different areas. I am not sure where exactly, but I do think we will be in Uganda for some of the time. It is a big surprise as of now.
I will try and get online on friday during my free time, but if I cannot for some reason, then know that I am doing better for the most part, just some excess mucus in my chest and throat each morning when I wake up. I don't think I will have any internet access while we are away from the camp. So I will do a big update after the three week experience.
May God bless you all in this day, and peace be yours.

Kenya....

2006-06-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

hello everyone!
Thanks to all of you who have commented, friends and family alike. It is nice to hear from you.
This week has been a fun week, but a challenge at times for sure. I had 4 boys in my cabin this week ages 7-9, and they are good boys, but sometimes a bit too hyper, and hard to calm down.
I feel like I have started some good friendships with some of the other people on staff, but it is hard since we don't really have much time to see each other, since we are always with the children.
The weather here is starting to cool off, nothing like Spokane in the winter, but not summer like weather either. Since we are south of the equator, technically we are just starting winter. The mornings are usually foggy, and about 45 degrees, and it gets up around 75 in the afternoon. We have only had a few rain showers, but all have been at night.
I am trying to take plenty of pictures and video, but since everyone on staff has digital cameras, we can all share our pictures at the end of summer, and also Gabe is taking lots of video and we will each get a staff dvd at the end of summer, so don't worry I will have plenty to share.
Well, that is about all for now. Peace.

a new beginning.....

2006-06-04T02:58:00.000-07:00

One week of camp is already over, pretty hard to believe. In about a half hour, we will start our second week of camp. This week I will be counselor to 4 boys ages 7-9. One of them has severe nut allergies, so that will be a challenge.
The first week of camp was a blast, and I am sure that this week will be to, but about half of staff now has colds, me included. One of our guy counselors has had a high fever the past two days, and thus is being pulled from counseling this week.
Pray for us that we would have energy, and good health this next week.
That is about all for now.

Still having a blast....

2006-06-01T01:27:00.000-07:00

Great to hear from some of you via comments and email. Sounds like life back in the Spokane area is going well.
Last night we had a jr. camp campout, and since I am one of the counselors for jr. camp this week, I went along. It was pretty fun, we camped out higher up on the Brackenhurst lands. At about 10pm, once the kids had all been in bed for over an hour, some of the other counselors and I went up, and walked around the boys tents, with no lights on, and making growling noises, and rustling lots of the leaves. This morning we asked them if they heard anything last night, and they all said they heard some big animals growling outside the tents, and we said that when we had made our first walk around camp this morning before any of them were up, we saw leopard prints. So we scared them pretty good.
Today I have already taught two groups of kids about rock climbing, and outdoor living. For rock climbing, I taught them two different knots that we use here at camp to tie climbers on to the ropes, and for outdoor living I taught them how to get water, how to clean it (boiling), how to start fires, and how to find east and west by using sticks stuck in the ground and waiting fifteen minutes and seeing which way the shadow points.
This afternoon we have some big field games, and then ''star search" where the kids pick a song out to lip sing to.
One more full day of camp for this week. I am still loving it.

Already been here a week......

2006-05-30T01:26:00.000-07:00

WOW, time does fly when you are having fun! This past week has been very busy, so I will try my best to fill you in from where I left off in the last post.
Ok, so we spent one night in Hells Gate National park, which is the park that inspired most the scenes from Disneys Lion King movie, and the Laura Croft Tomb Raider movies. We camped out up on a bluff, over looking the plains. In the morning, I woke up rather early, and could see the fog covering the feilds below. After breakfast, and breaking down camp, we went on a bus ride. During the bus ride, we saw some Zebras, Warthogs, Giraffes, Baboons, and Impalas. I chose to go on the hike, rather than just rock climbing. The hike was through a big gorge, but very pretty. I got lots of good video of it. After the two hour hike, we met up with the rest of the group at the famous rock climbing walls in the park. I did one route, and made it all the way. As the summer goes on, I am getting less and less scared of hieghts.
Saturday night we went into Nairobi, and went to a big mall. We were all pretty tired when we got back to camp.
Sunday afternoon our campers came, and I have four campers in my cabin, ages 9-12. They are a handful, but a lot of fun. We have rock climbed, played a lot of games, and sung a lot of cheers. The weather here is still pretty nice, but cooler in the morning, usually overcast, and then clears up by the evening.
Tomorrow night is the big camp out night, were we go on a hike, to a small forest area, and set up camp and sleep there.
I am so glad that I was able to come over here to Kenya, and to teach and play with little kids. Most of them really like Ultimate Frisbee, and especially Soccer, I don't play soccer at all, but I do play Ultimate pretty well, so I have had a lot of opportunities to play with and teach the children how to play Ultimate.
On Friday night there is this cool thing we do called summit fires. We hike the whole camp down to a big area, and the guys lead with big torches, and then once down there everyone sings there age group cheer, and there is a big presentation, and awards given out. It should be a blast!
Well, that is about all for now, but I definately am enjoying my time here, and am making some great friends.

we made it.....

2006-05-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Last night we made it to Nairobi around 10pm, and to camp at about 12 am. Then went to bed about 1am. The flights were long, but pretty good all in all. We had only a few problems, such as we left London an hour late because the air conditioner on the plane broke and it took them that long to fix it. Then when we did arrive in Nairobi, several people found out that their bags did not make it with them. Mine arrived, and were the first off the plane, and so I was the first one out of customs. Actually the only people whose luggage arrived last night were the three of us from the Northwest. Everyone else's baggage should arrive tonight and be delivered in the morning.
We had a very busy day today! I woke up at 7 am, and took a short walk around the camp grounds, and then we all met for breakfast at 8:30. We got to meet some of the full time staff of the grounds, and just got a tour of the grounds too. This camp is absolutely beautiful, originally in the early 1900's it was an English country club, and you can tell, pretty posh, because it has been well maintained.
This afternoon we did several team building activities, such as a ropes course, where I walked across a beam 35 ft in the air w/ nothing to hold on to but the rope that connected me to the cable above my head. Then we rappelled down from the end of the course. Also we played a big field game that is pretty similar to soccer.
Tonight we had dinner outside, around a large camp fire. The sky here at night is very pretty, no lights to take away from the granduer, so several thousand stars are visible.
After dinner, seven Massia Warriors came out in full dress, and did a traditional chant and dance and jumping for us. It was really cool to watch, and we also got to join in. I must admit we looked a bit silly, but it was a lot of fun, and a once in a life time experience.
Tomorrow we will leave for a wilderness called 'hells gate' which is famous for its rock climbing, and wild life. We will camp out there.
I really enjoy the staff, we all bring many different things to the table, but we all respect each other, and it already feels like we have bonded quite a bit.
That is all for now, but don't worry, we all made it safely. Peace.

wow, only a few days left!!!!!

2006-05-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone.
This is my blog, and I shall be updating it throughout the summer, probably only once or twice a week, since I will have limited access to the internet.
It is both exciting, and wierd that I am only a few days away from going to Kenya. Most of you who know me well know that I have long dreamed of doing some sort of missions work in Africa, and this is the perfect start for me. I will be in a Christian summer camp setting, something I am comfortable with, since I lived and worked at Calvin Crest for 14 straight months.
However, this summer will also be a new challenge for me, since I will be a counselor, something I never have been.
Pray for my safety throughout summer, and you can email me at frisbee21@gmail.com, if you want, or you could leave comments on the comment hyperlink below. If you don't have a blog account, you can still leave comments, just choose to leave it anonymously, and then you will need to type in 6 or 7 random letters in a box before it will allow you to write comments. The reason for this is that I was getting very wierd solicitation comments from companies and people I didn't know, and this feature has stopped most of those from happening.
Once you type in the random letters, you will click submit or post, I don't remember the exact button name, and then you will be lead to a text box, and you can type in a message there. If you don't have a blog account, please leave your name in the comment box at the end, after you have typed your message or I won't know who wrote to me.
Thanks for all of your support in this adventure/dream of mine that is coming true. I will miss you all, and will have a lot to share when I get back in August.
Blessings.

It has begun: 1 down, 2 to go.....

2006-05-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

Right now I am in the middle of finals! I took my first one this morning, and tomorrow I have my last two. It will be nice to be done, but until that comes, I have to continue studying.
I will be moving out of my dorm room on Thursday, and then living up at my grandparents house for a little over a week, and flying out saturday, may 20th. I am pretty excited to both be done with school, and going to Kenya, somewhere I have dreamed of going for some time now.
Life is crazy, but good. It seems to go by fast.
As my last few days of living in the dorms approach, I am trying to enjoy them to the full, and spend time with guys in the hall, and just make the most of my remaining few days here.
About 2 weeks ago, I brought my Specialized mountain bike out to school, and after a few great rides, remembered why I fell in love with mountain biking in 2004 when I lived at Calvin Crest.
That is all for now, time for a nap-since I woke up early to study for an 8 am test I took this morning. Peace.

Five days of school, and 17 days until Kenya.....

2006-05-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, the school year has gone fast. This year has been an awesome year though, and I have learned a lot, both academically and about life. I feel that this year I have made some great friendships that will last the rest of my life.
These last two weeks of school have been busy. I had a paper due on Monday, big oral test yesterday, and a large Chemistry exam this morning, and a paper due tomorrow morning that as of now I haven't started. Then the weekend will be studying for my three finals next week, I have one on Tuesday, and then two on Wednesday, and the two on Wednesday are my two comprehensive, Chemistry and Anatomy. AHHH!!!
I will make it through this, and soon enough summer will come, and I will begin an awesome adventure to Camp Brackenhurst, just outside of Limuru, Kenya.
Life is good, and God is great, this year has taught me that. While I still have frustrations, unanswered questions, and disappointments, overall I cannot let those be my focal point, and I know that I am not alone. That helps a ton during those hard times.
That is all for now. Just a quick update.

Sun, three weeks, and school....

2006-04-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was great, it was nice to have some warm weather, and sunshine.
The weather has stayed nice, and in the sixties these past few days.
Well, just under three weeks left of school, and then I will be leaving in a little under four weeks for my summer adventure in Africa.
It looks like the end of the semester will be pretty smooth, I do have tests, and papers coming up, but I think that I will be fine.
That is about all for the moment.

Frisbee, weather, driving, Easter......

2006-04-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a great one. It started off with friday off from school, one nice thing about going to a private Christian college is how we get good friday off. So, I drove over to Burlington, WA with the school's club ultimate frisbee team. We woke up much earlier than should be allowed on a Saturday, but none the less, it was a great day. The team played a total of 4 games, I could only play in the first 3, because I tweaked my left hamstring during the third game, and it got to the point that I could no longer run, and even walking normally became a task. The only game we won was that third game.
One thing that made the weekend so great was that we as a team decided before we even played that we would not allow ourselves to become negative, bitter, or frustrated no matter what the outcome of our play was. It was a struggle for sure, but we held each other to it.
After losing the fourth game (the one I couldn't play in) our chances of advancing to regionals was lost. So rather than stay another night, and play the next day in the consolation bracket, we decided to leave that night. We left at 9pm, and arrived back on campus at 2:30am. It was a long drive, but thankfully I had someone awake with me the whole time.
Something this weekend helped me to remember is how important faith really is. As of late, I have felt too busy, and sacrificed faith. I know that faith is more than actions such as reading scripture, and prayer, but those are important, and do help to keep faith vibrant, and alive.
Since we got in so late/early Sunday morning, I slept through the Easter Church services, and just spent the day reading, and in fellowship with some of the guys on the hall. I also watched the movie The Passion of the Christ. While that movie is definately intense, and envokes emotion, and is not one I shall watch on a regular basis, it does remind us of some good things. Namely the immense amount of pain that Christ really did have to go through, to offer us the opportunity we have to be in relationship with God. And I think I have it rough because I don't have a girlfriend.
As the school year winds down (only 4 more weeks of school) and summer is closer ( I leave for Kenya on May 20th) I really am starting to grasp the hugeness (for lack of a better word) that this summer shall be. Right now, I am praying that God would prepare me both physically, and spiritually to care for, and play with children in a way that would spark intrest in them about Christ.
If you feel so inclined, please pray for me, that I would use the life I have in a meaningful and glorifying way. That I could be a true light in this world, one that shows compassion and love unconditionally to all, non dependent on economic, marital, educational, gender, or racial status. That is a hard call, one that will not come easily. I shall have to work at it.
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."Matthew 5: 43-48

This passage shows me how important loving people unconditionally really is. Lord help me.

excitment, relationships, school...

2006-04-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

This post may seem a bit scattered, but that is sort of how I am thinking at the moment.
First, as the summer gets closer, t minus 6 weeks until I board a plane to go to Kenya for the summer, my excitement grows. I know that this is just what I need, something big and exciting to show me that life is indeed bigger than this routine that I am stuck in now. School is going fine, and I do have plenty of friends here in the dorms, but as the summer nears, I cannot help but be excited to fulfill a long standing dream of mine, namely to go to Africa, and do my best to be a compassionate, loving witness to the work Christ has done in my life, and offer others the blessing of knowing him.
As of this past month or so, I have been in a slump about girls-nothing new I know. Right now I have realized that I have two options, I can continue to sulk and be bitter because girls don't desire to date me as they do most of my friends, or I can say it is a two way street, and nothing against me as a person, so I will just enjoy my life, and learn to be content with where I am now. The second one is what I strive for daily, but often I find myself in the camp of the first one. This seems to be the one thing that has always plagued me. Thankfully, I do have a great group of guy friends here to support me, and pick me up when I am down, and when I cannot see anything but the pain, and the lonliness. Life truly is too sweet, and too short to worry about something that I cannot control. While I shall try to have hope, I see that I cannot make girls like me, that is a choice that they will make using their own free will. Next fall will be nice, living in a house, with other single guys, because one of the reasons I get so down about my lack of relationship at the moment is because in the dorm, and constantly being stuck on campus I am surrounded by people who are dating, and jealousy as well as my own fear of failure both grab hold of me, and won't let go.
I will make it through these next 6 weeks, and then I will be able to go and do something great in Africa, which will take my mind off of these things.

A fun weekend of Ultimate Frisbee....

2006-04-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went with my school's club Ultimate Frisbee Team to Whitman College to play in a co-ed weekend-long tournament called 'Onionfest'. It was a great weekend, full of fun frisbee, but now I am a bit sore, and still pretty worn out from the weekend. We played six games, winning three and losing three.
Saturday morning the weather was pretty nasty, cold pouring rain, with a touch of wind. But by Saturday afternoon it had cleared up and even got sunny and warm. Yesterday morning it was windy, but otherwise nice weather.
There are only about 6 weeks of school left until summer, so about 7 left until I leave for my summer long adventure to Kenya. Each day my excitment grows more and more, and I know that God will do great things in my life while I am there. Today as a camp summer staff (for the camp in Kenya) we are all fasting, which is a bit tough, since I am still hungry and in need of replenishing all the calories I burned last weekend, but it will be a good time of introspection, and hunger.
I just filled out my application to the Washington State University Nursing school here in Spokane, and will be sending it out within a few days. I am planning on transferring there January of 2007 for the spring semester. I am fairly confident that I will be accepted, but if not, then I will figure that out later.
Not much else going on in my life.
Peace.

A new day...

2006-03-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Last week was my spring break, it was a pretty good week. I spent the first 4 days over at my mom's new house in Vancouver, WA. But I was sick the whole time I was there, so I just sat around and watched tv pretty much. Then I drove back and Wednesday I had a dentist appointment (still haven't had one cavity) and then I got the required vaccinations for my upcoming trip to Limuru, Kenya this summer. I had to get my last Hepatitus A shot, yellow fever shot, typhoid shot, polio vaccination, and a tetnus shot. It was a bit expensive, but thankfully my grandparents picked up the tab. I worked full days on Thursday and Friday, and then just did a lot of reading, and watched some NCAA mens basketball games over the weekend.
School started up again yesterday, and it was a pretty good day.
Not a whole lot else to say at the moment, just playing a lot of Ultimate, and trying hard to keep my grades up.
Peace.

Going to look at a place...

2006-03-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

In about a half hour, I will be going out to look at a house that I may rent with 4 of my friends. It is pretty exciting. While I have enjoyed living on campus, and would recommend it to anyone who is just starting college, living off campus will offer some nice things as well. Such as my own room, but still living with guys, and a kitchen, so I can have food around and make it whenever I want-rather than have to wait for the cafeteria to open.
I am pretty excited about the opportunity, and hope to find a great place that we will all enjoy.
The rest of the week is filled with studying for my Chemistry test on Friday, and then driving to Vancouver to see my mom on friday afternoon. I am ready for spring break, and going to someplace new.
That is all for now.

A short but great weekend.....

2006-03-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was in Rome, Georgia meeting the staff that I will be working at Camp Brackenhurst with. This is a camp in Limuru, Kenya. The weekend was great, I met a lot of cool people, and got more stoaked about this upcoming summer. Going in to the weekend, I was a little nervous because most of the staff I will be working with are from the south (Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Lousianna, and Missourri). I have never really spent time with people from the south, nor have I ever been to the south. So this was a totally new experience for me. I only had stereotypes, and thought that I would have little if anything in common with these people. However I was glad to be proven wrong. I had a great weekend, and now am more excited than before to be going to Kenya this summer.
The people I met are all cool, and we all bring differences to the table that will enable us all to minister to different people, however as a staff body, we do have things in common, and we seem to be fairly unified already (after only two days together).
I also had some questions concerning camp answered. I will be leaving May 20th, and arriving back in Spokane on August 6th. But before I can leave, I have a lot of money to raise, and shots to take. I also have to finish out the semester of school.
Blessings and peace.

Weekend adventure: Atlanta.....

2006-03-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

That is right, I am going to Atlanta, flying out tonight and arriving at 9:38 am tomorrow morning. It will be a great weekend. The reason I am flying down there is to meet up with the staff I will be working with at Camp Brackenhurst in Limuru, Kenya. We are meeting for a weekend retreat, to meet eachother, and get ready for summer, which is just a few months away. Pretty crazy.
What is not cool is that yesterday I got sick. I don't understand, my room mate and all the guys on the floor have been sick these past three weeks, and I fight it off until the last minute before my trip to Atlanta! But I am feeling better, I got some Lumetia (herbal liquid supplement) that helps boost the immune system, and get you well quick. I have been taking it pretty hard since last night, and if I can get a decent amount of sleep on the plane tonight, I think I should be ok.
A frisbee, I just remembered that I almost forgot to pack a frisbee for the weekend. It will be tight, but I think I can fit one in my backpack. I would have been frustrated if I forgot that.
That is about all for now.
Living this adventure, and trying my best to love God and others along the way.

we're gonna huck, bid, pilliage and burn, eat the babies!!!

2006-02-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

The title is part of a team chant that we yell out before all of our Ultimate Frisbee games. The babies means short passes, not any humans or animals.
This morning we played in a scrimmage at Gonzaga. We played University of Idaho, and Washington State University teams. This morning we left at 8:30 am. We had only enough players to play (seven) and no subs. Th first game was one of the best Ultimate Frisbee games that I have ever played. I scored 3, and had one assist. We won 13-10, and then played our second game against WSU, we were ahead at half, but then we all got a bit sloppy, and they had some great long passes that we couldn't stop. We played our hearts out though, and lost 13-15. It was a close game, and I had a few scores. It was a lot of fun, and I didn't let myself get worked up, or frustrated at all.
We were supposed to play Gonzaga B team, but we were all too tired (and with no subs) and people were pulling muscles, and everyone was sore or hurt, so we forfeited.
I came back out to school, and ate some late lunch, and in about 2 hours will be going out to help En Christo ministry. It has been a great day.

Life is good...

2006-02-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

Even though I have a test tomorrow over Organic Chemistry, life is good.
Even though I don't have a girlfriend right now, life is good.
Even though I have no money right now, life is good.
Even though I have not achieved all I hope to, life is good.
Even though I have five 8am classes, life is good.
Even though my future is unclear, life is good.
Even though Life is good, God is better.
As I continue to find grace in return for mistakes I have made, and a God who desires to use me here and now to spread compassion and mercy to my fellow man, I realize life is GOOD!
I thank God for each and every day, for the life he has given me, and the gifts he has bestowed on me to be used to bless others. I thank God for the friends in my life who challenge me, and who sharpen me like iron to iron. For those who won't give up on me as easily as I do.
Remember friends, life is good, life is good.

a productive yet relaxing weekend...

2006-02-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

These past few days have been pretty nice. I got a lot of things done that I had to for this upcoming summer, and the time that I will be spending in Kenya. Or rather than done, I got the ball rolling. In just two weeks, I will be going down to Atlanta to meet with the rest of staff, and get even more pumped for the summer.
This weekend was relaxing though, I got to hang out with some people I hadn't seen in a while.
Today I finished a book that I have been reading for the past month or so. It is called 'Too Little to Ignore, Why Children are the Next BIG Thing' and is by the president of Compassion International. It was a great book, and made me rethink how I do some things, and that I should really appreciate times I have around children.
Now I am off to study for my first Chemistry test of the semester. Peace.

About this day.....

2006-02-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

So, I don't have any problem with Valentine's day, however I have noticed a few things around campus today.
First, of course lots of people holding hands, and showing affection. That is something to be expected today.
Secondly, I have noticed signs and people mentioning that today is singles awareness day. I have one thing to say to that, at least from my experience here at Whitworth. Singles awareness day is everyday!! Anyone who has consistently been reading my blog would by now know that is how I feel. I can never walk across campus, or down the hall, or anywhere with out running into a couple, usually displaying a fair amount of affection. I understand that is just a part of dating, for most people.
So, if you are alone today, as am I, don't fret, or feel bad. Just try and make the most of your day, and get out and do something fun, and active. If you are out being physically active, it is less likely that you will ponder relationships and why you don't have one. Just my own experience. Maybe even take a few moments and just get away from couples, if you need to-just go for a walk, or throw on the headphones and listen to some music.
Don't take this post to mean that I am bitter, or jealous of others. I simply thought I would tell you that I think most everyday (at least here at Whitworth) is singles awareness day.

a beautiful day for a frisbee game.....

2006-02-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

I am looking out my dorm room window right now, and I see the sun, and a beautiful clear day for frisbee. In 45 minutes I will be heading to a mandatory team practice, and after an hour of that we will be playing the Gonzaga Ultimate Frisbee team here at Whitworth. I can actually play this time, no longer being on the injured reserve list. I am hoping that a lot of my friends and other students here at Whitworth will come out to support us.
This past week was pretty awesome. I found out that I will indeed be going to work at Camp Brackenhurst this upcoming summer in Kenya, about 30 minutes North of Niarobi. I am pretty excited, and feel called by God to go there. Now I have to fund raise, and hopefully by the time that the money is due I will have earned/saved enough at my job, and raised enough fund-raising.
Lately I have been allowing myself to be depressed because I don't have a girlfriend, nor any prospects at the moment. It is hard, and lonely at times. However today at Church I just felt this peace, and God telling me, 'it is alright Brian, you don't need a girlfriend right now, and I have bigger plans for you this upcoming summer, and schoolyear that a girlfriend would only hinder. Also, enjoy each day as much as you can, live for me and don't be hindered by what the world tells you is most important. Just live, and be the best you can for me and my kingdom.'
I will try my best to live into that, and not worry so much about girls, or lack there of in my life.
As I go now, pray that I don't get hurt in the frisbee game today, and that I can enjoy the day fully. Peace.

headed to Portland.....

2006-02-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
School is back in full swing, and my semester looks like it will be a good one. Last night I went to a concert here in Spokane, the headlining band was The Fray. It was a fun concert, and I got to see some friends, and catch up a little.
This afternoon at four I will be heading out of town. The school's Ultimate Frisbee Club/team is heading down to Reed College to play in a one day tournament tomorrow. We are going to Portland, Oregon, which is where the hosting college is. I will be staying with my mom tonight, at her new place in Vancouver, Washington (just a fifteen minute drive from Portland) and showing them pictures of my trip to Europe. Hopefully they will come down and watch the team and I play on Saturday. They referring to my mom, her fiancee, my sister and her boyfriend who are coming down from Olympia.
It will be my first tournament back, since I injured my ankle very early on in the fall, and could not run or play at all until December. I will have to wear an ankle brace from now on whenever I play, but that is the price I had to pay. I am pretty excited.
In case any of you are worried, the team and I will be driving back up tomorrow evening, and ready to watch the Superbowl on Suday at 3:30 pm (featuring Washington's own Seahawks). A lot of my friends are really excited, and are pretty big Seahawks fans, I don't care much for pro football, but it will be fun non the less.
If you feel like praying, pray for safe travels for the team and I, and that I don't do anything stupid while playing that will re-injure my ankle.
Peace.

Back home

2006-01-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

It is true, the trip is now over, and I got home two nights ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and all the places we went, and the people that were on the trip with me. I felt blessed to have an opportunity to do something like that. Someday I will go back to Europe.
While I got to see many wonderful places, and pieces of art, there is one thing in particular that I feel I learned on this trip. That is that I still compare myself to others way too much. I really enjoyed the entire trip, and the people on it, but felt that I did not match up. It is weird that three people on the trip who are my age are getting married, and several others that are younger than I are dating. I still have issues I need to work out I guess. Something I learned a long time ago when I worked at Calvin Crest is that until I can be happy with myself for who I am, I will never find happyness in a relationship. So that is what I must work on, is learning how to be happy with myself, not dependent on things such as if I am in a relationship or not, or anything external like that.
The trip had many wonderful experiences. One of which was learning about John Calvin in while in the Vatican. Another was climbing up to the top of Klein Matterhorn at 12,736 ft, and looking out over the snow covered mountains of Switzerland, Italy, and France. I loved sharing in peoples lives, and learning more about people. I deepened some friendships I already had, and created some that I did not previously have.
Something I learned long ago that I was forced to revisit on this trip is what I feel is one of the most important eternal things of life. I feel that when all is said and done, and our lives are spent, all we can take with us are the relationships that we made in our lives. It is important to look for similarities between ourselves before building up walls of seperation. I was forced during this trip to really understand where people who are different than I are coming from, and to put in effort to making the most of my time there with those people.
I also revisited that it is important not to be too worried about the future, but rather to live each day the best we can, and to have no regrets. For who knows what tomorrow brings. While I hope that I don't die young, I need to live each day as if it could be my last. I tend to live much more five years from now than in the present. Constantly worried about what my life will look like in five years, and if I will have a wife, family, and good job. However I need to realize that until I can be happy with any of those I must first learn to be happy with myself, and with who I am.
Just some insight, and thoughts of mine.

Sunny day in London....

2006-01-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Well today was our first full day in London, England and it was great. The weather was pretty nice for the first part of the day-blue skies. It clouded over this afternoon, but hasn't rained yet.
Today we went to the British Museum, and also to the Tower of London. Both of which were pretty cool, we saw some 1500 year old Greek manuscripts of the new testament of the Bible, which was cool. Then we went to the play 'Blood Brothers' this evening, which was superb.
Right now it is about 8:30pm, and later on we will go out to a pub, and I shall have my first guiness.
Tomorrow morning we will be going to Westminster Abbey, to hear a great boys chior. Then I have to do some school work, such as write a paper, and study for a test.
Not too much else to say for now, I have taken over 400 picuters on this trip, and will try to put some of them up on my flickr account when I get back to school next week.
Peace.

greetings from Zermatt!!!!

2006-01-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

hey everyone,
I am currently in Zermatt, Switzerland, one of the great skiing hubs of the world. It is pretty sweet, and tomorrow we are going skiing on one of the longest ski runs in the world, in the Suiss alps, the matterhorn. The run is 7500 vertical feet, and we start out at 12,800 ft and ski down to 3,300 ft. We are all very excited, and the weather here today is b-e-a-utiful, clear blue skies and plenty of snow. It has been a wonderful trip so far, and I will write more about it later, but the internet caffes in Zermatt are very expensive, so I have to go.
ciao.

Just a few hours now....

2006-01-05T02:53:00.000-07:00

I have decided to stay up all night, rather than only get a few hours of sleep. We have to leave for the airport at 3:30am, and then we fly out at 5am to Salt Lake City, leaving there shortly after arrival, and then off to Atlanta. There we have a 3 hour lay over, and then on a big plane to fly to Rome. Greg, Thomas, and I as well as several others will be taking sleeping pills when on the plane from Atlanta to Rome.
As I look forward into this new year, and especially these next three weeks on the road, I am very excited. I will make many new friends, and deepen exhisting friendships. Not to mention see some of the great sites of Europe, and ski the longest ski run in the world (7500 vertical feet close to Zermatt, Switzerland).
I don't have many expectations for this trip, I will just keep the best attitude that I can, which may be difficult when tired and when I have been on the road for a few weeks. However I know that God will help me to be the best that I can, and will help make this a very meaningful and memorable travel experience.
My bags are packed, the ticket in hand, passport, credit card, international student id and other really important things in my passport bag under my shirt over my chest. Even if I were to try and sleep right now, I don't think I would be able to. It is that feeling of intense anticipation and excitement, so I would simply lay there in bed and think over and over, I will be in Rome in less than 30 hours, I cannot believe it is finally here.
My prayer for the next three weeks shall be this-Lord help those friends of mine on other study tours to have a wonderful experience, and help those of us on this one to get along, to be peaceful and caring towards on another. Help me to be an intrument of peace on joy among the students of the trip, and help me to invest in these people, and in these relationships to make it something truly valuable. Also help me to make the most of the things that I am learning and seeing each day.
That shall be it, or a close version to that. So, for the next three weeks there shall be nothing new posted here, but I shall try and summarize my experiences when I come back. Until then, I hope the new year brings new opportunities, and peace into your lives.

Pretty excited.

2006-01-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

It is almost here, the trip I have been planning, and anticipating the past 8 months. I will be leaving on Thursday the 5th at 5am for a study abroad trip to Europe, specifically Rome and Florence, Italy as well as Zermatt, Switzerland and Paris, France and London, England.
If you pray, please pray for safe travels for my group as well as all the study tours, also that I would not complain or gripe when I am tired and weary.
I anticipate a great opportunity to be in places with wonderful histories, to get in some wonderful food and skiing, as well as to make some great friends. If all goes as planned, I will be back the 25th of this month, and will have an update, if not one before hand.
Blessings, and may this new year give you all an opportunity to reflect on last year, and look forward to this upcoming year.

DONE!!!!

2005-12-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

I am now done with finals woot!
My current plans-do nothing except relax and hang out with people for the rest of the day.
Tomorrow I will be heading to my grandparents house, to house sit for a few days, and then the whole family will be coming up for Christmas, pretty exciting.
Only a few weeks now until I will be leaving for Europe.
Life is good at the moment.
Blessings.