Tue 8/12/08 3:39 pm EDT – Cincinnati, OH Airport

Tue 8/12/08 3:39 pm EDT – Cincinnati, OH Airport
Currently Listening to: “Tears” by Rush

As I wait to board my final plane to Appleton, a few thoughts are running through my head. This feeling of independence is great. There are few times like I felt I was truly on my own. Before YouthWorks, the job excursion down to West Lafayette was one of them. Obviously, all of the YouthWorks summer also felt this way. It will be good to go home, but it is hard going back in a way. I don’t feel at all smothered by my parents or my independence is gone, but it is harder to know that there is a world without having things done for me. I don’t know. This summer was great, and I can’t wait to move out and move on to the next exciting stage of my life. I look forward to going out to the Twin Cities to check on apartments and the like August 21-22 with my best friend, Dan. It will be hard to leave the Fox Valley, but I may come back some day. Until then, I look forward to what God is doing in my life right now and the upcoming future. Another thing that ties into that last thought is that I am also afraid to leave everyone and everything I know behind for a big city where I know maybe 25 people (and some of them I don’t know well enough to just walk into their apt yet!) Oh well, God leads us in directions where we are busy looking at the map saying to ourselves: “Where am I going?” It’s funny, because this summer that is what I was saying for the first half of the summer. I was upset I was working for Kodak in a mind-numbingly boring job that was going nowhere. But because of those 6 or so months working for them, it helped land me the job at the Service Center! If it weren’t for that experience, maybe I would be crawling back to some other job when I got back…

Lesson learned: Trust in God and the way He has things unfold in our lives. Plus, those lame jobs (my night janitor job at Appleton Medical Center, being a server at TGI Friday’s, the customer service rep at Kodak, and countless experiences) bring about great stories to tell others and lessons learned. Some people have terrible hardships in their lives, and I believe part of the reason they go through those awful things is because they can share their stories and get lessons for their lives. I’ve seen great change in students week-to-week because of stories and lessons the Lakota people have shared, my stories, and the stories of the staff.

What does your story teach others? What lessons have you learned that you can share firsthand because you’ve experienced them?

I will always have that map wondering where I am going. Sometimes we think the advice of some other people or ourselves will get us to where we need to go. Truly, God gives direction and your plans are way different than what God has planned for us. It is hard to rely on God in these times, because we love to plan what are lives will become. I feel like I want to wrestle control from God, but when I do, I never know where I am headed! When I hand that control back to God (most of the time reluctantly, but sometimes with great joy), things come together even if I don’t understand why they happen in certain ways. Like why this past year have I become fueled with passion for fighting for justice and for people who can’t fight themselves. Why have I started longing for great community and rejecting parts of Americanized Christianity? Has it been the books I’ve been reading? The places I’ve gone? The horrendous things I’ve seen poverty and injustice do on the reservation? One thing for certain is never doubt God’s presence within the problems of our lives. He is there waiting for us to recognize Him in the face of others, and in their situations.

This is a Franciscan blessing that I read to church groups on Thursday morning before their last day of ministry on the reservation. Here it is in its entirety:

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers,

half truths, and superficial relationships,

so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger at injustice,

oppression, and exploitation of people

so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain,

rejection, starvation and war,

so that we may reach out your hand to comfort them

and to turn their pain into joy.

May God bless us with enough foolishness

to believe that we can make a difference in this world,

so that we can do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen.

Finished while Listening to: “When I See You Smile” by Whitesnake

Tue 8/12/08 7:38 am – Denver International Airport, CO

Tue 8/12/08 7:38 am – Denver International Airport, CO
Currently Listening to: “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince

Well, I’m finally done. Sitting in an airport brings back great memories from flying out here. Those were the days. Read the first posts to hear about those times. For the first time, I’ve been to an airport with free wireless internet. It’s great! Anyways, last night was Exit RAMP (a giant celebration and debriefing session). Yesterday, we made our final check ins and put our sites to an official close. Since my AD, Faith, now works for the FBI, she couldn’t make it since there is training in VA. Nate, our Regional Director, took over for our sites. We had a great lunch, a debrief session with our last time spent with our team, and a giant “faithfulness feast.” It included a salad, pita bread, hummus, chicken with feta cheese and tomatoes, asparagus, and sparkling lemonade. We had frozen yogurt with berries and chocolate for dessert while watching a picture slideshow of our Western Region sites. We later had a giant worship set complete with stories of how God has moved through our sites and us as people. Then around 11 pm, they posted airport runs and what time we had to leave. Guy took the 4 am shuttle, while I had to leave at 5:15 am. I also got to drive “Hank” (our YW truck from PR1 aka “Dancing with Paintbrushes”) to vehicle storage that early. Ugh. But now I am here, through security and ready for Cincy and finally… home.

Finished while Listening to: “Optimistic” by Radiohead

Mon 8/11/08 11:26 am – Lookout Mountain Community Church, Golden, CO

Mon 8/11/08 11:26 am – Lookout Mountain Community Church, Golden, CO
Currently Listening to: “I Don’t Want to Be” by Gavin DeGraw

It’s over in Pine Ridge. The summer is coming to an end, and that means my time on the res, and with these folks, is almost over. In our last week, we had cultural overload for those 19 people from family week. Monday night we had buffalo burgers sandwiched between small pieces of frybread. Tuesday night we had Indian tacos, and the cookout on Wednesday. It was great food. Plus, because of the small group, they got extra special attention from all the staff, and our contacts throughout the community. The group was solid, but I still could not wait to get back home. It’s not because I dislike where I was, but I am excited to get to my new job and place in MN (wherever that may be). When saying goodbye to everyone, it was hard, but necessary. Everyone we needed to say it to was there: our community members, my evening contacts, and importantly, the great kids from Manderson and Pine Ridge. Sunday night, after coming back from Pine Ridge and eating at Texas Roadhouse with our area, we stayed at a hotel. Worst. Sleep. Ever. It was terrible. I hope I can get more elsewhere…

Finished while Listening to: “Starship Trooper” by Yes

Sun 8/3/08 10:51 pm – PR

Sun 8/3/08 10:51 pm – PR
Currently Listening to: “The Lord of the Dance: Riverdance”

For the first time this year, I can’t think very well. There has been so much going on this week that I am trying to find words to write. I only have less than 10 days left on the res, and we’ll see what happens. This past week was great. The groups were great, but the whole week was exhausting for me, emotionally and spiritually. There was a giant powwow this weekend, and we enjoyed plenty of it. We went Thursday with students, and they invited us to dance. The wasichu (white people) aren’t very good dancers, though. We had a blast and it got better by being in the parade with Hands of Faith. We helped decorate the float Friday night and Saturday morning. We threw candy to what seemed like thousands of kids… That night, we went back and watched the dancers from the grand entry on. Ate an Indian taco, bought a t-shirt, you know, the works. Saw tons of people we knew from the communities we’ve served in: basically a great week. Now we only have 19 people here for our last week, a family week. One last week. Hope all goes well!

Currently Listening to: Silence… Sounds great for once!

Fri 7/25/08 8:25 pm – PR

Fri 7/25/08 8:25 pm – PR
Currently Listening to: “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly

Two weeks of groups have come and gone since my last post. Last week was great as we had two giant Catholic groups who were very hard workers. They complained quite a bit and were veterans to Pine Ridge, but again, were great when it came to doing the work at the Work Project sites or Kid’s Club. Something of significance is that the two groups had Mass together, while Father Jim presided, during Church Group Time on Wednesday night. It was great to see these groups come together with their similarities, since we often have diverse groups from different denominations every week.
Last weekend we “went Rapid!” The kids here are all excited to go to Rapid City, because to them, it is the cultural center of their world. Now, Rapid City isn’t that big, but has quite a bit if you’ve ever been to a reservation, which has hardly anything. My only plan was to see The Dark Knight. That’s all I wanted to do. But our weekend started with us leaving from our site, meeting the other sites in Rapid, Jimmy John’s, Crazy Horse, a glimpse of Mt. Rushmore, Sonic for drinks, then off to bed. Saturday was glorious as TDK (The Dark Knight) was going to happen. I got a “little” frustrated (little is an understatement, as I almost completely blew up when one of the drivers drove us to the wrong theater. Man, I need anger management when it comes to miscommunication errors and frustrations surrounding TDK and other things I want to do…), but we eventually made it, even though the previews started. What a glorious film! If I could only own 10 movies, it would make the list. After TDK, Sonic was visited again (this time for lunch), then I hit up a music store and Alternative Fuel (a coffee shop) with Alissa and Y-Vo (from PR2). Most of the crew went over to Hills Alive! (a free Christian music festival in Rapid featuring Superchick and Toby Mac that night), and I stayed for a few songs of Superchick’s. But I was itching to sit in a dark theater once more, so I headed to Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Worth viewing for the visuals and humor alone, it was great – but not as good as TDK of course. I contemplated staying for Hancock (3 superhero movies in one day???), but didn’t… We came back to PR1 to get some sleep and the next group came in fast…
This week also went by fast – but I was emotionally exhausted. Not enough mental rest on the weekend in Rapid. No time to mentally check out. Curveballs were thrown left and right this week. Evening activities being switched around, loose end to tie up, and other stuff all made appearances. Guy and I ate at Bette’s Kitchen, and it was glorious! It was literally eating in a ladies’ house and having her nieces serve us. Anytime you’re near Manderson, hit up Bette’s! A great group this week as they showed us staff they were processing all that is hitting them – plus they loved my stories… Back to resting – peace!

Finished while in Higher Grounds Coffeehouse with a song by Reba McEntire??

The Beard...

I have decided not to shave since I left Denver for Pine Ridge. Here is a brief look at the beard's progress:

Photo 1: At the airport in Appleton, WI. Bright-eyed and having no idea shaving would not happen. Notice the trimmed sideburns and goatee. A must for a guy looking to work with youth.

Photo 2: Two weeks after the first picture was taken. Noticeable beardage has taken place. Not quite full, but getting there.

Photo 3: Five weeks have passed since the first. While I may look upset, the beard is smiling for me.

Photo 4: Taken today, 50 days into no shaving... Beautiful.

So I am torn between trimming, shaving, or waiting until I get back to Denver. 50 days looks a bit bushy, but we'll see. What do you think? Leave me your comments...

Sat 7/12/08 12:42 pm – PR

Currently Listening to: “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton

Well in the last week, I got hired full-time by YouthWorks! for a real position in their Minneapolis HQ. I will be moving out there soon after I get home and start September 2nd, right after Labor Day. The job consists of answering calls and getting churches to jump on board with YouthWorks! for the summer. This week also went real well, and this weekend we will be sure to rest up for another jam-packed week. On Thursday during our community cookout, the White River Creek Singers came out and led us in social dances. It was a total blast! Anyways, time to rest…

Finished while Listening to: “I Don’t Want to Lose You” by REO Speedwagon

Sat 7/5/08 7:40 pm – Martin, SD

Currently Watching: The Office – “The Convict #3.9”

Since the Rapid City entry, we’ve all been really busy. Had 3 entirely different weeks. Here’s a breakdown of what happened.

Week 1: This was our first week all alone and we had 4 churches come and enjoy our site. There were a few kinks with that week. I think what happened is that we were focused on our job and not enough on the people. There were some great groups (4 churches in all), but we were inwardly focused on getting the job done. Our attitudes and dynamics with each other not the greatest they could be. On Tuesday, we had a tornado warning while driving to one of our evening activities, a hike. Ugh… it wasn’t very fun. Nothing happened, but we were on the road and had to turn around and get into the basements. When the time for evaluations came around from the adults and students, we were devastated. The leaders pointed out a lot that we didn’t notice, but I am glad that happened. We really sat down and hashed out what we need to do as a team, and act on them. That weekend, Alissa and I went to a pow-wow in Kyle. Although we took a roundabout way to get there, it was cool to be at one where we saw active competition. And then…

Week 2: A complete turnaround! 4 churches came again, but this time after our re-tooling, it totally rocked. There was a couple there: Joe and Maria from St. Maria Garetti’s in WI. They were the best encouragers I’ve ever met and had glowing reviews for me as Program staff and a leader. All throughout the week, hardly any trouble happened with the exception of us leaving the site for staff time at night and there was another tornado hitting Shannon County. When we were at Big Bat’s, I met my Vietnam vet friend, Dave Little. He was cool to talk to about different things, but our time was cut short by that tornado. Either way, we got back to the site, but again, nothing happened. Later that night, around 1:30 am, Alissa came into our roon to tell us Gennie was shaking and her legs hurt badly. We went into diagnose, but our limited first aid training ranged in diagnoses from diabetes, lyme disease, shock, and a fever. The next day, Guy took her to the Martin clinic where our AD, Faith, was staying. That morning, I had to become the Work Projects guy. I also had to meet our tour guide for Wounded Knee, Emerson Elk, at his house. His sister, Gerilyn, and him make beautiful beadwork and other art. While talking to him, he lit sage and sweetgrass to purify the air and lighten the mood. It was a great time to meet and hang out with community members. That week in our adult leader evals, we got the comment that we were the “most professional YouthWorks staff” they ever had. Talk about a turnaround! After they left, our coach for family mission trips, Mayme from the YouthWorks! office, came out. We had a good weekend, which led to…

Week 3: Family Mission Trip week. We had 36 people who ranged in age from 8 to 60’s. It was fun to bring families on board, because it was a really laid back week and Mayme was there to help. This week, I was tossing around the idea of applying for a full-time position at YouthWorks! Mayme was telling about an exciting position, the Marketing Service Center Associate. It’s a little like my job at Kodak but 8 million times better. I made and sent out a resume and cover letter on Saturday, received an email on Tuesday, a phone call on Thursday for an interview on Friday the 4th. It went great BTW. Since FMT was a day shorter, we got extra time to hang out and chill. Mayme headed out on Thursday and we did our shopping at Wal-Mart that day. Faith showed up to hang out and we headed out on Friday to Martin for a 4th of July weekend celebration. We swung on swings in the park, hung out on the roof of the school, watched the fireworks up there, learned how to “Get Silly” and “Soldier Boy,” had a bonfire at a lake, and pretty much rested up as much as possible before heading out on Sunday.

Finished While Watching: The Office – “Traveling Salesmen #3.12”

Sat 6/14/08 11:11 pm – PR

Currently Listening to: “Ramblin’ Man” by The Allman Brothers Band

Well, had the day “off.” Not really. Woke up a bit late, then met the Martin staff and we departed for Sam’s Club in Rapid City hours away. It took over 2 hours to get there because we had two cars (one of them being Sandra), a van, and our truck (Hank). We spent like 2 or 3 hours in Sam’s getting supplies and extra dry goods for the summer. It was fun, but I really wanted the day off. After Sam’s we met the Rapid City and PR2 staff at RC’s housing site. We went to Dinosaur Park (which overlooked all of Rapid City) and got some Taco Bell/Subway to bring back and enjoy it together. At the site, there was a birthday cake prepared for Alicia and her big “24.” We left and got back to PR later, and had to unpack all those supplies. Went over some clubs and stuff for next week, but tomorrow is it! This is the real deal!

Finished While Listening to: “You’ll Be Coming Down” by Bruce Springsteen

Sat 6/14/08 12:01 am – PR

Currently Listening to: “3 AM” by Matchbox Twenty

Okay, so Early Bird Week has finally come to a close. Early bird week is when 3 different sites and our Area Director (AD) Faith come to our site and put on a regular week with students and adult leaders: 17 staff and 60 students and adult leaders = craziness. It was great to see how a week works. Here are some highlights and not-so-highlights:
- Bonding with my site staff. I truly appreciate and love the support of Guy, Alissa, and Gennie. We’ve had a lot of fun these past couple weeks.
- Bonding with the area staff. So many friendships have blossomed since we started with the other area staff. There are great guys and girls here!
- The housing site. Curtis and the guys are working great on the site and everything seems to be in working order and I am finally doing laundry since Day One!
- Seeing how a week runs. Even though there were 13 other hands doing staff jobs, it was great to see teamwork and meals, club, and Kids Club run.
- Going to the Oglala Lakota Home Coalition Housing Summit. Katie (Martin’s Program and Early Bird Program) and I went to get people into YouthWorks. We were invited (coerced?) to be a part of the faith-based organizations who help on the Pine Ridge Res. I met with two guys from HUD (in Washington DC) and got to talk with them about YW. They thought immediately we were bigshots who could set up conferences and get things done. Our nametags say “Summer Site Staff,” but they didn’t pick up on that too much. When Guy and Faith arrived, we went around trying to get names and numbers for Work Projects this summer. A lady came up to me with a clipboard and asked to put down my name and organization. I did, and then she told me I would be thanked in name in front of everyone at the Pow-wow that night. Again, who am I? A small fish in this organization. Speaking of which…
- The evening activities. Almost everything went as planned. Monday was the Buffalo “Feed”, but the buffs were shy and didn’t want to be separated from their calves for too long. Hopefully next week they’ll come down. Tuesday was the Oglala Sioux Lakota powwow. It was amazing to see the Native Americans dancing in the arbor and inviting others out during Inter-tribals. I hope we can go to more this summer. On Wednesday our Wounded Knee tour guides all fell through, so I had to study and research both the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890 and Incident of 1973. It went well, but I made two awkward and borderline jokes/comments during the talk. I said Oklahoma, which was rumored to be in conditions worse than prison, still was like that today, and when I was talking casualties/injuries during the AIM incident, I said the US Marshals was “our side.” I don’t know why I said that, it just came out. Whoops. Lastly, on Thursday, we had a cookout in front of our housing site. Wish I had pics to show, but they will be coming soon (hopefully…)
- This Friday, we finished the week off strong and went to Wal-Mart for our weekly shopping trip totaling $1,100! That’s a lot of food and supplies…
So as I finish up some laundry tonight, we will travel to Rapid City for some Sam’s Club action and Alicia’s B-day party and Area hangout time. Then Sunday, the real test comes!

Finished While Listening to: “Seeing Through You” by Blue Merle

Sat 6/7/08 10:17 pm – PR

Currently Listening to: “Undone” by Lifehouse

Wow, a week has passed since I’ve had time to write. It has been a whirlwind so far. We’ve met great people and look forward to many visits with all of them. I’ve learned much about the Lakota tribe and their culture. So many people have been such a help to us. Our housing site, Hands of Faith, and its owner, Curtis, have been the best. Curtis and his guys have been working nonstop to get this place ready for 70+ people every week. Here are a couple snapshots that happened this week:
- Went to PR Gospel Fellowship and met all great people including Leon, Joey, Mark and Julie, Henry, and others. Mark and Julie bought us pizza at Pizza Hut.
- Didn’t take a shower for 5 days because we didn’t have working showers. Washed my hair in the sink on Sunday for church.
- Still waiting to get to wash some clothes. Getting down to the last couple of reserve clothes to wear.
- Dogs run around this town like a foreign country. I didn’t want to get attached to the dogs, so I call them all Ralphie, with an adjective describing them before. Here are some of the dogs: Cripple, Yellow, Whitefoot, Golden, Skinny, Starving (RIP), Chipper, Wolf, Old, Gray, and many, many more. Yellow Ralphie is my favorite and comes to me when I call her name.
- Guy and I hit a dog in our rental car. We hit it’s hindlegs going 60+ mph. He had to file a police report and rental car accident report per YouthWorks request. He got laughed at while in the Tribal Police Station for reporting this. A shady process was had, since they made him write the report and then “copied” it and gave him the original.
- We gave our crew names the names of random countries. They include: United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan, Djibouti, Samoa, Liechtenstein, and Suriname. Different, but better than Orange Buffaloes…
- Been seeing a lot of rain and storms here, which is strange and different for this area according to the contacts.
- Our evening activities include: Buffalo Feed, Wounded Knee, Community Cookout, and possibly seeing some Tribal Dancers. This Tuesday we will be going to a giant pow-wow.
- Friday, our Area Director came to help us shop @ Wal-Mart and our site spent over $2,400! Later that night one other site came to help with early bird week and Saturday two other sites joined us. Tomorrow, we start with our first week!
That’s all I can think for now. We are going to watch “Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee” for historical background. Night!

Finished while Listening to: “One” by U2

Sat 5/31/08 10:53 pm – Pine Ridge, SD

Currently Listening to: “Love and Peace or Else” by U2

Since the last post, I’ve ended week-long relationships and moved from our RAMP site in Denver (Broomfield, CO) to a mission center in Pine Ridge, SD. This is located on the Pine Ridge reservation with the Lakota tribe. I’m excited, scared, nervous, and joyous with what God will do in PR. We’ve been talking about how God is already on the reservation in more ways than one. We cannot come in with the mindset that we are bringing God in, because He is here! Working in people, in churches, and throughout the Res. There are some startling facts about this specific area and county of SD. I will continue to share them as not to overload you with information. Here’s a taste:
- 97% live below the poverty line
- $3,700 is the average yearly salary

By the way, the automobiles we got for PR1 are amazing. There is a Hyundai Sonata (every site got one), which is a rental, and a YouthWorks-owned truck. I’m talking an old white GMC truck with paint splattered everywhere in the bed and one the sides, and in the cab, no radio or special amenities, except a fan/defroster. It’s pretty great. I got to drive it for 5 of the 7 hr drive. Met Nadine, one of our housing contacts at Wings of Prayer Hands of Hope, who was very courteous. There is still plenty of work they need to do: fix showers, plumbing, clean basement, etc. But we settled in for the time being, and will hopefully have a blessed week. After settling, we drove to Pizza Hut (one of 3 restaurants in PR. They also sport a Taco John’s and a small indoor eatery next to the grocery store, which was sadly closed when we arrived there. Tomorrow we hope to get our groceries/supplies and head to the Baptist church in town for service @ 11. Goodnight. Pray for us, the participants coming, and the Res for open arms and understanding.

Finished While Listening to: “Fix You” by Coldplay (We’re not here to, folks!)

Thu 5/29/08 11:19 pm – CC

Currently Listening to: “Space Jam” by Quad City DJ’s (same group as “C’mon Ride the Train”)

Another day that went by in a flash. First things first: I missed Lost. I hope to catch it sometime though. Anyways, beyond that, today was great. (As you can probably guess, I’m pretty excited to be here) This is definitely no accident that I am here. Someone during “Yea Gods” (a chance to shout out praise and thanks to God) spoke and said we all came here because of God’s plan. It’s weird to think, YouthWorks brings all these people together and expect 4 strangers who’ve never met after 2 weeks of training to put together a week of service and mission-type work for different multi-denominational youth groups. This is strange, yet exciting work we will be doing. I am proud to be on a team with Guy, Gennie, and Alissa. My prayer (and I hope the reader’s as well) is that we would work cohesively as a team and that all the glory goes to God. There have been so many people who have become influential here as well. I thank them for their insights and patience with the entire staff.
This was my first time using first aid skills. Evan was lucky (?) enough to give me practice as he cut himself with his pocketknife. Silly Evan…
Today was also the first day since Sunday that it was gorgeous outside and clear enough to see the mountains from here. Give God the glory for his creation! There is also a food pantry on site at this church, and tonight was their day to handout food and misc. groceries. There was also a service there in Spanish. Needless to say, there were many Hispanic kids and families there. It was to see their ambition and innocence. They are a welcome breath of fresh air. I was talking to Trey today about kids and innocence. Kids don’t care who you are (race, socioeconomic status, popularity, etc.), they just want to play, get attention, and be loved. When do kids start putting up the walls and barriers of racism, sexism, and ageism? Who instills these “values” in them? Parents, media, peers? It sure isn’t nature that pits class against class. Just something I was thinking about…

Finished While Listening to: “Brand New Day” by Sting
(I promise these are the songs that are when I start and finish!)

Wed 5/28/08 10:59 pm – CC

Currently Listening to: “The Fallen” by Franz Ferdinand

This past day has also been non-stop. The most exciting thing that happened today was going on an evening activity in Denver. We went to a hip-hop church called Praise Center and it was amazing. I’m so glad to see this church stepping out and reaching the culture around them. A culture that is marginalized, segregated, misunderstood, and stereotyped. The youth pastor (Micah Espinoza) and the rest of the team there was great to meet. Days are becoming blurs and it’s hard to write a lot when the training information is overloading my overwhelmed brain. It is good to know we have staff here at YouthWorks who are committed to engaging and taking time to explain different ideas and programs. If we didn’t have them, we’d be totally lost.
One thing the Pastor Micah Espinoza said tonight struck me, and I thought should be shared as well (among many others, but I’ll share just one…). Youth leave the church after high school and don’t come back because they have relied on someone else’s experience or encounter with God (whether that be parents, mentors, youth pastors, friends, etc.). Those youth never experienced God themselves; they just looked to other people, because of many different reasons. We need to have students encounter God at that age, so they can continue on that journey they started. More to come later from training…

Finished While Listening to: “Release” by Pearl Jam

Tue 5/27/08 12:57 pm – CC

Currently Listening to: “Some Things Never Change” by Bride

After a night’s rest, we gathered in the gym to enjoy breakfast and pack our sack lunches for later. Later, we gathered for Devotion training (this would kind of be like what we would be doing at our specific site) and had some quiet time to ourselves. We then gathered again to site type training so I went to Native American Reservation Training (aka Res). It was great to hear our misconceptions and prejudices of them, but also a time to understand what is currently happening on reservations. It’s not great, but God is continually working on the Res with or without us in the hearts of the tribe. Soon after, we met with our Area (5 different sites) for our prepared lunches. In just a moment, I will be getting to undergo role training.

Finished While Listening to: “‘Til the Day After” by Huey Lewis & The News

Mon 5/26/08 11:22 pm – CC

Currently Listening to: “Boom” by Flight of the Conchords

So now after getting all 80+ people together to orientate, learn, and get to know each other is a bit difficult, but doable. With two new roommates added to the room (Matt from PA and Darcy from Alberta, Canada), this should be a great time for getting know people from all different backgrounds within our staff. After getting to know our Area Directors, we now rush to bed. Lights are off and so should my computer be!

Finished while listening to: “Pinch Me” by Barenaked Ladies (Canadians, eh?)

Mon 5/26/08 3:43 pm – Calvary Church

Currently Listening to: “Susie Q” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Today has been a really laid back day so far. Waking up around 8 am and showering in a different building will be a luxury in a week. So I’m taking it up with my final luxuries. Me and a couple other guys walked to Starbucks about a half-mile to enjoy some coffee, conversation, and the promise of free wireless Internet. Two out of the three happened, and free wireless was out of the question. I got on to a really slow connection just long enough to check e-mail and post some blogs. When we got back around 2:15, registration started soon. Got my program binder and that consumed me for a while. Met Genevieve (KY – Pine Ridge Site 1 as well) who I’ll also be working with. Still waiting to meet Guy (my Site Director) face-to-face. There have been really great people here and you know it’s going to be good when people are joined by a uniting vision and purpose. We’ll see!

Finished While Listening to: “One of these Things First” by Nick Drake

Sun 5/25/08 10:02 pm MDT (they all will be MDT here in the mountains) – Calvary Church – Broomfield, CO

Currently Listening to: “Love - > Building on Fire” by Talking Heads

I’m starting to really enjoy this journey. I was picked up at the Denver airport (nothing special, by the way. The airport is in the middle of nowhere though) by Jake and Sheryl of the YouthWorks team. Also being picked up today were Evan (WI – Pine Ridge Site 2) and Courtney (AL – Utility for Western US). The drive back was nothing special, but the mountains here are beautiful. If I lived here, I don’t know that I would take this scenery for granted. I think we take our surroundings (especially nature and people) for granted and forget to thank God for them. I’ve met great people (Trey, TX – San Francisco; Andrew, CA; Elyse, MN; Alyssa, TN – also Pine Ridge Site 1) and we’ve had a great time playing Frisbee and basketball, while also visiting Wal-Mart for some much needed supplies (Sleeping bag, pillow and pillowcase). Time is flying by and I’m sure the summer will go fast as well.

Finished While Listening to: “The End of All Things” from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Is this ominous for what’s to come? Or perhaps and ending to a stage in my life?)

Sun 5/25/08 3:41 pm MDT – Somewhere in the air between Salt Lake City and Denver

Currently Listening to: “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot

There wasn’t enough time to write at Salt Lake City because it was a short layover. It was beautiful arriving there, but there wasn’t much time to enjoy the airport besides a quick run to Sbarro for a slice of pizza. Maybe my last slice for a while? Anyways, I’ve decided if we were to judge entire cities by their airports, Salt Lake City would be in the running for mediocre to not very good. The airport was atrocious compared to the expansive and beautiful Atlanta International. Even Appleton’s airport (though newly renovated) is a better destination as an airport.
This time when I boarded the plane, they wouldn’t put my guitar belowWhile coming in on the big plane, my new rowmates Scott (thanks again, Mr. Boarding Pass) and some PhD student were crunched in for maximum comfort. During this flight the had TV, movies, and games all in the headboard monitors for us to enjoy on our 3 hr flight (!). It was pretty good. Got to watch Mythbusters on Discovery and Classic Fights (Boxing) on ESPN Classic. Who would’ve thought Boxing would be exciting to watch. Luckily, my book “Pop Goes the Church” by Tim Stevens, kept me company as well. In the SLC airport, I watched as people’s flights were delayed for numerous reasons: the funniest being the Captain didn’t show up yet. After checking-in, I had to walk in
On this flight to Denver, I was lucky enough to have a row to myself since there were plenty of seats available. Wow, were descending already: gotta go!

Finished while listening to: “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins

Sun 5/25/08 10:55 am EDT – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Currently Listening to: “Any Way You Want It” by Journey
Currently Enjoying: Venti Starbucks House Blend and Airline Peanuts from Delta

Well, I made it to the first stop of my three-city tour of America. Not really, but to get to Denver I have to go through Atlanta and Salt Lake City. The flight also went as expected. I got to read my magazines (Entertainment Weekly and Sojourners) for the last time, as they will be on hold during the summer. I was struck while reading an Usher article. In it, Usher says, “[Y]ou have to be very careful what you allow your kids to be around or see. I’m a product of the environment.” He says this after his party days as Sean “P-Diddy” Combs’ protégé. What does this mean for parents? I wonder did my parents do a good enough job protecting me from our environment? I think so. I assume they would agree. First, they protected as much as they could and as I became older, the leash they held once so closely was loosened then let go of eventually. But enough blabbing about the past, you may (or may not) be wondering what happened during flight. My chair-mate or neighbor Kay Haas (she didn’t tell me her name, but her boarding pass did. Hope you don’t find this Kay!) slept most of the way there.
Getting the window seat, I actually got to see how beautiful Appleton is from above. Soaring into the clouds, I was amazed as how small everything was getting. We are so small in size, yet it puts things into perspective. I’m sure you’ve heard all this before, but I don’t care, it’s true. Our tiny problems in the city of Appleton in Wisconsin in the United States in North America doesn’t match anything near the worldwide pain of natural disasters, mass poverty, hunger, and AIDS spreading rapidly in our world. I guess what I am trying to say that I panic and fear can consume me about the smallest things like paint coming off my car or having someone bring me to the airport. Small children get up in the morning and worry whether they will eat anything, drink clean water, or even if this is their last day alive. So let me get up on my soapbox and encourage you readers out there to really think and act. If you don’t think this is a problem – you’re not living in the real world. Get out of your cultural bubble and safe zone and learn what is happening in this world and even in your community. I also encourage you to act by getting involved with some great organizations or your church (if they are involved in any way to the community). Some great websites to check out are Compassion (http://www.compassion.org) and WorldVision (http://www.worldvision.com) to sponsor a child and to make a difference in their lives forever. Also visit these great sites to learn about social justice: Sojourners (http://www.sojo.net) and One (http://www.one.org) are great starting points. Sojourners is a Christian non-profit organization founded by the great Jim Wallis (author of God’s Politics and The Great Awakening). One is committed to raising awareness and funding to relieve global poverty. Both sites are able to email updates about current events and things like signing petitions to the federal government (the Prez, Senate, and House, etc.) Now I can come off my soapbox with a good feeling.
Back in the Atlanta airport, people may think I am a rock star. I sure don’t have the look down, but carrying this guitar on my back looks ridiculously awesome. I can tell people are talking in whispers as I pass them by. I have to admit, I do look pretty cool. The laptop bag and guitar do get pretty heavy though. I decided to walk to my concourse instead take the train there. I opted for the six (!) moving escalators and found out fast why hardly anybody walks almost the entire length of the Atlanta airport. It’s like a 5K (not really, but a mini-marathon seemed to exaggerate this length too much)! I’m at one these “ReCharge” stations located by all the gates, and this 4 year old girl on a leash keeps staring at me and peering into my station. Not a problem – just a bit weird. The mom finally scolds her and takes her away from the “guitar man.” If that were my new nickname, she would probably change it as soon as I started playing. Really, I’m not that good, but good enough to lead 60+ students and adults in songs. Another thing I like about the airport is there are so many different kinds of people here waiting for someone. Military personnel finally going home, families going to Aruba, lovers awaiting that honeymoon, businesspeople busily finishing those TPS reports before going executive class, people who literally connected to their phones at all times (they thank you Bluetooth!), slow-moving people, fast-moving people, runners, walkers, and people who just refuse to get out of the way of a giant moving vehicle with flashing lights and a loud beeper. Airports have them all. I don’t want to get preachy, but this is a reminder of people from all over who all need Jesus equally. This can also represent how different people are and the much-needed relationships everyone desires.
Well, time to freshen up the coffee and head to the gate. Plane leaves in a half hour. I’m Salt Lake City bound!

Finished while listening to “Rock of Ages” by Def Leppard

Sun 5/25/08 5:45 am CDT – Outagamie County Airport

Currently Listening to: “Heavy” by Collective Soul

Ah, the start of a new journey. Here I am in a business center conveniently located next to the TSA security checkpoint. It’s funny to see the panic on people’s faces as they check into the airport. Why do people look so nervous when going through security? Do they have something to hide? Nonetheless, my journey really started around 3:45 am. I opened my eyes in panic. Was I late? I always panic about waking up late even though I set two alarms: one for 3:58 on the clock, and 4:00 on my phone. But with enough time to wakeup after a good shower and a cup of Starbucks’ Café Verona to start the morning, I was ready when my good friend Fox Valley Cab showed up. Oh, you didn’t hear? The cabbie and I are best buds after he helped me with my bags (he got a good tip!). On the way to the airport we talked about how crazy airlines are and the remember whens. Let me explain: Remember Whens start like this: “Remember when…” Ours included when the airport was in the middle of nowhere, small game hunting for deer and wild turkey was prevalent in the area (that was his, not mine), and farms and crops as far and wide as the eyes could see. He brought my bags into the airport and also offered his cab for the ride back to my house (Let’s hope that someone can pick me up on the return trip!). Something that I’ve been pondering was my recent trip to Indiana to meet with Riverside Covenant Church. We’ve been flirting (see http://geoffderksyouthpastor.blogspot.com for post on Job Searching = Dating?) since April 7th when I sent them my resume. They called 3 weeks for a phone interview, which obviously went well enough to earn me a spot in the next round. Thursday, May 22nd was our face-to-face interview with the committee from RCC. The city was great (Go Purdue! seems to be their rally cry in West Lafayette), the people I met with were great, and things seemed to click. We’ll see where God goes with this one. The reason I’ve been pondering this is because I want to follow (“I Will Follow” by U2 is playing in my ears) God’s will, but I am SO ready to begin being a youth pastor. Is it my will or God’s will that I am to be with RCC, or do I just want this so bad, it’s clouding my judgment? Well, 25 minutes to takeoff and TSA is looking over here because I am constantly watching the security checkpoint. Hope to write back soon from Atlanta!

Finished while listening to “Something in the Air” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
(How fitting! That’s going to be me in the air!)

Another blog to read?

Yeah, I know. Who wants to read another blog? But guess what. I am gone, and you won't always be able to talk to me. I'm hoping to let you blog readers know what's happening with me. Pictures should be on the site to highlight my time with YouthWorks. According to my mom, I am to "make memories." And how! I can't wait to look back as this summer being a pivotal moment in my life.