What I did on my 27th birthday.

On October 29th (Saturday), I turned 27 years old.

My friend, Josh, told me that I'm now in my late-20's, so I figured it was a good time to cross some thresholds that I've never crossed before:

Just a "bunch of dudes" wearing skirts: Angie (right) and Patrick, my cousin, are married in Altoona, PA.

I'm the third from the right in the picture.

My dad and I after the wedding.

Dancing at the reception.

Lauren, me, and my sister Laura posing after dinner.

Cousins reenacting a photo from our childhood--Ooo, Ring-pop!

I caught the garter!

Patrick and his bride with his parents and brothers.

Showin' off some leg with my family.

Note the dagger in my sock that was fashioned by the groom's friend, given as a groomsmen gift!

25 Ways to Be a Servant-Leader: Ways #21- 25

From chapter 21 of the "Quest for Authentic Manhood" series in Robert Lewis's "Men's Fraternity",

#21. A servant-leader explains sex to each child in a way that gives them a wholesome perspective.

#22. A servant-leader encourages his wife to grow as an individual.

#23. A servant-leader takes the lead in establishing with his wife sound, biblical family values.

#24. A servant-leader joins a small group of men who are dedicated to improving their skills as man, husband, and father.

#25. A servant-leader provides time for his wife to pursue her own personal interests.

25 Ways to Be a Servant-Leader: Ways #16-20

From chapter 21 of the "Quest for Authentic Manhood" series in Robert Lewis's "Men's Fraternity",

#16. A servant-leader manages the schedule of the home and anticipates any pressure points.

#17. A servant-leader keeps his family financially sound and out of harmful debt.

#18. A servant-leader makes sure he and his wife have drawn up a will and arranged a well-conceived plan for their children in case of death.

#19. A servant-leader lets his wife and children into the interior of his life.

#20. A servant-leader honors his wife often in public.

25 Ways to Be a Servant-Leader: Ways #11-15

From chapter 21 of the "Quest for Authentic Manhood" series in Robert Lewis's "Men's Fraternity",

#11. A servant-leader deals with distractions so he can talk with his wife and family.

#12. A servant-leader prays with his wife on a regular basis.

#13. A servant-leader initiates meaningful family traditions.

#14. A servant-leader plans fun outings for his family on a regular basis.

#15. A servant-leader takes the time to give his children practical instruction about life, which in turn gives them confidence with their peers.

25 Ways to Be a Servant-Leader: Ways #6-10

From chapter 21 of the "Quest for Authentic Manhood" series in Robert Lewis's "Men's Fraternity",

#6. A servant-leader follows through with commitments he has made to his wife.

#7. A servant-leader anticipates the different seasons his marriage will pass through.

#8. A servant leader anticipates the different stages his children will pass through.

#9. A servant-leader frequently tells his wife what he likes about her.

#10. A servant-leader provides financially for his family's basic living expenses.

We're Old Guys

All of the men sitting around me chuckled, as they saw clearly that it illustrated the relativity of age.

"All of the freshmen in college who I worked with this year," I told them as we were doing our Bible study on 2 Corinthians 3, "they had a nickname for me: I was called the 'old guy'."

You have to understand the positions in life of the four men sitting around me to truly see their perspectives:

* To my right was Dave, whose daughter just graduated last week from high school. He works a full-time job at an engineering firm to support his family.

* Across from me was Rob, a doctorate graduate student in wood sciences at Virginia Tech, who, at age 52, has his hands full with his son, age 7, and wife.

* On Rob's left was Pat, who recently took off time from his engineering professorship at Virginia Tech to see the birth of his newest grand-daughter.

*On my direct left was the most amused of them all. David said in response, "I've just come to appreciate that, wherever I go, people are going to talk about things being multi-generational!" which he cawed out from behind his toothy grin. His estimation for the months ahead were to publish a second edition of his book and continue enjoying the time he has with his grand-daughter, age 20. At 82 years-old, he is more sharp than any of the rest of us sitting around the table.

It really struck me sitting there that I was surrounded by sharp, keen-minded, earnest seekers of God's heart as we studied about being bold in Christ:

"Since we have such hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

(2 Corinthians 3: 12-18)

To behold the glory of the Lord is a great burden to bear, one that leads to shear transformation. In their eyes that had beheld, in turn, one version of glory or another, and that many times over in turn, I could clearly see that I am made to relish the glory of God and persevere in my faith in Christ.

Big BCS move

Does this mean that Virginia Tech beat USC in 2004?

Dui bu qi

I miss China:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XTBwvi0h2E

25 Ways to Be a Servant-Leader: Ways #1-5

From chapter 21 of the "Quest for Authentic Manhood" series in Robert Lewis's "Men's Fraternity",

1. A servant-leader includes his wife in envisioning the future.

2. A servant-leader accepts spiritual responsibility for his family.

3. A servant-leader is willing to say "I'm sorry" and "Forgive me" to his family.

4. A servant-leader discusses household responsibilities with his wife and makes sure they are fairly distributed.

5. A servant-leader seeks the consultation of his wife on all major financial decisions.

Peru gains a great one

My girlfriend, Lauren, is going to Peru for ten weeks, leaving on May 31st.

I'm really excited for Peru for three reasons:

1.) They're gaining one of the brightest, beautiful women I know for ten weeks.

I feel somewhat jealous for this, but ultimately and far-more ecstatic for them, Lauren, and the kingdom!

2.) The mountains and nature there are phenomenal.

3.) Their country's name extends itself well to cleverly-titled blogs like Peruzing!--you should check her out.

God is a mountain spring

"God has no deficiencies that I might be required to satisfy.

God has no deficiencies that I might be required to supply.

He is complete in himself.

He is overflowing with happiness in the fellowship of the Trinity.

The upshot of this is that God is a mountain spring, not a watering trough.

A mountain spring is self-replenishing. It constantly overflows and supplies others.

But a watering trough needs to be filled with a pump or a bucket brigade.

So if you want to glorify the worth of a watering trough you work hard to keep it full and useful.

But if you want to glorify the worth of a spring you do it by getting down on your hands and knees and drinking to your heart's satisfaction, until you have the refreshment and strength to go back down in the valley and tell people what you've found.

You do not glorify a mountain spring by dutifully hauling water up the path from the river below and dumping it in the spring.

What we have seen is that God is like a mountain spring, not a watering trough.

And since that is the way God is, we are not surprised to learn from Scripture that the way to please God is to come to him to get and not to give, to drink and not to water."

(John Piper, The Pleasures of God, 209)

Umpiring: Hazards of the trade

A list of the places I've been hit by a thrown, bounced, or batted baseball in the last six weeks:

1.) left hand

2.) Left shoulder

3.) Left collarbone

4.) Right calf

5.) Twice-- forehead (with a mask on)

Names and phrases, other than my given birth name, referred toward me in those same six weeks:

1.) "Wake up, blue!"

2.) Good for nothing

3.) Blind.

4.) Worthless

Tutoring trouble

I'm a tutor!
______________________________________________

Let me tell you about my first tutoring job:

There was this post on Craigslist advertising $59/ hour to tutor for two months during the summer in Blacksburg. Awesome! I applied and the guy wrote me back the next day:

"I would like to use these medium to inform you that my Son don't live in the US if you could remember i mention that in my posting, he would be flying from Japan to the US because i need to get him back home because i fear for the disaster that are happening in Japan, I want you to teach him English Langauge or (and) Mathematics for 5th grader during this period, if there is need to extend your services, an amendment would be made to your salary depending on how good you are with him. The Local Library would be your meeting place with him, he would be dropped off/picked up by his nanny during the hours of teaching.I have a financial that will handle your payment for you while i am away to pick him home.I look forward to read a detailed message from you containing the following information."

So, I was excited to teach this young tsunami victim from Japan as he eases his way into American life, asking what verbal skills he possesses and how much help he needs with his Math.

Then, I was sitting at lunch with my friend, Josh, telling him about the opportunity:

"I got a job tutoring a young dude from Japan," I devulged.
"Nice, in Blacksburg?" he asked.
"Yeah, they'll be moving here soon. The guy wants to pay me in advance, though."
"Awesome! So, are they both from Japan?"
"I think so...well, I don't know, actually."
"What did the guy say when you talked to him?"
"Umm...he said, well-- I haven't actually talked to him so much as e-mailing him," I answered. Suddenly, I knew where this line of questioning was leading, so I offered, "It does sound a bit too good to be true, right?"
Josh laughed, "It's not worth worrying about, Whoppahead!"
---

Fast-forward to the next day when I got a message from the 'dad':

"How are you doing today and thanks for the respose towards the job also my son said hi to you because i already told him about you the new tutor, i got your email with the provided informations and showing interest wanting to work as a tutor. I will like you to get updated and come to an agreement before i proceed with any further arrangement,my son and i are going to be in the city on the 13th of May and we do have our financier in the state who is going to handle the payment of your service like i told you in my previous email by issuing out a payment of $1,982 and you will have to take out your first week service advance payment which is $710 and you will be helping to buy a greendot moneypak pin which will be use for necessary arrangement for the books and other materials to teach him and you can buy the greendot moneypak pin at walmart,So i need to be sure if you are in good mood to accept with this before i let our financier to send the payment to you."

Let's review a few red-flags:

1.) No one from any significant metropolitan area has ever reffered to Blacksburg, VA as a city.
2.) Promising large sums of money without speaking to someone first is a dumb idea.
3.) The guy did not say anything specific to this area: town name, library name, or even the state name.
4.) This one's the best: this Japanese father's name?

"I am Anthony Walterman."
---

So, word to the wise: beware of scammers on internet job sites!

Bye Bye, Bud

This morning marked the final class in the illustrious career of Dr. James I. "Bud" Robertson.

In addition to being his final class, it was also the first college classroom in which I felt underdressed, as dozens of Dr. Robertson's colleagues, family, and friends came out to support him and witness his final class, wearing ties and blazers in stark contrast to the military uniforms of the CORPS members and mid-week t-shirts and shorts worn my a majority of the students.

I was there to see greatness complete a great work.

"Today caps off 57 years in the classroom for me, which is truly humbling," Dr. Robertson remarked as he began his lecture, which lasted only about 25 minutes. He went on to thank everyone for being present.

"Especially my wife," he said as he glanced up at her in the first row.

Dr. Robertson has been teaching Civil War and Reconstruction at Virginia Tech for a majority of his 57-year teaching career and has decided to retire from teaching, although his efforts as a Civil War historian will continue unimpeded with the Virginia Sesquicennial Conference at Virginia Tech later this month.

Dr. Robertson is the author of 18 major works, including Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend, which won eight national awards in 1997.

During his lecture, Dr. Robertson focused on the end of the Civil War, namely the surrender of General Lee's men to U.S. Grant and the Union. He mentioned how cordial and formal of an affair it was, the difficult but necessary reuniting of a nation.

He also shared about the importance of remembering veterans and honoring their memory, quoting Dwight Eisenhower's address at a commemorative event held in the 1930s, "there's something about these fields that stays here," referring to the Civil War battlefields that are now national treasures.

The room erupted in applause after the lecture, along with which he also applauded.

After a slide show of pictures of Civil War veterans, Dr. Robertson's closed with a short, but poignant remark:

"And that was the Civil War.
Thank you so much for being here-- God bless."

Time to talk on 'time'

"The church that takes seriously the fact that Jesus is Lord of all time will not just celebrate quietly every time we write the date on a document or letter, will not just set aside Sunday as far as humanly and socially possible as a celebration of God's new creation (and will point out the folly of the seven-day working week), will not just seek to order its own life in an appropriate rhythm of worship and work. Such a church will also seek to bring wisdom, and freshly humanizing order, to the rhythms of work in offices and shops, in local government, in civic holidays, and in the shaping of public life. These things cannot be taken for granted. . . The reclaiming of time as God's good gift (as opposed to time simply a commmodity to be spent for one's own benefit, which often means fresh forms of slavery for others) is not an extra to the church's mission. It is central."
-N.T. Wright (Surprised by Hope, 266)

May the next 40 days be a living out of the great redemption we have in Christ (and, of course, the 40 after...and after...)!

Syria-sly?

Recursive protests: anti-Syrian government protesters were shot at by government authorities while mourning their dead, which will likely only lead to more protests and outrage among the very same people-- raising the question, "where does the string of violence end?"

also see: Syrian army attack town of Deraa

This morning, I ran over Seth Greenberg...

...or, I ALMOST did, anyway.

Actually, he was jogging along Washington Street in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he resides and works as Virginia Tech's basketball coach, as I drove by in my Honda-CRV. You might remember him from such episodes as "ACC Coach of the Year, 2005".

That famous run-in led me to ask the question:

"What run-in's with famous people have you had?"


Other famous run-in's of mine:
* I saw Jeremy Shapp, sports writer and ESPN personality, in a Minneapolis airport.
I doubt that he was there to see...

* ... author of Crazy Love and The Forgotten God, Francis Chan, who was in line in front of me in the same airport at the same time. He'd likely hate that he is referred to as a "famous person," however.

The Waste Land

A ponderence on transformation
http://www.thelyric.com/events/?ID=1038

I'm excited to see how this film portrays "the transformative power of art and the beauty of the human spirit" as an artists strives to create art using the very materials that people in a landfill in Brazil are using to support themselves: recycled trash. (quote from www.IMDB.com)

I look forward to seeing if the "transformation" this film presents is actually one that impacts the people in a real way-- how to truly reconcile our need for social reclamation with the truly transformative power of the gospel of Christ. If this film truly deals with "the human spirit," then I'm sure these aspects will be dealt with, even if unintentionally.

$6.00 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (April 15-17);
$5.00 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (April 18-20)

all @ the Lyric theatre in downtown Blacksburg, VA!

Huge deal!

It's no small thing when any two parties agree on a compromise when there's $38 billion between them unresolved.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_us/us_spending_showdown

Make sure to enjoy Shenandoah National Park even more this weekend!

The River internship: April Update-- We are not Professionals

"We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry. . . professionalism has nothing to do with the essence and heart of the Christian ministry. The more professional we long to be, the more spiritual death we will leave in our wake. For there is no professional childlikeness, there is no professional tenderheartedness. There is no professional panting after God."
-John Piper, from Brothers, we are not Professionals


On Thursday, we rested together.

Several pastors and staff from various churches and ministries around the Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford area gathered in the Crosspointe Conference Center in Riner, VA to share with one another about what it is that the Lord has done in their lives and ministries of late. At first, I felt somewhat strange about the idea of a half-day retreat with a bunch of pastors in and around Virginia.
"Will this be a worthwhile endeavor?" I wondered as we arrived, skeptical as to the need and the worth of such a meeting as this.

Much to the folly of my own skepticism, though, I ended up enjoying the four hours that we spent together very well. We didn't speak about denominations, public policy, money, or political wrangling, as I thought might come up between men from such positions of service and diverse backgrounds as these; but instead we worshiped God in song, prayed together, and heard about a ministry in the Blacksburg area called "The Pregnancy Resource Center" that supports and guides women medically and emotionally on how to handle having a baby, providing services such as sonograms and counseling for women and their partners.

After a time of prayer with the administrators of the PRC, we shared life stories about how God had brought us to the point where we were, working to minister to the people of Blacksburg. It was such a clear encouragement to my heart and mind just to hear the stories of these dozen-or-so people who have chosen to work their careers and engage the world in professional ministry. I am humbled to have been around so many men and women who have lived their lives for God in both the professional realms as teachers, professors, restaurateurs, and soldiers, but now find themselves head-long in a calling to minister the Gospel to the people around them. It was clear: God had brought each and every man and woman in that room from a place complete darkness into a redeemed, reconciled relationship with himself-- in each case and through incredibly diverse circumstances, it was accomplished through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Good-bye, Bud.

This is an article about Dr. James I. "Bud" Robertson, Jr., who is retiring this year after 43 years of work at VPI.

From the article (written by Jean Elliott of Virginia Tech):

"Robertson said, “A good professor is as young as his students. I’ve kept on teaching long after I should retire because I love the kids.” The 22,000 Hokies who have taken Robertson’s class probably all remember a statement similar to this, “If you don’t understand the emotions, you won’t understand the war. You have to come to know them,” Robertson said, “and then you get to understand history.”

A great resource for writing

I've been using Writer's Market (www.writersmarket.com) for about five years and really enjoy the contacts to publishers, newspapers, and magazines that they provide. It does cost a little bit for the subscription, but is overall a worthwhile resource.

Be bold in reaching out and see what can happen!

Japan: The right reaction

I recently read "Japan: After Empathy and Aid, People Want Answers" concerning the response from followers of Christ to the tragic earthquake in Japan. I agree that having the priorities, proclamation in power, prayer, and clear sense of purpose directs both the hearts and hands of people empowered by the Holy Spirit to love and serve those in greatest need, even when circumstances are overwhelming.

My part-time job

Since September, I've been working at the River church in Blacksburg, VA.

It's been an amazing honor to serve the church, but I've learned that there's always this strange desire inside me that wants to go. When I'm inside of our offices, typing away at my computer or preparing some teaching or presentation for the church throughout the wintry months, watching the snow pile up and the sleet blanketing our parking lot like the South Pole, I just yearn to escape... to run... to be where I can be free.

That's why I've taken a new part-time job this Spring: I'm umpiring baseball.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=caple_jim&id=6161420

Now, this is not actually a "new" occupation whatsoever: I've been umpiring baseball games for the last 13 years. However, this season, I'm breaking out of little league and recreational baseball to apply my skills to teh next level of high school baseball.

Last Saturday, I spent six hours on a baseball field with ten fellow umpires, running through a series of lessons, clinics, and in-game scenarios that really tested our mettle. For one, I realized how humbling it was to submit to men who have been officiating baseball for over 25 years. Winston, our most seasoned umpire, led us through several lessons about what we needed to be doing and thinking about on any given play during the game. We had the opportunity to step onto the field for two scrimmage games, one Junior varsity and one Varsity, played between William Byrd HS and Patrick Henry HS.

My favorite moment was when I was umpiring in the field and there was a man on first base, meaning that I was in the "B" position approximately between first and second base. There was a left-handed batter up and he laced a screamer that seemed certainly destined to decapitate me before I could even realize it was in the air. I made like Neo in "The Matrix," narrowly avoiding receiving a free tattoo on my forehead, and turned quickly to clearly see the second baseman field and toss the ball to the shortstop, who was coming across second base, thus recording the out. Of course, this was the easiest part of my job; there was still an opportunity for the shortstop to retire the batter-turned-runner at first!

In the quickness of the play, I signalled the runner out and second and rapidly twisted my body around to have a relatively good view of what was happening at first base. As the ball soared from the second baseman into my peripheral view, I also saw the batter-runner chugging within a few feet of first base.

"A banger," Winston said earlier during our lessons.
"What's...what's a banger?" one of my fellow newcomers uttered, wanting to understand the terminology.
"A banger," Winston repeated to set-up his explanation, "is when a ball and a runner meet at almsot the same time at a base. It's different from a 'bang-bang!' play, because in that case, you have two sounds, one "bang" from the fielder catching the ball, and another from the runner hitting the base. A banger is when there's literally no way to tell certainly with the naked eye what happened, the play is just that close...there's only ONE bang!" Winston looked at us thoughtfully, smiling as we stared in awe of when we might be able to witness such a play.
"Oh, just watch. Maybe not in the JV, but in Varsity, there'll be some bangers!"
"Well, what do we do if there's a banger?" my fellow rookie umpire asked.
"You get yourself in the best position possible to see the play," Winston said, squating down as though he was about to witness a 'banger' of his own. "Then, you watch the whole play to it's very end, pause for a second to replay it in your mind, and then, you call--

"Out!" I shouted as the ball's arrival in the firstbaseman's glove and batter-runner hitting firstbase provided me with my first Varsity banger. It was emphatic, decisive, and clear: he was out. A few people shouted, "Oh!" in disagreement, as will happen with any play so close no matter what the umpire's decision is. But that's just it: the decision ultimately is mine to make and make without a doubt.

No one argued. No one confronted me or asked me about it afterward. One of the more seasoned umpires even came up to me afterward and said, "Hey, that was a great call. You were loud and clear; that's what they want. You do that, no one will ever argue with you!"

Of course, this was a scrimmage game with ten other umpires. The coaches knew we were practicing, just like they were. They didn't ultimately care about score or out/safe as much as getting their players ready for the "real" season. And then, when the 'bangers' start coming in full-force, I better be ready to face the music!

Rockbridge Prayer Overnight

Three weekends ago, I had the chance to participate in an amazing time at Rockbridge Young Life camp in Rockbridge, VA, at which people gather for the expressed purpose of lifting up the Young Life ministries throughout the Virginia Commonwealth region (every part of Virginia except Northern Virginia). Our time

What, fasting? you might ask. Yes, indeed: about 900 people from across the Commonwealth joined in a period of about 20 hours during which we did not eat any food, drinking only water, juice, and coffee.

I loved having the chance to be there, as I feel like the heart of the Father was very evident in the leadership of the conference. Scott Hamilton, the regional director, delivered a roaring speech evoking the spirit of Abraham Lincoln who, in the midst of the American Civil War, called all people across America to a day of fasting and prayer for the guidance and direction of the United States. I, personally, was moved by Scott's talk, as it really fanned the fires of desire in me to truly pray in the name of Jesus Christ not only for the success of Young Life ministries, but for people who do not know Jesus Christ. It was really as simple as that, that I was affirmed incredibly in the desire God has stirred in my heart to pray for schools in Virginia, ask for the lives of the students in those schools to be submitted to Christ, and to seek Christ in whatever circumstances he leads me to.

I'm confident that this was an act of the Spirit, but there were so many people in the club room where we congregated that we had to seat people in chairs on the stage behind the podium where Scott stood, perhaps yet again evoking the heart of Lincoln, who often delivered his speeches in towns and cities at meetings, surrounded in front and behind by people listening on.

"I feel like I'm speaking at a town hall here!" Scott commented at one point as he looked around him at the throngs of people present for this day to ask that God's kingdom would come and that God's will be done in the hearts, minds, souls, and bodies of young students in Virginia.

Scott Hamilton delivers a speech to an overflow crowd at Rockbridge Alum Spring Young Life camp during Prayer Overnight.

Blue Creek Adventure: Blazing Belize, January 2011

On Friday, our last days in Punta Gorda, we finished several of the projects, including carrying the remainder of the cinder blocks to the top of LOL’s roof and applying the metal roof to the kitchen at TCA. On this day, however, we only worked half of a day, as our hosts provided us with the honor of exploring Blue Creek, a local river about 30 minutes from the TCA that mixes a jaunt through the jungle with swimming in a huge river that runs through a cave! For many of us, this last bit of Belizean wilderness provided the best view of God’s heart for adventure in our trip.
“I remember a time back before I was a believer,” Isaac stated as he reflected on the Blue Creek, “when I was just laying in bed, thinking about how much I just wanted to live out an adventure. The whole time I was in that cave, swimming around and hearing every splash and my voice echo off the walls, I knew God’s heart for me was to keep living this adventure with Him!”
It was during this trip, too, that we had our most potent chance to speak into someone’s life for Christ. As we waited near the mouth of the cave for life jackets, our guide, a 45-year old man from a local village in Punta Gorda, sat with several of the people from our group. He pointed out two snakebites on his leg.
“These are deadly.”
“Well, how did you survive?” Jonathan asked.
His eyes trained in on Jonathan as he answered him starkly, “You don’t want to know who I am.” It was clear at this point that he did not feel excited to share his true nature, but Jonathan pressed on.
“No, I do want to know you,” he said frankly. The man seemed somewhat uncomfortable, but he relented to the attention.
“I am a witch doctor,” he answered.
Jonathan sought more clarity. “You should know that in our language, a witch doctor is someone who worships Satan. Is this what you mean with this term or do you mean something different?”
“Yes, that is what I am,” answered Jonathan. Jonathan went on in the conversation to tell the man who we were and what we were doing in Punta Gorda, working with an organization that was committed to the heart of Jesus Christ and that each one of us had a personal relationship with God through Jesus, and that Jesus was the only one who could forgive us of our sin. The man seemed moved and intrigued, so much so that he even said that he wanted to accept Jesus, but that he needed to think about it more and understand more before he did so.
Jonathan promised the man, “We will return here, then, in several months and we will talk more. I will tell some friends who I know who also know Jesus and they can help you understand more, also.” It was a moment with clear indication that the Father’s heart was with us, even as we strayed from our direct “mission” of helping the ministries with their projects—that our purpose remained steadfast even in the middle of a cave in the jungle with a witch doctor in Belize!
Overall, my favorite part of the life we experienced in Belize was watching our team come together and worship Christ in whatever circumstance we faces, whether it was grueling work, competing with local friends in sports, worshipping each night, eating unfathomable rice-and-beans with chicken dishes, or speaking life into the people who God placed in our paths.
“For some reason, I just feel really alive,” Alex Hugel, one of our group members, said as he finished his week in Belize. His face was beaming with a tremendously blessed smile. “I just have this awesome sense that God loves me and that I’m taken care of. This just really changes everything.”

Toledo Christian Academy: Punta Gorda, Belize

Toledo Christian Academy
One of the most significant parts of our trip came at the Toledo Christian Academy, where the remaining ten people from our team who were not working at the orphanage were given two tasks: build a hot kitchen for the school’s cafeteria and dig trenches along the side of the entrance to the school for drainage purposes. Our work at TCA benefited the administration, staff, and the almost 100 students who study at the school full-time, ranging in age from kindergarten to high school. The school has a truly diverse range of teachers who instill vision and the corresponding tools for these students to live a life for Christ. It was an amazing opportunity for us, as workers, to really see tangible results in our work.
Our work at TCA was full of adventure, knowing that every time we thrust our shovels into the ground, there might well be a scorpion or tarantula that emerged from the hole. At one point, my team found three different tarantulas in a one-hour period!
“You know what’s crazy?” Caleb said as he leaned over to me while watching Isaac allow the tarantula to crawl on the front of his shirt, “If I saw anything even half as big as that spider in my house in America, I’d absolutely run the other way without another thought, let alone actually picking it up!”
There definitely was something about this place that helped us let go of our commonplace conceptions of “normal” life: maybe it was the free-grazing cattle in the front of the school which we were instructed to chase away if they came near the student buildings; or the lunch we ate together with Emerson, consisting of the heart of a palm tree that he cut out with his bare hands the day before; or the palm trees and tiny tarantula holes that dotted the entire campus—everything around us spoke of adventure.
However, it was also during our time at the school when our team had the best chance to interact with people from the town of Punta Gorda itself who live their day-to-day in and around the campus of TCA. There was so much life in the young students at the school! At one point, I sat down with Daniel, an eight-year-old boy who looked somewhat out of place among his darker-skinned classmates.
“Where are you from?” I asked him as we nibbled on our meal of burritos and kool-aid.
“I’m from North Carolina. We came here four years ago,” he said in a perfectly astute way, carrying himself like a man three-times his age.
“Oh, really? Why did you come here?” I continued to inquire of him.
“Well, my dad works as a teacher for the high school kids. We came when God called us here.”
I sat, impressed by Daniel’s young faith to follow God’s calling, even in this remote Christian school that stood in stark contrast to life in America.
Sam Vaughn, a college student who was a part of our team, found Daniel later that day throwing a softball to himself in the air and offered to play with him. For the next three days, Sam began collecting a small coalition of young children who would throw the softball and talk about everything from the beautiful weather in Belize to C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series. I felt fortunate to be a part of one of these meetings, during which Daniel and I got to discuss our views on life. I shared with him that I was a huge fan of the Narnia books, although I have not finished reading all of them, and that when I was his age, I was just beginning my first book. Daniel paused as he held the over-sized softball in his hand.
“I like the movies better,” he said in a bold display of technological savvy, to which Sam and I looked at one another and burst laughter, being the bookworms we are.
That was one of the best parts of living among these young people, learning that “life” is “life” whether we are traversing the halls of high schools in the USA or throwing the softball with 8-15 year-olds in a school campus hollowed from the wild jungles of Belize. Craig, another Virginia Tech student attending our trip, experienced this first-hand when he overheard two high school students talking about a girl in their class.
“I mean, it’s just like kids back in America!” he exclaimed as he reflected on their interaction. There was definitely a wall that fell down as our team learned that our needs and desires are not any different than those that God has placed in the hearts of all people, regardless of socio-economic status or cultural affiliation.

Sports
The Toledo Christian Academy is famed in Belize for their volleyball skills, having won the Girls’ National Title twice in the last three years, and the coming within one win of claiming the Boys’ division title this past year. So, when Emerson challenged several members of our team to a friendly match during lunch break, we surmised that this would be anything but “friendly”.

“Okay, our goal has got to be to beat Emerson once by the end of the week,” was our team’s rallying point after we’d lost soundly to his constant barrage of precisely-placed serves and brilliant net play, all of which left things clear as to who was leading the standard for fine sportsmanship here at the Academy. When your principal is leaving early-20s college students shaking their heads in disgust at their ineptitude, you know you have a winner!

Volleyball, though, was not the highlight of our sporting weekend, as our team had the profound honor of competing against several community members in Punta Gorda in a soccer match on Thursday night. As we rolled up in our school bus, our entire group was yelling and cheering: it had the same atmosphere as a huge high school match! We exited the bus to an empty field, lit by the huge lights above the field. I felt like I could almost hear the low, crackly voice of the NFL films voice-over host as he announced the excitement and the energy of the moment: “The under-dog Americans warm-up for their match as the mist rises up from the field, their focus entirely on one thing: the chase for glory before them!”

Emerson had been talking up his team to us for the entire week, telling us that we had better not even bother showing up for the match. As we warmed up, two pick-up trucks full of men rolled up to the sidelines, dressed in various colored soccer jerseys: our opponents had arrived! We kicked off the game at around 8:30, a game that proved to be very competitive from both sides. Fraught with slide tackles, sharp passes, great goalie saves, and amazing shots on goal, our rag-tag team of 16 persevered to the end despite eventually falling to the native team, 3-2. The greatest victory of the night was being able to share in such an event with Emerson and his friends, spreading an amazing spirit of both competitiveness and simple joy at the chance to spend the evening in such a life-giving way!

The finished product: a space for the TCA hot kitchen!

The Toledo Christian Academy skyline at dusk.

Emerson and Alex secure lunch: the heart of a palm tree!

Juan-Caleb and Alex eating lunch

Laugh Out Loud orphanage: Punta Gorda, Belize

My charge to our group at the beginning of our trip was as follows:
“Whether we get to share Christ with hundreds of people or find ourselves lifting cider blocks up over our heads to build a wall, our goals are still the same, that our efforts and hearts would reflect the glory of God to all the people of this region of Punta Gorda as we serve them well.”
Let’s just say, I’m glad that I put in the part about lifting up cinder blocks!
In the morning, we trudged away from our Missions House, making our way to the small chapel at the entrance to the expansive campus. It was an unexpected treat to hear the sounds of drums and guitar flowing, emanating their indiscernible tunes through the open windows of the barn-like structure that housed this small chapel. As we drew closer, the sounds seemed to draw us toward the barn, as though the presence of the Lord was simply singing a fount of praise within.
Inside the chapel, we gathered around the small worship band, led by Jervis and Doyle, two men who both work at the Laugh Out Loud orphanage in the town. We worshipped alongside them, standing and singing with lifted hands, to the glory of the Lord. It was a great surprise to me to have the opportunity to be present for worship in such a passionate forum, as coming into the trip I did not know what to expect in terms of amenities to this end.
During the next five days, our group split into three group of 5 people and worked to support both the orphanage and the Toledo Christian Academy in their work.
At the orphanage, our mission was simple: getting “stuff” from Point ‘A’ to Point ‘B’. You see, the LOL Orphanage has been working for the past three years to build a home/ building suitable for young children to dwell in to live their lives securely, however, they remain six months away from opening their doors for service. For the final leg of this task, they are building a third-story on top of the two already-constructed stories, resulting in a structure that will house up to 50 orphans and staff at any given time. We had the duty of carrying hundreds of buckets of sand and over 1,000 cinder blocks onto the top of the roof, each team laboring in shifts of five people each day to accomplish this task. This was an amazing service to the small staff of the LOL orphanage as they continue building up their ministry, literally, from the ground-up with little-to-no heavy machine in tow.
We loved having the opportunity to really dig into the project at LOL, mainly because the heart behind it is so rich. The social dynamics of Belize are very unorthodox, starting with the family structure. Many times, fathers will not accept full responsibility for their children, coming and going throughout towns and villages without really knowing what the effects of their actions are on their families. I was amazed at some of the stories I heard from Jervis and Melissa, the proprietors of LOL orphanage, about mothers who heard what they were doing and would walk their young infants to the complex, asking for the babies to be accepted at the orphanage. It was a difficult notion to grasp, that these mothers were so burdened by the responsibilities of raising many children that they simply cannot do so any longer.




Above, Top to Bottom: Caleb and Ryan pose while sanding the concrete tabletops; The orphanage building, still under construction; Jervis and Sam jam during morning worship. (Photos from J. Nicoletti and J. Wood)

Blazing Belize Update: Early Travels

Early Travels
Our trip began early on Thursday morning, as we took to the road around 12:15 AM. During our trip, the 14 of us sliced through sheets of snow as we tranversed the 5-mile course from Blacksburg, VA to Atlanta, GA. Most of us slept, while the valiant captains and trusty co-pilots in the two mini-vans navigated the mountains of NC in the wee-hours of this wintery morning.
Overall, we were in high spirits, shouting and singing off the grogginess of the trip as we went through he process of long-term parking and security leading to our 9:00 AM flight from Atlanta to Cancun, Mexico. Our team found the afternoon full of resting or weary frivolity, as many of our 14 decided to forego rest at the opportunity to explore the Cancun beaches. We enjoyed the evening as an opportune time to bond and take in the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Mexican culture, dining on an outdoor concourse where they feed us healthy portions of tacos (pork meat cooked with a flame torch!), dishes of chicken and beef, and an authentic dessert preared before our very eyes: glazed, caramelized bananas! “You guys remember that snow storm? Yeah, me neither!” was a thought shared often as we switched radically into this oasis of Caribbean beauty.
Our second day of travel was a marathon, taking us from Cancun at 9 AM and landing us in Toledo Christian Academy in Punta Gorda, Belize at around 11 PM, during which we traveled via bus and van. Our time was a cultural adventure that took us through the customs and immigration check-points between Belize and Mexico, providing us the opportunity to learn local music and culture along the way. After arriving, we met the staff of the Laugh Out Loud orphanage and prepared ourselves for a well-deserved rest.

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Check back for the rest of the trip this week!

Prayer Schedule for Blazing Belize 2011

If you are interested, you can follow this "prayer schedule" to know how to pray for our time/ our work in Belize!

Blazing Belize, January 2011: Itinerary and Prayer Scehdule

January 7, 2011

12:00 AM Leave Blacksburg, VA to Atlanta, GA
*Meet in the Ministry Center of The River
(Days Inn; 3503 Holiday Lane; Blacksburg VA 24060)
9:05 AM AirTran Airways flight 44 Atl to Cancun
11:05 AM AirTran Airways flight 44 arrives—Cancun, Mexico
12:00 PM check-in at Hotel del Sol
6:00 PM Dinner
7:00 Meetings, instructions, and prayer
• Pray for trip leaders Jonathan Tagg and Ryan Bettwy as they instruct the team to success.
• Pray for rest for the team members throughout the travels
• Pray for our travels, our conversations, and for safe arrival in each location as we travel.

January 8, 2011

7:00 AM Breakfast
7:30 AM Leave Hotel del Sol
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Bus to Chetumal to Belize City
5:00 PM- 7:00 PM Bus from Belize City to Punta Gorda, Belize
7:00 PM Shuttle to LOL ministries
7:30 PM Dinner at Toldeo Christian Academy
• Pray for traveling, bus transitions, and for hotel/ food accommodations/ physical health
• Pray for our interactions with the people in Punta Gorda, Belize
• Pray for our time together as a team and in the word each day

January 9, 2011

7:00 AM Breakfast
8:00 AM Morning devotional
9 AM - 6 PM Field trip to Silk/ Ranguana Caye for snorkeling and beach play
7:30-8:30 PM Meeting for assignments, directions, and prayer
• Pray for us to enrich relationships among team members, build unity, and proclaim Christ
• Pray for our trip leaders to be of sound judgment, guidance, and for physical safety

January 10, 2011

7:00 AM Breakfast
8:00 AM Morning devotional
8:45 AM Gather with work team. Report to LOL, TCA, or Hillside, as assigned
9:00 AM- 6:00 PM Work at worksite (LOL, TCA, and Hillside)
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Meet with break-out groups
• Pray for Alex Hugel, Mark Richardson, and Sam Vaughn, for their personal experience of Christ during this trip
• Pray for the interactions between our team and students, workers, and other Belizean natives.


January 11, 2011

7:00 AM Breakfast
8:00 AM Morning devotional
8:45 AM Gather with work team. Report to LOL, TCA, or Hillside, as assigned
9:00 AM- 6:00 PM Work at worksite (LOL, TCA, and Hillside)
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Meet with break-out groups
• Pray for Caleb Fleming, Isaac Nagle, and Sam Walton: For authentic interactions with people and God
• Pray for the Laugh Out Loud orphanage: for clarity in purpose, direction, practical needs, and for their leadership (Melissa and Jervis)
• Pray for the construction projects that we are completing at the orphanage

January 12, 2011

7:00 AM Breakfast
8:00 AM Morning devotional
8:45 AM Gather with work team. Report to LOL, TCA, or Hillside, as assigned
9:00 AM- 6:00 PM Work at worksite (LOL, TCA, and Hillside)
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Meet with break-out groups
• Pray for Rachel Carlson, Alex Hopkins, and Kent Dodge: for their interactions with others and for seeking Christ during their day
• Pray for the Toledo Christian Academy: For focus on their goals, funding, and solid interactions with foreigners/ Americans
• Pray for Emerson, the principal of TCA, and for the kitchen that we are building at the school

January 13, 2011

7:00 AM Breakfast
8:00 AM Morning devotional
8:45 AM Gather with work team. Report to LOL, TCA, or Hillside, as assigned
9:00 AM- 6:00 PM Work at worksite (LOL, TCA, and Hillside)
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Meet with break-out groups
• Pray for The Hillside Health clinic: for our interactions with the workers there, for physical healing, for wisdom of doctors, and for funding
• Pray for John Saad and Craig Sweeney: for their time at the clinics and remote sites to be fulfilling and educational, for seeking Christ, and vision for ministry

January 14, 2011

7:00 AM Breakfast
8:00 AM Morning devotional
8:45 AM Gather with work team. Report to LOL, TCA, or Hillside, as assigned
9:00 AM- 6:00 PM Work at worksite (LOL, TCA, and Hillside)
7:30 PM – 8:00 PM Meet with break-out groups
• Pray for Joshua Nicoletti and James Wood: For their interactions with Christ and the team
• Pray for energy, rest, and our times of sharing the word with one another
• Pray for our devotionals, that they would feed us spiritual and that we’d recall them throughout the day

January 15, 2011

7:00 AM Breakfast
8:00 AM – 11:00 AM Bus from Punta Gorda to Belize City
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Bus from Belize City to Chetumal to Cancun
1:00 PM check-in at hotel in Cancun
6:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Final meeting and time of sharing
• Pray for The Hayes family: for their time in Punta Gorda, their hearts toward Christ, and for interactions with others to be fulfilling
• For continued ministry in Punta Gorda, Belize to happen. For peoples’ hearts to go there to be enlightened and fed with practical opportunities to go and share Christ

January 16, 2011

8:00 AM Breakfast
10:00 AM Check-out of hotel/ accommodations
12:00 PM AirTran Airways flight 45 Cancun to Atlanta, GA
3:50 PM AirTran Airways flight 45 arrives—Hatfield airport, Atlanta, GA
4:30 PM – 10:30 PM Drive from Atlanta, GA to Blacksburg, VA
• Pray for our return trip to the United States
• Pray for sharing our adventures and the things we’ve learned on our trip
• For the logistics of our travel: rest, health, and energy in the return

Blazing Belize, 2011

The motto for the Hillside Health Center International in Belize is a simple quote that embodies the international flavor of this region and its people:

"Prayer begets faith, faith begets love, and love begets service on behalf of the poor” -- Mother Teresa

How can a clinic in Belize, a country smaller than the state of Massachusetts tucked just South of Mexico, uphold the values stated by an Indian nun of Albanian ethnicity?

A more startling question: Why does that matter to the 16 Americans about to board an airplane to visit this Belizean region?

Tomorrow, I will depart along with a team of 15 other eager members of The River church to explore the terrain of Mexico and finally land at our destination of Punta Gorda Belize. While we will certainly revel in the opportunity to enjoy traveling and swimming in crystal-blue waters in Southern Belize, our goal stretches far beyond these endeavors, upholding a goal going on this trip that is very simple: to carry the banner of Christ unto all the nations of the world with a heart of service in tow.

For six days, we will be visiting Punta Gorda, Belize, where we will serve three ministries stationed in the area:

* LAUGH OUT LOUD orphanage, an under-served Christian ministry in Punta Gorda that is developing a home that will serve upwards of 75 children once it becomes fully-functional. Our goal is to serve in construction projects for the orphanage, which is severely lacking in man-power and funds, a role that we are honored to serve.

* TOLDEO CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, a Christian school dedicated to teaching youths from pre-school to middle school ages. Their purpose is to prepare children educationally and to cast a vision for their 100 students to live a God-centered life. Our goal is to serve them by funding and building a full-service kitchen which, once operating, will serve the children and the community by providing hot meals to students daily.

* HILLSIDE MEDICAL CLINIC, a health clinic dedicated to serving the underprivileged communities in and around the Toledo District of Southern Belize.

It's amazing for me personally to step into a position of serving people who, at this point, I have never known. I am excited to be even a small part of this team and will enjoy sharing the experiences that we encounter after returning from our 9-day journey. Our vision is that Christ will be known, praised, and exalted-- and now we simply step into it with faith!

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CONSTANT SUPPORT and for considering us as we journey through Mexico and Belize!