Friday, September 29, 2006
Sea Kayaking
There we are in our sea kayaking gear! This is the Alaska intern team, Alex, and myself. The next two pics are iceburgs that we paddled by. I'll put more pics on the web on Monday. 
The Ice Caves
The blue pic is what it looks like in the ice caves that we hiked! If you look closely you can tell where there is water moving behind the glacier! It is surreal and you feel like you are in an aquarium. The second pic is the opening to the ice cave. And below is a new friend, Crystal, and myself sitting on the glacier.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
WoW! Amazing! Beautiful!
Adjectives that I've said over and over while being here in Juneau!
There are mountains everywhere... but you have to look quick due to fog, rain, and more rain! Lakes galore... the water channel, and YES, a huge glacier that I walked by and explored ice caves with the team.
First UAS - Juneau (the campus)... I got to meet several pastors, interact with students as I passed out Freshmen Survival Kits, and I got to share Christ with students. What a privilege. Heather and Megan are the two that stick out to me. I'm continuing a relationship with Heather as we talk about the gospel and the book of John. She is so eager to know Christ! Pray for Megan and Heather that the truth of Christ would be evident to where they worship Christ!
ALSO, the Lord blessed us with a Kayak trip by the glacier by an adventurous friend, Debbie. She rented kayaks for our team and brought another friend along as we kayaked in a lake with iceburgs, waterfalls, and the glacier. WoW!
Then we hiked along the glacier and even inside it. There is water running inside the frozen part... the only thing even remotely like it to describe it is looking through an aquarium with 10 inch glass. There were so many shades of blue in the ice caves too. I'll have to post pictures later.
There are mountains everywhere... but you have to look quick due to fog, rain, and more rain! Lakes galore... the water channel, and YES, a huge glacier that I walked by and explored ice caves with the team.
First UAS - Juneau (the campus)... I got to meet several pastors, interact with students as I passed out Freshmen Survival Kits, and I got to share Christ with students. What a privilege. Heather and Megan are the two that stick out to me. I'm continuing a relationship with Heather as we talk about the gospel and the book of John. She is so eager to know Christ! Pray for Megan and Heather that the truth of Christ would be evident to where they worship Christ!
ALSO, the Lord blessed us with a Kayak trip by the glacier by an adventurous friend, Debbie. She rented kayaks for our team and brought another friend along as we kayaked in a lake with iceburgs, waterfalls, and the glacier. WoW!
Then we hiked along the glacier and even inside it. There is water running inside the frozen part... the only thing even remotely like it to describe it is looking through an aquarium with 10 inch glass. There were so many shades of blue in the ice caves too. I'll have to post pictures later.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
New Territory
One state I never thought I'd see would be Alaska. BUT tomorrow I set foot in Juneau! I'm sure I'll have adventure and see new things as well as experience new culture.
Already I know I'll be in Juneau with our Alaska team that is just starting out and Alex Kettles. We'll meet up in Juneau, have some fun fishing on the weekend, and we are hopefully finding key students who desire to see transformed lives in Christ.
Then we'll take a 5 hour ferry to Sitka, AK which will be cool to see all the sights (I hope). And do the same thing all over again. I pray we would see the Lord's hand and have favor with all the people just like the first church did.
This trip promises to be exciting though I'll have to remind myself to continue to be flexible as I'm sure our plans will change though hope to be in step with the Lord through it all! If you think about it pray for us. I'll be there until Sept. 28th.
I'll be sure to post pictures.
Already I know I'll be in Juneau with our Alaska team that is just starting out and Alex Kettles. We'll meet up in Juneau, have some fun fishing on the weekend, and we are hopefully finding key students who desire to see transformed lives in Christ.
Then we'll take a 5 hour ferry to Sitka, AK which will be cool to see all the sights (I hope). And do the same thing all over again. I pray we would see the Lord's hand and have favor with all the people just like the first church did.
This trip promises to be exciting though I'll have to remind myself to continue to be flexible as I'm sure our plans will change though hope to be in step with the Lord through it all! If you think about it pray for us. I'll be there until Sept. 28th.
I'll be sure to post pictures.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Conversations at the Airport
Have you ever noticed that when things at the airport go smoothly, you don't really talk to those around you? BUT if the plane is late, weird landing, or anything technical goes wrong suddenly you have conversations with everyone?
At JFK last night, I was waiting to board our flight when the announcement came that we were going to be late because our flight crew hadn't shown up yet.
As a result, people started talking. There was the woman who lived in Albany that hoped to make her shuttle still so she would get home at a decent time. I found out she used to live in Brooklyn and moved to the west coast when her husband was transferred in his job.
Then there was the woman from da Bronx who was coming here for a wedding. Her step daughter's... she was a lovely lady who ended up sitting behind me on the plane.
Then there was the drunk guy who couldn't believe that he had to wait a bit longer for his flight.
Then there was the guy when I got on the plane that was so friendly to everyone. He ended up sitting next to me. It was fun to watch he and his wife interact. They were definitely in love. He turned to me and we began talking about life. It turns out we have a lot in common even though he grew up in Istanbul. Ahmet and Mobey were visiting Portland to see an aunt for the last time most likely. We had talks on death and about our 3 religions. He is Muslim, Mobey is Jewish, and I am Christian. It was a great conversation and at the end they gave me their information to keep in touch.
All in all it was a pleasant trip after all -- even if we boarded the plane late and then sat on the runway for 50 minutes before take off!
At JFK last night, I was waiting to board our flight when the announcement came that we were going to be late because our flight crew hadn't shown up yet.
As a result, people started talking. There was the woman who lived in Albany that hoped to make her shuttle still so she would get home at a decent time. I found out she used to live in Brooklyn and moved to the west coast when her husband was transferred in his job.
Then there was the woman from da Bronx who was coming here for a wedding. Her step daughter's... she was a lovely lady who ended up sitting behind me on the plane.
Then there was the drunk guy who couldn't believe that he had to wait a bit longer for his flight.
Then there was the guy when I got on the plane that was so friendly to everyone. He ended up sitting next to me. It was fun to watch he and his wife interact. They were definitely in love. He turned to me and we began talking about life. It turns out we have a lot in common even though he grew up in Istanbul. Ahmet and Mobey were visiting Portland to see an aunt for the last time most likely. We had talks on death and about our 3 religions. He is Muslim, Mobey is Jewish, and I am Christian. It was a great conversation and at the end they gave me their information to keep in touch.
All in all it was a pleasant trip after all -- even if we boarded the plane late and then sat on the runway for 50 minutes before take off!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Patty a.k.a. McGyver
Place: Yankee Stadium
Problem: getting a ball as a token from batting practice that fell inbetween the wall and the stands.
Patty whips out her bag and dumps the contents. Out of the myriad of objects in the bag, she selects: a waterbottle, capri pants, a necklace, a hairband, tape, a usb camera cord and rigs up a device to get the ball with added objects such as her handbag and jean jacket.
I'll give her credit -- she had people rooting for her, the Tampa Bay DevilRay players took notice and laughed, and she had amazing ingenuity. But alas, she couldn't quite pull a McGyver. She never got the ball but I had a ton of laughs!
Problem: getting a ball as a token from batting practice that fell inbetween the wall and the stands.
Patty whips out her bag and dumps the contents. Out of the myriad of objects in the bag, she selects: a waterbottle, capri pants, a necklace, a hairband, tape, a usb camera cord and rigs up a device to get the ball with added objects such as her handbag and jean jacket.
I'll give her credit -- she had people rooting for her, the Tampa Bay DevilRay players took notice and laughed, and she had amazing ingenuity. But alas, she couldn't quite pull a McGyver. She never got the ball but I had a ton of laughs!
Pratt Art Institute
Today got to go to a new part of NYC that I haven't been before, Pratt Art Institute. It is a beautiful campus in Brooklyn and has only art students.
Learned that every freshman has to take a foundations of light and color class. To which when asked what this means the students said, "well... you learn about light and color"
Cracked me up!
You can tell that they are naturals at light and color 'cause I still don't know what they are talking about and they think the question stupid.
We talked to a great gal named Kris -- she was so pleasant and thinks about religion, life, morals, and how this all play's out in her life. She knows in her head what Christianity is all about; however, she is grappling with how does this play out in her everyday life and not sure her experience with God is the same as what she has learned about God all her life. I pray she continues to grapple and ask the Lord to see Him and understand Him.
Learned that every freshman has to take a foundations of light and color class. To which when asked what this means the students said, "well... you learn about light and color"
Cracked me up!
You can tell that they are naturals at light and color 'cause I still don't know what they are talking about and they think the question stupid.
We talked to a great gal named Kris -- she was so pleasant and thinks about religion, life, morals, and how this all play's out in her life. She knows in her head what Christianity is all about; however, she is grappling with how does this play out in her everyday life and not sure her experience with God is the same as what she has learned about God all her life. I pray she continues to grapple and ask the Lord to see Him and understand Him.
Friday, September 08, 2006
NYC and Jet Blue
Sunday I take my second red-eye flight ever to NYC. Jet Blue is the airline which is my first experience ever with them. I'll have to let you know if the seats are more comfortable with the mere extra inches they give you! Flight leaves at 11:59 PM. I wonder why it just doesn't leave at midnight?
I'm looking forward to being in NYC again. Hoping to see some friends while I'm there. We have meetings most of the days but I will be going to a Yankee's game for fun... though they are playing Tampa Bay DevilRays which aren't very good.
I miss the subway system, all the cafes, all the people watching you can take in... I could be entertained my whole life by just riding the subways each day. Pretty funny stuff happens!
I'm looking forward to being in NYC again. Hoping to see some friends while I'm there. We have meetings most of the days but I will be going to a Yankee's game for fun... though they are playing Tampa Bay DevilRays which aren't very good.
I miss the subway system, all the cafes, all the people watching you can take in... I could be entertained my whole life by just riding the subways each day. Pretty funny stuff happens!
New ways to the office
Now instead of walking and smelling the flowers as I go to the office, I will be getting in my car and driving a mere 8 minutes over a dinky bridge but beautiful view over the Willamette River to our office in Sellwood, a very fun neighborhood of Portland.
This is the only regret that I have in moving to the new office. No more walking, BUT I do get to walk after work in a cool area. So it doesn't even feel like a sacrifice.
I like the new office for a bizillion reasons.... it is by other offices, a cool neigborhood, things to do after work, it is more professional, we get to interact with other businesses, and it really does look cool. Ahhhh... a new home to set up shop in. Refreshing.
This is the only regret that I have in moving to the new office. No more walking, BUT I do get to walk after work in a cool area. So it doesn't even feel like a sacrifice.
I like the new office for a bizillion reasons.... it is by other offices, a cool neigborhood, things to do after work, it is more professional, we get to interact with other businesses, and it really does look cool. Ahhhh... a new home to set up shop in. Refreshing.
