Tonight the destination was Salt Lake City. We're staying with the Burchett's. They're an amazing family. They've hosted roadies for years and know everything about IC. Mr Burchett cooked us up some amazing burgers and Mrs Burchett asked us a bunch of question but not in the annoying way. Then there is Emily-she's an awesome senior in high school with an incredible history with IC. She is one of 3 golden ticket winners. First off I didn't know that IC had a golden ticket contest but it as you can imagine 3 golden tickets were hidden in bracelet videos and she found one of them and the reward was a trip to Uganda! She shared some amazing stories tonight and she's one of the most genuine people I've met. This family is hilarious and they joke around and have fun like no family I've seen but it's clear that they love each other. Theres a lot more that could be said but bottom line is-this family is awesome and fun and I wish they would adopt me.
Salt Lake City....Mormon Conference Center
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Guess it didn't work for you
Night Two: Las Vegas
Today was the drive from San Diego-ish to Las Vegas which was happily free of any complications. We had some fun, mailed home some packages at the post office, had In-N-Out and I tried on some boots that weren't mine. Sadly they fit all too well.
Then we drove down Las Vegas Blvd. As usual it made me sad to see all the advertisements aimed at immediate gratification and the people populating the sidewalks and buildings living for self gratification and our obsession with money. But this time it shocked me just how blatant it was. "Get lucky in here-the pleasure pit". 2 Timothy 3:1-2 "...in the last days people will be lovers of self and lovers of money..."
But the night had yet to unfold into a pleasant evening. Tonight was my first actual host home encounter and it was so much fun. It really sunk in that I'm going to be staying in 40+ different peoples homes over the next 70 days and it's overwhelming and reassuring that so many people believe in us and what we're doing. The family is great-Tina and Gilbert and their kids Christian (who is in Uganda and we skyped with), Dakota (wasn't able to be home), 10 year old Peyton (named after good old number 18) and the cutest 8 year old girl-Liberty. The family was so nice and we even hung out with Peyton and Liberty and gave them their spelling tests. A couple quotes from Peyton: My brother went to Australia and held a Koala, he also saw a Kangaroo and it kicked his camera out of his hands.
Peyton: My friend has a golden retriever and it humps all the guests at the house. One time I came in and it jumped on me and his mom came in and took him off me.
Peyton: I love spelling!
Me: Can you spell Phonics?
Peyton: P H O N E X.
Me: Guess it didn't work for you.
These kids are amazing. Their family is amazing and my generalization that citizens of this country don't really care is starting to be challenged and I couldn't be happier.
Today was the drive from San Diego-ish to Las Vegas which was happily free of any complications. We had some fun, mailed home some packages at the post office, had In-N-Out and I tried on some boots that weren't mine. Sadly they fit all too well.
Then we drove down Las Vegas Blvd. As usual it made me sad to see all the advertisements aimed at immediate gratification and the people populating the sidewalks and buildings living for self gratification and our obsession with money. But this time it shocked me just how blatant it was. "Get lucky in here-the pleasure pit". 2 Timothy 3:1-2 "...in the last days people will be lovers of self and lovers of money..."
But the night had yet to unfold into a pleasant evening. Tonight was my first actual host home encounter and it was so much fun. It really sunk in that I'm going to be staying in 40+ different peoples homes over the next 70 days and it's overwhelming and reassuring that so many people believe in us and what we're doing. The family is great-Tina and Gilbert and their kids Christian (who is in Uganda and we skyped with), Dakota (wasn't able to be home), 10 year old Peyton (named after good old number 18) and the cutest 8 year old girl-Liberty. The family was so nice and we even hung out with Peyton and Liberty and gave them their spelling tests. A couple quotes from Peyton: My brother went to Australia and held a Koala, he also saw a Kangaroo and it kicked his camera out of his hands.
Peyton: My friend has a golden retriever and it humps all the guests at the house. One time I came in and it jumped on me and his mom came in and took him off me.
Peyton: I love spelling!
Me: Can you spell Phonics?
Peyton: P H O N E X.
Me: Guess it didn't work for you.
These kids are amazing. Their family is amazing and my generalization that citizens of this country don't really care is starting to be challenged and I couldn't be happier.
Night One: Dan Jones House
So I'm gonna try to write quick updates and thoughts of each day here on my blog.
So here goes the first one.
We spent the night in San Diego-and it was launch day at the office (amazing, incredible, emotional, exciting, busy, hectic) then on to The Jones house for the afternoon/night. Here's the view from the house.
Now let me tell you about a particular Jones:
Dan Jones. Nice. Genuine. Hospitable. Considerate. Just a few aspects of who he is and if you know him at all you know just how mild those words are in comparison to who he is. Then there is Boone, cute dog with lots of love and a desire to chew up anything when unattended. While there he tore apart stuff from an grocery bag to a laptop case to a hose. He really is the cutest thing ever.
His parents are also super nice (they did let the 8 of us stay at their house and fed us 3 meals). So here's to the Jones, and especially Dan Jones, a man in the runnings for nicest man alive. Thank you.
So here goes the first one.
We spent the night in San Diego-and it was launch day at the office (amazing, incredible, emotional, exciting, busy, hectic) then on to The Jones house for the afternoon/night. Here's the view from the house.
Now let me tell you about a particular Jones:
Dan Jones. Nice. Genuine. Hospitable. Considerate. Just a few aspects of who he is and if you know him at all you know just how mild those words are in comparison to who he is. Then there is Boone, cute dog with lots of love and a desire to chew up anything when unattended. While there he tore apart stuff from an grocery bag to a laptop case to a hose. He really is the cutest thing ever.
His parents are also super nice (they did let the 8 of us stay at their house and fed us 3 meals). So here's to the Jones, and especially Dan Jones, a man in the runnings for nicest man alive. Thank you.
Location:El Cajon, CA
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Blind Concert
Today was an amazing day! We got our van assignments and PNW is van #10 cd player, automatic locks, armrests. The works. It was a crazy day of taking out rows of unused seats and loading merch. Every day we're doing tasks that make me think: "we're really gonna do this. I'm really gonna go help stop a war". Awesome.
Tonight was a concert a couple blocks from the office and it was in a super small venue-something completely new to me. The band is The Tree Ring. They're amazing. Check them out. I had never heard a single song before tonight. First a band opened for em and they were a small band from Portland and they were super awesome. One of them played a saw-yes, an old fashioned wood saw with a violin bow. It was amazing.
The tree ring was so amazing and it was just so personal it was amazing. Seriously-go check em out.
Tonight was a concert a couple blocks from the office and it was in a super small venue-something completely new to me. The band is The Tree Ring. They're amazing. Check them out. I had never heard a single song before tonight. First a band opened for em and they were a small band from Portland and they were super awesome. One of them played a saw-yes, an old fashioned wood saw with a violin bow. It was amazing.
The tree ring was so amazing and it was just so personal it was amazing. Seriously-go check em out.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
19.99
My last day of being 19. My last day of being a teenager. Tonight I asked myself-what have I learned?
No simple question but I'll put just a fraction of my thoughts into text for you to try and unscramble if you wish.
My first thoughts to that loaded question? I've learned a lot. In fact I've learned so much I realize I don't know anything. What I have learned is the importance of education, history, listening to advice, patience, dedication, hard work, others and of course Christ in my life. A lot of these I've learned the hard way. I've had to experience pain, anger, heartbreak, fear, disappointment, bitterness and self doubt. However without the bad there wouldn't be the good. So what else have I experienced? So much. Joy, happiness, fellowship, adventure, friendship, best friendship, laughter, trust, a relationship with my Savior and I've experienced being myself and not being ashamed of it. I love knowing that I don't know anything about life and it's such a relief-I don't have to have it all figured out cause I know the one who's got it all figured out.
One of my biggest struggles has been finding out who I am. I'm proud to have found who I am, a guy who can't keep a straight face. One thing that I've always remembered is that when I was just a kid (I still am, I know blah blah blah) it was always pointed out to me that I was always smiling. For some reasonI didn't like that and for almost a decade I tried to be a "serious" guy who was smarter and "better" than others due to some misguided understanding that just being nice was lame.
After a long trip of trying to find who I am, I discovered it. I am just a happy guy. Even though the bad days come I will choose to be joyful about everything I do have. At the risk of sounding like a Thanksgiving dinner table, I'm thankful for: my relationship with my Savior Christ. For my family that deeply loves me and I deeply love. For my friends and all I've learned from them. For my life from the seemingly simple-breathing, feeling, tasting, etc to the complex-reasoning, emotion etc. I don't have to be better than anyone else, I won't be better than anyone else and no one else is better than me.
So who am I? Gods child, perfect and unique, happy to be here, learning even more about who I am and what else I'm doing here on earth as I live this short life and ready to experience the next 20 years.
No simple question but I'll put just a fraction of my thoughts into text for you to try and unscramble if you wish.
My first thoughts to that loaded question? I've learned a lot. In fact I've learned so much I realize I don't know anything. What I have learned is the importance of education, history, listening to advice, patience, dedication, hard work, others and of course Christ in my life. A lot of these I've learned the hard way. I've had to experience pain, anger, heartbreak, fear, disappointment, bitterness and self doubt. However without the bad there wouldn't be the good. So what else have I experienced? So much. Joy, happiness, fellowship, adventure, friendship, best friendship, laughter, trust, a relationship with my Savior and I've experienced being myself and not being ashamed of it. I love knowing that I don't know anything about life and it's such a relief-I don't have to have it all figured out cause I know the one who's got it all figured out.
One of my biggest struggles has been finding out who I am. I'm proud to have found who I am, a guy who can't keep a straight face. One thing that I've always remembered is that when I was just a kid (I still am, I know blah blah blah) it was always pointed out to me that I was always smiling. For some reasonI didn't like that and for almost a decade I tried to be a "serious" guy who was smarter and "better" than others due to some misguided understanding that just being nice was lame.
After a long trip of trying to find who I am, I discovered it. I am just a happy guy. Even though the bad days come I will choose to be joyful about everything I do have. At the risk of sounding like a Thanksgiving dinner table, I'm thankful for: my relationship with my Savior Christ. For my family that deeply loves me and I deeply love. For my friends and all I've learned from them. For my life from the seemingly simple-breathing, feeling, tasting, etc to the complex-reasoning, emotion etc. I don't have to be better than anyone else, I won't be better than anyone else and no one else is better than me.
So who am I? Gods child, perfect and unique, happy to be here, learning even more about who I am and what else I'm doing here on earth as I live this short life and ready to experience the next 20 years.
Location:My Brain
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