Eager Apollos

Through out the summer we are doing a bible study through the latter part of the Book of Acts. The content of these chapters is Paul’s journeys through out the Mediterranean. We are currently in our fourth week and are in chapter 14 of Acts.

We aren’t meeting in the SURC (Student Union and Recreation Center) on campus during the summer, instead we meet in students’ apartments, my house or Matt’s place. Meeting in our personal residences affords us the opportunity to experiment a little bit with our meeting time.

Last week we placed a little altar in the front of the room. We opened in prayer, talked about Acts 13 then moved into a time of prayer where students had the opportunity to come forward and light a candle. As they lit the candle they had the option of saying out loud what they were seeking from God or thanking him for.

I have done this in the past, when I was in youth ministry. The kids always enjoyed this kind of prayer because it was engaging, active and involved fire. I figured I would give it a shot with the college group to see how they would respond.

When the students were done we prayed once more and moved into a time of communion.

After we finished up at my place we headed out to Dollar Scoop Night at Winegars. A good time was had by all.

I was invited to do the invocation and benediction for a the commissioning ceremony of the graduating seniors. A student had already asked me to do his oath of office so figuring I would be there anyway, I accepted.

This is a huge moment in the lives of these, now, officers. They have labored for at least four years, have completed their schooling, jumped through hoops with ROTC and have now attained the gold bar for which they have worked so hard.

The ceremony has a few special moments for each new officers. First is the oath of office. This is performed by another officer. I conducted one of the ten commissionees oath of office just like I did Patt’s last year. Then comes the pinning on of the rank. Having just sworn the oath, the new officer gets to where the rank of an officer. The parents of the soldier or their best friend or a significant other pins on the new rank.

After the rank is pinned on a Noncommissioned officer (NCO) renders the new Officer’s first salute.

After the first salute the new officer has a few minutes to address the crowd. Most of them thanked the cadre, their family and each other for their support. A few thanked God and one overtly thanked Christ. Most of the graduates were believers.

The invocation and benediction went well. It was my pleasure to serve the battalion in this way. I wish the new graduates well in their new careers.

While I was brushing my teeth the other day I was struck by, what I am assuming was, the Holy Spirit. I was given the inspiration to sit in the library and put up a sign indicating that I will pray with people if they desire some prayer.

It is finals week and the library is filled with students that are cramming for finals, frantically typing papers or groups bickering over their last project. When you look around the fishbowl you see exhaustion on the faces of these study groups occasionally interrupted by moments of levity that get them through the next half hour or so.

Look at the computer screens and you see words racing across a virtual page or power point presentations full of data and graphs. Look at the faces of the typists you see that hope that the next word will be their last.

Between all night study sessions, quad-shot lattes, and Red Bull, Sabbath is the farthest thing from the minds of these students. It is in this context that I hope to offer a moment of rest.

I started late last night and had one taker. A student walked up to me and asked if the sign was mine. I was expecting to pray for all the reasons I just listed above, but I was in for a surprise. The student wasn’t concerned with finals or papers or anything of that nature, but he was worried about his mother.

He made his concerns known and we took a minute and offered up a prayer for her as well as for him. After, we had a brief discussion about each other’s backgrounds and then he jumped back into the fray.

I hung around until about 11pm. I had no other takers and spent my time reading, studying, typing or praying for those around me.

I am trying to spend a couple hours everyday this week in the library. We shall see what God has in store.

A small group of CA students, Matt, and I got away this last weekend to Vantage.

The theme that the leadership chose for the retreat was “Cultivating a Lifestyle of Worship.” Both Matt and I spoke and there was good discussion amongst the group on the topic.

In the evenings we watched a couple of movies. The most popular movie was Ink. The group really enjoyed it and they say that everyone one should see it. After the movie we played board games and generally hung out.

During the days we had a variety of activities planned, walks, discussion sessions, worship, and, of course, frisbee.

A good time was had by all, and we appreciate Brian giving us a place to lay our heads.

These are the slides that I made for a presentation I did on the Image of God. Libby got a kick out of them and other people who weren’t present wanted to see them, so I am posting them.

I spoke about my past bouts with cynicism and how the doctrine of the Image of God shifted my thinking for the better.

The fonts didn’t transfer but this is what it looked like through out the lesson.

I was worried that the second grade story time aesthetic would come off as condescending, but everyone responded well.

Enjoy the glimpse into the randomness that is our weekly CA meeting.

For the past quarter and a half, every Friday I have meandered on to campus, cracked my bible and read aloud a passage of scripture to a few students. Lectio Divina is a practice involving reading of scripture, meditation, contemplation, and prayer. It’s the practice of listening to scripture and exploring what God is trying to speak into our lives.

To start, a few students and myself find a quiet room in the SURC. I write an outline of the process on the white board, along with some meditation questions. I select a short passage (like a psalm or proverb) and then we begin.

I read aloud the passage and the student listen, some read along and some let the passage wash over them. After the first reading the students are asked to recall a word, phrase or idea that stood out to them. Then they have time to reflect on why that idea struck them. Occasionally I ask them to write that word up on the white board.

I read the passage again and the students are asked to reflect on how this passage touches their lives or the lives of others in their sphere of influence. A time of reflection follows.

I read the passage a third time and the students are asked to ponder what God wants them to do or be in light of this passage. After that final reflection time, there is a period of personal prayer time, followed by a communal closing prayer.

The students that have experience Lectio Divina have enjoyed it. They say its a good time of quiet reflection at the end of a hectic week.

These are pictures from a road march that I did with the ROTC unit, a few weeks ago. This is my second road march with the wildcat bat. The weather was nice… very different from the first Ruck March.

I very much enjoy walking with soldiers and getting to know them better. Some of the soldiers lamented the loss of some ambitious spring break plans. Others spoke about their time with their families.

This is one of my favorite things that I get to do with the ROTC unit.

The final work day is simply applying another coat of stucco. The group is so jazzed that they typically make short work of the task. After that we take pictures with the families, pass over the keys, pray with them, then we head back to the camp site to strike camp.

Once the camp is packed up we load the vans and head across the border. The border crossing was easier into the US than it was into Mexico. Once across the border we set our sights on taking showers as the first order of business.

Every night, after the work was done for the day, we would gather around the fire for a delicate blend of devotion and tomfoolery.

Josh would lead us in a few songs of worship and then Matt would stand up and give us a message on community or serving or something that was relevant to our mission.

Both Josh and Matt wore a head lamp so they could see their notes. Occasionally they would look out over the group and blind everyone around them.

The time was good and the group really enjoyed it. It kept our thoughts on God.

After the evening devotion the camp site erupted into friendly banter and all sorts of antics that made me wonder how no one left without third degree burns on their body.

Two of the photos below are a group of people running over the fire.

When we weren’t playing with fire, we were simply enjoying one another’s company and getting to know each other.

Quite time was at 10pm. At which point, people would talk quietly and eventually trickle off to bed.

Wake up was at 6am almost every morning we were at the Amor Camp. From wake up to 6:30 was personal time (brushing teeth and such). Breakfast was served at 6:30, Krista and Sharoll headed that up, but we made sure that two to three people were helping them for every meal.

After breakfast we would have a morning devotional. For the whole trip we were working our way through an abbreviate version of the story of Noah. People did various things for the devotional. Some read their bibles, a few stared off into the horizon, some talked quietly, one played a guitar and there were more than a few that journaled. It was interesting to see where people gravitated when it was time to “do devotionals.”

Once we got the work done on day three. Matt decided to take the group out for dinner. We left the work site and headed into the out skirts of Tijuana. Matt knew a place called The Oasis from past trips. When we got there Matt talked to the owner and then proceeded to walk around behind the counter taking orders and giving us drinks like he owned the place.

Day three is all about creating walls and finishing the roof. We put roofing on the particle board and seal it with tar. Then there is the more involved process of creating walls from bailing wire, tar paper, and chicken wire.

Bailing wire gets strung all over the building with no more than six inch gabs between the wires. This provides a backing for the tar paper. The wire has to be tightened and then it has to be retightened. If it is too loose it won’t support the tar paper which won’t support the chicken wire which won’t hold the stucco.

Once the wire is in place we wrap the whole building in tar paper. Each sheet has to be nailed in and if you have never heard 14 people hammering all at once, it is deafening.

Then comes the chicken wire. The main issue with chicken wire is that it serves as support for the stucco, like rebar in a concrete foundation. Tightening the chicken wire is a pain, but it got done quickly this year.

Next comes the sifting of the sand and the mixing of the stucco. About half the group is involved in the creation of the stucco and the other half is involved in applying it. The goal is to get one layer on before we go home on day three so it can dry over night.

Day two is the best day of the four work days. The work site is a clamor of sawing, nailing and shouting. The sawing crew is taking orders for specific 2×4 sizes. When those are cut the wall crews nail them together.

Every year a wall gets put together wrong and we have to pull it apart and put it back together correctly. You never really know how flexible wood and nails can be until you build one of these houses.

After the walls are done it is time to set them in place and anchor them to the foundation. This is Matt’s favorite part of the whole trip. He starts running around and barking out orders, squaring this corner and nailing in that one.

Once the walls are in place the roof sections get pushed on top of them. At which point they are squared, nailed together, and nailed to the structure. Then the clamor begins again as we measure, saw and nail bird blocking on to the roof section. Then the particle board is nailed to the roof and the goal for day two is complete.

Easily the hardest day of work is the first one. On day one of work the team lays the foundation of the house.

Leveling the ground, creating the forms, squaring the forms, anchoring the forms all take most of the morning to get right. These tasks are the most time consuming and the frustrating.

When the initial work is finally done, it is a made dash to get the cement mixed and poured before we have to go back to the camp site at 6pm. This is to ensure that the cement has time to dry over night, so we have a foundation to build on the next day.

This was Rick’s deal. He had us running every which way unloading vans, setting up tents and making this dirt lot a functional living space. Kudos to Rick for pulling it off.

For a bunch of reasons, the Mexico border has tightened its security. In previous years, our convoy of vans were simply waved through the search area and we were in Mexico, but not this year.

As we pulled into the search area we saw other Amor groups unloading everything in their vans. We waited for a good span of time while the border patrol finished with them and then it was our turn.

Well practiced at unloading and loading the vans to stay at the churches on the way down, we made short work of the large task of getting the gear out and on display.

It was quite a sight to see, everyone unloading the vans, all the gear out on the ground. Matt tried to take pictures but was quickly told that this was a federal area and that pictures were prohibited. Matt graciously obliged the command, but I, not feeling particularly compelled to honor the sovereignty of the Mexican government at this point in the trip, took some quick shots with my iPhone.

Most of our gear was allowed to cross into the country with few exceptions. Then we repacked the vans and rolled out of the secure area and were on our way to the Amor Camp.

When we got to the Amor office Matt had some administrative stuff to get done and the rest of the group played frisbee and hacky sack (a Mexico trip staple).

We met our Amor Rep. Steve who would be our guide over the border and our go to guy when it came to building houses.

After the paper work was filed and everyone was ready, we gathered in a circle and prayed for save travel and a swift border crossing. Which turned out to be not so swift.

We had some time to kill before we had to be at the Amor Office so we decided to hit up La Jolla Cove. For a couple of hours we walked up and down the beach, look at seals, played frisbee, picniced and generally relaxed.

After pizza we headed out to La Mesa. We stopped and gassed up on the way. And the females on the trip were so tickled by the fact that the guys had to line up to go to the bathroom, that they made me take a picture of it.

Once we got to La Mesa we pulled up in front of the church, unloaded gear, cleaned up and then had a brief time of worship. Josh is leading us on his guitar and doing very well.

After worship we review the schedule for the next day. After that all but the extremely exhausted drivers go play games into the early morning hours (not really THAT early).

Tomorrow is the border crossing…

Every year on the Mexico trip we stop at Laguna Beach. It breaks the monotony of the constant driving and the sea breeze is refreshing.

When we get there the shepard is struck and the sheep scatter. We have free time prior to dinner and people wander about chasing after their own interests. Some people swim in the sea, some tan, others shop, and I go to the tide pools.

They are small but there is life in those pools. It’s like a little sabbath, watching the hermit crabs and the erchants.

After free time we headed in for pizza at BJ’s, where we go every year. Between the pizza and the view of the ocean our spirits are lifted and our short trek to La Mesa flies by.

Prayer and Burgers. Lilies and Grape Vines.

At 6am we got to the rest stop where the first group was going to pick us up.

I pulled out the sleeping bag and laid down in the grass and slept until group 1 got us at about 8:30am.

I was rudely awakened (the video of which is destined for YouTube), but then warmly greeted by group 1.

Rob and Jon were so glad to see one another, they were willing to pose as if they were hugging. It was such a touching moment I captured it on film.

We are now on our way to La Mesa CA. We are driving through LA today and will be stopping for dinner in Laguna Beach. That will be a beautiful stop. But even now California is looking pretty good through the window.

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A light hearted fight breaks out. After one brother dumps gas on the other. Only 15 miles until our stop.

The chase van stopped somewhere in OR. We lucked out and found a Costco where we gassed up and ate on the cheap.

As we walked up to the horn of plenty that is the Costco food court, we marveled at the prices of the menu items. There was pizza, ice cream, salads and the ever popular polish dog for a $1.50.

We feasted on it all. We ate pizza, consumed polish dogs, and chased it with ice cream sundays.

Here we are basking in the glory of Costco.

The final van took off at about 1:30pm from EBurg. Our plan is to drive through the night until we get catch the first group in Los Banos CA. When we get there the first team will be getting up to start the next leg.

It’s gonna be a long night.

The first group racked out in Salem OR last night and are now well into California.

One of the vans got a traffic ticket.
But other than that it has been smooth sailing thus far.

The chase van is in Portland OR, and are making good time. I have the tracking map on the website. From what I have seen it doesn’t look very accurate. But you will have a vague idea if where we are.

I am posting from my phone. So be forgiving with the typos, misspellings and bad grammer. Microsoft Word can’t save me now.

Today, we sent off the first four vans of the carrying the first 25 of the members of the Mexico Team on their way. Myself and 5 others are going to leave tomorrow and drive 16 hours straight to catch them.

We met at Matt’s place. Everyone was running around loading gear, checking passports, and generally being excited. I was so busy I forgot to take pictures.

Just picture in your mind’s eye everyone running around, Matt is nigh frantic, I am double checking everything and then the group gathers around the vans. We circle up and for a solitary moment we calmly pray for safety in our travels. After the “Amen” is uttered, brief chaos ensues as everyone rushes the vans, shuts the doors, and pull out headed for Salem OR.

Pray for our vans, some are old and tend to brake down in interesting and novel ways. Pray for our safety, we drive long hours and in rough places. Pray the houses get built, that we bond as a team and that we communion with the God that has sent us on this mission.

Last Sunday I drove down to the Yakima Training Center where CWU’s ROTC Battalion was conducting their winter field training exercise (FTX).

About 45 cadets attended the service. Cadet Barry had a specific message on his mind so I let him give the sermon while I did communion.

After communion I led a brief group prayer and gave the benediction. The service was 30 minutes from beginning to end, which is pretty typical for this kind of event.

As the cadets left they took the remainder of the camo bibles I blogged about earlier. About 25 cadets left without a bible and I promised to get my hands on some more.

The service was rough around the edges. One of the officers asked if it was my first service and I had to admit that it was the first one I led myself. I guess there is always next time.

Friday Potlucks get odd sometimes. Above you see a picture of me desperately trying to knit. Heather brought her needles and yarn and she used those tools to put me in my place. I hope she didn’t have to redue the whole thing.

The Potluck before the knitting debacle I brought Quelf a board game. A board game more affectionately known as “embarrassment in a box.” This game is like Cranium on steroids and is know for its ability to turn any party to a bucket of laughs instantaneously (at the expense of every player). Above is Brian trying to muscle through one of the absurd tasks given unto him by the not-so-benevolent cards.

I was recently given a Chaplains Kit by my Reserve unit. I don’t know when I will be able to use it but its future use is a certainty. Everything you see breaks down and fits into the two small packs. There are other tools in the packs but they are practical things like book lights and containers for the elements.

The cup has a partition that can be inserted so the bread can be placed in the cup along with the wine. The cup unscrews as well as does the cross. Everything is subdued so as to not reflect light, so snipers don’t notice the congregation and want to take a shot.

You can see my bible from my basic training days. I also have a soldiers field service book with hymns and creeds in it for easy reference.

Receiving this kit was a huge encouragement. Being stuck in the process of becoming a chaplain, a process that has dragged on for a few years now, can grade on me. This made the future reality of God’s call and promise feel a little bit closer.

Sometimes, ministry is the bane of my existence. Paper work, rigorous study, detailed planning; these aren’t the things that one signs on for when getting into ministry. They are good and necessary activities, vital to the work, but are still activities that grades on a person over time. But in the midst of the mundane, the one activity that never gets old and is always a breath of fresh air is the one-on-one meeting.

For the first quarter I was still getting to know students. The students were still getting used to me. The cadets were unsure of who I was and I didn’t have many contacts out side of the ROTC program. Now that I have been here a while, people recognize me and I am able to see if they are interested in meeting one-on-one.

The conversations are as unique as the students. Sometimes, students just want to vent their frustration with being overwhelmed with life. Occasionally, students are looking to shed light on deep theological mysteries and sometimes we just hang out and shoot the breeze.

This is the work of discipleship. Helping students move one more step in the right direction. Continuing to water the planet that God is growing.

For the past couple of weeks I have been attending the Liberty Club. I was invited by a student that periodically attends The Cave discussion on Fridays, so I decided to show.

The Liberty Club is the objectivist club on campus. The philosophy stems from Ayn Rand and her writings. She was a novelist who wrote well known titles like Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. She espoused a libertarian like philosophy in which government is minimized and personal freedom maximized, hence, the Liberty Club.

Objectivism doesn’t really lend itself to a Christian worldview, which is why I was surprised to get an invite to the meeting. The meeting consist of discussion time of relevant text that were read prior. This week was Chapter 13 of Hobbes Leviathan. While you might not recognized the title you will probably recognize the phrase “the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” This is Hobbes’ view of humanity without a government (specifically, a monarchy). Through power, government enforces the liberties of those under it.

The group noted that this view didn’t jive with Locke’s opinion on the matter. One student summed up Locke’s view like this “we have the right to property because we are God’s sons.” Locke writes about “inalienable rights” which come from our creator.

This launched a discussion as to whether rights were inalienable (innate, bestowed, endowed, or in some sense metaphysical)  or were they merely a product of a social contract (simply agreed upon by society). I pointed out that we (in America) like to talk as if they were inalienable and that Hobbes’ view seems to violate that idea.

Another student then asked, “well can you choose to not be a son of God.” The question was deferred to me (being the resident theologian of sorts). I thought about the question for a moment and trying to stay true to Locke’s way of thinking and the biblical text I said “Humanity was made in the image of God. Its an image that all of humanity shares. This is why it was a sin that Cain killed Abel. In this sense you can’t choose not to be a son (child) of God any more than you could choose not to be human.”

The comment hung in the air for a bit. A couple of the students were intrigued, but time prohibited further conversation and they began talking about club business.

I thought that it was interesting that I was invited to speak to a theological topic, in a context that really didn’t warrant it, without any manipulation on my part. I especially enjoy these kinds opportunities.

Campus Ambassadors bought a case of camouflage print Bibles and I am now distributing them among interested Army cadets. I am not sure why but these kinds of Bibles are really popular in the Army. It is an NIV version with both the Old and New Testaments. It is small enough to fit in the cargo pocket of the uniform, making it easier to carry into the field.

I was given one of these (but the older BDU camo print) during in-processing at basic training. I have kept it and used for the past nine years. I wasn’t even a believer then and I still kept it. I have owned a few bibles but for some reason this bible is the one I most often carry with me.

I am not sure if it is the compact nature of the bible or the camo print that draws soldier to carry this particular bible but I hope they get the same years from these as I did.

Thanks for your prayers and support. Its you who make this work possible.

With the Mexico Trip planning in full swing, I have short term aid trips on the mind. And given the crisis in Haiti I thought I would offer some brief reflection and a link to someone is more knowledgeable the I on the matter.

Since the earth quake in Haiti everyone has been scrambling to get aid to the destroyed country. As well they should. We need to send money, we need to write those in government, we need to pray, we need to do a great many things to help those in need. However, I have heard of an awful lot of people planning to go to Haiti. While I support this impulse (and even empathize with it), I want to caution people not to act too quickly.

First, I would ask you to analyze your desire to go. There are plenty of good reason to want to go to Haiti. The desire to help those in need is an impulse that we should act on often. I should be compelled to buy a beggar food, to clothe those who need it and to visit those in prison. But my desire to go to Haiti stems from the desire to be in the place where suffering is the worst. To be involved in the grand clean up of such a disaster would be quite an experience. To see the suffering would be a memory worth recounting and revisiting on my own and with others.

And for the cost of a plane ticket, that experience can be mine. I can essentially pay to experience the worst suffering that is going on in the world right now. I don’t dare say that going to Haiti would be fun or pleasurable. But in the same way that I pay four dollars for a cup of coffee (ten for a martini, or sixty for a meal) to enjoy the atmosphere of the place I am consuming, I can pay to pick up rubble in a foreign country for the experience.

I would ask you ask the same question of yourself and see if you come up with the same source of the feeling that I did and then ask if that is a reason to go to Haiti.

The second thing I would ask you to consider is what would I do Haiti. I am not a medical professional, I don’t speak their language, I don’t own a plane and I can’t logistically support anyone. While I can push a broom and use a shovel, is that something they are in need of? I don’t know the answer to this question but I do know that right now the people’s needs are pretty basic and that I can meet virtually none of them without demanding them myself. Food, clean water and other basic necessities are not increased by my presence but diminished. Even if I bring such supplies is it not more economical for me to provide them through other means.

These are just my personal reflections and I do not desire to keep anyone from acting on the desire to help. The time will come when Haiti will be read to rebuild. They will need people to teach, to help set up systems to get supplies places, to rebuild homes for people who have lost them and that will be the time to go to Haiti. But right now the organization that can help are and we should support them in the way they are in need of support.

Click here to read about good reasons to go to Haiti, and allow that to inform your decision to go.

This is just a photo of last Friday night’s potluck. This is the second one we had this quarter. We canceled last week due to Missions Connexion, but we are back to business as usual. This is the event that I look forward to all week long.

Last week Karen hosted a viewing of the DVD Collision. The movie is about a series of debates between Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson. It is not just a recording of a debate but is more of a documentary of the series of debates and the interaction between the men. I recommend it.

The students enjoyed the viewing and the Mac and Cheese that Karen served along with the debate. Thanks to Karen for her hospitality. She was a gracious hostess. This is was a program that was entirely student led. Kudos to Karen for being willing to serve the students of CA.

Last weekend six CA students and myself hopped in van and headed down to Vancouver (WA) to attend the Mission Connexion conference. It is a free conference which makes it ideal for college students and the price doesn’t reflect upon the quality. There were four main speaker and 125 workshops on topics ranging from spiritual warfare to post-colonial missional theology.

We arrived late on the first day and missed the activities planned for that day. Felida Baptist Church was kind enough to let us bed down in their building for the evening and we are grateful. They saved us a lot of time and money and were very welcoming.

Once we arrived on Saturday the proverbial shepard was struck and the sheep scattered, all of us gravitating toward the workshops that caught our fancy. From then on out the conference was a fast paced learning spree.

The group loved all that they did, but were particularly impressed with Richard Twiss, president of Wiconi International an organization that strives to

• “Pursue a life of peace and wholeness, inviting others in our journey to walk in meaningful relationship with Creator, community, other ethnic groups, and creation - in the Spirit of Jesus.”

Twiss spoke about how his Native American heritage was effected by his faith and how his heritage effected his faith. His talk dealt with issues like sensitivity to culture, colonial notions of missions, and as well as issues pertaining to Native Americans. He was nothing short of compelling and I am sure that the people in the theater that day still haven’t recovered.

Just as abruptly as we had come, we hit the road and started our trek back home. We made a quick stop at Krispy Kremes and got our picture taken with a “rice crispy treat sheet” that has followed us from Ellensburg.

D&M is the destination spot for all people in Ellensburg who desire coffee and productivity.  College students brave the cold weather and walk the five blocks from campus to enjoy the brew and study for classes. Matt and I meet here on Mondays to prepare for the week.

While the Mexico trip isn’t for a few more months Matt and I are already planning for it. Coordinating with Amor and Church’s who host us on our way down takes time. With in the month volunteers will sign up, teams will be formed and (much like Jesus set his face Jerusalem [Luke 9:51]) we will set our faces to Mexico. The teams will gather tools, prepare financially (raise support), inspect vans, and pack their gear.

This isn’t a vacation but a service. The group’s mission is to build houses for families in need of more space. The conditions that these families live in can range from tolerable to crowded to completely unbearable. I have been present for the building of three new homes and only one of the former homes had a foundation (I am being generous in my description). Its our goal to serve the families in that way.

It isn’t all work, the drive down has a road trip feel even given the aggressive pace. We stop briefly at a beach in California and our building is occasionally interrupted by a game of soccer.

I have never heard of a student who had a bad experience on a Mexico trip.

Pray we meet our fund-raising goals to take the pressure off the students and that Matt and I are on top of our game when it comes to planning.

Matt and I are currently engaged in an ambitious project. Last quarter we decided that we were going to preach through the Book of Romans. We understood that there was no way we could do an exhaustive look into the text, the number of meetings in the next two quarters simply isn’t enough time. So instead we are attempting to cover Romans via the themes and arguments that Paul is using.

We looked at a couple of outlines of Romans and came up with a series of twelve themes that were going to cover. We have already covered the historical context of Romans which touch on the beginning of the first chapter of the book (1:1-13) and the end of the book (15:14-16:27).

The next topic is going to be the universal sinfulness of humanity which covers the majority of the first three chapters. We are going to have to skim of the details, but we will touch on both of Paul’s arguments as to why both Gentiles and Jews are sinful and why this means that all have fallen short of the glory of God.

We are hoping this method will leave students with a better understanding of what Romans says as a whole. We feel that this will better serve them when they revisit Romans on their own.

Last Thursday I was invited to go on a ruck march with the ROTC Battalion. So I threw as many theology books as I could fit into my assault pack and walked up and down the formation talking to soldiers.

The soldiers are generally quiet to practice being in a tactical environment, but I did manage to have a few conversation with a couple of cadets.

I got to know some new cadets and check in with ones I already knew. I learned about their majors and what they wanted to do in the Army once they were in which is pretty basic conversation. But a couple interactions explored marriages and one cadet told me about a shattered dream of hers.

This is the Cadet First Sergeant. He spent the two hours running up and down the formation trying to keep his platoon together, making sure no one was left behind.

None of the prior pictures have any body marching in them, but just so you know this final picture is proof that we were indeed marching.

I have been working toward the chaplaincy for about five years now. My time here at CWU is meant to prepare me toward that end. The Army Reserves have determined that as of last weekend the next step in this process is for me to attend monthly “Battle Assemblies” (this is your basic one weekend a month and two weeks a year that you hear about on the recruiting ads).

So every month I will be following a chaplain around as he goes about his duties serving the soldiers of a reserve battalion. I will be able to conduct some services to the soldiers.

This last weekend was mostly in-processing but it was good meeting the soldiers in the unit and the chaplains under whom I would be serving.

We did have service on Sunday. It was a short 2nd Sunday of advent service. We held it in the dining facility. It was a small group but God was honored.

I look forward to the training I will get in this unit and working with the other chaplains and chaplain candidates.

Last Friday was our final potluck of the quarter. This week is finals week and students bolt as soon as they possibly can. The potluck doubled as our Christmas party.

I left out some bread and wine on a purple cloth as an advent reminder. It has become my custom to leave out the elements whenever Libby and I host the potluck.

Libby made a ham. Matt and Brian are enjoying some here. Everyone thought it was a good. Kudos to Libby.

Don’t be put off by the red cups. Its only cider and coke in those bad boys.

Every Friday Campus Ambassadors holds a potluck for the sole purpose of getting to know one another better. It a time where we just enjoy the company and talk about whatever comes to mind.

Typically we have it at Matt’s place but for this special thanksgiving themed potluck, Libby and I decided to host it.

We hosted about twenty people. Our living room was flooded with students, family and friends. When we ran out of seats we busted out camping chairs to accommodate.

Libby’s first turkey turned out well and people brought all kinds of good dishes. There was plenty of food and everyone went home satisfied.

I am thankful for the ministry. Those who provide for it and those who benefit from it. Happy Thanksgiving!

On Tuesday evening, after the ROTC bible study, I walked around campus praying over the buildings and the students who inhabit them. I started in the SURC and walked to all the significant places where we do ministry. I prayed over the room where we meet weekly, the couches where we hold The Cave, the rooms where we view the Truth Project and the chairs where we do one-on-ones.

From there I walked outside and prayed over the buildings as I walked past them. I prayed for the students I knew who frequented those buildings. I prayed for all the students to be diligent in their studies and to take advantage of the opportunity that they have.

It was a moving experience for me. I have walked these paths before. I was a student here not long ago. These buildings didn’t belong to just the students of CA, but they had belonged to me once. These hallways, classrooms and professors were mine.

The most important part of the walk for me came when I walked by the old SUB (student union building). Since I have left, the SUB has closed its doors, made redundant by the opening of the SURC (student union and recreation center).

I stood outside the sealed doors of the SUB and peaking in through the windows saw the places where I sat one-on-one with Matt, where I walked past the book table, and where we held weekly meetings. I prayed and thanked God for my time here as a student and asked that my memories not eclipse the future of CA on this campus.

I hope my memories inform my present but I pray that I am able to see the changes that have come to CA and I am able to adapt.

Matt (my boss) was the subject of a profile piece done by The Observer (school paper). The Observer’s most recent issue was a special about religion on campus. Various people were interviewed from a number of different religious positions.

We aren’t sure why Matt got picked to be interviewed by the paper, but we think it is because of Matt’s previous run in with a traveling evangelist that was covered by the paper.

Enjoy your time in the sun Matt.

I will post the link when The Observer posts it on their site.

Wednesdays down in the SURC, students involved in CA gather for our weekly meeting. During the hour and half we come together and catch up on the events of the week, participate in a humble (but reverent) worship service, and then Matt or I will discuss/teach a topic.

The students are competent and sharp. They ask good questions and their comments are astute. It has happened a couple of times that I have presented an idea and have been taken to task as to the biblical background or basis of that idea. This group keeps me on my toes. Their critical minds have been honed by their time at Central and it will serve them well in their future faith.

After the teaching time, we sing another song and then hang out for an undetermined amount of time. One night we didn’t get out of the SURC until almost 10pm. Everyone helps pack up and a few help load the van.

In the picture above, Matt is tired of packing the keyboard in and out every Wednesday night and consults Brian on perhaps leaving it in the overnight locker from now on. Brian, being one of those astute students I just described, helped Matt see the light.

The news put out to the battalion this morning was difficult even for me to hear. I did not know the soldier well but it was obvious by your reactions that he was a vital part of your lives and of the battalion.

I just wanted to let anyone who needs someone to talk is welcome to get a hold of me. I plan on being in the SURC most of today. My status in the upper right corner of this page will indicate where I can be found. Feel free to track me down. Your chain of command should be able to get my phone number if you want to schedule an appointment.

You can also email me at:Include your name and phone number and I will get back to you as soon as I am able. I will check my email often for the next couple of days.

Today from 12:00-3:00 I will be in the SURC room number 140. Feel free to come in an hang out and talk if you need to.

I am here to serve you all during this time. If all you need is a listening ear, I am glad to be just that.

My prayers are with you all. I hope you all find peace beyond understanding.