Davis

 

This is Davis, one of the boys at African Hearts in Kampala, Uganda. He's an incredible kid, one whom I adore so much. Right now, however, he is very sick with Malaria, a common disease in Africa. However, while most people have Malaria more times than they can count, there are different strains of the disease. Davis has caught one of the worst strains, and is currently hospitalized because of it. I'll update this post as I know more, but he's no longer on Oxygen although he still can't really talk. He's on heavy drugs right now in hopes that the parasites do not reach his brain. Please, please pray for this wonderful friend of mine. Thank you, Dan

I've just found out from Jessica who just visited him in the hospital that he's of oxygen, and can't really respond to people although he can hear and understand. It is probably cerebral malaria and they think they caught it just in time. Please continue to pray. 

Nov 2nd: Yesterday I talked to Lutaaya and today I talked to Jessica, and from what they are saying Davis is improving very well. He's still "out of it" quite a bit, but he can move now, is able to speak at a whisper, and can respond to things. The doctors, from what i'm gathering, still don't know how much the malaria has affected him and are going to continue to monitor his blood but also want to take urine samples and do a spinal tap. Scary stuff, so please be in prayer for him. He's such an awesome kid... well, they all are! There have been so many visitors at Mengo Hospital that have come and seen him. Some distant family, all the people associated with African Hearts, etc. Tony told Jess that yesterday over 50 people came and saw him. He is definitely loved. He may not be able to read them right away, but at some point in time! On another note, Ronald, the four year old boy at African Hearts Ssenge house now has malaria as well. It's not as serious, but all malaria is bad so if you could pray for him and the rest of the boys at the house that'd be awesome. Thank you so much. God Bless. Dan

Nov. 8th: I talked with Lutaaya in Kampala a couple of days ago and he says that Davis is doing better and should be home in a couple of days (now) but that another boy is very sick and hospitalized as well... please just keep everyone at African Hearts in your prayers as sickness is pretty common there at this time. Thank you.

fully alive

Life beckons with promises of failure and uncertainty, and yet to be a man fully alive, which is the glory of God, is the strongest call on my life. He who loses his life saves it Christ says, and I can’t imagine saving it here for the ‘pleasures’ of this life. One has to wonder what pleasure should really mean since man is not good, and life not fair, and suffering and pain the norm. Why then do we have pleasure? We needn’t have taste buds to eat, or to enjoy sex to reproduce. But they are good gifts from the Father. So then is our pain, which reminds us that we’re alive, and that this world is not all there is. And, if we hold anything to be true, it should be that the world should be much worse, as it holds the likes of you and I, broken people in desperate need of grace. And yet in this paradox of pleasure and pain I find myself longing to taste the freedom on being truly alive, and have that be God’s glory. This young, yet worn man, much prefers a simpler life to the distraction and abundance found here. The fondest memories I hold are not of things I’d consider fun, but of things I consider beautiful. Holding a small fatherless child in the biting, frigid wind. Praying with a dying woman in her small house. Sharing God’s word with people who have little hope. These are what have defined me, yet defied explanation, as is obvious by my relative silence about them. Yes, I have beheld amazing beauty; from the islands of Hong Kong to the hills of Uganda to the mountains of Hawaii I’ve seen it. Nothing compares to the profound beauty of love, the mastery of which I’ve yet to fathom. I’ve known love in its many forms at various times in my short love, and it defines me, and drives me to a place of pursuing it harder. I’ve received love as well, and for that I am grateful and blessed. True life beckons…. promising what could never be grasped apart from Christ, grace, love, truth, freedom, and hope. Lord, Make me fully alive.

take my life.

take my life.

the past couple of days have been a culmination of something God has been doing in me for a number of years, specifically in the past three months. and praise God because He is good, and i will choose to praise Him amidst my deepest pain and greatest loss. what loss is that? the loss of something i loved in ways that will forever be unknown except to God and i. the (probable) loss of my job. the loss of a grade at school for a class i will probably fail. The loss of my identity as someone stole it. and it was that phone call from USAA reminding me that my identity was not my own anymore that it hit me that this is the story of the past few years of my life. everything has changed since i came back from overseas in 2005. everything. many things have been asked of me that i failed to deliver on. i started to see everything anew, experiencing radical change. every belief i used to have has been shattered. i prayed a prayer a long time ago desiring brokenness and this is where it has led me: to loss. i don't know if He is done and if this is really the culmination, but at the bottom all you can see is up. there are no romantic ideals attached to that concept, and no one's pity will make anything fair or easier. it was never about me, however, it is about Him. making me willing. making me available. making me understand the things i couldn't understand otherwise. i choose to love Him then. i put my heart, the broken, divided, and overused thing that it is, into my palm and offer it with a pained, whispered 'take my life'. He puts His nail-pierced palm out and lets life drip from it onto me saying tenderly 'Take My Life'. but Christ's life takes something i'm not sure i have, courage. i could die much easier for someone i love than to sacrifice my life for simply more pain and loss... but as G.K. Cheserton said "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die." He goes on to say, referencing Matthew 10:39, "'He that will lose his life, the same shall save it', is not a piece of mysticism for saints and heroes." in me is such a strong desire to truly live... and to lose my life. do i have the courage now that i have little left to give up?

fierce. pt II

Sometimes things change, but time is everything

Maquiladora, our murders

The sand beneath her feet was harder than before, and the laughter behind her won't stop. Only part of the tragedy is her last screams will be heard only by her Diablos, the dozen or so men moments away from brutally raping her, cutting her up, and burning her "alive". The other part of the tragedy is the black-on-pink crosses painted around the city in her honor that no one with power will listen to. Justice costs too much. The Maquiladora will come, bringing the money and narcotics that will silence her death. The Maquiladora will leave, silencing the impoverished masses who will work for less. Her tears matter not then, as she's one of hundreds buried in the sands of Juarez. The numbers are our murder weapon of indifference.
Diablo come; Diablo take her away.

Aztlan Journal article by Alicia Gaspar de Alba on the Maquiladora Murders (click "open full text")

Why I'm voting for John Obama

I'm voting for John Obama because I believe he's the right man for the job. He'll do what every politician before him has done; tell us what we want to hear rhetorically (formerly referred to as "lying"). He will use his "Christian" faith to get votes and pander to huge groups of supposedly discerning constituents. He'll raise and lower taxes depending on what is politically feasible. He will listen to anyone who pays enough to have an opinion. He will spend an inordinate amount on defense, and not enough for other things that matter. John Obama is my hero. John Obama will pretend that America (and by association, Americans) is/are superior to everyone else and that they all wish they could be us and if we sell Americanism to the world, they'll be rid of their issues, just like we (almost) are. John Obama loves America. He loves apple pie, high school football, and knows that America needs to enact some "green policies" but will fail to mention to his minions that it will cost their cushy way of life dearly and that our society of consumerism is the single biggest culprit in climate change… after all, it takes a lot of hydrocarbons to move all that junk around the planet! But John Obama believes, even more now than ever, that capitalism is still the miracle cure for our ills and multi-national corporations should do what they want in the world because the only really bad poverty and exploitation is of Americans. John Obama will help restore balance in the universe while blindly supporting Israel, even though Israelis are not Israelites (but shhhh, people don't know that!), much to the chagrin of the millions of Arabs who get their news not from unbiased Western news outlets like CNN but from public terrorist networks like "the Island", Al-Jazeera. Oh yes, John Obama is the man for the job to run the most powerful nation on earth. He'll bring new jobs to America. He'll tell people in Michigan that Toyotas are not better vehicles and that labor union greed and corporate greed are not to blame for sales slumps, after all, who would drive a Lexus over a Lincoln? He'll try and fix healthcare, he's just not really sure he knows how to afford it no matter which route he chooses. He, along with his running mate, Joe Palin, will move quickly to enact many needed changes in American policy like keeping the death penalty even though real 'progressive' and equality-minded societies have long since banned it. He'll also keep the suppression of the metric system at the forefront on his domestic policy, after all, counting by 10's is just too easy and who actually wants to look at the small numbers on their speedometer? John Obama will finally make a decision this country has needed for some time. He will once and for all destroy the evil socialists of Bit Torrent, the P2P file-sharing network, which is the gravest threat to "intellectual property rights" since the iron curtain of communism. Speaking of Communism, John Obama will continue to chastise our brothers to the south. After all, they need to fix themselves, get rid of corruption, deal with the cartels, and convince millions of American addicts to buy American narcotics. John Obama hasn't yet decided on "The Fence", but he's decided on a slogan: "there's enough of you here already". That's why John Obama has developed the 'American Bypass Highway', which will stretch from Juarez to Toronto, is stocked with clean bathrooms and Taco Bells and NO off-ramps. He expects unanimous congressional support. Last but not least, John Obama will never look at the Constitution for guidance, because it's old and brown…. But Wait! Look over there!… a shiny Internet blog written by someone from Bakersfield saying they know something about "Constitutional Freedom!". John Obama will listen to him, the average Joe American. (notice how not a single woman is mentioned in this entire post? That's how John Obama would want it.)

This note is not written to support or tear down either presidential candidate whether it is John McCain or Barack Obama, as there are things about both of them I like and dislike. Rather it is simple satire at the expense of American politics as a whole and has the subtle intent of showing the candidate's similarities over their differences and that maybe the real issues get overlooked in the heat of partisan battle. This election cycle has been rife with doomsday predictions, xenophobia, and saviorizing the candidates ("God, save us from that other guy!") on both sides of the spectrum and I think I was sick of the proselytizing done by believers in the American political faith system who, in my opinion, need to cool it a bit. This isn't 'fair' and sure to upset some people, but I sure feel better.

FYI

Don't believe the hype: To vote or not to vote is not necessarily a moral choice.
:)

friend wheel (pretty cool huh?)

eQuality

"Men of quality are not threatened be women's equality."

nivek.

I love my roommate Kevin. He's always keen on when I'm hurting or need something or have something on my mind. He will encourage and pray for you often. He's still trying to adjust to life back in the US after being in Armenia 17 months.... but he's still the same ole' guy, with lots of humor, wisdom, and brokenness for the hurting. I think he prays more than anyone I know... and it's deep and personal. He might be one of the biggest blessings in my life right now... I thank the Lord for him, not as much as I should, but in that I am learning.

Grand Canyon Photos from Ryan (thanks bro)

success in the "relief" field

I just went to a class for human rights and social justice (Master's level), very interesting. However the guest speaker lady was very.... i don't know how to describe it. She was cool, and fair, but unique. But this is what I learned about "relief" work (sorta, this isn't really fair, but it was funny and you had to be there):

drink. alot.
IREX, and you must know the language
work with the locals, find funding
be committed, get "accepted"
market self: know literature, strong social science research background
have education background
get tan in SE Asia
wait for email for various adventures
love Toyota Land Cruisers ("TLC's" in the biz)
have a little ego
suck up to your "minder"
love WorldVision
do not have a strategy
do not know, for sure, what you do
get a niche, like male sex trafficking
have a thing for 5-star hotels
write emails like they write emails
it is NOT about the issues.
LOG FRAMEWORK
if you don't know: lie.
you have made it if you can say "google me".
overwhelm yourself with data
don't be taken too seriously
tell em' you are a lesbian
"grounded in theory"

may we not forget...

there is always hope.

Jake's blog: When Nature Attacks

Originally from Jake Hane's Blog: http://parapraxticals.blogspot.com/

There's really only one word to describe going backpacking in the Grand Canyon. If you're thinking "Grand," you'd be wrong and also not funny or clever. Speaking of clever, there's this little saying that goes "failing to prepare is preparing to fail." This is good advice when it comes to taking tests or planning a vacation or something, but not when it comes to the governenment, and I'm not referring to certain corporate bail-out plans. I'm talking of course about our National Parks Association or whatever it's called.

They give you two options to hike the Grand Canyon legally:

Option 1: Reserve a permit 9 months in advance

Option 2: Drive up to the Grand Canyon and physically write your name on a walk-in permit waiting list.

To hike illegally in the Grand Canyon, you just show up and hope you don't get caught. This is strikingly similar to the strategy adopted by Mexican border-crossers.

The Grand Canyon doesn't have Border Patrol though, so it's easier to get away with things. Just ask Dan Hoffman. Who's Dan Hoffman? Long story short, he's one of the 3 other guys I went with to the Grand Canyon last week, and he's hurt and he needs your help.

That's why I've created the Save Dan Hoffman Foundation. According to field data reports and eyewitness accounts, Dan is stranded somewhere in the Grand Canyon and here's how it happened:

Our group chose Option 2 and ended up miraculously getting a 2-night permit and awesome trail route after Dan and I accidentally made the nice Park Ranger Lady think we were veteran hikers who had just conquered Mt. Kilaminjaro the day before. So we went from having no plan, to having a great plan, to have it being completely altered.

About a mile into our hike, we realize we're being stalked by a Big Horn Sheep. It keeps appearing on these rock outcroppings, and each time it's closer and has this really territorial look in it's eyes. And then, out of nowhere after we stopped to take some pictures, it comes flying through the air with it's head down and takes Dan out at the knees.

Ryan pulls out his knife, puts the sheep in a headlock and stabs it in the brain with his 10-inch knife (nope that's not some euphemism, he really had this sweet knife!). The sheep and Ryan and Dan scrabble on the rocky terrain and after an indescribably long 15 seconds, it was over: Dan was laying on the trail with a compound fracture, gritting his teeth in pain. Ryan is covered in sheep blood and brains and completely out of breath and the sheep is in a couple pieces, most of which fell over the edge of the canyon. Me and Kevin are eating Clif bars.

We all decide that it's best to try and finish the hike so we can track down the rest of this sheep's tribe and brutally murder them with a vengeance. But first Ryan helped Dan hop back to the rim so he can get some medical attention. Ryan tells him if his knee is feeling better the next day to head down and try to catch up with us for our second day of hiking and sheep killing.

Then, for whatever reason, we take our itinerary and launch it into SPACE and make our own plan: this plan includes camping in the wrong campground both times and hiking out a day early. When we get back to the top at 11 at night, it's cold and Ryan, Kevin and Me are pretty tired. Kevin is so tired he's not even speaking English anymore; instead he's muttering inanities in Armenian. That's understandable since we just hiked 9 miles that day and went up almost a mile in elevation. Ryan's limping, and was also a little pissed off that he didn't get to kill any squirrels with the knife he kept strapped to his hip. And I'm starting to realize that I was in no shape to hike more than a few flights of stairs, let alone the Grand Canyon.

We never did see any more sheep on that hike. But when we get to the top, we're all pretty eager to have Dan come pick us up in the car so we can eat some of the donuts we left in the trunk. And also to see how his leg is doing.

Making a really long story short, we can't get ahold of Dan. His cell phone goes straight to voicemail. After a few phone calls and a talk with some ranger named Bruce, we assume that Dan was either out for a day hike or had decided to try and hike down into the Grand Canyon to meet us.

And that brings us to the Save Dan Hoffman Foundation. No one has heard from, or seen Dan since Ryan helped him limp back to the top of the trail that fateful Sunday, October 5, 2008. So Ryan, Kevin and myself are accepting cash donations so that we can launch a full scale investigation and search for Dan, who is by now either dead or a crazed, injured canyon-dwelling nomad, lost forever in the depths of the largest crack in the world.

Think Sand People from Star Wars.

When we find Dan, we will give him the burial he deserves, or if he's alive, use the money that you send to get him a haircut and a good meal. The main portion of the funds will go toward buying a helicopter so we can fly around and look for him. Factoring in the other rescue gear we'll need, the total amount we need to raise is about $5 Million.

So what I'm asking is for you to look in your heart and ask yourself, what would Dan do? Dan would have given you $5 million if you needed it, because that's what kind of guy he is. Or was.

If you were wondering what word describes backpacking in the Grand Canyon, and haven't figured it out yet, I'll just tell you:

give.

That's all, just give.

And if you're wondering how and when Dan evaded Canyon Police and got around not having a permit... well, you'll just have to donate to our foundation so we can find him.

And if you can't give monetarily, please just say some prayers and know that we will never speak to you again because you obviously don't care THAT much.

details forthcoming...

FACT

There have been no terrorist attacks in United States since Jack Bauer has appeared on television.