Random thoughts halfway in

-by Micah-

So it's going to be October here on Thurs. Guess it will be October in your home town too, on your Thurs. But it has me thinking backwards and forwards.

If you have been following us, you know we hit our halfway mark in the beginning of Sept. It was monumental in so many ways. Economically speaking, now, no matter what happens, we will not have to pay our schools back for our airline tixs if things go south; 6 months of employment earns us the flight here. Mentally, it's a real "over-the-hill" moment. But unlike the 40 year old, blowing out the 40 candles, and then crying himself to sleep that night, this over-the-hill is joyous. Physically the weather is taking a turn for the better; 33 degree days with 80+% humidity were really taking their toll (that's 33 degree Celsius - you do the conversion).



I know my friends and family are right when they tell me to focus on the present, to savor what we have here, but I can't help it. The end is in sight and my mouth in watering. I don't know how many of you who are reading this have ever spent more than a few months away from your "home". Traveling, even if it is long term, has such a different feel compared to a re-location. But I have to be objective and recognize that this time in Korea has always been temporary, and we all knew that from the start, so I can't honestly label what we are doing as a "re-location".

So I guess I have stumbled upon a gray area, neither one thing nor the other. This year has not been anything close to a simple travel-adventure, but it hasn't been a full blown up-and-move-the-kitchen-sink either. We are stuck somewhere in the middle. And I think I'll throw my vote in for this middle ground being the hardest of the three. Why?

We have all traveled, and it's great, it's wonderful! You get the rush of the unknown, unexpected, adventure upon adventure. You get to see new lands, interact with new people, enjoy new foods, and all the while you are on vacation for cryin' out loud! No one would argue travel is a burden.

Re-locating, moving, changing passports or at least drivers licenses, that's a big deal. You say goodbye to friends, knowing full well you may never see them again (it's sad, but how many of our friendships truly are based on convenience? I can only note a few exceptional exceptions. You guys know who you are.) Re-locating is hard, but there is also a threshold, a point at which you accept your new location as home; you adopt the surrounding culture as your own. Between the First World and indigenous tribes great missionaries have successfully done this.* Between the West and the East, unique individuals have done this. Between the States and Western EU people do this regularly. Between American cities it's done all the time.

Not being on a travel vacation, and unable to embrace South Korea as my true home, leaves me in the middle, wondering.





*I would like to endorse the short book entitled Bruchko, written by the great missionary Bruce Olson. If God has placed missions on your heart in any way, buy it here.

Speed-gondola-taxis

-by Micah-

One singular event that we must not fail to mention, in regards to our time in Bangkok: the locals' speed-gondola-taxis. Now, anyone who has a somewhat substantial knowledge of Thailand will know about Tuk-Tuks; you can't miss the hundreds of them as their three, little wheels zip in and out of the congested Bangkok traffic. "Tuk-Tuk?" "Tuk-Tuk?" I can still hear the little drivers, insisting you climb aboard and pay their fee. (One side note to note: many Tuk-Tuk drivers are in league with organized scams where they will take you, not to your requested destination, but to jewelry stores, where they will literally lock you inside until you buy something. Yikes. I will humbly admit this is the sole reason we never ventured in taking those little men up on their insistent offers...well that reason and the fact you could just as easily jump in an enclosed, air-conditioned cab and get an honest metered rate. You do the math.)

The locals' speed-gondola-taxis! That's what I was getting at! No, don't picture a hairy man in a black and white striped shirt, singing Italian opera, while he swiftly plunges an oar in and out of the water with a cadence reminiscent of Lance Armstrong. They have upgraded to diesel engines, but the craft's body is still very much that of the traditional gondola. Now just imagine a 20 seater version, careening up and down the local canals, with blue tarps rigged along the vessel's perimeter in such a way as to lower, to allow passengers onboard, and rise, to shield the same passengers from the torrents of water resulting from the tidal-wave-like wakes crashing off the narrow, concrete walls of the canal.

You just don't see these kinds of things in the States...

Bangkok

Thailand: A brief Ode to a Magical Place.


Ahh Thailand, how exotic you are!

You shine like a….morning star!

Albeit your peoples can be a bit bizarre,

But you’re beaches are the best by far!



Ok. Those last two lines weren’t really true…


Now for the real blog. And my computer thinks that “blog” isn’t a word…interesting. Anyway, Thailand! I'm writing the blog about Bangkok before Micah can make a crude Confucian joke. Last month we went to Thailand after a brief jaunt to China. We had a week in between to rest because of the “swine flu scare”. (The school district said that if you went abroad you had to take a week off, no complaints there). So the flight on out to Bangkok was fantastic! Free cocktails with top shelf liquor! (Something which cannot be found in Korea, where only flavored water (reminiscent of beer) and ethanol (soju) can be readily found). So the plane ride was luxurious by our menial standards.

We made it to Bangkok safe and sound (which is obvious, really, seeing as how we are still alive and writing this blog) and got to the hotel after wandering around for a little bit, because we didn’t know where we were and Thai people can’t read maps (even if it’s in their language).

The breakfast was great! (As we espoused on the video) Banana pancakes, get in my belly! We had what 4 days in Bangkok? So we weren’t as rushed as in Beijing because we had more time and there was less to see. But let me tell you that the Grand Palace is exquisite! It was incredibly intricate and immaculate. I think Micah would agree it is the most exotic site we’ve seen. Check out the photos if you don’t believe me. After this cocaine injection to the eyes we sauntered over to the “Reclining Buddha” for a more subdued fun. It was massive! (Again, check out the pics.)

Sadly, the food was not the greatest. In China, the food was amazing everywhere! But in Thailand…it was below what we find in Denver. EXCEPT the awesome cooking class we went to! The owner/chef taught us how to make 12 different dishes! I think on the whole it was about 4 or so hours of stuffing ourselves. It was great. All vegetarian food too! Healthy yet delicious. I almost considered thinking of thinking about giving up meat. Almost.




Those were the main highlights of the trip to Bangkok. Although the Jim Thompson house was really neat architecturally and decoratively speaking. And navigating through the massive outdoor market where we got some neat souvenirs and gifts for bottom dollar was really fun. And Thai massages and foot massages for 3 bucks for half an hour was an unequivocally unmatched bargain. We even interjected a leisurely float down the (I don't know what the river was called) river, aboard a buoyant restaurant. The "authentic" Thai dinner came in multiple courses (all of which were surprisingly pleasing to the palate), interspersed with traditional Thai music and dancing. (Again, check the Flickr pics.)

Hope that slaked your thirst for info (if you’ve even read this far). The trip to Koh Samui is a whole different adventure in and of itself and deserves its very own blog.

author: Stephanie

Arise

I wrote this after seeing the Love146 video; researching child sex slavery revealed what a widespread and abhorent evil it is.
-Steph

Arise

With what is my heart burdened?

The careless and carefree days of youth

Have shifted like an eastern wind

Blowing away my naivety.



My eyes have opened and light has been shone

By the lanterns of the dead

Drifting along in their leaky pyres.

They call for me to see and perceive.



The darkness engulfs as they sail

Silently, faces plastered in everlasting screams.

They ought to pass serenely, with dignity

But my inactivity has enabled their pain.



The sparkle leaves my eyes as I see

The sheen of the angelic and lifeless.

Pain and despair etched into every crevice

Of their youthful faces.



If I shut my eyes and plug my ears

To silence the oppressed cries,

How can I continue to live while blind

And hands occupied?



It is a half life that we are living.

Filling my eyes with glittering gems to black out

The precious souls of the condemned.

Fill my ears with sweet organ songs

To drown the cries of the mutilated children.



Because I am too occupied with cant* worship

To act for those with no voice.



What good are lips without thoughts?

What good are voices without hands?

Lulled into complacency through decandence

We sit on our thrones, built with bones

Of the exploited, and pretend.



Modern hypocrites, acting the part

Of a lost soul redeemed.

The jig is up. The play is ended

And here we sit, on stage with no audience.



Arise children of God.

Pick up your armor and gird yourselves

With the sword and power of

The Almighty God.



Be moved as you act like you are.

Listen to the cries of the ghettos

Silenced by the serpent and minions.

The blame is on our shoulders.



A voice from within calls out to be heard.

Will we admonish her call and

Thereby anathematizing her wisdom?



“Arise you blessed ones and bless

The hands that wrought you.

Fight for His children.

Brandish your battering rams.

Augment your indignation.



“Move with the power entrusted to you.

Strip off your artifice and avarice.



“If you stand by the wayside and watch

As the murderers, philanderers and exploiters

Pass you by and yet make no move

To stop their endless parade

How can you claim to be of the vine

And slander the name of your God?



“How can you be so blind

To believe your hands are clean?



“The spots you can’t wash off.

The blood you cannot burnish

You are stained in ignorance and apathy.


Arise.”


*cant is not misspelled. It means 'feigned'.

LOVE146.org

click.read.watch.listen.learn.pray.give.serve

LOL

watch here

I'm proud to be a CSU Ram!!

I'm proud to be a CSU Ram!
I said I'm proud to be a CSU RAM!!

Final Score 23-17

CSU held the Buffs to ONLY 29 rushing yard, eclipsed by the Ram's 168. All other stats were about even across the board.

CSU just out-played CU.

23 years to the day since CSU has won in Boulder.

the Object of Life

“. . . the object of life is virtue, not pleasure;
and obedience, not liberty, is the means of its attainment.”

-Russell Kirk, The Conservative Mind from Burke to Eliot

Scaling the Acclivity

-composed by Steph-

Faith


Faith. Faith is what I need.
Faith, for this I plead.
To know You intimately.


I crave proximity. Am I blind?
To think You have left me behind?
And, in my despair, my feet you bind?


I am unworthy, but not worthless.
I am convincing myself I know this.
But somehow my arrows seem to miss.


My score is poor compared to the chosen.
Who are these You’ve emboldened?
From benison are not witholden?


How can I become a chosen one
If not solely through Your son?
Whose blood covers me as I run.


Away from You my path is dark.
And I can’t see the fatal mark
Left upon His hands so stark.


Faith is what I need, indeed!
And on this truth I lay my plea
That you would give it liberally.


I have no strength but what you give me.
And I can’t scale this steep acclivity,
And I fear I’m falling all too freely.


Hold Your hand out to rescue.
Your feet scarred and hands eskewed
So I, like Thomas, may but test You.


Why do I doubt Your love astounding?
My body’s tired. My head is pounding.
It can’t contain. You are all surrounding.


I am unworthy and I’m humbled.
Not for the last time have I stumbled.
But You heard every desperate word I mumbled.


I cry out for You to hear.
Please, in Your love for me, draw near!
And help me to relinquish my spear.


I was there when they wrought
Your blessed lamb upon that cross.
And it was I who nailed Your hands
And ripped apart our wedding bands.


Forgive me my Love, my God, my Master.
In Your great love render me chaster.
Save me from this smothering disaster.


I am Yours. I can’t be wrenched
From the hand which has me entrenched.
Bellied with refining fire that can’t be quenched.


Give me faith to proclaim
Your holy deeds and blessed name
Whose Word I will not defame.


I love and will always.
I pick up my cross amidst my follies.


For faith is what you give me to proceed
And I believe You provide for every need.


I desire and partake of only Your ambrosia,
And place my life in the holey hands of the Messiah.

Me too!! Summer

-Micah-

I have some downtime here at school, okay, I almost always have downtime at school. Maybe I should say, I am attempting to ward off the laziness the has been plaguing me ever since the hot summer months began back in June. Now the mornings and evening are markedly cooling down, a more than welcome occurrence. In fact it was just last Saturday morning, upon my jaunt down to the produce market to rustle up some breakfast, when the first wave of cool air hit me in the face, I almost shouted for joy. Literally.

More digressing.

The decision was made that a list of "productive" tasks was needed to jump-start this motivation of opposing laziness. One of these tasks is to apprise you, our loyal readers and followers, of our goings on.

We really did have a great summer. Actually, I have to digress some more. I just re-started a facebook account. It was not so much a re-start as a re-create (my old CSU email address had been put to bed, so I was out of luck). In doing so, I am experiencing that all too common rush of facebook-addiction, "Oh! It's been 15 mins. I wonder if anything has changed on facebook! I must drop all and check!"

What I keep finding are scores of "Summer '09 this" and "the best summer ever in **** " and "2009 Summer fun that."

Has it ever occurred to us collectively that we as individuals are oh-so-excited to publicize our goings on, via facebook, or Flickr, or even a blog (and don't get me started on Twitter), and yet each individual is so engrossed with their own respective posts/uploads/blogs that they seldom make the time to fully appreciate their peers' corresponding information? Well I do it, so I am just assuming everyone else is the same.

So time for another "me too!!"

We really did have a great summer.