Choice!

Hey guys, I miss you all greatly. In fact, I am sitting on my couch listening to Sleeping Sickness, even though I really don’t like City and Colour, however enjoy singing only one line of the chorus at the top of my lungs. I just wish that it was 3:45 in the morning...

Where to begin? Wow, Kaleo seems so long ago. I suppose that I will fill you in on what I have been up to for the past couple of weeks. The Sunday that I left I was pretty down, actually, really down. My dad could tell that I needed a serious pick-me-up so we rented those little dorky scooters in Victoria and we ripped along the coast, past the breakwater and along the ocean for about an hour and a half. Good times! I highly recommend jumping on one of those if you can. Then we spent a couple days in Vancouver, we walked the Seawall and went to that Italian restaurant that some of us went to over the youth workers convention. A lot of stories came out about Kaleo and it was a good time with my dad. Came home and only had one day here in Orangeville before flying out again early on Thursday morning to Philadelphia where I had an interview at Eastern University for a program there called the Templeton Honors College. I was pretty nervous and was not sure what to expect, when about five minutes before my interview the administrator said, “Ok, so here’s how the interview is going to work. Don’t worry about saying the right answers, they don’t care what you think. They want to know how you think. This will be an agility test of the mind.” Then it started.

The best way to describe this interview would be that they opened up my head and played basketball with my brain for an hour before putting it back in my head and sending me on my merry way. There were three profs there from this honors college, and they just grilled me and mentally fought with me. I have never had to think so hard in my life, or debate like that before. They asked me questions about my definition of justice, why freedom is necessary and everything to when does life become life and why, touching on topics such as abortion and life support, to China’s one child policy and the world’s resources. I did not feel too confidant coming out of the interview, and they gave me absolutely no feedback from it. Mentally and physically exhausted, me and my dad retreated to a restaurant where I digested everything that had just happened, along with some pasta, mmmm choice! We toured Philly the next day, taking trains and pictures by the Rocky statue near the art museum. Don’t worry Johnny, I did some fist pumps at the top of the stairs.

Once home, many hours were spent in conversation and thought about where I was supposed to be next year. I cannot even write everything that I thought about during that week on here, it would be too long, but if you really care you can call me and I’ll tell you about some of it. I was getting worried that I wouldn’t hear from Eastern before I had to make a decision about Briercrest. The deadline that Briercrest gave me was until today, April 30. I came in from rock climbing on Tuesday night with James, and on the counter was an envelope and I opened it, and it was my acceptance letter to Eastern, sent on the same day that I had my interview! Pretty crazy.

I have made my decision concerning next year, and I will be going to Eastern in Philadelphia. I realize that this is a step of faith. I have many fears and questions about going here, but my dad said something that has helped me to step out in faith. He said something like, “What are you fears about Eastern? What are you saying that God cannot do?” I know that God will be providing for me and taking meeting my needs. After all, “without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Heb 11). Although I would love to be joining the k7 crew at Briercrest, I don’t feel a peace about being there, and as fearful and hesitant as I am to go to Eastern, I feel at peace about my decision.

Well that’s enough of university talk. I have been at loose ends for the past couple days, with not much to do, so I am excited to start a new job on Monday. I will be landscaping in Orangeville. I am praying that this will be an experience like the Olympics, where I can develop friendships and work alongside others while really being there to share with them hope and true life. In my family, I have felt a bit discontent with the community that my family has with one another. Don’t get my wrong, my family is great and I love them dearly, however I wonder why we so rarely encourage one another in the spirit and how rarely we pray together for one another. It seems as though we are all walking this journey of faith separately and distant from one another. Please pray for an “openness” with in our family and within my friends as well. I realize how great a blessing it is to be part of a community that is open in every respect. Open meaning vulnerable, willing, and led by the spirit. I am praying for this and working towards this within my family and my friends.

I think about you all so much. You have taught me a lot this year, and the lessons that I have learned are not easily forgotten, in fact I am still trying to figure out what some of them are all about. Pray that I would be able to digest this past year well. Thank you brothers and sisters for such a blessing of a year! I am filled with thanksgiving for the grace that God has lavished on us with this year.

Many prayers for all of you and much love from Orangeville Ontario!

p.s. you guys had better come visit me next year, we can grab a philly cheese steak and watch a baseball game or something....