Happy Holidays!

Christmas time is here (one of my favorite songs, not only during the Christmas season)

I'm not sure why I've become fascinated with holidays recently. As I get older (spoken like a true 23 year old man with just soooo much wisdom), I get more and more confused about our holidays. Maybe not confused as much as curious of how they began, what they have evolved into, how they have evolved over the years since their conception, how I've grown in celebration of how I celebrate holidays, many other thoughts. There's the whole thing about celebrating with other people and the fact that many of them are similarly processing as well... what are they thinking I wonder? Are you curious now too?

What's neat about this for me is that I'm asking questions like I never have before, processing through things I do, almost like the years teenaging but without all the angst, haha. The reason being that I am able to now process everything in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, because the Holy Spirit of God lives in me. Radical statement I know, but nonetheless very much the case. I love it, to know that something is working so deeply inside me in ways I would never imagine, helping me to understand how loved I am in the midst of not just some things in my life, but EVERYTHING. In the words of one of the earliest Christians (Paul)

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. -Romans 1:16

That's why Christmas has been even more wonderful than before this year, I'm finding deep joy in my salvation that speaks to everything about my life, who I am, what and why I celebrate, and what a real relationship with family and friends looks like. Christmas means that God loves us actively not just once 2,000 some years ago. He knows that we are helplessly in need of him, and helplessly unworthy of him at the same time, through grace alone He sent his son to die for us, and ever since has been working in the hearts of those who believe to redeem everything that is broken. That's why as I grow in my relationship with God, and realize just how messed up I am, relationships are, and the world is, I find joy in identifying my faults and brokenness because I know God loves me that much more (and even more than I imagine)!

p.s. When I lived in South Sudan last year there seemed to be no shortage of holidays, like literally twice a week there would be a national holiday of some sort. I'm sure they will be the topic of future posts!

Walking for water

I have always been amazed at how beautiful the form of water can be. Whether a rushing river, a placid lake, or even dew forming on grass, it’s always pretty incredible to see. I managed to get a picture of it in an even more beautiful form than these last year as I was working with World Harvest Mission in South Sudan, the newest nation in the world.

Let me give you a little background for the picture...

Not only is South Sudan one of the hottest places in the world, it is one of the hardest places in the world to get clean drinking water as a result of the destruction and neglect of infrastructure during the civil wars that have been waged in South Sudan for over forty of the last sixty years. Children and women travel miles every day to collect water for the family's needs, and if you've ever carried a gallon of milk to the house after the car from grocery shopping you'll know this is no joke (especially if you consider that the water containers common to that part of the world, known as "jerry cans" are larger than 5 gallons in size)

As one of my teammates noted, Jerry Cans come in all shapes and sizes proportioned for the carrier...(picture courtesy of teammate Christine Olmeda)


It was amazing to work with communities in hearing their stories, sharing the gospel, and installing solar powered water pumping systems that greatly increase access to safe drinking water. Simply sharing the good news of the great love Jesus has for them, and helping aid their physical needs.

Increasing access to safe drinking water is essential to development, and greatly increases quality of life. This has recently and currently been done through drilling well-like holes in the ground called boreholes. They might be though of as wells that need to be manually pumped. While the borehole systems currently in place in the Mundri region (see the post "water" below for a most "excellently" drawn diagram) are effective in that they are safe to drink from without treating the water first, they tend to fail mechanically, are expensive to construct, and it can be tiring for women and children to use. That is why World Harvest Mission is partnering with the water authorities of the region to install solar panel powered pumping systems in the boreholes (in place of the manual pumps) that allow for multiple watering stations that can spread out over a wide perimeter. This allows water to be pumped faster, and to a broader area, good stuff!

I can't wait to take part in this work!!!

"…’Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” Rev 22:17

Where am I?

Where am I?
...doesn't that question sound so philosophical?

To answer my own question; I am in many different places.
...to answer my question's question; yes, yes it does.

Where am I going with this line of thought?
...no one knows, haha!

In my attempt to start an informative blog I figured it might be helpful to let you know where I am mentally, physically, spiritually, etc.

I spend a lot of time thinking about where I am, but in summary: I'm in the process of raising support to go to South Sudan as a missionary, to do civil engineering and youth outreach and ministry.

Mentally: I've shown you probably too much about my mental state already!: I am one scatter-brained individual! In keeping true to my nature, I will continue in this though process later in the post, as I think it will be more helpful to explain the other wheres away first.

Geographically: I am living in Philadelphia, PA. This is my "home base" of operations, and where I have been living since I was in South Sudan on internship with World Harvest Mission (since last December).

Employmentally: Though I am employed by World Harvest Mission as a missionary, I am still in the support raising process and will need to supporting myself financially until I become a full-time worker (I leave to work in South Sudan). In the mean time, I've been working as a general remodeling contractor for a good friend of mine to make ends meet, and will continue to do so until just before I leave.

Spiritually: I am trusting that God loves me, and have been resting in the fact that the debt Jesus Christ paid on the cross on my behalf has allowed for me to enter into relationship with God, as His son! Though many times I feel discouraged about where I am spiritually, mentally, physically, geographically, the infinite grace of God comforts me, sets me free to love as He has loved me.

Mentally: Constantly getting overwhelmed by things I feel I have to do, though always being reminded of the fact that Jesus has accomplished everything I have needed and will ever need to do.

Going to be: I don't know, but God is showing me day by day that He has a plan, and that it will involve me getting loved by him. Hazah!

Thanks for taking the time to read this post, I'll be trying to add a new post at least bi-weekly so stay tuned in!