What is it about this life do I enjoy? The community...yea. The work...yea. But...having to pick up with all my stuff with about 20 other folks to escape a fire. Now that's an adventure. The area that I live and work in, Spring Valley, has been evacuated due to the southern (the Harris) fire...so we go a little north to stay with some IC staff which places us in the middle of the northern (the Witch Creek) and southern fires. 5% of the fires have been contained which I suppose is a lot better than yesterday's 0%...there is yet another possibilty of us having to evacuate the area of North Park that we are currently in. Not sure what's going to happen...but this process is building community. Even more than before I think.
Its just crazy to think that the office is in danger of being burnt down...everything that is the organization of IC is there. We have taken out the server so that we don't lose everything. But...what happens if something drastic were to happen? I guess, we will just need to play it by ear...and pray.
I love this life...always uncertain, always dangerous. Never safe...never comfortable.
10.23.2007
10.16.2007
a day in the life of just another guy
Still here...in San Diego. As a part of the Invisible Children family...
Yea...I'm in the middle. A picture of me w/ a mandolin. Thus everyone thinks I'm typical Nashville and that I can play some pretty narley jams.
Today was a crazy intense...relieving day. We spent most of our time in the warehouse for training but we had the opportunity to go to lunch with Jason Russell, one of the co-founders of IC. After lunch, we were supposed to come back for training for Inspiration which Jason was conducting. Instead, he inspired us outside of the confines of the IC building. We were taken to his old high school and then to his parent's home where most of the beginnings of IC took place. It was kinda surreal. I mean...yea...Jason is a regular joe...but a regular joe that made radical choices and chose to "jump first, and fear later." Before he showed us his room at his parents' house...he explained that his number one strength is "input" meaning he collects information and stores it. Then he opened the door to his room...
...and this was only a quarter of it. It was nuts!!! Inspiring nonetheless.
So...why are scavenger hunts such a popular idea among the training process? The Gallery Church...and now IC. As we were given the rules for today's scavenger hunt we were told NOT to use the name of Invisible Children while hunting. Why? Well b/c sneaking into SeaWorld w/o paying was involved in the list of finds. Did we sneak into SeaWorld you ask? Why, yes!!! 40 pts right there. And did our team still lose? yes...sad days. The other roadies are quite the experience. Quite the relief. Quite the community. My prayers for community were definitely answered and this is just the beginning. I'm sitting in our common room at the Shire with Tranica, Jared, Josh, Chris, and Andi. And...we are shooting rubberbands. Its thats simple. Community is that simple. We are here for one reason with one heart for one country...but the beautiful thing is that it doesn't end there. Our heart's expand beyond IC and beyond Uganda. These folks have hearts of compassion...to love for the sake of love. This is their REVO...
Today was a crazy intense...relieving day. We spent most of our time in the warehouse for training but we had the opportunity to go to lunch with Jason Russell, one of the co-founders of IC. After lunch, we were supposed to come back for training for Inspiration which Jason was conducting. Instead, he inspired us outside of the confines of the IC building. We were taken to his old high school and then to his parent's home where most of the beginnings of IC took place. It was kinda surreal. I mean...yea...Jason is a regular joe...but a regular joe that made radical choices and chose to "jump first, and fear later." Before he showed us his room at his parents' house...he explained that his number one strength is "input" meaning he collects information and stores it. Then he opened the door to his room...
...and this was only a quarter of it. It was nuts!!! Inspiring nonetheless.
So...why are scavenger hunts such a popular idea among the training process? The Gallery Church...and now IC. As we were given the rules for today's scavenger hunt we were told NOT to use the name of Invisible Children while hunting. Why? Well b/c sneaking into SeaWorld w/o paying was involved in the list of finds. Did we sneak into SeaWorld you ask? Why, yes!!! 40 pts right there. And did our team still lose? yes...sad days. The other roadies are quite the experience. Quite the relief. Quite the community. My prayers for community were definitely answered and this is just the beginning. I'm sitting in our common room at the Shire with Tranica, Jared, Josh, Chris, and Andi. And...we are shooting rubberbands. Its thats simple. Community is that simple. We are here for one reason with one heart for one country...but the beautiful thing is that it doesn't end there. Our heart's expand beyond IC and beyond Uganda. These folks have hearts of compassion...to love for the sake of love. This is their REVO...
10.15.2007
San Diego...or home.
I'm here.
After several months of uncertainty...certainty unveiled itself. This past Thursday I received a phone call from Invisible Children asking me to buy a plane ticket to San Diego...to fly in on the following Sunday. Yep...3 day notice. 3 days to conclude my time in Murfreesboro...3 days to say goodbye to everything that was comfortable and discovered. And, to greet San Diego into my life as a new chapter, a new season...a continued journey.
I'm a roadie for the 2008 Spring Tour...my location? So-Cal tour...including obviously Southern California and the southern most parts of Nevada (i.e. Las Vegas). And to our suprise...this year Hawaii is included. Yep...a school is flying the So-Cal team to Maui for 5 days to jump around from island to island. I'm not too sure I am supposed to know this tidbit of information yet...but it leaked. Thus far, I have only met one other guy on my team...his name is Ben, and he is from Cocoa Beach, Florida. He's currently on the So-Cal Tour promoting Schools for Schools program...that whole bunch of the roadies will be back in a week. So that means there will be a total of about 30 roadies living in one lovely home known as the Shire. Anyway...the other 2 folks on my team, the girls...will be here in January.
Today was my first day of training...it was an informational overload to say the least. Meeting all of the staff, learning about all the programs, learning of the history of Uganda (politically and pre-historical topics), discussing our intinerary, and of course having Jason Russell talk with us about IC. The week will continue with more and more information...then we will begin booking our tour. The job will begin...oh and um, I have an IC e-mail address...weird. jshults@invisiblechildren.com
I'm not wanting this experience to fly by...to be over within a wink of an eye. Instead, I want the experience to be embraced...I want to be present. I want to instill and experience community. And...I am confident that I will.
After several months of uncertainty...certainty unveiled itself. This past Thursday I received a phone call from Invisible Children asking me to buy a plane ticket to San Diego...to fly in on the following Sunday. Yep...3 day notice. 3 days to conclude my time in Murfreesboro...3 days to say goodbye to everything that was comfortable and discovered. And, to greet San Diego into my life as a new chapter, a new season...a continued journey.
I'm a roadie for the 2008 Spring Tour...my location? So-Cal tour...including obviously Southern California and the southern most parts of Nevada (i.e. Las Vegas). And to our suprise...this year Hawaii is included. Yep...a school is flying the So-Cal team to Maui for 5 days to jump around from island to island. I'm not too sure I am supposed to know this tidbit of information yet...but it leaked. Thus far, I have only met one other guy on my team...his name is Ben, and he is from Cocoa Beach, Florida. He's currently on the So-Cal Tour promoting Schools for Schools program...that whole bunch of the roadies will be back in a week. So that means there will be a total of about 30 roadies living in one lovely home known as the Shire. Anyway...the other 2 folks on my team, the girls...will be here in January.
Today was my first day of training...it was an informational overload to say the least. Meeting all of the staff, learning about all the programs, learning of the history of Uganda (politically and pre-historical topics), discussing our intinerary, and of course having Jason Russell talk with us about IC. The week will continue with more and more information...then we will begin booking our tour. The job will begin...oh and um, I have an IC e-mail address...weird. jshults@invisiblechildren.com
I'm not wanting this experience to fly by...to be over within a wink of an eye. Instead, I want the experience to be embraced...I want to be present. I want to instill and experience community. And...I am confident that I will.
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