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|  I write from a slum outside of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These slums are notorious, one can not watch a whole news program here in Brazil without hearing about "as favelas" (the slums). BBC says the death rate in the Rio slums is comparable with Bagdad; wikipedia says that these broken places can be described as actual war zones, but let me tell you something wikipedia doesn´t say, if God is anywhere, He is here. The first day when Paul Kolarik and I arrived here we took a walk past drug lords with ak-47´s and bullet torn buildings (even now it is hard to get used to the fact that everybody is packing), and then we came across this sign just a little towards the outside of the slum. The sign says "Eterna Paz para a comunidade" or in english "Eternal peace for the community", and because it is located between two warring slums it is unescapably pumped full of shells.  There is peace in war, there are rules even in anarchy, and there is normal life in chaos. In these slums there is order, once admitted your safety is secure, inside the slums there is no stealing or robbing from your neighbor. There is even protection from the drug lords against other gangs and, if need be, the police. And though I have spent almost an entire night facedown on the floor waiting for the firing to cease (turns out later there was no war, just signal fires warning that the police were entering) I can still say that life here is pretty normal here. You see the same smiles on the childrens faces, the same tumult of them playing outside in the street, the same hope in their eyes...
 If I was to sum up the last two months in one concise word the very last word I would use is normal. When Paul, Colleen, and I sent out on this journey across South America we had no lucid expectations, just that it was going to be an audacious adventure and completely unforgettable. It has been both and more. Now that the end is approaching and both Paul and Colleen have reverted back to America, I wait to go on to my next leg of the journey. I wish to tell every part of this last one before, but that would be impossible. Some stories aren´t meant to be told, only lived; and like the best and worst jokes...you had to be there. You had to be at the surreal ruins of Machu Picchu, a lost civilization surrounded by mighty peaks and dense jungle in the morning mist...histories own graveyard; or
the earthquake destroyed city of Pisco.We cleared out rubble to build homes and built homes to build hope; the feeling of standing in the bed of a truck after a long day of labor, waving to everyone coming out of there dust-covered tents to thank us as if we were riding on clouds to their aid. Sandboarding in a massive desert. The enchanting city of Cusco where two cultures collided. The desert kids in Mendoza giving them a week they will never forget. Being karaoke kings in Argentina. Walking through the natural mist and staring aghast at the shocking beauty of Iguazu Falls. A ferry at sunset to an unknown country. Driving scooters through ancient cobble stone streets adorned with flowers. Quaint cafes in Buenos Aires. Hoopin up in Sao Paulo, crashing a Brazilian wedding, Volleyball on the beach of Rio, showing the locals a couple of Kansas boys can play. Running in the warm rain through the narrow alleyways of the slums in Brazil..saying goodbye to the best friend a guy could have..and falling in love all over again...Beautiful South America...Africa here I come!!!
 
Quick Recap..5 countries, two of the seven wonders of the world, 140 hours on buses, 7000 miles, two nights homeless, widest waterfall in the world, biggest usuary in the world, widest road in the world, longest road in the world, biggest sand dune in the world, highest mountain in the southern hemisphere, most populated city in the southern hemisphere, almost getting robbed, second best ice cream in the world, arguably most beautiful sunset in the world, one of the most famous beaches in the world, and tons more street cred... I leave for Africa on the 23 of January...to hopefully go to University...I will send my address as soon as I find a place to live. (All photos brought to you by Colleen Tearney, Paul Kolarik, Matt Haden and any other random person we had take them for us. For more see the various albums.) | | |
| And thus it comes, another birthday, 22 years old...My life is...what? I have tread such a path these last 4 years that I feel that I have gone from prince of the world to pauper freshman of KU. Of course not without purpose...and I guess that is why my heart remains content. Content, knowing my desires lay at the end of this road, and sometimes you must go through the dismal forest to reach the sea. My dismal forest is what I make it. It could be a despondent walk or an audacious journey.It took me four years and most of the world to find what I want to do with my life, and what I have found is this: 1. It is not about me…joy is most easily found in aiding others. 2. There is evil in this world, but there is also good. 3. Love, faith and hope mean everything…you can hold on to them when everything else is gone... 4. Life is measured by how many people you have touched, not by how many dollars you have made. 5. I would rather live in a hut in Africa with love than in a mansion without. 6. Many people worry about what doesn’t matter and don’t concern themselves with what does… 7. Countries change when the people in them change. 8. There is true friendship and true love in this world and it is always sacrificial. 9. I have a purpose, but I must seize it, grasp it in my hand, and chase after it with all my heart. And 10. I want to help with everything that I am…. My last three birthdays… A secluded beach with the best friends in the world in Cancun…A bright moon overlooking Lake Victoria in Uganda…A costume party on the coast of Chile…And now here with my family in Kansas…Life is beautiful!!!  India
 Mexico
 Chile
 Africa
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| Time is the one thing that is completely uncontrollable. It listens to no one, it will neither halt, reduce, or speed up despite our desires. It is almost the only thing that you can completely count on and never be disappointed; Time, will in fact, always, go on. I use to wonder when I reach heaven if I will be able to watch a jumbo video of my life. To relive moments, moments like I have had here in India. Time is doing what it does best, ticking away, and I will be reverting back to Europe and the west tonight around 3 am. I have had so many adventures here and have seen so much that I conclude that three months in India is equal to 30 years of life experience. Only my tears could explain to you what life is like here, tears both of joy and utter sadness. I don't know what to say about this place, about the Mother Teresa house, a place of life in this country of death; or the villages in the jungle, with bright eyes and smiles that perforate ones heart; or hiking through the Himalayas, the colossal king of all mountains; or the city of Delhi, with rich history in every building; or watching the sunrise over the Taj Mahal, architecture perfection. Seeing death and life, and the fight there in. My heart is almost in agony that I have to leave, I have even had thoughts of missing my flight and staying. I don't know why I love India so much, but I do, and I think I always will. 
An excerpt from my journal: | | |
|   India is not for the weak of heart. I have seen things that people don't even deserve to see, much less experience. Poverty is at every street corner, walking down the street is like walking inside of a time magazine cover, slums are not just words, but places and people to me now. Pollution covers the sky and I hardly have seen the sun clearly, overpopulation is an understatement, life is a struggle, and yet there is beauty...there is beauty in India. And I see it and live it everyday. I have been in this country for almost five weeks, most of the time spent working at the mother teresa house. I couldn't think of a better ministry for me. The house I am working at is for the dying and destitute and I help every way from hand feeding people, to bathing them, to washing their clothes, to giving them medicine, to cleaning up all there bowel movements. People there have terminal illness and most of them have legs no wider than two of my fingers. Cast out of the hospitals and declared hopeless, poor, and not worth helping. The things I have seen...I will spare you. We also spent two weeks in Nagaland, which is a province in the far east above Burma. There we worked with churches, preached in schools, and helped at a youth camp. At the youth camp many youths came to the Lord and were touched by God in very powerful ways. In Nagaland we were very famous, making the front page of the newspaper twice and a school even declared a holiday in our honor, allowing all of the kids to go home. Just walking in the streets everyone would come out of there houses and watch us go by with big smiles and giggles saying in there own language, 'the foreiners are coming!!! the foreiners are coming!!!". Many of them had never seen white people since the border has been closed for some time and even now is stictly watched. I left my heart among those wild, green, jungle covered hills with the beautiful people and their beautiful love. We made deep relationships there and had a tearful goodbye with our 'Naga' friends. Nagaland will always have a special place in my heart and if God ever called me there I would go without hesitation. Now I am back in Calcutta, meeting lots of other volunteers from all over and sharing Jesus with them, as well as helping the poorest of the poor. Life is wonderful and despite some of the sickness I have, I love what I am doing in everyway. Thanks for your prayers!!! Please write me if your get a chance. "There is no fear in love. And perfect love casts out real fear." 1 john 4:18  
I AM IN INDIA!!!!!!
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| The City of Romance has romanced its way into my heart. I just returned from a two week outreach in the heart of France, Paris. We did open evangelism on the streets with dramas and dances, as well as homeless and children ministries. The time was phenomenal, I have never evangelized with that much tenacity in all of my life. We must have given out over a thousand bibles in French! France is a very broken nation with less than one percent Christians. No hope, no love, and no God. And yet His hope rises in us. People told me they saw this passion, this hope, this love in my eyes and all over my countenance. That is what it is to be a Christian, you have this light, that is so bright.
The Louvre Museum
"I preached as if never sure to preach again, like a dying man to dying men."
Dramas in the streets!
Eiffel tower
"The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they can not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ...(but) For God who said, 'let light shine in darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts..." 1 Cor 2:4-6
Notre Dame
Le Sacre Coeur
Street Evangelism
Most of the pictures are of the monuments, because Paris has a plethora of beautiful architecture and no one is thinking about taking pictures when they are preaching Christ. I am back in Switzerland and preparing for rock climbing, hiking, and a massive bike ride. Then off to India leading a team. I need to see finances to come in, over 3000 dollars to go to India and work with the poorest of the poor. Pray for me please, I know God is faithful, and I can show you just how I get all this money to travel the world...God. | | |
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