Blogging During the Daytime

The sun has passed high noon on our time here in the Algarve, the moon and stars of memory are fast setting themselves in our sky. Yet, we must stay present in today as we still have plenty of sunlight left. It can be hard, being here, present, knowing the next faze in life is fast approaching. It can be hard on days that we miss family and friends back home. The comfort of a warm group of affectionate friends helps us though, it is a blanket to the cold night approaching.

Summer here is gone, and a fall much like its summer counterpart is here. Yet days can be hot with cool nights. The buzz of holy light from foteball (the real national religion)games on TV warm the night for many as they congregate in cafes and bars. I have acquired a favorite team, Sporting, as is mandatory here. Most of the tourists have gone, life, at least for the locals, has returned to a somewhat normal. It is much more quiet now, except for that garbage truck that still makes late night visits.

We have continued to hangout with our friends here, growing deeper relationships that will become increasingly harder to leave from. Their worldviews are becoming more apparent, and yet, our group has grown a synthesis with our influence. We have contributed to it, created together "fantasy themes" as they say in communication studies (not dirty!). We share common inside jokes and meanings, opinions and dialogue. We have conversed on issues of religion, theology, politics, ethics...

We continue to be active in sports. It has been the catalyst for building relationships here since the beginning. We are truly blessed by the people we have met through Cross-fit, football, surfing, etc. The culture here seems to be centered around sport life. Since the waves of tourists have left, local ideology becomes more clear. Sports carry with them more than just physical activity, more than just entertainment. They carry belonging, they carry pride. They provide history, hope, identity.

We had the chance to take part in Rota Do Petisco, a tapas style food sampling from traditional restaurants with traditional foods. As usual, we had a great time sampling the colorful flavors of the Algarvian cuisine. Never in my life did I think I would covet the taste of sardines until I moved to Portugal. The Algarve is especially known for them.  We have had the best of the best, in company and food.

As time fast approaches, the reality of going back to the states does too. We struggle with the stress of what our next steps are in life. We are struggle with the insecurities that plague risks and effort. I am insecure about what jobs will be out there, what grad schools may or may not accept me, when is the right time to start having kids, and what the situation in the states is as we are returning too, what...Yosemite is closed??? But through the stress and (over?) thinking, we have hope. We have hope the we are not alone, we are being taken care of, and that this life is an opportunity to love, before it is an opportunity to succeed or be recognized. Before it is a chance to be loved, we have a chance to serve in love, to see life as beautiful, not because of what only happens to us, but because of what we can do to life, to the situation we are borne into.

Some might read this (if anyone actually does) and think "that it must be nice to type these words, in such a beautiful place as he is, enjoying life with first world problems". To an extent, they are right, my life has been incredibly blessed, I have such a wonderful experience here. There are so many people who are dying around the world and I have the audacity to have any sort of stress. But it is hoe that has brought me through darker days, through darker times, times hidden, experiences not expressed. Hope from the past that has brought me a hope into the present, and for the future. I believe that The one who has created me, also works to help me be a blessing to the 'others' in my life. That includes the Divine self, my friends, family, etc. I believe he will work with me through all situations, not abandoning me, even in difficult times.

So, we continue, blessed as we are, we experience, study, and enjoy the Algarve and her people. Portugal and all of its quirks and glories has shaped our experience and continues to teach us about life, love, and the pursuit of service.

"Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect." -Margaret Mitchell

“The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places.
But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now
mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater.” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

If you read this

If you read this blog, I would like to hear from you. Let me know what you think about my thoughts, I love to share my thoughts with others and theirs with me.

A little Homesick, A Little Happy

Summer is leaving us now. The fall is coming rapidly. It looks a lot like its sibling summer, but a little cooler at night. 

We have been able to explore a little more of the Algarve, our southern Portuguese region we call casa for now. There are so many palm trees. This place is home to many tourists and retirees. But it holds a vast. albeit dwindling population of diverse Algarvian people. We meet new people every day, some friendly, some not. 

Traveling is an interesting thing. When you spend a bit of time somewhere, things become less noticeable. Sure, we still see the beautiful landscape and cultural cues, but they are less romantic and more real. We are forced to deal with them as a part of our everyday life, not just observing them as onlookers, but engaging them as we try to live, for awhile, overseas. We love getting to know the people and learning how they tick, who they are. Quirks are funny things, its hard to tell whether they are things that should change or just things. People have them, and so do cultures. 

Standing in an office for almost six hours to get paperwork done seems a bit excessive, but hey, who's counting (oh that's right, me). Seeing friends dealing with local politicians is an odd position. America is no stranger to politics, but here... 

We are strangers in a foreign land, even if it seems Western enough, it's not America. Sometimes, it is a struggle to think of friends and colleagues in Africa, Asia, etc. It seems as if our cross-cultural experience is not as rad as real as theirs. It's weird to admit that, but it's true. Life can so easily become a contest, watching others and comparing experiences. But we lose something in comparison. We forget to live where our feet stand, to be present where we are. Sometimes forgotten people are not poor (international standards) or starving. Sometimes they are just forgotten, right there in front of us. Different. But not radically enough to act.

We have experienced the pessimistic culture that Portugal has a reputation for. We have experienced the bureaucracy as well.  We have experienced the impatience of Portuguese people trying to deal with people trying to learn Portuguese. Every culture has its dark side, or quirks, or whatever you want to call them. 

To be quite honest, I miss "home" on days like today. I am worried about sick family. I see friends carrying on with life. I am worried about our future when we get back, about school, about work. I want to secure entry into grad school. I desire to be accepted and respected by my professors, people who taught me to love education.  Even though my grammar may stress rhetorical function, I have become a lover  of education.  I desire to become a better academic. I worry about friends here and how they see me. Will we remain friends after we leave? Have we made a lasting impact on their lives?

But with all of this, I trust My Father in heaven, my redeemer.  He has been here for me, accepted me, blessed me, guided me. We are blessed with great friends here. We are learning about Portugal and Portuguese life in a beautiful place with beautiful people. 

Sometimes we need to stop thinking about what people think about us and live to be the people the world needs, regardless who notices or commends us for it. Inf act, there is one who deserves more attention than us, and we need to live out a life that gives Him attention. 

Maybe this is just a rant for this blog, for that I apologize, I am feeling a little homesick today. But if anyone is reading this, remember to be present where your feet stand. Notice this world around you. 

Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all.

-Hermann Hesse

Quick update

I have been silent lately on the blog. Mainly because I have been lost for words. With trouble in the Middles East, I felt as if I was compelled to speak on it; something meaningful, something inspiring, something challenging. But I find myself lost for words. We are also processing the emotions of torn affection. By that I mean that we are homesick, while also sad at the idea that our time here is past half over.

We are loving the people here. Our friends mean a great deal to us. People mean a great deal to us though, and there are many people back home that we miss as well. But what a blessing it is to have affection for people. Even though we miss people, we are blessed with many friends here, most definitely a grace.

As we continue to explore the culture, we find new things daily. Soccer is seen more and more as the state religion :) People here are crazy for it. One cannot escape the enormity of its meaning. If one were to combine football (American), basketball, and baseball, you would get close to what soccer is here.

At night, when walking down the streets of downtown Portimão, the holy glow of TV illumination fills the atmosphere while the buzz of invested fans fills the air. I would like to spend more time around the cafes at night during the games, it seems that one can culturally ascertain a lot here.  

We continue to share our hearts with our friends. We hope our hope is shared. 

Some people think football is a matter of life and death. i assure you, it's much more serious than that.

 -Bill Shankly

Amsterdam

So, we just arrived back to Portugal from Amsterdam. We were there to share some time with other learners of culture. It was a fantastic time. Amsterdam is a city full of juxtapositions; the old is balanced by the new, the local by the international, tradition shadowed by progress, the holy faces the unholy, extreme beauty flanked by extreme sadness.

It is a town reminiscent to me in the slightest of ways of Las Vegas. A city of many sights and sounds, attractions and history (albeit not like the history in Amsterdam). But in Amsterdam, as in Vegas, the commodification of the human body, and life, is more than a main stay. It has become a culture, a history, a worldview.

Surrounded by Victorian homes, a beautiful river runs through the city, masking, for a little while, the sold lives and the cultural commodification of sex. A beautiful thing has become sold like a slave. Many of the bodies sold, very well could be slaves. Those bodies, though, have souls, lost somewhere in the darkness of hopelessness. Lost in the dark streets that need more than window lights to illuminate.

As we traveled to the houses of Ann Frank and Corrie Ten Boom, a new reality hit us. This is also a city of hope. If you are unfamiliar with either story, I strongly encourage you to read both. People, who both risked and lost lives for the sake of love and righteousness, gave been immortalized by their courage. They represent a new reality, one of beauty in suffering, freedom in enslavement, hope in hopelessness. Corrie Ten Boom, a seemingly lesser known story of the two (yet not lesser by any means), stood out to me. Her words seem to transcend her situation to a hope in a higher reality, a higher authority in fallen situations. Despite the circumstances, we are challenged to love; at cost, at risk, because it is who we are supposed to be.

I have no judgement for those who sell their bodies, only hope. Hope of a new reality, despite their circumstances, despite their history. I share in imperfection. But I have seen the hope that stands to face the darkness. I have felt the light that burns bright in the allies of hopelessness.

I am greatly appreciative of my experiences, being able to see such a wonderful town. I am greatful for the organization who facilitated that experience. I am also incredibly greatful for those who are in Amsterdam full time to share Light with those there. We had a chance to share that light with a shop keeper there. A man from Egypt who, although smiled a lot, opened his heart to us, giving us his life story. We remain in contact with him. But, it is comforting to know there are workers of the light there.

"...joy runs deeper than despair."- Corrie Ten Boom

"Love is larger than the walls which shut in in."- Corrie Ten Boom also (shes good)

Fresh Water

Yesterday, I saw a man having a seizure. He was helped by a crowd below my apartment, so I felt my helping would only hinder, but as I watched this dramatic scene unfold, I was struck by a swift emotion of thankfulness. As the man lay, surrounded by good citizens (from who knows where), and the ambulance racing up, I became aware of how thankful I am for people such as this.

One of my best friends in the states is a paramedic. His name is Brian. He is a man of great character, the kind of guy you would expect to see in a crowd of good citizens and most definitely the guy you want pulling up to an emergency.  I am thankful he is a friend, I am thankful he has been there for me in times of need.

I find myself surrounded by people, good citizens, blessings. We are blessed with an amazing language teacher here. She is a breath of fresh air, her and her family. We are most indebted to her kindness and tutelage. What I am struck by is that there is so much, so many people, so many things to be thankful for everyday. Blessings hidden by familiarity, brought to light by drama, by necessity, by  emergency.

Tradition is a great thing. It gives us a story that helps paint our identity, it gives us context, understanding. What we risk in tradition, though, is a fresh vision. We risk the lack of risk. We become what we know, not what we may know. What was once lively and dramatic has become stone and dusty. We relive it to make it new-ish. And yet, how much more lively when we seek to engage, to dance with, those blessings that surround us like the cool night air come to refresh our souls.  We have risked, for too long, the dry arid desert of old. Yet we cannot abandon history to nothingness. It is important, necessary.

We must strike a balance between remembering the past as hope for the future. As relics to remind us of the current and present hope. The spirit that haunts us, that has not dissipated to the depths of oblivion. Those blessings that we so often forget that are right there to drive up and resuscitate us, lights flashing, holding our heads as we seize in and struggle.

I am reminded of what I have taken for granted, what my history sight has distorted, or forgotten. A fresh view of One who blesses, of One who redeems. I am filled with thankfulness for a hope in something not solely of the past, locked in time, subject to the annuls of dust and rust. I am thankful for an active Spirit, a fresh well of living water. Fresh, like the water given by faith.

"To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it."- Mother Teresa 

Haunting and Helping

Sorry folks, it has been awhile since I have blogged. Steph and I have been super busy with the summer sports camp we help with, along with a crazy busy schedule of spending time with locals and other volunteers. We have been incredibly blessed to have a great language teacher with an amazing family! We miss our homestay family too as we have been so busy and not able to hook up with them (hopefully soon).

We continue to meet new people and get to know the friends we have made so far. It has been great getting to know some of the football players I work with a few nights a week. We have been sleeping little with such a crazy schedule, however we are encouraged at the opportunities given us!

"They" say that the past will come back to haunt us, but rarely do "they" say how it will come back to help us. In fact, if you were to google (someday spell check will recognize this as a verb) history quotes, you would find that most quotes on history are quite negative. It is actually quite depressing. But what we write about history is from a perspective, a pessimistic one at that! Very few quotes remember the things in our histories that bring about a better future, a more rich present.

 I have been in sports as both a coach and an athlete for as long as I can remember. Even when I was not active as either of those, my life was saturated with sports. These sports ranged from your mainstream sports (football, gymnastics, etc) to, as they say here, "radical" sports (rock climbing, surfing, etc.). I have been known for my conditioning work with athletes ranging from baseball to gymnastics to climbers (and on and on). Steph, too, has seen her history is cheer stunting, gymnastics, climbing, slacklining, etc. She has connected well with the kids she works with because of years of experience working with them.

I would have never thought that our history in sports would open so many doors to work with and get to know so many people in so many situations. Both Steph and I have been blessed to use our history to engage our present, we shall see how it directs our future.

I am constantly encouraged by the opportunities we are blessed with, the people we sport with (that's right, I used it as a verb!). People here have a long history in sport, as they have a long history in general. But I am learning much from them and they have welcomed us through sports.

Sometimes, we forget the amount of stuff we learn in our lives, either professionally, educationally, or live lessonally (yea I know). It is amazing how things come back to us. With technology today, information is so easily gained, but that stuff we spent hours and hours and days and days attaining, it is burned into our minds. It is there like a ghost hiding in the shadows. But this ghost does not have mal-intent, like a Holy Ghost it is there to help, to aid, to support.

We are so afraid of being haunted by a history that holds as many blessings, if not more. This ghost, given to us, is a gift. One to harness, to remember, to be thankful for.

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second."

-William James

"History never looks like history when you are living through it."

-John W. Gardner