H.E.A.R.T.

Yesterday I wrapped up my time in Florida at the H.E.A.R.T. Institute. Good times were had by all, except for Chester and Lambchop. Chester the goat and Lambchop the rabbit (confusing I know) sacrificed themselves so that my cohorts and I could learn the process of butchering. Speaking of my cohorts, I shared a cabin with Bob, Camren, Ryan, and a festive group of bats. The bats were annoying, the rest were not. I feel very fortunate to have been put together with such a great group of guys.

Here is a quick list of things I did at HEART that I had never done before.
1. Drilled a well, followed quickly by playing an Irish drum with the Mahoney girls.
2. Helped a baby goat learn how to get milk from it's mother.
3. Drank some of said milk (colostrum actually).
4. Made mint-scented bricks.
5. Ate goat liver and enjoyed it.
6. Drove past a clown museum. (that has nothing to do with HEART but was so creepy that I thought I'd mention it)
7. Became very fond of compost piles.
8. Scolded baby chickens, lovingly of course.
9. Attended a deaf church.
10. Put stitches in a severed pig's foot.

The list could go on, but those are some of the highlights. Like most great experiences, it wasn't the things I did that mattered but who I did them with, and the people I met at HEART were all great in a lot of different ways. Their hearts and hard work have left me better prepared for what lies ahead. I'm very thankful for that.

But who will eat the cinnamon rolls?

This Friday will be my last day of work at Marquis Energy. Over the last six years I have been able to work with a whole herd of family members and another smaller group, a pack perhaps, of people who may as well be family. I count myself very fortunate. I have enjoyed my job 96% of the time and am very thankful for the things it has allowed, and is allowing, me to do.

Along those lines, I have been very humbled, even a little embarrassed at times, by all the support I've received over the past couple months. A lot of people have told me that I'm doing a great thing, but in reality I am on the receiving end of great things. I can only do this because people are willing to sacrifice on my behalf. That fact will not slip my mind anytime soon.

(Abrupt Topic Change)

So I was in Boston over the weekend to advise Vinny Del Negro on how to defend the pick & roll. What you saw in Game 7 was not what I advised. On the bright side, my sister-in-law Minhee happened to be graduating from Harvard Medical School while I was there, so that was nice. Also, my multi-talented brother managed to put together a delightful breakfast spread and prepare an excellent sermon on the same day, so the trip was not a total loss.

No more posts for a couple weeks, as I will be doing a little training in Florida. I hope your lives can proceed as planned.

Crossing the Jordan

So what sort of place can lure me from my palatial estate in Sheffield? A place called Canaan.

Canaan is primarily an orphanage which also happens to have a school, a clinic, a church, and a basketball court, which as far as I could tell is only used for soccer purposes. That will change once I arrive, as I hope to impart my knowledge of the floater and the baby-hook to the kids, whether they like it or not. There are around 90 kids staying at Canaan, ranging from 4-21 years old. The staff is mostly made up of locals, with a few foreign-folk (like myself) lending a hand.

Needless to say I'm a fan of the place. A place where kids who were dealt a tough hand are taken care of and loved. Loved well. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

On a more personal note (don't faint anyone), I'm very drawn to Canaan because it is a place where selfishness is not an option. That will be an incredible challenge to someone who has lived by himself for the last few years and was nicknamed "Solo" on a trip to Ethiopia last year. My challenge will be to wake up each day and remind myself that today is not about me. Honestly, if I'm not able to do that, then chances are I will be back in Illinois in time to see the Cubs crap out in the playoffs. That challenge of consistently putting myself last is both frightening and exciting at the same time. I don't do this often, but I will ask for your prayers on that specific point.

(and yes, I realize the irony of discussing the selfishness issue on a blog focused on myself)

If anyone has any questions about Canaan or Haiti email them to me. Someday I hope to do a "mailbag" style post. If I don't receive any questions I'll simply be forced to make up embarrassingly stupid ones and attribute them to some of you.

Thanks for reading.

Things to Come

This blog will eventually be interesting, as I hope to introduce you to the folks living in Canaan, which will be my home in Haiti. That won't be until July though, so any posts between now and then are more for me to help myself think through things, and therefore will probably be somewhat boring.

With that in mind, here is what the run-up to July looks like. I will finish up work in the next couple weeks and then head down to Florida for some mission training. The training lasts three weeks and is run by a couple who live in Haiti most of the year, so it should be quite beneficial for me. They'll attempt to teach me some basic things about construction, agriculture, and automotive repair that might come in handy in a developing country. As someone whose head is mostly full of useless knowledge (Seinfeld quotes, sports stats, FOTC lyrics, etc....), I need those three weeks.

In June I go on vacation to Norway with the family. I will now list the similarities between Norway and Haiti...................

Then comes July with a random smattering of gatherings. July will also see the conclusion of me giving away most of the stuff I own, so if anyone has been clamoring for old road signs or the Brad Pitt triple-dvd set including The Devil's Own, A River Runs Through It, and Legends of the Fall, you know where to find me.