Aaaaaannnd we're back.
I'm in the midst of training for the Blue Ridge Half Marathon. I ran this last year. It was a tough course, but it was good to run. Some time after the race, runners are able to look through pictures of themselves that were taken during the race. Ouch.
A while back I ran the Blacksburg Classic too. This one was just a 5k. I saw pictures of me in their photostream too. Dang.
I've come to realize something - I just don't run pretty.
I'm okay with it though - I'm comfortable enough in my stride right now.
Walkjogrun is a website that I use to track my progress in training as well as find new routes. There are several sites like this out there, but I'm a fan of these guys. Recently, they posted a video on their Facebook page that really made me laugh and I just wanted to share it. Enjoy.
I'll be honest, I think I kinda run like the Dandy in the arms and the face of the Flight-less Bird.
(BTW I found a definition of dandy that's a good description of this running style - A man unduly devoted to style, neatness, and fashion in dress and appearance. The guy in the video is committed to that running style for sure.)
What about you?
Steve and Amy
3.29.2012
3.14.2012
Back Home
I crawled into bed at 7:40am on Sunday morning!
We had such a great trip to Honduras. There were 16 of us total from the US. We had 5 translators and numerous local church members with us all week. Here's a group shot:
So you know when we got back. We left for Honduras on Sunday the 4th. We arrived around lunchtime in Tegucigalpa, the capitol of Honduras. When we got there we were greeted by our friends from the church, had a quick lunch (at a Wendy's of all places), and then headed to Danli.
Each day (Monday - Thursday) looked pretty similar. Our group was split into 4 smaller groups. Each morning we would have a devotional before breakfast, then we'd eat, and head over to the church building. There, we prepared bags of food provisions that we would hand out to families we would meet.
After we prepped the food bags, one group would stay back and make a bed or 2 for families who would need one. The rest would go out, visit families in various neighborhoods in and around Danli, get to know them, talk about any needs they had, ask them questions about faith and God, pray with them, and give them food, clothes and shoes. We saw a number of people decide to put their faith in Christ. It was exciting to see! Praise God for that!
The afternoon would look the same except the group that made the beds in the morning would join the rest of the groups, give the beds to families in need, and then get to pray with them. The beds may look pretty simple, but they were very much needed by the families who received them. Here's a picture of the beds we were making:
The week ended with there being a farewell church service on Friday night. Many of the church members were there as well as our entire team. We had the opportunity to share experiences from the week. I got to share about why we continue to go back to Danli. Katie got to share about how she came to the decision last year to move down there (probably in June/July of this year). And Sabrina got to share about her trip and it being her first time there.
We had a few people get sick. I'd say it was nothing really major, though they may disagree. Overall, it was a great trip. What gets me excited about it the most is that the effects of the trip aren't over. In Danli, the church there doesn't skip a beat. When we join them, that's just it, we're joining them. They were already doing things like this before we got there, and they continue to do them after we leave. It doesn't revolve around us. When we go, it's more like an extra bit of energy and manpower we provide, by God's help. Here in Blacksburg, people's perspectives have shifted. Each person is inspired, challenged, and encouraged by what they saw God do in that one week. I get very excited when I think about the lasting effects of a trip like this.
Here are some more images from the week...
I wasn't really excited to leave, but I was excited to be home. It's always tough being away from Amy that long. It's difficult to believe that it's mid-March already. I have a feeling the rest of this semester is going to fly by.
See ya!
~Steve
We had such a great trip to Honduras. There were 16 of us total from the US. We had 5 translators and numerous local church members with us all week. Here's a group shot:
So you know when we got back. We left for Honduras on Sunday the 4th. We arrived around lunchtime in Tegucigalpa, the capitol of Honduras. When we got there we were greeted by our friends from the church, had a quick lunch (at a Wendy's of all places), and then headed to Danli.
Each day (Monday - Thursday) looked pretty similar. Our group was split into 4 smaller groups. Each morning we would have a devotional before breakfast, then we'd eat, and head over to the church building. There, we prepared bags of food provisions that we would hand out to families we would meet.
 |
| Katie doing a morning devotional. |
 |
| Food bags we prepped to give out. |
The afternoon would look the same except the group that made the beds in the morning would join the rest of the groups, give the beds to families in need, and then get to pray with them. The beds may look pretty simple, but they were very much needed by the families who received them. Here's a picture of the beds we were making:
 |
| Adam and Kenny staining their bed. |
 |
| Katie sharing. |
 |
| Sabrina sharing. |
We had a few people get sick. I'd say it was nothing really major, though they may disagree. Overall, it was a great trip. What gets me excited about it the most is that the effects of the trip aren't over. In Danli, the church there doesn't skip a beat. When we join them, that's just it, we're joining them. They were already doing things like this before we got there, and they continue to do them after we leave. It doesn't revolve around us. When we go, it's more like an extra bit of energy and manpower we provide, by God's help. Here in Blacksburg, people's perspectives have shifted. Each person is inspired, challenged, and encouraged by what they saw God do in that one week. I get very excited when I think about the lasting effects of a trip like this.
Here are some more images from the week...
 |
| Alainna passing out silly bands. |
 |
| A sweet view. |
 |
| We got to tour the a cigar factory with the option of buying (ahem). |
 |
| Left to right: Christian, Brie, David, & Alainna. |
See ya!
~Steve
3.08.2012
A fancy post "from Honduras" - A Reminder
Hey folks,
In my last post, I mentioned some ways you could possibly be praying for us as we're in Honduras. This post was actually written 2 minutes after that one and scheduled to be published today. Ah, the wonders of technology (hence it being fancy)!
I'd like to ask if you could be praying again/some more. We're about half way through our trip. Please pray that things would continue to go well, for good health, and safe passage home.
Also, as we're down here, we're working with the church's children nutrition clinic. It's very exciting what the church is doing. They seek to bring a holistic healing to the community. Spiritually, Physically, and even Economically (they have a tortilla factory too!). These children, though, have a great opportunity to be fed in so many ways. Yes, they are getting a balanced diet so they can grow up strong, but they also get lessons on scripture, and reading and writing. This clinic is a good thing.
GCLA is the organization that we partner with each year as we take these trips to Danli and Latin America. Through GCLA, you can also partner in having an impact in Danli by supporting a child - one of the one's we're currently with this week. It's an awesome opportunity for them and for you! In the future if you ever wanted to go visit a child you may be sponsoring, we'd be more than happy to have you come along with us. If you go here, you can see the child sponsorship page. Just scroll to the bottom and click on the "Donate" button. Once you get in there, you can click on the Program Destination dropdown box and you'll see Danli. Or, you could chose to give to something else.
Think about it!
Here's a picture from last year's trip...
Thanks, and we'll be back soon!
~Steve
PS - I don't usually like to do some sort of blanket ask for something like this, but it's a pretty sweet opportunity and it's very fresh on my mind. I hope you understand!
In my last post, I mentioned some ways you could possibly be praying for us as we're in Honduras. This post was actually written 2 minutes after that one and scheduled to be published today. Ah, the wonders of technology (hence it being fancy)!
I'd like to ask if you could be praying again/some more. We're about half way through our trip. Please pray that things would continue to go well, for good health, and safe passage home.
Also, as we're down here, we're working with the church's children nutrition clinic. It's very exciting what the church is doing. They seek to bring a holistic healing to the community. Spiritually, Physically, and even Economically (they have a tortilla factory too!). These children, though, have a great opportunity to be fed in so many ways. Yes, they are getting a balanced diet so they can grow up strong, but they also get lessons on scripture, and reading and writing. This clinic is a good thing.
GCLA is the organization that we partner with each year as we take these trips to Danli and Latin America. Through GCLA, you can also partner in having an impact in Danli by supporting a child - one of the one's we're currently with this week. It's an awesome opportunity for them and for you! In the future if you ever wanted to go visit a child you may be sponsoring, we'd be more than happy to have you come along with us. If you go here, you can see the child sponsorship page. Just scroll to the bottom and click on the "Donate" button. Once you get in there, you can click on the Program Destination dropdown box and you'll see Danli. Or, you could chose to give to something else.
Think about it!
Here's a picture from last year's trip...
Thanks, and we'll be back soon!
~Steve
PS - I don't usually like to do some sort of blanket ask for something like this, but it's a pretty sweet opportunity and it's very fresh on my mind. I hope you understand!
3.02.2012
Headed Out
3 days in a row! Tomorrow will be different.
As I mentioned before, on Sunday our team will be headed to Danli, Honduras.
I want to ask if you could pray for our trip? Here are some ways you can be praying...
- That we would get there and back with no problems.
- That our team would have good health while there.
- That God would bless our efforts.
- That people's lives would be changed by the Gospel.
It's not a very long trip. We fly out Sunday and come back on Saturday. We are looking forward to it.
[nlcf] also has a team going down to Mississippi. It's somewhere around 13 or 14 people going. They'll be doing a good work down there continuing efforts to restore the area from damage caused by hurricane Katrina. You could pray the same things written above.
Thanks,
~Steve
(PS - An update, with pictures, when we get back!)
As I mentioned before, on Sunday our team will be headed to Danli, Honduras.
I want to ask if you could pray for our trip? Here are some ways you can be praying...
- That we would get there and back with no problems.
- That our team would have good health while there.
- That God would bless our efforts.
- That people's lives would be changed by the Gospel.
It's not a very long trip. We fly out Sunday and come back on Saturday. We are looking forward to it.
[nlcf] also has a team going down to Mississippi. It's somewhere around 13 or 14 people going. They'll be doing a good work down there continuing efforts to restore the area from damage caused by hurricane Katrina. You could pray the same things written above.
Thanks,
~Steve
(PS - An update, with pictures, when we get back!)
3.01.2012
Last Sunday's Talk - Observing Lent
Woah, 2 posts in 2 days.
This past Sunday, I got to talk about Observing Lent. You can listen to that on [nlcf]'s website here if you want. Self-admittingly, I'm not a scholar on Lent - just throwing that out there.
A big topic for that time was fasting. The main practical point I meant for us all to take away was that by fasting, we can allow space for God to come in and do something - speak to us, minister to us, reveal something to us, etc. Fasting helps us re-orient us towards God. Think of it like a compass. A compass points North. When you put a magnet near it, it'll point toward that magnet. Sometimes things can distract us from God. Fasting (removing said distraction) can help us be re-oriented toward God.
We showed a video and it's pretty funny. Personally, I think it's funny because of the guys' approach but also because there's some truth to what they're saying. Here's the video...
It's been encouraging to hear folks share, just in the past couple of days, how allowing space for God to speak has been effective. Even in my own life it's been encouraging to have more time to be reflective and be listening (hence the little bit of blogging recently). I hope this is even a little encouraging to you.
~Steve
This past Sunday, I got to talk about Observing Lent. You can listen to that on [nlcf]'s website here if you want. Self-admittingly, I'm not a scholar on Lent - just throwing that out there.
A big topic for that time was fasting. The main practical point I meant for us all to take away was that by fasting, we can allow space for God to come in and do something - speak to us, minister to us, reveal something to us, etc. Fasting helps us re-orient us towards God. Think of it like a compass. A compass points North. When you put a magnet near it, it'll point toward that magnet. Sometimes things can distract us from God. Fasting (removing said distraction) can help us be re-oriented toward God.
We showed a video and it's pretty funny. Personally, I think it's funny because of the guys' approach but also because there's some truth to what they're saying. Here's the video...
It's been encouraging to hear folks share, just in the past couple of days, how allowing space for God to speak has been effective. Even in my own life it's been encouraging to have more time to be reflective and be listening (hence the little bit of blogging recently). I hope this is even a little encouraging to you.
~Steve
2.29.2012
Gonna Write Something
Been a while, eh?
I feel like I may have jumped on some sort of blogging bandwagon a while back. I started this blog, and then I started this one. I felt like I wanted to split up my life by having a "family blog" and by having an "outdoor blog." Thinking back, this seems a bit silly. My life is wrapped up in me and those around me, but not so compartmentalized. Just ask anyone that knows me, my "outdoor-ed-ness" goes wherever I go. Its like My Buddy - that 80's to with the jingle that gets stuck in one's head pretty easily.
There are a couple of things I'm considering. (1) Maybe I'll pick this blogging thing back up, not feel any pressure to post, but still try and keep some thoughts rolling. If so, then I'll (2) probably just consolidate my blogs to just one. The headache of managing two isn't really something I ever enjoyed. Or, I could (3) just scrap it all and just stick to tweeting.
I'm not going to make a decision right now, but I thought for now, I'd just get back on here and throw something up on the screen.
Here's some news though...
Me and 15 other folks from [nlcf] are headed down to Honduras on Sunday. It's wild to think that I'm headed back there. This will my 5th trip down to Danli, my 6th trip to Honduras, and my 7th trip to Latin America in the past 6 years. I do love it there. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends down there. I'll sure miss Amy though. It's always tough being away from a week, but the work we do down there is good.
Till next time,
~Steve
I feel like I may have jumped on some sort of blogging bandwagon a while back. I started this blog, and then I started this one. I felt like I wanted to split up my life by having a "family blog" and by having an "outdoor blog." Thinking back, this seems a bit silly. My life is wrapped up in me and those around me, but not so compartmentalized. Just ask anyone that knows me, my "outdoor-ed-ness" goes wherever I go. Its like My Buddy - that 80's to with the jingle that gets stuck in one's head pretty easily.
There are a couple of things I'm considering. (1) Maybe I'll pick this blogging thing back up, not feel any pressure to post, but still try and keep some thoughts rolling. If so, then I'll (2) probably just consolidate my blogs to just one. The headache of managing two isn't really something I ever enjoyed. Or, I could (3) just scrap it all and just stick to tweeting.
I'm not going to make a decision right now, but I thought for now, I'd just get back on here and throw something up on the screen.
Here's some news though...
Me and 15 other folks from [nlcf] are headed down to Honduras on Sunday. It's wild to think that I'm headed back there. This will my 5th trip down to Danli, my 6th trip to Honduras, and my 7th trip to Latin America in the past 6 years. I do love it there. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends down there. I'll sure miss Amy though. It's always tough being away from a week, but the work we do down there is good.
Till next time,
~Steve
9.28.2010
Floods in Honduras
This is somewhat old news, but I thought it may be good to post some pictures for others to see. A while ago I got an e-mail from Marlon, the pastor of the church in Danli, Honduras we work with, and he informed me of the flooding they had. Here are some pictures...
It's a rough situation down there but it seems as though the community is really pulling together to help each other out. Please keep them in your prayers!
It's a rough situation down there but it seems as though the community is really pulling together to help each other out. Please keep them in your prayers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)