Stuck in the Middle

My Ugandan Semester is over, yet I'm not really home yet. I've spent the last couple of days in London and I won't get home til tuesday. So here I am, sitting in Matt Carney's dorm planning the day, waiting for us to walk 15 minutes to the nearest underground. Half of the warm clothes I'm wearing are matt's and my hair could be described as greasy at best. Sufjan Stevens is trying to convince me to have a good day via Itunes. I think he's going still my resistance.

The fact is the last couple of days have been weird, just running around and seeing the sights has significantly less appeal. Its been awesome I know its a blessing, but intimacy is just had to come by. We left our family (that the other students had become) and have not yet reached our own. On tuesday, I played frisbee on the beach. On Wednesday, I was in London. On Thursday I had a snow ball fight, and built a snow man. All the changes I think are wearing me out. Its strange though, I can't feel their weight. I just now I am a little aggravated for no reason. Today though I woke up with hope, Christ's freedom stills rests on me, and I feel it to a greater extent still more than I did before this semester.

So hopefully Christ will give me Joy today, I am determined not to let my emotions bring me down, and thanks to GOD's grace I can have the strength just to do that. Today we're going to Buckinghams Palace, and then after purusing for a bit, settling down in a pub, and watching the red army (manchester united, a football (soccer) club)

well guys, I come home on Tuesday and the adventure continues :). I'm definitely missing my family, friends, dog, and mexican food. The next couple of days will prob fly by, and for that I'm quite grateful. Don't worry though, I am trying to be all here! It is a blessing to be able to be here, and I don't take that for granted. I'm also just trying to be honest with you.

I love you guys so much, mostly just because you read my posts, haha %100 percent joke.
Peace,
Drew

So...

This weekend I went on a safari. It was such a blessing to see this part God's amazing creation, after hearing soo much about Africa's brokenness, I don't know really... somehow it just really helped something inside of me. Plus, it was just a really fun and exciting time! Especially trying to follow lion sightings! But yeah, I was able to see alot of cool animals, and trees, and naturey things. (The picture at the bottom is of a waterfall, where the whole blue nile compresses into one 25 foot wide section... it might just be the birthplace of rainbows.)

Tomorrow I finish this semester in school. I have two papers to turn in lacking only conclusions. Crazy, but such an awesome feeling walking away from something, knowing that its done and you did alright. The classes this semester were really interesting and I'm thankful for everyone one. Especially my class on Faith and Action, as well as, Law and Christian Political Thought (that I had with 20 other of the nicest, engaging, and most tenaciously argumentative Ugandans that I've met here.)

In less than two weeks I'll be home, and I'm really starting to miss it now. I just can't wait to hang out with my two brothers, and reunite with family and friends.

The fact is that I'm really tired, mostly just emotionally and spiritually, but perhaps a tiny bit physically due to my salivary gland stone that I'm getting over. Yeah, look that one up! School is basically over though, and Saturday I move out from my host house to go on debrief. I think I'm really going to miss my host family, they've been soo good to me. Anyways, on debrief all the USP students will try to begin the processing process over a four-day intense/relaxing time. Then tuesday I'm off to london for a week.

Ok... thought for the day... "To disappear from the world as an object of interest… is the basic movement of the Christian life." (henri Nouwen in Compassion)

It seems intrinsically hypocritical to write a blog all about myself and post that quote... but hey! its a learning process coupled with an odd scenario.

I love you guys, and I have 13 days left on my little adcenture, so I'll see some of you soon!

Drew

Its good to hear your voice.

Well today is the 100th day that we've been in Uganda, and official 19 days until we go home. (December 22nd at 10:38 pm)

I finished almost 3 out of the four papers. One more to go! And its on Simple Living, a subject I've been thinking and writing about all semester!

I leave my Home here in 8 days. The next three of those are going to be spent on a Safari! (Its crazy the things GOD allows me to do.) Then after 4 days of debrief, josh and I are headed to stay with a friend, Matt Carney, in London.

I've been typing all day, so I'm going to go play guitar. (I've been writing songs again lately! I plan on sharing my music alot more on the return.) I'll post alot more next week.

Sorry I've been a slacker.
love you guys,
Drew

(shhh.. we're playing a game)

Ok... I've been posting like crazy this week, and it might be a teeny bit before I do again... but if you read my post (thank you and)... the next week or so is time for you guys to ask questions.... and I'll try to answer the ones I want to. haha.

So any questions?

This is it!

WOW!

Today is day 100. In the last century of days I have....

Met some cool people. Fo sho.

Had some cool experiences.

Read some books: Crazy Love, Primal Vision, The Shackled Continent, Bruchko (again), The Freedom of Simplicity*, Celebration of Discipline*, Compassion*, Rich Christians in an age of Hunger (well... kinda), and at least a decent amount Irenaeus to Grotius: a Sourcebook on Christian Political Thought. They were good. Especially the ones with *. Crazy.

Missed people, but sometimes have also been glad to have been away.

Seen a lot of things change and just had to trust GOD.

Appreciated facebook, loathed facebook.

Experienced lots of different emotions, often at the same time.

Seen aweful places (Rwanda, Dachau) enjoyed some incredible ones.

Learned, loved, and laughed.

Wanted to share a little Tolkien with you:

Not all that is gold glitters
Not all who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not whither
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

Decided that I'm pretty sure I'm returning to school in the fall, and that I might be returning to New Life as well.

but mostly, I have been blessed abundantly. GOD has unceasingly been present, always showing me His love and calling me to stop being such a ********* (ambiguous, non-specific curse word.) He is so good, and my words are undoubtedly insufficient, and unworthy.

With love, hope, and prayers,
Drew

Quick pic

Just got some rafting pics. Thought I'd throw this one up. haha. There's gotta sounds weird.
Catcha on the flip side.
Drew

Classes and The Vase

I realize that my post yesterday might have been a little weird, which is understandable because I was in a weird mood. Good news is that I eventually was able to sign up for classes, I got in the majority of the ones that I wanted! As of right now I'm taking a simple 13 hours, with one more possible credit coming. Currently, I'm all geared up to return back to JBU in the spring, something that was a little shady around departure time. One thing I've learned is that while location might be all important in real estate... it might not always be that central to following Jesus. Wherever I go I can have an adventure, loving a lonely person now seems a lot better/fulfilling than seeing the world just to have sweet stories. I think I mean that.

In other news, the 2/3 the way through semester death week is now over. Pretty much all I have left in school here is the 30-so pages of final papers that are coming up in a couple of weeks! haha.

My host family has really become comfortable to me, which is both awesome and a little worrisome since my intentionality has been slacking as of late.

Let's see here... Last night I wrote a poem. Its called The Vase... ch-ch-check it out!


The vase sits soft
On its marble stand,
Cutting white, splitting light
It sparkles ancient sand,
But move the vase
And time slows the fall.
It breaks and it makes me
Hide from its piercing call.
The Artist runs
Sliding still before,
His masterpiece broken
Twas perfect but no more.
His tears change me
As they fall, down His face
Hands and knees begin to bleed
As on the shards He lay.
The gentle eyes
With no surprise
Look about, seek me out,
I stand, tremble and fear.
The artist smiles
And Love pulls me forth.
Hand on hand, starts again
He Guides me and we work.


GOD is good.

Anways, I'm kinda missing home right now, while being content with being here. Seems like a decent state of mind to be in. Oh! And I've been thinking alot about realizing that its my responsibility this life... especially when it comes to love and following Christ. I can't ever blame anybody or anything else for why I didn't do what I should have. Following the call is a step in which only I can move my foot.

OK. I'll keep this short. I think I'll update on friday anyways... it'll be 100 days.

catcha later,
love
Drew

(Oh, and you might not want to send any letters after this week, there chance of getting here falls somewhere between sketchy and improbable!)