It's ironic...

...the reason I did not want to send an update on my life for so long was probably the very reason I needed to send one. The last several months have been filled with twists and turns, unexpected changes, and confused feelings. There were times where the future felt extremely uncertain, and I felt I needed to wait until the dust settled and report that I had life completely figured out. What a certain friend helped me understand though, was that is in those times when we need people behind us the most. So I apologize for trying to carry my burden alone, and for being arrogant enough to believe that I could. I am slowly learning that the only real sense of security is found in a Father, not a future.

There were many times this summer I felt I could relate all too easy to this guy... Prepare to sympathize. It's four minutes long and can sort of drag, so if you watch the first minute you'll get the basic idea...



Here's the pictorial update since April...

It took me over 90 hours of driving and 5,000 miles, but in April my 1994 Saturn and I made it from the Midwest to Alaska. Other than a semi blowing snow into my car and knocking the wiper off my windshield, it was a pretty smooth cruise. And beautiful. That much time in the car alone is interesting, but in a lot of ways I really enjoyed the solitude (although most of you probably don't believe me).

Then at the end of May it was back down to the Midwest for my friend Jacob's (top) wedding in Minnesota. Luke's (left) pose may be the funniest of all time. Look at that picture for more than five seconds and try not to laugh. I dare you (apparently at least I was enjoying it).

Then it was back on the road again, driving my parents' two vehicles with my mom and some friends up the Alcan (Alaska-Canada Highway) as they were moving from Indiana back to Alaska.
This time, later into the summer we got to see a lot more wildlife than I did on my April trip...

Whoa, bear!

No matter the thousands of miles, the trip never ceases to awe...

Doin' some reflection of my own... hahahahahaha! (Hey where's the yellow??)

This summer I was asked to lead the Young Adults Group. Probably the apex of our activities was the First Annual Hillbilly Olympics.

We had the lighting of the Eternal Flame...

I "cleaned up" in the Pie Eatin' Contest...

Looked great in the Can Shootin' Competition...

And even though we fell behind in the Car Push Off...

It didn't stop our team (County Whitey-Tighties, named after the Hanes visible from my overalls) from winning a Diet Coke Silver Medal Can Badge! What a triumphant event!


So now what? My plans are to be overseas by August of this coming year. I have some certification I have to complete, which is going even more quickly than anticipated, an encouraging fact. What else will I be doing in the mean time? Glad you asked!

Okay, so I get a call from the principal of my alma mater high school, asking me if I wanted to teach... and I'm not making this up... High School Spanish. I had nothing to offer but laughter. I laughed even harder when I realized she was being serious. Mary, I said, um.... where do I start? How about, I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH! And I'm not a certified teacher!! Apparently that didn't matter.

So here we are! I teach third period every day with twenty-one overly eager and academically hungry "estudiantes". It's been a lot of fun- I love language and teaching, so why not combine the two? Plus, it's a great learning experience, especially for the area of work I'm preparing for.

I'll also be attempting to live off my former glories. Above is a picture of me in my senior year of High School, co-captain of the State Champion basketball team. *gets the dirt off his shoulder*

So I'm hoping that magic can spill over into this next endeavor. My friend Jacob and I have been given the opportunity to coach the varsity team this season- quite a once-in-a-lifetime privilege and opportunity. The season starts in December, but we are already way too geekily preparing!

Thanks again for all who have been helping me prepare for my upcoming adventures. If you have any questions, or would like to know how to partner with me, please email me at grainofsandman@gmail.com.

Although the future is uncertain, and I don't have all the answers, I look forward to the lessons along the way, learning them in community with others, and have nothing to offer but gratitude to the One who IS both the journey and the destination.

Life After Dentistry

After months of preparing to head overseas, it has been easy to feel like this kid...

David After Dentist (Original) - More bloopers are a click away

And at times, honestly, this period in my life has felt like pulling teeth. It has often been filled with anxiety, impatience, and feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness. There is a tendency to feel like I have to put on a show for people to convince them to partner with me. What He has shown me is to simply be honest with people and honest before Him. There is freedom in vulnerability and truth. I am weak, on my own, but I'm not on my own!

That is why I sincerely want to say thank you to the countless people who have shown me support these last six months. I've seen how true it is that there are those who go and those who send, but both are completely vital to the story. So now I see the gifts I have been given, more like this kid....

Here's what I've been up to since my trip to Asia (see previous entry for that story), as told by the pictures...

I've been living in Indiana with my family since September, working in a local factory with my brother. We run machines that makes tools like you see above, which are used for orthopedic surgery. They haven't let me design, research or precisely engineer yet. Weird.

In November my family and I took a trip to southern Ohio to my aunt's cabin where we met up with some of our relatives to go four wheeling and hang out. Here are me and my muddy siblings.

And some older muddy siblings. (My mom is on the left)

Janel and I got dead last in our euchre tournament.

But I was able to redeem myself winning a game where apparently being able to reenact "Hungry, Hungry Hippo" is pretty essential.

For Thanksgiving we had friends travel to our house from Alaska, Washington, Oklahoma, Ohio and Washington D.C. Here they come, storming in with authority.

Finally, in January I went to Oklahoma to visit my friends Luke and Jamie. Jacob flew in from Alaska for the occasion.

Luke with their 6 month old baby, Elijah. He was awestruck by my camera skills.

Doing our best impression of the old "girl-best-friends-who-could-be-anywhere-on-earth-but-you-can't-tell-because-all-you-can-see-are-their-faces-smushed-together-three-inches-from-the-camera". This was one of our last opportunities to hang out together before some big changes take place. I am moving to a different hemisphere, and Jacob is getting married in June!

It has been good spending time with my family before I leave, and a lot of progress has been made in being ready to go. In April I plan on driving my car 3,845.17 miles up to Alaska. It will be nice to have a vehicle up there, instead of having to bum rides off people all the time, as many of you have been victims of in summers past! I will be in Alaska until my August departure. There is still a lot to be done, and I would appreciate you all keeping me in your thoughts as I prepare.

I will be sending out another newsletter next month with some more detailed information. If you are not currently receiving my newsletter, or would like to know how to partner with me, please notify me at grainofsandman@gmail.com. Thanks again, and Alaskans, can't wait to see you!