On Saturday, the Arizona State Forestry Division released the findings about the deaths of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots at the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30th. The report can be found HERE
I figured I would write a blog about this because I have an opinion and the topic and it's future implications for fighting wildfires have an impact on my life as my dad and brother both are fire fighters during the summer seasons.
To start, I appreciate the care that the investigative team took to look at it in a present form instead of looking a the event retroactively. Too many times people look at events in hindsight and say that that was totally preventable because of what we know after the event occurs. However, the investigation tried to step into the crew's shoes and understand what they knew at the time and what they were seeing at the time through interviews, photos, texts, radio communications, etc.
They concluded that the decisions made were by no means out of the scope of reasonable thought and no blame or accusation was placed on anyone for what transpired. Given the timeline of events, the crew made decisions based on information that they had and that they felt were smart decisions given the circumstances. I agree.
After reading the report, I fully feel like the crew left the 'black" ("black" refers to a safe area already burned of vegetation) to do their job and help save the town of Yarnell to the best of their abilties instead of sitting around watching it burn. For a firefighter, that is your job and that's what I feel like the crew was doing. And you can't go blaming a crew for wanting to do their job and help save someone's property and potentially their life.
There were two issues that I found that should have been taken care of more specifically on the day that they died. One, some radios were not working properly to the tones of the fire frequencies. That meant that certain individuals may not have been getting the correct info or getting garbled transmissions. They had worked around it by allowing those with malfunctioning radios to use others, but still a concern as not everyone had fully functioning communications.
And number two, the decision to hike off the two track road they were on, lose sight of the front of the fire and move into an overgrown bowl of vegetation. No matter how you look at it, losing a clear line of sight on the fire is a bad decision. You have no lookout, you are knowingly walking into closed off area up hill from the fire front and very little chance of climbing out in any expeditious manner if the fire advances. Given the information from the report, the crew had no idea that the wind would shift direction again and run up into the bowl that they had climbed down into and that has to be considered. But, the decision to walk into the bowl itself is a tough one to take.
Overall, I think there are going to be a lot of lessons learned from this tragedy and I am thankful that things will improve. Overall, firefighting is incredibly safe despite the danger that can and does exist. My father has been doing it for nearly 30 years and my brother for 5 and they have never had an issue. Most stories of firefighters follow the same line of safety that my family has. It is unfortunate that reality has to strike occasionally for us to see that it is still a dangerous profession and only getting more dangerous as more urban interface grows, the climate becomes more hot and more dry and the budgets for prevention and suppression continue to shrink.
We pray for their families and all the families of firefighters who willingly decide to put themselves in harm's way for the benefit of others.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Pennies
I read a book (shocking, I know) about a year and a half ago. Don't even remember the name of it anymore, but there was always a part that stuck out in my mind.
It spoke about individuals who have chosen an object that represents the remembrance of God in their lives. For instance, one of the women chose butterflies. Every time she saw a butterfly cross her path, it was a reminder of God's loving presence in her life. There was even a story of a snow storm and the worry that comes along with bad weather and travel in those conditions when the woman saw a butterfly in the middle of the storm which helped to calm her nerves and give her the peace of God.
I remember thinking that that was a great idea. The book encouraged the reader to consider finding their own personal item that would help them remember God's continual work in our lives.
It took me months to figure something out. It's quite a bit more difficult than one might imagine. You want it to be an item that you don't normally see everyday but something that you might come across anywhere that you are. I thought about everything until I settled on pennies.
My dad has always been the guy to pick up pennies no matter where they are. Most people skip over them or intentionally throw them out because they have so little value. I learned that even a few pennies add up to a nickle and a couple nickles become a dime. I hardly ever pass up pennies when I see them on the ground and that made for a perfect object to choose to remind me of God's presence in my life. I didn't find them every day, but they hold a certain amount of value despite being so little.
The point of telling you all of that is to tell you this. Almost a year ago, I was in Phoenix at the state cyclocross champioship race. The day before was a wildly muddy race that really messed up my bike. I was stressed the morning of the championship race because my bike wasn't working perfectly and looked terrible from the mud the other day. I didn't have the cash on me to pay the race fee and had to run down the street to the convenience store to the ATM. I was running late. My water bottles weren't full. One thing after another, as insignificant as they may have been added up to being quite stressful. As I was debating even riding that day, riding to the registration table, I passed a penny on the ground. I stopped, turned around and picked it up. It was a wheat back penny.
Wheat back pennies were produced between 1909 and 1956. They are seldom found in circulation anymore because they are worth at least a few cents more than their face value. Collectors tend to scoop them out of circulation whenever they pop up. It was a find that has more significance than a normal penny laying on the ground. It reinforced that God really had the wheel. That despite my stress, it didn't matter in the scheme of things.
This morning I was out riding my bike, as I have done quite a bit since moving to Columbia 5 weeks ago, and I passed a penny on the ground. The last week has been stressful. I have been worried about a lot of things that have all just added up over the last few days on top of overcoming a cold that hit me hard this past weekend. Despite plenty of prayer to help calm my nerves and give me reassurance that everything will be fine, sometimes stress overwhelms.
A lot of times I pass up pennies that I see while riding my bike (there are more than you might think laying on the roads) because it is too dangerous to stop and pick up a penny or I am in a hurry to get where I need to go. I stopped this morning and turned around. When I got back to the penny and started to bend over I could see the backside was different than normal. Another wheat back.
Sometimes God has to speak a little more loudly when we begin to tune him out with all the stresses that clog our hearing. That penny, despite being so meaningless and having so little value, can mean so much to the person who finds it.
The rest of my ride was spent in prayer. Thankful and reassured that everything is going to be ok.
It spoke about individuals who have chosen an object that represents the remembrance of God in their lives. For instance, one of the women chose butterflies. Every time she saw a butterfly cross her path, it was a reminder of God's loving presence in her life. There was even a story of a snow storm and the worry that comes along with bad weather and travel in those conditions when the woman saw a butterfly in the middle of the storm which helped to calm her nerves and give her the peace of God.
I remember thinking that that was a great idea. The book encouraged the reader to consider finding their own personal item that would help them remember God's continual work in our lives.
It took me months to figure something out. It's quite a bit more difficult than one might imagine. You want it to be an item that you don't normally see everyday but something that you might come across anywhere that you are. I thought about everything until I settled on pennies.
My dad has always been the guy to pick up pennies no matter where they are. Most people skip over them or intentionally throw them out because they have so little value. I learned that even a few pennies add up to a nickle and a couple nickles become a dime. I hardly ever pass up pennies when I see them on the ground and that made for a perfect object to choose to remind me of God's presence in my life. I didn't find them every day, but they hold a certain amount of value despite being so little.
The point of telling you all of that is to tell you this. Almost a year ago, I was in Phoenix at the state cyclocross champioship race. The day before was a wildly muddy race that really messed up my bike. I was stressed the morning of the championship race because my bike wasn't working perfectly and looked terrible from the mud the other day. I didn't have the cash on me to pay the race fee and had to run down the street to the convenience store to the ATM. I was running late. My water bottles weren't full. One thing after another, as insignificant as they may have been added up to being quite stressful. As I was debating even riding that day, riding to the registration table, I passed a penny on the ground. I stopped, turned around and picked it up. It was a wheat back penny.
Wheat back pennies were produced between 1909 and 1956. They are seldom found in circulation anymore because they are worth at least a few cents more than their face value. Collectors tend to scoop them out of circulation whenever they pop up. It was a find that has more significance than a normal penny laying on the ground. It reinforced that God really had the wheel. That despite my stress, it didn't matter in the scheme of things.
This morning I was out riding my bike, as I have done quite a bit since moving to Columbia 5 weeks ago, and I passed a penny on the ground. The last week has been stressful. I have been worried about a lot of things that have all just added up over the last few days on top of overcoming a cold that hit me hard this past weekend. Despite plenty of prayer to help calm my nerves and give me reassurance that everything will be fine, sometimes stress overwhelms.
A lot of times I pass up pennies that I see while riding my bike (there are more than you might think laying on the roads) because it is too dangerous to stop and pick up a penny or I am in a hurry to get where I need to go. I stopped this morning and turned around. When I got back to the penny and started to bend over I could see the backside was different than normal. Another wheat back.
Sometimes God has to speak a little more loudly when we begin to tune him out with all the stresses that clog our hearing. That penny, despite being so meaningless and having so little value, can mean so much to the person who finds it.
The rest of my ride was spent in prayer. Thankful and reassured that everything is going to be ok.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
I'm kicking it off
I am kicking it off here. The first introduction to my groomsmen begins today over at our other blog: Koinonia.
You can read about our engagement story, Cassie's bridesmaids and look forward to more updates on our wedding planning.
I won't say too much as Andy does a pretty good job talking about our friendship thus far in life. If you have a couple extra minutes in your day take a gander at it and stay tuned for more groomsmen shortly.
The Koinonia Blog
You can read about our engagement story, Cassie's bridesmaids and look forward to more updates on our wedding planning.
I won't say too much as Andy does a pretty good job talking about our friendship thus far in life. If you have a couple extra minutes in your day take a gander at it and stay tuned for more groomsmen shortly.
The Koinonia Blog
Thursday, August 22, 2013
It's finally time for an update
Well, Cassie and I have moved to Missouri. It's official and real. As real as the sweat on my forehead on a 85 degree day with 85% humidity. However, it hasn't been a very difficult transition.
We packed the Uhaul and my truck all on Saturday the 3rd of August. We mostly had boxes, which made the packing easier. We had the help of my brother, his girlfriend, my dad, mom, Emilee and Xander from the youth group. Those hands meant that we were fully packed in 90 minutes from picking up the box truck from the Uhaul supplier!
After a quick lunch, we were on the road to Phoenix to stuff a few extra items into the back of the truck from Cassie's parent's house and to have a small get together to say good bye with our Valley friends.
We were on the road at 6:30am on Sunday, ready for a long haul of a day. After hours on the road, a couple cups of coffee and a number of pee breaks, we made it to Amarillo, TX. It was already 9pm when we rolled into town because of crossing two time zones throughout the day. Luckily, there were no issues and despite the long day, we made it safe.
Monday was just as easy. We had the goal of making it to Cassie's grandparents house in Havana, AR that night. We hit some construction in Oklahoma City but, again, no delays and just a long day of driving. It was this day that it hit me that we were moving into unknown territory. After living in the Ponderosa Pine forests my whole life, Oklahoma was an alien world. This move became real.
We saw Cassie's grandpa and grandma, and her aunt and uncle in Arkansas and spent a quick night there. Her grandma drove us up the highest mountain in Arkansas, Magazine Mountain, which is right outside their front door. I have the intention of going back and riding my bike up that road someday.
After another $100 fill of the uhaul gas tank, we were off for our final push into Columbia. The only hiccup we had the whole trip was this day when we hit a road closure and had to take a 20 minute detour. It was painful because of how close we were and how done we both felt driving all that way. We rolled into town, took a quick wrong turn, got corrected and were at our new home by 2:30pm Tuesday afternoon. We made it!
We decided to just get everything unloaded into the garage and we will then begin the process of sorting through things over the next couple of days.
Slowly our house began to take shape. We were missing a lot of furniture pieces, but our kitchen, bedroom and office eventually became functional. We now have a couch that we found on Craigslist, Cassie has a desk that we found the same way and our bank accounts are a little lighter because of the whole moving process.
Cassie has started her classes and meetings with her department this week. She is generally gone most of the day during the week. I am spending my time searching and applying for jobs, going on bike rides to get a feel for the area better and keeping the chores at the house taken care of.
We both went on a group ride on Tuesday night and met a number of other, really fast, cyclists. We are joining a fun volleyball league with a number of people from her department at school this fall. We have visited and decided on a wedding venue for ourselves for next Summer (stay tuned for an official announcement).
Overall, we are loving Columbia and all that it has offered so far. The weather, until this week, has been amazing. The bugs haven't been nearly as bad as I was expecting and we have found a church that we are going to continue to explore and get to know.
We thank you for all the prayers and support that everyone has shown us in this transitional time of our lives and we want to offer up our guest room as a thank you to anyone wanting to come visit.
We packed the Uhaul and my truck all on Saturday the 3rd of August. We mostly had boxes, which made the packing easier. We had the help of my brother, his girlfriend, my dad, mom, Emilee and Xander from the youth group. Those hands meant that we were fully packed in 90 minutes from picking up the box truck from the Uhaul supplier!
After a quick lunch, we were on the road to Phoenix to stuff a few extra items into the back of the truck from Cassie's parent's house and to have a small get together to say good bye with our Valley friends.
 |
| Just leaving Amarillo. |
We were on the road at 6:30am on Sunday, ready for a long haul of a day. After hours on the road, a couple cups of coffee and a number of pee breaks, we made it to Amarillo, TX. It was already 9pm when we rolled into town because of crossing two time zones throughout the day. Luckily, there were no issues and despite the long day, we made it safe.
 |
| Amarillo Sunrise. |
 |
| Somewheresville, OK |
After another $100 fill of the uhaul gas tank, we were off for our final push into Columbia. The only hiccup we had the whole trip was this day when we hit a road closure and had to take a 20 minute detour. It was painful because of how close we were and how done we both felt driving all that way. We rolled into town, took a quick wrong turn, got corrected and were at our new home by 2:30pm Tuesday afternoon. We made it!
 |
| That's just the space emptied from our 7 bikes. |
Cassie has started her classes and meetings with her department this week. She is generally gone most of the day during the week. I am spending my time searching and applying for jobs, going on bike rides to get a feel for the area better and keeping the chores at the house taken care of.
We both went on a group ride on Tuesday night and met a number of other, really fast, cyclists. We are joining a fun volleyball league with a number of people from her department at school this fall. We have visited and decided on a wedding venue for ourselves for next Summer (stay tuned for an official announcement).
 |
| Our new home. |
We thank you for all the prayers and support that everyone has shown us in this transitional time of our lives and we want to offer up our guest room as a thank you to anyone wanting to come visit.
Volunteer Hearts (Part 6)
Thank you to Elyssa Lorenz, we are back on for another week. Elyssa hails from Chicago and was part of Team Alamo during the Gathering. Take a read of her experience at the NYG 2013.
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I decided to become a YAV when I went to the New Orleans gathering and saw how much fun the YAVs were having. I wanted to be a YAV from the minute I came home and knew I couldn't go back as a participant again because of my age. I wanted to experience the gathering in a different light.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
Like a lot of people said before I thought it was going to be a lot of work. Not a lot of down time. I was on Team Alamo and we lead all the dances during the mass events and so we had to practice every morning but it was so much fun. I met so many new people and experienced an awesome week from a different point of view.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
The most overwhelming part of the gathering would be the first night. Seeing all the participants coming in and knowing I will be dancing in front of them all in minutes. But I enjoyed every minute of the mass events.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
I saw God's love when the participants wanted to learn the dances that we were doing during the mass events, and got excited to dance while doing them. Another time I saw God's love was actually after the gathering when I was in the airport back in Chicago. A guy that attended the gathering with his youth group saw my orange backpack and thanked me for my hard work and offered to carry my suit cases.
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
I would say that if you enjoyed the gathering as a participant, you should apply to be a YAV because you will enjoy it even more. You get to work with people from all over the United States. You make friends that will last forever, and the YAV family is awesome. We are all still communicating a month and a half later, via prayer requests and prayers of praise. I hope to see old and new faces in 2016!!!!
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I decided to become a YAV when I went to the New Orleans gathering and saw how much fun the YAVs were having. I wanted to be a YAV from the minute I came home and knew I couldn't go back as a participant again because of my age. I wanted to experience the gathering in a different light.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
Like a lot of people said before I thought it was going to be a lot of work. Not a lot of down time. I was on Team Alamo and we lead all the dances during the mass events and so we had to practice every morning but it was so much fun. I met so many new people and experienced an awesome week from a different point of view.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
The most overwhelming part of the gathering would be the first night. Seeing all the participants coming in and knowing I will be dancing in front of them all in minutes. But I enjoyed every minute of the mass events.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
I saw God's love when the participants wanted to learn the dances that we were doing during the mass events, and got excited to dance while doing them. Another time I saw God's love was actually after the gathering when I was in the airport back in Chicago. A guy that attended the gathering with his youth group saw my orange backpack and thanked me for my hard work and offered to carry my suit cases.
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
I would say that if you enjoyed the gathering as a participant, you should apply to be a YAV because you will enjoy it even more. You get to work with people from all over the United States. You make friends that will last forever, and the YAV family is awesome. We are all still communicating a month and a half later, via prayer requests and prayers of praise. I hope to see old and new faces in 2016!!!!
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Volunteer Hearts (Part 5)
After a one week hiatus away from Team Durango, we are back! This week, we here from Rachel Schildwachter (only makes sense that she is Lutheran with a last name like that). Rachel is originally from Maryland but currently makes her home in Orlando, Florida and works for Disney World! Awesome.
Here is her story.
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I had attended both the 2004 and 2007 gatherings in Orlando and it was some of the best experiences of my life. I truly believe that NYG is a wonderful thing for our youth, and knew that I wanted to be a part of it again. In addition, being from an event world, I wanted to see what the other side of the gathering would be like.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
I was expecting long hours, and more work than play. However, for me working the mass events was like not working at all. I had so much fun and was still able to grow in my faith. I knew that I would meet people from all over the country, but the Orange Nation team allowed time for us to bond and just hang out together. I met some incredible people, and now I have some amazing friends all over the country.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
The very first night was emotionally overwhelming for me. I remember being at past gatherings and seeing God working in the thousands of people that were there. However this year I was in the Alamodome before the participants arrived. I saw them flood into the room to find their seats. And as the music began, and the thousands in the room started singing, I couldn't help but be moved. It was hard to hold back the tears.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
God's love overwhelmed the city of San Antonio that week. For me, I think that where I saw God's love the most was just on the streets. Since we all had similar backpacks, it was obvious to tell who was with the gathering. Walking around the city, our team would give high fives and chant whenever we saw a youth group. It was incredible to know that all of these random people would respond willingly back to us. This just showed that none of us were afraid to proclaim our love for God and His love for us!
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
This was one of the best weeks of my life. To be a part of a gathering of 25000 other Lutherans is an experience that is hard to put into words. In addition, we were able to walk around and ensure that those 25000 people that were there, were having a good time. And even though we were only together a week, the bonds that you make are incredible. I would not trade my experience for the world!
Here is her story.
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I had attended both the 2004 and 2007 gatherings in Orlando and it was some of the best experiences of my life. I truly believe that NYG is a wonderful thing for our youth, and knew that I wanted to be a part of it again. In addition, being from an event world, I wanted to see what the other side of the gathering would be like.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
I was expecting long hours, and more work than play. However, for me working the mass events was like not working at all. I had so much fun and was still able to grow in my faith. I knew that I would meet people from all over the country, but the Orange Nation team allowed time for us to bond and just hang out together. I met some incredible people, and now I have some amazing friends all over the country.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
The very first night was emotionally overwhelming for me. I remember being at past gatherings and seeing God working in the thousands of people that were there. However this year I was in the Alamodome before the participants arrived. I saw them flood into the room to find their seats. And as the music began, and the thousands in the room started singing, I couldn't help but be moved. It was hard to hold back the tears.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
God's love overwhelmed the city of San Antonio that week. For me, I think that where I saw God's love the most was just on the streets. Since we all had similar backpacks, it was obvious to tell who was with the gathering. Walking around the city, our team would give high fives and chant whenever we saw a youth group. It was incredible to know that all of these random people would respond willingly back to us. This just showed that none of us were afraid to proclaim our love for God and His love for us!
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
This was one of the best weeks of my life. To be a part of a gathering of 25000 other Lutherans is an experience that is hard to put into words. In addition, we were able to walk around and ensure that those 25000 people that were there, were having a good time. And even though we were only together a week, the bonds that you make are incredible. I would not trade my experience for the world!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Volunteer Hearts (Part 4)
This week, we break out of the mold of Team Durango and welcome our first post by another team. We hear from Bob Etheridge from Team Longhorn. Bob is from Indianapolis, Indiana and currently attends Concordia St. Paul.
Take it away:
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I decided to be a YAV because the gathering in New Orleans three years ago had changed my life to be a more loving person to the people I met. This has wanted me to be able to show the love of Christ to everyone including the youth at the gathering. It made me want to bring the light of Christ to everywhere I go. My DCE at my home congregation had told me that he and his wife had been YAVs before and really encouraged me and others from my congregation to volunteer. They said that you would build relationships with those in the synod. Since I am going into ministry I believed it would be a great way to develop new relationships with other Lutherans that I may one day be working with in congregations if they continue to be active in their churches. I also liked the part of serving the youth, so that they could see God in their lives.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
I had heard stories from my DCE that you would work the whole time down there. I would get no breaks, and would barely be able to make time to eat meals during the week. I believed I would get very little sleep because I would be working all day and night. I expected to bond with my teammates, and those were the only people I would meet at the gathering, since I would spend the majority of my time with them. I believed I meet brothers and sisters that I could still communicate with after the Gathering to continue the relationships that had been made. I also expected to grow in my relationship with God, knowing that he is the reason why I live, and why I chose to be a YAV. In this I could come out of the gathering to live loved to the people I interact with the rest of my life.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
The most overwhelming moment was being able to commune with 25,000 people who all believe the same thing I believe. That was awesome. It reminds me of all the saints who celebrate the victory of the Lamb in heaven. I loved when we sang This is the Feast of Victory for Our God. The power of knowing that Jesus lives forever and comes to us through the word and the bread and wine, allows me to be able to live loved knowing that there are over 25,000 Lutherans who care for me. That was truly amazing, and I look forward to the feast that is to come with all my brothers and sisters through all ages with Jesus.
Where did you see God’s love the most during your week at the Gathering?
Everywhere! God’s love surrounded the whole Gathering. He got all the YAV’s to the Hotel nice and safely on Saturday. He got all the participants to San Antonio in a timely gathering. The city offered nice accommodation with lodging and food for the whole week at its hotels and restaurant. God’s love was seen in the YAV’s enthusiasm for the youth, to get them excited, or giving them a high five, or even a free hug here and there. It’s in that physical touch of a hug or a high five, they feel the touch of Christ, knowing that Christ is in us. So when we give a hug or a high five or a pat on the back it is Christ working through us to give them that hug allowing him to remind them of his love through the whole Christian community at the gathering. God’s love was seen on that Thursday morning worship when we celebrated the resurrection. How he wants each and every one of us to come to him and be a part of him in his kingdom forever. How out of his love for us he sent Jesus to die for us, so that we might be saved.
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
Being a YAV allows you to get to bond and build great relationships that will last for eternity with people who believe the same thing you do. You have the opportunity to work with the bands in concerts, working with the community at the service events, or helping out at the mass events. You get the opportunity to change someone life by being the love of Jesus to them. It’s a lot of fun, a lot of hard work, but a lot of love that you can share to the youth at the gathering. Everyone should apply to be a YAV who is applicable so that they can continue to grow in their relationship with God at the gathering, as well as meet new Lutherans, and to be able to show Christ love to the youth.
Take it away:
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I decided to be a YAV because the gathering in New Orleans three years ago had changed my life to be a more loving person to the people I met. This has wanted me to be able to show the love of Christ to everyone including the youth at the gathering. It made me want to bring the light of Christ to everywhere I go. My DCE at my home congregation had told me that he and his wife had been YAVs before and really encouraged me and others from my congregation to volunteer. They said that you would build relationships with those in the synod. Since I am going into ministry I believed it would be a great way to develop new relationships with other Lutherans that I may one day be working with in congregations if they continue to be active in their churches. I also liked the part of serving the youth, so that they could see God in their lives.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
I had heard stories from my DCE that you would work the whole time down there. I would get no breaks, and would barely be able to make time to eat meals during the week. I believed I would get very little sleep because I would be working all day and night. I expected to bond with my teammates, and those were the only people I would meet at the gathering, since I would spend the majority of my time with them. I believed I meet brothers and sisters that I could still communicate with after the Gathering to continue the relationships that had been made. I also expected to grow in my relationship with God, knowing that he is the reason why I live, and why I chose to be a YAV. In this I could come out of the gathering to live loved to the people I interact with the rest of my life.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
The most overwhelming moment was being able to commune with 25,000 people who all believe the same thing I believe. That was awesome. It reminds me of all the saints who celebrate the victory of the Lamb in heaven. I loved when we sang This is the Feast of Victory for Our God. The power of knowing that Jesus lives forever and comes to us through the word and the bread and wine, allows me to be able to live loved knowing that there are over 25,000 Lutherans who care for me. That was truly amazing, and I look forward to the feast that is to come with all my brothers and sisters through all ages with Jesus.
Where did you see God’s love the most during your week at the Gathering?
Everywhere! God’s love surrounded the whole Gathering. He got all the YAV’s to the Hotel nice and safely on Saturday. He got all the participants to San Antonio in a timely gathering. The city offered nice accommodation with lodging and food for the whole week at its hotels and restaurant. God’s love was seen in the YAV’s enthusiasm for the youth, to get them excited, or giving them a high five, or even a free hug here and there. It’s in that physical touch of a hug or a high five, they feel the touch of Christ, knowing that Christ is in us. So when we give a hug or a high five or a pat on the back it is Christ working through us to give them that hug allowing him to remind them of his love through the whole Christian community at the gathering. God’s love was seen on that Thursday morning worship when we celebrated the resurrection. How he wants each and every one of us to come to him and be a part of him in his kingdom forever. How out of his love for us he sent Jesus to die for us, so that we might be saved.
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
Being a YAV allows you to get to bond and build great relationships that will last for eternity with people who believe the same thing you do. You have the opportunity to work with the bands in concerts, working with the community at the service events, or helping out at the mass events. You get the opportunity to change someone life by being the love of Jesus to them. It’s a lot of fun, a lot of hard work, but a lot of love that you can share to the youth at the gathering. Everyone should apply to be a YAV who is applicable so that they can continue to grow in their relationship with God at the gathering, as well as meet new Lutherans, and to be able to show Christ love to the youth.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
A Spectacular Wedding
I wanted to share a link to my (other) blog on my photography website. I shot a wonderful wedding this weekend down in Tucson and wanted to share it around.
If you happen to be in the market for a photographer for any reason and you happen to be living in the Missouri area, please give me a call. All my contact info is on my website.
I hope you enjoy!
Colin and Allison's Wedding
If you happen to be in the market for a photographer for any reason and you happen to be living in the Missouri area, please give me a call. All my contact info is on my website.
I hope you enjoy!
Colin and Allison's Wedding
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Volunteer Hearts (Part 3)
This week, we hear from Ashley Caruso. Another wonderful part of Team Durango. Ashley is from Florida and became a YAV after attending the NYG as a participant. You'll find her wonderful story and insights below.
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I decided to apply to be a YAV because of my experience as a participant. I came home closer to God, my youth group, and myself. I wanted to pass that joy on to someone else. I wanted to see kids enjoy the gathering just like I did when I was a participant.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
To be completely honest, I was scared to DEATH to be a YAV. I heard that it was a lot of work, a lot of responsibility, and A LOT of stepping out of your comfort zone. I happen to like my comfort zone and was VERY apprehensive about stepping outside of it. I was hoping that I would experience that amazing "God moment" like I did as a participant but was skeptical that I would considering how busy we would be.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
The most overwhelming part of the gathering was the mass event on Tuesday night when they were discussing distractions and how they get in our way of our relationship with God.I was having second thoughts about being at the gathering. I had actually considered going home because I felt like I didn't belong. That I was not good enough to be here with all these amazing believers of Christ. I had screwed up a lot this past year and had fallen away from God, my family, and friends. I had pretty much turned my back on everything that was important to me. I was in an abusive relationship that totally consumed me (in a bad way). I thought that was the type of love I deserved. I moved out of my parents' house, moved in with this abusive guy, got engaged, lost 2 jobs, and left my church. These things were huge distractions and kept me from my loving Savior. I really broke down and pretty much just laid all those distractions down at God's feet. Mia Koehne spoke about her struggles with looking for empty love. That's where I was a year ago. It was also overwhelming to have my little brother, Steven, there as a participant. He got to experience that HUGE weight of distractions lifted off my shoulders and put onto the shoulders of Christ as he died in my place on the cross.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
I think I saw God's love most in the people of San Antonio. They were so happy we were there and were so happy and willing to help if any of us were in need. I think the story that sticks out in my mind is when I got to speak to one of the ushers at the Alamodome. His name was Alex and when I first started talking to him, he seemed pretty skeptical about us "Christian Youth". He was there on Thursday night when we were writing down our sins and laying them at the cross. He left the stadium and stepped into the hallway while we were doing this. We continued worshipping and Alex stepped back in. We came to the part where we turned to the person next to us and told them that their sins were forgiven. I went over to Alex and told him that Jesus had died so that we might live and that his sins were forgiven. He broke down and said that he needed to hear that and that he is going to start going back to church. WOW!! What an awesome testament to God's love.
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
I've already started recruiting YAVs for the 2016 gathering in New Orleans, LA! I've been telling them about the bonds that are formed, the awesome experiences I had, the fact that you get to be there 2 days early, and all the AMAZING events that you get to see from a different perspective. I think your heart really has to be in it to volunteer, but it is so amazing that it would be CRAZY to miss out on something this awesome.
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I decided to apply to be a YAV because of my experience as a participant. I came home closer to God, my youth group, and myself. I wanted to pass that joy on to someone else. I wanted to see kids enjoy the gathering just like I did when I was a participant.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
To be completely honest, I was scared to DEATH to be a YAV. I heard that it was a lot of work, a lot of responsibility, and A LOT of stepping out of your comfort zone. I happen to like my comfort zone and was VERY apprehensive about stepping outside of it. I was hoping that I would experience that amazing "God moment" like I did as a participant but was skeptical that I would considering how busy we would be.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
The most overwhelming part of the gathering was the mass event on Tuesday night when they were discussing distractions and how they get in our way of our relationship with God.I was having second thoughts about being at the gathering. I had actually considered going home because I felt like I didn't belong. That I was not good enough to be here with all these amazing believers of Christ. I had screwed up a lot this past year and had fallen away from God, my family, and friends. I had pretty much turned my back on everything that was important to me. I was in an abusive relationship that totally consumed me (in a bad way). I thought that was the type of love I deserved. I moved out of my parents' house, moved in with this abusive guy, got engaged, lost 2 jobs, and left my church. These things were huge distractions and kept me from my loving Savior. I really broke down and pretty much just laid all those distractions down at God's feet. Mia Koehne spoke about her struggles with looking for empty love. That's where I was a year ago. It was also overwhelming to have my little brother, Steven, there as a participant. He got to experience that HUGE weight of distractions lifted off my shoulders and put onto the shoulders of Christ as he died in my place on the cross.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
I think I saw God's love most in the people of San Antonio. They were so happy we were there and were so happy and willing to help if any of us were in need. I think the story that sticks out in my mind is when I got to speak to one of the ushers at the Alamodome. His name was Alex and when I first started talking to him, he seemed pretty skeptical about us "Christian Youth". He was there on Thursday night when we were writing down our sins and laying them at the cross. He left the stadium and stepped into the hallway while we were doing this. We continued worshipping and Alex stepped back in. We came to the part where we turned to the person next to us and told them that their sins were forgiven. I went over to Alex and told him that Jesus had died so that we might live and that his sins were forgiven. He broke down and said that he needed to hear that and that he is going to start going back to church. WOW!! What an awesome testament to God's love.
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
I've already started recruiting YAVs for the 2016 gathering in New Orleans, LA! I've been telling them about the bonds that are formed, the awesome experiences I had, the fact that you get to be there 2 days early, and all the AMAZING events that you get to see from a different perspective. I think your heart really has to be in it to volunteer, but it is so amazing that it would be CRAZY to miss out on something this awesome.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Transition Days
Today was a transition day of sorts. It started with a lot of goodbyes and continued on spending time with the people who will populate my life in the future.
I have grown up in Flagstaff. I was baptized and confirmed at the same church. I have spent 20 years of my life involved in the ministry at Peace Lutheran as either a youth participant, usher, greeter, or youth leader. I have seen the church ebb and flow, change from pews to chairs, get new hymnals, get painted and repainted, rooms change, people pass away and new members come. I have seen and been apart of just about everything at Peace.
The wonderful kids that I have had the privilege of leading in the youth group spoke their words to the congregation this morning about their experience at the National Youth Gathering just two weeks ago. Their experiences give me hope for the future of the LCMS and the future of their lives. They are filled with God's love and compassion and truly have found lifelong friends during their time at youth events. I am not always 100% fond of the policies or direction of the synod but I cannot debate the history and impact it has on my life and the people who I have crossed paths with.
I reminisce because it was my last Sunday of consistent worship at Peace. They had a cake made for me and when our presentation to the congregation was over, I was surprised by the youth group with a number of heartfelt letters from them.
I have spent the last four years with these kids. When I began, there was about 4-5 consistent members at inconsistent events. It was led by a wonderful parent who was just too busy to also take on the task of planning and coordinating events for a small youth group. She did phenomenal in the circumstances.
I prayed about the whole situation and felt compelled to take on a more prominent role with the youth. It may be the one true situation in my life where God spoke a clear and concise message to me. When I was asked if I was interested in leading high school Sunday School, I asked for the whole youth group instead. It started slow and I was not sure how to become that person God wanted me to be. I am still not sure I do the best job of it sometimes. Sometimes I wonder if I am not just hurting the kids more with my advice, or fully getting my point across in bible studies. And I certainly don't claim to have the impact on their lives that some have told me I have had, because at the end of the day, God put us all on the path that crossed in the cramped youth room at Peace. I was merely a tool in his belt. I was very clearly stressed and tired to those closest to me at times and questioned the role I was playing.
When I left today, we have grown from those original 4-5 (who all still attend or have graduated out of youth group), to more than 20 in four short years. At the last National Youth Gathering in 2010, we sent 4 kids and 2 adults. Two weeks ago, we sent 12 kids and 5 adults. We only have a congregation of about 130 members.
It physically pains me sometimes to worry about these kids and the path that they walk. I worry about their relationships, life decisions, their walk with God and if I am truly stressing enough that they are amazing for being who they are and that no one can tell them differently. Because it doesn't matter who you are but whose you are. And I just pray that they never lose sight of that fact. That God is the one true path in life and as long as they put their faith in Him, he will never lead them astray.
I leave these kids with great hope for their futures. I pray that the new youth leader is led by God in the most beneficial way. I expect incredible things from these youth and I know that they won't let me down.
I wanted to close this blog post with photos from over the years of my time leading the youth group and some of the activities we have all had the blessing to do together.
I have grown up in Flagstaff. I was baptized and confirmed at the same church. I have spent 20 years of my life involved in the ministry at Peace Lutheran as either a youth participant, usher, greeter, or youth leader. I have seen the church ebb and flow, change from pews to chairs, get new hymnals, get painted and repainted, rooms change, people pass away and new members come. I have seen and been apart of just about everything at Peace.
The wonderful kids that I have had the privilege of leading in the youth group spoke their words to the congregation this morning about their experience at the National Youth Gathering just two weeks ago. Their experiences give me hope for the future of the LCMS and the future of their lives. They are filled with God's love and compassion and truly have found lifelong friends during their time at youth events. I am not always 100% fond of the policies or direction of the synod but I cannot debate the history and impact it has on my life and the people who I have crossed paths with.
I reminisce because it was my last Sunday of consistent worship at Peace. They had a cake made for me and when our presentation to the congregation was over, I was surprised by the youth group with a number of heartfelt letters from them.
I have spent the last four years with these kids. When I began, there was about 4-5 consistent members at inconsistent events. It was led by a wonderful parent who was just too busy to also take on the task of planning and coordinating events for a small youth group. She did phenomenal in the circumstances.
I prayed about the whole situation and felt compelled to take on a more prominent role with the youth. It may be the one true situation in my life where God spoke a clear and concise message to me. When I was asked if I was interested in leading high school Sunday School, I asked for the whole youth group instead. It started slow and I was not sure how to become that person God wanted me to be. I am still not sure I do the best job of it sometimes. Sometimes I wonder if I am not just hurting the kids more with my advice, or fully getting my point across in bible studies. And I certainly don't claim to have the impact on their lives that some have told me I have had, because at the end of the day, God put us all on the path that crossed in the cramped youth room at Peace. I was merely a tool in his belt. I was very clearly stressed and tired to those closest to me at times and questioned the role I was playing.
When I left today, we have grown from those original 4-5 (who all still attend or have graduated out of youth group), to more than 20 in four short years. At the last National Youth Gathering in 2010, we sent 4 kids and 2 adults. Two weeks ago, we sent 12 kids and 5 adults. We only have a congregation of about 130 members.
It physically pains me sometimes to worry about these kids and the path that they walk. I worry about their relationships, life decisions, their walk with God and if I am truly stressing enough that they are amazing for being who they are and that no one can tell them differently. Because it doesn't matter who you are but whose you are. And I just pray that they never lose sight of that fact. That God is the one true path in life and as long as they put their faith in Him, he will never lead them astray.
I leave these kids with great hope for their futures. I pray that the new youth leader is led by God in the most beneficial way. I expect incredible things from these youth and I know that they won't let me down.
I wanted to close this blog post with photos from over the years of my time leading the youth group and some of the activities we have all had the blessing to do together.
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| Splatter painting our "Undignified Love" Shirts |
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| Placing our handprints on a piece of fabric so that it can be hung in the youth room. |
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| Donald Duck. Disneyland. |
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| Speaking at the Youth Encounter Quake Zone in Phoenix. |
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| Waiting in line to get into the gathering that the Youth Encounter Quake Zone. |
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| Lunch with Swen and Dean at the Youth Encounter Quake Zone. |
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| Star Gazing at a congregation members house. |
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| Creating a poster displaying the poverty in the world during the 30 hour famine lock-in benefitting World Vision. |
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| Hiking on the San Francisco Peaks. |
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| Light painting the playground during a lock-in. |
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| Hiking Bear Mountain. Sedona. |
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| On the way out of the Grand Canyon after spending the night at Indian Gardens bunkhouse. |
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| Enjoying the flight to San Antonio for the 2013 National Youth Gathering. |
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| The crew from Peace Lutheran at the National Youth Gathering 2013. |
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| In front of the a German Catholic church, San Antonio. |
Friday, July 19, 2013
Securing God's Place
13 “No
one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the
other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and money.”
Luke 16:13
No ever said finding a job was easy (if you did, please tell me your ways). I am a history major with experience in photography, recreation, coaching, movie theatres and as a youth leader. None of which complement each other well.
As a christian, I find that I want to do something directly related to promoting God's Kingdom on earth. Be that church work or working for a christian non profit. What better way to evangelize and promote my own relationship with God than to be surrounded by other like minded individuals and get paid for it. It's like killing every bird that ever lived with one stone.
The problem is that Christian jobs are hard to find. And where there are jobs, my experience doesn't lend itself to being very advantageous. So, I look for jobs that aren't necessarily Christian on the surface.
However, when you truly look at your job and think that it might not be "christian" because none of your co-workers attend church or the mission statement says nothing about eternal life, think again. If you truly believe that everything in life is ordained by God, than you are in that job by the grace of the Father. He meant for you to be there and because of that reason, it is Christian.
You were put on this earth for a purpose and that dead end, stressful, low paying job that you hate is all part of the plan.
While I pray and ask God for some guidance in my job search (and I ask for your prayer as well), I am going to try to be content with the job that God lays out in front of me. It might not be that dream job I so strongly desire, but it is going to help support our new family, and lead to the life that God has laid out just for me. And with that always in mind, I will be happy to struggle and stress and find peace in knowing God has it covered.
Luke 16:13
No ever said finding a job was easy (if you did, please tell me your ways). I am a history major with experience in photography, recreation, coaching, movie theatres and as a youth leader. None of which complement each other well.
As a christian, I find that I want to do something directly related to promoting God's Kingdom on earth. Be that church work or working for a christian non profit. What better way to evangelize and promote my own relationship with God than to be surrounded by other like minded individuals and get paid for it. It's like killing every bird that ever lived with one stone.
The problem is that Christian jobs are hard to find. And where there are jobs, my experience doesn't lend itself to being very advantageous. So, I look for jobs that aren't necessarily Christian on the surface.
However, when you truly look at your job and think that it might not be "christian" because none of your co-workers attend church or the mission statement says nothing about eternal life, think again. If you truly believe that everything in life is ordained by God, than you are in that job by the grace of the Father. He meant for you to be there and because of that reason, it is Christian.
You were put on this earth for a purpose and that dead end, stressful, low paying job that you hate is all part of the plan.
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| God's Glory in beautiful color. Sunset, Hart Prairie, Arizona, July 2013 |
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Volunteer Hearts (Part 2)
Check out last week's post HERE, where Rachel answers why she was a YAV (Young Adult Volunteer) and how God worked on her heart during our week in San Antonio.
Check out more of what the LCMS National Youth Gathering is all about HERE.
This week's answers are brought to you by Hannah Hester, Team Durango.
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I chose to apply to be a YAV because I had a great experience at the previous two national gatherings. I wanted to help bring the same enthusiasm that the Orange Nation did for me. They were all so welcoming and loved the Lord and wanted to share it with everyone.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
I thought that being a YAV would be another great experience for meeting other believers and praising God.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
I think that being an usher the most overwhelming moments were when all the participants and youth leaders were all filing into the dome. They were all excited to be there. It was scary how fast all those seats filled up.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
At the Mass Events I felt that is where I saw God's love. All the Christians there to worship and praise God and learn to LiveLove(d).
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
You get to meet such wonderful people. It is worth the experience to see the national youth gathering in a different light. It isn't work at all. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Check out more of what the LCMS National Youth Gathering is all about HERE.
This week's answers are brought to you by Hannah Hester, Team Durango.
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I chose to apply to be a YAV because I had a great experience at the previous two national gatherings. I wanted to help bring the same enthusiasm that the Orange Nation did for me. They were all so welcoming and loved the Lord and wanted to share it with everyone.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
I thought that being a YAV would be another great experience for meeting other believers and praising God.
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
I think that being an usher the most overwhelming moments were when all the participants and youth leaders were all filing into the dome. They were all excited to be there. It was scary how fast all those seats filled up.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
At the Mass Events I felt that is where I saw God's love. All the Christians there to worship and praise God and learn to LiveLove(d).
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
You get to meet such wonderful people. It is worth the experience to see the national youth gathering in a different light. It isn't work at all. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Volunteer Hearts (Part 1)
If you read my post from a couple of day's ago (HERE), you may remember that I was a volunteer in San Antonio for the LCMS National Youth Gathering. It was my second time doing so and loved it even more. I worked with an incredible team of people and wanted to share their reasons for volunteering and see what God put on their hearts while working at the Gathering for a week.
To give you a general background of what I did, here is a short explanation. Orange Nation (as we are called due to our orange shirts) consisted of nearly 500 volunteers all between the ages of 18-25. We worked in every aspect of the Gathering from traffic control, ushers at events, coordinating games, concerts, etc. In essence, we helped to make sure the events that the coordinators had planned ran smoothly. I was Team Captain of Team Durango. We were Mass Event ushers everyday throughout the week.
I have asked my team to answer a few questions and send them back to me. First off is Rachel Duensing.
(To clarify, YAV stands for Young Adult Volunteer)
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I had been to two gatherings before and had an amazing time so when the time came to be a volunteer I didn't want to pass it up. My sister had been a YAV and loved it so I knew that if I had to opportunity to serve I would take it run with it.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
I was expecting to be running around stressed out and trying to help everyone in sight. I was pleasantly surprised when my group was asked to help during the day by running around the convention center and the city of San Antonio yelling and cheering trying to get kids pumped up for the gathering. My duties as a mass event usher were a bit stressful but so much fun. It was great meeting all these kids and being able to worship along with them!
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
It was definitely overwhelming during the mass event where Jessica, the young woman in a wheelchair, was sharing her story. That was overwhelming in a good way because it is then when I realized that if she can overcome two comas and still have a positive attitude, I can get through the struggles in my life.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
I saw God's love through the people of the city of San Antonio. They were all so welcoming and did a great job of dealing with 25,000 youth and all of us volunteers. It was also in the fact that local news stations would do stories on the gathering and all of their viewers would see them! The song says it only takes a spark, and I think that the stories that aired on the news stations may have just been enough to light a spark in some viewers.
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
I would tell them to apply because you get to experience and meet new people! When you come as a participant you get to meet new people, but you still spend the majority of your time with your youth group. As a YAV not only do you get to meet participants from other areas, but you work right alongside people from areas you may have never been before and you form a relationship with them. Personally, I came as a volunteer not knowing what to expect, and I left with a family. I wouldn't trade my experience as a YAV for anything in the world! D-U-R-A-N-G-O!
To give you a general background of what I did, here is a short explanation. Orange Nation (as we are called due to our orange shirts) consisted of nearly 500 volunteers all between the ages of 18-25. We worked in every aspect of the Gathering from traffic control, ushers at events, coordinating games, concerts, etc. In essence, we helped to make sure the events that the coordinators had planned ran smoothly. I was Team Captain of Team Durango. We were Mass Event ushers everyday throughout the week.
I have asked my team to answer a few questions and send them back to me. First off is Rachel Duensing.
(To clarify, YAV stands for Young Adult Volunteer)
What made you decide to apply to be a YAV?
I had been to two gatherings before and had an amazing time so when the time came to be a volunteer I didn't want to pass it up. My sister had been a YAV and loved it so I knew that if I had to opportunity to serve I would take it run with it.
What were you expecting being a YAV would be like?
I was expecting to be running around stressed out and trying to help everyone in sight. I was pleasantly surprised when my group was asked to help during the day by running around the convention center and the city of San Antonio yelling and cheering trying to get kids pumped up for the gathering. My duties as a mass event usher were a bit stressful but so much fun. It was great meeting all these kids and being able to worship along with them!
What was the most overwhelming moment you experienced at the Gathering?
It was definitely overwhelming during the mass event where Jessica, the young woman in a wheelchair, was sharing her story. That was overwhelming in a good way because it is then when I realized that if she can overcome two comas and still have a positive attitude, I can get through the struggles in my life.
Where did you see God's love the most during your week at the Gathering?
I saw God's love through the people of the city of San Antonio. They were all so welcoming and did a great job of dealing with 25,000 youth and all of us volunteers. It was also in the fact that local news stations would do stories on the gathering and all of their viewers would see them! The song says it only takes a spark, and I think that the stories that aired on the news stations may have just been enough to light a spark in some viewers.
What would you tell someone to convince them to apply to be a YAV in the future?
I would tell them to apply because you get to experience and meet new people! When you come as a participant you get to meet new people, but you still spend the majority of your time with your youth group. As a YAV not only do you get to meet participants from other areas, but you work right alongside people from areas you may have never been before and you form a relationship with them. Personally, I came as a volunteer not knowing what to expect, and I left with a family. I wouldn't trade my experience as a YAV for anything in the world! D-U-R-A-N-G-O!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Memorial
If you haven't heard about the 19 brave souls who perished at the Yarnell Hill fire last week, you must be under a rock and please take this post as your information.
If you read yesterday's post, you would know that I was in San Antonio the whole of last week at the LCMS National Youth Gathering volunteering to make the week amazing for the 25,000+ kids who attended.
I was sitting in a private worship service for all the Gathering workers on June 30th, when Cassie texted me about 19 firefighters who had died. My stomach immediately dropped. I quickly received a call from my mom making sure that I wasn't worried about my family.
These deaths hit close to home for a few reasons. The first being my father and brother both fight wildland fires during the summer months. My dad has been doing just about every job imaginable from digging line, to leading inmate crews, to being a crew boss for the military and now serving on a Type 1 Incident Management Team, who gets the call to manage the largest and most serious fires that start. He has nearly 30 years of experience with fire and just about anyone who is anyone in the Southwest fire community knows his name.
My brother has found his calling as a part of an engine crew off of the Kaibab National Forest in Arizona. He is in his fifth season and makes me jealous just about every year he goes out and sends me pictures of being on the fire line.
They both make me proud to have the last name Boness because I know the sacrifice that goes into 16 hour shifts of hard labor day in and day out to protect lives, structures and resources. They would never say it and I probably wouldn't either if I was in their position, but they truly are unspoken heroes to numerous communities who rely on their expertise to save property from overwhelming forest fires.
The second reason the deaths hit me so hard is because this happened in Arizona, to Arizona Hotshots. It is the most deaths on a fire line in Arizona history, the most firefighters to die on any wildfire in the US since 1933 and the most firefighters to die in America since 9/11. To say this event wasn't significant is to grossly underestimate the sacrifice.
I feel close to this community despite never setting foot on a fire line because my family, my flesh and blood has spent years of dedication to this industry and I know countless firefighters by name.
The Granite Mountain hotshots are based in Prescott, Arizona. Only and hour and a half's drive from my hometown. I have been through Yarnell, where the fire occurred, numerous times and feel close to the communities that were affected. All of Arizona does.
We mourn for the families and lift up those lost. The memorial service for those Hotshots is today and God knows that I will be praying for comfort and knowledge to prevent more deaths in the future.
If you have time, please find the live broadcast online and show your support for those lost. The memorial begins at 11am Arizona time.
If you read yesterday's post, you would know that I was in San Antonio the whole of last week at the LCMS National Youth Gathering volunteering to make the week amazing for the 25,000+ kids who attended.
I was sitting in a private worship service for all the Gathering workers on June 30th, when Cassie texted me about 19 firefighters who had died. My stomach immediately dropped. I quickly received a call from my mom making sure that I wasn't worried about my family.
These deaths hit close to home for a few reasons. The first being my father and brother both fight wildland fires during the summer months. My dad has been doing just about every job imaginable from digging line, to leading inmate crews, to being a crew boss for the military and now serving on a Type 1 Incident Management Team, who gets the call to manage the largest and most serious fires that start. He has nearly 30 years of experience with fire and just about anyone who is anyone in the Southwest fire community knows his name.
My brother has found his calling as a part of an engine crew off of the Kaibab National Forest in Arizona. He is in his fifth season and makes me jealous just about every year he goes out and sends me pictures of being on the fire line.
They both make me proud to have the last name Boness because I know the sacrifice that goes into 16 hour shifts of hard labor day in and day out to protect lives, structures and resources. They would never say it and I probably wouldn't either if I was in their position, but they truly are unspoken heroes to numerous communities who rely on their expertise to save property from overwhelming forest fires.
The second reason the deaths hit me so hard is because this happened in Arizona, to Arizona Hotshots. It is the most deaths on a fire line in Arizona history, the most firefighters to die on any wildfire in the US since 1933 and the most firefighters to die in America since 9/11. To say this event wasn't significant is to grossly underestimate the sacrifice.
I feel close to this community despite never setting foot on a fire line because my family, my flesh and blood has spent years of dedication to this industry and I know countless firefighters by name.
The Granite Mountain hotshots are based in Prescott, Arizona. Only and hour and a half's drive from my hometown. I have been through Yarnell, where the fire occurred, numerous times and feel close to the communities that were affected. All of Arizona does.
We mourn for the families and lift up those lost. The memorial service for those Hotshots is today and God knows that I will be praying for comfort and knowledge to prevent more deaths in the future.
If you have time, please find the live broadcast online and show your support for those lost. The memorial begins at 11am Arizona time.
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| My dad and I last fall when he let me out on to the line at a prescribed fire in Flagstaff, AZ. |
Monday, July 8, 2013
LCMS Nationl Youth Gathering
Every three years, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) throws a huge party! 25,000+ youth show up and bring down whatever town it's in and praise the one and only true God until their voices are hoarse from screaming, their feet are swollen from walking and their adult leaders are ready for a good long nap coma. They call it the LCMS National Youth Gathering.
This year, San Antonio played their part and they played it well. They were awesome, to say the least. The police were on top of their traffic control, the restaurants served us until they literally ran out of food some nights and the locals wanted to be a part of the energy. Cause honestly, you can't help feeling the vibe when 25,000 young people are wandering the streets with awesome respect, loud voices and God's love showing through their hearts.
I am going to avoid too many details of the trip and let some photos do the talking. But, I do want to say how proud I am of my youth group. Three years ago, the Gathering was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was too old to attend as a participant, but pretty much made the decision, that unless I was physically incapable of attending, I would never miss one of these celebrations ever again. And so, the door was opened for those a little too old to attend as a participant to volunteer as a Young Adult Volunteer, also known as a YAV. My first experience as a YAV was incredible. It was much more liberating to see the Gathering from the inside and have zero restraints on how I wanted to best experience everything that it could offer. I was a on a team of other young adults who did the ushering for the morning bible studies and the Mass Events at night; which are big parties with music, skits, testimonies and extra thrills thrown in that happen each night of the Gathering. We had so many people attend the Gathering that in New Orleans, we were housed in the Super Dome and last week in San Antonio, we were in the Alamodome!I was blessed enough in San Antonio to not only be able to volunteer again, but lead a team of volunteers and usher the Mass Events once again!
On top of these nightly hooplahs, they have on-site servant events, off-site servant events, basketball courts, indoor ziplines, concerts, speakers, university booths, photo booths, internet cafes, obstacle courses, drum circles, volleyball courts, blood drives and so much more to keep all these kids occupied in between nightly parties. And the party doesn't stop there, they have night life activities at certain hotels where participants can keep the party going even after the Mass Events.
To say that this isn't some of these kids best week of their lives is probably an understatement. These Gatherings are a huge reason why I am where I am in my spiritual walk. I probably never would have become a youth leader in the first place.
When we went to New Orleans, We had 4 kids, 2 adults and myself as a volunteer representing our church. Not bad for a congregation with roughly 140 members. However, in three short years, we sent 12 kids, 5 adults and 2 volunteers! Praise God! I was mostly absent from the youth during the week because I was busy with my duties as a volunteer, but when I met up with them after the Gathering conclusion, they asked me to lead the final bible study for the week. When that bible study turned into an absolutely moving testament of the growth of faith, I was floored. My prayer was that these kids would find some piece of God during the week. They were all in different places in their walks and I just wanted them to find a piece. They found a whole pie. Many are now talking about going to the Concordia University system for college. Some are already going to Christian universities this fall.
As I look forward to the move in less than a month, I can't help but thank God for the chance to celebrate with these kids one last time. They have taught me more about my faith than I have probably taught them as their youth leader.
For more photos, please visit www.bonessphoto.com
This year, San Antonio played their part and they played it well. They were awesome, to say the least. The police were on top of their traffic control, the restaurants served us until they literally ran out of food some nights and the locals wanted to be a part of the energy. Cause honestly, you can't help feeling the vibe when 25,000 young people are wandering the streets with awesome respect, loud voices and God's love showing through their hearts.
I am going to avoid too many details of the trip and let some photos do the talking. But, I do want to say how proud I am of my youth group. Three years ago, the Gathering was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was too old to attend as a participant, but pretty much made the decision, that unless I was physically incapable of attending, I would never miss one of these celebrations ever again. And so, the door was opened for those a little too old to attend as a participant to volunteer as a Young Adult Volunteer, also known as a YAV. My first experience as a YAV was incredible. It was much more liberating to see the Gathering from the inside and have zero restraints on how I wanted to best experience everything that it could offer. I was a on a team of other young adults who did the ushering for the morning bible studies and the Mass Events at night; which are big parties with music, skits, testimonies and extra thrills thrown in that happen each night of the Gathering. We had so many people attend the Gathering that in New Orleans, we were housed in the Super Dome and last week in San Antonio, we were in the Alamodome!I was blessed enough in San Antonio to not only be able to volunteer again, but lead a team of volunteers and usher the Mass Events once again!
On top of these nightly hooplahs, they have on-site servant events, off-site servant events, basketball courts, indoor ziplines, concerts, speakers, university booths, photo booths, internet cafes, obstacle courses, drum circles, volleyball courts, blood drives and so much more to keep all these kids occupied in between nightly parties. And the party doesn't stop there, they have night life activities at certain hotels where participants can keep the party going even after the Mass Events.
To say that this isn't some of these kids best week of their lives is probably an understatement. These Gatherings are a huge reason why I am where I am in my spiritual walk. I probably never would have become a youth leader in the first place.
When we went to New Orleans, We had 4 kids, 2 adults and myself as a volunteer representing our church. Not bad for a congregation with roughly 140 members. However, in three short years, we sent 12 kids, 5 adults and 2 volunteers! Praise God! I was mostly absent from the youth during the week because I was busy with my duties as a volunteer, but when I met up with them after the Gathering conclusion, they asked me to lead the final bible study for the week. When that bible study turned into an absolutely moving testament of the growth of faith, I was floored. My prayer was that these kids would find some piece of God during the week. They were all in different places in their walks and I just wanted them to find a piece. They found a whole pie. Many are now talking about going to the Concordia University system for college. Some are already going to Christian universities this fall.
As I look forward to the move in less than a month, I can't help but thank God for the chance to celebrate with these kids one last time. They have taught me more about my faith than I have probably taught them as their youth leader.
For more photos, please visit www.bonessphoto.com
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| My Youth Group, Pre Gathering. |
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| Some of my Team of YAVs at Charlie wants a Burger for dinner. |
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| Looking good in their Sunday best for a special Gathering workers Worship service. |
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| At Lulu's for 3 lb cinnamon rolls! |
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| Writing cards for terminally ill kids. |
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| A little drag never hurt anybody. |
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| All of Team Durango in our place of work. |
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| I can't even photograph all the people in the Alamodome at one time there were so many! |
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| 4th of July fireworks. |
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| Youth Group - Post Gathering. |
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Today was a Good Day
Most of us don't remember our baptisms. We were too young, maybe only a few weeks old (I was about 3 weeks old). But, never the less, they leave an everlasting mark on our souls that we are now part of God's family. He has officially adopted us and we have accepted Him into our hearts. We now are part of a family that accepts us as brothers and sisters and we no longer wander aimlessly for meaning.
Today, June 23rd, Cassie was baptized into the family of Christ. Our friend Shauna, my parents and her sponsors, Mark and Linda Giesecke were there to bless her as she joins God's family. It was an incredible day to witness and I am so glad that I have been able to share in this journey with her so far. I am excited to see where God's plan guides us and I know that I have a strong and loving woman by my side.
Today, June 23rd, Cassie was baptized into the family of Christ. Our friend Shauna, my parents and her sponsors, Mark and Linda Giesecke were there to bless her as she joins God's family. It was an incredible day to witness and I am so glad that I have been able to share in this journey with her so far. I am excited to see where God's plan guides us and I know that I have a strong and loving woman by my side.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Engagement Story (pt. 2)
Cassie and I are in the midst of wedding planning. We are beginning to get an idea of what your eventual wedding will look like. During this whole process and beyond, we will be sharing with anyone interested, our story through our new blog Koinonia. We have just posted a pretty cool link up for couples. We have each answered a few questions about the engagement and are hoping to hear back from other couples who are either engaged or married. Take a glance over at Koinonia and tell us what you think.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Our Engagement Story
First off, apologies for not posting the first "My Story Mondays" story yesterday. I have a few calls out to influential people in my life and who can blame them for being a bit too busy to write something up in a week. So, I am shooting for next week for the first story to be up.
Also, the big news going around is that my girlfriend, Cassie, and I got engaged!!
I had been planning the engagement for about 5 or 6 weeks. It wasn't anything huge or cheesy, but it was special for us.
We both work a bunch at our jobs and we don't normally have a day off together. So when we finally had a day off coming up, I jumped on the opportunity to make that the day.
The day started off by never actually being able to go to sleep. Did I mention we work a lot? We were both driving shuttles for a member at our golf club who was throwing a party for his employees. Cassie got lucky and was able to get home at 11 when she was done driving. However, I got stuck on a second shuttle driving for a different party. Long story short, they never called me to come pick them up from the bars, so I was waiting for them until 2:30am when I decided they were no longer downtown. They ended up taking cabs home around 11:30pm.
We had planned on leaving for sunrise at the Grand Canyon at 3:15am. I only had time to run home, change, grab my camera and head out the door.
The Grand Canyon is special in our relationship because it was where we went for our first real date outside of work (where we met) and where we took our first real trip together as well. We have been to the Canyon probably 6 or 7 times during our dating relationship. It was an obvious choice as a backdrop to our special day.
I chose the east side of the Canyon because I knew that the popular Mather Point and any point along the south rim drive was going to be packed with people and I didn't want to make this any more nerve racking than it already was going to be. Plus, I knew that Cassie didn't necessarily want to make a big scene either. Luckily, we found Navajo Point completely empty.
I pulled out my camera and set it up while Cassie stayed in the car for a couple extra minutes. I used the ploy of coming up to take sunrise photos, which is quite believable. We also like to take couples photos where ever we go because, I am competitive and want to have the coolest couples photos ever. Again, pretty believable. After a few landscape shots, I move my camera to a new spot and we take a couple pictures. I then tell her, "Oh! I just remembered that I bought a remote for my camera. We don't have to set the timer anymore." So, I grab that, we take one more photo and I tell her, " You know what else I realized, that was our last photo as girlfriend and boyfriend." And I pulled out the ring.
She said "Yes" and we now have the opportunity to start the rest of our lives together!
We will be posting our story, written together, on our Couples blog named Koinonia shortly! Follow that blog for a more couples focused perspective on our wedding planning, and our future move to Missouri together.
Also, the big news going around is that my girlfriend, Cassie, and I got engaged!!
I had been planning the engagement for about 5 or 6 weeks. It wasn't anything huge or cheesy, but it was special for us.
We both work a bunch at our jobs and we don't normally have a day off together. So when we finally had a day off coming up, I jumped on the opportunity to make that the day.
The day started off by never actually being able to go to sleep. Did I mention we work a lot? We were both driving shuttles for a member at our golf club who was throwing a party for his employees. Cassie got lucky and was able to get home at 11 when she was done driving. However, I got stuck on a second shuttle driving for a different party. Long story short, they never called me to come pick them up from the bars, so I was waiting for them until 2:30am when I decided they were no longer downtown. They ended up taking cabs home around 11:30pm.
We had planned on leaving for sunrise at the Grand Canyon at 3:15am. I only had time to run home, change, grab my camera and head out the door.
The Grand Canyon is special in our relationship because it was where we went for our first real date outside of work (where we met) and where we took our first real trip together as well. We have been to the Canyon probably 6 or 7 times during our dating relationship. It was an obvious choice as a backdrop to our special day.
I chose the east side of the Canyon because I knew that the popular Mather Point and any point along the south rim drive was going to be packed with people and I didn't want to make this any more nerve racking than it already was going to be. Plus, I knew that Cassie didn't necessarily want to make a big scene either. Luckily, we found Navajo Point completely empty.
I pulled out my camera and set it up while Cassie stayed in the car for a couple extra minutes. I used the ploy of coming up to take sunrise photos, which is quite believable. We also like to take couples photos where ever we go because, I am competitive and want to have the coolest couples photos ever. Again, pretty believable. After a few landscape shots, I move my camera to a new spot and we take a couple pictures. I then tell her, "Oh! I just remembered that I bought a remote for my camera. We don't have to set the timer anymore." So, I grab that, we take one more photo and I tell her, " You know what else I realized, that was our last photo as girlfriend and boyfriend." And I pulled out the ring.
She said "Yes" and we now have the opportunity to start the rest of our lives together!
We will be posting our story, written together, on our Couples blog named Koinonia shortly! Follow that blog for a more couples focused perspective on our wedding planning, and our future move to Missouri together.
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| Can't have a much better backdrop than this!! |
Thursday, June 6, 2013
An Unveiling
It is time to officially unveil The Koinonia Blog.
This blog is written by Cassie from Sage, and myself about our relationship. How we met, what's happening now, our upcoming move to Missouri, and life ahead.
It's meant for those going through similar situations to find an ally and a voice to listen to, to ask advice of and grow in a Christian community.
Koinonia itself means: Christian fellowship or communion with God or with fellow Christians; said in particular of the early Christian community.
We want this to be a communing place for other Christians and Christian couples specifically. But, we also want anyone who has questions of us or questions in general to feel comfortable sharing, Christian or not.
This blog is written by Cassie from Sage, and myself about our relationship. How we met, what's happening now, our upcoming move to Missouri, and life ahead.
It's meant for those going through similar situations to find an ally and a voice to listen to, to ask advice of and grow in a Christian community.
Koinonia itself means: Christian fellowship or communion with God or with fellow Christians; said in particular of the early Christian community.
We want this to be a communing place for other Christians and Christian couples specifically. But, we also want anyone who has questions of us or questions in general to feel comfortable sharing, Christian or not.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
The Reality of it All
The reality is, I am moving from Flagstaff. After 24 years in Arizona, 20 of them in Flagstaff, I am moving. Does it scare me? You betcha!
Everyday is a day to reflect on my life and savor everything I have enjoyed about growing up in this wonderful place. The people I have met, the sunrises and sets that I have witnessed, the mountains I have climbed, the deserts, forests, canyons, monsoons and on and on. There is so much about this state that I have never done or seen or experienced and it's a tough proposition to know that you will be moving away from it.
However, it is also a time to be optimistic about the future and the love affair I might have for a new state. I am already excited about all the cycling races and sports communities. A potential job that is right up my alley. Experiencing things that I don't even know exist yet. It's all exciting!
The most exciting part is being confident in the person I am moving with. Starting a life together and taking a step toward family that I have always dreamed about.
I can see positive in any place. And that's what I have to keep focused on. I will certainly miss Arizona, my home. But, I can always come back and enjoy it even more.
For now, enjoy some photos that I have taken over the years of this wonderful state. And as always, more photos can be seen at my website.
Everyday is a day to reflect on my life and savor everything I have enjoyed about growing up in this wonderful place. The people I have met, the sunrises and sets that I have witnessed, the mountains I have climbed, the deserts, forests, canyons, monsoons and on and on. There is so much about this state that I have never done or seen or experienced and it's a tough proposition to know that you will be moving away from it.
However, it is also a time to be optimistic about the future and the love affair I might have for a new state. I am already excited about all the cycling races and sports communities. A potential job that is right up my alley. Experiencing things that I don't even know exist yet. It's all exciting!
The most exciting part is being confident in the person I am moving with. Starting a life together and taking a step toward family that I have always dreamed about.
I can see positive in any place. And that's what I have to keep focused on. I will certainly miss Arizona, my home. But, I can always come back and enjoy it even more.
For now, enjoy some photos that I have taken over the years of this wonderful state. And as always, more photos can be seen at my website.
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| The Sunset glows red on the San Francisco Peaks. Bismarck Lake. |
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| The Windmill Winery at night. Florence, AZ |
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| Bismarck Lake sunset. |
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| Forest Service Cabin. Kendrick Peak. |
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| Grand Falls. |
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| Superstition Mountain Wilderness. |
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| Fiery Sunset after the snow. |