Sorry for my silence

A lot's happened over the past week and a half, and I've been doing a lot. The internet cafe is finally going to be set up this Monday, and hopefully going to be fully operational on Thursday. Keren had a phone conference with Vinny last week about all of it, and called me afterwards with some bad news. Vinny was only going to be able to pay me half of what he'd initially promised, which would still be enough to live on, but things would be really tight. I still agreed because I had no other source of income, but I wasn't too thrilled about it. I thought that with the money I'd be getting that I could maybe do things with the kids from La Chureca on the weekends and afternoons like take them out to eat or things like that, but now that was out of the question too. I spent last week in the Word and in prayer, because I really want to work with the kids in La Chureca. The internet cafe will be a great thing for the community of Vera Cruz, especially for the kids, but La Chureca is another story entirely. The kids in the dump need love more than anything else. I don't want that opportunity to be taken away from me just because I don't have money. So, today Keren called me with the news about the cafe being almost ready. She said she had yet to hire someone for the afternoon, but had someone in mind. I told her my situation, and that I wasn't 100% sure that I was in. She said that she needed to figure everything out really soon, and that it'd be better to just hire someone for the full-time position if I was hesitating. I said alright, do that, and hopefully that was the right decision. It's hard for me to know, but I do know what I feel in my heart, and that is that God wants me with the community in the dump. I can't really describe it, but I absolutely love it there. The kids are so different from any others I've ever met, and yet are just as human. I think I could spend the rest of my life with them.

That's another thing that I've been struggling with. I know that God has a plan for me, and that within every one of his creations he has instilled desires, gifts, talents, and dreams. God has given me so much that I don't know what to do with it all. Here I am studying at the recently #1 ranked school for Industrial Design, but at the same time I'm down in a dump full of these beautiful people who need Jesus so badly. I love art and design, and God has given me talent in those areas, but he has also given me a heart for these people, and the opportunity to work with them. What is my role as a steward of all that He has given me? I want to live in a way that is honoring to him, in which I am responsible with all that he has allowed me to have. It's really hard to answer these questions, and for now I'm here, so I'm just going to give all I can to the people here and really learn from them. I still plan to go back home and finish up my schooling, and I'm eager to see how God is going to tie everything together. If there's one thing I've learned so far down here, it's that life is a mystery. We'll never know all the answers, but when some are revealed to us we see that it's with good reason that not everything is in our control.

I did run into a possible job opportunity, however. One of the men who works with the guy in charge of the High School Musical group is looking for a graphic designer. "Someone who's really good," he says. I called him up yesterday and he wants me to come in on Monday to talk business. Ideally, I'd be able to meet with him for maybe an hour a day to discuss what kind of work he wants, and then be able to work on my own time on my computer in the evenings. I'm not sure if that will work out, but I'm kind of excited to have an opportunity to use my design talents and still be able to spend time with the people of La Chureca. Hopefully it all pans out.

So for the last week we've had some intense dance practicing. They found a guy from Mexico who was involved with the Mexican version of HSM, and who knew all of the choreography to every song. If only we'd have had him in the beginning. Next Saturday we're supposedly doing a show, but just of one song, and I'm not sure if it's going to be for the TV or not. But at least it will pay, and then we'll have more practice to try to get six songs ready for the competition in Costa Rica. I was really contemplating quitting the whole dancing gig, but it doesn't take up too much time and it would be kind of cool to be on the TV here. We were in the papers for the third time on Wednesday, but the pictures are never of very good quality. I managed to get a free copy, though.

Last Sunday I got invited to go surfing with Melissa, her brother Brensen, a friend named Eli, and a girl named Deanna who I met last Friday in La Chureca. I couldn't pass that up, so we went for a few hours after church to a beach where Melissa's family owns a plot of land. The waves were pretty small, but I managed to catch a few waves. It was a lot harder than I thought, but I was starting on a 6'6" short board. I never got up to my feet, but I got to a crouching position a couple times. It was a lot of fun, but it wore me out. I don't think I'm the strongest of swimmers yet. It was a fun time, though, and I look forward to getting to know the group better. There's a group coming on Monday from the states to pass Thanksgiving here. Brad Corrigan, who performed the concert in the dump last March, is among those coming down. Hopefully I'll be able to get to know him a little bit and actually have a real Thanksgiving! I am starting to really miss some things about home. Obviously the family comes first. I miss being able to talk with them whenever I want. Now it's hit or miss on the internet. Melissa has a German Shepherd and a Great Dane, and they make me miss Greta, my Saint Bernard. There are a lot of nice Land Cruisers down here that bring back memories of cruising around in my Bronco with friends at Virginia Tech. But in light of all of that, there's no place I'd rather be right now than right here. God's moving and it's great to be here with Him.