Oh, ESI training...

How do I know I'm at ESI training again? The major blessing in my life is that I woke up and felt rested three days in a row now. I am very excited about many of the new teachers we have this year. Brian and Ryan are the only guys in the whole bunch, but they seem to be surviving allright. Ryan is quick to speak his mind and a total geek, and Brian is a deep thinker and has a beard, so I think we'll all get along fine in Karganda.

Hillary, Alana's teamate, is solid as well. Add the alum (Peg, Andrea, Myself, Noah and Jon) to the aforementioned, and you get TEAM KARGANDA. It's big. And we'll have two friends (Jamie and Faye) in Timertau, under an hour away.

Other teams are not coming together so well (Bishkek, Vologda)... but we'll see. It's something I encourage y'all to pray about--don't stop with me and my teamates.

A lot of us played mafia the other night. I was able to win as mafia once, which never hapens because I'm a terrible liar. Good for life, bad for lying games. Although... the townspeople did let me live one round after I admitted I was mafia. No wonder they all died.

I don't know why, but I feel like there's something blocking me from posting anything too personal here... I've had tons to think about over the last two weeks but I haven't been able to verbalize anything well lately. I did lead the men's session on temptation this morning (with all the morocco and CIS dudes) with Russ's help. The boys were remarkably open, which bodes well for their future time abroad. It's always weird talking to guys about and and stuff outside of relationship. I don't really know these guys and I'm supposed to prepare them for temptation overseas? There is no formula I can give them and everything else sounds like contrite know-it-allness. So I just told my story. You know, what happened to me and what lessons I learned along the way.

I finished Harry Potter #4 and Don Miller's "Searching for God Knows What" so I bought a book about a trapper in the Rockies (his journal from 1834) and Richard Foster's "Money, and Power". Also, this was a while ago, but I got four pretty sweet recods while I was in Seattle that have been awesome for me lately. Talib Kweli and Hank Williams have been ok, but Dylan and this Sufjan Stevens guy have been amazing. I've also had Poor Old Lu on the brain for a while now.

Yablaka

Ryan's wedding rocked. Way fun. I got an Uzbek flag and some CDs for my trouble as best man.

Training is more tiring than I was choosing to remember. At least the alumni meetings are fun because Deb lets us drink beer. I got to fulfill one of my ESI dreams and be in the "Braveheart" skit yesterday. Nothing like putting on a wool skirt on a hot day and paiting yourself up to work up a sweat. And yes, I have a perrrfect Sottish accent. Gavin and Roddy would've been proud of the dip and kiss I landed on Wallace. Weird that I'd kiss a guy dressed in plaid before my friend... hmm. Tomorow I get to play "Ivan Ivanovitch". Woo!

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Training

Tomorrow is Ryan's wedding reharsal. Saturday is the wedding. Then, I'll be in Seattle (not sure exactly where yet but...) until my flight leaves early monday. If everything goes to plan, I'll arrive in Burbank well before lunch and have a great two weeks helping train new teachers for ESI and hanging' with friends. 1.800.Blue.Van. Hoo-rah.

Thanks to all of you who sent your best wishes for my birthday.

I'll be back in Warshington on the 30th of July.

Pray for:

• ESI's new teachers
• Kygystan's new President
• Alana and I
• IBS
• Kazakhstan, Karganda and the new team

I've been playing a lot of Halo 2 and reading a lot of Harry Potter lately. Lame, you say? Well it's all new to me. Over the last few years I've (re)discovered that I really like stories. I've reread many books that I remember enjoying as a child. They're mostly adventure stories like Treasure Island, Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit (et al), 1001 Arabian Nights and so on. Since I didn't get into stuff like Tin-tin or Harry Potter until later, I can't really say I'm rediscovering them... but they're cool all the same. My friend Ben told me once there was going to be a live-action Tin-tin movie. Maybe I missed it. I pray Disney doesn't screw Narnia up this winter. I have low expectations, but then again, I doubt it will be playing in Karganda.

It's a wonder to be reading non-fiction for fun again. After college... ug. I've had it up to here with "Christian Bookstores" for a while now too. I guess that's why I was so suprised with Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz. He was funny... AND insightful.

The bummer is most authors today only have one idea. It might be a big idea that needs explaining from all angles, but it is still just one idea. Eldrige's stuff could be condensed into one normal sized book. Brennon Manning too. CS Lewis, on the other hand, wrote in a different genre every time. Sci-fi, fantasy, philosophy, apologetics, theology, autobiography... it's all there.

This is all to say I'm really looking forward to hanging out with the new (and old) teachers at training next week where I'll have to put down the freakin' books, talk to people and possibly have a chance to re-enact this picture:
Plus Alana and I will get to hang out a bunch. Pasadena style.

...and the livin' is easy

It's hard to express how much I love summer in L-town. I suppose it's a lot like summer anywhere else, but I'm particularly enjoying this one for some reason. Maybe it's because I haven't spent much time downtown with the tourists. Or maybe it's because I don't have a "job" and can read Harry Potter books all day.

Thursday was a 12 inning softball game. Sunday afternoons are all about fishing. The hiking and swimming possibilities are endless. Last night's presentation went well. The Mariners have even managed to put up 10 runs in each of their last two games. So life is good.

The only thing that could make it better, of course, is if Alana were here. But I'll see her again in a little over a week so it's not so bad. Speaking of which... for all of you interested, Alana's Washington Tour begins July 30th and will include stops in Seattle, Soap Lake and Leavenworth.

First, however, I have to get to Ryan's wedding up in Ferndale. I think it'd be bad form for the best man not to show up. So I'm doing what I can biz mashina.

I had forgotten my birthday was approaching until my mom asked me what I wanted.
It took me a long time to answer. I'm still not sure.

Nathan's current most meaningful authors list: Brenon Manning, Don Miller, CS Lewis, Eldrige and Tolkien.

File Under: who knew?

Freedom Under Pressure

Check this story out--an eyewitness account from the mid-May Andijon mess.

Up, Down and All Around

Just as I was getting used to the idea of going to Kazakhstan (even starting to look forward to it)... I get news that the embassy in Uzbekistan is recalling nonessential personel. Nevermind I thought they were overeacting in the first place. Nevermind the reasoning behind sending or not sending teachers (they're Ms to, you know) is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than the reasoning behind sending or not sending embassy staff. You think Uzbekistan needs Heysoos more or less urgently right now? Arg.

It just so happens that during the crucial month where ESI needed to make a decision about Uzbekistan, our state department was freaking out. God's plan? I hope so.

Still, it's official. ESI is not sending anyone to Uzbekistan for the next school year. The good news is Jon and Alana and I will most likely all be together in K-stan. Hot dang!

Also, Ryan Franklin pitched a complete game shutout. Freaky.

Seeds of the Church

Holy shit people.