love. serve. live.
This past weekend Michelle and I started our first round of Homestay experiences in a quaint seaside community on the south side of the island, just a glimpse away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Kingston. Continue reading “Testing the Waters”
After a long couple of days of travel and no sleep (we were awake for about 36 hours), we have finally arrived in Jamaica!
Highlights:
– It’s been great meeting and making new friends (both fellow volunteers and staff)
– Training and support has been overwhelming and very much appreciated
– Impressive and highly competent Jamaican and American Staff
– Fun trying new food
– The warmth from the island from the people and the weather is comforting
– Feel encouraged that this really is where we are suppose to be
– Amazing welcome and 50th anniversary celebration of Peace Corps in Jamaica (inspiring speeches and a beautiful cultural performance by the Nexus group (singing and dancing))
We are excited to head to our first round of homestays tomorrow and look forward to the rest of training. Will have more to share soon, but we just wanted you to know that we arrived safe, we are enjoying the training, and can’t believe we are finally here. Don’t know when the next time we will post but will do so when we can.
Till next time, “Bless up yourself”.
-J
Do we take some tools with us? What about a jacket, will it be cold in Jamaica? Johnny’s seasoning? How about a long sleeve shirt? A tie? Do I really need a tie?
For the last couple of weeks my thoughts have been consumed with things. Continue reading “Never Enough”
My brothers & me – from L to R, Josh (hear no evil), Me (speak no evil), Joel (see no evil)
This picture is very telling of me. From as far as I can remember (and also hearing accounts from family members) I have always been blessed with an over-active gift of gab. Gregarious, you might say. Excellent communicator. Public speaker. Conversationalist. Talking seems very natural to me. My aunt has told me I can sell “ice to the Eskimos” (whatever that means) and I have had stints as an actor, a salesman, a speaker, and an admission counselor. So yes, my ability to speak is an asset to me, a gift, and a sense of pride.
Of course like others, my gift can also be my curse. And, yes sometimes, I spit out verbal diarrhea. Continue reading “Verbal Diarrhea – Using our Gifts Intentionally”
This time Jedd took over the video editing, bringing to you a glimpse of our trip to Oahu over New Years for a big family reunion, time to relax, help around the house, and get in a little play time as well. It was our last trip “home” before we take off to Peace Corps, and it was full of memories we’ll treasure. Now that it’s been gloomy, snowing, and pouring rain in Portland, these memories prove to be a “light in the darkness” in so many ways. (Since people were asking in our last video: Made with this year’s and last year’s Christmas gifts, our waterproof GoPro camera and Panasonic HDC-TM55.)
Security by William Stafford
Tomorrow will have an island. Before night
I always find it. Then on to the next island.
These places hidden in the day separate
and come forward if you beckon.
But you have to know they are there before they exist.
Some time there will be a tomorrow without any island.
So far, I haven’t let that happen, but after
I’m gone others may become faithless and careless.
Before them will tumble the wide unbroken sea,
and without any hope they will stare at the horizon.
So to you, Friend, I confide my secret:
to be a discoverer you hold close whatever
you find, and after a while you decide
what it is. Then, secure in where you have been,
you turn to the open sea and let go.
— Continue reading “All About Family – Time to Let Go”
Here’s our official New Year’s update video, looking back on 2011. Although we expected to be heading out to Peace Corps in July, we found out in late spring that our placement changed and we were put on hold until the news of our new assignment arrived in August. Despite this “set-back,” we went ahead with our plans to resign from our full-time positions, travel the country, and visit family and friends. We never dreamed of all the places that our waiting period would take us; and even though the Peace Corps journey is postponed until March 2012, our adventures have already begun!
Related posts:
Ten States in Two Months
Away We Go! Our National Parks Road Trip Itinerary
Simply Intentional – 2010 Year In Review
I’ve always thought that Vegans were a little crazy.
Give up all food that contains any type of animal products in it? No thank you.
Say goodbye to my other loves: meat, cheese, and sushi? No deal.
In many ways, I agree with Anthony Bourdain (No Reservations show host). I believe that some of the most amazing things I’ve ever tasted have come from all things anti-vegan.
And then I saw this movie (thanks to Michelle):
After seeing this movie I’m now singing a new tune: “Why not?”.
What if I told you that just by changing what you ate, you could not only lose weight, but effectively battle diabetes, fatigue, lower your blood pressure, fight heart disease, and more importantly, save your life by actually reversing many of these diseases.
Wouldn’t you say, “why not?”
The only answers I could give myself was:
1. “It won’t taste as good.”
First of all, I don’t think that getting pleasure from eating is a bad thing. However, a lot of the things that people enjoy are purely unhealthy and worst of all, we know it. We know that fried food, soda, sugar, mayo, fat, etc. – yeah, all the “good” stuff- isn’t that good for you at all. We don’t just eat these things on special, rare occasions, we find ourselves consuming these things on a daily basis. You’re probably like me. You don’t just like this kind of food, you CRAVE it.
I’ll have to admit, I wasn’t keen on the whole plant-based diet thing because I didn’t think it would taste good. I tried comparing veggie burgers to beef patties, tofu to chicken and it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) taste the same. That was one of the issues, trying to find plant-based food that substituted and tasted the same as animal based food. You might get lucky, but most of the time, it just tastes different. So the best way to enjoy plant-base food is to learn how to make different, but still very tasty things.
2. “I can’t find anything that doesn’t have animal products in it.”
This really blew my mind: we don’t realize how much food is made from animal products and chemicals. It’s kind of a scary thought. Even if you cut out meat in your diet and tried the vegetarian thing, chances are you would still be consuming animal products and highly processed foods. Take a look at any food packaging in your kitchen. You’ll find lots of it has some sort of animal product in it or a long list of mysterious ingredients you can’t pronounce. Some people have easier access to plant-based, whole foods. Here in Portland it’s pretty easy to find lots of different kinds of plant-base products. Elsewhere in the country where there isn’t much demand, good luck.
And how to cook without butter or milk? Thankfully those vegans know. Apparently there’s a lot of people all over the world that have known this crazy wonderful tip about plant-based eating for many, many years. Folk who have lived longer because of it. I didn’t realize how much literature and resources actually existed about the subject. I was unaware because it is very rare to see any commercials on TV or online advertising plant-base food. Apparently it’s not sexy enough. Or maybe there are companies and politicians who don’t want Americans to hear a different story. They hope we continue lifestyles that have lead to increases in obesity, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
—
So will I turn a new chapter in my life and become a full fledged Vegan? Probably not. Truthfully, I don’t see the majority of people doing it either.
However, after watching this movie, talking to awesome friends that are vegan, trying and enjoying whole, plant-based food, and seeing on a daily basis how bad food is ruining good lives, Michelle and I are committed to being more intentional about what we eat and how much we eat.
So “why not?”
If you’ve ever considered it even just a little bit, why not give yourself three months to try something different that could potentially save your life? If after three months you see no changes to your health, go back to what you were doing. I would like someone to try and disprove the notion that a plant-based diet can positively change someone’s life. If you ever need extra support, Michelle and I will join you in your challenge.
I still think vegans are crazy. But if crazy means that it might just save my life, then call me crazy too.
Those of you who know me know that I am a “feeler.” I am emotional and very aware of how I feel (a blessing and a curse). On a day-to-day basis, I do what I “feel” like doing. I know this sounds ridiculous because we all do that. If we are hungry, we eat. If we are tired, we sleep. However, for me, when I crave, I try my best to resolve those cravings. Take, for example, truffle French fries from Jade Restaurant (where my brother works). I eat these things as if I will never have them again. I devour most food like this. I tend to eat too much, and too much of a good thing can be hazardous for my health (especially when you enjoy fried food, beer, red meat, sugar, etc…). It’s not that truffle fries are inherently bad, it’s that I’ve come to the hard realization that when it comes to food, I often have little control. I let my cravings control me.
Ironically, when it comes to exercise, it’s the exact opposite. Most of the time I am not excited to work out. Michelle is usually up and at ’em when we run in the morning. I would much rather stay in the warmth of the covers instead of run in the wet wintery weather (to be fair to Michelle, she would too, but she is much better at motivating herself). Exercise goes against my natural inclinations. I would much rather lounge around than to physically exert myself. Having completed p90x once already and having run half-marathons (things I would never have thought I could do before), I know it takes a lot of effort, time, and- in some ways- pain to accomplish these things (none of which sound as good as relaxing and eating truffle fries).
And this is what leads me to our plan to fast. Fasting has always been a foreign concept to me. I have always seen it negatively. Why would someone withhold themselves from things they enjoy? More importantly for me: I could never finish a fast. Take Lent for example. I would say: I won’t drink soda for forty days- and I wouldn’t last a week. I once tried challenging myself and a friend to do 50 push-ups and a 100 sit-ups each day for a month. I lasted a week and a half while Cory (because of his competitiveness and awesomeness) completed the challenge.
I couldn’t complete these challenges because, one, it was too easy to fail, and two, I didn’t have self-control and self-determination/belief. When I met Michelle, I couldn’t even run a mile or two. Through her patience and wisdom, I learned that I didn’t pace myself, that you can’t run 13.5 miles if you can’t run 1. It was about the little victories. Do a short distance that’s possible to accomplish. Start adding more miles. Start running more often. The little victories turned into bigger ones. Now I can say that I’m a runner (words I thought I would never write).
Fasting is about gaining control of your life instead of letting your cravings take control of you, starting with little victories to accomplish your overall goals. During this season where non-activity and feasting usually reign in our lives, we are intentionally choosing to do the opposite. It doesn’t have to be about food and exercise. It could be anything in your life that you feel you don’t have the best control of.
So if you could, please keep us accountable for this challenge by asking us how we are doing. Please note that if you make something that is deliciously fried and we decline, it’s not that we are trying to offend you, but we are trying to do something intentional and out of the ordinary (unless its a holiday). Support from family and friends is incredibly important with challenges like these and we all need challenges like these to remind us that we do have choice and control over our lives.
In the last two months:
SEPTEMBER
» We traveled to New Orleans to celebrate Michelle’s Grandma’s 90th Birthday!
» Traveled to Tampa, Florida to help my Great Aunt prepare for her move
» Began work travel (for PSU Admissions) to Austin, Texas and saw friends Melissa and Dainon
Lessons Learned:
» Live life to the fullest. Exercise a lot. Enjoy and celebrate your family. There’s a lot you can do in your later years of life.
» Love is tough (but worth it). My great Aunt recently lost her husband and it has broken my heart, made me realize how thankful I am for Michelle but how tough it will be when the chapter of sharing life together will end.
» The United States is an amazingly big and diverse place. Texas is big. Texas is…..interesting (let’s leave it at that).
» Thankful for friends who even though I haven’t seen in a decade, are the same amazing friends I’ve always known.
OCTOBER
» Finished work travel to TX by visiting Houston (Michelle was able to join me for this part)
» Traveled to Chicago to visit Michelle’s brother and sister in-law (Michelle’s parents visited as well)
» During our trip to Chicago, we visited Indiana (and Notre Dame), Michigan (specifically a town called Holland), and Wisconsin (Lake Geneva) to knock off a couple more states in our goal to see all 50 states together.
» Traveled back to Alaska for work
» Headed home to Hawaii to visit Family
Lessons Learned:
» The Hunger Games Series are really good (Michelle and I read all three books in a couple of days).
» Austin,TX > Houston, TX.
» Chicago, IL > Austin, TX (except in the winter). Therefore, Chicago > Houston.
» Notre Dame is nice, Holland Michigan is surprisingly nice, and Lake Geneva is expectedly nice (supposedly a “rich, 1% area”)
» Alaska is still wild and beautiful. *Special Note – If given the option to fly in a little plane or drive, I would suggest the drive. The little plane was quite shaky.
» 4 plane rides within a 24 hour period is no fun, however, flying in an airplane still AMAZES me.
Simply Intentional 
