Recent happenings...

I've been back in Winnipeg for exactly one month to the day. Its been both exciting and challenging to be back. This is also two weeks to the day of being completely home alone, as my parents are off to HK for a good month at least. Dinner guests are welcomed!

So whats been up... I've decided to go back to Austria to volunteer for a longer term at Schloss Mittersill. For awhile this was kinda up in the air, and created a general unease about my life situation, but Godwilling this is now what I plan to do.

So then I looked for some work, and got hired at Convergys. I am thankful for the job, although I haven't enjoyed it that much yet. Its a call center, I'll be doing tech support for Comcast (a large American ISP). This job will allow me to pay off debts and be ready to go back to Austria by mid to late January. I'd hope to stay there until around September 2006. I just emailed them today, and hoping to hear back and get more specs on what I'll be doing.

Its been both challenging and nice to be on my own. I enjoy the challenges of cooking decent meals, taking care of things around the house and whatnot. Definitely times can get very quiet and lonely, but at the same time its that much easier to have solitude and quiet.

Along those lines, most of you know that I'm involved with Unite praise & worship nights. This fall's Unite has been cancelled, and I'm in the midst of planning a service called "Fallow Earth" to be instead. It will deal a lot with solitude, looking at what it means to really be still before God, and how easy the busyness of the modern age hurts our relationship with God. That is - it is very possible to do all these God-related things, be serving in all these God-related capacities but then forget to actually foster a deep, meaningful relationship with God. Hm a danger I have known all to well. Great quote: "The archenemy of spiritual authenticity is busyness" (Bill Hybels from Too Busy Not to Pray)

Wow I should really update more often rather than spewing on and on once a month.. haha well it continues.

So my latest hobby (spawned just 6 days ago) was an interest in cajons (accent grave over the o). Its a percussive instrument believed to original from Afro-Peruvian slaves. Its really really cool.. I first heard it when a German musician played one. I was outside the room, and I thought there was actually a drum kit in there. When I walked in, there was just a box! Its quite fascinating, anyway instead of spending like $150USD on one, I decided to make my own (a project that Sam and I undertook). I'm quite happy with it, the sound is pretty good, check it out. (Edit - I recorded a quick clip of me playing it, hmm my mic isn't very good, but can give you an idea of what the cajon sounds like, its about 1 meg mp3 file - sound clip)

Actually the hobby is percussion in general I suppose, I'm borrowing a friend's djembe and having a blast on that too! Thanks Jho!

Ok enough rambling for now, cheers mates