End of Year 2005

Lessons Learned in 2005

• There's a huge chasm between what I'm capable of doing and what I'm capable of enjoying.
• Doing a boring passionless career in the name of Financial Responsibility is a bad idea.
• Knowing the daily routine of a mission is more important than knowing the ideals of a mission.
• Healthy dating requires a lot more motivation than just basic attraction and curiosity.
• Communal living with likeminded Christians is the best!
  

Big Events of 2005

• January-Met up with Chris Henley after several years of never seeing him. He survived jousting by a log truck.
• February-Went to Norway for Cold Weather Training with the Marine Corps Reserves. Bitter cold and very boring. Just confirmed the notion that I shouldn't rely on the government for excitement or adventure.
• March-Fasted three days before Easter asking God when to go into fulltime missions.
  
• April 5th-Got fired from my job and opened the door to fulltime missions. Finally I could take my desire to go to Brazil seriously.
• May-David Dean Larrabee, my mom's significant other for the last 11 years shot himself on a Tuesday afternoon. Too many demons to reckon with I guess.
• April 18th-started a 40 day fast from food, video games, TV. Very powerful time of delving deeper into the Bible and connecting with the message. Also read some awesome books by Bill Bright, Loren Cunningham, and Peter Wagner.
• May 29th- I got to share on stage at church all that God was doing in my life. Stream the video from my church site. Move the timebar to 15 minutes to fast forward to my 3 minute speech. You will probably need Windows Media Player.
  
• May 30th-Started an awesome and intense summer helping teenagers train for short-term missions trips with YWAM Orlando Mission Adventures.
  
• Sometime in July, met up with a childhood friend I hadn't seen since 18th birthday party, Jeff Bucklew.
• August 11th came home from a powerful summer of watching lives being transformed every week. The first couple of days was incredibly disorienting like I was walking around in an X-files episode.
• End of August; Finally got all the paperwork with the Marines done to do missions work.
• September met up with Beto Tavares in Wheaton MD. Beto is the base leader of YWAM Piratininga (Praise Village). We instantly connected. He's helping sponsor my visa to Brazil and I'm really looking forward visiting his base in Brazil.
• October started volunteering with YWAM Virginia in Richmond, VA. I've been learning lots about Brazil from all the Brazilian staff and practicing a lot of Portuguese. Really great time teaching internet skills and building relationships with YWAMers.
• November went to an awesome conference on the Holy Spirit in Charlotte, NC. Maureen Maynard a veteran YWAMer taught us and lead us in listening to the Holy Spirit and receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I had a powerful encounter but not sure exactly what's going on other than some new level of spiritual freedom and a new paradigm of God as the constant counselor.
• Spent Thanksgiving reuniting with friends from childhood: Neil, Jeff, Raymond, Chris K.

That's the summary of 2005, definitely a huge period of transition for me.