Snapshots from El, Inc.

long overdue update

ok this is pitiful. the last time i published anything to this blog was june 15th. this truly is a constipated blog.
i shall spare you the boring details of my extended hiatus. instead, here's a point-form summary of the large space between june 15th and the present:

1) i had a BLAST in europe with my family and am closer to them than ever
2) i am now back in clarksville working for grounds on campus. we tend everything that grows and is glad, and kill anything that grows and is grumpy. =p it's been interesting. since i started last tuesday, i've:

• pulled weeds
• cleaned bird poop off benches
• driven a john deere gator and a kawasaki mule
• used a blower to clean pavements
• helped to uproot 3 small pine trees
• learned to use a weed-eater (for malaysian readers, think of the long pole-like apparatus used by the ninja-like grass-cutters)

3) i REALLY miss my family
4) i've moved out of huy's apartment and am now back on campus, living in the basement of maclean. i vowed not to get too comfortable cos i'm going to have to move again to my proper room on the third floor in early august, but i failed to restrain myself and am now immensely comfortable in this lovely room. pictures are forthcoming.
5) i went to the transcend 1.0 conference (by the international worship institute) in dallas, TX. i met god there. i rediscovered true worship: pure seeking of god, independent of man-made forms or fashions. i also rediscovered that i am african-american at heart. the musicianship at the conference was par excellence, and made surpassingly beautiful by the pure and passionate hearts that offered their exemplary talents in worship to an Audience of One. i had the privilege of worshipping with david baroni, lindell cooley, tim hughes (loved how he just walked off the stage toward the end to let god have his way), shane & shane (AMAZING WORSHIP - there was such an awesome visitation of the glory of god when they led worship. god really uses humility and transparency and unpretentiousness, which really marked this pair from dallas. two guitars, two vocalists, and a number of songs later, everyone was on their knees and faces before the indescribable god of the universe. made me think of the time in the bible when the glory of god was so heavy in temple/tabernacle that the priests could not perform their duties), tommy walker, and martha munizzi among others. i got to be part of the choir that sang with tommy walker, and also martha munizzi. i enjoyed both very much, but i have to say that i felt most alive in the choir with martha munizzi. i felt like every fiber of my being was pulsing with joy and love and passion for god. we also received powerful words from god, one notable one being a masterful exposition of the crucial and sobering role of worship leaders in ministering to the Bride of Christ and enhancing their love relationship with the Bridegroom.

anyways, that's all i can think of for now. i'm working on sifting through the thousands (literally!!) of pictures we took while in europe so i can put them up on this blog. pictures are forthcoming, i promise.

for now, i gotta whip up some dinner. olive oil+garlic+spam+eggs+green cabbage+ramen=joel's fried noodles.
ciao!!

Labels: Musings, News

posted by Joel Chan @ 2:23 PM