His Calling for Me

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

-Ephesians 3:14-19

It's amazing how much someone can change in a semester. God has really been moving in my life since the beginning of summer '11. Seeing two of my brothers in Christ get married to two Godly women has changed the focus of my life.

Suddenly, I have been awoken to the fact that the time is fast approaching where I will have to be the leader God has called me to be in a family of my own.
So long are the days of playing xbox for 5-6 hours straight...
So long are the days of spending money on frivolous things...
So long are the days of going to class and staring at all the pretty ladies, wondering if they're the one who will satisfy the void of a "serious" relationship in my life...
So long are the days of my changing who I was to fit in with a certain crowd or to make someone like me more.
So long are the days where I sacrifice time with God for earthly pleasures.

God has called us men to be the leaders of so many different areas of this world He has made for us. The sad thing is, I feel like I've only come to really truly come to realize this the past semester. What I knew previous to this semester was that to properly and efficiently lead anything, it was important that the leader lead by example. How could I be the leader God is calling me to be if I made conscious decisions to put sports, gaming, school, before His word. Ephesians 5:8 says "For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light"
God has called us out of the darkness of our old lives, to be something new, something that glorifies Him and shines like the "stars in the universe" (Phil. 2:15).

He has called us to be His.

All this growing up has led me to look at the things in my life that I have not been proud of, the sin in my life that has grabbed me by the ankle and refused to let go. In the midst of all of this, God has shown me the answer to all of life's problems. John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

My sin was laid upon the pure and unblemished body of Christ, who took it to the grave. But my sin, the sin of those around me, the sin of all mankind couldn't keep Him down, and He rose again.

It was a complete understanding of His son's sacrifice that has led me to where I am today. It's seeing God move in my life, and provide for my every worry I bring to Him through prayer that helps me realize He is the way.

God's love has changed me....

And I, Neal Spencer, the guy who had to have the next 20 years of his life planned, had it all flipped upside down in less than 6 months, grew up, and found what really mattered in life. God's grace.

Following His Way....

So,

Today (after about 24 hours of rendering and uploading) I have finally started to vlog again.... It's kinda been a little while... But that being said, I have forgotten how much fun it is to do it. Firstly, just talking about stuff you love and are excited about is great, secondly, editing the videos is always a ton of fun, and finally, just being able to go back and watch what you felt passionate about a few months ago is always a rewarding experience... :D

So...

That being said, here it is... The first of hopefully many. This summer has really helped me reconnect with the good Lord, and so I figured I'd celebrate by renaming my vlog to "Following The Way" as that is what I've been striving to do over the past few weeks...

I hope all is well y'all!!! I have been enjoying my life these past few weeks, and from what I've been reading on facebook / other blogs, it seems like many of y'all are too!!! God is good!!! :D

Take care you guys, God bless!!!!

*edit*
I forgot to mention... Due to my inexperience w/ the camera... Basically the entire thing is shot somewhat outta focus... haha... Yep.. I'm a camera noob...

*double edit*
I decided yesterday, that if I can find my Haiti photos / videos... I'm gonna finish them off... I kinda left my vlog about my trip there hanging about half way... That's doing God a disservice considering how He moved us in amazing ways while we were there...

Philippians 4:6

Howdy there,

So it's been ages since I've last vlogged / blogged... I apologize for that. Life has been pretty hectic and a LOT has been going on these past few months. Stuff like work, finishing the Corps, and a wedding that has changed my life. But waking up at 3 in the morning due to jet lag gives you a little more time to spend writing things like these... So get comfortable, this one is gonna be a long one... Let me give a quick low-down as to where I've been the past few months...

(Mid-May)

I'm done with the Corps!! Me and these goofy guys and gal made it through the entire four years of it! Words cannot explain how awesome God is to give me the chance to know this group. I've learned so much these past four years, and I'd honestly say I've learned more from my buddies than from any college class, not to mention I found God thanks to a few of them. I'll miss them, living down the same hallway from them, and from the fellowship I gained in their presence, God bless you guys, all my success in college and the Corps was due to you guys...

Sometimes I wonder how we survived it all... Haha

(Late May-June)

I took off for Doha, Qatar to start my summer internship with the Security guys at Qatargas again. God really provided me with an amazing chance to get some work experience here. My two bosses are absolutely amazing guys, both ex-Canadian military guys, they create a work environment that I can learn in and have a ton of fun at the same time. I've been blessed in that fact as the other interns tend to struggle to find stuff to do during their time here... Anyways... They have me working on classifying the company's information into different categories of importance... It's pretty neat stuff!!

(July 8th - 9th)

Here is the kicker... The thing that has made this summer so amazing so far, and the experience that has really made this summer a real game changer in my life. I took a week off from my internship to head back home (The real home... Not my home away from home... :D ) for my buddy James Sebesta's wedding. A little background, he and his wife had been dating for years, throughout our time at Texas A&M, the Corps, and everything in between. She went to Oklahoma State, he goes to Texas A&M. Some of my favorite memories of the past four years are the long road trips around the state (football games, buddy trips, OCS pickups) with him talking about sports, the military, and most importantly, God. But the funny thing about all of these experiences is that they were always punctuated by calls to and from Sarah... He always made time for her, even when the buddies were around (and though we'd give him trouble for it, it's just a testimony to the bond they share.) So needless to say, with marriages the way they are these days, (ESPECIALLY among young adults my age) I was excited about this one. James was the reason I started going to church again, and through our bible study that he and Luke started, really start to pursue God like I should, and I was excited to see what a relationship founded on His word would look like.

So enter July 8th. The day before the wedding itself was spent rehearsing for the big event (Not to mention we practiced eating delicious food at the rehearsal dinner... I was particularly good at this part I felt...) I got to meet all of the bides mates and groomsmen responsible for supporting James and Sarah through this special day, and let me just say that it really was amazing for two reasons. James and Sarah really surround themselves with amazing people... Everyone there was so special for one reason or another, and getting to know the people I hadn't met yet (basically everyone not in the Corps or a sibling of James') was such a blessing. There were future teachers, soldiers (and Marines... There's a difference!! :D ), museum curators, financiers, nurses, engineers, musicians, missionaries, and great GREAT followers of Christ. It's so refreshing to see others my age ruthlessly pursuing God and His word. The fellowship and company I enjoyed there lifted my soul like very few things have in a good while. After an amazing dinner, all of the gents went back to James' house, where we proceeded to cram as many of us into a Jacuzzi (to the point where when we got out there was about a foot of water left in the poor thing) which we said we weren't going to talk about, but James' sister saw us and the gig was up! The night was filled with a varying caliber of conversation, but we had our share of deep conversations including one I had with Luke that really has changed my outlook on my future. I'll vlog more about that later... For the meantime I have to stay on track. We all finally hit the hay soon after vacating the pool area, excited about the next day.

A GREAT group of guys....

July 9th... The big day...

I don't think I've been so nervous in such a long time... And I wasn't even the one getting married... I have never been to a wedding before... So needless to say, other than the rehearsal I had no idea what I was doing or what it would be like... I just kept telling myself to keep from locking out my knees.... :D That being said, the wedding went without a hitch, and the reception afterwards was incredible. I've never had so much fun dancing or just socializing in general... It was a great wedding, and I'm still bummed that celebrations like that can't happen more often. God moved those two nights and days, and it was an honor to experience it like I had a chance to...

And now I'm here in Qatar again!!! two hours later it's time for me to get up for work... I didn't even get a chance to talk about the Bible verse I chose for today... Or my weekly goal for that matter.... I'll do my best to shoot of a vlog here pretty soon with the new camera.... I'm gonna go ahead and promise to get one off before this week is done... In the meantime God bless, and I hope all is well in your lives... God saves, and is eternally great!!

The Gift of Life...

There are very Very VERY few things in life I feel like I am spontaneous about. But tonight I feel the need to put this up somewhere...

Today I learnt the news that my incredible friend of many many years Aaron Westmoreland and his wife are having their first child later today.... Over the past few months with the proposals and engagements that have been going on around me, and the prospect of a few of my buddies being shipped off to their future jobs in the military, it has donned on me... We're growing up... And while the adventurer in me can barely contain my excitement... I find myself freaking out tonight. Why I ask myself... Well, Aaron and I have known each other for a long time, since Middle School. And when I think of those days I think of the two scrawny kids who would spend their time playing video games and talking star wars non-stop causing a general ruckus around the Woodlands. And 11 or so years later, here I sit writing this on the day that Aaron will be welcoming his son... I'll let that sink in for a bit... into this world that we live in. I'm not there with them, I'm actually writing this from a friend's house in Edmonton, Canada.... But I can't go to sleep... We will be welcoming a new life into the world today, and one that is of a family close to me. I can't go to sleep because I'm excited for him... Hopeful for him.... Worried and all of these crazy feelings I would only expect from the birth of my own son. But so many things come out of the birth of a child, so many new responsibilities, but so many awesome times and memories to be had. I find myself envious of my friend. Of the family he is soon to have... Of the son he will soon have to raise and take care of. That being said, what an incredible responsibility. But knowing Aaron like I have, and seeing him stand up for me on multiple occasions where the odds were stacked against us... I can't think of someone who is more ready to accept this unconditional love that God has tasked us fathers and fathers to be with. Noah is lucky to have a father like he has, and I have full confidence that Aaron is gonna rock.

Aaron buddy... I hope for the best for you and your family... To think that you'll be a father here pretty soon is incredible to say the least... It has been an honor to be your friend all these years and I only hope that with the birth of your son that we all enter another exciting chapter of our lives.... To God be the glory, and may he welcome Noah into this world with great things planned for him and you soon to be parents... I love you man, and I'm here for you every step of the way...

Dieu Defend Le Droit, and he will continue to do so today with the birth of your son. I'm so proud.

Day 3 (2/14/2011) & 5 (2/16/2011)

Good evening ladies and gents!!

How is everyone doing? I apologize for being away for a bit... I had a couple of extremely crazy weeks back there and well... Now I'm done. Well kinda...

After Wednesday my Spring Break officially starts and I'll hit y'all with 2 more vlogs and inshallah a video each day of Spring Break....

I love y'all!!!

DAY 3: (Will be most likely be boring... This is for my own posterity... so I can remember everything that is... awesome? about Guardroom... haha)

Day 5:

Stay safe... And in case I don't write anything in the meantime... Have great Spring Breaks!!!

Day 2 (2/15/2011) : NOT Death By Vlog???

Howdy ladies and gentlemen,

So, as it turns out, I had an exam yesterday and a relatively big paper due today so I was unable to do my vlog for Sunday...

This being said, to make up for said travesty (missing the second day of my daily vlog... *sigh*) I finished a video I have been working on since break during my study breaks... It was an idea I had over break that never really came to fruition, (My brother and I were hanging out with friends too much) but I figured I'd put this one up in case I wanted to continue with the idea!!

Enjoy! And yesterday's vlog will be up tonight!!!

Take care! God Bless!!

Day 1 of my Daily Vlog

So ladies and gents... I have decided to start "Death By Vlog" or a daily vlog entry yesterday, and the vid from yesterday is up today! And if you're still following me after that very complicated explanation... I will be uploading a short (and in some cases long) vlog entry a day, unless something prohibits me from doing otherwise...

So without further ado... Here it is... Day one of my "Death By Vlog" project.

Enjoy!!! God Bless!

1 Corinthians 15:55

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

I have been blessed, with a life that has been free of the deaths of close ones. The loss of my grandfather hit me hard, but prior to his passing, he was involved in a long fight against Alzheimer's disease. My family and I were slowly eased into the reality of the possibility of his passing, and when it finally happened, I was able to cope with his loss. During school, none of my close friends were involved in any serious car accidents, or any of the things that would plague the average American High School, and for this I am blessed... Truly blessed.

Today, I lost a great friend, a brother, and one of the most God fearing and loving people I have ever had the privilege to meet to a car accident. Never before has someone close to me been ripped from my life in such a manner, and it's a feeling unlike any I've experienced before.

My mind has just been racing backwards, hitting upon all the fun, tough, and rewarding experiences we've had together. The many trips to CO meetings with Col. Smith and others, the midnight yells where he and I would have to chaperon our juniors, the crush party he told me I had to join him at so that we may pick up dates to a Midnight yell, and finally the Star Wars marathon we were going to watch.

You start to think of all the things that you didn't do with the person that if given a second chance you would. Like the time I was walking back from my car to the dorm and he asked if I was open to start our SW marathon and I turned him down because I had to study for an exam. Times like these where you really want to hate yourself for saying no, but in reality realize the circumstances of the past.

But it wasn't simply just having the same job in the Corps of Cadets, or putting up with the troubles that came along with it that really makes this experience so tough. Taylor was unlike so many people I've known (good and bad), who profess to be strong in their faith. He openly professed his love for God, and lived his life accordingly. In the past few minutes, I have struggled to think of an instance of sin or unhappiness. Sure, we'd sit around and complain about the various trials and tribulations associated with our position in the Corps of Cadets or about other little things, but never, not once, did I hear him honestly profess unhappiness with someone / something going on in his life. Taylor would always be smiling, enjoying what life served him, and would make the best of it all, just like the good book always tells us to. For that, I admired him, and in many ways, wanted to be like him.

And lastly, if there was anything else Taylor taught me, it was that it doesn't matter what others thought of you as long as you were just being yourself. It's a fact of life that many people (myself included at times) feel the need to avoid talking about something, or acting a certain way just to fit in with the crowd. I can't think of a more honest person I've known than Taylor was. He was the kind of guy who would stand up for the weirdness in someone, or even better yet, take part in it. I always admired his creativity and ability to feel cool with himself in any situation.

While the saying "only the good die young" isn't entirely true all the time, I can't think of an instance where it doesn't apply more truthfully than the death of my friend. Taylor was the most genuine person I knew, and while earth and this life lost one of it's happiest, God has chosen to bless His faithful subjects in Heaven with the company of this great individual. I look forward to the day I will see Taylor again, he has been a great inspiration to us all, and has been a great force of positive change in my life. His passing will leave a void, but I'm sure he'd be happy to know that those he has touched will fight to fill it with the goodness he has brought out in all of us, and the memories of the fun times we've all shared with him.

He will be missed, and I will miss the positivity he always brought to me when times got hard. Heaven shines brighter with his presence.

Rest in Peace Taylor Gillespie.

(1/9/2011)

Psalm 34:10

"The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing"

I was having a terrible day... And an ESPECIALLY terrible evening... I was frustrated, ticked off, and just all around miserable...

And then, I have no idea how... But my best friend from Haiti somehow found me on facebook... And we had ourselves an hour long conversation in French and English... Caught up, joked around, and all that sort of good stuff....

God is so great... I'm going to bed a happy man... How awesome is God???

Patrick and I... He somehow found me on facebook... How great God is!

I can't get over how great it is that God sees you down and provides a little bit of relief every so often... He never stops providing for me!! :D

I'll catch y'all up soon... It's been a terrible few days for me.. (from a work standpoint... This past weekend was actually pretty fun...)

Keep it real... God bless... Dieu vous benisse!!

Neal

Galatians 2 : 20

As promised... Here is the first vlog of this year... It covers the first half of my summer vacation...

I'm glad... It's finally... Done... I've never had so much trouble with my video rendering software... haha!!

Unfortunately... The westlin' I had to do with this sucker has gone too late into the night... I'll edit this entry tomorrow morning with an actual update on where I'm at...

Sleep well all... I know I will.

Neal

**EDIT**

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

As is the case always... God is great!

I've been realizing over the past year, that each week... Behind the classes, the corps games, and all the work and fun I've been having, that each week has a theme in life. It's almost like each week is a different class, and God is my teacher. Last week was overcoming the troubles in our lives, with our eyes on the prize, that is the salvation that God is offering us should we come to know Him (and how great it is!). Fast forward to this past weekend. Luke, James, (Two of my buddies from my Corps of Cadets unit), Emily (Luke's date), and I were up in Arlington watching the football game between our Aggies and Arkansas. My focus was completely on the game until someone behind us taps me on the back. I wish I had gotten his name, because he and the the other guy sitting behind us were both a blessing that day. He called to out attention that a girl sitting next to us was "playfully" getting smacked around by her date (and probably her boyfriend).

Fast forward again one day later, I'm sitting in church and Pastor Butch is going over Galatians 2 : 11-22 where Paul rebukes another apostle Peter in public. The overall theme of the service was, why do we refuse to rebuke in public, practices that we disagree with or know are ungodly? Because we care too much about what others around us think (in this life), than what God thinks instead. We care too much about these Earthly desires, when in reality we should be dead to this world. Paul was dead to any criticism or gossip arising out of publicly rebuking Peter. Am I dead to this world, and reborn in God's way?

Back to Saturday, we paid attention to this guy and how he was treating this girl throughout the game from that point on. I seriously was feeling more nervous about this than the score, and finally Luke had had enough and approached the guy about it. This caused the girl to step down a row of seats where Emily talked to her for a bit.

Would I have done the same thing had I of been in Luke's place? Would I have been "dead" enough to what those around me and the commotion I may have caused to have said what he did? I'd like to think so.

Anyways, he climbed down to the row she was at and talked to her for the rest of the game and before it had ended, I was telling James to get ready for a fight because Luke had approached the guy again. Nothing happened, but my heart pains for that girl who had to go home with that guy. Didn't get a name, or anything, so all we've been able to do is pray. After it had all ended and that group had left, one of the two behind us, said to the four of us, "I dunno if y'all know Jesus or not... But he blessed that girl with y'all's presence today. I really appreciate what y'all did today."

My heart soared. For someone still developing in their faith still, that was special. I hadn't even thought of it from a religious standpoint but he put it together for me. What great role-models my buddies are for me and how blessed am I to have found them through these past three years and for that guy to have brought the whole situation to our attention. Praise be to Jesus!!

Fast forward to last night at Breakaway where Ben was talking about love and relationships. My heart was pained again for that girl. I just hope she knows God, and finds strength in him. But it wasn't all sadness that stemmed from his words too... I tell you what, all this talk of the importance of the family structure and the awesomeness that God invests in a family faithful to Him has me excited for the future. What a responsibility, but what an awesome blessing it will be when it happens. I look forward to seeing that day!

God is Great! And I have to head off to class...

As always... Keep it real and live a the good life y'all,

Neal

Kickin' It Ol' School!!

I feel the need to kick it old school tonight... And a conversation I had tonight totally brought this up. Ladies and gents... We're gonna do this again real soon... REAL soon... This was fish - sophomore year summer, and it's been FAaarrr too long since we've done this...

Sorority Row... Your days are numbered.

GHOST RIDIN' THA WHIP!!!

P.S. My summer vid is re-rendering... again... But this time, I feel success nearing!! Expect a more legit post before I head off to bed tonight as Breakaway was tonight and Ben dropped some serious knowledge on us again... Whoop!!

Keep it real... I love you guys!!

Neal "The Ghost Rida" Spencer

(Never will I give myself a nickname again... I promise)

Breakaway

Ladies and gents,

It's that time of week again... Ie. BREAKAWAY TIME!!! Standby for a post afterwards talking about how my mind has been blown yet again by Ben and by the power of our GREAT God.

Just as a side note, today was the best day of hockey I've had yet... I was rockin' that practice....

Brother of mine... If you read this, watch yourself. I'm coming for ya, and that goal won't be able to sit still because of the pucks I'll be puttin' in it behind ya!! :D

It's happening in the near future... A showdown of EPIC proportions....

(both of us having the number 80 is pure coincidence... Funny that...)

Life is still good, and my friends and family are still awesome!! Have I mentioned God is still great??

Keep it real y'all, God bless...

Neal

1 Peter 1:7

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

How great God is...

Have you ever had one of those weeks... You know.. one of THOSE weeks. The kind where you head through Monday with your feet dragging everywhere, head off to hockey practice and fall flat on your butt more times than you had every previous practice combined? (Just when you think you're getting it... Pride can be a BIG you know what sometimes) Then you have struggle through a Tuesday where you miss class for a career fair that failed to have anything jump out at you? Or a Wednesday where your Arabic class kicks your behind and you can't go to your Church's hopegroup because of a meeting... Or a Thursday where you got absolutely nothing done? Terrible how life can be that way huh?

Fear not... For if there is anything this week has shown me, it's that God is right there with ya the entire way.... And both of the T...day nights have shown me this.

I've long struggled with my position as the Commander of my Unit here in the Corps of Cadets, struggled with the big picture.. What is my purpose here... Enter Breakaway, Tuesday night. Ben (The guy who "leads" the lessons each week) talked a lot about love, but not the love you'll see in the movies that has the main character falling all over the woman of his dreams... No. It's that love a family feels for each other. He said two things that hit me so hard, it was like a punch in the gut... God showed me what my purpose is. He mentions that Paul and his fellow Christians and how they changed the world, how instead the community changed them, or the culture has changed them, they changed their environment, and finally how "these men turned the world upside down".

A group of men turning the world upside down... I dare you to look me in the eyes and say that doesn't sound awesome... (Especially you men out there... I don't think there's a single one of us who doesn't yearn for that team and that chance to do something great.)

Now, put that with his next point. He says, Paul: "I see that Jesus, who did that for me, who is willing to speak the truth... even though its hard... I want to live like Him and I see that He is calling people into eternity with Him and I don't want to just show up (with some minor achievements). I want to show up and say "By the grace of God through me I'm here... and so are they.""

He then asked the senior and juniors as the older members to think about it... But I was already there... God has given me this chance to lead, so that I can be an example for all of my fish especially, but also for those in lower classes, to what a Christian leader is, and how Jesus would want me to act. It got me thinking further... Have I been carrying / acting this way thus far? Do my freshmen feel like they are in a family? Have I been the example that God would want me to be???

Perhaps. I feel like I've been a good example, I'm not one to come back from the Chicken or the hall rip-roarin' drunk messing with them in the night. I don't swear and I'm not vulgar... But have I been putting forth the effort towards representing the One who means more to me than anything deserves? I know it's impossible to be perfect, but I now have a new goal set before me, and I plan on working towards it, and not only within my outfit, but to those I've shown scorn in the past, or have blown off.

Skip forward to the other "T' day. Thursday... Today. I'd be lying to you in saying it's been stellar. But that's fine. I've gotten some work done today. But it was one of those grey days where nothing happens and you just live life and wait for Friday. Then bible study rolled around. Now to preface what happens, I need to inform y'all that these are the guys whom I found God through. They're the ones who helped me find my church and my spiritual self. I owe so much to them. But after a LONG week of trials and hard times, we go over 1 Peter 1. Basically we covered how there are trials we must all go through, but only because it shapes us up for the glorious awesomeness (that's a technical term... :D ) that comes for us in the afterlife. Suddenly the trials I am going through right now slip away as does the stress that accompanied them. To top it off, the buddy who I'd contribute the greatest part of my finding God those two long years ago made my week after the bible study with some awesome news. Needless to say... When I think of what Ben said earlier in the week, about having a team of guys that can turn the world upside down... I count myself along the lucky ones, for I have a group of buddies who are completely capable of doing so. Thank you God...

The last thing I'll talk about tonight is the big black cloud looming over any graduating seniors head as of late... And that's the job search. Never have I been more confused about where I want to go my entire life... First it was working for some national security something-or-rather. I've always loved my country, and to serve it in this capacity would be awesome. But I dunno, I find myself wondering if it would jive with my morals. I would hate to be overseas, working with someone from another culture towards the common good, only to get the answers my employers need and to pull out, leaving this person to fend for themselves once more. Now, I'm not saying this is how it all works, but needless to say there is that chance that something like this would happen, and I know for a fact I couldn't live with myself after that. So enter the State Dept. They look exciting. The prospect of International travel in a capacity that involves working with people of other cultures, being in the center of American support operations, etc etc. Then in my research I find that it is a "law" (a rule written in stone at least) that you are moved every 4 years so that you don't grow too attached to a country / group of people...

Grow too attached?? I want to live somewhere, where I can work towards bettering someplace, and get to know the community there. I don't want to half-way finish something just to leave because of some technicality. *sigh*

Enter USAID. Ever since Haiti last spring, it's been in the background of my mind, but has never been anything I've been serious about. But I tell you what, with each passing week where I can just feel myself finding my spiritual self, it becomes so much more attractive. I tell you what, after a week like this, it's #1. haha!!

International travel, helping the less fortunate, growing close to the community I'm working with, being assigned to areas that speak French or even Arabic so I can talk to these people in their own language, and serving God's will through helping others. What more can you ask for?

Now I just have to sit down and think about it and approach it from the standpoint I have everything else.... What's it like on a family? How often do they move people around? Etc.

I'm excited, about all of the jobs I'm looking at. I just find it funny how every time I get a new number one, something comes up that I don't like. So in reality they're all so very similar and I'd be lucky to get any of 'em. But it seems like I've found a new favorite.

And if there is anything I remember from that Haiti trip, it's that I only wished I could have stayed longer...

I'm excited for the future... :D

Keep it real y'all... God bless,

Neal

The Haunted House Adventure

Howdy all,

So, I finished this sucker and am currently working on getting the 1st half of my Summer VLOG up and running, coupled with lotsa work in other areas of my life.

I hope y'all enjoy and I'll let the vid do the explaining.

Expect more outta me when I finally get the actual summer vlog up...

Y'all take care!!

Senior Year

Howdy y'all...

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything... And unfortunately, I have put together a vid of my summer that just doesn't want to render properly... So as soon as I get that sucker up I'll be catching y'all up to speed...

Just be patient... Please... :D

What Doha Is Like... Somewhat

This is a quick little video I made of my mom, brother, and I driving around Doha. I figured it would be fun to show y'all a little bit of what this city looks like...

I'm heading back the the States tonight / tomorrow morning... So expect the weekly blogs to start up again along with, inshallah, more interesting senior year moments.

Y'all take care!!

(6/7/10) Day 16: Back to Tunis!!

Just like yesterday's blog entry... There really wasn't all that much that went today. We just hopped on the bus and headed back for Tunis. Along the way we stopped at another beach. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take pictures, but it was nice (slightly overcast... only slightly) and we had fun chilling for another two or so hours. Luis, Travis, Mark and I headed up (barefoot) across a bunch of somewhat uncomfortable stones (it hurt... :D ) to get to a shrine... After making it all the way up there, we encountered Patrick who promptly told us that it was closed to non-Muslims...

Mytersaw...

We walked back down the hill to beach and enjoyed it for a few more minutes before hopping back on the bus. We ate lunch at this SKETCHY BBQ place on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere...

Where we ate lunch!!!

The sketchy roadside restaurant...

Oh man it was good!!!

It was amazing... I enjoyed the food there so much. From a BBQ standpoint, it was the grilled meat, minus all the marinaras and sauces. It was good... After finishing here, we rode the bus all the way back Tunis where we all headed home. Excursion two is a success!!! :D

(6/6/10) Day 15: 2nd Excursion, Relaxation Day!!

Boy! Today sure has been swell!! From a blog standpoint however, there isn't much to write about... This is mostly because today we just chilled for a while... It was a nice break!!

The adventure starts when I woke up this morning with a lip that was half swollen and a mind that was scared witless as to why.... As I attempted (Because anyone who has lived with me knows my weakest time is right after I wake up... My mind just isn't working at that time.... (My mom would always ask me if I did my homework right after she woke me up.... dawggone it!! :D )) to comprehend why my lip was so puffy, I noticed it was on the same side of my face that had been window side the 4-5 hours we were in the buss yesterday... Mytersaw as my cousins, Bryan, and I would say... It was sunburned!! That being the highlight of my morning, we boarded the bus for Sejnane village, a small place out in the middle of nowhere known for it's pottery works. After an hour or two of mountain roads, we were our amongst a bunch of hills and grass... Suddenly a tiny village showed up... Now, this would be a good time to give y'all some background on the North of Tunisia in comparison to the area around the capital, Tunis. While Tunis and the Eastern coast of Tunisia are relatively well industrialized, the north definitely is not! Take this for example...

It's almost that scene straight out of Gladiator... Or the Elysian Fields...

Known by the Romans as "Campi Magni" or a rough translation of "The land of large fields", Northwestern Tunisia was the "bread basket" of the Roman Empire. Very little outside of a big port we drove by was industrialized in any sort of way. Fields like the one in the picture above were commonplace every where you went.There were many instances of us passing men riding donkeys and large John Deere tractors.

Case and point.... This man was haulin' on El Senõr!!

Fewer cars and all of the heavy loading (most of the loads were of hay) was done by pickup trucks rather than the big 18-wheelers you saw every so often on the highways near Tunis. It was pretty neat, and the rolling fields of wheat were absolutely beautiful. From a people standpoint, the ones who lived in the North were completely different, more... old-school... for the lack of a better term.

This was especially evident in the village where we followed Proffessor Mounir to a collection of buildings that housed a few women who brought us over to a well with a bunch of supplies sitting around. The oldest lady there proceeded to show us how she made the pottery the village was so famous for. It was pretty neat, she even sang for us a little bit! It was cool to see the more traditional side of Tunisia. After the presentation, we went to an area where they had all their pottery laid out and I made sure to buy something for mom before we headed back to our bus to go to Bizerta

The lady who showed us how they do their pottery... She made that sucker pretty quick!!

Here's where the relaxation starts...After finishing our quick little lunch (a picnic out in a forest that could have been in the middle of Idaho... It just amazes me how much different parts of Tunisia look like other places I've been!!! haha!!) we headed off to Bizerta and the Hotel Residence Ain Meriam, the nicest hotel we have stayed in to date!! Situated right along the beach, we were given five hours to just sit and chill. A few of us went out to the beach and hung out in the sea for a bit. Luis and I decided to hop in a beach soccer game in celebration of the upcoming World Cup! We both kicked some Tunisian butt on our respective teams proving that the US & Mexico are both forces to be reckoned with.. Haha!!! After that, we went back in, spent some time at the pool before heading back in for dinner and chilling around until we fell asleep... Not a whole lot happened to day, but I don't mind... It was nice to just have a day to chill!!!

It's Idaho... In Tunisia...

(6/5/10) Day 14 : Excursion to the North...

Day one of our second excursion begins today bright and early, 5:30 early. Thank heavens it wasn't for PT (the run yesterday still hurts... haha!!). I woke up, finished my packing, trying my dawggone hardest not to wake up my host family in the process. Breakfast?? Meh, I'll grab something along the way... Brushing my teeth and contacts??? I'll do that at the school.... hahaha!! So after a few nerve racking minutes of trying to learn / unlock the gate on the outside of my host family's door without waking anyone up, I'm off!!! The morning was slightly overcast, much like that of the previous excursion. On the way to the school I make my traditional stop at Achmad's (I finally learned the shopkeeper's name) "500 millime watershop"as I like to call it... This place is awesome. He sells 1.5 liter bottles of water for less than 50 cents... Funny that, even the stuff that is supposed to be expensive here is cheaper than it is in the States.

(I'll put the picture up when I get to it back at my house...)

My favorite store in Tunisia....

Anyways, we boarded the bus when it got here and took off for our first stop. An Roman archeological site named Dougga. The bus ride this time was characterized not by the mountains like before, but by characteristics very similar to our Midwest. Rolling hills covered in that golden color that is broken up every so often by an old colonial farmhouse that is now inhabited by modern Tunisians. The buildings are kind of a neat pictures into what life was like here "back in the day"... After a little while we arrived in a little village and the words of our trip leader Dr. Ayari came to mind. He mentioned how this part (the North) of Tunisia never was industrialized all that much. It was obvious. Wheat fields were everywhere and we passed tractor after tractor trudging along the side of the road (yes you John Deere fans out there... There were a few...) In some of the villages, some of the buildings were similar to those you'd find in old westerns (the ones found in the Mexican towns). It's like you're rolling across the Wild West in parts!! Haha!!

How they transport their hay in the south... That's a smaller pickup truck hauling all that.

An example of the wheat fields...

Shortly after writing that... I fell asleep... haha!! The 5 o'clock wake up got to me I guess!! Anyways, when I woke up we were pulling into the Dougga Archeological Park. Now I've been to my share of Roman archeological sites, and while this one showed the usual sites... The temple, bathhouses, etc., this one was neat because the basic structure from pretty much the entire town was still intact to some degree!!! There were tunnels to walk in, columns to climb, ruins to explore, all that sort of good stuff! We started at the amphitheater and moved throughout the site, initially I was kind of bummed because they had us moving as a "tour group", but a few of us kinda managed to sneak off and do some exploring of our own. It really was pretty neat!!. It was just fun wandering around picturing the Roman town alive and wondering what it would look like should all the buildings still be standing as they did two millennium ago. Just like Takrouna had (except maybe not as awe-inspiring)a good view, Dougga had a pretty neat view as well... There was a mausoleum that jutted out over a few trees that seemed to remind me of Ankor Wat a little bit... Not to be forgotten either was the ever constant cool breeze that is present here in Tunisia... Honestly, if there was one thing I could take back to the States from here it would be the breeze... haha!!

Roman roads

Old Roman writing

An old mausoleum

The temple

An example of how extensive the ruins were...

Tunisia really has some pretty neat ruins, whether they be Roman or Arab, and for history buffs like myself, it's been a real great pleasure checking them out!! After grabbing a Nestle Crunch bar (and dawggone did it taste good after all that time in the sun) we boarded the bus for our next stop... Lunch somewhere in a city named "Le Kef". This place is situated on top of a pretty neat hill that offers it a nice view of the valley. We stopped to eat at a little place called Bon Maklouf a nice little restaurant that offered food that was pretty good!! (Along with some pretty thug rap music coming from behind the kitchen.)

Bon Maklouf... A delightful little place with...

Thuggish ruggish music yo!!

On the subject of food... Prince Cookies... The food that keeps me sane on long bus rides...

I decided to get this fish dish that was EXTREMELY good, (even though Le Kef is nowhere even close to the ocean... funny that...) but I WILL say that their French Fries need a little bit of work. Mostly in the crispiness department... But in their defense, it IS hard to beat American french fries. Après eating lunch, we rolled into Tabarka and checked into the hotel Mimosas...

The view from the pool area...

It was a nice little place overlooking the city, with rooms that were pretty good! From my family's standpoint, we could have stayed there no problem!! :D After dropping off all of our luggage and gear, we decided to make a quick stop at the city's fort, also on a hill and overlooking both the city and the small harbor. We were told the fort was going to be closed, so a few of us (in what seems to happen anytime there are somewhat perilous rocks laying about) climbed around on the rocks situated around the fort itself. Luis and I climbed down to an outcropping that was not shaded by the castle and got a few pictures taken of us before almost everyone started yelling at us... The guy who watched over the castle wanted to let us in!!! Luis and I immediately started sprinting up the hill. Supposedly, the building was slated to be a military base sometime in the near future, and tourists were not allowed to be in there, but he decided we needed to see it anyways... We were the first visitors to the fort in a VERY long time!!! The caretaker unlocked the huge doors and while we were a bit rushed to go through it, it was such a privilege to be able to see the inside of the fort, and some of the rooms looked straight out of a pirate movie (I could definitely see Captain Jack Sparrow in the room we took pictures out of... haha!!).

The rock we climbed to...

The fort overlooking the bay...

The sunset from the "Pirate Room"

After allowing the caretaker to close and lock the doors to the fort once more, we headed back downhill to the harbor area where we enjoyed the sunset hitting the side of the hill and rock outcroppings. As the sun went down, we all glanced back at the fort and were surprised to find it doubled as a lighthouse... Ingenious!! We headed back to the hotel and spent the rest of the night drinking a few beers and talking politics, all the while enjoying the good view and the perfect Tunisian weather... What an awesome trip it has been!!!

(5/31/2010 - 6/4/2010) Week 2

Well ladies and gents... It has happened finally... Life here in Tunisia has slowed down a bit. Those of y'all on facebook have noticed I'm not posting 40+ pictures each day of the week anymore right?? Haha!! Well, turns out we've actually managed to explore the vast majority of Sidi Bousaid. (The only place I "haven't" been is the very top of the mountain, and I'll make sure that changes this next week.)

Monday morning was really neat. We had a professional calligraphist come in and teach us how to make "pens" قلم out of bamboo reeds. The process supposedly (from cutting the bamboo to using the pen) about four to five months. Pretty crazy stuff!! And he showed us how the different styles are drawn. It's so neat! There are something around five or six different styles, each used from different time periods or for different writing situations. It was a real blast simply writing Arabic with a bamboo reed pen too!! It's fun!!! Anyways, later that day we decided to check out Carrefour, France's version of Walmart. It was nice and all, but it lacked that certain je ne sais pas.... What was it... Oh yeah!! The 'Murican awesomeness! Jokes aside it wasn't too bad... They did make me "bag" my own groceries though... Those sunvaguns...

Carrefour!!!! J'aime beaucoup!!!

What gall!!!

After we returned to the school, I decided it would be good to start running again!! The beautiful thing (amongst many other great things) about Sidi Bousaid is that it provides some pretty awesome places to run. One of these blogs, I'll start a "vlog" of my run, five minutes at a time... It'll be good!! But yeah, it stinks running up 200-something steps and down the Sidi Bousaid hill...

On Tuesday we had professor Redissi come and talk to us about the Arab world and the different mindsets the Arab leadership have had in the past and now. There were a lot of good points made... If I have to write a major thesis paper for political science... I think my future topic will come from our discussions in that lecture. During our lunch break we headed down to Sidi Bousaid's beach to chill out for a little while... I didn't have my swimming shorts so I just stood in the water... Next time I'll bring 'em though! But the beach here is ridiculously nice!! Another reason to become ambassador here in Tunisia, his house is on top of a hill / cliff that is right along the beach / sea and looks out over it... Bam... It's so beautiful here!!

Tuesday was beautiful!!

Beaches here are.... AMAZING!!

My little buddy next to the pizza place I got lunch at...

Wednesday was special though. School went along no big deal, but then Brett approached everybody with the offer to play soccer with his host brother... Before I go further, a little bit of background. The previous night, I stumbled across K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" music video with Nancy Ajram. It's the Middle Eastern version of the semi-official World Cup theme song and I will not lie to y'all... (I was lucky enough to find the video seeing as youtube is blocked here... *sigh*) I was completely hooked! (http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTczMTc2Mjg0.html , it's a Chinese site... But that's all I could get... haha!!) It shows fans from the various Middle Eastern countries getting excited about what I suppose is probably their respective teams scoring... I got so excited for the World Cup. I cannot wait to watch a few games overseas in a country that loves it so much. Inshallah... a few of us will head out to a bar and watch a game or too with the locals... I'll just make sure to avoid the US - Algeria game as that's the team the majority of Tunisians are supporting... haha!! While I may label myself an "international citizen", I still root for my United States of America!! Go Red, White, and Blue!! B.T.H.O. the rest of the world!! Anyways, back to the present, Brett proposed going to play... BAM! I snapped up the chance right away, and after class was done, we all headed our various ways to get ready and met back at "La Marsa" soccer stadium to play. With the World Cup anthem playing in the back of my head, the entire time we ran around playing the sport that will bring the world together in a few days...

The best part of the experience is that these 15 or so year olds were absolutely schooling us most of the time in one on one situations. Brett's host brother for example would probably be lucky to weigh that much more over a hundred pounds... but all I have on this kid was just that... My weight. His finesse with the soccer ball made any of my attempts to steal the ball from him come up empty. But it was so much fun nevertheless!! After about one and a half to two hours straight of playing, we decided to call it quits with the promise that something like this would happen again... VERY soon!

Thursday was a day where not very much happened as well... The only interesting visit was by a drum expert who taught (or in some cases TRIED to teach us... haha!!!) how to play the Arabic drums. It was neat and totally reminded me a lot of Nasrallah trying to teach me before I graduated from high school.... haha!! It was a ton of fun!! Other than that, I just went home and studied for the Arabic test we had the next day and fell asleep while reading... Not a whole lot of interesting eh??

An example of the excitement on Thursday.. Oh my mischevious classmates...

Friday was a bit more interesting. We agreed early on in the day that we would be going out to play soccer after the exam. We took our exam, and stuck around a little longer to hear our plan for the weekend excursion before taking off for some more futbol!!! Same deal, we split up and met back that La Marsa stadium. We got there and got an hour or so of four v four done before tragedy struck! A man approached us and told us the fields were off-limits. As it stands right now, we're still working on finding an alternative... Standby for details!

I got to pose with the Tunisian soccer championship trophy...

Take note of the envy on the guy's face to the right of me... Yeaaahhh boii!!!

I returned back to the school to chill and cool down before doing the downhill / uphill backpack run. there had been a lot of talk all week long about a new group coming in and I finally got to meet a few of 'em. They seemed pretty cool!! Supposedly we'll be seeing a lot of them coming up... They're with the State Department Critical Language program. Anyways, I'm looking forward to this excursion!! It should be a lot of fun!! I'll probably be posting this Monday / Tuesday night, but I'll write this anyways... Y'all have a good weekend!!