Letters, Letters Everywhere....

Alright... bonus points if anybody knows what poem I just ripped off with my title... (Sorry its the recovering English major in me). But the title does say it all - I spent a good couple of hours yesterday addressing and collating support letters to go out early next week. I've got some more work to do on that today, but I'm pretty optimistic that I'll have everything done on time to meet that deadline. I'm just hoping that I'll be able to get my full support in on time... I'm optimistic though (and you can ask my family how often that happens).

Put in Cribbs!

Alright, I realize that this isn't a sports blog. And I'm not planning on delving into sports all that often, but this was too good to pass up.

I just got the Cleveland Browns Newsletter (email) and the first headline I came across was "Anderson Ready for Sunday." I felt letting loose an Arnold Schwarzenegger-esq guttural scream (the kind that usually follows a hail of gunfire, a few explosions, a helicopter crash and a cheesy one-liner). Oscillating between terrified curiosity, and the desire to finally disown my football team after years of bitter disappointment I debated whether or not to read the rest of the article. The compulsion to know won out.

I followed the "Click Here for More" link in the email and arrived at the story's page on the Browns' web site. After reading the article I can now empathize with a prisoner at a parole hearing going horribly wrong. So here's the skinny - Quinn is out of the rest of the season, because the finger he broke apparently was not healing. (The Arnold scream finally escaped sometime around here).

At this point I started wondering if this was another one of the Brownies' quasi-shady Soviet style personnel moves - You know like the whole "Charlie Fry is our starter"... followed by pulling him in the second half of last season's opener, and trading him the following day. Or saying that Kellen Winslow didn't want the reason for his hospitalization disclosed in order to try and hush-hush their way out of the spotlight for yet another personnel staph infection (let me just say here that I don't necessarily agree with the way Winslow handled the situation either, and I'm not sticking up for him... I just find the Browns' motives slightly suspect). The cynic in me couldn't help but wonder if this was just a way for Premier Savage and Comrade Crenell to bench Quinn with dignity for the rest of the season - to clear up any and all quarterback controversy until they could come up with some kind of decision over the off-season, and present as unified a front as possible.

And Then I reached the final paragraph:

"In the meantime, Joshua Cribbs will be the emergency quarterback behind starter Derek Anderson and back up Ken Dorsey."

Yes! There it was, like a beacon of hope, a shimmering light offered to the city of Cleveland! Josh Cribbs is now listed as the third string Quarterback! Why would listing one of the NFL's best kick returners, who happened to play quarterback in college excite me? Simple: every time Cribbs is in he plays hard with an evident passion for the game, whether that is returning or covering a kick/punt, playing an offensive role, or as part of a trick play. In a season that has been filled with more debacles than a middle school talent show, Cribbs as well as a few other players have been the real reason I've kept watching the Brownies this year (#92 Shaun Rogers is another) - and I'll keep watching them. So when Anderson starts choking on Sunday, what will the crowd be chanting? "Cribs, Cribs, Cribs, Cribs..."

- Look, all joking aside. Do I really think we should jump to Cribbs as quarterback? No, of course not. The other two guys in front of him are paid to know that position, fill that position, and run the Browns offense. I may not be a big DA fan, but I don't think him playing is the kiss of death, and I do think that he can be successful somewhere if the right system for him is in place. Do I really think that there is a conspiracy type plot to bench Quinn? There's probably not one of those either, and if the injury is as bad as the article made it sound I'd be the first person to say that the priority should be getting medical treatment and not playing football (Although something about the whole situation smells like media spin). Seriously though, it is the right thing to do if it is a matter of injury... you don't want to be accused of treating your players like pieces of meat... they are human beings after all. In the end we Clevelanders may be a city of fans starving for a good season from our football team, we seriously need to remember that its just a game.

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The Process and the Human Touch

I'm constantly amazed at how in-depth the process of "raising support" can be. I think one of the common misconceptions, especially from people who have done a couple of short term trips, is that all you do is send out a bunch of letters and pray that God provides the funds. Of course sending out letters is one part of it, but as I'm looking through my list of people to send letters to and contact, the amount of "personal interaction" that I plan on doing is increasing. And that's not a bad thing, not at all. For instance, I've been going through a list of close friends contacting them about prayer support, and how they can be praying for me through this process, and that has been incredibly encouraging. For example, when I called my friend John a couple of days ago about prayer support, his immediate response was incredible enthusiasm! And that is infectious.

A Step in the Right Direction

Well... I "kicked off" fundraising yesterday by getting a letter out to everybody at church. I'm incredibly grateful for everything my church family has already done for me, helping me go to Germany three times to do missions work already. I also know that this trip really is a "Game changer" in a lot of ways - I'll be gone longer, I'll need more funds, and in a lot of ways the work I'm helping with has greater gravity than what I was doing in the past. So, I'm trying to stay optimistic and going to really try to raise support as well as I am able!

The Journey Begins

So this is the first post I've written in a month... again. I promise that will change now that things are pretty much officially underway. I'm officially beginning the support raising process with the hope that I will be in Germany in about 2 months. If all goes well in mid January. Thats exciting. However between now and then there is one huge hill to climb (the support process), as well as lots of "packing up" to do. The truth is that I'm not so much worried, at this point, about packing up my belongings. That is the easy part. I'm more concerned about leaving on a good foot, and being able to say goodbye to people on the right terms.

That being said. I need to get back to work on some other things - so this post will be relatively short. But best wishes to anyone who may be reading this blog already (or still). And I hope to be able to share this exciting journey with all of you as it unfolds through this blog.

The next best thing

So, I haven't written on this blog since English camp. I can't believe that was already two months ago. The time has flown by. In some ways I'm moving on with life as it was, in other ways I'm moving forward. Right now I'm still working part-time at the grocery store that I did before I left, and I'm incredibly grateful that they gave me my job back, especially given the current economic state of the country. However, I'm also in the process of trying to make it back to Germany next year to help out with the English camp efforts for, hopefully, about 9 months. Within the next few weeks I'm hoping to get a new blog started up, or to give this one a massive face-lift, and to define/redefine the mission I'd like the major objectives for the blog.

So... with that said. For those of you listening, thanks a ton for all of the support this past summer. I really can't begin to describe how much it means to me. And second, (and more importantly), I'll be sharing new information about next year as it becomes available to me!

Lost & Found

So I've neglected the old blog for the past ten days. And for that I sincerely apologize. Camp is kind like triage - you have to rank your priorities, and realize that somethings (with the workload) are lost battles and are only going to wear you out more. Last camp was brutal insofar as I couldn't just sit around and listen for kids being loud - I had to bust down doors and tell them to be quiet... until at least 11:30. Then wake up at 7 the next morning and repeat the whole process. I'm not saying that to whine. I totally enjoy "the whole process" the downside of it is, if I'm honest, there are other things that for my own sanity's sake had to fall by the wayside. The blog was one of them.

Camps been over now for a week. I've been trying to get stuff put back in order with Janz Team, and I think I'm done with that. I've also had some meeting about possibly coming back for a more extended time next year - which would be fantastic. I really love working with the people I worked with this summer, and I really love the work. Its been a great experience, even if I don't get a chance to come back, this summer is something I wouldn't change for anything.

Camp has been over for a week, and I think I'm starting to get a good piece of my energy back. I'm enjoying the area I'm in... Its beautiful, and to be able to be out on some hiking trails after a five minute's walk is awesome. I spent a day exploring a park with some rock-formations, and it was an awesome escape from the constant hustle of camp. (Even though, if I'm honest, I really do miss the hustle). But the area here is great. Its still Baden, and that means great food, great people, beautiful vineyards, beautiful scenery... etc.