could it be?
brandon taking up blogging again?
stay tuned...

so its pretty darn late but im still up. maybe its cuz i took a four hour nap earlier this afternoon to catch up on some sleep.
being back in toronto for the second day has been a really good time of rest and reflection about the past two weeks or so.

first off...i am truly thankful that i was able to go down with the team to Bolivia. after much and much prayer God provided me the opportunity to go down despite a huge conflict.
and boy, did He ever wait till the last minute to give me the go-ahead.

basically, the trip for me was in limbo because due to the untimely deadth of my uncle, i deferred my exam, not knowing the date of the new exam. once i did that, i found out that it was to be held on May 31st...smack-dab in the middle of the missions trip. at first i was quite discouraged and thought that this was God's way of telling me it wasn't time for me to go yet and i at first told myself...maybe next year.  
but soon i refused to accept that. deep inside i knew i had to go...that i had been called onto this team to minister to the children (especially to the fatherless) in boliva this time.
initally the school kept telling me that they could do nothing for me. my prof had told me that the date is set and he was firm by that. my petition i submitted for review by the university board would not be reviewed in time for my trip. everything seemed like it wasnt going to work out.

but again, i refused to accept that.
so i kept going to training sessions...got my vaccinations...emailed my prof one last time explaining every single detail about where i was going, what i would be doing, what this trip meant to me, attached my prayer letter...i held nothing back from him.
and most of all i kept praying CONFIDENTLY that i was going. and other were praying in FAITH that i would be going.
one day before departure...the prof emails me back saying...you can write it on august 21st.
PTL PTL PTL!!! can i get a PTL!!!

oh man! i now see that He was seeing if i would be faithful despite the little bump in the road...if i would keep going to training or drop out...if i would (and it was mighty expensive) go get my vaccinations or simply save my money...if i would keep trying to hound the university and ask my prof to allow me to go or give up...if i would keep pressing on.
and i did...
and God said...okay! GO! 

THANK YOU!

the time spent down there was remarkable.
we got hooked up with a really great missionary down there. (hi Marcee if you happen to read this) and as a team we travelled and visited many homes and interacted with and got to know many children who have been abandoned by their parents, have been forced onto the streets, forced into prostitution, been abused, and of the sort.
probably one of the most amazing things i felt while down there was just the joy that they all had. despite all that these kids as young as 5 years old or so have gone through, they still find joy and happiness. and their love for God is evident in the way they speak, share, and pray. that is truly amazing and encouraging to me.
it reminded me of Romans 5: 2-4...through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

if any of you want to know in more detail about my trip, msg me sometime and i'll tell you. it's way to much to try to type up at 2am.

missin' all the chicos and chikas back in bolivia.
thx for such an amazing time!
i think we all left a little piece of our hearts down there.

here's just one of many pix we took.

(my attempt to be poetic)

wednesday night at 10
jazzy music in the background
sitting in a coffee shop, pen and pad waiting for inspiration
or as some might call it...another form of procrastination

in front of me sits my cell, tea, ipod and the Word
a sip here, a glance there
watching the time go by

a tall cup of green tea with its steam floating into thin air
burnt my tongue cuz its contents are hot
sitting here with so much on my heart to share

cell phone laying ever so silently with no vibration
wondering if, when someone would call
hello. goodbye. some sort of communication

ipod tuned to Tim Hughes
hearing the words, 'day after day i'll search to find You'
asking myself...
is that what i really do? 

Walking in the Light

so last week after my thursday classes i was on the 53E bus going home when i decided that instead of getting off at keddedy and going home, that i would stay on for another 3 stops and get off at midland and do some studying at the timmies there.

so there i sat...pen in one hand and a large steeped tea in the other. racking my brain about physiology and the amount of catching up i had to do. i sat there for a good hour until i couldn't take it anymore. i packed it up and decided to go home. 

instead of hopping back on the 53 steeles bus i decided to walk home.

for those who haven't done it, walking along steeles around 9pm, you're pretty much the only one. its not like downtown where at any time of day there are people walking around (i miss living downtown!) 

i cut across the parking lot of my favorite shopping centre in the world...P-MALL (im joking...really i am...)

closer and closer i get to my house and think about how dinner would probably be on the counter and how i could watch some tv before calling it a night.

here's where the plans change...

as i walked along clayton avenue...my house getting closer and closer in my view, i decided because it was such a nice night that i would go get the mail and walk around my block a lil bit.

throughout the duration from my walk from timmies until now, i was thinking once again about the past year and just everything and where i am now.

and as these thoughts were running through my mind i walk pass my house.

i look down at my shadow in front of me.

if you read my previous post i wrote about the past year and how i feel that i have somewhat learned and grown both as a leader and as a man.

what do i see? (this is totally a sermon illustration)

with these thoughts going on in my mind while walking under the lights that line my street,  i look down to see my shadow as i take step after step. and with every step that i took my shadow got bigger and bigger. this was so fitting for what i was thinking and just my overall life over the past year.

that as you walk in the Light you are continually growing...in maturity...in love...in understanding...

God truly revealed Himself to me that night.

when i saw that, i was like wow. 

so clear the message :)