Diet Routine for May

I'm excited about the diet I will probably be on in May, most diets take a lot of discipline, i have a feeling this one will be working with for me:
1. Run, from the Natives
2. Canoe, everywhere
3. Hike, everywhere else
4. Eat, local delicacies
5. Puke
6. Repeat
:)

I'm GOIN!!!! (as long as i don't get hospitalized again:)

OK, it's been a crazy 11-ish months, but here is the run down
* I was suppossed to go to PNG, but went to the hospital instead, cause I was laying on the sofa for 2 weeks urinating orange gatorade looking stuff, and then my whole body got a rash, and... well thats enough,
* Doc lady said I had HIV, Cancer, and everything else under the sun (it was just like an episode of house, except no one was as clever or limpy) - as it turns out I had epstein bar virus - which is like a case of mono that lies dormant in the body
* I'm healthy, it only cost me $500 to get my ticket to the tip of Australia re-issued, and now I am currently booking my tickets to PNG, and then the various places within the jungle/island.
* I am now officially starting my campaign fund to raise support for my trip
* There is a pay pal account <---- over there you can click on. or you can call me and ask how you can help 972.786.5849
* Things to pray for: that i get all my flights and overnight stays booked (it's kinda nuts - there is a place called Tree Tops, that I'm staying in...), that the trip is safe and disease (malaria) free, and that i get to know some of the people in the tribe, while attempting to understand how I can better serve in the future among the Alamblak Tribe.

Thank you very much,

Stephan

Holistic Mission

I think Holistic Mission is something we don't talk about - ever - and we should - always. Here is a thought by Rene Padilla

I believe that with regard to the great tensions between the vertical interpretation of the Gospel as essentially concerned with God's saving action in the life of individuals, and the horizontal interpretation of it as mainly concerned with human relationships in the world, we must get out of that rather primitive oscillating movement of going from one extreme to the other, which is not worthy of a movement which by its nature seeks to embrace the truth of the Gospel in its fullness. A Christianity which has lost its vertical dimension has lost its salt and is not only insipid in itself, but useless for the world. But a Christianity which would use the vertical preoccupation as a means to escape from its responsibility for and in the common life of man is a denial of the incarnation, of God's love for the world manifested in Christ.

Blessings

a couple of quickie updates:
1. i am so blessed by the generosity of people. -
2. i have had fellow seminary students come up and give me checks and notes with encouraging words and promises of prayer for me while on my trip - this reminds me of what a crap i am(meaning i'm humbled) - i truly love God's people
3. I have also been handed encouragement and checks from a few people at church who briefly heard of my trip - one wanted to emphasize that i need not feel like i need to stay in PNG, very kind people indeed.
4. finally, i just bought my ticket to PNG for $990.00, i was originally hoping to purchase it for $2K, then last week a mission travel agency told me it would be $3K - that was discouraging, but this is encouraging. now all i need is shots and tickets on air new guinea from aus to png :)

thank you for your prayers,
stephan

vote

i just added this sidebar thing called skribit
<----------

as an attempt to better communicate with you my reader.
the point is for you to tell me if this post was helpful (to you understanding the purpose of this blog and trip) and what other sort of information you might find missing :)

thanks,
stephan

Effective Engagement in Short-term Missions: Doing it Right!

I purchased 3 of these books, one for me, one for the mission board at CBC, and one for my alma mater - TTU.
It was put out by the Evangelical Missiological Society in 2008. Basically it occurred to someone that since 1.6 million people from the North America go on short term mission trips every year, we should determine whether or not they're worth while, and if we are doing them right. 1.6 million - that number kinda blew my mind, when i heard that i thought, maybe we should all stay home one year and end something big like HIV, hunger, ADD - anyway... i'll keep you posted on what i'm learning from the book, and how i intend to make the most of my trip.

Thanks for reading (both of you)

Stephan

Health Pre-requisites

I thought I'd tell you about some of the health stuff involved in going to PNG

(oral) Typhoid (booster every 5 years) This is an 8-day regimen of
pills
Hepatitis A Havrix--single injection, then a booster anytime between 6-12
months
Hepatitis B Engerix-- Primary series: 3 injections--one now, another in
one month, and another in 6-12 months (at least get the first two before
you go) Tetanus/Diptheria (booster every 10 years)
Polio (booster once after primary series)
Japanese Encephalitis --3 injections at 0, 7, & 30 days
Doxycycline 100 mg one daily for prophylaxis
The Ukarumpa handbook on how to treat malaria, which will be very helpful.