It has begun.

No Shave November is well under way. I'll be the first to admit that I have a far ways to go, but I assure you the will is there.

November weather?

Its starting to get cold, and when I say cold I mean like 60 degrees. but none the less we are well into November now.

I have a couple of random unrelated updates since my last post, so I figured this would be a great time to share.

San Diego

LoveWorks.

I applied for the school program called Loveworks. This summer program is a rad opportunity to travel around the world and serve in these communities in different capacities. I applied for two different trips, one to Washim, Maharashtra, India, and the other in Tanzania. The India trip is a medical team that will be helping in hospitals and the Mwanza, Tanzania team will be doing HIV/AIDS ministry & training and church construction. In the next couple weeks I should be hearing back if I got placed on a team so I'm pretty stoked.

Halloween:

Free Chipotle on Halloween:

If you dress up as a burrito on Halloween, ie any aluminum foil, then Chipotle gives you a free burrito.

Class Registration Already?
This past week we registered for classes. Here is what next semester looks like for me:
Organic Chemistry II
Analytical Chemistry
Molecular Biology
Physics II
Philosophy
New Testament

gross coffee.

Just for the record.... we threw away this coffee maker after the shooting of this video.

Tennis, tests, and food.

This week I had two pretty big tests in Organic Chemistry and Physics, which coincidentally fell on the same day. So despite studying a lot, I found a new way to have fun around campus.

I still haven't mastered the serve.... but it's a work in progress.

Other highlights from the week, was that I was able to make it to Time Out for the first time this semester. For those of you who don't know Time Out is a Wednesday night chapel option that is held in the rec room. Pretty rad environment.
And last but not least. Here is my current favorite places to eat around San Diego.

Top 5 (if I'm paying since I'm a poor college student)...
5)Del Taco
4)Fiji Yogurt
3)In-N-Out
2) Santanna's
1) Chipotle

Top 5 (if someone else is paying i.e. when my parents come to town)
5) Chipotle
4)Olive Garden
3)Pei Wei or P.F. Chang's
2)Pizza Nova
1) Chipotle

*** Notice that chipotle shows up three times between the two lists.... simply because its just that dang good. *****

Sunday Afternoon.

Welcome to the library.....

Middle of September..... Really?

One month down in my sophomore year. Things are finally starting to get in the swing of things as all of the "beginning of the year" craziness slows down. Classes are quite a bit harder than last year but I'm loving it so far (but not loving spending so much time in the library).

So far this year there has been some sick stuff that has happened around campus so I figured I would yet again post up some random photos from random stuff around campus thus far.

enjoy.

Loma Sunset.

Ocean Beach.
Denny Moody. Shelter Island.
Shelter Island

Wiley Hall Bienvenidos 2009Wiley Hall Bienvenidos 2009

FlexStock Cov Group Leaders Retreat- Catalina Island

Back at Loma.

It's an understatement to say that the past 3 weeks have just been crazy busy. Its hard to look back and realize that I have finished up the summer tour, visited Julianna up in Northern California, visited my family, and been back at school for a week of training, all within a matter of a couple weeks.

Since so much has been happening I figured I would kind of summarize each of these events with a little section.

Summer Travel Ending
After finishing up 10 weeks of traveling around leading worship at youth camps, we headed back to Point Loma for a debriefing of the summer. To say the least, this summer has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. Most importantly, I learned what it looks like to be a part of a body who lives out a lifestyle of worship, regardless of whether music is involved or not. On a little less serious note I learned a couple of other things during my time traveling:

That I am by no means a good hair dresser.

Dodgeball, is still and will always be the go to game for camps of any kind.

Even if you have a bloody nose, that is no excuse to not go up and play a set..... (its hard to see in the picture but I have a wad of toilet paper in my nose considering I got a bloody nose right before we played.)

Kayaks that are only supposed to fit one person, can really fit two.

And there is no better way to end a summer of travel than by eating at Pizza Nova.

Trip to San Fran/ Santa Cruz.

The day we finished debriefing at Point Loma, I got on a plane and flew up to Julianna's house in Fairfield, CA. It was so great to finally be able to see her after being apart for so dang long (most of which we had very little contact via phone or internet).

It was super windy in San Francisco...... windy.

Definition of Happiness.

And if the weather could be any more polar opposites of each other, the next day in Santa Cruz was like this......

Home Sweet Home
Back home in Phoenix, I got to relax for a couple days. I got to finally see my family who I had seen very shortly throughout the summer. Besides that I didn't do a whole lot besides pack up my stuff for school.

And Here I am.....
And now I am back in San Diego, sitting in my new dorm in Wiley Hall. For the past couple days we've been training and preparing for the formely called Covenant Groups or Res Hall Bible studies. I'm stoked to see how this role in the hall plays out as it will be just as much of a learning experience for me as the guys who come. Through these couple days of training we've had the chance to read a book on what it looks like to be a Christian Leader, such as a Covenant Group Leader. This book by Henri Nouwen has literally rocked my world on what it means to be a leader on this campus.
In closing, while reflecting over the past couple months, and what is to come in the next couple months, I have come to see how much I have learned. Through that learning realizing the hope I have been given by seeing people that are truly following Christ. I'm excited for what's going to happen this year in classes and around campus, and it really is hard to believe I have only been around this place for a year. Until next time.

Grace and peace.