I love Europe (like a fat kid loves cake)

Everyone who is going to the Malta Conference

2009-03-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Okay,

I know what you are all thinking. It has been a month since his last blog. What will he say?

What I am going to say is that I will write more later, but right now...

Book your tickets now if you are going to Malta in July/August. Cay and I just booked our tickets and got them for a reasonable price (200 Euro each). Do it soon!

Okay... more to come.

Vince

A new love...

2009-02-07T22:31:00.000-08:00

I love someone.

We met in the beginning of July.

Have you ever heard the song "Accidentally in Love" by Counting Crows? Our love is like that. Completely unexpected, and at one of the most inconvenient times. But when the Lord calls you to something you must respond.

Lots of questions rise when relationships begin. Will this work out? Is she/he the one?

I think the answer can be found in a combination of things...

The first part is submitting to the Lord in all things. His will is what needs to be done in our lives. He is in control, and if He calls us to something we must follow. I submit this relationship into His hands, and He may do with it what He wants. I must be open to what he calls us to do.

The second part is something I believe we have more control of, and it's where a lot of people give up (certainly where I have given up in the past). In this part we must work. We must give our effort and our labor. This is the part that is both beautiful and difficult. It is where we love. Love has this tendency to be described in many different ways- some right and some way out there.

Mark Twain writes that love is "the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." Now, I am not saying that this is not included in a romantic love, but I think the "world" reduces love and its immensity into this "feeling." (I will wrote more in a different blog about the different kinds of love as defined by St. Paul and the Greeks). I contest that love is more than a feeling and sentiment.

Love is a sacrifice. Love ultimately has is fullest definition on the Cross, where our God became one of us gave up His life for us, so that we may spend eternity with Him. Wow. That is more than I can even fathom. Love is an effort and sacrifice, because the maker of love made it be to that way. The definition is like was coined by our Theology professor: "Love is to will the good of the beloved." This is a packed sentence, and I want you to hear it again: "Love is to will the good of the beloved."

It may seem like I went into a tangent (which I probably did), but the point is that love takes effort and sacrifice. It is willing what is good for the person being loved. This is how relationships make it; through sacrifice and effort. You gotta work it girl. I was talking to Cay about this last night. I approach this this with great humility, because I have never been married, and I know I will be in for the surprise of a lifetime when I am. However, I believe that most marriages fail today because after a point, the couple just gives up. The effort and sacrifice stops, and ultimately so does the love.

Sorry to get a little negative... so lets bring it to a positive light.

I am in a relationship now, with a woman that I love. I have never been happier. I will the good of you Ana Carmina Santayana.

Driving and Peace...

2009-01-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

I am writing to you all in the peace and quiet of the Santayana home in Vienna. Let me just start this blog by saying that these past couple of weeks have been the most stressful weeks of work that I have had. I have been averaging 12 hours a day at work. Although it has been long hours in the office, the work has been great. The students have been exceptional. They are the most prayerful, respectful, kind, and attentive group of students I have experienced. But nonetheless, it has been good to get away from them time to time. Tonight has been good.

I began my day off by waking up late. I woke up around 10:30am and made some lunch. By the time I ended up leaving Gaming it was around 1:30pm. I arrived in Vienna around 3:30pm. I both love and hate the drive from Gaming to Vienna. I love the drive, because it gives me time to think. I hate the drive, because it gives me time to think.

Let me explain… I need time to myself to process things and figure things out. However, I find that if I don’t take enough time on a constant basis, when I do find the time I end up thinking too much. That happened today. I was thinking way too much about the future and work and money. I believe it is something that all men who are in my age range think about. It might even be something that preoccupy the thoughts of all men who are striving to be fathers and the sort.

So here I am in my car freaking out about all these hypothetical situations… How will I be a good father? How will I find a job to support a bunch of kids? Where will I live with my future wife?

Crazy what happens in the mind of a man. Then something happened…

A soft voice pierced through the chaotic mess…

“Take care of my affairs Vince, and I will take care of yours.”

It was so soft, yet so firm. The Lord’s voice was so true. Immediately I began to process that and I began to laugh at myself. The Lord is in charge. He is not just a part of my life. He is my life. He is the center. He is the reason I am doing what I am doing, and He is my God. Without Him, I am lost.

When I was praying tonight in the chapel I asked for two things. The first was that I don’t ask for my life to get easier. The life of a Christian cannot be easy. If we are to carry our cross, we are in for a challenge. The second thing I asked for was for grace to make it. Grace is all we need. That is what gets us through. I pray that all of us can discover the grace of God in our lives. It is what strengthens us. It is what allows us to step outside of our own concerns and do what it is what we are called to do in this world. Love. We love with the grace of God. That is when we find our purpose here on this earth. That’s it.

Realizations...The New Year...

2009-01-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

Man, this new years really took me by suprise... I think it's because of all the activity preceding it. Right before New Years I was in the City of Love with my beloved Ivan. Hehehe. Anyways... I fly into Paris on December 25th... no joke, I was in Paris for about 5 hours and then we get in a car with Manou, John, and Ivan's aunt and head to Feldburg, which is on the German-Swiss border. It was a long car ride, and like on almost every road trip I've been on, I had some realizations. What a great time to have them... right before New Years...

We pulled into Feldburg at around 9am. Exhausted. We are greeted by Ivan's cousin Father Louis (who is a priest). We have coffee and talk. We crash for about 5 hours and then get in the car and head to Geneva, Switzerland. It was a nice quick ride. We happened to suprise Nadia, by telling her to meet Ivan's cousin in a mall so that he can give her a present from Ivan. Little did she know that we were the present :-)

We meander around the city for a bit and meet up with Kathia... who gives us bags of Starbucks pastries... yummy. It was our fuel for a few days... After the pit stop at S-bux we cruise to the train station and suprise another set of people: the lovely Razonables and Lester. It was quite shocking for them considering that they were coming straight from Paris, and then were greeted by people from Paris (Ivan, John, and Manou), and myself. I think

they liked the suprise. After the night of suprises, exhausted, we drove back to Feldburg.

I think we slept until 10 or 11 the next. It was nice, considering how much Ivan and I drove the day before. We proceeded towards the mountains for some skiing, however, because of our delinquent wake we were unable to ski. We made it our goal to wake up early the next morning to get an entire day of skiing in. We left the slopes and went to Mass in nearby Freiburg.

I love Freiburg.

Again... we ended up in Starbucks that night... chatting the night away. After coffee and talk we drove back to Feldburg for an early night. Father Louis and myself ended up chatting the way back and I realized how amazing the Lord is. Let me digress...

It's funny how some people who do not know the love of the Lord, and the sweetness of living a life for Him (not saying that I know the love of the Lord entirely, or live a life for Him perfectly) think that it can be boring and simply worth the exchange of your will to Him.

Father Louis is a man that has truly given his life to the Lord. His sacrifice for the service in a unique way to the God and His Church makes you really think. Because of Fr. Louis' "yes" God has taken him literally all over the planet. God does that. Do not doubt that. What is even more cool is that all these different places that the Lord takes you to prepares you for the next place. It truly is a journey with a destination- an eternal one.

I can also attest to the goodness of God, for He has taken me to many places as well.

So here we are sharing our lives with each other in this car ride from Switzerland, and we realize that the Lord has shaped our journeys so that we could meet and have the conversation we had. Amazing. The Lord really knows how to introduce people. That brings me to a major point in this blog...

The Lord has brought us together. Our journeys have all been shaped so that this happens. I want to thank all of you brothers and sisters that I have met this year. You have all been blessings to my life. You have touched my heart and moved me to closer to Our Lord. Some of us have shared pain. We have all laughed together at some point. Either way, we have all seen the face of God in one another.

and to you... you know who you are... you have been the best gift to me so far.

Brothers and sisters, let's continue to live our lives for God. It is never a one time decision to say "yes" to God and have a radical conversion experience. Our decision to say "yes" to God should happen at every moment of the day. Furthermore, it is in all the small decisions that we do this: from smiling to a stranger in the Metro, or holding the door open for someone, listening to what your parents tell you to do without complaining, calling an old friend, mending bridges, going to the chapel to pray for 30 minutes, saying a rosary, going to daily Mass, give a sandwich to a beggar, etc. This is what we must do. This is what I got to do.

But when we start to do these things, we begin to see, in retrospect, that through the small "yes"s our bigger "yes"s take care of themselves. A saint once said that being holy means doing the small things with great love.

Small things... let's do them.

Enjoy the pictures. Keep praying. Don't give up. It's worth it.

What men want...

2008-12-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 30:30

Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

That's what I am talking about.

It's 3:26 and I am still awake...

2008-12-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a life lesson for you folks...

Never drink espresso after 8:00 PM.

God bless...

No weight gain for the Christmas Season...

2008-12-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

just to let everyone know...

I made a bet with Cay.

No weight gain, and I have to lose 4 kg by January 18 or I owe her 50 Euro.

You are all my witnesses :-)

Cold days in Vienna..

2008-12-19T08:43:00.000-08:00

I must say that it is quite cold here in Vienna.

The worst was today with mostly rain and very strong winds. Come on. Seriously. How about some snow.

I was praying today in St Stephan's Cathedral and I could see my breath. Maybe we should raise some money and get some heaters for the Adoration chapel.

As I was praying I felt the Lord telling me that He is here. I must say that I have been experiencing some dryness in prayer. Although, I have been praying constantly, I feel as if the Lord has not been very clear in His words for me. It's in these times that I have come to realize that this is where the faith takes on something greater than a feeling. It's more than a feeling. (I just quoted a song)

The Lord is here in the dryness. He is here when we don't feel His presence, and it is in these moments that our faith gets tested. Mother Teresa experienced this dryness, or lack of feeling of God from her life, for twelve years. He listens and He is there.

So brothers and sisters... if you are feeling a lack of His presence I invite you to say, "Lord, I don't feel you right now, but my faith tells me that You are there and You do hear me." Be faithful brothers and sisters... Do not give up. Persevere in your prayer. It is when you don't feel like praying that your prayers take on a new level. These prayers are so dear to the Lord.

I love you all... God bless...

I am going to.... drum roll

2008-12-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Paris! Hahaha once again...

This time it is for sure.

I just bought the ticket.

Air Berlin

December 25-31...

Paris you better get ready.

In Vienna... once again...

2008-12-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

My last blog didn't post...

Sorry.

Anyways, here I am in Vienna once again. I also brought another one of my students with me. It's a little sad, because he is leaving for the States tonight at 8pm. However, we did do the following since we've been here last night:

1) Went to Simbang Gabi (Filipino tradition in which you go to a Mass at night for nine days... it would be a Novena of sorts) last night

2) Went to the Adventmarkt at the Rathaus in downtown Vienna

3) Ran for 30 minutes this morning

Now we are taking off for the UN to have lunch with Tita and Tito... yay. First time in the UN! I know I know... you are probably saying what's the big deal about the UN... but hey I love world peace. I am not sure if they UN can make that happen, but isn't it a great idea?

Aight... after lunch... Adoration and then touring of Vienna...

A wonderful yet tiring day...

2008-12-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

Again, I drove to Vienna today. This makes my fourth trip this past week. I have now deemed myself a professional.

We brought the staff to the Vienna Airport today at 6:30am. It was a beautiful drive. The sunrise was gorgeous. However, once we got close to Vienna, the beautiful sky disappeared and was replaced by clouds and fog. It is as if Vienna was swallowed up by gloom.

When we got to the airport it was a mad frenzy in the check-in area. I was glad that I wasn't traveling today. I dropped off my staff. We had hugs and tears, and I left with Horatio, who was at the airport the night before to drop off one of his buddies.

Horatio and I drove back to Gaming and talked about life and future plans... It's funny these future plans. No matter how much we plan, we never do get it quite right :-) Look at me... I'm living in Europe. If you would of asked me if I could see myself living in Europe I would have chuckled.

Anyways... we get back to Kartause and I go back to my room and freshen up a bit for the brunch with the Friars as 11:30. I walked over to the Friary and sat down with some great people for a lovely brunch. The guest of honor at our brunch was Architect Hildebrand. He is quite a remarkable man. He has rebuilt five monastaries throughout Austria. He has built stuff in Vienna. He has vineyards. Despite all his accomplishments, he realizes that it is nothing without the Lord. He is a very prayerful man. It also turned out that we knew some of the same people in Vienna, or at least friends of the same people.

After brunch, I went back to my room and took a 3 hour nap. I woke up and thought it was the next day. I hate that feeling. I freshened up again, and walked over to the Cassidy's for dinner. I played with their five children for about an hour before dinner was served. I love children. They are a rambunctous bunch though. We also played the game, spoons. If you have never played that game you are missing out.

Dinner was fantastic!

After dinner we played more spoons and then ended the evening with a family rosary. I just went to the chapel a while ago and now I am waiting for Father Brad because I think we are supposed to watch a movie. Vienna... I am going back to you tomorrow. God bless!

The staff leaves...

2008-12-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day that I got to spend with my staff. They are leaving tomorrow morning for the US, and it will probably be the last time that I see some of them.

We started with going to Mass at 10am, then we had brunch. We gave them time to pack and fix their rooms. We met again at 2pm to have coffee and to have an affirmation session. Good stuff. We went back to the Kartause at around 4:30 and got ready for a vigil Mass. After Mass we headed to the Director's house and had coffee, Christmas Carols and dessert.

Some of us went to the boy's night at Henri's house. It was filled with intellectual discussion on the faith, sports, and reunification of the East and Western Church. Amazing conversation. It's nothing like good conversation to inspire and reflect.

I'm off to bed now, because I have to wake up at 6am to drive the staff members to Vienna for their flight back to the US...

Good night and God bless...

Empty and ready to listen...

2008-12-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

The students left last night, actually this morning at around 3am. It was tough. There were long hugs and tears coming lots of them. I felt so sad to see them go, yet so proud of all that they've learned. But the things they taught me. Patience. Kindness. Flexibility. Patience, and more patience. You give until it hurts, and then the pain is no more, instead there is love.

The Kartause is a lot more quiet now. There are still a handful of students remaining. Some of them are my staff. Some are students leaving early next week. But I feel the quiet. Even being in my office right now, the silence speaks to me. Finally things have slowed down, and now it's time to pray and reflect. These times are so crucial, because these times come so very rare in life.

I know now that the Lord is calling me to be more attentive to what He is speaking to me.

We cannot be afraid of the silence. So many of us, including myself, drown out the silence. We don't like it, because of several things:

1) We are not used to it. We don't know what to do when we have it.
2) We are too busy for it. We don't take the time to actually have it.
3) We are afraid of what happens when we have it.

I think the third thing is one that all of us can relate to. I know that there are times when we are finally still and quiet, and what happens? The stuff that we keep pressing down into our hearts and ignoring finally speaks to us. My friend said it best, "When you don't make time to listen to your stuff, the stuff starts speaking to you." What are we ignoring? Why are we afraid of being still and listening? What are we afraid of what God is going to tell us?

Brothers and sisters... I believe that God has something to say to us this Advent season. Please take the time to listen to it. It may be a reminder. It may be a whisper of love for you. He may want to comfort you. He may be trying to heal you from your past. He may want you to change some things in your life. It may make you uncomfortable. It may not be what you want to hear. But I promise you that there is a God. He is real. He loves you. He wants you to know that. Take the time today to listen to Him.

They are going home...

2008-12-11T02:52:00.000-08:00

So the day is here.

The American students are leaving. The Fall 2008 class is heading out the door.

It was an amazing time with these students. I think it has been the most meaningful 6 months of my life so far. I have shared good and bad times with these students. I believe that they have seen me in my finest and worst times. But in the end, I believe that we were all made better people for it.

Gaming Fall 2008 class, I will miss you. You are dear to me, because you are my first class here in Austria. You will be in my prayers, and I know that you will go on to do amazing things. Bring the love of Christ into this world. Lighten up the darkness... God be with you.

A riddle for you...

2008-12-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

What is greater than God?
What is more evil than the devil?
The poor people have it.
The rich people do not want it.

If you get this... you pretty much rock.

Blessings to you all...

P.S. JD had an amazing time at our praise and worship. I'm bringing her back to Vienna at 5am. Pray for me.

Do not give up...

2008-12-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

So I was praying this morning in the chapel... it was a long night... but basically it came down to the fact that I couldn't sleep. When I was praying this morning and trying to listen to the Lord's voice, something inside of me stirred up my heart to say "Do not give up... whatever you do, do not give up."

I wrote it in my journal three times.

Another confirmation of it was this afternoon when I went to confession. Father Brad said to me, "At times when you sin, you can get discouraged. You begin to say this is not worth it, or that you can't do it anymore." Brothers and sisters...

Do not give up.

Our weaknesses and failures can get the best of us at times. I know it is hard. Christ never said it would be. The difficulties, suffering, failures, pains, wounds, sicknesses, etc. make up our cross. And we must carry it every day of our lives.

Do not give up.

Just know that there is a prize that awaits all of us. Some of us are given bigger crosses than the rest. Whatever our cross is, let us know that it is ours to carry. Do not compare your cross to someone else. God only gives us what we can handle. But the prize that awaits us is glorious. No more pain. No more sorry. Joy, excitement, peace, fulfillment. No tears, no pain. Everlasting love and freedom. The best part is that it's not just a destination - heaven. It's an eternal journey with the Lord, and it makes the most enjoyable experience on earth seem like nothing.

Do not give up.

We are in this together. Christ died not for individuals, but for a Church. We make up that Church, and we are joined with our brothers and sisters in Heaven who have gone before us. Most importantly, we have our Jesus, who went before any of us to open the doors to eternity. We must help each other make it. We are our brother's keeper. Do not leave a brother or sister behind.

I love all of you so much. Know that you are in my constant prayers. Please pray for me if you can remember. I need as much help as you all do, if not more. God bless and I'll see you soon...

A night of fun...

2008-12-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

First... Happy Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception!

Second... I am staying away from a car for a while.

Third... I love the holiday season. I had the pleasure of going to Reb's and Jericho's house tonight in Vienna. We were able to make scones and Christmas cookies. I was surrounded by fabulous people. The only regret I have was that I had to leave early to get back to Gaming. Ah well... I'm leaving for Christmas break next week, and I'll be spending a considerable amount of time in Vienna with good friends.

God bless you all and have a great night...

9 hours of driving...

2008-12-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

So... I spent 9 hours driving today... wow.

I left this morning, after my 10km run and drove about 1:45 minutes to Vienna to pick up Cay and JD. We left JD's place and ended up driving for another 3 hours, because of a faulty navigator. You can never trust those GPS devices. It had me in the back roads of who knows where.

We got into the Gaming at around 4:45pm and then had to drive directly to the restaurant. By the way, I had to drive 8 people around for a "date night." We ate some pizza, and then JD and Cay had to come with me because we didn't go to Mass yet. We showed up late for Mass, but praise God we got to go. I was scared for a moment, because of the possibility of missing every Mass in the area.

After Mass, we picked up the people that went on a date and brought them back to the Kartause. We had some refreshments, and then JD, Cay, and myself went to go pray in the chapel. After some quality time with Jesus in prayer, we stopped by Father Brad's office and had a talk about Scripture. The bomb.

We talked for a little afterwards, and now I am ready for bed... Lord multiply my hours tonight. Tomorrow, I am driving back to Vienna after 10am Mass. Wow, lots of driving. God bless people!

Krampus...

2008-12-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, so tonight the Krampus were let loose on to the Franciscan Campus. Wow those things are terrible. Not to mention, pretty darn scary.

Not too much of an eventful day.

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas! Cay I will see you tomorrow! Hah!

Father Brad...

2008-12-05T07:10:00.000-08:00

It is Friday... I am in Gaming... It is cold outside...

I was working out with Father Brad this morning, and I realize now what a blessing he is in my life. We have been working out together now for the past two months. Wow. I think this is the longest workout partner I've had. No offense to any of you who have worked out with me in the past. I also found out last week that we are in the same fraternity! Delta Upsilon. He was part of the University of Michigan chapter, and I was part of the University of Texas in Arlington chapter.

He has also been a blessing for me in my spiritual progress. He calls me on to holiness in small and large ways. Small ways: He always has a joy about him, and whenever you speak with him you know that he has found happiness in the Lord. There is nothing like talking to a priest who is joyful in his priesthood. It is real encouragement for men who are discerning that vocation. Large ways: He calls you on to personal prayer and participation in the Sacramental life in the Church. He has really reminded me of the importance of integrating Scripture into your prayer life. Not only do we have to read the Bible, but we have to let the words of the Bible be realized into our daily lives. How do we do that?

email me and I'll send you a copy of his technique: vgranado@franciscan.edu

So here is a story of God's gift to me today. I'm a sinner, and like any sinner I need forgiveness, which is why I try to make it to confession often. Today I wanted to go to confession, but confessions are on Mondays and Tuesdays. It being Friday, would mean I would have to schedule an appointment with a priest, which can be a bit of an inconvenience (but not impossible) for everyone. So I scheduled an appointment for this afternoon with Father Brad... sweet. Anyways, I am walking to Mass (late) and as I am about to enter into the main chapel, I see that a girl pops out of the confessional box. I asked a friend of mine, who was outside of the main chapel with her adorable little child, if there was confession. She said yes, and that today was special because they have them on the first Friday of the month at this time. I was like... God you are cool... thanks for the gift. I went to confession. It was cleansing, and then went immediately into Mass. Talk about bling-bling.

God is good... all the time... nuff said.

Beginning of Marathon Training...

2008-12-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Ok everyone... I am now beginning my training for the Vienna City Marathon! This event takes place on April 19th 2009. I was able to talk to an elder in Vienna, and he told me that he wants to put together a team to run for Gawad Kalinga. Holla! I just hope we get cool jerseys.

www.vienna-marathon.com

Also, a big shout out to Mr. Ivan Huerto! Happy birthday old man... make sure to take your vitamins.

One high point of my day... I made over 40 waffles for the student "Breakfast Under the Stars." It's a night to kick-off the final exam week. The staff and faculty get together and cook an American breakfast for the students: Waffles, scrambled eggs, sausages, coffee, etc. Very delicious. Ok I'm off to pray now. God bless you all on this Advent journey!

A life without worry..

2008-12-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

So I find that in Advent and actually in Lent as well, certain things come up in prayer that don't usually come up. But they are things that need to be dealt with. The thing that has come up for me has been the issue of worry. Let's also call it anxiety.

For me, I have always been somewhat of a worrier. Did I do this correctly? Will this work out in the end? Will I have this kind of job? Will I marry this kind of woman? Will I have enough money? It is enough to drive anyone off the deep end.

What I have learned recently is that, ultimately, the Lord is in control, and there is not much we can do to change things. Take a look at the current economic crisis in the United States. Millions of Americans have been saving up for retirement, putting so much effort into saving for an easy life after their working days. Now, it has all tanked. Lots of them cannot retire, and it would seem like all their efforts have been in vain. Life is so crazy like that. We cannot put faith in our efforts. When we do that, we begin to worry. Our faith has to be in the Lord. He is in control, not us. Furthermore, when we let the Lord take control and be the Master of our lives, life becomes much sweeter. Does it become easier? No. But we no longer have to worry or have these unneeded anxieties, because we can have full confidence that no matter what happens, the Lord will take care of us. Just read Matthew 6:25-34. The Lord will take care of us. Did he not promise us that? Why do we... why do I doubt that promise?

I love what St. Therese of Lisieux says... "Nothing upsets Jesus more than when we lose confidence in Him." Lord help us to be confident in you... You are the only stable thing in our lives, for you will never leave us. You have promised us Salvation, and we know that You will deliver. Lord we pray that you make us people of faith. We ask that you cast out all needless anxiety and worry from our lives. Grant us the peace that we so desire. We are confident in You Lord... We know that when we fix our eyes on You and Your will for our lives, You will bring us to where we need to be. Your will be done. Amen.

2nd Day of Advent My True Love Gave to me...

2008-12-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

A big dose of humility...

My day started at 7:50am at the sound of my alarm, which is to the tune of "Step by Step" by New Kids on the Block.

I then went to the gym with Father Brad. We worked out for 45 minutes. It was great.

At 9:00am I went to the chapel to pray for the students.

At 10:00am I am in my office ready for another day... Let me just say here that I experience on a daily basis the beauty of communication. Communication is so very important. Even more important than communication is communicating well. I believe that most problems in terms of any kind of relationship is the lack or misinterpretation of communication.

I also think it is funny how men and women can have a conversation, use the exact same terms, talk about the exact same subject, topic, whatever, and walk away from the conversation with two very different things in their minds. Anyways... what I am trying to communicate is that communication is soooooo important in working relationships (and any relationship for that matter).

I worked through lunch... eeeek.

I had a meeting at 1:00pm with our Student Embassy, who oversees a lot of the student life activities on campus.

At 2:00pm I monitored room checks my the RA staff. You got to make sure the rooms are getting cleaned properly, especially with our boys.

At 4:00pm I had a Skype conversation with my best friend Sean back on main campus.

At 5:00pm I went back to my office to finish up some work and prepare for my talk with the students tonight.

At 6:00pm I had dinner with a student, Chris. I am going to miss that guy so much when he leaves.

At 7:30pm I got ready for the meeting

At 8:00pm I had the meeting with all the students

At 9:00pm I relaxed for 30 minutes

At 9:30pm I met with Nick to help him on his resume

So here I am now at 11:00pm writing this beautiful blog to you beautiful people. I must say that today was very full. I am tired, but a good kind of tired. I missed Mass today, because I worked through my lunch, but I decided I will not do that again.

I still have no had a pastry and still no facebook. Thank you Lord for that grace. I am looking forward to this weekend... Need to catch up on sleep. If anyone is reading this, please squeeze a quick prayer in for me. God bless you all, I am going to bed!

First Day of Advent...

2008-12-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

So here we are on the first day of Advent!

What am I doing to prepare for the Lord?

Well... For one I am giving up two things that mean a lot to me:

Facebook

Pastries

So some of you might be asking, well if you are giving up facebook then why not give up this blog? Well I will tell you why. Because in this mind, I believe that this blog is taking up far less time than facebook. That's about as good a reason as I can give. For now at least.

How did I do today? No pastries, and no facebook. I give a lot of credit to Jerome for changing my password. Thanks brother.

So the Adventmarkt has begun at the Kartause. What a nice addition to our community here. Actually, it is kind of a pain, because the little shops have impeded on our classroom space. This causes the already close quarters of the Kartause to get even more cramped. But hey... the students are leaving in two weeks. It just gives them a chance to get even closer.

Tomorrow I shall try the kebabs at the Adventmarkt as well as the gluhwein. God bless your night and I'll see you tomorrow!

Life...

2008-11-30T07:31:00.000-08:00

How beautiful it is... I was driving back from a great weekend in Vienna with two of the Franciscan University students. They were moved by the love that was shown to them by the Filipino community in Vienna. We were talking about the gift of life and how those who know the Lord become humbled (by his greatness, power, love, etc.). When you are humbled you learn to appreciate things more; you see things as gifts and opportunities to grow. When someone who does not know the Lord (and even those who do know the Lord, but in their weakness fail at times) in an intimate way encounters a new morning, they could have the reaction of: "Oh no... another day that I have to get through. How will I ever do this? Why am I doing this? What am I doing anyway?" But the Christian who is intimate with God and humbled by the gift of a new day knows that the Lord loves him and has a plan for him can encounter this gift with awe and wonder. Thus they can say: "Lord thank you for another day. It is a gift for me to even be alive. Grant me the grace to do your will. Help me to love you above more than anything else, and help me to love my neighbor as myself." Everything is a gift. Everything is grace. Like St. Therese of Little Flowers wrote, "All is grace."

I, personally, am blessed. I feel like I am always blessed. I cannot even begin to thank the Lord for all He has done for me. He has given me a great life: good family, good friends, good job. Who am I Lord to deserve this? Thank you. Lord, if I didn't have these things, or if these things were taken away from me in a moment, I would hope I would still be thanking the Lord.

This Advent season I ask the Lord to show me more clearly the gift of life and how precious it is. It is so short. I hope that I may be able to really prepare this Advent for the coming of Christ in Christmas. After all, that is what Advent is; it is the commemoration of the first coming into a manger in Bethlehem, and the anticipation and preparation of the second coming when He comes back in glory. Life is so short. My heart is ready. Come Lord Jesus.

Happy Birthday to Cay... and a race too close for comfort...

2008-11-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

First off... Happy Birthday Ana Santayana! Congrats on making it to 18 years old! Just kidding, but seriously you don't look a day over 21. We had a fantastic dinner for her tonight at the Happy Buddha in Vienna. It is still one of the best Chinese restaurants I have ever been to. You are blessing to all of us Cay, and I honored to call you my friend. Ich liebe dich!

As for the presidential race... I cannot wait for it to be over. I was watching a bit of the poll results tonight on FOX news and it seems that the race is a lot closer, at least at the present moment, than what people thought it to be. Lord, you know what is best for this country, and you are in control. Your will be done Lord!

A tribute to Mel... and an update on life in general...

2008-11-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

This blog is dedicated to Mel... You truly bring a brother joy. Thank you for your friendship, but most of all your sense of humor that always makes me bust out laughing. God bless you! And I think your laugh is amazing... choukaloukaloukalou...

So an update on my life. This is what happened since my last blog.

Did lots of prep work for the Rome/Assisi trip this weekend.

Brought another student to the hospital.

Got food poisoning from a kebab stand.

Went to a recollection in Vienna for the weekend, and got to meet the coolest future and current Mission Volunteers ever.

Fell in love with the Youth for Christ family again.

What is coming up for me:

Rome and Assisi trip for work. 10 days of awesome travel.

Housing students in the dormitories on main campus when we get back.

Singles for Christ Recollection in November

Mission to France on November 28. Get ready Paris. Here we come.

Oh, and I am slightly disturbed, yet understanding that Ivan Huerto did not show for the recollection this past weekend. Miss you bro.

I am off to bed. If you get a chance please say a quick prayer for me ;-) God bless all!

My Trip to Paris (Part Deux) Still ASTIG!

2008-10-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the second installment of my trip to Paris… I think what I will do is cut the blog to a shorter synopsis in order to get everything in. I need to start writing more and I realize that I have been slacking. Sorry fans J Hah!

So back to the trip…

First Day Continued:

Mel continues to show me around and we meet up with Ivan and his lovely girlfriend Emmanuelle.

Ivan affectionately calls her Manou. Manou is a tourism major in Paris, and is very knowledgeable on the city. After a stint at a quaint café, and hanging out for a bit, Mel parted ways with us, and Manou, Ivan, and myself headed off to dinner. We had Vietnamese that night. Fantastic! I hadn’t had Vietnamese food since I left Dallas. From dinner we dropped Manou off and went back to Ivan’s house to call it a night.

Second Day:

Waking up late is great! I must have slept until 11am. I felt so refreshed. I usually don’t get to sleep in, because of the amount of phone calls I get from students starting in the early morning. But I had my phone shut off because it was my vacation! Suckas!
After getting ready and having a light breakfast of coffee and some bread, which I fixed on my own, because Ivan was still sleeping, I got ready and woke Ivan up from his slumber. Today was the day to go to Lisieux. We left the house at around 11:00am, and we brought Lolo with us. It was quite a drive… rainy, and a little chilly. We got there at around 2:30am. It was a small town. Beautiful. The basilica was spectacular. In front of the Church were two large pictures of St. Terese’s parents who were to be beatified that weekend. We went in and prayed for a while. It was such a powerful experience for me. Words cannot describe.

We got back in the car at around 4:30pm and drove back to Paris. We got into the city at around 6:30pm to pick up Ivan’s mom. At 7:00pm we picked up Manou from her job and went home. Dinner. Long conversation with Ivan and his mom about the homeland, the family, and life in general. Sleep was much welcomed.

Third Day:

Slept in again… I love vacation. Ivan and I got up and had lunch, because it was about that time when we woke up. After a good meal, we drove back into downtown. Ivan brought me to Chatelet where we hung out for a while. It was bustling with action. So much stuff going on in that place. We stopped and had a café at Paul, which happened to be a chain. But it was good nonetheless (I am not a fan of chains.).

After the café we met up with Jonah and her very French boyfriend Joris. We all walk around the city for a bit, grabbed some crepes, and then shuffled to the Eiffel Tower. Life suggestion – see the Eiffel Tower at night. So beautiful. After some amazing views and shots, we head home and jam out on guitars till 3 am. Good night!

Fourth Day:

Sleeping in is fun… Woke up. Ate a delicious quiche made by Ivan’s mom. We got in the car at around 11am and brought Lolo to Ivan’s uncles house for the day. We met up with Mel and Manou by the obelisk monument. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining and the weather was crisp but not too chilly.

We all took a stroll in the park towards to Louvre. Ivan and Manou broke off from us so they could grab some food. Mel and I met up with her younger sister Ashley at the Louvre. Special props to the Razonable sisters. What a handful. It’s like hanging out with hamsters on Red Bull… hehe jk sisters. You are so cute! Never a dull moment with the two. They introduced me to a new term. ASTIG!

Anyways… we went into the Louvre which was probably one of the highlights of the trip trying not to laugh the entire time. I felt a little guilty considering we are surrounded by priceless art. But hey, when you are with these sisters and you are on a mission to see the Mona Lisa, things get funny and chaotic.

ASTIG!

After the Louvre we head to the opera house and meet up with Manou and Ivan. Ashley and Mel have to get home and Manou has to go to work, so Ivan and I go to get coffee. This time we went to a familiar place… Starbucks! I know I hate chains, but this Starbucks was special. Apparently it was placed inside an old museum. Pretty cool. Check out the pic.

Okay… again a long blog… I know. So I’m continuing the final day tommorow. We’ll get through this people. I promise J

My Trip to Paris (Part 1) ASTIG!

2008-10-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

Paris… the city of love… of lights, and of many things I am not sure of. But wow… what a city. When I stepped off the plane, grabbed my luggage and hopped in Ivan’s car, I felt a comfort that I have not felt yet in any other European city. Well, maybe in Vienna, but that’s because of my familiarity and close ties with the city.

I arrived in Paris Orly-Sud at around 8:30am and was greeted by a very tardy Ivan Huerto. I forgive you Ivan for leaving me hanging in the airport.

He arrived at around 9:30am… traffic is killer in Paris apparently. I walked out to meet him and he was standing “cool” by his new Volvo C30. Very nice Ivan. He greeted me… it was good to see him again.

I hopped in the car and we drove towards Paris. The road

signs were automatically familiar from the cross country road trip that Sean Donovan and I took earlier in the year when, on a whim, decided to drive from Santander, Spain to Lourdes, France, back down to Barcelona. French signs are amusing. We pass the city, which was a beautiful sight, but much to quick to really enjoy, and we arrive at his house at around 10:15am. I bring my stuff down and settle in my room upstairs. Surprisingly, in a good way, I find that I have a roommate for the next five days. It is Ivan’s Lolo. Lolo is Filipino for Grandfather. He is a nice old man. Rock on Lolo. Lolo and I chat for about an hour, and then Ivan and I take off for a tour of Paris…

Let me just say some things about Ivan. Ivan is the kind of guy you want when you are stuck in a tight spot. Yes, he can be a little dramatic ;-) Love you bro… but he never runs out of good ideas (that actually work), and you never have a boring moment with the guy. We became good friends instantly. He is like the brother I never had.

First place we went to was Sacre Coeur. This Church was beautiful. As soon as you walked in, you are taken back by the fact that the Eucharist is exposed.

The exposition of Jesus in the Eucharist has been around for a long time in Sacre Coeur. The unusual architecture of the basilica was powerful. Ivan and I spent some time in prayer and then walked outside.

The steps outside of the Church was filled with tourists. My favorite part was when an African street musician started singing American pop covers. After a couple of songs Ivan and I headed to Montmartre. This part of Paris marks the highest point in the city. It was filled with tiny outdoor shops and local artists. We didn’t stay to long, but I know someday I’ll be back there. Next stop, the city center. We arrived in the city at around 1:30ish and tried to find parking. Finding parking in Paris is like waiting for that one pretty girl at a dance. You want to dance with her all night, but she is always taken by some other dude. Anyways… we found parking and had lunch at this quaint restaurant. It was tiny, about the size of my apartment. We ordered mussels for appetizers. Great! They tasted so fresh… My entrée was a turkey breast in the traditional cream sauce that seems to be so prevalent in French cuisine. The meal was topped off with a Carmel Crème dessert that was fantastic.

During lunch, we were graced by Melanie Razonable. She is a little pistol. Her laugh made me laugh- almost every time. Mels… I do miss your laugh, and your spirit. She really has a great head on her shoulders, and she is beautiful as well… She took me around Paris and showed me the Notre Dame Cathedral.

This place is amazing, and I believe that everyone should try to make it out to this Church at some point in your life. The gothic structure was simply breathtaking with its ancient stone and stained glass windows. The only complaint I have of Notre Dame is the fact that the feeling of sacredness has been lost, because of the sheer number of masses that come through the Church. After some time in the Cathedral, Mel takes me through more of the streets of Paris. Mel, I wish I could remember all that you told me, and now I am super embarrassed, but it was a good tour J

I am going to end my blog here for today… I will put another installment in tommorow…

Chris Lim, my new little brother, and being Multilingual...

2008-10-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that Chris Lim has become like a little brother to me.

I think one of the funniest times we had so far was when we went to a Chinese restaurant in Scheibbs yesterday. It's the next town over, and it is funny that some small dinky town in Austria has a Chinese restaurant. The best part is that the Chinese restaurant has actual Chinese people there. I love hearing Asian people speak European languages. I think Asians can adapt anywhere. Not that I am biased or anything.

So back to the story. We go to this Chinese restaurant, and I order in German. As we eat, Chris notices that they are speaking Chinese. I tell him to ask for water in Chinese. He asks, they are suprised, and we get water. Three different languages being spoken at a table. How is that for multilingual. Chris and I are speaking English to each other. I speak to the waitress in German. Chris speaks to her in Chinese.

Languages rock. It was like the other day when I had to take a student to the hospital. I spoke to the receptionist in German and spoke to the student in English. All of a sudden as I was speaking to the receptionist, I get a phone call. I answer it when I don't recognize the number. It is my friend Ana from Vienna with whom I took German with over the summer. She greets me in Spanish and so I start speaking in Spanish. The student is amazed, and the receptionist is confused.

Here are my goals:

Learn more German
Strengthen my Spanish
Learn Italian
Learn French
Strengthen my Tagalog

Anyways... back to Chris Lim. He has grown on me. Sometimes I was to throw his butt in to the camp fire, but most of the time we're cool. Just kidding Chris... kinda.

We had an adventure today. We drove to Mariazell, which had to be one of the curviest roads I've ever drove on. Wow... I must have dodged three cars and multiple times came close to driving off the side of a mountain. But it was way worth it. Check out some of these pictures.

Everyone is gone...

2008-10-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of ten-day. Ten-day is ten days where the students get to travel wherever they want to in Europe. Many of them went to Greece, Spain, and France. I might run in to some of them in Paris. Who knows?

But I am here in the Kartause, enjoying the silence and peace of the 650 year old monastery. Life is good. I feel the stress leaving my body :-)

How amazing is His mercy...

2008-10-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

One of the thing that puts me in awe is the mercy of God.

Let's all reflect on this for a moment...

We are all sinners. From the moment we reach the age of reason, we turn away from the Lord. Some of us more than others. But none of us are exempt. We have all sinned. Furthermore, the wages of our sins is death. How could it be anything less? We turn away from a perfect loving Being, who came to earth to teach us to love, form a body of believers, and put to death our sin so that we may have eternal life. Yet we turn away. I turn away.

Yet at every moment the Lord pursues us. He pursues our sinful selves, not with vengeance or justification, but with love. He pursues us so that we will turn from our sin, and come back to Him. He never stops. He never gets impatient with us. He never stops. What an amazing God we have.

Father Brad, one of the Friars living in the Kartause says to me almost daily that we must constantly bath in God's mercy. It is being in this mercy that we learn not only how good we have it with the Lord, but how we must be with others. I know I grow impatient with my brothes and sisters. I live with them. I see their weaknesses. They see mine. Sometimes I want to just shut myself out. Sometimes I want to judge them harshly when I encounter their mistakes. But is this how the Lord treats me. I mean, I understand we must hold people to higher standards, but is it done out of love or out of annoyance. Lord grant me the grace to be merciful. Grant me the grace to be patient.

You are so merciful to us... No matter how great and terrible our sin is, it is nothing but a drop in the ocean of your mercy...

Attention all European Peeps... A Crazy Idea...

2008-09-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

Ok,

I have never done anything like this before, but I thought I could give this a try. Most of you all know that this is my first year living in Europe, and I would love to see more of this beautiful land. However, there are so many cities and so little time. So here is the situation...

I have a holiday coming up in October. It is a break from work from the dates of October 10-17th. I would loooooooove to use this break, October 10-17th, to spend some time in one of the awesome rocking cities of Europe. If you would like me to come visit you in your city, perhaps show me around a little during that time, maybe even let me stay in your house (I know... it's crazy... who would want to spend that much time with me), I will do the following:

1) Sing countless hours of Sing-a-long music with my guitar at your request.

2) Tell you tales of a young, rugged, Filipino man that will serve as good bedtime stories

3) Hang out and take pictures with all your friends

4) Teach you some cool American slang

5) Show you how to eat a hamburger in 3 bites

6) Explain some good Catholic Theology to you

7) Make you laugh like you've never laughed before...

8) Have an entire sweet blog dedicated to you after the trip is done posted on here for people to see all across the globe (and my parents read it as well :-)

Wow how could you not want that? Hehehe... I'm actually throwing this out there for reals. Fo shizzle!

If you are interested in housing Vince Granado from Oct 10-17th please send me a personal message if you are using multiply. If you are reading this on blogger, email me at vinsondgranado@mac.com.

Alrighty all... God bless your night and let your Sunday be blessed!

The students...

2008-09-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

All,

I figure that you should catch a glimpse of some of the beautiful people I

encounter on a daily basis...

Malta... I love Malta....

2008-09-25T01:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone,

I would like to apologize again. I know that I have not been posting as often as I should. I guess being busy does that to a person, not that that is a good excuse. But let me tell you about my past weekend. Just a little backstory.

I was invited by my dear friend Cay to go to Malta to do some ministry. I responded with a quick yes. The first time I heard of Malta was from the Maltese Falcon, not very good exposure. Anyways, the second time I encountered Malta was at the Youth Conference in Greece this past summer. The Maltese youth were amazing at the conference. They had this liveliness about them that was contagious. Every time I saw them at the conference, I just wanted to hug each and every one of them. Kinda crazy huh? Well I did... I also made some good friends with several of them and I knew that I would see them again soon...

So when the opportunity came for me to venture out to Malta I had to say yes...

This is how the weekend went down:

I left Gaming on Thursday at 3:30pm... I took the train, which was piled with FUS students traveling to various parts of Europe. I arrived in Vienna at around 8:00pm. I had dinner with Pat Salibi and Sam Camerota at the KFC on Mariahelfestrasse. It was pretty bad, the chicken was minimal. There really is nothing like American fast food. After that dinner I went to the Santayana's and had a fantastic meal (Do you like that Tita Nel?). After my second dinner Cay and I tried to do more prep work for the Malta weekend. We ended up sleeping at around 2am.

I woke up at 5:30am and brushed my teeth. We drove to the airport and caught the 7:30am flight to Malta.

11:00am we arrived in Malta. Wow the weather was perfect! 75 degrees and sunny! We were greeted by Ana and David. They are a marvelous couple involved in the community down there. We drove to Ana's house were we got to spend some quality time with the Xuereb family. A beautiful family I must say.

After lunch and dinner and a relaxed afternoon we headed to the retreat site, which was actually a parish hall. We met the teens and begun the leadership weekend. We spoke to the teens of their calling to serve Christ and the community. Good stuff!

The next day we wrapped up the overnight retreat at around 1:30pm. We went back to the Xuereb house and had lunch. I took a nap, because the night before I slept in the small chapel which was hot and filled with mosquitoes. I hate those bugs. I woke from my nap in time for preparation for the night session with the singles group.

At 8:30pm we headed towards the singles group session which was held at a school. We met with the group and did some praise. I love praise. I think that everyone should praise. All the time. Amen. Ok, so the praise and worship lasted for about 20 minutes and then Cay and I did a teaching on what it means to live out a Christian life constantly, 24/7. It was a great teaching, because even though I was giving it, I was convicted to live out my calling even more.

The evening finished at around 11:00pm. After, we went to Sleima, which was quite beautiful. They say that Sleima is Malta’s Venice. It was very nice.

We finally got home at around 2:30am. We hit the sack, and I slept like a rock. I woke at around 11am. It felt so good to get a goodnight’s rest. Sleeping is my favorite hobby. Anyways, since I woke at around 11am, that means I had no time to prepare for the worship session I was to give after lunch. I was a little panicked, but regardless the session went well. It is funny how in times like that the Lord will come to your aid. It is in these times that I know it is not my work, but the Lord’s. I believe that lives were changed this past weekend, and it was not through my unprepared and sick self (I had a terrible ear infection, and Cay had a bad cold) that the work was accomplished, but through God’s Spirit moving the community and doing His thing. Praise you Lord, You are good like that.

After the ministry was all finished on Sunday at around 4:00pm, we went to Dingli cliffs with some of the community members. Great times! And the cliffs were beautiful. I would like to thank Francesca for covering my eyes and letting my breath be taken away J

After our little excursion, we went back to Xuereb to pack. We left for the airport a little more than an hour before our flight. Thank you David for your crazy driving skills. We barely made the check in with traffic. We took the 8:50pm flight to Vienna and after a relaxing flight we were greeted by the Santayanas at the gate. I felt like I was coming home.

So this trip was amazing… I think about it now and how blessed I am to be apart of such beautiful work. Lord, who am I that you would call me to do this? I am not worthy, but You have chosen me. You have chosen all of us to a certain capacity, and for that we thank You for allowing us a small part in bringing Your kingdom. Lord, give us the grace to always brings it. Your will be done! And may God be praised!

Is this the beginning of fall...

2008-09-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and was shivering. I was actually shivering, clutching my comforter and shaking... I looked outside and did not see the usual sun and blue skies. It was replaced by drizzle and grey. It must be fall. Lord, please, if you can let this weather pass and let it be warm, at least for another month. I am not ready to surrender the warmth of the summer, I haven't bought enough 100 watt light bulbs to help me deal with the seasonal gloom of the lack of sunlight.

But you know what? Nothing looks quite like the fog coming off the mountains when it rains. It is quite a sight to behold. So with that I will say thank You Lord for this weather. It is perfect.

A hike to Mariazell...

2008-09-13T01:47:00.000-07:00

I love hiking. I especially love hiking here in Austria...

I mean where else can one find such beauty? We started the pilgrimage to Mariazell at 6:15am yesterday in our lobby. The busses were ready to go and we made our way to the Naturpark, which was about 20 minutes from the Kartause. From there we hiked around 6-8 hours to mountain town of Mariazell. The way was painted with mountains, rivers, and blue skies. It was a masterpiece that only the Lord could design. At every waterfall I marveled at the Lord's creation. I may have mentioned this before, but I feel that I experience the Lord in a very special way in nature. I think it is the power and beauty that I see when I am out in the Lord's creation. It gives one a sense of humility at the vastness and strength of the mountains.

At one point of the hike, I found myself alone, because I managed to pass everyone in the group. It was there that I happened to go off the course to Mariazell. For the next hour and half I was separated from the rest of the students. I knew that I was wrong when I found myself at the end of the trail and not in Mariazell. I called Katie and she informed me that I had made an error. I quickly turned around and made my way back to the trail. What an analogy for the faith! We are set before path that leads us to Christ and eternal life, and we follow that path, for a while at least. Then, we divert off the path and find that we are in sin. But God never gives up on us. He, in His mercy allows to know that we are wrong. Furthermore, He gives us the chance to turn around and come back to Him. What an amazing God we have. His love and his mercy is unfathomable.

Anyways... When I finally got to Mariazell, I felt like I was getting a taste of heaven. It was this beautiful mountain town nestled right in the middle of the beauty of this place. I had three big scoops of Tiramisu gelato at the local gelataria, and then played for Mass. The day was perfect...

Sunny days :-)

2008-09-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

I love the sunny days here. I walked outside again today, and almost started crying. It is so glorious here in this time of the year. I wish I took a picture to show everyone. Sun was out and not a cloud in the sky.

I hiked Book Mountain today with Jake, Dustin, Chad, and Kyle. We left at around 6 PM and got back at 7:45PM. It was a hike. When I got back to my apartment we had a bbq and had some good old fashioned American hamburgers. God bless the USA...

I miss all my brothers and sisters from the YFC conference. Much love to all of you, and know that you are in my constant prayers. Peace!

Tuesdays... (and the Salzburg and Munich Pictures)

2008-09-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

What I love about Tuesdays are that they are not Mondays...

I woke up and went to work. The good thing about today was that Katie and I started work today with prayer. I love this job. Starting from that moment, however, my office was filled with students at almost every moment of the day. The only break I had was when I went to Mass at noon.

The students are getting excited, because this weekend a lot of them are traveling Europe for the first time on their own. Some are renting cars, some are taking trains, some are even flying. Some will go to Eastern Europe, some to Italy, some will even make their way up to Sweden. I can't wait to hear about their experiences!

I am doing well. I am finally getting into a schedule. I love how at noon here, everyone goes to Mass. Staff, faculty, students. I would say about 85-90 percent of the campus is at noon Mass everyday. Again, I love this job.

Here are some pics from this weekend... enjoy... I know that I did!

Back from a beautiful trip...

2008-09-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

So we took the students to Salzburg and Munich this weekend...

My favorite times on this trip were:

1) Making a bus full of college students sing, "Do Re Mi" from Sound of Music....

2) Salzburg at night... absolutely breathtaking

3) The Augustiner in Salzburg

4) Skipping out at intermission during the Mozart concert to go for a night on the town with my staff... I love Australians (and Austrians too, but the Australians are a bit more fun)

5) Seeing Mitch Vogrinc scale the Glockenspiel in Munich

6) The Hofbrau House in Munich

7) The Tomaselli Coffee House in Salzburg (one of the oldest in the world)

I love my job... However, today was a little rough. Mondays in general can be kind of rough don't you agree? I had meetings today all the way up until 8 PM. It was an 11 hour work day for me. I'm definitely sleeping in tommorow.

Most important of all however is that today we celebrated the birth of Our Lady, Mary. Mary, Our Mother, Happy Birthday!!!

The madness continues...

2008-09-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

I was in work today trying to get a million things done, and I broke down and texted Cay the following message, "I gotta get out of here!" Seriously, days at work have been hectic. So many things to do with the opening of the school year. Students have a ton of questions, because they are not used to living in a foreign country. But at the end of the day, things are awesome, because you know that you have done a lot. I love my job, and I thank the Lord for it everyday. May it be to glorify You Lord. All for you...

So tonight we had a big dinner in my apartment after we finished another hard workout by P90X. It was funny, because people just started walking into my apartment when dinner was ready. By the time we started eating, there were 7 people there! But it was such a blast. Life is good here in Europe... Praise you Lord.

A beautiful day with P90X...

2008-09-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

So the sun was shining today. It was unbelievably beautiful outside. I wish I could have spent the day just hiking and exploring the beauty of this land. I think on Thursday, I will have to do that. Last night was the first night in a long time that I actually got more than 8 hours of sleep. Praise you Lord. But the funny thing was that I was even more tired than the day before, maybe my body is catching up with me. I'm going to sleep again for about 8 hours tonight. Glorious. Life is good.

I've been doing this exercise program called P90x.

Wow. Talk about difficult. I have done some hard workout programs in my life, but this one takes the cake.

Sleep is good...

2008-09-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

I love sleeping... I just don't get enough. I think I may have some sort of sleeping problem. I just can't seem to fall asleep at night, and when I finally do, I can't stay asleep. Ahhh! I need some good rest. Just a whole day to sleep would be fantastic...

Yet another trip to Vienna...

2008-08-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

Alright folks,

I apologize for the late blog entry. As you all know, if you have been following my blog, my life has gotten very busy. But here we go...

So the students had their second trip as a class on Saturday. We went to my favorite city! Vienna! What was even more amazing about going to this fantastic city was showing them around. However, as much fun as it was giving them tours of the city, I was a little disheartened because their is simply not enough time to give a good tour in 4 hours. There is so much to see.

We started the trip by going to Mass at the Minoritenkirche at around 11AM. I then took my tour group to Hapsburg palace. After we stopped by the plague memorial. This is where it got interesting. As I was explaining to the students the history of the memorial, an very upset Austrian lady vocally expressed to me that I was not able to give tours, because I didn't have an official license to give tours. Hehehe... what a spaz. I almost started laughing, because I found it so ridiculous that she was complaining that I didn't have a license to give tours. How am I supposed to get a license so I can explain to my students the beauty of Vienna. I guess this is what socialism does to a country.

So after the little incident, I brought the group to Stefensplatz to show them the Cathedral. After that we went to lunch. We had lunch at the Zwolf Apostel. It was pretty funny watching 160 students crammed into a Keller trying to eat a buffet style lunch. But at least the food was good.

After lunch we went to Capuchinkirche and then to the Albertina, where I ended the tour. I wanted to give the students enough time to see as much of Vienna as possible.

At around 5 PM, I met up with the CFC community. I missed them all so much! We had dinner Akakiko, to celebrate my belated birthday. Thank you Cay for making all that happen! And thank you Tessa for the incredible birthday cake. It was delicious to the last crumb, and yes I finished it already. Here are some pictures of the celebration...

Here is Jerome and Coby... how cute...

Nick and Mary... how cute are they?

Jerome and Chris

Jerome and Katie (Jerome is so popular)

Me and my birthday cake, yes I know there are no candles... it was for the photo...

Rebby, Coby, and I

Tessa and Me

Business...

2008-08-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

I think it's funny how we can get so busy with life that we forget the beauty that surrounds us. For most of my day, up until now even, I have been in my office trying to get stuff straightened out for work. I feel like when it gets busy like this, all I do is play catch up. Anyone else feel that way? Anyways, after work I was able to take some of the students to the waterfall by the Kartause. It was a little dark outside, and cloudy on top of that, so the beauty of the falls were not as great as when I first saw them. Regardless, it was still beautiful.

I got back from the hike to the falls and ate an entire frozen pizza. Yes, that's right. Time to hit the sack, we have a busy day tomorrow and I don't want to miss any of it. Peace...

A little tired...

2008-08-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, these days have been draining on me. Maybe it is because I'm getting older and I can't keep up with all these young bucks. But I love all of them. The students bring so much energy and life to the campus. After all, the program was made for them, and my job is to make sure that they are in an enviroment that is safe so that they may come closer to Christ...

I miss my family!

Okay... seriously... I cannot write anymore. I need sleep...

Mass with the Bishop in Sankt Polten... and My Birthday...

2008-08-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

So the students are amazing. I really love this group that has come in. They are so diverse. Their personalities are just so all over the place, and appreciate all of them. It was quite awesome being able to have Mass with the Bishop... Here is a group shot of all 160 students and some staff members...

Ok... so my birthday... wow. What a celebration. Thank you Lord for such a blessed day. It was sad that I didn't have my family to celebrate it with, but the Lord definitely provided and gave me so many good friends. This morning, when I went to the opening school meeting, the students greeted me with a cake and sang. Then the next meeting after lunch there was another cake and song. Then this evening at a bonfire that was held for me- thank you Mark and Niki!- another cake was made. I feel so loved. I would also like to thank the girls who brought me Milka bars and for my awesome staff for the gifts. Also to Katie for just rocking and being to good to me on Birthday. A special shot to Jerome for your birthday greeting that made me laugh so hard I cried. For everyone who wants to know... I am 28 now.

The highlight of the day was being able to go to Mass and give thanks to the Lord for giving me another year. Lord, please grant me the grace to live this year for your glory. Bring me closer to You and allow me to know you more...

They are here...

2008-08-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

The students are here... finally... all 160 of them. We are missing one, because his flight got delayed, but here should be here tomorrow.

Tomorrow we are waking up super early to go to Durnstein. We have Mass with the Bishop of the area, and then we are taking a tour of Durstein. It should be gorgeous outside.

Ok, I'm exhausted, so I'm cutting this blog short. Love you all and God bless!

My Big Fat Slovakian Wedding...

2008-08-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

I think one of the blessings the Lord gives me is placing me in the right places at the right times. Seriously, I think I've asked myself, "How the heck did I get this opportunity?" countless times in my life.

One of those times was last night... Over the time I've been here in Austria, I've had the honor of meeting some fantastic people. Two of those people are Tomas and Laura... I met them right when I arrived on the campus, and they have been nothing but welcoming. They invited me to their wedding this past weekend, and let me just say that Slovakians know how to party!

Not only did they invite my sorry butt to the wedding, but they even invited my rockstar staff... of course, the staff was put to work. Jerome and Andrew did fantastic jobs pouring champagne, and Andrew, Lynne, Justin, and Katie did great babysitting the myriads of children that live in the area. But after all the work, the dancing began... Here are some pics...

Justin and I

The staff and the Bride... hehehe

I even got a picture with the Slovakian wedding band, Quatro!

Me showing off my dancing skills...

Biking on the Donau and Bowling with the peeps...

2008-08-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

What is it with the rain these days... I kinda feel like I'm in Seattle. One day it's raining the next day its beautiful and then for three more days it rains... But alas, not all things are meant to be perfect. If it were, then we wouldn't have heaven to look forward to.

I would like to apologize to everyone for not staying on top of the blog, but I do have a good reason. The internet has been a little temperamental here... seriously. I think it's all the rain.

But this is what has been going on for the past several days...

Thursday- The staff went biking on the Donau, or the Danube as Americans call it. We started in Spitz (a little bit outside of Melk) and biked through Krems and into Durnstein. The scenery was quite lovely. The countryside was painted with vineyards and quaint country roads. The sun was shining, and the weather was in the upper 70's (F). My favorite parts of the ride were the small towns along the bike paths and the vineyards. Here are some pictures...

Friday- We did a whole bunch of work around the campus to prepare for the arrival of the students on Monday. Wow I can't believe they are going to be there this soon. But we are definitely excited. I'll be sure to post pics of the arrival of the Americans. You Europeans better have some appreciation for entertaining you the way I do... :-) But after all the work, we decided to take the staff Bowling in Purgstall...

My favorite parts of the bowling excursion have to be singing Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer", and watching Jerome bowl. I think I may have been crying...here are some pics from the night...

My rockin staff, but another rainy day...

2008-08-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

So I woke up this morning, knowing what we were supposed to do. We were supposed to take the staff and go biking for the day down the Danube. I was so excited about it, I hardly slept at all last night. Actually, that's a lie, I didn't sleep much last night, because I had coffee at around 10pm. But regardless, I was excited about the bike ride...

So my alarm goes off at around 7:30am, and I hear the sounds of dripping. I look outside, and to my dismay is the sight of rain. Sad day. Needless to say, the bike ride was cancelled for today. I was a little sad as I walked to Mass at 8:00am. However, after I received Jesus I felt much better. Christ makes all things new. Amen? After Mass, I had breakfast with the staff, and then talked with Katie about the day since we had to reschedule the bike ride.

We decided to do some policy review, and form training, and then go on a hike. The hike was great, because we took them to the waterfall by the Kartause. After the hike, which took a couple hours, we got lunch at the Kebap stand. I do love Kebaps. Then we did more policy and building reviews. I also found out that Tita Nel got my ticket for Malta. Again... the mother of the year award goes to Tita Nel...

Malta here we come!!!!

Ok back to today... After all the work, we headed to Mark Kalpakgian's house for dinner. Niki and Mark made a fantastic dinner. They made chicken Cordon Bleu, rice, and fresh green beans. For dessert we had chocolate mousse with fresh berries. After the lovely evening with the Kalpakgian's we went back to the Kartause and made some signs to hang up for the students as we told each other our life stories. Let me just say I love my staff...

There names are (which go along with the picture below):

Andrew, Jerome, Katie, Lynne, Justin, and Michelle

The Staff is here...

2008-08-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

I just want to say that I love my staff this year... They bring so much energy and excitement to the somewhat quiet town of Gaming.

I am exhausted... I love all of you...

A beautiful Sunday... I know this is late...

2008-08-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so first off, I apologize for the delinquency of this blog. My attempt at a blog last night was pretty poor. But hey, I was exhausted. Driving two hours at night drained me. So my weekend was fantastic, especially Sunday. It went like this...

I woke up at the Santayana's at around 8:00 am and got ready for coffee with my friend Silvia. We met at the city center at 10 am and went to a nice cafe

. I cannot remember the cafe, but it's where the Disney movie, Bambi, was written. Silvia, thank you for the great conversation, I hope we have more to come, and I'm looking forward to meeting your family.

After coffee, I went back to the Santayana's and we had lunch. Tita Nel, thank you for the marvelous shrimp. This woman can cook... I must have gained a couple pounds from staying with them this past weekend ;-) After lunch, we decided to go for coffee (can you tell I like coffee?) in Kahlenberg. I'll now let these pictures speak on behalf of the beauty of the place. Thank you Santayana family for taking me!

This is a view from the top of Kahlenberg. Quite nice huh?

Cay and myself at the top...

The cafe up here was simply beautiful... For your viewing pleasure, I got some shots from the fine establishment...

Temporary blog till I write one in the morning...

2008-08-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

Peoples...

To be a man of my word I am writing this blog. But this blog is meant just as a "filler" till I wake up in the morning... so, let's just say a quick prayer together...

Angel of God my guardian dear, to whom God's love, commit me here. Ever this night be at my side, to love, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

A rainy day in Viennatown...

2008-08-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

I love Vienna... I bet people are tired of me saying that, but I do. I got in the little orange Skoda after lunch, stopped by the Asci's house in Gaming, and played some hide-and-seek with the kids. They are so adorable, I love them. I got back in the car and proceeded to drive towards Vienna. It was going to be a somewhat of a short drive, because not too many cars were on the road. It seemed short, until I got to Vienna.

I cannot stand road construction... I find that it is one of the few things in the world that makes me impatient. My one and half hour drive turned into a 2 and half hour drive. Blah, anyways. I got to Cay's place at around 4:30pm. After I arrived, Cay and I headed straight to IKEA so I could pick up some stuff for the campus and some stuff for my room, including a mosquito net.

Why a mosquito net? Good question... The reason is because the Europeans don't believe in screens for their windows. Therefore when you open the window, everything gets in. I have woken up several times over the past two weeks to various bugs on my face and in my bed, including spiders. Not fun.

Alright, so after IKEA, we drove to Stefansplatz and played for the 7:00pm Mass. It was great... I love playing for Mass. After Mass, my second parents (thanks Tita Nel!) brought us to dinner at Akakiko, a fantastic little Japanese (Tita claims it is more Korean than Japanese) restaurant right by Stefansplatz. Lovely dinner... I had the sesame chicken, and everything else, because people kept giving me some of their food. I love it. The life of the party had to be my friends Rebby and Jericho's son, Coby. He is approximately 3 months old. He is this little chubby cute kid! After dinner, Tito was craving some Panna Cotta gelato. Good call Tito! We headed to the gelato place by Hohermarkt. Fantastic! I had the espresso and some panna cotta. *sorry is over my head right now bothering me*

Now I'm at the Santayana's house chilling and telling stories of my past... Thank you Tita and Cay for asking about my dating past!

Rainy days... but happy feast day Mary!

2008-08-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

It was rainy all day...

But it was Mary's Assumption. Awesome!

Tommorow... I'm going to Vienna! I can't wait to see you all!

All gave some... some gave all.

2008-08-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

My peeps,

On my grandfather's tombstone there is an inscription written: "All gave some, some gave all." That short line has so much meaning to it. One thing it makes me do is question, "What is it that I am doing with my life; the life that God has given me?"

Am I giving some, or am I giving all? I strongly believe, and I try to emphasize this whenever I speak to people about the truth of life, that when we die and meet our Maker, He will ask us what we have done with our lives that He has given us. And at that point we will be held accountable. This may not be the most uplifting message, but it is truth. We will die. We will be asked what we have done with our lives. We will be held accountable.

One person, whose feast day we celebrate today, is Saint Maximilian Kolbe. This is the example of a man who gave all. He gave in the ultimate way, by laying down his life.

A little background on this man:

Maximilian was born in 1894 in Poland and became a Franciscan. He contracted tuberculosis and, though he recovered, he remained frail all his life. Before his ordination as a priest, Maximilian founded the Immaculata Movement devoted to Our Lady. After receiving a doctorate in theology, he spread the Movement through a magazine entitled "The Knight of the Immaculata" and helped form a community of 800 men, the largest in the world.

Maximilian went to Japan where he built a comparable monastery and then on to India

where he furthered the Movement. In 1936 he returned home because of ill health. After the Nazi invasion in 1939, he was imprisoned and released for a time. But in 1941 he was arrested again and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz.

On July 31, 1941, in reprisal for one prisoner's escape, ten men were chosen to die. One of the men cried out, “I have am a husband, and I have a family!” Father Kolbe heroically offered himself in place of the young husband and father. All but four men (including Father Kolbe) died after three weeks of starvation and dehydration. Father Kolbe finally put to death by lethal injection.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe... pray for us...

Visitors from Vienna (and the United States)...

2008-08-13T07:22:00.001-07:00

Thank you Cay and Dunn for coming to visit me out here. It was a little sad because the weather was not too good. It was cloudy and rainy all day. But how can anyone be sad when Dunn is around. He is just so crazy. We didn't get to talk too much, because today was a day of prayer for the both of them. I did make them breakfast...

We had:

yoghurt

fruit

ham and cheese quiche

toast

coffee

and some of that crazy muslix stuff

It was nice to show people from here where I'm living.

A special shout out to my second mother... Tita Nel. I love you. You are so amazing for all that you do for me. Thank you for taking care of me. The food was just what I needed! I miss you a lot and cannot wait to see you! This Sunday I'll be in Vienna mama!

Okay back to our day... after the two visitors prayed and I did some work, we had lunch at the restaurant in the Kartause. I had some sort of deep friend pork that was breaded. Dunn and Cay had some sort of bread dumpling with mushrooms. Good eats!

They filmed some videos here to send to their friend in the US, because it was her birthday. Happy Birthday Cat! They even got one of the nuns to be on the video. I'm not suprised with those two.

They left at around 4:30pm. I cried. Just kidding. I don't cry. Sorry, I just don't. I try to, but I can't. Anyways. After they left I went on a long run and did some weight lifting. Word. Off to shower and pray. God bless you all!

Visitors from Vienna (and the United States)...

2008-08-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

We had:

yoghurt

fruit

ham and cheese quiche

toast

coffee

and some of that crazy muslix stuff

It was nice to show people from here where I'm living.

They filmed some videos here to send to their friend in the US, because it was her birthday. Happy Birthday Cat! They even got one of the nuns to be on the video. I'm not suprised with those two.

Canyoning...

2008-08-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

So what is canyoning? Well, it's what I did today with my staff. We got in a car and drove an hour through probably some of the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen. After we met with a small group of 4 people. One guy was named Joe. He was to be our guide for the day. He tells us that he has our equipment ready.

Mind you, none of us have even heard of "canyoning." I googled it, and it seems that there really is not set definition of what "canyoning" entails.

So back to the story... Joe hands us IKEA bags with our equipment. They included the following:

Harness

Full-body wet suit

water socks

mountaineering boots

Helmet

What the heck? What are we getting into here? So we drive another 30 minutes up a mountain and we suit up. Joe told us that we will be getting wet and to not be afraid.

So what happened is that we hiked uphill for about 20 minutes and then proceeded to head down towards the canyon. The first thing Joe has us do is sliding down the rocks. Our harnesses were great because they were perfect for doing that. They had this rubber padding on the booty area.

After sliding on the rocks we got to a slightly large drop. You definitely could not jump down it. So what we did was take rope and climb down using our grip. After a couple of those kind of drops we got to even larger drops. That was actually a little dangerous, because if you lost your grip you would fall pretty far.

Finally we get to the first of a series of waterfalls. The first was approximately 20 meters high. It was way cool. At this height we had to hook up the rope to our harnesses while Joe let us down. The scary part was getting to the edge of the waterfall and leaning back on the rope. Its like only thing keeping you from falling is this little knot tied to your harness. But the drop was fun! It's like walking on a wall, plus a whole bunch of water (from the waterfall) crashing on to your body. It was quite exhilarating.

The last waterfall that we did was about 100 feet up or 30.5 meters. It was so crazy, and the water falling was so hard.

So that was that... Canyoning is way fun. If you have a chance, I highly suggest it.

I got back and went to the grocery to prepare for two of my friends: Cay and Dunn. They are coming to visit tomorrow. I am so excited! I picked some flowers from the field and made a quiche (from scratch, I'll put the recipe with pictures up next week). Ok off to bed... God bless!

This is Exciting... How to Bake Foccacia Bread... Yes, I took these pictures in my kitchen...

2008-08-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

(Special thanks to Niki Kalpakgian for giving me the recipe)

1) Get your ingredients:

1 cup warm water

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons (heaping) Italian Seasoning

2 teaspoons yeast

2 cloves of diced garlic

First, combine the water, yeast, oil, salt, Italian seasoning and stir till it looks like this.

2) Second, add the flour and mix some more.

3) Third, the mixture will get thicker and eventually you will have to start kneading the bread. Knead the bread till the dough is consistent.

4) After kneading, let bread rise for 1.5 hours. (I find that if you cover the bowl, it rises better).

5) Preheat oven to 230 degrees Celsius.

6) Take dough and roll it out till it is flat, like so.

7) Make indentions on the surface of the dough and allow to rise for 20-30 more minutes

8) Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle some diced garlic

9) Place in oven for 15-20 minutes till light golden brown on top.

10) Let it cool for 3-5 minutes and slice

11) Serve with good olive oil mixture of olive oil, salt, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Climbing Mountains...

2008-08-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that I love where I live... I wake up every morning thanking God for the opportunity to do what I am doing right now. The beauty of nature is just right outside my door. So today was nice... I went to 10am Mass here in the Kartause. Afterwards, I had brunch with Katie and Tomas. We had waffles and bacon! I felt like I was back in the US.

After that Tomas and I met up with perhaps the coolest boss I have ever worked for.

We hiked the Buch Mountain which is a 15 minute walk from my bedroom. I can see it from my window. I didn't think it was going to be too tough... Well as you can see from my perspiration, it was tough, but we did the ascent in 50 minutes. Check out these pics...

A restful day...

2008-08-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

So nice to relax... kinda. I spent most of the day reorganizing my room. It looks a little better. I also did laundry and I'm about to bake some bread. I feel so domestic.

I went for a run earlier this evening and I was just blown away by the beauty out here. The mountains and the streams... I just had to stop in the middle of the run to admire it.

I want to ask all of you that read this blog to say a quick Hail Mary for my friend Tomas and Laura who are getting married in two weeks here at the Kartause in Gaming, Austria... ready? I'll even pray it with you

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and hour of our death. Amen.

Thanks all... I miss all of you in YFC and cannot wait to see you!

Peace and hair grease...

Another Day of Shopping... this time in Sankt Polten...

2008-08-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Ok,

I never thought I would say this, but I don't want to shop anymore...

Katie and I went to Sankt Polten, which is the capital city of this area of Austria. We stopped at the Metro store. It's basically a really nice Walmart. The highlight of the shopping trip was tugging around 4 large carts of items. I also bought a Simon and Garfunkel CD for 4.99!

Ahhh! I want to go to Vienna this weekend, but I'm really torn, because I need to have some time to just be still and prepare for this crazy semester... But then again... when could I come in to Vienna? Such hard decisions...

Please give me tips...

2008-08-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone,

My apartment is so blah... and now I am posting pics of my blah place so that you all can give me some pointers. Please respond quickly as I will leave tomorrow at 9.00 for the store... Let me know what you think I can do... peace!

P.S. The pictures are of the living room... I'll do my bedroom later!

My Night in Vienna...

2008-08-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings all,

I am not going to write much because I am exhausted. I had a long train ride and then used the fantabulous yet intricate public transport in Vienna. It's good to see my family here. I brought my second mom some flowers. I think she liked it... And then we had a household meeting. It was basically a night of prayer and discussion. Amazing time. We prayed for one another's intentions, and I mentioned praying for my future spouse. I got a hard time for that. Hahaha... I thank you all who were there... especially you Riche aka Chicong... Here are some pics of the evening...

IKEA... wow...

2008-08-05T10:50:00.003-07:00

You know you're getting older when you want to buy stuff for your pad. People, my place looks so blah. I mean, your place should be comfy enough for you to want to stay in in all day right. I guess it's just hard when you have nothing to fill your place with. That would probably be different I weren't moving every several years, but that's another topic altogether. Anyways, for day two of work in Austria, Mark, Katie and I went to IKEA to buy stuff for the campus. We ended buying 3 black leather couches, a nice table, and cool rug for the main lobby. We also picked up a couch and stuff for the kitchens as well.

I also picked some stuff up for my place. I got some of the cool sticker things that go up on your wall and make funky designs...

I am going to post some pics of my place up tomorrow and ask you all to give me some suggestions on what I can add to my room.

Tomorrow I leave for Vienna... get ready peeps...

First day of work...

2008-08-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Folks,

Today was the first day of official work for Franciscan University - Gaming Campus. What a day. I woke up at 7:45am. I was late to Mass and ended up not going.... eeek not a good way to start out the week. Katie met me as she was getting out of the Church. The work day began with us driving to Scheibbs to buy drinks for the student social at the end of August.

We got to Scheibbs and went to the alcohol store. Wow. Beer galore. One of the things we do here at Franciscan University is promote a balanced life, so one way we do that is provide alcohol for the students. Now wait a second... how does this accomplish promoting a balanced life? Well... all things in moderation. One can drink and yet be balanced. And it's difficult to achieve that balance coming from the United States, where drinking is not permitted till 21 years of age. In a way alcohol becomes taboo till that age.

But Europe is a different story altogether. It seems that here in Europe, people are brought up in a culture where drinking is acceptable at a much younger age. So what we try to do is introduce them into a culture where drinking is acceptable, but should be done in a responsible fashion that is in line with the Christian life. Therefore we have a social in the beginning of the semester where we provide them with alcohol, but monitor them so they can see that it is acceptable to drink, but that there is a responsible way of doing it. All things in moderation.

So anyways... the shopping for the drinks was fun. Afterwards, Katie and I went to the market to buy food for ourselves. I mean we've been living in Vienna for the past month and have no groceries in our places, so we had to stock up. I ended spending a whopping 75 Euro... Lots o food there. But I'll be eating well! Before we went back to Gaming, we stopped at a small cafe in Scheibbs. Fantastic coffee... I hope to frequent that place often.

We got back to campus at around 1pm. We took a lunch break and then met in the office where we had a short meeting with the overall director of the program. It was a good meeting, because it was short and to the point. Katie and I started working on some projects and ended at around 17.00. I told Katie and Tomas that I wanted to cook them dinner. So I made the following:

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad

Fresh Foccacia Bread (thank you Niki for the recipe)

Lemon Chicken with pesto on penne pasta

We had some great wine and chocolate for dessert.

We ended the night watching the "Count of Monte Cristo," a must see movie...

Ok time to hit the sack I'm gonna try to make it to Mass at 8am. God bless!

First Night in Gaming...

2008-08-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Ok,

Let me just say that the internet in Gaming (yes Tessa, I know I say it funny) is not good. For some reason I can't access the following sights:

1) Chase.com (my American bank)

2) blogger.com

So if any of you know what I can do to fix this problem... I will reward you with my gratefulness.

So today I slept in after a late night. I realized how much I love sleep. If I could spend a day napping, that would be fun. Cay and I ended up leaving a little late (sorry Cay, I know your mom reads this blog!), but we made it! Praise you Lord. Honestly, I wasn't worried too much. There is always another train to take.

The train ride was fun. Katie, my co-worker, and I prayed a rosary to start out the ride. We talked for a little bit, and then I fell asleep. Trains are so nice to sleep in, but make sure that you are with good company.

We got into Gaming at about 4:30pm and we were picked up by Professor Cassidy, who just arrived from Scotland. I got back to my room, and quickly changed into my running gear. I did a short 35 minute run before dinner.

The run was scenic and sunny. The mountains and streams that surrounded me were beautiful. Sometimes I can't believe I live here in all this natural beauty. Lord, you spoil me.

I got finished with the run and then got ready for dinner with the Kalpakgians. I arrived at their house at 6:30pm and was greeted by their cute son Ari. Wow, what a pistol! He is so full of energy and curiosity, much like any 3 year old would be. Soon after I was greeted by Dominic, the younger. He is adorable! He's one years old and just beginning to walk. Mark and Nikki are so great. What a charming couple. They are die-hard outdoors people. I love it, and I believe we will get along famously. Mark was already talking about the staff hiking trip before the students get back.

After dinner I went for a short walk around the Kartause. The night was cool and quiet. It is real quiet out here at night. Things really shut down after 8 pm. There were barely any cars even. The stars were beautiful tonight...

My Last Night in Vienna...

2008-08-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

I'll have to admit, I am feeling a little bittersweet right now. I am excited to get back to Gaming and to begin the work for Franciscan University, but I am very sad to be leaving the community that I've fallen in love with here in Vienna.

What am I talking about? It's not like I live that far, but still, even the distance of a couple hours can put a strain on communication. But I told a lot of you already, whatever free time I have it is for you all. The Lord called me to serve Him by serving you and I will be faithful to that...

And to all those who are supposed to go to Salzburg and stop by in Gaming next week, you better be there *ahem Chicong*

So today was great. I woke up kinda early... went running around the lake and saw an very overweight man running in a speedo. I love Europe. I had another kaseleberkaesesemmel for breakfast (did I spell that right?).

Then we went to the Happy Buddha in the city center for lunch. There I met with Rebby and her beautiful son, Colby. Cute cute kid... I posted some pics of the lunch and baby. Again they are interspersed throughout this blog, so disregard the order and what not.

After dinner we went to Stefansplatz where I played my first Mass in Europe. Wow. What a cool feeling. Thank you Lord for the opportunity. The choir sounded great! Good job all. After Mass, we had dinner at this place where they had good spareribs. Our waitress was a nice Bulgarian women.

After a long and enjoyable dinner (Thank you Tito and Tita), Cay, Jun, and myself went to Rebby's house where they were playing poker. 5 Euro buy-in. I was out fairly late in the game. I'm not a good gambler...

Anyways... so here I am, back in the Santayana's crib. I really will miss them and the community. Cay, make sure you get more sleep... Alright... it's time to hit the sack. Good night and God bless...

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...

2008-08-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

Alright kiddos, it's time for another installment... What an amazing day... Let me just say I love Vienna. Vienna is by far my favorite city in Europe and I'll tell you why:

1) It's extremely safe. I have walked home from the city center a number of times, close to midnight, and other people were walking as well. I never felt threatened or in danger.

2) Very clean. I have yet to see a city this big as clean as this one. I think Denver would come kind of close.

3) Great public transport. It's simple to get around and it's relatively cheap.

4) Good mix of cultures

5) Great bakeries

6) Amazing cafes

The rest such as the history and the architecture and art are also notable...

Let me tell you what I did today:

1) Woke up at around 9:30... good sleeping in. I went for a sunny 9k run around the lake by the house I'm staying at. *This was my first encounter with nude sunbathing... kinda traumatic...*

2) I did my laundry

3) I helped Cay cook

4) I went to Mass in the city center

5) I went to a choir practice (I'm playing Mass at Stefansplatz tommorow night at 7pm)

What was most great about my day was the fantastic food I had:

(I know it's weird I'm listing what I ate, but I think you'll find it interesting...)

1) Siopao (A filipino sticky bun filled with meat)

2) Kaseleberkaesesemmel (Ok, its a long word and I think Jun may be messing with me, but it's a bun with a hunk of sausage in the middle)

3) A Milka chocolate bar

4) Topfenkolatsche (a croissant filled with sweet cream cheese)

5) Pasta salad (feta cheese, penne pasta, tomatoes, fresh basil, grilled chicken)

6) Spaghetti

7) Palabok (Filipino noodle dish)

I am so full... Thank you Lord for all this food. Ok, I'm about to crash... peace...

A Bunch Pictures from Greece... and a Weekend with the Santayanas...

2008-07-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Greece... I miss all of you!

Ok the rest of my blog has nothing to do with these pictures... sorry...

I have officially finished my German class and have moved out of my tiny apartment in the 17th district. It feels good to get out of there, honestly. I am currently staying with a beautiful family, the

Santayanas. They have taken me, a transient Filipino (not really, but it sounds cool huh?), into their home and made me feel so welcomed. Thank you so much. And a special greeting to my new mother... Tita Nel!

We just had dinner at the La Hodney Restaurant... fantastic. I had the "Maria Theresia," a grilled chicken dish with fried potatoes and covered with onions a

nd curry powder. It was a task to finish this dinner, because of the quantity and my shrunken stomach. I guess should eat more than pastries, espresso, and chocolate throughout the day. It was great conversation as well... Thank you Santayana family for a lovely evening.

I'm sitting now in their chic place. They even have a room made up for me. God you spoil me through your people. Thank you.

On a side note, I miss all my brothers and sisters from the Athens conference. You are all a blessing! And I wish we could hang out all day and take funny pictures and put it to some cool music.

Tomorrow will be a relaxing day... running in the morning. Mass. Prayer. Fellowship with the community tomorrow night. Praise you Lord....

Check these pics out from the Athens conference!!!

Reflection on my last day of class... almost...

2008-07-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

My classes are done! Well, not really. Tommorow is my last day, but I love Deutsch...

I can't believe that I have been here for a month now... I love it when something comes to an end, and I always say "Man, I can't believe that went by so fast..." I won't say that this time, because it didn't go by fast. I think for once in my life I lived (or at least I attempted) to live one day at a time. This was probably one of the most enjoyable months of my life... seriously... I have never experienced the Lord the way I did this month. He has been so intimate with me, and I think because of the time that I took to be with Him, I learned how to listen to Him better. Do I know what He wants for my life and all that stuff... no, not entirely, but I think I am more convinced that I am on the right track. Will we ever follow His will perfectly? Most likely not. But I think the point is that we are attempting (and falling short so many times), and He takes joy in that. Much like a dad who is watching His child trying to walk for the first time. The child will fall and cry and hurt, but the Father is delighting because we are trying to walk to Him...

Lord thank You for my time here. Please bring me closer to You everyday...

Alright time to get some gelato downtown... love you all...

Hotness...

2008-07-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

All,

I would just like to say that it was almost 90 degrees (F) today in Vienna... love it! I almost skipped class. Okay peace...

Greece- Youth For Christ Conference in Athens...

2008-07-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Wow!

I am actually speechless, and I have been this way since the conference ended yesterday afternoon. I was sitting in the airport in Athens, Greece on the verge of tears. I am just dumbfounded on how the Lord works and how He chooses us to do things we never thought we would be doing.

So let me give you a backstory, because you are probably wondering what the heck I am talking about.

About three weeks ago I was invited by my very good friend Cay to give a workshop for an international youth organization called Youth for Christ. I agreed to do it without knowing too much about the organization, except my little involvement with them in the United States. She informed me that the conference was going to happen in Athens, Greece. I was excited. I started to pray and fast for the upcoming conference.

Anyways... I showed up on Friday afternoon at Athens... It was sunny and blazing hot. I felt like I was back in Texas. It was a radical change from the Austrian weather (It was 50 degrees F and raining the previous week).

When I showed up at the airport I was greeted by two awesome members of YFC (Annes from Nice and Zsa-Zsa from Monaco). They were also waiting to be picked up. Our ride showed up about an hour later and we headed straight to the conference center.

We showed up and were immediately greeted by a service crew that had been preparing for the conference an entire week in advance. They were all so friendly and welcoming. I was overwhelmed! I must have met nearly a dozen people from 5 different countries in the first 30 minutes of my arrival.

They put me to work immediately as I had to do soundcheck with the band. The band was so cool. Many were from France... I love French people... which is good, considering a bad experience with the French earlier this year.

After the check we started the conference... wow. So much energy right off the bat. You could feel that the teens had such a yearning for Christ. They brought a lot of baggage to the door. The speaker (Sherwin from the UK) was phoenomenal. He spoke on the love of God. It is such a simple message, but so essential. We all forget sometimes about the Lord who loves us in a crazy way.

After his talk, I played a reflection song called "Magnificent" by Hillsong. After the song, I was given the ok to lead them into a little worship. I just started singing "Glory, Glory, send Your Glory..." It was a powerful moment, because the Holy Spirit began to move throughout the crowd.

We ended the night with a team meeting that must have lasted for over 2 hours. The thing about Europeans, which is so fascinating to me as an ignorant American, is that when they discuss things they discuss them at great lengths. Very different from the American mentality.

We finally slept.

Saturday was filled with so many things, I can barely remember what happened. There were sports competitions early in the day (another thing that I have never seen at a youth conference), and then we started the sessions. The session had a number of Euro youth sharing how Christ has influenced them over the past year... very cool. After lunch I gave a workshop on worship, it was called "100% Worship." I felt it went well.

The evening session was lead by Dun, a missionary for YFC from the US. Dun I miss you bro... We bonded over the weekend... it was cool. We then moved into the worship session of the night. It was powerful, because the actual session was lead by a missionary from Malta, JP. What fire he had. The Holy Spirit was definitely leading this guy. The whole hall was set ablaze and many healings and conversions happened that night. We went to sleep well that night...

Actually I lied. I didn't sleep at all on Saturday, but Im sure that everyone else besides Cay, Dun, Sherwin, Annes, Ivan, and myself slept great. We felt that the original line-up of the Sunday session was different from the Lord had planned. We spent some time in prayer and discerned that the Lord was moving in a different direction. SOOOOO... at the last moment, we changed the entire session and speaker line-up. We were up all night rewriting the session.

At 7am, we were exhausted, but at peace. Mass was at 8am and we were all dozing off. But I think the Lord understood. At 9:30 the speaker went on stage and gave the teens a final talk, which was fiery, yet practical. "You will go back into the world, and it will be difficult... be prepared and don't listen to the lies that this world will tell you. It will tell you that what you experienced this weekend was not real or that it doesn't matter. But don't listen. Stand firm to the faith and we, with God's grace, will change Europe!" Wow... what a powerful message.

Lunch was bittersweet, because I had to say goodbye to all my new friends. I want to especially thank the community in Greece for being such incredible hosts. I want to give a special shout-out to the community in Malta! I love you Malta, and I'm excited for the next conference in Malta next summer! May God be praised...

Now its time to recover. I spent nearly all morning sleeping in and I plan on doing the same tomorrow. Next week work at Gaming starts, so I better enjoy it now... May God be praised!!!!

A scene from downtown Vienna...

2008-07-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

All,

Here is a pic of the street in Vienna that I walk down everyday to get to class... immediately to the right of the camera is the Operahaus... Enjoy

Raining again....

2008-07-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

Ahhh! I this rain is killing me... I mean, at least it's not raining fire with 100% humidity, but seriously folks. It's 57 degrees (according my handy Apple thermometer) outside in the middle of July. Lord bring us some sun.

I am getting my first haircut in Vienna. I'm kind of excited... the ladies don't speak English so we'll see how it all turns out.

Tonight I am going to talk with my best bud/brother/friend in the whole world, Sean Donovan. Everyone in Steubenville... please keep an eye out for him. He's the one everyone claps for when he enters into a room.

Ok, almost time for lunch... time to venture out into this storm, and find some cheap food. Peace...

It's freaking cold in Vienna...

2008-07-21T15:18:00.001-07:00

It's July 21st and it was 60 degrees out tonight. What the heck? I had a scarf on tonight...

Katie and I just got finished watching a ballet (on screen) at the Rathaus... The ballet was loooooooong, and I love the ballet. I guess I wasn't expecting to be that long, and I think the people around didn't expect it either, because we had about 3 different couples get up in the middle of the performance to leave.

Getting really excited about the conference in Athens! Pray for us this weekend!

Sundays = sweetness

2008-07-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

What a fun weekend. I really got to experience the joyousness of the Filipino community here in Vienna. So to all you Filipino-Austrians reading this... Danke Sehr! You are all so welcoming and loving and I thank you for making me feel so at home.

Let me tell you about today...

I woke up at 8am and hit the streets running... literally. I had a good 30 minute run. I then took the public transport out to Floridsdorf to go to a Filipino Catholic Church here in Vienna.

Wow. What an experience. I felt like I was back in the homeland (Philippines that is). There must have been hundreds of Filipinos in this Church. It was packed! I met so many people it was overwhelming... in a good way.

As we were leaving it really made me realize how peoples of a different culture will really come together once they are outside of their native home. I see this to be true even in the USA. Look at the public Universities... All the groups stick together. You have your Pakistanis in one area. Your Hispanics in another. Your Asians in another... It's funny how it works, but it happens so naturally.

After Mass, we had lunch at Cay's place. We ate the following:

Adobo
Chicken Wings
Lumpia
Garlic Fried Rice
Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella salad *Yes kinda out of place, but it was good*

An amazing meal... After we played a couple of songs on the guitars and then headed to the youth center for the Youth For Christ. We got there and the teens were already there. We entered into a time of praise and worship... very powerful... Praise You Lord...

Then it was time for them to practice their dances for the upcoming weekend. They are competeting against other Youth For Christ dance groups in Athens, Greece this weekend. The Austrian group is defending their title, because they won last year. Let me say that from a layman's point of view the dance they have prepared is pretty spectacular. I'll try to get a video up after the weekend...

After the youth center we went to Lester and Sharon's place for dinner. They have the two most adorable daughters: KC and Zoey... Zoey was like a little eating machine. She could eat... a lot. Dinner was fantastic, and thank you Sharon for asking very personal questions about my love life... We must be family!

Now I'm back at my tiny crib in the 16th district... I'm going to look at my Deutsch homework and then drift off to sleep. Thank you Lord for another chance to encounter You. God bless...

Thank God it's Friday...

2008-07-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Lord,

Thank you for allowing me to experience You in so many ways this week. Through my new friends... through Katie... through the frustrations of language school... through strangers... and most of all through the Eucharist and the quiet moments during prayer.

Amen.

Everyone,

I humbly ask for you to pray for the upcoming Youth For Christ Leadership Conference this upcoming weekend, on July 25-27th. Pray for the young people who will be attending as well as the staff and speakers, especially Ana and Tessa. These ladies are two of the main organizers and could use as much prayer as we can give.

Peace...

Rain and pics of me with the Käsekrainer...

2008-07-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Raining. It's raining. The day was all about it. I love/hate days like this, because 1) The rain makes me sleepy 2) I always feel at peace. It's something about the rain that is conforting. I dunno...

So the day went on as usual... Woke up, grabbed some breakfast. Hopped on the tram, caught the subway and went to class. Class was great today. I learned how to say "cheap." After class, I went to adoration and then went to the store, because I was to cook dinner tonight with my friend Katie. I went to the Interspar and did some shopping for some food..

I bought the following items from the store:

1) Brown hearty bread Käsekrainer
2) Olive Oil from Italy
3) Fresh mozzarella cheese (buffalo of course)
4) Some other kind of cheese (mildly sharp and reasonably priced)
5) Pasta
6) Fresh vine tomatoes
7) Butter
8) Canned tomatoes
9) Parmesan stuffed olives
10) 2 Milka bars (I ate half of one on the tram, I was hungry)

*It's interesting, but the stores don't give you bags to put your groceries. I'm sure its a way of being enviromentally friendly. Go Austria.*

I left the store, waited forever at the tram station, and then walked through the pouring rain to Katie's apartment. I offered it up for all your souls..

So dinner tonight was pasta with some canned tomatoes, a little garlic, and some fresh olives. Wow. Good stuff. Katie made her pesto bruchetta with the fresh mozzarella. We had the Milka bars for dessert. I love cooking with good ingredients. Can't beat it.

Ok... so here are some pictures from last night. This was when we went to St. Stefansplatz with my new awesome friends Cay and Jun.

(the Käsekrainer, cheese filled sausage)

(Jun, myself, and late night goodness)

(Cay, I don't know how you managed to take this picture)

Austria, Laughing, and the Filipinos...

2008-07-16T15:14:00.001-07:00

Greetings people,

I had another memorable night tonight. Tonight was the first night I led worship in a European country. Granted, the people were Filipino, it was still in Europe. It's been so long since I've been able to praise like the way we did tonight. Thank you all you members of Couples For Christ and Singles for Christ in Vienna.

The day started out with me heading towards school. After, I met up with Cay and Jun at the Starbucks near the Operahaus. We then drove to Cay's house in the 22nd district. Jun and I took turns playing praise and worship songs together. I never realized how many praise and worship songs I don't know. It's like Europe has this secret stash of P&W that we haven't seen yet. But it was good. After an hour of playing, Jun tells me that we are playing for a prayer meeting tonight. Suprise :-) We left for the meeting at around 7 PM.

I felt like I was back in the Philippines! We stepped out of the car and immediately, as we walked into the Couples for Christ Center, I was greeted by smiling Filipino faces. There are so many Pinoys here in Vienna. I will never feel separated from my peoples. We, Filipinos, are some of the most adaptable people. Once I met a Pinoy in Haiti (of all places), and he tells me that there is a community of 300 Filipinos working construction there. Wow. So I'm greeted by Filipinos and they notice I am from the US from my accent. We speak in Tagalog and I felt so at home. For a moment I forgot I was in Austria.

Worship was awesome tonight. I was actually on guy singing, because Jun decided to leave me hanging by not taking a mic. Thanks Jun :-) JK. However, the prayer was led by an Austrian man who was married to a Filipina. He was real cool. I told him I was from Dallas and he asked me where JR from the show Dallas was. I have no idea. But he was still really cool. Tonight, a missionary from Couples for Christ Philippines gave a talk. He spoke about loving and what real love means. It was very good.

After the session was over, I met a whole mess of Filipinos again. They invited me back to play on Saturday for their general assembly. So that's what I'll be doing this weekend. Rock on. We left the center and then a whole bunch of us started piling into cars. I was told that we were going to get some Austrian sausages and gelato. Heck yeah, life is good. We drove to Stephensplatz and walked around for a bit. I love Vienna at night, it is so beautiful. I mean, its not like crazy busy like New York at night, but it's very chill and relaxed. Yet so many people are out having wine or gelato or just walking around. Very different from the rest of Austria, which shuts down after 7pm. Probably because everyone walking around is not from Austria... After the food, I felt stuffed. We walked around for a bit more.

I love being with Filipinos, because they know how to laugh. They will laugh at everything. I think it's because they have endured so much from the country's past. Therefore, nothing must be taken so seriously, or else how else are you going to make it through life? Life is hard... we should learn lessons from the island peoples. Laugh. Right now. Seriously. Tickle your feet or think of the time you peed your pants in the third grade (ok maybe that left some emotional scars). But laugh at your life, because it's pretty funny if you think about it... I was reading GK Chesterton the other night and he says that "truth is not solemn, because the truth of life is that it is laughable..."

The Rathause Film Festival in Vienna...

2008-07-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Wow... what a fantastic evening. Actually, what a fantastic day.

I started out early at 7:30, waking up and running through the Habsburg Palace and Volksgarten with Katie. It was so nice out, and a little cool so the sweating wasn't too terrible. There is something about running through gardens that feels so invigorating. We ended the run by stopping by this local baker right next to Katie's apartment in Alser Straße. He claims that he cuts the little indentions in each zimmel by hand, as opposed to all the other bakers who use machines to make their zimmels. It was good regardless.

I went back to my place at around 10am and got ready for class. I got on my normal transit: Walk 3 blocks to get to the Straßenbahn station. Take Güpterferlingstraße to Schöttenor. Get off at Schöttentor and hop on the U-bahn to Karlsplatz. Get to Karlsplatz and walk underground for a little bit till I get to the Operhause exit. I usually grab a pastry and a coffee at Anker (a chain bakery) before I go out the exit. As soon as I exit, I cross the street and my Deutsch school is right there.

Anyways, class was ok. Really long. Try taking an intensive language class for 3 hours everyday. I think some of you who took intensive Greek or Latin at FUS can relate. As soon as class was done, I met up with Martin and Georgi. These guys are from Bulgaria. Cool guys. We walk towards Stephensplatz and I give them a short tour of the Cathedral. We walked down what we call the "American Shopping Street" and stop in a couple of stores so my friends can look at some stuff. After, we headed to Habsburg palace (the second time for me today). I show them around the palace and explain a little of the history. It was good practice for when the students come.

I leave the guys at Hapsburg and then went to Mass at the Capuchinkirche (Capuchin Church). All in German... After Mass, I went back to Stephensplatz for my prayer time in the Eucharistic adoration chapel (the only one in the city center). I leave adoration and grab a quick dinner (I forgot to eat lunch) of Kebaps (a street food). Yums. I digest and then head to a cafe to check my email, but the email was down so I left.

I decided to head to the Rathause where I was meeting Katie for the jazz concert and movie that was playing that night. It was nice because: 1) it's free 2) the night was great as was the atmosphere. Katie grabs dinner and I grab a beer. We end up sitting next to this elderly couple from Holland and strike up a great conversation. Emi and Tom are their names and they have been all over the world. Every continent, except South America. But they did live in Guatemala for a year. We talked for about 2 hours. Good stuff.

They left us at around 9:30, which was perfect because the movie was beginning. The movie was Peter and the Wolf. It was a modern animated rendition of the Russian classic. It was good, but not as good as the Disney film (in my opinion). After the movie, we stayed around for a movie showing the San Francisco Symphony Orch. playing Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. We left the Rathause at around 11:00 pm. It took us a while to get back to our places, but here I am. Exhausted... Sleepy... A little more cultured... and filled with God's grace.

Loneliness...

2008-07-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Travel can be draining, and I know all of you who have travelled extensively know what I am talking about. Currently, I am back at my favorite cafe in Vienna, right next to the Opera House. I think for the first time in two weeks I am feeling like I am at home in Vienna. It is such a marvelous city, really. It's tiny enough that you know where everything is, yet it is big enough to make new discoveries on a daily basis and get lost in the crowd.

Personally, I think today wa

s also the first time I felt a bit of loneliness. As I was exiting language school, I kinda felt it coming on. I miss my friends, family, and some of the comforts of home. So I rushed to the Eucharistic Chapel, which is conveniently located a block from this cafe. When I got there I immediately fell on my knees and told Jesus how much I needed Him and how I was feeling that day.

It was such a moment for me, because Christ reminded me that nothing can fill the loneliness but Him. It must be Christ, and no one else. He reminded me that so many people, as I have experienced before, who have many friends, family, etc, all experience loneliness. I think this keeps us dependent on Him. What Augustine said really rang in my ear, "My heart is restless, till it rests in You..."

Thank You Lord for reminding me of Your incredible and intimate love for me. I know that no matter where I go or how alone I may "feel," I will never be alone for You are always with me.

Sleepless...

2008-07-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

Brothers and Sisters,

I am in fact awake at 4:48am in a hostel in Salzburgh, Austria... While my roommates (one of them whom I know) are sleeping, I am wide awake in the lobby pumping out this blog. I think that is one thing I annoys me, not being able to sleep. I must have tossed and turned in my bed for the past couple hours trying to fall asleep. I think I may have too much on my mind. I just bought a ticket to go to Athens, Greece to give a workshop at a youth conference. I am also thinking of this semester and how I need to finish my masters within this year so I can stand a chance on the comprehensive exams. Not to mention finances, yada yada yada. No wonder I can't sleep... ok. Breathe....

I was also told that when you can't sleep at night, that's when you need to pray for someone who needs prayer. I'll get on top of that as soon as I am writing this blog.

Tommorow... today... er... whenever the sun comes up... we are leaving for Munich, which is about an hour and a half drive to pick up two Chinese priests. They apparently couldn't make it back to China, so we are bringing them to Gaming tommorow. I'm excited to see Munich. I hear from everyone that it's great... I guess I'll fill you all in later... peace, and pray that I get some sleep.

Ah the weekend...

2008-07-11T02:44:00.000-07:00

No class today! This is the beginning of my weekend... so off the Munich to pick up two Chinese priests and then back to Gaming. How I miss Gaming and it's natural beauty. Get me out of the concrete jungles!...

Opera and Waking up late...

2008-07-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

I hate waking up late. I couldn't sleep last night, I think it was the mix of chocolate, wine, coffee, and walking. Never mix those if you want to get to bed that night...

But let me just say something about last night. I got back to my apartment in the 6th district at around 17:00 and then started to change. Alice (my British neighbor) and I headed to Katie's apartment in Alser Straße at 17:45. We had a fantastic dinner and then went to the Operahause in downtown Vienna to listen to the Orchestra play Mozart. We managed to get in the "standing room." Beautiful music... The only downside was the absurd amount of flash photography and the comments of the dude standing next to me. One of my favorites was immediately after a piece from Don Giovanni; he says, "Man, the are filming Cheech and Chong 5 now!" So funny... I didn't get back till midnight and just could not get to bed. I woke up late and missed breakfast again (the family that lives above me provides me with breakfast everyday...its nice.). I get on the Tram and then hop on the subway and make it to class a little early.

I step in the class room and my two vibrant Spanish classmates tell me they are going clubbing tommorow night to some place called Flex. They invite me to come, but I decline because of the trip Katie and I have to take to Münich this weekend. They give me a good tease about being so busy and that "todos Americanos" are like that. I told them some other time...

Class was great. There is nothing like three hours of intense German, with a 15 minute break. But I am learning a lot, and that is the point for this month.

After class, I met up with Cay and Jun. They are so great. We talked about everything. Most importantly, we talked about the Lord and the work that He has called us to. Europe is a tough cookie, because a lot of people have stopped believing in the Lord. Cay works as a missionary to many of the young adults, and she says that atheism and agnosticism are becoming more and more prevalent in Europe. She has her work cut out for her. But they were so welcoming and made me feel like family. Cay and Jun, thank you for your friendship. You two are a blessing...

After that, I met up with Katie at her apartment and we went for a run through the Schöbrunn palace. It was gorgeous. The manicured gardens and the tightly packed gravel paths seemed endless. It was a good run.

We finished the night off with a nice dinner and conversation. I decided to walk home tonight from Katie's apartment. It took me about 40 minutes. There is not too many people out at night here in this city. It's kinda nice.

So tommorow's goal is to wake up early. Have a nice breakfast and go over the tour notes for Vienna while looking at all the sights. This is to prepare for all the students coming in August. God please grant me a restful sleep....

Walking...

2008-07-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Dear peoples,

So I've been on this new kick of walking to get food. It is so good for you. You guys should definitely try it. Here let me demonstrate...
*disclaimer*
But before I demonstrate, let me say that walking to get food is not necessarily out of choice. I have no car. Thus I must foot it.

Let's say I need to get food. Ok, lets also assume that cooking in your kitchen is not an option, because the language-school program put you in an apartment where there is no kitchen. So its time to get food. Put on your "shoes." They are essential for making through many days of walking in Europe. And by shoes, I mean shoes, not stilettos or any type of high heel. Cowboy boots are bad too, especially for guys. You want something comfortable, and durable, and because I really love all of you, I put a short pictorial at the end of this blog for everyone...

So I got my comfortable yet stylish walking shoes on (and they must be stylish, because everyone here in Vienna is stylish... don't ask why, it's just part of their culture) and I'm walking out my door for the closest food place. I run into a small convenience store. I see some shady sandwiches that could be from last week. Nothing else around... Hmmm. OK, I have a monthly Tram/Bus/Subway pass, so everything is accessible if I can sit around for about 15 minutes. The only problem is that the nearest public transportation spot is a good 20 minute walk from my apartment.

So I pass the shady convienience store and head to the tram stop.

I get on the tram and sit for 15 minutes (maybe I should have just walked)...

(thats not me, I just wont take pictures of myself in a public tram... thats sketch)

I then get off and head to corner off the main street where there is a plethora of kebap stands. These kebap stands are the equivalent to our pizza joints in major cities, they have one at every corner, and they are relatively inexpensive. But ohh sooo goooooood.

Now, my dimmema is which kebap stand because here I am on a street with 3 or 4 kebap stands within 15 seconds of each other. I think this is what you do in a problem like this. Look for the stand with the most people and go there. Avoid the ones with no one around, they probably use questionable meat or something. I gobble this fantastic blend of pita, meat (don't ask what kind), cucumber sauce, hot sauce, tomato, and lettuce. I wash it down with a beer. Great lunch.

Time to walk back (and I will walk the entire distance) and work this off... I love eating in Europe.

Now get ready for a....

A Basic Shoe Guide for Europe

Bad Shoes for walking in European cities

Cowboy Boots... you'll just get made fun of (behind your back)... trust me.

Some Haute Couture heel...You make look like a diva, but your feet will have their revenge on you later.

Flip-flops (Jcrew, Gap, Reef, Rainbow, etc) They look cool, but trust me, after an hour of walking, they won't be so nice. Furthermore, with so many people walking around the cities, your piggies are bound to get trampled.

Giraffe Slippers...Hmmmm.... no.

New Balance mall walker shoes...OK folks, here's the deal. Only wear these if you are 75+ and walk around malls. Nothing screams uncultured and loud American more than these. We have some better alternatives for you...

Good shoes for walking in European cities

Classic loafers... get yourself a good insole if they don't fit too well and these babies are good to go.

Chuck Taylors... these puppies have made a huge resurgence among the younger crowds and fit pretty much every occasion. I saw a pair tonight in the Opera House (although not recommended). Oh yeah, and they are cheap in the US.

Asics Otsunika- These are nice, because of the retro look and for the über comfortable fit.
Puma Speedcats- Same as the Asics, and great with jeans.

Kenneth Cole Dress Boot- Guys, these are the way to go when you are dressed up and walking around Europe. Super durable and comfortable. Plus, most cobblers will replace these soles when they wear down.

Nike shoes... use these instead of your above New Balances...

Gucci flat pumps- I love these flat shoes for women... almost all women in Europe wear some type of flat shoe like this...

Remember, when your living in a foreign country you want to fit in- blend in rather. I know...I know. Fashion smashion. I'm just saying, wearing these shoes are very comfortable for all the walking you'll be doing, and no one will think you're a foreigner... till you open your mouth...

FIrst blog...

2008-07-08T02:27:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

*disclaimer*

I hope you get a kick out of this blog. This intended for entertainment purposes only. If you learn anything from reading these ramblings, I assure you that it would be purely on accident, and perhaps providentially.

Ok, seriously. I am currently in a Starbucks right now in the middle of downtown Vienna. It's a little cold out (60 degrees), but it beats Dallas, Texas weather. I feel pretty bad for you Texans right now, because if you were to be outside in the middle of downtown Dallas, you may burst into flames. But it's nice out... let's see if I can get an Apple-cam photo for you all...

I'm about to head off to class to attempt to learn, but most likely butcher the Deutsch language. My teacher is a saint. Her name is Sophie Strsumthingortheother..., but she is great and incredibly patient.

I'll be heading off to daily Mass after class with Katie, my co-worker at Franciscan University of Steubenville- Gaming Campus. Yes, it is a long title. After Mass, I'll take some pictures of this incredibly old, but hip city. It's sometimes hard to imagine (with the typical American mindset) that cities in Europe have been around for centuries longer than any American city. But it's made real when you see such a mix of different time periods in the art, architecture, music, etc...

Alright, I love you guys... I'm out...

I love Europe (like a fat kid loves cake)

Everyone who is going to the Malta Conference

A new love...

Driving and Peace...

Realizations...The New Year...

What men want...

It's 3:26 and I am still awake...

No weight gain for the Christmas Season...

Cold days in Vienna..

I am going to.... *drum roll*

In Vienna... once again...

A wonderful yet tiring day...

The staff leaves...

Empty and ready to listen...

They are going home...

A riddle for you...

Do not give up...

A night of fun...

9 hours of driving...

Krampus...

Father Brad...

Beginning of Marathon Training...

A life without worry..

2nd Day of Advent My True Love Gave to me...

First Day of Advent...

Life...

Happy Birthday to Cay... and a race too close for comfort...

A tribute to Mel... and an update on life in general...

My Trip to Paris (Part Deux) Still ASTIG!

My Trip to Paris (Part 1) ASTIG!

Chris Lim, my new little brother, and being Multilingual...

Everyone is gone...

How amazing is His mercy...

Attention all European Peeps... A Crazy Idea...

The students...

Malta... I love Malta....

Is this the beginning of fall...

A hike to Mariazell...

Sunny days :-)

Tuesdays... (and the Salzburg and Munich Pictures)

Back from a beautiful trip...

The madness continues...

A beautiful day with P90X...

Sleep is good...

Yet another trip to Vienna...

Business...

A little tired...

Mass with the Bishop in Sankt Polten... and My Birthday...

They are here...

My Big Fat Slovakian Wedding...

Biking on the Donau and Bowling with the peeps...

My rockin staff, but another rainy day...

The Staff is here...

A beautiful Sunday... I know this is late...

Temporary blog till I write one in the morning...

A rainy day in Viennatown...

Rainy days... but happy feast day Mary!

All gave some... some gave all.

Visitors from Vienna (and the United States)...

Visitors from Vienna (and the United States)...

Canyoning...

This is Exciting... How to Bake Foccacia Bread... Yes, I took these pictures in my kitchen...

Climbing Mountains...

A restful day...

Another Day of Shopping... this time in Sankt Polten...

Please give me tips...

My Night in Vienna...

IKEA... wow...

First day of work...

First Night in Gaming...

My Last Night in Vienna...

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...

A Bunch Pictures from Greece... and a Weekend with the Santayanas...

Reflection on my last day of class... almost...

Hotness...

Greece- Youth For Christ Conference in Athens...

A scene from downtown Vienna...

Raining again....

It's freaking cold in Vienna...

Sundays = sweetness

I am going to.... drum roll