Their Big Fat Romanian Wedding: Friday

Miniseries

As many of you know I had the privilege of standing up with Andrew at his and Oana’s wedding last weekend. As you have probably already expected I have lots of stories. Instead of telling them over and over again I am going to try to recount the stories as best I can in this blog post.

My flight left Friday morning at 6amish from Des Moines. The plan was to go to Denver for a hour layover, then head to Portland, arriving at about 10:30am Oregon time. This went without a hitch…mostly.

It had been a while sense I had flown so my stomach wasn’t really used to it. So on the way to Denver, I puked. Luckily it was an early flight with very few people on it so I didn’t disturb very many people. There wasn’t anyone sitting next to me.

Now one would think that after this I would be good. My regurgitation would be over.

Wrong.

On the way to Portland I felt awful. I got up to go to the restrooms twice for false alarms. Finally, as we had just entered Oregon, I puked. After going to the restroom to dispose of the bag I returned to my seat seeing that a Good Samaritan had given up there bag and replaced mine. I owe her.

As we were making our final descent…I puked again. Seeing as I didn’t have much for breakfast by this time it was just a little bit of water and dry heaves. To make up for the fact I didn’t have anyone sitting next to me on the last flight I now had one person on each side.

I still pray for them.

As I told Andrew when he picked my up, I didn’t have a puking episode; it was more like a miniseries.

Another Invitation

While riding from the airport, Andrew ask me if I would like to play electric guitar for Agape Church on Sunday (this is Andrews and Oana’s church and the church where the ceremony was held). Because I never pass up a time to play guitar, I said yes.

This is not really exciting right now but is important for other stories later in the post. For now just know that Andrew made some calls and got the ball rolling.

Getaway Cars

Later that day, at about 5pm, we and a bunch of groomsmen, bridesmaids, along with the bride herself went to pick up the Cadillacs. It was determined that it was cheaper to rent five Cadis than two limos (we would have needed at least two to fit the ten bridesmaids and ten groomsmen). Andrew had talked to a person at Enterprise and had it planned it out for groomsmen to drive the cars.

To my surprise I was one of them. On the way there I asked Andrew about my age. I’m twenty-four and you can’t drive a rental until you are twenty five (which will be happening in about 40ish days). Andrew of course had already thought of this and had asked and he had been told that it would be possible with an extra charge.

Andrew was told a lot of things about the rental process. Most of it was wrong.

Because the Cadillacs were “premium cars” I was ineligible to drive one. Also, we thought all the cars could be put on one credit card and that one person would be able to rent all of them. Nope. Each driver had to produce a license as well as a credit card (not a debit card) for to drive a car.

One of the drivers just had a debit on them. One of the drivers had a Kansas-issued temporary license which was just a piece of paper. And another driver had to be rounded up to replace me.

I’m not sure how it all got worked. I do know that I didn’t get to drive a sweet car around, that we found enough drivers, and what should have been a 15 minute trip took an hour, all thanks to someone at Enterprise not having the correct information.

The Rehearsal: So who is here any way?

After the cars were worked out we headed to the rehearsal. Most of this was, of course, done in Romanian.

There was some discussion happen on stage between the bride’s family and a pastor (I think there were three involved with the wedding) and the bride and groom themselves. Justin, Andrew’s older brother lean over and explained the situation.

He explained that there were two basic cultures represented at the wedding, Romanian and American. The Romanian side was split into two basic groups, Baptist (the groom’s side) and Pentecostal (the bride’s side). The Pentecostal side was split into two different parts, one more traditional and conservative than the other.

The discussion was between the two Romanian Pentecostal groups as to which side the bride and groom should stand on. Apparently the more traditional Romanian Pentecostal group (I’m not clear on who represented this group at the wedding) was adamant about the groom on the left and the bride on the right. The other Romanian Pentecostal group (represented by Agape) wanted the groom on the right and the bride on the left. As near as I could tell, Andrew and Oana just wanted to get married.

It was decided to go along with the group Represented by Agape church because the wedding was held at there facility. The groom was on the right, the bride was on the left and I was just fascinated by the whole thing.

The Rehearsal Dinner: How big are cabbage roles?

Over Thanksgiving I was exposed to what we will call cabbage rolls; I don’t remember how to pronounce the real name and even if I did I wouldn’t know how to spell it. Apparently their size is determined by which part of Romania you are from.

So the Romanian groomsman (Daniel, the one with the debit card from “getaway car”) was unsure about what they were while I was diving right in.

When Andrew asked Joel (the only other “American” or perhaps better said Non-Romanian; also the one with the Kansas issued license) how many he had, Joel replied with a polite “three.” Then Andrew asked me to which my answer was “fifteen.”

Cool Pen Trick

So I’m sitting in an orientation meeting as a new hire at Best Buy. I look over and one of the guys who also just got hired is doing what is in this video.

It was during down time and when he noticed that I was fixated on what he was doing he thought it was because I thought it was weird.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Cats try to win over the Cat hating crowd

Cats have always been despised by most sane people. They are stinky and have no affection for anything but themselves and there catnip. They are a menace and as the old saying goes “cats don’t have owners, they have staff.”

Because of this many of us have developed a strong distaste for the feline variety of house pets. We ourselves have come up with sayings like “I love cats, they taste like chicken” and extreme bumper stickers like “Missing your cat? Check my under my tire.”

Cats have been paying attention. They are not happy with there approval ratings. So as an attempt they win the cat hating crowd over they have developed ninja skills. Yes, ninja skills.

This is a smart move by cats if it catches on. If every cat becomes useful by serving there masters with there newly developed ninja skills then perhaps they will win us over. Watch the video and decide for yourself.

Lab Coats, Beakers, and What's Up with Uganda

What’s Up With the Serious Lack of Posts

I have given up on recording my experience in Uganda. It was a very growing time for me but I have not been on top of getting things written down as much as I would like too. I will be talking about my experiences in Uganda from time to time but for now they are taking an indefinite pause.

What to Expect in the Future

I am embarking on an experiment. For the next two weeks I’m planning on posting something every work day. It will range goings on in my life to observation about relevant and irrelevant topics. One day I could have link to a Youtube video, the next an entire thesis on why conservative principles are good for our economy. One thing is for sure it will fall under the umbrella of “My Life Lately.”

The purpose of this experiment is to see if I can do it. I will have some days busier than others, so will I have the foresight to plan for it. What will I do when I just don’t want to post anything and how will I react. You will be able to witness my endeavor to be a little more disciplined and diligent simply for discipline and diligent sake all for purpose of bringing you something interesting to read.

So sit back, relax, grab popcorn and see what happens. I could fail miserably. I could succeed. I could end up somewhere in between. And you get a front row seat to it all. Boy, you’re a lucky bean.

A Day in Uganda

My Life Lately

Hello everyone I just got back from spending a week in Boone for an AG Youth camp. It was amazing, the kid’s were amazing, and the pretzels were really amazing. Being at the camp made it hard to work on the second installment of my Adventures in Africa; I apologies for not thinking ahead far enough to prepare one before left. With out any further wordy introduction…here is day one in Uganda.

Adventures in Africa: Day one in Uganda

The Entebbe Airport was small but very clean, gray and reminded me more a multi purpose office building rather than an airport. After going through immigration (I was the first one, just FYI) we waited for our luggage to be unloaded. We spent a while rummaging through the suitcases and boxes looking for our backpacks and boxes of medical supplies. Of course there were a couple of people looking for there luggage longer than others. Ronnie, KK, Josiah, and Joe soon began to realize that there backpacks were not in Uganda with them. After filling out the correct forms with the correct lost-luggage people, we went outside baggage claim to meet the Dr. Larry who was leading the team of doctors we were going to work with. He had brought with him two drivers and two buses, one of which we loaded our luggage and the other ourselves. For the first time we were going to see this country of Uganda we had been preparing to visit for so long.

Our first destination was Kampala to exchange money and get supplies. To get there we had to travel about an hour and 30 minutes on the bus together. One of our team members said that the road to Kampala looked a lot like Brazil. It was very green and lush with jungle like vegetation. There were shops all over the road and almost all of them displayed some sort of Coke sign. Kampala was very developed and very urban. The orphanage we were working in was in a suburb of Kampala called Ceeta (I’m not sure if I am spelling that right) about a 30 minute drive from down town Kampala. We had to take a pretty rough road with pot holes the size of hippos and only one lane to accommodate all traffic.

When we drove up to the orphanage we were very welcomed by the doctors and translators that were already there. The many of the translators and house moms started unloading our packs and supplies for us before we even started. Feeling weird to be served like this, some of us guys politely inserted ourselves into the train of people carrying the luggage. Once that was done we started helping the team tie up mosquito nets around the beds.

We got about three houses done when we decided to call it for the day and get to know the kids. Some of us were throwing (or kicking) balls around, some were playing ring-around-the-rosy type games while others of us had no idea what we were doing and just tried to look like we were spending time with the kids. Something I wasn’t expecting what happened next. A group of about nine kids started to sing songs right there. One of the kids was leading the songs and everyone else followed. In a couple of minutes every orphan was joining in this time of worship. No PA, no instrument, just voices clapping, dancing and drums. I had never experienced anything like it.

My Life Lately

Hello one and all. This is Jed, finally bloging after some much needed rest and relaxation. Many of you know that April, May and June was a whirlwind for me with school, missions prep and figuring out what I was going to do this summer. Now that things have leveled off I am hoping that my bloging schedule will become regular once again.

Africa
I went to Uganda as a part of the New Life School of Worship which went under the umbrella of The Mill Missions (The Mill is New Life’s 20s ministry). There were 21 of us with the School of Worship (SOW) and over 200 sent with The Mill all over Africa. The Mill was sending about 25 teams of students and 20s all over Africa, from Egypt, Kenya and a lot of other places I just couldn’t keep track of. The two SOW teams were just one part of this endeavor so it felt like we were a part of a huge army invading Africa. Some of our missions were evangelistic in nature others were humanitarian, but all of us had the mission of creating more worshipers and spreading the love of Christ Jesus to a people who often feel over looked.

For us it started June 2nd, 2:00 pm Colorado time, at the World Prayer Center on the New Life Campus. Upon arriving I was bombarded by the students and there luggage crammed into the WPC courtyard, which for your information echoes like a cave. By 3:00 pm we had loaded up the buses, said good bye to friends and family (harder for some people more than others) and we were on our way to the Denver International Airport, about an hour and a half drive, give or take. Let me tell you getting two hundred people on a plane is an ordeal, and appropriate prelude to what this missions trip would be like. We waited about 2 hours to our luggage checked-in. If it wasn’t for hackisacks and the contorted positions you can make with your face while looking into a digital camera, I don’t know how we would have stayed sane.

The plane ride was smooth and comfortable with the exception of 10 minutes of turbulence right out of Denver. I always seem to break out into a cold sweat whenever I am in one of those situations, but fortunately for the people sitting next to me, there was no puking by my this time. After seeing “Jumper” on a five inch screen and a three hour nap we were at Heathrow London airport. This airport was like the sweet, hi-class mall; however, it lost its charm after a seven hour layover waiting for our flight to Kenya. There is something about the benches of airports, it’s as if they purposely make them uncomfortable so when you get on the plane you will be in the worst mood you can conjure. We flew Kenya Airways (“The Pride of Africa”) to Nairobi Airport where we had a two hour layover just enough to get checked in, brush our teeth and sit down for fifteen minutes before boarding the plane. On this plane I had a Coke and realized something, “Pop here taste amazing.” The view outside of the plane was equally astounding; we could see jungles, deserts with the signature African red dirt, and the Lake Victoria which was as beautiful as an ocean. Within an hour we began our adventures in Uganda.

Back from Africa, but not from the Springs

Hello one and all. I’m back from Africa and I would like to thank everyone for your prayers and support. Without you this trip wouldn’t have happened so thank you very much. I will be posting blog entries starting Monday with pictures and stories of the trip.

At the moment I am having a difficult time getting back to Iowa. I came back from Africa and noticed something a little fishy. Most likely it needs an alignment and some pins replaced, but I haven’t heard for sure. Hopefully it will be done soon and I will be able to see everyone from back home. See you all then.

Leaving for Uganda

I'm leaving for Uganda today. I'm tired and excited all at the same time. In theory, there will be a blog a http://www.themillonline.org/. Be checking for more updates and once I get back I will post stories and experiences.

I'm Going to Uganda

Uganda Update

I am going to Uganda. We had our 100% deadline last Friday and my team has reached it. Many thanks to our leadership, Matt Vogal and Becca Ham; and of course to all who have supported us both spiritually and financially (that’s you). The preparation for this trip has been such a growing experience so I am anticipating huge things when we get there.

Last Sunday we met with the doctors who we will be helping to administering aid. We took all sorts of supplies from medicine, clothes, to soccer balls and candy, and packed them into duffle bags to take on the airplanes. At that point it became very real to me. We were bringing basic things that I take for granted every day…because they don’t have it. We were going to give clothes to kids who didn’t have any. We would help give medical aid to orphans who only get it when people from other countries fly over and give it to them. For every object we put in a piece of luggage we are going to get give to a kid who may have never received such a gift. We circled around the pile of luggage we made and prayed over it. I didn’t say a thing. I didn’t even close my eyes. I just looked at it, finally realizing what kind of an impact we were going to make over there.

I am honored to be able to this. And I would just like to thank everyone who has sent me money, prayed or given me a word of encouragement. You are a very real participant in the very realrelief we are going to give in Uganda. Thank you.

The two white boxes are filled with $2000.00 worth of medicine.

The Glory of Chance

My Life Lately: Sharing the Stage with Lincoln Brewster

May 1st Lincoln Brewster played for “Illume,” a local church driven national day of prayer event that took place in Castle Rock. Three friends came with me, Ronnie, Gina, and Leigh on the forty minute trek to Castle Rock. We got there quite early and quite bored when we ran into a friend from the Mill. He was sporting an “Illume” T-shirt and told us they were giving out shirts beside the stage. Ronnie and Leigh were curious so they went to investigate and right before the concert started Ronnie hands me one of the shirts. Not really thinking about it I put it on. Lincoln was amazing both on guitar and as a worship leader. Toward the end he gave an invitation for people to accept Christ (about a hundred people raised there hands), and he encouraged the new believers to get with a “leader” and connect with a church. He started to describe the brown light-bulb shirts the leaders where wearing. He was at a lost to describe the shirts so he started to look around for someone he could bring on stage to model the shirts and he sees me. Of course, I am wearing the shirt and standing right in front of him. He asked me my name and had me come up on stage as an example of what a leader looked like. For about 30 seconds I shared a stage with Lincoln Brewster as told the new believers to go to people with the brown shirts like the one I was wearing. My friends have digital cameras for appendages and had been taking pictures all night, but somehow just didn’t even think to take a picture while I was on stage. What friends I have. I can’t help but think there was one person there who had a master list of all the leaders and looked at me on stage and thought to themselves “who is that person and how did they get a shirt.”