Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2008 was a strange day. I started the morning with friends from the store. We took a kayaking trip down the Little Miami river. It was the same ol stretch of river we always paddle except this time it was different. Not only was it the last time paddling for a long time but it was also cold and all the leaves had fallen. It was a totally new river.

Frost and ice lined the banks and the water bit at my cheeks as it splashed up into my face. My favorite part of plowing my little whitewater boat over the ice, breaking it apart, and watching the pieces float down the river. It was a great way to spend the morning. I felt so thankful for the beautiful river, the wildlife that inhabits it, and also for my longtime paddling companion, Kara.

We spent Thanksgiving evening with my grandparents. My grandma had been bedridden for months, not being able to even leave her bed. The past couple weeks we've all been waiting as she slowly passed. Early Friday morning, on the anniversary of her brothers death, my grandmother passed away. She went peacefully and I know she is at peace now. I unfortunately won't be able to make it to her funeral, but I will certainly be there in spirit. I would like to ask for prayers for my mom, grandpa, and the rest of our family as we mourn grandma's passing.

Nicaragua is not in South America, and yes Spanish is spoken there

So a lot of people have asked me, "so where is Nicaragua again?" There are a lot of misunderstandings about even what continent the country is on. So I thought I'd provide some resources for people to check out.

The CIA world fact book is a good initial overview resource for any country. Here is the link to Nicaragua's page: CIA Nicaragua
Wikipedia also offers a good overview of the country: More Nica info

Also I'd like to say thank you to my good friends Eddie and Chris for their shout out. They have a great blog and I'm going to love reading it in Nica. It will be a good way to stay connected while abroad. Check them out: Chris and Eddie

Looking ahead

Well, the countdown is in it's last days. In a little over a week I'll be making my way to Nicaragua. This fall has been a roller coaster of emotions. Coming back from Chicago, from my life at College, was a tough transition. I feel like only now am I getting accustomed to living at home in Cincinnati. I've established myself, made new friends, been working two great jobs, and have become quite comfortable. But now it's time to be flipped upside down again. I guess that is the way I can expect the next two years to be. To be honest, that's what I've come to expect from life. It is a constant cycle of building up and tearing down.

This past weekend I attended the annual protest and vigil at the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, GA. It was a wonderful time to reconnect with old friends from all over the country to also to prepare myself mentally and spiritually from my journey ahead. For those who are unfamiliar with the school it was started during the Cold War to train soldiers from Latin America and the Western Hemisphere to combat the spread of Communism. During the eighties and nineties especially there were reports coming out of the atrocities and human rights violations performed by graduates of this school, a school that is run, administered, and payed for by the US government. Graduates of the school were responsible for the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero, six Jesuit priests and their two community friends, 800 innocent men, women, and children of El Mozote, El Salvador, and countless others. Currently, many of the graduates are coming from Colombia and have been linked to brutal campaigns in the countries civil war between the government, guerrillas, death squads, and drug traffickers. Anyway, every year people meet outside the gates of Ft. Benning to call for the closing of the school. I believe with a new administration and congress the school with finally be closed. This is an incomplete analysis of the school. I encourage everyone to check it out for themselves. http://www.soaw.org/. There are people that disagree with me and others, who think the school is a crucial tool of national security. I welcome dialogue on the issue.
For me, more than anything, the weekend at the SOA is a time to commemorate the thousands of people who have died. It is a solemn time of remembrance. It is also a time for people from all over the country and the world to unite and share what they are doing to work for justice and peace.