An Intriguing Journey Indeed
Well I woke up pretty much feeling like death... partly it's probably because I was out playing basketball in the cold last night and partly its because I was foolish and decided to watch the BBC documentary "The Yes Men Fix the World" rather than go to bed when I should have. At any rate though you're probably wondering why I'm writing on the blog... and No I'm not engaged yet :P... a few more months maybe. But in a moment of boredom I decided to peruse the Kaleo blogs, I was especially trying to find out if anyone had post more information on Jim's upcoming departure. I'm not sure how the rest of you took the news but for me I was slightly shocked, then excited for Jim, then I realized that this will change everything. Let me fill that last one out a bit. I think that apart from the experience of Kaleo the one person who we all know and can all relate to each other because of that common respect and love is Jim. I was imagining going to Qwanoes to visit future kaleos without Jim there and I just couldn't picture it. Whoever replaces him won't have that connection with us and we won't have that connection with him or her. Although I'm sure we'll be welcome it won't be that same familiar welcome of someone who has seen us grow whether that is in one concentrated year or via the grape vine for the past 5 years. Enter my very awkward transition point....
So as I was looking through a few of the Kaleo blogs I discovered that last years Kaleo had Ally's little Bro's Valedictorian Speech and so I thought I'd read it and see what was up with that Kaleo. It was a really great Speech! Mad props to your Bro Ally! But what really stood out to me was that near the end, Jeremy spoke about getting some wisdom from a former Kaleo student... who you might ask? Well it was our very own Brady VanLeenen. This caused me to reflect a little. One thing that I heard a lot from different people including Jim, himself was that our Kaleo year was one of the hardest years Jim had ever experienced. I attempted to think back on why that was and it occurred to me that we were crazy and selfish and childish and pretty much thought we knew everything about everything.... and I was fat :P. But I remember so many times when we did such selfish things: breaking in to the kitchen to steal icecream, refusing to help with camp cause we were bitter over the summer, leaving messes in the lounge for someone else to clean up, anonymously "admonishing" eeach other by taking the excuse to say whatever hurtful things we were hiding... I think about all the stupid and childish things I personally did: Telling everyone Brandon was the intern, skipping chapel whenever I didn't feel like Going. But then I read about this guy named Brady who in some way made it into the Valedictorian speech for a kaleo that happened 5 years after the fact.
Jim named his announcement of retirement post "An Intriguing Journey." I think that it is such an appropriate name for what has taken place in the lives of K3. Somehow, those bitter, selfish, know-it-all students left that place with a new focus. I look at who we were then and who we are now. Jon Lampard is working at Imadene to develop a whole know program there, Brandon is teaching highschool students, Amanda Lindsay just got married but also just got back from teaching English in North Korea, arguably the most closed country in the world, Brady is touring with a worship Band from the East Coast, Kirk is studying to become a professor possibly specializing in Apologetix to help Christians answer those really tough questions. Parker is working at Best Buy right now but his ministry is wonderful. He's dug into the local Church and is using his gifts to bless students, Weaves is learning how to be a father and a testimony to God in a secular environment, I heard Jason Derkson is working with students in Vancouver, Kailey just finished her second summer as the director for WilderNess, I always hear about Dave doing random awesome stuff, whether thats trips to the gulf, organizing people to fix Jim's Deck, or just slaving away at camp for next to nothing, Marissa was just the Kaleo intern and I hear she was amazing, Hepting is pouring himself out into the lives of hurting kids in moose Jaw, Charis and her hubby Josh are living hear in Edmonton attending the U of A so that Charis can be a highschool teacher and Josh can be a professor, helping young people wrestle with those tough questions, and me? While that chubby punk kid with no filter somehow became a pastor... well youth pastor :P I have about 50 kids in my youth group and a bunch of leaders and parents come and ask ME for advice? Who would have thought? I know there are others who I haven't been in contact with as much JP, the twins, Justin and Charissa, Ally, Scott, Bryson, Amanda Muik and others but I'm sure wherever you guys are, God is doing amazing things through you.
Its pretty cool to look back and see what God can do with "the hardest Kaleo" Jim has ever had. As Jim prepares to move on we should all recognize that in some way we have taken Kaleo with us. It was that tool that God used to help us think differently. It was only the beginning for most of us but since then its been an intriguing journey, wouldn't you say?
-Pastor Andrew Haws :p
So as I was looking through a few of the Kaleo blogs I discovered that last years Kaleo had Ally's little Bro's Valedictorian Speech and so I thought I'd read it and see what was up with that Kaleo. It was a really great Speech! Mad props to your Bro Ally! But what really stood out to me was that near the end, Jeremy spoke about getting some wisdom from a former Kaleo student... who you might ask? Well it was our very own Brady VanLeenen. This caused me to reflect a little. One thing that I heard a lot from different people including Jim, himself was that our Kaleo year was one of the hardest years Jim had ever experienced. I attempted to think back on why that was and it occurred to me that we were crazy and selfish and childish and pretty much thought we knew everything about everything.... and I was fat :P. But I remember so many times when we did such selfish things: breaking in to the kitchen to steal icecream, refusing to help with camp cause we were bitter over the summer, leaving messes in the lounge for someone else to clean up, anonymously "admonishing" eeach other by taking the excuse to say whatever hurtful things we were hiding... I think about all the stupid and childish things I personally did: Telling everyone Brandon was the intern, skipping chapel whenever I didn't feel like Going. But then I read about this guy named Brady who in some way made it into the Valedictorian speech for a kaleo that happened 5 years after the fact.
Jim named his announcement of retirement post "An Intriguing Journey." I think that it is such an appropriate name for what has taken place in the lives of K3. Somehow, those bitter, selfish, know-it-all students left that place with a new focus. I look at who we were then and who we are now. Jon Lampard is working at Imadene to develop a whole know program there, Brandon is teaching highschool students, Amanda Lindsay just got married but also just got back from teaching English in North Korea, arguably the most closed country in the world, Brady is touring with a worship Band from the East Coast, Kirk is studying to become a professor possibly specializing in Apologetix to help Christians answer those really tough questions. Parker is working at Best Buy right now but his ministry is wonderful. He's dug into the local Church and is using his gifts to bless students, Weaves is learning how to be a father and a testimony to God in a secular environment, I heard Jason Derkson is working with students in Vancouver, Kailey just finished her second summer as the director for WilderNess, I always hear about Dave doing random awesome stuff, whether thats trips to the gulf, organizing people to fix Jim's Deck, or just slaving away at camp for next to nothing, Marissa was just the Kaleo intern and I hear she was amazing, Hepting is pouring himself out into the lives of hurting kids in moose Jaw, Charis and her hubby Josh are living hear in Edmonton attending the U of A so that Charis can be a highschool teacher and Josh can be a professor, helping young people wrestle with those tough questions, and me? While that chubby punk kid with no filter somehow became a pastor... well youth pastor :P I have about 50 kids in my youth group and a bunch of leaders and parents come and ask ME for advice? Who would have thought? I know there are others who I haven't been in contact with as much JP, the twins, Justin and Charissa, Ally, Scott, Bryson, Amanda Muik and others but I'm sure wherever you guys are, God is doing amazing things through you.
Its pretty cool to look back and see what God can do with "the hardest Kaleo" Jim has ever had. As Jim prepares to move on we should all recognize that in some way we have taken Kaleo with us. It was that tool that God used to help us think differently. It was only the beginning for most of us but since then its been an intriguing journey, wouldn't you say?
-Pastor Andrew Haws :p
posted by andrew at 9/18/2010 10:19:00 a.m.
3 Comments:
I was perhaps slightly less reflective about kaleo when I read Jim's post. I thought the post was incredibly vague... But I agree it is cool to see what people have been up to.
Kudos Haws, you always were the one who dug into everyones lives to find out what they were up to and did it with intent and care. As for me though, I am not working with students here in Vancouver, but am working through a serious relationship, I beleive JP is with kids though, I am getting into nursing. But you're right, Jim is Kaleos common ground, its gonna SUCK losing that but God does that, call me very open and even vaguely optimistic but maybe God has someone better suited than Jim for the job, think about it, I cant even grasp that, but I can beleive it. Imagine Jim having something more than Kaleo bring about his identity...WOW,only God my friends, WOW! God Bless you Jim Badke.
Yup, I'm the one working with students, especially the ones that work a little slower than most. I'm also filling out an application of ministry for a youth pastor position, but I don't know whether I'm going to take the position or not, I've just been asked to candidate.
I really enjoyed reading your post Haws (or rather, Pastor Haws), I think there was a lot of truth and wisdom in what you said. It made me wonder what would happen if we had another year of Kaleo together, and how different it would be from the first one.
It was also cool to hear what everyone's doing, I love hearing what's going on in your lives. That was my not-so-subtle hint to give a bit of an update on the blog. :)
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