A blog... finally

What up all yee who are weary and tired and need to find refuge in reading "the heart of avalon" It has been a long time since we last posted. mainly because I am the only one doing it, and I don't want to be the only one doing it but my roommates are just lazy. Oh well. soooooo its been a while.

This just in: I will be able to graduate on time. yet i have no idea what I will be afterwards. Its scary that real life is right around the corner.

This also just in: I am working on a website because I can make one with my .mac account. It's not finished, nor do I ever really plan on finishing it, but you can check it out here: web.mac.com/m.fitch *Note: no www needed. like i said, its a work in progress...

Pretty much we've been up to the same old, same old here at the heart. Evan and I are practicing our music making skills for a show we've got coming up. I'm playing synth, he's a musical genius. all the ingredients for the show of a life time. My team is still in last place for my senior project, work is going good. The surf is getting better and so are my skills, but only by a little. Things break, things get fixed, things get lost, money gets spent. Some tests I ace and some tests I bomb. Thats pretty much life.

-M

ohhhh SHOOOOOOT

hey, all you out there, waiting on the next blog from avalon for your worth in life...

this is matt. again. coming to you live, from the heart.

Soooo, pretty much I need a job. and pretty much, its not working out. those two combinations make me the king of CHILL. thats right. I'm the king of chill. I try to get a job, but when I fail, I chill. I have failed quite a bit. so I chill. If you need lessons in chill, I will give them to you. Still, it would be easy for me to give up, yet I try to keep the faith. knowing that the Lord has something for me. I just don't know what it is yet.

Anyway, here is a picture I drew in paint a while ago. I'm working on another, but I'm not done yet. maybe in a few days it'll be done.


okat that is my art on paint. I'll post probably in another two weeks.

PEACE!
-M

what?!?

I just saw a pointless blog entry by my brother, and thought that i'd add another pointless blog entry to this mess we as a society call the world wide web aka the internet. so here goes nothing...

a poem about how we are nothing by ourselves.

The Anomaly of the Self, by Matthew Fitch, esquire and novice brew maker.

The self is nothing by itself
unkempt and humbled on the shelf
the self is nothing without health
weak and worn, it hath no wealth:

of ethereal joy
of magnificent purpose
of anything significant beneath the surface

The self is empty by itself
a jar nothing on the shelf

a lake with no fish
a star with no wish
the self is dead all by itself

fin


oh yeah, my roommate and and I brewed our first batch of beer today. Its called "TBS 01"

we hope it turns out...
PEACE
-M

Schools out for the summa, and fathers day

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YAAAAAAAAAA! Diggedy dawgy, school is out and we are feelin good. The air is a-buzz with the hummm of summer. as I sit typing this i feel a bit guilty because i still feel like there is still stuff to do, papers to write and tests to study for. but no longer shall I be an indentured servant to the schooling system, at least for three months. three months of glory. and wonder. Anyway, things are great here, Joe C is back from the Africa land, and it has been fun to hang with that guy. But now keith is gone for the summer, so our house will still be incomplete. Anyway, this quarter has been the fastest yet.

Joe and I were having a conversation about life the other day and how it seems to always go faster. He said that it's because when your one, you've completed 100% of your life. (1 out of 1 years) and so that seems normal, but when you turn two, youve complete 1 out of 2 years. so fast forward to 21 and you've complete 1 out of 21 years of your life. it just seems to speed up. yet i have another theory:

everyone is born with a sense of time in their brain. that sense of time is imbedded in the neuro-temporal spacial cortex lobe of the brain. As humans grow up, and obtain more knowledge, the brain swells to encompass all that is added, yet the sense of time in the temporal lobe stays the same size, thus it is squeezed by all the knowledge that surrounds it. This pressure in the sense of time causes it to shorten it significantly. Thus life, as you get older and more knowledge is one big squeeze on time. Thats why it goes faster each year in college.*

I think I could get my phd in that subject.... NOT

anyway, i'm glad schools done, and I'm also glad for my dad, because he's rad, never sad, and rarely gets mad. He didn't name me chad, or vlad, and he didn't have no pad when his bike ride went bad. So happy Father's Day, or dia de los padres.

Seriously, I think we are all blessed in this household because we've had dads that have played crucial roles in our lives and we are very thankful for that. And thats who I strive to be like... my dad.


This guy...
















anyway, thats it. its summer time and the livins easy, yet jobless for the time being. Hopefully that will change so you won't see me on the corner playing the guiatr for money and crumbs. Thats all i gots to say. PEACE
-M


*this theory has no proven evidence and is the opinion of the author. the heart of avalon as a whole does not present this as fact nor endorse what is said.

Momma's Day

This here blog is dedicated to all the mommas of the residents here at the heart. So thank you for cleaning up our poop when we were little, dealing with our rebelious years when we were big. Thank you for always having our number one interests your priority. Thank you for forgiving us of all the times we have messed up. And thank you for your continual prayer for your youngins. If it wasn't for you mommas, we wouldn't be the men we are today (where or not thats a good thing, I don't know...) Just so you know, there ain't no food better than momma's food. thats the truth!. So moms, we love you. and are glad that you are our mommas. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Concerning noble mothers:

Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
Proverbs 31:28-29

Be blessed moms!!!

-M and the rest of the crew

Futbol (soccer) and Kippe Ya Yo

A new post, for a new month. I figured i would be the first to post this month because while it is my beautiful and sweaty afternoon, you all are still sleeping. So, this may be another long one, don't fret, just don't read it if you don't want to (I honestly wouldn't have a clue if you did or not). So Sunday was a day hard to explain. Imagine if you will that you (you must imagine that you are white) and one other white person are sitting along a fence. Now, you are sitting on a running track and facing it. Now imagine that surrounding you is somewhere around 65,000 black people! Imagine them yelling at you, calling you white guy, trying to get your attention by making kissing sounds (that is how Congolese get people's attention). Okay, so none of you can truly imagine that but i thought it would be fun for you all to try.

My father and I had the opportunity to go to the national futbol (soccer) team's game on Sunday. They were playing Ethiopia. This game is in preparation for the African Cup of 2008. Not only did we go to the game, we were ON THE FIELD! Through half the game (because a mix of things kept me from moving any closer) I was standing no farther than 5 feet away from the goal. I promise you it was one of the most unbelievable things i have ever done in my life. It's hard to explain the roar of the crowd or the way in which I felt VERY white. It was a great game and Congo won 2-0. Something that i will never forget (though i fear that i will). Just amazing. My dad puts up pictures on HIS blog so check them out: cabalka.blogspot.com

The other part of my title I just put because I like to say it and it is some of the little Lingala (the local language) that I have learned. Remember that i's in other languages are like e's and e's are still kinda like e's so it sounds like keepay ya yo (yeah, the last part sounds like it looks). Now, what it means, it means "mind your own business" so it is a great thing to use (though i will never use it here because i would probably get beat up!). I plan on using it back in the states with a real negative tone while making a real ugly face of disgust/anger. Just you wait till I pull that one out!

One other thing, the reason my blogs are so long is because I have no other way of telling you all (though this may only be like 3 people) what is going on. This is the best way for me to express it and I enjoy typing out my stories here! It helps me process...which i can't wait to NOT have to do in the states! I could write more but i won't. I miss you guys and hope that you are all doin' great. Give me updates.

Joe

mmmmmmm dude

what up. This is a blog based solely on the purpose of procrastination. I am studying right now and I desperately need a break. I feel like we at the heart of avalon have been doing better in our blog writing activities. I will try to leave the essay blogs for joe to write. ahahhah, just kidding joe, although, you do write long blogs non the less. anyway, to quote a good song, "whisky and beers, they don't make me drunk, these blues are gonna make me pack my trunk..." I'm not quite sure what it means. maybe that the music is so good they get "drunk off the music." or maybe by blues, he means that he is sad, and so he resorts to drinking, or maybe, his enjoyment of whisky and beers is gotten stagnent and he's sick of the temporary feeling; maybe music is his "way out" now. Or, he could just be an alchoholic, and constantly be drunk, therefor whisky and beers cant make him any drunker. I don't even know if drunker is a word.

Rats, I'm out of iced tea. speaking of rats, how did that ever become an expression? I think that maybe it came about when there was massive rat infestation in san francisco in the year of 1892. One night a man by name of phineas mcdougal, came into his home, and saw a bounch of rats in his living room. he then yelled "Rats!" in a funny sounding high pitched tone. His college aged neighbors heard him yell it and it was so funny that they started saying "rats" for every bad thing. and thats how "rats" got started.

but I am really out of Iced tea.

-M

here are some pictures of my brothers and I for your enjoyment...

Lack of understanding

I call it this because I don't expect anyone to understand what I am about to explain. I was emailing Tim Fox and he was the first person I tried to explain anything of real confusion here in Kinshasa. I told him i was going to put it on the blog because i think it will help a little to show that I can't really explain what is happening here. Trust me, everything that is written here is both confusing and on purpose.

Trust me, you might not get most of this stuff and i might sound insane or just rambling but i think that is the purpose. Alright, where to start, the airport. My first interaction with Kinshasa. Well, i got off the plane and had to hike to the airport terminal. Quite a task. We were then lined up, i miss the point of the lines and went into the wrong line The guys firmly told me to go back into the line i was to go into, which was still not in the terminal I waited till the guy took my passport, vaccination papers, and airplane paper i had to fill out (there go the periods) this was horrible because i was tired and didn't understand what they were saying He looked through it all and then moved me inside Once inside another line for international entering the country I was that Went to window Took my passport vaccination airplane Stared for a long time Confused Why you here Visiting parents No understanding Gave passport Vacc moved me on Man stops me You american yes bags I don't know to right need help my name john i'm Joe over here Joe yes help good Dad sit cokes wait open close open close out we go down sit ride. Okay, i can't handle it anymore...i told you i just can't explain it very well, it is all just inexplicable. Sorry, that all might have been really confusing but I hope you enjoyed the show. I actually think this is a good explanation.

So that is it. Try to understand if you can but I doubt anyone will. I miss you all and hope to hear from you!
Joe C.

I'm back!!!!!!!!!!! Muahahahahaha

Hey everyone, I know that all of our faithful readers must have been wondering where the heck is Keith??? Well to tell you the truth I asked the same question. It took a slap in the face with raw meat by my roommate to help me realize where I was. So I just finally floated back to the heart of avalon yesterday. It was a sweet trip. While I was gone I did some pretty sweet recording with the Pat Little Band and have been getting worked over by the speediness of the quarter system. And I think the main reason is that I met a girl. Her name is Keely and she is great. There will be more stories to come in the near future. That's all for now I am going to jump back into my time continuum and will return in 2.84 kips.
Until next time-
Keith
"To infinity and beyond" -Buzz Lightyear

Week 3

I think this is week 3 for me. I am not completely sure but as I am sitting at the computer, Faustin, which I am not sure how to spell nor does anyone else, our "house boy", who is actually a 60 year old (at least) man, is doing the dishes and doing OUR laundry, cleaning our house and, in between his work, enjoying a nice cup of coffee. Very strange, this very short but friendly little man. He greets me every Tuesday and Friday with a huge grin and a slight bow with his hands together. If you are wondering why we have him, it isn't necessarily that we really wanted someone to come do this but email me and ask me, I can explain better there. He actually just swept under my feet, i had to pick them up off the floor. It is funny just the different life I live here.

Alright, so i have been reading the Chronicles of Narnia (actually I am almost done with them) and so I have begun to write like them, which by the way is a very long writing style. So, this post may be VERY long. What I did want to update, because honestly not too much has been going on with my life in recent, I mean some REALLY exciting things and then the rest mostly reading or helping my dad with swimming in his PE classes. Okay, so for the really exciting...at least one thing, is that on Sunday I got to go and have a crazy fun day! Now i will explain so time to use those imaginations.

Sunday...We went to church that morning and it was good, i enjoyed it, I go to an international church where Walt Shepard, a friend of our family's, is the pastor. After church we always, I guess, go to lunch. Well, my mom was with Paige, a woman that just arrived and had to go pick up her luggage (which is a HUGE task), and they went to the airport so no church for them. My dad was horribly sick with a fever and shivers and a cough, so he stayed home and slept. I bravely went to church "on my own" but not really because I went with some friends of ours, The Stones, Sara Ewbank, and suppose to be Daniel Ligon but he got a ride with someone else. Anyways, After church we decided, since there was STILL no water and the electricity had recently turned off (this had been going on ALL weekend and is still at times going on). So, we went to a place called Aladin's. I was there with all previously mentioned people including Peter, the micro financing guy I hopefully will be working with, the Trillers with their two daughters, and the Shepards, minus Val, the mother, because she too was sick. So we sat and ate. I had 2 (trying to remember how to say it all, let alone spell it) Shwarma shinwa poulet (the t is silent on the last word and this is spelled how it sounds, most likely NOT how you actually spell it). I enjoyed one with Pili Pili, which i will hopefully be bringing home because i love this sauce, and ketchup on the other. After our delicious lunch we sat and chatted, mostly Eva, Sarah, Theo Shepard, and Daniel Ligon. We talked about whatever and enjoyed ourselves. While we were eating, a friend of Eva's, Chaima (Shame-a, is sort of how you say it...no offense) came in with her boyfriend, Mohammad, and his friend, Hussein (again not sure how to spell or really say this name). Both Eva and I walked over and met them, an awkward first meeting but then we were invited to go to a pool where i can not say, spell or even remember the name of the place. Eva was for sure going and I was VERY unsure. I finally told Chaima NO because I didn't know any of them well. As I was walking out, Mohammad asked why I wasn't going and so I decided to change my mind. Both of the guys are Lebanese and both work somewhere in Kinshasa. So, i told my ride that I was going with these younger folks and jumped into his really nice something or other. This actually was the first time I really had been with people around my age. Eva and Chaima are both still in high school and Mohammad and Hussein are around the age of 23. I was the middle, which i am okay with.

We first had to drive to get my suit and then drive to get Eva's suit and then drive to get Chaima's suit and towels for the pool. Mohammad is a crazy driver and in Kinshasa, though i cannot explain to you the roads or what it is like, there aren't really any rules for driving. Mohammad was just passing everyone whenever he could and that was ALWAYS in other people's lanes. So, we got everywhere really fast but really fast in Kinshasa is still a long time. Finally, when we got to the pool I found out that it actually cost $15 a day to swim in this pool. I though these people were insane to try and make people pay that much but I didn't pay for it, Mohammad did. We all got to the pool and it was crowded! Lots of people everywhere, which most of them were NOT actually Congolese people. They had two restaurants but i only saw one. They also had two really high diving boards, which Chaima kept begging the guys to dive off of. I had already jump and dove off the lower diving board and the higher one was probably 6 feet higher. They both were high but everything is in meters here so i don't understand how high they actually were. Trust me, they were high. By the end I dove off of both Diving boards and jumped off of both but it hurt my head and neck, just a little, each time I dove. So, i enjoyed the jumping much more than the diving. We played in the pool and after a time Liz, Eva and Chaima's other friend from school came and joined us. We all swam and tried to play odd pool games but most of the time was taken up by Mohammad constantly splashing Chaima, his girlfriend. I didn't really join in the splashing because I am use to swimming laps so i don't know what to do with myself when i am in a pool just for fun. We played with a giant heavy ball and tried to play volleyball with no net. It didn't seem to work but was fun none the less.

After our fun pool party we decided to go and get food. I was nervous about this because I didn't bring any money (I didn't know I was suppose to) and so we drove (again, just as crazy but still very fun) to City Market, a nice store which i believe is owned by Lebanese (especially because it seemed that Mohammad and Hussein knew everyone in the store). We ate at a place called CFC which tries to be like KFC and has almost the same things. I had fried chicken and bread and fries with a can off sprite, only the second can of soda i have seen since i have been here. As we scarfed down food, we sat and talked and sang "happy birthday" to Chaima, even though it wasn't her birthday. We actually all ate from Mohammad's pocket (as in HE payed for everything, which he probably had the most money). Very nice of him to pay and then we all got two "bowls" of ice cream but really they are just scoops that they call bowls. I had a "bowl" of cheese cake ice cream and a "bowl" of the cafe ice cream. Very delicious. We got back into the car and had a crazy drive with a crazy dance party all the way back to my house. Everyone piled out of the car and were able to meet my parents and Paige. It was a wonderful day with a very international crowd. Eva and I were the only two white people I saw for a long time but it was wonderful. i really enjoyed that day.

That is all,
Joe C.

I don't even know what to call this.

Soooo, I don't know what to call this blog. I don't know what to write about in this blog. But I feel like its been such a long time since I've written on this blog that I need to write something... so I'm going to force it, and it will probably be horrible to read. Just awful. Absolutely dismal... Lets see, Since I last blogged...

I finally have my motorcycle license, so now I ride free as a bird. boo ya.

I turned 21, which has its privileges...

I visited my broomski and his wife in Vail, which was dope off the rope... (i love you guys)

I went to mens retreat, which was bomb, and me and some buddies ran around with sticks and bones, in our underwear chasing cattle.

I ran an obstacle course for little kids for easter, and it was fun.

Ummmm, thats pretty much it. I'll close by writing a poem, or maybe a peom. I think I like peoms better anyways...

Blum dee dum, by matt fitch

Ho hum, my mouth went numb
I think should keep mum.
Tilly dee, my lips are free
I think I'll look and see.
Whop tee doy, my eyes are coy
I think I'm still a boy.
Oogly do, my ears seem new
I think I'll hear the view
Gilly gash, I'll grow a stash
so they will bat their lash.
The end, and you my friend
will have a thought to spend.

Attatched are pictures of A) Me and Mel and Zac at Vail,
















and B) Men's retreat madness...



all yalls be peacin out I hopes...
-M

Kifoliating in Kikongo and The Storm!

Alright, so this is a general update of what i have done so far so this may be long. If you don't want to read the whole thing then i won't be offended because i won't know.

It all started back on Wednesday at 5:30 am. My family woke up and we got ready to go because we were on our way to our adventurous spring break trip. It was my parents spring break and they wanted to go somewhere...anywhere. Their friends and neighbors, the Lowerys offered to have them and others come with them to Kikongo, a small village 45 min. flying east of Kinshasa (where I am). The Lowery family has a house there because Mike and Jill work there and the family use to live there until they moved to TASOK. So, my parents and i, Todd and Shannon Stone, The Lowery family with their two kids, Matt and Hannah, the Gorenflo family (i am not sure how to spell their name) with their three young daughter (Sarah, Christiana, and Rachel), Ms. Sara Ewbank, and the Shepard family with three of their eight children (Evangeline, Sarah, Theo but their other children are older and don't live here) all flew into Kikongo on two different flights. My flight was the early bird flight with Mr. Gorenflo as our pilot and the second flight coming two hours later (Mr. Gorenflo flew back, picked them up, and then came back to Kikongo.) So, in the end, there were 21 people there on Wednesday. We started our adventure at the Lowery's house just hanging out and then preparing for an ultimate hike. I put on my swimming suit and we hiked about 5 minute down a narrow path to the river we affectionately call Uncle Wamba. todd, Shannon, Sarah Shepard, Eva Shepard and I all played Frisbee and created an entire company with the amazing "sugar" sand that we found on the bottom of Uncle Wamba. We named our company, which would provide sand for skin exfoliation, Kifoliating and the actual process would be called kikoning. We rode in a narrow canoe that I later learned how to drive (sort of but i ain't any good at it) up the river to the other side. From there we hiked deep into the middle of congo to a river and waterfall that very few have ever been. Amazing how I can actually say i have been to places that few have been or done things that no one has done. The water to the africans near Kikongo is evil so they do not go in the water. On our way back Eva, Todd, Walt Shepard, my dad and I were the first people to swim across Uncle Wamba. Everyone floated down the river back to the sand bank we claimed as our own.

The next day, 11 of the people left and all that was left was my family, Sara Ewbank, Todd and Shannon, Jill and Matt Lowery, and Sarah and Eva Shepard. It was a day filled with learning to canoe, swimming with Uncle Wamba and getting extremely sun burned! Many card games were played at night and the food was great. We also had camp fires, singing, and stories.

Friday we took a nice tour of Kikongo, Mitedi (a neighboring village) and the hospital in Kikongo. All of it was an amazing experience that very few get to see. We walked through an actual African village. Children surrounded my dad as he marched through Mitedi. There were drums being played and we walked over to watch. All of the kids began to do their dancing and it was amazing to see. One of the kids was doing the chief's dance and all the others were clapping and jumping in unison around the drums that two boys were playing in the sand. We got pictures (which we can't get in Kinshasa since it isn't allowed) and it is hard to explain, like much of my trip in Africa so far. We again began to walk back through the village and the kids would try to hold your hand. Most would only grab a finger or two and as many kids as possible would try to hold your hand. most of the kids tried to grab your entire hand and be selfish. Strange that I felt more honored by these children than i probably ever have in my life. One boy would hold my entire hand and others would try to grab my hand. He would swat them away but i scolded him and wanted the other kids to hold my hand. Just a crazy experience. The hospital was in horrible conditions but i could describe that.

The rest of my trip was games and more of Uncle Wamba. A small rain storm with a little lightening, keeping us from joining Uncle Wamba. More cards, a great game of spoons, eating and just hanging out talking, stories, fires, and fellowship. Tough to describe but a great trip. We left on Saturday and flew back in the afternoon.

Easter Sunday was an early 5:30 am service where we sat watching the sun rise over the Congo river. An amazing experience with beautiful acapella singing. One of the songs was in French and it was beautiful. We later all said "He is risen indeed" and Pastor Walt Shepard had people say it in different languages. Amazing to hear a statement of rejoicing in so many different languages. God truly is a universal God. Sunday night brought about a lot of just relaxing and reading. I finished my book "Monster" last night but we were interrupted with no power and an amazing storm. Honestly this storm was the biggest storm anyone in my family has ever seen. More lightening and thunder than i have ever seen or heard in my entire life combined. There were times where I jumped because of the crack of the thunder not even a second after the HUGE flash of four or five bolts of lightening seen. It was constant lightening somewhere in the sky. It looked like a battle was in the near distance and constant flashing and rolling thunder that shook our entire house. Just an amazing experience.

As I write these experience, I realize how 1. hard it is to share with others because most of my trip is indescribable, no matter how much i try to describe it to you, i never will. 2. God is simply amazing in ALL aspect and in EVERY country. He is risen, He is risen indeed. Though at times it is easy to wonder and ask what God is actually doing in Congo or where God is. The people are so poor and needy. So much heart ache here. Driving down the down town I saw bullet holes from the week before in buildings. I see gunned police and special forces all over. Things I would never see in the states. Just amazing to still know and NEEDING to TRUST that God is in control can be hard here. He has a plan and in the end HE comes out on top but it isn't always easy to trust him or see him in everything. God is good but trust me, though i was not challenged with trusting that he is always good in the states much, I am challenged here to understand that he even has these people in his hands and had them on his mind when he was on that Cross. All i can say here is that I Trust Him when he says he is good and He is risen, He is risen indeed!

From the Heart of Avalon to the Heart of Africa

So I have made it to Africa. I am loving it and it seems that it is going to be an AMAZING trip. Now, I am not sure what I will be doing quite yet but somethings have already happened and others are in the planning stage. Like today:
First I woke up to rain forest birds chirping outside of my window...in my parents living room/entry way.
Second, a quiet time (okay so far it hasn't been too different)
Third, about an hour drive in a beat up Toyota down a beat up road where we were literally off-roading and trying to get around giant craters in the road, driving through markets and crowds of Africans...they all stared and commented on my white skin.
Fourth, went to the first ever girls under 15 soccer game of the entire COUNTRY. (Okay this one doesn't sound that cool but trust me...it was. You should have seen the kids watching and the girls playing, who had NEVER played a game of soccer before. And when they made their first goal, the only goal i saw made, it was crazy. people running and jumping and hugging, just great!)
Fifth, I was surrounded, literally, by hundreds of kids, some my age and younger, completely staring at me while I simply stared back at them. I would greet them and they would shyly greet back and then say something in French or Lingala and begin to laugh when i just stared with a blank look. I don't know what they are saying so they would use that A LOT!
Sixth, back in the Toyota on the way back to TASOK (The American School of Kinshasa) and we actually found our way back, an amazing thing. We drove along the Congo river and I got to see some of the rapids never successfully traveled and the local fishermen.
Seventh, I made it back to TASOK in one piece and took a little nap...nice but I had my contacts in so not amazing once i woke up.
Eight, I went to play tennis with my dad and a man named David Law, who actually is an amazing man from the Congo, but not black, and who offered me the chance to travel five days down the congo with him in about two weeks...which is unheard of and an opportunity VERY few have. I really hope it works out.
Ninth, i left the tennis game (my dad and David played another man and his son) and took a walk through my first ever/one of the last rain forests in the world! Beautiful trees.
That is what brings me here and now i have dinner and later we are going to the Stone's (some friends of my parents) for dessert and discussing about a trip to Kicongo we are taking on Wednesday to Saturday. What an amazing trip this is turning out to be. Any questions for me then just ask and please email me if you would like. joe.cabalka@gmail.com I will email back and will give you any details if you would like them. I miss the States but I am seeing the beginning of what God desires to do in me and in the Congo. Continue to pray for these people, that God can become real to them. Hope to hear from you all soon.
Peace,
Joe C.

awww faw shaw

What up erbody... this is M diggy dang dog in da house!!! actually, i'm in my house, which is in santa rosa... wow. another quota has come and gone. I fee like this one has been the shortest, it seems like only a little while back when I was leaving home in january... so much has happend since then. kind of. actually not really, life has been pretty much the same. but still its flying by. I like to relate it to a car. When you are born, your car is fresh off the lot, its getting used to the road, its going pretty slow, but as you get older, the car starts driving faster, flowers on the side of the road start to look like blurs, things get caarazy, you tend to veer to the left and right, and get warned by the divots, i guess when you get old, you accelorator gets stuck down, and your brakes are all worn down and the car just goes flying off a cliff. You feel weightlessness briefly and that moment is bliss, but then you realize that you are hurlting down 400 feet into the raging sea. Panic, and then acceptance. And then SPLASH... but I digress...

Good 'ol joe SEE-Balka is leaving. off to the land of AFRIKA. We will all miss him. At the same time, we are stoked that he gets to see his parents and shadow missionaries. It will be super exiting for him. So Joe, we are sad to see you go, but happy to see you go do something awesome. I will be looking foreward to your return.

Anyway, break is going good. I am stinkin excited to go to Vail to visit the brother there. Although, its going to be hard to leave weather that is in the mid 70's. Still, some shreading is in order, as well as some air time. Keith will be here recording all week with Patch and Danny. Joe, will be flying to Africa. Evan and Joe Mo are holding down the fort at yee ol' Avalon.

March madness is in full swing. I just figured out why the call it madness... because thats how I get when the team I choose to win the whole things crashes and burns in the elite 8. Stinkin Kansas, I had them going all the way. Now keith is going to beat me in the brackets... Keith, don't gloat, nobody likes gloaters, I don't want to hear it. Don't say anything. Just let me be a looser on my own accord.... thats the worst part about it. I know that Keith will gloat... so don't gloat, or you'll sink in the moat, or be devoured by a goat, or you will be sloat, or you'll lose your coat, and I'll sink your boat, because it won't float, murder, she wrote...

well, thats pretty much all I gots to say right now. I hope alls yalls is doin good. I wrote a poem a little while back one day in class, I close with that...

As The Stars Go By, by Matt Fitch:

As the stars go by, the lone salt gazeth,
The night sky shines down, brighter than the day.
Long shadows cast about, lie strewn upon the land,
the reflection in the sea, the smoothness of the sand.

The old man waited, for something to come his way,
long had it been, since the sea shook that day.
Thoughts of the past, constantly haunting he,
who could have known, why this man wasn't free?

Furled brow, curled lips, whiskey on his breath,
As wrinkled as a prune, his countanence was death.
But in the proper moon light, his eyes did seem to gleam,
Just remember this my child, nothing is as it seems.

Each inhale breifly visible, the codger puffed his pipe,
Smoke slowly left his mouth, the old man's thoughts were ripe.
Perched upon the weared sea wall, back in recline,
Weary as the day is long, his life was in decline.

His only strand of hope, serving a sail and a sheet,
But this rope called life was loosened, from the dockside cleat.
A silouetted boat had passed, which captured the gleam from his eye,
the old man lay there dead, and watched the stars go by.


Fin.

-M

Updation

So, for those of you who don't know, my house is still a house. Yes, I still post, though I don't know if people still read. We all are still alive and we all are enjoying the beautiful weather God has given us. I shall try to update everyone on my, Joe Cabalka's, life for my life is the only life I know know about 100%.

School:
It's fine, I am ready to be done and will be done in about 2 weeks. I have an amazing improv class that I got to make a mask in. I will try to get a picture of me with my mask on up here on the computer. I also have to prepare for 2 finals that i have and am not so excited about that. I just really want it to be over.

Friends:
Exciting because Andrew Nelson from my summer project was here till yesterday and Tine got here yesterday. She is here until the end of the week. I am so excited but I don't really get to hang out with her until the start of this next week. Other summer project people are coming up to SLO on Wednesday...I hope. I just miss my summer project friends so much. I have not been as blessed to be able to see them as often as others but whenever I do, it is a cherished time. I also am still loving the guys in my house [i kinda have to say that since they WILL read this ;-)] No, but I really do think that the guys in my house have been exactly what I needed for this year. We shall see where God takes me with friends next year but only he knows that. (Okay, that sounded weird but i got it so that is fine).

Life Changes:
There are a few HUGE life changes for me right now. The first is that my sister, Kierstin, is moving to Portland, OR. I am so excited for her. She leaves on Wednesday. I also am going to be another uncle!!! The next baby is due August 11th. The biggest for me right now is that I am preparing my life to go to Africa and live with my parents for 10 weeks. I will be leaving on March 27th and I can't wait. I think that is why everything else in my life has been so hard. I am ready to go, I mean mentally but not really, so I don't want to think about school or anything else except the flight and the chance to live in DR Congo for 10 weeks. I am going to be job shadowing with missionaries...hopefully. Truly, God is the only one that knows what I will be doing but it is in his hands and I am just ready for him to send me.

Okay, so that wasn't really much about the Heart of Avalon but I am a part of that so a huge change for the guys living here as well. I am excited for them too because without me they are going to be so lost! JK but seriously I think it is going to be a sweet time for me and for them to NOT have me here (it sounds self conceded but again, I know what i mean so i don't really care.) Well, any other questions then ask me in a comment. God loves you and I, isn't that all that matters eternally. Peace,
Joe C.

Seize the Day

Today, I siezed it. I dusted my dresser, book shelf and desk and organized it in a way that will make me ultra super productive. That is all i have for you today, and this picture. I want to know how jon and jamie have huge pictures on their blog. Anyway, blogs from keith and joe and maybe evan will come shortly. they just are lazy, forgive them. Maybe I'm just nerdier. umcay, I'm outty.
-M

Can you find three sail boats in this picture? Look harder...

Mmmm hmmm.

Hey You! I'm into Jesus! anyways, its been a while since i've been on this here blog mcdeal, I feel like i write the most though, hopefully joe will get back into it. Maybe once he goes to africa, he'll blog and let us know how things are going in the DRC YO! what what???

I feel so blessed by these last twenty four hours of my life, maybe even 48 or 72. The weather has been superb today, but let me tell you why I feel so blessed by these last few days.... On thurday night my house + pat took out took out the beautiful women of Ironbark for a valentines day dinner in beautiful cambria. It was neat because we put all our names in a hat and had the girls grab our names out of it and whoever they drew was their date. It was a fun night with good food, good company (especially my date!! This is a shout out to Jen, represent!) and good... stars. The stars were amazing and have been amazing the last two nights. On the drive back we pulled over on the one and got out of the cars. We were surrounded, nay, engulfed by the little balls of flames. It had been a long time since i had seen so many. We even saw a shooting star. After that we went back to their house and had chocolate covered strawberries and relaxed. So, with that the weekend had a great start!!

On fridizzle me and Joe slept in till pretty late, and just relaxed all day until about 4:30 when we were joined by allison and keely (and later jen and angela) for a little bbq action. I had some sausages, joe had some pork chops and K and A had some chicken... it was all good. After that I went to the poly game with A and K and saw them win, final score 10-1. Can i get a booya? Anyways, I went back home and then joe got off work, joe mo came back, and we all went on our roof to look at the stars again. I feel like stars will always remind me of how powerful the Lord is. and how insignificant I am, yet God still loves me and wants to know me on a personal level. So amazing.... I feel like the best place to view the stars would be on a sail boat in the middle of the ocean, with no land or lights in sight. There would be sooo many, I can only imagine how glorious that would look. I can just feel the warm wind blowing through my hair and hear the soft sound to the water lapping against the hull of my boat... Someday....someday.

Today we started off with some bible study action with the boys, and then Joe, Joe, and I went to the beach. We laid out, played football, built a pretty weak sandcastle, and went swimming in the friggid waters. It felt so good none the less, The weather today was pretty much perfect, mid 80's, a light warm breeze = blessing for mid february. After the beach we bbqed up some more meat and after eating we relaxed on our abundant couches and read while listening to great music. the book I'm reading called, "cruisng in seraffyn" is one of sweetest books i have ever read. I am greatful to jen who has let me borrow it.

Meanwhile Keith is San Jose running sound for the epic conference... i wish you were here Split Pea, I wish you were here...

So... I have a group project to do at 6 o clock. I wish I could just stay here and relax for hours, but work has to be done, hopefully the project wont be incredibly dull, I feel like that can't damper the mood I have been in the last few days. I feel like i've been incredibly blessed with every little thing. I am so greatful that the Lord has put so many great people in my life. I love you all. I wish my dad the best of luck doing taxes while my mom is going to a james taylor concert with her friends. Mom, you need to cook dad a worthy meal. hahahahahahaha. Just kidding. Churchin it in the morning tomorrow fo sho, then maybe a little beach action if its still warm, then a little dirt bike action, then some photo action. Its going to be hard to get school work done tomorrow. Oh well. God is good, he blesses richly! If you need proof just look at the stars.... May you all have a truely wonderful evening, enjoy the short time that we have on this earth, don't let the stresses of this life bring you down. Be blessed!
-M

Tin men

We at the heart, have been experiencing great new activities this quater. As we have just finished up week four at poly we decided that we needed to add another great activity to make our lives that much more fun. Tonight I got to go on my first bike night of my college career. What bike night consists of is a lot of people all collecting on the first thursday night at the mission downtown. From there the hundreds of bikers proceed to stop traffic completely and make a few laps around the heart of downtown. It was quite the exciting night. There were costumes that stretched the spectrum of your costume imagination. So tonight the theme was tin foil. So to join in with the others we fashioned some pretty sweet tin foil hats. To included in some of these amazing hats Bruiser had an amazing indian head dress, and there were other just look at the picture. As well as some pretty sweet hats and costumes there were a few bikers with stereos to play some sweet 80's rock. All in all bike night was great fun. In other news, school is going way fast and I don't even consider myself having midterms any more because I have tests every week so there is no way they could be any sort of "midterm". Anyway, tea at the heart is going great and so is life.
Until next time-Keith

If sails could talk...

Its friday night, I should be at the stunna shades party but I just don't feel it. I'd rather be sitting on a comfortable couch, listening to good ol, Chris Thile, (everybody, look into this guy. Hes amazing. Its some sweet folk and blue grass music.) There is a warm brown blanket sitting in the corner all alone by itself; I better go give it some company. (oh man this music is bliss) Talk about comfort, my tea is steaming, the music's soothing, the lighting is just right, its cold outside but inside the blanket feels like heaven. I enjoy this. I fear that this blog may be incredibly long because I could sit here in this situation for hours. I think that going out and partying it up and being social all the time is so very over rated. But maybe this is because I have the option of goind to a party that I feel this way. What if I had no outlet to do anything social at all? Would I still value this time or would I be wishing that I could get out and go to parties? I don't really know. All i know right now is that this right here is better than most things. I say most things because there are somethings in life that are better than this... maybe i'll list them off...
1) Praising the God in Heaven is better than this...
2) Being loved by my family is better than this...
3) Swinging in a hammock at night in hawaii when the stars are out and a tropical breeze is brushing against your skin is better than this...
4) Living in Hobbiton is probably better than this...
5) I'm almost certain that sailing to an unknown island in the tropics with crystal clear water lapping against the side of the boat and the sails full of the light air is better than this....
6) Relaxing on the lake after a session of epic waterskiing and wakeboarding is better this...
the list could go on...
hmmmm, do you know what I just did? I just used some form of psychology on myself to realize what I really enjoy in this life. If what i'm doing right now is one of my favorite things, then the things that are better than this must be amazing. If you want to realize what is amazing in your life all you have to do is think about something that you really enjoy doing and then think of all the things that are better than that. neat!
I feel like writing is great therapy. you can find out some things that are hidden deep down in the unconscous self when you write. especially when you write about whatever in on your mind. I think a little bit of blogging is good for everyone and I would encourage people to hop on the band wagon. even if nobody ever reads what you have to say, there is something therapuetic about getting things out.
I just erased a whole chunk of my blog. I realized that this is too long. So I am stopping. Right.... now... Okay, for reals, I'm stoppiing. I'm done. I done writing... why are you still reading this... are you still reading this because there are words here for you too read?? I think soooo, get some self control and stop reading. Just because there are words here it doesn't mean that you have to read them. Please stop reading. I'm seriously done. all dunskis. done and doneskis. okay. seriously all done. done now. do me a favor... if you stopped reading up there let me know by leaving a comment. (its a trap) okay. I'm done.
-M
(for reals I'm done)

Breakfast In the Heart

No, I we are not shoving breakfast into someone's chest. We decided to have breakfast this morning. Keith, obviously, is making it and it smells delicious. You should all be jealous of our potato/onion/egg delight we get to have.

This quarter has turned out to be more work than I expected and that was just trying to get the classes. Now that I have the classes, most I need but Improv. Theater I do not, I can just try to get use to my new schedule. Working, hopefully, three days a week, crusade, bible studies, hanging out...still don't know when any of this is going to happen but that is okay by me.

Tine came!!! I loved having her here and while she was here Pete, Steve, Lisi, Sofie, Jose, and Steph Lai, all came. It was weird but great to see all of the Ocean city crew and even stranger to constantly hang out with Cal Poly Ocean city people because I love all of them but we don't all hang out like that a lot. I mean, i see all of them quite often but we never just all get to hang out. It was great to have everyone here. Tine left yesterday. That was sad but I know that she has been called to Minnesota which is okay. I know I will see her again and I can't wait for that day. Till then, I have three letters I get to mail her. Tine, here they come!

I also know that I was suppose to write on here about 2 months ago. I was suppose to add a lot of the exciting things the Heart/myself have been doing. Well, I can't. I can say thanks to Erin for a wonderful birthday surprise. Emily has been a great help with Tea at the heart/her coffee cake (which I love!!!) I don't really think I could mention much else. Except that I turned did turn 21. What a day. I loved being able to hang out with my family on my BIG birthday. Weird though that I never got to celebrate with any of my friends...I don't get to too often because it is the 28th but I have gotten use to the wonderful birthdays my family has for me. I would've liked to have celebrated with my friends but my family was stupendous. This birthday consisted of going to the slopes that ended up being closed, hanging out for the day in Shaver with the fam, sitting in a cabin, playing some games. Going out for dinner but leaving early because it was really cold and we didn't really have a waitress. Going to eat left overs from the night before that turned out horrible but was a great laugh and then just relaxing the rest of the night with a wonderful cake and an AMAZING family.

Life, it can be crazy and one crazy part of my birthday present, which is NOT 100% sure yet but I am really hoping, is a trip to see my parents in Africa!!! I was planning on going over spring break but with that only being about 7 days, it turns out to not be quite long enough. So, instead, I might be going spring quarter! I am excited about this, though I would miss this and my roommates. I have come to love my roommates...most of the time (kidding guys) and so i know that it will be hard to not be around them for an entire quarter. That is the way things have happened but my going this next quarter means that I would be around SLO ALL of next year and I would NOT be graduating early. I am stoked about all options but God knows what will happen. Please be praying for me. I am sure I think you are all great people and I am sure that most of you I do not see enough. Well, I love you and miss you...trust me. Peace on earth and good will toward all men. Here is something our house has somewhat been contemplating this last week or so. "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:13

Be encouraged,
Joe C.