More to come!!!

Rickshaws are used to travel into bazaars and also to small villlages on the outskirts of towns.

Ahh our lovely bedding. And good old Mosquito netting, which was effective approximately 60% of the time :)

A Pelican eating a pidgeon whole in a park near Buckingham Palace.

Monzoor

Typical Day in Karachi

The Raj family

Lush London England

Team at the Arabian Sea

55.041 seconds...

I think this one deserves a better title...

Back from Teen Camp at Hope Valley. It was fast, but it always is, due to the action packed nature of the week. One of the highlights was when we had this crazy game of soccer using an earth ball (approximate height 5 feet, 9 inches). All of the team leaders played against some 60 campers, which turned out to be a fairly intense game, especially when the impact of two or three people on the ball sent many flying into the air. The Lord was good to us throughout the week, providing strength and energy for those of us who had to jump into camp mode and get up to speed quite quickly. I had a blast doing programming, as it let me engage in one of my favourite pastimes: inventing crazy games and ideas. In other news I purchased a Larrivee from the L-01 series, and put a pickup in it. I have been looking to get an acoustic which plugs in for a long time, and this guitar seems to suit me well. I am really looking forward to recording music with Luke Dent this year, as well as re-mastering the songs from my first album. Its fun to try stuff, even if you don't think it will lead anywhere big. That's all for now.

-the bard

Mood for Riddle and Rhyme

I am attempting to finish off the books in the series: The Cronicles of Narnia. The Magician's newphew holds this gem of a line. Good ol' C.S.:

Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.

O ya, and I'm in the middle of making a gleeman's cloak. You never know when you need one of those...

-the bard

"I never was, yet always will be. I am never seen, yet always come. I can carry nothing, yet hold much for some."

-the bard

12 Hours in London

12 Hours in London


The Spaniards in the corner
Are keeping me awake tonight
I'm not sure what to make of my thoughts
And it's getting hard not to stare


Airports are odd places
Especially for the mind
I feel like I'd rather be back home
Just one more plane away
And I'll be ok


If it's ok with you
I think I'll stay up for a little while
It's not to change what I have to say
That will happen anyway


12 Hours in London
Waiting for all the things you would have
And I am not content to sit here as the friend
Why not?

Weight Loss + Perspective Shift = Symbiotic Relationship

So its been about 3 days since landing and I have had a chance to chat with a good number of my friends and family about the trip, as well as receive very lovely comments as to my lack of weight and "vibrant" skin colouration (is that a word?). I found out that overall I lost about 13 pounds, which if your Todd Anderson that works out to about all of the remaining fat reserves in your entire body. This, though it sounds tragic and perhaps scary, has been one of the most beneficial aspects of the entire trip for me. For I got to know my God much better through the experience. I now have a fresh look at what the word "hunger" means, though I would not suppose to have experienced it in any great measure.
Its kind of funny the way the Lord works. For my feeling coming away from Pakistan was that I would spend time over the next couple weeks thinking and praying about the experience, ultimately looking for some answers as to long-term work for the future. And my attitude has been negative as to returning to the country, based almost exclusively on the moods and emotions I felt during the trip. I spent some time playing tennis and chatting with Josh about it, and the things I kept saying I had issues with all seemed to be problems that would not occur if I lived in my own house, and had a job, etc... I guess I need to be very careful in the next few weeks to remember the facts about the country rather than a certain mood on a certain day. Well that's it for the moment, I think I'll go eat some peanut butter.

-the bard

Back

So I'm back from Pakistan, very jet-lagged, skinny, scruffy, rugged, and feeling happy about being at home. I have heard a lot of things, seen more than I bargained for, and been changed by a God who cares too much about me to leave me as I am. There is so much to say, and it will be said in due time, but for now I wish to simply thank everyone for your support in prayer. It has worked, I have been tried in the fire, and learned much in the trying. Anyway I will unfold some of the journey through blogs, but the rest must be in person, for the stories are much more funny and meaningful in person.

-the Bard