From the Sidelines

Faith

Faith, Hope, and Love week is truly changing Noblesville this week.  If you don't know what FH & L Week is, it is basically a week that area churches get together to give back to those who have needs in our community.  The coolest part of this week is God is not just changing the physical town of Noblesville, but the people that live here in our great community as well.

Through the last two days and after our event I have learned a ton.  The Community Food, Fun, & Sports night was one of the biggest risks that I have taken since I have been here.  We saw over 150 community members come out and truly enjoy Community.  They laughed, played, and simply got to hang out with some of their neighbors from next door, and from all over Noblesville.

God led me to reach out to the people of our community, and He was truly glorified last night.  God taught me about what Faith really is, what it really means to truly rely on Him even though I have no idea what was going to happen.

I am looking forward to what is to come the rest of the week...

Ukraine Day #6

I think it is Day #6.  I honestly have lost track.  It has been a whirlwind, and a blast all at the same time. 

Alright Russian Lesson #2:

Bread - hleb - (HE-leb) - This is what most people have called me all week, because they can't understand Brett. 

Cucumber - ogooretz - (o-gah-retz) - We have eaten these about 5 different ways and with pretty much every meal.

Today we finished the 4th day of camp.  The kids are really warming up to us, and God even used a small craft we did to allow one of the Ukrainian leaders to share Christ with a mother of a child. (P.S. It is very hard to connect with the kids, much less the parents of the kids, so this is a huge deal!  Praise God)

God truly has worked in incredible ways.  Even though there are barriers like language and culture, God knocks all of those down and allows us to be used by Him to reach these kids.  Thanks for all your kind words, I share them with the team regularly.  Continue to know that we feel your prayers each day and know that God is an amazing God whether we see him at work or not.  See you in just a few short days!

Ukraine Day #4

Alright it is time to learn some Russian.  I know you will go around speaking this to everybody so I want to make sure I tell you how to say it right, because it has taken me about 4 days to master two words. 

You say hi like this...previet (pre-VEE-et)

You say thank you like this...placevo (plah-SEE-vo)

Now all of you who are reading this and are already planning to come here next year, you need to start practicing.

Today was another awesome day!  God is amazing in so many ways.  It is unbelievable how you can form relationships and not even be able to speak to them, without the help of a translator.  We definitely have some future big leaguers over here.  It has been so humbling as the team and I try to teach these kids about the game.  To give you a little perspective, they did not know which hand to put their glove on, or what a bat looked like, whether they were 6 or 16 years old.  I can't wait to see the progress by the end of the camp.

Kristy-An and Susan are doing an amazing job with the crafts as well.  The younger kids painted butterfly and cross wind-chimes and were beaming with pride about what they had done.  They older kids painted wooden fish today, and the ladies shared how we are to be fishers of men.  (These kids don't have xBox, so wooden fish are COOL!)

Truly, your prayers are felt and our strength is finally coming back.  The team thanks all of you and we ask that you simply continuing praying.  Today we have a shortened day in the camp, and we are heading into town for the afternoon.  I would tell you all see ya later in Russian right now, but I haven't learned it yet,  sorry...maybe tomorrow!

Ukraine Day #3

Sorry it has been taken a few days for me to write a blog, there has been some internet problems here in Kherson, Ukraine.  Our flight went great and without a problem.

On Sunday we arrived in the afternoon and walked around the tourist area of Odessa.  That night we traveled to TCI (Tavrinski Christian Institute).  This is where we will be staying for the majority of the trip.  We spent Monday recooperating and resting from our long weekend, and started to prepare for the camp in the evening. 

Camp started today and it went well.  Many kids from the village came to participate, and they are enjoying the crafts and slowly picking up on the game of baseball. 
I met a kid today named "Ediq" (English for Edward) who was very shy at the beginning of the day, and by the end of the day he had taken a particular liking to me.  He stayed there pretty much all day, and I can say he is officially the first Ukrainian that I have taught to throw and catch a ball.  I think I have made quite an impression and we can't even speak to one another.  We smile and laugh, and I continue to talk louder in English thinking that he can hear me.

Please continue praying for us in the coming days for strength and patience, as the communication barrier becomes easier, but remains a challenge.  It is past 10pm over here and I have to get to bed.  I will hopefully write more tomorrow.  Thanks for all your prayers!

P.S. I can't get the pictures uploaded right now, sorry, I will try later.

Ukraine in 1 day!!

Howdy folks, and I know it has been awhile and just know that I have missed you all as much as you have missed me.  This email comes on Friday, which is the day before our team for Ukraine leaves to go and love on some kids over there.

If you are part of the families of our team, or supporters and people praying for our team in Ukraine, you are in the right place.  Each day (at least every other day) I will be posting with an overview and stories of what we did each day, as well as hopefully be able to post some pictures and videos of the controlled chaos that we are blessed to be a part of.

The team and I thank you for your prayers, and feel free to send us messages through the comments on this blog.  We trust God is going to do some amazing things through us while we are there, and we know God has molded this team to be ready for exactly what he has planned.  Please pray with us for strength, courage, and compassion each day!  Thank you in advance, we are all very excited about the next 10 days!

 

A True Competitor

I know that is has been awhile since my last post...but instead of dwelling on that and making some more empty promises about how many posts I am going to write in the next week, I am moving on...

When it comes to college basketball, whether you are an ACC man (like me and Dickie V), an SEC guy (who is still trying to figure out what happened to their conference last season), or a devout Big East follower (who I met way too many of while I was in Louisville, and if I hear anymore about how the Big East doesn't get enough respect, I will puke), the story that broke yesterday will touch your heart and for me it truly defines what it means to be a fighter and an athlete.

Chris Lofton, shooting guard for the Tennesee Volunteers Men's Basketball team, is finally letting a secret out that he successfully hid from his teammates, most of his family members, all the dedicated Vols fans, and virtually all of the media sources as well as college basketball followers nationwide.

He played with cancer....He played NCAA Division I Men's Basketball while fighting cancer.  I am absolutely blown away by it.  Check out the great article that ESPN wrote on it.

Would you ever see an NBA player play while battling cancer?

One Shining Moment

To any college sports fan in America, the David Barrett song (Never heard of him?  Who has?) "One Shining Moment," has a fond place in your heart.  I remember growing up and seeing all of the highlights each year, played to this song at the end of March Madness.  If you were in the office on the Thursday kickoff of the tournament, you may have heard Justin or I belting out the tune down the halls of the church.

The song has been hailed by some big names like SI and USA Today:

"One Shining Moment has become as synonymous with the NCAAs as first round upsets." Sports Illustrated

"...The playing of the anthem 'One Shining Moment' has become as integral to the NCAA tournament and national championship as snipping the nets." USA Today

It even has its own website...www.oneshiningmoment.com!

Whether you like the song or not, is beside the point, but what the song brings to the sport is incredible.  You don't recall a song being played after the NBA finals do you?  Do people actually watch the NBA? 

As halftime approaches to the cap of the greatest spectacle in sports, I want to hear from you.  What song would you use for the March Madness highlight video?  Don't be shy, there is no wrong answer (except for the "Macarena").

And I will see the 2008 National Champs at Disney World tomorrow.  I will be clubbing with Mickey & Minnie at Downtown Disney.  More to come...

I heart Davidson

We have all heard about the "Cinderella" teams of tourneys gone past.  George Mason a few years ago.  The Zags busted on the scene in 1999.  Rick Pitino's run with Providence to the Final Four in 1987.

As I am watching Davidson fight it out with Kansas in the Elite 8, I am reminded how much I love college basketball.  What a great team.  This Davidson team optimizes what I love about college basketball.  A team with a stud, every player knows his role, they hustle, play defense, and they could care less that they were facing a #1 seed.  Never did you even sense an ounce of fear.

In the pit of my stomach, I am glad that Kansas won, so I wouldn't have to root against Davidson next Saturday. 

Well done Mr. Curry, and all the boys from Davidson.  It was a good run, and I enjoyed watching every minute of it.

Dateline | NBC Tonight at 9

I have never been prouder to be an alumnus of Taylor University than today.  The story of the tragedy that happened on April 26, 2006, and the mistaken identity that followed was told today on the Today show, and will be told in more depth tonight on Dateline with Matt Lauer. 

That isn't where the story ends.  God has truly been glorified through every devastating and life altering turn of this story.

Please watch tonight as the Van Ryn & Cerak families share their story, and explain how they can truly love one another after such a nightmare of an experience.  Their hope is unwavering, and their faith should challenge us all.

myPhone

Today I got my new iPhone, and I have been amazed all day.  The things that it can do truly do make my life so much easier.

After a few months with a Treo, and not be able to sync it for the past 4 months, I realized it was basically useless to me.  So thanks to my buddy Brad, and his magnet that he has for great deals, I was able to grab my iPhone for a steal.

Get on the iPhone train, and while your at it jump on the Tarheels bandwagon too.