Many Drafts but Few Posts

Dear Oly Living Followers,

My sincere apologies for my ever so belated post, again. Truth be told I have several drafts saved on my computer that I never return to, finish and post. However, I am thinking about blogging. I do start to write, but after one page in Microsoft Word I forgo the post and instead proceed to the "save as" button. I can't tell you what it is that keeps me from posting what I have written down but my posts have yet again fallen into a very inconsistent pattern. Or maybe we can say that they aren't inconsistent any longer because they have been inconsistent for so long that now inconsistency in my posting is the usual. Either way, it has been more than a few weeks since my last post and catching you up on Olympia Living is crucial.

-First, the church.

We have grown out of Russell's house and are now looking for a space of our own and I do believe we have found it. There is a plaza on Tumwater Blvd and Capital that's occupied by Infernos Pizza, a Teriyaki restaurant and a gym amongst other things. Before Tumwater had built the government buildings that sit across the street from this plaza and before this plaza had any business in it, our potential space was occupied by a Forza Coffee shop. The shop has totally been set up for coffee, so hopefully by the spring/summer time we'll be up and running as the only specialty coffee shop in Tumwater. We'll definitely be using the space for Sunday evenings, but hopefully throughout the week it will be a superb alternative to the Starbucks that's down the street. We have had various meetings with roasters, taken trips to look at equipment, gone to barista competitions and basically dove head first into reading and researching about speciality coffee. As of now we have purchased two Mazzer grinders, an espresso fridge, and a La Marzocco Lenea espresso machine. We are still in the progress of sorting out the lease and we'll still need to purchase our choice of pour over equipment (V60, Chemex) and furniture, but we're really doing this.

-I've lived in the NW for six months.

It's been a real trip, let me tell you. It's amazing to see who I was coming into this move and who I am now. It's crazy to see what God has done in the life of Sound City and the Knights, this coffee shop and my life having now lived here half a year. I'd like to say it's been rainbows and butterflies every step of the way, but it definitely hasn't. The winter time has taken a toll on my morale, but I've learned to push through weird times like those. I'm definitely anticipating July, when the summer time kicks in and the rain subsides.

-My job is going well.

I'm meeting a lot of people in the city of Dupont, but like I said earlier it will be nice to be working in the specialty coffee industry rather than your typical franchised Starbucks, Forza or Cutters Point. It will be nice to work with people to care about coffee and their customers. This will also provide a means for me to work full time 45 plus hours and be able to move into my own apartment (preferably one that is close to the shop so I can bike there each day). But Forza has been good. I've made some great friends and thankfully I'm getting more hours.

-Kennewick and it's Finest citizen.

A few weekends ago I took a much needed trip to Kennewick to visit my friend Tyler. The drive is about four hours long, but it's a pretty drive to say the least. I love this state, it's unfortunate that it's so far from everyone that I love in WV. The weekend was out of this world minus the fact that I broke down, alone, in Benton City. It was horrible, but my car is fixed now and everything turned out okay. I can't even tell you how thankful I am for Tyler. Before I moved I knew that it was going to be so crucial having him live to close to Oly, and now that I live here crucial doesn't even describe it. We both have definitely had to adjust overtime. There's just something about having a friend to help you out along the way. Tyler is awesome, and I'm not just staying that because he follows this blog (lolz).

-Aaron's Grad School

So most of you know, a friend of mine back home has applied to some schools in the Northwest, Univeristy of WA and Western WA University. Both are great schools and we've been praying a lot about it, however, we just heard from UW this week that Aaron didn't get accepted, so we were a bit bummed. He should be hearing back from all the other schools he applied to soon, and I'm praying WWU in Bellingham has got a spot with his name on it.

So there are a few updates for my trusty followers. You're prayers and support have been monumental throughout this journey.

Cortez, Adley and Phyllis

I had a day off from work this morning, not surprising seeing how Forza has given me seven hours this week, so I had some time to do some serious thinking, and I do mean serious. In recent Olympia news we got a new bird feeder in our “side” yard (we have no backyard), and it has provide some entertainment this afternoon. Not to my surprise, today I noticed several little birds gliding by, making a pit stop at 4708 Durham. I couldn’t help but think, what does our feeder mean for our new feathered friends.

I then closed my eyes (we’ll say for dramatic effect) and began to see things their way, or at least the way I would like them to see things, our feeder in particular. What if, just what if, these fowl recognized our bird feeder as their Wendy’s, T. Bell or McDonalds. What if our bird feeder was their drive through while their morning outing for worms was their gourmet meal from… Olive Garden (because I know nothing about gourmet food and I’m content with saying Olive Garden is gourmet because in my case it is on the pricey side of living).

So what does our feeder mean for them? What kind of food are Leona and I serving to our new guests? I have yet to decide because I have yet to nail down the exact mentality of these visitants.

Perhaps we serve some sort of Mexican cuisine. The sparrow sitting on the ledge outside my window, nibbling away at his meal is Cortez. Taking a break from the reality of his job as SBBP (Spanish Boarder Bird Patrol, obviously) he stops to grab some refried beans, rice and a San Miguel. He works to maintain the peace at the boarders with the French, not because they are French or Spanish birds, but just because it’s their native tongue. Cortez’s stop at our tiny Mexican Bistro is his only quiet escape.

There is also potential that to these birds we serve a variety of organic vegetables, hummus and some equivalent to Stacy’s pita chips. Adley a down on his luck Wren has stopped by as a frequent flyer. He knows that 4708 is a place he can grab a healthy bite to eat, because his health is all he has going for him these days. He stops by, grabs some squash and green pepper and forgoes the chips, but uses his pepper dipping into our mouthwatering hummus. Maybe Adley is seeking some entertainment, therefore he peers through the sliding glass window to catch an episode of Mad Men Season 2, thinking right along with me, that this show is incredible, yet Peter is his favorite character, which I don’t fully understand.

And then of course, maybe it was Phyllis that stopped by this afternoon. Phyllis in her mid 70’s out for a quiet flight looking for a cup of coffee and a muffin, in which in this case we serve. Phyllis has been married for 52 years to her Avifauna Academy sweet heart, Charles. Together they hatched six babies four of which are female and two of which are male. Their sons and daughters have provided several grandbirds for them and each Sunday they all come to Phyllis and Charles nest for lunch. On Monday Phyllis is usually tired, today in particular. Today she needed more time to relax than usual after spending the day prior in the kitchen fixing a rather large meal. Relaxing, a cup of coffee and a muffin was just the way to do it, therefore Phyllis dropped by our place for some R&R.

Well maybe I did have too much time on my hands today, but then again maybe ornithology is something I’ll dive into this year. After all, it is a new year.

Sporadic Updates are Second-Rate

It has recently come to my attention that it has been quite some time since I’ve posted about the happenings in Olympia, WA, and needless to say things are good and I’ve been rather busy.

In the month of November I got a job. You are now reading the blog of a Forza barista. Forza is a coffee company based in WA and has one location in Denver, I believe. It’s a pretty sweet set up and things are going well so far. I’m meeting a lot of people and getting to spend after hours hanging with some coworkers. Being a barista wasn’t necessarily my plan when I went to college for four years, but according to USA Today the unemployment rate for college graduates is at it’s highest since 1970, lucky class of 2010 eh? However, I think Forza is a great place to work temporarily. They can only give me part time right now, so after my trip home for Christmas I’m hoping I can pick up another job at another coffee shop somewhere else like the Starbucks in Tumwater, Mud Bay on the west side or Oly Coffee Roasters downtown. We’ll see how things go though, one day at a time.

Thanksgiving was fabulous. Prior to I was thinking I would be missing home and wishing I would’ve bought a plane ticket in order to spend the holiday with my family. But Thanksgiving in the Northwest was one of the best Thanksgivings I’ve had yet, no offense friends and family in WV. I was invited to have dinner with some church planters at Kyle and Terry Lewallen’s house. Aaron Dawson, a friend from home, was visiting that week so he got to come along as well. It was a great time of fellowship and bonding with the Surround the Sound team and it’s always great to spend time with Aaron. It was all something to be very thankful for, that’s for sure.

Aaron’s visit was wonderful. Picking him up from the airport was one of the greatest moments in the past four months. I’ve felt so alone over the past three months, being without a job and not in school made it a bit hard to make friends my own age, and it was an indescribable feeling to be amongst my best friend again.

We spent time in Seattle at Pike Place and downtown and also hung around the U-district. Aaron looked at UW as a potential grad school and we did some coffee shop hopping around town so he could get a feel for what he would be in for in case he decided to apply. Obviously he loved it. This place fits him to a tee. We also spent a lot of time in Olympia at the cities various coffee shops and delis reading comics, essays and The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (aloud mind you). It was a wonderful visit, and I was so glad to have him here for the holiday.

In other news, Sound City is growing and we’re now looking to rent a new venue because we are outgrowing Russell’s house. We’re hoping to find a new home for the church by Feb or early March, at the latest. It’s exciting to see the new faces and who has been consistent in attending our monthly meetings. I have yet to get any of my friends to attend. They’re pretty much uninterested, which is totally okay with me by the way. We may have different worldviews, but we agree on most anything related to music, coffee, art and literature, so we enjoy each other’s time.

Thus ends this brief update about my life in the Northwest. Find me on Facebook for more updates that are less sporadic.

Something Worth Blogging About.

You may now welcome me into the “job club” if you want. I got the call from Forza Coffee Company today and I go in tomorrow for some paper work and to get some training. I know it isn’t within my degree, but that’s okay. It’s something I’ve really been trying to wrap my mind around over the past few weeks. I’ve come to realize that I want nothing more than for my parents to walk around town telling their friends I’ve done something great, something that would make them feel proud, and in my mind making coffee isn’t the job they were hoping for. But then that’s what I’m telling myself and not necessarily what is true. According to them they’re proud of me regardless, what a load off my back.

So I embark on my Forza journey tomorrow.

My friend Tyler came to Oly this weekend for his birthday, and what a weekend it was! It’s always great to have him here, someone who has been in my inner circle of friends for quite sometime and someone I know I can be real with. You just can’t beat those friendships. We spent the majority of our time talking and drinking coffee in various shops such as Mud Bay Coffee Roasters, Wagner’s Café and Bakery and Cutter’s Point. We celebrated at Cascadia over an awesome dinner and “Birthday Questions”, The Clipper where we sang our “go to” karaoke jams “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey and “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn, and later we ended up at Jakes where we danced to hits like “Single Lady” by Beyonce and “You Can Do It” by Ice Cube with various European techno jams in between until purchasing Tyler a birthday hotdog and calling it a night. I think he had a good time, I know I did and hopefully he can move west very soon and get out of Eastern Washington.

So the weather has been pretty intense lately, it’s been getting dark at 4:45 and it’s been raining basically non-stop, but I’m still enjoying it for some odd reason. I must be made to live here because with each week that passes I love it more and more. A friend from college is flying into SeaTac this Sunday and words can’t describe how excited I am! We’ve been counting down the days since I left in August and the day in nearly here! Only six more days to go!

So there’s a small update from me to you. The Northwest is treating me just fine.

No plans on leaving this place anytime soon

So now we all know how easy it has been adjusting to the Northwest, and when I say easy I mean the hardest thing ever. I know my blog posts have been lagging and there’s no excuse for that, other than that the rain has kept me from thinking about anything. It’s sad to say, but I can understand why so many Washingtonians would want to end their lives. It’s a bad atmosphere. It will only get worse from here on out, as far as the weather goes. We’ve definitely hit the Winter season in WA. I laughed at how dark it was this morning at 10am.

Anyhow, I continue to remain jobless. It seems like every couple of weeks I get a lead on a great job, I get my hopes up, I send in my resume and I never hear anything back. It’s hard to not take it as “there’s something wrong with me” instead of “God has the job, I just need to find it”. If I’m on your prayer list then please pray for an open door somewhere, and if I’m not on your prayer list then please add me!

A lot happened in the month of October. My sister, brother-in-law and niece came for a five-day visit. It was perfect timing, I was really starting to miss home. We had our second church meeting at Pastor Russell’s house, always encouraging, especially when we see new faces. I started attending Life Church Dupont and since then have been asked to help lead worship until Sound City starts weekly meetings. I had a meeting with State Farm, still waiting to hear back from them, and of course have continually been adjusting more and more to Olympia as each month goes by.

November has also brought about some exciting days. Last week I scored a free ticket to see Ben Gibbard live in Seattle. It definitely ranked high on my list as far as some of the best bands I’ve ever seen. (Thank you Bobby Ball for that ticket!) I also had the opportunity to take a trip to Vancouver this past week to go to the Passion World Tour Conference. Vancouver is an amazing city, one of my favs, and the worship that night was amazing. We also had our third church service with Sound City. We had our regular attenders, but we're hopeful and praying that several unchurched folks will come next month.

Throughout all of these experiences, and my good days and bad days, God has been teaching me a lot. I’ve just recently realized that somewhere over the course of the past four years I have developed some pretty severe worrying and it hasn’t been until I moved here that I’ve realized that it is the core issue to a lot of the problems that I face day in and day out. I heard a sermon preached by Kyle Lewallen at Life Church and he said a lot of significant things that even three weeks later I am still thinking about.

-You can’t serve two masters.

-We are the pinnacle of God’s creation.

-I’m not thinking like a believer.

-One day at a time.

-Prayer is where you redirect your worry.

Duh. So elementary right? Well leave it up to me to have to learn things the hard way. So I’m not going to go in depth about how all of this struck a chord in my mind, but I can say that it has changed my thought process in a lot of ways. At the beginning of Kyle’s message he had us write down what it is we are worried about and by the time I was finished I probably had a list of ten things. I had no idea how bad it was. If you’re a worrier you can click here and give this sermon a listen.

On another positive note, I got to check out Mars Hill Olympia this week. It was awesome! The people were friendly, Driscoll brought a sweet message (as usual) and the congregation consisted of mostly young believers my age. Finally, just what I’ve been looking for. We’ll see how this evolves over time. Maybe I can make some new friends.

So things keep moving right along in Oly. I’m adjusting well and I’m not as homesick as I once was. Now that I’ve been here nearly three months I can’t really imagine being anywhere else. I really love the Northwest, though my parents probably wouldn’t be happy to hear it. I love the culture here. I’m enjoying the rain (as of right now), and I’ve met some amazing people. I think I’ll stick around.

Things to look forward to this month:

-Aaron Dawson is coming for a week long visit in 12 days!

-Sound City outreach with Homeless Backpacks Organization in Oly

-Sound City 4th Monthly Service

-Preparing seeds for my garden

-Spending more time with the Mars Hill Community in Oly

Thanks for reading. Picture updates to follow over the next few days.

I've been gone for two months now

Time is flying by! It doesn't even seem real that nearly three weeks ago we had our first launch team meeting at Russ's house and this week we'll be having our second. I'm definitely used to the area by now, but still dealing with the absence of friends from home. I miss them. There is a laundry list of reasons why I love living in the Northwest, but that's the one thing that makes it hard. Being away from friends and family is going to be a continual adjustment I'm afraid. However, my sister, brother-in-law and baby niece are coming to visit me this Wednesday. I'm overly excited to say the least.

Other positive news is that I scored an interview this past week. On the 20th I'll be heading up to Dupont, WA, about twenty minutes north of Oly, to the Statefarm building to chat with the AFC of the Pacific Northwest. Finally I feel like I'm getting somewhere! I'm really hoping and praying that Mr. Caldwell can help me get my foot in the door with the company by providing some sort of PR job or receptionist position. He oversees 46 agents in the area so I have a feeling he can help me out in some form or fashion. When Angie comes to visit we're going to hit up some shops and look for some business appropriate clothing. I can't wait to walk into the office with my heals on, all confident.

Throughout the last few weeks I've been seeking out various avenues in which I can serve and help other churches in the area. After hearing that two out of three churches in the Northwest fail, it's the least I can do. Click HERE to watch a video of Bobby Ball, Nathan Rayas and myself leading worship at the Vintage service at Sunbreak Missionary Baptist Church.

The service I attended last night in Dupont was amazing. It was just the encouragement I was needing for the week. The church is called Life Church Dupont and is the first church plant of the Surround the Sound project. They are two years into their ministry in Dupont and God is really providing big for them. They currently are meeting in the coffee shop downtown called Forza, and by the way this place makes awesome coffee, probably one of the better Sumatras I've had in my day.

Anyway, it was great to see how God is working through Pastor Kyle Lewallen, the leadership team at Life Church and the congregation. It's exciting to watch Life Church grow in Dupont and think about how God can use Sound City in Tumwater/Oly. Who knows how things will look as months go by, or even years. So glad I can be a part of it!

This past Wednesday I got to head up to Mount Rainier for the first time. It was an awesome day. The weather was beautiful. It felt so good to be outside in the sun. Standing at the bottom of Rainier at Pardise you can see Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens, pretty cool. It was a great day and here are some pictures to prove it.

Stay tuned trusty followers. Who knows what will happen next!

Moving to Oly has brought about so many fun new past times for me including: getting coffee at Mud Bay, cold press at Café Vita, seafood at the farmers market, karaoke at The Clipper with deejay Starling and reading The Volcano Weekly. The Volcano Weekly is a newspaper that is distributed throughout cities south of the Puget Sound such Tacoma, Gig Harbor and Olympia. I recently read an article entitled Rise of the New Atheism- Godlessness Takes the Offensive ironically by writer, Christian Carvajal. Anyway, I read some interesting statics in it that I thought might interest you too.

In 2008, a Pew Foundation poll found the percentage of atheists in

America had risen from 3.2 to 4 percent in only a few years, and a

whopping 44 percent of Americans abandoned the denominations

of their childhood. Only the percentage of Catholics (23.9) out-

numbered the percentage of the “unchurched” (16.1). A year later,

almost a full quarter of Americans surveyed by the American

Religious Identification Survey professed no belief in a personal

God.

Washington is hardly the most fervently churchgoing state in the

union. Even in 2001, before the rise of the New Atheism, a full

quarter of Washingtonians polled claimed no religious affiliation

whatsoever, the highest fraction anywhere in the country.

These are some pretty serious statistics I’d say, but also not shocking. Anyway, I love this newspaper. If you’ve got a craving for some liberal writing this will indeed. You can check it out here.

Spending time downtown has been a blast. I met up with my new friend Carrie at Eastside last week. It was so fun getting to talk with her and meet some of her friends. This girl knows everyone in town too, no joke. It’s been awesome getting to chill with her. We have so much in common and some of our backstories are so similar. I feel like we really relate well with each other. We’re meeting up for lunch at The Bread Peddler, a little café downtown, on Thursday. This past Saturday one of my best friends from home, Tyler Parnell, came to visit Olympia and we all went downtown to the Clipper to sing karaoke. Carrie and I sang “What a Girl Wants” by Christina Agulaira and I sang “Private Eyes” by Hall and Oates with Tyler. It was a stellar time. We definitely made some great mems.

Tyler’s visit to Olympia was long anticipated, and I took some time to document our weekend to share with you all.

BBQ Sandwiches and live music at the farmers market

Hanging out downtown along the waterfront

Puget Sound and the capitol building

I tried to snap a shot of Mt. Rainier, but this doesn't do it justice. It was such a beautiful day!

It did my heart good to sit and talk with Tyler in Cafe Vita over coffee and Scrabble

After singing karaoke downtown we got hotdogs from Jakes. In Olympia, people put cream cheese on their hotdogs. Sounds crazy, but it's delicious! :)

Lehua, Carrie, Me, and Tyler