Progress

Things are moving along here. I have been officially assigned to the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in central Japan, you can find there website in my links section. It is an ecumenically (multi-faith) run training farm. They teach grass-roots community leaders from Southeast Asia and Africa how to work the land in a sustainable manner and empower their communities. Everyone on the farm participates in the daily chores and "foodwork" and 80% of our food actually comes from our farm. I am really excited about this opportunity it coincides with my current interests and I think it is a healthy and empowering way to work in the world.

My fundraising efforts are making a slow but promising start. I have raised $1500 of my $10,000 missionary budget so far, with appointments to talk to the congregation at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in College Station and Heavenly Rest in Abilene. I hope to make stops at a few smaller churches in Albany and Calvert to extend an opportunity for them to take part in my mission.

This afternoon I am heading down to a little spot on the Brazos River called Hidalgo Falls to do some whitewater playboating in a kayak with a few friends. It is a really neat little bend in the river that drops about 6 feet over a quarter of a mile. When the water is up we can spend hours surfing on the waves.

Thanks for you interest.