The massive Update

well well well....It seems that I have totally forgot to update my blog for...oh...5 months! haha...Anyways, it was a busy term so I kinda put blogging on the back burners. Anyways, for easy of reading I will divide this massive update into sections =) so just press ctrl-f and type the section you want to skip to! =)

1. The Intro continued
2. Towers
3. Questions Unanswered
4. Pte.Yu
5. Ray and DP
6. My Personal Life, Struggles, and thoughts



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1. The Intro Continued
This all started back in January when I decided to tear down my crappy homepage. There were a number of reasons for that: 1. Cuz I suck a HTML 2. The page looked terrible 3. I was getting an unusually high number of hits so it gave me reason to upgrade. Well turns out that instead of upgrading, I created a blackout period. I’m sure very few people cared, but still, I wanted to have some means of letting everyone keep up with me. So I hopefully started the blog, but since then have only been able to post one “welcoming” message! LOL…..oh man….anyways, it’s may now and I just got out of bed. It’s a gloomy day and the house it quiet; the timing is perfect.

2. Towers - http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4286915073

Last term I lived with Jeff, Vinny, and Cassandra, and without a doubt it was another great term. Although my “room” was a little small, I soon loved it because it was so cozy. The room was big enough to do push ups yet small enough for me to keep clean. The house was really clean thanks for Vinny the chore master (and computer _aster LOL). Although all of us very pretty busy, we managed to have pretty interesting (and sometimes meaningful) conversations. When we were not talking, we were in vinny’s room playing with his million dollar audio visual equipment. From the 700 watt speaker system to the 40” flat screen TV (all Sony BTW) plugged into his PS2, XBOX, GameCube, and 3 Gameboy advances, the entertainment was endless. Oh, he also had a DVD player =) As the term progressed I slowly became more and more antisocial, but not purposely. School work was getting heavy and I wanted to focus on my schooling. Over time I felt very detached from everyone. I would seldom visit Ben and Carter who lived all but 4 floors above me, but thankfully, I found more time to spend with them as the term progressed. The unlikely hero in this story would be none other than non limit Texas hold’em. We never played for anything, but the game itself was so much fun, and so great that it became a weekly tradition and more and more people showed up to play each week =) It was a great time of fellowship. I can still remember the first time I bluffed: my heart was racing like I had a heart attack! All in all I can say it was one of my best terms ever. The people, the activities, the conversations, they were all so memorable, or as Vinny would say, they were “good times”. http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287038567 (link to pics)

3. Questions unanswered
Before the term even started I knew I wanted to lead a small group for CCF. I was unsure about the pure details but I knew that God wanted to me lead a group. Being unsure of my abilities and my vision, I think it was very suiting that our group was called questions unanswered. I was fortunate enough to have Jeff and Alex as my co-leaders and together we adopted the nick name “the three stooges”. The cell group was awesome. There was some initial criticism about the group being a mosaic of the friends of each of the leaders, but the group was still very fruitful in my eyes. Although we were all friends outside of CCF and the cell group, the collective group never gathered in the name of the Lord, and that’s what I feel was most important. I felt that the group had this unspoken aura of friendliness. Everyone gelled very well and newcomers were “easily” integrated. With this cell group I also began to realize how leadership can be so hard because you can never satisfy everyone. From organization, to topic selection, to biblical interpretation, it is nearly impossible to accommodate, relate to, or nourish everyone. To this day it still hurts me when I look at the group I’m trying to lead and see people falling asleep or day dreaming. It’s not something that you can get used to, but it’s something that prompts you to be more innovative and creative with your ministry. I really want to thank the group for everything. Everyone of you has given me memories that will last a lifetime and I’ll close by sharing one of them.
It was the CCF winter retreat. On the second day of the festivities we had the traditional outdoor games. We’re talking 75-80 people playing capture the flag. As per usual, no one wins, but everyone can smile after getting 2 hours of intense exercise. I forgot to mention that we were playing in a field where the snow was up to our knees, so you can imagine how running would feel. After the game, we have the annual CCF wide snow job fest! The snow jobs continue as people start filtering off to get the snow out of their ears and boots. No one notices as the group gets smaller and smaller because we’re all trying to watch our backs. After another hour so everyone is standing in a circle ensuring no one is behind them and someone points out that the only people left are the people from our cell group! I guess it doesn’t sound that amazing, but to me it was awesome. For me it was a true reflection of the relationships that have been built in our cell group. And here’s the kicker…so it’s about 4 hours since we started having free time and out of nowhere…and I mean nowhere, Raf comes running into the field wanting in on the action! LOL…This is all after the fact that his eye was swelling up earlier in the day (looked like a bee sting)…I guess it’s was just awesome how we were all standing there saying how it’s so cool that our cell group is so tight and wondering where Raf is, and then out of nowhere Raf comes and completes the group. It was a moment that I’ll remember for a lifetime.
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287686007

4. Pte.Yu
For those of you that don’t know yet, I am in the army. Pte. stands for private, which is my rank. I am in 6 platoon 2 section of the BMQ course, 2 FER. Before I go further, let me do some explaining. This first started back in September when I was working at Scarborough Physiotherapy. One of my patients, Chris, was telling me about the Navy and all the stuff he does. I was very intrigued but at the same time I suck at swimming, so I opted for the land forces. There were a number of reasons why I joined. One had to do with the fact that I was getting very bored of work. I hate routine and I hate the feeling of being useless and unimportant. I like to be challenged, I like to think, I like to be pushed to my limits, and which everyone can say that, few do anything about it. In addition, I knew that through the army I would have the opportunity to practice physiotherapy once I graduated. This was largely influenced by my bud Adrian who was telling me about his goals. In terms of physiotherapy (PT), he was really interested in working with the elite class athletes and I could relate to him. I am interested in improving the performance of the best and most highly trained athletes in the world, working with the elderly and disabled simply didn’t interest me as much. This all came together because where else would you find the most highly trained and physically fit people in the world? I enlisted at as a Combat Engineer (vs medic) because I’ve always been interested in mechanics and the “science” of war. In my trade, we deal primarily with explosives, demolitions, mines, and civil engineering type work. Right now I am finishing up my BMQ (basic military qualification) course and will be leaving for my SQ (soldier qualification) course on may 31st. After that I will head to New Brunswick where I will be enrolled in at the Canadian Forces Engineering School.
The army has been tough. The first few weeks were very hard. Getting used to waking up at 5am and doing intense physical training is hard to get used to. Many people throw up and collapse, but I guess it’s this kinda stuff that makes us tough. As opposed to what everyone thinks, Army food is AWESOME! Well in the armory at least. In the field it is a different story.
Some final thoughts about the army: I find that in the army people too often command respect. Some may feel that they deserve it; after all, these are the people that protect everyone’s freedom with their lives. Yes there’s no war now, but when there is one, you can’t count on any Joe Schmoe to pick up a rifle and defend the nation. He’ll probably shoot himself before hitting the enemy. With all that in mind, I think the troops need to remember that we’re still servants. That is the nature of our work. The army isn’t meant to lift up people so they have any kind of power over civilians, but it is there because want to protect the civilians who are powerless.
The main focus of my career will not be focused on the Military unless it is related to physiotherapy. Joining the army was something I simply needed to do. Something I felt called to. But as Sgt. Major Rosa would say, “the army isn’t for everyone”

5. Ray, DP, and DPT
For those that don’t know, DP stands for Dana Porter, and no it’s not a girl, it’s a library, and last term I spent a LOT of time there. Yeah I know this isn’t shaping up to be the most interesting entry but it gets better. Before the start of last term I was really focused on doing well in school. After doing very well in English (distance ed), I was encouraged to extend that success to the next term. At the same time I was getting into the “army” mode so discipline was finally on my side. I can honestly say that this term, I worked my ass off. I had to. With training taking up my weekends, I had to work hard during the week to make up for the time I lost. Then came my first midterm, sociology, it wasn’t pretty. Needless to say that REALLY bummed me out, and if it wasn’t for my good friends Alex and Jeff I never would have recuperated from that blow. They helped me appreciate my discipline and hard work rather than my marks. The persistence paid off and I finished with my high GPA ever. This was great start since I plan to apply to Physiotherapy when I graduate.
For most of this summer I’ve been spending a lot of time doing research into Physiotherapy.
For those that don’t know physio (PT) is only offered as a Masters program and admission is similar to any other professional medical school. Average around 85-90, reference letters, interviews, and a major exam (GRE). 800 applicants to about 50 spots.
So with a strong term behind me, I decided to further investigate PT schools in Canada and the US. The Canadian schools were no surprise; cool, un-responsive, sometimes arrogant. I guess they can do that cuz there are only 5-6 schools in all of Canada (4 of them are in Ontario). I emailed a few schools and got the waiting game underway.
In the meantime I also looked into a number of schools in the US. To my pleasant surprise, I found out that many American schools now offer an ENTRY LEVEL PhD of Physiotherapy (DPT)! Unbelievable!! It was the opportunity of a lifetime! I would have a chance to do my PhD and be amongst the elite in the field of physiotherapy. The thought of having a PhD at the age of 27 was all the persuasion I needed to put the US at the top. Since then I’ve looked at many schools and emailed a few to get the waiting game stated…again. However, the game didn’t last long. Within days (sometimes hours) I would get a reply if not a phone call. The service and enthusiasm as amazing!
Currently, I have been verified that I have met all the requirements to apply to the Upstate New York Medical University and Andrews University. For those that don’t know the states much (like me) both are good schools =) Another piece of good news is that Andrews University is a Christian based school that has a mission statement and vision unlike another! It’s amazing! I’ve talking to the admissions lady on a daily basis for a week now! LOL…I’m really excited about it! So far, Andrews is my number one choice and it looks like I have a good chance of getting in! =) God is good.


6. My Personal Life, Struggles, and thoughts
winter retreat - http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287686007
shave head - http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287292165

I don’t even know where to being this part. I guess a good place would be the one closest to me. My other half, Deb. Yes, for those that don’t know, we are official. We’ve been dating for 9 months or so now. I know some may not understand so here is a summary (kind of) of the last few years.
We’ve have a difficult past, a lot of immaturity, both spiritually and emotionally. There were times when neither of us ever wanted to see or talked on another. Many ups and down. However, even in the midst of out disputes, God would find a way to keep us close and give us a chance to patch things up. We did and over time, as we matured, we got closer. Reluctantly we both accepted the feelings we had for each other and took one of the biggest leaps of faith. Mind you this was after many months of prayer and advice. We’ve been together since, and I can say that it’s changed me in many ways. I really thought that seeing someone everyday would make me sick of them, but with Deb, the more I see her the more I want to be with her. Time doesn’t diminish our flame but it brightens it with every passing day. I can only love her more as I see her mature and grow. For a while I struggled with this “ideal Christian couple” notion that seemed to circle CCF (unofficially). It was something I learned from many of the CCF leaders, but this ideal really made me struggle. Always trying to meet the standard and prove the fruitfulness of this relationship drained me.
Overtime my mentality changed and I’m no longer enslaved by that mentality, and I’ve found God’s truth. I’m not falling away from Him because I don’t pray with Deb everyday. I’m not a “bad Christian” because I don’t read and share devotions with her daily. I can’t tell you what “validates” a couple, but it certainly wasn’t what I thought it was. All I can say is that, it is personal, and when you have God’s approval, you’ll know.
On that note let me share with you a small thing that we do as a couple now. Deb loves downtown so a lot of times I go down and pick her up from work and walk around the city. It was all fun and enjoyable but every time I passed a homeless person I'd feel guilty and full of compassion. Then came James 2 - Faith and Deeds. It hit hard and I guess for both of us it was an opportunity to let our faith be expressed in deed. So we decided that every time we go downtown we'll take 10 bucks and get it changed so we’ll always have something to give. It's a small start, but something we would have never done without each other's encouragement. With time and faith I know this will make a difference.
You should have seen this one guy's face. $2.00 goes a lot further than you think.

Anyways, it’s time to conclude this monstrous post. Can you believe that it is now 7 days since I started writing this post? LOL…I need to blog more…
God Bless