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Wednesday, July 26th, 2006
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3:10 am
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Wow, I pretty much only write here when I'm heading to Afghanistan.
I'll be leaving on Friday. PLEASE continue to surround us in prayer. God's really showed us his leading there this year, and we're excited beyond words!
To keep track of what we're up to, head over to:
http://kabul.hobo-project.org
email me at  if you need the username and password.
-Tim
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| Friday, February 3rd, 2006
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11:39 am
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goodbye, yiayia.
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." - Heb 11:13
current music: Chris Tomlin - Come Home Running
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| Tuesday, November 29th, 2005
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8:13 pm - silly family
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have a story to share.
in the midst of our thanksgiving dinner, my i began teasing my 3 year old cousin (just normal challenge-the-youngster stuff -- grab her leg when she would kick me, take her ice cream, poke the back of her head, etc.) who was sitting next to me.
she took it like a champ and during a bit of downtime turned to her dad (my uncle) and quietly asked "daddy, why is timmy teasing me??" my uncle raised his eyebrows, shot me a quick look, grinned from ear to ear, then returned his attention to his daughter.
with a serious face and voice, he leaned towars her and near-whispered "because your daddy used to do the same thing to him."
of course, i heard him clearly and busted up laughing as floods of memories of his good-natured torment became fresh once again.
at that point, he, myself, and the little one were the only ones wise to our conversation and everyone else wanted to know what was so funny. i regaled them with the last few minutes only to find my parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles, and my sister laughing at the same memories.
that just made my day and really realized how thankful i am to have such a wonderful family.
i love my family. they rock.
-q
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| Wednesday, May 25th, 2005
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2:49 pm
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well, i'm in afg. for the next month with 3 of my friends! check for updates here
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| Tuesday, April 12th, 2005
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2:01 am
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If you say go, we will go
If you say wait, we will wait
If you say step out on the water
And they say it can't be done
We'll fix our eyes on you and we will come
Your ways are higher than our ways
And the plans that you have laid
Are good and true
If you call us to the fire
You will not withdraw your hand
We'll gaze into the flames and look for you
YES!!!
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| Sunday, April 3rd, 2005
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1:38 am - dogs do the darnedest things
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this morning, my dog, cora, did the smartest, grossest thing i've ever seen her do.
she usually sleeps in my room when i'm home, and last night was no exception. this also means i'm usually woken up at about 6:15 every morning because she needs to go outside. last night, i didn't go to bed until 3:00 or so, which meant i was less than inclined to pay attention to her pawing at the side of my bed, which is her normal "i need to go OUT" indicator.
i guess she got pretty desperate, because the next thing i know, she's on my bed poking my face with her wet nose. as soon as i open my eyes and look at hers, she really quickly turns around and puts her, erm, posterior in my face and looks back at me. at first i pushed her away. then she did it again. twice. i finally realized that i saw her rear quivering to hold the "business" in, and i was gonna get a facefull if i didn't let her out.
i picked the poor pup up and took her outside. she was grateful, and i went back to bed. once again, equilibrium was reached, and the world, or at least my bed, averted yet another disaster.
happy sleeping, kids!
-quad
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| Tuesday, March 22nd, 2005
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2:15 pm - interview: by braica
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so yea, there's the whole interview "game" going around still, and i asked to get interviewed by the infamous Sarah Braica.
so here we go!
1) It you could invite any three people to have dinner with you and discuss nothing but THEOLOGY, who would you pick? What topics would you most likely bring up?
hm. the 3 folks would probably be Augustine, Calvin, and Kierkegaard. Probably the things that would be discussed would be Calvinism and it's near death-grip on much of the reformed church today, the issues it raises, the nature and crippling effect of sin and grace's removal and transformation, worship, living in the Lord's will, and who knows what else. those are just a few ideas running 'round in my little head.
2) What do you think is the most attractive quality in a woman?
a rock-solid faith backed by a sharp intellect and a sense of humor driving a serious passion for missions.
3) What would you consider your greatest accomplishment to be?
wow. as much as i would normally totally play this down, probably my devotion to making people aware of the struggles with faith and just about everything else in the Muslim world today.
4) Do you identify with the dominant American culture more than your Greek culture? Or in other words, to what effect has your Greek heritage shaped the person that you are today?
in short: i dont know. i'm sort of on the outs with greek culture simply becasue i'm not greek orthodox. i might hang out with greek friends, but there's always this invisible barrier known as the orthodox church that seems to get in the way. it's odd really. otherwise, in terms of cultural tihngs at home and family, i understand behaviours and habits more common to the greek culture and whatnot. while my family isn't super-greek, i get a lot of it. the other barrier is language, but i think that carries an obvious set of things with it. so yea. i think i would have to say i'm indentify "more" with non-greek culture, but the thing is, i'm so out of touch with american culture most of the time that i can't really think of a social pigeonhole that i do fit into. strange, eh?
5) What are you most looking forward to about your trip to Afg?
working with and befriending afghans and seeing where the Lord is taking us in terms of working there long-term down the road. many opportunities going on this summer. oh. and FOOD! i can't wait!!!
so yea, that's it. oh! i almost forgot. there was a bonus question - am i interested in making a documentary about maxwell's: you know it.
-q
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| Friday, March 18th, 2005
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3:53 pm - afghaneestan
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hey kids,
we created a new blog for all things afghanistan since people keep asking what's happening regarding our trip and whatnot. this will likely become our major communication tool with everyone back home while we're gone this summer mainly because it's a slick way that all of us going can share our thoughts and have them compiled in one place. feel free to read through, comment, pray, etc etc!
check it out at http://kabulproject.blogspot.com
-quad
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| Monday, January 31st, 2005
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9:03 pm - a brother goes home.
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This world is not my home I'm just passing through
my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore
They're all expecting me and that's one thing I know
my savior pardoned me and now I onward go
I know He'll take me through though I am weak and poor
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore
Just up in Glory Land we'll live eternally
the Saints on every hand are shouting victory
their song of sweetest praise drifts back from Heaven's shore
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore
pray for Josh and his family.
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| Saturday, January 29th, 2005
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5:05 am - it started as a joke.
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it started as a joke.
in birthing Hobo Productions, Will, myself, JP, Ashley, and a handful of others just thought it was a funny tagline poking fun at the hobo-lifestyle a few of us had lived during our years here at UIC. a week ago, in the midst of a work crisis, i needed a break and decided to create the initial Hobo Productions website. at that moment, i got to thinking about the significance of our once-joking title.
i thought of the Rich Mullins song "You did not have a home" - it's a song chronicling the life of Jesus, probably the most prolific homeless man of all time. Jesus had no home. correction - He did. His home was the kingdom of his Father. the more i dwelt on this, i understood that this "hobo" title could no longer be a joke - it became a conviction.
the Lord has done unnumerable things in my life over the course of my nearly-23 years. some minor, some so staggering i can't believe i survived it (emotionally or phyisically). i don't know where the Lord will have me go, but what i do know is that like Him, i will be in one place - up where the TRUTH will set me free.
this world, friends, is not our home. we are all but 'hobos with Christ,' just passing through, spreading the Gospel and love that God has shown us through the sacrifice of Jesus. how can we become prisoners to our clothes? to our cars? to our fancy subURBANEite homes? to the pornographies of the world? to our television fantasies, when Christ is continually calling us to follow Him on probably the greatest journey of all time?
i implore you, readers, to consider your life. consider your devotions and affiliations. are you ready to follow Christ through thick and thin, good times and rough? even life and death?
fact of the matter is that He already did! the path isn't that difficult, for HE, the REDEEMER of mankind has already trodden the trail FOR US, so LET'S GO!!!
current music: Rich Mullins - You Did Not Have a Home
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| Thursday, January 27th, 2005
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11:54 pm
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anyone want to go to afghanistan this summer? talk to me for details.
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| Saturday, December 25th, 2004
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10:47 am - ???
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any of you guys hear something about a bunch of scruffy homeless dudes bum-rushing a barn in bethlehem?
weird...
-q
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| Thursday, December 9th, 2004
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1:04 am - all for Jesus
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Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.
For it's only in Your will that I am free,
For it's only in Your will that I am free,
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
amen.
-quad
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| Tuesday, December 7th, 2004
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1:35 am - prelude to the finality of the last 2.5 years of my life
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for those of you who've known me for any decent amount of time, you clearly know how tied down i've been - not to a woman, not to a job, but to a house. it began sometime in the summer of 2002 - the family decided that it was time for the old basement to go, and a new basement to come. we were going to singlehandedly (well, maybe 4-handedly, as my pops and i each have 2) dismantle the monstrousity that had been created by us and former owners of the house and unveil to the world a work of architectural wonder. this was not our first serious remodeling project (i had just 6 months earlier completed remodeling my bedroom, and a few months before that my sister's bedroom) and we knew the risks... primarly the risk of it taking an ungodly length of time.
through trial and tribulation, learning experience after learning experience, plumbers, electrical zaps, unending clangs of sledgehammers to concrete, the hair-raising sound of a shovel in a concrete mixing basin, saws, hammers, drills, yelling, grinding, talking, laughing, and crying, this whole thing is finally coming to an end. i can't say how many times i've declared "it'll be done in ONE MONTH!" but i can say with certainty that as of today, it WILL be done within one month!
i've put together a photo album of the project's history (unfortunately, we only started documenting it in the past 6 months, but i'm sure i'll find older pics sitting around somewhere) to give you a glimpse into the day to day and month to month changes. it's staggering to think about where it came from, and where it will be roughly around christmas.
so. check it out, comment, etc, and perhaps, just maybe, you'll end up at the official completion celebration. yes, you.
here it is.
-quad
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| Thursday, November 25th, 2004
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12:54 pm - frigid
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| Thursday, November 18th, 2004
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12:01 am - MARANATHA!
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"All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As deep cries out to deep
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Holy Spirit, come.
As deep cries out to deep."
i was driving from work to a friend's house this evening, and i passed by a church. like most churches, it had a lit sign by the street with the normal information, and the expected inspirational or convicting phrase that they all seem to possess.
this church's selection was one that i'm seeing more and more. everywhere.
God Bless America!
for some reason, i was revolted. i thought suddenly of all the things i'm fortunate to have.
all the great things i can do to impact other's lives.
the fact that i can receive a higher education.
that i can read.
that i can walk down the street without fear of a suicide bomber deciding where i am wouldn't be a bad place to die.
that i can worship without fearing for my life.
we are a blessed people... and what do we do with it... sin. turn blessings into evil.
it hit me like a ton of bricks, all at once. and i was disgusted.
even as people with so much, we just want more. perhaps the greatest culmination of this recently is my purchase of an ipod this summer. those of you reading probably know my love for music - ALL kinds of music. i possess a library's worth of music. i wanted it on the go and bought an ipod to make it happen. yet i still want more. i rarely think of what i can do with what i have that can benefit others - let alone share the Gospel with them. here we have this handful of words that can change a person's life, and we can't even articulate it to others in word and action.
i put the lyrics to that song above because i for a long, long time used to secretly dread the thought that Christ might actually come really soon. that because He came, i couldn't experience certain things in life; though as of late, i find myself wishing those words more and more true.
the world has always been a messed up place, and it's not getting any better. just about 4 years ago now, when i was living in Afghanistan, i was with my good friend Alfred one night before the '00 election. sitting in his study, i noticed pictures on the wall of our nation's leaders - bill clinton, al gore, madeline albright; and next to those, pictures of potential leaders - george bush, dick cheney, colin powell, etc. i thought this a little odd, especially since Alfred is German. i asked him why they were there, and he responded "it's so i can remember to pray for them." i was floored. this guy had never even visited my country, yet recognized the position those people filled and that they needed prayer.
i can't believe how i'd forgotten the weight of that. i remember after hearing his need to pray for these leaders, i was solidly convicted and did the same for about a year following that. how did i forget? i forgot because i didn't care. i was too wrapped up in my own life to remember the true weight our nation's actions have on the world - let alone how Christians are perceived, since the USA is a "christian" nation.
the bottom line is that i all too often forget that the grave isn't my final destination. and even if it is, it's pretty pathetic to just want to accumulate more and more until i die; after i'm gone, who the heck even cares?
pray for our nation. pray for our leaders.
pray not that everything would be in line with the "moral majority" (thank you pat freakin' robertson for that phrase). what does it matter if abortion is declared illegal? people will still disregard that life and likely find another way to carry it out. homosexuals will always be there - the choices they make now have been made for millennia before. pray though that we as followers of Christ would honour Him, not shame Him.
jesus is the only hope, the only way. other than His gift to us, we're sunk.
Jesus, hope of the nations
Jesus, comfort for all who mourn
You are the source of Heaven's hope on earth
Jesus, light in the darkness
Jesus, truth in each circumstance
You are the source of Heaven's light on earth
Maranatha! come Lord Jesus!
-quad
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| Tuesday, October 26th, 2004
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1:20 am
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| Saturday, October 16th, 2004
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2:40 am
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| Thursday, August 26th, 2004
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11:13 am - glass
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| Thursday, August 19th, 2004
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11:55 am - here it is.
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hey folks. i've been asked about this, pestered, etc. i decided that i'd finally do it.
i'll talk about afghanistan.
for those of you who don't know, i lived and ministered there for 9 months between 2000 and 2001 with a Christian relief agency (whose name i will not mention here) offering my computer and communications skills and know-how to a group of people who badly needed it.
my time there has at the very least shaped who i am today, and what i will do with the rest of my life. i'd never been content to sit around and operate under the tyranny of our pop culture. i dreaded the prospect of college from a young age, though i longed to learn what i could from it. i saw friends attend and become the kind of people i couldn't stand. that said, when the opportunity arose to bail on my schooling for a year, i lept at the opportunity.
i learned a lot in those months. i was humbled many times. i wondered when i would finally understand and would stop making a fool of myself. that never came. honestly, i think that if we do reach that point, we're fooling ourselves. it took me most of my last 22 years to realize that; it's by no means an excuse, but an understanding that i simply do not know everything, nor will i ever. i'm a man - a flawed man - and i do the best i can, and never forget i'm living under the auspices of a divine grace.
with that, about a year ago this month, i began considering returning to my former home to see how life has changed for Afghans since my time living there. it sounds selfish, and to an extent, it was. when this possibility took a serious turn into reality last october, the selfish reasons fell away. i simply wanted to return and minister to the afghan people - something that had been my only goal 3 years earlier. oh how our minds change when the Lord leads.
at that time, i started "recruiting" others who could/would go with. if i was going, i wanted someone to see why people called me crazy for the past 4 years.
i wanted someone to see how the Lord transforms people's lives.
i wanted someone to have their eyes opened.
many volunteered. one came. for that i'm infinitely thankful.
JP and i took off on 28 May, 2004 for Kabul. the ride to our destination date was a crazy one in and of itself. JP was a last minute addition. the folks initially planning to go with me had dropped out, yet i still felt a strong need to go. so i bought my airline tickets, and just waited. one week later, JP said he was going. it didn't matter what it cost him; he was going. i fought with travel agents, and finally, in the blink of an eye, two closed flights opened up, and we had his tickets. moments later, the flights were closed again.
anyway, we traveled. spent a few hours in amsterdam during a layover, and barely made it to Dubai for our connecting flight to Kabul. in dubai, we learned JP's flight had not been reserved. frustrated, we prayed. 20 minutes later, the attendant said "well, i can't get you a seat. the flight is full, and i don't know why i'm doing this, but i'm going to print you a boarding pass anyway. i don't know if it will work, but go."
we boarded, and were home free.
stepping off onto the Kabul tarmac was probably one of the most ethereal experiences of my life. it was haunting. i knew this place, but i did not. i saw Canadian military officers guiding passengers to the terminal, and elongated lines to passport control. wow. there were PEOPLE here! not mere UN diplomats and NGO workers, but people. afghans! returning home!
somehow, we didn't make it into the "foreigner" line at passport control. this meant we were left to fend for ourselves in the national line. it was humbling - yes, another moment - as i had previously been used to near VIP status while traveling afghanistan. about 45 minutes later, we were through the line and picking up our luggage. we found an old friend of mine awaiting our arrival, and were quickly rushed from the airport to their home in the district of Carte Se.
the ride from the airport stirred something inside. here was a city i had known so well, a city i loved, with a people i loved - completely changed. not entirely, but enough that it seriously threw me off. i felt lost, and confused. places looked familiar, and upon inquiring, i found myself completely mistaking an old landmark i knew for a new one, that had only been erected months before. as shocking as it was, i was greatly encouraged. the city seemed to be rebuilding from 20 years of war!
we went to the head office of my former organization to handle return ticket stuff and to greet my old coworkers. it was exciting and joyous; i hadn't realized how much i missed them. it's wonderful when even years later, you can get together with the same folks and pick up right were you left off. i didn't expect that.
the next days were a bit of a blur. our first day working in the offices, we were given the task of repairing a Braille printer that i had set up the last time i was working there. it has reportedly been broken for over a year, and all braille book production for the blind schools were being done by hand - an arduous task. JP and i spent about 4 hours tackling different configuration and cleaning issues, and by lunchtime, the constant "clackaclackaclacka" of the printer were reverberating through the office. the production managers were overjoyed and more thankful than i can describe. over lunch, we were discussing the printer more, and it turned out that the manufacturer had wanted over $5000 to repair thos $8000 printer. buying a new printer was out of the question, as the project's budget (including salaries) was only $85,000 annually. our $3000 spent on airfare (completely funded by our wonderful donors) was not only free to them, but allowed them to begin production far sooner than if the printer had been shipped to sweden.
the rest of that week, we kept working in the blind project. most of our work was long-term maintenance of their neglected network and computer equipment. we made good acquaintances with the staff, and were invited to the head production manager's home for a meal that following weekend.
during the taliban reign, it was extremely taboo (and ultimately forbidden) for afghans and expatriates to "be friends." thus, such an invitation to eat in ones home (which i normally would not accept from one of the workers, because of their cultural expectations - however, this was a special case, as we were really the guests of his organization; thus i was pleased to accept his invitation) never occurred when i lived there years ago. our dinner that saturday was awkward, but i wouldn't have traded it for anything else. i was humbled, again, at his hospitality and generosity. this man, who doesn't make all that much, put together an extravagant meal that is at the very least an honourable gesture to us outsiders, but it's more than that - it's a testament of the Afghan people.
that same weekend, we were invited to play floor hockey with the expatriate elementary school. nothing too interesting happened, other than it was a lot of fun. i remember a lot of those kids calling me "uncle tim" back in the day!
the following week, we moved to another Christian relief agency (again, name withheld).
the leader of this group was the man who actually invited me back to Afghanistan in october, 2003. sadly, he left for a family holiday in Thailand the thursday of the previous week.
there's a story here, actually. the day we arrived, we were actually supposed to be picked up by this organization, and stay at this man's home. however, my old agency didn't quite understand that (why, i don't know. i had made it pretty clear.) when the woman who picked us up from the airport saw the other folks from the other group, she said they should leave, since we would be staying with my old friends. this led to a lot of confusion and some disappointment/frustration, but we at least made amends. sadly though, we did not get to spend that first week with the man who actually invited us. fortunately, we did get to spend a day with him prior to his departure.
that little issue aside, our work with the other group was a lot more large-scale. they had some large ambitions, and i only hope we didn't leave them disappointed. i spent two solid days attempting to find a new way to connect to their internet provider, and due to equipment limitations and availability, i did not succeed. i think they were pretty bummed by that, but i did what i could. JP spent a lot of time working on desktop virus security and other computer issues.
working with the two different groups were glaring contrasts. the first group employs primarily Afghans, whom they train and have do the work. the second group primarily uses expatriate volunteers. the main difference here is the level of patience. Afghans are infinitely grateful to have help from folks, and eagerly accept opportunities to learn from the people helping them. expatriates, on the other hand, are very used to near-immediate gratification (especially people who've been in the culture for a year or less - i'll admit that i occasionally find myself suffering from this sort of impatience). this left me feeling as if some of those people were frustrated at our pace of work and amount of work actually finished. though i sensed a slight level of frustration from some folks, i think (and hope) they were overall pleased with what we were able to accomplish.
the last friday we were there, this group arranged for us to see their concrete manufacturing facility, and some of the projects that had been completed by this facility. During the time JP and i were in Kabul, my uncle also had a group of 10 highschoolers there with him, working in an orphanage. they accompanied us on this little excursion (and also on our way back to Dubai two days later). we ate at the plant, talked with the workers about what they were doing, and finally left to go up into the hills to see some of the rebuilt houses. one household that stood out was comprised of 4 widows and their children. somehow, against all cultural norms and expectations, these 4 women have managed to provide for their families, and have even been considered strong pillars of the community. this is a diametric change from what would be acceptable under the taliban. we had tea in their home and heard of their struggles and triumphs in the past two years. it was an amazing story of hardship and struggle, but ultimately an acceptable end. (as a side note - we had a translator with us during this tour - the first week there, my language skills were beginning to stretch again. they had more or less atrophied after 3 years - i could understand some of what was being said, but couldn't articulate what i needed to say. fortunately, by our 2nd week there, i was doing much better, and for the most part did not need any interpretive help)
on the way back from this home, we stopped back at the concrete plant to get a dozen chickens for the Agriculture director for this group. he wanted to see how resilient the chickens from their farm (also on the concrete plant property) were, and planned to have them wander his yard back in the city. it was laughable for the first 30 minutes of our hour-long drive. then the chickens got antagonized. antagonized birds are filthy creatures - they start defecating. needless to say, 5 of the 7 of us in that Land Cruiser needed our clothes thoroughly washed when we got back to our homes.
the following day (friday) we went to church. we did actually go both fridays, i just forgot to mention it until now. the first week left me remembering how much i had missed that fellowship. much of how i view churches is based on my experience with the Kabul church. i love it. everyone here loves the Lord more than i can say, and despite a wide spectrum of racial and theological backgrounds, somehow they come together once a week to praise Christ without difficulty. to me, it's a testimony of how the Church as a whole should be. especially in the USA.
one day later, we were on our way home. two weeks was far too short a time to be there, and even as we were flying across the Arabian gulf, Europe, and the Atlantic, we began praying and planning to return next year. we'll see how this turns out. who knows, perhaps next summer, you could find yourself in kabul with me!
in Him,
-quad
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quadrinary's journal
