The 3gdadnetwork is constantly evolving with guys departing and other guys arriving.
DEPARTURES
Last year, one of the original 3gdadnetwork guys moved to Ohio. You might ask why anyone would move to OH. Well, Travis grew up in Ohio, and is now in the Marines. He had a chance to move back home, and he jumped on it. We got to know Travis while he was stationed in Monterey, CA attending the Naval Postgraduate School.
We miss his humor and candid reflections on his strengths and weaknesses. I think Doug is still recovering from the first meeting we had back in 2013 when the three of us met for breakfast.
Travis will always be a part of the 3gdadnetwok story because it all started when Travis and I had breakfast one morning at the Toro Cafe.
ARRIVALS
Initially, the 3gdadnetwork consisted of Travis, Doug and me. We studied a book together and saw God grow us tremendously. We were so excited about the growth we saw in ourselves and wanted other guys to experience this as well. Soon thereafter, our friend Shane joined us. Shane has been a great addition because of his drive to do things well, and willingness to see things for what they are.
In 2014, we added David and Larry. These guys couldn't be more different, which makes it fun to have them around. David's passion for God is contagious and he looks for ways to add humor to any discussion. Larry is quiet and needs a long pause before he will speak up, but when he does, you know he has been thinking a while about what he says.
Very recently, we added another Mike. Can't have too many of those. We are still getting to know Mike, but it is obvious that he desires to grow and be a part of something bigger than himself.
Scotts Host Shoreline Middle Schoolers
Earlier this year, Shoreline Church in Monterey decided to stop having their midweek middle school group meetings at the church. The church is located in a business district which made it hard for some kids to get there.
Instead, they asked a few families to host the midweek meeting in their homes. It gave us a great reason to finish our garage! We now have several sofas, a Foosball table and air hockey that people have donated. Thirty to forty middle schoolers show up at our house each Wednesday to eat, play games, hear a short talk and discuss God in small groups.
This past week was awesome! The Matsiko Choir was in the area and were able to join us. This year's choir is made up of orphans from India, Peru and West Africa. Over the past couple years, they have performed at local churches and schools. Here is a short video of the Matsiko Choir singing on our lawn.
Hosting the middle school group is a team effort. This week, we had parent bring a popcorn maker, donate nachos, cookies, water and a cake. Thanks everyone!
There is a fundraiser for the Matsiko Choir on Saturday, October 4th from 11 to 2 at Cypress Community Church.
Grow, Give & Go. Going means you go somewhere. Sometimes that is no further than your living room, other times it is to your neighborhood or city. For me, last October it meant going to visit an orphanage in South Sudan.
I went with They Are One, a non-profit in Monterey County, California. The trip started from SFO, and 28 hours later we arrived in Entebbe, Uganda. From there we took a small plane that landed on a narrow dirt road that they call a runway, in Nimule, South Sudan.
As we were descending into Nimule, you couldn't help but notice all the tukals(small round homes) that dotted the landscape.
The kids at Cornerstone Children's Home were great. I tried to spend as much time with the boys as possible. They tend to take a while to warm up to strangers, and given that we were only onsite for 10 days, it wasn't easy. I made many friends and had many great experiences.
We made several trips down to the Nile, but I only dangled my feet into the water. After seeing a 20-ft-long snake swimming down the middle of the river, I decided that getting my feet wet was enough for me.
Daniel Atwali is a special boy. You can read his story at theyareone.org. Before we left, we helped the kids write letters to their sponsors back in the USA. I helped Daniel with a letter to my wife. I barely held back the tears when he asked me to write that he wished I were his dad.
I had an opportunity to visit the local hospital and pray with the patients. I went with several gentlemen who visit the hospital weekly. I was talking with the nurse in the HIV & TB wing when we decided it was a good time to take a picture.
On our way home, we spent the night in Entebbe and visited a local zoo. There were several animals I'd never seen before, like this bird with a massive beak. My favorite was the warthog. Talk about ugly!
It has been over six months since my trip, and in some ways it seems like yesterday. On the other hand, I'm already starting to forget some of the details. I hope to go back to keep the friendships I've started going.
One of the main things I learned in South Sudan was that life there is hard, but not complicated. Here, life is easy but complicated. One of the ways I'm trying to uncomplicate my life is by giving my extra stuff away. It's working, because every time I go to my home office desk and see space instead of stuff, I feel good.
