Leaving for Ukraine Trip

If you are ready this I am probably on my drive to the Ukraine. We left April 29th and 9am to head out JFK in NYC for our plane. I am very excited for this trip. Please be praying for me, and the ministry team as we embark on this adventure. I plan on taking many photos for you all to see, but I probably can't blog about it until I get back here into the states. You can follow us in our ministry as we serve by clicking this twitter link. I will be returning May 8th.

All packed and ready for Ukraine.

"Her Blessing"

“Her Blessing”

What does she see in me?

Anything?...maybe not

Is she hoping, waiting for my pursuit?

Maybe?...

Does she pray for me? About me?

God…what are you telling her?

Has she asked about me?

I know she laughs…

But fall in love…

Really…me?

Could I be so Blessed?

New Deck

I have finally made a new purchase from skatewarehouse. Kris Markovich's new board company called "Given" a new creation from the other board company he started called "Bleed" with the slogan "Bleed Skateboarding" Which must have not worked out to good for him for some reason seeing as he had to start another board company. Hope the revenue comes in for you this time Kris. I am a big fan of the art that is involved in the board graphics, done by Kris Markovich himself.

Carlsbad Skatepark, Museum, and Action Arts Center

This is a drawing of the skatepark idea. The Kidney shaped bowl will be inside the education center. From my understanding it will be a place for skaters to gather for learning, skating, and a museum for the history of our culture. From the looks of the drawing this is going to be a sick street course park. I believe the building will be fully skate able inside and out.

Learning Japanese

Mana Daitsu

Last year Misa Onishi started teaching me Japanese. I don't have time to study like I did last year, but Shion and Mana teach me a few words every once in a while. I have forgotten a lot since last year. But I am still trying to learn.

Me and Shion

Hiking Severance

"Severance"
Elevation: 1,693 ft
Vertical Ascent: 813 ft

Severance is a very easy hill to climb. Will Gallison, Jessica Pez., Kamilla, and Stephanie all went for the half hour hike. It was a beautiful day.

Will Gallison

Will Gallison

Skating in Saratoga

I had a list of about 10 things I needed to get done yesterday. I got most of everything done I could do on campus. I really needed to run into town to get a check cashed, buy a new skateboard, and put out the skatepark flyers. It was very chaotic trying to get everything to work out for going into town, luckily most of it worked.  (Kenny Hopkins Photo: Pez)

We crammed 5 people total into my brothers Mustang; Kenny Hopkins, Will Gallison, Jessica Pez., some random girl, and myself. (Dale Nolan - Kickflip Photo: Pez)

Kenny Hopkins - Dropping in Photo: Dale Nolan

After handing out the flyers, We drove to Saratoga. While Kenny and I skated the other 3 enjoyed themselves walking around town.

Kenny Hopkins 50-50 Photo: Dale Nolan

Kenny Hopkins 360 Flip in the Park Photo: Dale Nolan

The Alley 10 Stair

Kenny nor I have really skated to much in the past few years. We definitely haven't skated many stairs, or drops when we have skated. Something that use to not be to hard for the both of us, has become very scary looking and hard to skate. However Kenny stepped up his game after not skating for about 2 months. Kenny skated Once in the fall when he went to sfnj with me, he skated again when we went to sfnj for spring break, then skated once with me about 2 weeks ago, Yet he is still killing it, and going hard at skating.

Kenny Broke his board (shown in the sequence above). Now it's my turn to skate.

Taken a good look at what I am up against.

It began to take longer then I planned, I though I would get it in about 5 tries. People continually used the ally to walk down, causing us to take many breaks (which isn't good). The worst part about not skating all the time isn't that you get worse at skating, its that your mental state doesn't have the capacity to tell you what you are doing is good. You mind makes you think that landing on wheels is a bad thing. We had to retrain our minds this day, to remember that landing on the board is good.

After done skating, it's not very fun riding around with a broken board or easy.

We ended the day with relaxing at Starbucks. Everyone in Saratoga was super nice. Kenny and I felt like we were in this mythical land where everyone likes skateboarders. We both are so use to people just yelling at you and getting mad. Everyone in Saratoga was super supportive, and wanted to watch us skate.