One More Thank You

Everyone,

I just got done reading all of the newer comments that were made on some of my previous posts, and I just want to thank you all for keeping up with my writings throughout this trip. As blessed as I was by this trip, it is so fulfilling to know that my thoughts were able to reach out to so many more hearts than I could have ever asked for. All of your comments were honestly such a blessing to me, and I thank God for such involvement. I pray that God returns the blessing on all of your lives, ten fold. Thanks again! This blog has been amazing for my individual interpretation of this trip, and I trully appreciate all of you support and encouragement. Hopefully, I can do this again soon. God bless you all!

~Tristan

Final Day - The Circle of Life

I believe that there comes a point in every person’s life, where you realize that the most significant aspects of life transpire in one big circle. For some people, this theory might emerge as individuals begin realizing, as spectators, the reoccurrence of cultural trends, set in place by younger generations (i.e. fashion, slang words, etc.). Others might relate this idea to some book or past situation, which may have sparked an intense case of déjà vu, at such a pivotal point in their life that it is seen as some divine piece of wisdom; thus, shaping that person’s life and destiny. Just as well, for some people, this idea of life recycling meaning may never occur; and, I could be wrong. All I know is, for me, this realization began emerging the day that I arrived on this resort and embarked on my first safari.

Many of you reading this might be familiar with the story that I often tell about my 3rd grade experience. However, for those of you who are unaware, third grade marks as the most memorable and impactful stage of my childhood. I remember everything about the third grade. I went to a Christian school in Riverside, Ca. I was the happiest kid in the world at that school, mainly, because the entire year I was convinced that I was Simba from the movie, Lion King. My mom bought me the special edition VHS for Christmas, and I was hooked. I watched that movie like 500 times in a row, memorizing every song forwards and backwards; so that when it came to singing in front of classmates, teachers, random parents, etc., it was no problem at all. I was a Simba-pro with a wild and passionate imagination; and, I was thoroughly convinced that I eventually “Be a mighty king.”

Like every other kid, I had many dreams and high expectations for my own life, as a kid. I was going to be a doctor, a lawyer, a pro basketball player, a famous singer, a firefighter, and the president of the United States all at once. However, over the course of growing up, after being forced to leave my beloved Christian school, I became much less confident in my abilities, outside of sport. I had no idea who or what I wanted to be. Moreover, I tried every extracurricular sport or activity I could throughout my adolescence because I felt as if I was missing something, but I didn’t know what.

Up to this point God has allowed me to struggle a little bit, which has caused me to build on my relationship with Him in tremendous ways. From having to deal with battles within an intimate relationship with my ex-girlfriend, to difficulties in adjusting to Canadian culture and education, I have learned a lot in terms of how and why I need God in my life. Still, never in a million years did I imagine that God would go as far as to send me to Africa to encounter wild animals on a safari, in order to teach me a lesson about faith.

This past week, I have encountered wild lions, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, cheetahs, leopards, antelope, kudu, impalas, elephants, monkeys, and more. What is more, I encountered Pride Rock (you know the rock, in The Lion King, where all the animals gather around and Raffiki, first, holds Simba up to his kingdom); an experience, in which, I believe God intended as a way for me to worship Him “like a child,” and re-establish that effortless joy that I had for Him in the third grade.

The safari was more climactic of an experience than anything I could have asked from God. In witnessing the sheer power in the lions eyes and demeanour, and the lurid tremble in his roar; the graceful pace of the giraffe with its tremendous height, which allows it to feed off of the tops of trees; or, the great girth and grandeur of the elephant, I felt completely frozen and submitted to how astounding God’s Creation, truly, is. To think that all of these animals grant full acquiescence to their God-given gifts, which makes them all capable, in their own ways, of living amongst such astonishingly large and powerful beasts was, in one word, extraordinary.

(Sorry, pics were supposed to go here, but they wouldn't load for some reason. I will try again later.)

I have learned quite a bit on this trip; but, in these moments God taught me more than I could have ever anticipated. The main thing was that if I grant full submission to what He has called me to do in my life, and learn to worship Him as I, once, did as a child in third grade, there is no telling how powerful Christ can become in me; thus, sparking the becoming of a lion.

One of the greatest quotes that I have ever heard, I heard in this past week: “Rise and Rise again, until lambs become lions.” As I conclude my trip, thus, concluding my blog, I ask God to continue to shine in me; so that I may, soon, become the young lion warrior that He has called me to be. Likewise, I pray that each of you who have been reading and keeping up with this blog, have been inspired enough to seek out God’s presence and activity in your own lives. I pray that you are able to align your hearts with God’s Will, and grant full submission to what your hearts tell you. I pray that you find the strength and reason to live righteously and that in due time, through your diligence, you encounter a Revelation that will enhance your joy and change your life forever.


“It’s the Circle of life, and it moves the soul
Through despair and hope; through Faith and Love;
Until we find that mountain, on the path unwinding;
in the circle, the Circle of Life (Lion King).”

~Tristan

Day 16- God's Blessings Magnified

Such an amazing experience it was – our visit in Cape Town. There was so much to gain from this past week. My heart is so full. I just hope that I was able to get everything out of it that God intended.

Just to fill you in on the past few days, we finished the coaching portion of our trip this past Wednesday. The townships, or cities, where we coached were amazing. Witnessing the lifestyle and culture of those kids was, honestly, the most inspiring and life-changing discovery that God has ever blessed me enough to recognize.

However, what was equally as magnificent was the beauty of God’s Creation; which is what we chose to acquaint ourselves with over the next few days. Thursday – Sunday consisted of several tours of the Cape Town landscape, where I, my teammates and my coaches, alike, all got the chance to appreciate the beauty of Cape Town from an entirely new perspective.

After our familiarity with the lifestyles among the townships, everything that we encountered encompassed an intensified splendour and majesty. We went to see the Cape of Good Hope, which establishes the most South-Western point of South Africa; we went shark diving with Great Whites; we went to several of the most amazing, white-sand, beaches that I have ever seen....Honestly, I cannot even begin to describe the grandeur of it all; thus, I will just give you a glimpse through several photos:



...I know, right? How amazing, God is. What is crazy is that many of the people that we have encountered at these townships do not even know that these areas exist; moreover, they never get the chance to encounter the magnificence of their country the way that we have in, just, this past week. Looking back to a few days ago, when I wrote about wanting to just take one of the kids with us on the bus, this is what I meant. If I could have taken just one kid with me to see what we had the chance to see, it might have inspired a sense of hope for that kids that could have possibly changed his or her life forever. And, now whenever I pray, I am praying in the direction of each and every one of those kids. He has given me such a strong heart for them; thus, offering me an even stronger respect for humanity. I praise God for How Awesome He truly is. And I look forward to however He plans to build me, as I journey on this safari.

~Tristan

Day 15 - Over 1000 Words

I'm sorry that I did not post anything for yesterday's blog, for those of you who are following. I have been feeling a little under the weather. One of my teammates came down with a bit of a cold and got a bunch of us sick. I still feel a little blah; which is why, instead of writting out my next blog, I have decided to upload some pictures and let you guys have a look at some of the fun we have been having, thus far. I hope you enjoy!

~Tristan

Day 14 - A Song Of Praise

I made another friend. Two, actually. Their names are Michael and Samuel , and they are both ‘Hoops 4 Hope’ coaches. ‘Hoops 4 Hope’ is the organization that helped organize this trip. Founded in Zimbabwe, ‘Hoops 4 Hope’ is an institution which is designed to use sports as a way to give guidance to kids, by teaching them life skills and keeping them off of the streets and away from danger.

Danger is inevitable in South Africa. If not for crime, it is for drug and alcohol abuse, excessive poverty, and that which is even more unpredictable, disease. On our way to our scrimmage yesterday Sam rode in the team van and, at one point, he stood up and addressed everyone about the topic of HIV and how it has affected the communities of S. Africa.

He said that the HIV contagion in S. Africa is primarily caused by a lack of awareness about the disease. Likewise, he said that the use of condoms is such a taboo subject within S. African culture because religions teach against the use of condoms; and, by using condoms many people think that a person is declaring that either he or his partner is unclean. Sam, then, revealed that many kids within his own neighborhood have lost parents to HIV; thus, have been forced to head up families and sustain households at a very young age. Many kids also become sexually active at a very young age, and end up having children during the beginning stages of their adolescence.

His depiction was devastating. Constantly, in North America, we write off HIV as some second-hand disease that we are never going to have to contend with. And, yet, there are people in this world, such as Sam, who are forced to witness and endure the horrors of this disease on a daily basis. Still, there is not much that they can do outside of organizing little camps like the ones we have been coaching at, to provide constructive activity for youth, where they can attain some sense of direction.

However, as Sam put it, “that doesn’t change the fact that when they go home they are, still, not going to have much to do.” The government does very little for small impoverished towns, such as where Sam lives, with regards to the HIV virus. Likewise, there are not many jobs provided for youth within the rural areas of S. Africa; thus, kids become easily attracted to gangs, crime, sex, drugs and alcohol at a very young age.

Coming from me, this all might sound a bit depressing; however, that is exactly what made this experience so intriguing to me. When we were listening to Sam speak about HIV, at no point did it sound like a cry for help. As unfortunate as these circumstances may have seemed at the time, in hindsight, I can only recall how passionate and jovial that Sam was that he is in a position to help and encourage kids in his program. His speech was truly inspiring. Afterwards he taught us a song that he sings with his ‘Hoops 4 Hope’ kids. It was a call and response type of song:

“Leader: Zumbei! A Zum bei, bei, bei.
Response: Yabba, Yabba, Yabba, Yabba, Yabba.
Leader: A bei, bei, bei.
Response: Yabba, Yabba, Yabba, Yabba, Yabba (Repeat)”

As childish as it may seem, the song was amazing. We really had a fun time, and singing it brought life to the bus ride. Michael, then, explained to us how singing is a huge part of the S. African culture. At funerals, they sing; at birthday parties, they sing; during weddings, they sing. S. Africans do not believe in harping over negativity. We took a tour of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela served his prison sentence for 27 years, and our tour guide had something interesting to say. He said that while he was in prison, he learned that “the one who constructs a negative thought is the first to be consumed by that negative thought.”

I have learned so much from the way that these S. Africans live their lives. There is so much culture here. They sing and dance, while having to survive the worst living conditions. It has truly been a wake-up call for my faith to witness the passion of such an aspiring culture. I feel so empowered. This trip just keeps getting better. Praise God.

~Tristan

Day 13 - Beauty In His Name

“That which draws us to the heart of God is that which often first lifts our own hearts above the mundane, and awakens longing and desire. It is that life...the life of your heart that God is most keenly after.” (Eldridge)

It’s funny how men can be so crazy about a girl, and then reach a point where he no longer, even, wants to speak to her. A girl can be the most beautiful thing that a guy has ever seen; however, given the right circumstance and the right amount of time, a guy will tend to look past that girl in search for beauty of a different sort. This leads me to the question, “what is it about the fresh, new beauty in a girl that guys seem to love so much? When I think about my day yesterday, what I realize is that the same beauty that we seek in finding a girl, whenever we feel that longing or desire, God makes evident in every other aspect of life. We just have to love Him enough to listen and remain observant.

Yesterday was the first day since we left for S. Africa that I could, honestly, proclaim to have placed God at the forefront of every thought. After the completion of my last blog and morning Scripture reading, I felt ready and ambitious to go about my day, walking directly under God’s wing.

The day started at 10am for us; upon which, we all ventured to the top of Cape Town’s infamous Table Top Mountain. The view at the top of the mountain was pure magic; however, what was even more astounding was the process in which God took in revealing, to me, this marvellous creation.

Before we set of for the summit of the mountain, I decided that it would be best for me to ask God to use this experience as a way to speak to me and help me to understand and love Him better. As we began driving up about 200 to 300 meters up the mountain, we could look out on a vast majority of the city. The sight was beautifully situated, and all of my teammates grabbed their cameras and started taking pictures of the landscape. I found myself praising God, already, for blessing me with an opportunity to witness such a sight. However, as we continued up the mountain, I looked up to the road and realized that we had a long way to the top; thus, I became excited. Once we reached about 600 meters we came to a building, where they had sky-lift trolleys that would take us the rest of the way up the mountain. At this point we all got out of the vehicle, which we had been traveling in, and again the cameras began snapping away. The city landscape was now magnified and you could see the entire northern portion of Cape Town, including the city harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. It was a gorgeous sight to see; so, again, I began silently praising God for creating such a masterpiece.

To be honest, once we got to this point, I wasn’t expecting much more. The city of Cape Town is, generally, one big cluster located along the front side of Table Top Mountain; thus, I didn’t think there would be much else to see. As we took the trolley up the mountain, however, we could witness the gradual extension of the entire land. I was mesmerized by the scene, and in a meditative state, I heard a voice in the back of my head: “It’s beautiful isn’t it.” I was talking to myself; at least, I thought I was until I looked up in the direction that the trolley was moving, to the mountaintop, and I heard another voice: “Would you like to see more?”

We exited the trolley and went through a small building, down a hallway, and past a small cafe until we were on the surface of the mountain. My heart dropped. At the base of the mountain, you would think that there was nothing but a completely flat terrain of dirt and sand (it is called Table Top Mountain because the top of the mountain appears to be a perfectly flat and horizontal surface from the base perspective). However, there were hills and valleys at the top with bushes and wildlife that blew me away. I looked to one of the hills leading higher up the mountain’s peak, and again heard, “Would you like to see more?” And, as I walked up and reached the top of the hill, the mountain seemed endless. I approached the edge on the backside of the mountain, and there it was – the entire backside of Cape Town, with miles upon miles of white sand beaches leading down to the glorious Cape Point.

It was at this point that I realized what God had been doing this entire time. I had been opening up, trying to get closer to God; and, all the while, He was pursuing me by continually revealing His endless love through His boundless Creation. I became speechless – All this time I wanted to feel God’s presence. It was at this point, however, that I realized that I was being romanced into understanding that God’s love surrounds us. We just have to ask Him to speak to us, listen, and observe.

I left Table Top Mountain with a revelation that life is not all about the struggle and the fight. Much of life is merely about God, trying to romance us and reveal His love for us. Moreover, if we can tap into how God wishes to reveal all the beauty that He provides for our lives; then we might strive to become more intimate with Him, and have a better understanding of the beauty that we seek in women, cars, careers, etc. – we will begin to realize how, even, the beauty that we seek in the things of this world that we use to replace God, all stem from God.

We went to the slums today and it was a very interesting way to confirm how we sometimes place far too much emphasis on our struggles. The people in these areas, within the Eastern parts of Cape Town live in houses that are, primarily, made of scrap metal, and are slightly larger than the blue dumpsters that are located in most alleyways and behind office buildings within our American/Canadian communities. There were no paved roads, and most of the kids that were at the camps that we coached did not have shoes to play in. Still, there were about 100-150 jubilant young souls, jumping, singing, dancing, shouting and cheering as we entered the camp site. Moreover, driving through the city, kids were running along the sides of the van, as older gentlemen would tip their hats and give us the thumbs-up. Everyone in the community seemed genuinely happy, and unperturbed that many of them might not eat during dinnertime, or have new clothes to change into the next morning.

I have never seen a group of people so humbled and so grateful; so disciplined and obedient; and, so passionate about their culture. On the way home I could hardly say a word. Through my experience today, I had seen beauty in its rawest form, and my heart was so full that I could have cried. I passed out as many clothes as I could stuff into a small bag, and it broke my heart that it wasn’t enough to clothe the entire community. And, still, they sang. They sang and all the way until we were on the van and leaving; and as I looked out the back window of the van, I could see them running earnestly after us as my teammates and I waved back to them, wishing that we could each grab just one hand of one kid and take them with us.

God blessed me today with an opportunity to realize how important it is to seek True beauty in life – that is, beauty that allows us to effect and impact people around us in a Christ-like manner, helping us to become more and more intimate with God. Luckily, I was able to do this for, at least one kid for sure. His name is Boné (Bon-knee). Boné is one of the teenage coaches at the Hoops for Hope organization in Africa, who talked to me about how I got to where I am today; more importantly, he asked me questions about how to make an impact as a role model for the young kids who look up to him. Boné is a great kid with a beautiful heart. We exchanged contact information, and I promised Boné that I will email him, even, when I am home about how to use God and scripture as a tool for becoming a great leader. I was truly blessed when Boné told me that he wanted to become my close friend, and for me to be his mentor. Furthermore, I praise God for giving me the strength and trusting me to to take on such a great task in His name, and for enhancing my ministry by one.

~ Tristan

Day 12 - Back In Action/ What a Start

Sorry for the delay. We have A LOT of catching up to do. This is a post that I wrote out on the plane on my way in to S. Africa last night. I have spent time typing it out today; so I won't be able to post today's blog until later tonight. We have a lot to talk about....

Looking back to last Thursday, I must explain what I would have done differently. Through my countless interactions with spiritual helpers, God warned me that I would be tested; thus, advising me to “remain focused in Him, and give way to nothing.”
Rather than saying, “Do not give way to certain things in particular”, God told me to give way to “nothing.” This makes so much sense now because, at the start of this trip, I had no clue what to anticipate. I put all of my faith in the idea that God would protect me against the enemy; however, when it came to the little things such as asking God for advanced words of advice on how to speak to people, or praying prior to stepping out, I failed to include God. Caught up in the thrill of unknown beauty that I found in visiting Europe for the first time I became distracted from my communication with God (pastor Banks warned me before I left to “make sure I stayed all prayed up”). Thus, accordingly, the enemy came at me from all sides with weapons drawn; and, I was hit with everything, but the kitchen sink.

My computer died the minute I set foot in my Amsterdam hotel room, and when I went to charge it I realized that i needed a converter plug because European outlets consist of two horizontal plug holes; hence my charger did now work. Likewise, once I was able to get my hands on the proper adapter, I was informed that the hotel did not offer free wireless internet access – you had to purchase an access code. Rather than paying the fee, I assumed that this was a sign from God that I was not to continue my blog until after I had witnessed and experienced Amsterdam; although, at no point, did I ever consult God in the process of developing such an assumption.
All that I wanted was to go out and see everything that the city had to offer. I was aware of how dangerous and how dark the city could be, but, again, I didn’t ask God what He thought of this. Instead, of asking God if it was His time for me to step out, or if He had any words of Wisdom for me to cling on to and use, I sought the adventure in being in a new place and figured that we had enough guys, thus, we would be okay. My teammates and I went and saw some of the most beautiful scenes and heard some of the most beautiful accents; still, in the midst of all the beauty, we were naive about how vulnerable we, actually, were. Moreover, as night fell, God allowed for us to be tested. Our first evening in Amsterdam, my teammates and I encountered what the locals referred to as, “the gypsies”.

We were hanging out in a local park, about a single block from our hotel, when the first gypsy arrived. He was about 5’9” tall and originally from Morocco. At first, we assumed that he was just a lonely old drunkard, looking to make new friends. He was loud and chanting in a language that we could not comprehend. He was funny, at first. He asked each of us where we were from; to which, each of us responded with a name of a random country in Africa. It became a game for us to see just how many names of African countries that we, actually, knew off of the tops of our heads. What is more, each time we would name a country, the man would give us some crazy response such as, “Nigeria! We cut legs off there!”He would then repeat his Moroccan chant, and give each of us this frequent and awkward look, where he would tilt his head back, raise one eyebrow and widen both eyes like it was a Michael Jackson, thriller scene. He was a bizarre individual, but his expressions had us all in stitches, laughing. We indulged in the humor of the situation for about ten minutes before three others showed up. They were his friends – all of them drunk and repeating the same Moroccan chant – and things started to get a bit sketchy.

I made eye contact with each of my teammates, at some point, within the next thirty seconds, and we all knew to stay tight together and to keep our space and watch our pockets. The initial guy continued giving us stares; however, now things were not so funny. It took about fifteen minutes of making no eye contact with the gypsies before they became so distracted within their little group that we were able to get away safely. Later that night, however, my teammate Jacob and I encountered more gypsies on our way back to the hotel, and we were both pick-pocketed. Jacob got his wallet stolen, and I lost my camera.

It wasn’t until morning that I realized I had been robbed. I even remember when and how it happened; however, all I could hear was the Holy Spirit telling me, “I told you that you would be tested. I told you that you would be tested.” Moreover, after considering how I never even sought advice from God, I could not even be mad – what had transpired was my own fault.

At this point, I smartened up and decided to ask God what He meant for me to get out of this situation. I asked Him, “How do I respond to this?” I looked to the story of Jesus, when He encountered Satin in the wilderness. Rather than treating Satin’s temptations on Jesus as weaknesses within his own spiritual construct; rather than trying to ignore Satin, Jesus confronts Satin like a normal human being, taking authority over him through the use of Scripture. Jesus is not afraid; moreover, He is not passive.

Following this model, I decided that the best possible thing for me to do was not to be discouraged. I decided that what God was calling me to do was to engage the enemy, and to lean on Scripture as a way to withstand temptation. And, here is when I even got the kitchen sink thrown at me.

We decided, the next day, to take a stroll down to the Red Light District, and man was Satan’s presence ever felt. There were drug dealers everywhere, trying to sell us cocaine, bouncers trying to lure us into sex shows and countless prostitutes standing in windows, trying to lure us into sex cabins. One lady even labelled us as “the gay parade” when we refused her, as she poked her head outside of her door. We were knee deep in the enemies territory, walking through what was, honestly, the creepiest scene that I have ever been in. All the while we were like magnets – each player had a high regard for the next. Though we were all a bit nervous this might have been the best bonding experience for our team, in that we were truly able to see just how much we all care about each other.

However, through what I encountered in the District, God revealed to me a level of passivity that I was not aware of. I froze up in the midst of such darkness to the point where I became so nervous and paranoid that I could hardly speak. All I wanted to do was leave. We are called to resist Satin; to withstand all attacks of the enemy, using Scripture to verbally claim our victory in the name of Jesus. It has been only a night in South Africa. My teammates and I stepped out only to get a bite to eat; and, already, that the Spirit of the enemy has shown to be even more intense here. I must work to activate the Christ-like warrior within me. There is much work to be done here.

“Father, you are a great Warrior, and I am made in your image. I am your son, and a warrior, too. Open my eyes to see how you have been developing the warrior in me. Show me where I have misinterpreted or failed to include you in what has happened in my life. Give me the strength and resolve to rise up and accept my warrior training. And when I am losing heart, give me your grace and encouragement to hang in there, all the way through to victory. In Jesus name.” (Eldridge)


~Tristan

Day 8 - This Is The Day

So it is the day of my departure, and I am more excited than a new puppy on its first day home from the pet store, aside the excessive peeing on the floor. In anticipation of what I believe will be a trip that is packed full with awesomeness, here is where the blog begins to look a bit different. I assume that every blog, from here on out, will begin to look more like a description of my day rather than some message in religious fervour. For that reason I have decided to begin this process, by highlighting what might have been one of the most fun, inspiring and eventful days of my summer thus far - My University's annual celebrity golf tournament, which was held yesterday.

I must admit, initially, I was not impressed by the whole idea of having to wake up at 6am to be at a golf resort at 7am. Upon arriving at the site, I was so tired and hungry from not having breakfast that I could hardly associate with the rest of the athletes. I found myself sitting on the 17th hole for about two hours with just one other teammate, waiting for the rest of our group to show up. It was freezing! To the left of our hole was some backwoods, and the sun was just over the horizon of the trees. The morning was quiet and damp; and aside the birds chirping, my teammate and I were sad and apathetic.

Then, suddenly, the sun appeared at around 9:30 and the day took a glorious turn. About 25 golf carts began to come around the bend of the cart path - a sign that the tournament was going to begin. Our other group members arrived as escorts for the four-time Stanely Cup winner, and one-time MVP, Claude Lemieux. He spent the day at our hole signing golf balls and chatting with the other golfers; likewise, he was constantly encouraging and relating with us athletes, as he talked about his countless war stories about his time spent playing in the NHL. There were also three other Canadian Olympic gold medalists, and countless other wealthy business executives all looking to make investments into our futures, as athletes at Trinity Western.

The entire experience was amazing! I have never been at a place where I felt more welcome, or more significant, or more prized by so many important people. I had some of the most motivating and gratifying conversations with men and women that I would, normally, be too nervous to find the words and speak to. We were at the resort from about 7am until 11:30pm, and there was never a dull moment in the day (well, actually, cleaning up at the end was pretty brutal). The entire experience was breathtaking, and something that I will cherish and never forget. As athletes, we were on stage the entire day; and to show how much we were, simply, adored and appreciated, we raised over $500,000 at the tournament which will go towards scholarships for athletes within the TWU program.

As an athlete receiving scholarship money, I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I was to be a part of such a wonderful school, where people are so passionate and enthused about contributing to the lives of students. I felt important. Standing in front of about 100 or so people, clapping their hands and cheering at the accomplishment of such a large number in donations, I felt like God was affirming me of my place within the university. I felt like I belong, and I am in the right place.

All praise goes to Jesus Christ, as my Lord and Saviour. Only God knows how he has saved and redeemed me. I almost dropped a tear at the banquet dinner - to think that only four years ago, I was struggling to admit belief in an existing God. I thank God for reviving me! And, I accept His calling upon my life to lead and truly make a difference for His kingdom, in His name. Furthermore, I cannot wait to arrive in Cape Town so that I may inspire and incorporate people with the Love of Christ. I just pray that at least one person is able to feel the same amount of love and spiritual harmony that I felt at yesterday’s event. I praise and love God for how amazing He is! He is Truly Amazing! He is! I appreciate all your prayers as I travel today. And, I look forward to telling all of my stories. God Bless!


~Tristan

Day 7 - The Shape Up

What is the one place where every man, at some point, has gone to hear stories which help shape and develop the person they ought to become? The answer is, "The Barber Shop."

For women it's the beauty salon; however, I have never been there; so sorry women,but I cannot speak for you today. The barber shop is the one place where old and new generations can come together and share stories that keep everyone up to date - the culture factory.

I still remember my first time going to the barber shop. I balled my eyes out all the way until I sat in the chair and my barber said to me, "Boy, you better shut up!"...And, I did. Through countless phases and hairstyle experiments (the afro with the line up, the designs, and the S-curl); through the break-ups and make-ups, puppy loves and engagements, the barber shop is no stranger to the depths of who we are. If you are at all like me, many of the stories and conversations that I encounter at the barber shop are what have shaped how I've responded in countless situations throughout my life.

A trip to the barber shop has more to offer than just a nice haircut to keep you looking good - especially in the black community. For, anyone who has been going to the same barber shop for their entire life might agree that once you leave the barbor shop, its like an instant renewal of the upmost swagger. Thus, you feel like you can pretty much conquer anything.

I'm saying all this because I woke up today inspired by a new idea for S. Africa. I'm assuming that there aren't very many barber shops where we are going, and if there are; they don't cut for free. God has blessed me with my own set of clippers, and the ability to cut hair; thus, He has placed it on my heart to bless as many kids as I possibly can with haircuts. And, in the process,I will be spreading the Love of Christ and might, even, get the chance to minister to a few kids.

What an awesome idea! I praise God for this opportunity. Have a blessed day you all! But I have to go!

~Tristan

Day 6 - Walking With God

Up to this point, I have had nothing significant on my heart that I wished to talk about in today’s blog. Thus, I decided to use today as a time for meditation. It’s a beautiful day in Langley, B.C. There are only a few clouds in the sky, and the air is cleaner than ever. I decided to take a walk in my shorts and T-shirt just to get out of the house. I would have gone golfing with my buddies, but they had plans to go with other people already and we decided that it might have been a bit awkward if I decided to tag along. However, my walk was equally as nice.

Have you ever just walked with your eyes closed down the middle of a street? I tried it today. I could hardly get about ten steps before I felt the need to open my eyes, and check to see if there were any cars approaching, or, better yet, if I was about to run into an unsuspecting inanimate object. Eventually, it became like a game, to see just how long that I could walk before I just had to open my eyes and look to see where I was going. I think my highest amount of steps was thirteen.

I reached a park bench where I decided to just sit and think for a bit. I thought around in circles, until finally I discovered that this silly game that I was playing was much like the spiritual walk of most contemporary Christians. For a brief moment, we are able to close or eyes and fully trust in the Lord; however, once we start hearing that little voice in question, we begin to worry about what it is the Lord is doing. And, instead of just putting one foot in front of the other, and continuing are walk with God one step at a time, we open our eyes and become faithless. Thus, we constantly retreat back to step one.

I realize that I may have previously written a blog about this very topic; however, with nothing else on my heart, I felt compelled to share this story with you. I thank the Lord for such a beautiful day; for my ability to walk, for the lungs to be able to breathe and appreciate such clean air; for the mental capacity to be able to articulate this experience to you; for His words which breathed life into this magnificent Creation that we regrettably take for granted every day; I praise God! And, I pray that every day that I am able to continue adding steps, in which I have placed all my trust in Him, and that I may inspire others around me to just close their eyes and do the same.

~Tristan

Day 5 - Bloom Where You're Planted (Revisited)

For those people reading this who are unaware, I have kept several blogs over the past few summers as a way to help me further comprehend different messages that I encounter along my spiritual walk with God. One of the ways that this helps me is that it allows me to look back on situations, and address them at different stages of my spirituality; thus, I am able to see just how much I have grown in Christ, or in some cases how much I have changed, or been led astray.

For today's blog post I'd like to reintroduce a blog that I posted last summer called, Bloom Where You Are Planted. I hope that you enjoy this post, and that my words might speak truth and bless your hearts in a new and profound way:


"Have you ever been in a position where you began to feel lost, or out of place? Whether at a particular school, or a specific place of employment, did you ever stop and ask God if your current position was the one that He chose for you, if where you were is where He wanted you to be? Or, did you just give it up because it was too hard, or unfair based on your terms?

Far too often, we fall victim to our worldly instincts, with foolish certainty that we are serving God's purpose. An individual must realize that when God has appointed you to a position, He has not called you to that position to use it as a "stepping stone." As spiritual infants, we humans, often become misguided by the presumption that God has only appointed you to a position, so that something bigger and better may come along.

We must begin to show a greater sense of loyalty, as we must prove ourselves faithful wherever God has planted us. The Bible tells us, "Humble yourself before God, and He will exalt you." (1Pet 5:6.)

In many cases, we humans take up a position with expectations for something greater; thus, we often times become frustrated and impatient when things are not going "as planned". Sure, there may come a time where God will seperate you from your current positon; however, it is not until that time comes that you should be preparing for change. We have got to start seeing our position as God's will; thus, we must remain faithful to those positions, refraining from leaping at every opportunity that may seem more convenient, or more lucrative.

In this season, for instance, I hear a lot of people talking about marriage on a daily bases; women especially. "I want to find that strong man of God that I've been praying for, and start a family". Then, a man comes along who seems fit and upstanding, and these same women are so quick to experiment with the first guy that shows up without taking the situation to God first. Women, you have the right idea. Keep praying for what you want, but never let your desires seperate you from what God has in store for you in your current position.

We want what we want on our time and on your terms so badly that when situations become hard, or don't work out the way we planned we lose faith and blame God for our bad circumstances. All the while, God is simply asking us to remain patient, trusting and cherishing our relationship with Him. We stand where God places us just so long as the situation does not begin to become hard, or seem impossible to bear; and when it does, we succomb to our emotions and distrust that God has power over our situations in, even, the worst of circumstances. Just remember that Jesus stood and died for the fulfillment of His Father's desire, rather than His own; thus, He is not asking anything of us that He has not already done Himself.

Stay in your Word. Remain faithful to God, and rejoice at what you have been blessed with. We all have dreams and aspirations for our lives. Continue to send them to God, and have faith in God's plan for you to attain those wishes. Through your faith, God will meet and exceed all of your dreams in due time.

"A piano makes beautiful music only when someone sits down to play it."

We must become good stewards in all that we do. Let us maintain all sense of joy and humility in the Lord's name, taking the upmost pride in all of our daily tasks. Never lose faith that God is moving within your life, and I can assure you that just at the right moment, God's blessings upon your life will begin to overflow.

Day 4 - My List of Five

I had a very nice conversation with a close friend yesterday, and I asked her what she thought should be my next blog topic. I ask her questions like this all of the time, whenever I need great ideas for something because she is never afraid to just through out the first thing that comes to mind. I call her my muse because, although she would probably deny any arguements about her being, in the least bit, creative, she never fails to inspire great ideas.

She suggested, for this blog, that I write about the Top 5 things that I wish to acomplish during this trip; and, based on the fact that I have several great ideas already planned, I thought I'd do just that.

1) Every day at 3:33pm (Holy Trinity) I plan to take the clothes off of my back and hand them out to the first person in need. I am bringing an extra bag full of old clothes and shoes with me on the trip. Over the course of the trip, I hope to hand out enough clothes to enough people that I come home with only one bag.

2) I hope to sit down with at least one person per day, who does not believe, or have a relationship with God. I want to minister to that person and find out one thing that he or she might be struggling with. Then, I’d like to ask him or her to pretend, for one second, that God does exist and get them to follow me through this verbal process:

A) I admit that I am struggling with _______.
B) I relinquish the power these negative emotions over me.
C) If there is a God, I ask Him to reveal His truth about the situation.

3) After I go through this three step process, I want to read a piece of scripture, pray with this person, and ask for a way to keep in contact. By the end of the trip I hope to have had a significant impact on at least 3 people who desire to keep in contact long after I leave Africa, by which I will be able to continually work to plant the seeds and enhance their relationship with Christ. Thus, my third accomplishment is to acquire at least 3 email accounts by the time I leave Africa.

4) Through my actions, I hope to inspire each of my teammates, at some point, to commit to jumping on board and traveling with me, during the times that I minister and witness to people. Likewise, I hope to inspire several teammates to join in donating the clothes off of their backs; thus, highlighting their respect for my influence as a leader, as well as their openness to God’s will.

5) Lastly, I want to take as many pictures as my camera can hold; so that I can not only cherish each moment during this experience, but also so that I will have something tangible that people back home might accept and relate to more easily whenever I refer to stories illustrating such a life-altering experience.

These are five really basic ideas of things that I hope to get out of this trip. I am sure that once I arrive to S. Africa I will have an enhanced perspective on things, and I might even add to this list. However, I just pray that God uses me in every way that He possibly can to act in the character of Christ, and prove to Him my love desire to fight for Him in my life, and the lives of others.

~Tristan

Day 3 - Involving Christ

One of my closest friends on my university basketball team graduated, and will not be around next year. For his sake, I will not mention his name; however, he was an amazing shooter and even more amazing person off of the court. What is more, he had a profound influence on my spiritual development over the course of this past year. After a heart-wrenching season where we did not end up making playoffs, I decided to have a conversation with my friend to see what he felt was the cause of our lack of success this year. My friend raised a great point and said, "We had everything that we needed to be contenders to win a national championship this year, and we didn't even make playoffs. Individually, we can point fingers at this reason, or that reason, or this player or that coach; but the bottom line is that God was not on this year's team."

It is understandable for most people to assume that because we are representing a Christian university, each member of the team should uphold some degree of faith; however that is not the case. While most guys on the team would probably agree that religion is important, there are individuals whose spiritual development is very minimal. Before every game, we would pray and Thank God for blessing each of us with the talent and ability to play the game we all love; however, outside of our prayers before the game, there was no real evidence that any of our players or coaches had a true relationship with God that they were willing to share and motivate the team with. We had all this talent and potential and we would constantly claim God, but very seldom would we come together in Christ's name.

I’m not saying that this is the utter reason why our season was so unsuccessful; however, I do believe that had we come together in Christ’s name, we would have been able to relate better with each other and use our spirituality to determine who was best fit to lead such a large group of men. This year, our team had 22 players on its roster, which is a lot of players for a basketball team. Likewise, our coach is pretty stern, which makes trying to gel together so many different personalities a bit nerve-racking. I look at all of the talent and potential that we had on the team this past year, and I am baffled by how the season transpired. However I think God used this year as a way to teach us a valuable lesson in humility. What is more, I believe that given the fact that we didn’t even make playoffs I was able to acquire a deeper understanding of how, without God, nothing is possible.

I was not able to play this year, and, in all honesty, I am glad. God taught me so much about how to be a leader by requiring me to be a positive influence from the bench, while having to watch my teammates endure such a rough season. However, for this next year, I want to strive to include God as much as possible; and, it starts now. I am sure that at some point during this Africa trip my teammates are going to want to go out, have drinks, and make this trip as exciting as possible. By no means, do I want to discourage my teammates from having fun, however, I feel like God is calling me to hold myself to higher standards. I ask you guys to please pray for me that I am able to sustain a keen sense of morality, and keep God close at all time during this trip in the midst of peer pressure. By the start of season, I want my teammates to respect me as the man of God that I know that I am, and feel comfortable and honoured in following my lead. What is more, through my example, I intend to spark a revival of this team’s spirit; so that we might, truly, come together as a cohesive unit and pursue our goal of winning a national championship with Christ-like determination.

~Tristan

Day 2 - Stand For God

A dear friend of mine sends me daily devotions directly to my cell phone, and everyday I wake up, I am amazed at how relevant God's Word is to what I actually encounter within a given day. For example, I sprained my ankle during yesterday's practice and I immediately reacted in frustration, declaring that my injury was a testament to why I should not have been required to return to Canada a week prior to my Africa trip, just to attend practice during my summer vacation. I was livid; moreover, it showed on my face and in my speech.

Many of you reading this might understand my frustration; however, consider this. Later in the evenning, a friend called my phone extremely upset because her girlfriends had asked her to drive an hour to hang out with them at the beach, and didn't end up going. What is worse, they did not call her to inform her that they had changed their minds; so she ended up making the drive for no reason. All the while, her girlfriends were seemingly indifferent to the trouble they had caused her. I listened in on my friends frustration for about two minutes before I began asking her to think of Jesus on the cross: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."(Luke 23:34) I asked her to consider herself distracted and having fun with several of her friends, and to not let what was most likely an accident rob her of her peace. I said this, and after about a minute of consideration I began to feel really convicted for how I responded to getting injured.

I woke up this morning and the devotion read something like, "If you learn to trust Me with your whole being, then nothing can seperate you from My peace. Everything you endure can be put to good use by allowing it to train you in trusting Me." Genesis 50: 20-21 says it like this:

As for you, you meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good, to bring it
about that many people should be kept alive,
as they are today. So do not fear;
I will provide for you and your little ones.
Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Many of us Christians claim to love and trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, but in the midst of our most frustrating circumstances we allow the enemy to take control our thoughts and influence our speech in a negative manner. Though, often times, we are familiar with what scripture says about how to handle such situations, we allow our frustrations to open doors for the enemy to infiltrate and cause us to act against God's will. Moreover, it is mainly through our words that the enemy tries to provoke us to such behavior.

Throughout the Bible, God places a huge emphasis on the importance of words, communication and relationships. In the book of Genesis He breaths life into Adam, and articulates the world into existence. The book of Revelations illustrates how God will one day return to defeat satin with "the sword that comes from His mouth." Likewise, the Bible interprets how the Power of God rests within the complete understanding of God as a Trinity (a relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). Thus, if we are all truly made in His image, than how important are the words that we speak? Accordingly, how important is how we relate with each other?

In James 4:7 God says to "Resist the devil." However, I believe that many Christians today make the honest mistake of replacing the word, "resist" with the word, "avoid." What I mean is that we will pay close attention to where the Bible tells us not to eat at the same table as the enemy; however, we ignore when scripture states that if the enemy asks for food or water that we should not deny him of it. The contrast of these two depictions help reveal the implications of God's use of the word resist.

Another word for "resist" is to "oppose", or to "withstand", or to "endure." As contemporary Christians, I believe that many of us fall to deeply in love with the idea of Jesus as the Loving Saviour and Provider of blessings. Moreover, we hold on to the goodness of Christ without ever acknowledging the degree to which He had to suffer; thus, we push away relationships with ungodly people and things as a way of resisting satin. However, Jesus calls us to stand in our faith, and trust in the Lord that He has even satin under control.

As I prepare myself for Africa, I pray that God will continue to assist me in developing my ability to stand firm, and trust in the Wisdom of His Word. Likewise, I pray that all who read this will strive to Trust harder in the Lord. Satin is weak in that he can only manipulate God's truth, in order to keep people from true spiritual growth. By us continuously resorting to negativity, and speaking out of anger, frustration, depression, regret, etc. the devil is able to use these words against us, proving to God that we are unfit to defend His kingdom at the highest levels. I thank God for what He has revealed to me over the last day. And, I pray for Wisdom that we all may begin to stand and resist the devil without fear that God is in control.

"And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see
the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today."
(Exodus 14:13)

Day 1 - Back To Canada

Today is 05/06/2010, and I have officially been in Canada for one full day.

It's such a blessing to be able to travel as much as I do. I am constantly reminded of this by countless friends who would either do anything to live in California weather, or would love to experience the Canadian lifestyle.

However, as much as I would like to emphasize God's favour in granting me this opportunity to travel and study abroad, recent realizations suggest that this next trip is less about me being the beloved son of Christ, and more about my development into the faithful warrior/ defender of God's Kingdom. Thus, the question is, "Do I have what it takes?"

For those who are wondering who I am and what this is all about, My name is Tristan Smith. I came to Canada in 2007 and, after two years at one school, I decided to transfer to Christian University in Langley, B.C. called Trinity Western. Last year was my first year at Trinity and 'what a blessing' it was. I was accepted into the school by way of a leadership scholarship; hence, I was required to become actively involved around campus.

From managing community service hours and opportunities within athletics, to organizing a social awareness and leadership group for athletes, God blessed me with an opportunity to, trully, get comfortable with relating to all sorts of interesting and knowledgeable people. Likewise, through my involvement within the school I was able to generate enough sponsorship to fund a missions trip to South Africa, which I will be going on May 13th - May 27th.

Initially, when I found out that I had been selected along with six others to go on the trip, my excitment arose from the idea that Africa is one of those places that the majority of people want to go to, but never actually experience. I pictured myself dancing with the tribal people, playing soccer with the neighborhood kids, going on a three day safari, and living out a true and honest vacation. However, after completing all of my coursework and finals from my last semester, I returned home on April 25th to realize that God has other plans for this trip and expects much more of me.

From the moment I arrived in California, God began to reveal how much He has scuplted and influenced me spiritually over the past few years that I have been in Canada. I was able to get my mother and gandmother to commit to going to church through several talks that we had. I spoke with the mother of a dear friend of mine and was able to refresh her faith by revealing how God used a past conflict that we had as a tool to help both of us grow. I was able to speak life into several other friends, as well; and, in return, God used many of these same people to speak life into me, regarding what He is calling me to do next. As my journey unfolds, I will go more into detail about how God uses people and relationships to shape and confirm a persons destiny.

On my way to Canada, I had a pretty interesting conversation with the man sitting next to me on the plane. For the majority of the plane ride we were, merely, two silent Christians who were both reading our seperate books of Wisdom. I was reading a book called, "Fathered By God," while he was reading the Bible. Interestingly enough, we had both been reading about the same thing. Moreover, when I finally developed enough courage to reach out to my fellow believer, we ended up having a conversation that led us to the same piece of scripture that we had both just finished reading:

Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16 NIV)

I went on explaining my plans to travel to S. Africa just before the man began to describe for me the people that he had just encountered, while ministering at a prison in Louisiana. He ended up giving me some great advice on how to approach people about following Christ. A few days prior, Pastor Bill Dancy also illustrated a three step rubric on how to get people to submit to the Holy Spirit: 1) Confess what you are struggling with 2) Relinquish the enemies power over you 3) Ask God to reveal His truth about the situation. Likewise, the same day that I spoke with Pastor Dancy, I encountered three other pastors who all proclaimed that they felt an annointing over me, by which I have been called to be a strong leader within the church.

I am mentioning all this to say that my calling from God has never screamed louder in the 23 years that I have been on this earth. Furthermore, as much as I want to enjoy this trip to Africa, I feel compeled to use this experience as a way to honor the Lord and unveil the Christ-like spirit within me, by reaching out to as many souls as possible with the Word of God. As I document all of my experiences, I pray that God will use my words to touch the hearts of all of you who are choosing to follow this blog in the same way that He has touched mine. God Bless you all! And, welcome to the start of what I anticipate to be an amazing journey.


~Tristan