25 Years of getting my feet dirty

Getting you feet dirty, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

I know that 2 blog posts in a matter of minutes is rather ridiculous, but deal with it. I finished my other post and realized that it was probably a good time to take a moment to look back on my past 25 years, being that it is my 25th birthday.

25, that is kinda crazy. This is the first age that I don't feel like a kid anymore. Sure that isn't old and you never feel your age, but this is real. But I look back on my life and I just have to say thank you to all of the people who have helped me to "get my feet dirty" in this life. So, thank you to everyone who has helped along my faith, physical, educational, relational and all other types of journeys that I have pursued during these 25 years. Thanks to soccer coaches, my piano teacher, normal teachers from the various public schools and Whitworth, bosses, family (both immediate and extended), friends, roommates, coworkers, fellow travelers, students, pastors, youth group kids, fellow camp counselors and just so many others who I cannot ever enumerate. So, thank you. My past 25 years have been a true blessing and I look forward to wherever my path takes me in the next 25 (and more).

The Rememberance of Putis is Almost Forgotten

The Rememberance of Putis is Almost Forgotten, originally uploaded by jtobiason08.

During the Peruvian period of violence, there were many atrocities. One of the most horrendous was in the town of Putis, near Ayacucho. The government believed the village to be supporters of the Shining Path, the communist revolutionaries. One day, soldiers came into the town and told everyone that they were together going to dig new latrines or a foundation. So they happily gather everyone together to start working. All day the town worked to prepare the plot. Then when it was dug, the soldiers opened fire, killing an estimated 123 people, many of whom were children. Then they quickly filled it in and Putis was forgotten in the mass grave of horrible memories from this period.

As part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's work, the mass grave in Putis was unearthed and many were identified. Last August, a mass burial was held for the community as a healing. This poster is an advertisement for the event. For more information, click here for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Wikipedia.