I went to the roughest b-ball courts in the burbs yesterday, ahah, at least it used to be, and I balled until I was drenched in sweat, w/ dirt on my LAMP shirt. My team kept winning so we stayed on the court. My body and mind were wearing down but I told myself to keep going and keep going.

Later on we started running full court games, and we played a few games until sundown... in between the wired fences it was pretty much dim and it was getting really hard to see, being that I'm nearsighted it was almost like playing blindfolded; I became hesitant and my mind was racing, so I tried to visualize everything: where the ball was, where everything and everyone moved, it took some adjusting to but I got more involved.

And for the last 1/2 or so hour that we played in the dark, 5 on 5 became 4 on 4, then dwindled down to myself and 3 other guys running full court. I played on instinct and my eyes stopped seeing and very little occupied my mind; all I needed to do was catch the ball, keep my dribble, and make sure that I kept my opponent infront of me. That felt really good.

The last few days have been hard, my heart had really taken a "plunge". The missions trip this year was still amazing, for the 1st time in the 3 years that I've gone, I actually shed a few tears as my mind brought me to the culmination of everything that had being going on in my mind; maybe I teared up more for myself, maybe they were out of joy/relief, maybe they knew what was up ahead... whatever it was, I'm always impressed by the type of resolve/resilience that these adorable kids exemplify, and the trip was still a memorable, purposeful, and worthwhile experience.

TJers(especially MNers that I might not see for a good while), thanks for all the laughs and good times amidst the "trying" circumstances that we came across, and I love your hearts for the kids and the Lord.

que sera, sera.

Watch

To have seen it rise, and having watched its fall,

I've seen it a thousand times,

it had been there heretofore.

The arm reaches forth, and yet these fingers halt,

Of what need for me to capture,

that which persists tomorrow?

A scene swift and sudden, one moment too soon,

the hue which embellished the clouds,

becomes withdrawn from its post.

The truth of the contrast, short of the light pink tinge,

these glaring windowpanes retrieved,

night will whisk its way here.

Not a word from its pass, awaiting not a soul,

permanence lasts for as long as it goes.

Still, I'll be elsewhere tomorrow.

Brian Y. Chen 2006

More sketches...

I drew this one over the weekend, Fruits of Labor, maybe it'd make more sense if you're able to see the hand transforming/extending into branches, I had several interpretations of it yet still ended up just as confused as you are, lol...the most difficult thing was sketching tiny "men" plummeting to the ground in different positions...

A close-up of my favorite sketch, took me about 1 1/2 hrs to do; Prayer, as simple as that.

The full view, imagine the forces of nature stirring in the backdrop/blank_space, ground/earth shaking/moving...that's what it do baybeh...

We leave on the 11th! Time flies!...I kinda wish now that it would move even faster, but I can't really make up my mind.

Here's a little "gallery" of mine...eventhough we've not needed t-shirt designs since 2003 I just sketched these for fun a few weeks back while I was reading Hell's Best Kept Secret about delivering "The Law" and what not...

Idea numero uno= I like this guy's posture, and he's wearing a wrestling mask?

Idea numero uno + numero uno = Idea numero dos(I like the map/continet outline on the back and the cross resting on TiJuana) This guy is more refined, but his posture's not as natural as the first guy.

...bound-- chained and shackled-- to an iron-plated-boulder(stronghold), eyes gouged out(hey...if it "causes you to sin"), w/ the shackle on his wrist shattered by the ray of light...BROKEN

...pierced by light, washed away...PURIFIED(by fire)

here's a composite...looks like I'm on the way to building my own mural(similiar to that of the Sistine Chapel), except I only had 3 images to work w/...the rays emanating from the Cross weren't perfectly aligned but you get the idea? and somehow it all became this collage thing...

This page is dedicated to Casa Hogar Belen and all ppl/things/thoughts C.H.B. related.