Faith or Bust: India

We're a group of guys tired of being told to be normal. We can't be normal, we're Christians. And we're called to live our faith out loud. WE're going to live our lives Faith or Bust.

This summer we're heading to India to serve the poor and dying!


Donate to Faith or Bust!

Friday, March 31, 2006

Tired

So I found a really great airline price... and I just put 111 letters into the mail (finally... we had a return envelope setback... didnt have them to put in or stamps to stamp them with... and then once we did... I accidentally stamped a few on the upper left side of the envelope... not the upper right so I had to peel and restick about 10.)

and now I sleep...

and then I work on on-campus stuff... (about 80 more letters almost finished just need addressing and taping).

And Lisa is a doll for helping out... so is Tim... and Bobby for letting us use the mail folder...

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Calendar update

Calendar now appears at bottom of page...

New website... and changed description

Faith or Bust has just expanded to a new website!!!
Faith or Bust: NYC http://faithorbustNYC.blogspot.com/
The new website is for the Faith or Bust group moving to NYC.

Also, in light of this, I changed the description header.

The old description: We're two guys tired of being told to be normal. We can't be normal, we're Christians. And we're called to live our faith out loud. WE're going to live our lives Faith or Bust.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Letters

so we almost have all of the first batch ready to send out... its been crazy busy getting them written, formatted, printed, folded, stuffed... but its almost done!

It's been stressful and at times I've wanted to wring Brendan's neck :-) but after praying for a bit and some space, God shows me just how much Brendan is putting into this. It also helps that we've been praying together in front of the tabernacle almost every day (our goal is everyday)...

Right at the end of our days we sit for a bit in silence, coming into our Lord's presence... talk about our struggles in our lives and stresses, pray over each other and then pray together to God for our trip. We then try to get night prayer in (from the liturgy of the hours).

Which has been fun... I tried to teach Brendan the Salve Regina in Latin last night... and aside from the melody being completely foreign to him (though he's heard me sing it a few times)... the pronunciation is also foreign... :-)

He did a good job though... even if I wanted to crack up. ;-)

By the end of our trip it will be a beautiful thing to hear.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

First Thoughts: Edward

Hello Brothers and Sisters!

So life has been really crazy these last few months, first with a compromise between our desires to travel to Europe and our desires to serve Christ. The compromise was to "bike the world!" and that evolved into a group of four young adults that began to plan for that. But due to some unforeseen events, Biking two of our members had to bow out... and that left only two of us... and our trip began to look unlikely.

But after winter break we came back and Brendan and I laid it out and said this is what I want, and this is what I want. And to my great surprise I found that Brendan and I wanted the same thing!

We both wanted to give our hearts in service to our Lord!

We were tired of being normal, doing normal, living normal, we wanted a radical change, and a lasting experience that will bring us ever closer to sanctity.

So thats how we ended up paring down our plans to travel the world, to travelling to India! A decision that has blessed us greatly since.

Perhaps you would like to get an idea of what we're doing to prepare, if so check out our check list (its most of what we're doing lately).

In addition Brendan and I have dedicated 30 minutes to an Hour daily(lately a bit longer) of prayer for our trip and our sponsors. Most days we are able to escape before the blessed Sacrament and pray, which is an especially amazing blessing that brings great peace to our otherwise stressful planning, work and schoolwork.

We'll try to post quick reflections on our experience on a regular basis, and we encourage you all to write comments, ask questions and suggest things we might be missing!

May God Bless you abundantly!
Edward Alonzo

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Logo!

Calendar/Itinerary

So after some fighting with my Outlook program and finding it lacking in what I wanted for a calendar... I've published a temporary calendar for Faith or bust at: http://www.trumba.com/calendars/faith_or_bust

Approximate Costs

Approximate costs (per person):
Postage/Envelopes $210
Food - 90 days $180
Housing - 90 days $270
Transportation* (airfare, visa, equipment, etc.) $2,000
Misc. (aka. things we haven’t thought of) $100


Total Per person: $2,760


Total for trip: $5,520






*Transportation:
Airfare 1800
Visa costs 75
Equipment (packs, misc. as needed) 125




Approx: 2000

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Sites

  1. Locations of US consulates, refuges & embassies
  2. Calcutta
  3. New Delhi
  4. Bangalore
  5. Hyderabad
  6. ahmedabad (C.P.)
  7. Taj Mahal
  8. Buddhist monastery
  9. Hindu Temple

To Do

Dated items:
  1. Done (3.21.6) Tuesday 3.21: Check to see if local post office has #9 or #10 stamped envelopes - 500 for $210
  2. Done Wednesday 3.22: Take count of needed SASEs
  3. Done Thursday or Friday 3.23, 24: Pick up envelopes
  4. Done Friday 3.24: Print and mail first run of letters.
  5. Tuesday 4.04: Have VISA applications filled out and sent.

Yet to be determined/ongoing:
  1. Done/ongoing Contact Missionaries of Charity
  2. Done (3.20.6e) Locate folding machine
  3. Done (3.25.6 eb) get actual letters written
  4. get thank you letter written
  5. Done/ongoing Approximate Costs
  6. Done/(in nation ongoing)Travel expenses/Travel method
  7. Done/ongoing Food cost
  8. Done/ongoing Housing cost
  9. Done/ongoing (b) Maps of cities
  10. Sites of interest/ locations of US consulates, refuges & embassies, if no US one in the city then locate allied embassies
  11. Contact India consulate
  12. Done/ongoing (3.22.6e) State Dept info
  13. Done/ongoing Watch exchange rates
  14. Done/ongoing Get idea of money ~value/expect to pay # for x
  15. Locate internet locations
  16. Done/ongoing (3.22.6e) Work on Calendar
  17. Done Airline schedule
  18. Bake Sale
  19. Done (3.23.6b) State Dept regional book
  20. Done (3.25.6e) credit card info
  21. Done (3.22.6e) letterhead/logo
  22. Done (3.23.6e) Goal Thermometer

Monday, March 20, 2006

Donations

So how can you help?

First and foremost, we ask your prayers. I used to ask youth on retreat how long it takes to die without food? About a month. How long without water? 3-4 days. How long without air? Minutes. So how long can you live with out God, who is so essential to our lives that he holds into existence food, water and air? Without being sustained by God at every moment any good we hope to do in India will be for naught. And that’s why we ask you to dedicate an hour or two of prayer for the success of our trip. Ask God to sustain us, to comfort us, guide us and to show His love to those we serve.

Secondly, we ask you to sponsor us for a day. That may sound like a huge financial undertaking, but it’s ONLY $5! About $3 to stay in some inexpensive quarters, about $1 for food and about $1 for the cost of the postage of this letter and the enclosed stamped envelope. In return, for your sponsorship we will hold you and your intentions in special remembrance during our thrice daily prayers and our personal prayers on a day that you can choose or we can assign.

If you are interested in sponsoring us or in donating prayer, please contact us at faithorbust@gmail.com.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

India?

India?