Graffiti

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Seth Grotzke

Graffiti
Spain has impressive artists in its history. Individuals such as Picasso, Goya, and El Greco have invested incredible effort in speaking through art.

But there are other artists whose work is seen without buying a museum pass. Spain is full of graffiti. It can be much more than a four letter word scrawled on a boxcar. Much of it makes you scratch your head and ask, “Why would you spray paint over something with so much history?” Others make you think, “Wow!”

There are even some celebrity artists whose names appear on buildings and bridges for hundreds of kilometers around Madrid. The amount of effort put into scrawling their name on an underpass is impressive, albeit confusing. *How much time and money did you put into this?*

Some businesses have chose to hire a graffiti artist to paint their building, probably to keep other graffiti off of it (I guess graffitiing a graffiti is bad mojo?!?).

So I ask a question, “Is graffiti art?” Can it be art if it is destroying personal or public property? Is it art if it is commissioned? Is it only art if it is beautiful, or realistic, or grand?

And if it is art, what truth is it fit to communicate?

And if it communicates that message well, is there a way to appreciate the work and the message?

The Market

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Seth Grotzke

One of our new favorite activities

THAT Traveler

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Seth Grotzke

THAT traveler
I would like to apologize to all those traveling by plane on Monday and Tuesday.

It will be I who delays your flight, brings TSA to a screeching halt, and whacks your shoulder as I stumble down the center aisle burdened with multiple unwieldy carry ons. Our personal items are the size of carry ons, our carry ons the size of checked luggage, and our checked luggage the size of shipping containers.
I will be wearing bulky clothing with multiple items in my pockets which I will forget to take out going through TSA.
I can’t remember where my tickets are.
And I ate garlic.
Forgive me.

Packing Electronics

Quote

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Seth Grotzke

Packing all your cables for your electronics in a Nalgene water bottle before the TSA airport check is a great idea. The officers love the excitement of thinking they have spotted a bomb in your carryon.

#LessonLearned compliments of Corbin E.

Tips to turn “Travel” into “Adventure”

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Seth Grotzke

The problem with traveling is that it can get tedious. We have put on plenty of miles in the last 15 months, and miles can be boring…unless you plan. If you want to turn your ordinary road trip into something memorable, follow these tried-and-true steps.

1. Play Russian roulette with gas station bathrooms.” There will be another option closer to the highway!” Let that be your motto no matter what tears are shed or verbal abuse given from your passengers.

2. Only look down at your gas gauge once every hundred miles or so. The anticipation of wondering when the light came on is exhilarating.

3. Drive late at night after a heavy meal of a Culver’s meal basket which leaves you in a grease coma.

4. Drive INTO the storms that look like the coming apocalypse.

5. Store water bottles, small toys, or assorted Tupperware under the drivers seat. That way when you try to come to a quick stop or accelerate into traffic they roll around and get stuck under your pedals. Awesome.

6. Forget semi-important items at home, such as passports, presentation materials…or your shoes. Don’t ask.

Remember, to fail to plan is to plan to fail.

The Gag: Traveling and Food

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Seth Grotzke

We have traveled our share, and have eaten from plenty of street vendors. There are certain phrases that I use in reference to meals, especially on our international trips. I thought I would share what I say…and what I mean.

What I say:
“This would go great with Doritos! Do you mind if I grab a bag?”
What I mean:
“I really need another flavor to add to/mask/overpower what we are eating so I can get it down.”

What I say:
“Thank you for the meal! How would like to go out for some Cokes? I will treat!”
What I mean:
“I hope the Coke kills any unruly parasites I just ingested.”

What I say:
“You don’t happen to have any Pepto-Bismol, do you?”
What I mean:
“Tell my wife and daughter that I loved them, and I was brave to the end.

Canada 2015

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Seth Grotzke

I was able to take a quick trip up to Canada with family members, Bernie and Cody. We camped from Monday-Friday in Ontario near Kenora. You can read the hunting part of the trip over here, but I would like to share some of the pictures from our time. At some point I may post some of my own observations of a first time bear hunt. Currently I am still trying to process through the whole deal. However, I will say, the facial expression of a seasoned hunter running from a skunk is an almost humorous cocktail of fear and agony.

Events from 2014: Spain Vision Trip – Planning

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Seth Grotzke

We took off for the first half of November to visit our coworkers, Jon and Lorena Templeton, in Spain. Our goals were to: 1) Spend time with the Templetons; 2) Help them move into their new apartment in Ponferrada; 3) Strategize with other Christian leaders on the best way to begin ministry in Ponferrada.

Kent Albright, one of the veteran missionaries in Spain, and Jon’s pastor from Pennsylvania, were able to accompany us to Ponferrada and share both pastoral and cultural insights. We are thankful for their involvement in this endeavor.

We also stopped by Bembibre, a town of 20,000 just outside of Ponferrada. There is no evangelical church in the city. We asked various people around the city to point us to the evangelical church, and all the fingers pointed to the Catholic church. “That is the church for everybody” was their reply.

The opportunities in Ponferrada are great. I am very excited about the possibilities of getting involved in the community through various means and I truly believe that we will be able to make many contacts and share the Gospel. I can’t wait to watch Jon’s first few months there. He is a huge encouragement to me in his interaction with others, and I am excited to partner with him and learn from him.

Will you be in prayer for Ponferrada? It is a city desperately in need of the Gospel.

Events from 2014: Spain Vision Trip – Moving

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Seth Grotzke

It was exciting to help the Templetons move into a new apartment for a variety of reasons. We got better acquainted with Ponferrada, it helped us to understand what living arrangements are like there, we got a feel for the interactions between neighbors, and we got to tease Jon about his incredibly small coffee cups. I am not sure what else one could ask for.

The city of Ponferrada has about 70,000 people, but because it is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, it is fairly compact. The whole valley has about 135,000 people so there is a good mix of city and village life.

Here are some pictures from the Templeton’s window and then around the city.

Events from 2014: Spain Vision Trip – Bonding

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Seth Grotzke

We had a very beneficial trip and greatly enjoyed our time with our coworkers. We walked together, ate together, got soaked in the rain together, got sick together, all very important things. Their family has grown the last several months, so it was great to get to know their new daughter as well.

One lesson I learned on this trip was that once a child becomes mobile, trans-atlantic flights are sort of like keeping a ferret still for an 8 hour church service.

SCQuest

Intentional Living

Category Archives: Around the World