Saturday, November 15, 2014

The month of Thanksgiving



November is the month of Thanksgiving. As a YAV, I have so many things for which to be thankful.

My Home Life. I grew up in a neighborhood where it’s safe to walk along the street at night. There was always had food on the table. Good food. I got to go to Chuck E Cheese for spring break in elementary school. New Disney movie just came out? You bet I got to see it. I never had to use public transit as a child; then getting a car once I had my driver’s license. I had a loving church family that led me on mission trips all over the US. I had a great public education, attending some of the best public schools in Kentucky. I am so blessed and thankful for all of my childhood.

My Friends. There are some people in my life that are always there for me. I can call them and say, “I’ve had a bad day. Can you talk?” They walk away from what they’re doing and listen. I have friends who are willing to pick me up from the airport, cook food for me, sit and watch Titanic when my knee gives out on me again, make corny videos with me, learn new things with me, just sit and be, call me out when I’ve done something wrong, sing songs at the top of their lungs, watch tv shows, and make my life so fulfilling. It’s these people that make my life so joyous now and I’m thankful.

My Parents.  Cindi and Greg Kupar are the best parents I’ve ever had (yes they’re the only parents I’ve ever had). They are always taking care of me when I’m in trouble, hurt, or sick, but also insuring I grow up to be the best person I can be, challenging me to do new things. They taught me so many life skills that I utilize today, instilled (what I think to be) good morals, and never left me to fend for myself. If I need anything, they’re there to help.

My Faith Community. Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church is my home. Nothing compares. There are people who supported me through my childhood, college, and now in my years in of service. I’m so blessed to have a group of people who are there for me. It really means a lot. I’m so thankful.

There are so many things in this life to be thankful for. I’m thankful I can take a hot shower. I’m thankful I can have hot coffee in the morning. I’m thankful to be able to eat Raising Cane’s. I’m thankful for my guitar. I’m thankful to have a bed to sleep in every night. I’m thankful for college basketball. I’m thankful for jackets. I’m thankful for sunglasses. I’m thankful for the internet. I’m thankful for cheese. I’m thankful for chocolate, alarm clocks, the sun, cars, my housemates, sweatpants, and birthdays.

I’m most thankful to be put on this earth in a time and place where I’m free to explore my faith, without war, without famine, without extreme grief. I’m thankful I can glorify God in my actions, daily life, and hopefully the rest of my life.

Thank you thank you thank you.

-John

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

November 4, 2014

Life in New Orleans is awesome! There are so many cool opportunities here that are so unique to the area. Last month us YAVs got the opportunity to go out on the bayou and see first-hand how the wetlands are disappearing. The bayous are widening and land is being lost. I don't feel that I can fully inform you, but here are some striking facts to know:
- In Louisiana, a football field of land goes under water every 48 minutes. (HOLY CANOLI)
- The saltwater intrusion has visible effects such as "ghost" trees and dolphins in the bayou (pics below)
- Two million people will be directly affected by the disappearing wetlands
Bayou with boats on it.

Left to Right: Bennett, Hannah, Katherine, Colleen, John, Vincent, Jennifer

Dolphins in the bayou


Cypress ("Ghost") Trees dying from saltwater intrusion
It's a problem. Love the earth. You don't know what effect your actions can have on future generations. If you'd like to sign up for the disappearing wetlands newsletter to learn more, go to facebook.com/disappearingcoast and click the "Newsletter Sign-Up" on the left hand side under the About section.

On a different note, the YAVs have 4 beds in a community garden near our house. Throughout the year we are to maintain them as they serve as an excellent way to acquire fresh produce in our house. We had a work day a few weeks ago. Here are some pictures:

Katherine planting.



Neighborhood kids (& Vinnie) painting a bed.

Hannah painting a sign.
 
The signs I painted.
Other things that have happened outside of my work site placements:
- Oktoberfest. It was amazing. Polka dancing FTW.
- Helped unload ~4000 pumpkins for a pumpkin patch that supports a homeless ministry
- Rock N' Bowl. They have a band in the bowling alley. How sweet is that?
- Preseason Pelicans Game. Anthony Davis & Darius Miller!
- Presbytery meeting.
Left to Right: Bennett, Vinnie, Hannah, John, Katherine

Vinnie and me at the Pelicans game!

Life here has been pretty busy. In the summer at the Carrollton Avenue Church of Christ (where I work for the after school program), they have a camp for a few weeks. This past summer it attracted about 60 neighborhood kids. Once a month throughout the year we invite any kids that attended camp the previous summer to come for a camp reunion. During this time we normally share a meal, have a quick lesson, and do some fun activity. For the October camp reunion, the coach of the De La Salle High School basketball team came to give kids a quick basketball clinic. The kids loved it.
Here's their group huddle at the end:
Life in New Orleans is going well. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to be here. I really couldn't be here without your support. Thank you all.

-John

Thursday, October 9, 2014

October 9, 2014

How 'bout them Cats? Right? Starting off 4-1 with the next game against UL-Monroe? Loving this. The football team is here to stay. This year is definitely much better when it comes to watching sports. I don't have to get up super early for the east coast noon games. I have housemates who root for SEC teams. People here care more about college football than in LA. It's nice to be back in the south.

I guess you're not here to listen to me talk about UK are you? A couple of weekends ago I got the honor of going to Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, a PC(USA) retreat center. I was there for a transition retreat for my first YAV year. It was a time to see my fellow YAVA (Young Adult Volunteer Alumni) and talk about the challenges and triumphs of our year. Emily Warren was there! She is from Lexington as well and just finished her 2nd YAV year in Nashville. One of the speakers for the weekend was David LaMotte. You should definitely look him up. He's very insightful and an excellent musician. On top of debriefing my year in Hollywood, I got to see a little bit of the southwest, an area I've never explored. I'm so thankful for my year in Hollywood, and am really excited to go to Ghost Ranch again after this year in New Orleans.








New Orleans' weather is better now. It doesn't rain nearly as often. This past weekend the high was in the 70s and the humidity was much lower. It really felt like fall. And I totally got to see a lunar eclipse, so take that cloudy places. Oktoberfest is coming up soon, and I am super excited to get my German on. Yayuh!

In our community we've started reading a book titled Don't Be Nice. Be Real. It speaks to the needs of ourselves and how we must meet them to be happy. While the beginning is rather intense, I've eased up on it and am finding the meat of the book rather enjoyable. Essentially, if you don't address your needs, then your life is less joyful. It utilizes the idea of Nonviolent Communication. If you've never heard of this, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book, or looking into it online. It could change how you look at conversation and conflict.

What about work? I do that too. The kids at the after-school tutoring are comfortable with me now. I'm not that awkward adult-like guy standing in the corner anymore. I've enjoyed playing soccer with a few kids in the free time we have on Wednesdays, but also seeing the improvement in academics, as well as spiritual development by many in our Bible studies on Wednesday nights. This upcoming Wednesday our middle schoolers are teaching the parable of the sower to our elementary kids. I'm super excited, as there will be lots of candy involved.

Life is definitely getting into a routine. I can navigate most places by hearing in what part of town they are in. I know what a nutria is (though I haven't seen one). I can tell you what kind of jambalaya I like best. Life here is getting good.

Thank you all so much for this opportunity. I couldn't be here without your support.

-John


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Getting Acquainted - September 17, 2014

I don't have the time to write out all that I've learned in my first three weeks in New Orleans, but I will try to say as much as I can.
  • New Orleans is awesome, except for the rain. It rains almost every day. Days aren't dreary because of this, but if it's 1pm you better have your rain jacket. 
  • The roads are in terrible shape. If you're not on a major road, you literally cannot speed without popping a tire. On a better note regarded to travel, everything in the New Orleans area is within 20 minutes. This is such a relief coming from LA where it takes an hour to go 3 miles via public transit.
  • Most major roads are divided highways. The space in between the roads (what I would call a median) is called the neutral ground. This has some historical significance. On Canal Street, the median was a division where French Creoles lived on one side while Americans lived on the other. The tensions between the two cultures were very prominent. However, the median was where they met, henceforth being called the neutral ground. This is where the streetcars travel.
  • The food here is amazing.
  • Life here is much more relaxed. Time is more lax. People definitely have that easy going personality. This could be because it's so dang hot and humid!
  • Lakeview Presbyterian Church is amazing. The sanctuary is gorgeous. The people are nice. It feels so welcoming. I'm glad to be a part of it.
  • Festivals are the way of life here. I've walked in part of a parade as well as visited one in just 3 weeks. There's never a shortage of things to do here.
  • City Park is huge! 
  • There are filming crews here on St. Charles Ave. It is also reminiscent of LA. I believe they're filming NCIS - New Orleans. 
  • The streets and houses are gorgeous. Trees with moss. Huge estates with wrap around verandas. You have to see them for yourself.
  • Cemeteries are above ground. 
  • They take Saints football as seriously as I take UK basketball. (Except they're not as good. 0-2 with a loss to the Browns. Lol). Seriously though. People wear Saints jerseys to church. That's all they talk about in the sporting world. Their cheer/phrase is "Who dat?" I love responding "Who dey?" (Go Bengals!)
  • Mardi Gras is a huge deal. It's not just a day. It's more like a month that leads up to a Tuesday. More to come on that once we get closer to it.
  • Louisiana's wetlands are disappearing. It's seriously a problem. Read this article if you want to be informed. 
  • There are tons of birds here that I've never seen before. I haven't seen an alligator yet. You probably have to get out of the city for that.
Whew. Now what all have been up to? I've gone on a walking tour of the French Quarter. I did a photo scavenger hunt all throughout New Orleans. The YAVs wrote our house covenant for the year. I've had enough beignets for the year. I visited the Gulf! I walked in the Midsummer Night's Mardi Gras parade. I got to spend this past weekend at Feliciana Retreat Center for the Presbytery of South Louisiana's (PSL) fall youth retreat. I got to eat at the first ever Raising Cane's in Baton Rouge! Life here has been busy getting accustomed to everything.

So what about work? I have two part-time positions. Mid-City Ministries is an after-school program through the Carrollton Church of Christ. I tutor kids, lead bible study, and play games! I really look forward to getting to know these children over the next year. At Lakeview Pres my focus is on the youth program and mission. While that seems very vague now, I have specific goals. One of these goals is to have Lakeview host mission groups in the summer of 2015. Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church's college group will be coming down for the new year as our first group to come. I will be planning and facilitating the time and work with that group. The work that I've gotten myself into here in New Orleans is truly fantastic. I'm so grateful for all of your support.

Now for some photos:
YAV group photo at Feliciana

Wandering in one of the cemeteries.

City Park

Cafe du Monde beignets

Huge tree in City Park

The gulf

Lakeview Pres Rally Day picnic at City Park

Ukulele night at The Neutral Ground (Coffee Shop)
Thank you all for everything.

-John

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

A New Beginning - 8/26/14

My year of service in Hollywood has passed. I can't stop talking about it and truly miss it. But life moves on. I spent a week in Lexington, KY where I got to speak at Maxwell Street Presbyterian. I'm so blessed to have such a supporting home church and family. I truly thank all of you for all that you do in my life.

So... New Orleans. Wow. It's a little different than I remember it in 2011. But hey? Memories fade. It's  We live in Uptown/East Carrollton. It's close to Tulane, Loyola, and Audobon Park. The house is awesome. I have a roommate again, and his name is Bennett. He is also a second year and served in South Korea last year. We've already bonded over Guitar Hero, so we're pretty much best friends. The second years arrived in NOLA while the first years were in YAV orientation in New York. Remember when I was there? So long ago. There are 7 YAVs in the house this year: 4 girls, 3 guys, which isn't too much of a different dynamic than the beginning of last year.
Left to Right: Jennifer, John, Hannah, Bennett, Colleen, Katherine        NP: Vinnie

I'll be working part time with Mid-City Ministries and part-time with Lakeview Presbyterian Church (with the late great Barrett Milner). I visited Lakeview Pres on Sunday and am very optimistic and extremely excited. Work doesn't start until September 2, as we have a full week of orientation. But I'm more than excited. We get to do a bunch of touristy things this week, and I'll fill you all in once orientation is over and I start working.

God be with you.
-John

Sunday, July 6, 2014

July 6, 2014 - Leaving Hollywood

So here we are: less than a month from the last work day at Hollywood Presbyterian Church. It's been such a journey and I couldn't be more grateful. I feel like reflecting on the year is inevitable in this post, so I'll do my best to make sure it isn't word vomit.

When I first arrived, I had such different perceptions of Hollywood. In the first week I didn't know my housemates. I really wanted to be at all of the tourist attractions. I wanted to get started working at Hollywood Pres. I wanted to make a difference. Now I know my housemates all too well. I've been to all of the LA tourist attractions enough to get really bored of some of them. I still love working at the church. And I feel that I have made a difference. That difference is something that people can't see. I haven't built houses. I haven't started a nonprofit. I haven't ended homelessness. I have developed relationships with folks that I hope will never end. I have organized and been an integral part of a winter refuge. I have learned so much that I can't put it into words. Coming to the end of the year is a challenging place to be. In the upcoming month I literally only have 4 days without something on my calendar. It will be an ending with a bang before a new journey. Before I go on about that, I want to list my fun highlights from the year. This is more for my personal memory, but it's cool to see it all written out.

Aug - YAV Orientation in NY
          Arrived in Hollywood
          Attended taping of The Soup
Sep - Started working at Hollywood Pres
          Attended Women's Brunch at Hollywood Pres b/c it had Bluegrass music
Oct - First time to LACMA
         Was on Let's Make a Deal
         Attended Cirque Du Soleil - Totem
         Went to LA Galaxy vs. Montreal Impact Game
         Visited set of Community
         Forest Home Hollywood Pres Church Retreat
Nov - Hunger Games Premiere
          Freddie's Birthday Bowling Night
          Neighborhood Thanksgiving
Dec - Christmas Store at FPCH
          Ben Adam & Selene's Wedding
          Jimmy Kimmel Taping
          Home for Christmas along with JT & Meredith's wedding!
Jan -  Winter Refuge Began
          MLK Day Parade
         Dweller Retreat to San Francisco/Yosemite
Feb - Day of Silence at St. Andrew's Abbey
         Attended UCLA vs. Utah basketball game
Mar - Winter Refuge ended
          Venice Photo Scavenger Hunt
          Spring Break Discover Groups
          Sam Speigel Visited!
          Nicola Rohr Visited!
Apr - Attended Last Comic Standing taping
          FTE Conference in WA
          DISNEYLAND
          American's Got Talent Taping
May - Brent & Tara's Birthday Weekend
           Patrick Jeter Visited
           Traveled to Memphis, TN to see Bobby & Kim get married!
           Dad Visited! Went to Dodgers Game!
Jun - Surf Lessons with Joel
         Chaperoned high school youth to Forest Home


It's amazing to see all of the things that I've done. It's concrete evidence of how blessed I really am and how active I've become since moving out here.

So onward. I'll be leaving LA on August 12. From there I'm going to LA in late August. But wait! LA to LA? That's right. Los Angeles to Louisiana. I will be serving another YAV year in New Orleans. It looks like I'll be working with Lakeview Presbyterian Church, where the head pastor is Barrett Milner (that guy who was my camp counselor, helped me steal "children" in the simulation game at MSPC, and worked with 2nd Pres in Lexington for years) and/or Mid-City Ministries. My exact duties at either agency aren't exactly clear to me as of yet. Here are links to their pages though:
http://www.lpcno.org/
http://midcityministries.org/about/



How Can You Support Me?
·         Your Prayers: Pray for me and for the people with whom I will live and serve this year.
·         Your Financial Gifts: Give a tax-deductible contribution as a one-time gift or in installments over the course of my year of service. The preferred method is to send a check to the address below. If you'd like to give another way, please contact me.


Make checks payable to:
Presbytery of South Louisiana,
MEMO LINE: "John Kupar - YAV"
 
Mail checks to:
Layne Brubaker
YAV Program
2221 Filmore Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70122



National YAV website:  http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/yav/
New Orleans YAV Blog:  http://pslyav.wordpress.com/
New Orleans YAV Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pslyav
 



I'm so excited to continue my story there, but I first have to say goodbye here. The next month will be a challenge, but I'm ready. Leaving doesn't mean that I'm gone forever. I'll be back to LA I'm sure.

-John


Monday, June 16, 2014

May/June Update

What's been going on in John's world? So many different things. I think I should post more frequently so I don't have these long posts. I'll try and keep some parts brief.
Here are some things that have happened since my last blog post:

Patrick Jeter visited!
It's really nice to have a friend come and see what all you've been doing. Patrick came to Hollywood Presbyterian on one of the days our program runs. It is such a relief from the daily grind to have a friend do it with you. We also did all the touristy stuff and somehow got this photo made at Universal Citywalk:
I love it.



I traveled to Memphis, TN to see one of my best friends get married!
There's nothing more celebratory than a wedding! Especially one of close college friends. Memorial Day weekend was Bobby Pinkston & Kim Ferguson's wedding. I had the honor of being a groomsmen and am so thankful for having them in my life.

My dad came back to LA with me.
He got to see where and how I live and did a bunch of touristy stuff. It was his first time out to California and he really enjoyed it.  There's nothing like some good father-son bonding.
Dodgers Game


Things aren't all happy go lucky though. Unfortunately one of my housemates, Tara, has had to end her YAV year for medical reasons. She was a vital part of our community and has been missed tremendously in the past few weeks. It will be a challenge for the remaining two months without her. I mean, who's going to laugh at my stupid jokes? Oh jeez. Please keep her in your prayers for the upcoming weeks as she goes through some intense treatment.
Tara and me at the Catching Fire premiere back in November


On another note, one of the women who stayed in the winter shelter with me passed away. She was such a crucial part of the shelter community with her huge personality. It was tough to see someone like this go, but I know she made huge strides in the right direction at the end of her life.
At the church we held a memorial service for her. It was an occasion that I'll never forget. To see all of the people that she had an impact just in her Hollywood community get together to celebrate her life was amazing. Sometimes you don't realize how much people mean to you until they're gone.

In the upcoming weeks there is so much to do! I have a trip to Copperopolis, CA next weekend. I'm chaperoning the high school boys from Hollywood Pres for their week at Forest Home (church camp). We have a DOOR fundraiser in less than a month. There's some birthdays to celebrate, some fun things I still need to do (surf. Come on John. Find a surfboard and get out there), and I'm sure there will be some struggles as well. It's all shaping me into the best person I can be. I love all that is going on and can't wait for next year...

Wait. Next year! I haven't shared that yet! I am planning to spend another year of my life with the YAV program. Where? New Orleans. I don't exactly what I'll be doing down there quite yet, but there will be more information to come.

Thanks for all your support!

-John

Monday, May 19, 2014

The Calling of Matthew

This scripture has spoken to me lately:

Matthew 9:9-13
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

So there was Matthew, just sitting as a tax collector. Jesus says, "Follow me," and he does. Jesus does not scold him for his 'bad behavior' (as a tax collector). He seems to have no requirements for someone to be a follower of him. He doesn't ask Matthew to stop being a tax collector, repent, and only do good from then on out. He simply calls to him. From here, the Pharisees ask why Jesus eats with the "tax collectors and sinners". At this time the Pharisees most likely saw themselves as better than them, not including themselves as sinners of any sort. The Pharisees were, bluntly put, wrong. We are all sinners. Jesus didn't look at people who were classified as sinners as bad people, and we should all do the same.

Working with homelessness is a challenge. People often say that the homeless are people who don't work hard, are alcoholics or drug addicts, and live on the streets. This can be true, but is generally not the case. Every person I've come in contact with has a unique story. This story is normally so complex, that you couldn't hear it all in one sitting. Jesus didn't need to listen to the stories. He saw a person and knew their story. He didn't judge based on what they had done. He was there to help them. This is something we can all work on.

Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Think about that a bit. See how you can apply it. 

Summary:
Follow Him. Don't judge. Jesus was here for the sinners.

-John 


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The Kentucky Life

April 16, 2014

People who aren't from Kentucky and haven't been there only know of a few things Kentucky: Churchill Downs, KFC, The Louisville Slugger Museum, Muhammad Ali, and college basketball are the only things mentioned. Seeing as how the only thing on there I really care about is college basketball, I'm going to share what it was like being a UK fan on the west coast.

I brought 7 Kentucky shirts with me when I moved out here. Needless to say they are the shirts I wear the most. People have asked me if UK is Kansas. Outside of Kentucky, you must call the University of  Kentucky, Kentucky. UK is easily misinterpreted as the United Kingdom or any schools that start with K. I brought the "Box Filled" shirt (which simply has the years Kentucky won basketball championships in boxes) that I got after the 2012 championship. Every single person asks what it means. Growing up I never realized how big of a deal Kentucky basketball was to the state. In case you haven't thought about it, we have no big names in any sports. Football? Cincinnati. Baseball? Cincinnati. Soccer? Europe (cause the MLS is a joke and Columbus is too far away to count). Hockey? What's that? You mean the Thoroughblades? Basketball? Kentucky. Kentucky way more than any NBA team. We bleed blue.

Things that you don't think about for those who live on the west coast as Kentucky fans: a 12pm game on a Saturday means being awake by 9am, you have to ask the sports bars to change the channel to the one with Kentucky on, not UK (see how annoyed I am by this), and you are most certainly not always surrounded by friends. Throughout the season I felt so weird. I attended a UK Alumni group a few times to watch games. This was nice, but not exactly what I expected.; old dudes and their wives who didn't know anything about Kentucky except the colors.  I could read KSR and see how the city was reacting to an up & down season, but not feel it. I visited the Schrader's at USC to watch a couple of games. This is really nice. The few people who still bleed blue.

Throughout all this, I can say that Kentucky basketball kept me sane. It kept me grounded through thick and thin. From January to March, I was running on an extremely odd and exhausting schedule. Watching the basketball games gave me something to look forward to just days away (sometimes more due to the inability to watch them live). Watching the boys made me feel back at home, especially when I'm screaming at my laptop in my room.  They kept me going and helped me make it through some of the hardest of times. I know that wherever I go I'll keep a special little cut on me somewhere so I can continue to bleed blue. It was a great run boys. Maybe next year?

Go Big Blue!

-John