Pictures

I've taken quite a few pictures over the past 30 years, and maybe someday I'll have them all to look at on the web! Soon I'll scan many of my pre-digital photos, such as my college years and Mexico and Egypt trips, and post them here. Enjoy!

Take Your Pic

• Rome and Pompeii, 2008: The summer tourist season is the busiest time of my work year, so I took a quick trip to Rome and Pompeii before the tourist masses descended. Pompeii was very cool.
• Krakow and Auschwitz, Spring 2008: My brother, Jared, visited me this year in Prague, and we had the chance to take a train to Krakow for a few days. We also visited two of the Auschwitz concentration camps, which, needless to say, was a powerful and sobering experience.
• Czech Inn Staff Party, January 2008: This year we had a staff party on a river cruise of the Vltava River (or Moldau River, depending on your nationality). Take a peek to see a few of the people I work with.
• Miscellaneous Pics, 2007 and 2008: In this album you can see a number of different groups of pictures. I had a chance to celebrate Easter in Israel last year as well as revisit my friends and church in Ireland last November. There are a few pictures of the famous bone church in Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic. (You'll know why it's called that when you see the photos.) And this year I went back to Amsterdam for a Shelter Youth Hostel reunion.
• Florence, Italy, October 2007: I've traveled to a lot of places in Europe for a day or two at a time, but last October was the first time I've taken a full-blown vacation in years. I love visiting Italy, so I decided it was time to make a trip to the beautiful and art-filled city of Florence.
• Berlin, Germany, January 2007: Every expatriate who works legally in the Czech Republic has to apply for his or her visa in a foreign country. I chose Berlin in Germany because the city is relativly close to Prague, the waiting list to submit my application was short, and...well....I had never been to Berlin before... (Forgive the picture quality. I had to buy a disposable camera when I forgot to bring my own.)
• Prague and Czech Republic: After Amsterdam I made my move to Prague. In these pictures you'll see why Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and you'll also see a few of the people I've met in the last two years.
• Back in Amsterdam, 2006: In the summer of 2006 God lead me back to Amsterdam for a final three months at the Shelter Youth hostel. Take a look at the people who impacted me and, hopefully, who I touched in return.
• The Shelter, Israel, Part 2, 2006: I thought I would live in Israel for a year, but God only wanted me there for three months. But what good months they were! This second album shows pics from the last part of my time in Israel.
• The Shelter, Israel, Part 1, 2006: Pesach dinner, desert camping, birthday parties, evangelistic meetings, trips to Jerusalem, boat trips on the Red Sea... It was an eventful first two months in Israel! Check out these pics to see where I live in work in Israel.
• Nashville, America, 2006: I never thought I would consider a trip back to the States as a holiday! But during my short time in America before I moved to Israel, I visited my friend Neal in Nashville, and a few other guys drove up from South Carolina to see me. The guys from South Carolina are the friends with whom I hope to start the hostel in Prague.
• Dublin, Ireland, Spring 2006: Another trip to Ireland, this time with some friends from the Shelter in Amsterdam. I had a good time showing my friends around my old stomping grounds!
• The Shelter, Amsterdam, Part 7, 2006: My last three months in Amsterdam. Sad. But there are lots of happy moments here! Inside this album you'll see going-away parties, trips to Haarlem and Utrecht, and faces of friends.
  The Shelter, Amsterdam, Part 6, 2005: I think I've taken more pictures in Amsterdam that I ever have in my life! In this album you can see the usual pictures of staff, guests, and cleaners, and you can also take a look at our winter staff day we took ice-skating, more going-away parties, our staff Christmas party, the night a ton of snow fell, and the huge crowds I saw on New Year's Eve.
  The Shelter, Amsterdam, Part 5, 2005: This album is a mix of my photos and Neal's. In this one you can see my sister and mom on their separate trips to visit me in Amsterdam, and there are also some bittersweet pics of a going-away party for long-term staff.
  The Shelter, Amsterdam, Part 4, 2005: I didn't take a single one of these pictures—Neal had the artistic eye for these photos. But he used my camera, so I feel justified in posting them on my website! In this album you can see pictures of Amsterdam and many of our summer staff.
  The Shelter, Amsterdam, Part 3, 2005: Even more pics of life, ministry, and people here at the Shelter, including a going-away party, an outreach at the hostel, a staff picnic and canoe trip, and lots of portrait shots of friends. But I have to give kudos where they're due—many of the best portrait shots were taken by my friend Neal McDonald.
  The Shelter, Amsterdam, Part 2, 2005: More pics of life in Holland and The Shelter.
  The Shelter, Amsterdam, Part 1, 2005: Living in Amsterdam with 30-something other people and working at a Youth Hostel provides plenty of photo opportunities! Take a look at this photo album to see a little of what I'm doing in Amsterdam and with whom I'm doing it.
• Prague, Czech Republic, 2006: Have you ever had that experience when you meet somebody, or some people, and you just "click?" Early in January I met a few guys who had just started a vision trip through Europe. Their vision? To start a Christian youth hostel in Europe. Let's just say the "clicking" was almost audible to all of us. So at the end of January I met these guys in Prague to do a little vision casting for myself. If all goes well, we'll start a youth hostel in Eastern Europe before too long!
• Family Christmas, 2005: In December my dad gifted me with a plane flight back to the States for a few days, so in this album you'll find me with some of my family. (The first meal I had back in America was Tex-Mex. Mmmm, Tex-Mex...)
• Ireland Summer Family Camp, Summer 2005: I had the privilege of working at the Ovoca Family Camp in Ireland for a week this summer, the same one where I've volunteered twice before, and I came back to Amsterdam refreshed and with a renewed perspective on life and ministry. Take a look inside for some fun pics and portraits of people who mean a lot to me. (I let some of the teens borrow my camera for a while, and some of the best photos where taken by them. Thanks Billy and Cieran!)
• Paris, France, 2005: Living in Holland has it's advantages, including cheap and easy trips to places all over Europe. I had another few days off at the end of June, so a friend and I took a bus to Paris to take a break from the Shelter and see a few sights.
• Barcelona, Spain, 2005: I had more than my normal number of days off one weekend in April, so I decided to take a trip to Barcelona! The price was right, and the pictures inside are the result of a fun trip in sunny Spain.
• Family and Friend Pictures: I'm afraid my family may not like me after some of these pictures are seen in public, but check back soon and I'll probably have more up anyway!
• 30th Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve, 2004: I don't have many pictures of each of these important events, so I'm putting them all in the same album! And since I didn't get to spend Christmas with my family, I've included a few pictures that they sent me of their time together. (They don't know I'm doing this, so you better hurry before I'm ordered to remove them!)
• Stockholm, Sweden, 2004: Ray and Kay Baker, a missionary couple with GEM, open up their home to single missionaries during the Christmas and New Year holidays. I didn't get to go home for Christmas this year, so I took them up on their offer and spent a fun few days in Sweden after Christmas day with some old and new friends. You can see some of the places I got to visit in Stockholm, as well as a few photos of our murder mystery night!
• Rome, Italy Trip, 2004: In October I took a short, four-day vacation to a place I've always wanted to go: Rome, Italy. Rome is a fantastic place to visit, and I took a lot of pictures!
• Killarney, Ireland Trip, 2004: Earlier this year a few of my friends from the States visited, and in July I took a train down with them to Killarney, a picturesque area of Ireland. You might recognize some of the scenery from my first trip to Ireland, but there are some new locations, as well as fun and humorous pictures I didn't get before.
• GEM Youth Ministry Conference, Autumn 2004: Yeah, we had another conference; we have a lot of those! But this time we held the conference in our brand new office, which also happens to be where I moved in October. Take a look to see some funny photos and the area where I live!
• Maynooth Community Church: Here are some pictures I've taken over the past year of people from my church here in Ireland. You can see teaching, fellowship times, and even a wedding and reception.
• Miscellaneous Pics of Ireland: You can never take too many pictures of this land! Check this page out for photos of Bray, Dublin, and Edenderry (Midlands).
• GEM Annual Conference, August 2004—Budapest: The second week in August I attended GEM's annual conference in Budapest, which ended up being a more stretching experience than I expected! But I did get to see a few sights around Budapest, hang out with friends, and meet a lot of GEM missionaries around Europe.
• Ireland Summer Family Camp, Summer 2004—My Pics
• Ireland Summer Family Camp—Pics taken by others: The first week of August I had the privilege of working at the same family camp that I did in 2001! Many of the kids returned, a few as leaders, and I had a fantastic time reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.
• London and Oxford Trip, June 2004 : My sister, Christy, came and visited me in June 2004, and since neither one of us have ever been to London, we visited a missionary friend of mine, Brandon, for a few days. Brandon gave us a whirlwind tour of London one day, and the next he took drove us up to Oxford. Visiting the "Eagle & Child," the pub where C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and friends hung out, was a highlight for me!
• GEM Youth Ministry Conference, Spring 2004: In March 2004 eight youth leaders from around Europe got together in England to brainstorm about the next steps for the ministry. Not only did we accomplish a lot, we also had a great time! Inside you can see some pretty cool pictures of a town and church we visited in England.
• Going Away Parties, January 2004: Before I left in January 2004 I had a going away party at work and one given for me by my sister. There are also a few of me and some friends at the airport before I headed to Ireland.
• CommonGround—Irving Bible Church: At IBC I used to help out with the College group, CommonGround, and here are a few pictures of that ministry. My apartment was a common place for CommonGround to visit, so you can see some of what used to be my homelife, too!
• Carlsbad Caverns, October 2003: In October of 2003 I decided to take some time off by myself and see some of God's creation! So I went to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and took some cool pictures.
• Rhodes Reunion, August 2003: Some of the old Rhodes crew got together for a mini-reunion in August of 2003 for Anne and Preston Bost's baby shower. Check inside to see how well we've all aged!
• Ireland Trip, June 2003: In June of 2003 I flew to Ireland for a friend's wedding, and I took my mom and sister with me! Here you can see pictures that I took and a lot that my mom and sister took! They did a great job, though, and you can see a lot of Ireland that I don't have photos of.
• Sonlife Conference—Florida, January 2003: In January of 2003 I went to a Sonlife Youth Conference in Florida. I had just bought my first digital camera, so I naturally had a good time using my new toy! The long weekend was great, not least because I got to visit Epcott. But the most enjoyable part was hanging out with youth missionaries from all over Europe.
• Greater Europe Mission Orientation, June 2002: I didn't take any of these pictures, but I wanted to post them on my website since this event played an important part of my 2002 summer. You can also see some missionaries I'll be working with in Europe!
• Ireland Mission Trip, Summer 2001: Take a look at some of the faces and places I saw while in Ireland the summer of 2001. Unfortunately some of the film was heat damaged before it was developed, but you can still get an idea of Ireland's beauty!
• DTS Israel Trip, May 1999: Here are some beautiful shots of Israel that I took while on the Dallas Theological Seminary student trip in 1999.