Me, Coming To A Town Near You!
Friday, August 18, 2006

Before the responsibilities of life come crashing in, (i.e., college loan payments) I have a couple more months of freedom. I've decided to take off on a four week, 5000 mile journey on road, rail, air and foot to see old friends and places, and to meet new ones. From August 25th to September 22 I will be MIA, available only by appointment, crazy random running into, and by cell phone. (e-mail me for the number)

I will be traveling solo in principle, but we all know how that goes. I go with open eyes to see what God is doing around the world, and to step into the good works God has prepared in advance for me to do, no matter how small. I take with me an open mind without ambition or design to learn what direction I will move in next after the trip. And I hope to see you.

If you are anywhere near any of the locations listed below at the times listed and would like to hang out, please e-mail me or just post a comment to this blog post and it will be immediatly e-mailed to me.


Itinerary

Friday, August 25, 9pm - Depart Amtrak Station, Pasco, WA

Sunday, August 27, 4pm - Arrive Union Station, Chicago, IL, depart for Wheaton, IL
Staying at Wheaton College

Tuesday, August 29, 8pm - Depart Wheaton, IL for Union Station Chicago

Wednesday, August 30, 3:30pm - Arrive Penn Station, New York, NY
Staying Overnight in an Airport in New York. (any suggestions?)

Thursday, August 31, 1:30pm - Depart LaGuardia Airport, NY

Friday, September 1, 9am - Arrive Dublin, Ireland
Staying with Mike Kingsley in Dublin

Friday, September 15, 11am - Depart Dublin, Ireland

Friday, September 15, 4pm - Arrive LaGuardia Airport, NY, depart for Bethlehem, PA
Staying with my brother Nathanael in Bethlehem

Friday, September 22, 11am - Depart Philadelphia Airport, PA, arrive Seattle, WA 4pm.
Who knows what's next?

Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:55 AM 2 comments  

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They Finally Got Me On The Grid....

A good friend of mine, Jon Felton, (see Previous Post "My First Recording Contract") has as one of his life motto's to "stay off the grid" as much as possible; basically, to live as simply, organically, self-sufficiently, and as unreliant on the economy "system" as he can. It is a not-so-subtle, mindful attempt to avoid being influenced by the powers that be and staying under the radar of the world. Examples of this lifestyle are refraining from television or internet or credit/debit cards, not having a cell phone, being a vegetarian, driving a vegetable oil powered car, making your own music, buying only used clothes, etc, etc, etc. I was a most avid follower in at least two ways, television and cell phones, as any of you who know me at all can confirm.

I write this as a confession that I have joined the grid. I now own a personal cellular telephone. The government can now track me, my communication patterns are monitored by a multi-national corporation, and I can't hide from people as well any more. I know, I know; some of you are gasping in shock and horror, others are shaking their heads with a smirk, saying "I knew ol' fashioned Benjamin would come around!" With the amount of traveling and moving around I will be doing in the next years, and my need for a permanent number for, say, job interview call backs, I figured it was right. And now I can call all my college friends who are all over the country/world.

No, I still won't post my number publicly on the web, but you can e-mail me anytime and if I like you I will send you my cell number.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:38 AM 0 comments  

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Back to Planet Earth

So I haven't updated my blog in a long time. A very unblog-like long time. I could make excuses, like, "I've been retreating up in the mountains away from the information super highway," or, "what little internet they do have usually doesn't work," or, "I don't have a computer up here," but you probably don't care. So I'll post a couple times to try and catch you up with the big news.

The good news is, I am coming back to planet earth. Tomorrow is my last day of work at Camp Ghormley, and this weekend I will complete the move into my first real house. Actually, it's the basement of a guy I know from church, but after living in a run-down cabin for three months, a house in Yakima with all my stuff sounds like a palace. So if you want to find me, stop by 607 South 27th Avenue.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:30 AM 0 comments  

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Solo
Thursday, June 01, 2006



A camping trip in the Cascade Mountains has been long overdue (like, 4 years overdue). So I went on a solo trip last night back up near the top of the ridge above Rimrock Lake. I found a meadow that had been clear-cut some years ago that provided a perfect view above the trees of the whole valley, Rimrock Lake, Mount Rainer, and the Goat Rocks Wilderness. (If you click on the panoramic photo above, you can see my tent and campfire. It's 7 photos, 180 degrees.)

I had a peaceful night of silence and solitude, complimented by the unmatched pleasure of sitting by a crackling campfire. A dazzling sunset finished it off.
This all again reinforced my conviction that experiencing the majesty of nature as we can observe it always produces some form of worship; whether that be worship of a creator, of the creation itself or of our dominion over it - it will move us to worship. I was glad to end my day on the mountaint with a rousing solo rendition of the song Let Us Adore before crawling into my sleeping bag. I stood on a high ledge and sang at the top of my lungs, echoing across the vast empty valley stretching out before me. I had the strangest feeling that though no person heard me, all creation was singing along in harmony.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:37 AM 2 comments  

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My First Recording Contract
Friday, May 26, 2006

A bit of personal history with a surprising ending:

Last November a band drove from Frostburg, Maryland to Wheaton College to play a one-night concert. A friend of mine played in the band, and she told me to come. I did, and was surprised to hear the most unique, refreshing, fun, prophetic and musical group I had ever heard.

The band: Jon Felton and the Soulmobile, a unique indie acoustic fusion of folk, rock, bluegrass, gospel, and catchy storytelling. The band features Jon, who plays guitar, sings, and plays drums with his feet on pedals all at the same time, accompanied by the “Soulmobile,” five other friends who play ukulele, guitar, congas, harmonica, trumpet, piano, pedal-organ, trombone, screaming, trombone case, cello, and sundry catcalls and hand percussion. I was entranced not only with the music and the lyrics, but also with the band members whose genuineness and heart for ministry caught me by the heart. After hanging out with them after the concert I told myself, “I want to do whatever I can to help this band keep spreading their music and their good news.”

I asked them if there was anything I could do to help them. They mentioned half-jokingly that they needed to record all their new music into an album, but didn’t have anyone to do it for them. At that moment I felt a weird sense from God, my soul, or both saying – “GO for it! Why not?” I had spent the past six years immersed in music, and for the previous two years had been studying and practicing music recording and mixing. I sensed that God had brought us together that night for a very special reason, and I wasn’t going to let it go.

To make a long story short, we agreed that I would fly out to Frostburg, Maryland over my Christmas break and record their new music. When I arrived, we begged, bought and borrowed enough sound equipment to put together a ramshackle recording studio in Jon’s living room and dining room. My control room was an old alcove with a mattress leaned across the doorway for soundproofing.

Basically, we recorded 23 entire tracks in 7 days, and that included setting up the studio, and me learning new recording software - a miracle, really; and some of the most fun I've had in my entire life.

The new album we recorded is called All Creation Sings, and it will be available very soon. If you’d like to hear the demo, let me know and I can get you one with 13 tracks already on it. Otherwise, you can listen to a couple songs at their myspace site, the Soulmobile link highlighted above, or wait until the album is released in early June.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 2:52 AM 0 comments  

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Something you might like....

You will notice a new box under my photo at the top to the right – Blogarithm. I borrowed the idea from my friend Mike’s blog. If you want to stay updated on my blog without having to check it all the time, simply put your e-mail address in the blank and it will simply notify you when there is a new post to save you any hassle!

Posted by Benjamin Washam 2:50 AM 0 comments  



Road Trip
Friday, May 19, 2006

I had a dilemma: I had graduated from College in Wheaton, Illinois, and was supposed to be working at a camp this summer in Washington State (see a couple posts below for info on the camp). I needed to get from point A to point B with all my earthly possesions. A friend most graciously gave me his car, a 1989 bright red Jeep Cherokee named Mary. (Thanks Mike!)

Mary and I undertook the 2253 mile journey in 6 days from school to home stopping off in three cities, having a grand old time. (Click on the Jeep for a larger picture.) Besides Mary, it was a solo trip where I did a lot of thinking, and listened to The Adventures of Hucklyberry Finn and Robinson Crusoe unabridged on CD. The total drive time was about 40 hours.

My first stop was in Minneapolis, MN with the Paurus family, friends from Wheaton. I had the privaledge of meeting Yoshi, a Japanese friend of theirs who was also a guest in their home. Yoshi drank more tea than anyone I have ever met, and showed me some cool things with Japanese characters.

On the way to my next stop, I drove through the Badlands, which were absolutely amazing. Here are some pictures.





Next, I landed in Rapid City, South Dakota. I didn't know a soul in South Dakota, so the day before I left, I looked online at the Paurus's and tried to find a place. After looking up a couple of homeless shelters, I stumbled upon an Christian and Missionary Alliance Church's website. (I grew up in the CMA.) No one answered in the church office when I called, so I had to get sneaky. I found their listing of small groups and got someone's home phone number that way. I called the number and was surprised to speak with the pastor's wife on the phone, who had actually met my dad before at a CMA conference in Seattle! She hooked me up to stay with Craig, a middle aged mechanic who ran an off-road 4x4 custom repair shop. Me and Craig had a fantastic time together, and the next morning on my way out he told me to stop by his auto shop. He ended up repairing and replacing a number of things on my Jeep at no charge. Thanks Craig!

My last stop before home was in Bozeman, MT in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. I stayed with the parents of Tim Lockie, the man I worked with for InnerCHANGE in San Francisco last summer. (See a couple of posts down for info on my summer and a picture of Tim overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.) In Bozeman I enjoyed delicious barbeque, live Blugrass music, and made many new friends.

At 5:45pm on Wednesday, May 17th, I rolled across the Columbia Plateau of Eastern Washington, and as the Cascade Mountains appeared on the horizon and Mt. Ranier loomed nearer in the distance, I rolled into the Yakima Valley and pulled up in front of my house, just in time for dinner.

I praise God for the many prayers that kept me safe and helped Mary keep running, and for the generous hospitality I experienced that encouraged me the whole trip! home.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:37 AM 4 comments  



Graduation!!!!!!


^Mark, Me, and Mike. Freshman year floormate and roomate.^
Yeah, I graduated. I now have a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Media Studies. Anyone want to hire me?

Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:36 AM 0 comments  

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French House Forever


These are my boyz - I was adopted by the French House at the beginning of the school year and they helped me get through the year. Hats off to you, gents.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:18 AM 0 comments  

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Goodbye World Christian Fellowship
Sunday, April 23, 2006



Tonight is my last night at World Christian Fellowship; a weekly, student-run service of Intercession, Celebration, and Mobilization for the church all around the world. As one of three rotating worship leaders, I have had the privaledge of leading worship every third Sunday night this year.

Creating music with a team of talented musicians is one of the funnest things I can think of to do, and combine that with the ability to lead a group of people into the presence of God - it is quite exhilarating. Not only this, but the gospel is demonstrated to me in a powerfully personal way when I stand in front of a group of people, fully aware of my sinfulness and weakness, and I can worship God anyway out of love and obedience. At those times, God's Spirit works mightily despite my fallen humanity.

It's hard to explain objectively, but putting on the mantle of being a worship leader does make me feel like I'm in a pastoral role, and the weight of that responsibility weighs heavily on me as I plan and lead. It keeps me accountable to my spiritual health, as the lack of communion with Christ is very noticeable to me when I'm am preparing for a night of worship. I enjoy the pastoral part of leading worship as much as the music part - the ability to teach and lead in an encounter with Christ in a way that helps the church mature spiritually.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 2:47 PM 0 comments  

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Ghormley Meadow Ho!
Monday, April 03, 2006

I have decided to follow my heart back to my family and the Cascade Mountains of Washington State this summer. I will be working on summer staff at Ghormley Meadow Christian Camp June 11-August 10th or so doing maintenence (aka, no more academic heady stuff). Give me an axe, a wrench, a lawn mower, and a screwdriver, and I'll be happy. My dad is the new executive director and my whole family is moving up to live at the camp in May, so I will get to spend quality time with them.

You are ALL invited to come visit me and I promise to put you up and show you the splendor that is all around the camp, including this fantastic view of Mount Ranier, only 17 miles away!

Posted by Benjamin Washam 1:10 AM 1 comments  

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A Prarie Home Companion, Live

First post in a loooooong time, don't really know why. Just got back from Minneapolis, MN where I saw a live radio performance of A Prairie Home Companion. If you were listening to National Public Radio Saturday at 5pm Central Time, you would have heard me clapping. The show was stupendous. The picture is of Garrison Keillor and his All-Star Shoe Band.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:56 AM 0 comments  

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