Beholder’s Neighborhood

For those who don't know, I'm currently in Gunnison, Colorado, and will be until next Wednesday. I, along with 10 other physics students, are here using the observatory to study exoplanets (planets around stars besides the sun). On the side we are using the CCD's to take pictures of other astronomical objects, and also possibly studying a bit of cataclysmic variation. 

CHRIST IS RISEN! Christos Voskrese! Christos Anesti! Al-Masih-Qam! Cristo Ha Resucitado!

Couldn't resist this one. This is a kid who has just had a procedure done at the dentist, and thus is simply pumped with medication.

Incidentally, this is the exact same way Jeremy acts in the morning and after drinking coffee (. . . . combined)

*tries to clear throat* well that was an interesting experience. I now understand why people used to drink rum all the time. It was to keep them warm. I am watching this movie called Australia and they were drinking it in the movie. And my sister explained to me that it was to keep them warm. It felt like fire running down your throat and sitting in your belly. And then you felt like you were gently roasting alive. I know thats not a good analogy but the only one heather gave me. The characters in the movie definitely looked slightly on fire when they drank the stuff.

    Well this is obviously the post about the competition, but first must come the last minute stuff that happened before the competition...
    During practice Thursday night I quickly wrote down (yes, I brought a note card and a pen) my three (thank goodness it ended up only being three) double mini passes: stretch jump on, half turn, back full off; front tuck on, front full off; and stretch jump on, back strait, barani strait off. After trying each one out a couple times (I didn't do good with any of them. Sometimes it's the easy things that gets you) I moved on to trampoline. It took about a minute to realize that I wasn't near ready enough to actually compete those really hard skills. So I demoted myself from advanced to sub-advanced. The skills were all easy on sub-advanced. So I quickly wrote down my knew pass: back tuck, barani tuck, back pike, barani pike, pike jump, half turn, 3/4 front, half turn to feet, barani strait, back strait. Well, i didn't have enough time to practice the pass to realize that I poorly designed it. Doing a 3/4 front takes you way forward and then doing a half turn off of your back takes you even a little further in the same direction. The half turn also gets you facing a different way. So now the end of the trampoline is just behind you. But your next skill is a back strait - a diffucult skill to keep in the exact same spot. An easy skill if you have plenty of space behind you. So with that somewhere in our minds let's continue to....the competition! (a couple of dots and an exclamation mark can make something seem really dramatic...cool!)
      So Rockwall is where it was located. Rockwall is over three hours away. I needed to be there before 8:30. I woke up at 4:25. The earliest time I've ever woken up. Once we were there the coach gave me some competing clothes, rediculously short shorts and a shrink wrapped shirt. It had been so long since I've worn anything like them. Somehow I don't think they helped. One thing I noticed when I came in (very easy to notice in such a small gym) was that there were no boys my age. In fact, there were only two boys, each one at least three years younger than me. I obviously had no competition. Mom said after the competition that I should have pretended that I was competing against the girls my age. They were also about the same skill level as I was. Now I know for next time. Anyways, Floor was first. One of the judges called everybody's names who were going to do it for a certain skill level. Well, at the time they were calling everyone who was my skill level...I didn't get called. Why? I don't know. So the people who were called went ahead with their six warm-up passes. I sat back and watched...slightly confused. About when they were all done with their warm up passes the judge that had called their names came up to me and asked,
 "Are you Jeremy...?"
 "Uhhh....I think..." ok I didn't actually say that, but anyways...
"Oh! I'm sorry. I missed your name. You're supposed to be doing the floor now."
"@#$%!" Highly dramatized....I'm not that bad...
The conversation eventually concluded that I would do my warm up passes in-between everyone elses real passes. It actually worked pretty well. So I went, messed up on all of them except for one, and even crashed once; then I was out of practices. My coach was thinking that I should try to slip in an extra one but I was afraid they were watching me to closely, and I didn't want any sort of deduction. So I started my real ones. My first pass was horrible. I did my front flip just fine, did my round off out of it and all, but I had to much power. What was next supposed to be a backhandspring turned into a whip thingy. My hands missed the ground, which threw off the rest of my pass. I did a backhandspring after my weird thing just to slow myself down and ended my pass right there. Somehow they gave me the score of something like a 8.0 and 8.1. That's really not too bad. Maybe the begining of my pass was just really good. So then I did my second pass which was fine. Next was double mini. I did my six warm-up passes, and then did my three real ones. Each one was way better than all of my practices. It made me happy. Oh, and then there's trampoline. It was horrible because they didn't have enough judges to judge floor, tramp, and double mini all at the same time. They just did floor and double mini at the same time. Once everyone was done with floor and d.m. they all went to tramp. Only one person competed at a time. It took forever. My group was last and I was the last one in my group. I was the last one to do something that day. I didn't like the pressure. Actually I think I was to tired to really realize what kind of a situation I was in. Well I went and didn't do to good due to the problemof the poorly designed pass I mentioned earlier (at least that's what I blame it on). The pass was going just fine untill after my 3/4 front half turn. I was supposed to do a back strait next but I was way to close to the back of the tramp. I went ahead and threw it hoping that I could gainer it (a gainer is when you do a back flip and end up going forward or doing a front flip and end up going backward). Well, by trying to gainer it my back strait looked really horrible. My head was out, my knees were bent, and even worse I landed on the edge of the trampoline...the metal bar frame. It didn't hurt, but it made a loud bang and I was the only one to watch. So most everyone saw it. What a way to end the competition. So we did the award cerimony. I got three golds.
I'll probably post a video of it soon. Dad recorded the whole thing (well, not the whole thing. just when I was going).

To view a photo collection from the weekend’s events, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/collections/72157612808480334/

Mexican Exarchate elevated to Diocese

Submitted by Fr. Antonio Perdomo,

Rector of St. George Orthodox Church, Pharr, Texas.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” ~ Matthew 28:18-20

[Pharr] On Sunday, January 18, 2009, it was apparent that the Holy Spirit gathered Christ’s Church together in Mexico City for a significant event. Metropolitan Jonah, most Hierarchs from the Holy Synod of Bishops, clergy, monastics and a multitude of the faithful from throughout Mexico, the United States and Canada gathered at La Catedral de la Asención de Nuestro Señor. Hundreds witnessed the blessed occasion of the Auxiliary Bishop of Mexico’s elevation to Ruling Bishop and the Exarchate of Mexico into a full Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America. The celebration of this momentous event found Bishop Alejo [Pacheco-Vera], surrounded by several of the founding Clergy of the Orthodox Church in Mexico, including Priest Ramon Merlos and  Priest José Raul Valencia, as well as long-time Exarchate of Mexico Hierarch, Archbishop Dmitri. All present rejoiced at participating in this long awaited and critical next step towards bringing the fullness of the Church into the culture of Latin America. Native Mexican Priest, Ramon Merlos, Rector of Our Lady of Kazan Russian Orthodox Church in San Diego, California said, “This was a very historical event for Mexico. For the first time ever, we had six guest Bishops plus the Metropolitan, come here to support and pray with us as the holy Orthodox Church in Mexico. The people present had a deeply spiritual experience.” 

In Spanish, Metropolitan Jonah shared how awesome it is to at last elevate the Church in Mexico from Exarchate to Diocese of the OCA, and to fully equip the Church there to accomplish the task Christ has set before it. At the end of the installment services, each visiting Bishop in turn offered their wishes and congratulations for Bishop Alejo and the new Diocese of Mexico. Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada stated that the Church in North America is like a sandwich, with Canada and Mexico being the bread and the USA being the nourishing filling. The Metropolitan added that now there exists the Orthodox Church in Mexico, in America and in Canada, and that between all of these is an indivisible unity of mutual love and purpose.  

Among the many apparent things during this weekend was the grace of the Holy Spirit and how the gospel of Christ is being shared with the indigenous people of that land. With the foundation now laid, the fields are ready for harvest. The Diocese of Mexico currently contains nine churches and missions, including the Cathedral of the Ascension in Mexico City, and several thousand faithful. What is needed indeed is for all of us to pray the Lord of the harvest to prepare and send workers to this field.

Mexican seminarian from St. Tikhon’s Seminary in Pennsylvania, Sub Deacon Abraham Labrada said, “It is good to experience, participate in and help build the Orthodox Church in Mexico as it now enters into this new chapter of its story.”  Guests from the St. Tikhon’s Seminary Mission Choir sang during Saturday evening’s Vespers service. The Mission Choir joined the Cathedral Choir and guests from St. George Orthodox Church Choir in Pharr, Texas during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and Enthronement.  The beauty of Christ and His Church were tangibly reflected in the liturgical services of the weekend. Everyone present acclaimed that the Orthodox Church is alive and active in Mexico. “It was a wonderful and awe-inspiring weekend. We were very blessed to be here,” said guest choir director, Analucia Perdomo of St. George’s Orthodox Church in Pharr, Texas. The University of Texas Pan American student continued, “Through our many visits over the past several years, we’ve been blessed to see the Mexican Exarchate grow, become a Diocese and now come into its own. It is great to, in some small way, have been part of it all.”

Besides Metropolitan Jonah and Bishop Alejo of Mexico, other hierarchs in attendance at this notable event included Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South, Archbishop Nathanial of the Romanian Diocese, Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada, Bishop Benjamin of the West and Bishop Tikhon of Eastern Pennsylvania. Clergy attending included Priest Ernesto Rios, Priest Ramon Merlos, Priest Dennis Pihach, Priest José Raul Valencia-Salinas, Igumen Nazario Ipac-Uribe, Priest Jorge Barrera-Zermeno, Priest Antonio Perdomo, Priest José Luis Serna-Estrada, Hieromonk Victorin Torres-Martinez and Hieromonk Serafin Mendoza Segundo. A number of deacons, sub-deacons and monastics were also present for the weekend. 

The intent of the first Orthodox missionaries who came to Alaska was to share the good news of the gospel and evangelize the natives of North America. Evangelization has been a continual theme handed down to all Orthodox Christians from apostolic times to this day. This continued commission was most recently witnessed by many as we gathered in Mexico City for the installation of Bishop Alejo as the Bishop of Mexico City and Mexico. A giant step forward occurred as the Orthodox Church in Mexico was brought into a fullness which now allows it to fulfill the commission of our Lord, and therefore manifest the grace of God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Edinburg, Texas university student, Cristina Perdomo added, “The weekend in Mexico was deeply moving. It was filled with the grace of the holy spirit as well as the undying communion of the entire church, as Mexico was elevated to become its own Diocese.”

It is feasible that many might be surprised by the previous statement. Often, when the subject of Orthodoxy in Mexico comes up, the question most often asked is if the Orthodox Church even exists in Mexico. It does and has for nearly 45 years. In 1965, Bishop José [Cortes - Olmos], and his clergy contacted the rector of St. Seraphim's Church in Dallas, Texas, Father Dmitri [Royster], now the Archbishop of Dallas and the South. Archbishop Dmitri, instrumental in converting many Mexicans to Orthodoxy, translated many Orthodox liturgical services into Spanish. Archbishop Dmitri presented the case of the Orthodox Church in Mexico to the hierarchy of the OCA. After a number of exchanges and informal visits, the Holy Synod officially sent Archbishop Dmitri to visit Mexico and to report on his findings. That report, studied by the OCA's Department of Canonical Affairs, recommended the acceptance of the Mexican communities into the Orthodox Church in America.

In 1971, Bishop José petitioned for the acceptance of the Church into the Orthodox Church in America. He and other priests of his community were received in their Roman Catholic rank of priest. Prior to his consecration as Bishop of Mexico City, Father José studied at St. Vladimir's Seminary. He was consecrated at the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in New York City on April 22, 1972.

On January 28, 1983, Bishop José fell asleep in the Lord after a relatively short bout with cancer. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Ireney, presided at the funeral service in Mexico City on February 1, 1983.  It was not until 2005 that a successor to Bishop José was found. On May 28 of that year, at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, Archimandrite Antonio Alejo [Pacheco-Vera] was consecrated as Bishop Alejo, the Auxiliary Bishop of Mexico City within the Exarchate of Mexico. As of this past weekend, both Bishop Alejo and the Diocese of Mexico have been elevated, to the Glory of Christ and His Church.

It is my hope that in the future, questions will not be asked about if there is an Orthodox Church in Mexico, but rather, how we can help support its work. Now, more than ever, the entire Orthodox Church in America can become aware that throughout Mexico and Latin America, there exists an alive and active Orthodox Church made up of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Diocese of Mexico is part of us; part of our body; the body of Christ. It is a part of us which we can all share in and support through our ongoing prayers and ministry efforts.  Truly, the historic event witnessed by hundreds gives us the hope that the gospel will take hold and bring forth much fruit in Latin America. If you or your parish would like to learn more about or assist in supporting missionary efforts in Mexico and Latin America, please feel free to contact Father Antonio Perdomo at 956-781-2388 or 781-6114 or by email at padreantoniop@aol.com. 

To view a photo collection from the weekend’s events, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/collections/72157612808480334/

So, as mentioned in my previous post I have a gymnastics competition this Saturday. What's better is that I am no where near ready for it. Here's why....
I'm competing on floor, tramp, and double mini (scroll down to see a picture of a double mini).
Floor. For the floor I have two passes. For the first pass I will be doing Russian (a type of front flip), round-off, back-hand-spring, back-full, front flip. I've done this pass several times and it's not to hard.
My second pass is Russian, round-off, whip, whip, back-hand-spring, back-hand-spring, back-hand-spring, back-full. I just recently figured out that this is my second pass, therefore I have not had much time to practice it. In fact, I've only done it once...and landed my back-full on my knees - the other times I tried it = fail.
Tramp. Luckily for the trampoline there is only one pass; what mine is = ? Yes, it's true, I don't have it memorized yet. More than that I don't actually even know it yet and, therefore, haven't even tried it. I do know that there will be a 1 and 3/4 front flip, ball out; a double back; probably a cody (a backflip to your stomach, then backflip off of your stomach); probably a back-full (maybe even a double full) and most likely a barani or two (front flip with a half twist in between). In the pass there will be ten skills.
Double Mini. On the double mini there are anywhere from three to five passes - I don't even know how many. I don't even know what any of them are. Because of this I will be doing really simple things on it. stuff that I really don't even need to practice for.
So....I need to straighten out all of the stuff I listed within two hours...tonight. Yes, those to hours are my last two hours of practice before the competition on this Saturday. In order of priority I need to make better my second floor pass; make, memorize, and actually practice my tramp pass; and invent three (hopefully three, not five. I'll find out tonight) double mini passes that I can easily do.
Also...I bruised my knee (it's swollen and it kinda hurts) yesterday trying to do my second floor pass. With a hurt knee I am going to have to take it easy at gymnastics tonight, yet somehow manage all the previously listed things.
The Evil Cheri on Top. To top all of that off I'm pretty bad at waking up early. And competitions always start early...really early. And this one is far away...really far away. So I have to wake up even earlier to make up for the far awayness.....ON A SATURDAY! I could have made a video this Saturday. (oh, speaking of video I'll get whoever drives me to record the competition). 
Good News! My coach said that it really doesn't matter what place I get for the double mini, just do it so they'll let me compete it at nationals. Sorry, no more good news....
Well, wish me luck! (hopefully you read this before Saturday)

Doublemini