we went to lake coatepeque today with the whole team! it is one of my favorite places in el salvador, its just so gorgeous.. i think ive already mentioned it back when we went to the weekend camp with evangélica; if you dont remember that far back, let me refresh your memory.. it used to be a volcano at some point long ago, but collapsed and cooled off after an eruption, and the top filled with water.. its a lot like crater lake in oregon, if you have ever been there.. anyways, its one of the most beautiful spots that weve been to yet..
so we had lunch at a little restaurant overlooking the lake, and then we decided, hey lets go on an adventure! thats what were all about here.. the only way to actually get down to the lake shore is through private property, so we hopped a fence and ran as fast as we could.. no, not really.. we were just driving (along a very rough dirt road) trying to find a place where we could get down to the lake, and we saw a man at his gate, doing a little gardening.. we rolled down the window and, half genuinely wanting to know and half counting on good old salvadorean hospitality, asked him if he knew anywhere that we could get down to the lake shore.. so he totally invited us to come down! we were so thankful, we got to hang out on his tiny little boat dock, sharing with him about our work on the universities and enjoying each other with the girls dipping their feet in the water..
aside from just being really fun and such a blessing, it really just showed me yet another glimpse into the heart of this culture.. everyone we meet, regardless of what they have to give, are so willing to give it, and do it so humbly.. many americans with a lake house or a beach house would be tempted to invite people,more out of a desire for their guests to be impressed, than a desire for their guests to be served and loved.. this is not true of everyone, of course.. but i think there is a very noticeable difference in what our cultures value.. it was just great to see a man so willing to serve a group of gringos he had never even met before..
oh, and he also invited us to call him if we ever wanted to come to his beach house.. thats hospitality right there!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
a crazy week.. some big developments!
another week has passed, and i have not updated my blog.. i assure you there is good reason! this last week has been the most intense, probably since i have been here.. i have been in constant meetings with my co-leader kristen (potter), planning and talking and praying and working really hard.. like i said in last weeks post, there are some significant changes that have taken place in this past week, some really exciting things! i have to wait for a while to let you know about one, because we have been asked to not mention it yet.. but there is one that i do want to tell you about!
this past week, potter and i prayed through and settled on sixteen unique roles that each person on the team (other than the two of us, as general team leaders) would get to take ownership in, and lead the team in! this is a really exciting move for a couple reasons:
1. each person on our team has very unique spiritual gifts, that in some ways have yet to be utilized.. by giving everyone a role, we will all be able to use our spiritual gifts much more profoundly for the ministry here
2. there has been a general feeling of a lack of accomplishment among the team.. it often feels like we are just spinning our wheels here.. but now that everyone has roles, people will be able to see some very tangible things happen!
3. everyone plays a very significant part in accomplishing our mission for this year.. without everyone working together, we could miss some very important steps..
4. some of these roles involve things that have not been happening, that we have really wanted to see being done.. now we will see progress in areas we havent yet!
there are many more reasons why these roles are so important, but i hope that gave you an idea.. i thought it might be cool to share with you what these roles are, and what they entail.. ill just type out half of them, to give you an idea:
Prayer/Encouragement Leader (Bean)
Focus our team on and lay a foundation of prayer; lead our team in making each individual valued; do both creatively and intentionally
By laying a foundation of prayer and encouragement, our team will be energized by seeking the Lord and building each other up relationally and in ministry
Team Activities Leader (Joe)
Coordinate bi-weekly team fun times on Fridays; you would have a rotating monthly partner to assist in planning these times
By planning team activities, our team will value good rest, and be bound more closely together, thus growing our unity in ministry
Foundation Layer (Lauren)
Through information, strategy, tips, etc., paint a very broad and accurate picture of what life is like here in El Salvador for the future teams pursue interested students from the PSW region; compile a book by the end of the year of all gathered information
By laying a foundation for the next team, we ensure forward momentum for many years to come, demonstrate love for the future teams in easing their transition, and decode the culture for our own ministry in the process
Outside Communication Leader (Marijke)
Encourage people to keep their supporters updated; encourage and coordinate team-wide correspondence with ‘the outside;’ report ministry statistics to PSW each month
By communicating well with supporters and our region, we allow them to pray for the current state of our ministry, cast vision for why we are here, and work toward the broader mission of Campus Crusade
Outreach Leader (Jeff)
Lead our team in evangelizing Matías broadly and creatively; this includes daily evangelism tools, as well as envisioning and coordinating campus-wide outreach events
By leading our team in evangelizing well, we accomplish our mission of letting every student hear the Gospel, and give more opportunity to meet potential leaders for the movement
Men’s/Women’s Bible Study Leader (Brandon, Brenna)
Set direction for the men’s and women’s on-campus Bible studies; this doesn’t mean you will lead the study, but will lead the team in purpose, vision, and content
By coordinating these Bible studies, we will seek to gather interested students and grow them in their knowledge and love of the Lord, along with building community and relationships with them
Student Events Leader (Jenna)
Lead the team in gathering students for community events; this may evolve into developing a weekly meeting
By gathering students for community events, our team will continue to build relationships with students, along with connecting them to each other; having this type of community is a foundational step in building a movement that is not dependent on STINTers
so yeah, i hope that gives you a taste of what the roles are all about.. each person got to let potter and i know thier top two choices out of each group of eight, and one that they might not want to do at all.. it was so sweet seeing how peoples giftings were so orchestrated by the Lord that everyone got at least one role that was one of their top two preferences!
we had a really fun time announcing these roles to the team.. potter and i declared this past friday 'Roles Day,' and made it just a huge celebration for this sweet new phase of ministry.. we put 'rolls' of lifesavers into balloons and had each person pop one to determine the order.. the house was decorated with toilet paper rolls and we played a rap song that says 'roll out' every time the next person came up to find out their roles.. and then had cinnamon rolls for everyone after! kinda cheesy i know, but it was fun..
anyways.. this, along with the other ministry change, made for a very long and tiring week.. sorry i havent kept this blog totally updated!
love you all, please continue praying for our team!
this past week, potter and i prayed through and settled on sixteen unique roles that each person on the team (other than the two of us, as general team leaders) would get to take ownership in, and lead the team in! this is a really exciting move for a couple reasons:
1. each person on our team has very unique spiritual gifts, that in some ways have yet to be utilized.. by giving everyone a role, we will all be able to use our spiritual gifts much more profoundly for the ministry here
2. there has been a general feeling of a lack of accomplishment among the team.. it often feels like we are just spinning our wheels here.. but now that everyone has roles, people will be able to see some very tangible things happen!
3. everyone plays a very significant part in accomplishing our mission for this year.. without everyone working together, we could miss some very important steps..
4. some of these roles involve things that have not been happening, that we have really wanted to see being done.. now we will see progress in areas we havent yet!
there are many more reasons why these roles are so important, but i hope that gave you an idea.. i thought it might be cool to share with you what these roles are, and what they entail.. ill just type out half of them, to give you an idea:
Prayer/Encouragement Leader (Bean)
Focus our team on and lay a foundation of prayer; lead our team in making each individual valued; do both creatively and intentionally
By laying a foundation of prayer and encouragement, our team will be energized by seeking the Lord and building each other up relationally and in ministry
Team Activities Leader (Joe)
Coordinate bi-weekly team fun times on Fridays; you would have a rotating monthly partner to assist in planning these times
By planning team activities, our team will value good rest, and be bound more closely together, thus growing our unity in ministry
Foundation Layer (Lauren)
Through information, strategy, tips, etc., paint a very broad and accurate picture of what life is like here in El Salvador for the future teams pursue interested students from the PSW region; compile a book by the end of the year of all gathered information
By laying a foundation for the next team, we ensure forward momentum for many years to come, demonstrate love for the future teams in easing their transition, and decode the culture for our own ministry in the process
Outside Communication Leader (Marijke)
Encourage people to keep their supporters updated; encourage and coordinate team-wide correspondence with ‘the outside;’ report ministry statistics to PSW each month
By communicating well with supporters and our region, we allow them to pray for the current state of our ministry, cast vision for why we are here, and work toward the broader mission of Campus Crusade
Outreach Leader (Jeff)
Lead our team in evangelizing Matías broadly and creatively; this includes daily evangelism tools, as well as envisioning and coordinating campus-wide outreach events
By leading our team in evangelizing well, we accomplish our mission of letting every student hear the Gospel, and give more opportunity to meet potential leaders for the movement
Men’s/Women’s Bible Study Leader (Brandon, Brenna)
Set direction for the men’s and women’s on-campus Bible studies; this doesn’t mean you will lead the study, but will lead the team in purpose, vision, and content
By coordinating these Bible studies, we will seek to gather interested students and grow them in their knowledge and love of the Lord, along with building community and relationships with them
Student Events Leader (Jenna)
Lead the team in gathering students for community events; this may evolve into developing a weekly meeting
By gathering students for community events, our team will continue to build relationships with students, along with connecting them to each other; having this type of community is a foundational step in building a movement that is not dependent on STINTers
so yeah, i hope that gives you a taste of what the roles are all about.. each person got to let potter and i know thier top two choices out of each group of eight, and one that they might not want to do at all.. it was so sweet seeing how peoples giftings were so orchestrated by the Lord that everyone got at least one role that was one of their top two preferences!
we had a really fun time announcing these roles to the team.. potter and i declared this past friday 'Roles Day,' and made it just a huge celebration for this sweet new phase of ministry.. we put 'rolls' of lifesavers into balloons and had each person pop one to determine the order.. the house was decorated with toilet paper rolls and we played a rap song that says 'roll out' every time the next person came up to find out their roles.. and then had cinnamon rolls for everyone after! kinda cheesy i know, but it was fun..
anyways.. this, along with the other ministry change, made for a very long and tiring week.. sorry i havent kept this blog totally updated!
love you all, please continue praying for our team!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
of one accord
we got a second car!
after nearly two months of scouring the country for a reliable car, we finally found one! our team is now the proud owner of a 99 silver honda accord.. brandon and i went with layo to look at the car for the first time, then took it to our mechanic, mingo, who said everything checked out.. we got it at a great price, and are so excited to finally have two cars! we can now do things as a whole team, without needing to call a taxi.. it is honestly such a blessing..
it was also really fun to bring the car home; brandon and i planned it as a total surprise for our team! we paid for it, picked it up in the morning, got all the insurance and registration stuff taken care of that we needed to, and then showed up at the girls house with music blaring, honking the horn like crazy people.. everyone rushed out to see what the noise was.. and were immediately introduced to the newest member of our team! it was a lot of fun..
anyways, thank you all for your support! it enables us very practically to function as a team.. it enables us to take care of everyday needs, but also to get to campus more economically and with much for freedom: having ten people and five seats was pretty limiting, as you can imagine..
were so excited! thanks so much for your support!
after nearly two months of scouring the country for a reliable car, we finally found one! our team is now the proud owner of a 99 silver honda accord.. brandon and i went with layo to look at the car for the first time, then took it to our mechanic, mingo, who said everything checked out.. we got it at a great price, and are so excited to finally have two cars! we can now do things as a whole team, without needing to call a taxi.. it is honestly such a blessing..
it was also really fun to bring the car home; brandon and i planned it as a total surprise for our team! we paid for it, picked it up in the morning, got all the insurance and registration stuff taken care of that we needed to, and then showed up at the girls house with music blaring, honking the horn like crazy people.. everyone rushed out to see what the noise was.. and were immediately introduced to the newest member of our team! it was a lot of fun..
anyways, thank you all for your support! it enables us very practically to function as a team.. it enables us to take care of everyday needs, but also to get to campus more economically and with much for freedom: having ten people and five seats was pretty limiting, as you can imagine..
were so excited! thanks so much for your support!
Friday, November 7, 2008
coaching visit
dan and deb goodson came down this past week! they are our distance coaches from the states.. they used to be on staff in slo but now they are the campus directors for campus crusade at berkeley.. it was so good to see them! they were down here to check in on how were doing, personally and in ministry, to encourage us with what is going well and challenge us with things that need some work.. we had a lot to learn from them, and they were faithful to share their wisdom with us.. i feel so much more geared up for the rest of the year now.. very soon i will be letting you all know about some pretty significant changes in ministry down here.. cant wait!
so yeah, sorry i didnt write much last week! it was pretty crazy with them here.. ill try and get you all caught up with life here in the next couple weeks!
so yeah, sorry i didnt write much last week! it was pretty crazy with them here.. ill try and get you all caught up with life here in the next couple weeks!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
¡día de los muertos!
día de los muertos (the day of the dead) is a celebration that happens the day after halloween in many latin cultures.. it originated in mexico, but many cultures have adapted it in some way and celebrate it differently.. the original holiday was focused on family gatherings to honor those who had died through prayers, grave visits, and altars built using artificial skulls and filled with the departed's favorite foods..
el salvador does it a bit differently.. honestly, i think the only thing in common is the name haha.. we went to this little town up in the hills called tonacatepeque, the hometown of our national directors wife luchy.. we ate dinner at her sisters little restaurant as we waited for the festivities to begin.. we really had no idea what to expect; all we had heard is that its typically a little creepy..
well here are a couple pictures, you can judge for yourself.. a lot of folklore and history are the foundations for most of what you see in these pictures.. for example, there are stories handed down through generations of a headless priest who roams the streets after midnight, stealing the souls of children who are out too late.. there are also monsters and demons who are said to do the same thing.. im not sure where the wagon comes in to the picture, but i think its something equally creepy..
this whole experience was a lot of fun! there were tons and tons of people crowded on the streets watching the parade, there was a costume contest, and an annual tradition of gathering in the town square for pumpkin chutney (very interesting flavor..)
el salvador does it a bit differently.. honestly, i think the only thing in common is the name haha.. we went to this little town up in the hills called tonacatepeque, the hometown of our national directors wife luchy.. we ate dinner at her sisters little restaurant as we waited for the festivities to begin.. we really had no idea what to expect; all we had heard is that its typically a little creepy..
well here are a couple pictures, you can judge for yourself.. a lot of folklore and history are the foundations for most of what you see in these pictures.. for example, there are stories handed down through generations of a headless priest who roams the streets after midnight, stealing the souls of children who are out too late.. there are also monsters and demons who are said to do the same thing.. im not sure where the wagon comes in to the picture, but i think its something equally creepy..
this whole experience was a lot of fun! there were tons and tons of people crowded on the streets watching the parade, there was a costume contest, and an annual tradition of gathering in the town square for pumpkin chutney (very interesting flavor..)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
i have a cyst on my face
thats pretty much it.. i have a cyst.. and its on my face.. right on my cheekbone.. i have no idea where it came from! i pretty much woke up one morning a couple weeks ago and it had moved in and set up camp.. i was just waiting it out a while to see if it would do anything and just kinda go away, but i started to get pretty bad headaches so i got an appointment with a dermatologist..
the appointment was crazy! first of all, the clinic is really really nice.. and the doctor who owns and runs it graduated from uc irvine! so that was kinda fun, and reassuring.. anyways, she told me it was a cyst and that she was going to inject it with some stuff and it would start to go away.. well whatever she injected it with had a really fancy name, but it was basically just liquid fire that burned the whole side of my face.. no joke, i hadnt felt that kinda pain in quite a while..
anyways.. well see what happens.. i have a follow up appointment in a couple weeks so ill let you know how that goes..
and i decided not to put pictures of it on here.. youre welcome..
the appointment was crazy! first of all, the clinic is really really nice.. and the doctor who owns and runs it graduated from uc irvine! so that was kinda fun, and reassuring.. anyways, she told me it was a cyst and that she was going to inject it with some stuff and it would start to go away.. well whatever she injected it with had a really fancy name, but it was basically just liquid fire that burned the whole side of my face.. no joke, i hadnt felt that kinda pain in quite a while..
anyways.. well see what happens.. i have a follow up appointment in a couple weeks so ill let you know how that goes..
and i decided not to put pictures of it on here.. youre welcome..
Sunday, October 26, 2008
pre-skype craziness
i just wanted to post these cause i think theyre funny.. we were just waiting for fall retreat to call us on skype yesterday, and we started messing around on photo booth.. were kinda a goofy bunch, so yeah.. hope you enjoy!
emo band shot
a cow just got hit by a car..
trev just got in a car accident..
everyone got stung by bees
no one called anything..
fish hook!
nap time
we want you for stint
you know..
be super stoked..
oh dang, theyre calling!
emo band shot
a cow just got hit by a car..
trev just got in a car accident..
everyone got stung by bees
no one called anything..
fish hook!
nap time
we want you for stint
you know..
be super stoked..
oh dang, theyre calling!Saturday, October 25, 2008
campamento! and skype with fall retreat!
so the last few days have been pretty long.. evangelica had an overnight retreat at this incredible lake in the mountains, at a place called castillo del rey, or 'the kings castle'.. we went as students, not part of the event planning or anything but just as students going with other students.. we really wanted the students to see us as just fellow students, not as part of a group or associated with anything, but just as friends who want to know them more..
we started on friday afternoon by dividing into teams (i was on the águilas anaranjadas, or the orange eagles) and the fun began with some ice breakers and games.. it was fun to get to know some of the students on my team.. then at dinner i sat near some girls, and i got to share with them why i am living in el salvador.. it was great to be able to have a full conversation in spanish! its seriously so encouraging to feel like i can carry on a conversation for the most part..
then we had a speaker share about how we can 'face the giants' of sin in our lives by following the Lord, staying in the Word and living correctly.. again, he spoke all of this in spanish, and we were able to understand about ninety percent of what he said, and one hundred percent of the heart behind it..
then we watched a movie called 'facing the giants,' which you may have seen or heard of.. it was pretty good, but the cool thing is that they decided to show it with spanish audio dubbed over, and spanish subtitles.. i was pretty proud of myself because i understood practically the entire movie!
by the time the movie and the 'battle of the sexes' was over (i cant explain in words, but i have some pictures) it was past one o clock.. after a mildly uncomfy sleep in a bunk bed, i awoke at six in the morning, ate a very.. conservative.. breakfast, and got on the road..
then we got to skype our entire campus crusade movement at cal poly! our team got to tell about five hundred students what we are doing in el salvador, and hear from my good friend natalie who is in turkey on stint..
it was a crazy couple days, but it was such a blessing! i feel like i really connected with a couple students, and i cant wait to continue those relationships!
i love you all, thanks for your prayers.. i feel like the Lord is about to do really great things here! so please keep praying!
we started on friday afternoon by dividing into teams (i was on the águilas anaranjadas, or the orange eagles) and the fun began with some ice breakers and games.. it was fun to get to know some of the students on my team.. then at dinner i sat near some girls, and i got to share with them why i am living in el salvador.. it was great to be able to have a full conversation in spanish! its seriously so encouraging to feel like i can carry on a conversation for the most part..
then we had a speaker share about how we can 'face the giants' of sin in our lives by following the Lord, staying in the Word and living correctly.. again, he spoke all of this in spanish, and we were able to understand about ninety percent of what he said, and one hundred percent of the heart behind it..
then we watched a movie called 'facing the giants,' which you may have seen or heard of.. it was pretty good, but the cool thing is that they decided to show it with spanish audio dubbed over, and spanish subtitles.. i was pretty proud of myself because i understood practically the entire movie!
by the time the movie and the 'battle of the sexes' was over (i cant explain in words, but i have some pictures) it was past one o clock.. after a mildly uncomfy sleep in a bunk bed, i awoke at six in the morning, ate a very.. conservative.. breakfast, and got on the road..
then we got to skype our entire campus crusade movement at cal poly! our team got to tell about five hundred students what we are doing in el salvador, and hear from my good friend natalie who is in turkey on stint..
it was a crazy couple days, but it was such a blessing! i feel like i really connected with a couple students, and i cant wait to continue those relationships!
i love you all, thanks for your prayers.. i feel like the Lord is about to do really great things here! so please keep praying!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
the two most beautiful words
thursdays are our weekly meetings at evangélica university, and this week i got to talk about grace! it was really cool.. i shared on a passage i had read in 1 kings 19.. i will give you all a short summary:
elijah is this amazing prophet of God, but when his life is threatened his faith falters in the Lord and he runs for his life.. he flees into the wilderness, and when he is all alone he asks God to take his life.. why? because he was ashamed of his sin, and realized that he had committed the same sins of doubt that his forefathers committed.. but God, instead of ending his life, gave elijah food to eat.. twice.. and then took him on a forty day journey through the same wilderness his forefathers wandered through many years before.. and then brought him to the same mountain on which moses received the ten commandments.. and then revealed Himself to elijah through a mighty wind and an earthquake and a fire..
isnt that crazy? elijah was in the pit of despair, filled with shame because of his sin, deserving and desiring death.. yet God had other plans, and just lavished grace on elijah.. he met his physical needs, then strengthened him and prepared him through his journey, then revealed Himself to elijah, an honor that a small handful of men have ever known.. we see a very different man at the end of this passage than we do at the beginning, and the difference is Gods abundant grace.. someone very wise once said this, and i think i agree: 'the two most beautiful words in all the Bible are 'but God...'' those two words change everything.. we were dead in our sins, but God.. we deserve to be separated from Him forever, but God.. we will fail, but God.. over and over again, God steps in to our failures and rights the wrongs.. do we see that in our lives? do we give God the recognition and the glory due His name?
this is the question i tried to leave the students with.. how have you seen Gods grace in your life? and i connected it to my own life and my struggles with sin, and how i have seen Gods grace mark my life so clearly..
anyways, it was really sweet! i just wanted to share that with you, and i pray that you will look for Gods grace in your life! here are a couple pictures from our weekly meeting..
left to right we have elisa, xavier, julio, tatiana, lauren, bean, and brandon there in the back.. and chiky cookies..
elijah is this amazing prophet of God, but when his life is threatened his faith falters in the Lord and he runs for his life.. he flees into the wilderness, and when he is all alone he asks God to take his life.. why? because he was ashamed of his sin, and realized that he had committed the same sins of doubt that his forefathers committed.. but God, instead of ending his life, gave elijah food to eat.. twice.. and then took him on a forty day journey through the same wilderness his forefathers wandered through many years before.. and then brought him to the same mountain on which moses received the ten commandments.. and then revealed Himself to elijah through a mighty wind and an earthquake and a fire..
isnt that crazy? elijah was in the pit of despair, filled with shame because of his sin, deserving and desiring death.. yet God had other plans, and just lavished grace on elijah.. he met his physical needs, then strengthened him and prepared him through his journey, then revealed Himself to elijah, an honor that a small handful of men have ever known.. we see a very different man at the end of this passage than we do at the beginning, and the difference is Gods abundant grace.. someone very wise once said this, and i think i agree: 'the two most beautiful words in all the Bible are 'but God...'' those two words change everything.. we were dead in our sins, but God.. we deserve to be separated from Him forever, but God.. we will fail, but God.. over and over again, God steps in to our failures and rights the wrongs.. do we see that in our lives? do we give God the recognition and the glory due His name?
this is the question i tried to leave the students with.. how have you seen Gods grace in your life? and i connected it to my own life and my struggles with sin, and how i have seen Gods grace mark my life so clearly..
anyways, it was really sweet! i just wanted to share that with you, and i pray that you will look for Gods grace in your life! here are a couple pictures from our weekly meeting..
left to right we have elisa, xavier, julio, tatiana, lauren, bean, and brandon there in the back.. and chiky cookies..
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Christmas retreat site!
i dont think i have filled you guys in on this! but this gives me an excuse to i suppose..
we are currently in the beginning stages of planning the first Christmas conference/retreat that campus crusade has ever had in el salvador! this is an incredible opportunity to gather students in a place far from the stress of school and every day life, continue to build relationships with them, share Christ with them, and hopefully even see some of them step up as leaders in the movement! it is a really cool thing to be a part of, and our team has a lot of ownership over how it will look, the theme, what we will be doing.. pretty much everything! you will all be hearing a lot more about this conference as it develops, because it is such an incredible opportunity!
well potter and i drove out to the camp where we will be having it, and we fell in love with the place.. we can totally see this retreat happen here! it is a really cool place, with a lot to do and a lot of space to have fun and move around.. just wanted to show you all a couple pictures!
we are currently in the beginning stages of planning the first Christmas conference/retreat that campus crusade has ever had in el salvador! this is an incredible opportunity to gather students in a place far from the stress of school and every day life, continue to build relationships with them, share Christ with them, and hopefully even see some of them step up as leaders in the movement! it is a really cool thing to be a part of, and our team has a lot of ownership over how it will look, the theme, what we will be doing.. pretty much everything! you will all be hearing a lot more about this conference as it develops, because it is such an incredible opportunity!
well potter and i drove out to the camp where we will be having it, and we fell in love with the place.. we can totally see this retreat happen here! it is a really cool place, with a lot to do and a lot of space to have fun and move around.. just wanted to show you all a couple pictures!
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