CURRENT MISSION

To serve God and others.

ABOUT ME

I have five children, all grown and living elsewhere. I worked as a plant breeder/geneticist, then as a marketing consultant, and most recently as a freelance copyeditor/ghost writer for scientific stuff. I also worked many years as a classical music announcer--one year in Dallas at WRR-FM, 3 years full-time then nearly 10 years as substitute in Champaign-Urbana at WILL-FM. I sing, I write music (but all my kids are so much better than I!). My wife died of Alzheimer's in October 2018.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Have had only four individuals or groups stay with us via Couchsurfing--two people for two or three nights, another for several weeks (three different occasions), and one absolutely delightful group of four (a professional band) for one night only but on two separate occasions. All experiences were QUITE positive.

We have stayed at the home of another member only once, for four nights. It was an extremely wonderful experience.

We had much more extensive experience with Airbnb, hosting nearly a hundred people over several years (we were still registered with Couchsurfing, but simply didn't receive that many requests). Our experiences were uniformly positive. I love meeting new people.

Interests

Music, especially classical, but I also like Dixieland, jazz, blues, folk, traditional rock and roll, etc. Love photography. Am currently working on a couple of books: one on the biblical theology underlying prayer; one (this is my major project) a history of Mission Teens, an incredible organization that may provide the most powerful ministry in the United States for people (of any age) looking to be free from drugs.

• writing
• singing
• photography
• music
• classical music
• freelancing
• history
• theology
• biblical studies

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite movies: Sense and Sensibility, Casablanca, Ever After, Cold Comfort Farm, Wonder Woman (what can I say?).

If you're interested in my musical tastes, check out the YouTube playlists listed under my name, Brian Mustain. There's one for classical orchestral/choral, one for chamber music, two for popular music, one for Christian music. All are quite eclectic, and the majority of selections feature live performances.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My wife, Elaine, and I took a road trip in the spring of 2012 that included the Northwest. We stayed with Elaine's brother Mark and his wife Jacqueline in Powell River, B.C. for a week and were blown away by the beauty. Once we gathered buckets full of oysters from the shore and gorged ourselves on them the following evening.

The most awesome natural wonders we saw on that trip were the coastal redwoods. Words fail me. They are incredible.

The biggest adventure we had resulted from my forgetting to get gas before we set off over the Cascades, only to discover at the very top that the gauge was well below empty. So I coasted down the entire west slope of the Cascades, engine off, turning it on only when I needed brake or steering power to make it around sharp curves. It was well over fifty miles to the first source of petrol, but by God's grace we made it!

Teach, Learn, Share

I am basically a Christian theologian. I have written many essays (nonpublished except for their being sent to friends/acquaintances), all based on thorough biblical analysis (using Hebrew/Greek), offering significant interpretations that differ in major ways from traditional beliefs, but that I believe are highly defensible both from the standpoint of scripture and of logic. (E.g., the idea that the traditional doctrine of "hell" as a place where God has people tortured eternally is simply NOT in scripture; and that it takes a MUCH "bigger" God to design creatures who, instead of being 100% predictable, are SO like him and SO creative that even God cannot always know what they are going to do; and that the picture offered by scripture of the future of humans is overwhelmingly inclusive, the salvation won by Jesus being for ALL who want it.)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can usually provide rides to distant locations within Champaign-Urbana if you need them. If you're arriving via airline or train or bus, although I can't make any absolute promises ahead of time, the probability is high that I can pick you up upon your arrival and drive you back when you're ready to leave.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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