Long Time

Man...it has been forever.
Last week we had no internet access. none. I was completely detatched from the world...no drudgereport! anyway lets see...in texas i had my birthday and among the things i got were a barrell of monkeys and a boba fett bobble head. I went to a texas store....they actually have that, a store full of texas stuff...and I got a funny t-shirt. I will wear it a lot so I wont spoil it....texas was really cool though...i walked around and said "the stars at night are shining bright...." and because I kept talking about how thats what texans did before we got there, everyone on the team would respond "deep in the heart of texas"...it was funny....last week we were in chatt, tn...i met a kid named john williams...and i said to him "your name is john williams" and his response to me was "yes...my dad works at the mission. he does the mail there" i still don't know the connection and i am unsure of what that means exactly, but he became my buddy for the week. he would sit with me at snack time and i was entertained. so, i went to the church on sunday last week and they had a patriotic service...it was amazing...though one person on the team thought it was over patriotic because "it was putting the focus more on country than God" i didn't agree at all with that. but i'm sure that doesn't suprise anyone....the choir did the service songs (we're always ready for the call...etc)and I knew all the words so I sang along...I was almost taken to tears saying the pledge b/c i thought, I don't know how much longer I will be able to say these words...the more I learn, the more the pledge means to me.
so, david hartly goes to church at the church we were at! it was crazy, like the chances of that are so slim, but we got there and he saw me and we were both kinda shocked...anyway so we went and saw public enemies last monday...it was good.
i'm in dothan alabama now...ready to go to bed and start another awesome week of camp tomorrow!

Andrew

It's been a while...

We're in Lexington KY this week and the Chick Fil A here has been amazing... they gave us breakfast every morning and lunch on Wed. we're staying at the UK dorms, and the internet there has been shaky at best, so I haven't posted in a while! Camp is great.....we have this track time called "Secret Opps" where the kids are told they are secret agents and they go around camp doing acts of service without letting anyone see them...so Jarrett and I got involved and it has evolved into on today the two of us had a lightsaber battle with duel of the fates playing in the background....he is a bad agent and I am a good agent and we fight....it is really awesome....the kids think it is the coolest thing ever....and it makes me want to watch star wars...now we're thinking about using some star wars sound effects for games....I said that by the end of the summer we're going to be star wars camp...

I have been looking for Glenn Beck's new book for the last week...I made friends with some of the volunteers who went out looking for the book for me...but no luck....

I got left behind at the church on tuesday...and we have no cell phones so the only people left were the elderly couple who come in and straighten up after us...so they gave me a ride to dinner....and I will say that it was not my fault, I walked into the sanctuary to get my camcorder...told Jarrett to not let them leave until I got back...and they didn't count heads b/c Brandon thought we all walked out together, so I was left...it was ok though, the couple who gave me a ride were missionaries to Indonesia and they taught at a school where all the kids who's parents were in MAF went...so it was ok....

later.....

man....haven't posted in a while...first week of camp was great.....but very busy, made some neat videos.....there were a ton of kids....over 200!! We're hopeful that the church will be able to follow up with them and keep them coming! I'm now in Ocean Springs. MS....we set up today, and are going to finish up after church tomorrow. We expect a large number of kids this week as well....Glenn Beck has a new book out this week...I'm going to have to sneak to the store and get it (and somehow find time to read it as well)....we stayed in a motel last night and someone in our group commented how it was almost odd to see a TV in the room...as i'm writing this i have on the news (i'm forcing the other guys in the room to be somewhat informed :)...setting up went much faster today than last week...i think we are starting to figure out what we're doing.

off to bed....

Andrew

Camp starts Monday!

So, we're here in Shreveprort....we're staying on the campus of LSU-Shreveport (Lots of LSU gold and Purple in these parts, but no UGA red) The church we're doing camp at this week is a mall that closed down and was converted into a church....it's really the neatest thing i've ever seen....The insides look like a mall...so the different classrooms and such are old stores...and the Burlington Coat Factory apparently was a different lease or something b/c the church owns the whole mall except for the Burlington Coat Factory...it is still open for business....But this church is really awesome...the childerens minister said that a prayer team has been praying for each of us by name since they found out the names of everyone that was coming....They are really excited to reach out into the community...so amazing things are afoot!
So we unloaded everything yesterday and started setting up, but it is taking longer b/c this is our first time figuring out what exactly we are doing and such...We went to eat at Chili's this evening and one of the girls ordered sweet tea and the waiter said "We have tea and you can add sugar." I drank water. I think my video stuff has went well so far, I finished filming all of the footage I needed to make a staff intro video that we will play on the first day of camp for the rest of the summer...
Pray for our group this week as everything is a "first time" and so it can be a little daunting....also pray for the kids as they come to camp and for their hearts to be receptive to the gospel....(and on a selfish note pray that they like the videos ;)

leaving for shreveport

quick blog...

had commissioning service this evening....it was awesome....our team is ready to go serve....God is going to do awesomethings... pray for our unity as a group and for God to use us!!

Hello from Training Week

Hello friends...

I'm here in Rome at training week! It has been going well thus far....I've gotten to know the people on my team and they are a great bunch of people (and that's good b/c if that wasn't true it would be a horrible summer)....I think we've all learned a lot. I have tried to keep my personality mellowed a bit...I'm probably difficult to take all at once. On the first day when we were all introducing ourselves our team's director [Brandon Cullum for you Tech people] chimed in after I said my name and whatever else, "He really knows a lot about politics and stuff" which was ok, b/c I hadn't said anything about not mentioning that...but I hadn't intended on letting people know that right off...but I was just kinda like "hehe, yeah" and didn't go into a "I listen to Rush Limbaugh and think we should eliminate income tax." So, hopefully my evil conservative ways are still undercover :)...but as Sam Hoover mentioned, my blog is probably already being watched by the government...anyway... I'm ready to get out there to camp at this point....I don't think I can get a perfect feel for it all until I get there....the Winshape people really have a heart for this stuff and it is really good to know that they are back here behind us, and the churches we are going to are all praying for us and the week that we can impact their community...big shoes to fill [and when I say that I mean impossible if it wasn't for God being there]

So, obviously I have other things on my mind as well...first off- Britain's Got Talent...AHH...Susan Boyle lost...I feel so sad for her. She has been hounded by the media for the last few weeks and she is just a little sweet old lady. Apparently she has checked into a mental hospital because of all the pressure...I hope she gets better. She seems so nice! I love these talent shows....I should be a judge on one...I would be so good. I would be much better than Will Patton I know that....I can say that because we are going to be roommates ;)
I saw Michael Yue last week...for like 2 seconds...he was at Winshape with the Chick Fil A interns...that was cool...As I'm typing this, our baseball team lost....this makes me angry. There's always next year I guess?
I'm pretty much sure I am not liking the appointment for the supreme court judge by the president...but she's qualified becasue "as a hispanic woman she knows way more than a white man" [her quote, not mine...i'm not racist like that]...

oh, and hate I'm missing the interp service b/c I really want to see one....I struggle watching a bunch in a row like that, but I like seeing you know, one or 2....and I got a facebook message saying that the service is next week and so I'm sad I'll miss it....

Anyway...I'm going to go now...I'll catch y'all later

Fast Second Post

Ok, this is probably it until after camp training week....but man, this American Idol season was great....I'm still in love with the show...I actually went back and was watching some old episodes from season 4 earlier this week (yes, I've been watching for a while)....I coudn't remember if there was a send off song in season 4 (like "Home Sweet Home" this season)...and there wasn't

I could see me buying probably 3 of the contestants albums from this season (Kris, Adam, & Allison)...I really think this was a talented bunch, and you're like "why is he thinking about this?" Well, I was looking at some of the songs on Itunes...I'm trying to be fiscally responsible and not buy all the songs...so I'm having to decide what performances I liked best...anyway....yay camp tomorrow!

First Post

I have told people I would start blogging this summer....that way they can see what I'm doing. So here goes...
Leaving for camp tomorrow! I am excited....it's going to be really awesome...Bess wants me to work "I'm nervous but excited" into the post...b/c there is a SNL skit called High School Musical 4 and that factors into the skit...so watch it and understand the reference, or just be confused.
Hmmm...that makes me think: do movie quotes work in blog form? I mean since I seem to talk in movie quotes and political jargon...hopefully that will transfer...otherwise I won't have very much to say...
Supreme court pick today...she looks to be an activist...which is bad, but I have read that a lot of other judges she has worked with don't like her...so that could mean that her oppinions on the court won't sway the other judges...i don't know...I'll comment more as a read more about her...which...btw, I won't have any contact with the outside world for a week starting Thursday....with the way N Korea is making noise, might mean I only have this one blog post :)

I'm going to stop here...I'll check in throughout the summer~ send me emails, facebook messages, and calls...if I don't answer quickly that doesn't mean I don't love you!I am going to be very busy, so know your prayers and words of encouragement are so appreciated!