Just in case anybody needs a laugh... Justin decided to keep score during our racquet ball game yesterday (without telling me for the first 40 or so). The final was something like 28 to 137. I'm guessing you probably know which one was mine. We played for two hours, so in the fact that there weren't more points than that scored, you can see we have longer rounds of hitting the ball back and forth. I also find this topic funny, whether you do or not. i'm still hearing about the conversation i had at lunch on Thursday...

A busy weekend was planned. I have to read about 50 or so pages from my English book and go before the missions committee at church tomorrow to present the BSM Japan trip. Pretty much, i have to go beg for money and pray hard that they agree with the cause. I was also supposed to go on the All-Campus Retreat with the Wesley. For sake of time, i thought about dropping out. I didn't and was blessed by it... A topic that i knew i was lacking in and needed to learn about was presented. I didn't even know what the topic of the weekend would be until that night. Prayer of all things. God has such good timing!

We had a great drive up with good conversation. When we stopped for supper, I got to know a girl that i go to school with... We all continued on our journey to Palestine. We registered, i talked to strangers (there were only a whole to other KC students to choose from to talk to), and not only did i talk to strangers, i had a good time doing so and didn't feel uncomfortable at all. After the registry process, the campus minister had to leave to do something for his church today... As far as the strangers i met go, i really enjoyed having a conversation with someone from Haiti who spoke English, French and Spanish. You can probably guess which of the three i chose. It was great practice.

New things were presented to me at that retreat. I still don't know what to think about it, but the preacher was a lady. That is far from lining up with my beliefs. On a list of names for God were found the names mother and mother hen. I asked about that and although i left my last blog as saying "That's all i have to say about that (context)", i'm not sure that it will be the case after i examine the scripture references i was given. There were also some other differences, but i don't find them worth mentioning at the moment.

We had great breakout sessions. I went to one over praying the scripture in the morning, and then one about inductive Bible study in the afternoon. As the morning study concluded, i began to write another song. After lunch, i slowly walked to the lake and the words came to me as i sang and kept adding to it. I sat under a tree and wrote another verse, then i sat in the sun on a bench. The words just kept progressing. After quite a while, i finished and figured i'd take a cat nap in the sun while on the bench. I discovered that my journal wasn't as comfortable as the cover of my Bible. It's a good thing too. Come to find out, the cover of my Bible cleans up so much easier than my cardboard journal...

After talking to all the friends i made, the time finally came for me to say goodbye. I packed my clothes and got ready to leave. They just had to have their t-shirt sale tonight. (The various Wesley Foundations sell all the shirts they couldn't get rid of for $5) They had some really kool designs and i left with four. The drive home was wonderful! We talked the whole way. I can once again see that writing is really making a difference in my speech. Stumbling over words was due to a lack of sleep. The conversation was great as i was able to clearly communicate what i had learned this weekend, listen, and give an update on what's been going on in my life lately.

i'm hoping this isn't as long as i think it is. If so, i apologize. Hope everyone is doing well. Any updates from anyone?