On The Way Home

Yep, it's been 10 days. 10 days filled with good times and a few less blood vessels in my brain as well. The trip to Hungary was a huge success. I'm proud to be a part of such a solid team. I really made some friends on this trip, and I can't wait to go back. I really feel like I made a connection with many of the teens at the camp. It was so much fun, and I was blessed to be there. I also met some new folks that I didn't know already that were a part of our team. I was amazed at how everyone did their job so effectively. I got to be a little silly during skit time and such, and that was fun as well. The church there in Miskolc is a good group of people and they are doing good work. The Hungarians who used to be campers and are now counselors are just amazing. I didn't know a lick of Hungarian (still don't), but it didn't matter. Many of the teens knew at least enough English to carry on a conversation. And that helped me a ton. I found out that one of the teens, Denes, loves music and plays the guitar. So we are going to start a band. As long as I get creative control.

We got started this morning at 2:30. The bus picked us up and carried us to the airport in Budapest. Then we hopped on a flight to London. And now we're sitting in Heathrow Airport, and I'm dying to talk a little "Revolutionary War" junk with some of the locals. But I'm trying to get myself psyched up for this 10 hour flight back to Houston, and the jet lag that will ensue. I was initially a little hesitant about being gone so far from home for so long. I can't wait to see Stacy and the girls tonight, love on them and tell them about the trip. Oh, and show them the 7 pictures I took. I swear, I've got to get a camera.

The best part is that my back held up through the whole process. I know this long flight is not going to be much fun. But I'm on the back of the plane, and it won't be a problem to stand up a little bit every hour or two. If I can stay awake at all. But I'm taking Tuesday off to recuperate, and I'll be back at it Wednesday, ready to hit the home stretch on the summer. I mean, we still have MS Stretch, Lock In and Camp. Oh, and 8th Grade Sneak. Yeah, we still got some stuff left to do. But for those of you in the youth group, I've missed you too. I can't wait to be back with you and finish this summer strong. You guys are amazing, and I realized how blessed I am this week to be able to work with the best kids on the planet. And I also work in the best office on the planet. I can't wait to get back in the office. I have a hunch "quiet time" is over.

Well, it's about time to drape myself in the American Flag again and run around the airport. See ya in about 12 hours, Houston.

Hungary - Day Thursday

Well, it's getting to be close to bedtime here at the camp, and everyone (well, most everyone) is winding down and getting ready for a big day tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last day of camp, and it's really bittersweet. On the one hand, the team has put in a full week of hard work and I've met a ton of kids and had a blast teaching them and getting to know them a little this week. On the other hand, I am ready to be home. This has been an amazing trip, but seeing the end of the road makes me realize that we've done a great job here and now it's the time when I look forward to being back in my own bed.

Again, I will say that I have enjoyed this trip immensely. I hope that I will be able to come back, if not next year, in two years. It's a great trip and if you ever get the chance, you should go. It's hard to describe to anyone who hasn't made the trip, just like it was impossible for those who had been before when they tried to explain it to me. There are really good people here. And this trip has had pretty much ZERO drama. That's a bonus. Or maybe I have just been shielded from it. And I'm OK with that too.

Robyn and I went to the market area after everything was over today, and it was good to find out that walking by a construction site in Hungary is much like walking past a construction site in the US. Ah, some things are universal. Today was a great day, though, for real. I realized that I should have been drinking a Coke Zero after lunch every day. I was fired up after lunch, which has been a problem for me this week. But not today. Oh, carbonation and caffeine, you are truly friends of mine. Good to know that some things are universal.

Well, I am going to be boring and sign off for now. I just realized today that I have no idea what is going on in the world of sports. Wow, huh? That kind of feels good to know that I can focus on something else for at least a week. Of course, I've eaten enough chocolate this week to kill a pack of wolves, so that kind of makes up for everything. Good to know some things are universal.