We're In Hungary (Day . . . Monday)

We wrapped up our first day of camp this afternoon. It was fairly chaotic, for me at least. I wasn't sure what to expect or how I was going to do teaching a bible class with a translator. The stuff we were trying to get through was pretty hard to explain to American kids, so I don't know how it went with the Hungarians. I'll look over my notes this evening and try to make the proper adjustments. I will say that today could have been worse. I was struggling during part of it, but it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be.

Everyone seemed to flow right into the groove today. It was a good first day. The kids were pretty energetic and everyone who is helping with the camp really knows what they are doing and loves these kids. There are a lot of good kids here. I got the chance to speak to one after the boys' class today, and it was good. He spoke pretty good English, and that was good. But he also had real questions we got to discuss. So I felt like something good happened today and God is busy working on the hearts of these young people. I feel like this is where we are supposed to be.

The food has been excellent. I don't know what I had for lunch yesterday, but it tasted good. And the desserts are uh-mazing. And they have Coke Zero, which isn't quite Diet Dr Pepper, but it'll definitely suffice. We got to watch America lose in the World Cup the other night, which is not how it was supposed to turn out. We have internet, although not all the time. Oh, and I found out that I am allergic to feather pillows. Who knew? Paul and I are roommates, which means Paul gets the joy of listening to me snore all night long. And I haven't had any trouble sleeping since we've been here. I'm looking forward to the next few days of classes, but I'm really looking forward to visiting Budapest. I mean, that sounds like a cool place to visit and maybe pick up some surprises for the girls. If they have a Woody doll, that is.

Well, there are others waiting to use the internet, so I had better cut this short. I am kind of out of things to say anyway. I will have more tomorrow. Right now we are getting ready to have a team meeting. I will try to blog tomorrow as well and keep everyone up to date on what's going on. Everyone is doing great, parents. I'm keeping an eye on everyone. Please keep praying. There is good work going on here.

Uplift - Day 4

It was a long day. I should be sleeping right now, but tomorrow is the last day Matt and I are doing the Zoo, so we're up trying to make sure everything goes well. It's been a great week. I can't believe tomorrow is the last day. It's going to be great. We had a good night last night. Josh Ross spoke to us and did an outstanding job. We had some really tough conversations during our group devotional time, but some conversations that needed to happen. Our group is growing closer all the time, and we have really soaked up everything that's gone on around us. It's nice to see our kids rally around each other. Amazing.

Today was a good day. Hayden Woods and Daniel Casella did an awesome job during Talent Show tryouts. And of course, Bammel was there to support them. We had a good night with Brian Mashburn speaking to us, and we had two of our own come forward seeking prayers -- Chance Hughes and Hayden McHan. Our kids rallied around them as well. Once again, these kids really understand how God wanted us to encourage each other.

We haven't had a lot of down time. Everybody's been staying pretty busy. I got a little carried away during Zoo this morning and jumped around a little on stage. Not smart. I'm not going to do that again. I will say that I'm not going to complain about my back hurting anymore. I met a girl today from another youth group that is here in a neck brace. She was in a car wreck a few weeks ago, and nothing could stop her from being here. So I'm done complaining. I feel great, and I wouldn't miss being here for the world. We've all been blessed.

I can't say enough about our sponsors, as well. Melanie, Kim, Ashley, Luke and Audrey are doing great work being there in a big way for our kids. We couldn't do stuff like this without them. Well, I am going to move off to nighty night land. Last day tomorrow. We'll see you then.

Uplift - Day 3 so far

It's rec time at Uplift, which means I get to go sit and watch our kids play some sports. It's a good part of the day to just hang out with no worries and let the kids do their thing. Last night was amazing. I fully intended to post last night, but it was very late by the time everything was over and I couldn't even keep my eyes open. Sorry about that. But it was an amazing night. The message we got from Don McLaughin was incredible. He brought Luke 15 alive and connected on so many levels. So many kids came forward to rededicate themselves to Jesus. It's an experience you really should live some day. Nothing like it. That's the beauty of Uplift. Our group devo time was solid. We got to talk about our day and how we can worship God through everything we do. It was good.

The kids have really been anxious to talk about the different classes and God time. They're soaking it up and embracing the spirit that's fully present here. Great atmosphere. Like I said, it's something you really should experience. It's hard to adequately describe it through blog postings. Some things are just better seeing them for yourself. I know you would be so thrilled with how our teens represent Bammel so well. It's nice to be able to say you're one of the youth ministers at Bammel. Everyone knows our kids and are impressed with how they carry themselves and model Christ for the rest of the campers here.

Last night, two of our own went forward asking for prayers. Shelby Werderich and Summer Williams were both loved on by our teens last night, praying over them and just being there for them. And I was remiss earlier by not mentioning that Shelby Tate's grandfather passed away on Saturday. You should have seen her friends rally around her. We have great kids. That's a recurring theme I hope you never get tired of hearing. Taylor and Madison Flowers joined us on Sunday, so the whole gang is here now. I'm enjoying getting to know the group's friends they brought along. It just feels like they're part of the group.

On a personal note, Zoo went much better this morning. No technical difficulties to speak of. We had our slang spelling bee, which is always a hit with the teens. And it makes me laugh a lot, so that makes it even better. It's been nice not having to teach a class today and spend time with every age group at lunch. One of the coolest thing about being involved so heavily in the production here is that you get to meet so many kids from all over. They feel like they can talk to you. I've gotten to talk to a bunch of kids from all over and hear their stories as well. It's nice to hear how much getting on stage and acting like an idiot (like Matt and I do every morning) means so much to them. I'm still not quite sure why, but it's kinda cool.

Everyone seems to be doing really well. I'm looking forward to what is in store tonight. I think it's Don speaking to us again. Then we have Josh Ross and Brian Mashburn to close us out this week. And then, as much as it pains me, Uplift will be over. But know that good things are happening here. God is working in our teens' lives in a profound way. It's good to be here. Well, it's rec time. I'll try to post another entry tonight, if I can keep my eyes open.

Uplift - Day 2 (Part 1)

It's 4:30 and the kids are done with rec time. Now they're in their dorms getting ready to meet for dinner in an hour. Taylor Flowers joined us today without incident. Mad props to Kim and Melanie for picking him up at the airport today. I just finished watching some of our kids play volleyball and pretty much run the show, which makes my head swell a little, being their youth minister and all.

Before I go any further, let me just say that this is already shaping up to be a life-changing week. Everyone who is here is supposed to be here. I'm firmly convinced that this group is transforming right before our eyes into what God wants his people to be. And our chaperons on this trip, while few, are exactly where God needs them to be. I don't know how we could make this week work without Kim, Melanie, Audrey, Luke and Ashley. Tomorrow will be great, because Matt and I will actually get to spend time with our kids after Zoo. We are only teaching two days this year. So we don't teach again until Wednesday. That's going to be amazing. I've never gotten to go to classes and spend time with my youth group, because I've always had to do board stuff or teach or something. This is going to be cool.

Now, let's see . . . where was I? Oh yes, the morning didn't start off so well. The A/V for our videos did not go very well this morning. Nothing went very well this morning. And we've kind of got three more days of videos we have planned, so I hope they get this corrected quickly. Either way, we'll make it work. We had several kids today ask us not to quit doing Zoo. I don't know how to answer these things. I am such a pushover. Our kids were very supportive of our morning and encouraged us. Then we had some of them in class first thing, and that's always fun to get to teach your kids in a different environment. Another of my great joys is getting to come here with our kids and seeing what kind of leaders they are. There are a lot of great youth groups here, but I would put our kids right up there with anyone. They really lead by example. It's a nice thing for Bammel to have the reputation it does. I'm proud of our kids. You should be too.

We had classes all day. Groups took Communion together. It was cool the way they did it, a little bit differently than in the past. Tonight, we are having an illusionist come for our nightly entertainment. I love magicians. Love magicians. Yes, I know it's slight of hand and there is no such thing as "magic." And no, I do not want to know how you did that. I am super pumped about this. I heard he's really good. I am going to get all hyphy and stuff. That's slang for crunk, which is slang for jazzed, which is slang for pumped. And I'm sure that's slang for something. Why can't I think of a word for how excited I am? Oh . . . excited . . . that's a good word.

We also have our first group devo tonight. Looking forward to that. Just worshiping with our kids and hearing about their day. It's going to be a good time of reflection. We have a lot of kids here who haven't been before, and that's exciting. I'm looking forward to hearing about how the day was for them and what they gathered from our classes and such. Always fun. Wish you guys who aren't here could be a fly on the wall this evening. Please keep praying that God is moving in us this week. Please pray for continued safety for everyone here. And let me know if you have any questions or need anything.

Uplift - Day One (Part 2)

Well, it's about 10:30. Matt and I are going over what we're going to be doing tomorrow for Zoo and our class we're teaching. The kids have finished watching the concert and are on their way to the dorm. The one thing that is kind of a bummer where Uplift is concerned is the amount of time that our work here keep us away from our own youth group. Doing Zoo has been a blast, but we're going out in style. And we're off two days this week from teaching, because they're going with a different format. So that means more time for us to spend with our kids. And the best news is that we're starting later. Zoo is on at 9:00 this year instead of 8:00. So we're pretty pumped about the extra sleep.

We had some down time today, which was pretty good. The kids are going to need it. I can already tell this is going to be a great week. The energy was high tonight. The drama was excellent. Can't wait to see where they go with it. Brandon did a good job preparing us for the week's theme. And it's always amazing to sit in a room worshiping with 1000 teens. This is going to be a good year.

We had a good lunch today, but we're ready to get everything rolling tomorrow with a full day for the kids. We identified those folks who hadn't been here before, just to challenge the ones that have to keep an eye out and help out where needed. We're going to make sure everyone gets the most they can out of Uplift 2010. I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.

Uplift - Day 1

Well, I guess technically Uplift hasn't started yet. We got here last night right about 6:30, which was just over 10 hours. Not bad for a 4 vehicle convoy. But we had no troubles of any kind. No wrong turns, no missed exits. Perfect weather. No back pain. God really blessed us with great travel. We have a great, and I mean great group of kids on this trip. We had a lot of kids bring friends this year, and I've already met most of them, I think. Very impressive. It's always a good thing to get friends going on this trip, which is probably the trip the kids look most forward to. We made our annual trip to Charley's Pizza last night, and they gave us a really good deal on the Xtra large pizzas, so everyone got their fill. Everyone is following directions beautifully. We are very blessed to be here. Makes it easy when you have such a good group of kids.

We are all going to eat lunch today at various places. And then we'll probably run by Wal Mart and get some snacks or stuff they may have forgotten to pack. Then we'll chill and play some games or something until we get registered at get dinner tonight and the Uplift ball gets rolling. Very exciting trip so far, and it's just underway. I'll have more to post later tonight.

In time it could have been so much more

I have really been reminiscing a lot lately. Today, I saw a soap that my dad used to use to clean his hands. He was a plumber, and they got pretty dirty. And this soap came in this tub. It was called GoJo. Ever heard of it? Well, anyway, I saw this and it took me back to when I was a kid and went to work with my dad. And I remember using this soap. And that brought about a whole range of memories. I find myself thinking about my childhood fondly, and more and more often. And when I do, there is some kind of aching involved. I used to think that I was aching because I missed my childhood, that on some level I resented my life currently and the fact that I was getting older. But I realize now that's not the case. I don't pine away over my youth because I wonder where it went and I'm aching to have it back, I just can't believe that it seems like it just happened. I can't keep time in perspective. I know what people mean when they tell me to enjoy my children because they will be gone before you know it. But the fact is that I do treasure our time together. I believe we make time to spend together, and I cherish every second. That doesn't change the fact that time moves too quickly. In the end, it doesn't matter how much time you spend, it's gone before you know it.

Time moves too fast. It wouldn't bother me so much if it would just slow down, just for a little while.