Updates.

Wow. It’s been a long time. Sorry about that. I’ve been thinking about posting something since camp – I know that was over a month ago; but there’s just been so much going on inside my head that the thought was kind of daunting. So I’m just going to start typing and see what comes out.

Children’s Camp

What a week. We only had 30 kids, but I loved it. By Wednesday at lunch I knew every child by name, which is not only good for disciplinary purposes but also for edifying purposes. I slept in a tent all week with Rachel and Lisa (most of the timeJ) and while the outer part was really messy (you put three teenage girls with a week’s worth of stuff in a tent and keep it clean) the inside was warm and cuddle with mattresses and sleeping bags and sweatshirts. I got sunburned on Wednesday, which kinda stunk, but didn’t really hit me until about 2:30 am when all the heat left my back and shoulders and I was FREEZING and couldn’t get warm the rest of the night. That was the only morning I woke up grumpy – mostly cuz I didn’t ever really go back to sleep after I woke up cold. My two favorite parts of this week were teaching the kids Sword Drill and meals. The Sword Drill part of it was kind of trying – God was teaching me patient, again…still… - but also rewarding. Sword Drill is one of my favorite things to do and it was SO much fun teaching others a way to learn about the Bible. Meals were amazing – for several reasons. First because they tasted good (Good job Doug!) and second because I got to help with set up and clean up and stuff, which helped me because I need to have something to do to be a part of stuff and serve. The other major fun part about Kids Camp was the rock wall – Duane made it and we put it together on Monday before the kids got their on Tuesday. 16 feet high with little holds and a good ole harness – good times!!! Oh!! And the snack bar!!! Rae and I did snack bar and we had a blast!!!! We had everything stashed under the counter, so Rae would sit down there and pass stuff up to me, while I was taking orders and money and giving change. Other than that – not a whole lot happened. We came up with some new lines: “You just got puppet slapped!!” “One, two, three. Eyes on me.” Shane got hit on my several people (and a puppet!!!) and we learned some new songs!!! Good stuff!!!

Youth Camp

Again – only 36 campers, but it was still amazing. Again – knew ever kids name just a little while into camp and was calling them by name often, youth are more mischievous than children. This year I was in charge of the low ropes course (alas, no high ropes this year) but on Tuesday (my ‘day-off’) I got to go with Doug up to the rock. I always forget how beautiful it is up there, and how peaceful, even though it’s hot. This year Doug did two ropes down the rock and I got to be the first down one; Doug just forgot to tell me that when you’re the first one down the rope it tends to coil and wrap. At one point I was balancing on the dirt mound trying to get the rope untangled in order to drop the last five feet. I also got sunburned this day – although mostly on one side – from being strapped to the rock and belaying kids up the crag. Wednesday and Thursday I had kids up on the ropes course – talk about trying to learn patience; enough said. Overall – good week. There were some trying times, and God worked in some lives. Mostly He brought us together; because of the size of our group we all got to know each other a little bit better than we usually do. Hopefully this will lead to better accountability and more kids at rallies and camp.

Work Week

I spent the week after Youth Camp in Redding working. I worked like 47 hours or something, not that I’m complaining, far from it, but it was rather exhausting. Honestly – I don’t remember what we did all day, but I worked a lot, and it was hot.

Happy Birthday Corinne and Abi!!!!!

Mission Camp

We spent this week at Duane and Corinne’s new house in Magalia, along with some time at Billy Park in Paradise and Merlo Park in Stirling City. We did all the usual bond builders and lessons, just a little different for several reasons. First because there were only three of us; second because we weren’t at a camp ground; third because of the new baby. Again – a good week. Learned a lot, actually got some sleep, found out I had (I think I still have) a sprained shoulder, and watching Shane go from quite boy in the corner to crazy both who sneezes and pops his back. Rachel – no nose pushing, it’s against the rules.

And then – back to normal life. What have I done since then? Well, I left there to go to the family reunion, and then straight back to Redding. I started work on Sunday morning at 11:00am and I don’t think I’ve stopped since. Worked a week; drove down on Saturday for the rally, drove back up that night to work on Sunday morning. I’ve spent this week working a lot of LONG days. Tuesday I started work at 7:30 in the morning and didn’t get done til midnight. Not that I worked straight through – that’s illegal – but I’d work for two hours and then get two hours off etc and was finally down at midnight. LONG day.

Today I’m a ‘gym host’. Translation – I drove out here to Grant Elementary (West of Redding) and opened everything up, set up the waters, turned on the air conditioning and the lights. Now I’m sitting here typing all this (and several other things) up on Jimmy until 11:10 when I get back in the Intrepid (HAHA!! I LIKE driving the Intrepid!!!) to go back to Simpson and get lunches for the kids (I’m still not sure what I’m gonna eat) and drive back here until 3:30. The whole time I can do whatever, mostly work on Jimmy and watch movies, but I have to be here the whole time – it’s Grants stupid rule. Anyway, so that’s what I’m doing today!!!!

I work today, tomorrow and Monday, Tuesday’s my day off and then I work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Fun fun!!!!

In other news…there really isn’t any other news…it’s just me being me. (If anyone knows what that is, please let me know.)

Oh yeah – additional email address: skippy@missionpossibleministries.net – off the coolest site ever: missionpossibleministries.net. YAY!!! Check it out – it’s cool. And there’s pictures!!!

Oh!!! And speaking of pictures!!! Here’s one of the pictures that we took last month in Reno at UNR. (Haha!!! No more hair!!!)

Major Skippy