Some more pictures!

Us at Gettysburg, posing up at Little Round Top.

Austin, Jordan, Matt, and Steve

A bird's eye view of us and our bus

Wow, time is going by so fast for me! We are in Pennsylvania this week, at a small church that desperately needs to see it's need for revival. It's been a somewhat relaxing conference, since I'm sitting through the services instead of teaching clubs. The break is great, and I've had time to work on stuff for clubs next week, without the pressure of having to actually teach it that night. Praise the Lord for working things out so well!

Me, Shanna, and Anna are staying with a "deere" older couple. They are amazing!! They are like our grandparents, and absolutely love us. John works for John Deere, and is an avid, all-around fan of what he does. Saturday night they took us to a demolition derby, and what a riot we had! Me and Shanna had never been to one, so for her and I it was a new and exiting experience.

Well, I'm off, folks! Please pray for my team! At this church, we are experiencing some spiritual warfare, and we need your prayers!

Some more pictures, folks!
Me, Steven, and Katheryn when Blue team left

Me and Katheryn, when she was helping me pack up for the road!

A tearful goodbye to Krysten!

On the train to Chicago

Austin, Jordan, and Steve

The first two services down! Sunday morning was pretty shaky, and I don't count it as a grand success. Last night (Sunday night) I enjoyed much more, since I was telling the story, which I love to do!

But the neat thing about Sunday morning was even prior to the service itself. 45 minutes before the service starts, we get together as a team and pray for the evening, and just prepare ourselves spiritually for the night, and ask God to do a great work in us, the team, as well as in the people of the church. And in the 20 minutes spent there, the Holy Spirit dropped on us! Very few times have I felt such intesity of the Spirit at work, and we were there, some on our knees and faces, confessing our own pride and self-confidence to the Lord, and admitting how much we needed Him! We were all, I think, feeling really nervous about everything, since it was our first real service of the RC Team. I was especially nervous and frantic since some of what I was in charge of in clubs got changed last minute, which left me feeling nearly hysterical, since it felt to me like all my material had been switch, and I had to teach a lesson...with nothing prepaired! But the Lord used that to break me of some pride and self-confidence and cause me to go all out on a limb and trust that the Lord would give me the words, while teaching! It was an amazing time, and we were all impacted by that prayer time. We've tasted what the Spirit can do, and I know we are all thirsting for more of it now! Praise the Lord!

May the Lord be able to work first in our hearts...so that we will be empty vessels to be used by Him to minister to others who are needy! Keep praying for us! I especially need your prayers, as I teach tonight and the next few days! Thanks!

A post that I meant to post on Saturday, but forgot to make public:

The church is big. My host home is tremendous. My host parents are amazing. My team...is here at our first official church! Wow, I almost can't believe it. I'm here with Life Action, doing what I've wanted to do for so long! I lay in my host home bed last night, pondering the journey it's been to get to where I am now, and I was just amazed at how the Lord has orchestrated my life to this point in time. It's unbelievable.

My host home is fabulous, and in the 5 days that I'm going to be there, I'm experiencing not only the newness of staying in someone else's house, I'm experiencing for the first time something else phenomenal. I have my very own room! Ok, so you are all probably thinking "big deal," but hey, folks, for my entire life I've shared a room with a minimal of 2 people, the past few years having 4 other people in one room. So, my own room with a door that closes (my bedroom at home has no door) is a wonderfully foreign experience for me. So, I'm excited about that.

Well, I'd better go. Lunch is soon. And lots to do still!! Drop me some encouragment!

Tonight we are tearing down all our equipment and loading it into our semi. We hit the road tomorrow, folks!! This time at camp has gone by so fast, but I'm feeling that it's definitely time to actually get on the road. So many wonderful things have happened the past two months, and I just know that SO much more is just ready to happen!

Alright, lets tear down!

Shopping for team shoes with Jimmy, our team "dad" this year. Notice the matching shirts. And yes, folk, those shoe boxes contain black, knee-high, leather boots. I never thought I'd wear 'em, but it's part of our team outfit, so guess I'd better get used to it.

 Alright, I've finally got some pictures up!

Elaine, Krysten, and myself

All the CM's-- spent 6 weeks with these kids!

The RC girls again -- Anna, Shanna, Beth, Christine, Bethany, me, Crystal

Me and Krysten, my dear friend...and fellow schemer!

The Trouts of Life Action -- days before goodbye

Yesterday's trial-run service went well, at least from my Dynamite Club's perspective. We have definitely found the bugs of that particular lesson, and we'll be able to fine-tune it up for next time. I had my first shot at telling the story, and altho I thought I would pass out from nerves before hand, I enjoyed it.  

We all pretty much have today off, in honor of Labour Day. I slept in until 10:30, which was a blessing! All the 6:30 we've had to pull the past month or so kinda wear ya down after awhile. We're all glad for a day off, altho there is still personal packing and stuff to do.

Last Thursday, my team went to Chicago! It was so much fun, altho all the crowds kinda had me freakin' a time or two. It was the ultimate Chicago experience! The two hour train trip to get there (my first time on a train), the trolly ride, where there was no more room, so we all had to pack like sardines down the middle isle and hold onto the bar above our heads; taking quick afternoon naps on park benches outside of the Navy Pier, standing on the sidewalk underneath the Sears Tower watching the movement of the clouds, which made the Tower look like it was going to fall; sitting in a lobby drinking Starbucks; giving food to a homeless person...and lots and lots of pictures!

Outside, the bus is rumbling and the rest of my team is bustling around getting the last few things together. What for? For the maiden voyage of the RC TEAM!! We're packed up and ready for our trial-run. We'll stay in host homes tonight, and lead the service, along with clubs, for tomorrows service at a church about 1 1/2 hours away.

That's all I have time for, folks! Say a prayer for us if you think about it!!