To Be Continued...
We arrived in Mineapolis around Midday Saturday. I mostly wanted to use their computer since we hadn't had a computer in South Dakota and had to go to the Library for all that jazz.
Then I wandered into the living room where every one was sitting around talking, and my parents went to take a nap, and their parents went to a Wedding. I know it sounds crazy, but it almost felt like Family.
It was weird, though. You know how when you're little you run off and play and the grownups sit around talking and you think to yourself, "How boring! They're just sitting around talking!" and then as you grow up you realize how interesting some conversations can be. Especially when it's not just small talk, but genuinely interesting, and even uplifting. Especially when you realize that the people you are talking with are extremely passionate about Missions... which happens to be the environment that I grew up in.
Missions...
The missing piece in my life right now. I realized it this weekend. My last mission trip (not including Choir Tour, even though Choir is a Ministry, it's not quite the same) was in Longmont, Colorado.
One of the things that started me thinking about it was the fact that the Mast's lived in Colorado. Zack even said that it will always be home to them.
"Oh, I've been to Colorado!" I told them, and told them a little about our mission trip there. But later on I started really thinking about it... I remember memorizing the stories and doing those pictures. How dedicated I used to be to winning little ones over for Christ! The sad part... the part I'm almost afraid to admit... is that I feel like I'm not that same person any more.
God was using me at that time, no doubt. Probably using me a lot in the life of Analyn... I was the only one who could handle her. Well, somewhat, anyways. But what about now? I feel like I couldn't do that now. I'm right, though, because I never could do that. It was all God. I mean, He would give me the courage and dedication once more, I know. But there's something else which has made me cynical... something which I also hadn't thought about till this weekend.
Well, then after a while of talking with my sister, Josiah, and Zack, a girl who worked with Josiah came over and we were all joking about how they would be teaching. They are going on a mission trip, you see, to China. They are trained as teachers and will be teaching English amoung other things to children in China. Brilliant, huh? Awesome.
Then the parents arrived back from the wedding, and my parents emerged from their nap. Then Josiah left and we had dinner and then went down to a river and got some ice cream. Zack was with us, and he didn't seem to, you know... be upset about having to entertain the friends from out of town. He was my age, and yet he had in depth conversations with my dad. It was insane how mature he was... it actually blew my mind.
I think part of the thing was that I don't really know many guys my age who are SO on fire for God and His work. I know some great Christian guys my age, who love God and even guys like David Elmer who will use his talents to serve God as best He can. There are great guys around here, of course, but there was something EXTRAORDINARY about this guy. His passion wasn't just God in general and talking about God, but about spreading that love around to everyone.
It was inspiring, I'm not gonna lie!
Then that night we were talking to him some in the den downstairs outside of our rooms. And he was telling me about the films that his brother made, but it wasn't just like, "Oh well, it's fun, it's cool, it was neat how he made it..." but he seemed more into telling me about the purpose of most of the videos - as part of the meetings at Campus Crusade for Christ meetings. They were kinda like the videos we have at BYG sometimes about Gatlinburg and different trips that like, tell you to go, except it's all out with costumes and stuff and lots of fun stuff... my word, I can't really do these videos justice cuz they were so unique and so funny!
Later on Sunday ( a little while before we went to have dinner with my cousin Julie) I met Jesse, the man himself! The guy with all his videos, the Art major.
I have vague recollections of him being funny and witty and crazy... we had stayed with them on a furlough when I was about 13 maybe? Well, he was definetly even more wild than I ever remembered him being!
But he was excited about everything it seemed, and he wanted to take me and Bethy to his Campus Crusade meeting that night. He kept joking with my dad about how he looked just like John Piper, and when my dad did the hands outstretched thing I really was struggling to breath cuz I was laughing so hard!
As much as I'm ranting and raving about this family, and how cool they are, you know... I really love my family too. My mom is so cute and quirky and weird (trust me, that's where I get it from... the weird part, that is.) And my Dad is so funny with his silly sense of humor and just how nice he is... and my sister, seriously... she's like an angel. An Angel who gets irritated with me every now and then, but otherwise, I really do love her and just love hanging out with her! She's too much fun. Last night we saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together.
Anyways, moving on...!!!
Back to Sunday night in Mineapolis; we went to eat at a really good Mexican restaurant with my cousin and her fiance. His name is sorta funny, cuz it's Nick Johnson from Wisconsin. It's also funny that his name is Nick and mine is Nicki because it's always been said that out of the family me and Julie look the most alike. I guess cuz we both have the brownest eyes, and similar features, and long blonde hair, etc. Well, Nick seemed nice. They both play guitar, and he teaches guitar lessons. That was nice cuz it gave them something to talk about with my mom since she plays guitar.
They told us their story about how they met at a wedding where she was the Bridesmaid and he was the Best man, and that on the anniversary of when they met (3 years later, i think) was when he proposed. So that was like, a couple weeks ago. They seemed pretty happy.
So it was really nice, and then my sister gave Julie some earrings that she had made for her. Julie loved them, it was all nice, you know? Very nice to see them. Somewhat bittersweet because she's my cousin and I hardly know her... and now she's getting married! I just hope we can make it to the wedding. Of all my other cousins, the only wedding I've made it to was Amy's and now she's not married to him anymore anyways... so that's sorta sad.
Then Jesse appeared at our table and my dad pretended not to know him and stuff and it was all like, HA ha. Gees, I love my dad. So then Jesse and Zack took us with them to the Campus Crusade Meeting.
I'm gonna finish writing about this later...
To be continued...
Then I wandered into the living room where every one was sitting around talking, and my parents went to take a nap, and their parents went to a Wedding. I know it sounds crazy, but it almost felt like Family.
It was weird, though. You know how when you're little you run off and play and the grownups sit around talking and you think to yourself, "How boring! They're just sitting around talking!" and then as you grow up you realize how interesting some conversations can be. Especially when it's not just small talk, but genuinely interesting, and even uplifting. Especially when you realize that the people you are talking with are extremely passionate about Missions... which happens to be the environment that I grew up in.
Missions...
The missing piece in my life right now. I realized it this weekend. My last mission trip (not including Choir Tour, even though Choir is a Ministry, it's not quite the same) was in Longmont, Colorado.
One of the things that started me thinking about it was the fact that the Mast's lived in Colorado. Zack even said that it will always be home to them.
"Oh, I've been to Colorado!" I told them, and told them a little about our mission trip there. But later on I started really thinking about it... I remember memorizing the stories and doing those pictures. How dedicated I used to be to winning little ones over for Christ! The sad part... the part I'm almost afraid to admit... is that I feel like I'm not that same person any more.
God was using me at that time, no doubt. Probably using me a lot in the life of Analyn... I was the only one who could handle her. Well, somewhat, anyways. But what about now? I feel like I couldn't do that now. I'm right, though, because I never could do that. It was all God. I mean, He would give me the courage and dedication once more, I know. But there's something else which has made me cynical... something which I also hadn't thought about till this weekend.
Well, then after a while of talking with my sister, Josiah, and Zack, a girl who worked with Josiah came over and we were all joking about how they would be teaching. They are going on a mission trip, you see, to China. They are trained as teachers and will be teaching English amoung other things to children in China. Brilliant, huh? Awesome.
Then the parents arrived back from the wedding, and my parents emerged from their nap. Then Josiah left and we had dinner and then went down to a river and got some ice cream. Zack was with us, and he didn't seem to, you know... be upset about having to entertain the friends from out of town. He was my age, and yet he had in depth conversations with my dad. It was insane how mature he was... it actually blew my mind.
I think part of the thing was that I don't really know many guys my age who are SO on fire for God and His work. I know some great Christian guys my age, who love God and even guys like David Elmer who will use his talents to serve God as best He can. There are great guys around here, of course, but there was something EXTRAORDINARY about this guy. His passion wasn't just God in general and talking about God, but about spreading that love around to everyone.
It was inspiring, I'm not gonna lie!
Then that night we were talking to him some in the den downstairs outside of our rooms. And he was telling me about the films that his brother made, but it wasn't just like, "Oh well, it's fun, it's cool, it was neat how he made it..." but he seemed more into telling me about the purpose of most of the videos - as part of the meetings at Campus Crusade for Christ meetings. They were kinda like the videos we have at BYG sometimes about Gatlinburg and different trips that like, tell you to go, except it's all out with costumes and stuff and lots of fun stuff... my word, I can't really do these videos justice cuz they were so unique and so funny!
Later on Sunday ( a little while before we went to have dinner with my cousin Julie) I met Jesse, the man himself! The guy with all his videos, the Art major.
I have vague recollections of him being funny and witty and crazy... we had stayed with them on a furlough when I was about 13 maybe? Well, he was definetly even more wild than I ever remembered him being!
But he was excited about everything it seemed, and he wanted to take me and Bethy to his Campus Crusade meeting that night. He kept joking with my dad about how he looked just like John Piper, and when my dad did the hands outstretched thing I really was struggling to breath cuz I was laughing so hard!
As much as I'm ranting and raving about this family, and how cool they are, you know... I really love my family too. My mom is so cute and quirky and weird (trust me, that's where I get it from... the weird part, that is.) And my Dad is so funny with his silly sense of humor and just how nice he is... and my sister, seriously... she's like an angel. An Angel who gets irritated with me every now and then, but otherwise, I really do love her and just love hanging out with her! She's too much fun. Last night we saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together.
Anyways, moving on...!!!
Back to Sunday night in Mineapolis; we went to eat at a really good Mexican restaurant with my cousin and her fiance. His name is sorta funny, cuz it's Nick Johnson from Wisconsin. It's also funny that his name is Nick and mine is Nicki because it's always been said that out of the family me and Julie look the most alike. I guess cuz we both have the brownest eyes, and similar features, and long blonde hair, etc. Well, Nick seemed nice. They both play guitar, and he teaches guitar lessons. That was nice cuz it gave them something to talk about with my mom since she plays guitar.
They told us their story about how they met at a wedding where she was the Bridesmaid and he was the Best man, and that on the anniversary of when they met (3 years later, i think) was when he proposed. So that was like, a couple weeks ago. They seemed pretty happy.
So it was really nice, and then my sister gave Julie some earrings that she had made for her. Julie loved them, it was all nice, you know? Very nice to see them. Somewhat bittersweet because she's my cousin and I hardly know her... and now she's getting married! I just hope we can make it to the wedding. Of all my other cousins, the only wedding I've made it to was Amy's and now she's not married to him anymore anyways... so that's sorta sad.
Then Jesse appeared at our table and my dad pretended not to know him and stuff and it was all like, HA ha. Gees, I love my dad. So then Jesse and Zack took us with them to the Campus Crusade Meeting.
I'm gonna finish writing about this later...
To be continued...