Hampton, continued...

Still in Hampton!  About a week left till we move on to Newport News, VA.

We’re still having loads of fun as we continue our tour here in Virginia.  We’ve been here for a week, and we’ve been fairly busy with many different things at Gloria Dei Lutheran.  There are three pastors and two vicars that serve this church, and the church also has a day school.  We’ve done chapels and a nursing home, as well as taught a lesson for the first grade students (we’re hoping to all the grades).  There is also a possibility for us to go onto Langley Air Force Base and do something for the people there, which would be really unique and cool.  We also had a planning session for the VBS program we’re doing here next summer.  All of this and more keeps us fairly busy, but the church has also been really great about giving us free time as well.  We went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg for their “Howl-o-scream” event.  We got to ride some roller coasters (and a water ride, bad idea), as well as go through some really cheesy haunted mazes.  We’ve also gone to the beach at the Chesapeake Bay, where we played some Frisbee, waded in the water, and buried Josh in the sand (see pictures).  I made a snowman in the sand, and we found a huge dead jellyfish that looked like a big pile of snot (we had some fun with that concept).  We also got to go to a game night that one of the small bible study groups had, where we played Catchphrase for two hours.  That game had some more than interesting moments to it for sure.

Today the girl scouts held a bazaar at the church, so we wandered around the booths for a bit before we rehearsed at the church.  One of the host families for next week bought us all a massage at the bazaar.  I felt like jell-o afterwards, and it was awesome.

My host family this week has been really great!  I don’t get to see them very much because we’re all very busy, but they have been more than generous (as most of our host homes have been), and I’ve enjoyed the relaxation I’ve received at their home.  They have great food, wireless internet, and a big television with all the baseball games as well, so I’m more than taken care of.  Next week I get to stay with one of the vicars, so I’m pretty excited about that.  He seems like a really cool guy, and we’ve already planned a euchre party at his apartment next week.

We’ve been blessed once again to have such a great mission field to work in.  We’re excited for next week here at Gloria Dei, as well as the weeks to come as we venture into new territory.  We’re still in the dark about where we’re going after Newport News, but I’m not really worried about it.  We aren’t called to a specific location so much as just called to work.

Life is good, God is great!

-Kyle

Meet Virginia

Well, our two-week adventure in Hampton, VA has begun!  We arrived Saturday evening to an all-you-can-eat fish fry!  Then we were introduced to the congregation on Sunday.  On Monday we had a day off, so Josh and I made a trip to Guitar Center (heaven on earth) in Virginia Beach.  I have one interesting story from that trip.  If you really want to know, send me an email or something.  Then today we met with the pastor and the two vicars about what they want us to do for them.  Then we did two chapel-like things with two different pre-k classes.  That was hilarious (most of them are).  I had an odd chat with a little girl afterwards about whether or not the puppets were real.  It’s difficult, because we aren't supposed to admit to kids that the puppets aren’t real creatures, but sometimes the kids were scared, like this girl was.  There’s a fine line somewhere, and I danced all over it.

My host home is really awesome.  I’m by myself, and they’re really nice, quiet people.  They hosted a small-group bible study tonight, so I got to be a part of that.  We had some good discussions about evangelism, contemporary worship, and cookies (they were really good!)  Every night we go upstairs to the “den” and watch television together, usually sports or game shows.  It’s a lot of fun, and relaxation!

Check out the new photos I put up.  We took a very short trip through Washington D.C. and took some good pictures.  I’ll put more up of our time in Hampton as I take more of them.  Also, check out the videos I’ve taken.  I’m hoping get more of those too.  Most of them won’t have sound, but you can see some of what’s been going on in action!  Feel free to look at the New Dawn section on the Youth Encounter website, I put a link to it here, so you can read the team journals, as well as see some more pictures.

We’re really looking forward to working with this church for the next two weeks.  There are a lot of great things going on already, and we can’t wait to jump in and run with them!  Check back for updates on what’s going on, and for pictures and videos of my life on the road!

Life is good, God is great!

-Kyle 

Abundant Life

(This one’s convoluted, so bear with me!)

We left Michigan yesterday, my house to be exact.  It kinda made me sad, but I know that there are other states with good experiences.  We’ll be in Virginia for at least three weeks, so I’d better get used to another state for sure.  I’m pretty certain that there are some wonderful people to be met and share in fellowship.  God provides a number of things, including people.  However, I seriously doubt I’ll meet another host mom that can cook like my own mom, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn't eat.  In addition, I probably won’t have another bed as comfortable as my own bed, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t sleep.  The remainder of the tour won’t be as easy as living at home.  That brings me to a very important point.  My point is this: If you are forced out of your box, you can’t reserve yourself for only the things with which you are familiar or else you will you die, both spiritually and physically.  Our Christian walk isn’t supposed to be easy, and as full-time workers in the mission field, we are Satan’s number-one target for inflicting pain and discomfort.  Just as Jesus says in John 10, “I came that you may have life, and have it to the full.”  Life to the full, abundant life, crazy life!  Jesus promises that in Him, we will be given a full and abundant life.  Full of what?  Good and bad, joy and pain, laughter and tears.  Is there a storm raging in your life?  It will pass.  Is life going awesome, superb, and honeymoon-like?  It will pass!  Even though there’s some moments of uncomfortable nature, Jesus gives us those moments so that we can have life to the full.  Could be worse however, because we could have a ton of stuff going on, but not have someone to worry about it for us.  God doesn’t call you to do his work, and then not provide for you. He isn’t a stingy war general, sending troops into battle without proper supplies.  He gives us food and a place to sleep, every night.  Eat and have rest, for tomorrow is a new day, and maybe a new state, but it’s all the same battle field.

Life is good, God is great!

-Kyle

Leaving Home

We left Michigan today.  Slight sadness lurks behind the excitement for something completely new and different.  We’ve been all over Michigan the past week.  We started in the Porkies with the Tomahawk youth group.  Camping was kinda cold, kinda wet, but really cool.  The U.P. is really beautiful, especially in the fall, and especially along Lake Superior.  From there we went to Ewen, the small but mighty town of less than 500.  We went bowling on Saturday night, and did two services at two different churches on Sunday morning.  Then we went to Escanaba, where we just hung out with some kids and adults for a couple hours, and then we went to our host homes.  Josh and I had to go to the bus station at two a.m. to pick up our staff person for on-the-road-training.  So we were up late watching movies with our host dad, who was really cool.  Us boys and the girls both had awesome host homes, and we hope to go back to Escanaba next summer.  From Escanaba, we went to East Jordan, which is near Traverse City.  We did a Nursing Home (a little music, a little chatting, a LOT of bingo).  I got a bunch of kisses on the cheek from one elderly lady in particular; I think she thought she knew me.  From there we went to Saginaw, where we did a chapel and a Nursing Home.  No kisses or bingo this time, but a lot more talking, which was fun.  After Saginaw, we went to Clinton Township near Detroit.  We had just a preschool chapel there, which was fun and funny. Little kids can come up with rather funny observations.  Since we only did the noon chapel, which was like fifteen minutes, we had the rest of the day to hang out and plan for our next booking.  Then we sat around and watched television, and I got to hang out and chat with the world-famous JoshKittleman of Concordia Ann Arbor fame.  It was fun stuff indeed!  From Clinton Township we went to Jackson, where we once again had amazing host homes.  We did a school chapel, a potluck (relational eating at its finest), a pseudo lock-in with some middle school kids, and two Sunday services.  We also watched the Michigan-Michigan State game and the Tigers-Yankees game, at the same time, while having a cookout.  Good times, except U of M won.  After we ate, some of us went to the Jackson Parlor, where Josh ordered the famed “Dare to be Great.”  This was after he ate seven chicken quarters, so he only ate eight of the eleven pounds of ice-cream they served him (see October photos).  He couldn’t move very well afterward, and he got really cold too for some reason.  I got the 32 oz. root beer float, as usual.  After Jackson we went to my house.  It was good to be home, especially good for food reasons.  I also got to swap out some of my clothes for different stuff so I can wear shirts I’m not sick of.  We did a mini-program at the Training School in Adrian, which went extremely well.  We sang the “Chew My Gum” song for ten minutes, and the young women there were really into everything.  On Monday (yesterday), Tara’s family came from Canada and hung out.  They took us out to lunch, and ate dinner at my house.  We had fun and I got to see my family, and Dana, so that was super awesome!  Then we drove about 2 ½ hours today to Mansfield, OH. Once again our hosts are really cool.  We seem to get really lucky with the host home situation, mostly.

The food’s good, the road’s good, the people are great!

Life is good, God is great!

-Kyle

Michigan!

Yay for Michigan!  It’s good to feel somewhat home.  Actually, we’re still in the U.P. of Michigan, and I’m a troll (I live “under the bridge”) but it’s good to see familiar ways of marking the highway system.  We drove from Wisconsin into Michigan on Friday afternoon with a youth group from Tomahawk, WI.  While in Tomahawk we all stayed in this cabin in the woods that was owned by a doctor and his wife and kids.  The doctor has run the Iditarod four times, so he had 30+ Alaskan Huskies (and months-old puppies!)  They also had some horses, so we got to go horseback riding Friday morning before we left with the youth group.  We camped with youth group Friday night in the Porcupine Mountains, right on the edge of Lake Superior, and we were with them through lunch on Saturday when we left for Ewen, MI, a small town with a huge heart.  We went bowling with the youth in Ewen (my highest game of three was a 91) and then did two entire Sunday services at two different churches.  We met some wonderful people in Ewen, which is fairly famous with past New Dawn teams apparently.  After the Sunday service drove to Escanaba, a large town (relatively speaking for the U.P.) on Lake Michigan.  Two great lakes in one weekend, pretty impressive.  After a couple days in Escanaba, we go across the bridge to theLower Peninsula, where we’ll eventually end up at my house!  Yay home, yay food, yay for not having to use a road map!

The road has been good to us so far.  I’m starting to learn how to delegate certain parts of my Program Coordinator job, like the stress.  It’s actually possible to delegate stress, I’ve discovered how (If you want the secret, send me a letter with a sum of money or something).  As you can imagine, putting five complete strangers in a van after a month of what would best be described as mixers and get-to-know-you games can create some interesting side effects.  These effects include, but are not limited to; unknown, unpleasant, and unclaimed odors; funny, strange, and awkward inside jokes; and dirty looks from the rear-view mirror.  Perhaps the most important thing we have all learned, or rather, been pleasantly made aware of, is that in relational ministry, it is not only important to know what you’re doing, it is also important to be prepared that what we may know about the days activities could be completely wrong.  So, in review, the two important things about relational ministry are, one, know what’s going on; two, be ready for when what you know isn’t correct.  You may never know because instead of having a program tomorrow, you may have one within an hour of arriving at the church.

Life is good, God is great! (And so is Michigan, go Buckeyes!)

-Kyle Scobie