The Unwanted Roommate

I pride myself in being fairly low-maintenance. For the past twenty months, I've lived in a basement that could hardly be considered an apartment. Over the course of time, I've shared this basement with a total of seven housemates and numerous guests. But there are a few particular guests that were not invited, and I hope do not return.

My toilet has captured and killed three mice since I've lived here. Sticky traps have caught two more. A few weeks ago, I walked into my office after lunch break to find a plastic bag on my computer. A dead mouse was inside. (I screamed when I had seen the live version of that mouse running around earlier... oh, cruel office jokes.) Unfortunately, there have been several more mice around the home, but it seemed like they all eventually found their way back outside. In fact, after seeing a mouse run around in August, there has been no evidence of mice since. That is, until a few days ago.

While preparing lunch on Tuesday, I found two Jolly Ranchers on my hot pad. That was odd, since I kept the candy in the next drawer over. Then I realized that the pieces of candy had the wrappers torn off and displayed little teeth marks. Even worse, I noticed that my small rubber spatula had been completely chewed up! (Why was it so appealing? It was just clean rubber!) I took everything in that drawer to the camp kitchen so that I could sanitize it in the dishwasher. (I left the chewed-up spatula out; I'm never using that again!) And all of my food that didn't have a tight seal is being quarantined in a fridge or freezer.

Yesterday morning, around 6 am, I was enjoying my sleep when I heard the sound of rattling plastic. Thinking it was just part of my dream, I continued to sleep. When I heard it again, I realized that a small, annoying creature found a plastic object- right beside my bed! It ran away at the sound of my movement, and I didn't see it again.... until nighttime.

I was once again in bed (but this time I was awake with all the lights on), and I thought I saw something small and gray run between the couch and the desk. I saw it a few more times running around that area, which explains why I was unable to sleep until after midnight. I opened the lid of my toilet and dropped a few Jolly Ranchers in, hoping to attract it into the watery grave. I also slathered some mint toothpaste on my face. (Apparently the smell of mint is too strong for them, and I couldn't think of any other way to protect myself other than wearing toothpaste!) Although I did not trap him, fortunately I haven't seen my unwanted roommate at all this morning...yet.

Camp: The Movie

Recently, I've been thinking about how today's "Christianity" isn't really Christianity at all. Church service topics are more often selected based on how they will make the congregation feel and less often about how it will glorify God. Many Christians sugarcoat things to make life sound like an ever-wonderful thing. Perhaps it's even more than just Christians; maybe Christians are doing this because they, like everyone, want the storybook ending seen in the movies.

I just came back from a movie. In fact, it was a Christian movie. Very little was sugarcoated. And I liked it.

Camp Rivercrest often hosts the area's Royal Family Kids Camp. This is a camp for vulnerable and foster children. Theaters in areas that have a Royal Family Kids Camp have been showing the new movie, "Camp".  It just came to Fremont theaters this weekend. I was planning to go sometime this week (it only has a one-week run), but after running into Paula and Mikayla at the YMCA this afternoon, we made plans for me to go with them tonight. 

I currently work with foster kids several times per week. I've been asked if I share the gospel with any of them. In reality I do, but not they way that people expect me to share the gospel. Spirituality is one of the many tough subjects that could bring up a past hurt or send someone over the edge. I am a godly model for them, and I answer any questions they ask me, but I don't do the traditional "presenting the gospel". It's not that I'm shy or scared; it's because I know that, because of this touchy subject, they won't listen to me in the traditional way. 

I was wondering how a Christian movie would go about portraying foster kids. True, there are some very sweet foster kids (who often have many phobias or other challenges attached), but this only covers a portion of foster kids. These kids are more prone to get into fights, cuss people out, and break the law. I actually know someone who went to Royal Family Kids Camp, and he said that while he liked the free food, he thought the "religious stuff" was kind of stupid. I was curious as to how a Christian movie would go about this. After all, even though I've seen some good Christian productions before, bad words, physical contact, and other negative aspects magically don't appear in any of the difficult scenes. Let me just say, if you would get offended by an angry child flipping the bird, you may be offended by Camp! (But I think you should still see the movie anyway.) I don't advocate violence or vulgar language, but I appreciated how the producers didn't shy away from making this movie as realistic as possible.

Ken (the main character counselor) weasels his way into camp merely to impress a new client. Eli (the main character child) is seen getting beat (on his birthday no less, not that he ever got to celebrate his birthday in his lifetime), and later displays the scars to prove it. A girl whose mother wouldn't take her to school can't read her camp mail. Another girl is scared to go to bed because of the past experiences she had at night. A heavyset child tries riding a bike for the first time, saying she was told she was too fat to ride a bike. There's one boy where we don't know much about his past, but he's created his own back story convincing himself that he is from another planet and is waiting for his mother ship to take him back. Many children (and even some adults) cuss, fight, and have insecurities. In fact, the stereotypical gospel message isn't even presented in this film, but it's these real-life scenarios that point towards Christ. 

In fact, the only part I found remotely cheesy was the ending (I won't spoil it!). But even then, it wasn't exactly unrealistic. In fact, I think the ending will make more people think about ways they can contribute to this great cause. Oh, and it was pretty good acting too. Not "Christian good" but actual good.

Of course, along with the heart-wrenching scenes, there were some good moments too. After all, camp is one of the few places left in the world where kids can actually enjoy their childhood. Toward the end of the movie, counselor Ken says "It seems like now camp is real and my real life is fake." Because I work at a camp, I'm naturally a big fan of the power of camp. But I think this will speak even to people who have no experience with camp as well. 

I hope to take the time to see Camp.  (40% of theater profits go to help local Royal Family Kids Camps!) In fact, I may even go see it again. A word of warning, be prepared for realistic events, not the normal mushy movie stuff. But even more, be prepared to witness a film about a wonderful effort!

Note: This movie is only playing in select theaters across the country. Each theater has its own opening date, and all theaters will only run this movie for one week. Be sure to visit http://thecampmovie.com/ so that you won't miss out! 

"Meetinged" Out

In a mere eleven days, I sat in on at least fifteen conference meetings. This includes the CCCA Super Sectional, camp staff meetings, and church meetings. It also includes two back-to-back trips to Omaha.

So far, this hasn't really been a typical work week. Jon's out of the state getting some sort of ropes certification, which makes some projects frustrating since I can't bounce ideas or get access codes to websites that I really need to use! Before he left, he asked me to attend a chamber meeting on Tuesday so that the camp could better utilize the chamber member benefits. Lunch was provided, so I decided to go for it.

I ended up not reserving my spot at that meeting until Monday, but I had all day with nothing to do because my car was in the shop. I took it to Square Tire for brakes check and alignment, and although they take a really long time, they are right next to the hall of a mall. I used my not-so-extreme couponing skills to take three food items out of HyVee and got paid five cents to do it! Then I learned that they couldn't do alignment because some parts would need to be replaced first, and the hub assembly on one of my wheels was crooked and ruined the brakes. All this would cost over $1300! They didn't have time to actually do any of the work, so I had time to think it over.

Tuesday I went to the meeting at the chamber. Going to business meetings is so fancy because I can pretend I'm some person of influence as I rub shoulders with owners and directors and store managers. They served sandwiches, chips, cookies, and water.

On Wednesday I dropped my car off at the shop once again. There was no way I could afford all the work it "needed", but since my 13-year-old car gets close to the gas mileage it's supposed to get, I decided the alignment, and all the work needed to get to the alignment, wasn't necessary. Replacing the brakes and the hub assembly was expensive enough! But I could get my mind off the expense because Emily picked me up and we went to sit at a booth at the Grace University career fair. They served sandwiches, chips, cookies, and water.

On Thursday, I left work early (which was okay because I probably wouldn't have done anything after that point; I was already taking far too many breaks since I was so limited on what I could do) and drove, once again, to the Square Tire parking lot. I cringed when I drove by the store, and I'm sure they cringed when they saw me pull up. (I may have been a bit of a hassle the day before, but it did end up saving me forty bucks.) But fortunately, my car was now running fine, I was just there to meet with other Toastmasters. Instead of our typical meeting night, we were going to support one of our fellow Toastmasters, who was speaking in a competition in Omaha. The competition was held at PayPal, which was actually a really cool building. No wonder they have security measures to get inside! Can you guess what they served? Yep, sandwiches, chips, cookies, and water. The contest was very educational. Maybe I'll enter one in the future...

...but probably not anytime soon. I am meetinged out!

From the Backwoods to the Northwoods (and a few great visits and speakers!)

I eat a fairly vegetarian diet, mostly because it's usually cheaper and healthier. But getting a variety of free meat that is much healthier and more natural than anything you can find at the store? Well, yes please!

I suppose I should back up a bit to last Friday, March 8th. It was our Captivated 2Gether Retreat for Mothers and 2nd-6th grade daughters. As the official retreat photographer, I got to take tons of pics of the ladies, including a photo booth. I even ended up sleeping in a dorm room with them; staying up past midnight and waking up WAY too early. But even after they left, there was no time to rest, because...

It was time for the Wild Game Dinner! Although it wasn't advertised as a men-only event, it was implied, which disappointed me that I couldn't go. But I found my "in" when I was asked to photograph this event as well. There was plenty of meat to choose from, although the decor was slightly creepy...

...This event was a fundraiser for camp, which we did very well on by asking for an admission donation, selling raffle tickets, and having an auction led by a real auctioneer! 

Although the event was a lot of fun and a new experience for me, we didn't finish cleaning until after 10. And even though the next day was Sunday and there were no events at camp that day, I STILL had to get up before 7, because...

...It was the day we were going to Wisconsin! The Lord surprised us that morning with a fresh blanket of snow, which made the 14-hour road trip seem intimidating. In fact, we spent most of the time going as fast as we could, because a snowstorm was chasing us! Eventually the snow caught up with our rental van, but we made it safely anyway to Silver Birch Ranch. 

It was dark the first night and we pretty much went right to bed. (You know those camp mattresses; they're so comfy you that once you lay down you just can't get up, right? Yeah, right.) But the next day was the Head Start seminars, for all of us who came a day early. My Head Start was only in the afternoon, so between breakfast and lunch I explored the camp. The photos above and below are from the canteen. Sysco donated all the food for this conference including free "24 hour" snacks. (I'll explain that later.) That's partially to blame why I gained four pounds on this trip.

Then I went to see what the other cabins and lodges looked like. I even sneaked into a construction project building.

When I went to see the cabin that our guys were staying in, I noticed that they were literally on the shore of the lake. Since it was completely frozen over with a few inches of snow on top, I decided to walk on the lake. Yep, at Christian camp you can walk on water!

After lunch, my seminar started. Now, while most people went to seminars on leadership or fundraising, I went to the one called "Super Fun Seminar". It started by loading up in a van and heading to the climbing wall building. The exterior of the building is the outdoor climbing wall, the roof was the launchpad for the zip line, and inside is a harnessing/briefing room as well as an indoor climbing room. 

After two rides on each of their two zip lines, we tested out their "leap of faith". Basically, you jump out of a room into the climbing room, about 25 feet above the ground

The goal was to hit the bell, but I was so preoccupied with actually jumping that I kind of forgot and missed. But that was okay, because after that, a few of us went out to the trap shooting range. (When I say a few of us, I mean all the other girls and several of the guys went back to the main camp!) I got to learn to shoot clay pigeons! 

That evening, after dinner and the opening session, I encouraged the Rivercrest staff to go back with me to the climbing building to test the leap of faith. 

Jon went first...

... He missed.

Mike went and also missed. 

Jon couldn't get over the fact that he missed the bell, and being encouraged by one of our neighboring Iowegian camps, he was practicing running and jumping in the briefing room. 

I think Emily made it, but I'm not sure because I was focused on being next.

...And I made it!

Jon HAD to try again, but he made it on his second time too! 

So up until Wednesday, we spent our time sleeping in this little cabin in the big woods (pictured below), attending interesting sessions and seminars, hanging out together, and eating food. We ate well, except for the night after our jumping endeavors. We were told there were ice cream sundaes in the dining hall, but by the time we got there, they were closed up. Angry, we went to the Canteen for snacks, but these 24 hour snacks weren't there! Even angrier, we sat down and played a game called "Who Knew?" together. It was fun, and mostly kept our minds off of our shrinking stomachs (except for the rounds where food was mentioned!). But after a couple of hours, food came, and I excitedly ran to grab my 18th Oreo of the day. But I wasn't nearly as thrilled as Jon, who threw his coat in my face so that he could get there first! The next day made up for it; the lunch session was full of free samples (both food and product) from vendors, and at night we made it to the dining hall in time for free slushies, popcorn, and Otis Spunkmeier cookies. 

After a few days of jam-packed days and near-sleepless nights, (By the way, I hadn't had a good night of rest for awhile- the Thursday before the heating and cooling guys were replacing the units located in the chapel utility room, which is inside my bathroom, so I "slept" upstairs, then I stayed with the girls at the Captivated 2Gether retreat, then I had to wake up super early for the trip to Wisconsin before spending several nights on those great mattresses in a room with three other people.), we finally made it to our last day. I was the first to wake up, since I was the only one going to a seminar before brunch. On my way, I stopped at the prayer chapel, which I hadn't been to all week. The building was locked, but it had a great view. 

After the morning seminar was our final all-camp session, then brunch, then going home. In contrast to how our dining hall was decorated a few days before, here is how Silver Birch has their dining hall permanently decorated:

After a long ride home (although we did pick up some Wisconsin cheese curds to go with our never-ending supply of Red Vines... and we went to Pizza Ranch), I was a little "camped" out, but on Friday we turned around and did it all over again! Well, sorta. 

We (as well as a few summer staff) went to Carol Joy Holling Camp, Conference and Retreat Center in Ashland. It was nice to go to an Ashland that wasn't completely hippie-fied like the one in Oregon is, but it did miss out on the true Ashland character because of it. After the 13 of us toured the camp in the 12-passenger van, we met in a conference room and planned for summer. 

After all these sessions and meetings and speakers, you think I'd be done with that sort of thing, right? Guess not. Since camp only had a small Narc-Anon group out this weekend, I didn't have to work. So today, I went to church for the first time in awhile. (And yes, I even got to sleep in!) We had a guest speaker named John Stumbo. The name sounded familiar, and then I heard that his brother Milo used to be a camp director out at Rivercrest, and was the first person to live in what is now Jon's house. But he was more familiar than even that, but as he told his story, I discovered why: he lives in Oregon! He even pronounces the state's name correctly- something I never hear around here! 

At first, he was kind of hard to listen to him due to his extremely raspy voice, but as his testimony unfolded, I realized what a miracle it was that he could even communicate from the pulpit. A few years ago, a sudden disease put him in a coma and threatened his life. By the grace of God, he slowly- and I mean SLOWLY- re-learned to walk, speak, and even eat (which was something he hadn't been able to do for years; can you imagine?). He was leading a leadership session for all church volunteers that evening, and before church, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go. But after hearing his sermon, there was no way I was missing out on that!

Since church ended at noon and the session started at five, and because I didn't want to go back to camp, I ended up spending the afternoon with Lyvvie. We went to Runza and then to the Y for open swim. First off, lemme say that if you ever see me at the Y with someone who appears younger than me, that doesn't mean that I'm the mom! Yeah, I was asked that multiple times. But it was okay because one of those people was from J-House, and several of the teens were actually there for open swim. Kind of weird seeing them in a different environment, but nice to know that they actually like hanging out with me outside my volunteer hours. We then bought junk food (for me) and kool aid (so she can dye her hair tips) at the grocery store, and then I dropped her off so I could go to the session at church, which was well worth it, and really made me think about what it means to be a leader holistically. 

Well, now it's late, so I shall go. Hope to have more happenings like this in the near future!

Orphan Care and the American Church

After yet another night of having a hard time falling asleep, I ended up writing this essay. It turned out better that what I expected for being as exhausted as I was, so I thought I might as well share it with the public. Perhaps it could be the small beginning to making a big change.

Introduction
It is obvious that orphan care is far too ignored by the church, particularly the American church, but is there a reason behind this? Three noticeable reasons are that the need is hidden, the subject does not seem controversial, and it appears to be largely government-funded.

Government Funding
The church often focuses on needs that the government does not. The state will never address salvation or discipleship. There is no expectation of a missionary government grant. However, any government-supported program could always use additional support. There is no need for separation between church and state in this case, yet the church seems to define distant boundaries where the government offers funding. Before abortion was legalized, most of the church did not see a need for unplanned pregnancy counseling. When abortion was declared legal, the government essentially stopped supporting pro-life practices, and around the same time the church stepped up to the plate. Perhaps increasing church-sponsored pregnancy resources, the end result would not have been the same.

With the exception of very few small private organizations, the orphan crisis in the United States is completely sponsored by the government. The church may occasionally give a few pairs of socks or an old teddy bear to the cause, but leave the care-giving and funding at the mercy of the state.

In the case of the international orphan crisis, it is very much the same in many countries. In places such as Canada, Australia, and most of Europe, little to nothing is done because the church is not involved where the government is. In poverty-stricken nations or places where there is less government support for orphans, there actually is more awareness among the American church. Christian sponsorship programs and adoption agencies focus on these communities, knowing that they would not be as successful if they promoted in an area with government input. In international cases, the church also keeps hands-off due to the fact that many celebrities are beginning to take the reigns. If celebrities promote orphan advocacy, perhaps more people will be more inclined to help, but the church will be less inclined.

The church does not focus on the orphan crisis because images of orphans being fed, clothed, housed, and educated suggest that there is no need. Food, clothes, housing, and education is indeed provided to some orphans, but not all, and not always adequately. However, deeper needs, such as stability, companionship, and love cannot always be provided in government-run situations. Worst of all, government plans for orphan care make it nearly impossible to plant and cultivate in these children the gospel, a message that the church claims is at the core of its existence, but apparently is not seen as an issue when it comes to ministering to orphans.

Controversy
The church loves to deal with controversial issues. Nearly every church community has a standpoint on abortion, homosexuality, fornication, evolution, patriotism, and euthanasia. The mere mention of these words evoke a slightly different feeling to each individual. However, with the words "orphan crisis", virtually everyone thinks of sorrow. Even though the general population feels sad about the situation, very few people actually do something active about it.

Along with the mutual thought of sorrow, there is also the thought that, since everyone feels this way, then certainly there are already enough people out there already doing something about it. Unfortunately, as this is the majority though process, there is not enough being done. In reality, if indeed enough people put their feelings about the orphan crisis into action, then there would no longer be an orphan crisis.

Just as this attitude is evident among individuals, it is also evident within the church. With controversial issues, the church feels called to advocate, perhaps as more of a power struggle of who is right instead of a genuine care and concern. At first glimpse of the orphan crisis, there does not appear to be controversy. Even if the church truly cared about controversial issues for a reason other than power, there is indeed plenty of controversy within the orphan care system. The rights of blood relatives, the availability of adoption, and whether orphans should be placed in homes or institutions are just a few potentially highly-debatable issues. Whether or not the church's craving for controversy is pure of heart, topics about the orphan crisis inevitably contain points of argument.

Hidden Need
Perhaps the most predominant reason for the church to overlook the orphan crisis is because it is currently designed to be overlooked. The need for orphan care is hidden, particularly domestically. With clever names such as "foster child" replacing the supposedly politically incorrect term "orphan", just as "group home" replaces the seemingly-corrupt "orphanage", there appears to be less needed for the orphan crisis because it is so rare to hear the word "orphan". Institutions for orphans are stuck in the low-class part of town that few ever venture to, and most of these children are placed in foster homes, which often comes with benefits that institutions cannot provide, but also contributes to making orphans less noticeable. As previously mentioned, the government is the "someone else" that provides for the orphan's needs, thus rarely there is a plea for assistance.

With such an excellent job of hiding the orphan crisis within the very communities of the American church, there should be no surprise of the orphan crisis in distant lands that are even better hidden. This part of the crisis is tucked away in a distant land so far away that the American church can rest comfortably without thinking about the problem. There is occasionally news of another crisis that made the orphan crisis even more devastating, and nonprofits expand their reach by mentioning orphans, but the church is often fooled into believing that these messages encompass the entire orphan crisis. In reality, there are millions of orphans that are not part of any adoption agency or sponsorship program, and therefore are incredibly difficult for the church to reach.

Conclusion 
Because of the hidden need, controversy, and government funding, the American church at large ignores the orphan crisis more than what should be possible. Perhaps it is time for a change, to expose the need for what it truly is. It is time for the church to respond to the call for action.

Why?

I am questioning my faith and belief system.

But this doesn't mean I'm on shaky ground. In fact, I think that this is something everyone should do.

Today started off the same way most of my Mondays do. I slept in, started some laundry, took a shower, and ate breakfast. Lent started this past Wednesday. Last year, I fasted from anything with caffeine, including chocolate. I decided to get involved in Lent again this year, but with a rather obscure fast: I'm fasting from having my computer in my home. That way, if I want to use the computer, I have to go to my office, which means that I'm occupying my time with lots of other, more beneficial, activities when I'm at home. I started re-reading Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution as a way to spend my day and suddenly a lot of the Lord's will became clearer. I realized I was thinking to much about what I could GET or SAVE instead of thinking about what I could GIVE. But in reality, while some things became clear, even more became messed up. I started thinking about the motives behind everything I do, and trying to determine whether or not I really had any true goals in mind. I kept this in mind as I went about my afternoon activities.

My plan for the day was bank, blood donation (with the alternate plan of going to the YMCA if I was unable to donate), and then the J-House. After discovering that the bank was closed (I forgot that it was President's Day), I went back to my car, and it had problems starting. I tried adding oil since it looked like it might be low, but after that I realized that the gear shift didn't go all the way to "Park". Well, I guess that was sort of a waste of an oil can! I then went to my blood appointment. Everything went well, from the mini exam to the pint donation, until they started taking the blood test samples. It was then that I actually got dizzy, something that I've never experienced in my past donations. They made me lay down, ran a fan, put a cool cloth on my forehead, and made me do some weird leg exercises. After a few minutes of that I was back to normal, but still everyone was asking if I was okay. I even ran into my Toastmasters' club president there. But eventually, I left to go to the J-House.

The J-House was created to house any age of foster child to help with the lack of foster families in the Fremont area. However, I've only ever seen teens living there, likely because so few foster families want to deal with this age group. (After all, who doesn't love a baby? But a hormonal teenager?) I just wish there were more people willing to spend a few hours a week with them; they especially need it at this point in their life. Anyway, it's not uncommon to hear disagreements or overstepping boundaries. They also have a lot of questions for me and the staff about why we do the things we do. For example, as soon as I took off my coat, I was questioned for why on earth would I want to give blood. But one of the particularly frequent topics for disagreements and overstepped boundaries is God.

I'd heard several of their opinions on who God is, or whether or not He really exists. But it wasn't until today that one (a self-proclaimed atheist) asked me if I believed in God. Now, in the past, I had never stated any of my beliefs, because I think that the term "Christian" has a very negative ring to many of them, so I find it much more appropriate to witness to them by forming a healthy relationship with them. I've told them I work at Rivercrest, which most of them know hosts Christian camps, but this wasn't a question about Christianity. It was a question about God himself.

So, did I believe in God? Of course I answered "yes". But it was the follow-up question that got me: Why?

How many self-proclaimed Christians can actually answer this question? Just like it says in the book I'm reading, the church oftentimes tries to pretend not to hear the tough questions, or only offers a muffled answer. If we don't take the time to discover the answers for ourselves, then the body of Christ will not be effective for ministry. I told him "I just do. I don't see any reason not to, since I can tell every day that he exists." It was a good enough answer for him to respect, but I think that there are better answers.

I'm going to keep asking the tough questions. I'll even start looking to answer a few of them. I will question my motives, no matter how noble the cause. I will go into everything with an end goal in mind. And to my chief end, I will continue to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Crown College Recruiting

On Tuesday afternoon, Emily, Jeremiah and I left on a six-hour road trip to Minnesota. We didn't get there until 10:30, but that was okay, because all we had to do that evening was visit with our friend Steph. (Oh, and on the way there, I ate at Taco John's for the first time.) But Wednesday was the important day. 

Last year I went to Crown College to recruit summer staff, and I was happy that I could go again this year. Although we didn't get to bed until around 1am, we were up early the next morning, with just enough time to eat breakfast, watch some Dick Van Dyke, and buy a 3 pound bag of candy because we forgot to get some the day before. We set up our booth (and I must say, it looked WAY better this year- the sock monkey especially pushed it over the top!) right before chapel started at 10am.

The only problem we had was that this banner broke about three times. 

 After the short chapel session, students could look at the various camp tables. There were camps from all over the place. Most were in Minnesota, but there was even one from Alaska! Although it was hard to convince people to work at Rivercrest when they had about 30 choices of camps to choose from, the positive in this was that we could network with other camps- especially Solid Rock Bible Camp of Alaska. One camp staff (I don't remember which camp) came up to our booth and recognized us from last year! (Well, he recognized me, and he thought he remembered seeing Jeremiah, but it was actually Eli who went last year- twin deception by the Twin Cities!) I also went over to the Camp Victory booth and started chatting with the staff there because I saw that they had this model of their high ropes course on their table.

 After the recruiting session, we ate lunch at the Crown cafeteria. Fortunately, it was burrito Tuesday- they make them just like Chipotle! We eventually left, and I drove all the way to Sioux City- that's actually a pretty big deal for me. We ate there at Custer's, and then continued on the road, eventually returning home after 10:30. It was fun to get out for a couple of days, and I hope to do even more trips soon (starting with two trips in March!).