Texas is My Favorite

Here's to me typing the fastest blog entry EVER.

A summary of my week during the Greatest Youth Camp Trip EVER?
Too much sugar, too little sleep!

I gained a new nickname. "Fruit Loop" from The Raven-Haired Girl. Because I yell "OCHO!" in a gravelly voice without warning, I don't like Skittles, cake or salty snacks, I break into song at random times and many other crazy reasons that make her think I'm a little loopy! It's all good. There are worse things to be. :)

Twenty-four hour drive to Texas. Midnight spiritual conversations in Missouri. The "headlines" joke that just killed me. One Southern cockroach scaring the heck outta me! Two words: Sock Puppets. "And this is Hillary!...pause..." "Oh my crackers!" The Green-Eyed Girl. Learning how to critique without being critical. Floor party for The Sparkly Girl's 16th birthday. The whole cafeteria singing "Happy Birthday" (starting a trend!). Face painting, arm painting and other skin painting for nation games. "C'mon, guys! UP is VERTICAL!" -Me waking up the girls. Eat, sleep and go to church-The Best Life Ever. Video confessionals and killing the digital camera. Standing in line again, and again, and again. Dust angels in the Texas "grass." Me returning to the place of God's transformation in my 16th year. Crying more in the presence of God in one week, than in the last six months. Finally getting a nap on Thursday-- "Oh, this is what it feels like to be awake!" Getting soaked because The Sparkly Girl got raptured (not really). The Witty Kid's unintentional hilarious jokes. The Little Bro now called, "Rolando!" Reading crazy-awesome China Gospel stories aloud in the van.

Best Moment:
In the darkened corner of a parking lot, The Youth Group and I gathered to give testimonies of what God was doing. The tears came. The sober spirit held us like a vice. We understood the greatness of God, His purposes for our lives, His Spirit's convicting power, the massive mission that has been entrusted to us, and the call on our lives as a young generation.

The lost sleep, the vacation time, the aggravation, the patience learned, the constant "herding," the hard executive decisions, the time in prayer, the worry of "is this the right thing?", the concern over their souls, the money spent, the love growing, and all else involved in the planning and execution of this youth camp road-trip.... It was all worth it.

God is being glorified through our lives.