Sand sculptures

Here's a photo dump from our sand sculpture day.  We're on our second-to-last day:  beach, packing, cleaning, driving to Norfolk for the night.  We'll get whatever rest we can for tonight and head out after church in the morning around 10am.  Hope to be in Dublin 12 hours later.

Had a fantastic week.  Thank you all for your prayers, Jason and I have really enjoyed the time with your students and God has definitely been at work.  Last night we played a couple of hours of Capture the Flag in total darkness on the beach (with the exception of everyone's glow necklace halo).  No moon, seemingly no end to the running, tagging, strategizing.  Good times.  We've worshipped, studied, discussed, swam, walked, shopped (yesterday), danced, eaten and eaten and eaten, laughed and prayed enthusiastically.  God is good.

Update! The beach is grand.

 We've been coy, I know.  Having all this fun and not telling you about it.  So, here's the thing:  I finally gave over responsibility for picture-taking since I hadn't been able to update the blog.  Now that pictures are being taken daily I can tell you about our trip.

The morning starts with personal bible study from 7.45-8.30.  The students have guides I've prepared that follow our teaching for the week.  After Bible study we have breakfast together until 9 and then free time until lunch at noon. Lunch is eclectic:  sandwich meats, mac and cheese, fruit, etc.  Everyone makes their own meal and we hang out a bit until our 1.15 discussion groups.  We break into guys and girls groups and discuss the morning's personal study.  Then we pray for one another and break again at 2 until 4pm for beach time, reading, naps for some, etc.  The 4-6pm hour is set aside for our Community-Bonding experience.  Monday we went to the local lighthouse and walked the spiral staircase to the top of the tower.  Tuesday we played a flag-football game on the beach.  Today we'll have a sand sculpture contest, Thursday is the Jorts Volleyball Tournament, and Friday we visit the local shops for some souvenir-ing and ice-cream.

Once we finish the community-bonding we head back to the house for dinner.  Our students are divided into work groups to help cook, serve, and clean up dinner (with the oversight of our food dominator, Elise).  We've had fantastic meals.  From 7.30-9.15 we have an evening worship service led by the leaders but co-led by students.  We have them read scripture, pray, lead the music, etc.  Jason will be teaching his first large-group lesson tomorrow night!

In case you're curious, the topic of our evening worship:

• Sunday:  The problem of brokenness, the relentless tide of God's restoring work (Amos 5)
• Monday:  Restored to be Christ-Centered (2 Corinthians 5:14-21)
• Tuesday:  Restored to be Gospel-Driven (1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Phil 3:13-14)
• Wednesday:  Restored to be Cross-Dependent (Galatians 2:20) 
• Thursday:  Restored to be Shalom-Focused (Isaiah 58)
• Friday:  Restored by Rest (Matthew 12:1-13)
• Saturday:  Thanksgiving (Psalm 73)

After our evening worship we have another group activity, more or less.  Sunday night we watched the worst movie we could find.  Monday night we played Sardines (reverse hide-and-go-seek where we all start in the driveway of the house and try to find one person hiding within).  Last night we took it easy after a very active day and played games and watched movies.  Tonight we'll go on the crab walk (taking our flashlights to see the small crabs scurrying at the water's edge).  Tomorrow night we will try to play mini-golf and Friday night will be our annual late-night capture the flag on the beach with glow necklaces.  Awesome.

So that's a day in the life right now.  Enjoy the pictures!  More to come tomorrow. 

Part of the very short walk from the house

task:  dig a hole.

Neil and Chris in a brisk tide

Jason's getting a great start on Stillwater community bonding

Bridget's first trip with us.  We're so glad to have her along.

task:  done.  Not pictured:  enthusiastic beach tow truck driver.

Trademark Lane competitive drive on display.  Being better than boys at stuff since 1992. 

Alex thinking about participating.  Also:  doing that thing with his face.

Victorious leader of victorious team.  Encouraging claps!

4 ever.

The man is an asset.  Brad hauls, serves, leads discussion groups, sets things on fire.

Which streak is more likely to be broken?  DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak or James' streak of terrible pictures taken?  I don't know how I do it, I just pack my lunch box, put on my hard hat and go to work.

Last day, last thoughts and last photos

Home safe.  Tired, but a good tired.  Grateful for what we saw, experienced, felt and understood, and grateful to have been there to watch God's story unfold in many lives.  Some last random thoughts, lessons and observations:

- You have to turn the volume up on the movie if you want to hear the best parts.  Timing is everything.

- Baken-ets (bold&spicy variety) -- and yes, that is the actual name -- are now considered a banned substance on all future stillwater trips.  For those not familiar, Baken-ets = pork rinds.

- The trip leader is expected to know at all times the answer to any question relating to time of day, time to destination or time until future food consumption.

- Compression shorts are a good thing to wear to waterfest. 

- Lots of steps down = lots of steps up

- achieving consistent water temperature in a shower can be harder than you think.

- Worship with 800 middle schoolers is pretty awesome. 

- Somewhere between  Covenant and Dublin is a Pilot travel stop with the largest display of slim jim/jerky products this writer has ever seen.

- the weather changes quickly on top of Lookout Mountain, in a beautiful way.

- God never stops working.  God never stops caring for us.  God never stops speaking to us.  Even when we listen to other voices.  I pray each of us has ears to hear the One who knows and loves us best.