So, my last post mentioned a trip to New York to go canoeing for a week. What it didn’t mention was 3 days of pouring rain and soggy tents, a tortilla stealing crow, a world class sling shot…errrr…shot, and the easiest going group of kids I’ve ever had the pleasure of spending a week with in the woods. The trip was a great success by all standards and the 11 of us spent almost 8 full days together and didn’t even have so much as an argument. Everyone was great with one another and really sought to put others ahead of themselves, which is what you’re hoping for on a trip like this.

At our first campsite, we had all of the aforementioned events take place in a 16 hour period. We arrived at our 2 adjacent shelters (similar to the ones on the AT) early to duck out of a nasty thunderstorm and the group decided to stay. The next several hours were spent jumping off the nearby rocks into Long Lake, chasing chipmunks, cooking dinner, and just having an overall great time. That evening, they opted to set our food afloat in a canoe to keep it away from bears rather than hang it in a tree. However, no one thought about the stinking crows cawing their little lungs out in the trees nearby. Due to that oversight, our PB and J tortilla sandwiches were defaced with crow claw marks the next day at lunch! Before we left that next morning, which was rather late due to the students choosing our departure time, I remembered a delightful little item I had stowed in my backpack days earlier. I fancy myself a David (of giant killing fame) wannabee and have a couple slingshots at my house. They, of course, are nothing like the ones used in the Bible, but it is still fun to shoot at junk with them. By “shoot at,” I mean to say as long as I am in the general vicinity, I am usually quite happy with myself. Robin Hood I am not. So, when I remembered my little projectile hurling treasure in my bag, I grabbed it for fun and jokingly entertained the notion of shooting a chipmunk who’d been stealing our food for the better part of the last day. The kids immediately became obsessed with baiting the little beggars so I could get off a shot. Well, as chance would have it, one came in close enough (about 20 feet) and I lined up Ole Trusty, held my breath, stretched the bands until you could have strummed a tune on them, shut one eye and let’er fly. The chipmunk looked at me like I’d told him a joke, since the little steel ball I was sending his way went about 10 feet to the left and sailed harmlessly into a tree. He jeered at me (or so it seemed) and went back to eating the goldfish scattered on the trail in front of him, stuffing those stupid little chipmunk cheeks of his. I lined up a second time and sadly saw more of the same. Undaunted, the little punk continued eating and making a general mockery of your’s truly. I pulled back a third time, hopes fading quickly, and fired one last time. The steel found it’s mark and it was all over but the cheering. I didn’t just hit the nasty little rodent, I got the ever elusive headshot! Not one to waste anything, after the cheering subsided, I had a couple of the students skin and clean it, and we roasted it over the fire for a mid-morning snack. Please enjoy the picks below and keep any nasty comments about what a terrible person I am to yourself…for the record, it tastes like chicken!

Don't laugh, he was a fighter

Chipmunk - It's what's for dinner

I'll have the thigh, please

If you’re still reading and not calling PETA right now, let me catch you up on the last few days since our return. We got back no a Saturday afternoon with the knowledge that while I was gone, my motorcycle battery had gone dead, my old pick-up truck had died and wouldn’t start, and our only road worthy vehicle had broken down while Melissa was heading to visit our family in Bedford. Fortunately, the bike just needed a new battery and the truck is functional now as well. However, the car is a different story. Seems the normally dependable Toyota engine in our little Prism threw a rod and is no longer functional. That left us with a car valued at less than the price to purchase a new engine. Since that equalled losing money anyway you sliced it, we decided to venture out and look for something reliable for the mother to be. I’d been looking at an older model Subaru Forester but was concerned about having enough space for a family and a dog. When we got to the Subaru dealer to test drive some of their used inventory, we found a Nissan Quest (as mentioned in the title) that had recently been traded. It was more than we ever thought we could get and $3000-4000 under KBB price. So, we gave the salesman our top dollar monthly payment (which was really a little lower than we were willing to pay) and told him if he could meet it, we’d see if we had ourselves a deal. He met it, we felt comfortable, and we drove home in what we promised we’d never drive, a baby wagon. Oh well, at least we’ve got room for a couple kids, a big dog, an in-law or two, and maybe even an occasional hitch hiker!

I hope the last 2 weeks have been good ones for you and, since I’m not traveling anymore for a while, I’ll try to be a bit more consistent in these updates. Take care and tell someone why you appreciate them today. God bless.

Today, my office is the uncomfortable corner of the new Dunkin’ Donuts in Kokomo, IN. The signs around the room advertise a plethora of options sure to give you that morning or midday pick-me-up you so desperately need. The man and woman next to me hungrily chow down on their breakfast sandwiches and stare around the crowded room, searching for something to talk about. In line, there is a family of 4 and the oldest dauughter got her height from her father and her looks from her mother. The father’s contribution isn’t bad but the mother’s offering leaves a bit to be desired. All around me, I am surrounded by people of various different shapes, sizes and appearances: short, tall, round, square, happy, sad, shy, mad, lovely, and weathered by the storms of life. And here I sit in the corner with my thickening beard and nearly shaved head already laced with little strands of gray, wearing a faded red hat that certainly doensn’t match the burgundy Elms shirt I’m sporting today. It strikes me how different we all are, but yet how very much alike. Each person here has known hurt and happiness, hunger and fulfillment. Every person enjoying their donuts has no doubt felt the joy of laughing until it hurts and the sting of tears from disappointment (a middle-aged woman with thick glasses just grinned at me… guess I’d better smile back, but also stretch so she can see my left ring finger…scratch that, her hulk of a husband seems more than able to have his donuts with a side of beat down on me, so I’ll just keep typing). There is a “woman” behind the counter who already has a 5 o’clock shadow and as much hair on “her” legs as me. I could draw some conclusions, but I don’t want to be wrong, so I’ll just stick to the observations. I’m certain “she’s” been confused about her identity at one point or another but has also been crystal clear about her love and feelings for people in her life.

As I sit here and type, my thoughts drift to how Christ must view each of these people I’ve described. I’m reminded of His love for a little tax collector everyone despised and how He helped Zacchaeus leave his life of loneliness and brokeness and brought him new life. I think of the woman caught in adultery and thrown, naked, down at Jesus’s feet. He wasn’t repulsed. He wasn’t disgusted. He simply looked at her, loved her, saved her, and sent her away with a new lease on life. I think of all those who were oppressed, forgotten, excluded, and at the end of their ropes. Then, I think of the constantly changing line of donut lovers in front of me and I’m reminded that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So, in the same way he loved a prostitute, a tax collector, and countless others of no earthly value, He still loves us today and desires to give each of us new life. I’m so grateful for the times I forget to live in this new way of life He’s given me and yet He continues to love, accept, and forget my failures. That news is as true for me as it was for Zacchaeus, Peter, and the little old lady who just stumbled out of here on her cane, carrying her bran muffin. If you’re reading this and haven’t ever heard about this side of Jesus, we should talk. There’s more to the Bible than a boring list of do’s and don’ts. If you know precisely what I’m talking about, then make it your goal to share that same love with someone in your life today. Chances are, if they’ve heard of Jesus and have chosen not to receive new life in Him, someone gave them the wrong picture. See what vision of His love you can paint for them through your words and actions.

This will probably be my last post for at least a week, as I leave in the morning for a wilderness trip with 9 HS students and 2 other adults (this also accounts for why I’m sitting @ a donut shop, as I’m just a couple blocks from the rental place where I’m waiting to pick up our van for the trip). We are going canoeing and hiking in the Adirondack wilderness of upstate New York. Please pray for an adventure and frequent chances to see the hand of God at work. I’ll give you an update when I return. And speaking of updates, we have a new little niece as of sometime in the last 3 weeks. I say that because I’m not altogether certain when the government in Thailand signed the last signature to make Noni (sp.) a part of our family. Please pray for her as she adjusts to a new culture, language, and way of life. That’s it, I’m out, and I’m gonna go try every flavor of “coolatta” they’ve got in their sample tray!

(blogs love comments…and this is a blog)

I know it has been way too long since my last post, and I sorry for those who faithfully check the blog. I only have a couple minutes between registration for 2 different weeks of camp, but what I will do is post my last update letter to those who are supporters of my work here at Rainbow. It follows below and I’ll try my best to get another update soon. God bless:

I’m sitting in my office for only the second time in 2 weeks, trying to sneak in enough time between answering questions over the radio and making phone calls I’ve neglected for the past several days to write this letter. This is a task I take very seriously and I hate when I’m not as prompt to keep you updated as I’d like. The reality of the past few weeks though, has made it difficult to do anything but try to keep my head above water! Our summer staff has arrived and we just finished our first week of the summer. It is a great time to be in camping ministry, but also very stressful. This is perhaps even more true because this is my first summer in the Program Director position and I’m still trying to learn the ropes.

From the first day our staff arrived (May 17^th), we’ve been going non-stop from 8 AM to around 11 PM almost every day. Throw into the mix my attempts to meet a buddy of mine to work out at 6:30 every morning, and it makes for some long days. This first part of the summer consists of training our summer staff and trying to check everything off our job list that we’ve got to get done before the campers arrive. The first run of that list had well over 100 different tasks ranging from painting the barn to building our stage to getting the pool up and running. We’ve made good progress, but as the demands of programming take precedent, we’re finding less and less time to finish everything else. Please pray for a productive summer in which our 15 or so summer staff can be stretched in their walk with the Lord and can deliver all that’s required to pull off a great experience for our campers.

On the home front, Melissa continues to work hard at growing the baby! That generally means a good long nap sometime during the day and making sure she’s eating right and not over doing it while working out and landscaping around our house. She’s had a picture perfect pregnancy thus far and she’s just down right adorable! We’ve made the somewhat uncommon choice of having the baby with a midwife and delivering at home and we’ve very excited for the experience. Our midwife is a great Christian lady and has delivered close to 800 little bundles of joy in the past. We’re confident God placed her in our lives and are getting more and more excited the closer it comes. Please keep the 3 of us in your prayers as well. You might also continue to pray for my monthly support, as the demands of summer have made it nearly impossible to do any fundraising on my own. It is during times like these I’m glad I serve a God who knows our needs even before we do and is more than capable of supplying for all those needs. Have a blessed summer and stop by the camp if you get a chance. I’ll be the guy with the radio on his hip, a pregnant woman at his side, and eyes wide from trying to outrun the whirlwind! God bless.

Wow…much has happened since my last post. Last Sunday, our summer staff arrived at camp and we’ve been working like crazy to get through training, finish our prep work around the camp grounds and get ready for the 1200-1500 kids we’re planning for this summer. Everyday last week started around 6:15 with a workout and ended around 10:30 when we finally finished our CPR/First Aid training sessions. So, life has been busy, but this is one of my favorite times of the year.
            On Friday, Melissa and I loaded up in our little Geo Prism, stuffed Maximus in the back seat, and headed south to Bedford for my 10 year high school reunion. Since I was class president, I was responsible for planning the event. For anyone who knows me, you know I am a “live in the moment” type of person and planning out details in advance is about as fun for me as having my entire body hot waxed by a cross dressing man named Leroy doing hard time for beating up his grandma (okay, perhaps that was a bit of a stretch, but I still hate planning things)! So, for this event, I was elated to have my old friend Lindsay Mitchell (now Fletcher), whom you may remember from a blog a few months ago about my most embarrassing/pathetic JH crush (Blog Title “Cash Cab” from January), as the point person for the entire thing. She did a great job getting everything in order and all I really had to do was show up and grill burgers all evening. It was a great time and I really enjoyed seeing so many old friends I hadn’t seen in about 3650 days. It was also a time of reflection for me as I tried to recall anyone who I might have been unfair, unfriendly, or just an outright jerk toward who might be at the reunion with intent to see my life come to an untimely end! I know that probably overstates the case, but I really tried to think of anyone with whom I might need to make amends because I don’t want to be “that guy” and don’t want to live at odds with anyone if I can help it. Most everyone I talked with was friendly and we shared about good times we’d had together. In fact, there wasn’t really anyone I saw I felt awkward toward or with whom I sensed I really needed to make amends. If you’re reading this and you are a person I have somehow hurt in the past, please know I am sincerely sorry and would love to talk with you personally about it. Life is too short to live at odds with others (Romans 12:18: If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone).
             All in all, it was a great time and a few of us even decided to get together for dinner on Saturday evening. I loved the chance to reconnect and also to have Melissa meet some of the people I grew up with and for them to meet her. In case you didn’t know, I’m really fond of my bride and think the world should know how awesome she is! Lindsay and her husband, Daniel (who I played football with), are expecting their first child just a few weeks after we’re expecting our first. It was so strange to see people who I’d know since early elementary when they had bad hair cuts and were missing teeth that are successful business owners, spouses and parents. As is often the case, our time in Bedford prompted Melissa and me to discuss how difficult it is to grasp the idea of being almost 30! I know for many of you that milestone has come and gone (and you probably have smart comments to make, which I always encourage), but for us, we still feel like we should be roller skating around our basements or blowing up frogs with m-80’s in the creek behind our barn! In the immortal words of Nationwide Insurance, “Life comes at you fast.”
            We carried that feeling with us to Popcorn Christian Church on Sunday morning where I gave a brief presentation to a group of people who watched me grow up for most of my formative years. Popcorn is partnering with us in our work here at Rainbow and it was great to give them a picture of what their funds are going toward. It was also great to see so many old friends and to see them share in our excitement about our new baby. We said our goodbyes after church and headed back north toward home to meet Melissa’s parents, who are here for the holiday and helping us get things sorted out with our landscaping in the yard. For me, if the yard is green and you can see more grass than weeds, I’m usually happy. However, Melissa has a bit more of a green thumb and we’re trying to make since of all our flower beds and figure out what needs to go where.
             The only other big news for the time being is our animal barn here at camp, which is rapidly filling with animals in need of rescue. We are a wildlife rescue site and whenever the C.O. in the area comes across a wounded or neglected wild animal, we often get the chance for rehab. Currently, we have 4 baby raccoons, a juvenile red-tailed fox, and a fawn still covered in spots. We should be getting another fawn tomorrow and we’ll have the responsibility as a staff to feed and care for them until they’re ready to be released into the wild. It’s awesome to take our campers to the barn and see them light up when they get to bottle feed a baby raccoon! We enjoyed feeding them this morning and, aside from the bruise on my foot I have from kicking the cow in the head with my sandals on, life is good (Hey, he was trying to eat all the chicken feed in the chicken barn and the only way to move him is to grab an ear, twist it like you’re turning on an outdoor water spigot, and kick him square in the noggin’)! After the ordeal was over, I limped back to the house, enjoyed some Chicago pizza for lunch, and sat down to blog for all of cyber space. Since this blog is mostly informative and not exactly controversial, just tell us know about your own HS reunions (if you’ve had them) and if you have any crazy stories from your own life about dealing with people you were a bully to or were bullied by in HS…