Work, Work, and Play!

Alright, I've caught an hour to update you all. I want to give you some more detail on what it is exactly that I'm doing here. 

I am currently living and spending life consistently with 30 other people that are all around the same age as me (except for the few in charge). Our group makes up the "Work Staff" for the camp. Basically any manual labor or activity needed, that is us. We prepare, clean, and set up the camp before the military kids arrive - which includes setting up 100 tents (not a highlight). During camp we set up the dining room, cook two meals a day (for 450+), serve the food family style, tear down the dining room and clean. We then are responsible for hand washing all the dishes, usually takes anywhere from 2-3 1/2 hours. We set up and tear down any type of event the camp puts on for the kids such as ---- the Carnival, skits, painball, honky tonk night (square dancing), Birthday night, and the BBQ on the beach. Plus other random tasks such as cleaning bathrooms, picking up and taking out trash, our laundry, etc... Our days usually start at 7 a.m. and end around 11 - 12 p.m.

The camp last about 5 days and is a LOT of work. Ironically, I am having an amazing time. Everyone is so joyful in the Lord, that our work is done joyfully together. We want these military kids to know Jesus and this is the way we serve for that to take place. These people working alongside me are so captured by the love of Christ, that we've all payed money to come to this camp. We've all payed a lot of money in fact to come work our butts off. That right there is proof to the character of Christ that we all eagerly and humbly serve. 

Now there are two weeks when kids are here. The first week are high school kids and the second week are middle school kids. We just finished the week with the high schoolers and have had a 3 day break to travel and see some of Italy.......

This is me in Pisa holding up the leaning tower!

This is me in rural Tuscany -- we had the opportunity to meet a Christian Italian family that has a vineyard, have a real Italian meal, and have a tour of there vineyard.

This is the real Italian meal --- best thing I've eaten in a long time!

This is the first night after camp, the work staff was taken out to dinner in Pisa!

We got to go to an island for the day called Elba. Good times!

Ciao!

It’s been a while since the last time I blogged. Well January to be exact. I had just arrived home from my adventures in Mali and was debriefing through the thoughts that had consumed my mind after such a perspective changing experience. Don’t know why I’m explaining this sense it is only a 6 inch downward scroll on this page. (check it out if your curious).

What brings me back from retirement? God has been so good to me. Humbly good to me. I’ve been blessed with another opportunity to see the world. A lot of the world. For the next 9 weeks I will be combining a few mini-adventures into one big adventure.

Beginning June 16^th, I will be living and working alongside 30 other individuals on an American military base. Young Life brings their summer camp experience, which takes place throughout the summers in America, to the American children abroad on military bases. The goal is to allow these middle school and high school students to experience and know Jesus Christ.

The camp ends on July 5^th, which is when I begin the second leg of my trip. I will be traveling for 2 weeks throughout Northern Italy , visiting: Florence, Rome, Cinque Terre, and Venice with Becky (my girlfriend), Lindsey, and Jaymi Harper. Three girls, one me :/

Then back to Africa I go. Rwanda! I get to visit the country that was my home two years ago during my internship with Food for the Hungry. Oh, and did I mention my girlfriend will be with me here too. Life will be good.

On July 22^nd  we will arrive in Kigali, Rwanda. From there Becky and I will stay one night with my roommate from college and his wife, Paul and Linda Bork (they’re working with “World Teach” for a year).

On July 23^rd we will take a 9 hour bus ride north to Kampala, Uganda. Here we will meet up with a old intern friend of mine. She currently works with an organization that loves on street children in the slums. We will stay with her for 5 days, experience her work and Kampala, and then head back to Rwanda.

Becky and I, along with Rick Prigge (on ASU Young Life Staff) will help lead a group of ASU students on a “Life challenging, crazy, awesome, rock your world trip” for two weeks, August 8^th – August 17^th. The End.

Becky, Lindsey, and I are currently on a shuttle, passing through London, on our way to another flight connection that will take us to Pisa, Italy (Near the military base). Like I said, I’ve been truly blessed to be able to say yes to an opportunity such as this.  I’m excited and am excited for you to follow me through my travels. Stay Tuned….

(Forward): I wrote that about a week ago. Since then we have arrived safely to Camp Darby, the military base in Livorno, Italy. Internet access has been limited, which has kept me from updating my blog earlier. Sorry. My time this far has been non-stop work. The first three days at the base we worked throughout the day to prep and create a Young Life environment on a very secular military base. Since then, Myself and 30 others have been serving 400 high school students. It's been a wild ride but I'm enjoying every minute of it. The people i'm working alongside are great. Even though we are working anywhere from 8 - 16 hours a day, everyone's attitude reflects the joy we have in HIM, Christ. We remain in the mindset that all of this is to His glory! I'll try to update regularly. Love you and Miss you all!