Snail Mail

I am a snail mail junkie. I'll admit it. I absolutely love getting letters. I enjoy writing letters too. It's a fantastic way to keep in contact with people. Sure, there is all sorts of amazing technology for keeping in contact with people. Email, facebook, texting, twitter, whatever. But nothing is quite the same as receiving an envelope with your name on it and knowing that someone went through the trouble of sitting down, writing you a letter, and remembering to mail it. You can read it over and over, or stash it in a drawer where it will make you happy all over again when you find it. I have folders from both my summers at camp where I have saved every letter I got over that summer. And I do read through them all every once in a while, just because it makes me happy. Also, here's phenomenal secret about snail mail: If you write to people, most of the time they'll write back! So not only do they get the excitement of getting something that's not a magazine or a bill in the mail, chances are so will you! Make someone's day. Send them a letter.

Hermeneutics, Vegan Snacks, and my Battle with the Monstrous Hill

It's been an interesting week (if you couldn't guess from the title). I had my first classes with Joey this week, Dave's son-in-law, who is a legitimate theologian. I learned new words and concepts, like hermeneutics (a way of interpreting) and exegesis (Trying to figure out what the original meaning was). Those are definitely new topics. However, it dips into the more academic side of things, which isn't too much different from dealing with other literature. Some of the terms even carry over. See, an English major is good for something. I also got to tag along to Nicole, my roommate's, small group, where Wendy's mom was talking about healthy eating and making some different vegan munchies for us to try. I will admit, I felt a bit like a 5 year old at some points, watching her mix up the walnut pate. "I don't think I like that... or that..." But I tried it anyway, and discovered it was delicious. Does this mean I'm giving up bacon and chocolate? No. However, swapping my morning cappacino for a fruit smoothie might happen. Finally, my adventures with the monsterous hill. I've been taking a four mile walk every morning with Grace and Nicole. Most of this is uphill. Tuesday, it started to hurt walking with my shoes on. We were half way through the walk at this point, (to the top of the hill, heading back), and it was easier to walk without my shoes. So I did. The point is, I'm now taking a break from challenging the hill until whatever I stretched more than I should have has recovered. That's week three of my adventure! Tune in next week!

Week 2 (because I'm feeling super creative in the title department)

This has been a very good week. Friday was really fun. We went to Cade's Cove and saw two black bears (trust me, it's a big deal). Monday started the actual training. As Dave Johnston put it, it's kind of like drinking out of a fire hydrant. Information over load, in a good way. It's awesome to be immersed in the message of the ministry which is the identity we have in Christ and how to live out of that. That's a really simplified version, if you want to know more, ask me! I'm still processing a lot of the information, but I'm excited to put things into practice and bring it back to Camp Witness. It's very refreshing to be submerged in the Word of God.

Week 1

If you couldn't guess from the title, I've been in Knoxville for exactly a week today. This week was Infusion's staff retreat, which was awesome. I got to here some great speakers, most of which are head of something within the ministry. We also did fun things in the evenings, like going downtown or grilling out by what everyone calls a lake but is really part of the Tennessee River. It's really refreshing to have the opportunity to just sit and listen, to soak up God's word. My actual studies will start this next week. That's very exciting and also a little intimidating. Most everyone involved here has some sort of Bible/ theology degree. Which means they know a lot. But that's the reason I'm here. I want to learn more, to really establish a firm foundation of Biblical knowledge to take back with me. So, that's pretty much it for week one of adventures in the South, stay tuned for more updates!