Dear Home Base: Portraits of Vacation
Dear Home Base,
In a recent reading of another girl's travel stories, I realized that though I have shared tidbits of what God is teaching me, I haven't shared what we are actually doing. At the moment, I am killing time until we leave for a two-day (Internet free!) camping trip, so I thought I would give you some pictures of everyday life here.
I say that like we have a routine--we really don't. Each day is somewhat of a surprise thanks to the spontaneity of family and friends. But there are some relative constants.
Every morning I wake up to light filtering through the lace curtains in the room my sister and I share. When I come upstairs, I can look off the balcony to see the many moods of Pike's Peak and its companions. Some days they are happy, bathed in sunny clarity that makes every detail stand out. Other days they are shy, shrouded in mist; these particular phases don't last very long, as the sun comes out at some point every day here.
The week begins with church. We dress up in our Sunday best and file into the row next to my aunt and uncle to meet with God. I feel very spoiled. None of us have any responsibilities and we can leave whenever we want, a large contrast from being the ones to lock up most Sundays at home. I usually wish we'd stay longer anyway; we've been here long enough that as soon as church is over we are enveloped by a group chattering young friends, and I could do that all day. It has taken the whole month, but I am finally learning to loosen up and embrace worshipping God freely, without worrying about what my voice sounds like or who's watching. I hope to bring that back to you.
Sunday afternoons vary. We might go out for lunch with a passel of hungry younger cousins, or we might crash on the couch with a movie. Whatever we do, it's fairly relaxed and restful.
Most weekdays, we've been sleeping in, not eating breakfast till 10:30. When the weather permits, my mom and aunt take the younger kids to the pool, where they splash and laugh and get tan enough to make me jealous. At least once every week, we meet up at my cousins' house for dinner and fun with family. Three days a week, my parents rise early and join my aunt at "The Battlefield," a terribly intense work-out class that's probably made them superheroes at this point. By the time we go home and lose the altitude, they'll be leaping buildings and saving people. Prepare yourselves.
Almost everyday, there's some youth event. Tuesday nights, we meet the others at a park in the foothills and play Ultimate Frisbee for three hours, until the sun sets and we can't anymore.
Wednesday's youth group, which begins with scatterball against a background of Christian pop music and the bass all the way up--glorious. We move to announcements, other games, a time of worship, and a lesson. The worship is my favorite part. It's usually led by a guitarist and a couple vocalists, simple and beautiful. They dim the lights and everyone spreads out, no chairs, so some sit or kneel on the floor, others stand, whatever posture lends itself best to meeting with God. And He does meet us.
Thursday mornings, the youth pastor teaches a class on worship, beginning with a devotional and moving to playing and singing together. He relishes challenging us. Every week he stands in front of us and asks the question, "What is worship?" And we stare at him blankly until he breaks it down and makes us answer--he loves right answers so he probes until he gets the one he's looking for. Though no one admits it, I think we all enjoy the challenge. We move on to play and sing, which led me to the momentous discovery that I can harmonize with a group! "The Band" is far from professional, but blending my voice wth five or six other girls and the keys and strings has become one of the highlights of my week.
Friday afternoons we have Frisbee, Fro-Yo, and Filippians (with spelling changed for the sake of alliteration). Everyone meets at a park and we play even more Ultimate Frisbee! (If you haven't played this game, you should do so as soon as possible.) After frisbee, we go to a frozen yogurt place and study the book of Philippians over our overflowing bowls.
Saturdays we often find some random craziness to do with our friends. This has included glow-in-the-dark mini golf, movie making, fake piercings, temporary tattoos, nicknames, hiking, swimming, slushies, a few pranks, Psych marathons, ice cream, an abundance of Groundies, and possibly a run-in with mall security, which one guy artfully dodged (read: bailed on us). Because of these activities, I have gotten more bruised, scraped, and sunburnt in a month than the rest of this year combined--but I'm having more fun than probably any one person deserves.
There is more, believe it or not, but we're about to leave for the mountains, so for the moment I will close. Thank you all for being faithful readers and supporters! See you in not too long!
Your (Somewhat) Faithful Correspondent,
Jessi
In a recent reading of another girl's travel stories, I realized that though I have shared tidbits of what God is teaching me, I haven't shared what we are actually doing. At the moment, I am killing time until we leave for a two-day (Internet free!) camping trip, so I thought I would give you some pictures of everyday life here.
I say that like we have a routine--we really don't. Each day is somewhat of a surprise thanks to the spontaneity of family and friends. But there are some relative constants.
Every morning I wake up to light filtering through the lace curtains in the room my sister and I share. When I come upstairs, I can look off the balcony to see the many moods of Pike's Peak and its companions. Some days they are happy, bathed in sunny clarity that makes every detail stand out. Other days they are shy, shrouded in mist; these particular phases don't last very long, as the sun comes out at some point every day here.
The week begins with church. We dress up in our Sunday best and file into the row next to my aunt and uncle to meet with God. I feel very spoiled. None of us have any responsibilities and we can leave whenever we want, a large contrast from being the ones to lock up most Sundays at home. I usually wish we'd stay longer anyway; we've been here long enough that as soon as church is over we are enveloped by a group chattering young friends, and I could do that all day. It has taken the whole month, but I am finally learning to loosen up and embrace worshipping God freely, without worrying about what my voice sounds like or who's watching. I hope to bring that back to you.
Sunday afternoons vary. We might go out for lunch with a passel of hungry younger cousins, or we might crash on the couch with a movie. Whatever we do, it's fairly relaxed and restful.
Most weekdays, we've been sleeping in, not eating breakfast till 10:30. When the weather permits, my mom and aunt take the younger kids to the pool, where they splash and laugh and get tan enough to make me jealous. At least once every week, we meet up at my cousins' house for dinner and fun with family. Three days a week, my parents rise early and join my aunt at "The Battlefield," a terribly intense work-out class that's probably made them superheroes at this point. By the time we go home and lose the altitude, they'll be leaping buildings and saving people. Prepare yourselves.
Almost everyday, there's some youth event. Tuesday nights, we meet the others at a park in the foothills and play Ultimate Frisbee for three hours, until the sun sets and we can't anymore.
Wednesday's youth group, which begins with scatterball against a background of Christian pop music and the bass all the way up--glorious. We move to announcements, other games, a time of worship, and a lesson. The worship is my favorite part. It's usually led by a guitarist and a couple vocalists, simple and beautiful. They dim the lights and everyone spreads out, no chairs, so some sit or kneel on the floor, others stand, whatever posture lends itself best to meeting with God. And He does meet us.
Thursday mornings, the youth pastor teaches a class on worship, beginning with a devotional and moving to playing and singing together. He relishes challenging us. Every week he stands in front of us and asks the question, "What is worship?" And we stare at him blankly until he breaks it down and makes us answer--he loves right answers so he probes until he gets the one he's looking for. Though no one admits it, I think we all enjoy the challenge. We move on to play and sing, which led me to the momentous discovery that I can harmonize with a group! "The Band" is far from professional, but blending my voice wth five or six other girls and the keys and strings has become one of the highlights of my week.
Friday afternoons we have Frisbee, Fro-Yo, and Filippians (with spelling changed for the sake of alliteration). Everyone meets at a park and we play even more Ultimate Frisbee! (If you haven't played this game, you should do so as soon as possible.) After frisbee, we go to a frozen yogurt place and study the book of Philippians over our overflowing bowls.
Saturdays we often find some random craziness to do with our friends. This has included glow-in-the-dark mini golf, movie making, fake piercings, temporary tattoos, nicknames, hiking, swimming, slushies, a few pranks, Psych marathons, ice cream, an abundance of Groundies, and possibly a run-in with mall security, which one guy artfully dodged (read: bailed on us). Because of these activities, I have gotten more bruised, scraped, and sunburnt in a month than the rest of this year combined--but I'm having more fun than probably any one person deserves.
There is more, believe it or not, but we're about to leave for the mountains, so for the moment I will close. Thank you all for being faithful readers and supporters! See you in not too long!
Your (Somewhat) Faithful Correspondent,
Jessi
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