Mexico -- In All.

I kept a journal throughout my whole Oaxaca missions trip, so I'm just gonna post the entrees with pictures that were taken of the trip. If you go to the GFM (Global Frontier Missions) channel on YouTube, you can watch what the trip was like. Just click anything from Group 3 '09, and you'll see us!
Anyway, read and enjoy (^_^)

Day 1, July 14th, 2009

Yesterday we got to the church at 5:50 am and left for the airport at six. It wasn't really horrible or stressful because we were still in Denver.

We were all scaattered all over the plane on the first one. Caleb and I were the only ones together on the trip. Kristen sat directly behind me, and Alex was behind her. This one guy tried to switch seats with Caleb, but I was like, "No...! Stay..." so the guy's wife was like, "Let the kid sit next to his sister!"

So we kind of just played along and laughed later.

The plane started to take off and we saw crop circles. Evidently, people plant their fields in circles so they can water them that way.

I wrote for a while on the plane and read a bit. Then before we knew it, we were in Dallas.

We ate lunch at Fuddrucker's and stood in line forever at the ticket desk because Doug and Michael (Michael Anderson) decided to make confettii out of the tickets. So we had to get new ones. And waited in line for a long time, and then when we finally got the tickets, they printed two of Kristen (my sister)'s tickets, so Blacklock and I had to wait a bit longer to get one for me.

And then when we got on the plane, I was in C14 (Mexicana Airlines! Woo!), so I had a asle seat next to people I didn't know. The people across the asle had two cute little Mexican boys.

And I got airsick during the sucky landing.

When we got off, we ran through the Mexico City Airport so we could get past the immigration lines faster, but by the grace of God, there wasn't a soul in them! So we were like, "Wah-hoo!" and ran through it.

We had about an hour to kill, so we hung around. Kristen and I got a mango frapp from Starbucks. Why don't they sell those in America??

I had a seat between an girl Daniel's age and an old guy on the way to Oaxaca City Airport. The girl was drawing, so I started to draw, too. It turned out pretty bazzare.

The flight lady came and gave me el jugo de naranja with ice, but then I remembered Blacklock had said not to eat the ice so I didn't get sick from teh water. So I started diggin' in my cup and the nice Mexican dude sitting next to me kindly offered me his barf bag to stick them in. Isn't he the charmer, hahaha.

The landing was rocky, again. So I got sick, again. I didn't puke, but still, sucky landing skills on the captain's part.

From the airbort we met some guy from GFM (I think his name was Jordan) and we took a four hour van ride into the mountains. We played "What's Behind The Green Glass Door?"

I'll give you a hint: You can take puppies, but not dogs. You can take kittens, but not cats.

Shells, but not the sea. Gazelles but not antilopes (altough you can still take a deer).

See if you can figure it out.

Oh, and you can giggle, but not laugh.

I fell asleep the last hour, and Alex got carsick. I also jacked Caleb's hat.

We got to the base and was greeted by rain, interns, and missionaries -- like José!

We got to bed soon after that.

Day 2, July 15th, 2009

We got up early this morning and ate breakfast, and then a few of us helped out with the dishes. It struck me how well everyone works together here. Nobody was fighting.

Then we meditated ont he Word and learned about unreached people groups. (The 10/40 Window and such.)

I am dumbfounded by the senery and how beautiful God has made it. I am reminded that he is amazing, astonishing, incredible, and that I am humbled that the one who made these beautiful mountains cares about me and loves me. He answers my prayers and watches over me. And today he has revieled to me how privalaged I am that he has chosen me to follow him -- of all people. And to know that I love him.

Day 3, July 16th, 2009

Today we had an amazing worship service. I've gotten over my fear of putting my hands up to praise the Lord, and I find it feels so much more personal.

Then we went upstairs to pray. It was a darkened room, and lit with candels, and there was some soft, acoustic Christian music playing.

There were a few Questions projected on the wall:

-God, what kind of fruit am I bearing for your kingdom?

-God, what have I been unwilling to sacrifice for your glory among the nations?

-God, what kind of kingdom steward are you wanting me to be right now?

-God, what roll are you calling me to play in making deciples?

So I have this friend that God's really been putting on my heart to bring to Christ, but the whole complication with Newman has kind of skewed my focus on him.

But in this dark room with so many people just...praying, God spoke to me.

Something I did not understand about what people mean when 'God speaks to you' is that it's not a voice. It's a thought. A really, really strong thought that just resinates in your mind. And you can tell that it's not your own thought. I heard him. He said, "Get on your knees."

I was a little bit hesitant, but I eventually slid to the floor and fell before God on my knees.

And I began to think about my friend again.

So I was asking God, "Well, what should I do? I don't know what to do, where to begin..."

Then I felt the comforting, warm arm of Abby wrap around my shoulder, and a voice just said simply, "Love."

And, no, it wasn't Abby's.

Day 5 , July 18th, 2009

Last night was our first night in Tidaa.

We are staying in a host lady's house. She is really cute, but can't really walk very fast becasue her feet hurt her. She has a little pig -- actualy, two -- and they're both so cute! I petted one, and he was really dirty.

Today we (Me, Amanda, Kristen, and Olivia [the intern]) walked down to the church and ate this huge breakfast of tamales. Doug (Diego) ate fifteen. It was intense.

There's this kid, Erick,

This is Erick, but he refuses to smile for the camera for some reason.

and he's totally my BFF. (Aside from Alex, that is, haha. Inside joke.)

Yesterday Erick asked me to draw him "Un lobo," a wolf on his peice of paper. Then he took it and drew some hills and the sky and a smiling sun with the lobo on it. Then he wrote "con amor" ("with love") under where I'd written his name, and then folded it and wrote "para ti" ("for you"), then gave it to me.

He's so cute.

I thought he was, like, eight, but I guess he's twelve. He follows me everywhere and wants to know what things are in English ("¿Como se dice 'preguntas' en Ingles?" "Questions." "¿Cooestions?" "Questions." "Cooestions." "Uh...si." *laughter*)

We're painting a school, and he was helping me the entire time. Oh, and another thing, I hardly understand a word he says. I always have to ask Tenisha what he said.

The school looks totally cute.

I kept dipping the wrong brush in the oil-pased paint. Which wasn't good...

The food is really good. The first meal, not so much. The Mexicans get offended if 1) you don't finish the food, and 2) if you don't ask for seconds. So chow down, chubby.

The church we're using is cute. Dirt floors and scrapped together with scap metal and soda bottle lids nailed down.

It's the coolest thing. The kitchen is equipped with a wood stove and a table, and a bucket to wash dishes in.

*dishesdishesdishesdishesdishesdishes* -Erick

Erick le gusta los tongue-twisters. He's hilarious. We think he has a little-kid-crush on me. I hope not, because I'll cry (and he probably will, too) when I leave.

Day 7 , July 20th, 2009

Yesterday we hiked up a really steep mountain to a clearing about two miles up. We were going to have church in a cave, so when we got up, we were like, "Where's the cave?"

Well, evidentally, it's another three mile hike uphill from there. So I thought I was totally gonna die, because I totally almost died on the first hike to the clearing.

But the second hike, evidentally, was a heck of a lot easier, even though it was really, really steep. Like, 120 degrees.

But I had my magic stick that helped me make it up.

But we all made it.

We took a breather at the top, and then proceeded to rock climb (with the help from the lime green rope and Benjemon's expertise) to the cave.

Caleb climbed first, and I climbed second. The cave just kept going. Miguel (Michael) said it ended into a tiny passageway that your hand could get stuck in.

Anyway, when we get back down, BFF (Alex) and I used machetes to wack off the outter part of our walking sticks. Then everyone went to the BAT CAVE and into the back cavern. There were bats everywhere! It was like:

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

(O = Bat)

A total myriad of bats, and they would offhandedly fly around your face.

It was cool.

Day 7 , July 20th, 2009

I almost cried. Every else did, too. We all stood in a circle to share a few words, but I couldn't do it. Erick was standing in front of me and we made faces at each other. (because we can't really communicate any other way, even during normal curcumstances.) He was framing me with his fingers like a camera, and then closing them; ca-click! Then I saw this look cross his face like he'd gotten an idea, then he makes a heart with his hands and puts it over his chest. Then he points at me.

I love you.

I smiled at him and started to tear up. He is so sweet. I loved him, too. My little hermano.

I know exactly what I would have said in the circle. "Thank you for opening up your homes for us and feding us your food. It was very good. Thanks for letting us hang with your kids -- I love them. I love all of you, and I will never forget you. I hope I see you again someday."

When we were done and prayed, everyone went around and hugged, saying goodbyes.

I hugged Sochil all thoughout prayer, but hugged her again. She was so sweet. I hugged little Estar, picking her up and holding her tight. I hugged Pedro, the pastor. I hugged Abuelita Ofelia, our host mother. I hugged Maria and kissed her cheek while she cried and said something nice that I didn't understand. I hugged Erick, ignoring how culturally weird that was, and held him close to me. I hugged Andrés after shaking his hand. He was crying. I hugged Sochil again. And then Erick, one last time.

We took a bunch of photos and piled into the van. Erick and Estar stood by the chain-link fence, tears in Estar's eyes, Erick's face stoic, but his eyes shined wetly. Estar blew me a kiss, and then one for Kristen. Erick motioned for me to come back, biting his lip, but I sadly shook my head.

The van pulled away and I saw him with all the things I'd drawn him, and the cranes I had folded.

I wish I had told him I loved him, too. My little hermano.

Day 8 , July 21th, 2009

Now that we're back from Tidaa and away from all that, and that we spent the day reflecting on the trip, I really think that God brought Erick into my life there to teach me through the eyes of a child. Erick doesn't even live in Tidaa, he was visiting cousins from Mexico City where he lives. So it's really a God thing that he was even there.

It's so humbling to think that a little twelve year old boy could teach me so much.

First, I think that God taught me patience through Erick. Even though he didn't understand a word I said, and knew that I didn't understand him, he just loved me.

Most of the time he'd say something, I'd be like, "¿Mande?" So he'd say it again, and I'd have to tell him, "Mas despasio." So he'd say it slower. And then I'd have to ask Amanda or Tenisha what he said, and by then it'd lost its charm or whatever, but he didn't leave my side. He kept trying and trying to communicate with me. Erick was just so patient.

Another thing about him is that he wanted something so bad that he didn't give up. He wanted to talk to me. It just shows me that if I really, really want something, that I shouldn't give up on it. Work for it, and not drop it when it gets too frustrating.

Something else was that he was always so happy. All of the people there were. It didn't even really dawn on me that they were poor until I got home and saw how much we had. It didn't even seem that they were poor, because they weren't. We are the ones who are poor. They were happy with whatever they had because they had each other and they had God. What do we have? We have big houses and cell phones and iPods and laptops, and we still want more. But what did I hear when they prayed?

"Thank you for the stars so we can look at them at night." That's what they said! They said "Gracias," over and over and over again when they prayed. It was the only word that I understood when they talked, but that's what I kept hearing! They aren't always asking God for things, they're thanking him for what they have!

I just need to remember, all of us do, that we have a lot. And I know I don't always realize that.

When I gave Erick something I had made, he would take it and make it even better, and then just give it right back to me because he wanted me to have it. It just struck me that that is the attitude I need to have more than anything. God has blessed me with so much, and I need to make it better, then give it right back to me.

Never in the Bible does it ever say that God says "Thank you" for anything. He will say "Well done" or "Good", but he never says "Thank you" because it's your duty to do good things. Anything that God entrusts me with, I need to make it beautiful and worthy of this King so that I can give it back to him and have him say not "Thank you", but "Well done, thy good and faithful servant."

God has shown me more of His heart through this little boy. Erick has done more for me than he will ever know.

Thank you, brother. I love you, and I will never forget you.

The next day we debriefed, and then the day following, we drove into Oaxaca City to do some shopping. (And one of the interns at the base, Jordan, blew up Doug's pillow with dinamite before we left.) The markets are full of anything you could ever want to buy. Literally. They have anything from dried grasshoppers (to eat, of course. I bought some for my brother), baby turtles, purses, Oaxacan sweatshirts (cooler than they sound), all the way to black mole (moh-lay).
I bought a lime green wool woven backpack, something for Sara, the bag of grasshoppers, a liter of vanilla, a Oaxacan hammock, and a luciador mask (like the one from Nacho Libre. Actually, that movie was filmed in Oaxaca City. Random fact).
We spent the night in a hotel (nice as far as Mexican hotels go) and I finally got a hot shower. Did I mention that the showers at the base are only two minutes long in freezing cold water, and that I didn't shower at all in the four days I stayed in Tidaa? Nope? Okay.
And the window for some reason lead out to the hallway. So we were like a gringa museum. Click on the link and you'll know what a gringo is. ("¿Donde esta Casa del Gringos?" -Blacklock.)
The next morning we were up at 4:30 am so we could get our junk packed up and downstairs by 5:00 and eat a light breakfast, then be able to catch our plane by 7:00. Hence sleeping in the hotel.
So we all pile in the van and I fall asleep, and then we all arrive and pile out, grab our junk, and get in line. Caleb and Michael had bought sombreros the day before and were wearing them, Caleb was wearing his Oaxaca sweatshirt, I had my gifts compiled into my woven lime-green backpack slung across me, and my other one on my back. Kristen had her pretty purse that would have been sixty dollars back in the States with who knows what in it.
My liter of vanilla was in my bag, and the guy searching looks at it and was like, "¿Vah-nill-ah??" in a thick Spanish accent. I nodded, and he warned me that I'd have to throw that out once we got to Mexico City, because they'd take it away.
So we get our seats for our plane. Doug and Amanda I know had seats together, Michael I think was with them. Alex was in the middle of nowhere, and Blacklock and Abby were behind Kristen, me, and Caleb, who were in a row. Kristen had 4F, I had 4E, and Caleb had 4D. F-E-D.
The plane ride was reletively short. I read my book, Kristen read hers, Caleb twitched for a while and fell asleep.
At the Mexico City Airport, I tried to figure out a way to smuggle my liter of vanilla through security. Kristen helped me stick it at the bottom of my non-woven backpack in a bag I bought that looks like a woven blanket, and then we put all my books and Curt over it. We hoped that would keep them from finding it during the searches.
Amanda, Kristen, and I went to Starbucks. Apparently they sell these really yummy sandwiches at the Starbucks in the Mexico City Airport that are all melted and panini-ish and so freaking GOOD. I got one for lunch and ate half, and stuck the other my woven backpack.
Us girls met up with the guys and Abby and sat at Gate 38 waiting for our plane to be called. I ate half of the half of my sandwich waiting. Doug bought a apple soda to smuggle.
Our plane got called and I stuck my bag on the table to be searched. The guy who was looking through my junk wasn't really paying half of his attention, and casually looked through my woven bag, then the first pocket of my non-woven bag where the vanilla was hiding under everything. Nothing. Then he opened the pocket where I had a few pads and a tampon in and he looks -- and then quickly, quickly zips it and gives it back to me.
I almost died laughing in the terminal.
And that's how I smuggled a whole liter of vanilla into America!
Kristen, Caleb, and I were in the same row again. Same seats, different asle. So I was still in the middle seat with Kristen on my left and Caleb on the right with the window seat.
I started reading my book (House by Ted Dekker and Frank Parelli) again as soon as we took off, and Caleb started reading over my shoulder, and then kept reading for, like, ten minutes. I got up to pee, and he was like, "Can I read that?"
I just look at him and was like, "Yee-aah...I've got another one. Go ahead."
So when I get back I dig through my green woven backpack and get The Truth About Forever out and start reading it while he's speeding through the pages.
The flight attendants handed out earphones and then after a few shows on the fold out TVs, a thing about how they make dentures comes on. So the three of us watch that. So. Weird.
Then we keep reading.
Three hours later, we're back in Denver, and I turn my head to see how far Caleb got, and he's like, almost done with the book. Dead serious. I'd read 90ish pages in three hours (note: easily distracted on planes) and he was, like, 300ish pages in.
Everyone piles off the plane and we go through immigration, read a sign about not smuggling parrots in, don't tell anyone about the vanilla, and we spit to drive back to the church (one and a half hours), Kristen and I with Amanda's mom and Amanda and Doug.
Then we go to Red Robin and I get a freckled lemonade, my parents come pick me up, I hug my mom, I hug my dad, and I'm home.

And that was my Mexico Adventure.

Sidenote: My brother has the swine flu (we think, because he had to come home from camp late last night sick, and the camp had one confermed case of H1N1), and I miss Erick.

~Steph

Cool Stuff

I made this today in the Mexico Meeting. We're making these really cool cross necklaces made out of nails and wire to sell for, like, twenty bucks each. This one's mine, and I put it in the Mexican Flag colors, but it's cool, right? You can get them in a bunch of different colors, so Newman? CT? Sara? Anyone else who knows me personally can get one if they want, 'cause they're really freaking cool. But all the money we make goes to the Oaxaca trip. Should we go. There's a little problem with the Swine Flu, so if it doesn't improve at all by the end of the month, we're gonna pick a different destination.

~Steph

Mexico on the Horizon

:D Yay! I'm on my way to getting to go to Oaxaca this summer!
Last night, I spend, what? Like, four hours writing and adressing ten support letters to some families that I know from church and my extended reletives. Hopefully someone will send me money so I can lighten my dept of $1,150. It kinda costs a lot for the transportation to even get to Oaxaca, and then the bus to get to Tlaxiaco, a small village in the mountains. It's in Southern Mexico.
Apparently, Tlaxiaco isn't your typical Mexico vacation. It's cold. You do not want to bring only shorts and t-shirts, because you will freeze.
From what my sister said about it last year, this is going to be a blast. And a lot of my friends are going (including Porpoise and EmoSqueeesh). This could be interesting.
And apparently, one year, Josh Chang jumped off the railing at the Base and onto a van. And then Kelsey freaked out because she was like 'youth group Mommy' until she graduated and went off to college.
I have to go now, I have church and after that, Mexico Meeting.
More on this later,
Steph

Will Starve For Food.

30 Hour Famine! ==> link

I'm not gonna eat anything from 10:00 am on Friday to 4:00 pm on Saturday.

Join the club,

Be Hungry.

~Steph

*trip!* ...www...oah... *wobble*

Okay, so today during Social Studies, I had the weirdest sensation. I was dizzy and I couldn't feel my legs. Ever been that lightheaded? It was like I was floating. So I endured the block period and during Science I told Ms. Haney that I needed to go down to the office because I was gonna fall over any second. And she tells me to fill out my planner. Who tells a kid who's as dizzy as a dodo to fill out their planner so they can go to the nurse?
Anyway.
So I get down to the office (without tripping down the stairs!) and tell the lady at the desk that I feel dizzy, so she sends me to go sit in the nurse's office. And then the nurse somehow knows my name and is like, "Stephany...and you're feeling dizzy?"
Nod.
"Here, I'll get you a drink of water," she says, and fills a Dixie cup full of water and gives it to the guy sitting next to me.
Then later she asks me if that water helped and was like, "Wait, did I get you water? Who did I give water to?"
The boy raises his hand, and the nurse gets me a Dixie cup and I down it in small sips. She asks me if I'm feeling better now. I shake my head. So she tells me to call my mom. I do. Then she gets a phone call that her own child at an elementary school is sick and needs to go home.
So I wait for my mom to get there for twenty minutes while watching the clock with great interest. Then Kristina's mom comes in and asks me if i'm feeling okay. I tell her that I feel dizzy and my mom's coming to get me.
Then when my mom finally shows up, i grab my backpack and almost fall over, then regain my balence, and walk out with her.
Then we had to go to the grocery store and my mom takes half an hour while I wait in the car because the computers were having technical issues. I read my Maximum Ride in Manga. Then I read the Authors note. Then I read the fifth book preview. Then I start to read it again. Then I get bored and recline my seat so that I can lay down. Then I get hungry and get some banana bread out of my backpack and start to eat it. Then my mom shows up.
We go home, and I go downstairs and watch The Lion King with my sick brother who has the same thing as I do. After that, I go on facebook and make a character on Pet Society named Scar. And then Daniel wants me to watch Homeward Bound with him, so we do that, and then we watch CyberChase for lack of anything better to do.
Then I'm so hungry I feel like puking, but I don't have anything in my stomach, so I can't puke, so I just sit on the couch and start reading the Maximum Ride Manga thing again, and then I go back downstairs and talk to my elementary best friend, Lily, and she tells me that Mrs. Terpstra died of breast cancer. Mrs. Terpstra taught me long devision and was my friend. :(

So yeah, not the best day I've ever had.

And on top of it all, I can't go to Youth Group tonight! Waaahhh!!!

Seth's blog has 24 followers. Huh.

~Steph

Fang is so Dumb.

Just click on it to make it bigger. It's hilarious. I drew it in math because my student teacher is boring. XP

!!!! Hopefully this week goes really fast because I'm going on a Youth Group ski and snowboard trip! And I'm the only girl skiing, so get to spend the day with the guys. :( Oh well, at least Chris and Caleb are there to keep me entertained. AND HOPEFULLY MY BACK DOESN'T GIVE OUT LIKE IT DID LAST WEEK!! That would suck.

~Steph

So, Um, Happy New Year. And Merry Christmas (Not Hansakwanamas! I Can Say Whatever I WANT.)

So i'm not even gonna bother about Christmas. If you're friends with my sister on facebook, you can see photos, but otherwise your out of luck, my friend.

So New Years was fun! Me, Kristina, and Carli went to the church lock-in for the youth and it was a bomb! (OMG BOMBS!!). Kristina and I stayed up watching movies (Kung Foo Panda, The Princess Bride, Shrek [hate that movie], and The Pink Panther [Steve Martin]) while Carli played Halo with the guys in the room across the hall on four different TV's hooked up so everyone was playing the same game. Steve kept calling her a 'Halo Beast' 'cause she kept killing him, hahaha.
Sarah Smith said that she'd stay up all night with me, but soon fell asleep with Kristen, Abby, Bree, and Margo.
So Kristina and I just watched movies pretty much all night, except for when we got bored during Shrek and got out our iPods and books. Then we ran a lap around the church with Makayla and her friends (7th graders).
Then at seven thirty in the morning after cleaning everything up, we (Kristen, Sarah, and I) had a pillow fight with Anderson. Then Steve tackled Caleb, which was pretty funny.
And at eight, Dad picked Kristen and I up and we went home. I just went and took a shower then took a six hour nap.

At two I woke up and got ready for the small get-together we were having with the Phangs (pronounced 'Pong') and Caleb's family.
Caleb's family arrived early, so we gave quite the grand tour of our new house (because nobody had seen it before...). Kristen, Caleb, and I tried to get one of my paintings (the alpacka one that's all dizzying, but Caleb said it looks like a great dane with long ears) onto my wall, but it wouldn't stay.

When everyone finally arrived, we (the kids) all played B.S. at the dining room table, and then proceded to play Clue.
We ate dinner while playing Clue, and then played Apples to Apples and Catch Phrase with everyone minus my brother, his two friends, and Aubrey.
This was all quite funny the whole time because both Caleb and I were loopy from sleep deprivation, even though we'd both taken six hour naps, and eventually, Caleb dozed off on the couch when the party was finally over.

So...that was my new year. yaaay. 1-1-09!

THE AMAZING STEPH RETURNS TO POST TO YOU PEOPLES!!!

Hey! Sorry, I haven't posted in awhile. If any of you have a facebook, you'd understand completely. I got one, and it's sort of addicting for the first month or so...

So last night was White Elephant at Youth Group. It was really fun! Everyone brought goodies to eat and someone brought a bunch of egg nogg (I <3 EGG NOGG!!!) so we sat around and filled ourselves up and watched Josh and Jordan do a ninja contest, and Steve, Caleb, Alex, and Anderson play football with a shoe. Anderson's Shoe. Intense stuff, man.

We played bucketball (pretty much just like ultamate frisby mixed with tackle football and basketball. Will post directions at bottom of post) and the Girls/Leaders won against the Boys! It was SWEET. And after, all the boys were complaining that the whole thing was rigged. I guess they're just not used to getting wupped by girls! Better get used to it.

The Middle School'rs won the semester long battle for the 'Trophy of Greatness'. It (the Trophy of Greatness) is made up of a Cadalac hubcap attached to a bunch of bike parts. Blacklock made it and it's SWEET. So, now us Middle School'rs get a dinner on Blacklock to anywhere we want! Isn't that cool?

And after that, we did White Elephant! I brought a gift of two pillows (one reading 'Chill' on one side, and 'Out' on the other, and another that looks like a 'Tropical Jelly Belly Mix' bag) wrapped in pointcettia wrapping paper, and Sarah Smith was like, "OH MY GOSH I GET STEPH'S GIFT NOBODY TOUCH IT!!" And then she didn't end up with it. It was pretty sad.
I recieved a box inside a box, inside a box, inside a box, inside a box with candles in it. I think i'll put my money in it. Make it difficult for robbers to get to the middle without me waking up ;)

---

Let me just get this out here: I write in my spare time!

---

In art, Michael, Kristina, and I have an inside joke where I have two moms (Karen and Liegh, Michael has two dads (Baubra and Kathrine), and Kristina's family is polygamist (Hahaha).
Our teacher thinks we're nuts.

I'M FINE, REALLY!! o_0 *rocks back and forth in fetal position*

~Steph

Paradise Playground RUN IT'S AN EMPLOYEE!!

Okay! So on Friday, me and a bunch of people from Youth Group went to Paradise Playground, which is not paradise by any stretch of the imagination. The employees kept yelling at you if you jumped on something wrong, or if you did something you shouldn't. And then the guy employees kept looking at the girls weirdly and pervertedly.

But it was a heck of a night! IT WAS SO FUN!

There was a room full of lazars you had to try and duck like in Get Smart and there was Mission: Impossible music playing. Steve lost. He ran through ALL of them. Caleb came in second to last.

And there was this one thing called 'Jurrasic Adventure' which was basically a inflatable castle with two inflatable triceratops heads on one side, and two inflatable long-necks (watchamacall'em) on the other (and if you sit right in the middle, you get stuck in the hole the air comes in [i got stuck, and so did Carli, and so did Mason, and so did Steve]), and then in the middle, there's an inflatable volcano you climb up and you can slide down either side.

So Rabekka, Sara Smith, and I were hanging out at the top, and Blacklock and a bunch of the boys (and Carli) started to grab the ropes you climb up and pull on them. They would have pulled the whole thing down, had the employees not screamed for them to stop. Then Sarah all of the sudden screams and falls down one side.

Then later we did an obstical course and the girls won. :D Yay!

MOST FUN NIGHT OF THE MONTH!

over and out,

~Steph

We're On A Bridge, Caleb!

Youth Group 11-12-08:

My mom always bakes things for the youth group because, well, nobody else does. And let's face it, we've got waaay to many teenage boys shooting up like asparagus. So we walk in, and everyone's like "FOOOD!!" and we're tackled by a herd of boys.

Anderson donated a foose-ball table, so four of us (Carli and me vs. Jeeter and Makayla) all play until everyone's wrists and my stabbed thumb hurt. So then Carli and I kind of circled around social circles, avoiding conversations that sound boring, until we get to the Rabecca, Rachel, Sarah Smith, Steve, and Caleb circle.
Steven gave me a high five, and Rabecca said that the noise bothered her, so we did it again. Then he gave Carli one while Caleb and I high fived, and then I clapped in her face and she jumped. Then Caleb clapped in my face, so i clapped in his, and then Carli's, and then Steve's. Then Steve's like, "Did you seriously just do that?"
"Yeah," I counter.
Stare down.

Then after the lesson, Carli, Blacklock, and I were talking and Caleb just walks up and says, "We're on a briiidge, Steph."
My brain goes Oh! I know that! So I say, "We're on a briiidge, Caleb! A magical bridge of hope and won-derrr..."
And then Carli's like, "We're going to the Happy Canyon, Car-liiii!"

Yaaay, Mystery Night's on friday! Can't wait!

~Steph

HAPPY HALLOWEEN PEOPLES

How was trick or treating for you? If that's what you do.

I didn't go. I went and helped out at Slime Time at my church with Steve, Caleb, Alex, and Anderson. It was pretty fun. I manned (well, woman'ed) a trow-a-ball-into-this-hole-and-get-x-amount-of-prizes thing. At first it was you shot it into the hole with a sling-shot, but it broke. So we went with throwing it.

Then, like, halfway through the thing, Josh and Benny (Ben is the shortest asian eleven-year-old alive. I'm not even kidding. He calls me 'Stephy', and is so cute. He's really nice and polite, unlike his two older brothers) and they came with their mom, Denise.

I've known Steve's family since Daniel was born. So, like, forever. We're practically family. Same with Caleb's. Only his family left the church when we got a new pastor, and that made me sad 'cause his little sister I've known since she was born. She's uber cute too. Her name's Aubrey. And his brother Ethan...is just Ethan. He's a red head like Daniel, and they're friends too with another red head named J.T.

ANYWAY.

And then about fifteen minutes later, Steve, Caleb, Alex, and Anderson showed up and manned some of the other stations. It was funny, 'cause I could hear Caleb across the sanctuary: "STEP RIGHT UP!...

And then we all got shoved into the Cry Room (for babies, and it's soundproof) to take all the candy and put it into a big bag.
And then we hung out for awhile and talked about guy things because i relate to guys so much better than girls. I dunno.

It was just really fun. And then afterwards, Denise gave me some leftover dry ice and i put it into a bowl of water when I got home and went to bed at ten. And that is really early for me on a Friday night.

Over and out,

Steph

Sunday

Tomorrow i get to go back to school. }X( RAAAAAAANT!!!!

I have a lot of homework to do and all of it includes drawing stuff. So my hand hurts really bad, and right now i have a ACE Cold Compress on it.

And now I know that Caleb in fact is a yellow lab. We were Abby's car with Kristen and Abby driving up to the Care Center (nursing home) to do church for them old folks and he picks up a frisby from the back seat.
"This is the coolest frisby ever," he said.
Five minutes later. "This is a cool frisby."
After the Care Center church on the way back down...
"This is the coolest frisby ever."
"This is a cool frisby."
"Do you ever PLAY with this frisby?"
Kristen, Abby, and Me at the same time: "Geez, Caleb!"

Today at church I was talking to Kathy, Chris, and Makayla; and Steven (with Caleb following) runs up and yanks me out of that circle (rudely). This was no friendly take someone by the arm and pull them over. Oh, no. This was full fledged YANK. I swear, I got whip-lash.
So then I find myself in the Caleb, Steven, Anderson circle. And they tell me that I am now their friend.
Okaaaay...
And then Kristen yanks me out of that circle into her circle and gives me a big hug and yells at Steven.
I got at least thirty high fives today.

And then later, when we were at Word, Steve got mad at Jordan and ran at him, and Jordan moved out of the way just before Steve hit him and Steve literally flew at the couch, rolled over the top, and fell off with a crash. It was so funny. Worthy of movie content.

So yeah, apparently I'm now their new best friend. And I apparently need to go help them with Slime Time on Halloween because they're the only Youth helping and need me to go too.
Steve's like, "Nod your head 'yes'."

Kristina, wanna come with me so i'm not alone with all of them? Please?

Over and Out,

Steph