NWMC, '09

Just going to continue like I never stopped.
The flight went just fine again. (Don't worry, those flights that are "fine", enjoy them as much as possible. That will change someday) Although, when I had to change planes in Charlotte, I had no idea how I was getting to the conference that I was going to in PA. I hurriedly called the office at the conference my mom had generously given me and got a hold of the lady there. She was very helpful and after getting told that a man with a green sign that said "NWMC" would pick me up, I was alright. Arriving in Pittsburgh I didn't waste any time in going to the baggage claim hoping I could find this "older gentleman". Came to a long hallway and did not notice that there were two different baggage claims on opposite sides in the terminal. So chose one way and walked around for 15 minutes hoping I wouldn't have to call him and get him all worried too. Finally chose to make the call and of course as soon as I did it, I saw the sign that said baggage claims: A and B this way and then noticed the other sign Baggage claims: C and D.. etc. Found him fine and waited around until some others arrived. NWMC, before I forget, is indeed the conference I went to last year and made a couple of good friends. It stands for New Wilmington Mission Conference and it's a conference based on... Yep, you guessed it, missions. Pretty cool speakers and awesome worship everyday. The van got to the college, where the conference is held at, about 1pm. We ate lunch, grilled cheese.. Not the best. Oh well. I got signed in about 4 minutes found my room to be empty, except for a desk, chair (times 2), 2 beds, and 2 dressers. Empty, meaning, my roommate had not shown his head yet. I unpacked a good deal of my clothes and used the top of my dresser and 2 drawers for clothes and toiletries. Not to mention the butterfly catcher. Then I was bored. Extremely. From about 2:30 till 4:15 I had nothing to do. So I read some Bible and Perelandra and sat around. About 4, I went to one of the dining halls where I was to have my meeting. I was on kitchen duty this year for camp because my parents and I were the ones paying for it. So, I wanted a discount. I chose to have part time kitchen duty which meant I was going to have to do all dinners and two breakfasts. At the meeting they gave us some prep and then because I was working dinners I ate there and got to work immediately. Busing tables that night. Tired me out pretty dang well. Thought it would be an easy job, and it was. Just collecting trays and putting them on the conveyor belt tired my poor feet out. The only other downside of working kitchen duty was where I worked. At camp there are three different dining halls. One generally for high school delegates, one generally for older adults, and one generally for families and junior highs. The latter, was mine. Much more work because of all the messy middle schoolers and and babies. Oh well. At least I had a huge discount. I finally saw my friends at the first "Big Show" as it's called, which is the high school meeting at night. It was so cool to see them again. Learn what had been going on, the usual. We had the first evening meeting (which is the meeting where ALL delegates are present that night) and it was pretty neat. Also found who my roommate was. The same one as last year! Thank You God! True, he goes to public school and is really athletic.. BUT, we both like to sing and be in musicals and that's pretty cool! Anyway, after Evening Meeting we went to "Sideshow" (meeting with high schoolers and junior highs). Sadly, the plan was to play Rock Band, but they only had the guitars and no one knew where the CD even was! Pretty much just hung out on a few of the couches for a little while and talked and then they played the song. It begins with "Goodbye goodbye! Good friends Goodbye..." and then goes to describe how there has been a lot of fun, but it now must all end... Pretty depressing. Anyway, said goodnight and boys and girls split off to our own separate dorms.
I have to talk about these dorms next because the living conditions were SO much better than last year. Last year, all boys were in Russel. This was 4 story dorm that only had one bathroom on each floor. Each bathroom had plenty of toilets and showers. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was the fact that there were no stalls. I feel like Monk (TV show) wishing and praying to not see another naked man. Pretty horrible. Next, was the rooms. The size didn't really bother me, it was more of the fact that it was so hot that week last year, that I just swealtered in my room. Only my roommate had brought a fan. NOW, on to last week. As I was unpacking in my palace, a fan and a pillow magically appear. Beautiful sights they were. This room was roughly the same size (maybe smaller), but had one toilet and one shower connecting with another room! So yes, bliss. Water was perfect. Doors were properly closed. I slept well that night. Too well.
Breakfast at NWMC aren't too great. Powdered eggs all the time. Cereal. Muffins (quik mix??). Then something "special" every morning.. Powdered eggs with bacon. Powdered eggs with sausage.. etc. (Pancakes were good though..Hah, probably another whole WHITE flower quik mix shtuff..) After breakfast I would normally go back to my dorm to brush my teeth, put in another set of freaking rubber bands, mouth wash.. Whatever.. Then it was "The Morning Show". A lot like "Big Show" nix the evening speaker. Instead of him, we had a missionary talk just really quickly about the work they did. (Intercessor, Sender (sent goers basically), Welcomer (welcomed missionaries back or would get interested in other cultures and welcome them), Mobilizer (power others to do the Job), or a goer (hardcore missionary who went to Malaysia for example.. or someone who stays right in the states and reaches out to people around them)). So that was that. The Morning Show included worship from a band that had come to the conference just for the benefit of the youth and they were: SinClaire (sp?). Pretty sweet jumpin' around goin' on. Really good worship. After Morning Show we as delegates would split into our small groups that we had been placed in and we would go off somewhere on campus and hear from another missionary.
Heard from many. A man from China and Taiwan. Wow was he interesting. He taught us how to sing a popular Chinese song: Women-ai, shian shung shian ai-women.. That's pretty much the extent of it.. One just repeats it in a way. Believe it means something like: We love, our God we love.. somethin'.. Also learned something else that's pretty cool.. In Taiwan when complimented, it's bad manners to answer with a thank you. Instead one answers with "Hi-how!" (that's how you say anyway) which means "Very average!" Notice it is the exact opposite here in America right? Also heard from a wife and husband that lived in Congo and knew Papa (my dad's dad who died the year I was born :{ ) really well. Of course were very interested in what I had to tell them and so on. On top of that, my group heard from a lady that believed strongly in spiritual warfare. I do too, but.. She was an extremist in the matter and some of the guys in my group were a little disturbed. Oh well, the week went on. After the small group meeting we would go down to the huge outdoor auditorium called Anderson for another ALL delegate meeting. We would have both a morning and evening one. This included worship, announcements, and a message from a professor there at West Minster College. These messages were good, but I don't know.. The Cross wasn't mentioned a whole lot and he had some interesting vocabulary. Due to the fact he was young and used to teaching a class of about 25, not over 500.
Lunch was next and it was normally pretty good. Although for some reason, I'm not really a grilled cheese kind of guy. It was served twice for lunch. I probably don't like it so much just because my mom never really made it. Maybe one piece of bread with cheese every now and then, but I would put tuna on mine anyway. Lunches were usually pretty fun for me though because I was working kitchen duty at night. So, for lunch I got to hang with friends. I will describe one lunch because it was just so funny and silly I have to write it down. I believe it was Thursday or Wednesday and it was mac 'n cheese and a hot dog with some pees on the side. I got my plate of food on my tray with my cup of water and went to go get some ketchup. The little ketchup table is really quite.. Well, little. I thought I could handle it though so I put a forth of the tray on the table, grabbed my hotdog from my plate to place under the ketchup despenser, and tried my best to hold the tray there with my waist. Reactions.. Still working on these. I didn't move my waist fast enough and yes, there it flew. To the ground. Up turned. Food all over. Water cup spinning and bouncing out of control, spraying water across the dining hall... Well, not completely, but close. People started clapping and laughing at me. I beamed back and held up my hands to the sky in victory. That was that. Two kitchen duty people came by and immediately started helping me grap it all with napkins and what-not. Told me it was fine. Laughing.. "All fun and laughter1" *Indian accent* I should have said. The tale must go on. One day for lunch I did not eat at the dining hall but instead went to Pizza Joe's. Right down the street from the college. Had a Mexican stromboli and accomplished it quite well.
From 12 to 1 lunch was happening. But at 1:30 Mission Rotation began. This meant listening to another missionary speak or doing SOMEthing that involved missions. One day we helped sand and make benches for wooden tables. What's it called? Sawdust lung? Carpenters lung? Don't know where I heard it from, but I remember hearing about something like that that people that work with wood may get. Can be pretty serious. Of course I brought it up and might have gotten some kids worried, but I made sure to laugh it off and say something along the lines of, "Oh but that's probably what people get when they have been working with wood for 10 years..." Then at 3 it was free time.
Free time included anything from making bead necklaces/bracelets, to playing a game of rugby, soccer, football, volleyball (sand or grass), Ultimate Frisbee, swimming (indoor).. Hah, naps of course were legal as well.. I should have taken one now that I think of it. Because I was on kitchen staff for supper, I had to be there at the assigned dining hall at 4:30. Dinner was at 5-6. I had to eat my meal and go and get ready. Plastic apron (worthless ties and blew around with the the slightest hint of a whisper of a breeze), plastic gloves (worthless as well because my hand size is not medium, it's a large. But there was no such thing. Just extra large. My hands aren't THAT fat.), and sometimes a queer hair net! Dang, the worst! I would always forget to bring my hat whenever I needed it so I was doomed to wear a hair net instead. Darn. There was one job that I did most often and that was Dish Room. All that needed to be done here was rinse and stack dirty dishes. The first few times I did it, it was kinda' fun. Just me and 3 girls. One day I asked if they were into musicals at all... Answer: Yes!! Struck up as many as I could remember and sang away into the clattering of the plates, silverware, and plastic trays.
I have to talk a little about Sideshow next 'cause it was always the funnest. The second night of camp, it was the Singing Bee. They played a song for maybe 30 seconds and you had to sing the next few lines. Sadly, when I went up, they played "Bye Bye Bye" and had no idea.. I think I have heard that song once... Maybe not even all the way through. Would try and drown it out if I heard it. It was my downfall. There was a talent show one night. I tried feebly to sing a song I wrote last month. One night however we had two of the four founders from this organization called "Faceless International" come and tell us about human trafficing. Sad and depressing. BUT, another founder of this group is Stephen Christian (Lead vocals in a Christian band I like called Anberlin). He was supposed to come to the conference as well, but because his band is getting so popular he was on tour. However, at one of the Sideshows these two ladies got him to get on Skype and he told us about it! We got to ask questions and that kind of the thing. Had a great time. Another night (the last actually) was the dance. It was pretty fun. Had a little dance off battle thing between two guys and anyone else that wanted to join. Good thing was there was no grinding allowed and counselors were there watching pretty closely, so none of that nonsense occurred. Yay!
I have to tell a little about what I learned of course, so I might as well spill it here before I end this just dandy report of a trip I took. For starters I did learn a lot. Many of the speakers were pretty insightful. However there were some who weren't so much. One being a man that talked about the environment. Obviously an environmentalist, and me not being one... It was kind rough. His topic was, "Does God save people or trees?" Yes, of course he saves both. And I'm PRETTY sure the guy mentioned that somewhere.. Although I feel a lot of his message (the bulk, rather) was on the note that, "Yes, God does save both..but we need to be more caring for the environment, save electricity..etc." It's too bad that this really was his message, but I'm pretty sure it was. It really felt just like reading a science book. (Oof, sorry that was kind of harsh... Nope, not really. Just true. :{ ). This guy was yes, young. Wrote a whole book on the topic. "Green Revolution" I think it's called. Another man's message was how we as Christians should really not have any materialistic things in this world as so many of them pull us away from focusing on God. If I'm not mistaken, this might be a good thing. However, taking away a lot of the things that we Americans use all the time and others don't use (TV/computer for example) may still pull us away from Him because some might feel so wretched that they can't be like everyone else... Yes, of course God can help us to get over the fact of what we don't have, but it may just make it so distracting it may be logical that God wants us to keep our "materials of this world" SO we have the option of focusing on Him more and more, without CUTTING IT OUT completely from our life....
Just realized, I'm just a 17 year old writing about something that's WAY beyond me, so please feel free to criticize all you want. It was just on my mind last week during conference and so I felt like it needed to go on this blog because, well, because it was on my mind. I can definitely see how He is challenging me more and more as I grow older to "step out of the boat" and I'm beginning to think I like it. Whether my thoughts are real facts or not, is not my problem. I truely believe the King is making me have these thoughts so that I CAN continue to grow in Him and keep learning more and more so that maybe just maybe, possibly, one day I might make a true statement somewhere on here.
Last story. The trip home. And so it began on Saturday, July 25th 2009.
Started about 6am as breakfast was from 6:30 to 7:30 and everyone had to sign out of their dorms by 8. I had packed the night before pretty much, so no problems there. Went to go get some breakfast and wasn't surprised. Just pitiful dried donuts and some pastries that had more sugar than sweet goodness. But, I found cinnamon Life Cereal and indulged greatly. (One of my favorite cereals, the only other would probably be: Just Clusters: Vanilla Almond from Trader Joe's) Said goodbye to friends. Many, "You better be back next year!!" Even a, "Like, there is no other option!" And of course I replied to them all the same, "We'll see. I really don't know.." I got my things together and was down out of my room by 8. Was shuttled back to Pittsburgh airport and the wait began. Security and checking in was just fine. Getting nude and making sure my harmonica was in a tray along with underwear, stanchion, and butterfly net.. The usual. But once I got to my gate... It was downhill. I had to sit at this gate for almost 8 hours. My flight left at 5:50pm and I arrived at 10am. A big bummer. I tried sleeping with people arriving and people going off on their own trips. Reading with the same thing going on. And listening to music. And even eating. The best was in between a flight leaving and a flight just taking off because that was a span of maybe just 30 minutes or less of no one about. Of course would have to wake up suddenly again to a whiny child or adults all stressed out, letting EVERYONE know. My flight finally came. Thank You. (Yes I did eat. Subway and a Mexican grill. The latter being a tad.. *cough* extremely better..) This flight though was not by all means like any flight I had had coming over to the east coast. This flight was under 5 hours but there was a baby that wouldn't fall asleep. Was up the whole time. Talking a blue streek and fussing and squealing out of spite I believe. Every time I fell asleep I wouldn't be asleep longer than 30 minutes (sounds like the airport..) before another shrill devilish scream would tear me away from clouds and joy and bring me back with an abrupt stop at the bottom of a deep dark pit. Ended up having to stop and switch planes in Las Vegas. Saw pitiful souls on the slotts. Utterly pitiful. And this flight was delayed. Then before boarding two drunk "gentlemen" were getting on the plane too. Thank goodness because I was a "Through passenger" (passenger without a ticket, from another plane) I got on first and the drunk "dudes" got on much later. Thank You. Landed finally in Burbank CA where my dad was to pick me up and that was that. Fell asleep that night so fast, it's possible I was hit with a plank because I was "quiet as a boot" for several hours.
I'm sure I'm leaving out plenty. It WAS a whole week with something new to do every day so... It's obvious I skipped something. I tried my best. If I suddenly bring up a random story about this week sometime in the future and you tell me, "Uh, I read that..." then just ask me what ELSE happened during that week? And I'll rack my brain for another. And for clarification, no not really did I "Just realized I'm 17..et cetera." I did that for effect. There I go lying again.. Well, if you did get to the bottom of this, 'grats!.. It's more than I did.