guat 2011: flying home.

our flight (continental 2976Y) is on time and scheduled to land in kc at 11:09pm! see you then!

-apc.

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guat 2011: from san juan to antigua.

our last day of teaching was terrific. the art group did face painting, science had space day, english taught about foods, but most importantly, some amazing relationships blossomed. what a bummer it was to leave the kids; it is amazing the bonds you can develop over 5 days, but they are strong as ever. we will miss the san juan community greatly.

last night we had the opportunity to share a meal with the teachers and then exchange encouraging words with them. they are such amazing people. its such a joy to see a group of people so committed to the growth and development of these kids. so many times we have talked about what God is already doing in san juan...they are a great part of it.

this morning we awoke normal time for breakfast and by 9am we were being escorted to the docks by the 6th grade class! the boat ride across was quick and flawless and we were to panajachel and on to antigua by 130pm.

the last hours have been spent shoppingand bartering, laughing and lounging in our new home in antigua for the next day.

it is sad to be away from san juan, but we know the missions trip hasn't ended yet - even though our teaching is over, we are still seeking for places to serve and aid in God's call. pray for our final 48 hours and for safe travels. see you all soon!!

-apc.

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guat 2011: art class has expressionism day!

generally, the kids in san juan struggle to think creatively and abstractly. our translators tell ua that a few weeks ago they were asked to draw something they are talented at, and almost all the kids found a picture in a book and traced it.

so when the art class presented "expressionism day" we were all curious to see how Picasso-like they could be with their self-portraits. here are a few of the finished products:

they are so talented! our art group is doing an incredible job getting the kids to think creatively and think outside the box!

-apc.

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guat 2011: wednesday student blogs.

two days, two sets of student blogs! today we get to hear from four more of our students (tori, hannah, meredith and marcus) on how God has been working in them and through them while in san juan la laguna:

Hola from San Juan! Today is our third day of teaching and I could not be more excited. In English we have talked about the weather, our emotions and our families. Today we are taking about food. One of my favorite memories is from Monday. We taught the older kids (3rd-6th) grade the phrase, “How do you feel?” and the response “I feel happy”. We also taught them the phrases “How is the weather?” and the response “The weather is sunny”. As the day ended one little chico approached me and asked me both questions. That made my heart soar! We were successful in teaching them a little bit of English and connecting with them. I have really seen God working through the teachers. As we teach they listened attentively and I really admired the fact that they were also really interested in what we were teaching and it was very encouraging. I am off to teach, adios!

Tori H.

Hi! I am sooo happy that I got the opportunity to go on this trip. I can’t even explain how amazing it is to be here and in a totally different culture and environment. The weather has been perfect and it’s just beautiful here. Everyone here is so nice and welcoming. The kids are absolutely amazing. They are so eager and willing to learn and they are also interested in getting to know us more personally as well. I heard that the food wasn't going to be very good but contrary to that it’s been really good! I have also gotten to know the people who are on the trip with me and they are incredible and I am grateful that I have been able to get to know them!

Hannah S.

Hola mis Amigas! Today I woke up refreshed and energized, and for the first time didn’t wake up to the clucking of the roosters outside my bedroom window. Throughout this week Nate has been stressing the idea that our nervousness is a good thing - that our nerves allow us to enter into situations with a humble attitude and force us to rely on God. God has surprised me every single time I have been anxious from the zipline to leading devotionals, to teaching classes, he has come alongside of me. Today the science group is focusing on chemistry and all of the kids were given their own packet of pop rocks to be exposed to a chemical reaction. Juanito responded by saying “Ah! I feel miracles in my mouth!” Their joy has been an incredible source of encouragement and energy for us as teachers.

Today I am thankful for recognition. Yesterday I was able to talk with a mother across the street named Gloria. Last year I met her and was able to hear her story and pray with her and to be able to talk with her again was amazing. The moment I called her name she embraced me and welcomed me into her house/art gallery. Gloria is now a single mother. Her husband was killed two weeks ago last year. At this time last year her children didn’t yet know of their father’s death and after being told that “he is with Jesus” they would walk up and down the rows at church searching for his face. Gloria would like us to pray for her family, she fears that her husband is in purgatory for their having children out of wedlock. Relationships here are not forgotten and I am convinced that while I am at home in Kansas City praying for Gloria, she is here in San Juan praying for me as well.

Meredith S.

Last night I got the opportunity to play futbol (soccer) with some of the sixth grade boys. It was totally dark outside and we were playing every man for himself, by the end of the night I was drenched in sweat and had a tan line of dirt around my ankles. We played without words, just grunts and gestures, and it is probably one of the top highlights of this trip so far.

Another enjoyable moment was when we went to a café that hosted the best coffee in Guatemala; alejandro was crazy for the stuff. I ordered a cappuccino, which was delicious, and while waiting for it we had great conversation about the trip and Ezekiel’s ministry, I am pretty sure that we are going back again today.

If you can, I would like you to pray for Chris, Mary, Jacob, and Eric all of which who have been sick. I would also request that you pray for the whole team that we would just do God's work and join him where he needs us.

Marcus L.

our trip is more than halfway over! what a joy it has been to be here over the last few days, but God is still moving and working! our prayers - and yours – are changing lives here in san juan. thank you so much for your support.

-apc.

guat 2011: monday student blogs.

as promised (only about 12 hours late): here are some thoughts from our group after our first day of teaching! read on to hear from alex, kj, trent and mary kate!!!

Hola mis amigos. Mi nombre es Alexjandro, y este dia ha sido fantastico! Alright, so that is it for the Spanish, but after speaking it for a whole morning and being in this culture, it just sticks. So far this trip has been amazing and I can’t wait to see what is still yet to come. We have become such a bonded group and it comes out in the way we teach these kids. No matter how hard it may be with language, together we work so well with the kids and we all feel that it is more then just doing activities, but truly teaching and making a difference.
Alex R.

Greetings from Guatemala,
This trip has been absolutely incredible, other than the fact that today has been one of the most stressful days of my life! In our first day of teaching I was in charge of teaching biology and anatomy to hyperactive kids who need to be constantly moving. It is however impossible to get upset with them because they are beyond adorable and melt your heart every time they smile at you. Now that my teaching is over I am able to lay back and enjoy the rest of the trip without stress.

I can’t look at the mountains enough; they are so gorgeous and take my breath away.
KJ R.

To those it interests
After a full day of teaching now under our belts, while being here for 4 days, I do know that we all are starting to feel the stress grow. However, none of that matters as much due to the amazing times we have had as a group. I feel that as a group we are having a blast and are really getting to know each other. Great bonding like standing for an hour-ish in the bed of a who only knows how old Toyota Tacoma driving down a steep, dangerous, road while coming back to the hotel from some of the most fun I have ever had in my life at the world’s highest zip-line.

Now that a day of teaching is done, I feel so much more relieved. I am assuming that most of that is from the fact that today was the day I was in charge of and it is now over. Still I am looking forward to the last 3 days and I am sure I will be sad again when we have to leave. Can’t wait to be home though so I can sleep without be serenaded at night by tuk-tuk’s, roosters, and Marcus trombone snoring.
Trent F.

Hello from Guatemala! I wanted to share with you guys a moment that happened to me today, while teaching to the kids. I am in the art group and I taught in the classes today, and through that whole experience I could feel God giving me strength to keep going and talk in front of those kids for the first time. In trying to communicate things to kids, I would try talking in Spanish and one person would get it and be able to explain it to another person. Through all of that I just saw God in helping break down the communication barrier. This trip has been amazing so far and I can’t wait to see what happens with my life through out the rest of the week.
Mary Kate P.

as i type this, we're halfway through day two of teaching and things are going great! the p.e. group is playing hockey, the english group is teaching family terms, the science team is using homemade catapults to teach physics, and the art group is having every student and teacher paint a piece of fabric that they will be sewing together to create a massive tapestry for the school to keep!

more updates to come - thanks again for your countless prayers. also, just as a reminder, you can see the short twitter updates (complete with photos) at my twitter account here: @adampaulcooper.

-apc.

guat 2011: prayer tour, zip-line, san pedro.

we have been in san juan for over 24 hours now, but it already feels like days. after a gorgeous (and a little longer than anticipated boat ride) we settled into our hotel, grabbed a late afternoon lunch, and quickly set off on a prayer tour around san juan.

our first stop on the tour was the school we will be teaching at over the next week. the school is run by a man named Francisco with whom we have developed a tremendous relationship with over the years here in san juan. Francisco has taken the elementary school from a 3-room schoolhouse to a multi-level school with around a dozen classrooms and an adjacent basketball court with a brand new roof! Francisco gives all credit to God for providing groups like us to help. we prayed for our teaching, for Francisco, and for the kids at the school. what a joy and an honor to be apart of God's story here.

our next stop was a church where Francisco's son serves as youth pastor and worship leader. from there we went to a demolished home on the north side of town. it had been left in ruins by a mudslide. the house was the home of a family whose children go to the school. it was so humbling to see the hardship that this family had gone through. we prayed for the community, for the lives we come in contact with, for the divine appointments we will encounter that we don't even have in our schedule. what a rich time of convo with God.

this morning we woke up and after a quick breakfast we jumped in a truck and drove to the zipline!! we all did it! what a great time of bonding for our group - everyone was so encouraging for those of us that were a bit nervous (i.e. meredith and karlie). so awesome and so fun.

dinner is in san pedro tonight. san pedro is the neighboring town to san juan and a fun place to hang out and grab a meal. but its early to bed, early to rise tomorrow cause the teaching begins in the morning!

thanks for your prayers! stories from the students are coming tomorrow night!

-apc.

guat 2011: tori's bag is found.

quick update this morning: tori's bag has made it back to the guat city airport and is en route to us in panajachel! what an answer to prayer.

the weather is PERFECT this morning for a boat ride. 70s, sunny, no clouds, gorgeous volcanoes. boat leaves in 72 minutes!

keep praying. love and miss you all in the states.

-apc.

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guat 2011: made it to panajachel.

we have made it to lake atitlan!

our trip from KC > OKC > houston was flawless. we found our shuttle to the hyatt place hotel for the night. this morning came very early - left for the airport at 7 am - but our flight was delayed a bit so we were able to kick it a bit at the gate before departure.

flight was smooth, customs was a breeze, and we all got our money exchanged with no trouble at all. the only hiccup we have experienced thus far is that someone took the wrong baggage and accidentally grabbed tori's by mistake, leaving his behind! continental seems to have it under control though, and her bag should find its way here soon. the other girls have been great leaning her stuff, and she has been a great sport throughout. pray that her bag finds its way safely!

we spent the rest of the day on the windy roads of guatemala, pulling into panajachel around 8pm. the weather is gorgeous and we are all so thrilled to step outside and see the beautiful scenery in the morning! what a gift God's creation is.

a few of us have been chatting about how interesting it is that there are guatemalans all around us, all who have their own story and their own encounters with the same God we know back home. looking out on Guatemala from the plane thinking, "man, there are so many places that God - this one same God that we know and love - is working at the same time."

prayer: take time to slow down to notice things like the encounter above.

we are a tired bunch, but spirits are high and very eager to cross the lake to san juan in the morning. we had some dessert and sang some karaoke up the street from our hotel tonight, but we are all turned in now ready to see what Jesus calls us to for day 3 of 10.

we appreciate your prayers! stay tuned for an update from san juan tomorrow!

-apc.

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hillcrest covenant church: guatemala 2011.

over the next couple weeks, my blog will serve as a domain for our hillcrest student missions trip to san juan, guatemala. we leave tomorrow afternoon and return sunday, march 20, and in that time i, along with others on our team, will be updating this space to keep you up to speed on the ministry our group has the honor of being a part of in san juan.

hillcrest has been doing this trip for 7 years now, and in that time we've had the opportunity to teach children, do different construction jobs, and build lasting relationships with the people of san juan. this year we are teaching science, art, english, and p.e. to around 150-200 elementary school children. san juan is on the south-eastern shore of lake atitlan in the solola region of guatemala. we fly from kansas city to houston, and into guatemala city on friday morning. we then drive to panajachel (on the north shore of the lake), and then taxi across by boat on saturday morning, march 12. feel free to explore the area on the google map below.


check back often for updates, photos, and prayer requests, or follow me on twitter (@adampaulcooper) as i will be linking each update there as it is posted.

pray for our group as we take part in what God is doing in guatemala. here we go!

-apc.

thriving youth ministry in smaller churches.

"the future church will thrive in being small. the mainline, middle, and mainstream are dying and splintering into countless fragments. micro is the new mega. small is big. scripture clearly roots for the underdog. david against goliath. a boy with fish and bread. mustard seeds....being smaller is a huge advantage."

-ap.

why mafia is the greatest ministry game ever.

sure it centers around murder, deception and lying. and sure it gives an opportunity for students to ruthlessly stab their best friends in the back. but i have said it before, and i will say it again:

mafia is the greatest ministry game ever.

there are a handful of reasons why mafia is the greatest game ever. i will list them now.

1. it forces students to know everyone's name.
you look like a total schmuck when you point at someone and say, "i think it's you - kid in the blue hoodie - yeah, him - you...i think you're in the mafia." people start whispering side conversations asking each other the names of the other people around the circle. students feel loved when you can call them by name (even more when you can develop a nickname for them) and when their peers know their name it means even more. by the end of a night of mafia, a room full of borderline strangers are suddenly best friends and can't wait to play together again.

2. students are forced to work together with individuals they're not used to being grouped with.
this is super fun to watch. you'll get the talkative girl, macho dude, quiet loner and stand-off-ish Flyleaf fan all working together and getting each other's back. students that would never have even talked to each other before are suddenly vouching for each other and trusting each other and working together to end the terror in mafiaville. this also breaks up the unhealthy attachments that some students have with a certain group and allows them to branch out and make friends outside of their normal bubble.

3. it develops confidence.
anyone can succeed at mafia - in fact, the already confident ones are typically the first to be found out. the quiet ones are the ones that fly under the radar and ultimately shock the group. this is something that every quiet and uncomfortable individual needs: a boost of confidence. suddenly the populars are at par with the not-so-pops. it's anyone's game, and regardless of the group, high fives always ensue following a mafia game.

4. it ultimately builds community.
when you combine the last three points, you eventually land at a great word called "community." community is what makes 'youth group' the slightest bit successful. it is at the center of what we do as Christians - we spend time and share life with each other. at the end of the day, mafia breaks down walls and replaces the with terrific avenues for students to grow together. Christianity isn't a solo exercise, and mafia aids in this fact.

5. it's stinkin' fun.
and lastly, it's just a blast. after spending years hanging out with the students at hillcrest, i can honestly say that some of my favorite moments have come in games of mafia. no other game could be played for 10 hours straight on a bus ride back from buena vista, colorado. but i've had the privilege of doing that 4 different times! and we always come back for more.

anyway. there are your reasons. if you want to know more about our mafia games, visit the facebook group or read about the 'party game' on wikipedia.

-ap.

respect the royalty.

this is me sitting at dunn bros at 8:30 on saturday morning, i came to work on hillcrest stuff for tomorrow morning, but as it turns out i feel more confident upon arriving here this morning than i did when i set my alarm last night planning to wake up and get some work done. so i'll blog instead.

my internship is going great - so much better than my past summer internships. i feel like i'm being challenged, i'm growing, i'm not being cutely shepherded along in everything that i do (as was the case in past summers), but i'm being given some terrific freedom and ownership of the things i'm in charge of. i'm also getting repeated confirmation that this is what i'm supposed to do with my life. i feel like i've been ready for this next step for a couple years, and it feels really good to step into a new level of responsibility.

speaking of steps - i was eating some red vines and talking to tim (my boss, friend, and softball teammate) this week about what my future looks like. while i am not a gypsy and cannot transparently foresee the future, i know where my life is headed and can make a couple rather good estimates on different avenues i could take. namely:

1. i could stay at hillcrest for two years and look for a full time covenant youth job a couple years from now, or...
2. i could start putting my resume out there starting in december and plan on ditching kc around may for another covenant youth job.

..."youth" should probably read "middle school".

both of these ideas scare me. i'm leaning towards the first option (mainly because i dont think my heart would be able to handle running away from the city and people i love just yet), but i'm starting to wonder if i should start looking now? the thought of leaving kc is devastating, but is it something God has for me to step into?

good thing these decisions are months away...but now that i've said that i realize that "months" isn't really a very long time away at all. oh goll.

i might have just wet my pants.

-ap.

also i want everyone to realize that cedar rapids and overland park are 2 of the top 10 places to grow up. i will add that OP is one of the best places to move when you're newlyweds. i have no article to link to supporting this claim, but when you guys move here you'll understand that it is absolute truth. that is all.

love my job.

i started doing youth ministry my sophomore year of high school. i was 15 years old and i started helping out with the middle school at hillcrest. i was a gopher and i was more just continuing to live the fun days in middle school a bit more. that summer a group of seventh graders moved up from children's ministry and into the student center.

that same group graduated from high school this past week.

it's really incredible when i think about it. i've only truly worked 3 days now as a full time church employee, but i've already been fortunate enough to see a class of students go all the way through hillcrest's student minitries. that's something most youth pastors don't get to experience until 6-7 years into their career, and here i am 3 days into mine and i've already gotten to see a class grow and change and mature before my eyes.

ministry is one of those things that is difficult to quantify. you can't really assess the impact you're truly having in students' lives. you just have to keep on loving, hoping and praying that the time you've invested has truly been fruitful.

tj and i were at shawnee mission east's graduation last night to support a handful of our students. i actually had gone to tj's high school graduation in 2005 when i was in my first summer of interning at hillcrest. he was talking to me about how that's all he remembers from his graduation - how cool it was that a few of us from hillcrest had come to support him on his big day.

it's cool to think about the little things that we do every day that makes a lasting impact in the lives of others. the tiniest bit of effort from me turns into a lasting impression and a potentially changed life because of it.

and this is why i love my job. because not only do i get paid to go cheer for relish AND smear relish all over kids' faces, but i get to watch lives transform and i get to be apart of it. so cool.

-ap.

the best royals game ever.

let's review the two things i love most about the royals:

1. john buck.
2. relish.

now that we're all on the same page, i'll begin my tale which i have appropriately titled "the best royals game ever."

it was "go the the royals game if you're a hillcrest highschooler" night at "the K". after collecting money from every student and paying for parking we went to purchase fifty-eight $7 tickets. amazing moment number 1: we went to the ticket window and our total was $406. we counted the cash we'd collected...$408. so we gave Kathy a $2 tip for smiling and handing us the large wad of tickets. they look more like chuck e. cheese tickets in bulk like that.

we got to our seats (secion 323 rows K-N) and were delighted to see that the royals were already up 2-0 in the second inning. i hadn't been sitting in my seat for more than 10 minutes and i suddenly received a multitude of text messages. you see, i had chosen to wear my relish hat to the game. it is essentially a giant hot dog with green condimentation* along the top. amazing moment number 2: apparently i had been on FSN KC and former royals' pitcher Paul Splittorff said something to the effect of, "you can always tell when it's college night at the K cause people show up with hotdogs on their head."

the game progressed quickly to the bottom of the 4th inning when amazing moment number three happened: mr. incredible himself dropped a homer over jermaine dye's head in right center to make the game 6-2. john buck goes yard for the second time in two starts. and the crowd goes wild.

this game was already thrilling. at this point i was fully confident that nothing could go wrong. anything and everything was going to go my way tonight. so when the Heinz Hot Dog Derby began - i was extremely confident that Relish would pull it out for me. amazing moment number 4: in come-from-behind fashion, Relish takes win number 17 on the year, and is currently dominating the standings where ketchup and mustard have 13 and 12 wins respectively. they quickly went straight to me celebrating in section 323 after the race. i pointed at the condimentation on my hat to notify the masses of my loyalty. and the $5 i had riding on relish quickly turned into $15. pleasure doing business with you gents.

the game slowly went south, however, my morale was as high as ever. the chicago white sox clawed back into it, and actually took the lead on a balk. as we entered the 9th inning, we were down 1 run, but all eyes went to the Mass-o-tron** to watch the royals' highlights from the night. amazing moment number 5: clip 3. immediately proceeding the plethora of royals hits and put outs to come...there i was. I WAS IN THE HIGHLIGHT REEL. i was laughing and talking with the individuals around me in my Relish hat and white shades. i couldn't believe it. i was one of the game's highlights. what an honor.

anyway. that's a quick synopsis of the most fun i've ever had at the K. hopefully i can add pictures to this post soon. i'm counting on others for that though.
oh. but the royals ended up losing. details.

-ap.

* - condimentation: the act or process of adding an item to an entree in order to enhance it's original flavor. ex: ketchup, mustard, Relish.
** - i named the new video board tonight. the old one was the Jumbo-tron. this one is clearly more majestic and larger than that one. i like Mass-o-tron.

high impact 08. briefly.

things that happened in the last week:

i sweated hauling dirt and busting rocks with 30 high schoolers. this consisted of flipping rocks and discovering garter snakes as well as the largest crickets in creation. they were red and looked more like lobsters than crickets. so we called them crobsters.

i spent a week away from my phone and lap top and i didn't miss them at all. which is an incredible feeling because it means that i am truly focused completely on where i am instead of where i want to be.

i was told i look like abu from aladdin this week. i'm taking it as a compliment. i've been told i have cartoon-like qualities, but i've never been actually told i look LIKE a character. i now have an answer to the question "what actor/actress have you been told you look like?"

i did a backflip into 45 degree water, climbed a cliff in 1:33 and built a colossal fire using only one match.

i watched ocean's eleven, twelve, and thirteen. organized crime is way too impressive. i'm unhealthily attracted to it. i wish i could successfully dabble in that business - both because it would be so fun and because i'm so broke.

i got to teach a number of individuals how to roast the perfect marshmallow. yes, this statement implies that i can indeed roast the perfect marshmallow. i am not denying this.

mafia.

i was involved in the battle of cottonwood pass. i built a fortress with a window to protect my comrades and i from enemy fire. however, i would ultimately doom my troops by nonchalantly farting inside the fortress and running my fellow soldiers out from cover and into the battlefield. my bad guys. sorry.

i finally gave in and admitted that i have a sinus infection. and have had one since i left for chicago. i'm going to the doctor on monday.

i turned my phone on for the first time since wednesday and came back to 22 missed alerts: 15 texts and 7 voicemails. it was nice not having to worry about the busyness of life for a few days.

anyway. thats probably all the important things that happened*. now i'm going to go shower and take out my contacts for the first time in three days.

if anyone thinks their job is better than mine - you're so so wrong.

late.
-ap.

* - this is obviously sarcasm. God was at work in the lives of people all over hutchinson and colorado and everywhere in between. hopefully deeper thoughts will come later. right now i need sleep badly.

moving slow.

its funny how quickly the human body and mind can adjust to surroundings.

after a couple rather hectic weeks at hillcrest, i decided to escape to the slower paced life in manhattan to unwind and relax for a couple days. it's nice, but i can't help but feel slightly irresponsible just intentionally doing nothing. well, i suppose reading and blogging and drinking iced tea at 40% off isn't necessarily nothing, but it is a severe decrease in speed and a great increase in time.

when i first moved back to kansas city this summer i was surprisingly uncomfortable there. i had become used to the slow meandering life of manhattan, and the speed of kc caught me off guard. it's been a month now. i've plunged myself in my job and life (same thing) in kc, so now that i'm back in manhattan i'm surprisingly uncomfortable here.

i'm not sure whether of not i prefer either. on one hand it's nice to have extra time to spare - time to write a 3-paragraphs-and-counting blog - but at the same time my heart wants to be moving. when i have an hour or so of unscheduled time during the hours of 9-4 in kc i feel like i'm not being productive, but an hour of free time in manhattan is the most common thing ever. i think the reason i'm writing this, however, is that i feel like i've finally re-discovered the balance of these two feelings.

in ministry (specifically youth in this case) it's important to have a moment of contact with every kid at an event - high five evangelism* if you will - but it's also important to walk slow enough that you don't miss someone in need of some encouragement or advice. i think this is the mindset i had when i was in high school and freshman and sophomore year here at k-state, but somewhere in the 21 months away from kansas city (and youth ministry) my thoughts turned inward and i'd lost my passion for social contact and, consequently, my passion for evangelism.

i want to impact lives other than my own. call me out if i'm moving too slow or if i'm not moving slow enough. it's the life i want to live and i'm excited that i feel reconnected with that mentality.

-ap.**

* - in 2008 i've found that "pound-it evangelism" is more relevant.
** - i really wanted to insert a line regarding kanye west's accidental wisdom in the song "drive slow" somewhere in this post but it just wasn't fitting. you need to pump your breaks and drive slow homie. granted, the motivation to drive slow is slightly different in the song than in this blog. but i can twist his text out of context if i feel like it. and i feel like it. so there you have it.

softball.

i've officially joined the Hillcrest Covenant men's softball team.

yes, it isn't baseball. and yes, i don't get to experience the game like i used to, but i get to be on a field with a baseball mindset. there is no place i feel more comfortable than chattering on a ballfield with a team that i'm apart of. i'm one of the younger guys on the team - most of the guys are in their early 30s - but i feel like there is some really great potential for some fun growth here.

things i've learned about competitive softball since 9:30 pm yesterday:

1. sometimes if you just keep running you can score. the bases are way closer than in baseball so getting to the next base is super simple.

pause. a bird just flew into the window next to me. stupid animals. unpause.

2. my teammates tell me that striking out in men's softball typically results in that person purchasing everyone on the team a round of beers after the game. seeing that we're a team representing a church, we don't adhere to those rules, but a guy on the other team struck out 3 times last night. major buzzkill.

3. i feel athletic even though my legs are the same size as the new team bat we use.

4. i was informed by the opposing team's catcher that tossing the bat back toward the dugout after every at-bat is an art form. "it's all in the wrist. just got to flick it." i asked him if they ever had extracurricular competitions. he said "oh yeah absolutely." he's totally full of it. and i know it. and he knows i know it.

5. there are some extremely godly men at Hillcrest.

i'm amped to play in games where we dont get run-ruled.
and where i don't bat second to last and play right field. yeah newbie.

-ap.

messy games.

today is insane. it's also wednesday.

we'll can call it "wednesane"*. today is wednesane.

the first of two messy game events just finished up here at hillcrest. middle school is down. high school to go. we were planning for 35 kids. we had 85. they brought some of the most insane food fight items too. the most disgusting award goes to my man charlie. he mixed all the leftovers in the vbs kitchen together in a huge 5 gallon bucket. it looked like vomit. smelled like vomit. and i got some in my mouth and it tasted like vomit. ah yeah boi.

biggest success besides the massive brawl: tube sock ultimate. pretty much fill a tube sock with flour and throw it around. but every time the sock is caught it explodes in a cloud of white dust. it sounds pretty average and not very messy, but it was a blast.

things i've learned since 12 pm: sometimes eggs don't break and they're usually harder than you might think. thats all for now. i gotta get chipotle before the high schoolers show up for round two.

and i just found something crusty on my toe. even though i just showered.

-ap.

* - pronounced "win-sane".

boss.

the latina population of the hillcrest staff rules.
this consists of .5 individuals.

-ap.

staff retreat.

i have just returned to kansas city from beaver lake in arkansas. actually, i shouldn't use the term "returned" - that would imply that i was in kc for an extended period prior to my trip to The Natural State. in reality, i only spent about 8 hours here on saturday night, so i don't necessarily consider that an established place you can "return" to.

but thats neither here nor there.

i love my job and i love the people i work with. plain and simple. we spent 2 days in a lake house together learning about one another: our personality, how we communicate, our skills, etc. i'm really excited about this years' student ministry staff. i feel like i have it easy. i came into the summer knowing who everyone was except two of them, but i'm excited for those relationships to blossom over the next few years. heck we're already playing m.a.s.h. and interlocking fingers.

also. i rediscovered my love for monopoly. this game (especially when played with tim and tj and ben and me*) is not for the not-so-strong-willed. we were yelling and screaming and laughing and dropping phrases like "ahhh eff you boy." hilariously cocky and so great. i'm a huge proponent for the yellow spaces. specifically marvin gardens. it just sounds way more beautiful than the other locations. except it also kinda sounds like a nursing home. which makes it seem like a snoozer. i'll just dwell on the positive ones.

the last few days have gotten me extremely pumped about my role this summer and who i'll be spending most of my time with. i haven't even gotten to check out kc, but that will come too and make things even better.

-ap.

* - i've recently been taught a lesson or two about when to use i and me. boom.