2/21/07

I just returned from the California Mission Trip on Tuesday. It was a blast! I spent four weeks traveling throughout California with ACTION Impact Missions, and it was a great learning and growing experience. We spend four days in training camp, learning the songs and skills we would need on the mission trip, then three weeks on the road and three days at AIM's annual Leadership Camp. Instead of trying to write out everything that happened, I'm just going to post my journal entries during the trip. Explanatory notes are in [brackets]. Oh, before I start, here are all the people that were on the trip.

Team members:
Me (Missouri - age 16)
Ryan Brown (Delaware - age 16)
Courney Brown (Delaware - age 14)
Olivia Smith (Kansas - age 13)
Emily (Emie) Voth (Colorado - age 12)

Other people:
Andrew (originally from San Diego, lived in Branson for two years - director)
Mr. and Mrs. Brown (Delaware - drivers and chaperones)
Emily Brown (Delaware - age 12) presented with us, but was not actually a member of the team
Rachel Brown (Deleware - age 9) was along for the ride!
Mrs. Smith (Kansas - Olivia's mom) helped cook at training camp, but went home after that.

^ Here's our team. Back, left to right: Andrew, Ryan, Mr. Brown. Front, left to right: Rachel, Mrs. Brown, Olivia, Courtney, Emie, Emily, me.

Oh, one more thing. There are some parts of my journal that are pretty personal, that I don't really want to share with the whole world. Those parts will be cut and marked "censored." If you're somebody I know, and you really want to know what it says, you can email me and ask. I reserve the right to say no, but you're welcome to ask.

Without further ado...

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1/25

Long day. It's 10:50 now and we've been awake since 6:30, partially due to certain Delewarians' jetlag. :) Learned 10 gazillion songs today. At least 12 - I lost count. Also received class assignments. Emily Voth and I have public speaking - 5 hours' worth. Fun. [We had three classes - mime, sign language, and public speaking - that workshop students could choose from. At the workshop, students would spend five hours in their class.] Actually it's not so bad. Emily is fun to work with.

More tomorrow hopefully. Girls are wanting for me to finish and turn out the light.