To Topeka: Day One
So, we're on our way to Colorado Springs. Day one was fairly uneventful as we just drove and drove and drove our way from Nashville to Topeka, Kansas.
After checking in to the hotel and dinner at the local mall's food court, we snuck out to the closest (and maybe only) Starbucks in the area. Thank goodness for wireless internet at the hotel where I could search for the location of the closest Starbucks.
Tomorrow it's on to Colorado and the Springs! I cannot wait to see those mountains!
Quote of the Day: "My blanket smells like tator tots and BO!" - Elise
To Colorado Springs: Day Two
Today's drive wasn't so bad. Kansas is pretty boring but it's nothing the iBook with DVD player and the iPod Nano with David Crowder, etc. can't get you through.
We arrived in Colorado Springs around dinnertime. A fantastic view of the mountains are out front.
Tomorrow it's whitewater rafting!
Quote of the Day: "I have no muscle. It's only skin and really big bones." - Matt Taylor
To the Arkansas River: Day Three
Today's adventure took us whitewater rafting. Good times! Sonya and two others fell out of our raft. They got a good soak, and now I'm red from the sun time.
We had a couple of "oops" moments on the way back. Jeremy, our youth pastor and driver of the lead van at the time, almost got a speeding ticket. We were held back from crossing the Royal Gorge because our van was still towing the U-Haul trailer (which Sonya and I decided was OK since I have a huge fear of large suspended bridges).
My personal favorite moment came just now...taking the van with U-Haul through the Starbucks drive-thru.
Desperation Conference starts tomorrow!
Quotes of the Day...
As he buckled his extra short life jacket for the rafting adventure, Matt Taylor says, "They gave me the emo jacket. All it needs are little pockets."
As she tried to grab a hold of rocks along the shore to pick up the group's rafting photos on disk for processing, our river guide Allie says out of frustration with herself, "Oh, Jesus Christ!" Upon remember she's with a church group, she immediately and profusely apologizes.
As Jeremy drove away from the cop, he says, "He didn't clock me doing 62. I was doing at least 70."
To Desperation Conference: Day Four
So, after having a lazy morning, catching up with my friend Brandan who works with Desperation, going out to the park, etc., we finally got to the part of the trip we came for...Desperation!!
The first night started with Desperation Band leading worship and John Bevere speaking. It was a night of thinking about who God really is and getting an eternal perspective. A great start!
Quote of the Day...Matt Taylor is on a roll!
When asked by Sonya why kids wear different color shoestrings like he had (one white and one black), he replied, "Well, one of mine broke."
To Desperation Conference: Day Five
Had a good day at Desperation today. The morning speaker David Perkins was great and Lisa Bevere's talk to the girls in the afternoon was fantastic as expected.
Tomorrow...HILLSONG UNITED!
Had a load of kids, not from our group, cut in front of us at the KFC tonight at dinner...how annoying!
Listening to my friend Brandan's CD right now...sounds good.
Quote of the Day:
One of the kids, Josh, came out of the hotel for the evening service with the hat he thought he lost, saying "My worst fears came true. Room service stole my hat." (He left the hat on one of the tables in the lobby.)
The group sitting behind us tonight was pretty distracting, a bunch of chatty Cathies. Sonya turned around to give them a look, one guy said, "Hi" and she replied with "What's up?"
To Desperation Conference: Day Six
Today was the day! I'm sure it wasn't merely because Hillsong United was in the house but man, some of their songs hit me harder than anyone's. Add 7,000 other people in the same spirit to those songs and something happens. I'm ready to come home.....in a good way, not a homesick way.
Quote of the Day:
"It's a dude!" - Said by Zack when he called the number some girls gave him through the van window...it was their youth pastor's cell phone.
"Shut up and eat your manna, sucker!" - David Perkins paraphrase of what Moses might have said to the three million complaining Israelites in the wilderness. And I thought I had it bad....
P.S. I have the greatest roommate ever!
United from the camera phone:
