GOOD MORNING WISCONSIN!!! or something like that...I just had a few minutes before I needed to make my way over to my biology lecture and I figured I would say hello to all you fine people, many of which I haven't had the opportunity to have a decent conversation with since I left camp.

Things are good here at the WU, crazy and busy as usual, but it's wonderful to be back. I will be monster buff by the time you guys see me next because, well, I'm taking Body Sculpt and it's all about muscles.

Well I'm gonna be late if I don't stop now so Hello, I love you and I miss you

brooke

YAY for school

So...I'm all moved in. I have successfully gotten lost several times - but i think im beginning to get the hang of it. Classes start tomorrow - talk about reality check - I'm scared. But it will all be good. I have found a secure group of christian friends, and we are checking out a lot of the christian groups. I am leading towards campus crusade, a presbytarian group, or cambridge. I shall see in the coming weeks which one i lean towards. I really like my roommate - she is pretty much awesome. We have a good time. Well im off to tackle the world.
Petra

Back to School

College has officially started back. I was reminded the other day of how much work I'm going to have to do this year, when we pinned up our work from last semester and had our meeting with our old professors to discuss how we did as a studio. It hit me the most when he said, "I gave you all a lot of work didn't I?", he seemed to be in disbelief that we had done so many projects, if only they realized all the work they were making us do while we were in their class. I'm really trying to get back into the "I want a lot of work" mind set. But this year I'm also going to make time for other things like Blogging and God, etc.
Heather

Word.

I think Jordan's obsessed with me...she keeps on wearing the same shirt as me on the same day...

Luke

packing and possibly infected kidneys

So, I'm back from missouri after seeing my brother. It turns out hes decided he is not a christian anymore and doesnt think it is worth his time to really think about it right now. I'm just giving him the space he needs with this decision, but please be praying for him. Other than that, I've just been doing a lot of packing - besides the fact that it was temporarily delayed today by really bad back pain. My mom thinks i might have infected kidneys- i sure hope not - because that would stink. Oh, and on the plane ride home i saw a thunderstorm - it was one of the most amazing things ive ever seen. It was truly a powerful experience to see lightening from the sky, at night. Anyways - im off. Love you
Petra

can't sleep....so i'm posting

It's currently well after midnight and i gotta get up at 8 tomorrow morning to drive to ncssm. Which is exciting cause i get to present king's park for their orientation, but that does not change the fact that i was so tired two and a half hours ago that i wanted to pass out in the middle of having a bunch of company at our house, yet i am still awake and facing very little sleep. I was so tired, but i started reading this extremely intriguing book that i finally got myself to put down a few minutes ago. But right as i tried to go to sleep i got a knock on the window from the RAs on duty asking me to check out a room in my suite that had obviously had alcohol. I checked it even though there really wasnt anything i could do since they had everything well hidden by that point. Really i probably shoulda just straight up asked them to hand the alcohol over, but oh well...i'll get them next time.
But here i am, now quite awake and setting myself up to be good and tired for my brother's wedding tomorrow. Matt and Katie are finally getting married tomorrow, after nearly seven years of dating. This is pretty awesome and i am glad for them and have enjoyed the festivities and time with my family, including some who flew in from nebraska and my brother and family from louisiana.
And oh yeah....about that book... I was in the brickyard today handing out drinks and info cards for ENCM so we could get some advertising out there. We saw a guy on the other side of the brickyard sit down with a suitecase and take out some books to hand to people. He was also an older gentleman with a small dog running around freely, so this man certainly intrigued us. We figured it was a good chance that he was handing out bibles or something, so i went over with a soda to give to him and see what he was doing. It turns out that he was a christian who was handing out bibles and other christian books, so i sat down and gave him the drink and talked to him for a while. His name was Peter and he was definitely a cool dude. He told me that he had demonic struggles his entire life until he was 50 years old, when he met a man who was able to help him find deliverance from those oppressions. Part of what he learned about deliverance came from one of the books he gave me called "Pigs in the Parlor". He also gave me a book called "Prison to Praise", which is the life story of a man who spent much of his life in the military and found Christ and great freedom through praise. His story is truly amazing, which is why i stayed up an extra hour and a half reading it before the crazy alcohol disturbance. Anyways, I really enjoyed meeting Peter and hope that he will be on campus again. You guys should all read "Prison to Praise" too. It's really beginning to stir up a challenge in faith for me. I hope you all are doing well, lemme know what's goin' on with ya!

Luke

college

Well I am now fully packed and ready to go to college. Hmmmm seems kinda wierd actually. Gonna miss some peeps but will still see others and visitation is available obviously, lol. Well leaving at 8 tomorrow morning should be fun. Well I will post later. Wish me luck ,lol.
sb

Shaking in my Booties

So, ive finally come to the realization that in a week I am going to a place in which I will know absolutely nobody. I was super excited about it about 6 months ago, and while im still excited - im so very very scared! I've gotten a lot of letters from clubs though, and im going to every single meeting that a club is having that i might be semi-interested in. I will meet people - i am so determined - but oh so intimidated at the same time. Wish me luck, and pray that the butterflies will leave my stomach soon. Also, as of tomorrow Petra Wahnefried is making her first plane voyage by herself- i will probably get lost in the airport- but Im so looking forward to seeing my brother. Well im off off and away.
love you guys oh so much
Petra

I've Fallen In Love

I must say, I have quite honestly fallen in love...with Europe. I knew Italy would be grand, and it was, but oh dear how I do adore Germany. It's a good thing I've got you guys back in the states otherwise I might just stay here forever.

Ahh the trip has been so fantastic, I have an internet card now and as of right now I still have 77 minutes so I should be able to post a little bit more periodically until we leave on Monday.

Italy was wonderful, but the whole first week of our trip was really really rushed because we were touring and kept having to get from place to place, and Rome was a bit of a disappointment, but the past few days have been so awesome.

Today was the first official day of World Youth Day and guys, there are about 800,000 people here and we had a HUGE opening Mass and then a MASSIVE dance party afterwards, I must say, Americans definitely lack in the just cutting loose and dancing category but the Europeans and South Americans have got it down...the folks from Italy and Chile were going crazy. It's absolutely insane how many people are here and to see everyone from so many countries. It's really amazing. It's kind of hard with all the language barriers but it's really awesome.

I really have been praying for God to reveal some stuff to me this week, about just were I stand on some things, especially in the Church realm, but just seeing so many people love Jesus and having everyone from all over the world together makes my heart sing.

Well I am gonna jet for now, but I love you all and miss you very much. Thought I would post and let you know that I am safe, having a blast, and haven't gotten in any trouble in Europe.

Ciao
Brooke

(my time is European time)

Celebrating Singleness

So, today, August 11th, marks the 2nd anniversary of my singleness. The beginning of my senior year feels as if it were forever ago. 2 years is a long time, and praise God for teaching me so much during this period. Singleness is a gift, and I am still learning about it and from it.


On a different subject, I just want to ask you guys to be praying for me and my dorm; I feel like God has piled people at my feet who don't know Jesus. There are 22 RAs on my staff and I can count the number of real, strong Christians on one hand. My staff is chockfull of agnostics/atheists, people who think they are Christians but their lives don't reflect Christ, and people who strongly support the gay/lesbian/bisexual community. And, by looking at my residents on Facebook (most have not moved in yet), I have several girls, especially in my suite, that are very liberal and like to party. I just ask for prayers for these people and for me, that I find strength in God's word and that I don't let doubts creep in. God is going to be huge this year. I just have to let God work in me and through me. And, yes, it really kinda scares me.

I miss you kids
Love
McCoy

There is no place like home - but I sure am campsick

So it is my first day at home - and I already miss everybody to death. I must say I am enjoying just chilling out and buying new clothes (since the camp washing machine brutally attacked all of my clothes and put holes in them)...but i miss everybody so much. I really enjoyed the summer. I feel like i truly was challenged and grew. When I look back on it, i sort of have trouble summing it up all in this blog - it was a slew of emotions, exhaustion, and joy. However, it doesnt matter how i view it - one camper letter makes it worth it - just knowing that I was the tool used to change one persons life makes all the sweat and tears miniscule and nonexistant in comparison. Nomatter how hard camp life was this summer, that is where I feel God at work, and that will always be my home away from home. Other than that, I loved the staff this year, and being able to hang out with most of you guys every weekend was an amazing experience. We better hold true to the pact of going to see each other this year- because last year's "visiting" wasn't sufficient.

Now I face the new voyage of college - and to tell you the truth I dont think it has totally set in yet. I am scared out of my mind though - so wish me luck. And if you are at state (jordan or luke) I might be down there this weekend seeing some of my friends off to school - and would love to drop by and see you.

I love and miss you all.
Petra

I WAS CAPTURED

The Chronicles of The Best They Ever Had
the blog yea I have given in. I'm sorry that I don't have some great story to excuse my lack of presence here on our blog, but maybe I'll just make one up as to why I have been gone from the page so long. I figure school is a sorry and lame excuse as well as my computer at home is slow. And of course who wants to admit that they forgot the password for our blog, I mean I am Heather.

HERE goes my entertaining story:
So I was typing my first, and what for some while now had seemed to be my last blog on this page, when out of the blue I was...
yea that ain't happenin.

Anywho, I'm so glad I could come back to ROC for the summer and hang out w/ my fav. ppl in the world. I love you guys and I am going to stick to this a lil more religiously and if you haven't heard from me in a while a simple "have you blogged lately?" will get me back on track. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

heather

I Figure I'd Get One More Post in Before I Leave

So...today is the day that this whole European adventure deal starts and I am so excited. This summer has truly been an awesome one thus far and to think after all the stuff I did at camp there is still MORE for me to do. Ahh, I can't even contain my excitement, it's friggin Europe, and I'm going. There will be plenty of pictures, I shall have to bore you all with them later.

Maggie's family happens to be in Charleston right now, which is where I am flying out of so we are meeting them for lunch which I am very excited about. Randy, my mom's "friend" is also coming with us, it will be the first time spending any extended period of time with him, so it has the potential to be fun or awkward. I'll hope for the first.

So, I'll be gone for two weeks, and will probably go through some kind of withdrawls of not talking to you kids for such a long period of time, but I believe I shall remain strong, but I will miss you all and be thinking about you. I will try to post if I for some chance get internet access or something....I love you guys

brooke

woot...

It is all I have to say... woot.... because I now have a Sony Vaio Laptop, and Levi and Jordan both agree that it is good. If those 2 agree it is good, lol.
lata holmes
sb

Clean Toes

So I got home around 12:30ish on Tuesday afternoon and almost immediately crashed on my couch and took a good two hour nap, which was then followed by a 45 minute shower, and a lengthy session of cleaning my toe nails and repainting them quite charmingly glittery purple; HOWEVER, even the loveliness of finally having clean toenails doesn't quite make up for being away from camp. I even tried to drown my campsickness in a good ol' batch of parflesnarf, but it's just not the same.

I agree with what Luke said, I believe we all (except maybe Jordan Cauley) have gained a newfound attachment to camp. I think a HUGE part of that results from how much of ourselves we poured into this ministry, which we had to do since it was such a vital, cornerstone year, but moreover I think we got to experience a lot more this summer. We truly got to see how BIG God can be when we just allow Him to work through us, not to mention some wicked awesome teams, new friends, and activities.

Sometimes I am reminded of how much of a "camp nerd" I am when I listen to myself talk to other people and realize that a good portion of my stories have to do with camp and usually you guys...sigh...memories. It was nice though, last night I was talking to Rique on the phone and I didn't have to worry about him not being in on the camp thing, cause he was right there with me, sharing camp stories and missing it dearly.

********

So this whole European expedition of mine begins on Monday. I'm really, really excited. I was looking on the website at the program schedule of all the sessions and meetings and forums they are going to have and almost ALL of them have something to do with music and dance from another country. How exciting is that, to see how other people worship God.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with Nick (from the kitchen a few years ago) and he was saying something about how so often we think that our way of worship is the only way to go, our standing in churches and singing to the songs, "but what about the people down in Brazil or something just beating their drums and dancing in a field". Ahh there is just so much value to being exposed to different cultures and I am definitely looking forward to some kickin' dance music in some language I don't speak...whoo hoo!

I really need to pack, but I have yet to get around to it...maybe sometime around 1 this morning I will feel motivated...who knows...i'm out though, so I too will leave my deepest love and longing for you kids.

peace,
brooke

The Summer Draws to a Close

So, here I am, back at school; all moved in less than 24 hours after I left camp. RA training is rather boring, and I have to say, collectively the people just don't have the quality of character that my fellow Rockfishers have. I feel a little lost sometimes--I feel, in a way, like a freshman again. I have a brand new suite this year and they are all freshmen. My RA friends are still on my staff, but really, if I had to pick, I would still surround myself with folks like the 7 of you (Danielle is a part of this business now) and Li'l Jeff and the brothers Lansing. I miss my strong brothers and sisters in Christ already. But, I have faith that God will bless me with an awesome suite again this year. I just ask, though, that you all please pray for me, that I make some strong strong Christian friends and that the friendships run deep--much deeper than the ones I had last year. I do have that tendency to be a bit of an outsider at times. Anyways, I'm just rambling. I miss you all, and I love you all so much!

Grace and Peace
McCoy