Well folks, I just wanted to tell you I’m on my way. I’ve hit the highway back to my life I was originally living. I hope I don’t sound bitter in saying that. I don’t mean to. But Camp Wyldewood was such a different life. New people, new housing, new spirituality, and a poisonous snake that almost killed me. The first day was a little scary not knowing anyone, but that ended about one or two hours later. Within a day I was making friends I could tell weren’t just going to be a memory someday. It’s kinda like a great big melting pot (okay, I got my corny line out). We had counselors from preps to pretty boys and from rockers to rappers (Christian rap of course) and my fellow nerds who were happy to share a Batman conversation or two… or twenty three. And to be completely honest, I can count on one hand the amount of times I actually “felt the Holy Spirit moving inside me.” But that doesn’t disappoint me in the slightest way. I feel like I learned more as opposed to being moved or revived in any way. I remember seeing the movie Evan Almighty on a day off. The one part that stood out to me the most was in a conversation God was having with Evan’s wife. He asked: If you pray for patience, will God give you patience? or will he test your patience so it will grow? It was right then that time slowed down and I realized a huge part of what my spiritual growth could and would be at camp for the rest of the summer and what a world of hurt I was probably in for. Then the movie resumed course and was quite good. Sure enough, the very next week, I received six of the worst middle school aged children this corner of earth has to offer. It was, without a doubt, the most stressful week and a half of my entire life. To all of the youth ministers, single parents, day care workers, social workers, etc. reading, I salute you. You are truly some of the greatest people to ever live. Don’t laugh, I mean it. I went to sleep every night nearly in tears from the stress and patience testing going on praying to God for a light at the end of the tunnel, saying: God, I’m not going to make it out of this session without you! I think I said that about 1,469 times. Patience was the biggest area of growth in my spiritual life this summer. Don’t get me wrong though, more happened. I baptized two children, convinced one kid that God was a sadistic jerk, got engaged. Okay, not really. People seem to be surprised that I’m not though. Camp was apparently supposed to be some kind of love shack. I guess I just sat outside. Bottom line: camp was amazing. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’ll miss it until next summer. Until then, I’m just on my way somewhere else. And it’s good to be back.