Putzing Around

Hello again y'all!

To be completely honest with you, there's not lots I can say about this past week. For the most part we were hanging out here at camp, supposed to be doing homework like there's no tomorrow. The result: A lot of college students hanging out, procrastinating on homework and getting less sleep than they normally do when we actually have a busy schedule. Shucks anyways. And so, truth be told, I am now in the midst of a mountain of homework that threatens to grasp its hold around my neck and choke me to death by the time Sunday at 5:30 comes around. Unfortunately, as this due date looms nearer, I continue to neglect the work. Great...

Anyways, there were a few highlights to point out about the week. Obviously, if I wasn't doing my homework, I must have been doing something else with my time, right. So, as usual, we had a couple chapels and short courses. We spent one day in Camp Ministry class. And then.... we had Girls/Guys Overnights!! In a nutshell, this means that the girls and the guys split up and go their separate ways for a special night of fun activities without the, erm, distraction of the opposite sex. We girls went to Nanaimo around supper for Indian food on the shoreline at an incredible place called Amrikko's (shameless plug), then we hit up DQ for the seasonal favorite of Pumpkin Pie Blizzards, followed by a trip up to Parksville where we stayed the night at a beautiful home on oceanfront property owned by a Qwanoes board member. Beautiful! We ladies stayed up late, eating sweets, singing worship songs, praying, playing silly games, and enjoying the opportunity to really chat about some deeper stuff with the group that we've been holding back up until this time. In the morning, we slept in and enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast that included banana pancakes! After packing up, we went for a walk along the shoreline, took some pictures amongst the newly changing leaves of autumn, and went shopping in Nanaimo for a couple hours. Needless to say, I spent too much money for being a poor college student. Also, I managed to go to Starbucks way too many times this week for it to be healthy for anyone or even slightly excusable. But anyways, it was a very refreshing trip away from the camp that really drew us girls closer together. Good memories.

This past weekend, we had the great pleasure of hosting the annual Qwanoes Women's Retreat. Many students were working all weekend as part of their volunteer service quotas, and I too worked all of Saturday afternoon on the challenge course, belaying women and harnessing them up to gain victory over personal, legitimate fears of heights and security. These women are hilarious! I thoroughly enjoyed that afternoon, working on the climbing wall and the skycraper, a ridiculously high three person swing which you're hauled up high and then released to plunge again beneath the trees. Scary! Quite honestly, I hadn't even worked up the courage myself to try it yet, but at afternoon's end, the ladies convinced me and a friend to get up there and do the thing we'd been encouraging them to do all afternoon. Unbelievable.. but I'm not so sure I'll do it again soon. On Sunday, I also was given the opportunity to help out at Cobblehill in a couple ways. Although it provided for a ridiculously busy, overwhelming, and not at all relaxing day, I am thankful for these service opportunities. I arrived at church at 8:30 in the morning in order to play the piano and sing with the adult worship team, who was leading the service, so that was fun and challenging. Us Kaleos then went to a church family's house for lunch, a walk, and a tour around their new house. We came home for about an hour, in which I chatted, read the good book, and had a 15-minute nap. Heading back to Cobblehill at 4, we practices for the Bridge, our youth worship service, and had some dinner before everyone arrived. Last night there was a much bigger crowd that showed up to the service, which was definitely encouraging for us. Arriving home late last night, we were all pretty tired and ready for sleep, so once again the homework was pushed aside and I arrived on today. This week, we get to go caving! So that should be a pretty fun and interesting new experience.

Hope all you are doing well. I miss you!!
- Jess
p.s.: sorry folks. no pics this week! :(