hello! is it me you're looking for?

no i'm not mad in this pic. we were supposed to look serious like sea..but brett's always happy or something.

again, hello from austria. and no, i haven't been kidnapped, its just been crazy hectic here. BUT all is well and i find myself in good spirits regardless of the busy schedule. let me run you through the past three days...

Day 1 of camp

the whole of the afternoon was spent doing prep work. there was a lot to do as far as the clubroom was concerned. to paint the picture, the club room is the discoteca of the hotel, meaning it is a bar complete with "hot tub" style tables and chairs (the tables are literally put into the ground, so when everyone is sitting around, it looks like we're hanging out in a hot tub). there is also a dance floor with awesome lights and whatnot, but it's sectioned off into the back room making the clubroom ultimately appear as if there are three rooms. that's a huuuuuuge problem when it comes to fitting almost 400 kids in the room. our initial idea was to keep the back dance floor as a backstage prop/dressing room and to bring the stage out onto the carpeted area where the largest section of the room is so that we can be more involved with the kids.

soooo night one, the kids came in and we played some awesome music and program was perfect and the kids kind of fit....but there were parts of the room that were not engaged at all. if you know young life and our vision at all, it is our goal--and sayin--to "reach every kid". so with our hearts so concerned about those who are not fully engaged because they cannot fit, or they cannot see, or what have you, our eyes were scanning the room and worried for the kids whose backs were turned to us. overall, though, the energy in the room was AMAZING. but with another group well on their way while we were having club, we knew we had to strategize a way to fit another 70 people into the room.

Day 2


the entire day...and i mean the ENTIRE day...was spent rearranging the club room so that we could fit more people. we decided on clearing out the backdance floor and making that our stage, while kids could come into that room and wrap around us. we had about 3 feet of stage, with kids' screaming and sweaty bodies crowded up right in front of us and it was glorious. it was hard to see much of what was going on in the back, and we were worried that the kids in the back were not engaged (again), but friends who were sitting back there with them had nothing but positive comments to say about the energy that was present throughout the entire club room. a few technical difficulties, but berto is the man and took care of it so great!

Day 3


and so today we woke up and had club this morning with the exact same setup and all went really really well. it was a ton of fun and the crowd's energy was amazing. dang, i need to get some video up here of what goes on in that club room. moses has been documenting each club behind the drum set, so hopefully i can get some of that footage up here (if the connection isn't so poor). we took the kids to innsbruck for the day which was crazy and way fun. it was COLD today, but everyone had a great time hanging out, getting away from the hotel, and participating in the photo scavenger hunt that brett, moses and i made up. it was really good.

instead of club again (which is usually held at night around 8 or 9) we had a talent show where there were over 30 acts! a bunch of kids got up to share their talent; some were goofy and hilarious (one kid covered lionel riche's "hello"), and some just melted my face right off (a young girl's rendition of tina turner's "rollin") dang.

so i could go on and on and talk about the kids ive met...how they are either very outgoing, or very stand offish because of the lives that they live and the way that the are up and gone after each PCS. they are such an inspiration and so different from the hundreds of kids that i've met throughout my involvement with younglife.

we (our program team) went to a cathedral while we were in innsbruck and lit a candle for these kids. most of the songs that we sing in club are about peace and freedom, which is empowering for these kids; singing "price of peace" with kids who are here at camp because of a lack of peace is humbling. it's not like they're over-patriotic or anything....rather they are well aware of war and peace and the way that it effects not only their lives directly, but the masses...something that i do not understand. and something that i may not understand in my lifetime.

that's all for now everyone....short and sweet. show peace and love. and mean it. mom, dad and tanya...miss you. commie seeeester, i miss you too and think about you when i see the local people of eastern europe. staci and gracie, your generosity with letting me borrow your electronics is appreciated beyond words. russ and chritsi, brett is well although he is beardless now, which he shaved for his program character. ha...i'm counting down the days until it grows back.

and megan, i miss you and we'll skype soon.