On Monday, July 1, we took a 15 passenger van and pastor's wife's SUV to haul the luggage. There were eight youth; six boys and two girls. Four Adults: A husband and wife team, pastor, and me.
After an hour of driving the excitement settled down and people started passing out. For example:
Our hotel was RIGHT next to the convention center where all the classes and fun games were going on. Prime location!! Also the weather could not have been better. It was no humidity and in the low 90's. This pregnant chick was so comfortable and grateful!! Not to mention the fact that handling business on my cell phone in pfg shirts and shorts, tennis shoes, and ray bans is quite nice as well.
A local news women approached the two girls in my group for an interview explaining their time in San Antonio.
The people in yellow knew where everything was if we had any questions, what was coming up next, they also set kids up with scavenger hunts for the week to keep them always busy. There were also orange shirted people that were posted on about every block down town directing traffic and helping all with a blue backpack get to their destinations safely.
The event hosted all kinds of cool classes all day, offered time for meals, and super amazing mass events held in the Alamo Dome in the evening.
There were three levels of classes, ones for everyone geared towards the youth, ones for the adult counselors to help them in their journey leading the youth, and one's for pastor's (pretty much); Pastor went to several classes for the theologically advanced. There he is on the balcony looking at us after one of his classes.
We had lunch at the Buckhorn Saloon that first day. Dead creatures everywhere. I had a yummy, yummy fried catfish sandwich. I'm salivating thinking about it now. I wanna repeat.
Saw 'em off.
Check out how cool these kids are! Watch the blond boy with the khaki shorts in the middle. Getting so over the Photoshoot.
Between classes they had a wing of the center for vendor booths and the opposite wing of the center for games. And boy, did they bring it in the game department. Gigantic Twister that never stopped, you basically went till you couldn't take it anymore. They had a zip line, gaga ball, American trivia where you challenge strangers to a game show environment of answering the same questions asked to potential US citizens on the naturalization exam. For example, how many members are in the house of reps? -435. There were so many other games. Insanely awesome.
Finding a city that is willing to literally shut roads down in their convention area is hard to come by. This is why only so many cities (all in the south) host this event. There were 25,000 people at the event. Every state was represented except for West Virginia. Africa was in the house as well as Canada.
I haven't felt so close to God in all long time. I always knew that working with youth was a calling I needed to answer. Thanks heavens I got the chance to with a more than amazing group of people. More posts to come!
