Top Ten: Project Serve, Fall 2009

10. Michelle and Shag--Michelle thought she spotted our host-leader, Bruce, through the trees. Turned out it was just a red stick.

9. The Students Impressed Me, Part 1: Hard Work--The students worked hard. We started off with little sleep going into Saturday and the students worked from 6:30am until 9:30pm. I didn't hear them complain, grumble, or whine. They didn't try to avoid work, skip out on work, or cut corners. They served in humility, unity, and holiness. I was impressed.

8. Don Francisco--Turns out 70s ballad singer Don Francisco has a bit of a cult following in our youth group. Most of the students already had all of his CDs, but they continued to marvel at his musical talent.

7. Bear Accident--I'm not sure exactly what he was looking for, but a wild bear climbed into our church van, shattering the back window. Luckily, no one was hurt.

6. Getting Reprimanded--So, we made our dinner stop as the second quarter of the Packers-Vikings game was going on. Naturally, I wanted to go inside McDonalds and watch the game. I went up to the TV in the restaurant and began to try to change the channel. As I was doing this, I got yelled at by a young worker, who told me not to "mess" with the TV. I told him that I was simply trying to change the channel. His reply? "Like I said, don't mess with the TV." (I didn't think pressing the "channel" button on the TV was equivalent to "messing" with the TV. I do have a TV at home I know how to use quite well. I thought this experience would qualify me to change the channel. Apparently, no exceptions could be made.)

5. Eating Lobster--TK, Sam, and I each took down several pounds of meat during dinner on Saturday night, including some really good lobster. That was one of the best meals I've had in a while and it tasted really good after working all day.

4. The Students Impressed Me, Part 2: Speed Fellowship--It is such a joy to talk with these students and hear what God is doing in their lives. They are sensitive to sin, desirous to grow, and eager to learn. They encourage me, big time.

3. Wood Splitting--I learned some things: what a wood splitter is, how hydraulics work, Sam can take out wood with an axe, and people don't like big logs being dropped on their feet...

2. The Students Impressed Me, Part 3: Shooting Shotguns--50 shots. 10 people. 2 had never shot before. Everyone hit a clay pigeon. Wow.

1. The Students Impressed Me, Part 4: Studying Habakkuk. I praise God for His Holy Spirit, who causes spiritual growth to happen in my heart and the students' hearts. They spent time in God's Word, they worked on memorizing verses from the book, they applied God's Word to their lives, and meditated on its implications for them. Very impressive.