Monday, August 23, 2010

Stumped by Stumptown

Welcome to Portland!

Wow, I actually made it to Portland, OR. My good friend Desiraé who has been living up here for a year now, came down and picked me up from Tadmor just a few days ago. I have yet to actually hitchhike, but I can see that reality just over the horizon...

Spending a week at Camp Tadmor was such a god thing. I spent most of my time helping out with the program team, setting up, tearing down, riding in backs of trucks and I even got to play Djembe a couple mornings for worship! There are four hours of free time each day for the campers with different activities for them all over the camp. There is a lake. The lake has a huge, 40ft Blob floating on it. It is basically a long, rectangular balloon used to propel campers into the water. One sits out on the far end and another jumps on to it from a tower overhanging the blob by about ten feet. Lots of fun. My job for the four hours of free time for four consecutive days was to sit at the top of the tower and supervise! It really was a good time. I got to work on my tan as well as have an opportunity to minister and encourage campers to overcome their fears.

On the last day, this little sixty-eight pound, 11ish year old girl named, Georgia wanted to blob her friend Emma, but was very afraid. Emma sat out at the end of that blob for about 15 minutes while I was talking with Georgia and to answer all of her ridiculous "what if" questions. This girl had a great imagination! It took a lot of patients on my part and a ton of courage on hers, but after counting down from 3 to 1 countless times, she finally jumped! Her friend, Emma barely got a foot of the blob, but that didn't matter, Georgia jumped! Before I knew it, she was back at the top with me to jump again! And again and again for probably about ten more times. It was a small, but glorious victory :) Good job Georgia!

Throughout the day, there are two sessions, a morning and evening. Worship through music and word. On, Wednesday night, I experienced one of the most intimate worship moments of my life. I simply could not stop praising Him! It was through the song Came to my Rescue and the bridge in that song sings, "In my life, be lifted high. In our world, be lifted high. In our love, be lifted high" It struck the core of me. I was getting so much imagery and felt so free to worship my God; just to simply adore him. Sometimes I think we forget that to simply exalt out King, to lift him on high, to declare that he is the only one worthy of our praise should be at the core of our lives, our being, our existence. Before all else, we give him praise.

On Friday, Desiraé graciously came and gave me a lift up to Portland. Friday night, Stacie, her friend and now mine too joined us for a semi-homegrown and definitely home made dinner. After that we went and watched JAWS on a huge blowup screen in Pioneer Square in the middle of Portland. Flicks on the Bricks. The movie was good, as always, but the people watching was even better! SO much character! Their stories were woven into their clothes and imprinted on their skin. Yesterday, Desiraé and I rode bikes and ate breakfast at The Waffle Window on Hawthorne. These were not your everyday waffles, I got 2, one had melted brie topped by three strips of Northwest peppered bacon with a touch of basil on top. so good. The second was draped with their banana-caramel sauce, with a whole sliced banana loaded with a mountain of fresh whipped cream and then dusted with homemade granola. So, so good.

Then we were off to downtown, but not before stopping at Peet's :) Oh, how I missed thee! The coffee, not necessarily having a job. :) We went to the Saturday Market and the whole time I was in awe of creative we as humans can be! I LOVED the photography booths; there were painters, potters, metal workers, woodsmen and so many unique arts. It was inspiring to see all that art displayed by so many people.

Powell's Books. Whoa, book empire. All I'm gunna say is that I should have left my wallet in the car...

We went to a little street fair show that night and saw The Shaky Hands. They rocked, but by 10pm, we were both wiped from a long day of walking around downtown.

I "played" an accordion.

Yesterday we drove down to Desiraé's hometown, Albany and her parents took us and a few other friends out boating on Green Peter Reservoir. Wakeboarding, Wakesurfing, and Rock-jumping. So much fun. Hot tub, Pizza, bon fire and s'mores to wrap up the day.

Des and I have talked about when I'll be heading out and Saturday looks best. She is gunna drive me up into Washington somewheres and leave me there. on the side of a road. oh man! STOKED!

Keep tuned!

Also, please follow my twitters on tweeter 'cause I'm a twit. @LV2XPLR

2 comments:

  1. Hey Torque!
    Thanks for swinging up by camp before heading off on your great adventure. You provided me with a burst of energy that was much needed for the last week of camp. You have a delightful writing style and I am looking forward to tuning in later to hear the latest of your escapades!
    Peace

    Shrimp

    ReplyDelete
  2. So sorry I missed you in Portland brotha!
    You had a blast by the sounds of it though. Josh was going to see Flicks on the bricks too, bummed I missed that as well.
    Happy trails

    ReplyDelete