I'm writing from Oklahoma City tonight. I flew up here this afternoon for summer camp meetings with other youth ministers. Eli, another San Antonio ym, and I flew up together; we met Richard this evening for a meeting with a drama group for an event in San Antonio in February. I'm looking forward to meeting with the groups tomorrow to continue planning Zenith and Cornerstone; the collaboration is always challenging, exciting, and encouraging.
I didn't have my confirmation number tonight when trying to print out my boarding pass for tomorrow's flight back to San Antonio, so I called Southwest to help me out. Turns out, I booked a flight to Oklahoma City and returning to San Antonio on the same day, meaning I wasn't booked on the flight tomorrow. Fortunately, the lady was very helpful and got me back in the system (with the help of my credit card and a fee). Always something.
This past weekend was an extremely fun and relaxing one. I went to Big Bend National Park with ten other guys in honor of my roommate Will's impending marriage. The male contingent of the wedding party rented a 39-foot RV and set out for a weekend of camping, hiking, rafting, and fun. We hiked Emory Peak on Friday and enjoyed a local restaurant (the Starlight Cafe) that evening; we rafted the Rio Grande through the Colorado Canyon on Saturday; we played football in a parking lot at the Motel/RV park we stayed at; we grilled out for dinner Saturday night; and we told stories about Will. It was a weekend filled with laughter and bonding, leaving me completely excited to get back together with these guys in less than a month for Will and Glenna's wedding.
Not all of us knew each other, but it was such a blessing to get to know the other men who've been important to Will and his journey. For me, being the youngest of the group, it was priceless to soak in the vastness of experiences from their lives, learned through their stories and where they are. It was awe-inspiring to hike and raft through some of God's gorgeous creation in a place (southwest Texas) not expected to hold such beauty, and to share the experience with a group of new friends and old friends (and a couple who fit both descriptions...hahaha).
I'd never done an RV trip before and now I can't wait to do another. We rode in style. It must be mentioned, though, that our mode of transportation once we arrived was not exactly what we'd expected. A van had been reserved because the RV was too big to be driven into the park; it was delivered Friday morning before we set out for the hike. As it pulled up, we were shocked to see the sight before our eyes: a converted ice cream truck was our rental for the next couple of days. It couldn't have been a better fit. We rode with the back doors open most of the time, allowing us great views of the surrounding scenery as we passed by. It also gave us opportunity to be stared at each place we went; it also felt like we were some type of swat team, so many of us being hauled around like that. It was awesome.
It's special to be part of someone else's story, to see how so many different pieces fit into one story, how so many others overlap around one. And it's even better to share in the joy of another, of a brother.
