Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Preview Weekend


PRAISE GOD!!! I've never had such a mix of spiritual cleansing paired with so much FUN!!! Preview weekend was A BLAST!!! I wish I had pictures up right now, but I don't have them with me so they'll have to wait!
Okay, so we had some pretty freaky weather this past Friday, right? Well, we were supposed to leave around 5pm because that's when Alicia got off work. Coincidentally, that huge storm was passing over at about that time! Talk about cutting it close! Oddly, I wasn't worried about NOT getting to go. I figured if God hadn't wanted us to go, he wouldn't have performed those work miracles for us all.
We all met at Ian's house at five-ish and loaded up the car...(yes, I took ALOT. I wanted options, okay?)...anyway, we loaded up the car, Sister Armstrong pulled me into the house to look at Lindsey's engagement photos...(HA!!! I got to see them before ANYONE ELSE!!!! >:))) then we left around 5:30 or 6 (we said a prayer on the road). Well, the RIDE in itself was fun! Ian was driving, Daniel sat up front with him, and Alicia and I were in the backseat acting like we'd just gotten to heaven or something!!! There was lots of laughter, shared testimonies, and reading of the scripture. It rained on and off throughout our jolly journey, but we didn't really let that bother us AT ALL!!!
We were SUPPOSED to be in some big hurry to get there before midnight, but didn't really rush. We made it seven minutes before twelve!!! We were greeted in the TBC parking lot by a downpour and a new acquaintance, Albert. We did our whole unpacking thing, settled in, and-suddenly-Alicia and I were reminded by our bodies that we had not eaten the whole trip!!! So we ask about leaving campus for some grub...they said the guys could go pick up some food for us, so we called THEM. Ian answers, hears the request, and says "If you're hungry...just go to sleep."
So Alicia and I were on the verge of fleshly panic when Sister Sarah...THE most AWESOME girl AT TBC...saved us!!! She took us to her room and pretty much said, "Pretend like this is your home and eat whatever, I have to go do a room check."
So, Alicia and I chow down on some chocolate almonds and water. At around one-ish, we decide we need showers. So we took one! We got into bed around two thirty and slept hard!
However, my perpetual indulgence of sleep was rudely interrupted by the sound of a monstrous piece of technology that never should have been placed in the hands of a bunch of cantankerous college students!!!
Apparently, the guys pulling the fire alarm each Saturday morning to wake the slumbering gals was almost traditional! I remember swinging my legs over the bed (somehow knowing it wasn't a serious alarm) thinking either it was a poorly timed drill, or a prank. I simply remember yelling, with my super-long hair swinging in front of my face..."Are you SERIOUS!!!!!!!????" Alicia takes one look at me and LAUGHS!!! She, too awakened by the annoyance, had forgotten her bedding and thus had to borrow some from the amiable Sister Sarah. Minus the pillow. And so it was that she had a crick in her neck and was laughing while at the same time trying to remain stationary!!!! Talk about a funny morning!!! I got over my interrupted heaven-like state and prepared to register at nine o'clock...
Alicia go and complete our registry only to find out that we didn't have to be there until 4pm!!! The guy Alicia talked to said 9am. Only, he failed to mention that we had a broad window. So, we didn't really have to leave until Saturday morning. I was kinda glad we didn't wait though.
Anyways, they aren't serving breakfast, so we're starving, hoping the guys are up so we can eat. Right. They were still sleeping peacefully in their warm little beds!!!
So we called them and woke 'em up only to find out that they had gone to Taco Bell after we had spoken to them the previous night!!!
Anyway, that was a super fun first day and that night at around six-thirtyish we found out about Area 39. I'll never forget the students dressed up like FBI agents and scientists as we walked into the darkened cafeteria. The only dull lighting was RED!!! Our sights were blocked by many partitions and the "agents" and "scientists" had us do random things. Alicia had to hold a light bulb, I was interviewed by an "agent" with a squirt gun and we each received either a yellow or a green glow stick. Ian, Alicia, and I got a yellow one and Daniel got a green one. when we stepped into the "chapel" area, the room was lined with tables around a red glowing stage. They had races with remote control cars (Alicia rammed the car into the SAME cone repeatedly), broom and beach ball hockey (Ian broke a broomstick), and limbo(not so great with calve-length skirts on. Then an hour or two later, when the fun was "over", we prayed for the seniors. It. Was. INCREDIBLE. God spoke directly to all four of us each and EVERY service. The next day, of course, was chapel, then church. (There were activities too, but it'll take too long to fill all this in on here. Ask me about it later.) Brother Scoggins is AWESOME. That's all I gotta say. Monday, we went to classes...which, too, were awesome!!! I felt smart, I was doing the SAME worksheets the class was, and I was filling in the blanks CORRECTLY ahead of time!!! I felt like a nerdy third-grader!!! :) Homiletics was THE BEST!!! WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN THIS FALL!!!!
Chapel afterwards was VERY incredible. It seemed to be just for me. Then it seemed to be just for Ian. Then for Alicia. It was a very personal time. I cannot explain the feeling. Such tugging. Such battle. Such surrender. Oh wow. If I ever had a single question about going there before, it has forever been banished from my mind. God will make a way. He's already said so.

ALL PRAISES TO GOD...WITHOUT HIM I AM NOTHING!!!

(We had fun singing with Woodlawn Sanctuary choir and Mark Schultz on the way home!!!! :))

3 comments:

Michelle said...

Wow, it sounds like you all had an awesome time! I can't believe the guys went to Taco Bell without even calling you! Shame on them!

Stephanie said...

I am glad you had a great time. It is sad they went to Taco Bell without y'all but on the other had they had to spend money and you didn't-LOL.

Leslie said...

wow wow wow wow that sounded like it was amazing you had me laughing im so glad yall got what yall were lookin for i just wish i couldve been there ot witness it casue thats somthin that wouldve been amazing to witness but im so proud of you and keep goin strong cause i have a feelin that yall r going to accomplish great things just remeber my crazy but kinda amazing dream by the way im still debating on publishing it i dont know if i should tell me if i should or shouldnt but n*e*waz just keep that in mind cause a part of it could come true its a 11:10 so i gotta go to bed see ya friday Love you!!!!