bragg creek/kamp kiwanis

Wednesday:

Marci and I met in the library to work on our project on teen depression. We were pretty much the only people there since the undergrads were having a "community day" and the semiarians were at the retreat. We got a lot accomplished and I'm excited about our project. We work well together and think similarily, so that made it quite fun.
I rushed home from the library to pack for the next day and then Merissa and I rushed to the bus stop (gotta love buses during rush hour...thankfully we got a seat!) and took it down to way in the southwest where her dad picked us up. We went to her house where her horrible yappy dog that Dan ruined (yes, I am blaming you also) would not shut up (well, eventually she did, but it took a long time) and we had a lekker dinner and then we took her sister, Chantel, and her friend to youth group.
We went to Starbucks and tried the new tea lattes and sat on comfy chairs to do homework and read. The music was really loud, and it was distracting Merissa from her work, but she was too comfortable to move, so I offered to ask them to turn it down a bit for her. I popped my head over the counter requesting the slight decrease in volume of the music, even motioning with my fingers "een beetje" and moments later...the music died. Yes, they turned it all the way off, and then I felt like the evil girl who made the music die, and Merissa was oh-so-gleeful that I had done her dirty work for her. Since when does a little bit mean all the way? Whatever.
So then we went back to her place after youth group was over and it was so windy and snowy! But their house is nice and warm and I slept well, just not long enough. OH, and before we slept they had TLC on in the background and it was so gross...about a guy whose muscles exploded because he had taken too many steroids...bodybuilders are so ugly!!!! eww.

Anyways, the Nel's house reminded me of going to Ewout's house to get away from Amsterdam because Bragg Creek (where they live) is really close to Calgary, but it's in the woods and the foothills of the Rockies and it's just different enough to be a haven and feel like a mini vacation. Refreshing.

Thursday:
We got up early to get to Kamp Kiwanis for the CTS retreat before breakfast at 8:00. It was a nice relaxing day...we had breakfast, a group did a skit, we hung out for a while and then had chapel. It was a really good sermon which was something I needed to hear. I'll probably post more extensively on it some other time.
Then we had some free time before lunch, and Merissa and Paul Spilsbury sang Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika and I tried to sing along but I do not have it memorized yet.
After lunch we had a really long student meeting, which was good, just long. Then we had some more group activities...we all completed a quiz about the faculty, and then we "made professors" outside using snow and natural objects. My group made Rick Love on the ice with blood gushing from his head, in the exact spot he fell onto Curtis' stick the day before causing him to gush blood. It was pretty fun, and there were some creative creations. After that competition my group practised our skit that we had to perform after dinner, and I threw out my back falling.
We played the bean game and chatted until dinner. I've gotta say, it's ridiculous how fast time flies at retreats because you're eating and then do something and then eat again and then do something and eat again...or that's how it seems at least. Plus snacking in between activities.
After supper they gave out awards and we did our skit....which was really funny and well received by everyone except Spilsbury's group, of course. (incidentally, everyone liked our sculpture of Rick except his group too...)
Then we went to the chapel which was a wonderful time of meeting with God and being filled with the Holy Spirit. After that we had to leave, but that was ok because I was so tired...and Merissa too since she'd worked a night shift of Tuesday and hardly slept on Wednesday.

So I think I've caught you up now...and now I need to catch up on the homework. Doei!