The First 48

So the flight to Washington State wasn't all that bad. That is, if you eliminate the part of the story where a guy farted so bad the flight attendants refused to come by our area for close to twenty minutes. Don't let me forget to tell you that the guy happened to be sitting right NEXT to me. So while hiding in my shirt, I began contemplating what a new life would be like in Washington State. I remembered my adventures to Lake Tahoe, CA, Hawaii, and I couldn't help but smile. My smile was not because I was going to the newest coolest place on Earth but rather due to the fact that I now had purpose and meaning in my life thanks to Jesus Christ. So here I am, ducked in my shirt like a turtle in it's shell, avoiding a nasty odor, but smiling all the while because I realize that life is good. :)

Upon landing, I met David, but instead of meeting on the North Shore of Hawaii like we did two years ago, we ran into each other awkwardly coming and going into the bathroom of Seattle airport. Yeah, not exactly how I planned it, BUT it was an awesome laugh that was sure to set the tone for the times to come. I soon met with some of Dave's buddies who were really awesome and cool. The guy driving, Casey, was absolutely CRAZYYYYYY pulling no less than 65mph into hairpin turns in none other than an old Isuzu Rodeo. We made it from Seattle to Port Angeles in a matter of 3 hours which is jaw dropping. I joked at one point that Casey needed to invest in a Subaru WRX seeing as his Isuzu Rodeo seemed as if the right wind would cause us to roll over. Any thought that maybe I'd catch up on sleep(considering I was up for 24 hours straight) was out the window and would have to wait till I got back to Port Angeles. Once we made it, in one piece, I immediately thanked God, asked him to give me back the 5 years of my life I lost on that drive, and kissed the ground. Around 4:30am, I finally fell into a deep sleep on the couch. Surprisingly, I woke up at 11:00am, well rested, comfortable, and ready to rock and roll. David and I, spent the day chillin', first with a few of his friends who were all awesome, then with his landlord who was very down to earth, and I met the very people who helped David grow, his parents. Mike Piper, David's dad, is just an absolute blast to be around, stoked about life(a lot like his son), a great host(sphagetti & meatballs always win my heart), and is extremely in love with Christ. This spurred many great conversations while David was away working with his youth group. David's mom, has one of the most beautiful smiles ever and reminds me of my own with her smile. All in all, it was a great day and I crawled into bed around 11:00pm after a beer in celebration of Cinco De Mayo.

Today, I arose from bed around 6:00am. Immediately, I began my day by reading the Bible in hopes to further my learning and love for Christ. Reading the Bible in the morning is like taking an energy pill like no other. I was ready to rock and roll after breakfast knowing that I had a long day in store for me. David around 8:15am dropped me off at a storage facility owned by an elder of his church and longtime mentor to David. There, I met with Carol, a very sweet lady who put me to work on organizing storage units. I worked diligently for hours on arranging boxes for the needy, toys for tots, and school supplies for foster kids. At noon, I met Charlie, whom I can describe as a huge guy that is big because his heart needs a big home. Charlie and I kicked around for a while working for a program that takes care of the needy. By 3:30pm, I had a hole in my new tennis shoes from working so much and realized I was going to need some new ones so I called it a day. While walking to JC Penny to get new shoes, I realized just how sore I was. My body was beyond sore and it was a two mile walk to Penny's. After David picked me up later that afternoon, we got some food and I rode the bus back to Port Angeles from Sequim(David was headed out to do ministry).

While heading back, I reflected on my first 48 eventually surveying the spectrum of my giving in life. I've always had a tender and loving heart wanting to give but like most people I fell into a deep pit of selfish desire. Today was the most fulfilling day of my entire life and I didn't really receive anything but gave my everything to God. All in all, I'm beyond stoked and can't wait for later tonight when I get to test how sore I am rock climbing indoors! Intense but loving it! Tomorrow should be amazing too and more pictures will be posted as I get them.

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." -Matthew 16:24