Cannon Beach Week 1

August 11, 2005

Dear Prayer Team,

I am writing this as I sit in the van with my wife and kids making the well worn trip on the Oregon coast, from Cannon Beach to Seaside. I say "well worn" because we’ve made the trip to Seaside (and the nearest known McDonald’s for a late-night Diet Coke) a kind of nightly pilgrimage. Our days are so packed full of activities that the drive offers a quiet moment of reflection this evening. Normally, we would have had a RESCUE member or two in tow so that we can chat about the events of the day, but tonight they are all playing in a basketball tournament. Before I left the Cannon Beach Conference Center I saw my guys win their first round. I played with them when we stayed in a youth center in Sacramento and learned very quickly that I was in over my head. Josh can handle himself well on the court, Dustin’s an athletic guy, and "Over" and Luke are just WAY too good. I think our reputation on the court is pretty well covered even if I take some time away to write to you.

We are having an amazing time here, performing twice a day for each morning and evening speaking session. Our concert on Tuesday night after the evening session was one of the highlights of my year. Such a warm and responsive crowd! We tried out some new comedy stuff on them and their response was extremely positive. You could probably guess that with as new of a group as we are, and having two daily performances, we are using every last bit of music we know, and then some. It is forcing us to learn some more songs as a group, and "Over" has done his fair share of arranging on the fly. To cover all of the sessions we are putting in some pretty long rehearsals every day. It is a joy to be learning some more songs. It seems like every new song we learn gives us the opportunity to touch a different group of people, in need of an encouraging word.

I am so happy and blessed to have my family here with me, enjoying the wonderful surroundings, the incredible programs, and the fellowship with fellow Christian families, many of whom are involved in various ministries all over the West Coast. Balancing family time with the intense RESCUE schedule has been a challenge, but I think my wife and I were fairly well prepared for it. The ministry opportunities for RESCUE, the teaching sessions with the hilarious and inspirational Bill Butterworth and the encouraging messages of Rev. Wendell Grout, have made the experience well worth the effort as we hit the pillow at the end of another full day.