Wow. What a week it's been. We started language school this past Monday. Let me tell you, I am awful at grammar. In both languages...But it's been good. Right now I'm just confused when I speak but hopefully towards the end I'll be able to understand why I speak how I speak.

I find it ironic that I am working for a church. Last semester I attended a house church and really developed a different view of church and the one here feels conservative and very much focused on the works aspect of life. While those are not bad, they can be and in my mind, church has been very redefined from that and it's almost as if now I'm redefining what I learned. It feels like the people here know that church is not about the Sunday morning service. It almost feels as if done out of tradition. But then I go to a Bible study or a prayer meeting and I'm reminded that it's the people. The warmth and devotion of the people; that's what church is about. The setting can change but the heart does not change.

Church has been real good. Following Ronald around to Bible studies has been great. Very, very rewarding. I am now in charge of the youth group. That happened Monday night. It'll be interesting for sure but I think it'll be a chance for me to grow. I don't really like to consider myself a "teacher" cause I feel like I need to learn more before I can teach. Today we had our first youth group Bible study with me and Wade leading it. I think it went well. We decided to do a in-depth study at the Sermon on the Mount. Today we only went over the Beatitudes and the Salt and Light of the world section. Wade and I probably talked a grand total of ten minutes. The study lasted from 3:20-4:30. Awesome. I like not having to talk and I think the youth liked being able to talk.

Tonight about two minutes after starting writing this, I suddenly was asked if I (and Wade) wanted to go to a wake for the brother of one of the people in the church. Since Wade and I like the guy and respect him a lot we went to support him. When we got there, they asked Ronald to do a short service. If they would have asked me, I would have probably pooped in my pants from nervousness at speaking to the family of a man I rarely knew, knowing most of the people in the room are either Catholic or don't go to church. But Ronald busted out his Bible, read Philippians 1:21 (For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain) and talked about how we need to take advantage of this life because everyone dies. He probably talked for at least 15 minutes. I mean wow! Wade turned to me is amazement and commented that no one knows the seeds that that short message will have planted and I was in awe that God would use one man's death to potentially bring life to others.