February 13, 2009
I just spent my week at soccer “boot camp,” a program called Trailblazers, that is intended to take a group of 12 people from a church and teach them how to start a soccer ministry in their church. We received material on loving God, sharing the gospel, building Bible study groups, and starting a soccer club. We also had physical training at 6AM every morning and played matches everyday as well. The physical training was good, although it wasn’t really necessary to run it at 6, and the idea of the program is good, but much of the material was very rigid and demanding, which sort of turned me off from the program. There were also some military aspects meant to teach discipline that I could have done without. Overall, it was a really good team building experience for our group and we enjoyed the time we got to scrimmage each other, but there was a lot of stuff I could have left behind. We will continue the physical training for the next 2 months, meeting 4 or 5 times a week at 7AM, which also includes time to read Scripture and pray, and I think I will look forward to it. That was basically my whole week, we were in a secluded area, unable to leave, unable to check email, and unable to use cell phones.

Please pray for some of the theological challenges I have been facing everday. It is a very different culture and many people's beliefs differ from mine, particularly concerning spiritual gifts.

February 15, 2009
Please pray that I find a church where I am comfortable and spiritually nourished. I would like to be active in a local church, but I would like it to be one that I agree with theologically as well.