I'm really debating whether or not I am going to get a blogspot.  Im sorry xanga, but you have to be a xanga member to comment and I really dislike the xanga community, its pretty superficial.

I am acutally going to leave this xanga right now and get on blogspot.  So if you want to read more go check out at http://thestof.blogspot.com/ thanks pals

sup dude?  In a sweet german accent.  Those are the words that I love to hear when I chat with the one and only Philipp from Germany.  We talked for like 1.5 hours last night and it was amazing.  I will try to tell you the story, But Phillip if I tell anything wrong then you can add a comment and I will change it.  So about a month after I started working at the shelter a shy German boy was sitting on a chair in the cafe and I decieded to go chat with him.  Im pretty sure that he only heard about 3 of the words that I said while I was talking to him because his English was a little rusty, to be kind.  Well before you know it, we are talking about the bible and just throwing some questions back and forth, really getting into a great discussion.  Soon after we went to the bible discussion and I could see that he was really interested in what made the people at the Shelter different and he just realized that he needed something.  We would hang out every now and then while he was here in Amsterdam, really having so much fun.  After visiting for I think the third time we got a little closer and I could see that he was really thirsty for God.

We didn't keep much contact after he left the hostel, mabye an email every now and then or something.  But then about a month ago he invited me to go on a snowboard trip with one of his friends to the alps.  Without a second of hesitation I jumped on the wagon and took the chance of having to leave work early for taking more vacation days than i have.  Eevr since then we have been sending emails and I can see through his blog and the emails and phone conversations that he is growing so much in his relationship with jesus and his life is changing dramatically.  he has a desire to know God and to understand him and it is such an encouragment to my life.  I really love the guy and it is such a blessing to have him in my life.

Well i am super stoked to go boarding with him in a few days. 

I have also had a pretty interesting week and I really love how even weird experiences and stuff the Lord totally uses to teach me and let me understand him more.  I have learned that if we really question and see why we go through the experiences we go through it is obvious that God wants to teach us through them.  if you think about it, the world seems like it was created around you and me.  Like indiviually the world is perfect for me and God really wants me to enjoy it and stuff.

13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.  Ecclesiates 3

Currently Listening Modern Day Drifter By Dierks Bentley see related

Im pretty sure that I went to the lamest city in the Netherlands today. Ryan and i had this sweet plan to go to Amsterdam centraal and pick out some place on teh map that has a funny name and then go there.  Well we ended up picking this place called Alemere Ooveresperkerof or something and it was redonkulous.  So the train pulls up to this station and all i see is these nasty concrete houses and run down basketball court and nothing else.  One thought came to my mind, prison.  The place was like jail, there were no restaurants, shops or anything.  Only these government houses.  I guess that is my luck.  Usually when i try and do stuff like that it ends up being pretty stupid.  Nonetheless Ryan and I had a great time and we went to gamma and faught with some floor padding and played with those scissor things that cut shrubs.

While we were kickin it, we starting talking about how important it is to speak life into someone.  Like when you give a person some honest encouragement and just say that one of the thigns they do is really amazing.  For some reason I dont' really like doing this.  I mean i will feel like I have somethign really good to say to this person and then in my mind im like, "thats gay, why do I have to do that."  Well I realized encouraging people really helps and especially when you are working with way too many girls it helps even more.  People really need to know that you care about them and more importantly that God cares about them, and that can happen through just loving them.  So im gonna try and be more like that.  But i also know that a lot of people do it in that fake annoying way so I won't be freakin lame like that.It will be legit.

We were also talking about the difference between kids that are raised by two parents and kids that are raised by one.  Its a big diff by the way, so many kids that have only one parent have a much more difficult childhood, which in turn leads to a rough life.  They have to learn so much more for themselves and go through so much more to be in a similar place than a kid who has two parents.  So divorces are lame and they really screw families up, especially the kids.  I really don't think that it can ever be a good alternative.

So, i lit up the hoe down a couple of nights ago.  Look out yall, i be stepping.

Little pre-hoe down pic, ya, thanks rights, aint nothin changed since i been gone.

I really don't feel  like updating right now, but just for the sake of keeping the xanga alive I will give yall a little slice of savory meat.

Lets see, I will just make a list of some of the random things I think about not really in any order.  Surfing and what it is going to be like in Tenerife, why i couldn't get an e-ticket and had to get a paper ticket, why do i know what i know and learned what i have learned.  even though i am younger than a lot of people I still feel older in some ways.  Why have I had such drastic experiences in my life that I have learned so much from.  How much it sucks that I can't hang out with my firends from back home.  What causes people to change.  God is so real and sets up so many experiences in my life for a purpose.  What the heck am i going to do when i get back home.  Did i get into ohio state.  what are kids going to be like next year at school, will they be immature and retarded.  God is so graceful because i have an amazing family, money, no mental or physical problems and i know him.  what friendships are important.  who am i still going to be in contact with when i leave.  am i going to miss being here.  is there people here that i don't want to leave behind.  I have learned a whole lot this year and can feel and see that I have changed.  I am going to have 6 days of food when i get back home.  1st day: gene and judes 2nd day chipotle 3rd day alpine 4th day annies 5th day johnnies 6th day sub-t.  and on the 7th day i rested.

Funny quotes from Jacoline.  "I got up for my morning exorcisms."  "My mother always said, "Eat your vegetables and flesh.""