nice to meet you DTS: meet duh A team

It’s crazy to think I have been here a month already. It doesn’t seem like we have been here that long, but at the same time I think back to how much has gone on.

This weekend was pretty much filled up. Friday we had our tracks. I don’t remember if I explained what this is so I’ll quickly give you an idea. We have four different tracks that we could have been in: create, social justice, media, or skate. I am in skate track. In this track every Friday we go to the skate park in Sunland. It’s more than just a skate park. There are tennis courts, a basketball court, playgrounds, etc.

We were at the skate park from 3 until about 7. We always have a cook out and feed anyone and everyone there. Usually it consists of homeless, skater/bikers, and random people in the park. It’s always a fantastic time and an awesome opportunity to show people love simply by serving them.

Saturday I went to a boot camp that they do here in LA for ‘at risk’ or ‘trouble-kids.’ It’s this program that they run for children that are misbehaving at home, in school, in the community, etc. Most of their parents bring them to this boot camp, but some are court ordered. There are boys and girls, but most of them are boys. Their age range is from 7-17, but mainly in between 9 and 14. A bunch of these kids are in to really bad stuff and are basically running the household at home. While we are there we have the chance to mentor/tutor the kids. I was with two boys named Jaime (pronounced ha-may) and Rodrigo. I seriously wanted to take Jaime home with me. He is super smart, hilarious, and athletic but is there because he talks back to his mom (he says). He is the man of the house and has been since he’s been born. His dad is non-existent, and he takes care of his little sister a lot. He has a lot of responsibility and it is crazy the stuff he has been through. He seems like one of the better kids of the group. I didn’t really even have to help him with his homework; I just checked over it. The rest of the hour and half I spent getting to know him. I’ll be going back almost every Saturday and I’m super pumped about the chance to love on these kids.

I think I’ll give you a sneak peek into ‘duh Thailand A team.’ My team consists of:

12 people, 2 leaders, 3 boys and 9 girls, 3 people from different countries and 9 Americans, all with 1 mission, baby!!!

Meet duh A team:

Tony- is our dude on staff who is leading the team, he is 29 years old, super awesome because he knows how to have fun, plays the guitar and sings, can speak Russian, and is originally from Colorado

Synnove- is my beautiful small group leader who is the chick leading our team, she is super hilarious and random, an amazing singer, and she is from Norway!

Carrie – my crazy cousin from West Virginia

Emma – one of my new buddies from England

Megan – a unique, loving, new buddy from New Jersey

Jenifer – my fellow teacher from Long Island, New York babyyy.

Maxine – the laid back Canadian who can scream if she wants to

Laura – my little friend who loves elephants, she’s from Pennsylvania

Jacqui – one hilarious chick who says, “Why’s that weird?” like 100 times a day, she’s from New Jersey

Will – one chill guy who has an awesome style, a twin brother, and is from Nashville

Saul – another chill guy who tries to beat me at Egyptian Rat Screw but can’t, he’s from California

And ME!!!!

So pumped to see what God is going to do with this awesome team in Thailand. We couldn’t have orchestrated a team better than this. Please be praying for our team unity, and the people and land of Thailand!!!