Well it has been quite the week. I can tell it is going to be way harder to update this than I originally thought it would be. All in all though, I love San Diego, I am surrounded by some of the coolest people I have ever met, and I can tell this is where I am meant to spend my summer. Two students from Wisconsin and I left last Sunday and arrived in sunny southern California Monday morning. It was the longest drive ever but we got to see some beautiful parts of Colorado and Utah and we went through Vegas at 6 A.M. but it was still hopping on "the strip". I then quickly got settled in my extremely small motel/apartment room in Mission Beach. Mission Bay (where Sea World is located on) is 1 block to my east, and the Pacific Ocean is 1.5 blocks to my west. It is comical to see where I am living because I am surrounded by small homes that are worth millions of dollars and my hotel would probably not sell for four figures, ever. I am never going to be inside though, so it is not a big deal. The area we live in has a lot of tourists or people who have vacation homes which actually is good because our effect with the Gospel can be even more widespread. Since there are 100 students on this project, we are broken down into growth groups of 5 or 6. Mine is awesome and it is lead by Nick Fast who I met in New Mexico and who is very intelligent and respected so I was honored to be learning under him all summer. The rest of the week has been spent exploring the beach (we get to watch dolphins right down our street nightly), learning what we will be doing all summer, and finding jobs which has been a challenge and which I would ask your prayers for. Our project leaders are Dan Allen and Shelia Drake. They are probably two of my favorite people in the entire Campus Crusade ministry because they are as legit as they come and they like Piper too (had to say that!). I also auditioned and made the worship band which I am extremely excited for. We have a large outreach service Friday nights here in Mission Beach right on the bay and that is where I will be able to play with some of the most talented musicians I have ever played with. Well, my schedule is insane so I need to leave but I hope to update you all more maybe tomorrow or Sunday and very soon I will be posting pictures. Let me know if I can be praying for you and thank you again for all of your support!
-Ben