Matthew and the Penguins

Hey!

It feels like a really long time since Sunday.

Today I woke up around 9, had breakfast, then bussed off to my house. I hung up my suit from the wedding, cleaned my room a bit and read some mail. Gal 6:14 'May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.' That's what I thought of as I read my mail. I feel like I have been boasting though... >.>

Then I went to Carleton and hung out with AP for a while. She has a cool volunteering job as a lab assistant. Kinda boring research though, but it looks good on a resume.

After we had more VBS training. Today we went over the skits and I got a good long story-telling lesson. The guy beside us laughed at us a number of times. We were acting like five-year-olds though, so it is understandable. That took a while, but it was good. I really don't think I'm good at getting the ideas in my head out of my mouth and into their heads in the same way. Today's excercise of writing down the main events, expanding and seeing the gospel connection made the story mean so much more in my head, but then adding the connections while telling the story, I guess it was supposed to be a bit more subtle.

Anyways, I have heard Monday's story far too much. It was about a young Isrealite girl who was taken captive by the Aram army and made servant for Naaman's wife. Naaman of course being a highly respected officer in the king's army, but he also had leprosy. You can't really cure leprosy. It's a terrible skin disease. When the girl found out about his disease she told Naaman's wife about her God and about Elisha the prophet. If Naaman went to Elisha, God would certainly be more than able to heal him. Hearing about this chance Naaman goes to the king and asks if he can go. Aram's king writes a letter and sends it to the king of Israel. Elisha hears about this and tells the king to send Naaman to him. Naaman travels all the way to Elisha's place and is greeted at the door by a servant who says that the only cure for him is to wash in the Jordan river seven times. Naaman is pretty upset about this. Not only did Elisha not even tell him directly, but the supposed cure seemed too simple. What is the difference between this water and the rivers back in Aram? Naaman's attendant's convince him to just try it. He came all this way and it is an easy thing to do. Guess what? He is cured.

Now I just need to tell the story in a creative, dramatic, interactive, simple, understandable way that ties in the gospel.

It should be a lot of fun.

Ttyl.

D.Fa