Sleeping Under the Stars

      Last night Levi and I slept at a rest stop in Western Texas, on our way to Roswell New Mexico.  We laid back our seats and crashed in the car, well sort of.  The car was toasty, and finding a comfortable position to sleep in was impossible for me because I was stuck on the drivers side, where the backrest only goes back to a position which is not quit lying down but still kind of sitting; uncomfortable.  I grew restless, and decided to just sleep on the gravel right outside the car.
       I laid out my sleeping bag, set my pillow down, and snuggled up inside.  It was actually much cooler outside the car and a slight breeze complimented the temperature.  I found myself starring up at the night's sky where stars covered the huge expanse.
       Although I was gazing upon so much beauty, I was still slightly uncomfortable.  The eighteen-wheelers were occasionally driving by and I was slightly paranoid that a scorpion or a spider would crawl on me or in my sleeping bag while I was sleeping.  But amid my complaints, I felt God wanted me to thank him for all the things that I could be thankful for.  My sleeping bag, my pillow, stars, friends, health, the breeze,  I thought, and suddenly there was a huge list of things I had and could be thankful for.  I began to think, I have all of these things to be thankful for, and I still complain, but so many people around the world are sleeping in conditions much worse than mine.  Through this realization and the ground shaking rumble of a tractor trailer going by, I felt a transcendent connection to all the people around the world sleeping on the ground, and outside, and worrying about bugs biting them.

        And then I chundered (threw up) everywhere!!!!

        Haha, sorry about the abrupt ending, the last part didn't actually happen, but everything else really did.  Sorry about ruining the moment.  I hope a decent amount of my and Levi's friends get the reference.  If you want get a quick laugh and enjoy the joke more watch the link below.  Hopefully you find it as funny as we do...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKFjWR7X5dU

      Anyways, currently we are in Roswell New Mexico, searching for aliens.  Haha, we are planning on staying at a national forest, going to Phoenix,and then the Grand Canyon over the next few days.  The trip has been great so far.  We have visited a lot of friends and family.  Thanks to all y'all (for those southerners) that have hosted us thus far.  Levi played a gig in Texarkana the other day, that was pretty sweet.

   Pictures and videos should be making an appearance shortly

      Stay posted,
      Much Love,
      Elliot and Levi

Here's a beautiful original tune called "Exaggeration" By Abigail Flint

6/22/2012

Small Worlds

      Levi and I discovered during our stay with YWAM Nashville that YWAM and Lancaster County have a lot in common: there is a surprising amount of Mennonites within YWAM, there is a lot of YWAMers that come out of Lancaster County, in YWAM you play "The Mennonite Game" by trying to connect and find mutual friends from different bases, and you randomly run into people you know.
      All these discoveries happened within the first thirty minutes upon our arrival at the Nashville base.  Levi and I got to the base a few minutes after diner began.  We walked in and were greeted by friendly and welcoming faces.  There was only a few people eating and on the base because the base had just sent out a DTS on outreach, so we quickly met everyone there.  We grabbed our plates and got some food.  The meal was mac and cheese, broccoli, and salad, but after eating only peanut butter and saltines for breakfast and lunch it tasted like a five star meal.  Levi and I sat down at the table were the base staff was finishing up their meals.  We began talking with the staffers about our road trip, where we were going, where we were from, where we did our DTSes, and similar topics.
       One of the staffers commented and asked something along the lines of, "there are so many missionaries and YWAMers that come out of Lancaster, are you Mennonite by chance?"
       I explained how I am Mennonite and Levi explained how he has kind of been grafted into the Mennonite Community.  The base staff began listing off people they knew from Lancaster and asked if we knew any.   With common last names such as Zimmerman, Weaver, and Hurst, we thought we recognized some of  the names but didn't know any of them.
        "There are so many Mennonites in YWAM," said a staffer.  "I think there is a like secret club within YWAM of Mennonites.  Like half of the staff here is Mennonite."
        While our conversations floated around Mennonites and YWAM, the door behind our table was opened.  Taking a bite of mac and cheese I turned my head to see who opened the door.  With a double take and a wave of shock, I recognized the person who came through the door.  It was our high school friend Jordan Keener who Levi and I went to school and played basketball with and who turned out to be a staff member at the YWAM Nashville base.  Keener was just as shocked as we were to unexpectedly see someone we knew in the countryside of Tennessee. He stumbled backwards and laughed with his distinct tone in amazement.  It was a familiar laugh, and Levi and I felt like we were back in Lancaster.  It was pretty funny, randomly running into a friend from back home.  Lancaster... and YWAM... small worlds.

       Today we are just outside Birmingham Alabama visiting my good friend Nick Johnson.  Monday we'll head to Atlanta to visit my boy Kimyung Kim.

      In Honor of Alabama:
   
      Much Love Yall,

Lewes, Delaware June 10th, 2012
- We began this Sunday with an episcopal service in Lewes Delaware, soaking in the tradition and the early morning sun from stain-glassed windows as we sang "it is well with my soul." I liked to think that was the line that set the tone for this day... as it went very well.
After a great breakfast Bob and Joane took Elliot and I out on the boat where we had an amazing time cruising the Delaware Bay and then doing some tubing in the ocean.
The evening closed off with a relaxing dinner at a restaurant called "Kindle" that seems to be quite the hot spot for the Lewes Natives. A big thanks to Joane and Bob for their hospitality and for touring us around on their boat all day.

As this night is winding down I still feel the last few rings of It is well with my soul chiming out of my heart.




(Nina and Pinta are casually docked in the pictures above. NBD)

Into the Wild

          After much planning and anticipation our journey begins -- Into the Wild -- of Pitman New Jersey.  Haha, no its not quite the wild, but it is New Jersey...

          Pitman is actually a pretty cool town.  The reason we decided to come here first is because Levi was able to get a gig at a music cafe during a town festival.  Levi has a family friend here, Vic, who owns the cafe and has a leadership role in organizing the festival.  The most interesting part of the festival is that there is a facial hair competition happening.  Lots of competitors from a few different states are coming to show off their many months worth of facial hair and put on a show.  Tomorrow will be an fun and interesting day full of music and beards. 

Much love, 

Tentative Itinerary

 June!!!!!!

8-9- pitman
10th-Delaware, rehobeth
11th- Harrisonburg , VA
12-13-Lynchburg
14th raliegh NC
16th Nashville
19th- Birmingham, AL or Atlanta GA
23- mobile, Alabama
24th new Orleans (ywam base?)
26texarkana Texas leave the 28th
28th...? Dallas? 
29 roswell NM
30 Phoenix, Arizona

July!!!!!

1st-4th Grand canyon/red rocks
5th - las Vegas
7th- Los angeles YWAM
8-9th Yosemite
10th san Francisco
11th Sacramento
13th Reading California
14th Albany
15th-16th Portland OR
17th Seattle
17th/18th Vancouver
19-21st calgary
21st-24th glacier nat park, zach, Yellowstone
25-26 fort collons Colorado
27th boulder co
28tg Chicago
30th- 4th August  Indiana (vacation)
August 4th canton Ohio