"the" weekend:

wow what a weekend! me, jords, beka, mum, and about fifteen others from our youth group went up to akitio beach for a Holy Spirit weekend.
it started like this:
we left at 2:00 saturday...
cranked the music up on the way,
and got to akitio beach at 3:00..
we'd rented a kind of house with four rooms of twelve beds, and a hall up top.
there was no reception so mum sent me and jords to find reception by the dairy, so we could send a message for her.... unfortunately, for us, the dairy was quite a way away.
when we eventually got back, we found our rooms. me and jord were in with all the crazy dudes. that counts us i guess...
we went to the beach and mucked around a bit there, then the bell rang. the bell was this real loud bell which we rung to get everyone come. it was pretty cool. (and loud!)
so we had a talk about the Holy Spirit, then did this cool activity when there was a claypot over a candle. the candle represented the Holy Spirit, and so we were supposed to smash the claypot with a hammer, revealing the light. only todd smashed the actual candle, as well as the claypot! :-D
after that we cranked up the music while having tea, then did the next part. after it there was some casting crowns music.. it was really touching.
then i couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face. i could feel the Holy Spirit. it was incredible, and i was just amazed at everything.
everyone was comforting each other... it was awesome...
so after that we headed down to the beach, (by this time it was about half eleven) and made a fire. we toasted marshmallows and biscuits, then sang some songs.
then we went for a walk down the beach and back.
i ended up going to bed at quarter to two in the morning lol.
sort of slept in till quarter to ten the next day... actually i guess it was the same day if you think about it...
so anyway, after breakfast, before our last session we played some songs. jords and grace played on their guitars, and mum and stacey made me play the drums on a massive pot with two greasy forks. haha it wasn't too bad though. everyone was laughing, including me. it made a funny as sound. kind of like a "thuonk" -! haha imagine it. it was crackup.
so then everyone went off to their own space and did a devotion with a letter we all got.
then us crazy guys went for a swim! in august! haha epic...
the water was incredibly cold, so we only stayed in for about twenty minutes.
then it was lunch time.....
after that i basically had to go cause i went back home in beka's car.... which left an hour before everyone elses cause she had work.
it was a great weekend, one of my best ever, actually.
nate