So... Last night was the SMO Dinner thing and let me tell you about it. Most of my friends didn't come, so that was a bummer. But at least I still had a good time. The main event of the whole dinner thing was (no not the horseshoe games) but Cory's teambuilding activity! First we had to throw the tennis balls to each other in a large circle and call out each other's name. After we finished that he threw in another ball and another. Every time we messed up (when someone dropped the ball) we had to start the chain over again. I know I don't do a very good job of describing the game but it was fun... and challenging. On the third ball we spent almost all of our time. Sarah kept dropping the ball :) but that was fine. (I was terrified myself that I was going to drop it) But then Cory gave one of his famous inspirational speeches and we completed the whole thing with three balls. We were all congratulating ourselves and stuff until Cory broke in. The game wasn't over. He threw in a fourth ball. After major concentration and another failed try we finally nailed the four tennis balls. Cory talked about teamwork first, but on that last attempt (and success) we made it happen. Before we left he gave us the assignment of writing about three reasons why we want to go to Milwaukee. Stay tuned because those three reasons will be my next blog entry. Until then - Ciao!

Okay, so I know you are looking forward to hearing about how the 30 hour famine went!

For those who don't have time to read my full report here is your one sentence summary: I loved it and my view on world hunger has completely changed. Thanks so much for your support!

Okay so the fast started yesterday after lunch. It was potluck night at bible study but both me and Dougie stayed strong! Not eating a thing, even the cheese. I do worship for the bible study, as you already may know, and the first song that I chose to play that night was Hungry. Is that ironic or what? I didn't even realize it until Reena and Nicole pointed it out! But it was so perfect! That night for the first time I went to bed hungry. Thus, ended Friday's fasting. The real day began Saturday, at the church.

When I first got there we basically prepared for the day by breaking into small groups and talking about our expectations. One thing that I totally didn't expect was a new aspect to the fast. Yes, the took our cell phones. Well technically we gave then up, we were fasting from our cells! So no actual footage from the famine, sadly. But as you saw, I do have a clip (although poor quality) of Dougie talking about his experience. I also have one of my Friend Geneva, that I'll post later on. After they confiscated our cells we broke into groups again to go do our service projects.

My group went to help out at Amani, the coffee shop on the north side. We helped clean and organize the basement and I got my first experience being a barista when Tara went down to check on the rest of my group down in the basement. After we helped organize the many Cd's that Tara had for the background music in the shop, she gave us free coffee and tea! Although the Paninis that were cooking looked mighty tasty, we held ourselves back from the temptation!

The rest of the day included talking about world hunger to Reed's mac, playing blindfolded musical chairs (relationship building), and drinking tons of juice, we finally broke the 30 hour fast with communion. Yes, the first thing that I ate after fasting for 30 hours was unleavened bread. After that we did some worship and who would guess the first song that Reed played was hungry! I wanted to start crying! The same song that I played at bible study, last night! Finally we got to eat dinner. We had pasta and I had two helpings, although some of my friends had over four, I was more than content with what I ate!

So now after the famine is over, what do I feel? Truthfully I feed guilty. Why should it be me who has an abundance of food and some kid in Haiti who is starving to death? After communion we had some time to journal, and what I wrote (my prayer) describes my heart the best, I think.

Dear God,

I feel so guilty! How can I eat, even eat for Communion, when my brothers and sisters in you are starving?! They have nothing! Lord I promise to dedicate myself to serving your children who are hungry.

I am hungry for food.

I am hungry for you.

They are too! Lord God, please help us who have both food and You, to share what we have to those who don't yet have. You died for both of us. Us here in America, who have more than we need, and our brothers and sisters in You (as well as future brothers and sisters in You) who are in desperate need. You saved us both, on the cross. You poured out your blood for us all. Lord God, some of your children can't even afford to take communion!

Satan can crush their bodies, but he can't crush their spirit. God, I pray for them to stand strong! Lord I also pray that those who have the materials to cure their hunger and their spiritual hunger, would! God, please give me the strength to remember this hunger that I feel, to remember this famine, and for me to do something about it.

In Jesus's name Amen.

Thank you so much, those of you who supported me on this famine, and thank you all for your prayers. I exceeded my goal with the $80 that I received! That's 80 days that a child will be fed! Thanks again! The checks from relatives that are coming later, I'll give to World Vision, as a separate donation. Together, we can do something about World Hunger!

• Gardening and Farming in the community garden on the South Side of Chicago in Eden's place
• Helped babysit in a daycare for kids who's parents are in court for various reasons
• Made breakfast and lunch in a local homeless shelter, also on the South Side
• and visited an inner city youth group and connected with them

I'm sure that I will get to do things similar to the things that I did last year, In Milwaukee and maybe I'll get to do new things, too.

I'm looking towards this trip to Milwaukee for many reasons but above all I want o learn and be prepared to do inner city missions here in Pittsburgh like I did in Chicago and will do in Milwaukee. Also I plan on doing overseas missions in the future and I'm going to start getting my self ready to to that too.

I hope through this blog I can keep people who are supporting me on this trip posted and just to let people who don't know much about my trip learn something. Anyway stay tuned as I keep moving towards Milwaukee!