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:: A Missionary’s Life: Kansas. ::
 
Unfortunately my weekend update is coming really late in the week, but I just thought that I would take advantage of the fact that people aren’t really checking their email during the holiday.  Blog traffic was way down Thanksgiving Day and most people were consumed with consuming during Black Friday, which has effectively become its own holiday since most employers let their workers off for it, that I decided to give Saturday a shot.  Maybe… just maybe, more people will read this.

Here are this weeks highlights:

Friends & Family.  I don’t know what else I could say to really give you a greater idea of what kind of a glorious moment this was for me this week.  I returned to Kansas on Monday where I immediately went home and finished work for the day.  Lots of things changed.  For starters, my parents made some “minor” changes to the house which gives it a completely different appearance.  I was a little shocked.  Other things changed too.  I’ve spent a lot of time catching up with people this week.  My apologies to everybody that I didn’t get to spend any kind of time with.  But I’ve spent every day this week seeing people.  One afternoon I just made appointments and sat in the coffee shop for several hours while people walked in, sat down, then left as the next person walked in, sat down, left, etc.  It was great though!  I love my friends and family!

Wycliffe Gordon.  I went to a jazz concert at my old college earlier in the week.  It was awesome!  Wycliffe Gordon used to play with Wynton Marsalis.  He’s a trombonist.  I was a trombonist in college.  I sat there in awe as this dude sang to me through his instrument.  Well, really, he played for the packed out house… not just me.  But it was great.

Reliving College.  I spent some time with my little brother earlier in the week as well.  I really like to invest in his life.  And I think he really likes it when I invest in his life.  But we spent a whole evening together, went down to the college, and romped through the dorm rooms.  I didn’t get home until 1:30am because we were up so late hanging out and visiting with people.  I missed those late night conversations because they’re always deep… and good.  But I quickly learned at 7:00am the next morning that I’m getting old… and I can’t handle that kind of thing anymore.

Out with the old; in with the new.  I pray that all of my friends and family in Michigan don’t spear me when I get back on Monday… but I had a plan when I came back down here for the holiday.  My plan was to finally retire my Michigan hat.  I have a confession: I only got the hat so that I would blend in!  I mean, the University of Michigan is great and all, but I’m just not a ravenous fan like the rest of them (I just got fired from my job at the church with that statement and I’ll probably be living on the street now).  But I bought a KU hat.  Why KU?  Because I love KU basketball and my hat says “Kansas” on it now.  I’m proud of where I came from.  And to all of my friends in Michigan: I still have a Michigan football shirt.  Cut me some slack…

Final Friday.  The last Friday of every month in Wichita, there’s this thing that happens that is called “Final Friday”.  Basically, parks, shops, coffee shops, stores, and whatnot open their doors for artists to display their artwork.  Bands play at several of the venues, sometimes they open up the trolley system for free transportation, but typically everything’s within walking distance.  And it’s all FREE.  I love it.  But I saw one of the coolest art exhibits I’ve ever seen, I think.  My friends put together this show in the park called “Hope in the Edges”.  It’s sponsored by Church on the Street, the homeless church I used to work with when I lived here.  It was absolutely incredible and did a great job of doing just that: portraying hope.