Home Sweet Home

I got home yesterday from an amazing trip to LA with my youth group. I had a wonderful time and really grew, but let me tell you this: Central Oregon is a lot better that California, despite the lack of a wonderful beach and Disneyland. We drove for two days and had a photoscavanger hunt in Stockton. That was fun, except we had to imitate someone and out team made me and a boy a didn't know well hold hands while following an older couple.
We camped in Malibu, which was fun. The bathrooms didn't have soap, though. Exactly a week ago, we began serving people in need. We broke into groups to invite homeless people to lunch. On group had a wonderful conversation with a blind man. The lady my group took out to lunch was nice, though we didn't have any deep conversations. We spent four days having a great time serving people. We spent three of those days on and around Skid Row (Homelessville) hanging out with fun kids at the CCCO and folding clothes from a clothing drive and such. We also packed beans and tortillas at the Children's Hunger Fund. I was in the bean group, and it was more fun than the Pirates of the Carribean ride at Disneyland. We spent a day painting a house with Habitat for Humanity on Wednesday, and I still have paint in my hair and on my arms and legs.
We also had a great time at the beach and a whole day in Disnayland before we spent another two days driving. The drives were fun, too. On the way back, some of us talked with our youth pastor about dating and boys and such (my favorite topic). It was interesting to hear different views. I am one of those who doesn't date and doesn't plan to, though I don't think dating is always wrong.
I found out that I'm not as shy as I used to be (I sat next to and talked with boys without trembling), that I can go places without close friends and not get to homesick, and that I love my little sister (she didn't go, but I watched three other sets of siblings). I also found that I prefer pine trees to palm trees.
So, I'm home now with a cold. I posted another section of my story. Two of my closest friends are back from Europe, so my social life is not going slow down much.
Home Sweet Home never meant so much to me.