I AM A LEADER!

EDIT! YOU CAN FIND (a few) PICTURES HERE: http://picasaweb.google.com/sillysammy012

Happy Thursday everyone! It is now Thursday afternoon here and we are all pretty tired. Our luggage came in Tuesday afternoon and we are all cleaner (learning to use the temperamental showers) and getting used to the food. We are all sleep deprived and exercise deprived and hair dryer deprived. I think I'm going to try to find a hair dryer with a diffuser online and just have it sent cause I don't know where to get it here. Paderno is very small and there are almost no shops. There is a tobbacci (sp?) across the street where we can buy the basics: notebooks, some snacks, small bottles of shampoo, etc. Other than that, I am still waiting to buy a new pillow, school supplies, some substantial toiletries, and stuff like that. There is a bus trip tomorrow and Saturday; Allison and Scott were responsible and signed up early for the bus tomorrow while Brett, Drew, and I are going the next day.

Since I bragged about the weather it has been fluctuating more. Yesterday morning was in the low 50's and it ended yesterday afternoon in the upper 70's. Today has been a more solid upper 60's low 70's day. I only know that because of when I pass the few hundred yards between buildings for meals. Allison, Scott, Drew, my roommate, myself, and about 60 others have been going through something called Rapport Leadership International Training. That consists of 7:30 mornings, 12:30 nights, lots of extemporaneous speaking, yelling, mind tests, and other really enjoyable things. No, I kid. It is not all that bad. Once we got used to the fact that the bald 6 foot tall and 300 lb trainers do not smile, and only shout like military colonels, we actually learned a lot. One of the big things I learned is that I really want to focus on encouraging others, not being prideful in my own "skills." Hold me accountable, folks!

While the rest of us were with Rapport, Brett has been doing stuff with Kepner Tregoe (sp?) decision making seminars as well as the DaVinci Challenge. The rest of us will conquer that next week while he gets to go through Rapport. I am excited to finally have some free time and time to breathe. I thought about going out tonight with others to celebrate the end of Rapport, but I am just running on entirely too little sleep. I attribute my possible potential head cold to this. (Be praying it doesn't hit me or the others! We can't really spare the energy right now!)

I will post pictures as soon as possible, but my roommate and I are sharing one very slow internet connection and the pictures don't want to load.

We will be having more meetings every day for the next two weeks with the exception of tonight where we get to sit back, relax, and work on homework. Haha. Then on Sunday, we'll go to church (that we can't understand) probably listen to/watch a sermon, and have Bible study. The 5 of us will have one, and we are thinking of starting another for other people in the program. Be praying about that please.

Prayer request:
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:10-12)

PS- I haven't tried the gelato yet, but you can bet that will be happening VERY soon! :-)