My Racing Career starts here! :)

This has been quite a summer for me. First, in May I got to go to my first NASCAR race (have any of you seen those pictures or heard those stories?) and then this last Friday night I got to drive in a stock car race.

Our local speedway held what they called "Faster Pastor" - a race where they take ministers from all over town, stick us in race cars and send us out to race against each other. It was great!!! Ever since I was a little kid going to the stock car track in Moose Jaw, I have wanted to drive one of these things in a real race.

I got to drive Trevor Gowan's "Pure Stock" car #81. One of my first impressions of the car was how isolated you feel. There was no rearview mirror. You cannot see beside you. It sort of feels like you are out there all alone - until people start passing you. It is loud and really rough and bumpy... tons of fun!!! :)

The plan was that at the end of the night of real racing, they would load us into whatever cars were still running and let us go. We were going to run 5 laps and then stop while they inverted the field (put the 1st guy in 8th the 8th place guy in 1st) - then run 5 more laps. I started on the pole (1st place) and led the first 3/4 of a lap (the video is posted below). Just when I was thinking "This is too easy", two guys went around the top of me. I think I ended the first segment in 3rd or 4th. I lined up in 6th (3rd place inverted to 6th) for the second segment and finished in 4th (I think - there were cars spinning and stuff so I will have to watch the video later to know for sure).

The funny thing is that I had a bunch of people saying, "I am sorry that you did not win" as if I would be really disappointed - but I was not disappointed at all. When I got in Trevor's car he said, "You will have to drive it really hard just to keep up to the other guys" (because all the other cars were from a higher class than mine), so I figured that coming in 4th was pretty good. Besides, it was so much fun, I would come in last a hundred times just to do it again! I was so excited that I could not go to sleep when I got home - I was awake until 4 am (literally). :)

So I may have to find a way to do this again. My brother, Kurt, and I are talking about building a car for next year. And if that does not work out - "Faster Pastor" is going to be an annual event - so I am already looking forward to next year! :)


Below...... Me coming onto the track



Getting lined up for the second segment.......



Cute racing chicks getting ready to cheer for their favorite driver...

VBS Success

I hate VBS!!

At least that is what I normally say - VBS is tiring, draining, yelly kiddy (you know) - but I LOVED VBS this year!!! From top to bottom - it was a great experience.

We started Monday morning with 75 kids - that is usually our highest total for the week - and numbers-wise it just kept growing until we had 100 kids on Thursday and 114 registered overall. It was cool to see kids inviting their friends, people bringing their neighbour's kids, etc. It was just great to have new faces there every morning.

We also had a great group of workers. I would say that there were 30 + involved every morning and that does not include those who participated before (with setup) or after (tear down). Not only did we have lots of volunteers, but we had volunteers with great attitudes - really focused on the kids, on the lessons and on just being helpful. By the end of the week, we even had parents staying to help out with crafts, snacks, etc. That was cool!

On Friday night we invited everyone to a big Hayride/wiener roast - it was a fun ending to the week and good time to visit with the kids and the parents too.

Great kids. Great workers. Great lessons. It was just a great week.

I used to think that Vacation Bible schools were a thing of the past and that no one was interesting in helping with them or in bringing their kids to them anymore. Fortunately, I was wrong! :)

We will post pics later in the week.

Summer HOLIDAYS!!!!!!