I wonder if I have lots of interesting stories to relate from Beach Mission? Hmm. I don't think so.

I didn't really want to be there. I wanted to be here, at home. But I went. I went because I felt that's where God wanted me to be. And I think I was right, that's where God wanted me. I didn't stop wanting to go home, but I learnt, I was challenged, and I hung out with lots of lovely people (Team and campers) for 11 days. I think it was worth being there.

Will I go next year? Perhaps. We'll see where the good Lord leads me.

The funny thing about mission, and the weekend away before it, was that I managed to pick up many women. And I never meant to. By the end of the weekend away I had a 5 year old son, a wife and a girlfriend. By the end of mission, I still had a five year old son, I had an ex-wife and a fiancée (is that how one spells it?). It's funny because I try not to have pretend relationships. I'm not sure what it is, but even though they are silly, I try and avoid them. Perhaps it is because most jokes have some basis in reality, either in exaggeration, contrast, or devaluation (Some are just plain absurd though). And I guess I don't like to pick up pretend girlfriends, wives, or kids, incase the implications of the joke, the undertones, are not what is intended. In the same way I don't like to joke about not liking a person. Sometimes I will but I like to try and make sure people can tell where the joke is coming from.

I've never really put any of this in words before but I guess I have a desire to have jokes that build others up.

All that said, I don't think my "relationships" on Beach Mission were a problem. I think they came off ok, and that's good.