Introducing The Odyssey Phone Book

Well, today at Out of Control in Odyssey, we are proud to present...the Odyssey Phone Book!

This new feature on our blog, available by clicking on that tab at the top of the page (See that connection of words that reads, "Odyssey Phone Book?" Good job. Now click on it.) The Odyssey Phone Book was created as part of our ongoing mission to bring the town of Odyssey to life and become a part of Odyssey and apply it to our lives!

What is the Odyssey Phone Book? It's a tool to expanse the great picture you have of Odyssey in your mind; a connection to the people and places that live there. We have the Yellow Pages of Odyssey! As we go episode by episode, we'll be constantly revising and updating this page, and you're welcome to contribute by emailing us at jandakocompany@yahoo.com! 

But wait, there's more. No, that's not all. Besides all the reviews and SMSSs and Odyssey in the Real World posts, we got a big project coming up! It's super exciting, and we hope you guys will really like it! All I can say for now is that it's another way of immersing you into the Odyssey experience. Get excited!

Luckily, since the week's almost over (tons and tons of homework), I'll be able to do some posting this weekend! We'll have another review and SMSS up soon. Also, be sure to check out Just Another AIO Blog this weekend for the AIO Websters ceremony...it's supposed to be really cool! 

Finally, if you've been liking what you see, I wanted to recommend a similar blog in terms of writing style. Victoria Donahue started an AIO blog back in March (before us!) and everyone just found out about it and it's awesome. She's another teenager giving thoughts and reviews about Odyssey...and it's a little scary how much we've been thinking alike as I read through her posts. Anyways, check it out at http://aiothoughts.blogspot.com/ , but be very careful to avoid the Album 56 reviews if you don't want to be spoiled. Use the blog archive. 

Oh my, The Grand Design is just around the corner! We'll be reviewing new episodes in Album 56 as they come up besides our normal starting from the beginning reviews. Alright, you guys have been updated. I'm busy working on our Get in the Show church video and secret video...another surprise! Man oh man, I'm turning into a little Mr. Whittaker in terms of keeping secrets. Don't worry; he always reveals them in the end. 


Last thing: we've been added to Twists and Turns's Cast and Crew: Take 2 page! Check it out if you want to see...how we look like and if you want to see my not really smile while squinting from the bright sun since I conveniently forgot my sunglasses. It also gives some nice info about us, and while you're there, check out The Old Judge's amazing site, which covers all of the Odyssey fan sites and has some neat features. It's all at Twists and Turns!

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, unless if course, you somehow don't have one, in which case I wish you a very happy Monday working. Please comment, and adios for now! 

 Oh, super cool. It's our two month anniversary and we have a big number in pageviews! It's been a joy watching this blog grow and have everyone be talking about Odyssey, the best radio show on the planet. Hopefully we'll be able to keep it up. So long for now! Actually.

We Got Our Parts to Play

Hooray! We have enough time to post! However, this week, we are unveiling a new feature! Exciting, right? So how come we don't have enough time to write a new review or SMSS? Well...we were filming our Get in the Show music video today at our church picnic, and it went extremely well! 

Our church really "got in the show."

Everyone's creative juices really seemed to flow and we'll be able to post it up and show you guys later this month - after everything's edited! Here's a picture of what we were up to this weekend... 

My, oh my. That "Get in the Show" song by Phil Joel? Yesterday, I spent all day prepping the song and getting it ready, and we filmed today, and I'll be editing throughout the next couple weeks...I've heard that song about forty times this weekend. Hopefully no one pops that song up in Radio class.

Anyway, tune in later this week for the new feature! Peace.

Review: Taken by Brock Eastman

The Quest for Truth. Those four words double as Brock Eastman's intergalactic science-fiction adventure novel series and something we as humans all are on. What is the Truth; what is the thing that eludes our grasp but is more immensely valuable than any gold, rubies, or dollars could offer? It's a truth that causes a secret order composed of renegade forces to kidnap two renowned archeologists. WHAT IS THIS TRUTH? Well, you have to read Brock Eastman's new book series to find out.

Josh is falling for the Quest for Truth. Haha, kneeslapper.

I had first heard about Taken, the first book in the series, from Brock's blog, but didn't really give it much thought. During the trip to Dallas, we stopped in at Mardel's Bookstore in Irving to go to a Q&A with the actors/Paul McCusker and Get in the Show Audition. We arrived a hour early and walked around while we waited. I was looking through the Odyssey albums and made my way down to Taken  when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Hey, that's a really good book." I turned around and immediately bought Taken and Risk.  I then made my way to the man who had recommended the book to me and asked, "Hey, Brock, can you sign my books?" OH YEAHHH. Folks, Brock's just as cool in person as he is on the podcast (watch the new one!) and Social Shoutouts. 

When reading Taken, I could feel Brock's love for this world that he's created. That love shines through in his writing and makes you feel his devotion to his craft. His writing is descriptive, yet distinct. You feel immersed inside this world, and the Visual Glossary in the back keeps things easy to remember if you forget something. The characters are vivid and the action is exciting, but to me, the real star of the story was the world. The devices, technology, and species of the Taken world captivated me the most through Eastman's compelling writing. 

The interesting thing is that the four Wikk kids have different conflicts that make up the book. Oliver deals with his leadership abilities, Tiffany holds a secret unsure if she should tell, and the twins (Austin and Mason) are having trouble with authority. Tiffany's conflict carries the least weight, which makes me wonder, will Tiffany hold bigger conflicts in future installments? Will the Blauwe Mensen reappear? So far, Oliver and Tiffany are my favorite Wikks, although I'm curious to find out if the twins will spill about the blue people to their siblings. 

I think my only quibble would be with dialogue in the beginning of the story (up till Jahr des Eises). Sometimes, the characters would say things that I didn't feel suited their character (i.e. Austin, a 10 year old, says "I was awoken from a deep sleep, and rather rudely I might add."). The most interesting dialogue is when the words being said have another layer to them, called subtext. It'll be intriguing to see if the characters have more complex emotions and feelings as the series and stakes progresses and that comes out in the dialogue. 

The book starts off slow; it's a story about four kids in a spaceship going to rescue their parents (happens all the time to me!), but when the Wikks land on Jahr de Eises, it's full speed ahead. And that's when the book really took off. The conflicts between the twins and the teenagers were very interesting, and the subplots with Mr. O'Farrell and the Blauwe Mensen added another dimension to the story.  

Overall, Taken is a delicious pot of stew with an important message that starts off warm and heats up until the boiling action adventure has taken you firmly into an exciting Quest for Truth that will keep your eyes glued to the page, and your mind glued into Brock's delightful world. I give this book 91/100, or an 

A-

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit Brock's website here!
Like him on Facebook here!
Purchase your copy today on CBD.
Read Ben Warren's review over at The Changing Times here.

Just So You Know About Get in the Show

Hey guys! This is a little last-minute, but we ended up making a special Get in the Show video for you! 

From the video page:

"Odyssey Out of Control presents Josh's wild dream. Created in three hours on the day before the Adventures in Odyssey Get in the Show Contest ends. How convenient! Even if you're not between the ages of 6-15, create a video with your family and friends together! 

P.S. Many apologies for Josh's voices in his head...they didn't get to warm up first! :)

And visit us online at odysseyoutofcontrol.blogspot.com

*Nominated for two AIO Websters: Best Blog and Best New Site/Podcast/Blog - Vote today by emailing CreativeThinker101@gmail.com or visiting justanotheraioblog.blogspot.com*

For more information on Adventures in Odyssey, please visit whitsend.org."

Enjoy, and we'll try to have time tomorrow to post our review of Taken! 

FP#8: The Letter

Quick announcement before getting to today's review. Alex Jefferson is hosting the first AIO Webster Awards for achievements in Odyssey fan sites! If you've been liking what you see, we'd really appreciate it if you voted us for Best Blog and Best New Site/Blog/Podcast by emailing CreativeThinker101@gmail.com. Voting runs until Friday, August 24, so vote soon! Visit his blog at justanotheraioblog.blogspot.com to view all the nominees! And now, on to the review!

Just kidding! Quick update first. We started school today (Ally's first day of high school) and it looks like it'll be a busy year. Hopefully we'll be able to keep this blog up! I'm taking Radio Broadcasting this year, so I'm looking forward to DJing and talking! Maybe I'll ask if we could do a radio drama...and now, seriously, here's the review.

 THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-I really really want to learn how to play this Family Portrait theme on the piano.
-Dr. Dobson mentions that this drama is aimed at the teenager...now all we need is an audio drama series (cough cough spinoff of Odyssey cough) for teens in today's day and age!
-So teenagers were allowed to drive other teenagers within a few weeks of getting their license? Ah, the 80s.
-A teenager being embarrassed by their parents driving them to their places. Very relatable to most teens, although at my school, parents are still a normal chauffeur and it's not embarrassing or anything. What's your school like?
-Yay! Katie Leigh and Alan Bergman, the future Connie and Bill Kendall! And this father character named Stan is very similar to Bill.
-I like this mother's voice - I wonder who the actress is?
-"Every time you make a new discovery or make a new skill, my pride dims when I realize that you need me a little bit less. Will I be outgrown someday like pajamas with footies and squeaky teddy bears? ...I pray that as that time draws near, our relationship gains depth, not distance. That when you're grownup enough to stand apart from me, you'll choose - even so - to keep your heart close by. Your daddy's love is as strong and real today as when you first saw the light of day...whatever struggles we face, whatever thoughtless or hurtful deeds we as fallible humans may do to one another, that love will grow with you for as long as I live." -Stan to his daughter Stacey
-Pretty sure the music from today's episode will be recycled into later Odyssey episodes.
-This is the shortest Family Portraits, clocking in at only fifteen minutes.

REVIEW:

While we've skipped five Family Portraits, I can tell you that this is the first one without Whit. It's also the first one aimed at teens. It's also the first one with the fabulous Katie Leigh and Alan Bergman, future Connie and Bill Kendall.

This portrait of a daughter embarrassed by her father and her mother trying to show her how much her father loves her is very touching. The mother gives the best performance as she tries to navigate both sides of the argument. 

Once again, this episode uses the Kishōtenketsu structure. Similarly to the last portrait we heard, the introduction and development are interesting, but the twist slows the momentum down as the same plot device is used. 

I thought it was fascinating when Dr. Dobson mentioned that the father was wrong. Parents are not perfect. They are vulnerable, they have feelings, needs, hurts, and problems they don't tell you about. They are people too, and that's something difficult for a lot of teens (including me occasionally) to understand. I could relate to both Stacey (the teenager) and Stan (the father) not being as open because of rejection and insecurity; it's a very real issue today as competition intensifies. There were a lot of great take-aways from this episode, including a verse from Ephesians 4:26; something about not letting the sun go down on your anger. Oftentimes, anger is stagnant, and it shouldn't be that way; if it's righteous anger, we should do something about it, and if it's not righteous, we should ask God to help us stop and find His love and peace and grace.

Overall, this episode was better than the last one; the reconciliation (last part) was great as well. We'll see if in future episodes with this format, the team can work on making that twist interesting! I give this episode a 88/100, or a 

B+

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Listen to The Letter by purchasing Album 14: Meanwhile, In Another Part of Town on CBD

NOTE: Today I can officially announce that a new site feature and two new videos will be coming your way later this month! However, this is only one of the two new features we plan to bring you by the end of the year. As Sarah from the Unofficial AIO Podcast would say, "Yayyyy!"

Sunday Morning Scramble School - Christianity Fact or Fiction

NOTE: Elements of today's SMSS are taken from Pastor Peter Wang's sermon at CBM Camp on Tuesday, July 31, entitled "In the Flesh," and covering Philippians 3:2-11.

Well, if you've read our Camp What-a-nut Experience post, you'll know that we have a lot of SMSS to cover. So today, we'll be talking about...wrong beliefs about Christianity! Don't worry, there's nothing controversial...I think. xD

WB#1: Legalism - the belief that you can earn your way to heaven by doing good deeds; or that the better you obey the rules, the better Christian you are!

ODYSSEY APPLICATIONS: Lucy in Have You No Selpurcs? (Album 9: Just in Time), Saul in the Saint Paul series (Album 23: Twists and Turns, Album 26: Back on the Air) 

• Lucy is the goodie two-shoes in Odyssey Generation One. Whether it's complaining about missing the church clean-up day (Return to the Bible Room, Album 2: The Wildest Summer Ever) or being a good campaign manager to Curt's very true-to-life campaign thinking (By Any Other Name, Album 8: Beyond Expectations), Lucy always tries to do what's right. But occasionally, she'll congratulate herself...in Have You No Selpurcs?, Lucy felt proud of herself for always making the right decision in the game and looking down at Curt for making the wrong choice.

WB#2: Intellectualism - the belief that you're a great Christian if you know a lot about the Bible

ODYSSEY APPLICATION: Olivia in Wooton Knows Best (Album 54: Clanging Cymbals)

• Olivia tried to gain Wooton's approval by memorizing 1 Corinthians 13...and when he didn't choose her to be his assistant, she went all unbrotherly love on Matthew. Mr. Parker gently reminds her that "as proud as your mother and I are of you memorizing Scripture, it means more to us that you apply it." Man...that should totally have won Best Scene at the Averys.
• SIDENOTE: There are tons of professors who know the Bible in ten different languages and memorized multiple chapters, yet aren't Christians. Memorizing Scripture doesn't mean anything unless you use it. You use or you lose.

WB#3: Cultural Christian - the belief that you're a great Christian if you do Christian things like going to church

ODYSSEY APPLICATION: Mandy in Only By His Grace (Album 48: Moment of Truth)

• Mandy is the goodie two-shoes in Odyssey Generation Two. But when her parents seperate, Mandy thinks that if she does all these good things, like feeding the hungry and helping Whit teach Sunday School, God will make her parents get back together...but it's by grace that God blesses and tests us!

Now, let's look at some right beliefs from Philippians 3:8-10 (HCSB)!

Philippians 3: 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ

In The Toy Man (Album 39: Friends, Family, and Countrymen) and The Chosen One (Album 47: Into the Light), the Washingtons give up a life of "comfort and ease" to gain Christ by operating Whit's End Connellsville and bringing Kelly into their home to share God's love.

3:9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ-the righteousness from God based on faith.

This verse compares the self-righteous attitudes that Lucy, Saul, Mandy, Olivia, and Joshua Meanie have all had to the righteousness we can have from God if we have faith in Him!

3:10 My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to his death

Here are the signs of knowing Christ: knowing the power of HIs resurrection, sharing in suffering with Christ, and becoming like him (not trying to be him, like Connie did in Let This Mind Be in You, Album 4: FUNdamentals). A Christian is a person who is grateful because they are transformed by the grace of God (A Christian is much more, I'm just sharing one aspect of it)! As we look after the conversions of Whit (Thank You, God, Album 3: Heroes), Connie, Eugene, Katrina, the Sellars, June, Aubrey, Leonard, Grady, and Kelly; we see how God's love takes over and transforms them. And hopefully, like our friends in Odyssey, we can continue to grow in knowing and loving Christ. 

NOTE: I think we have a pattern here! We'll alternate on reviewing and SMSSing and throw  in Odyssey in the real world articles every once in a while. Please comment and let us know what you liked and what you want changed! And enjoy the new logo, created by the wonderful Wooton Bassett over at the Unofficial AIO Blog (see the links on the right). You can also become a follower of the blog by joining on the right column; it'd be great if you did to get a better idea of who's reading and adjusting for the right demographic and other technological mumbo jumbo. School begins Monday; so pray for me and Ally - for rest and to have time to post! 

ANOTHER NOTE: We're working hard to bring you two new features to the blog...and they'll hopefully be out by the end of the year! Get excited!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Albums 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 23, 26, 39, 47, 48, and 54 are all available for purchase at CBD by clicking here. Simply type in the name of the album in the search box.

For more information on these albums, visit AIO Wiki by clicking here and typing in the name of the album in the search box.

Read our first Sunday Morning Scramble School on Idolatry, featuring more Odyssey and McKalister Park references.

FP3: The New Kid in Town

Well, cheerio once again! Hope you enjoyed the London Olympics with your family...'cause we sure have. Anyways, we've been in SoCal this past week visiting our grandparents, so we've been swimming and reading and watching the Olympics and checking our Odyssey sites (Twists and Turns, Just Another AIO Blog...). But now it's time for another review! Whoo hoo! 

 THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-I love, love, love this theme song for Family Portraits.
-Making new friends gets difficult as you get older. (i.e. Kindergarten- "Hey, wanna be friends? Sure!)
-So Chuck Bolte is playing George Poindexter the mailman. He's played two George's!
-Snow and rain might not stop him, but coffee and donuts sure do!" -Whit, referring to the mailman's motto
-Whit's monologue strolls are wonderful for me, since it's like we're walking and talking to Whit (a la Aaron Sorkin), but it could be seen as boring to visitors infrequent to Odyssey.
-On one block, there's Mrs. McAlister, Mr. Barnes, and the McKay house...any relation to Grady McKay and family? Bob McKay could be an uncle.
-Odyssey Chronicle...a competitor to the Odyssey Times.
-This is the only episode where I've heard of Odyssey Community College. Larry and Colleen Walker work in PR and are consulting for fundraising at OCC. It could be a smaller college than CCCC.
-"Most places we've lived; people have been so cold, distant. It's refreshing to know that there still are places where there are people who are actually interested in each other." - Larry Walker, not knowing that he's predicting the demise of physical conversations due to social media twenty years before 
-First mention of Whit working at UPF...Whit humbly doesn't mention that he's the chairman of the board.
-Jenny passed away nine years before this episode and she and Whit were married for 33 years. If Odyssey time is the same as current time, she passed in 1978, and they got married in 1945.
-First mention of a school name: McCollum
-Hey, the mom, Colleen Walker, is Carol Bilger...who would go on to be the defining voice for Mary Barclay!
-Whit's End is a book place, coffee shop, and good place for conversation. The third would later be integrated in 
-fortnight: two weeks
-Whit was born and lived the first few years in Scotland...he mentions the story that would later be told in Thank You God (Album 3: Heroes).
-KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON mention. This town was the inspiration to Odyssey for Phil Lollar.
-She likes going to Dodgers games? Well, that's one thing Sean and I don't have in common... (go Giants)
-FROM AIO WIKI: Shawn says that she could see all the way to the bottom of Crater Lake. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and its bottom cannot be seen.
-Uh, oh, Jimmy has a twin who sounds EXACTLY LIKE HIM named Bob. Mr. Whittaker, I think you have yourself your very own Parent Trap.
-"I thought that maybe the best way to help you was to let you think you were helping me."
Hey, it's the first example of Whit's mind games to help kids learn valuable truths!
-"You see, for some folks like Shawn, Odyssey is a start. For others, it's a finish. For everyone, it's at least a stopping place. But it's always a place for unforgettable experiences. That's a big part of what makes Odyssey so special." -Whit

REVIEW:
After hearing another Family Portraits, it seems that the writers have established a pattern by this point. It starts with Whit talking to the audience, and then he comes across a problem. He helps solve the problem and helps a child learn a lesson. So far, this has happened in Whit's Visitor and now here. 

The first episode tackled divorce, a very tricky topic, while this one deals with making new friends. The two episodes have wildly different feels, as Whit's Visitor ended on a melancholic tone while this episode had a happy ending. However, since the topic of divorce has many angles and is very interesting by itself, the lesson of making new friends is not as interesting unless placed in a good story. Since both stories had the same pattern, I can say now that it worked on Whit's Visitor and didn't work as well here. Sure, it's fascinating to hear more history and facts about the town; this was probably one purpose for this episode. However, the actual conflict is not as interesting as Davey Morrison's was in Whit's Visitor. SPOILER ALERT: The plotline is basically Whit meets parents, Whit talks history, parents talk history, daughter angrily storms out, Whit helps daughter learn to make new friends.

This episode doesn't use the typical conflict in most media. It uses the Kishōtenketsu structure, which relies on exposition and contrast to draw interest. Four acts occur: the introduction, development, twist, and reconciliation. This structure is used throughout Odyssey, and is often a great form of storytelling. However, it doesn't work as well here. The first two acts (intro and development) are interesting as we learn about the histories of Whit and Odyssey, but the actual conversation with Shawn in Act 3 is just that, a conversation, there's no reason to show how it connects or relates to the rest of the story. At least the moral is something we can all relate to, and that's the bottom line: that we take away something from what we just hear. It's not the episode I'd use to introduce new listeners to Odyssey, but it's something to hear if you're a long time fan and want to learn some more Odyssey/Whit history and mystery. 


While this episode shows us more backstory of Whit and the town, the rest is slightly dull and unrelated to the rest of the plot. So this epi will get a 65/100, or a 

D

EDIT - NOTE: No Stupid Questions is FP#4 and My Brother's Keeper is FP#6, , but since they're also Odyssey episodes, we'll come back to them.  FP#5: You're Not Going to Believe This was later remade as #44: It Sure Seems Like It to Me, so we'll review both at the same time. I don't know how to listen to While Dad's Away, so the next review will be FP#8: The Letter.  Please comment and let us know how this review went and what can be improved! Thanks!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Listen to The New Kid in Town by typing in "gone" as Secret Word #4!
AIO Wiki: The New Kid in Town
*SIDENOTE* The link to CBM Camp has been fixed on our Camp What-a-nut post!

Now Hiring

Ah, August. That magical time when summer still is in session...and school is only a couple weeks away. Uh oh.

This year I'll be starting my junior year, taking 3 APs, and if you don't know what they are, let me just say that they are a lot of work. 

So...for this blog to maintain frequent posts, I'm looking to take on a fellow blogger to write a review once a week, consistent with the style of the current reviews on the blog. 

Are you interested, but not sure how to write a review like the ones so far on this blog? Do you have the drive and passion to do one once a week? Let me know!

Send me a sample review or ask me how to write one at jandakocompany@yahoo.com (or just comment if you have a question) and I'll reply back as soon as I can! However, if I decide not to take on another consultant to the blog or don't add you personally, don't feel bad. I'm just trying to prepare for what might be a long school year and may not even need another one.

So there's my speal (is that how you spell it?) about [possibly] adding someone else to the blog.

Need inspiration? Try Around the Block (Album 46: A Date with Dad).  

And hey, even if you send one in and aren't a "consultant," anyone is always welcome to post something on the blog if it matches up with the ideals of our blog and is okayed by me and Ally!


*Oh, and by the way. Since we're on the topic of announcements, we have a new development in the works that should be really exciting! We hope to tell you about it within the next few weeks to months.*

Our Camp What-a-Nut Experience

Red=Josh, Black=Ally

"Today I took a long walk in the woods and tried to pray like I've never prayed before. And I did. The woods were so quiet and the sun was so bright that I felt like I was praying for the first time. It's like my faith was real for the first time. My dad told me it would be like this, but I didn't think so." 

-Tom Riley reading Timmy's diary in Malachi's Message (Album 32: Hidden Treasures)

This past week, I had the opportunity to go to CBM (Chinese Bible Mission) camp in Forbestown, California. It was an amazing week which encouraged and fired me up for Christ. In short, I had a Camp What-a-Nut experience.

Hey this is Ally, here to tell you about a camp I went to called Chinese Bible Mission or CBM in Forbestown, CA (about two weeks ago) where lots of, well, Chinese churches (about 95% of the camp) go for a week journey about Christ.

Let me first say that when I was on the bus, I wasn't really thinking about learning about God as much. Sometimes I only pray to God when I'm worried about something, not all the time. Going to public school made my relationship with Jesus go off a little. I guess the reason for going to CBM was more of meeting new Christian friends, and having fun. Maybe it was a start, but I was still a little excited about going. 

Camp did not start off the greatest for me. I went with my friend Micaiah, the tall Asian kid in our Odyssey Nerd video, and we arrived four hours late since we came right after I finished my film class. We didn't get to stay in a building made of gray bricks like Donny McCoy (Camp What-a-Nut, Album 2: The Wildest Summer Ever), but we did get to stay in a "cabin" made up of termite-infested 2x4s with screens for windows and holes in the walls. The bathroom was flooded. Turns out we had the honor of staying in the only non-renovated cabin since the camp began in the 50s or 60s. Fantastic. After an ice breaker, it was time for Canteen, where we could purchase items from the camp store (Sour Straws for 60 cents...WHATTTT). However, by this time, it was dark, and it was hard to see. We stumbled around for nearly half a hour, lost, lonely, and a little sad. Were we ready to experience 5 days of loneliness at a Christian camp? Thankfully, we kept walking and eventually found a couple people to talk to and introduce ourselves to.

My friends Ethan and Nathanael were the only friends I had from my church since we were the only ones to go to the Junior High Camp. But I kinda knew some other kids that I met previously at a Sacramento church, so I wasn't all too worried. Yet still I was a little worried about the camp, if I would enjoy and benefit like how others did. 

The next morning, I woke up at 6:20, forty minutes before designated wake up time. I started praying: "Lord, I'm really lonely. Could you bring someone to be a friend to us? ...if it's in your will?" And meal by meal, God brought us to different tables where we met completely random people and had wonderful conversations with them. In fact, during free time on day 1, our lunch friends found us and introduced us to more people, and so on and so forth.

Once we were at camp, I met a girl who I've heard about from my friend, and she was so friendly, introducing me to her friends and just hanging out with me. Plus all the counselors and directors were just overall friendly, fun, and had such a strong faith with a heart just rejoicing God. Their willingness was so inspiring! 

Throughout camp, I had the opportunity to meet lots of Christians who were hilarious and interesting, yet on fire for Christ. It was really encouraging to see. Two campers had even emailed me the week before to see if I had any questions; they also encouraged me to hang out with them if I ever needed someone. I loved the diversity of campers; we had non-Christians, funny people, insightful people, pessimistic people (When are we leaving?), and oddballs. Hey, it's like Odyssey!

The theme of the camp was a reBorn Identity in Jesus. Our guest pastor, Pastor Alton To, on the first day taught us that we need God to tell us what our identity is. We looked at the story about the Prodigal Son. The younger brother is mostly like us, since we walked away from our Father (God), we rebel against him, sometimes wishing he is dead because other things are more important. But once we've "spent all our money on arcade games (The Prodigal Jimmy, Album 4: FUNdamentals)" we realize we need to go home, that's where we find our identity, in the redemption of the son, Jesus. The older brother had an identity in religion, disrespecting the Father and not going into the party of his brother coming home. But God wants to be with and keep us forever. Pastor Alton told us both were distant with the Father in different ways. Which brother are you more like? How can you change your ways? When I heard his message, I was excited and felt like this was God telling me "Hey, you should talk to me more than you do. I'd really love to listen to my child more often" the inspiration and the want kept growing afterwards. 

Our speaker, Pastor Peter Wang, spoke about putting our identity in Christ instead of in other things. He was very insightful, and I took lots of careful notes on what he said and the Odyssey references that related to them (which will be up in Sunday Morning Scramble Schools in the near future). On Friday night, we had a special guest speaker, Eric Chow, who preached an in-depth sermon about the Gospel. It was called "the Greatest News You Could Ever Hear," and we'll go over that in another post.

We later learned from him about showing God's love to others so they know you're a Christian, we are children of God (first born as children of Satan but now changed because God adopted us to be His!), what is our desire (the condition, how are we to desire, and what's our goal), who are we (our purpose, greatest problem, and how it is made right), and finally how can we keep our identity in Christ? (it's the gospel!) Our pastor was so true and you could tell he really wanted us to understand and to know by the info he gave us. His passion for Christ was so inspiring. 

Life is like a dramedy. That's why I love Odyssey; it's so much like real life, mixing drama and comedy. CBM was that way too. On one hand, we had silly staff challenges, cabin decorations, chaos ball (extreme dodgeball), funny skits, Courageous, Texas Hold 'em, Steal the Bacon on a tarp covered with water and detergent, dot hunting, and Rock Paper Scissors Capture the Flag. But we also had serious discussions about God in our lives and what we want in a future spouse. The Bay Area is not necessarily a Christian hotspot, so to be able to talk and laugh with them; it was really encouraging to meet Christians from other parts of the state.

We were able to watch the movie Courageous, which I've seen many times, but understanding how the movie related to the theme and laughing at everyone laughing at every funny moment was great. I took workshops on God's will and dating (more SMSS posts to come!), making new friends as I went. My favorite part of camp was singspiration. Singing with 200 other people-or peers-to Jesus is a fantastic experience, and lots of fun as well.

At CBM we also had a chance to talk one on one with a counselor, just talking about life and our spiritual journey. That was one of my favorite moments, because I could get advice and just unleash all those worries and wonders? My counselor spent a lot of time with me, and did her best to answer my questions. It was so cool! 

Life walks were great because the opportunity arose to just talk about anything about my life and ask any question I had. It was my first Whittaker moment, and it was very exciting. While my counselor is probably in his low 30s, he was knowledgeable about the Bible and life, and shared life stories and Bible passages to help me with questions and life directions. If you're looking for your Mr. Whittaker, try looking in your church, or ask your pastor if he knows of anyone that could mentor, disciple, or be there for you! That's what the church family is for.

On the last full day, we had campfire/ sharing for everyone. Lots of people shared, and it showed a lot of bravery, for jr highers to go up in front of almost a hundred kids (well to me, I'm a shy person) and just hearing kids share about their testimonies to others they don't even know? Wow. But just hearing people was so encouraging and you could see how God has worked and will work in their lives. 

Our campfire session lasted for 2 1/2 hours because there were so many people who shared. This was one of my favorite events because you could tell that people shared from the heart. It was very moving to see how CBM, through Christ, had impacted them in their lives. People shared about depression, problems with abuse...there was even a non-Christian who shared that although she wasn't sure if she believed in God, she could tell that Christians were different. 

Now that I'm home, back into the world, I feel like my faith has grown, and that it won't ever stop growing. Theres so much you can learn about God! I just pray that we will light up the world to show them who we are: children of God! If you got any more questions, comment! And I'll do my best to answer! 

After being blessed with a great week of fellowship and worship, it was time to come down the mountain and return to daily life. What did I share at the campfire? While I'm not going to recap it word for word, I'm posting a quote from Jennifer from Three O'Clock Call (Album 46: A Date with Dad) which should explain why I enjoyed camp so much this week, and am looking forward to sharing more with you through SSMS.

"God is our Father. And that a father would not give his child a stone if he asked for bread...God, our Father, gave us bread! You, you are his face. He works through you. He is a good Father."

-Jennifer

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

CBM Camp

Camp What-a-Nut - AIO Wiki

Buy AIO from CBD (today we talked about Albums 2, 4, 32, and 46)

Read the first Sunday Morning Scramble School on Idolatry

COMING SOON:

Sunday Morning Scramble School on...

• Intellectualism
• Worship
• Our Father
• Attitudes
• Community
• Evangelism
• Prayer
• The Gospel
• Music

Reviews on...

• FP3: The New Kid in Town
• Taken by Brock Eastman