Monday, the first day of IMPACT

Hi, it's Katie again!

Yesterday was the first full day of IMPACT. I didn't listen to JD when he told us to pace ourselves and ended up completely exhausted at the end of the day. I think that I'll follow his advice today and try to find time for a nap!

That might not be possible, though, because our day was jam-packed with activities. Since IMPACT is longer than a youth rally, they spread out the deep spiritual stuff with a lot of fun activities rather than trying to force too much into one day. We have devos and classes in the morning, but the afternoon is devoted to free time. Then we end the day strong with a lot of worship and devos. Singing in a big arena with 2,800 people is a great experience, and so is doing the Interlude with all those people!

The theme this year is: STRANGER THAN FICTION. It's about the idea that God is the author of our lives so we should stop worrying about ourselves and instead follow what he has planned, and he will make our lives worth reading or watching. It's a lot of pretty intense stuff, and difficult to absorb without getting overwhelmed.

On a side note, there's something to be said about Southern hospitality. It's actually pretty funny to watch.  If I walk through a crowded area, all the men step out of my way and apologize if they accidentally bump me. Also, I haven't had to open any doors myself. But when Ethan tries to walk through a crowd, everyone pushes him around and shuts doors in his face. Haha!

Anyways, it's hard to believe that we're not even halfway through the trip yet. It already feels like I've been gone a week. Thankfully, everyone has been getting along well with each other. In fact, we're all growing closer each day. We ended yesterday by sitting in a dark, empty classroom, each taking turns praying out loud. I like ending the day like that, being together with my friends. I gotta go now because breakfast is almost over. I can't wait to see what the second day of IMPACT has in store for us!