It was June of 2005. I had just finished my first week as a counselor at Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp (Yes, the place I almost burnt to the ground).
I was in the mime on Thursday night, which was a lot of fun (and crazy. First week as a counselor, and in the mime? Woof.), and a great experience.
On Friday, just before all the campers went home, there was a big closing program (in the hot chapel, with a bazillion sweaty kids and counselors) in which by good buddy Jon Anenson got up and gave a little talk about the mime Riverside does every Thursday night during the summer, and said something about how “you can see that same mime on tour next spring as part of Awaken.”
I was very curious. Intrigued.
I talked to Jon later about this whole “Awaken” thing. He said he didn’t really know what it was going to look like, or what exactly was going to happen, but somehow the mime was going on tour.
I told him he should let me know as soon as he figures something out because “I’m in.”
Like I said, that was almost three years ago. A lot has happened since then.
I spent my first year in Awaken as a cast member, my second year as the “Special Effects Engineer” (and trying not to kill people with falling lights), and now I am a member of the leadership team and the webmaster.
Awaken has been a great experience for me. It’s been an indescribable experience for me.
An experience I would have never had if it weren’t for those two words of complete trust (or blind foolishness… just kidding 😉;)
“I’m in.”