It all started with a mouse...

Yesterday was a big day for us here on the Walt Disney World Summer Project; we attended Disney Traditions today at Disney University. It is the first "class" that you take when you start at Disney before you become a cast member. It told us a lot about the company, values of the company, and how we are to act while working at Disney. It was a long day from 8am to 4pm sitting there in the same room with small breaks to go observe Magic Kingdom, the cast, and the park design for safety ect., and a lunch break. I'm not sure that I can really say anything more than this about it, but it was a lot of basic info that you get before you start any job.
I did learn about what I would be doing while at Disney: Main Street Daily Operations. You may wonder exactly what that means, and you are not alone in this. I would also like to know exactly what I am doing, but the group of 4 of us assigned to it haven't been told yet what it is. We were able to talk to some other cast members later on in the day who said that it could be like setting up and parade control along with guest interactions, so I am still not sure exactly what it will all entail, but I think that it will be fun whatever I really get to do.
After we were done with our day at Disney University, we changed and headed immediately to go see Magic Kingdom. We had a little trouble with this since our cards weren't actually activated yet, but we finally got it figured out. Then we got to just have a ton of fun around the park riding a few rides, observing how things go on in the Magic Kingdom, and getting to know some of my other Cru project people better. It was one of the most enjoyable times I have ever had in a theme park because I was able to really get to know some people a ton better and we were not just rushing through to get to do everything. We enjoyed talking to other people we were standing next to in line as well. Then the last thing we did in the park was watch the parade, projection show on the castle, and fireworks. The projection on the castle and fireworks were two of the coolest things that I have ever seen. The castle would transform from one type of castle to a completely different one, and I am kind of a castle fanatic. I used to fill up notebooks with drawings of castles, create Lego castles, and play a 3d castle creator game on my computer when I was younger, so this was super cool to see. Then a car of us guys went to Pizza Hut afterwards and just discussed some things about the project and some of the concerns we have. It was just a great time to talk about it and really figure out that we all have similar concerns and we are all in this project together. I am super excited to do some great things this summer and hope God can be brought into Disney World through us!

Working together as a team

As many of you already know, I have the unbelievable opportunity to take part in a summer mission project sponsored by Cru with over 60 other students to Walt Disney World. I get the awesome opportunity to live down here in Florida and work at Disney world through the partnership that Cru has with Disney.

But more importantly, we have an incredible purpose and vision for being here this summer; we get the opportunity to share the love of Christ with tons of people. The Disney College Program attracts countless young adults from across the globe who work at Disney and then return home a semester later. This allows us to bring the message of Jesus to literally hundreds of nations, many unreachable but all accounts. I feel extremely blessed to take part in this vision and I know that it will have far reaching implications for the gospel and the kingdom of God. This opportunity is not so much for me, because I could be doing numerous other things with my summer, but this is an enormous movement that will equip the future leaders of the church and change eternal destinies the world over.

As you might imagine, raising the necessary funds is extremely challenging and many of the students have struggled to raise all the money necessary. The money donated is only to cover room and board for the mission and cost associated with ministry. We pay for all other expenses ourselves, so this is not about a moneymaking opportunity. I could have made a good amount of money if I had stayed home and gotten a job there, but that is not the purpose of my summer. As a project we are behind in funds even though I have worked hard to achieve the goal of what I needed, I would encourage you to consider giving to the project through my account. 

https://give.cru.org/give/View/5652939?pp=

These gifts are tax-deductible and would be a great blessing to all of us here on WDWSP. If you are not financially able to give, I would appreciate your prayers, because with God all things are possible. 

One of the most fulfilling days of my life

On Saturday morning we got up and ready to go out and start our "training" by being thrown out into the fire and just going out to share the gospel. It was our first scheduled time to go out and share the love of God with people. We had a quick time where we reviewed over some of the stuff that we had been talking about and just how we can love on all the people we talk to regardless of what they say or how they react. The whole point of what we are trying to do is bring glory to God, and sharing the gospel with people is just one form of that.
We headed out to Lake Eola, which is a park of sorts, and slit up into groups of two. My roommate Chris and I headed out and just started walking around the park. It was quite a different situation that we were expecting because there was a big event for special needs children going on all around the lake and people were just walking everywhere, so there weren't too many people just standing still so that we could approach to talk to them. At first we just were confused on what to do, but then we just approached any person we could find who did not seem to be busy. I will just share one huge highlight from our time doing this, there were other encouraging stories, but this one is by far my favorite:
We approached this girl, Chelsea, who was probably about a junior in high school and who was working one of the games they had going on. No one was at her game, so we decided to take a chance that she would have the time to talk to us. First we asked her if any of the topics on our sheet interested her, and she said that she guessed that she was interested in 6 Reasons God Exists or Prove That He's God. We asked her why she pick those and she said that she believed that there was a God, but wasn't really sure about how that it really had any impact on her. We were able to present the whole gospel to her while asking her questions about what she thought to see if she understand what we were saying and just trying to show her God's love for her. We had a few distractions with little kids running around and wanting to play a few games, but I believe that she was really responsive to it and really understood what we were telling her. She did not think that she was ready to give up her life to having God as the center of her life because she was a little skeptical of putting her faith into something like this and living for God, but she said that she had some grandparents that always take her to church when she stays with them. She seemed really interested in the information and resources that we left with her and we prayed for her and her brother, who has a bone disease, but she was thankful that he could still walk. I think that she is really close with how interested she seemed, but just needs time to realize the joy and freedom that Christ brings. It is really exciting and encouraging, so I am going to continue to pray for her and encourage you all too as well.
After we returned from our time at Lake Eola, we met up at the pool and exchanged cool stories about what happened, and then we went and had a ton of fun playing soccer in a small field across the street from our condos. It was a blast, but maybe not the brightest idea because immediately after we finished with that, we had our men's time.
This was the most physically demanding men's time I have ever been a part. We all sweated, were in pain, fought hard, and were emotionally and psychologically challenged together as men. That is all I will/am allowed to say about that. It definitely was something else, and I would not recommend going on summer project if you do not want to be changed and challenged mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It was one of the most fulfilling days of my life where I really feel like I had a impact on others.

More training and some surfing fun!

On Friday we had a full day of training. I won't go into a ton of detail, but we had some excellent lessons and dialogue about Grace vs. Truth and how those can work together to produce growth. Also we discussed some developmental skills: bonding, boundaries, sorting out good and bad, and adulthood. It was very encouraging and helpful for me since this summer is a huge opportunity for personal growth as well as ministering to others. I just have been extremely encouraged by how open everyone has been to discussion and conversation in our training times with everyone in the same room. Sometimes people do not feel comfortable sharing in front of everyone, but it seems as though people are very willing to state what they think. After we had done our training from about 8:30am til 5pm, we got to have some supper and then celebrate with a surprise from our lovely staff.

The staff set up a time where we got to try a place called "Fantasy Surf." It was called "flowboarding," kind of like surfing in that you are gliding on a board over the water, but it is more like a combination of snowboarding and skateboarding. There is a powerful engine that shoots water up a slope and you get on a mini surfboard and try to stay upright and "surf." It was a ton of fun even though we all got knocked down and shot away by the water. I ended up with a few bruises, but nothing too serious. Unfortunately one of my condo-mates, Johann, broke his humerus, and may have to have surgery, so your prayers for him would be appreciated. Overall it was a really great time! After that experience, we headed back to the condos and went to have some fun in the pool and hot tub. It was a good day!

Casting Day at Disney

Yesterday was the casting day for our jobs at Disney World. We also had some other things scheduled for activities for our Cru group.

I started off the day with a meeting to discuss the financial support for the summer that we needed to have. After we met, I talked with my mom on the phone, as my parents were headed to the airport on their way to their trip to Europe for their 25th wedding anniversary celebration, and she let me know that my grandpa had donated the rest of the amount that I needed to have for the summer, so I should be funded at least for the general amount I need for this mission trip.

Then I had a few hours to kill before I got to go into the casting center for Disney to sign paperwork and get everything straightened out for that, and also get assigned to where I will be working at Disney. So while I waited for my time to arrive, I made good use of it and prepared some of the paperwork and information about myself for project and getting to know others. I was able to get these done and then dressed for the casting appointment in clothes completely not my own except my underwear, socks and shoes. I had to borrow nicer clothing from my condo-mates since my nice clothes are still in the mail somewhere between here and Lincoln, NE. I came straight down here to Florida for project after spending 3ish weeks in Italy, so I did not have any nicer clothes with me that I took to Italy, so I had pants that were too small, a shirt that was too big, and my attempt at tying a tie not my own. The pants were too short and they kind of flared out at the bottom, so they just made me look a little bit ridiculous, but it was all good and it worked. We headed over the the casting place and got all the paperwork filled out and signed... And I am pleased to say that I will be working in attractions department somewhere in Disney! They have not specified where exactly I will be working or which ride I will be working with, but I do now finally know basically what I will be doing.

After we had finished that, we had a scheduled time of soul-to-soul time with our discipleship groups, and we ended up going a little late, so by the time we were done, it was time for bed. Soul-to-soul, if you can't guess, is just each of us telling our own story of our life, who we are, how we got here, and what we are like now in total confidentiality so that everyone can feel better about being completely open and honest. Since we have such a short time here, 10~ weeks, to get to know each other, it is a great way to really get down deep and see where the others in our group are coming from. It is also good to think and evaluate your own situation and where you are, so I was thankful to get to do this with an awesome group of guys. It is hard for me to look back on some of the painful experiences that I have had, but it just brings me more amazement at how much God has worked in my life and changed me into who I am today. There is always room for improvement, but it is great to see God's work in my broken life.

First few days of Summer Project at Walt Disney World!

After arriving in Orlando late on May 28th (early May 29th), the Bickerstaffs were amazing and clutch allowing me to crash on their couch that night. They were a little worried that it might not be comfortable, but compared to some of the beds I had in Italy, it was amazing. Also I was extremely tired after traveling that day, so I would not have had trouble sleeping anywhere basically; May 28, 2012 was literally the longest day of my life, I think that it was about 30 hours long since I was traveling back time zones.
Anyway, I woke up the next morning with more sleep than any night I was over in Italy, so I was feeling pretty good for the day. I worked on some of the wrap-up stuff from my study abroad trip and prepared myself for the day. Then I packed up my little amount of luggage that I brought with me to Italy and went over to the main lobby for the resort. I was greeted by a bunch of smiling faces and hellos from the lovely staff and interns for this summer project.

 I got all of my registration stuff figured out and since I was one of the first people to check in, Lee helped me take my stuff over to my room. Here are some pictures of our condo we will be staying in this summer...
(bathroom, living room, bedroom, and kitchen)

We figured out that some of the guys rooms had been mixed around so the staff were calling each other figuring out what happened, but everything was straightened out before most of the guys came to check in, so it was all good. As Lee likes to say, "In grace, we have freedom to fail." Failure to have everything perfect for where people are staying is not a huge deal, and we all make mistakes. I'm glad that we can all come together with all our junk and serve the Lord this summer...

Then I just chilled and hung around the registration area for quite a while, since I did not really have any stuff to move into my room. My parents shipped me a box of clothes and other things that I packed up before I left for Italy, so it should be here on Friday.

Then I went back to my room and met my roommates for the summer: Chris, Rob, and Johann. We talked for a while and had some of the other guys visit us, we all started to get to know one another. I decided to do a little laundry from the small amount of clothing that I do have, so that I would have clothes for the next few days while I wait for the rest of them to get here. We then had a group meal where we got to see how big our group was and realize that this is really happening right now.
After supper we had one of the interns take us to Wal-Mart to go buy food supplies and other things to start us off for the summer. We split up in the store to go get group items that we would be sharing and individual items. We did pretty well picking up things that we knew we would need and we ended up with a pretty good sized receipt. It was good that we all figured out fairly well what we are going to be doing for meals and other necessities so that we can buy in bigger amounts and save money that way.

That night, I finally received my email so that I could begin filling out my paperwork for beginning employment at Disney. There are an unbelievable amount of forms that you have to fill out and I spent a good chunk of my evening reading huge PDFs and filling in information, but I was able to get it all done.
Then on Wednesday, we had our first big day of training and preparation for the rest of the project. We drove over to a local church where we were informed of a few of the details of what it is exactly that we will be doing in our time not spent working. There is still plenty that we don't know yet, but at least we now have a glimpse at it. It seems as thought "Going Surfing Every Day" is kind of our motto for the summer. The staff members did a good job of comparing how what we are going to be doing this summer to surfing. Our walk with God, sharing the gospel with people, and our whole summer can relate to surfing and the ocean. God is powerful like an ocean, untameable and majestic. Living for God and sharing our faith is like surfing in that while you know that it has the possibility to be phenomenal and amazing, there are elements of risk involved, but in the end it is worth the risk. This is just the beginning of the growth, and I'm sure there will be plenty of things that I will learn throughout the summer as we continue to spur each other on to live for Christ each day.
Later that evening, we had a group activity where we went and did a photo scavenger hunt in Downtown Disney. It was quite a bit of fun, and later on I may add some pics of it to this blog.
Thursday we will go and get all of our paperwork straightened out and find out what section of the park we will be working in. I can't wait!

Day 19 - Traveling back to US

Today, we left Italy and headed back to the good old United States. A group of us had flights at about 11am on May 28, so we all got a shuttle ride to the airport together. This experience was much less stressful than the previous time at the airport in Rome. We had to take a shuttle to get to our area for customs and airport security, but after that it was pretty much a breeze. I did get checked at the carry-on baggage check area for drugs, so that was kind of interesting. Then all the other people that I rode with made it through and we met at the gate area. Then their flight boarded and I got to say goodbye to all of them. Then I headed over to my plane boarding area, and I got shuttled out to the plane. This time, I actually got to keep my seat on the plane, and not basically get blackmailed into switching seats with a baby, like on my flight over to Rome. This flight was also much more enjoyable than the one that I had coming to Rome; the plane was nicer, the flight attendants were more kind, the food was better, and the entertainment was better. I was able to watch four movies on this flight, since the flight was over nine hours long. When the flight arrived in Orlando, it was even actually a little bit early, but that didn’t really matter since I already had a 3.75 hour layover scheduled. I was able to spend time responding to emails and other stuff through my phone since they didn’t have free Wi-Fi at the airport. Then I got some Taco Bell for dinner and was super excited to have free refills on my drink and all the water I could drink without paying an arm and a leg. It turns out that I even had more time than I anticipated since the plane I was supposed to ride on was broken, so they had to find us a new plane and we didn’t get to take off until two hours later, so I was not able to get to Orlando until 12:15am or so the next day. My ride, Lee, was clutch and was able to come pick me up this late in the evening, so everything worked out. Now I am ready for the next phase of my summer, Walt Disney World Summer Project!

Here is a little wrap up from the study abroad; We had to do five sketches for the class, so here are the five that I choose to do: Castle type building in Florence, Flying Buttresses on Duomo in Milan, underside of interesting bridge in Venice, column capital in the Colosseum, and the Pantheon.