Day 331: It Pays Off

How can I even begin to describe today? I can tell you that it was one of the best, but how to expand on that thought is a challenge. Let's start with Street Teams. This morning was my last time for this year (maybe even ever..), and I must say my journey with CityCare ended on such a high note today. We met with a few of our good friends like Rita (who is currently celebrating her 86th birthday), Rina (who I will dearly miss because of her help with my learning Russian), and Maria (who I will certainly miss because of the wonderful friendship I have with her). I left with such a peace in my heart, as well as a full stomach due to all the food we received from our visits and the team leader's barbecue. It was because of Street Teams that I was able to integrate into college life so easily, because it was so close to home (talking about the Rescue Mission). After that, I had a little bit of free time, so I spent that time with Donny and Alison watching Big Bang Theory (which I must admit is one of my new favorite shows; since it's about these nerds, I find it so easy to connect with what they're experiencing as smart guys, so I end up enjoying it a lot.) Th ultimate highlight was what I just returned from: The Japanese Film and Art Festival. One of my good friends Nathan invited me to come and watch a couple of the movies (out of a whole week of films that were playing since this past Monday), and it was significant because he actually composed the music for all the pre-show trailers. Donny came along, and we had a blast sitting in a theater for about 4 hours. The first movie was one of those romantic dramedies that was done in 2-D animation, and I loved it; the director took a smart approach to the film. He split it into two parts: one part from the guy's side of the story, and the other from the girl's side; they were done so well that it seemed for a while that it was a real, live-action movie. It was just that good. The second one was by far one of the best I've ever seen; it was called Oblivion Island: Haraku and the Magical Mirror, and man was it an excellent movie!!! Everything about it was awesome: the animation, the story, the technical parts, etc.; as an animation enthusiast, I couldn't have been prouder of how this one turned out. Donny and I left the theater speechless; it was seriously that good of a movie. After that, Nathan invited us to share on some amazing pizza, and we sure ate like kings.

This whole week was just beyond a degree of awesome that words could express. As always, thanks be to God for extending His love, grace, and mercy over my life.

God bless,
Steven