Weekend with Eli

Last weekend I had a great time visiting with my friend Eli up near Albany. On Saturday he bought a bookshelf and I helped him assemble it. He also took me with him to hang out with his friends from his church's young adult group. With them we played lots of great games, among them Colossal Arena and Through the Desert. I also got to learn the card game Quems, which is very interesting in how it involves creatively communicating and observing other people. No Settlers this weekend, though it seemed everyone I met was a fan of the game. I even got to teach them silly little group games like my dad's hand-slapping game (no, it doesn't have a better name) and "Zoom", the game where you pass a metaphorical ball around with words and eye contact. Ah, I almost forgot watching the first episode of Survivor with them. Maybe now I'll have to follow up and track what happens on the show, who knows?

Some of Eli's friends deserve remembering. The family with the three brothers, Jamie, Jesse, and Josiah, should be in the running for most hospitable family ever. They also make great homemade pasta sauce, which I had never before experienced. Another mention is his friend Amy: when I talked to her about Germany, she kept saying things like "You are SO going to wind up there." I found it interesting to hear that she could hear and see my passion for Germany and its language even after just meeting me.

So yeah, the weekend was quite thoroughly awesome all around. Definitely the times that impacted me most were the times Eli and I stopped to talk and pray. He definitely knows how to make someone feel welcome and encouraged, and every time I see him I find I have a lot to learn from him.