The mission trip was good for me. I loved having fun. That sounds childish, and that’s what I liked about it. I’ll have to admit that I think I needed the break more than I knew and God provided just the kind of trip I needed. It’s not to say that we didn’t get anything done. We did. We accomplished all that we had set before us and probably a little more. But we still had time to play this time. And play we did. Our group for the whole week was one twelve year old, myself and eight of my friends all in our twenties, and Angie and Papa. We spent our free time dancing, catching lightning bugs, throwing Frisbees, sneaking through a fence to a cemetery to roll down a big hill, playing games and cards, having races, playing hide and seek in the dark church building, and sliding down giant slides. It was wonderful. I am pleased that my companions see fit to remain happy and uninhibited. We laugh so much and I don’t want to leave our collective company. It’s been three days and I’m so tired of missing my friends. I want to slip into my sleeping bag in the dark at four in the morning after witnessing a hilarious card game and know that the same friends who whispered goodnight to me as we tiptoed quietly to bed will tell me good morning when we come down for breakfast. I love to play and to be together and weeks like that are what will get me through until the next time. Weeks like that will get me through days like today where I wish we could stay together forever, and I feel alone with my kids, and I miss my friend who hasn’t even left yet like he’s been away forever, and I miss someone else too…and I just wish I could forget about it all and go play.