Meet Our Speaker - Goldsboro Edition

The speaker for our last week of SOUL was Rad Jordan. He spoke at Tremors last December, and is also the campus pastor for the Friends Campus Ministries in Raleigh. That includes NC State, Meredith College, William-Peace College, Wake Tech, and basically anyone who wants to come and can find a way there.

Rad is attending Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, majoring in Christian Studies as well as Pastoral Ministry. Not only does he study, but he also makes sure that he is there for everyone in his family and his friends. While attempting to learn guitar, Rad enjoys photography and most sporting events. This week we were fortunate enough to hear his testimony, which is an amazing story. It's not my story to tell, so I'm not going to tell it here. But, a lot like Zack, Rad was amazingly real and honest with everyone at camp this week. If anyone walked away without learning something, it's their loss.

Starting Our Last Week

Realizing that SOUL finished about a week ago, I have finally been able to relax and reflect on the last week to put my best efforts into writing about it. If you have been following this blog all summer I apologize for the delay. If this is the first you are seeing of my SOUL blog then please, go to the beginning and start from there. I promise it will make more sense that way.

Once again, we had a prep week before camp started in Goldsboro. Which is nice, don't get me wrong. It's great to be able to make sure that everything is lined up to run smoothly, to be able to relax a little bit before more participants come. But, at the same time, after 3 weeks of living with the same people and having little to no time to yourself, things get a little tense. Again, it's not like we were in each other's faces about everything, or even anything, but spending that much time with someone nonstop, little things start to get aggravating.

And maybe that's just me. My beaver personality means that every once in a while I need to step away from everyone, get away from the place I've been cooped up in, and spend some time BY MYSELF. Since our only vehicle was the van, and New Hope is off of the highway, there wasn't really anywhere to go.

Let's just say, I was super excited and ready to hang out with the participants and campers that were coming to Goldsboro. At the same time though, I was ready to begin heading home.

20 Questions - Zach

The guy that you haven't met yet on the NC SOUL staff is the one and only Zachary Kincaid.

This is Zach's third year on SOUL staff, him being a seasoned Alabama and North Carolina staff member. Zach, like many others on staff, is a monkey.  If you don't know what I mean by that, check out my blog on our personality types -> click HERE <-

1) Were you named after anyone?

First name President Zachary Taylor, middle name from my dad.

2) Do you like your own handwriting?

Never paid attention.

3) What would your superpower be if you had one?

Teleportation.

4) Are you and Optimist or a Pessimist?

Depends, am I drinking or filling my glass.

5) What do you collect?

Knives.

6) What movie would your friends be surprised that you like?

Nothing.

7) What are your favorite smells?

Gasoline, "Into the Wild" from Bath and Body works.

8) Coffee or Tea?

Coffee some days, sweet tea everyday.

9) Coke or Pepsi?

Taste the same to me.

10) What is the best thing you've ever eaten? (Where?)

Grandma's cooking.

11) Mac or PC?

PC

12) What are you listening to right now?

Everyone in the van.

13) What career would you pursue in another life?

Get back to you after I'm reincarnated.

14) What sound or noise do you love?

Bacon cooking, music on low, creek rushing down a mountain.

15) What sound or noise do you hate?

Opera.

16) Mountains or Beach?

Mountains.

17) Cook or Bake?

Both.

18) Do you go to restaurants and movies by yourself?

Sometimes.

19) What is your favorite childhood Fairytale or childhood story?

A Bug's Life.

20) What would you tell the 13-year-old you?

It's worth it.

20 Questions - Samie

Okay, we're almost through everyone. I promise. This is Samie. More formally known as Samantha Renée Covington. Which also means "The Listener Reborn in a Field". 

(She's the one on the right, with the curly mustache.) Samie is also going to be a junior. She will be at Montreat college, playing volleyball at the college level for the third year. Majoring in psychology, Samie is planning to attend grad school to become a physical therapist. If you can't tell from the above picture, Samie is a monkey. If you don't know what I mean by that, check out my blog on our personality types -> click HERE <-

1) Were you named after anyone?

Not that I know of. Though my middle name has been passed on for three generations.

2) Do you like your own handwriting?

Sometimes. My handwriting changes a lot. Sometimes I think to myself, "It's a good handwriting day."

3) What would your superpower be if you had one?

I OWULD LOVE TO FLY! I spend a lot of time on planes, so I would love to not have to spend the money or time on them anymore.

4) Are you and Optimist or a Pessimist?

I would say I am primarily optimistic.

5) What do you collect?

I don't collect anything but junk unintentionally.

6) What movie would your friends be surprised that you like?

I don't think my friends would be surprised by any movie I like. Mostly, because they all think I'm weird anyway.

7) What are your favorite smells?

The beach. Fresh laundry. Any baked good.

8) Coffee or Tea?

Coffee all the way!

9) Coke or Pepsi?

Coke. Though I prefer Sprite if I'm going to drink soda.

10) What is the best thing you've ever eaten? (Where?)

Anything homemade after dining in the caf at school for a few months!

11) Mac or PC?

Mac.

12) What are you listening to right now?

Fellow SOUL staff members playing a hardcore ping pong game!

13) What career would you pursue in another life?

I'm still in the middle of pursuing a career for this lifetime.

14) What sound or noise do you love?

Thunderstorms and the calm sound that follows them. Rushing waves at the beach.

15) What sound or noise do you hate?

Really loud crowds.

16) Mountains or Beach?

BEACH!

17) Cook or Bake?

Bake.

18) Do you go to restaurants and movies by yourself?

I'd go to  a movie by myself any day. I'm too poor to go out to eat often enough to go by myself.

19) What is your favorite childhood Fairytale or childhood story?

I don't have a favorite; I tend to gravitate toward stories of growth and adventure, like Peter Pan.

20) What would you tell the 13-year-old you?

Keep on going! It gets better! And, California isn't so bad.

20 Questions - Elliott

What!? There's another guy on staff. That's right, and even one more after Elliott. Anyway, here he is:

Elliott is going into his junior year at Appalachian State, he also hopes to one day soon be a physical therapist. (I'm seeing a trend... we run a Sports Camp, a lot of the staff wants to be a physical therapist or a nurse, or something. Maybe that's just me.) As far as Elliott's personality type goes, he also falls into the Golden Retriever category. If you don't know what I mean by that, check out my blog on our personality types -> click HERE <-

1) Were you named after anyone?

Yes I was, I was named after Bill Elliott.

2) Do you like your own handwriting?

I like my own handwriting even though everyone else says that it is bad. I think that it is readable.

3) What would your superpower be if you had one?

My superpower would be the ability to be invisible and also have the strength of Hulk or Thor.

4) Are you and Optimist or a Pessimist?

I think I am a bit of both. But I am more of a pessimist because I just think of all the bad things that could happen.

5) What do you collect?

I have a collection of baseballs, golfballs, and hats/caps.

6) What movie would your friends be surprised that you like?

My friends would be surprised to know that I like a Walk to Remember.

7) What are your favorite smells?

My favorite smells is the making of coffee in the morning, though I don't drink any.

8) Coffee or Tea?

Neither, but I like the smell of coffee.

9) Coke or Pepsi?

Pepsi, more than coke but my favorite drink is Dr. Pepper.

10) What is the best thing you've ever eaten? (Where?)

The best thing I've eaten was any of my Grandmother's cooking.

11) Mac or PC?

PC because it is easier to use than macs.

12) What are you listening to right now?

People doing the Cupid Shuffle.

13) What career would you pursue in another life?

I would probably pursue the career of a farmer.

14) What sound or noise do you love?

I love the sound of the birds outside, and the sound of people cheering for a football team.

15) What sound or noise do you hate?

I hate the sound of small dogs barking, because they are very annoying.

16) Mountains or Beach?

Mountains, I like to hike and see the beauty of the outdoors. I also can't swim or lay on the beach for a long time.

17) Cook or Bake?

Neither, I like for my mother or my sister to make things for me.

18) Do you go to restaurants and movies by yourself?

I always have at least one other person go with me to a movie or restaurant. I think it is a little weird going by yourself.

19) What is your favorite childhood Fairytale or childhood story?

My favorite childhood story is Jack and the Bean Stalk.

20) What would you tell the 13-year-old you?

I would try and tell me that it's okay to not be the popular kid in school, and not get into trouble in school.

20 Questions - Megan

Megan is another of our girl staff members. If you haven't picked up on it yet, the boys are heavily outnumbered this year.  Here she is:

Megan just graduated from high school, where she was number one on the golf team and was involved in FFA and HOSA. She will be going to school locally, and has plans to become a nurse in the near future. Megan is also in the Golden Retriever category, if you don't know what I mean by that, check out my blog on our personality types -> click HERE <-

1) Were you named after anyone?

My middle name is Elizabeth, and I'm the 7th Elizabeth in my family.

2) Do you like your own handwriting?

No, it's like chicken scratch.

3) What would your superpower be if you had one?

I would want to be able to teleport.

4) Are you and Optimist or a Pessimist?

I am an Optimist. There is always a good in every situation.

5) What do you collect?

I don't collect anything in general, but I do keep old antiques if they look interesting.

6) What movie would your friends be surprised that you like?

I think they would be surprised that I like a lot of chick flicks because I act like a tomboy.

7) What are your favorite smells?

I love the smell of cut grass.

8) Coffee or Tea?

Sweet tea.

9) Coke or Pepsi?

Coke.

10) What is the best thing you've ever eaten? (Where?)

Potato salad at my grandma's house.

11) Mac or PC?

Mac.

12) What are you listening to right now?

Classical music.

13) What career would you pursue in another life?

I would be a world traveler.

14) What sound or noise do you love?

I love listening to the ocean.

15) What sound or noise do you hate?

I don't like the sound of shoes squeaking.

16) Mountains or Beach?

Mountains.

17) Cook or Bake?

Bake.

18) Do you go to restaurants and movies by yourself?

No.

19) What is your favorite childhood Fairytale or childhood story?

I loved Beauty and the Beast.

20) What would you tell the 13-year-old you?

Time goes by so quick so get out and do as much as you can.

20 Questions - Paige

This is Paige.

Paige is going to be a sophomore in college this year. She is going to school with dreams of one day soon being a physical therapist. Not only does she want to work with athletes, she is one herself. Paige is on the track and cross country team at her college. Everyday this summer she's run at least 5 miles. I think it's crazy, but she loves it, and it is something that she's passionate about. So, more power to her. When we took our personality quizzes (which are not just for fun, they help us know how to interact with one another) Paige was in the Golden Retriever category. If you don't know what I mean by that, check out my blog on our personality types -> click HERE <-

1) Were you named after anyone?

No.

2) Do you like your own handwriting?

Yes.

3) What would your superpower be if you had one?

Invisibility.

4) Are you and Optimist or a Pessimist?

In between.

5) What do you collect?

I have a shoe collection.

6) What movie would your friends be surprised that you like?

Old timey movies.

7) What are your favorite smells?

Krispy Kreme doughnuts, cilantro, the ocean.

8) Coffee or Tea?

Coffee.

9) Coke or Pepsi?

Coke.

10) What is the best thing you've ever eaten? (Where?)

Lasagna at Bravo Italian restaurant.

11) Mac or PC?

Mac, although I don't actually have one yet...

12) What are you listening to right now?

Heather and Samie playing ping pong.

13) What career would you pursue in another life?

Professional taste tester!!

14) What sound or noise do you love?

The sound of a cat's purr.

15) What sound or noise do you hate?

When any joint pops, especially if a person's jaw is popping while they are chewing.

16) Mountains or Beach?

I can't discriminate... Love both places.

17) Cook or Bake?

Cook.

18) Do you go to restaurants and movies by yourself?

Heck yes! A girl's gotta eat.

19) What is your favorite childhood Fairytale or childhood story?

Beauty and the Beast.

20) What would you tell the 13-year-old you?

Don't conform to the ways of the world. Be weird. Make every moment count.