From The Golden State

So today I played basket ball... attempted to play basket ball with some of the kids in our highschool group today... outside... in 32 degree heat... it was rough. Milk would have definitely been a baad choice. One thing I'm learning here in the amazing USA is that sports are a little bigger here than where we're all from. You should see some of the highschools around the clovis area where I live. Their stadiums and playing fields outstrip virtually all of the big UNIVERSITIES at home. I'm talking a high school with a football stadium, multiple swimming pools, a full sized track, two enormous tennis court areas, soccer fields, baseball diamonds and practice fields for all sports, enormous acreages for agricultural experimentation, livestock grazing areas and greenhouses for botany. American high school's oughta be wearing one of those scrolling text belts that say, "I'm kind of a big deal". They care so much about their athletic programs it's laughable. Pastor Fred's son Josiah is in 8 year old T-ball and he's one of the few kids who doesn't attend batting tutorials, own baseball cleats, wear batting gloves, or have parents who have real hopes that their child will play in the Major League. He's the best on the team by the way :)
Another thing I'm learning here is that some American people feel the need to talk nothing but trash about my country... but it's really only the few. It's funny though cause usually the conversations usually come back to the fact that America is an arrogant bully of a nation and my country embraces humility and quietly asserts itself on the global scene without grovelling for attention like our noisy neighbors. I'm doing my best to enlighten as many people as possible about our amazing country. I tell them about the fact that Canada has a far greater guns:people ratio wilst maintaining a staggeringly lower number of deaths from guns. Not one week ago a dude shot two of his friends at Fresno State University in a disagreement over a PS2 game. He killed one of them! I can honestly say I do not feel it is a violation of my rights and freedoms not to be allowed to own a weapon that's sole purpose is for the fast elimination of human life.
Fresno is an interesting place... there is a lot of gang activity in the city... not where I live don't worry. It isn't supposed to rain for the entire time that I am here... I don't know if that excites me. Apparently it is a city surrounded by mountains... but you really wouldn't know it because you can't see any of them due to the smog drifting up from LA and the dirty south. Every night you can watch the sun set and the smog kinda gives it a pretty colour :) Everyone drinks a lot of bottled water here... just a lot of water period which is right up my alley. Fresno also has a fairly high mormon population. It is so wonderful here at night because it is actually a bearable temperature outside and you can walk forever without even thinking about being cold.
Fresno is also the home of Mountain View Community Church which makes Fresno a city bathed in prayer. I love this church and their passion for prayer. Catch the vision people, prayer is effective but first you have to do it. I love you all.

S-dub