Sayanora Stephanie

Last night I said good-bye to one of those people who defy the short time you've known them. The Mittelmans have been coming to our church for about a year now, and for maybe half a year Jess's best friend Steph has been coming to church and church events. I didn't know either of them at all until a couple months ago when I started hanging out with Daniel again after a crazy blur of Akron stuff.

One night the four of us hit up Taco Bell to try the new Ultimate Chalupa and ended up on Mud Mountain, the ridge behind Wal-Mart overlooking the tonka truck playground and miles of shopping centers in which we live our suburban lives. The moniker derives from the copious, clinging mud that had formed from the day of rain preceding our adventure. Much of it still resides in my car :-/

Two weekends ago the fab four went to a Pirates game on a Friday evening. We got dinner at the food booths for the art festival, which was way cool. There was a good chance of rain that night, and it did indeed fall. And naturally, because we had buy-one-get-one-free coupons we got nicer seats...which were out from under the overhang. We braved four innings in the rain, eventually getting so thoroughly soaked that wetness and rain became irrelevant in the face of the memories being manufactured. Jess was getting over a post-NA cold, though, so we retired to cover for the fifth inning and then left. The game was called after the sixth inning with some abysmal score like 7 nothing enemies. The girls were great sports, though, which I appreciate. We slogged back to my car where I cranked the heat and distributed my two dry jackets. Biblical masculinity scores again! To cap the night off we went to The Cheesecake Factory at South Side Works and had some rich desserts and good fellowship. Quite a night :-)

Tomorrow Steph leaves to spend the summer with her Mom in New Jersey, from where she will leave for college in the fall. So I got Daniel to get some folks together for a good-bye get-together at Applebee's last night. Justin, Luke, Anna, Heather, Matt, Nick, Danmybro, Jess, Steph and I overfilled our booth and entertained ourselves with great joviality and consumption of food and use of cameras. When at last the longsuffering employees asked us to leave we headed to Mud Mountain, dry this time, and had a nice time praying for Steph while we surveyed the spotty lit-up world below us and contemplated the precipitious drop by which we stood. Then hanging around being silly and taking pictures on the great plane of Wal-Mart's side parking lot, and at last we parted our ways. Nick came back to our house and stayed the night, which was fun and gave a pedestrian Wednesday night the feel of a summer weekend. Too bad I had to get up at 7:52 and give a presentation at 9.

So, bye Steph! Thanks for entering in whole-heartedly into the life of Providence Church, and for following God in an honest and real way. *droning voice* Once again I shall pronounce over thee the blessing of the Aaronic priesthood for the children of Israel:

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you
And give you peace.
















See ya 'round the net!

--Clear Ambassador