Humphrey's Hall :) haha.

Before I tell you guys about all the great people I met in Arkansas, I want to tell you about the amazing people I went on the trip with.

First up, the guy who was the leader of the trip, Tim Reneau. My family has known Tim and his family for around 5 years now...he was the youth pastor at Rainbow City Church of God which is right down the road a little ways from my dad's church in Attalla. We had done some things with them and kept in touch once he went to Northport Church of God as College and Career pastor but last September they booked Eddie James Ministries through my mom and we got reconnected in a way. When he asked me to go on the trip back in March I was ecstatic and I just knew the Lord was going to do something and booyyyyy did He!!!!! Tim is now a Senior Pastor in Sylacauga, Alabama at a church called New Harvest. God is already doing some great things...I ask that you pray for him and his family in this season of their ministry!

Through Tim and Rainbow City COG, I met Katie Marie Akins and so I was really excited to find out that she was going on the Arkansas trip. KM and I have known each other just as long as I've known Tim and his family but we've had camp experiences together and that brings people together...let me tell ya! LOL! Anyway...KM and I had a blast on the trip. It was tough being the only 2 girls but in the end, it was proven best and we came out with new brothers! We learned a lot about guys...that's for sure! KM is an amazing woman of God and I'm glad to call her my sister!

Next up is the lead singer and acoustic guitar player, Tyler Dennis (aka Tennis). Tyler is 23 and is from the Guntersville area and got hooked up with Tim and Northport crew via University of Alabama. Yup, Tyler is a student there. He's a Sports Medicine major if I recall correctly. Tyler is a great guy and he's a lot of fun to sing with. He is also very entertaining...strike that...all four of the guys in Crave (aka Humphrey's Hall [lol]) are entertaining.

Ok, let's see. Eli. Eli Howard. 19-year-old who grew up Nazarene, right? I think so. Anyway, he and his family have been at Northport COG for a while now. He's a great bass player...that's what he plays in the band...bass. He's proving to be a good friend as well. He reminds me a lot of the guy that's always been like my brother, Brandon. Eli is crazy but has a great heart. And he's a girl magnet too...hahaha!!! Oh yeah...he's a Junior at the University of Alabama.

Jeff, the drummer. Jeff Brown is like, 25 and is the dad of the group...not really. Eli acts more like the dad than Jeff. But Jeff has also proven to be a great friend as well. I have talked to him almost every day since we returned from Arkansas and no, I can't say that about any of the others. Jeff is also a student at University of Alabama.

Nathan Gerdau. Let's see...where to begin...LOL! Nathan is 19 and from what I understand is pursuing music at Shelton State. I miss being a music major...I miss my music! LOL. Random. Nathan is our musical genius...that's what I joke about anyway. He plays the electric guitar as well as keyboard. He sings too but just not with the band...which I've questioned "why not" many times. haha. He's an interesting character who is, at times, just as entertaining as Tyler. Tyler and KM joked that they were the opposite sex versions of each other and I kinda joke that Nathan is the opposite sex of me...things he says somtimes I'm just like...really? Creepy.

Another visitor went with us, Chris Massey. He was interesting...if I remember correctly he's a 25-year-old youth pastor who attends church at a COG here in the Birmingham area. He took a lot of the pictures of us on stage and videos...addiction anyone? haha.

Anyway...those are the people I went with. I just noticed I had really been talking about these people and hadn't really "introduced" you all to them.

Much love and many blessings,
Amber ;)

P.S. If you ever need a praise band for an event, give me a buzz. I might can hook you up with this great group I know...haha.

Arkansas 2010

Wow. I can't believe it's taken this long for me to write both my Arkansas and Camp Utopia updates. I had every intention of writing the Arkansas update the Sunday I returned so that at this moment, I'd be writing my Camp Utopia update. But sadly, as you see, it didn't happen the way I intended. So I am going to do my best to write my Arkansas update and later on in the week, send my Camp Utopia update.

Friday night was the last night of Alabama State Church of God Campmeeting at Metropolitan Church of God in Birmingham and that's where the Arkansas adventure begins! I met up with Katie Marie (the only other girl along for the adventure) and we stayed the morning (we didn't get into bed until 2am) at my cousin's house. We had to be up by 5:15am to be at Southeastern by 6am. Meeting up with the band was an adventure just to say the least...KM and I were ready to go back to sleep but it was just really too bad...the boys wouldn't allow it. I was glad to get a 20 minute nap on the almost 12 hour drive. It wasn't long before KM and I knew the boys pretty well...good thing we were used to guys and their madness! And yes...my nap was only 20 minutes because Tyler and Eli thought it'd be smart to wake me up with the Black Eyed Peas. It was prophetical..."tonight's gonna be a goodnight" - haha!

We finally arrived to Farmington and we met some great people! Pastor Lance, Luke, Mitch, Foshe, the whole crew there was just amazing. We had our sound check then they fed us a great BBQ dinner. After that, they took us about 10 minutes down the road to Fayetteville so we could tour the University of Arkansas campus. Pastor Lance and Luke were great tour guides in our vehicle...entertaining I might add. The stadium at UofA was pretty cool but the coolest thing was the outdoor Greek Amphitheater. We had a mini photoshoot of sorts while there...it was great. We also found our new (joke) band name...Humphrey's Hall. There was a sign and of course, Tyler (our lead singer) found it and we kinda took it on as our name! It's pretty funny...and I'm pretty sure he kept the sign. LOL!

Once our tour was over, we were sent to our host homes! KM and I stayed with the Foshe's and they were super nice! They had a little 11 month old baby if I recall correctly who was just adorable! It was a late night and early morning on Sunday morning because we were doing 2 services. KM and I have never in our lives...LOL! Services were amazing...we heard a great word (twice) from Pastor Lance! You can actually watch the 10:45am service here -http://www.ustream.tv/user/alcnwa

(Just so you know...the video is in the archives and it's form a few weeks back so you'll have to find the date more than likely...6/13/10) 8am rehearsal, 9am service, 10:45am service then lunch! Pastor Lance and the crew took us to Damgoode Pies...a pizza place on the UofA campus. It was honestly the best pizza I have ever had. If I'm not mistaken, Damgoode is the last name of the founder...but I might have heard that wrong...LOL! After lunch we went back to the church and left around 2:30pm with the Abundant Life Church youth group and staff. Mine and KM's host home dad, Jason was among the youth staff to make the 3 hour trek to Hot Springs or Benton...I can't remember...anyway...youth pastor Luke made a lasting impression on our crew. And became an instant friend to me! But anyway...I'll talk about the people later.

Once we arrived we went in the minstry center only to meet the State Youth Director, Rob Maggard. We also met the house band for the week, Leyden who I later discovered were AMAZING! And we met other people who were important to the week...such as Rec Coordinator Lindsay who is...AMAZING! But anyway...we made 2 Wal-Mart runs that night after having dinner with some great peeps! Our Wal-Mart trips were great...just gotta say =D

Monday morning started off right with a staff meeting!!! I was put in the camp Cafe (which is right inside the Ministry Center) under the management of Michelle Maggard, the State Youth Director's wife! She's one of the sweetest people I've ever met...she reminds me a lot of my mom! I was originally placed in the Cafe with band mate Nathan, but Michelle moved him to rec. It was tough the first day or so because I was the only Alabama person who wasn't on rec...but in the end it was probably for the best because I met more people by being by myself. I probably never would have made some of the friends I made if a 'Bama boy had been with me. Not only were we guest band (we ministered both services on Friday) and not only did I work in the Cafe but I also led a Small Group! On Tuesday morning, Pastor Lance (the pastor at Abundant Life Church) asked me if I'd be willing and of course I was! That was truly God ordained because I made some great girlfriends in my Small Groups! I learned a lot not only about the 14-18-year-olds in our culture today but I learned a lot about myself. We talked about a different topic everyday and I had a different group everyday so...it was interesting. We talked about fear, intimidation...and some other things. It was GREAT! I love leading small group!!! =D

The services every night were amazing and God really taught me some stuff...as He always does! I was really ministered to by Leyden...they have a song called "You Remain" which is amazing. You can check them out on iTunes - they're a great group of guys! If you wanna check out some other songs, their songs "Search Me" and "Attention" are life changing just as "You Remain" is.

Wednesday was a fun day...well...every day was a fun day. By Wednesday, we were all attached to kids and staff of course...and no matter how much we didn't want to admit it...we were attached to each other. By our Thursday night sound check/practice...we were all itching to play. We had been talking about it all week but went swimming every night instead...lol! Our sound check went well but it was noticeable that we were all semi-exhausted. It had been a long week of 3, 4, maybe 5 hours of sleep and mine and Tyler's voices were almost gone. By Friday morning, Tyler's voice was close to gone but the Lord really strengthened him. Friday night was the same thing...if not for the Lord we couldn't have done it! If you have a Twitter...there are some TwitVids there of some of our Friday morning stuff...30 seconds of each of the 3 songs we did. You can follow me at www.twitter.com/uncommongrl ;)

The kids there were so legit in their worship...it really touched my heart all week but standing on that stage watching was seriously life changing. I want to be able to stand on stage and see that for the rest of my life!

By Saturday morning, we wanted to stay in Arkansas. We had made such amazing friends and were having such an amazing time...we didn't want it to end. Our church on Sunday in Memphis canceled so Saturday was it for us. We had to make the best of it. I think KM and I shed a little tear when we left but lunch in Little Rock with Leyden helped. Our little pit stop turned into 2 hours and our planned trip to Graceland was canceled because we didn't make it until after close. It was sad for Nathan and I but not really for anyone else...lol! With a stop in Tupelo at the mall there for some dinner and Father's Day shopping we were on our way. I got about an hour nap and by the time I woke up, we were almost back to Southeastern. KM and I left there around 1:15am after waiting for one of the guys' rides to make it...we made it home and you know what's funny? I was the only one to go to church on Father's Day morning! I was up and at 'em and led worship at my parents church on Sunday morning! That night was another late night getting ready for Camp Utopia the next morning but that's another message for another day...

Much love & many blessings,
Amber ;)