Good Night!!

Today was a very busy day! After our AM large group session and small groups we had a late lunch and hopped on busses for downtown San Antonio. The weather was blistering hot, and it's so humid that we just feel all damp all the time.

The Riverwalk and El Mercato were very fun. Some of you will get some interesting gifts from the market and from the Alamo. At El Mercato we were encouraged to bargain, and some of the group enjoyed the banter - and got some good deals.

The Alamo looks much bigger in the movies than it does in real life. Those of us who hadn't seen it before were surprised. Most of the houses in the neighborhood around the university are bigger. It was interesting, though, and people are quiet inside because it is a shrine. We also couldn't take pictures inside, but we got some out on the grounds.

We wished we had been able to spend more time there, but at the same time, it was so hot that we were exhausted. Everybody drinks and drinks water, but it's hard to keep up.

After San Antonio we had a really nice dinner on the lawn of a huge estate owned by the university with all the other people here from Province VI, which includes SD, ND, MN, CO, MT, NE, and IA. Following the dinner we had Province meetings where we learned about upcoming opportunities to get involved in the church. The youth have been learning about the structure of the church and the importance of the laity as the ministers of the church.

Then we had a healing service. The woman who preached the sermon was one of the best speakers we've had. She spoke simply, powerfully, and and she kept it short! After the service, the dioceses were to meet together in groups. South Dakota decided we needed sleep more than anything, especially since we had spent the afternoon together in San Antonio, had dinner together and a lengthy worship service! So we bagged the meeting and came back to our dorms.

There's definitely the feeling of "oh, no - this is almost over", among the youth. People are already saying they are going to miss each other. Tomorrow will be very fun with the big final party in the evening.

For now, it's off to bed!