Starting the Semester on the RIght Foot

This morning at Wesley students gathered to have breakfast together and pray before classes. While eating breakfast everything from Christmas break to plans for the new semester was discussed. Over break people were doing everything from skiing in Colorado to just bumming around and relaxing at home.

Last night the student leaders met for the first time this semester. Plans from before Christmas break were reviewed and a couple of new ones were added. This semester there is going to be several bible studies again, along with hangout nights on Friday evenings and the occasional day trip on Saturday to somewhere fun and exciting. There are also plans in the works for having a campout over St. Pats break again this year, which proved to be very fun and relaxing last year when we did it.

Halloween

For Halloween this year we held a party at Wesley. It ended up being more of hanging out and lounging than an actually party but it was still fun. We had some quite interesting costumes this year. Several of the guys dressed in drag for Halloween. There was everything from mini-skirts to formal dresses. Several of the gals at Wesley went as guys and a very fun time putting makeup on the guys in drag. We ended up taking a trip down the street to the formal wear shop to get pictures of the guys in dresses in front of it. There were also pumpkins that were carved and candy which was going to be handed out but no one stopped by so we ended up eating it. Despite the chilly weather everyone had a very fun and entertaining time.

Friday Bible studies and evening activities

This year on Fridays at lunchtime, Wesley has been hosting a men's only and women's only bible study. The men's bible study is lead by Travis Duncan, one of the student leaders and Mike Wondel has been leading the women's bible study. This has provived a laid back and friendly atmosphere in which students are able to freely discuss their faith and thoughts on religion.

In the evenings each week there are different fun activities. There has been everything from board game nights and urban assult mini-golf (mini-golf done around town and on campus) to a chick flick night and cookie baking. A little bit of something for everyone, and a lot of fun to be had by all.

Wesley Float Trip

This past weekend (September 15-17) 12 students from the UMR Wesley House went on a float trip with students from Wesley Houses all over the state. Over all there was somewhere between 150 and 200 people there. Friday night we hung out talking with people and singing songs along to guitar playing. Saturday we spent the better portion of the day floating, which included everything from racing, splash wars, and canoe tipping. At our lunch stop there was even a rope swing that we were able to use. That evening we had a river side sevice where one student was baptised in the river, it was quite a moving experience. Afterwards we had dinner at a local church which the members there had cooked for us. This was followed by another night of campires, singing and fun. Sunday morning we had a short service before packing up and heading back to our respective campuses. All in all a very fun experience.

St. Pats Done Wesley House Style

For many people in Rolla, St. Pats is seen as a time to let loose, go drinking and party hard. At the Wesley house the Student Leaders saw St. Pats as a time for fellowship and helping others.

On the Wendesday of St. Pats week we went on a camping trip which was planned and run by the Student leaders. We left late afternoon and traveled down to Montauk State Park. Dinner that night lasted for over three hours, partially due to the cooking time but also because of how tasty the food was. We ate everthing from corn grilled over coals, meat and potatoes cooked in foil packs to smores and roasted marshmallows. Several of us went walking around after dinner enjoying the scenery and quite that is sometimes so hard to find amid schoolwork. Most of us ended up hitting the hay early. The next morning we were all up by 6:30 am due to the alarm clock that is the sun. We then procedded to cook breakfast for the better portion of 2 and a half hours. Once again it was a quite tasty meal. Thanks to Mike we tried out cooking eggs within orange peels right on the coals which turned out to be very yummy. After breakfast we packed up camp, visited the spring and headed back to Rolla.

On Saturday, before and during the St. Pats Parade, many of the students at the Wesley house along with help from memebers of several local churches helped prepare food for a fundraiser. Since plans fell through on having a mission trip down to areas affected by hurricane Katrina, the Student leaders decided to help raise money to send down so that we would be able to help at least in some way. We made everything from eggs and bacon to pancakes dyed green. A decent turnout showed up and it was a quite enjoyable experience for all.

Wesley Olympics

Boys use hockey sticks and a hockey puck; the real men use a croquet mallet and a small ping pong ball. It’s not the hockey your mom and dad played, it’s Wesley House hockey. Maybe some day it will be as big a fixture in the Olympics as the sport those guys from Canada play… or maybe it won’t.

Thousands of the world’s best athletes descended on Torino, Italy in mid-February for the 20th winter Olympic games, but only a brave few were strong enough to arrive at and survive at the Wesley Olympics that ensued on February 10th 2006.

During the opening ceremony of the Olympics, a strange happening was brewing at the Wesley house in rural Rolla, Missouri. Men and women tried to keep paper off the ground by sucking it in with a straw. Moments later those same people were trying to defend a goal with a tennis racquet and croquet mallets. The games played were quite different, but the intensity level was deadening. With each shot, with each save the room grew louder. The competing teams snarled, the game grew tense, and finally a winner emerged, but the games weren’t over.

A makeshift scooter board and cheaply rigged course made for the next Olympic event. Racing against the clock, a few brave souls put there belly to the scooter board and used their hands to propel themselves around the track, and, as with hockey, a winner emerged. Metals were awarded to all; there was no Bode Miller in these Olympics, only winners.

And then it was over.

These Olympics ended without the triumph of a Ricky Martin song, and without the dancing of hundreds of individuals in somewhat fruity outfits. It ended with a pat on the back and a laugh.

That’s what Wesley is. Its not an worldwide stage, it’s merely a building with a lot of people who want to have fun, and in one night there was more fun than could be found in 16 days of the “real” Olympics. There was no Michelle Kwan controversy, there was no disappointed US hockey team, there was only fun, and maybe some blood, sweat, and tears.

New and Improved Lunches

For the past several years the Wesley House has hosted free lunches on Wednesday and Friday for students. Several of the student leaders felt that the fellowship at these lunches was good but that they were lacking in other areas. So this semester during the Friday lunches two bible studies are taking place along with lunch. Travis Duncan is leading one on the Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. Samuel Coulson and Daniel Viers are leading another study on questions of faith. Atendence at both is high and the participants enjoy the topics discussed. The students leaders are hoping to make this a permanent part of the Wesley House experience because its not all about fellowship with friends, its also about getting to know and come closer to God.