“The youth lock in was unbelievably fun and a definite success. We had all the essentials… Apples to Apples and other board games, girls cooking AMAZING food (Thanks Jill, Jennye, Ellen and all your little helpers), and boys with their video games, but we also did a number of new things. A few of us stayed up till the sun came up, a major feat in itself as our last record of staying up was held at Jennye’s house at the inconceivable time of 5:30. Talking and just learning more about each other, we just didn’t want to go to bed. The next morning Jennye and I had a ping pong tournament with the boys. As amateurs we were naturals and almost beat the boys, but didn’t want to hurt their egos, so we let them win. The end of the day consisted of everyone chowing down on Jill’s world renown pancake breakfast before having another round of Apples to Apples. By then half the house had come down with something, but I’ve always thought that to be a major indicator on how good a lock in is. Thankfully we had Jennye’s delicious, spicy soup to help soothe our throats. Right before we left we played a little Guitar Hero…my now most favorite game ever!! I am definitely looking forward to having another lock in in the near future. Spending time with this youth group before I have to leave is something I will absolutely miss.” – Janet Cometa

“This past lock-in at Ronnie’s house was absolutely a blast! I have to admit, I have fallen in love with lock-ins. This is only my second lock-in within my whole life and I can already pronounce my love for it. The weekend lock-in meant a lot of laughs, great food, bonding, and of course, being locked-in a house with some of my favorite people. This particular lock in was special to me since my older brother, Raymond, and my cousin, Benny (a*k*a Timmy, Bennihana, etc.) were both going as well and since I don’t really get to spend a lot of time with them, this was a special time for me. We were also blessed with the presence of the bride and grom themselves, Ate Memorie and Kuya Duane.

The lock-in started late on Saturday night but our Iron Chefs (Jennye, Jill, and Ellen) along with the rest of the girls were still able to whip up a delicious late Mexican dinner complete with chicken tortilla soup, Spanish rice, and fajitas. !Muy Bien! After dinner, the girls decided to entertain the boys in song to convince them to clean up. It was quite a difficult feat but I do believe the boys love when we girls sing to them, especially Mr. Agui-NALDO. When the songs ended and the dishes were washed, we were all amped to start our favorite game of Apples-to-Apples and then Taboo. Cranium was missed but Apples-to-Apples provided lots of screams and laughs. After the board games, the boys went off to do what they do best, Halo, and the girls with the older guys went off to do what we do best, talk and get to know each other more. It was a fun and relaxing night that ended early around 4:30/5am. We were all able to squeeze in a couple of hours/minutes of sleep before waking up to Jill’s banging in the kitchen and Jennye’s prominent voice, always one of my favorite ways of waking up.

Breakfast was as delicious as dinner. Jillian Fortin can’t seem to do any wrong in the kitchen and delivered us fruit-filled crepes, turkey bacon, and eggs benedicts. (I make sure to include details of the food to show that our Iron Chefs do not simply throw cereal or microwaveables at us, they really throw down in the kitchen!) After breakfast, we had more memorable moments with Apples-to-Apples and Guesstures. The rest of the day was spent on the games, great talks, Wii (which I absolutely loved!) and Guitar Hero. Going home as always was quite sad but I’m sure Ronnie was ready to have his beautiful house to himself again.

This lock in provided so much fun for all of us and I really cant wait for the next one. I say that I love lock-ins because of the food and the fun but I really do treasure these moments that we all get to bond. Some of us are going away soon and being able to spend this time together means a lot to all of us. And as we grow together as friends in our fun and games, I do believe we are growing together as a church family as well. I sincerely feel blessed to have a group of friends to laugh and enjoy each other’s company with but that will also pray with me and for me.” – Maria Paguinto

>>View the whole photo set on Facebook!

This past weekend, the Youth @theMet held their quarterly lock-in in the faraway land of Crosby, Texas, hosted by Jennye and Bryan Baysa. The youth members feasted on a decadent smorgasbord whisked together by Jennye and Ellen, which included topped eggplant parmigiana with a savory tomato sauce, garden vegetable fettucine alfredo and a made-from-scratch tiramisu!

After dinner, the youth took some time and opened the lines of communication, discussing ways in which the dynamic of our youth group could improve. In a discussion with our awesome youth elders, Kyle and Bryan, the youth talked about the representation of the youth and how to portray ourselves in a manner that reflects Christ 100% of the time. Looking back, I realize how blessed we are to be able to talk to each other in that way. Praise God. After our discussion and a worship, also led by Kyle, it was time for fun, fun fun — XBOX 360, Cranium, Apples to Apples… Do I dare mention what time we tucked in? (whispers – it was about 5:00 a.m.)

You can next catch the members of the Metropolitan SDA Church Youth Group at the local Bible Bowl competition on May 17, 2008. Which reminds me… Bible Bowl teams, happy studying!