A boy is writing in a small black notebook.  What is that notebook for?  Why does he have this notebook out?  What is he writing in this notebook of his?

These were some of the questions that popped into people’s minds as W. Bobo was constantly writing in this small black notebook during the g.a.s.s. (Gathering After Sunday Service) activity on Sunday, October 12.

W. Bobo, a member of Bethel’s youth group, saw that his friend was taking notes in a small black notebook and asked him what it was for.  When the friend told W. that he was taking notes for a journalism class, W. wanted to take the notes for his friend.

Seeing this as an opportunity for an unusual angle for his story, the friend gladly allowed W. to take his notes.

W.’s notes ranged from facts to projecting his personal opinion.

His notes began with facts like who was entering the room, the arrangement of the chairs, that “Del Taco is served’, and that there was “No Dr. Pepper present”.

He also made observations  about people such as  “D. Bobo is sitting alone” which W. wrote down quite a few times, that “T. didn’t get a new shirt”, “T. almost punched me (W.) in the face”, “M. Thomas is not here”, “B. Lopez desires to write in this black notebook”, and “P. Lopez wants D. Wright to talk to her”.

After everyone was finished eating, they played a game which no one knew the name of.  One team would sit in a straight row of spaced chairs in the center of the room.  The other team would try to run between the chairs and avoid being hit with “the old towel of death”.  When everyone on a team was hit, the two teams would change positions.  The team that as E. Lokker put it “stayed alive” for the longest amount of time would be declared the winning team.

W. also took notes about the game while he was playing it.  Some of the highlights that he recorded in the small black notebook were that “E. takes the lead and exhibits leadership” as he held an “old towel of death” and informed everyone how to play the game, that T. Wright “crucified” J. Lopez with the “old towel of death”, that “W. got nailed in the leg”, and that T. Wright “sings a song” and “plays with hands in his pockets”.

The game ends in a tie, but W. says, “It’s Ok we’re still the better looking team”.

Everyone sat around to sing worship songs after the game was over.

Not knowing the name of a song, W. writes it down as “song x” which H. Berg then comments back saying, “Great, now the song is a variable”.

He makes some observations about people while everyone was singing like how “everyone looks exhilarated and happy”, how “one lonely person has a cell phone out”, how he found some people’s expressions amusing, and how M. Thomas “shows up at the end” and “looks for recognition”.

W. ends his notes with “the night air is surrounded with energy and encouragement from the glorious sounds”.

After the activity was over, P. Lopez , H. Berg., B. Lopez, W. Bobo, and the friend all agreed that the small black notebook was more fun than the game.