Here is the letter read at Saturday's devotions! Special thanks to Amy Cook! The Letter is a response to Sarah Mally's Letter read at Chicago '02. Dear Sarah Mally, Because of the present crisis, we think it is good to send you a reply to the email you wrote while we were at the Chicago tournament. We do not want you to be uninformed, friend, about the hardships we suffered on the campus of Trinity University. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that some of us despaired even of jumping! Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of errors. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on our quiz books, which refresh the memory. Out of the most severe cramming, our overflowing brains and our tired lips welled up into nervous quizzers. We write you now out of great distress and anguish of heart, not to make you nervous, but to remind you of the way of life as a quizzer. But we will stay on at World until the end of the finals, because a great door for effective quizzing has opened to us, and there are many who oppose us. But we have these scores in pencil and paper to show that the scores are from the quizmasters and not from us. We are hard pressed in every quiz, but not crushed; perplexed, but not always wrong; contested, but not stood up for; errored out, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our pockets our quiz books. Therefore we do not loose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed verse by verse. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal leg ache that far outweighs them all. But we fix our eyes not on the scoreboard, but in our quiz books. For the scores are temporary, but our memories are even more temporary. When Dave comes we will see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with us, for he is trying to win this tournament just as we are. No one then should contest him! It is truthfully reported that my own sister Elizabeth quotes at such tremendous speeds that she is often perceived as speaking into the air. When, then, the quizmaster does not grasp the meaning of what she is saying, she is a foreigner to the quizmaster, and she is a foreigner also to me. Her words are foolishness to us, and no one can understand them, because they are indiscernible. "For who has known the mind of Elizabeth that he may comprehend her?" Now about the reader of this letter. I repeat: let no one take me for a fool! What anyone else dares to boast about - I am speaking as a fool - I also dare to boast about. Are they quizzers? So am I. Are they contestors? So am I. Are they erroring? I am more. I have crammed much harder than ever before, been quoting more frequently, been jumping more quickly. Yet, 5 times I received from the quizmasters 4 errors minus 1 (also known as an error out). 30 times I was beaten to the jump by my sister. Once I quizzed out. 3 times I was fouled. I've spent 2 days in this uncomfortable seat trying to persuade quizmasters! I have known hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep. I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it by forcing me to jump too early! I hope that the quizmasters will put up with a little of my confusion, but they are already doing that. For if someone comes and quotes a verse other than the verse the quizmaster wanted, or if you heard a different reference other than the one you received, or a different key word from the one you expected, the quizmasters and coaches do not put up with it easily enough. But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super quizzers". I may not be a trained contester, but I do have knowledge of the material. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us so that you can answer those who take pride in Berrien. Now, it is required that those who jump first, must answer correctly. We care very little if we are judged by captains or even coaches. Indeed, we do not even judge ourselves. Our strategies are clear, but that does not make us victors. It is the quizmasters who judge us. Therefore, do not panic or get excited before the appointed time, wait for the quizmaster's call. However, if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker is not allowed to stop! The quizzers in the city of Winona Lake, send you greetings, and so do my teammates. I, Amy, write this greeting in my own study time. The peace of being a retired quizzer be with you. My love to you in Christ Jesus. A non-retired quizzer, Amy Cook P.S. We will not all sleep. P.P.S. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ©
Amy
Cook
2002
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