Joshua: Greetings, readers, and Happy Thanksgiving! As we progress further into the fall and closer to the end of the year, I’m here today with another special guest, this time hailing from Bradenton, Florida. Everyone, please welcome David Stone!
(canned applause)
David: Thanks for having me.
Joshua: Let’s begin with some basics: how old are you, what grade are you in, and where do you live?
David: I’m 16 and I’m a junior. Like you said a second ago, I live in Florida, though I lived in Turkey before that.
Joshua: Did you enjoy living in Turkey?
David: Definitely. It was a blessing being able to grow up there, my family really enjoyed it.
Joshua: That’s awesome! Speaking of family, how many siblings do you have?
David: I’m the third of four Stone kids. I have two older brothers named Samuel and Jonathan and a younger sister named Anna.
Joshua: Cool! What classes are you taking with TPS this year and how many years have you been with the school?
David: I’m taking Honors English 4/5/6 and AP World History. This is my (counts) 6th year…wow, that sounds weird saying it out loud.
Joshua: I know! I’m a 6th year TPSer as well. It makes me feel so old (laughs).
David: (chuckles) For sure.
Joshua: Anyway, what are some of your hobbies, things you enjoy doing when you aren’t doing homework?
David: Oh, you know, some of the usual stuff: reading, video games, talking with friends, all that stuff. I enjoy playing sports, but I’ve never had much of a chance to play on a team, so I play with my friends and at my church. One other thing I’ve enjoyed recently is exploring new genres of music.
Joshua: Nice! I don’t think I’ve heard that one before. Next question, do you…
(lights turn off)
Joshua: Shoot, I think the electricity’s out. I guess we can keep going in the dark while I get this fixed (walks over to fuse box) Do you have any pets?
David: Not at the moment, no, though we used to have a pair of turtles that we kept in a tank. We had to release them into a river when they got too big for their tank. I hope they had many offspring in that river.
Joshua: Perhaps they’re still there…anyway, what’s your favorite food?
David: Not sure I can pick just one, but steak and pizza are definitely in my top five.
Joshua: And how about…can you hand me that flashlight? … the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
David: (hands Joshua the flashlight) Again, I don’t think I could pick only one. I’ve had some pretty weird Turkish dishes, though two of the weirdest were probably goat brain soup and a paste made from the large intestine of a cow, which is actually pretty good.
Joshua: Interesting! Here’s a serious question: who would you say is one person you aspire to be like?
David: (thinks) I think I’d have to go with Benjamin McLure, a man I’ve known since I was 9. He introduced me to sharing the gospel and changed really changed my life because of it. He used to be an atheist and he’s lived among Muslims for a while, so he’s got a pretty deep understanding of the Gospel from both perspectives. I’ve used a lot of his stories in my own ministry.
Joshua: That’s amazing! Final question before we wrap up, what’s your favorite Bible verse and why?
David: The verses of Psalm 23 has spoken to me a whole lot, a lot of them in their own way. The protection of God’s “rod and staff” and the idea that “I shall not want” have been particularly important for me.
(lights come back on)
Joshua: Ah, finally! I was hoping I’d get those fixed before we finished. Well, that’s all the questions I have for you, thanks for joining me!
David: No problem! I’ll see you around!