OUR GSO.

Today was the final day of OUR GSO, the project we have been planning all summer long. It's over. We're done. It feels so weird. I expect to have to get up in the morning and go fill up the water cooler for the day, but I won't have to. I don't think I like that.

Monday we painted at Foust Elementary.

Tuesday we had a neighborhood pick up in the morning, and a furniture drive (CWS)/food drive (Lindley Backpack Program) in the afternoon.

Wednesday afternoon (and Friday) we volunteered with Welfare Reform and then had a cookout at Lindley.

Thursday we worked at the Newcomers School in the morning and hung out with some refugee families in the afternoon playing soccer and eating snow cones.

Today (Saturday) we worked on some projects at Lindley Elementary and had a big cookout afterwards.

It's been a busy week. I am tired. My body is ready for a rest. But I'm also kind of sad it's over. I'm going to miss everyone coming together every day to work alongside each other. I am going to miss painting and gardening and talking to people. I am going to miss the hard work, because it was so rewarding. It feels good to know that I've accomplished something tangible this week, and it's felt good to see our church body unify under one cause this week. I've loved watching everyone serve. Our people are great. I love them. And the people of this city are great. I've loved getting to see more of them this week.

Thank you for your prayers this week. Thank you for your encouragement and support. We had a great week, and I am sad that it is behind us.

Tomorrow is Sunday. Sunday will be like any usual Sunday. Then Monday comes, and the interns plus Todd and Michael are going to Washington D.C. for a few days as our debriefing trip. Sad that things are ending, but happy and excited for the time we have left!

Last office day.

I wrote this part on Thursday:

Today is our last normal day in the office. We still have about two more weeks of the internship, but next week we will be all over the place for OUR GSO and the following week we are heading to DC for some debriefing and and museums and lots and lots of fun. It's strange. I feels like I'll be back here on Monday, but I won't. It feels like I still have a lot of stuff I need to do, people to email, but I really don't. Really, I haven't done a most of my work during "office hours" anyway. When we're all here, we end up talking, watching youtube videos, and other distracting things. Maybe that's why it feels like I'll be back for more. Maybe that's why I can't quite wrap my mind around the fact that this is the last time we will all be here working together. I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss it because it's comfortable and I like routine, but I'm also going to miss it because I love it here. I love these people, I love how we've set up all of our little work areas, I love that I know I am going to be freezing whenever I'm here and I always have to bring some kind of sweater. I love watching the cats that live in the storm drain outside, I love the dum dum craze that we've been on all summer, I love the time we've gotten to spend together here. Who would have thought that I would miss working in an office? Not me.

Today is Saturday. Tomorrow is Sunday. Then Monday comes and we begin our hectic week of OUR GSO. It's what we've been planning for so long. Our tshirts came in and they are great, at least we think so. I'm excited. I can't wait. I know it's going to fly by though. Whenever I feel the end of something approaching, I always wish I could slow down time, hold on to moments a little longer. Trying to stay present, instead of looking ahead so much. We still have a big week of work, and I am excited and I want to be fully here each and every minute of it.

This week was fun. It was good. I liked it a lot. Everything went so fast, but looking back, it was very full. Last Ultimate Frisbee was on Monday. I will miss that time. I will miss hanging out on the sidelines and talking and cheering on the players. It's a restful time for me, because I don't play. I get to just hang out and be with whoever is sitting there with me. I've grown to like it a lot.

We got to have dinner with the Phipps family on Tuesday night. They live really close to Lindley, the school where we meet, and they are awesome. They have two little boys, Kai and little baby Blayze. Hilarious, adorable kids. It was fun to hear them talk about their relationship, how different they are, and how it kind of works because they are so different. They are fun people. I'm glad they're at Hope. Wednesday, we had our last dinner at the Kimbroughs. They have a really crazy story as well. Tripp proposed to Anna shortly after being diagnosed with brain cancer. And they have two little ones. Their oldest, Ella, wasn't there, but cute little Houston entertained us all. He told us about what he wants his wife to be like. He also went for a quick little swim with all of his clothes on. So cute.

I will miss the dinners. I will miss being fed so well, but I'll also miss the wisdom, insight, and stories we got to enter into each time we visited a new home. It was a really precious time. I'm not sure I realized how valuable it was until they ended. It was a lot to have two dinners every week, but I learned so much from these people.

Yesterday, Griffins's dad took all of us interns to see the last Harry Potter movie. Then, later that night, the five of us plus my friend Kayla, played hide and go seek in the dark. I love that we are all still kids at heart. I never want that to fully leave me.

Church tomorrow. Only three more Sundays left.

Everything moves again.

Remember a while ago I titled a post, "Everything Moves?" I think I did and I think I included lyrics from this song I like that talks about all of the things we pursue in this life and how none of it is constant, none of it can sustain us the way that Jesus can. It starts off talking about being a child and ends talking about being old and something about having brittle bones. It talks about all of the in between places and how we chase after all of these things, thinking that they will bring us life, happiness, joy, hope, and they do. They do bring us these things for a while, at least some of them do, but they all fade. They all wither and die. They all pass. They all move.

This weekend the reality of this summer ending, me going back to state, and starting my senior year has kind of hit me. I'd like to hide from it for a little longer, and perhaps I will, but it's there in the back of my mind waiting to be thought about. I know it's coming. I'm trying to live in the moment, but I can't help but look a few weeks ahead. I can't help but look to see what's around the corner. And it's hard.

Right now I can point to many things in my life that I am chasing after, and I can tell you that they are good, they are bringing me life, and so for me to think about changing and going after different things is scary. One, because I like the things I have right now. I like the people. I like this place. I am growing. I am better than I was when I got here. Two, because change terrifies me. Going back to school won't be that bad. I've got a routine there, but college is almost over. What? Never, ever did I think I would reach the day when I was really, really in the real world. That's a lot of change. A lot a lot a lot.

I know it's good for me to feel like this. Discomfort does not equal bad. It's good for this insecurity to be challenged, because it's not right. Change can be good. It is good a lot of the time. I never even give it a chance. I know through this change I will be forced once again to lean on the one who doesn't change or move.

I pray that as I finish up this summer, move into school life, and then eventually move into whatever comes after school life I would go after the things that bring me life, knowing always that I have a solid, unshakeable ground to stand on that will not, can not, and does not move.

you are a tree always in bloom

you are a hall of endless rooms

a living fountain springing up

I'm satisfied but never done

I'm never done

with you