it's about time...sort of

My name is Sarah Denton (I'm the one on the far left with short blond hair), and I have been here since July 1st of the summer, but you haven't heard from me for two reasons. First, I am completely and utterly computer illiterate, and I lack the desire and passion to really understand computers, so today's blogg is an incredible feat for me! Secondly, and more importantly, I did not want to miss one moment with my incredible friends here--working or laughing or talking or whatever.....not even to write about it to the rest of the world. Today however, I have time to write because they have all left. They left on Friday actually (that's where the computer illiterate bit factors in)...and I have finally learned how to post so here I go.

How do you sum up a month and a half on a blogg which others will read? I don't want to bore you, but I don't want to limit my words and do each of these phenominal people and the work being done here a disservice...but I fear both will inevitably happen. Bare with me :)

Each intern who served here brought such a unique talent and personality, but far from dividing us these differences formed one of the most unique communities I have ever seen. They welcomed me--the late intern who had been traveling for a month while they worked tirelessly--and they loved on me in an incredible way. They poured out love in the small details--like laughing at my mistakes when I wanted to scream, by teaching me how to drywall, or drive a stick shift, or check out tools from the tool crib. They loved me by giving wise advice, dancing with me no matter where we were, putting up with my endless energy and sudden sleep attacks in the middle of hang out time--and even loved me when I broke the hammock and almost killed two of them in the fall! I have seen here women of God who are not affraid of work, and who are not affraid of vulnerability--no I take that back. They were terrified of vulnerability but because of God's grace were able to enter into community despite those fears and walk in openess. I have seen men of God here who are incredibly strong and yet incredibly humble--men who understood community as well and were willing to teach and encourage in a way I have never seen before. I want to write a paragraph on each individual...but I realize that's not possible, so don't worry. (This is what happens when you have an english major who misses her incredible friends....perhaps this is the stuff of bad novels, but I would prefer to think that perhaps the incredible novels come from emotions like this :)

The work is still going on here. Yesterday a friend and I moved a lot of lumber onto the lumber racks welded and installed by our incredible guys; we cleaned the area, we threw out all the debris....things haven't stopped because everyone has left, but it feels different. We as interns aren't vital for this ministry to go on; Lagniappe will continue to grow and work by God's grace and when we leave others will fill our spots or do the work we were used to do...but it is an incredible priviledge to be included in the work. Saying bye on Friday there were tears, not because our world was coming to the end or because none of us are going to be able to function in the outside world (though I'm sure we are all wondering if we really will be :), but because we have to leave something which has shaped us, is incredibly real, and which will never be assembled in the same way again until heaven...there is a picture below of Eric, Tom, and Dave saying goodbye and I would venture to say it is one of the best expressions of the relationships formed here. Debby Downer is bowing out now and optimist Sarah is returning, and I promise to stop typing soon. I have been so blessed by the chance to be here; blown away by the way God is working in Bay St. Louis and in the lives of all the people he brought here to serve. I have been challenged, strengthened, weakened, and made to rely on Christ in a beautiful way. Here is a place where lame people get serve, and don't get criticized when we limp because we know it's not us doing the work in the first place.

Enjoy the pictures, I don't have them all so more will come tomorrow, but I hope that some of the incredibly hillarious and beautiful personalities of the interns comes through just a little bit :)