I would be lying if I said that life the last week or so has been a piece of cake. Relationships are hard and they take more work than I sometimes am willing or even want to give them. I think, actually I know that I was way too optimistic coming into STINT this year. I'm not a very confrontational person at all so confrontation and therefore "rocking the boat" is not something I really like to do. The reality of the whole thing is though I am called to love and I really do love my team... and here's why;

Jon- is an amazing leader and its been a blessing to have someone to talk to and someone that can call me on the things that I need to work on in my own life and to give me encouragement in that too. He has such an amazing heart to support our team and get to know each one of them. He has such a love for the students we work with and a way to add details and some reality to my crazy ideas.

Jessica- is such a tenderhearted and beautiful woman of God. Her excitement and genuine joy at the smallest details sometimes is such a reminder for me about the love that God has for me and our team and that details are constantly being worked out for us by a big, loving and powerful heavenly Father.

Sarah- is a hidden talent of a powerhouse. I don't really know what else to add to that. She's got these crazy hidden skills that keep coming out of nowhere but are totally needed and relevant like those of getting a movement started on a campus where there's nothing.

Steve- is a loving man of God. Yesterday he ran up to a random guy to talk too because, "he was sitting in the same place yesterday and I wanted to talk to him then." You can simply see his love for the students and for God through his actions everyday.

Trica- is a joy. She's the other half of the crazy teetor-totter that is the two of us. There's no real other way to explain that one, she's got an awesome heart for the new campus we're opening up and I'm so happy that God's called her to be there.

So in the midst of pain and homesickness and a general need for what I think is normality... I know that I need to remember that I am surrounded by an amazing team.