Project has been amazing so far. All 10 days. But with any adventure, there are bound to be trip-ups, downfalls, sore parts…

My downfall has been finding friends. Prior to coming to NMB, I had heard lots of people who had gone on a summer project talk up the amazing community they found and the best friends that were made. I fully expected this to happen to me, almost to a greater extent because I have never had problems finding solid friendships wherever I go.

One slight part of the process I may have completely forgotten about was the “get to know you part” of every relationship. I despise that time. It holds such superficial moments – I am ready for the next step.

The first few days were great meeting times. I was thrown a lot of names and colleges and majors. All the while I wasn’t feeling real connections towards many girls. I felt behind and lonely. How was this so hard for me? The past 10 days have been extremely humbling, not having a niche I fit into. …Until last night!

Myself and a few other girls walked around Main St. and the downtown area, going into cute little shops and planning more adventures. Some of them came into our apartment afterwards and stayed up well into the night sharing girly stories and opening up to each other. I went to bed very content at these new, deeper friendships. Today I went to the beach and joined 5 other girls as we each went one by one sharing parts of our childhood up until our college years. We filled this time sharing the hard, the challenging, the good, and the spiritual.

It was nothing but stunningly beautiful.

I was shown love and was able to pass that onto the other women of God that completed the circle. We realized that on this team of 130 we could get lost in the mix, but we are all vessels and pieces of the radiant journey the Lord has for our group this summer. Whether we are being held together by the thinnest threads or hanging on tightly, we’re each in on this adventure together.

[originally posted 6.1.2012]