OH man.

Oh man. It's over!

"It's finally over!" I exclaimed to a fellow STInter on the way back tonight. "They're gone!" I continued with bright eyes and a muy excited face.

Man, this post has mad potential to go on for too long so I'm going to try. Try, tri.

It's 3.33am. I got home about 20 minutes ago. I got up around 7.40. All things considered, I feel pretty good.

Yesterday I made a mental note of a few students I was going to go out of my way to speak with because I just hadn't had the chance to really connect with anyone yet. I had been thinking about how, if nothing changed from that point in time (whatever time it was last night) that no one on project would be inclined to stay in touch with me. In a vacuum, that's fine. At the risk of sounding pompous, I don't need sixteen new best friends. But what I DO want is a real connection - that's all! I've been a part of enough cross-country/cross-province/cross-continent somethings to know what it takes to make an enduring acquaintanceship or friendship. I want SOMETHING, else I'd have been filled with regret for the whole week.

I listed them off (I think there were three or four) and then I asked God for them, gently.
He brought me some different people and He brought me many people.

We went to a ceilidh in the evening to send project out with a bang...then the students had planned to hang out in front of an old church on a busy street here in Edinburgh with a guitar and their praises. They had done the same the past two nights (and on the first night, two of the girls who joined them accepted Christ). I'm not even gonna begin to touch that one.

It's cool to be unashamed. (I mean 'cool' like I enjoyed it but also cool like it's hip/suave. Well....in my opinion anyways.)

Between dances I chatted with some of the folk who crossed my path (I had decided that even though there were a few I had planned to approach, that I wouldn't be hunting, but rather open to whatever - I'm calling the opportunities 'what' not the people - came up) and it was good. I could feel myself being engaged and I spoke accordingly. It was good. I managed to communicate what I had wanted to communicate (that I am interested in them, that I like them and that I am their sister in Christ).

I want to write all about the indiv conversations but that doesn't seem appropes given how much space that will take and how private they were.

I think of these things - I praise God for these things - in the context of how (a) our directors told us off the bat that one of the comments they received after last year's project was that the studes didn't feel they were able to hang out with the staff members as much as anticipated or as they would have wanted, (b) a student made an off-hand comment to me, saying that they thought the staff would come out with them in the evenings (they were out every evening) with disappointment and some hurt in their voice and (c) I just didn't have the capacity to do it throughout the week, as desired.

I arrived home so late because I had been roped into taking them all to the bus stop for the 02h45. They started the street singing at 11.30 and finished round 1. I was going to go home at that point but then was told by a student that they had some left over supplies that I would have needed to take so I trekked the three blocks in the opposite direction to the hostel. Then I wanted to say a proper goodbye to one of the people I'd connected with this evening. (It's only proper.)
While waiting and getting otherwise distracted, I stayed in the girls' room as they packed and giggled through the next hour. It was nice. It was nice to be there with them as they did what they did. I don't know how to describe it but I know they enjoyed it as I did. I dunno...outside perspective? Non abandonnment? Something.
It was good to make that trek with them. I scored some sweet free stuff as well.

I'm thankful to God for what He enabled me to do this very night.
OOOooh, I should also say how proud I am of my kidlets for the way that they welcomed and interacted with passers-by who came to sit with us. The guitarist was striking an incredible balance of warmth and confidence. He was just doing what he was doing...I'm amazed at his skizzill. Well, even more than that, he was not talking to those folk as potential converts. So key.

God showed up this week and I like that you can see that in people's eye, even when it's not on their tongue. So good. I hope they're forever changed, I honestly do. And in the meantime I thank God for letting me witness it and have a smidge of input. Thank Youuu, Jesus.