Heading Home Part 1

I’m flying back home tomorrow...

I’m sad :( I'm going to miss Moria.

There’s been a lot that happened in the past month that I still need to process. I'll do my best to find some time to do that once I’m home. But for now... a shoutout to the best teammates anyone could ask for:

Team A. You crazy Ywamers. My brothers (and sisters) in arms for the past month. The rocket-fuel for this journey.

Brothers and sisters from Denmark, Sweden, Costa Rica, Brazil, America, England, France, and elsewhere… all coming together in the greatest combination of craziness, passion, eloquence, compassion, and hilarity that I’ve ever been privileged to be a part of. Where/when else will I ever experience this?

These relationships have meant so much to me these past few weeks, and each person has a special place way up top on the long list of the things I’m going to miss about Moria...

Each one of them has such an exquisite personality, such a rich depth of stories to share, and wisdom to dispense, that almost every conversation we’ve had, whether it took place over one of the home-cooked meals on the boat, or while we shared the quiet midnight hours of a shift, has been something like a life-changing experience for me. Being with such great people has been a classroom in love, compassion, and crazy radical faith…

And it’s also just been a ton of fun. way, way too much fun.

I’m going to miss those strange car-rides back home from night-shift, when sleep deprivation and a steady diet of artificial chocolate croissants and expired lemonade combined to produce a delirious haze of weird inside jokes — jokes that I will cite here, but I won’t bother to explain — You just had to be there.

“Ole, ole, ole, ole… moria… no good.”

The tiny hands...

David’s magic tricks.

We’ve heard stories of incredible transformation, of revelation and divine intervention, even of outright miracles...

Athena’s testimony.

Ben’s story.

The ex-terrorist who had a vision of Jesus.

We’ve wept together… prayed together… fought exhaustion and depression together — and dirty socks and body odor. Ate gyros together. Slaughtered the pronunciation of basic Arabic vocabulary together. Spent way too many hours at sugar house…

If you’re reading this, A-team, know that you guys are all awesome. Be strong and courageous. I’m looking forward to seeing the amazing things that come out of your lives. :)