A sorrowful farewell to a summer of pure joy

“I’m going to miss the people here.”

A very common answer as I walked around asking each of the interns what they would miss most as our time here came to an end.

It’s an answer that has so much validity not just because of its repetition, but because of the hearts and faces that revealed so much joy when being asked to reflect on the summer.

It was from the very beginning that we all knew we would be fast friends.

“I knew I would love these people from the very first week when we were all screaming and getting excited about a game of spoons.. that I won by the way,” explained Rylie Thompson.

This initial connection was a shock to many.

“I was expecting to like a few of the people going into this, not everyone!” Bohuie Lee happily recounted.

Bonding from the start led to pure authenticity and realness within our group in the worship sessions we would frequently have.

“The most I smiled all summer was the night where we turned pounding on the piano and banging on the drums to whole-hearted worship of the Lord,” Serena Nottingham recalled.

There were times for deep theological conversations as well as times to be completely demolished in a game of pool volleyball.

“My favorite memory was the Fourth of July, at the Thompson pool, when I got domed in the face with a volleyball,” Shema Innocent explained.

Competition ran high not only in sports but also in dance-offs.

“I will never forget dancing for two straight hours as we were waiting for the key to get into our chalet at our Wisconsin retreat,” Abi Wildeman recalled.

From game nights, to dance-offs, to worship sessions, to pool volleyball competitions, this summer was truly one to remember and one that will be thoroughly missed.

The solemnity of this farewell is also shared among the OneWay staff.

“I’m going to miss the random everyday moments,” said Kate Kavanaugh, Young Adult Coordinator, “ – the jokes, the odd noises, the loud laughter – all of the in-between.”

“I’m going to miss having fun at work,” said another staff member.

It can be agreed that this summer can only be described as one of pure joy.

This joy doesn’t mean we were happy every single second of every single day. There were many days of exhaustion. Many heart-to-hearts. Many tearfully accompanied discussions. Many prayers for healing.

But this can all be called pure joy because of the growth and the increased faith that each one of us has experienced.

As James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

The Lord was very much included in every moment – every laugh, every cry, every discussion, every praise – and it is because of this that we can consider it pure joy.

But with this pure joy, it is with great sadness that we all must say our farewells.

“I am most sad about not being around these people – there is a general joy among us… they are family,” Anthony Bradshaw reflected.

But, it’s not goodbye forever. Plans are already in the works for when we will see each other again.

But in the meantime, goodbye, for now, Interns of 2022. I thank God for each and every one of you and for the way He blessed this summer with joy of the purest form.