Saturday

Today is the day... the participants arrived.

I spent the day being "around" to help. By that I mean: doing two trips to the London Airport to pick people up; hanging out; welcoming people; helping with bags; meeting people; learning names (got 15 new ones); helping with meals; helping with making aprons; fielding questions; taking everyone on a tour of the places we will be at the College; getting holy hardware for Sunday's Eucharist; eating; laughing... being.

Supper was our first meal all together and the first time we all sat in the same room at the same time. Our community is begining to form and it looks like it will be another amazing group of young people who are eager to engage in this process and look deeply into themselves, their church, their faith and their world.

After supper we did some "get to know you games" and finished the day with a brief an meaningful worship around a cloth map of Canada that Judy constructed - each of us who wished placed a candle on our home town and mentioned those who are supporting us from afar.

The team meeting in my room (because it is the coldest - gosh its hot!) was filled with the laughter that comes from sharing the joys of a busy day. There were presents for some of us sent to us by the Rev. Helen Manfield (a Mentor on the May 2009 program) and I received a lovely card with my favourite blessing upon it, a CD of Steve Bell's music entitled Solace: For Seasons of Suffering, and a Lenten resource I hope to put to good use next year.

Thank you Helen for your kind gifts to each of us and you are right when you write about sending the best things "which do not fit in a box." I return to you those good things in the form of gratitude and love.

After the team meeting I fell in to my bed exhausted and ready for sleep.

Sunday will bring us closer to true community... until then...

Elliott+

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