One of my favorite closing retreat activities was discussing ‘fishbowl’ questions. We did this all throughout Closing Retreat at all sorts of locations — around the dinner table, in a couple of Indianapolis coffee shops, and of course all settled into our ‘spots’ on the Allisonville guest house couch.
One particular question that struck me came when Ella, Allison, Brian, and I were driving around Indy, the question of what the ‘real world’ looks like - post Peace Intern Summer. In that moment, I struggled to imagine that the world could look much different than how I’d always known it.
While I knew that I had just spent a summer away from my normal life, and instead connected almost exclusively with nature and the teenage culture, I was still the same me I was before. Even if I had been through this extremely life changing experience and my worldview was turned upside down at least once or twice, I hadn’t really changed. Seriously, there was nothing new or different about me now than there was in May! As I sat with those thoughts, I began to realize that I was not trying to convince anyone but myself.
When I entered our closing retreat, I was prepared for all of the fun things we would get to do. From matching tattoos and TopGolf to the State Fair and dinner at Cracker Barrel, there was no shortage of fun moments to be excited about. What I did not entirely expect was the emotional roller coaster the week would send me on. As Allison, Ella, and I closed this chapter of our stories together, we cried and hugged and laughed and did it all some more. My Peace Intern summer added two beautiful and amazing souls into my heart and my family with Allison and Ella. I truly could not be more grateful for their love and friendship in my life. When we all went our separate ways, I knew that in no way was this our ‘goodbye’, but just a ‘see ya later’.
I moved into college a few weeks later and began to get questions about my summer. People that had been following my journey were so excited to hear all about the fun adventures and silly stories I had from my summer. Others heard briefly what I did and usually became interested in how I got to spend my entire summer traveling and sharing about social justice with some super cool people!
All of this to say, I was non-stop talking about my time as a Peace Intern. When I wasn’t talking about my summer, I was waiting for someone else to bring it up so I could talk about it. My brain was non-stop thinking about the experience I just had, my newest friends, and the goofy memories from camps.
Now, not much has changed. I still think about my summer each and every day. I talk about my summer, in one shape or another, every single day. I still take any chance I get to bring up my funny stories, life-changing moments, or new friends I made along the way. And I plan on keeping it that way.
What I realized is that this summer did change me. It changed my perspective of the world and the ways in which I interact with my own concepts of justice, faith, and peace. Further, this amazing experience challenged me to get out of my comfort zone in ways I could not have imagined before. It challenged me to look at people and my relationships with them in new ways - ways that are more nuanced and comprehensive, but also more loving and forgiving. Most importantly this summer showed me that I have a future in my career. Not solely because of the extraordinary experiences and connections I made, but due so much to the future the church has.
The youth that I got to engage with through each camp I went to showed me hope for the next generation of the church and the next generation of peacemakers. I had the privilege to watch multiple youth find their voices in their sexuality, in their gender, and in their faith. All speaking up for themselves and what they know to be right, the Love of God is for All to rejoice in. I am honored to be changed by this next generation of our church, and I cannot wait to see what other amazing changes they have in store for us.