Ah, the freshness of a southern morning!
Last night, I had such difficulty getting things to work, here on the blog…the moment I woke up, however, the exceedingly simple solution that had eluded me, thus far suddenly hit me. Duh. Major. So, here we are, live on the web!
So: a little about our environs atMission on the Bay. (to find out more about the program, click the link in the last sentence)
The place is a little encampment of 8 or 9 semi-temporary buildings on the property of Christ Episcopal Church. The church itself was destroyed, save for about 70% of the bell tower, which now stands as a symbol for their mission to proclaim in the desert a highway for our god. (”desert” being a metaphor for the aftermath of disaster…the air is actually thick with moisture) We sleep in four dorms: two for women and two for men. They’re very comfortable. Standard bunk beds, and it’s air-conditioned. Nice and dry in case of weather, too.
Yesterday was a trip…no pun intended…As soon as we loaded the van, Hail came pouring down upon us and University City…along with tree limbs and a deluge of rain. We decided that it was best to get moving, as there were large trees looming over us. We wound our way through Clayton and Brentwood and Webster Groves to stay somewhat safe, then got on 55 for the long haul. We have two vans we have borrowed from Jon’s dad’s church in Illinois. (thank you!)
Several road stops and many hours of singing and bad jokes over the walkie-talkies later, we made it! We got here around 9:30, a little later than expected, but not too bad. The folks hanging out around the camp were very enthusiastic in their welcomes…I think we may have come the furthest of the folks here. I checked out the bulletin board in the office…there are dots from all 50 states except Alaska and New Mexico. Pretty cool.
We put our stuff away, then headed to the beach for some evening reflection. A little singing and a little talking, then we walked out on the tidal flats in the wonderful moonlight. Tiny jellyfish made their presence known on the edges of the 1-inch-deep water on the sandy gulf floor. It was a magical place and time.
I need to get to breakfast, so I’ll make this short. Here are some pictures: Monday Pictures
Peace be with you!
m@
