IN A WIFI CAFÉ

What a day. I am so exhausted that I can barely sit up. We slept about 3 or 4 hours on the bus. It was an exciting trip - absolutely as smooth as silk. Today we got unloaded about 1 PM and after a brief attempt to clean up we headed for the Metro and the Smithsonian. We walked and walked. Washington Monument, Reflecting Pool, and to the Museum of Natural History. Then back to the hostel for Joe’s spaghetti and Dorothy’s salad. What a treat to get home and find supper cooked! Now young and old alike are ready for bed.

Some of the learnings today… We are building into a cohesive, strong group. We have each other’s back. Respect is a key ingredient in building community. And most important of all – we have much much more in common that different. Each evening we begin with music, then a sharing time, a scripture reading and reflection, and Night Prayer from the New Zealand Prayer Book. Faye prepared journals for the group – complete with markers and pens for personalizing them and for journaling. The group is doing that now – well some of them. Our music is getting so good that I called and volunteered us for the Offertory next Sunday at St Stephen’s.

While in the WIFI Café I noticed a man in an Episcopal hat. I spoke of course - in true Mississippi fashion. Turns out he is the Verger for tomorrow’s service. We will see him at the National Cathedral. We are all excited about tomorrow.
I will close with one of the comments from a young person as we walked down the Mall. He said “There is one of every kind of person here.” I said yes, I think God meant for it to be that way. Tomorrow’s scripture is the Pentecost reading. We are in the midst of it. Brother Ruffin did the reflection tonight from 1 Thessalonians, “11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Brother Ruffin reminded us of how we had lived into these instructions on Christian community today. He told us of his reservations about this trip and how he had tried to avoid coming. But Pastor Haynes and others had encouraged him and he told us how much this day had meant to him. He thanked the mentors for their incredible contributions and the young people for their commitment. The room was absolutely quiet listening to him. This work that we are about is hard work. We are going to have fun and we are going to do some work on a school, but we are also going to continue to go about the hard work of living together as people of God – not as Baptists and Episcopalians, black and white, men and women. We are one in Christ.

Thanks be to God. Jane+