Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

The Greatest Secret

You know the greatest secret that this universe has to offer.

You know the greatest secret that this universe has to offer.

You know it, but I will go ahead and remind you. It is this: You are known- beyond the point of intimacy, beyond those skeletons that fill your walk-in closet, even beyond those things that you can't stand about yourself so you've suppressed those pieces of you behind everything else just so you can bear to look yourself in the mirror each day- you are known beyond all of this. You are known, and you are loved.

You are loved with a love that abides eternally. You have been freed from petty attempts at trying to earn salvation. You are loved, you are loved, you are loved. I cannot say those words enough times or with enough power, that their true severity would be understood by our human minds and human hearts, but you are loved.

As Jesus died on the cross, He bore the full weight of every specific, individual sin that we have ever committed. And you can bet that He did not ignore a single one. Every sin, every time we pushed God out of our conscience just to have a little fun, every dark thought that we indulged in for just a moment, and even those soul-crushing decisions that we have begun to define ourselves by. Jesus was crushed by those same weights. Oh, how He must know you!

In the garden that night before He went to the cross, He was given a taste of what was to come. He was given full understanding of that burden He must bear. He was given full knowledge of who you are. He saw the full map of your heart. And He still went. And His grace abounds.

This love is what you have been looking for all of your life. And nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. He will never leave you; He will never forsake you.

You are known, and you are loved.

You know the greatest secret that this universe has to offer.

How will you respond?


-Tyler Jewess, Base Camp Staff 

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Our Table

This summer I find myself in the midst of a beautifully intimate community. There are quite a few things that make this community what it is. With the shared purpose of facilitating encounters with Christ, we have found ourselves knit together. Some of the threads which tie us together are glorious, but others, not so much.  One variable seems to foster the most growth, laughter, and conversation for us: The Table.

Each day during breakfast, lunch, and dinner you will find the members of our community seated around a cedar picnic table sharing a meal lovingly created with our own hands. There is a profound spirituality that revolves around the entity which is this table. To find it, you need not look further than the life of Jesus. As margarine is spread on our homemade bread, so are the examples of Jesus inviting people to His and to their tables spread throughout the Gospels.

So, what is the substance behind the spiritual purpose of the table? Surely it’s more than apples, oranges, bananas, and spoonful upon spoonful of peanut butter (though these are definitely staples). In my opinion, the purpose of the table is multi-faceted:

  • ·         The table is a space for restoration; John 21:1-19, where Jesus restores Peter over breakfast.
  • ·         The table is a space to serve and be served; John 13:1-17, where Jesus washes the disciple’s feet.
  • ·         The table is a space to praise; Mark 14:26, where Jesus and the disciples sing hymns at the Lord’s Supper.
  • ·         The table is a space with an open invitation; Luke 14:23, “Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and invite them to come in, that my house may be filled’”.


These are just a few of the many purposes of the table, and I love how I see them played out over our very own cedar picnic table. As a place to serve and be served, we make meals for one another and offer what we have. Our souls are restored as we meet together, and quarrels evaporate like the steam from a hot soup. The table is filled with praise as we thank the Lord for his provision and worship Him over fruit, oatmeal, and cinnamon rolls.

Perhaps most importantly, the table is an open invitation. To those who stop by, we invite you to sit and be nourished. To those with whom we are frustrated, let us fill your cup with a hot bevy. To those who we love, let us share a seat and a smile. To those who do not yet know the body or the blood of Jesus, we invite you to come and taste at our table. There is room for you here, and yes, you are invited.


-John Wayne Seitzler, Sea Kayaking Guide 

Monday, June 26, 2017

A Base Camp Prayer


“Have I mentioned how much I love this place?

I love this place. It is magical.

Your peace rests over it, coddles it like a fresh-out-of-the-dryer blanket.

Your grace settles like the rain: unobtrusive, subtle, gentle. Here you are at work. Everywhere you are, but here I am less blind to it.

I feel your peace in my soul. I feel tangible renewal. I feel the hot coffee slipping down my throat, warming my body. I feel the cool breeze tiptoeing over my skin.

It is euphoric.

It demands my attention.

I am aware because all the things I cram on my plate, heaping and ugly and messy, are wiped clean. All I have before me is to serve you, this community, and campers on trips.”

-Madi Krueger 



Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Paying Attention

Ali Savage is a second-year mountain guide who will graduate
 in the fall from Western Washington University.
She studies education & political science,
and is passionate about freedom, the mountains,
and Jesus. 
I see two types of people in this world: movie-talkers and everyone else. For better or worse, my mom is the former. I grew up with her elbow perpetually jabbed into my side, always accompanied with the question, “Who is that?” or, “What did she just say?” Utterly committed to understanding a plot line, she’s never been afraid to ask questions, even in a very crowded movie theater. She is, in one word, engaged. I’ve found that this same binary exists in every other arena of my life as well. The breakdown I see is as follows: there are those who pay attention, and everyone else. The Gospel demands that I pay attention; to others, to the movings of the Holy Spirit, and to myself.

Jesus paid attention to the ones most vulnerable to being ignored. Jesus paid attention to the voice of the Father compelling him to listen to and love the broken and the cast-off. Jesus was, and is, unyielding in his desire to pay attention. In order to emulate Jesus, I must pay attention.



As I prepare to finish my second summer of guiding, and thus my time commitment to Beyond Malibu, I believe that this is one of the greatest things God has taught me during my time here. I live in a world where my brain is addled by stimuli, everything vying for my attention. As a Christian, particularly a Christian who does ministry with high school kids, I often believe falsities. Sometimes to my peril, I believe that if I just yell the Gospel louder I will be heard. I believe that if I listen to more sermons, read more books, and have more or louder or better worship, then I will hear the voice of God. In reality, what I actually need is to be stripped of excess so that there are fewer things distracting me from paying attention to the voice of God. Beyond Malibu is a place thick with that presence. I am given the time and the space to be engaged with others, with the movings of the Holy Spirit, and with myself.



Because of this space given to me to pay attention, here are some things I’ve come to know:
I know the soft and powerful movement of air overhead, heron’s wings beating a divine rhythm.
I know more shades of green and blue and grey than language can put form to.
I know the slow breathing of the Inlet, tides rising and falling like the chest of some sleeping aquatic giant.
I know bare feet on green floors and 5:30 AM belly laughs.
I know the sight of hot, holy tears in the eyes of a participant as the clouds open up and they get their first view of the mountain that they’ve spent the last three days climbing.
I know what it means to love, because He first loved us.



Because of Jesus’ example, and because of this tiny corner of the map named Beyond Malibu that so many have called home, I know what it means to pay attention to the presence of God; not because I have more of what matters, but because I have less of what doesn’t.

With love,
Ali


“What does it mean to pay attention?
And by this, I mean, what does it mean to be alive?”
- Mary Oliver

Monday, August 1, 2016

A Purpose-Filled Life

Xavier Salazar is a student at Grand Canyon University 
in Arizona, where he is earning a degree in Biblical Studies.
 He is on the maintenance team at base camp this summer.
 In his free time, Xavier loves slack-lining, playing
 Frisbee, and hanging out with friends.
I will never forget watching the movie “Kung Fu Panda” for the first time. My cousin and I laughed in unison as my mouth began to hurt from smiling for so long. There are a few memorable moments from the movie, but one specific quote constantly flows through my mind: “there are no accidents”.

For three years I have been hearing about this Young Life camp called Beyond Malibu. From 2013 to 2015 many of my friends have been involved with Beyond, either as participants or as staff. I missed out each year because I either heard about the opportunity too late or other summer plans interfered. However, the more I heard of my friends’ experiences, the more I desired to have some part in this place. This summer though, everything came together, and here I find myself on maintenance at base camp.

Now that I’m here, I’ve begun to ask why? Why now? Why didn’t I go on a trip with my high school friends? Why didn’t I go in college with my friend’s school trip? Why didn’t I apply for maintenance any other year? There have been so many other opportunities and options. In the midst of asking these questions, I remember that quote from Kung Fu Panda, “There are no accidents.” If I took any of those past opportunities, I might not be here right now. I would never have met Skylar, Chase, John Wayne, T.J., or Isaiah, my base camp co-workers who have become like family. I would never have met Cody, my direct boss, who has been like an older brother to me. I would have missed out on growing in relationship with my long-time friend Rick Wilson. I never would have sat next to unique, lovely, and beautiful people while worshiping Jesus around a roaring fire. I would not have learned valuable lessons that will shape me for the rest of my life. Old passions that God placed in my heart would not have been reawakened, and this summer full of life and adventure wouldn’t have existed. God’s perfect planning led to me coming here and experiencing everything that I have. It is clear that I am supposed to be here right here and right now. If you take time to look at specific moments of your life you can see the Lord using them in his plan.
Xavier (left) and part of the maintenance team at base camp

God brings purpose to every moment and decision in our lives. There is purpose in the mere fact that you were created. There is purpose in your community. There is purpose in your job. There is purpose in this very moment as you read these very words.

What exactly is that purpose? Ask God and trust. God has a purpose and a plan for your life.

-Xavier Salazar. 

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Freedom from Struggle

Peyton (middle) works in the kitchen at base camp. In her free time, she enjoys swimming in the inlet and playing monopoly deal. She is currently attending SDSU in California for biology. Peyton is passionate about Jesus, In-N-Out Burger, and the ocean. 


Sometimes it is important to be in a place not shaped by the hands of humans, somewhere where it doesn’t matter if you’re barefoot because your shoes hurt too much, and a place that doesn’t respond to the command of a light switch. It is important to be humbled and to realize how human we are. I am grateful for Beyond because it makes me celebrate simple things like hot coffee in the morning, loud singing during dish duty, community, worship, and pure silliness. Base camp has become home, but my week in the mountains climbing JJ taught me a whole new meaning of trusting God and truly relying on His strength. 

During the majority of our time ascending, we were in a whiteout. We were cold, wet, and anxious. As difficult as the weather was, I felt that it was very fitting for our group. Although we could not see the beauty beyond the clouds, we all knew that it was there. The same concept works in regards to our walks with Jesus; we may not be able to see him, but we know he is always there. All we have to do is invite Him in.

On our summit day, the clouds opened up and the sun came out for the first time. I have never witnessed anything so beautiful. That moment of sun on the summit made me realize that God had a plan for our group. His plan was for us to realize that it is okay to struggle, it is okay for things not to be perfect, and it is okay not to have any idea where you are at or where you are going.

The whole JJ group before leaving for the trail
Before going on this trip, I had a lot of fear. I am a “lupie”, meaning I have lupus along with my autoimmune disease; mixed connective tissue disorder, and arthritis. I am told I can’t do things pretty often, and I let a lot of those negative comments pull me down. Even in the midst of these physical struggles, I felt God tugging at my heart telling me this was something I needed to do.


The strength God gave me throughout this trip made me reevaluate how I place my identity in Him. The feeling of conquering that mountain with the Lord was far more empowering than nursing my wounds and clinging to my pain all the time. There is something about the outdoors that fuels my soul, my spirit, and my overall well-being. I was forced to lean on the Lord when I was uncomfortable in the whiteout, and the way He met me was with this beautiful mountain experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

-Peyton Cook 

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Thoughts from the Pack Shack


Madi Krueger works in the pack shack at base camp. She spends her days meticulously measuring ingredients for trip meals, making sure that each camper, leader, and guide who goes into the mountains has enough food to conquer the trails. Madi is a senior at Western Washington University and is studying journalism. While here at base camp, she loves playing her ukelele named Whimsy, spending time on the dock, and reading through the Harry Potter series for the first time.

It’s funny how my priorities have changed since arriving here at Beyond. Objects that once used to be strapped to my body or mind have taken flight from my thoughts and now wither in the cobwebbed corners of my mind. My phone currently sits at the bottom of my backpack, lifeless and untouched for days. I only use it to read downloaded sheet music for my ukulele, which gets a lot more action since I’ve gotten in the habit of worship on the dock or subtle strumming with the sunset. The makeup I devoted twenty minutes of every morning to and the chemicals and substances which, I believed, made me “pretty” and “enough,” were hurriedly tucked away to the bottom of my bin. The few mirrors here at base camp show me an old and familiar face that God always saw as beautiful and enough, mosquito bites, sunburns and all. I had cautiously tucked away that face full of childlike wonder and playful curiosity in the name of growing up. I bathe in the salty inlet, breathe in open and star-lit skies from my sleeping bag on the dock, and laugh at how very ridiculous it is to get frustrated over exactly 33 bags of skim milk powder. I cram my body on the floor of a crowded room to watch the first movie I’ve seen in a month, forget what a flushing toilet sounds like, and give thanks for a massive bowl of that rare vanilla ice cream. I wish I could save up enough of these moments to last the rest of my life.
My mind, even, has been freed from the shallow places I once anchored it to in order to keep it afloat in the busyness of life. The magnifying glass I once spent too much time under, the self I built up and hid behind to show my worth, has been kicked aside and traded out for a better view of others and of God. I’ve been able to dive deeper into what it means to be a follower of Jesus, what it really means for his redemptive love to wash over me, and what it really means to realize His sufficiency is more than enough for my inadequacies. I’m raw and flawed and human here because I’m allowed to be. Learning to set aside self-centered thoughts gives me the freedom to look more closely at others, flawed and human themselves, and love them better for it. I see the blistered feet of guides who walk kids along the mountainous horizons, the sore backs from raking trails, and the stress tears from food that never got shipped in. I’ve also seen the smiles that stretch around campers faces while guides sing and dance in goofy costumes at opening club. I’ve watched their eyes widen while “holy cow, another meal!” gets added to their already humongous backpack, and their nervous looks while gazing up at the mountain they’re told they can climb. It seems I’ve seen them expand and shrink in a paradox of growth here. Eyes grow, smiles widen, and faith expands while standing on the summit or in a small room called the “Pack Shack,” feeling smaller than ever before. In it all, God remains the same size, just a little clearer here, to them and to me.

-Madi Krueger

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Ebb and Flow

Similar to a summer staff coordinator at a Young Life resident camp, Beyond Malibu has the opportunity to have people come and be on assignment at Base Camp. These individuals join into the community life with staff and help to nurture relationships with Christ and each other. Having people on assignment creates a steady presence in the midst of changing schedules and rotating guide staff. With this being said, I would like to introduce to you the Wright family. They come from Davis, California and have a strong investment in the Beyond Malibu way of life and community. 

Erica Wright with her husband Alex and their daughters
“What does the Lord require?” This is a question that plays in the back-ground of my mind once in awhile, usually when I have a quiet moment. Those quiet moments, however, don’t happen very often. As a Beyond alumni, a mother of two small girls, a wife, and a career person, I often work at maximum capacity just to keep pace with the day. To change from this fast paced lifestyle for a few weeks or even days is a rare experience. In contemplating what our family’s summer would look like, my husband and I chose to come back to the inlet to serve as “base camp family” for a few weeks, with hopes of reorienting ourselves to the rhythm of the Beyond community.

Just as the tide regularly draws water back to the inlet, so God’s spirit again brings myself and my family back to Beyond. We are fortunate to actually tread on the ground here when so many alumni only dream of it. Our family came to participate in community, serve those on staff who continually pour their energy into making this unique Young Life property run, as well as to bring to life for our children the beauty of God’s creation, both in nature and in His people.

When I was a guide, we had two base camp families, the Duykers and the Hardins. My years guiding coincided with Rob and Laurie Duyker having their third child, Ben. The Duyker boys and the Hardin kids were a source of great fun, entertainment and companionship. Laurie Duyker and Mary Hardin did double duty watching over the little (and not so little) ones, while investing in the lives of base camp and guide staff alike. Never would I have imagined that I would be back at Beyond with my own girls, 4-years-old Karis and Sophie-20 months, having the privilege of connecting with and praying for the staff in the same way as was displayed to me 14 years ago.


The tide flows in and the tide flows out. Those who choose Beyond choose to be shaped by God’s grace and love. They leave this place different because they have been on holy ground in the midst of a community that celebrates God’s mighty power to save and to transform. As my kids make crayon drawings and create butterflies out of the used TP rolls from the BIFFs (bathroom in forest floor), I am reminded that transformation is not a one-way street, but rather a give and take, similar to the tide that raises and lowers the dock. “What does the Lord require?” Beyond reminds me of my answer: be available to others, serve freely, be an investor in people, all the while allowing others to do those same things with me. Doing such allows me to participate in the transformational work I know God is doing in these mountains. Like the ever-present tide, God’s work is constant in this place and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of His work here at this time and, hopefully, again some time in the future.  
Erica Wright



 Video Credit: Brandon Sawaya




Friday, July 11, 2014

The 10-Day Experience

Being on Beyond staff can seem daunting to anyone whether as a base-camper or as a guide. And it’s so easy to individually focus on yourself: your own worries, your own stresses, and your own insecurities. It’s easy to become oblivious to the struggles of the other staff around camp. I know for myself that was my initial reaction after arriving at Beyond Malibu until I began asking staff if they wanted to contribute to the Beyond Blog. I got to hear reflections of experiences they’d had since arriving for the summer. Kate Kinsman made me realize I was not alone in feeling weighed down by my own baggage. I learned it wasn’t only Kate and myself who felt this way but that 27 other guides and 14 basecamp staff were experiencing these feelings with us. So I asked Kate, a first year mountain guide, to share her reflections from her first 10-Day trip.


The 10-day experience is often an intimidating one to first year guides like me. It’s the culmination of all that you’ve been anticipating and working for thus far: your first trip into these mountains that you’ll call home for two summers. The experience is simultaneously physically and mentally exhausting as well as joyous. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in your own neuroses and the way that your story is playing out in the moment. It’s so easy to forget that there are twenty-seven other people up there on that mountain with their own stories playing out. Each one has a story that God has specifically crafted and engineered in such a way that they’ve ended up here, battling their own insecurities through 10-day.

I came into 10-day with my own baggage. I had just endured one of the busiest seasons of my life and said a permanent goodbye to a lot of things that had been constants in my life for the past few years. I hadn’t had time to mentally or physically prepare for what I was about to undertake. In short, I came in not knowing if I was good enough for this task God have given me.

The hike up Chatterbox to Sun City was brutal. I had plenty of time to doubt why in the world I was doing this. When the rain started, I had the audacity to feel slightly miserable, despite the fact that I was cozied up in a fly while other groups were still making their way to Sun City. As they streamed into camp, God gave me my first reminder that I am not His only child. These poor children of His were wet, freezing, tired, and had had a much rougher go than I.

Kate on a rope team during a
recon on Mt. Albert
After that day, I made it a point to be attentive to the well being of my fellow guides. I was asked roughly six times a day how I was doing, and asked that question myself many more times. The challenge of 10-day left us all a bit raw, and I got very honest answers. I got a peek into the minds of many of the guides and how they were experiencing 10-day; I got a look into how many uniquely crafted stories were coming together to create this trip.
I remember very vividly the moment we got to Maury’s Mound. We’d just made it all the way from Contact Lakes and over Sun Peak, and my group came in after all the others. The evening sun was bathing the rocks and people were spread out all over the slabs, laughing and sore, and laying all their gear out to dry. I looked out over the rocks and saw so many stories that I had come to know. I had been focused on how my one little thread of life looked and felt, and where it was going, and I got a glimpse of the fact that God has specially made so many other threads that he is weaving alongside mine.

Somehow, through that, it all got easier. Looking at the summer before me, it doesn't matter if I am good enough or not; God is the weaver, not me. He keeps track of every thread and how each comes together in a specific and perfect way to create the most beautiful patterns, and I am already a part of this pattern.
                  Kate Kinsman


God placed each one of us at Beyond this summer. Our lives are intertwining each day we spend serving together. But if we keep our heads down looking at only our own lives, we miss out on what God has laid out in front of us. Kate’s experience with 10-Day gave me a wake up call to stop being consumed in my individual struggles and to instead look, listen, and experience life with the beautiful people living around me.

                                                                                                Brooke Silcox

Monday, April 23, 2012

Farewell to Friends

Gill and Lynda Fuller
This week we begin our pre-summer base camp work weekends.  The spring is a great time for us to spruce things up and make the major improvements.  This weekend we’re working on our NEW BARN EXTENSION (more on that later). 

For all of our off-season (fall, winter, spring) projects we work closely with and depend a lot on the service of Malibu Club staff.  For almost ten years Gill and Lynda Fuller have been serving Malibu Club, and us, faithfully.  Now they are moving on. Last Friday marked their last day in the inlet and they will be greatly missed.

Lynda ran the laundry and housekeeping for Malibu Club.  She was always tremendously helpful and gracious to Beyond staff as we raided her workspace every week to wash our smelly smelly laundry.  She also did a lot of work serving our staff during these spring work weekends.

Gill was head of Malibu Club maintenance. He helped us solve innumerable problems every summer, gave us access to his shop and extra materials, and was always available to help us with transportation issues.  Both Gill and Lynda have an incredible ability to serve the kids, leaders, and staff of both Malibu Club and Beyond Malibu.

Gill and Lynda, we will miss you a great deal.  We want to recognize your faithful and invaluable service these past ten years.  We send you our blessings and prayers as you continue to pursue lives of service beyond the inlet.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

We Need More Staff!


We have hired a stellar guide staff and base camp staff for Beyond Summer 2012.
To give a snap shot, the first year women guides will blow your mind with awesomeness and Jeff the jukebox will be back rockin’ the guitar. Our maintenance staff is ready to maintain, and our guy Nate from Wisconsin is taking up the reigns as the assistant cook in the kitchen this year. But here’s the thing. We still have some serious vacancies and we need all the help we can get filling them.

For starters we are still looking for a Head Cook– you’d get to work with Nate– and a Boat Driver. The Boat Driving position requires a special certification so we’re looking for someone who’s willing to hold that spot down for this summer and next summer.

Next up are our coordinator positions: Guest Services and Base Camp (formerly Female and Male Base Camp coordinators). These are base camp leadership positions so if you know how to get things done and know how to get other people to get things done (or know someone who does), you should definitely look into one of these positions. We like to have a balance men and women on our leadership team so we usually hire a lady for the Guest Services Coordinator and a guy for the Base Camp Coordinator, just so you know. Whoever takes these spots will be joining our Food Service Coordinator Amanda, from Virginia, on the leadership team.

Last but definitely not least, we are still on the hunt for two (a lady and a guy) Guide Team Leaders to join Amanda and Co. on leadership. These positions require a hefty amount of previous Beyond experience– like two years as a Beyond guide– and some pretty exceptional leadership skills. We’ve perused all of the usual subjects but feel like we’re forgetting some people. If you are or know some people who fit the bill, we’d love it if you or they were brought to our attention.

Check out our website for more detailed job descriptions and an application. Don't hesitate to call us (206-525-0791) with any questions or suggestions. Our first training weekend begins in exactly one week. We are so pumped for the start of this new season and we’d love it if our leadership team could join us as soon as possible. Be praying for us please.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Community

Shane Besmer began serving at Beyond when he was just 19. He has worked as the boat driver, male base camp coordinator, a guide, maintenance man, and eventually just as The Shane. He is in grad school now studying third world community development. Here are some of his thoughts on community in the Beyond context.

Living with forty other staff members in an isolated wilderness camp has given me a rare view of what close community can be like. Sharing the most mundane and extreme of life’s experiences, we were given a glimpse of the tremendous possibilities of community.

Beyond Malibu is an adventure camp with the purpose of removing kids from their everyday lives in hopes that they might see themselves, and Christ, more clearly. The staff at Beyond is almost entirely volunteer, and many staffers are required to make a two year commitment. Operations are run out of a small base camp that is accessible only by boat or seaplane. Running water and electricity are very limited. Absent constant contact with the outside world and electronic entertainment, the staff naturally develops a very close community. Each member plays a very important role, serving one another along with our campers, and inadvertently painting a beautiful picture of the body of Christ.

The jobs of the staff range from mountain or sea-kayaking guide, to food packing and maintenance. Each member is completely dependent on the others to continue with his or her job. If one person becomes ill, the impact spreads throughout the community. If two members are not communicating well, the rest of the body is aware of it and often affected. In the evenings when the work is finished, co-workers and bosses become friends and family, and look to each other for the love and support they need. Nearly all aspects of the life of one person are tied in one way or another to the lives of others, creating a micro-example of the definition of community.

I loved the years I spent at Beyond and I cherish them even more now that I am more removed from the experience. I have come to realize that this kind of community is nearly impossible to duplicate in the chaotic obligations of the city, and to attempt to do so can become incredibly frustrating. Despite the rarity of the Beyond base camp experience, it has been a challenging, yet joyful experience to see my community grow and change and settle into the ebbs and flows of community life in the city. We cannot live as in tune with one another, or with God, here as we did so far away from the distractions of the world. Instead, we struggle, and mostly succeed, to intentionally seek out relationship amid the business of everyday life. More significantly, we are challenged to learn and grow through the process of integrating our family of friendships with the various communities we intersect as we go throughout our lives. The result is beautiful and messy. We fail often, and just as often we accept grace, get up, and try again. This is community. I praise God daily for my time at Beyond, and for beginning this life long adventure.