We are having free time right now. Emma (from Bolivia) and Lomuria (from Kenya) are particularly fascinated with American television. A show about three sisters who are witches was fun to see his reaction to. Harriet has gone for a run on the beach (just steps outside our door) and Wess and his family left a while ago to go find a coffee shop before dinner. Some people are reading submissions and others are helping in the kitchen. (My brownies are baking as I type.) Earlier Lomuria and I took a walk on the beach and had great conversation. I am reminded of a book I read where an American woman and a Aborigini (sp?) man find this deep spirit connection between them. Across the continents and very different lives, we just connect. John gave us all matching beaded bracelets with our names in them. We are all wearing them around our wrists. Later, we’ll take a picture of all our hands together.
All of us connect really well. Even Lilly, Wess’s 16 month old daughter. Though this afternoon as we went through the submissions was a challenge. We had to re-remember how to work with one another amongst our different culture and theological backgrounds. Going through the various writings sure brings those differences out. It’s a practice of listening, acceptance, tolerance, and love. It’s more of a challenge than we had last year but as we work together, it is a challenge we can meet and exceed. Listening to the discussion, I am very grateful for our differences. Together, we make a whole. Some of us love poetry, some of us aren’t so big on it. That is just one example. (There are cheers from the television watching crew.???) What a great group. As we talk, I can see how we are each a needed piece of this project and that we not only need each other, we want each other. And that, in this kind of project, makes all the difference.