Worth the Wait

Last week we opened our brand new building at Room in the Inn. After 15 months of construction, inconvenience, and transition, I have to say that it was completely worth it. The new space is twice as large as our old one, and so much nicer. Some amazing moments have already happened here in just the past week...

*Jeff decided to take one of the participants around the building and give him a personal tour. This guy is one of the ringleaders around the Campus...the one we all know is selling drugs on the corner. Yet when Jeff showed him our new space, he actually cried.

*Another participant, who is usually kind of a jerk toward everyone who works at the Campus came in Monday morning to pick up his mail. He was as pleasant as can be, especially compared to normal. He told me how much the new building really made him feel worth something, and how much he appreciated everything that we did here.

*Sitting in the new Day Room on Tuesday morning, I heard people share their stories. I heard one man tell me about his former career as a musician. In fact, he toured Europe with Neil Diamond many years ago! I listened to people tell me memories about projects they did in grade school and visiting blackberry farms with their family in the summer. I got to ask people about their future goals. The entire atmosphere has been so much more open to conversation and connection.

*Wednesday morning, I played pictionary with Lucia and 4 participants and had a blast. I can't even tell you the last time I played real pictionary, if ever. Today I played Spades and earned some respect from the guys who never expected a young white girl to know how to play cards :)

There have been plenty of hardships that have happened this week within our community, but we have been there for each other even in those moments. I don't regret for one minute staying here another year.

Beginnings and Endings

Hey everyone! I can't believe that in less that 3 weeks from today, I will officially end my YAV year. Where has the time gone?! As with all transitions, it has brought up a variety of mixed feelings...excitement and anxiety, worry and hope, ready for the next step and sad to be leaving this current one. Here is where I am at right now:

On the one hand, I am so ready to begin my new position at The Campus. I am also so excited about transitioning into our brand new building at the end of next week and getting settled in there. I even have my own desk, which is a big deal after having no space of my own all year. Getting paid will be a nice change, too :). I am also getting really excited about finding a cute house in East Nasvhille and really making it our own. Rebbecca, Bonnie, and I are hopeful that we will find something good.

However, all of these transitions also have some anxiety attached to them. In addition to the worry about those adjustments, I am definitely not ready to say goodbye to the rest of my YAV community in Nashville. I am sad to think about going to The Campus everyday without seeing Paul and Lucia, whose JVC year ends at the end of July as well. And I'm kind of sad about not having the YAV title, which has resulted in such wonderful hospitality from people in Nashville since we have been here.

Change takes time...I just trust that God has led me to stay here for a reason and that it will all work out for the best.