There are pictures here of Cross and Crown members in the Bethel kitchen, working with members of Camano and Morningstar Monroe at John and Virginia's house, working at the Habitat site, working in Bill's home to to help to get rid of some things and to clear some space for packing and organizing, enjoying dinner with Patricia, Davia, Kendrick and William, visiting Bill (all 18 of us) afterward... We are all over the place here. Jody, Ashley, Isaac and I went to work at Bill's home. It was a only a short time of work, and then we brought lunch back to sit with Bill for another hour and talk and hear stories. I was up in a storage area handing things down to be taken outside- Bill had said that some raccoons had been up there, so I wondered what I might find in the way of messes, etc. It wasn't bad- but it made me realize that, if there had been some awful mess up there, I would not hesitate to do the work and to do it to the best of my ability, because it's for Bill. I know him. We are connected. This week I have really been struck by the effort our people are puttting forward at the Habitat site, since there isn't a connection with the owners. They are not in town, they are not coming over as Patricia and David did last summer to visit and to talk and to connect. Our people are knocking themselves out putting tile down, etc for a family they don't know. It is wonderful to see that. In the meantime, they have also connected with David and Patricia and are working to help them to get their floors finished and to get that much closer to moving in (this has included a new stove and range, thanks to the generosity of the people of Cross and Crown and of everyone who put the car wash together and worked at that). Isaac and Ashley and Sara and I have been at John and Virginia's place to work and to visit. A lot of brush and bushes and vines were cut down in their front yard (especially by young people from Camano and Morninstar yesterday) and I put in a new toilet and a new air conditioner unit. The connection is the thing, thoughand it is the most important thing. This work has always been about people, first and last. That applies here to Bethel and to life around the church during the week and also to anyone we run into anywhere (Home Depot, car repair place, Winn Dixie, etc etc). We are privileged and blessed to be the ones to come here in person and care for the connections that we have. As the months go by, people who are struggling seem to become less and less visible. The opposite of invisible is- connected - in person, one by one. I don't believe there are no words to express what that does in a person's heart, and I have been blessed that way many times over the last 9 days here and in New Orleans. That's why we are here, and that 's why we can talk in terms of being called here. God has been very good to us here.

Scott and Gretchen and Connor will leave today, and I will leave early tomorrow with Isaac, Sara and Scott C. There are things to be wrapped up today, plenty of work to do, preparations for traveling. I believe that we all go through the leaving part in our own way. Last evening just as we left I asked Bill whether he needed us back to work today, and he said it wouldn't be necessary. So- that was one goodbye, once again. We'll do them one at a time today. - Pastor Glen