My People.

Over the course of two months, you really get to know someone. The good and bad, tired and coffeeless sides all come out, whether you’d like them to or not.

Last Monday I drove to Indianapolis to meet my fellow interns and World Next Door’s year long fellow for the first time. We had all talked through Skype, but had never met face to face. Meeting my summer family was what I was most excited for as we started training ... and I wasn’t disappointed.

The people I have the joy to spend time with are better than I thought they would be. We’re all incredibly different ... different senses of humor, talents, and interests, but we just click.

I’m completely unashamed to tell you that I stole the idea for this blog post from my lovely new friend Jocelyn, so I’ll start by introducing her.

You like Jocelyn the instant you meet her. Her laugh is contagious and she’s never afraid to surprise you with a comment or unexpected dance move, not to mention her mastery of mystical unicorn language. Her story with Jesus is incredible and I admire her faith nearly as much as I do her wavy red hair (which, unlike me, she comes by naturally). She just graduated from Concordia University in California, although she comes from Maryland.

Another west coaster, Laura, brings wisdom and incredible talents to our group.

We’re learning she’s most productive in the morning. In other words, by 7:00ish, Laura may have gone for a run, finished some kind of craft project and potentially have even done some hemming or flower weaving (yes, all of these things occurred).

You might not expect it, but Laura also loves Salsa dancing and languages ... which might be the reason for the numerous admirers she attracts. Currently she’s traveling with a ukulele, the playing of which we’ve discovered will cause people to give us free things ... and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

When it comes to experience and patience, you can’t get better than Steven. As the yearlong fellow with World Next Door, Steven is dedicated to doing life his own way.

He’s comfortable in nearly every situation, from hiking up a ridge with two full-size North Face camping backpacks to negotiating the complexity of a Nikon (not to mention a team full of energetic women). Still, I think he’s most at home with his flock of nieces and nephews, who hang on his every word and action.

Bridgette and I have twin tastes in music, but I adore her for so many other reasons.

Jesus has done amazing things in her life and I have a feeling that the story of her experiences this summer will be especially powerful in my own life. Fluent in Italian and a passionate cyclist, Bridgette is entirely genuine and honest no matter the situation ... something invaluable in a friend.

And then there’s the Boss. Barry’s passion for his work is magnetic and entirely heartfelt. What he does as the founder and director of World Next Door comes from the wrecking he experienced in his own life when faced with the reality of the injustices in the world. Each of us is here because we’re drawn to the way God’s working in his life and want to be a part of it.

But don’t be fooled ... as serious as he is about his work, he also makes time for his adorable nieces, a freakishly successful Halo gaming career, an impromptu study of quantum physics, and a budding fascination with the combination of Mumford and Sons and the Mandolin.

So that’s us. And I love every second of it.

Now when I tell you stories, you can feel like you know and love the people I’m talking about like I do

This summer we’ll be doing incredible things together and apart and we’re all going to come back such different people, but I can’t think of a better group to live this part of my life with.