Serving at Cairn Brae was absolutely wonderful! Although being on the Summer Staff is not an easy task, it is incredibly rewarding and is work that you almost never get tired of doing, despite how repetitive and laborious it can be at times. Many were confused about who I was, why I was there, and why just for the weekend (I probably said the whole spiel about my internship at New Lanark about 30+ times while I was there to help explain the situation...should've gotten a shirt made haha!) For only being there for 3 days, the people were more than accepting and so much fun to be around!
Many came from the U.S. to help for the first summer session, but there were others from places such as the U.K., Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. One can easily see God's work being carried out through each of these amazing individuals. Couple of highlights would have to be sharing communion with the team there the night before the campers came in, and getting stuck on a zipline, suspended over the middle of a lake (alas the wind was not in our favor...). Luckily, I wasn't the only one who got stuck so I had company while I was out there (best times with Lil Luke), and we were saved by another intern (who literally said "Well, at least you can tell your friends you were saved by an Englishman!"-Joshua from Texas.)
The individual conversations this past weekend were another favorite of mine. They gave me an insight on what Christ looks like and how he reveals both himself and the good he has done through each person's life, getting them where they are now. Sometimes I got anxious and felt that my work wasn't adequate, but I had to remind myself (a daily struggle...) that I'm doing the best I can to help build God's kingdom and to give the glory to Him, regardless if I succeed or fail. I offered my help once again, and they've kindly allowed me to serve again the following weekend, which I am ECSTATIC for!
A couple who were adult guests (Jon and Ann are the best!) graciously offered me a ride to the train station today, so I got to leave earlier than expected, but it gave me an opportunity to do more exploring!
I contacted some fellow interns who reside in Glasgow (who are pursuing their Masters in Museum Studies), and spent the remainder of my day with them. Amanda showed me around, which I was very grateful for since I didn't know the city that well, and we met Lexi and a couple of others in their program. To end my eventful weekend in good company was both fun and refreshing, and I hope will allow for a good jump start back into research and helping out at the site wherever I'm needed!
Cheers!
