WJI Blog 2022, May 31 AM - What I Didn't Expect

It’s a funny thing, I was not expecting the people to be the highlight of WJI. I am not sure why. I didn’t have many expectations, but the stuff that I did expect to happen (awesome lectures, great learning opportunities, cool experiences) have all materialized to be sure, but I keep coming back to the people.

Some background. I have never been in a community I really connected with over things like faith, culture, and worldview before. Sure there are youth groups, and I do have good friends, but never a group of people that all together made the community more than the sum of its parts.

That’s why WJI is awesome.

Every day I feel so honored and grateful to be amongst some of the world’s finest journalists, writers, editors, and technicians, to learn from them, to laugh with them, to live with them, even if only for two weeks. It may seem like I am exaggerating, but honestly the blessing of having this sort of community, something I have only experienced in bits and pieces before, is so beautiful. Every day I grow sad that another few hours have passed and that soon I will be going home.

But at the same time, that’s not the end of the story. I am making connections, contacts, most importantly friends, and every day together we can be intentional about staying friends, sharing stories, opening up the gifts God has for each of us together over the course of our lives.

I think my life trajectory has changed because of this community. The collection of people that God has put together has so much potential, nay power, to do good in the world moving forward. And even if I only get to watch it unfold from the sidelines, I could never be more grateful.

- Jessiah Hahs Brinkley