Tears will be shed

One of the most popular questions that I've been asked in the past few weeks, as my plans for post-CSM continue to come together, is what (if anything) will I miss about San Francisco. Here are my thoughts on that. (And stay tuned for the flip side of this in a few days...)

What I will miss:

--The Salvation Army Turk Street Central Corps. What we at CSM call "Turk Street" is my favorite ministry site (but not that I play favorites!). They have a large after-school program and summer day camp, with dozens of kids (K-6ish) enrolled. I lived in this building for my first three months in SF, and my ties to both the kids and the staff here have always been tight. They have dubbed me "Spiderman" and I try to "swing" in as much as possible. (The nickname goes back to when some of the kids thought I looked like Tobey Maguire; then some of the younger kids thought that I actually am Spiderman, so the name stuck.) Tears will be shed on my last day here.

--Geographical beauty. Northern California has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. I currently live just a few miles from the ocean, 30 minutes from wilderness backpacking, and four hours from Yosemite National Park. And there's a lot more that I just don't have room to write here.

--Friends. Of course, when leaving a place, one will miss the friends they've made. For my first year and a half here, friends were few and far between, but things have improved and there are a fair amount of people I'll miss. Small group, church, ultimate, house, CSM, Hope/Calvin alumni, etc. But the Bay Area is a transient place and two of the people I've been closest to have moved, so some goodbyes have actually already been said.

--The CSM full-time staff. We have great people in each of our eight North American cities. Even though we only meet a few times each year, many of our staff have become some of my closest friends. I'll miss our Sonic runs, late-night card games, and sharing of stories that only other CSM staff can fully appreciate.

--Ultimate. Hands-down, the Bay Area is one of the best places to play ultimate in the world. This summer, I could play six days a week if I wanted to--though I'll probably only play three. Good players and good spirit.