Hello UGatherers- Jemina here,

As we slowly wind down from our peak summer days I can’t help but get excited for cozy sweater season and moments to reconnect and hear about everyone’s summer adventures. Although this season isn’t exactly as I imagined, it has also been a blessing in disguise. I have found moments to connect with my family through deep grief and high hopes. Most recently at UGathering we hosted our first tie-dye party and it was a fantastic experience! I’ve always loved getting my hands dirty, and tie-dye is the perfect fun mess for that. It was truly wonderful to spend time with our children and youth during these busy summer days. The joy of seeing everyone create their own funky shirts and wacky socks, and the vibrant, speckled hands, made the day special.

A big thank you goes to our dedicated volunteers from our congregation, Green Lake and Wallingford UMC! ~ especially to Pastor Willie and his yard—couldn’t have done it without ya’ll. I hope to keep uplifting the joy of our youth, and moments like these remind me of why it’s so important. The art, the pizza, the music, and the games all came together to create lasting memories.