fellowship – sevenby30

As I write, I am moments away from packing the last bits of my bag for my trip to Coffeyfille, KS. We’ll gather to remember CJ Hunter in just a matter of hours. It’s hard for me to take any trip abroad or domestically without thinking of the name CJ gave me.

Here’s the story:

Back in 2011 when I lacked the knowledge of how to prepare for my first international trip, I reached out to him first. I knew that he recently visited the UK and I was a fumbling and stumbling mess, in need of help.

I’d later reach out to Bishop Maurice Green of Bryan, TX. He graciously linked me to the Blackman family and the COGIC UK tribe. It was all divine.

CJ’s messages still bring a smile to my face.

I believe we Skyped that night too and I got a severe tongue lashing from him. We laughed until we cried that night because of my lack of planning. This was in September of 2011. My first trip abroad to England was in September of 2011. That’s when he first called me Karissa “No Plans” Johnson.

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It’s okay to step away from your device sometimes. They might miss you, but you won’t miss out.

cy·ber /ˈsībər/

adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of the culture of computers, information technology, and virtual reality.
“the cyber age”
synonyms: electronic, digital, wired, virtual, web, Internet, Net, online
“our relationship was more cyber than face-to-face”

si·lence
/ˈsīləns/

noun
complete absence of sound.
“sirens pierce the silence of the night”
synonyms: quietness, quiet, quietude, still, stillness, hush, tranquility, noiselessness, soundlessness, peacefulness, peace (and quiet)
“the silence of the night”

She sat to the right of me on the couch that night. I was in Hangzhou, China (circa July 2013) and Emma was my roommate.

“We haven’t quite figured this thing out, you know?” Emma said.

Minutes before that statement, I was talking to her about how I accidentally left my phone in a cab. I was frustrated not just about losing my phone, but that I had nearly hit 500 followers on Instagram and I wouldn’t be able to see when I hit that number.

Scary.

Insert pyschological syringe. I was on drugs. Addicted to say the least.