# The ancient, consecrated church graveyard. - Link: https://mywalkabout.net/the-ancient-consecrated-church-graveyard/ - Published: 2020-01-18T05:02:54-07:00 - Author: My Walkabout **The emptiness of the past seven days** seem to be coming to a close. Day eight on Hadrian’s Wall has me seeing more villages, surface streets, even my first highway since day one. Mid-morning finds myself in the village of Eden, just as beautiful a place as the name itself implies. I’m inexplicably pulled towards an old Parish church. ![](https://i0.wp.com/mywalkabout.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HipstamaticPhoto- 588595856.578348.jpg?fit=940%2C940&ssl=1) **It’s early for me** to stop and have lunch, but I can not deny the nagging in my soul to be here. I quietly pass through the rusty gate and into the ancient and consecrated graveyard. I have the entire grounds to myself. ![](https://i1.wp.com/mywalkabout.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HipstamaticPhoto- 588594708.683590.jpg?fit=940%2C705&ssl=1) **I think back to January 2nd, 2015**. I had just boarded a plane, having spent the New Year in Savannah, Georgia, ironically visiting ancient graveyards. Yet my mind was in a dark turmoil. As the flight attendant makes the announcement that it is ok to use electronic devices, I open up my email and type a single line… _“Today will be my last day with Build.Create.Kenya.”_ I push send, and effectively end my relationship with the non-profit organization that had been the proverbial center of my life over the last six years, an organization I helped to create. I probably owed it my co-founders to give a more detailed explanation for my abrupt departure, but I could barely control my hands to type just the one line. ![](https://i1.wp.com/mywalkabout.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HipstamaticPhoto- 588594589.150078.jpg?fit=940%2C705&ssl=1) I was full of impending dread. The company I was working for was struggling, and went bankrupt and closed the doors of employment in April. My mind foresaw this, and knew that if I was going to be looking for a new job, I could not also continue my non-profit work, bleeding out my personal funds to help with another expedition to Kenya. BCK was in trouble as well. The four of us that started the non-profit were the best of friends, yet not the best co-workers. Internal strife and bickering, combined with (in my mind) shady financial practices led me to my quick departure. ![](https://i0.wp.com/mywalkabout.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HipstamaticPhoto- 588594720.319190.jpg?fit=940%2C705&ssl=1) I’m not good at confrontation, and so I choose the quick and cowardly way out through a single email sent on a plane. I got two responses back, neither of which were very kind. None of us have spoken since that fateful day. As I sat eating an early lunch under the shade of this ancient 16th century church in Eden, England I found that confronting this rough time in my time helped me to forgive myself for my actions. I kneeled and prayed in the soft grass. I walked slowly, letting my hands caress the stone grave markers of those that have passed on. ![](https://i0.wp.com/mywalkabout.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HipstamaticPhoto- 588595200.191797.jpg?fit=940%2C705&ssl=1) The guilt I have been carrying all this time was slowly washing away. It’s so cliche, but all things do happen for a reason. It was here that I realized that all actions before led me directly to where I was at this moment. To a place of peace and reconciliation. I’m sorry for how I ended things with BCK and the close bonds I had with those around our little non-profit. I was ready to continue walking forward, both literally and metaphorically. ### Share this: * [ Email ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-ancient-consecrated-church-graveyard/?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20The%20ancient%2C%20consecrated%20church%20graveyard.&body=https%3A%2F%2Fmywalkabout.net%2Fthe-ancient-consecrated-church-graveyard%2F&share=email) * [Post](https://x.com/share) * [Share on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/share) * [ WhatsApp ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-ancient-consecrated-church-graveyard/?share=jetpack-whatsapp) * [ Nextdoor ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-ancient-consecrated-church-graveyard/?share=nextdoor) * [ Threads ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-ancient-consecrated-church-graveyard/?share=threads) * [[ * [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) * [ Reddit ](https://mywalkabout.net/the-ancient-consecrated-church-graveyard/?share=reddit) ### Like this: Like Loading…