Name and pronouns: Amber Sarpy (she/her)
Cohort year: 2009-2010
Where are you living now? Austin, TX area
What are you doing now? Music Therapy/Mental Health Counseling; Executive Director of The Clear and Blameless Word Ministries; Children's Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
How has LT impacted your life?
Life Together was a pivotal moment in my life. I was in a great transition period. Prior to becoming a Life Together intern, I applied to attend graduate school. I was also advised to apply to be a DioMass Intern. I became part time grad student and a DioMass Intern at the same time. I found myself living with many identities that year: a woman, an Afro-Latina, a musician, a music educator, the daughter of a Nondenominational Pastor, a graduate student, an intentional community member, a community organizer in training, and a young adult minister. I was given the opportunity to explore how the many facets of my identity, at that moment, would inform the work for that year. It was very sobering.
The impact this reality made on my life has been long lasting. It taught me that in order to do meaningful work I need to embrace and understand that comfort is not always productive. It's nice to be comfortable, but if we peel back its layers, who is benefiting by it, and who is not? I also learned that oftentimes, I will know what to do as I go, rather than at the onset of a project, if I am intentional about seeking God's will for whatever the work entails. This knowing is best done in community with people who have been empowered to speak up for what they need, what they see, and what they do not see.
Anything else you'd like to share?
These days you'll find me raising my son and enjoying life as it is, rather than what I thought it would be. Happiness is sometimes a temporary notion, but God's joy is eternal. To follow us you can locate us on YouTube at It's Tomato's Mommy.