In June, the world said a formal goodbye to two saints who blessed all of those around them. Louis “LJ” Dickson and Mark Sands. Both of these men dedicated hours of devoted hard work to the PopUp Oasis.

Louis had a penchant for watering, and whenever watering was needed, he was leading the charge. He was willing to work on any task, preferring harvesting to weeding. Louis never stopped what he was doing to join in a conversation, he worked while he engaged with others. Louis enjoyed taking our harvested produce around to neighboring partners where he shared generously. Usually, Louis was humming or singing as he worked. His smile was captivating and made you feel loved.

Mark had a desire to serve others. His work in the PopUp garden and my own personal garden was precise and done well. Mark enjoyed meeting with the Mosaic crew and partnered with different people every shift so he could get to know them. While it was difficult at times for Mark to stand back and allow the Mosaic crew to do the work, he was always willing to laugh and joke with all of us, even if we didn’t do tasks according to his level of perfection. Mark showed up every week and took a personal interest in each person at the garden, as well as the plants we raised. Mark came for the people. His smile was captivating and made you feel loved.

Harvest PCA church held a memorial service for Mark on Saturday and we held a dedication at the PopUp for Louis the following Monday. It was a jolt to have to say goodbye to two great men two days apart. Marking these moments brought me joy in having known these men who smiled easily, laughed quickly and shared their hearts and hands.