My last shift

Sunday was my last shift in the Village, and also the last day that the Multi-Faith Centre will be fully staffed. That seemed quite strange as I walked in early this morning. I quickly got on with the first task though, which was to finalise preparation for the advertised 9am morning service, even though both myself and the other chaplain on duty thought it unlikely that anyone would come. This is partly because we knew that at least 3 teams were heading up to Whistler this morning to settle into the Athletes' Village there prior to the Closing Ceremony this evening; and we also knew that a significant number of athletes had gathered in the athletes' lounge until quite late last night to relax and celebrate the fact that competition was over for those involved in Vancouver-based sports. (Alpine events in Whistler also finished yesterday but Nordic skiing events continue until mid-afternoon today.) It turned out that we were right - no-one came in at 9am. However, we did have quite a few people who called into the centre to visit, chat or ask questions, and we gave away quite a few leaflets, books and Bibles to those who asked for them.
The Village gradually got quieter as the morning and early afternoon wore on, and as more athletes caught buses to Whistler for the evening. During this time, I made final visits to the Polyclinic and a couple of other places to say farewells. Several of the medical staff were also on their last shift, but a significant number weren't as the Polyclinic will remain open until the last athletes leave on/by Wednesday. It will also serve those who're beginning to decommission the Village between now and then.
Towards the end of the shift, we began our own closing down process by taking down all the pictures we'd been lent to brighten the bare walls, as well as beginning to sort out which furniture belongs to the organisers and which to the various religious groups and families who'd lent things to the Multi-Faith Centre.
Just after my shift ended, we had the heaviest rainfall in my whole time here, and so I was glad that my host family had called to pick me up on their way home from something. In the evening it was good to relax with them and to watch the Closing Ceremony live on TV together.