infatuation

I am irresponsible.

Has anyone seen my camera?

The infatuation has worn off at our house. We've all known each other as friends, roommates, and co-laborers for nearly 2 years now and I figure it's probably about time that we start to see each others' flaws, quirks, and idiosyncrasies with eyes of grace and humility. Many things that bothered me months ago are now seen as invaluable additions to our household. If TJ didn't walk around shirtless, who could we poke fun at?












Speaking of, I think I might know who has my camera.

The truth of the matter is that I am the youngest, and in many regards the most immature participant in this community home. Sure I put in lots of work in the garden, cleaning, caring for the chickens and such, but I am a do-er. I have to 'do' to be fulfilled and I therefore lack much of the quiet beauty and grace that my three cohabitants have in various measures and means.

So the infatuation stage is coming to an end and I am starting to appreciate my sister and brothers in the ways in which they differ from me, but not only that--I am finding that committed community causes me to do so much contemplation of my own fatal flaws. Exactly what I had hoped for. In choosing to love and serve in the avenue of a prolonged convergence of several human lives--your character is brought to light. Yes, exactly what I hoped for.


Living in community is never the easier way of doing life- but it is better.

I went to India/joy

It's not hard to grow when you know that you just don't know.

I'm back from my world travels and in the full swing of things. Three of the 'things' I shall expound upon are working in front of a computer screen for 7-10 hours a day, interviewing for better jobs, and enjoying the joys of new community.

#Uno- The new job is working out well, all things considered. And while I'm considering job related things, let me tell you: the best part is that this job, (with no boss, no scheduled work hours, and no office) creates wonderful circumstances for character building and discipline! The worst of the things is that the job isn't fun and takes up all of my day, thus making the first point all the more true. So, not all that bad. Although...

#Dos- It only lasts until August 31. I decided I want to be a teacher's aide in the Waco pre-K program because it rocks. Only kids in a low socioeconomic bracket or with other extreme disadvantages are accepted into the pre-k program. The classes are filled with minorities.
I've been struggling for 3 months now with Waco ISD to get my application and resume posted online and to get principals to return my phone calls regarding job openings. 48 hours ago I finally had my first verbal connection with a real live principal instead of a secretary or answering machine. 25 hours ago I had an interview with said principal, and 24 hours ago I was offered a job. A great job.
The school is in the projects of East Waco, and the need at this school is to prepare dozens of only-Spanish speaking 4 year olds for an English based education system. The teachers of my 2 potential Pre-k classes are native Spanish speakers and do not speak fluent English so they've both requested a native English speaker to assist the kids in this transition. Holy cow, this is great.

#Tres- Over hand fulls of hand-picked blueberries, muscadine grape jelly making, French press coffee, and a few hours of mending old clothes, we are building a community here at 2704 Fort. We've already experienced a share of joys and sorrows together, celebrating personal and communal victories and defeats. We've mourned a sudden unexpected loss of employment, a tragic band split, and the lives of several innocent rats, sacrificed for the anthropocentrism of this house's inhabitants. (They were stealing our food and defecating in our kitchen, ok) We're struggling to keep the tiny garden watered in the Texas heat but we trust that fruit will come.


Oh yeah, India. It was perfect: sometimes beautiful and mountainous, sometimes dirty, smelly and hot. Always fascinating. It provided a peaceful and leisurely setting for exponential development in the connection between myself and the one I love. Perfect.



There is good in all created things.
Shalom

You came to save us

to re-create us (all things grow)

I'm all moved in to the new house! Eleanor and I share a lovely blue room with five windows and built-in book shelves. We have a front porch for outdoor community and a back porch for respite and reprieve. In the back there are daffodils planted under the clothesline and the yard is shaded by two lovely pecan trees.

Down the street about 5 blocks is our garden, shared with 6 other brothers and sisters. Ellie and I picked the first-fruit of our labor- a cucumber! we immediately snapped it in half and ate it.

On Wednesday, Ellie and I are building a chicken coop under the deck. On Thursday, TJ moves in! When I get back from India in June, we're having a party- a Party Attack, actually- and inviting all our friends and neighbors. get ready.

The three/four of us in the house are having conversations about and making efforts at establishing intentional community- any ideas or suggestions you have to help us enrich our living together would be extremely welcome.


Sunday was a big day- can I tell you about it? let's go from midnight to midnight:
12am on Sunday, I'm at a Great Gatsby party, dressed to kill in a flapper dress, drinking prohibition gin and tonics, and dancing like mad to Bridget Bardot, my new favorite French pop artist. All my favorite Great Texts majors were there and we celebrated the momentous occasion of their graduation from Baylor in high style. Near 3:30 Ellie and I meander back to the Bridgewaters to sleep and awoke at 8:00 for church.
At church we had a dedication ceremony for Jonas, Carrie and Fernando Arroyo's son. The Mennonites know how to do this right. It wasn't a mere dedication but a ceremony of blessing in which the mother and father and all the church spoke words of blessing over the baby and family. At the end, Fernando spoke a blessing to us, the greater family. It was beautifully moving and I cherish every bit I can remember of it.
The beautiful time of worship and communion closed with a children's sermon, delivered by me, on non-violence. My part was quite minor and insignificant when paired with the incredible thoughtfulness in the words of the kids. In their answers to the question, "why are people sometimes not friends with other people?" two said, "we aren't friends with people who are different from us," and "sometimes we just aren't nice." And to the question, "why do friends sometimes argue," they responded saying, "selfishness" and "not getting your way."
This place is so spiritually and emotionally rich that I sometimes know no other response than weeping at the beauty of these people.
I then went to a potluck lunch where Kombucha and water were the two beverages served. Only this place, only these people. As we left the potluck to go paint our new room, all the musical instruments came out and we were very sad to go.
After painting most of the afternoon away, we went back to the Bridgewaters to work on our own Kombucha batch. We bottled the old brew and made some new tea to ferment for the next one. Our mushroom pet is now happily stowed away in a dark closet, eating up caffeine and sugar until we're ready to drink him.
(this is delightful Kombucha)
After dinner with church friends, we headed back to our new house where we ate yogurt and looked at all the pictures in my big Sudan book by candlelight (we didn't have electricity yet). We slept on the floor of the dining room.

It was another lovely day


And now:

"May we be a sign of the Kingdom of God. May we be a sign of the presence of God in the world. May we be one as the Father and Son are one. May we be a community of forgiveness and celebration"

Shalom