Well i guess i'll get things started...thanks to all of you who read this and keep up and are interested in what we are doing. I believe i can speak for the group when i say we appreciate the support of others. As many of you know we are an intentional community with an emphasis on living simply in our community.
My main fears are the same with every new situation I go into. What is it going to be like and how is it going to change what i already have? I am comfortable right now. Comfortable with my schedule and the activities I'm involved in. So I really dont know exactly how this whole themed housing is going to work out but i'm excited to try bc i love the people in the group i know, and have heard amazing things about the ones i dont. I feel like we will have rough times but everyone in the group will def be respectful of one another and just be a lot of fun.
I am mostly worried about my ties to everything in life right now including the community. I feel stretched in the activities i'm in, but they are all so important to me that i dont want to drop any. I have already been forced to make the disicion to drop soccer and sunday night worship. It was hard decision in intself and next fall will be the first fall i havent played soccer since 3rd grade. I know it's gonna be tough, but i did it for Young Life. Young Life (YL from here on out) is a parachurch ministry to high school students around the country and in 19 other countries as well. YL takes college students and a few adults and goes to where the kids are to earn their trust and "earn the right to be heard" and preach the gospel. i did YL my senior yr of hs and had a blast and grew by leaps and bounds and finally found out what it meant to "GO to all nations baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit". GO is a command we must all follow, the where is decided by God and if we are in communion with Him, He will point out where he wants us. he did this for me before i even went to college but i tried to get around it by coming to bluffton. Dont get me wrong, i loved bluffton, but it was comfortable. it was me not selling out to God. Well he had his perfect plan in mind and started YL in Lima in Dec and pushed it in my face to where it was undeniable that that was where i was supposed to be. I love the kids and love the other leaders and love the time we spend diving into scripture and each other's live, and getting to know new people and growing in Christ and fellowshiping, but it has put a strain on my relationships here. I've been focusing a lot of my attention and energy on laurin (the gf of 47 days) :D but i'm not finding the time i feel i need to keep up my friendships with the guys and w/ the girls from ropp that i used to hang out with a ton....hopefully vball and bible studies along with more frequent weekend hanging out and dumbness can over come that, but then i wont be meeting new Lima Sr students (ther first hs YL has started) as often as i should be and gaining relationships there.
What makes me most frustrated is being on the opposite side of campus. I will have to make a huge effort to see all of my friends from this yr, next yr. I know there is no way they will want to come and hang out on the other side of campus, so it will have to be my initiative to keep up those relationships amid all the other stuff i have going on and remain an active member of our intentional community.
I'm excited for the opportunity that was given me and want to thank whoever's idea it was to invite me into the group. i honestly had no plans for rooming next yr and God dropped this in my lap which was really cool, but at the same time, i'm nervous about the outcome.
thanks also to all the members for the part they have played and helping me to feel accepted. i know i have had virtually nothing to add, and didnt come up with any cool ideas and may not be the funnest kid to hang around, but i feel accepted all the same and with everything going on, that one thought gives me peace. I know next yr will be just fine.
Shawn Yoder
SY
