Devon: Intentional Community

Ubuntu, what does this mean? “i am because We are.” This is the first time that I have blogged this year, and for a while I was a bit frustrated with myself because I did not really know what I could say that would do justice to this ideal that we have set for ourselves this year. We have a lot of goals that we have set, but the major commitment that we have made is to be intentional about becoming an intentional Community. If there is one thing that I have learned at Bluffton these last three years, it is that it is often hard to be intentional about being in community with other people. It is easy to be in community with people who have similar interests or are like minded, but is incredibly challenging to force yourself to be open and honest about where you fall short or are struggling.
Why are we as humans so afraid of being truly known? More and more I am realizing that it is the fear of rejection that causes us as humans to shut out the world in such a way that prevents us from being challenged in any significant way. We are afraid that in being vulnerable that we will be taken advantage of and hurt in ways that last for ever. Why are we afraid of this very real truth? Because it has happened before. We all have scars and open sores that will never truly heal because we have made ourselves vulnerable to others, and they have taken us for granted and hurt us in so many ways. We are all guilty of being on both end of the “knife.”
Why is this so important to this idea of Ubuntu? In the past four weeks, I have realized a lot about myself that I have hidden from myself for the past twenty-one years. I need intimacy from all kinds of people who are in different phases of their lives. I am blessed to be engaged to a wonderful woman that challenges me in new ways everyday, yet loves me for who I am, despite all of my weaknesses, scars, failures, fears, and idiosyncrasies. I am blessed by my oldest friends here at Bluffton because they have been right beside me in my walk with the Lord. This path is full of potholes and the shadows of uncertainty, but together we hobble on, knowing that there is a reason that we- the Church struggle forward through doubt and fear. We strive to serve, love, and know a GREAT LORD. I have been blessed by the challenge of encouraging people who are at a different place on this road of faith. They are beginning to recognize the challenges that await them when they realize that the Good News of the Gospel is not an easy thing to accept because it calls us to live radically in a life full of uncertainty, constant questions about a God that is mystery, and providential works of a loving God.
What am I learning and how am I doing? I am a college student paying a large amount of money in order to get an education. How simply can I truly live? I realize that in the beginning we had a lot of idealized concepts that we hoped to work toward, but now I am realizing “fully” (meaning that I have no idea) that this concept of living simply is a process that will take my whole life to work toward understanding. However, I am learning that we are succeeding in some very important ways. Yes, we are composting. Yes, we are trying to conserve water and recycle. Yes, we are trying to live in mutual respect. Yes, we do fail. Yes, we are trying to reach out to other people on campus and in the surrounding community. But most importantly- we are living intentionally IN community. We are learning to know and be known. We are struggling to feel, identify, hurt, cry, laugh, empathize, encourage, challenge, love, respect, each other, knowing that when we do these things (even imperfectly) we not only find satisfaction, joy and peace, but we see and feel GOD in those around us. Often, this is the only thing that I am able to hold onto when things are rough.
To God be the Glory…. Great things God has done!

ubuntu - i am because We are

devon matthews

Jennifer: A picture's worth a 1,000 words

The girls share bathroom chores on a weekly rotation.










Our bulletin board made out of old magazine pages.

Ready for the Compost pile - thanks Sally and Jonathon!!

Collecting change for change

Just a shoutout to thank the Intagliata's and to Eli Tracy for sharing their delicious produce!

Signs to remind us to save energy!

Thanks to B&G we now have brand new water-conserving showerheads. We couldn't believe it - it seems like we have even more water than with the old ones!

Erin: Exciting year ahead!

Well, I am finally getting a chance to sit down and write a blog entry.

I am really loving living in our community here in Riley court. My favorite parts of living here are the great community meals, conversations with others in the community, and the effort of everyone in the community to make this experience great!

I am really excited that we have already implemented many of our ideas such as composting, having a community meal once a week, meeting with mentors, and sharing cleaning duties. Everything is going much smoother then I ever thought would be possible.

As usual I am swamped with school work, practicing, and other commitments. This is sometimes really stressful and I regret not being able to be with people from Ubuntu more throughout the week. However, I still feel like a very important part of the community and I enjoy coming home at the end of the day to a great group of people and friends.

I am excited to see what the rest of the year will bring. I know that it will not always be as smooth sailing as it has been so far, but I know that we will learn a lot about each other and about living simply and in community.

Karla: A great place to live

I feel as if my life right now is speeding by, but at the same time I feel as if I am not getting anything accomplished. I hate that everything is so planned out for me. I have written all school assignments, FCSA activities, marriage counseling, and volunteering in my planner. What's left for Karla time? And for that matter what's left for time to be in community with people? Its things like this that make me wish time would stand still while I finish up a few projects so I can press play when I have less to do and plan. Shouldn't life be more spontaneous? I guess I am not really the spontaneous type, but a little more freedom would be GREAT!
I've heard, as we get older more things keep piling up. Why would anyone want to grow up? But its these new responsibilities and groups that you join that make life exciting. Ubuntu has opened my eyes to the greatness of community living. There are so many opportunities to sit down and enjoy a rather deep conversation with people my age as they try to solve life's problems as they come our way (I'm more of a listener). Balancing school work and friends is something that doesn't come easily for me. It's nice that there is usually someone around for me to talk with when I need a break from studying. I am seriously thankful for the community I am living in.

Shawn: Environmentally Conscious

So when i joined this group it was mostly because i needed a room and a place to live. Dont get me wrong i was excited about who i was getting to live with and was tremendously excited about living in community, but i was like, WHATEVER, about the "being environmentally conscious" clause in our proposal. I figured it wouldnt be a big deal and i could just let that slide.

However the longer i've lived here and have been exposed to conversation of the group members, the more i find myself critiquing the way people around me in any circumstance waste resources. I used to be opposed to trayless tuesdays because they were an inconvenience when i wanted to get a bunch of food and not have to make several trips. I dont know if not grabbing trays actually saves water (there are many rumors circulating), but I have flipped my stance and have made it a habit to not grab a tray when going through the line, tuesday or not. I now engage the people who still complain about not having trays and try to get them to view trays, or on a larger scale, waste, the way i do. If nothing else, not having a tray lowers the amount of food we grab, which will in turn eliminate waste.

Food, electricity, and energy in any form are a gift most people around the world arent privileged to have. There are even some in our own country who forgo these to try to survive. If we all cut back will this lower the overall cost for everyone?

I know this is true on our campus. If, campuswide, we were concerned about not wasting food, shutting off lights, taking short showers and unplugging unused appliances and electronics, we could significantly lower the room and board aspect of our bill to the college.

Our group will probably be most of the people who read this blog but for those outside our group who would love to do something similar to what we are doing i encourage you to ask us questions and talk to professors as well. There are many faculty interested in what we are doing and when meeting with our mentors we explored the possibility of creating a "simple living themed housing" invoice, under the impression that the themed housing group would cut back on expenses, if this group would continue its existance. This is a possibility i am willing to explore with peers who also see the need for environmental accountability.

Why is it that i always write books? Congrats if you made it to the end...see me for your prize.
SY

Jennifer: Meeting with our Mentors

Hey there everyone,

I wanted to get some pictures up from our meal last Sunday.

We invited all 8 of our community mentors and their families - with that many people it was hard not to have a good time! The food was also delcious -a taco themed potluck! It was great to get everyone together for a while to encourage, support, and socialize. Ubuntu had the idea of community mentors before we landed the placement in RC. We were looking for a diverse (sex, department, etc.) group of faculty and staff who would help hold us accountable to our goals and to help us along our way. We also looked for people who may have had experience living in communities like this before. It was a tough process narrowing down our list but we eventually managed. This past Sunday was our first time to meet as a group and I know we all enjoyed it. I think we picked a good group - a couple even helped wash the multitudes of dishes! (Thanks a bunch!!) From here on out, our meals won't be quite as much of a production - only one or two mentors a meal! Can't wait!

Andrea: Realizations

I came in this semester with 6 credit hours looming over my head from unfinished summer classes and something new and shiny on my left hand. I was feeling so ambitious about how fun it would be to live with 3 other blushing brides-to-be; doing homework together, planning our weddings, and having giggly girly pajama parties with chick flicks and chocolate. ... then I started 15 more credit hours when classes started ...and I started my job at Bluffton Presbyterian church... and I started getting emails about "Acting on Aids," "Spiritual Life Week Planning Committee," "PEACE Club," and "Social Work Club" (to name a few) ...and we started having "family" meals and meetings to discuss our responsibilities as part of Ubuntu... and somewhere in the middle of all that I had a terrifying realization: I CAN'T DO EVERTHING.

I was homesick for the summer I spent in Pittsburgh with Kyle, and on the brink of an identity crisis over the loss of my posse of girlfriends who graduated last May. After several late nights sobbing and snotting all over several of my housemates (thanks, guys :) ) I realized something new about myself: I HATE CHANGE.

I always thought I was adventurous; that I could handle anything- I just spent a month in Africa for crying out loud... why am I having an emotional breakdown over being in Bluffton?! I agreed to learn simplicity and community this year... and I think I'm learning those things already. Your schedule is not exempt from a simple lifestyle- it's okay to say "no" sometimes. Community is an everchanging thing- you don't get to hang on to all of your same friends all of the time. You CAN grow separately without growing apart (Teresa told me that.) I love the people I live with now, and even though I miss Erica, Kyle, Teresa and my other friends from before, I would be stealing from myself if I didn't allow myself to grow into the community that's inviting me in right now.

So there you have it. I can't do everything, I hate change, and I love this community.

Karla: What did I get my self into?

It seems as though EVERYONE but me is used to the idea of living simply and community based. So are within the past 2 weeks I have been challenged in ways I did not expect. I think the issue here is time. Last week I didn't have much time to eat lunch and get to class. I got some enchiladas my mom had made out of the freezer and tried to warm them up in the microwave. It didn't work. Why? Because it wasn't plugged in. Who doesn't keep that plugged in! I was a little upset and asked why in the world we don't keep it plugged in and Kristen answered "because it still pulls energy even when you aren't using it." Well, at least I know for next time that a.) I need to plug in the microwave and b.) because it wasn't plugged in I may have saved 1 kw of energy (eyes rolling). This is going to take some getting used to.

Jennifer: Two Weeks Down

As we approach the end of our second week of classes, I feel exhausted! A last minute class change means I'm already behind schedule in class. That, along with clubs and work, means I'm beginning to wonder why there are only 24 hours in a day. However, I feel very lucky to be living over here with the rest of Ubuntu. We're all in the business of supporting each other. After this summer I can't express how nice it is to come home and find that someone has washed my dishes for me, or that someone has donated some delicious tea to the communal cupboard. It kind of lends itself to a "pay-it-forward" attitude - I'm more than happy to clean somebody else's dishes for them when mine were cleaned for me that morning. As far as bathrooms go, we're even sharing our responsibilities there! The girls have created a rotating chore chart and the bathroom has stayed clean so I think it's working! We officially meet with our mentors for the first time on Sunday and it'll be great to hear their suggestions since some of them have had experience living in similar situations already. I know it's just the beginning of a long journey but I can't wait for what's ahead.

Kristen: What is community?

Community is:

• Walking to the kitchen in the morning, grungy in my pajamas and seeing staff members from the neighboring offices.
• Playing a spontaneous game of Apples to Apples Bible Edition (who knew?).
• Sharing floor cleaning duties.
• Exchanging wedding planning details, hopes, and stresses with the 3 other engaged women on the floor.
• Snacking on mint water, frozen jell-o grapes, and other tasty treats with good friends.
• Having deep discussions about serious issues in the lobby.
• Being exposed to the same germs... but hoping the sniffles are just allergies, not a cold!