Hey guys,
For those of you who may not know I've been spending the last 7 weeks of my summer living at the "Peace House" in Indy. It's owned by the Indianapolis Peace Institute which has helped all 8 of us living here to arrange internships for the summer. The program also focuses a lot on community living. So of course as I've been going through this program I can't help but compare it to what I imagine Riley Court to be like next year. While I've had fun here I know Ubuntu is going to be even better!!
Of course there are some differences - there are 12 of us in Riley Court (compared to 8) and we're going to have to live together for an entire school year instead of a mere 9 weeks. We'll be living in the somewhat secluded little village known as Bluffton whereas here I'm easily within walking distance from downtown Indy. But I think the biggest difference between the Peace House and Riley Court is going to be the students.
While I've made some great friendships here in Indianapolis, we were all kind of thrown in the house together with different goals, ideas, and expectations. The ability Ubuntu has had to sit down in advance and to discuss our vision of community living will prove vital to our success. For example, one of the similarities between the Peace House and Ubuntu is our community meals. Here in Indy the Tues. evening meals are a requirement of the program and therefore can feel very forced because not everyone wants to be involved. Instead of being excited about community time together people complain and argue.
Now, conflict isn't a bad thing - in fact it can be very healthy - but it hasn't always been handled that way. During orientation we had a meeting to go over community expectations and rules. One of the rules causing the most conflict is one of the most simple - clean up after yourself in the kitchen; don't leave dirty dishes out or in the sink. However, after our first community meal, we had leftover pesto sauce. The next day the pesto appeared on the stove and stayed there, out in the open, for 5 entire days. I will admit my bias - I'm a little bit of a neat freak - but that is gross. This simple thing, pesto sauce, was causing a huge uproar in the house. To no avail, people were trying to drop hints to the person who was responsible for leaving the pesto out. Eventually, after 4 days a note was left on the pesto asking (not so politely) that it be cleaned up. This only made the issue more divisive than ever. And while the pesto eventually did get cleaned up, another nasty note was left and the house would never come together as one again. It’s a pretty sad story actually.
Here’s what I see about our Ubuntu group though, while I’d like to be optimistic enough to say there will never be a pesto-like problem in the community that’d be lying. Things aren’t going to be perfect and each of us will probably do something which will annoy the other. There will be conflict. The difference is going to be in solving it. As a group we have recognized that there will be conflict we’re going to have to approach it directly and with love. The behind the back conversations and malicious notes will not be acceptable. We each aim to respect the other person and to grow as a group. Bluffton has instilled in us an ability to look beyond ourselves and to have bigger motives at heart. I am confident that our group will be able to talk through issues of misunderstanding instead of disregarding any rules the group has agreed to and turning everything into an “us” vs. “them” conflict.
It’s embodied in our name, Ubuntu. It means “I am, because we are”. As a group we will recognize each person’s individuality as a member of our community – to grow, learn, share, experience, disagree, agree, eat, clean, and garden together.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Kristen: Preparation
So, I've never really written in a blog before, but I guess it's about time I did.
This next year is going to be a great adventure. I'm looking forward to being part of a community of people, instead of just living on a floor of students that I don't know very well. I think it's great that we've all come together in sort of a common purpose-- to live simply in community together.
I think I am most excited about our "green" focus. Several of my friends have gotten to calling me a tree-hugger, and while literally hugging trees is not my hobby, I think it's so important to be aware of the impact our lifestyles have on the environment. One of the main ways I'm excited to see this happen is to eat locally. This summer we're helping out with Devon's family's garden, as well as Tig's. Also, with Devon's work at Suter's Produce, he has easy access to lots of delicious locally grown fruits and veggies.
Clearly, though, most of this food is ripe and ready for the picking now-- in the summer-- and we don't start living together until the end of August. Thus, it's really important to store up for the winter. After reading Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" about her family's experience living locally for a year, I realized how much planning and preparation goes in to making local living a success. You really can't expect to just pull fresh sweet corn from the freezer unless you've actually taken the time to put it there. As obvious as that sounds, I think it's actually very significant. Many of the big ideas we have will remain just that--ideas--unless the appropriate thought and planning goes in to making those things a success.
So far, Devon and I (with the help of my Grandma!) made some freezer strawberry jam from Suter's stawberries-- hopefully it'll be enough to last us through the year! I'd also like to freeze some corn and maybe make up some spaghetti sauce once the tomatoes are ready in the garden.
Anyways, I'm excited to plan/dream/do/fail/persevere/live/grow with this wonderful group of people.
This next year is going to be a great adventure. I'm looking forward to being part of a community of people, instead of just living on a floor of students that I don't know very well. I think it's great that we've all come together in sort of a common purpose-- to live simply in community together.
I think I am most excited about our "green" focus. Several of my friends have gotten to calling me a tree-hugger, and while literally hugging trees is not my hobby, I think it's so important to be aware of the impact our lifestyles have on the environment. One of the main ways I'm excited to see this happen is to eat locally. This summer we're helping out with Devon's family's garden, as well as Tig's. Also, with Devon's work at Suter's Produce, he has easy access to lots of delicious locally grown fruits and veggies.
Clearly, though, most of this food is ripe and ready for the picking now-- in the summer-- and we don't start living together until the end of August. Thus, it's really important to store up for the winter. After reading Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" about her family's experience living locally for a year, I realized how much planning and preparation goes in to making local living a success. You really can't expect to just pull fresh sweet corn from the freezer unless you've actually taken the time to put it there. As obvious as that sounds, I think it's actually very significant. Many of the big ideas we have will remain just that--ideas--unless the appropriate thought and planning goes in to making those things a success.
So far, Devon and I (with the help of my Grandma!) made some freezer strawberry jam from Suter's stawberries-- hopefully it'll be enough to last us through the year! I'd also like to freeze some corn and maybe make up some spaghetti sauce once the tomatoes are ready in the garden.
Anyways, I'm excited to plan/dream/do/fail/persevere/live/grow with this wonderful group of people.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Shawn: First Post
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
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
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