Community Fellows Reflections: Lindsay

Hello! It is November already and I'm finally able to wear a sweater; time rapidly flies by, and at the same time goes at a snail's pace. I pray time has been good to you if you're reading this blog post. It certainly has been to me.

First of all, thank you to everyone who not only prays for KCB but for the fellows in the Fellows Program. I feel it and appreciate it. God provides, protects, guides, and reveals His will in so many big and small ways. 

Christian Community Development is messy. I'm discovering the further into the program I get, the more I cannot compartmentalize my life- and I know this is good. Living life with others is rarely uncomplicated, neat and tidy, which does cause friction to my Dutch, CRC upbringing. (Amiright??? *nudge *wink...ugh) 

There is an element to this lifestyle which holds me even more accountable to myself, to my friends and community, and to my Lord. It is almost as if I'm choosing to live in a glass house to a large degree. And even though I'm making a metaphorical comparison, our neighbors have looked in our windows to see if we're home and want to chat, so... take that for what you will. 

Our neighbors. Night falls earlier so this tends to make it more difficult to be social on our property and in our neighborhood. I am now working almost full-time hours at InJoy Life Resources, which is a blessing, but causes me to feel a bit stretched thin. Time management... (Once again amiright???) Opportunities still come up and I'm ever grateful for the conversation and laughs I can have with one of our neighbors about her cats, her truck, or the basil plant I 'let' her adopt. Oh man. The stories and honest relationships that give me joy... Our property has few children on it, mostly strong, single women with full-time jobs, and as such, our experience has looked quite different from the girls on Eucalyptus.  I ask for prayers for more and more opportunities for walls to fall down and for relationships to become stronger. We want roots in these friendships.

Our Church. Bell One shares space with two other church bodies- the potential is so great! And since I was raised in this church's traditions, I am already equipped and comfortable there. (Can be both good and bad.) I ask for prayers to become an advocate for CCD ideas and actions at our church. They have welcomed me with open arms and each Sunday I meet someone new. It is already home! But please pray that the Lord guides these relationships and doesn't allow me to become too comfortable in the familiar. 

And finally, God has been so loving to me. IS so loving to me. He is lifting a magnifying glass to all areas of my life, and especially within my own heart and mind. To say there have been changes in these two areas is an understatement. God is rearranging me and mixing me up causing me to fully, 100%, rely on Him. THIS IS REALLY REALLY REALLY DIFFICULT. I can say I've trusted him and that I had faith, but in the past I've always had at least one foot on the ground in terms of control. This is not the case anymore. Lastly, I ask for prayers that this becomes the norm and not the exception. 

I love coffee, by the way. And I love meeting new people! Consider this an open invitation to chat and laugh together. Have a wonderful week!

Linds~

Community Fellows Reflections: Gabi

It’s crazy to think that we are already a quarter of the way through the Fellows Program. It has gone so fast, yet so much has happened.
        The first time we came to look at the apartment that we now live in, a little boy was playing baseball outside and we introduced ourselves and played a little bit with him. This simple interaction with him made it clear for all of us that this was the place we wanted to live in. We had no idea how many more kids lived here, but, in my mind, I thought, if one kid is willing to be outside and play with some folks he just met, I can’t imagine the relationships we could have with others who live here.
        There are so many kids that live in the immediate apartments around us, and for me, that is the greatest thing ever. I love coming home after work to the girls belting out Frozen songs and running around outside through puddles after a much needed rain. I’ve received many gymnastics lessons and have seen that little girls are much more agile than I am! Simply running around, tickling and playing games with all these kids is truly a blessing. I can’t imagine life here without them.
        One of the sweetest parts about this year so far has been the community that we have been accepted into and the incredible opportunity we have had to continue to grow in the already established relationships of families around us. It is truly becoming more and more like home. I’m so thankful for the chances Jesus is giving me to do normal, daily life activities with the people that I live with, and, inevitably, being able to listen to their stories and share Jesus’ love and truth with them.
        There truly is no greater way to experience and extend God’s love than to simply be with him and people. However, this “be”-ing is extremely difficult at times for me when there seems to be so much going on between work, school, church activities, etc. I am trying to learn how to live in Jesus’ rhythm of life, not my own fast-paced rhythm that often results in a discordant, exhausted life.
        I would so appreciate your prayers for my sensitivity to Jesus as I go about living life with my neighbors, roommates, classmates, coworkers and anyone else Jesus gives me the chance to spend time with. I hope to slow down and let Jesus lead me instead of trying to blaze the trail myself. God is so good and gracious, and I have experienced the realities of that in many, many ways these last few months. I trust that he will continue to work in our lives and the community he’s placed us in for His glory.