Well, folks, I am in my next space: in a loft--my new room--overlooking Derry Street. The sounds remind me of Broad Street in Philadelphia. But there are new faces and a new energy, so many new neighbors and people to know. I arrived here late last night and, while the bags are in, I am unpacked. In between. Typical.
Because of the questions of some, I feel compelled to write a brief update. These packed last few weeks have been really wonderful--the silent retreat was really meaningful for me. I spent three days very alone on a beautiful landscape, in prayer and listening. Last weekend, I watched two close friends marry on a brisk morning at Spruce Lake. Elyse and Jeff were glowing. I am honored to have had the opportunity to watch their relationship begin and grow into this marriage. After the wedding, I drove most of my earthly possessions to Harrisburg, tossed them in the corner, and headed south with Katie. Road trip oh nine.
We mostly explored Georgia, sleeping at some state parks and stopping for any and all ridiculous photo ops. We walked around the easy-paced streets of Savannah and enjoyed the quaint towns surrounding. We locked our keys in the car at a gas station in the middle of nowhere and made ten plus friends who offered their help. The town sheriff, motorcyclers, gas-fillers, and interested others came to assist, carrying on lively conversations with us in southern drawls. One person even bought us pizza. We stopped to look at cows and sunsets and ate peaches that a farmer gave to us for free. We found cute cafes and a great used bookstore. We received authentic southern hospitality everywhere.
One of the main reasons we went to Georgia was to see Koinonia Farm, a beautiful intentional community of farmers who sustain their community through eating what they grow and selling the rest. I met so many interesting, quirky earth-lovers there, each on his or her journey to discover God more. I met Blake who showed me fire ants to avoid and taught me which were the best blueberries to pick. I met Kurt who showed me around the farm, talked about permaculture, and explained “humanure”. I hoed in the garden with Dan and another Blake, who gave me my first glass of Georgian sweet tea. He had been traveling for the last three and a half years, living in different intentional communities to decide which to join. I met Mark, a pastor from out west, who gave me a book “Simple Spirituality”, simply because he thought I would appreciate it. I met Sybilla and Kathy and other folks from Habitat. Katie and I stayed for community meal and explored the campgrounds. When I asked about the refugee population in Americus, where the farm is located, they told me that I should go to their daughter community, Jubilee Partners. The name made me smile, so we got an address and headed to Jubilee the next day.
Jubilee Partners is a similar community but its main purpose is different: it exists as a community of hospitality to refugees when they first come to the United States. They have several houses where refugee families can live with them for two months, take intensive English classes daily and learn about the new land to which they’ve come. While it’s tricky to describe what Jubilee Partners is, it is a place of deep peace and unmatched hospitality. I went to the school house and met some Burmese refugees and their English teachers. Having been on the end of refugee resettlement that knows well the need for more funding and more volunteers to cushion the refugees when they first come to the United States, I was moved by the community that embraced them and provided such a haven for them to find their feet in this new culture.
After some time with my cousins who live just thirty minutes from Jubilee Partners, Katie and I made the trek home. Let’s just say that although it’s still very unclear where I will be after the summer ends, the water got far more murky after I spoke with the volunteer coordinator at Jubilee.
More again soon, because there is so much more.
