Sumner Community House

Sumner Rolls On

2007-01-10T10:22:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the poetic and unstoppable circle of life, the Sumner House rolls on...

As of January 1, 2007, all of the "original" Sumnerites have moved on to new adventures, passing the baton to Chad, Athena, Chris and Maggie who have already made the house their own and are beginning to create a new identity for Sumner.

You might be wondering: "But what about the old Sumnerites? Where are they now? Will we ever see them again?" Well here it is, in alphabetical order -- a roll call of previous Sumner residents and their current whereabouts.

Charlie just migrated a hop, skip and a jump up the street to the MANsion -- where he joins some of our very favorite mammals with XY chromosomes. The MANsion has become Party Central for the NE community, and sometimes they just leave the balloons and crepe paper up in between parties to alleviate the need for constant decorating.

Gladdy, in all her newly engaged glory, has moved in to the Casa -- a community house inhabited by some of the most wonderful women -- which is just a few blocks away. She' s busy working at the hospital, doing outdoor medicine work from time to time, planning a wedding, and spending time with her favorite human, Scott.

Justin and his bride, Sarah, live in a sweet little apartment conveniently located a few blocks from La Bonita and the gang. Justin can often be seen around the Sumner House giving some much needed TLC to the garden, working in the garage woodshop, or using the driveway to change the oil in the car.

Sarah (that's me!) and Jonathan, the newest newlyweds, are settling into their little house on Ainsworth, just a 4 minute drive from their Sumner family. They are enjoying the peace and quiet, and simultaneously missing the spontaneous "pop in" visits of their friends.

Scott has rented a little house just a few blocks away from the Sumner House, and is using his organizational prowess to make it a lovely and efficient dwelling. Glad will move in there after they get married in April.

Zeke is still rocking the suburbs, I mean downtown, where he bought a sweet condo overlooking the park blocks. He frequently taunts us with his amazing photos from his travels far and wide.

And now...maybe it's time for the newer Sumnerites to introduce themselves?

Official documents

2006-11-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

This week has been a veritable cornucopia of official documents. Yes, that's right folks, a CORNUCOPIA! In the past few days, I have:

Stood in line at the DMV to renew my car's registration and get new tags.
Visited the Multnomah County building to obtain a Marriage License.
While there, I picked up paperwork to start the process of changing my last name.
Sat at Fidelity Title Company and signed, initialed and dated a three inch stack of mysterious paperwork: disclosures, agreements, notes, blah blah blah.

Not that I'm complaining...

All of those activities point to blessings in my life:

I have a reliable vehicle that passed the emissions test at the DEQ.
There is someone who loves me and is just crazy enough that in ten days, he plans to promise never to leave me.
We are now the official owners of a pretty darn cute little house in northeast Portland.

Woohoo!

I have a feeling that after this month, the rest of my life is going to feel anti-climactic.

Thankful #5

2006-11-14T21:57:00.000-08:00

Sarah's Blog Postings
Without her plethora of postings and poetic prose, this page would be paltry and pathetic. Instead, a wonderland of witty words and winsome writing welcome weary ones with arms open wide. Thank you, Sarah. You will be dearly missed.

Thankful #4

2006-11-02T21:20:00.000-08:00

MethodTM.
This new brand of bio-friendly cleaning products has ushered in a new era of harmonious laundry-making at the Sumner House. Scotty is happy that it's bio-friendly, Chad and Sarah are happy that it's liquid and has a light fresh scent. And the people rejoice!

Thankful #3

2006-11-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

Joaquin.
Our favorite neighborhood burrito merchant -- because he has a great smile, and because it feels great to be a "regular" at the local joint and have someone remember your usual order.

Thankful #2

2006-11-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

Pillows.
The number of overnight guests you can accommodate at any one time is directly proportional to the number of pillows you have available. I'm thankful we have a lot of pillows. I'm fairly certain there have been nights where there was at least one head resting on every pillow we own...

Thankful #1

2006-11-01T22:50:00.000-08:00

Differentness.
Wouldn't community be boring if we all went to bed at the same time and liked the same breakfast cereal?

Thankfulness

2006-11-01T22:47:00.000-08:00

With 39 days until my wedding (and thus 39 days left in my Sumner House adventure), it seems like a good time to ponder the many blessings that have been wrapped up in this community living journey of the past 18 months.

So I'll attempt for the next couple of weeks to post very brief thoughts on what I'm thankful for.

(My fellow Sumnerites, current and former, should consider this an open invitation to contribute to the list!)

Census

2006-10-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned lately that I am living with four (absolutely wonderful) men?

Dudes: 4
Chicks: 1

Where is my Gladdy? I miss her.

Wherever you are, sister, send some estrogen-infused brainwaves my direction!

Sabbatical

2006-10-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

As of late, I've taken an unplanned sabbatical from this here blog. So many reasons. Chief among them is the fact that I've been squeezing wedding preparations into every empty minute.

[Wedding Watch 2006: 54 days and counting!]

Following what Jonathan has dubbed our "high octane courtship" in which we saw each other pretty much every day for a few months, we careening throug a full-throttle engagement adventure. Fourteen weeks from the popping of the question, will be the tying of the knot!

So I suppose it suffices to say that I've been focusing on other things...but that's not the only reason.

To be completely honest, the Sumner House doesn't really feel like the Sumner House these days. Justin is living the life of a newlywed just a few blocks away, and Glad is in Patagonia for a few more weeks...the "we" that was built over the past year or more among Glad, Justin, Scott and me is morphing. I, for one, haven't fully recalibrated yet.

Scotty is temporarily back, Charlie and Chad are moved in, and Steve has been inhabiting the Trollery (his affectionate term for the basement rec room) and contributing to the household for about six weeks now...so the house is busy, and rowdy and full of life...

But it still doesn't feel "normal." I'm sure we will all find a new equilibrium soon; after all, these are good days. But sometimes, I must admit, I feel the tiniest bit homesick for *last* October. (Which is pretty funny, if you know anything about what October 2005 was like for this girl.)

Chapter 2

2006-10-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

Where do I start? How can I even begin to articulate what Sumner has meant to me. Sumner is more than a house, it's Scott, Glad, Zollner who I shared my daily living with. You, saints, have changed my life forever. Your honesty, your vulnerability, your generosity, your accountability, your short accounts, your food, your faith, and your love will live in me all my life. The phrase "I can never go back" comes to mind. I can never go back to single minded dwelling.

Some of my favorite memories:
- staying up late at night with Glad as we processed some hard teary stuff while sitting on the kitchen floor eating cheerios with dried cranberries, chocolate chips, peanuts, and......SCOTCH. At 2am that was a hilarious site to see.

- Garage time with Zollner when she brought me a smoothie and we kept our accounts short with more love and compassion than I was used to.

- Getting a christmas tree with my house

- Falling asleep during Advent because after the 20th night in a row of late nights with the larger community I just couldn't stay awake, but I just couldn't go to bed either.

- Playing old man dress up with Scotty, getting Glad to kacke with Scotty, cleaning the garage with Scotty (countless times), and going on processing walks with Scotty. Whenever I hung out with Scotty I was certain that one of two things would happen. I would either laugh my ass off or I would have a profound conversation and dig deeper into the meaning of life.

- Being surrounded at my wedding while Sarah and I were given a gift from the whole community. If you ever want to see me teary eyed, ask me about this.

Zollner, Glad, Scott, I love you all like I have known you my whole life. Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do as part of this community.

I am now in the beginning of the second chapter of my life - marriage. It's wonderful. And I'm here because I listened to God who asked me to live in a community that would change my life forever.

Now, as Sumner house takes on new members, it will change. That change will be, no it is, hard. I will want to keep it just as it was, but I won't. Because the magic happens in the journey. I pray that the next group at 29th and Sumner is vulnerable, and intentional, and loves each other enough to loose sleep. And I pray that Sumner as I experienced it will live on in the hearts of those that were touched by it.

All my love
Justin

Luna de Miel en Mexico

2006-09-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hola from Isla Mujeres!
We are one week into a fantastically beautiful honeymoon full of sunshine (sunburns), beautiful blue oceans like in the magazines, wonderfully charming Italian hotel owners in the sleepy island of Holbox where everyone drives around town in golf carts and scooters all night keeping in touch...
Holbox was filled with visible reminders of hurricane Wilma damage that has not been recovered. The town is slowly picking itself back up onto its feet, but the parallel between the nice restaurants and hotels and the run down shops and homes of the locals is eye opening... The people are happy and peaceful and seem to carry with them a sense of hope for the future of their beautiful little island. We will never forget this magical place and hope to return soon to see the progress of these wonderful people.
Upon arrival into Isla Mujeres we were faced again with parallels... The beauty of the island and the water mixed with the Cancun like party scene of the daytrippers. Getting up early this morning we were able to have breakfast with the locals and enjoy the quiet of the pre-daytripper Island. There is beauty to be found here in the locals and behind the party scenes and we are enjoying the search!
Hasta Pronto
La Euteneiers

Getting hitched

2006-09-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, September 3, 2006, my life changed forever.

It started out like many Sunday mornings -- Jonathan and I went to church, and afterward stopped at our respective houses to throw a few things in a bag and head to the coast for a day or two. Since his parents live in Pacific City, we have spent a few weekends there over the past few months, and wanted to squeeze in at least one more visit while the weather is still nice.

Jonathan told me that his mom was making a light dinner at 4 pm, and she had asked if we would stop by their family property in Neskowin on the way to pick some blackberries for a pie. So we arrived on the property mid-afternoon, blackberry bowl in hand, and tromped through the waist-high grass in the field, making our way down toward the creek. At the edge of the field, I noticed a small bundle of orange calla lilies, tied to a tree branch with a piece of ribbon.

"Wow, honey...that's pretty. What's that from?" I asked.
"I dunno," he shrugged. And for some reason, I bought it.

We walked across the shallow creek and climbed up to the meadow on the other side, where I found another little bouquet in a tree. I turned around and looked at him inquisitively, realizing something was afoot...but he gave me no clues. He pointed up ahead, and I kept walking, noticing that the path through the meadow was marked by several more bouquets of flowers, leading to the edge of the woods. As we made our way along the path, I was silent with anticipation. I was living in a slow motion universe.

There at the opening to the wooded area, I saw a larger bouquet hanging from a canopy-tree...and I asked, "Should I keep walking?"
"That's the idea," he said, and so I walked under the canopy and peered down into the woods, and gasped.

What stood before me was a breathtaking scene: a small table and chairs, set for a romantic dinner, in a clearing between some trees. The creek trickled by gently just a few feet below us. There were flower arrangements and candles nestled into the mossy ground.

Jonathan seated me at the table, and cued some music. I looked at the table. He had thought of everything: tablecloth, wine glasses, silverware, petite bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a small pepper grinder, and plates and napkins in beautifully coordinated warm orange tones (my favorite color).

All of a sudden he was asking me to be his wife, and I was saying yes!

I shed a few tears, and he put a stunning solitaire on my finger, and then we ate a gourmet meal, which he had prepared ahead and stashed there in the woods...

Fresh mozzarella, yummy bread, salad with artichoke hearts, feta, olives and tomatoes, a nice bottle of Chianti, spaghetti with homemade sauce and shaved parmesan. (I later learned he had made the sauce at 2 am before driving out to Neskowin to set it up in the wee hours.)

After dinner, we walked out of the woods and across another meadow, wine glasses in hand, to find blankets set up under a big tree...and there we had homemade blackberry cobbler and homemade vanilla ice cream!

What an amazing surprise...a beautiful evening...a moment we will remember for the rest of our lives. I can't wait to begin our life together.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

2006-09-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

The past week has been a whirlwind of wedding activity -- bachelor party, out of town guests, rehearsal dinner in the backyard, and of course the grand event.

Saturday night the whole village gathered in a beautiful private park across the river, and sent Sarah and Justin down the rose petal-strewn aisle and out into the world as husband and wife. It was a perfect evening...a perfect setting. For me, the best part was being in one place with so many people I love.

Now, the newlyweds are sunning themselves somewhere in Mexico for two weeks. At the Sumner House, we're just washing sheets and towels, and trying to remember to water the tomatoes until they come home.

Since they'll only be a few blocks away, I'm crossing my fingers that our Garden Guru will still pay regular visits...

Ruby

2006-08-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

I found out yesterday that Ruby sleeps just a few feet away from our house, in a niche behind our brick garden wall. She sleeps on two abandoned chairs, pushed together.

Chad and I met her when I heard the unmistakable sound of a woman wailing, and ran outside to find her doubled over in the street outside our house, chest heaving, tears streaming down her face. I thought maybe someone had attacked her, or she was having a medical emergency, but when she looked up she was wild eyed and twitchy. Her ultra-skinny body and fidgety energy made me suspect meth. (There must be a special place in hell reserved for whoever invented street meth...that's some wicked stuff.)

She came and sat on the front porch, and I brought out a Boca burger and a cold can of Sprite, and sat on the steps and talked while she ate. She was happy to have the food, and started talking about her life. Her story didn't make a lot of sense, which made me sad because I really desperately wanted to believe her...wanted to make a connection, to have a normal human interaction.

She asked me for money for cigarettes, and I told her I didn't have any, but that she could come back anytime she's hungry and I will be happy to give her some food, and eat with her if I haven't eaten yet. I gave her a fleece blanket and promised to listen to more of her story next time she comes to visit. She said she doesn't have any female friends to talk to, and would definitely be back to talk more.

Now, as I'm settling in to my comfy bed for the night, I can't help but think that Ruby might be close enough to hear the clicking sound of my fingers on the keyboard, through the open window.

She's my new neighbor.

On the flip side...

2006-08-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

...Sometimes when your refrigerator dies unexpectedly in the middle of a hot August week, it provides the perfect opportunity to thoroughly clean out every nook and cranny, with warm soapy water.

So the fridge is fixed, and spotless.

And still empty...no one seems to have time to go grocery shopping.

Not My Favorite Breakfast Experience

2006-08-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

There is almost nothing in the universe more grotesque than spoiled dairy products. This morning, my attempt to have a bowl of Cheerios was thwarted when I opened the fridge to find...chunky milk.

That's right folks, the Sumner House fridge is broken! Lots of things are sitting in there, slowly becoming rancid -- so tonight our sacred No Fly Zone time might end up being a good old fashioned session of "Plug Your Nose, Avert Your Eyes and Drop It in the Garbage."

I'm happy to report that our landlord is responsive and responsible, and there will be a Sears representative at our house within the next 24 hours to repair the fridge.

But...sadly, it's too late for the milk.

Ready or Not, Here I Come!

2006-08-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Life is like a cosmic game of hide and seek. Or so I thought. I often pictured God's plan for my life as a set of blueprints hidden in the heavenly forest and my role was to find it. Once found, it would be the key to unlocking my destiny: my direction would be clear, my purpose revealed! I hesitated to take a single step, fearing it might take me off the course plotted out for me on this yet-to-be-discovered map. Then I realized that in never taking a step, I could never find the treasure.
So I began to walk.

As I set out in search of the map, I encountered many obstacles: people who robbed me when I least expected it, dark places where even the moon seemed to hide its light from me, days of hunger when I longed for food or something to drink, and violent storms that threatened to send me home running. There were hardships, for sure, but I began to realize a newfound confidence that was born of adversity, as though the muscles of my faith were being exercised and strengthened through resistance. It was not a confidence in my own abilities but in the One who allowed me to overcome these obstacles. I felt like David, who, after killing many bears and lions as a shepherd boy, could face a giant with courage, because he knew his identity. He was one of God's kids and the One who had been with him in every one of those battles would be with him in this one as well. He had no reason to fear. And neither did I.

Once the blinders of fear were removed, I was able to look around and see the bigger picture...there was no such map to be found! God was plotting my course as I took each step. He gave me several paths to choose from as I went on my search and then He allowed me to decide the direction of my steps. God said that if I sought Him instead of the treasure, I could begin to do the things I wanted to do, trusting that my desires would reflect His. Sure, He's got good things planned for me to do--He says that in the guide book He gave me as I set out on my way--but I've learned that my job is not to figure out what they all are before doing any of them.

You see, as has often been said, the journey is just as important as the destination. God didn't want me to be so focused on finding the map that I forgot to enjoy my time with Him along the way. He wanted me to look around, see the opportunities all around me, and follow my heart. As I look back, I see an interesting map. It's riddled with twists and turns that seem a lot like detours or wrong ways, but I know God allowed me to venture down those roads for a reason. There were many battles as well, but I see that God had my back and allowed me to survive them, with greater faith as a result. So, this is the journey I am on: one in which I focus more on being the person God created me to be than on doing the things I think He has created me to do. If I can get a handle on the "being" part, the "doing" will naturally follow.

And that brings me to Portland. To place my life in the context of community. To live out a living faith in the presence of others who seek to do the same. To learn the difference between unity and homogeneity. To give up my comfort and autonomy for the sake of the Kingdom and of others. (And for my own sake, as well, I suppose.) This is the way we were designed to live. Look at the life of Jesus; it seems pretty clear. I see God at work in the Sumner House and in the Evergreen Community at large, and I want to be a part of what He's doing here--not because I saw any skywriting telling me this was where I needed to go but because it's written on my heart. It's yet another step in my journey. I don't know exactly where the road will take me, but that's alright. I don't need to. I know where I am right now, and that is all that really matters. I'm following my heart and in doing so, I'm helping draw the map.

The Times, They are a Changin'

2006-08-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

While the coming weeks hold a lot of changes for those of us who call the Sumner House home, I am encouraged to report that once again, God is providing everything we need, and going before us to make the paths straight.

With Scotty out of the house and Justin getting married, we have been watching and waiting for two guys to move into the downstairs bedrooms and help Gladdy and I continue the Sumner adventure.

And now, I introduce to you...Charlie and Chad!

Charlie

is a regular around the house, and has been our neighbor over at the Greenhouse for a few months now. Since the Greenhouse folks are disbanding, we have the happy opportunity of scooping him up! Charlie is a fellow Evergreenie, long term Costco veteran, pub quizzer, college student, beer aficionado, chocolate chip cookie baker extraordinaire, and all around easy going guy. We love Charlie's mellow personality and surprising sense of humor. And I can't wait to benefit from the cookie baking!

Chad

is an old friend of mine...I met him ten summers ago, through the church we both attended in Salem. That fall, when I went to study in London, he was one of a handful of people who actually wrote me letters. Our friendship has seen us through stints in the following towns: Flint, MI; London, England; Salem, OR; Huemoz, Switzerland; Gresham, OR; Eugene, OR; Portland, OR; Sisters, OR. Chad is an engineer-turned youth pastor-turned barista, who may just turn into an engineer again one of these days. He loves music, people, coffee, Jesus, and consumer electronics (not in that order!)

Say hello to the new boys of Sumner!

Tradition!

2006-08-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

I really like the fact that the Sumner House has traditions. This summer we find ourselves adrift in the swirling waters of change, but we have a handful of household activities that we are continuing to make a part of the rhythm of our lives.

One of the most beloved summer traditions is our outdoor movie nights, affectionately referred to as "Screen on the Green." All credit goes to Zeke for being the originator of the idea, sometime last summer.

I have a fantastic memory of pulling into the driveway, work-addled and worn down, on a Friday last summer, and finding Zeke, Gladdy and Justin out in the yard getting ready for our first Screen on the Green event. They were listening to world music and Zeke was wearing a straw cowboy hat, and together they were hanging white lights from the dogwood tree, pulling out the barbecue, and mounting a giant bed sheet on the side of the house for a makeshift movie screen.

When I got out of my car, they all yelled with glee, and Zeke called out "Happy Friday, babies!" in a way only Zeke can. Instantly the weight of the week evaporated, and I was flung headlong into the Pure Magic(TM) of Sumner summer living.

Since then, we have watched Shrek, Arsenic and Old Lace, So I Married an Axe Murderer, The Calamari Wrestler, and Some Like it Hot -- all from the comfort of our campy backyard.

If you're in the Portland area, come on over and join us this Friday for yet another installment of Screen on the Green. We'll start with a barbecue at 6:30, and movies will begin at dark.

Current nominations for this week's movie:

- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
- Frenzy (later period Hitchcock thriller)
- The Sandlot

Post a comment to cast your vote or nominate something different!

More garden goodness

2006-07-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

Justin is the Grand Poobah of the garden...thanks to him (and no thanks to me!), we have homegrown vegetables!

Justin has been the architect, foreman and day laborer of the whole garden experience this year. He worked the beds to get rid of weeds and entrenched roots, fed the soil, bought seeds and plant starts, planted, tended, watered and waited.

Yesterday morning, he got up early before work to harvest the green leaf lettuce, and even bagged some and gave it away. We still have red leaf and another kind, I think. We have already enjoyed a delicious round of sugar snap peas, and now the tomatoes are starting to get ripe. There's also a trophy-size zucchini on the kitchen counter, waiting to be used.

Thanks, Justin, for giving us the gift of garden goodness...I feel undeserving, but thankful to be a recipient!

Sunrise, sunset

2006-07-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

For a week or two, my morning ritual was to put some nonfat vanilla yogurt in a bowl, top it with a scoop of crunchy granola, and then wander out to the garden to top it off with a handful or two of fresh, ripe, juicy raspberries from our raspberry jungle.

Almost every day, after work I would walk out to the berry patch again, and pick a pint or two of berries. Being outside, breathing summer air, smelling the ripening fruit while savoring the tactile nature of pulling tender morsels off the branch and plunking them into my stainless steel bowl...it was an unexpected sort of garden therapy.

If you've been reading this cyber journal since its inception, you know that last year I started calling these berries "grace berries," because we didn't do anything to deserve them (they were planted and tended by our landlords before we moved in), and yet they abundantly poured forth goodness, day after day.

This year was no different -- we enjoyed a couple of darn tasty cobblers, ate raspberries in our dinner salads, and of course made a habit of raspberries for breakfast.

But to everything there is a season, and unfortunately berries are no different. I can see why farmers wax eloquent about the seasons -- and why harvest is such a beautiful thing.

Coupledom

2006-06-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Our little corner of community has been struck lately by a sweeping epidemic of Coupledom.

We all know about the epic romance of Justin and Sarah S., who have been each other's other for several years...and in just a few short weeks, Scotty and Glad's love has already become the subject of folklore and legends. But that's not all: in an unexpected and gracious twist of fate, God had pity on my ass and invaded my life with the most wonderful human (who I usually call Jonathan)...and thus, I am swirled up in the mysterious substance of Love, too.

Last week, one of our favorite neighbors became our new housemate, as Jeannie took up residence in the house, filling Scotty's vacant room for the balance of the summer. She has a special someone of her own...

And so the Sumner House has become like a sacred snuggling ground, full of schmoopy twosomes and tender moments. It could be a bit cloyingly sweet, if you weren't indoctrinated.

You are in peril...

2006-06-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Last night was only the beginning of the MASS DESTRUCTION planned for the northeast neighborhood. Our unholy war will be waged with SuperSoakers, water balloons, and any other water receptacle within reach. We will dominate.

You can't compete.

[Currently accepting challenges, taunts, or dares for those brave enough to go up against the mysterious Water Warriors in a full-scale face-off.]

No Fly Zone - The Next Generation

2006-06-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that we of the Sumner House recently changed our No Fly Zone night, and neglected to share that information with our community.

So, for the record:

The People of Sumner have set aside Thursday nights to have dinner together and maintain a guest-free zone. This helps us recharge our batteries and make time to connect with each other on a weekly basis.

As for the other nights of the week -- it's open season for drop-in visitors!

Scott scoots

2006-06-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, our beloved Scotty relocated to one of our neighbor houses. We hated to see him go.

He is not only the one who diligently sorts the recycling every Wednesday and carries it out to the curb...

The instigator of many spontaneous madcap costume-wearing moments (see photo)...

The monkey-boy who clambers up our backyard tree to watch the sunset from a hammock hung 20 feet up...

The experimental chef who concocts surprisingly tasty dishes like oatmeal with caramel sauce and crazy curry dinner sensations...

He is a part of the family that is Sumner, and it's hard to lose him from under our roof. All the same, we love watching Glad and Scott embark on their "Grand Adventure" together...and we're thankful he only lives a few blocks away!

Where to start...

2006-06-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

I've been a delinquent blogger lately...

Not because there's nothing going on worth writing about, mind you -- mostly because there's SO MUCH going on, I don't even know where to start!

Lately, every time I sit down to write, I get overwhelmed and throw in the towel. But, after a few comments from faithful blog readers, I have resolved to give it a shot.

I think the best approach is going to be writing little snippets for a few days, rather than trying to get it all out at once.

So for those of you who are interested, try to be patient, and bit by bit I will tell our story.

The Grand Adventure

2006-05-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

I think that is a great way to describe it: The Grand Adventure. Glad and I have decided to embark on a wild adventure together as we pursue a romantic relationship. Our friendship has grown in deep ways over the last six months, and we have both realized more and more that we really like each other. This decision comes at a high price, though, because we as a house have always held a no dating our housemates policy. I have decided to move out of the house so that I can pursue Glad. We have spent many months trying to figure out how to live together with healthy boundaries in our friendship. We have tried not really hanging out and kind of avoiding each other. We have experienced seasons of frustration and great joy. Glad and I have shared our hearts with Justin and Sarah and they have been huge supports as we have tried to find healthy ways of loving each other while we live together. After many prayers, thoughts, and conversations, Glad and I agreed that we longed to let our lives and the way we interacted reflect our hearts. I am filled with joy to think of pursuing Glad. She is a rare woman. I often find myself lost in the depth of her beauty, wisdom, kindness, and love. I am also sad to leave the Sumner house and the unique relationships we all share as we strive to express live in community. I guess this is what adventure means--Joys and sorrows, traveling to new places and leaving others. My time at the house has changed me for life. The friendships I share with Glad, Sarah, and Justin have shaped who I am and helped determine who I will be. I find solace in the knowledge we share more than just a house, we share a life and a love that will continue to thrive beyond the walls of 2917 NE Sumner. And now, for the adventure . . .

2006-05-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it look like these two are about to head out on a grand adventure?

La la la la la la la la la Bonita

2006-05-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

How do we love thee? Let us count the ways...

1. One block from home

2. Killer guacamole

3. Burritos, baby

4. Our buddy Joaquin

5. Dinner for less than five bucks

The campability of Fridays

2006-05-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

Just the other day...

It was a full moon, Gladdy had a new-to-her 1981 VW van, and the world was our oyster.

The two of us hatched a last-minute plan to soak up some Oregon outdoor goodness by heading out into the wilds of Estacada for some chick camping. It was all-too brief, but glorious nonetheless.

After a healthy dose of girl talk, a couple shots of peppermint tea from the thermos, and several hours of unbeatable van camping sleep, we rolled back to civilization, refreshed.

On the value of margins

2006-05-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

Life is beautiful, and full, around the Sumner House.

In recent weeks, it's been a swirling hive of activity -- comings and goings, events and adventures.

These days I find myself lacking emotional reserves...I feel like an ill-formatted page, with words bleeding out into the margins, and off the sides of the paper. It doesn't matter how good or important the words are, if they don't fit on the page. I am exhausted.

Here are some snapshots to explain the fatigue:

This weekend we celebrated our one year anniversary by throwing a huge barbecue for our friends and neighbors. We loved having the yard full of folks for the first outdoor soiree of the summer. It was a great day, with dozens of loved ones, some new friends, coworkers, family members and neighbors here to help us celebrate.

We barbecued, relaxed in the yard, and were treated to an amazing slideshow that Glad and Jonathan put together, capturing the milestones of the last year in film and music. We capped off the evening with our first outdoor movie of the year -- a screening of "The Calamari Wrestler." Which is, if you can imagine, a Japanese film with subtitles, featuring a pro wrestler who goes up against a human-sized squid. And an inter-species love story. Yeah.

About ten of us slept under the big tree in the yard that night, and I'm happy to say I slept soundly. It was an epic day, chronicling an epic journey.

After spending a couple of months living in our upstairs "reading loft" space, Ali has moved on to the next phase of her healing journey. We have loved having her with us, and even though we knew she couldn't stay forever, it was sad to see her go. She has a sweet spirit and a great sense of fun and adventure, but what I will miss most is seeing her sit and eat breakfast with Jesus each morning. Every morning when I emerged from my bedroom and headed toward the shower, I would pause and say good morning to Ali, who would usually be sitting on her bed bathed in rays of morning sunshine, eating yogurt and granola for breakfast and centering down in the goodness of God. What a wise and beautiful way to begin.

Our days with Justin are numbered...we are starting to feel the imminence of his wedding this September. The soul of Sumner is interwoven with the essence of Justin -- the two are inextricable -- and it's difficult to imagine who we will be without him. It's comforting to know that Justin and Sarah will be nearby, and hopefully even in the neighborhood, but we can't avoid the fact that our lives are about to change.

Leah has returned to Portland, and to our home, for a few days. After several months back in Alaska, she has decided that living in Portland is what she really wants, and for the moment we are her landing pad. Her sweet toddling tow-head is developing more and more personality by the day, and it's a joy to get to be part of his little life in some way.

And the beat goes on...

The threads of community and hospitality keep moving us forward. Each transition, even in the best of circumstances, costs us something.

When we have no energy to press on, no capacity to be patient, no impulse to love, we have no choice but to lean in and rely more on each other, and more on The One who has brought us to this place -- believing that He will nourish us, give us rest and provide the resources we need.

I can honestly say that I am seeing it happen, before my very own disbelieving eyes. God is filling in the gaps of my exhaustion and inadequacy through my housemates, who are some pretty exceptional pinch hitters. I'm hoping someday soon I can do the same for them.

Overheard at Sumner

2006-05-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

"I know it's No Fly Zone*, but I'm just stopping by for sombreros."
- Dan B.

*No Fly Zone is the Sumner House Tuesday night tradition of having roommate-only time, and limiting drop-in guests.

Happy Anniversary, Honeys!

2006-05-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, I spent my first night in this house. Justin, Zeke, Glad and I carried in our boxes and started the process of merging four households into one.

We were energetic and full of ideas. We didn't know each other very well...we'd never really done this before...we had a lot to learn. (We still do.) Three hundred and sixty five days later, I marvel at what has happened under this roof.

May
Within the first week of being here, we already have house guests -- Adam and Trace have been here from the very beginning. They will always be part of the Sumner family.

June
The second community house takes shape... Sarah and Amber move into an adorable house a few blocks away (soon to be joined by Cara).

July
We host a big Fourth of July BBQ at the Sumner House, most often remembered as the party where we played bocce in the kiddie pool. "Screen on the Green" outdoor movies became a tradition.

August
The best month of the summer around here...lots of good barbecue weather. Zeke and Tara make an amazing homemade pesto gnocchi dinner with basil from our garden!

September
We commemorate Labor Day with a campout at our friends Tony & Jane's property in Vancouver. The weekend is characterized by good talks around the bonfire, time for quietness and nature, andour first introduction to Tony's amazing street noodles.

October
Leah and Olin come to live with us for a while. We had lots of fun moments with them, and got to experience having a toddler in the house for a month or so!

November
We celebrate our six month anniversary with a fancy dinner at Ciao Vito. Zeke decides to buy a condo downtown. Sumner and Casa houses go on "hiatus" for a long weekend at Sunriver. We watched the long version of "Pride and Prejudice" much to the boys' chagrin, celebrated two birthdays (mine and Scotty's) and officially asked Scotty to be a permanent Sumner resident.

December
We celebrate the season of Advent with nightly gatherings in our living room...we read, sing, pray, and drink tea with some really special people. During one of these times, the seed idea for the Greenhouse is planted.

January
Justin and Sarah S. return from a Colorado vacation with news...they're engaged! We celebrate two more birthdays - Glad's and Justin's.

February
We experience our first full scale sushi extravaganza right here in our kitchen, compliments of Jonathan. I depart for a trip to Haiti with Northwest Medical Teams, with the support and prayers of my housemates and community members. Richard comes to live with us for a few weeks.

March
The fourth community house in our neighborhood opens its doors for business -- the MANsion is just one block away! Ali comes to stay with us for a while.

April
Our landlord comes to visit and joins us for dinner in the garden. He is pleased with what has been done around the house, garden, and garage, and we sign another lease for a few more months of togetherness.

The past twelve months have been some of the best months of my life. Tonight Justin asked me how I felt about this whole community adventure, one year later.

My answer: Lucky.

Happy Anniversary, my dears...I love you!

Signs of life

2006-04-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep, instead of counting sheep I mentally walked through the house and counted each person that was slumbering under our roof. Eight. Nope, nine. There's me, Gladdy, Ali, Becca, Justin, Scotty, Aaron, Trace and Owen. It's a full house -- air mattresses and futons tucked into every nook and cranny at the moment -- but I'm sure we could squeeze a few more in if you wanted to join us...

It's been an incredible week.

Monday, our landlord (who lives near St. Louis) was in town, and we invited him to come for dinner. He brought his parents, who are traveling with him, and we spent the evening in the garden, eating delicious barbecued morsels courtesy of Justin, and talking about "what we've done with the place," among other things. I'm happy to report that Jamey is pleased with what we've done with the house, garage, yard, and garden. We dropped some not so subtle hints that we'd love for him to sell it to us; we even named a price. (Our price was a joke.)

Tuesday we ate in the garden again -- this time with Bob, the pastor of our little church community. He was paying a "pastoral house call," just visiting to see how we're doing, what's happening among us, and how he can help. It was good to set aside time to pull back from the tyranny of the urgent for a moment, and consider the bigger questions...What are the best things that are happening here? What are the hardest parts? What do we want to accomplish? What do we need in order to do it?

Wednesday I pulled into the driveway after work and was met by a parade of friends...three of the MANsion guys had walked over, bearing gifts. Best of all was the bundle of ranunculus they brought me as a (completely unnecessary) thank you gift. Apparently no one knew it beforehand, but those little Victorian gems are my favorite flower. Next thing you know, a horde of us are marching down the block to La Bonita for tacos, waylaid by our neighbor Pete (aka Pierre) who showed us the fluffiest snuggly puppy you can imagine. Later that night, Justin had transformed the garage into a glowing outdoor living room, with chairs, blankets, candles and white lights. At one point during the evening I counted 20 people gathered there, humming, whispering prayers, singing together, closing their eyes and listening to Aaron's psalms, finding rest in the middle of this busy week, finding a space that unexpectedly feels like home, and happens to be a garage.

Nothin' says lovin' like...

2006-04-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

...congealed hamburger grease.

A Tuesday in the life

2006-04-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

By the time I got home from work at 7 o'clock, I was feeling a little beaten down. It was my first day back after a week's vacation, and for a variety of reasons it had been a long and exhausting day.

The sunshine on the drive home perked me up a smidge, and then I pulled in and saw a glorious sight. Justin, Dave and MacPherson were all kickin' it in the yard -- admiring Justin's handiwork in the garden, drinking beer, listening to music, climbing trees and talking smack. It doesn't get much better than an impromptu backyard party on the first beautiful day of the year.

An hour or so out in the fresh air with friends did wonders for my state of mind.

After it got dark, I picked up the phone to call the Greenhouse. After being gone for ten days, I was missing those silly, thoughtful and altogether wonderful folks. I thought maybe someone would want to hop in the car and go grab a milkshake or something. After one ring, Sean answered the phone.

Sean: Hello!
Me: Hi Sean, this is Sarah.
Sean: Hi, Sarah!
(Voices in the background): Is that SARAH ZOLLNER?!
Sean: Yes, this is Sarah Zollner.
Voices: Ask her if we can come over!
Me: Uh, sure...
Voices: OK, we'll be right there!

About four minutes later, the Sumner House was invaded by happy people...Charlie, Treasure, Jeannie, Dan, Athena and Maggie. MacPherson was already here, and Jonathan arrived shortly thereafter; then Gladdy and Ali got home...it was Insta-Party!

In order to spare Scotty, who had to get up at 5 this morning, we took the shenanigans over to the MANsion (the amazing house one block away where Dan, Mark, Jonathan and Richard live) and made milkshakes.

There was a lot of giggling, a little refrigerator haiku crafting, a mysterious and strangely satisfying Cap'n Crunch milkshake made by Jeannie, and an unexpected and unprovoked water fight in the kitchen, perpetrated by Treasure.

It was after midnight before I finally ambled home and put my sleepy self to bed.

We Miss our Zollnita

2006-04-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well folks, as you know Sarah does most of the blogging around here, but every know and then the rest of us pipe in. I had a fun little revelation today as I walked out the door-- the house seems kinda empty with only four of us here right now. We miss our Sarah Zollner! I am amazed at how life at the house used to seem very full with lots of people and stuff going on. There are occasional times when I still need to retreat from the craiziness at the house, but for the most part I have grown to love and when the people I love aren't around, it doesn't seem quite full. I am learning that we are indeed made for community and it makes me excited for the time when we will all live in a huge community together in our Father's house. Until then, we get to miss the ones we love.

Just a little bit homesick...

2006-04-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

I've always loved traveling. I have a special savings account that exists purely for the purpose of squirreling away funds for my next adventure. I try to leave the country once a year, if possible, and one of my favorite parts is the anticipation and planning beforehand.

For the past year and a half or so, I've been settling into a new job and accruing vacation time, so my travels have been pretty limited. Now I find myself in the midst of a busy travel season -- Haiti in February followed by Belize in March, and now I'm sitting in a cozy living room in Fairbanks, Alaska having a long awaited reunion with my old college friends.

In years past, all this adventure would have fueled my wanderlust and sparked my inner travel bug. The funny thing is...now I find myself missing home.

I'm having a grand time with my old pals, and feeling so thankful that the seven of us can reconnect after being separated for many years and many miles. But just four days into a ten day trip, I'm already realizing...my feelings about travel have changed! I still love to explore and get away from routine from time to time, but I am now nestled happily into a home, and after even a few days, I miss My People!

I'm missing the pure magic of the Sumner House and the beloved people who live in it...the times we share with the folks at the Casa, Greenhouse and MANsion, spending Holy Week with the evergreen community, checking in on the tiny green shoots sprouting in the garden, and even the fajita veggie burrito at La Bonita!

Sometimes the best thing about being away is remembering how much you love Home.

Warmed hands and mellow moments

2006-04-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure we have 19 kinds of tea at our house. Or maybe more. There's a stack of tea boxes piled precariously, one on top of the other, stuffed into the cabinet by the window in the dining room. When you open the cupboard door, they all tumble merrily down in an avalanche of paperboard packages.

There's something about our endless tea inventory that makes me happy...

Like last night, I asked Jonathan what kind of tea he wanted:
"What do you have?"
"It's more like what don't we have."
"Um, ok -- well what would be good for a sniffly cold?"
"Would you prefer Throat Coat, Cold Care PM, or Breathe Easy Respiratory Support Tea?"

We have wake-me-up-it's-morning tea, night-night-sleepy-time tea, hmmm-isn't-springtime-wonderful tea, sit-by-the-fire-and-read-poetry tea, drink-me-while-making-sock-puppets tea, and listen-to-John-Coltrane-and-clean-the-house tea.

It reminds me of the first line of one of my favorite ancient poems:

There is a time for everything,
and a (tea) for every activity under heaven.

I like English Breakfast, with a little milk and sugar. Scotty likes this thick, dark, bitter tea from the Chinese Garden. Gladdy and Justin like various kinds of green tea and herbals. And pretty much everyone who's been through our doors has been offered a cup of tea...most of our regular visitors have taken up the ritual themselves. After arriving at our house, they will light the gas stove, put on a kettle of water, pull out a few funky mugs from above the sink, and start rooting around in the basket of tea, through the myriad varieties of black, roobois, tissane, herbal, green...until they find just the right one for the occasion.

Over many steaming cups, warmed hands and mellow moments we've woven our stories together.

And while our collection is almost complete, we still haven't found any Cubby Wubby Womb Room or Morning Thunder. Donations are always welcome.

In Summary...

2006-03-29T15:06:00.000-08:00

Important Questions, Both Real and Hypothetical,
Taken from the Corporate Minutes
of The Tuesday, March 28th
No Fly Zone Meeting,
held at the House of Louie,
331 NW Davis Street

1. Kung Pao Bean Curd?

(Yes.)

2. Can a wooden porch swing hold the full weight of five adults, who are also singing "The Gambler?"

(Yes.)

3. When our friends (most of whom are currently with child) come over this summer for backyard barbecues, would they like to place their infant in a "Moses Basket" which is hung from our tree by a rope?

(Three out of four Sumner residents agree: the answer is No.)*

4. "It's raining frogs and cats out there?"

(No. It's a frog strangler out there.)

5. After ten months of co-housing, do we still like each other?

(Indeed.)

*If you are one of the aforementioned friends who may be bringing tiny humans to our house this summer, please cast your vote via the comments section on this blog.

Haiti: Life, Death, and Recreational Exercise

2006-03-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

Before dinner I went running with Levi, Janan and a Haitian man named Senek. I guess he was supposed to be our bodyguard or something.

It's worth mentioning that I'm pretty sure Senek accompanied us out of a gracious and generous spirit -- not because he needed or wanted exercise.

In Terre Blanche, the amount of exertion it takes to haul buckets of water up from the well, hand wash laundry on the rocks in the river, walk everywhere you need to go, and take care of other basic life activities means that going out for a brisk jog at the end of the day is completely unnecessary. Most of the local villagers we passed on our jog seemed a little perplexed at the spectacle of three white people in athletic apparel, running down the road without being chased.

No sooner had we left the compound walls than a small crowd of children gathered behind us. As we broke into a jog, so did the children – most of them four to seven years old and shoeless! They kept pace with us the whole way – for more than half an hour through the rocky, dusty road.

One little girl, about four years old, didn’t like running in her sandals, so she took them off and ran barefoot beside us. Along the way we saw some cows and goats, crossed paths with some chickens, and chased a donkey down the road. We ran to the outskirts of the next village, called Le Bren, and high fived our running mates. “Bon Travail!”

Then we turned around and headed back, shouting “Bon Swa!” to everyone we passed on our way back home. Halfway back, we saw a group coming toward us on the road. Senek said something to Janan in Spanish, a language they both share, and we stopped running. It was a funeral procession: about 25 people, and several of the men were carrying a small gray casket with wood carvings decorating it.

It was hard to tell for sure, but the wooden box looked too small to hold an adult – it was probably a school aged child. The group stopped for a moment as the men struggled to bear the weight of the coffin; they argued about the best way to carry it. The man in front looked a little drunk. He yelled something and moved the casket up above his head, putting a rag under it and balancing it on his head. The others followed suit, and the procession carried on.

We stood on the roadside until the parade had passed, and then finished our run. All fifteen of the kids finished with us. We all applauded and cheered, and then walked past the line of people waiting for tomorrow’s clinic to start, and into the compound.

Haiti: Commencement

2006-03-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

Dr. Joe told us the church service wouldn’t be long. “Two hours,” he said with a shrug. It still sounded a bit longer than the services I usually go to, but still within the bounds of bearable and possibly even enjoyable. But it was three and a half hours later when we finally emerged from the cement block building, eyes blinking in the bright sun.

Today was not only worship, introduction of the missionaries and a message from Dr. Joe, but also the first graduation of the women’s trade school.

It has been four years since these eight women began spending from 9 am to 1 pm each day learning to sew, cook, decorate and raise children. Today they came in caps and gowns, their husbands and families in tow, to receive a diploma and a sewing machine. The certificate will enable them to get work just about anywhere, and the sewing machine will make it possible for them to work for themselves.

It was a monumental day. Guests came dressed in wedding day regalia – suits and evening gowns. It was a long morning, to be sure…but we were honored to be present for such a historical day in Terre Blanche.

Profile and census

2006-03-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

Chris Leonardo started a conversation on the evergreen forum, asking people from each of the community houses to post about our house. Here's my contribution:

I am part of the Sumner House, which is a co-ed community house that was founded on May 1, 2005, and is located on the NE corner of NE 29th & Sumner Streets, in the Alberta Arts district.

There are four permanent residents:

- Justin - fly fisherman, wood worker, technology trainer at an alternative high school, groom-to-be, experimental cook

- Glad - wilderness medicine expert, baker extraordinaire, craft maven, nurse practitioner in the emergency department at a hospital, purveyor of "pure magic"

- Scott - outdoor enthusiast, tree house visionary, civil engineer, barista, wearer of ridiculous costumes

- Sarah - social coordinator, swing dancer, travel nut, human resources manager, obsessive compulsive cleaner

Our mission and vision as a house (in my own words) is first to be a family to each other, loving each other in all things, telling the truth, dealing with conflict, encouraging and building each other up, preferring our housemates and their needs above our own, pointing each other to Jesus and learning to worship Him with our whole lives.

Second, we believe we are called to open the doors of our home, to be a place of hospitality and healing for those God brings across our paths. In some cases, that's just sharing a meal with someone who is new to the area or needs encouragement; in other cases it means having guests stay with us for a few days, weeks, months when they need a safe place.

Finally, we want to be a transforming force in our neighborhood -- reaching out beyond the walls of our home and our comfort zones, to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors both here in Portland and in other parts of the world.

At this moment, we have a few people staying with us:

- Richard, who has been with us six weeks and is looking for a permanent place to live
- Ali, who is home for a few weeks after serving in the Sudan for the last two years, and will probably be with us about two months
- Scott, a friend of Glad's who is visiting for a few days

Life at the Sumner House is good. It's rich and colorful and noisy and the teensiest bit overwhelming...and we love it.

Haiti: Sabbath

2006-03-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

This morning at 5:55 am I couldn’t ignore the sounds any longer. I rolled over and looked at my wristwatch, which was lying on the ground next to the foam mat where I sleep. Not time to get up yet, but the crowing roosters and braying donkey made it nearly impossible to sleep. I fished around in my sleepsack for the stray earplug that had fallen out during the night, stuffed it back in and willed myself to sleep for one more hour.

My first shower in Terre Blanche was refreshing (if not warm). I forced myself under the chilly stream and gasped the shallow staccato breaths of one who has just dived into a freezing lake. Knowing every drop of my shower water was hauled up in a bucket on the head of Madame Jimou and other village women, I used the bare minimum to wash and rinse my hair and body. I quickly dried off with my chamois travel towel, and donned a skirt, top and sandals.

We huddled for prayer, oatmeal and a brief devotion, and took our chloroquine dose while swatting away suspicious mosquitoes.

Now we sit on benches in the shade, watching the arrival of children in school uniforms, men in double breasted suits and women in Sunday best. Church is about to begin.

Haiti: Life as a third world citizen

2006-03-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

On board the plane, the small Haitian man next to me with the hopelessly crooked teeth was agitated. He had lost his passport somewhere between the gate and his seat, and he knew that unless he could somehow locate it, the outcome waiting for him at the Port au Prince airport wasn’t good.

He mumbled restlessly in Creole, and after Dad and I tried for a few minutes to help him find it on the floor and in the overhead bin, we gave up. Eventually I found the passport wedged between our seats. Thank God!

Soon the flight attendant came around with tourist cards that needed to be completed before arriving in Port au Prince. My illiterate Haitian friend handed his card to her, along with his passport. She obliged, filling it out for him in neat capital letters. He smiled and settled back into his seat.

Haiti: Ugly Americans

2006-03-16T14:30:00.000-08:00

In the Miami airport, we saw a couple of other mission groups headed to Haiti – a group of middle aged folks from middle America, wearing matching T-shirts, two young energetic Mennonite women in traditional bonnets, and another group from some sort of religious organization.

When it was time to board the plane, a large informal line formed. About fifty Haitians waited for their turn; we gathered behind them. As the line started to move, I noticed a group of whites, presumably missionaries or relief workers, merging into the front of the line. They were taking cuts.

Why bother, I wondered, flying to Haiti to serve the poor if you can’t even wait your turn in line?

Haiti: The long road to Terre Blanche

2006-03-14T00:25:00.000-08:00

[This is the first installment in a series of posts about my recent trip to Haiti with Northwest Medical Teams.]

Our arrival in Port au Prince was colorful but painless.

Some prominent Haitian pastors came to meet us at the airport, to help us negotiate the sometimes treacherous process of getting through customs. Sure enough, customs officials decided they wanted to keep all 22 checked boxes at the airport overnight -- a calamitous outcome, as we needed the boxes to travel with us to the village, and leaving them at the airport would virtually ensure that they would be pillaged.

One of the pastors, who leads the largest church in Port au Prince, made a phone call. Moments later, we were ushered through the customs area. Not one of our boxes was touched.

Soon we were outside the bustling airport, met by Pastor Delamy and the police escort he had arranged, and we embarked on our long journey up country. With one truck for luggage and two vehicles for the team, we caravanned through busy towns, past tottering bicycles, small roadside markets, rice paddies, goats nosing through piles of steaming garbage, women with gigantic buckets on their heads, cows, horses, donkeys, ducks, dogs and chickens.

We slalomed through a minefield of potholes, played chicken with road-hogging Mack trucks, passed convoys of UN vehicles, and simply bounced, careened and bumped our way along the dusty highway. I was excited on the few occasions I saw the speedometer nudge above 40 miles per hour; the rest of the time we were content to plod along, slowly gaining ground.

More than five hours later we had made our way to the tiny village of Terre Blanche. The sun had set as we approached Gonaives, and so we arrived here in the dark. Children and families waved and cheered along the road as we drove in...it felt strange to be part of a long awaited group.

Before even unloading our bags from the truck, Pastor Delamy and a handful of others from the church began to form a circle in the clearing in the middle of the compound, singing in Creole: To God be the glory, great things He has done.

The familiar melody was comforting – a symbol that we are all part of the same family. We grasped hands in the dark, under a sky bursting with stars. I felt relieved to have finally arrived, thankful to God for His mercies, and touched by an instant sense of community.

The Spotlight

2006-02-24T12:43:00.000-08:00

I used to crave it, then I hated it, then I moved into a community house where people asked me with genuine sincerity, "how are you." I freeze. In those moments of frozen contemplation I'm trying to redefine myself. No longer do I need attention for the sake of it. But what to do with it when it comes...

I've had many moments in my community where I've answered, "fine" or "good", or "gee my students were tough today.". And I always walked away wondering why I couldn't be more honest.

Last Tuesday (our no-fly zone) my roommates, my lovely roommates asked me how i was. And I told them. Life is hard for me right now, in many ways. And I talked, and they listened, and I talked some more. It felt safe. It wasn't about deciding who I was, or am, or want to be. It was the moment. And they listened, and asked question. And not one single time did they say, "Can we do something else, something more fun because this is our Tuesday night."

I was heard, I was poured into, I was loved, I was held accountable, and I am eternally grateful and yet even those words will never due the proper justice.

More angst, please

2006-02-10T23:18:00.000-08:00

Nope, I definitely don't want this to turn into the Shiny Happy Blog. Living in community is not all oatmeal with blueberries and walnuts...we have our moments.

This week, my feelings got hurt when I had some unmet expectations. I felt disregarded. My housemate and I had a hard conversation, to unpack it and figure out what went wrong. I cried. The kitchen sink was relentlessly full of dirty dishes. I washed them. Later, certain members of the house did something they thought was going to be very funny. It wasn't. It was actually pretty scary and even made me kinda mad. We debriefed. The kitchen sink was full of dishes again. I washed them again. Then I got strep throat and stayed home from work.

But I have to say -- and I know this verges on Shiny and Happy -- every single time, the angsty moments give way to something worthwhile.

Because of unmet expectations, I had a great heart-to-heart and got to go on a midnight moonlight stroll with someone I love. Because I was in the kitchen doing dishes, I had a chance to connect with my friend Richard who's staying with us. Because of a prank gone awry, my housemates and I all learned some things about each other that will come in handy. And because I got sick, I got to experience having Treasure and Betsy bless my socks off by delivering homemade chicken noodle soup and some cheery flowers! Who lives like this?!

So in case you were wondering , it's not all sunshine and roses...it's hard work.

(And it's worth it!)

Sunny Days

2006-02-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

I love sunny days.

Spoiled rotten

2006-02-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

We always say that living in community is probably the best boot camp for marriage -- because it forces you to learn how to love and cherish someone day in and day out, develop healthy communication patterns, make decisions together that everyone can live with, and practice the discipline of putting others first.

I suppose I've had this thought that my future husband is lucky, because I'm figuring out stuff right now that lots of people have to learn in their marriage...so hopefully by the time I actually get married, I'll be SuperWife(TM) , no assembly required.

But then this morning it hit me -- this community is going to be a lot to live up to. In my current living situation, one of my roommates [Justin] recently meticulously cleaned my scooter, without me even knowing it. Another roommate [Glad] leaves sweet notes on my pillow, and gives great foot rubs. And my other roommate [Scott] called my cell phone this morning while I was getting ready for work (he was downstairs in the kitchen), and instructed me to get back in bed. Moments later he delivered a steaming tray of breakfast -- scrambled eggs with veggies and cheese, toast with jam and butter, and hot tea.

In moments like these, I realize -- I think I'm getting spoiled.

I hope marriage isn't too disappointing...

Musical Cars

2006-01-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wish we had a nanny cam in the kitchen of the Sumner House.

There are so many ridiculously funny and unpredictable moments that transpire there in the linoleum Board Room -- they really ought to be captured somewhere for posterity. Take this morning at 9:15 am...

I'm going to need your full attention for this one -- it gets confusing.

First, a roll call of Sumner residents at that precise moment:

Glad, on her way out the door for a weeklong road trip to Lander, Wyoming. Complicating factor: someone bashed out her car window this weekend, and the window is getting fixed today. She can't drive her car on the road trip, so...she needs another one.
Justin, on his way out the door for a 9:30 meeting at work. Complicating factor: he is loaning Glad his car for the road trip. He therefore can't drive his car to work today, so...he needs another one.
Sarah, on her way out the door to work. Complicating factor: someone backed into her (parked) car this weekend, so it's at the body shop waiting to be fixed. She can't drive her car to work today, so...she needs another one.
Scotty, on his way out the door to take his visiting sister and brother-in-law to the airport for their 10:15 flight. Complicating factor: already running late for the airport run, so he can't take anyone to work, or loan anyone his car.
Richard, Sarah's friend from swing dancing, staying with us for a bit while he's looking for a place to live. Already out of the house, returning the moving truck and heading to class.
Mark, Scott's brother-in-law, waiting to be whisked off to the airport.
Ellen, Scott's sister, see above.
Casey, stayed here last night for a visit before his three month business trip to Iraq --he's already on his way back to Hood River.
Adam, in the Dominican Republic for five weeks, but his car is at our house. Aha! We are down two cars, but Adam's will help make up the difference.

[Cue carnival music.]

It's now 9:16 am. Justin is going to be late for his meeting at work, Sarah has no idea how she's getting to work, Glad is running behind and needs to hit the road for Bend, the car window repair guy is on the phone, waiting for us to figure stuff out, Mark, Ellen & Scott are seconds away from leaving for the airport. Somehow, in the harried moments between 9:15 and 9:18 am, we solved the transportation problems of the world. Or at least it felt like it! Everyone had a vehicle and/or a ride to work, and everyone was smiling.

Seconds later, I emerged from the house, ran through the rain to Adam's car (which Justin had already started) with my laptop and lunch, hopped in, and away we went. It wasn't until then that it hit me -- I have hot breakfast! In between the phone calls and strategery of last minute arrangements, Scott had filled a bowl with homemade oatmeal, blueberries and walnuts, and put it in my hands. And so there I was, happily riding to work with one of my favorite people, Justin Euteneier, and eating a nutritious bowl of steaming breakfast.

What am I trying to say?

This works, people. I'm not sure how we all got so lucky, but this family we live in -- it works. We are a team. We communicate. We work together.

This morning was a complicated and potentially frustrating intersection of needs -- but no one got stranded, no one got mad, and everyone got what they needed.

With blueberries and walnuts on top.

Cryptic breakfast

2006-01-27T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well, conventional wisdom would probably advise against it, but I ate food that was left on our doorstep by a mystery benefactor.

The pink pastry box, stamped with the unmistakable Voodoo Donuts logo, contained four beautiful masterpieces of fat, sugar, and artificial coloring.

On the lid of the box, someone had written "Something yummy for breakfast for all the Sumner yummies." And when I moseyed downstairs for brekkie, there it was on the kitchen table. Perhaps I shall never know from whence it came -- but I ate a donut, and so far I haven't died.

Thank you, whoever you are...

It was yummy.

Slice o' community life

2006-01-27T01:02:00.000-08:00

I can't help it...I am awake at 1:02 am.

Sometimes this happens.

I'm a chronic, incurable night owl, to be sure, but tonight is the perfect example of how the draw of community life at Sumner can be so alluring and compelling and irresistible...and next thing you know, it's way past your pumpkin hour.

Tonight I came home at about 9:45, and didn't immediately see any of my housemates. I heard the murmur of TV voices from the rec room, so I popped downstairs to say hi. It turned out to be Sean and Betsy, who were enjoying wine, cheese, crackers, and good old American television. It was sweet having them in our basement for a little "getting out of the house" one-on-one time. I would think being a married couple in a community house would necessitate creative dates such as these.

I had a good chat with Sean and Betsy, and then Justin came home. We all talked briefly, and he headed to bed, which seemed like a good idea. I bid the Norrises farewell, and clomped up the stairs to begin my sleepytime ritual of washing my face, brushing my teeth, and reading email, blogs and the evergreen forum for a ridiculous amount of time.

In the midst of said ritual, Scotty got home and came upstairs to say hi. We exchanged daily reports and ended up in the midst of a good long conversation which I rather enjoyed. Eventually we said goodnight and I started to wind down the computer and prepare for dreamland.

And then -- Gladdy came home after a shockingly long stint at work today. (She worked from 8 am to 8 pm, but then had to dictate and therefore didn't get home until almost 1 am.) She has to work again, at a different hospital across town, at 7 am. And the worst part is that she left her purse at work, and had to turn around and drive back to get it. Scotty went with her for the company.

So here I am at 1:11 am, still awake, listening for the sounds of their return.

Sheesh.

No-fly zone

2006-01-19T23:20:00.000-08:00

Today was Gladdy's birthday. She pulled in at 7 pm after spending a few days in Bend with her brother, and Justin and Casey greeted her at the door with a silly string welcome. We had a quiet dinner at home, then walked down the street to the ice cream parlor.

Afterward we sat in the living room and presented The Birthday Queen with a couple of presents (a pair of Crocs she'd been coveting, and a ticket to the Dougie MacLean concert), and Justin and Scotty played one of her favorite hymns, "Be Thou My Vision," on guitar and mandolin. They had been practicing.

At the end of the evening, it was just Scotty, Justin, Glad and I, sitting in the living room. And in that moment I think we all realized-- it had been far too long since the last time just the four of us spent some intentional time together.

Ever since our month of nightly advent readings, the Sumner House has become a hub for spontaneous social activity. We love having friends pop in unannounced for a visit and a cup of tea -- it makes us feel loved!

And yet, all of a sudden I had a metaphor for what was happening..

"If the four of us were a married couple, we'd be the ones who never have sex anymore, and we let our kids sleep in our bed every night." Fortunately my roommates are used to me coming up with weird analogies by now, and none of them batted an eye.

The point is -- if we are truly committed to living in community with each other, we must find time to consistently sit down together and talk about life, dream for the future, pray through our challenges, solve problems, and basically just reconnect as a family.

Otherwise, we end up with all kinds of fun social events and a constant stream of people through the door, and we wake up one day and realize we've lost touch with each other. Heaven forbid.

So, to that end, we have decided to declare Tuesday nights a sacred "no drop-in" night. We'll make it a priority to have dinner together, and keep the rest of the evening guest-free. There will probably be a couple of awkward moments as we learn how to set those boundaries, but it seems like the best thing for us.

That and maye some couples counseling.

Coping strategies

2006-01-15T20:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, on a hard day, I find myself subconsciously processing my angst in the midst of doing something productive. For me, it's usually cleaning...and often, I won't realize until the kitchen is spotless that I have been in another world for the past half hour, scrubbing the hell out of the sink as a means of working through my turmoil.

As far as coping strategies go, I guess cleaning is a pretty good one...at least it's better than snorting a line of coke in a public restroom somewhere.

In fact, I wonder if maybe my strange method of coping is actually a good thing in the context of my community. It's not that I live with slobs -- my housemates are actually civilized people who cook and clean and contribute to the household in very positive ways. They make my life better on a daily basis.

Still, there's not a lot of obsessive compulsive cleaning going on in our house...and I'm gonna go ahead and say it: there's room for one obsessive compulsive cleaner in every home. [One disclaimer: the cleaning frenzy is sort of selective...my bedroom is probably the messiest room in the entire house. Weird, I know. I can't explain it.]

Today at evergreen we were talking about the classic Mary and Martha story in Luke 10 -- Martha is bustling around the house preparing a big dinner for Jesus and the disciples, and Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet. Martha gets peeved and appeals to Jesus -- "Hey, this isn't fair! How come I'm the only one doing the work? Tell my sister to get her arse in here and help me cook!" Of course Jesus basically says "Hey, your sister is listening to me. What's more important than that?" So Martha is put in her place, and ostensibly goes back to kitchen patrol. I sort of wonder if she's muttering under her breath as she goes: I guess if you want to get something done around here, you have to do it yourself.

So prepare yourself for a good dose of community house reality here:

Some days I feel like Martha. It's easy for me to allow myself play the martyr, to believe that I'm the one doing all the work and no one is helping. Sure, it's great that everyone else is in the living room talking with guests, but someone has to do the dishes, right?

When we read the story in church this morning, I couldn't help but feel like Martha was getting a bum rap. I reacted in trademark Sarah fashion -- "Yeah, but without Martha, there would have been no dinner!" Which is actually pretty true. I don't think the point of the story is that Martha should get out of the kitchen...she was doing something that needed to be done; something that blessed Jesus and the disciples in a tangible way. She made a meal and gave them nourishment.

Today the story took on new meaning for me -- I began to think, maybe the point is that Martha was doing what she needed to be doing, and Mary needed to be doing something different. Is that a picture of life in the body -- and life in community? It's so easy to judge other people for not doing what I think they should be doing -- what I want them to be doing. In reality, it's likely that they are exactly where they should be.

And today, as I buffed the kitchen counters to a shine, I had to smile -- God has taken good care of us. He has given me a productive mechanism for dealing with difficult days...he has given me plenty of counters to clean. And he's given me these amazing people to share my life with, who need me to clean the counters. And as a result, he's given us a house with very clean counters.

So it all comes out in the wash.

Comin' Home

2006-01-04T19:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Team Members!
So after a long and wonderful visit to my homeland of Colorado, I am finally heading back to PDX. Justin's car is thoroughly stuffed and I am getting ready for another long drive. I love having the twenty plus hours in the car to process life. I have missed my community quite a bit and am anxious to get back in the swing of things. See you guys in two days (barring any horrendous driving conditions or other hindrances).

BIG NEWS

2006-01-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

Yes folks, you're looking at a champagne toast, with strawberries and chocolates.

What kind of occasion would warrant such extravagance?

If you guessed "an engagement," you would be right! Justin and Sarah S. returned Sunday from their Colorado vacation, where Justin popped the question and Sarah said yes! (Lucky boy.)

There's more to the story, but it's not mine to tell...I think that's Justin's job, don't you? (hint, hint)

All I can say is that we are celebrating big!

Brent is waiting...for a girl like you...to come into his life.

2006-01-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

Fondue, Crazy Hats and Karaoke

2006-01-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

Once the house was clean, there was only one thing left to do...throw a party!

A handful of Evergreenies trekked over for a New Year's Eve shindig. We had a fondue feast and everyone wore crazy hats. Heath even brought balloons and made wacky balloon hats!

Then the real shenanigans began...we had a karaoke system set up in the rec room, and the rest of the night was given over to hopeless renditions of James Brown, Salt-n-Pepa, Johnny Cash, Blondie, and other essentials.

After four days of being alone in the house, it was great to have a house full of people and silliness again...great to ring in the New Year with people I care about.

Strangely quiet

2006-01-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

Last week I had four days alone at the Sumner House, while everyone else was in Colorado on vacation. I missed my peeps, but I have to admit I enjoyed having a bit of solitude and quiet, too. Being alone at the Sumner House is a very rare occurrence.

On Friday night I had an impromptu slumber party with one of my very favorite people, the lovely Ms. Amber McGill. We slept in late and made french toast for brekkie...a very nice way to start a Saturday.

As weird as it sounds, I really enjoyed spending most of the day on Saturday cleaning house by myself. There's something cathartic about scouring, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, making everything smell lemony. I didn't even listen to music...I just moved through the house, room by room, setting things right. When I was finished, there was a clean glow emanating from all the hard surfaces...everything was shiny, fresh, and clean. It's a simple pleasure, and I really dig it.

The cap

2005-12-30T22:30:00.000-08:00

I have to give my two cents. My 6 months in the sumner: It wasn’t a likely thing that I would move into a hippie group house in Alberta. 4 mostly strangers brought together by the internet and beers at Kennedy School (that’s where I said “yes”). But I thought it was worth a shot. What a chance! What an idea, of course. Of course we should live in community. These people were incredible and I loved the vision of the place!

I couldn’t wait to meet Glad after the first time I talked to her – I could tell she was a very special person. It’s too bad I was in Virginia and she was just leaving for Patagonia.

It’s impossible to not catch Justin’s infectious enthusiasm for just about everything.

And Sarah’s organizational skills, dependability and heart for service I just had to love. She really filled in all the gaps and rounded out the group so well.

I’ll never forget the night we crowded in the cabin of my sailboat anchored in the Columbia as it rained on us on the outside and we had our first roommate date. We had an amazing summer holding each other up through unexpected things.

…and learning new hobbies like gardening.

We had tons of fun with screen on the green, bocce tournaments into trees and across neighbor’s fences, rooftop moonwatching and singing Neil Diamond tunes. Then there were serious times like worship and communion that most people just don’t do at their house. It was awesome. There was always good food to be eaten and new people to visit with. I didn’t always appreciate it like I should have. I miss that already.

There was always somebody to laugh or cry with. Sarah, thanks for letting me keep my favorite Lazyboy in the living room even though it didn’t match.

I learned this year about seasons…about highs and lows, and brokenness. I had the lowest of lows so far and really felt pain for the first time in my life. I learned that sun really does come after the rain and it’s the rain that clears the air for the sun to shine so bright. I talked to so many people who had experienced their greatest joys not too long after their worst pains. The LORD is good like that. I learned that as it says in James one we are to be joyful in the testing of our faith, it is this testing that produces endurance - and that the end result is us perfect and complete, lacking in nothing, if that's possible. I was led to Isaiah 58:10-11 by Glad which were awesome encouraging verses.

I know that everybody who comes through the sumner is touched. I was.
Thanks Glad, Justin, Sarah, Scott and the CASA chicks. It really was a blast and such a growing time. I’ll never forget it. You are all amazing people. God Bless You. (but it’s not like I’m going anywhere). See you tomorrow.

332 Days

2005-12-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

It all started with my crazy idea to walk through the season of advent together, by taking a few minutes every day to read, think, pray and sing. If I had other roommates, they probably would have rolled their eyes and said "Good luck with that." But I happen to live with three people who are hare-brained and crazy and hungry for what God is doing, kinda like me.

And so it began -- our nightly advent ritual. We started by inviting our sister house, La Casa. And then on a whim, I invited the evergreen community, our little church. I didn't really expect anyone to come -- after all, 10 pm on a week night? But sure enough, before we knew it there was a little colony of us, and we were beginning to relish the sweet moments of waiting together.

Soon our merry band of adventers included the seven residents of the Sumner and Casa houses, and regulars like Brent, Sean, Betsy, Jeannie, Dan and Charlie. And there were the occasional visits from other favorite people, like Laurel, Jonathan, Treasure, Aaron, Adam, Casey, and Mom & Dad Z. During the month, we had at least one visit from the Goffs, Alperts, Leonardos, Amy D, Stacy, Heidi, Zeke and Trace. (Did I forget anyone? I'm doing this off the top of my tired head.)

Our resolution to start at 10:00 and be done by 10:30 was never carried out. Conversation, laughter and the singing of Foreigner songs* often carried us past evening and deep into the night. I'm not sure I went to bed before midnight even once during the month. Consequently, some of us have accrued a hefty debt of sleep over the past few weeks.

But in retrospect, would any of us choose differently?

It was good to spend time with each other on a daily basis...it led to lots of fun moments, tough questions, good talks, and memories. Probably best of all, we found ourselves woven together as a family by the sheer act of learning how to wait together.

Isn't that exactly what it means to be the church? We are a rag-tag collection of people who gather because we are all waiting for the same thing. At advent, we remember that what we share is the common hope that God is a Fulfiller of Promises.

The end of advent reminds me of my experiences in high school theater. Advent, like being in a play, sounded really fun in the beginning. By the middle, it was demanding more of me than I expected, and I found myself perpetually exhausted. And yet now that it's over, I can't shake the feeling of sadness -- that a golden time has ended.

Luckily, it's just 332 days until advent.

In the meantime, I'm gonna get some sleep.

* Brent immeasurably enriched our advent season one night with his suggestion that perhaps the most appropriate closing song, rather than a Christmas carol, would be the '80s power ballad "I've been waiting....for a girl like you....to come into my life."

Personal Hygiene

2005-12-11T00:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes living in community means showering more often than you would if you lived on your own.

No words

2005-12-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

I have no words to explain what Sumner Advent means to me.

I can describe what we do each night, as we begin the evening ritual of putting a kettle of water on the stove and setting out the tea, hot chocolate, and my collection of "ugly mugs" on the dining room table. We drove out to Estacada on Sunday afternoon and cut down the most perfect noble fir, which is now presiding over the living room with the soft glow of white lights...

We light candles and turn on quiet Christmas music, and make sure there's a "fire" going in the gas fireplace...and then wait for the influx of friends. It's December 6th, and already we've had at least thirty different people come t0 the house for one of our 10:00 pm gatherings.

I can tell you about the book we're reading together, called "Watch for the Light," and the inspired authors who guide us through the process of waiting and hoping together.

Our daily tradition is as basic as an essay read aloud, a prayer of thanks and hopefulness, and an acapella Christmas hymn. But the pure essence of Sumner Advent is too elusive to capture with adjectives and rhetoric. It's a simple, joyful, peacefulness we share for a few moments each night...when we have read, and prayed, and sung, and then...we linger for a few moments of warm silence, when none of us want it to end.

It is, as Gladdy would say, Pure Magic.

We ain't Amish

2005-11-30T10:12:00.000-08:00

Before our friend Brent left for an extended vacation in early November, Justin and some others had spent a few hours helping him build a shed in his backyard. I think Brent was really hoping to finish the project before his trip, considering the impending doom of the cold and rainy winter months -- but by the time he left, there was still a lot left to do.

I remember the moment in the living room when Justin's eyes lit up, and he said "Wouldn't it be great if we could finish building Brent's shed while he is gone?" I liked the idea, but it seemed like a big project...it seemed like one of those fleeting "good intentions" that would probably never come to pass.

But Justin was not deterred by the fact that we didn't have a key to Brent's house, where the shed plans were stored. He didn't mind that we don't really know Brent's roommate, and it might be awkward to go over there and ask to come in and look for the plans and supplies. He didn't seem to be bothered when some of his roommates (that's me) were all in favor of the idea, but never managed to be available when it came time to put in the sweat equity.

Justin just found an hour here, an hour there...he made time to go over to Brent's and chip away at the project, bit by bit. He took Scotty with him for some of the time, and together they built a shed in Brent's backyard.

On my way out the door to pick up Brent from the airport, I asked Justin if he wanted to tell Brent about the shed himself, or if I could spill the beans. If I had built someone a shed while they were on vacation, I would want to commemorate the occasion with pomp and circumstance -- some sort of dramatic announcement.

Nope, it didn't matter to Justin. For him, it wasn't about making a grand presentation -- he just knew something that would make a difference to his friend, something his friend couldn't do for himself, and he did it.

This kind of generous friendship knocks me out. This is a picture of what community should look like. I am honored to be part of it.

What I'm waiting for

2005-11-28T23:41:00.000-08:00

I'm waiting to get back my heart for the poor. The kind that used to make me want to go serve hot food at 5am in the cold. The kind that used to leap into action after talking about it. I don't know where I lost it and I can't bear to think about what I've replaced it with. Please God, I want it back.

This is my first post. My first real post. It's intimidating.

People-watching at PDX reaches a new high

2005-11-28T00:45:00.000-08:00

After tonight, I can officially state that the legendary Sumner House/Casa airport pick ups have escalated beyond the bounds of socially accepted behavior.

After a whirlwind weekend road trip to Boulder, Colorado with my friend Debbie, I flew home tonight, and was greeted by the strangest group of people...

Sarah and Amber's garish colors and clashing accessories were, um, eyecatching. Justin and Scotty took it up a notch by wearing full-on fly fishing attire (including hip waders, or whatever you call those big yellow rubber pants). But Adam really took the cake, wearing a full scuba outfit, including a dry suit, a mask, and flippers.

And even better -- after the high volume welcome and group hug in the airport lobby, Crensh informs me that I am now required to wear the flippers to the car. He waits watchfully while I reluctantly take off my shoes and don the flippers.

Now, I am one of them.

(It could be worse.)

Who ARE these people

2005-11-17T22:51:00.000-08:00

The sound of the door opening, shuffling vootshteps, and muffled laughter broke the silence and grabbed me from my sleep. As I slowly gained consciousness, a wave of glorious music washed over me. “Glory, Glory, Halleluiah.” Wait a minute, maybe it wasn’t so glorious, and maybe it was 12:30 in the morning, and maybe I had to get up to throw my paper route in a couple hours. And maybe I was thinking “Who ARE these people?” Well folks, these are my housemates, the crazies that live on the north east corner of Sumner street and 29th. Why were they invading my space at 12:30 in the freaking morning? Because they love me. They came to say how much they love me and that they are glad I live with them. We talked for a little while (I was still a little groggy and they were a little giggly, so I can’t say it was the most profound conversation) then they headed to bed, leaving me alone again with “Glory, Glory, Halleluiah” stuck in my head and a sweet reminder of how amazing this house, this “Sumner Community House” thing is. How in the heck did I end up here? How did I get so lucky? As I sit in my bed reflecting, I realize most people would think an invasion of privacy at 12:30 incredibly annoying. But for me, I cherish it.

Why am I here? Why have I chosen to live in community? To be honest, I don’t know where else I would go. This is where life is found. This is where I am challenged to give myself to those around me, to die to myself, to live out loud, to love beyond my ability to love. This is where people come into your room at 12:30 to tell you they love you, or to ask you to pray with them. This is where love is born. I need my space invaded, I need to learn how to let others come in and tell me they love me. Where else could I go to find this stuff?

I have to go work now. Hopefully this is somewhat intelligible, seeing as it is a bit early in the morning and I may or may not be fully cognizant.
Who are these people? They are my fellow housemates and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Short accounts

2005-11-17T22:47:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about our blog, and the themes we tend to write about...

How beautiful community can be,
How we learn from each other, challenge and encourage each other,
How we are better together than we could be on our own,
How we bear each other's burdens and celebrate each other's joys...

And it occurred to me that we haven't said much about conflict. After all, it happens -- we are a group of people with very different backgrounds, personalities, and expectations, and living under one roof requires a great deal of communication. It's like being married, only you have to be intentional about communicating with like three other people, instead of just one.

Sometimes we hurt each other. Sometimes we make each other crazy. Sometimes we seriously piss each other off.

From the beginning, we have committed to the concept of keeping short accounts. We want to be a household where stuff gets dealt with. When we need to deal with something hard, we tend to approach each other one-on-one and initiate a conversation. I have had tough conversations with Justin, Glad and Zeke at one time or another (and Scotty, I'm sure our time will come) because one or both of us was hurt or angry, and one or both of us was being an ass. (Or just oblivious.)

I always get an acidic feeling in the pit of my stomach right before one of these talks...it's never fun to start a conversation like that.

But I can honestly say that by dealing with the conflicts in our home in a reasonably healthy way, we have learned a whole bunch about each other, and about ourselves. Every time we emerge from one of these talks, it feels like the bond is stronger -- like the trust level has increased, and we are on the same page again, moving forward. I love that feeling. Maybe we should fight more often?

For your viewing pleasure

2005-11-16T23:59:00.000-08:00

Not for the faint of heart...
http://home.comcast.net/~sumner_community/sumner.htm

It is well with my soul...

2005-11-15T01:27:00.000-08:00

We woke early, 6:32 to be exact, and crept outside to clear the snow off the car, warm it up, make the tea, breakfast of jam and bread and sneak out the door. The rest of the family was sleeping by the fire when we left for Portland. It was early Sunday morning, I had a date with the Emergency Department, Sarah and Cara needed to get back for church. We left in the snow but had been praying that the pass would be clear, as we had miles to travel and not much time. Amber and I had driven over in the middle of the night and were marvelling that the roads were clear, and this began a discussion among us about God's faithfulness to protect us. Throughout the weekend we shared in sweet discussion around the table and by the fire, asking the hard questions. Why does he choose to protect us sometimes and others breaks our hearts? How do we trust this Madman, Lover, Savior when we don't know if His idea of good and ours are going to line up?

We cleared the pass and were just marvelling again about God's faithfulness when the nausea hit. Poor Cara had it the day before and spent much of the day in bed. Now it was my turn and just before my 12 hour shift. Sarah found me the cleanest Burger King in all of Salem town for thowing up (thanks, darling...). We were on our way again, thanking God again for his provision, when a driver next to us waved us down and motioned that my tire was going flat. As we slowly limped home, we sat in a bewildered silence, wondering how God could be so faithful, and so infuriating all at once. Sarah began to sing. It is well with my soul... We drove home, back right tire flapping, singing praises because we just didn't know what else to say.

We dropped Sarah off for the last few minutes of church, I went to work hoping not to throw up on any patients, and sweet Cara undertook the effort of changing the tire on my truck (soon to be joined by Sarah for an event I would have loved to film...)

Late that night Scotty picked me up from work and we all plopped down on the upstairs futon (one sleepy Adam Crenshaw just in from Wyoming, Sarah, Scott and I), sharing in time together. The same questions arose, this time with laughter and tears. We are learning to hold up to each other the evidence of God's faithfulness, and hold each other when we run into walls of understanding we can't scale. I was reminded again that He shows love in the most unlikely and beautiful ways... It is well with my soul.

Two birthdays and a proposal

2005-11-13T23:34:00.000-08:00

OK, don't be mad at me for hooking you with the juicy headline...there are no Sumner marriages in the works, at least at the moment. But...

This weekend while on hiatus, the Sumner and Casa residents celebrated some important events:

Scotty of the Tree had a birthday. We celebrated by decorating the house with balloon garlands while he was out on a nature walk. When he returned, we launched the festivities with music, a lovely party hat fashioned from aluminum foil, and those obnoxious confetti poppers shaped like mini champagne bottles. We toasted the birthday boy with shots of Southern Comfort. (I'm still not sure why it was Southern Comfort, but it went down smooth so I'm not complaining.) Then at dinner we spilled our guts about all the many reasons we find Scotty-o so lovable. He is kind, thoughtful, generous, fun loving, servant-hearted, creative, relational and just plain good. We talked about his goodness until his face was a little red...then we had cake and ice cream.

The next day, my community felt compelled to celebrate my birthday with me...even though they already rolled out the red carpet last weekend and threw me a surprising and wonderful soiree. Our Sunriver getaway was my birthday wish, and Saturday night they surprised me with my favorite birthday dessert from childhood (frozen strawberry yogurt pie...weird, but yummy) and my favorite cocktail (Cosmopolitans). Thanks to Amber I finally got my other birthday wish -- an '80s dance party! What a fun night together.

Even more fun and memorable than our back-to-back birthday celebrations was what happened Friday night after dinner. The veteran Sumnerites had huddled earlier in the day (actually, it happened in a closet, but that's another story entirely) and made a decision. We were resolved. That night, Glad, Justin and I declared our love for Scotty...we literally got on our knees and asked him to marry us. Or at least to be our roommate, officially.

He said yes!

So Scotty of the Tree is now a long term part of the Sumner family...when Zeke moves out, Scott will become a rent-paying roommate. He's already part of our hearts.

Gang

2005-11-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

We're starting a bike gang at Sumner...

All you need is a cruiser and an attitude.

Wanna join?

Community Hiatus

2005-11-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow the Sumner and Casa residents are venturing out on a brief hiatus...we've rented a house in Sunriver for the weekend, and will be spending the next three days chillin' together. I can't wait!

If you've ever read The Five Love Languages, this will mean something to you -- I'm a quality time person. For me, there's absolutely nothing better than a big block of open time with someone (or someones) that I care about.

Having three days with my people to walk, talk, jog, cook, eat, drink, bike, hot tub, pray, watch movies, sing and generally be together...

This is where it gets good.

An anniversary and an announcement

2005-11-04T22:43:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, November 1st was a bittersweet day...

It was our six month anniversary as a household. Glad, Justin, Zeke and I celebrated by walking down Alberta to Ciao Vito for a swanky Italian dinner. We drank a bottle of wine and remembered the highlights of the past few months...the memorable moments, quotable quotes, victories, snafus and life lessons. We toasted to the Sumner House and marveled at what God has built among us.

It was a good time to be together and be thankful.

Tuesday was also the day that Zeke told us he is moving out. He is ready for something different (perhaps something a little quieter) and is getting ready to make his first real estate purchase. We don't have any hard and fast dates, but it's likely that by year-end, Zeke will be moving on and we will end this first chapter... It's sad to lose him. Zeke brings so much adventure, energy and creative activity to the house -- he's irreplaceable.

Without Zeke, there would have been no urban bocce league, late night sailing trips, or geocaching while jogging. We wouldn't have had a kiddie pool in the backyard, or a huge American flag on the fourth of July, or homemade pesto gnocchi. We also wouldn't have had anyone to consistently embarrass at the airport.

Once he's gone, who will be our Command Security Officer? Who will we wake up for 5 am calisthenics on Armed Forces Day? There's still lots of time to remember and celebrate the uniqueness that is Zeke...our very own "Captain Kickback."

But on Tuesday we began preparing for the impact of his absence.

Elfin charm

2005-11-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't believe me when I said he was adorable...

This is Olin.

(We miss you, buddy!)

Scotty of the Tree

2005-10-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Scotty is a friend of Glad's, from Colorado. He was with us for a few days last month, and after spending a couple of weeks doing hurricane relief work in Houston, he came back to Portland to be part of the Sumner family for a while. Lucky us!

Scotty has a strange obsession with the dogwood tree in our yard -- he is absolutely crazy about the idea of building a treehouse in it. (We haven't quite broached this idea with our landlord yet...)

I have seen him sit in the tree for long periods of time...at one point he went to Powell's and looked at books about building treehouses...he sketches what the treehouse will look like, and how he will build it without hurting the tree...last night when I borrowed his laptop, he was reading a website about building treehouses. I'm telling you -- the guy is motivated. I'm not sure exactly how he got this bee in his bonnet, but it's pretty fun to be part of it.

Stay tuned for Sumner Treehouse News Updates in the near future...

Mission...accomplished?

2005-10-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

It was a dark and stormy night...

(Ok, maybe bleak and blustery is more accurate.)

Last night, Justin, Gladdy and I piled in the car with Leah and Olin and their luggage, and drove to Portland International Airport. It had been 32 days since I made the same drive, alone, at 5:30 am, to pick up a total stranger and her child.

Those days between September 23rd and October 25th were bursting with blessings, challenges and teachable moments for all of us...

We giggled with delight at the precious child waddling around the house, babbling a constant stream of "hi hi hi hi hi hi hi" and "bye bye bye bye bye bye." We marveled at his uncanny ability to pull himself up onto any piece of furniture (whether we liked it or not). We cringed at the ear-piercing screams that were part of the daily ritual, especially while he was teething or learning about bedtime.

We had many kitchen table conversations with Leah, talking about life and possibilities and hopes. We laughed and cooked and walked together. We hugged and cried and prayed about feeling overwhelmed, needing direction, about uncertainty and hope and fear. And we reaped the benefits of having a very tidy new addition to our household...the kitchen has never looked so good!

Last night, driving to the airport, I couldn't help but feel that this was the end of a chapter -- our first chapter in radical hospitality. We had finally begun to fulfill the vision of our home -- of moving beyond the comfort of entertaining friends, and stepping into the realm of welcoming in strangers, travelers, pilgrims.

In some ways, knowing Leah was getting on a plane and going back home to Alaska might have felt to us like a little taste of defeat. After living with us for a month, Leah had no job, no permanent living arrangement, no bona fide reason to stay in Portland. In some ways, it's easy to feel like we failed.

But...I know these things are true:

(1) We learned A LOT through this experience. About each other, ourselves, and the nature of true hospitality.

(2) Leah experienced love in our home, both tangible and intangible.

(3) We can't take responsibility for someone else's life. We are only called to be obedient -- we aren't in charge of the outcome.

Maybe part of me will always feel like "Should we have done something more?"

I'll probably never have an answer to that question. For now, all I know is -- we did something.

Squeaky wheels

2005-10-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

In the morning, when I'm getting ready for work
I can hear the rattling of a shopping cart.

Outside our window,
a neighbor eases the clattering cart down the street,
moving his home from one place to another.

On the other side of the glass,
I smooth down my hair and apply mascara.

Sleepwalking

2005-10-15T03:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure it's a good idea to write about talking in your sleep while you may be indeed talking in your sleep, but here goes. It's 3 am now, and I've just gotten off a 14 hour marathon in the Emergency Department, and I thought it would be fun to share this, before it's lost forever...

We had to laugh. It was the middle of the night and somehow I ended up in Sarah's bed in a strange outfit, mumbling and sleeping all at the same time. I tried to go to bed early. I was overwhelmed with lots of people in my house, in my life, and I had to get up early. This plan was thwarted and I was talking on the phone until late with an old friend. As I hung up the phone I glanced at my closed door and lamented that this might have sent a message to my community, mostly Sarah, that I didn't want her to come in. We're pretty selective about the closed door around the Sumner house (has to be a good reason), and I really wanted to see her - but near exhaustion took over and soon I was sound asleep for the night. Almost.

I dreamt I had left the front door open. I slid out of bed, crept down the stairs, checked the front door and found it unlocked, and opened it to lock it. I had barely gotten it closed when I heard voices yelling outside. Someone was trying to get in, and I slammed the door just in time. I looked through the peephole, just in time to find the neighbors lobbing half eaten apples at me.

Think this is strange? I did too, and woke to find that I hadn't moved. Knowing that I wouldn't sleep well if I didn't check, I put on my patagonia vest and made run for it. The door was indeed locked, and on the way back to my room, I saw Sarah's light was still on. I stopped to say goodnight, remembering I had missed her earlier. She stared sharing with me- good stuff, important stuff, stuff I couldn't walk away from.

Soon I'd crawled into bed with her, wearing flannel pajama bottoms and a puffy patagonia vest. I'm sure I wasn't coherent, and she didn't seem to mind. As we shared in the sleepy time chatter before bed, my last bewildered thought was that community had won again. I meant to close my door and keep to myself, God had a sneaky plan to get me into Sarah's life, whether I volunteered or not. So, I woke this morning, in my strange outfit, in a strange bed, so thankful that this is my journey, that God won't let me escape, even when I try...

Quotable

2005-10-13T01:13:00.000-07:00

"Can I just say something about that? Duh."

~ Justin, making a very eloquent point

The real stuff

2005-10-13T00:59:00.000-07:00

Today I had a hard day...I am emotionally fried. So tonight I walked in the door at about 9:30 and walked straight up the stairs to my bedroom. Gladdy flopped on my bed and asked how I was doing...

Before I knew it, Justin and Leah had joined us and we were all sitting on my unmade bed in my ridiculously messy bedroom, drinking Mike's hard lemonade and telling the truth about life and how hard it is sometimes.

Leah gave me a foot rub, while the four of us commiserated and giggled and toasted. We even put in a late night call to Zeke (sorry buddy!) because we missed him and knew he would have something to add to the conversation if he were here.

I can't begin to explain how healing it is to have your community gathered around you on the bad days. No one tried to fix things for me or give me advice -- they just listened, loved on me, encouraged me and made me laugh.

These are my people and I love them.

Census

2005-10-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

Last night at dinner time, the dining room at Sumner was full of goodness...a smorgasbord of yummy-ness and a table full of friends.

When I walked in the door after having coffee with a friend, the kitchen was warm and bright and busy. A few minutes later, we sat down, held hands, and thanked God for the bounty. We ate stir fried vegetables and rice, homemade foccacia, apples and pears, chard, salads, and cheese. We ate well. (Maybe a little too well.)

We talked about homeless Katrina victims and third world countries and gluttony and what it means to always have enough...and how to live our lives differently, in light of it all. It was a nourishing meal and a nourishing conversation.

We are thankful to be living in this extended community, surrounded by people to love.

SUMNERITE DINNER CENSUS
Men: Justin, Adam, Casey, Brent
Women: Glad, Sarah, Leah, Jenny, Erin, Amber, Sarah
Munchkins: Olin
Gerbil Dogs: Joey
In Absentia: Zeke, Cara

Sixty dollar tomatoes

2005-10-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

We recently got our water bill for the past three months, and it's over $300. Now that seems like a lot of money, right? But hey, it's worth it, because a lot of that water went to keeping our garden hydrated over the summer.

And we've been waiting patiently for those dozens of green tomatoes on the vine to finally ripen...

So far we've only gotten about five ripe tomatoes from the plants, but eventually that's gotta change. Eventually they will get ripe and we will eat them.

Well last night I went to a friend's house and he had a huge bin of vine-ripened tomatoes from his garden. I had to ask -- why are ours still tight and green, gripping the vine, and yours are all lush and ripe and beautiful?

"Oh, you have to feed them," he said.

Crap.

Apparently tomatoes need lots of food, fertilizer, fortified soil, yada yada yada. So I'm making my peace with the fact that it might be too late for this year, and we might have paid $60 per tomato.

It's a boy!

2005-09-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

We have a baby, and it's a boy!

(Isn't this the part where we smoke cigars in celebration?)

Happily, we didn't have to go through the morning sickness, labor or delivery -- we simply had a sweet, tow-headed munchkin delivered to PDX at 5:30 am on Friday morning. Actually, he's not really a baby anymore -- he's 14-months old and definitely a toddler. His name is Olin.

Olin and his mom, Leah, just moved to Portland from Fairbanks, and are staying with us for a bit while Leah looks for a job and a permanent place to live. In the meantime, Olin has been kind enough to point out -- through hands-on demonstrations -- each cupboard, shelf, nook and cranny in our house that isn't exactly kid-proof.

It's definitely an adjustment having a toddler in the house; it requires more patience and flexibility than your average 20-something houseguest. However, Olin is about the cutest thing we've seen (hopefully we'll be able to prove it by posting some pictures soon, but for now you'll have to take my word for it), and he's astonishingly good natured. He pretty much babbles, toddles, grins and giggles all day long.

We've also had Glad's friend Scotty from Colorado staying with us this week, so the current house census is:

Men: 2
Women: 3
Munchkins: 1

We're expecting the arrival of another temporary Sumner resident sometime next week -- Jenny will be coming for an as of yet undetermined length of time with her Yorkshire terrier, Joey.

So stay tuned for more colorful stories of gerbil-dog tricks, toddler shenanigans, and all manner of tomfoolery!

Smoke gets in your eyes

2005-09-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Next time you go to a campfire, I'd highly recommend using goggles. Stylish, yet functional.

Be careful who you live with...

2005-09-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

When you live with crazies, you might get picked up at the airport after a week in Hawaii by a ragamuffin band of goofballs that look like this. But then again, it might not be a bad thing...

(l to r: Sumnerites - Justin, Sarah, Zeke, Glad; Casa residents - Sarah, Amber)

This is it, folks

2005-09-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

An amazing thing happened in our community last night. It happens all the time, but it is miraculous to me every time. I got a call from a few friends from the 'ole Colorado community, one of them living in Hood River (Casey) , the other visiting from Boulder(Dave). Dave was flying out early in the morning and needed a place in Portland to stay. Unfortunately, I had to work last night. We met for a quick bite to eat at our other kitchen table (La Bonita). We had a great chat, but I only had an hour. I left Dave with the downstairs bed made for him, a towel, and a set of house keys. When I left Justin, Sarah, Dave and Casey were standing in the woodshop laughing. I knew he'd be just fine...
This morning Justin told me that they had spent the whole evening together, playing frisbee in the park, visiting our newest neighbors, Dave and Sarah (also a Colorado connection), and heading to the soaking pool at the nearby Kennedy School. The girls met up with them there and they had a great talk about community. They are all working on plans to fish together in a few weeks.
It happens all the time, each one of us, whoever God brings to the house, but it amazes me everytime. The sweetness of leaving this solitary, fend-for-yourself life behind and living into the family of God, passing through your living room. This is the good life. Thanks family.

Lighthouse Ranch revisited

2005-09-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the Lighthouse Ranch -- an abandoned Coast Guard station near Eureka, California that became a Christian commune in the early 1970s. At its peak, there were 250-300 people living there.

We recently watched an old PBS feature about Lighthouse at Tony & Jane's house. Besides the frizzy hair and ginormous sideburns, the people at Lighthouse seemed REALLY happy -- like they were glowing. And they sang a lot.

They had a belt-making business that helped support the community. There was footage of women in the kitchen wearing peasant blouses, cooking together and singing serenely. There were shots of men doing manual labor outside, of someone ringing a dinner bell to call everyone in for the meal, and of evening Bible studies and soulful sing alongs. There was even an extended clip of a woman standing outside on a hillside by herself...singing.

My first internal reaction was to wonder if they were really as happy as they seemed...if they had discovered some secret ingredient to community life that could deliver the perpetual state of bliss I saw in the video. And if so, how do we get our hands on it?

There are only four of us living at the Sumner House, and we don't have a belt making business. We like to sing, but mostly it ends up being a little rowdy and off-key.*

I know we're all glad we're here, living this life together, but I don't know if you'd say we're as overtly HAPPY as the people in the video. Then again, after the clip was over, we asked Tony and Jane about a few of the carefree young married couples we had seen featured. What are they doing now? As it turns out, many of them are long since divorced.

So maybe we're not quite as wide-eyed and electric as they were back then...maybe we're a little less exuberant but a little more realistic; a little less naive, and a little more grounded.

At least I like to hope so.

* The other day our neighbor Mallory actually commented about some loud group singing she heard coming from our house last week -- she thought it was "interesting" that we were singing Eagles and Neil Diamond songs late into the evening at a volume that was audible across the street. Oops...

Apprenticeship

2005-09-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

ap·pren·tice
one who is learning by practical experience under skilled workers a trade, art, or calling

I'm feeling a little bit like an apprentice this week. With the help of some who have gone before us on this road, we are learning the trade, the art, the calling of community.

Hearing their stories -- the victories and the heartaches -- and letting their words bounce around in our hearts has been good. It has been weighty, too. So far I haven't heard anyone say "Living in community with each other was pretty easy and almost always fun." But I have seen a theme emerge through these various conversations...a theme of intentionality and investment.

These are people who have made many, many personal sacrifices in order to make their lives available to one another in community. These are people who believed God was calling them to step further into the life of the Body -- beyond friendship and into shared life. These are people who wouldn't normally be drawn to each other as natural friends -- they aren't exactly "kindred spirits" -- but they share a vision for transformational community as something that first makes a difference in our own lives and hearts, our own households, and then allows us to be used for something greater and beyond ourselves.

Community as a trade

I like the idea of community life as a trade, because just like any vocation, it requires training and it takes practice. As apprentices we have to think about logistics and techniques, we have to learn skills and have tools, and then we start doing the work. We probably don't tackle the biggest project first -- but instead start with something small and simple, practicing our technique, asking questions, and gaining confidence as we go. To practice community as a trade, we need others to help...we need "experts" who can partner with us and suggest resources, who can patiently guide us toward a better way, who can encourage us in the moments when we want to give up. We are apprenticing in the trade of community, and maybe someday we'll be journeymen who are ready to assist the next wave of aspiring apprentices.

Community as an art

Community life is nothing if not an art...for we are four complicated humans, and we are sharing one house. Even if we stockpile the tools and techniques and "how to" lessons from others, the fact remains that there is very little about community life that is scientific. We each contribute our gifts and resources, as well as our liabilities, to this organism that is "us." What emerges is definitely an art form. I like to imagine each of us as artisans...who patiently and lovingly work at a piece, using creativity to express something in a new way, starting over when our creative ideas don't work, but persevering because we are inspired to create something beautiful.

Community as a calling

I've been challenged by several of our "community forefathers" who talk about community life as a long term calling. For them, the decision to press on in the face of adversity is borne out of a conviction that this is the life they are meant to live -- that Jesus calls us into community and therefore we must lean in, even when it would be much easier to walk away.

Journeymen

We're so grateful for the encouragement and instruction we've received from old and new friends who are true journeymen in the way of community...we are humbled and inspired by their example, and thankful for their friendship.

To Tony and Jane who hosted us at their home for a wonderful dinner and time of conversation; to Andrew and Karen, Dave, Alice, Julie and Clinton, and Mike who got babysitters and got on the freeway to come be with us for an evening of food and sharing; and to Tony and Jane (again!) who shared the magical "Tuck Park" with us over the weekend and gave us a place to gather, and for introducing us to Jim and Sue and Bob, with whom they started a crazy community adventure more than 30 years ago.

You all are true journeymen...thanks for journeying with us!

Conversation on Community

2005-09-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

We all moved into this adventure with each of our individual ideas of what it means to live out this dream called community. Each of us found common ground with conversations of radical hospitality, serving our neighbors, taking in strangers, sharing our food, laughing around the table and sharing life together. We didn't know quite what "life together" would mean. We had romantic ideas of community, much like those of us singles can repeat the line about marriage, "it's the hardest thing you'll ever do," but seek to do it anyway, not understanding what could really be so hard. Community, as it turns out, is much more like marriage than we bargained for, full of the sweetness of enduring and sharing in the riches of each other's lives, also full of the disappointment of expectations not fulfilled. We're learning.

I am learning that God has called us here to first be a part of each other's lives, to love each other radically. We wanted to jump into the community ready to open up our home and love whoever walked in the door. That has begun to happen, but we realize that God first wanted to shape us into a family, to create between us Christ's love, then let that spill over into the lives of those he brought to our doorstep. He wanted to teach us first to be radically committed to each other, to keep short accounts, to offer mercy, to love through our differences. We're now on his agenda, not ours.

What does loving each other radically mean? I thought it meant sharing your stuff, giving away your time, laying down your agenda. All true, but more so I'm learning that radical love means having the courage to be honest when you're not ok, enter into conflict instead of running away from it, staying up until 2 am to avoid going to bed angry, keeping short accounts. It also means letting go of the expectation, even letting your dream die so God's can live. Radical love is coming to mean preferring each other.

We're out of the honeymoon stage. This summer has been a hard season for each of us, in different ways. We duke it out, grieve at times for what we wish we were and aren't yet, miss each other, leave the lights on (sorry, Justin) leave the doors unlocked and show up late for dinners. We know now that God brought us here for our own restoration, not just our neighbors... Good, hard lessons. When we sit around the table, laughing, pressing on, I know this is the dream we came here for. It looks nothing like I thought it would, but it really has been more beautiful than I imagined.

In a time of darkness this summer, when I couldn't see God, wasn't sure if He was still for me, it was this family who carried my mat to the feet of Jesus. They showed me He is still here. It was Sarah crying with me on kitchen floor, Justin taking me for a walk, Zeke texting me to tell me he loved me. It was the girls coming over and making dinner, it was in the details of every day, I found that love of Jesus, tangible, present with me. This is who we want to be for each other and for neighbors, the love of Jesus with skin on. This is community.

Urban camping attempt

2005-08-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

So this weekend I learned a valuable lesson about the differences between camping and sleeping in your backyard.

On Saturday night, it was so durned hot in the uppy-upstairs of our house, that I feared I wouldn't get much sleep. In the midst of our tooth-brushing, I ventured to Glad, "I almost want to sleep outside." Never one to miss a chance to commune with nature, Glad didn't skip a beat. "Let's do it," she said, and we clomped down the stairs to the basement and gathered up an armload of sleeping bags and blankets. Minutes later we were settled in the grass under the giant dogwood tree, mumbling the last few strains of conversation before we drifted off to blissful slumber.

Almost.

See the thing is, we don't live in the wilderness, or on a farm in the country. We live on the corner of NE 29th and Sumner, and there are all kinds of interesting diversions to be distracted by at approximately 1:30 am...like regular bus service along 30th Street, very jolly and very awake neighbors making their way home along the sidewalk, street lights, sirens, and of course buzzing insects looking to take up residence in my nostrils, ears and hair.

Within about five minutes, I had become convinced that the aforementioned insects were in fact crawling all over me, gnawing at my flesh and laying a kazillion eggs in my sleeping bag. If you've ever experienced it, you know that it's very difficult (if not impossible) to shake the feeling of bug invasion, once it has begun.

Of course Nature Girl herself, Ms. McGladrey, slumbered peacefully through my miserable experience -- until finally at 2:36 am, I threw in the towel. I nudged my sweet compatriot and grudgingly admitted that the outdoor sleeping adventure just wasn't working for me...and together we bundled up our sleeping bags and stumbled back inside.

Somehow, even in the midst of my muggy uppy-upstairs room, I managed to fall asleep in my bug-free bed for several uninterrupted hours.

Next weekend, I'm going CAMPING. In a tent.

Sumner at the Starlight Parade

2005-08-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

Sleepless on Sumner

2005-08-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Summer is a great time to live in the Alberta Arts neighborhood. Our favorite quick dinner spots are all a block from the house -- we frequent Bella Faccia for killer pizza by the slice, and La Sirenita and La Bonita for burritos, tacos and quesadillas. I guess you could say we're spoiled...

Plus there's always Last Thursdays on Alberta -- it's the earthy crunchy answer to First Thursdays in the Pearl. Just like its swankier older brother, Alberta's art night has plenty of art and handcrafts for sale, and people watching is like a sport (just hang out around the Alberta Clown House during mud wrestling if you don't believe me). But while the art in our 'hood may be a little more low-brow (our friend Tim calls it "slacker art,") I still prefer Last Thursdays, mainly because there are far fewer stiletto heels and purse dogs. In place of the well-coiffed snooty art patrons of the NW scene, Alberta provides a bevy of dreadlocks, pit bulls, found objects sculpture, and WEIRD performance art. (Think: a man on stilts wearing lots of white feathers and not much else, walking down the middle of the street.)

Seems like our friends think summer is a good time to be in NE Portland too...because we've had a parade of visitors this past week. First, Zeke's friends Kevin and Ross stayed for a few days, then Matt came for most of the week, then Karen and Ray from Church of the Apostles/Freemont Abbey in Seattle came for two nights. My favorite was the night I came home at 11 pm to find Justin, Glad, Sarah and Matt sitting on the front porch with candles and a bottle of wine. Justin was playing his guitar, Glad had her mandolin on her lap, and Matt was singing some Scottish folk song...

We have had some GOOD times this week hanging out with each other and our guests, but not nearly enough sleep. And I think it's time to wash sheets and towels.

Life at Sumner

2005-08-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a description of Life at Sumner that I wrote a few weeks ago, when someone asked "What does community life look like for you?"

Disclaimers:
(1) We have only been doing this for eight weeks...we're not experts!
(2) There are lots of ways to go about "living in community."
(3) Our way of doing it will probably keep evolving...so this is kind of a snapshot of how we are doing things at a given point in time.

Living in community at the Sumner House means:

- Relationship -
We believe we are "called" to be in relationship with each other...meaning that by choosing to live together, we choose to make our relationships with each other a priority. We choose to love each other, daily. We choose to try to put others before ourselves and serve each other. We choose to spend time together.

- Time -
We set aside time to just hang out and get to know each other better, as a foursome. It's hard to coordinate all of our schedules but at least every week or two we try to have a "roommate date." We also set aside time to pray together whenever possible. We try to celebrate each others' triumphs and grieve each others' losses. We look forward to the late night kitchen chats and the Saturday morning breakfast moments.

- Finances -
We have set up a community paypal account and every month we each put a chunk of money in there. That community fund is what pays our rent, utilities, and shared household expenses. In addition, we use it to buy supplies for house parties, do special ministry stuff (birthday boxes, etc.) or meet other needs we see.

- Chores -
We keep talking about a more formal system, but so far it's kind of laissez faire. When we see something that needs to be done, we do it. Over time, we will probably institute something a little more structured, since inevitably the workload will get imbalanced.

- Food -
We kind of take turns grocery shopping, and share most of the food. Anything in the fridge is fair game, unless it is explicity labeled. If you use the last of something, try to buy more next time you're at the store. When you're cooking, try to make extra so others can eat when they get home. If you buy something for the whole house to share, pay for it out of the paypal account.

- Guests -
Our "default setting" is that we are open to all guests, all the time, unless we have stated otherwise. We are all welcome to have guests over for dinner/overnight/etc. without checking with roommates first -- though we do try to give each other a heads up for the sake of courtesy. We have an ethic that "our house is your house," so if you come stay with us you are welcome to open the fridge and help yourself. On the other hand, we'll let you help us cook or clean or set the table...we are not trying to "entertain" guests or wait on them hand and foot...just want them to feel like they can be at home in our home. While we all have the freedom to bring guests home, we also have the freedom to say "Wow, that's great that you brought friends home for dinner tonight, but I have a migraine...so I'm going to head upstairs and crash for the night."

Thoughts on community

2005-08-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

To get us started, here's something I posted on the Evergreen Community Forum a couple of months ago...

Community.

I recently moved out of my insular apartment life and into a big old house with three other people. We are embarking on a community adventure -- figuring out what it looks like to share space, resources, struggles, joys.

We are eight weeks in, and I am finding myself counting the blessings of this shared life on a daily basis. I have inherited a home base...a family...a group of cheerleaders who want the best for me...partners in crime...partners in prayer...partners in yardwork.

"Community" can happen in so many different ways. Our way is not the only way, not necessarily even the BEST way...but for the four of us, it works. Byproducts: I am growing in ways that I never grew when I lived alone. I am evaluating things I haven't had to evaluate for a long time. I am realizing more of my own quirks and idiosyncrasies, and the way I impact others. I am challenged to deal with conflict in a positive and healthy way, and keep "short accounts" with my housemates.

Our home is becoming a gathering place where our friends, neighbors, family members, coworkers, and acquaintances feel welcomed and loved. We are already beginning to see that some of these people in our lives are intrigued by the community we have, and want to be a part of it in some way.

Project blogerized is complete

2005-08-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hey gang! Our very own blog. woohoo.