yes, in los angeles, the city of hollywood, american apparel and insane traffic, we learned about simplicity.
you probably all know that we just bought a house before going on this trip and all the way down the coast we have been seeing a theme of learning lessons that will prepare us to live back home in a life-giving way. one idea that has influenced a lot of our housing decisions (both the house itself and the neighborhood) has been that of living in a house with other people for the sake of community both in and around the home. most of our ideas about this until this point though, have been ideals and philosophies we've just thrown around.... so we decided to see if we could meet some people that are actually living out these ideals and learn from them.
the yetter family live in a home with another family and a girl in the pico union area of los angeles. pico union is a 'rougher' area, inhabited almost entirely by elsalvadorian families. as we sat down an talked with scott and sarah (the yetter parents) we got to hear about how they have situated themselves intentionally in the area, not to start programs or change the area, but to simply be the people of God there with their family and the others they live with.
i guess when we went to visit them, i was expecting them to give us the tour of all the great things they are doing in the area and tell us how they had a dream and now its being worked out. i expected them to not have very much time for us because they probably have busy schedules and we came with such little notice. instead of being impressed by the structure of their community, or the amazing programs they run in the neighborhood (which i was impressed by, to be sure), i found myself most struck by the simplicity of their lives. as scott told us about the say yes program (which helps kids with their homework and gives them positive mentors) and the nehemiah house (which is the house neighboring theirs where they host students wanting to learn how to live in community in the city), the thing he kept saying was that it wasn't about the programs, or structure. instead, the most important thing he kept saying was that we just need to be the people of God and live with love. and he really lives that way too! he intentionally takes things out of his schedule so he and sarah can be home and around the house as much as possible. he says this is the only way he can really know his neighbors and know their needs. this simplicity and lack of programs is actually what makes the programs so successful. instead of trying to create programs for the neighborhood based on his own assumptions, by knowing the neighborhood so deeply, those living there literally come to scott's door when there is a need and ask for programs to start to meet those needs. we experienced this first hand as so many times scott, sarah and their family made time to have a conversation with us in passing or invite us in to bake peach pie. that kind of life doesn't just come though. scott told us how he weekly has to battle against filling his schedule, as there are more than enough things he could fill it with. not only that, but living around others and sharing space with other families of different cultures takes a lot of grace and patience. before scott and sarah owned the house they live in now, they packed themselves and their three children into two bedrooms in the back of nehemiah house.
it is that kind of simplicity that i want to live in my neighborhood with. the type that says to those around me that they are much more important than any schedule or my comfort. the type that truly knows those around them. the type that the type that only creates programs or institutions when that is the best way to meet a need. i hope that as we go back home to hamilton that there will be a yetterness to the way of life at 186 stirton.
you probably all know that we just bought a house before going on this trip and all the way down the coast we have been seeing a theme of learning lessons that will prepare us to live back home in a life-giving way. one idea that has influenced a lot of our housing decisions (both the house itself and the neighborhood) has been that of living in a house with other people for the sake of community both in and around the home. most of our ideas about this until this point though, have been ideals and philosophies we've just thrown around.... so we decided to see if we could meet some people that are actually living out these ideals and learn from them.
the yetter family live in a home with another family and a girl in the pico union area of los angeles. pico union is a 'rougher' area, inhabited almost entirely by elsalvadorian families. as we sat down an talked with scott and sarah (the yetter parents) we got to hear about how they have situated themselves intentionally in the area, not to start programs or change the area, but to simply be the people of God there with their family and the others they live with.
i guess when we went to visit them, i was expecting them to give us the tour of all the great things they are doing in the area and tell us how they had a dream and now its being worked out. i expected them to not have very much time for us because they probably have busy schedules and we came with such little notice. instead of being impressed by the structure of their community, or the amazing programs they run in the neighborhood (which i was impressed by, to be sure), i found myself most struck by the simplicity of their lives. as scott told us about the say yes program (which helps kids with their homework and gives them positive mentors) and the nehemiah house (which is the house neighboring theirs where they host students wanting to learn how to live in community in the city), the thing he kept saying was that it wasn't about the programs, or structure. instead, the most important thing he kept saying was that we just need to be the people of God and live with love. and he really lives that way too! he intentionally takes things out of his schedule so he and sarah can be home and around the house as much as possible. he says this is the only way he can really know his neighbors and know their needs. this simplicity and lack of programs is actually what makes the programs so successful. instead of trying to create programs for the neighborhood based on his own assumptions, by knowing the neighborhood so deeply, those living there literally come to scott's door when there is a need and ask for programs to start to meet those needs. we experienced this first hand as so many times scott, sarah and their family made time to have a conversation with us in passing or invite us in to bake peach pie. that kind of life doesn't just come though. scott told us how he weekly has to battle against filling his schedule, as there are more than enough things he could fill it with. not only that, but living around others and sharing space with other families of different cultures takes a lot of grace and patience. before scott and sarah owned the house they live in now, they packed themselves and their three children into two bedrooms in the back of nehemiah house.
it is that kind of simplicity that i want to live in my neighborhood with. the type that says to those around me that they are much more important than any schedule or my comfort. the type that truly knows those around them. the type that the type that only creates programs or institutions when that is the best way to meet a need. i hope that as we go back home to hamilton that there will be a yetterness to the way of life at 186 stirton.
1 comment:
Awesome. Love reading this, Jen. Love reading all of this. We are thinking about you guys as you travel. Love seeing the ways God is working in you through your trip.
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