This Week in L'Arche Belfast

2011-12-06T14:24:00.001Z

At the end of November we celebrated American Thanksgiving with lots of food, festive hats and good friends. There was much to be thankful for after a year of growth and great experiences in the community. From new and old friendships, to holidays here and abroad, to new jobs, to God's faithfulness and plenty of food, we were one thankful bunch.

20 people enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner in 'The Ark'.

Octavia and Aodh waiting for the yummy food to be served.

The Pilgrims and the Indians don't always get along......

2011-11-16T10:27:00.001Z

Check out the videos and photos from our 'Spooky New York' Halloween Party! It was filled with good fun, good food and good people! Can you tell who everyone is suppose to be? Can you find the business man, the mechanic, the ghost, the gangster and the cop?

Root Soup

2011-09-14T11:25:00.005+01:00

Root Soup has continued and prosper over the past year. Micah, the Root Soup coordinator, has put together quite a few videos that explain a lot better than me what happens. Check them out!

Check out the Root Soup Website for more information!

Highlights Video from Community Holiday in County Cavan

2011-08-05T13:40:00.000+01:00

Beautiful Beautiful!

2011-05-26T09:36:00.007+01:00

Beautiful Beautiful

Jesus is beautiful

And Jesus makes beautiful

Things of my life

Tenderly

Touching me

Making my eyes to see

That Jesus makes beautiful

Things of my life!

Maria's May Musings

2011-05-24T16:05:00.000+01:00

“Cogar i leith chugam anois agus éist go fóill” - Whisper here to me now and listen for a while…

Just the other day, a friend and I drove around Belfast noticing the spaces in North, South, East and West where L’Arche has a connection or a presence. She was astonished how something so tiny could ever be so big. Passing ‘The Loom‘ on the Crumlin Road where Thomas, with his coloured ‘Bible Book’, faithfully weaves relationships with others through prayer at 7am every Monday morning, it struck me that what L’Arche is essentially about is listening for the whisper of what is powerful and not useful and being with what is worthy of being with.

Something is useless if you can’t use it or so it is said. We often apply the same principle to people. If they don’t fit on a production line or consume what comes off a production line they too are considered useless. We don’t understand how they can really matter and humans have a habit of invalidating that which we don’t understand. In our eyes people who seem useless become invalid people. In another era, invalid was the term used for disability.

After our Belfast L’Arche tour, my friend and I returned to the Ember and, there in his usual spot, Larry was standing at the gate waiting for us. I asked him to introduce himself to Ann. “Larry what shows up in our house because you are there?” – he answered – ‘Happy’. Yes indeed, ‘Happy’ surely shows up in the world because Larry is here, faithful friendship through Thomas, beauty through Jillian, kindness through Matthew and lovability through May! Through the filter of our utilitarian worldview I wonder how many of us could describe ourselves so humbly and so powerfully. How many of us would measure our value through what gets generated through our lives instead of what we produce.

I heard it said once “to commit our lives to a purpose bigger than our lives … is the context for ecstasy”. Larry lives that kind of ecstasy. His whole life is such a commitment. He is unstoppable in ‘Happy’ing the world. He has given his life to it. It is who he is. Most of us who know Larry would say that it is not related to his doing but rather through the quality of attention he gives and the relationships he creates. Larry ‘IS’ that we are happy.

In our world of recession talk of diminishing production and consumption, it is likely that many people experience themselves as useless and in their shame they become invalid and voiceless. If we have eyes to see, people like Larry, Jillian, Thomas, Christian, May, Matthew, Helen, Paul, David, Adam, Lisa…can be the unlikely leaders of our times. They know a truth and a purpose bigger than our capacity to do and they are an unshakeable force for the transformation of our world through love. Though they use few words they are not the voiceless ones. They do, however, have the authority to speak in the name of all the voiceless people and into the hearts of all of us, who in one way or another live in fear that any day we too could become useless, voiceless or …God forbid, invalid!

It’s good to be reminded that ‘Usefulness” is, in fact, only the booby prize. It is something altogether different that truly matters and makes all the difference.

Prayers and Birthdays

2011-05-18T13:11:00.004+01:00

16th of May

Today a group of people went to the Holy Cross Monastery in Rostrevor to discuss and pray about the future of the Loom, our prayer space in north Belfast. The monastery we visited is a Benedictine community and they came to Northern Ireland 1998 as a response to a call addressed by the Church to monasteries of contemplative life to engage themselves in the mission of spiritual ecumenism, rooted in prayer, conversion of heart and charity, in those corners of the world where Christians are divided.

When we arrived we were welcomed by brother Thierry who showed us to a room where we were about to spend our day, pray and talk to each other.

We started out with looking back at the history of the Loom: how it started and why it started. Then we all got a chance to say what we thought the Loom meant to each one of us and also any vision that we had for its future.

Through the day we also took part in the daily prayers in the chapel. I haven't been to that many monasteries and neither am I used to the catholic tradition. I liked trying something new, and there is something very peaceful about a group of brothers sharing their lives with God and each other.

Later brother Thierry came to our "conference room" and shared about their own journey about how they started the monastery. It was an amazing story. We also talked about living in the presence of God.

I think that at the end of the day we were all very inspired and convinced that God wants us to keep praying in the Loom.

We send thanks to the brothers of the Holy Cross Monastery that welcomed us, and we will keep praying and believing that God will provide.

My best memory of the day that I will bring with me is that even when I don't know how, or even want to make an effort, God is already there waiting for me. He is just as real then as when I can feel his breath on my face. Loving me more and more.

-----------------

Birthdays!!!

This month (May) we are celebrating a lot of birthdays. That means a lot of breakfasts in bed and a lot of parties! Last weak it was May's 20th birthday. And next is Thomas and Matthew in the same week! I think we can look forward to a lot of fries and burgers. Happy birthday guys!!!

By Julia (a volunteer from Sweden who has been in the community about 6 months)

The whole gang out to celebrate May's 20th birthday!

The birthday girl herself!

Maria's April Musings

2011-04-12T14:07:00.001+01:00

AND THEN SHALL THE WEAK SAY I AM STRONG … SHALL THE POOR SAY I AM RICH…

It’s Lent, and apart from the usual giving up and taking on Larry, Gosia and I accepted an invitation to go to Poland to lead a Lenten Retreat on the theme “When We Are Weak We Are Strong”. Thinking about this gives me eyes to see more clearly the acts of transformational suffering and unimaginable forgiveness that surround me. Seeing this way draws me more deeply into the invitation of Jesus to ‘take up my cross and follow him…”

This morning at our early morning prayer in “The Loom”, I heard Thomas pray for his mum, dad, sister, brothers and nieces and nephews whom he has never met. For over 10 years Thomas has had no contact with his family. In the newspaper obituary of his father’s death a number of years ago his name was not mentioned. Today, like most other days, he prayed to God “to look after them, to let them know in their hearts that he misses them and to help them to see him again some day”. His prayer made the ground we were sitting on feel holy.

In the kitchen of Moorefield House in Kilkenny for over 20 years, Packie’s grace before every meal had the same impact: “God Bless me own father”. He could as easily have shown the scars, physical and psychological, inflicted on him during childhood by his father. Packie never did… we only knew about that from the files that came with him to L’Arche from the psychiatric hospital where he spent his young adulthood.

In the midst of the annual weekend celebration of motherhood last Saturday afternoon a car bomb took the life of 25-year-old PSNI constable Ronan Kerr from Omagh, Co Tyrone. Shortly after hearing about her son’s murder Mrs. Nuala Kerr spoke out her own plea, also a kind of prayer: “Ronan was a great son and brother. He always had a smile and a helping hand for everyone. This is at a time when we’re aiming for a neutral police force for the good of our country. I urge all Catholic Members not to be deterred by this. We need to stand up and be counted as we strive for equality for all. We don’t want to go back to the dark days of fear and terror. We were so proud of Ronan and all he stood for and don’t let his death be in vain”. On Wednesday Nuala Kerr attended her son’s funeral in the company of senior figures from the world of sport, politics and religion on the Island of Ireland. In the midst of profound grief and sadness the Police force and the GAA carried Ronan’s coffin together. It was a powerful sign of the new and shared future in Nuala Kerr’s heart and a symbolic display of cross community solidarity that would have been unthinkable in the past. On Sunday evening many thousands of people turned up for a walk through the streets of Omagh to

add their voice to Nuala Kerr’s – “NOT IN OUR NAME THIS VIOLENCE AND HATRED. WE WALK IN THE NAME OF PEACE”.

On the tragic untimely death of his brother, Packie also walked, in the name of peace, up the centre aisle of a small country church to embrace with joy both sides of his estranged and bewildered family. I have no doubt too that our Thomas’ constant prayer of longing is doing its own work of transformation in his family. Meantime, just being a witness to such extra-ordinary acts of forgiveness transforms me.

As we approach this Easter Season I thank God for the ‘Unlikely Leaders’ and ‘Prophets of Peace’ in our midst. It is both privilege and pain to follow Nuala, Packie and Thomas on the way of the cross – the way of Faith, Hope and Love, the only way to Transformation and Transfiguration.

In these times of great suffering in our world, NOW is the perfect time for “the weak to be strong and the poor to be rich” and to lead us on our way…

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE.

Mustache Madness

2011-03-29T15:39:00.003+01:00

Mustache madness has hit the Ember. Kicked off by our James in the states to raise funds for a scooter to aid Faythe's mobility around town. Why Mustaches, I don't know, but there's been some amusing results. Check out the pics and James blog. http://faythefulmustache.blogspot.com

10th March

The Region of L'Arche Ireland/ Northern Ireland gathered to hear the councils recommendation for our new regional coordinator. Representing Belfast, Thomas, Larry, Scott, Maria, Henri, Pam and Sharon squeezed into Rosie and made the trip down to Dublin. It was a wonderful day of reconnection with our L'Arche friends from the communities around Ireland.

Unanimously our very own Maria Garvey was voted the woman for the job. We are delighted for her and offer her our hearty congratulations. We are pleased to know that Belfast shall still be her home. Maria you'll always have a place at the heart of our community.

11th March

Johnny Graham delighted us all when he dropped off a cake large enough to fill an army- I give it three days. Thanks Johnny!

12th March

Our hearts go out to the people of Japan effected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami. Having Makiko here with us from Japan has perhaps brought it more to our thoughts. We are happy to hear that her family and friends are safe. Our prayers will continue to ask for God's grace for those in mourning and rebuilding lives and homes.

24th March

Our hen finally lays an egg!! Those threats of being turned into chicken soup have finally paid off : ) Actually it may be more to do with Matthews careful attentions as he's faithfully cared for the hens in Lucy and Micah's absence. Thanks Matthew for all those early mornings.

-Sharon

Happenings in February

2011-03-01T09:37:00.002Z

Hello dear members of the L´Arche community, friends and family…

Let’s give you some information about the things that have been going on this month – FEBUARY

As usual, there have been a few events during the last weeks for example the Chinese New Year festival in Belfast’s market hall. We all welcomed the Chinese year of the rabbit by watching the entertaining programme and stands, dancing to the live music and watching May and her dance group’s performance! :) We also went out to see Neil and his band playing last night.

Last week Root Soup organised a “Friends and Fork night” in the Ark. Micah, Alison, Bryson and Matthew prepared a wonderful dinner for all of the numerous guests. And the good news is: there are going to be more events like this!

The work at the allotment gets busier as we plant more and more fruits and vegetables but we have a lot of support by Paul, David and Christian who come every Friday to help us. The first flowers already started to grow and we are looking forward to have some nice barbeques up the soon! :)

The core members are doing well.

Larry is happy as always watching TV and buying DVDs, Jillian got glasses which suit her very well – “lovely!” - , Thomas is looking forward to the marathon coming up in May, Matthew participated in a conference in Templepatrick called “Speak out about yourself” for people with learning disabilities, he said he learnt a lot of things there, and May just won a bowling competition in Derry!

Take care,

Susan (& Matthew)

A L'Arche Belfast Reflection

2011-02-23T14:05:00.002Z

The following is a reflection on life in L'Arche Belfast by Emily, a live-in volunteer that left at the end of December.

The first few weeks of L’Arche felt rather quiet to me. Previous L’Arche assistants, upon hearing this, might laugh a bit, given how loud they know The Ember to be much of the time. And that din came to be a comforting one for me.

But the first few weeks were quiet. I am generally a more introverted person, I was in a culture that was fairly foreign to me and I enjoy spending time reading and writing. Mostly, though what marked the real silence was the lack of perpetual buzzing and ringing from my mobile phone.

In Seattle, where I attended university and worked as a journalist, I became accustomed to my mobile’s alerts as a call to work. I often worked from home, the car, or on the run, waiting to hear back from people I wished to interview, checking facts on the go and checking in with other journalists at hours many people do not work. At times, I could come to dread voicemails, as these calls often interrupted time with friends, roommates and time I spent writing for myself. I loved being a journalist, but there are natural drawbacks.

When Eric Clapton’s ‘Layla’ (my ringtone) did not mark a business call, I received constant texts from friends making jokes during class, inviting me to go get drinks or requesting a moment to talk.
It was thus fairly freeing, in one sense, to be so disconnected from my mobile when I was first in Belfast. I maintained a mobile phone almost entirely for emergency purposes and for texting a friend who was in Europe at the time. I kept in touch with others in Seattle and California (where I grew up) via email and Skype, but I appreciated that my life was a bit more silent than it used to be.

This act of disconnecting in the hope of re-connecting represents for me an important aspect of L’Arche. As friends of the L’Arche community know, life in L’Arche moves much more slowly than life outside of L’Arche. I’d like to think that in an ideal world, there can be more of a balance between the viewpoints held and lived out in L’Arche and in the outside community, but there is not always.
I went back to Seattle for a week in the midst of my time in Belfast and was shocked to see how much more quickly I used to live, how different the things were that I focused on—namely, my career, my time, what others thought of me.

Around that time, Scott told me that for many assistants, L’Arche can be a steady place where the volunteers who come and go, for relatively short times, and from far-reaching places, can find a deeper sense of self, community, strength and return with renewed energy to their previous life. Maria’s formations were often challenging for me, but they asked me to question: if I was not defined as a student, a journalist, a daughter, a girlfriend or a friend, who was I?

And oddly enough, without all those definitions, I think I settled on an answer.

I do not want the things that I learned in L’Arche, the memories I have and its way of being to be in complete conflict with the rest of my life. L’Arche frequently allowed and required that I find a balance between these two worlds. Working at the Allotment allowed me to have some more hands-on experience with philosophies of sustainability and deep ecology that I held dear before arriving in Belfast. Every time I told someone I met randomly in Belfast that I was from California, and yes chose to move to Belfast, and worked with people with learning disabilities, I experienced what it means to involve a L’Arche community in the local community. And living with Jill, Larry, May, Thomas and Matthew taught me to focus on the day that was before me, the present moment, in the company of friends. L’Arche taught me that living in a way that honors the importance of relationships is neither easy nor glamorous, but the returns of daily labor are worth the effort.

My previous writing instructors often told me to trust the process that they proposed for me—ways of getting into a poem or story, the process of re-drafting, the process of sharing with others.
L’Arche was also about trusting the process. And it paid off.

When Lucy asked me to write this reflection, it probably seemed natural to others that I would want to write it. I did, after all, often mention that I write frequently and in abundance. Journalistic habits dying hard, I set a word limit of 500 words, while instantly feeling as though 500 words, written only a month after I left L’Arche, would not suffice.

Silence did not seem as though it would suffice in this instance though. So here it is, four days before I head off to the Czech Republic, where I will stay for two weeks before 4 months of studying German and working in Germany on an organic farm.

To those at The Ember and The Ark, I think of you often and miss you. Hope all is well.

Happy New Year from L'Arche Belfast

2011-01-28T09:39:00.002Z

Hi I'm Makiko (from Japan), a live-in assistant at L'Arche.

We have big news this month, We welcomed Matthew, a new core member in our community! Matthew has been a friend of our community for a long time, (he's a great worker in the Allotment as well ) Now he got his room in the Ember. Welcome Matthew !

We also welcomed new volunteer, Susan from Germany.

After the Christmas holiday, it has been again been relaxed atmosphere in the Ember. Thomas is back to the collage, he got a new alarm for waking up early in the morning for prayer on Mondays. Larry, who is helping me write this blog right now, is great at computer typing. He cooked gorgeous mashed potatoes & fishfingers last night. May also has been cooking delicious meal on Sundays. Maybe everyone should come to have her yummy dishes! Jillian creates beautiful flower arrangements at the centre, and also she enjoys doing Art session at the Ark every Monday.

Although daily life in the Ember is quiet relaxed and peaceful, we're busy with lots of events, parties & prayers. We had a welcome prayer for Matthew & Susan at our prayer house 'the loom'. We also had a reunion with past assistants James and Faythe, and a birthday prayer for Eimear. And more birthdays are coming for Neil and Lucy !

And we had fundraising event, ‘Cinema night' put on by past assistant Rachael , it finished with great success ! We enjoyed nice food with a good movie.

Well, everyday looks the same but slightly different. I feel that more often than when I came here.

Anyway I wish for everyone a wonderful new year ahead !

Thomas and Eimear

Party Time!

James and Faythe visit!

Welcome Matthew!

Christmas Video

2010-12-28T11:37:00.001Z

Hello dear friends of L'Arche Belfast! We have put together a wee video about our Christmas Celebrations here for you to enjoy! Lots of Love from L'Arche Belfast

Giving Thanks from Megan

2010-11-25T13:21:00.001Z

You've not heard from me in a while. I have been out in the wilds of Belvoir, Beaver, Bella Vista, underemployed and thinking about life. Our dear friend and former founding houseleader, Geert Kint, wed the lovely Nele in Flanders a couple weeks ago and I had the pleasure of attending alongside Larry, Jillian, Maria, Thomas, Aodh and Scott. The event provided opportunity to reflect on what the past 9 years in Belfast have given me for which I give thanks. Noah was a tiny boy, like Aodh, when we first met Geert. Aodh was a tiny bump and Octavia a wee girl when we met Nele. Aodh was a tiny baby on Nele's lap last time we saw Geert and her. Families grow and friendships do the same. (See Noah's new big face below.)

The photo of Larry and Octavia was taken at his birthday prayer last month. They share October birthdays. Even though Larry looks as youthful as ever you can see that Octavia is getting older by the day. She is the same age as Larry's nephew who I saw yesterday. When I was visiting with his nephew the boy's mum said that she'd never seen Larry so happy as he is in L'Arche. My guess is that she has no idea how deeply her statement reached into my hear. Larry is not just my friend and a fun, car-loving friend to my children. He is also happy because we are here in L'Arche where he has found a home. Friendships make us at home as they grow.

Life is full of challenges (see Twisted Guts below. Whether real twisted guts or the poisonous version fed to many a child at Halloween, Twisted Guts are bad news. This pack was fished out of Octavia's Halloween Basket. She relished it.). But there is beauty here, too. Keeping the balance is what we strive to do. Tallying up the gifts and joys is one way of remembering that blessings are not always preceded by a big bow or a public announcement. Just at the moment I am making a list prayer, from the school of Larry Gourley, as a prelude to Thanksgiving dinner at the Ember:

Thank you for friends, pink cars, twisted guts, Makiko's miniatures, Gosia's big bead necklace, forks, TVs, babies, assistants who love kids and art and coffee with Jillian, Common Grounds, May's Potter mania, a laugh with Matthew, Bubbles, autumn leaves, Jenny's cookies, Sharon's little crafts around the Ember and all the things that have marked me this year that I am forgetting.

Wild Geese

2010-11-17T15:09:00.004Z

I thought I would pass along a poem that Maria shared with us in the prayer on Monday morning!

ENJOY!

Wild Geese  

You do not have to be good.  

You do not have to walk on your knees  for a hundred miles

through the desert, repenting.  

You only have to let the soft animal of your body  love what it

loves.  

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.  

Meanwhile the world goes on.

 Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain  are moving

across the landscapes,  over the prairies and the deep trees,  the

mountains and the rivers.  

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,  are

heading home again.  

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,  the world offers itself

to your imagination,  

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—

 over and over announcing your place  in the family of things.

Crafty Saturday

2010-11-17T14:53:00.003Z

We had a great time on Saturday participating in a Crafty Day organized by Sharon! She came with theme of "Thomas" since a photo of Jillian and a painting of Larry are both beautifully displayed in the sitting room, but dear Thomas has been left out!

Some people (with a more artistic side) drew lovely portraits of Thomas to put on display. A few turned out great!

Others drew cars (Larry) or did finger painted (Thomas) or painted canvases in beautiful colours (Jillian). While doing all these beautiful pieces of artwork, we enjoyed chatting and many cups of tea and coffee.

If you are interested in joining us for the next crafty day in the Ark...let me know and I can keep you updated! They are great fun!

Celebration October

2010-11-09T15:16:00.009Z

Yikes! October is already over! We had a month full of celebrating. October began with a bang since we had the Soup Shanty on October 1, which celebrated the 9 years of L'Arche Belfast AND the beginning of Root Soup! It was a great night of soup, sharing and singing! Then all of the sudden it was the end of the month and of course we had to celebrate Halloween with too many sweets, fun games and a good barbeque! I almost forgot the most important part...the theme of our Halloween Party was the garden! Costumes ranged from the allotment car to spider webs to bird tables! Always a good time when we have a party in L'Arche Belfast! The pictures below explain the celebrations so much more than I ever could! So enjoy!

Soup Shanty!

Our friends!

The Open Arts choir kept everyone so entertained!

Alison worked wonders in the kitchen!

Maria's speech was a great combination of looking back and looking forward!

Jillian happy as a peach on stage!

Henri messing about!

Matthew and Emily selling Christmas cards and "Soup and What Else" books!

Maria directing the way! What a fantastic leader!

Garden-Themed Halloween!!

Thomas the bus driver (not quite garden-themed....but maybe he drives us to the garden!)

Silly Group Photo!

Happy Group Photo!

Larry being his fav. car at the allotment!

Jenny the bumble bee and Larry the car!

Yucky Spider web!

Scary Carrot!

Jillian the beautiful bed of flowers!

Getting all dressed up to try to eat some chocolate (a great game!)

Matthew the pumpkin!

Community Arts Day at the Ark

2010-09-16T10:21:00.003+01:00

Last Saturday, we had our first of hopefully many community art days. The hope had been to have it up at the allotment, but of course the weather did not cooperate, so instead we ventured down to the Ark. The day was filled with painting, drawing, cups of tea and Thomas' dirty hands from finger painting! The work was beautiful. The company was beautiful! The day was beautiful despite the bad weather outside! We rounded out the day with a lovely barbeque. The weather cooperated enough for that! Hopefully this will become a monthly tradition!

Changes in September!

2010-09-09T13:32:00.005+01:00

Neil who wrote this blog post is write in the middle!

Community Picnic!

Out for a walk!

There has been some coming and going at L'Arche in the last couple of weeks. Two volunteers headed home (Cami, who wrote last month's blog and Teresa) while two arrived (Manuela and Emily). It is always sad to say goodbye, but we get to welcome new friends and have a party to say farewell so these clouds do have silver linings. We wished Cami and Teresa every success in what they are moving on to next and I'm sure they will be in touch and perhaps even come back to see us again in the future. Manuela and Emily have already been a great addition to our volunteer team and they, along with Makiko, make life in the Ember really feel like home for the rest of us as they begin to make the Ember their home.

September marks a return to things like college and work placements for the core members. And this is largely welcomed with enthusiasm...although the return to a 7:30 am start comes as a bit of a shock to the system for almost all concerned! I think Thomas is the only exception as he loves an early start. He manages to enjoy almost every aspect of returning to September routines-getting up early, taxi journeys to and from college, the college lessons themselves, even ham, cheese and...jam sandwiches (Yes, make no mistake, those 3 fillings in 1 sandwich is Thomas's idea of the perfect sandwich!) This is witchout a doubt a good time of year for Thomas.

May has gotten a few household responsibilities added to her list recently and has been doing a great job with them. She now cooks on Wednesday evenings and we were treated to sausages, champ and gravy last Wednesday night which was delicious. She also manages the shopping list so if we are short of chocolate biscuits she's the lady to sort it!

Jillian is enjoying life in the Ember and is returning to things like a monthly singing group and a drumming group after the summer break. So, she will no doubt be singing and dancing even more than normal throughout Septemeber and when Jillian sings you can't help but get involved.

And as far as Larry goes, I discovered there is no better man for putting recycling into the relevant containers at the recycling centre. He was brilliant at sorting everything and laughed while he worked. What a great companion for the tasks that can at times feel like chores.

So the change of pace from summy summers to September routines is complete and life is good in L'Arche Belfast!

-Written by Neil, a support worker-

The Month of August from Cami's eyes

2010-09-02T09:51:00.007+01:00

Hi everybody!

I'm Camille, I have been in The Ember for 6 months. I am in charge of telling what happened this August.

It has been a very quiet and resting month for everybody. Holiday time for the whole community.

May went to Israel and came back enchanted! She's finding her space in The Ember and gives life to the house. She's beginning a new course next Monday and she's very excited about it! So good luck May!

Thomas is still running! He is beginning a new course at college in September and can't wait for it to start!

Larry is in really good form and always is joking around! His DVD collection is increasing every week so if you need advice, ask him!

Jillian dressed up in fancy clothes last week and came home from the centre with fancy blue hair!!

Jillian is the same beautiful woman as always! Dancing and laughing a lot, she is stil a hard worker and keeps the house really tidy and clean.

We had a crazy weekend last week, we went to Corrymeela community to work with them. Lots of garening, tidying up and tea breaks! We had to go to the beach and pick up nice stones. We put them in the garden and every person that comes to Corrymeela will bring one house as a souvenir. Lucy and Thomas worked very hard in the garden and Micah and Larry cut the hedge. Jillian did lots of work and heped probably more than Thomas and Larry together: unstoppable! May came with us for one day and it was really nice to have her for the first time on holiday with us!

We welcomed Teresa this month, she was a one month volunteer from Austria. She enjoyed being here a lot and left last Saturday!

This week is a crazy one! Two new volunteers are coming! Manuela from Austria, for 1 month and Emily from the states for almost a year.

We had my leaving party yesterday. I'm going back to France this Friday to study. It was a nice party even if it's really hard to say goodbye to really good friends! I'm going to miss The Ember and everybody! Thank you for al your love, your support, your joy, and your welcome. L'Arche Belfast still will be in my heart for ever and I'll come back to visit! I promise! Maybe one day, my picture will come back to the other side of the kitchen, who knows?

This week is a closing a page for me and a new line in The Ember life book. Welcome to the new volunteers and cheers everybody.

Just a little salt for your soup

2010-08-26T10:19:00.004+01:00

It has been a busy summer of holiday and day trips to enjoy the sun! But alas, we are all back together and ready to celebrate! Tonight we are getting ready to have a "Bring back the fun party!" as well as celebrating Scott's birthday, Makiko's birthday, Teresa's farewell and Rachel's amazing test scores! We have a lot to celebrate as a community!

Since there is little specifically to report since everyone has been gallivanting across the globe, I figured some pictures from the past few months would sum up part of community life as of lately. The pictures are not in any specific order and range greatly in time! But I hope you enjoy!

Cami, Micah and May at Neil's band's gig

Rachel and Thomas at a BBQ at the Ark

Team England during the World Cup. Quite ferocious!

Larry, Jillian and Thomas at the Market for lunch!

Team America during the World Cup. Very Fierce!

Thomas running at Mary Peter's!

Larry in Maria's shoes. What a man!

Miss Jillian looking fine in her fancy dress at a farewell BBQ!

Allotment Party!

2010-07-20T15:18:00.017+01:00

Last week was a stretch of holiday for Larry and Thomas. Jillian carried on as usual with her work. So Larry and Thomas and company took advantage of a chance to head up to the allotment and as Thomas put it "get down on their knees and get their hands dirty".

Thomas and I (Lucy) picked many strawberries and raspberries while Scott and Micah cut the grass and Larry decided he would "just watch". Larry's main goal of the day was to get down to see the broken down Volvo by the toilet! And O boy when he saw it, he took many pictures on his phone of every which angle, especially the gas tank!

In the afternoon we were joined by Makiko, Noah and Matthew for a lovely Barbecue and great job of weeding the paths and watching the cows go by! The day ended by picking broad beans, peas, garlic and kale.

After a day in the sunshine, rain and wind, we were all a bit tuckered out in the evening and were ready for the comfy seating in the Ember!

Back Up and Running

2010-05-26T12:25:00.004+01:00

It has been too long since we have been on the blog scene! We are going to start blogging again once a month to help give you tidbits of life in L'Arche.

We'll get the blog ball rolling with a note from one of our previous Assistants; Naomi from Canada:

Greetings dear friends and family,

Here I sit in a wee cafe, on a sunny street in the town of Agios Gordios, Corfu, Greece. As some of you know my parents (and secretly my sister also) came and met me in England and we flew over here for a 2 week vacation before going home. This 10 days on Corfu has been quite enjoyable, very tasty, and delightfully warm, but first I will give you a wee bit of closure on where I was before Greece.

Saying goodbye to my beautiful Belfast was not an easy task, no more so was my farewell with England. After living in L'Arche Belfast for the previous 6 months I had grown to love many things about the city, including its many inhabitants! Living and working in such close quarters with so many amazing (and I fully mean that) people was nothing less then a blessing. The friendship and relationships that I made during my time there will last a life time. I truly feel like I have not left a job, or some mere friends, but a community and a family.

From digging in gardens in the freezing January winds until my hands lost feeling, to throwing small handfuls of powdered paint at complete strangers whilst running around dancing to thumping Indian beats; there was always an adventure to be had! Some of my joys were; being introduced, and falling in love with several awesome local Belfast bands, and staying up to the wee hours dancing and singing along, fabulous dinners out with amazing friends, to making dinners in the warm Ember kitchen for 15 great friends, and then cramming around our extended table to enjoy them. Not to mention the countless films at so many local cinemas, gorging on popcorn (sweet or salty?) and pic-n-mix! The very many wonderful memories I have of my time in Belfast will stay with my forever.

My brilliant Belfast family gave me the send off of a Queen! Including a whole night of performances all made for me! There were poems, plays, songs (one of my Irish mates, who just happens to be the lead singer of my all time favorite Belfast band, The Lowly Knights, sang me a lovely Isish-i-nized Canadian anthem!), dances, acts, and so many wonderful presents I was shocked!

My trip to the airport was a damn-well emotional one, but I think I handled it pretty well, waiting until I got around the wee corner to security to break down!

From Belfast I flew back to England for one last visit before coming home. It also was a lovely visit, and I had a blast coming and going throughout the past year. The Red Bell pub, and all its quirky inhabitants, has also become some what of a second home to me. I have my Belfast family, and also my Red Bell family! So many great times at that pub, one cannot count! I am also let to work shifts in the bar each and every time I go back, which is not only fun and something I curiously enjoy immensely, but also very handy for the pocket!

Leaving the Red Bell this time, instead of being emotional and sad, was pretty much regular routine! It no longer feels the normal, 'when will I see them again' because its pretty obvious I'll be back within the year at least:)

After my not-so-hard departure from the Red Bell, I flew to Gatwick to meet Mom and Dad. I get off the plane, and am slowly making my way to baggage claim, where I have to sit for a time because, as everyone who's ever taken a plane knows, there is a lot of waiting involved. So there I am, leaning on the luggage trolley I have commandeered when I see someone running at me out of the corner of my eye. But no worries, it's not someone carrying a bomb intent on blowing up the airport, its my Mother, arms wide open, huge smile on face. Apparently rules like 'no one but passengers beyond this point' don't apply to her! Anyways, it was brilliant seeing them both, they were so excited and happy, still giddy from the flight over.

So, the past 10 days have been, like I said before, very enjoyable. Eating out has become almost boring as we do it every day, the sun has been brilliant, although we did have a few days of rainy thunder storms! For the most part we have been relaxing, eating, laying on the beach, swimming, sun-tanning, eating, drinking, eating some more... oh, and drinking:)

And now, I sit here in this wee cafe, on our sunny street, in Agios Gordois, writing you all this (not so wee) email summing up the last bits of my time here on this 2009-2010 European adventure of mine.

- Naomi was with us from November-May and after being absent from the Ember for just these couple of weeks is already sorely missed. Naomi, a big thank you from all of us for your gusto for life, your joy and the spirit of adventure you carry with you at all times. Love, your Ember Family

Not Your Ordinary Easter Pic

2009-04-14T12:52:00.000+01:00

Happy Easter! You might have been expecting coloured eggs, bunnies, or even chocolate to feature on the L'Arche blog this time of year. Not so! We've had an exciting Holy Week, including a walk across Belfast to the Antrim Road where Thomas and Matthew paused to enjoy the boxing ring at Kronk's Boxing Club. Maria said "We are walking into our future today, " as we set off from the Ember on Good Friday with Eliana and Johanna from L'Arche Dublin filming for a documentary video. I'm pretty certain she didn't mean that Matthew and Thomas would become boxers. She meant the we were walking out into the unknown, the future, the life that awaits after Good Friday's loss. For me, seeing these men in the ring, friends having a laugh, illustrated the unexpected joy and fun that might be out there for us.

Helen and Jillian

2009-04-06T21:33:00.001+01:00

If you are a regular reader of this irregular blog, you probably also know Helen and Jillian. Did you remember that they celebrated their respective birthdays this week, along with Noah? There is a spring chick club in our community! I wasn't lucky enough to speak to Helen on her birthday but Jillian reports that she was at her Auntie Ray's for lunch and Auntie Ray gave her "nothin'" to eat! With a bit of wheedling, I was able to prise out a snippet of information: there was a "cuppa coffee" involved in Jillian's family celebrations. Aha! I didn't think Auntie Ray would let Jill go without.

Easter is nearly here. We will head for the Giant's Causeway on the annual pilgrimage Thursday and by Scott's reckoning there may be 35 people. The forecast is for rain so we are praying for a little break in the showers for our picnic. We shall be thinking of all of you--especially all those who have journeyed with us on other days, in rain and sun--and wish you all spring chicks and Easter Life.

Wish You Were Here

2009-03-17T17:49:00.000Z

St. Patrick's Day at the Allotment. Sewing spuds and seeds, grilling grub, and keeping warm as a community.

And Singing and Dancing

2009-03-17T17:39:00.005Z

The posts have been few and far between as Megan is on maternity leave and often forgets her camera or to get to the blog to let you know what has happened. Aren't we all lucky that the community worked so hard to make this a real Holiday to remind her to tell you about it?

Happy Christmas, Happy New Year and Joe is outta here.

2008-12-28T21:49:00.001Z

This isn't just another Christmas table runner. This is Joe's leaving gift: a stole embroidered by Georgie's mum. Georgie is a boy who is blind and his mum earns money for his special school fees with her embroidery work. Joe was given the stole at his leaving prayer at the beginning of December. He is on his way in a few weeks to the Phillipines for work and he is excited because he recently learned that a group of people are working to begin a L'Arche community in the town where he will be living. He's taking a bit of us with him and we hope that we'll soon have new L'Arche friends to be hearing about from him.

Ah, but we'll miss the craic with Joe. Who will make the salmon pasta, the tiramisu, the origami, the reservations for lovely Japanese lunches? Maybe someone will but not with the same panache as our Joe. He has been such a regular feature, friend, volunteer, in the Ember. Did I say we shall miss him?

Christmas this year was simple and sweet. Kristkindle started the flame of the holiday, and on Christmas Eve the Ember team laid on a lovely spread including the traditional smoked salmon and a gorgeous Czech fruit bread. Gabriella took the lead in distributing gifts from under the tree and we enjoyed the presence of Helen's family and Jillian's dad. We missed Dora and Edith, for the first time since the Ember came to be, but it was wonderful to have so many faces around the tree that had been there last year this time. Jim and Baby Aodh, the eldest and the youngest present, lit a candle together and Maria gave the blessing that her father used to use: May we all be together in this place this time next year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

For what are you thankful?

2008-11-26T12:00:00.000Z

It is no secret that L'Arche Belfast has and always has had an American element or that Americans love Thanksgiving. Giving thanks is not an American institution, however. On Thursday some of us will be far away, some of us will be at a dinner dance at Edgecumbe (!), some of us will be eating veggie roast and longing for Tofurkey. We'll all be holding for one another all the things that have been given to us in grace.

Here are a few things for which we here in Rosetta are thankful:

Helen moved into the Ark on Monday to her new space and her new routine.

Faythe and James are spending this Thanksgiving with Faythe's family.

Noah and Octavia are both enjoying and doing well at school and playgroup.

TV license, money, books, shoes, cups, plates...

Friends.

We are wondering, friend, what gratitude you might be harbouring in your heart this week.
Go on, post a comment.

Bus Rides and Grass Skirts

2008-11-21T16:53:00.003Z

For those friends of ours who are friends of Sharon Ryan, we wanted to let you know of the death of Doris, or Wee Doris as Geoffrey called her, last week in Boston, USA. Many of us were touched by Doris's friendliness and support by phone and post in the years Sharon spent in L'Arche and indeed afterward. Through Sharon, she inspired us and will continue to inspire those who hear about her or meet any of her eight children. We share with you from Sharon's eulogy for her mum two passages that relate her practising the kind of love we aspire to in our community:

My brother tells the story of his first day of kindergarten when my mother bundled him up, and set him off to face the bus with courage, then she ran after it in tears as it drove off....When the bus driver pulled over to let my mother say one more good-bye, and to calm my brother and the other kids who were now crying, he asked my mother if it was her first to head off to school. My mother said no--it was her seventh.

[P]eople...felt better after they spent time with my mother and... felt immediately at home with her....Because she was comfortable with herself, she made others comfortable. She had what people these last days have been calling sparkle, spunk, a sense of fun, humor. She danced, she sang, she yodeled, she played games, she laughed, she wore grass skirts. She was cheeky and young. She made every day a holiday, my sister said. She had a joie de vivre--a joy of life--that she acquired early and never lost, even when times got tough. In those times, she told us that you better laugh so you don't cry, and she practiced what she preached.

Please join with us in embracing Sharon and all the Ryan family as they carry Doris's joie de vivre on into the future.

Turning Straw into Gold

2008-11-21T16:14:00.003Z

Your friend and mine Thomas Kerr took on the role of Scarecrow in a production of The Wizard of Oz last week. The weeks preceding and all through this week, thoughts of that important character, and Thomas's imminent suitability for the role, have been running through my mind like the much-loved cinema version.

The scarecrow was the first friend that embraced Dorothy as she began her journey to Oz in search of home. He didn't think twice when she invited him along on the journey to ask for what he most wanted. They were off! And scarecrow loved her throughout, even risking his greatest fear--fire--to save and support his friend.

When asked for a review of the night, Thomas simply said it was "Good!" Everyone enjoyed it and Thomas's favourite bit was having the cast dinner before the production with all of his mates: sausages! Others commented that Dorothy definitely took centre stage but that Thomas did himself proud and the costumes were something.

Thomas did me proud just by accepting his part, one that fits his loyalty and supportive nature, to create a night of golden enjoyment for the people of Belfast. If I can rustle up an official photo from Orchardville, I will post it on the blog for you.

Larry's Birthday II

2008-10-26T17:28:00.003Z

Especially for those of you who like a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday. And Gwen.

Larry's Birthday I

2008-10-26T17:12:00.001Z

From the tie...

to the tea party...

From the 40 helium balloons to the chocolate cake, it was a wonderful day. Larry called himself a "Happy Man" and we were all glad to celebrate with him because he makes us Happy People.

If you like details, we can tell you that there were tray bakes and friends and fish & chips and burgers and lasagna and beer and coke and ice cream and Larry's brother and sister-in-law and wee nephew and a slide show! NICE!

In the Pink

2008-10-17T09:57:00.003+01:00

Larry is turning 40 this weekend! Tomorrow is his big celebration and at last count 40 guests were pulling out the dolly-up clothes and dusting off the dancing shoes. Former assistants will be represented by Hannah and Lucie and friends are expected from all parts of Belfast. We can't wait!

Next week the blog will feature a photo sequence and Larry's reflections on the day. If you are unable to come along and sign the guest book, why not send a message and your print-worthy (don't send small files!) photo to larrypinkTV@googlemail.com? We'll print off your message and photo and include it in his scrapbook of the event.

And if you want to comment on this blog, tell us which U2 song you would choose to have a dance with Larry.

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man....

2008-10-07T00:07:00.002+01:00

play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me....

Could Bob Dylan have had some inkling of the man, Geoffrey Bunting, when he penned these lyrics a few years before GB debuted? And how could the wise Bob have known that tonight I'd be sitting here, tired but not sleepy wishing I could be falling under Geoffrey's 'dancing spell', ruminating on the melodious life he led?

It was a jingle-jangle morning on Geoffrey's magic swirling ship: I took one of Noah and Scott's prolific sunflowers up to Newtownbreda churchyard and laid it on Geoffrey's stomachstone. I know that most people have a headstone but the placement of the stone on the family plot is somewhere in the middle, and for Geoffrey, a stomachstone would be just the thing. It was a misty Belfast day and looking over the walls of the churchyard I could see the autumn colours beginning their journey down the hillsides. I thought of all the friends who would be thinking of Geoffrey, Dora and the rest of the Buntings this day and my heart was full of love and grief. Of course, Heartbreak Hotel kept trying to be the theme song of my day but really, Geoffrey was so rarely checked into that place that other lyrics carried the day:

You can do anything that you wanna do, but uh-huh honey, lay offa my blue suede shoes....I'm in love, I'm all shook up, mmm mmm, oh, oh, yeah, yeah....let's rock everybody lets rock everybody in the whole cell block was dancing to the jailhouse rock!...You the cutest jailbird I ever did see....Wherever you go, wherever you wander in your life...surely you know I wanna be there holding your hand...seeing you through in everything you do....drinking all night, got into a fight. Well, I feel so broke up I wanna go home. So hoist up the John B sail, see how the mainsail sets...let me go home....lovely Rita meter maid, lovely Rita meter maid nothing can come between us...when it gets dark I tow your heart away....standing by a parking meter when I caught a glance of Rita...when are you free to take some tea with me....Rita!....These are the days, oh-oh. These are days you remember. Never before and never since I promise....as you feel it, you'll know it is true that you are blessed and happy. It's true, that you are touched by something....

Anyway, you probably don't need my entire day's soundtrack (though I am sure Kevin Downs and others are wondering how I managed to ignore the faint strains of 'Whiskey in the Jar'. Very easily, I must say!) Suffice it to say, 3 years later Geoffrey still brings music into a life that, in my case, isn't usually dominated by music. The thought of him makes me want to to get off my chair and rock the world while my tender lily-white hands, averse to wet face cloths and dishwater, show everyone just how wonderful life is!

The kids and I had cheese, cheese on toast for dinner and it was the best I've tasted in ages. I am asking all of you out there who know and love Geoffrey to take a moment to feel the corner of your pillow tonight, just gently enjoy the cotton between your fingers. And if you have a lyric running through your mind as you read this, please, please comment. By the way, Where's your car?

The Latest from Blanka

2008-09-29T21:29:00.003+01:00

FOR ALL THOSE WHO KNEW BLANKA AS AN ASSISTANT IN L'ARCHE BELFAST:

Dear friends,

Our son Vašík was born 14th Sept. 1O.15 am. if you want to see his pictures, check our website: www.canadianbutterfly.blog.cz.

The website is written in czech language, but you can see at least the pictures. When we settle a bit, I will try to write the website in english as well. Greetings to all of you.

Love from Blanka and Vasik

CONGRATULATIONS, BLANKA AND JIRKE, ON GROWING SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BABY! WE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET HIM IN PERSON.

Alright!: Jillian's Saturday Morning

2008-09-20T14:02:00.002+01:00

Happy Saturday morning! Jillian had breakfast, took a long bath, tidied the kitchen, made her bed and started cleaning her room. Shortly after 10,

Jill got the bus into town with Megan and purchased a new, big sketchbook at Eason's. (She isn't being paid to advertise their shop on this blog.) Lunch was planned for the Linenhall Library coffee shop but to our disappointment, they had only coffee and scones, and other such delicacies. Jillian wanted "CHICKEN." The next eating establishment met her requirements. At the Apartment, Jill ordered a Cajun chicken sandwich on sun-dried tomato bread and a 'shappacino'. As it transpired, the chook sarny arrived in the company of pommes frites! Real skinny ones like in France (or in America where they call them French fries). Once she'd anglicized them with about 250 ml of vinegar, Jill enjoyed every bite.

During lunch the sun came out on City Hall!! Such a rare occurance these past few months that we thought it warranted a photo. Jillian was pleased with the sun and the promise of a walk at Crawfordsburn on the beach in the afternoon. The perfect Saturday.

I like to play Monopoly at 6 AM--Kevin's Review of the Family Holiday

2008-09-05T09:16:00.002+01:00

[Note: comments in brackets are editorial. Not Kevin's opinion.]

Lured by low, low prices, I booked our tickets for a 6.40 AM flight to Dublin from Frankfurt Hahn. But this meant we would have to catch the 2 AM bus for the airport from Heidelberg. We put Red to bed the night before dressed in her traveling clothes and stayed up to watch a movie...in hindsight, I think we should have just gone to bed, because we were TIRED by the time we finally arrived in Belfast!

At airport security, I was asked if I had any liquids or glass jars with baby food in my bag. "Nope," I said. But when my bag came out of the x-ray machine the same way it went in, I knew something was wrong. They had found the mustard. "For the baby?" the guard asked. "What can I say," I said. "She loves it." He rolled his eyes and let us through.

We arrived in Ireland safe and sound and caught the next bus to Belfast. We took a cab to Megan and Scott's house and shortly after our arrival were greeted by Megan and Octavia! Here is a short list of things you don't need to bother bringing to Ireland: flip flops, sunscreen, and swimming trunks. Here are things you should bring: long johns, gloves and a fleece. I had no fleece so Scott graciously lent one to me--I think I wore it every day. [The umbrella. Don't forget the umbrella!]

A few minutes after the pregnant lady [Megan], the two toddlers, Isabelle and I had just settled down for a long winter's nap, there came a gentle rapping at the door. Selflessly allowing the ladies to sleep, I opened the door and found Maria there! I invited her into someone else's house for a cup of tea, and we had a nice chat. Later that day, Noah and Scott showed up and it was great to see them, too. Scott because it is a rare experience for me to hug a man taller than myself and Noah because I like to play monopoly at 6 AM--two things I get nowhere else than Belfast.

The next day started with a diaper [nappy] hunt. I mistook pounds for kilos and ended up buying diapers that were about 14 months too small for Red. Luckily, Octavia shared.

The whole trip what a tightrope walk between community time and family time. Here are just 2 of the highlights: the look on Noah's face when I gave him an entire handful of catsup packets when he asked for some at Maggie May's, and the pleasant discovery that, like her dad, Red likes gravy rings [donut-esque bun] from Ian's Home Bakery. From the W5 to the Parador and the Olive Tree and Sainsbury's, it was nice to see that some things never change. (To wit, the cheddar cheese at Sainsbury's was NOT in the same place as the last time I was there.)

Our stay coincided with vacation [holidays] for the Emberites, so while we only had a few short days together, we enjoyed Gosia's cooking and hospitality--we even had banana bread for dessert. [Aha! It wasn't a brownie in the photo posted to the blog!] Red, who was unaware of L'Arche traditions, asked for more and scored a second round of banana bread for everyone! Thomas, gentleman that he is, showed Red the fish, and Larry treated me to a private tour of his bike.

We were lucky enough to meet Susan Hughes one evening but sadly I showed up 15 minutes too late to see Matthew at work at the veg shop. Come visit Germany, Matthew! We enjoyed a wonderful Ulster Fry at Thomas's Cafe, and we had the pleasure of Octavia's company for that adventure. Noah and I had a good time playing baseball in the park. Noah's Opa [Noah's Grandpa]: If you are reading this, the boy could use a 10-year old sized baseball mitt and a new ball for Christmas!

All in all, it was a great trip and I found myself wishing that we could have stayed longer. Octavia, Noah, Megan and Scott are WONDERFUL hosts [and only make you earn your keep by cooking, cleaning, and smuggling mustard]. In many ways our trip felt like we were coming home. Can't wait for the next trip. Our doors here in Germany are always open.

Just a Wee Word from Lucie

2008-09-03T21:53:00.000+01:00

I spent a week's holiday in Belfast in August and came back home with great memories and feelings.

Belfast has changed so much over the past few yeras! Now there is a giant wheel next to the City Hall and also a huge shopping mall and a cinema. The Ormeau Road has changed a lot, too. In the Ember there are new assistants; people have changed rooms; some habits of the house have changed.

During my stay I discovered places that I didn't know and are part of L'Arche today: I had my first ever gardening lesson at the allotment, which really is a great place. I also went down to the lovely holiday house in Kilkeel for a day.

But above all I got to spend time with so many people I love--just sharing meals, going out for drinks, sipping cups of tea, taking walks or playing or just being together....And the way I felt in those moments, it's one thing, maybe the only thing, that hasn't changed at all. Thank you...

Is That A Brownie?

2008-08-29T16:53:00.001+01:00

Many of you will be distracted by the gorgeous child sitting on Isabelle's lap in this photo. I am not. I can't take my eye off the square of chocolate something that is on the plate in front of me. But Redwood is a magical kid and I got to spend several days in her presence. She's got Isabelle's beauty and Kevin's swagger. She charmed Larry and Thomas. In fact, Larry says she's a 'lovely girl.' Jillian only smiled mysteriously when I asked what her opinion was.

Having people return to the community is so dang fun! Like any family or group of friends, the stories abound, the laughs about the good days and the bad days seem so warm and wonderful. I especially enjoyed hearing Kevin and Gosia recount the ill-fated hiking adventure in Donegal. Whose fault was it that they were climbing Slieve League in inclement weather? I am just glad they made it back to tell the tale.
I had about 8 whole minutes of conversation with Isabelle but her calm presence in the house made up for the lack of chat. And she made some tasty recipe with spuds and courgette that ranks up there with mushroom gravy.

Following hard on the heels of the summer visits, we've just 'celebrated' our farewell to Debbie, who will be reporting back to us from L'Arche in Germany, and Barbara. Barbara must return to Hungary to finish her thesis and then she'll come back to join us again in February! All this and the glad return of James and Faythe to L'Arche Belfast can only point to one thing: people love this community too much to go away for long.

Do You Recognize This Cheese?

2008-08-29T16:32:00.002+01:00

At least 3 visitors to the community this August should recognize this cheese. If you do, why don't you send me an email about your visit to Belfast and I'll post it on the blog. No inappropriate language, please? And don't complain too much about the summer weather!

Far and Wide

2008-08-08T11:06:00.003+01:00

As the holder-down-of-the-fort here in L'Arche Belfast these holiday weeks, I thought you might like to hear about the travels of the others.

Jillian, Deb, Noah, Scott and Octavia were at the beach last weekend. Jillian is there until tomorrow with Larry, Barbara, Mario who turned up on Wednesday. Joe has danced in and out of the group from his base in Dundalk. Larry will stay on for a few days of quiet before Thomas and Matthew turn up accompanied by Gregor (I think!). I have a sense, but no confirmation, that everyone will be back in his or her own bed next weekend.

Verena and Stephan passed through on their Northern Ireland & Dublin holiday, bringing pretzels and cheese mush from Bavaria. Lucie flew in from France on Wednesday night for a few days with...cheese and chocolate. Kevin, Isabelle, and Sophia will arrive for a nearly a week. One has to wonder whether they too will have cheese or if that is hoping too much.

Debbie is preparing for her big departure to Germany which is quickly approaching, and Rebecca has been slaving away on her dissertation. Maria is in Canada. But is she eating pancakes with maple syrup? Sharon was on holiday a couple weeks back but the location eludes me. Gosia will return next week from a long break in Poland.

The details are sketchy but presumably you get a flavour of the motation enjoyed by our community at the moment. I think I'll go have a cracker with cheese now.

The Message

2008-08-08T10:49:00.004+01:00

Do you leave messages on your friends' phones or answering machines? How often does voicemail seem like a chore to be got through? Last Saturday I dialled 1571 (the code for retrieving messages for those of you outside the UK) and what to my wondering ears did appear but a message:

scheheoihflkshehefe (that's white noise) "NO!........AAAAA-AAAYYYYYYYYYE" scheheoihflikshehehfesh (more white noise) click.

You might be puzzled but I wasn't. Clearly the message was left by Larry Gourley, AKA Glitter, and likely had something to do with bikes, DVDs, newspapers, the pub or cars. As it happens, after leaving the message, he caught me on my mobile phone while I was hauling the organic veg home from the market in an 'old lady shopping trolley' that Paula O'Hare wouldn't be caught dead driving. And when Larry got me on the phone he had one big question: "The car?" The logistics were worked out for his transport and, until I got his message at home, I thought no more about it.

Once I heard the message, though, I smiled. My mind was cast back through all the seemingly trivial phone messages that I had treasured for a while throughout my life. Many of them were from friends in L'Arche or kids--people who were just ringing up to see if I was home and happy. You probably have similar messages. Maybe you've played them time and again. Have you ever thought about the messages you leave for others? How many of them have been saved and reviewed just for the pleasure of hearing your loving voice?

Why don't you pick up the phone and make a call? Brighten someone's day. Your name needn't be glitter to make your presence in other people's lives bright and shiny.

Not in the Mood

2008-07-18T10:28:00.003+01:00

Anyone who has lived in L'Arche Belfast can hear Thomas's voice declaiming this well-worn phrase. Today, I feel like shouting it from the top of Cavehill. L'Arche, we say, is about human existence, making the world more human. Unfortunately, some days that means making oneself more aware of the constantly changing world in which we live and the unchanging nature of Love.

Today, I am not in the mood for what awaits me, and we aren't talking about emails, training certificates, cleaning toilets, or getting to the Post Office before it closes. We are talking about one of the seeming downsides of L'Arche: saying good-bye to people we've come to love.

Three years ago a friend left our community after a longish stint. We had a nice community lunch. Then, I laid in my bed, watching tears merge with the blue duvet cover and wondering if a lifetime of L'Arche would mean that eventually I could drown in farewell tears.
Obviously, I didn't meet my demise in that good-bye.

Today, once she gets her house clean, Mary is coming by to have a cuppa with us on her way out of town. It will be great to see her, if I can keep the tears from blurring my vision too much. Noah and Octavia have drawn her little pictures to tuck into her cases. I wonder if blu tack is easy to come by in Brazil. I wonder if I'll see her again.

If we think back through our lives to all the 'Last Suppers', it is amazing that we can keep on going, keep on hoping that eventually we will be reunited with those we are asked to love and let go. Just today I'm not in the mood. I am hope challenged. But it seems, at times, that the hope springs out of the pain, not out of the fun days on the strand or the impromptu discos in the sitting room. The hope keeps us going so that we can welcome new faces and add to the facets of L'Arche that make it shine out as a sign of hope to the world.

So I guess I'll think of another Kerr-ism to get me through: 'quick as I can.' I hope I see Mary again quick as I can.

Where Did June Go? Just Ask Mo!

2008-06-30T16:59:00.005+01:00

I couldn't possibly catalogue all of the events, blissful and dolorous, that the community and individual members encountered this month. However, I can tell you that our very own Maureen and Malcolm hatched Andrew Norman in time for him to join them for their 1st wedding anniversary. You can see from the photo that he is a picture. Congratulations to all the Johnstons on a good birth and a bonny baby.

In between times, the L'Arche Belfast Lagan Walk, the Plant and Craft Sale, and a L'Arche Ireland retreat had various members walking, working and welling-up. But really, Mary Egan's farewell party was most bitter-sweet, aside from her pink cowboy hat which was pure fashion. I know that there are more cowboys in Argentina, but I am sure that Mary will make a home and a community of friends in Brazil with that hat. On the serious side, Mary's four years here in Belfast have brought joy to many and laughter to most. She will remain our special friend in the sun and we do hope that the community's 10th Anniversary will find us all dancing to Neil Diamond on a Brazilian beach, guests of Mary Egan.

Old friends do pop in, and we've had Geert and his girlfriend Nala in June. They might even have had a couple days without rain as they toured Northern Ireland.

On another level, Jillian has made herself at home in Geert's Room. Oh, I know, it's a long time since Geert lived in it and it was Mary Egan's in between (and others, too) but for me it shall always be Geert's room even once Jillian's perfumes and soaps have penetrated the walls and her music has begun to crack the plaster!

I leave you with the knowledge that L'Arche Kilkenny, and indeed L'Arche in Ireland, wrapped up their 30th anniversary celebration in fine style this past weekend. Paddy Delaney, Helen O'Shea, Fanny Kennedy and a whole gang of others I can't just recall on short notice began living together Moorefield House, Kilmoganny. They couldn't have known what love and hope would come of their simple start together. If I had a picture of the thought in my head these past weeks I would post it right now. You'll have to imagine it yourself:

Paddy Delaney, in his mid-thirties with hair and 70s attire, holding the hand of a 1-year old Jillian Gould with her golden hair and bright smile. From one end of L'Arche Ireland's history to the other, 2 founding core members.

Rice Lolly Season

2008-05-30T15:49:00.002+01:00

Have you been wondering where in the world L'Arche Belfast has been? Well, right here on the Ormeau Road, of course, but wandering the world, too. Assistants have recently been to visit friends and family in the rest of the UK, the Czech Republic, Prague, Turkey, the USA and Israel/Palestine. Others have been on pilgrimage, on holidays, gone to conferences, and speaking.

There are many wonderful pics from all these travels but being a bit biased and having a folder full of my own travels on this computer, I offer you this photo of Octavia (the youngest community member until Maureen hatches her and Malcolm's bundle of joy in a few weeks) and her cousin Ella enjoying a sweet moment in the Seattle sun with a 'rice lolly' (Octavia's word) or possicle (Ella's word). They spent time as 2-year olds and most of us do--defending our territories and identities. For example, Ella once shouted, "Octaya, that's my dog and you can't talk to him," and was retaliated against by a beaker of water being poured calmly and deliberately over her head in the bath. El and O had some gorgeous moments, though, as 2-year olds and most of us will--sharing the sweetness of life and rejoicing in the world's possibilities for shriek-inducing delight.

We have been short of assistants for a few months now and that has stretched the community's resources. But finally, finally Neil's police clearance came through so there is another man in the Ember and the hope of other assistants joining after the summer. Sharon, Marie and Thomas are another year wiser. Tomorrow James and Faythe are getting married for the 3rd time in two months over in Luton. We celebrate with all of these members of our community as some of us move into retreat next week and others go on summer holidays. May we be given the grace to defend less and shriek with delight more!

Holy Raining Cats and Dogs Thursday

2008-03-21T22:26:00.005Z

Lunch was dry and tasty. Never before have those two words gone together in a food critic's diary! As you might expect, an early Easter means an early Community Thursday celebration at the Giants Causeway and Ballintoy. The consequence: good ole North Coast downpours. This time, it was just lone Larry committed to getting his feet wet with Octavia's help. But we all appreciated his commitment to the community act and we enjoyed our lunch, as above, at Corrymeela. After 2 cars belonging to friends in the group broke down, we were thankful for shelter and hot tea!

Today we joined others in the Ballynafeigh walk behind the cross after a challenging morning of living in The Ember. Maria kept reminding us that it is a great sign of hope when the church calendar and the earth calendar coincide: Good Friday is the meeting of evil with good, the equinox is the meeting of light and darkness. And to top it all off, we saw a rainbow on the way to Ormeau Park!

Nadja has joined us for the holiday. I wish we had so much more room and less distance so that all the former assistants could be here to celebrate with us! Happy Easter.

You Asked For It: Another Quiz

2008-03-14T15:46:00.003Z

Someone out there must remember Geoffrey staring glumly at the 'pudding' of fruit salad placed before him. He had pointed to the white glass bowl covered in a blue and white tea towel and placed on the top shelf over the sink. He had asked for it, just like you asked for another quiz about life in The Ember. So, tell me, who made the fruit salad?

This is a tiny story, a tiny segment of the ongoing tragicomedy that is daily life in L'Arche Belfast. Today I am asking all of you who read this blog and have memories, big or wee, of your experience of this community to send your story NOW to crafts@larchebelfast.org.uk . Maureen, Malcolm and Megan are gathering up the photos and pictures, hopefully to unveil one version of the story in May. M, M, M...

Who Made the Pavlova?

2008-03-03T17:55:00.002Z

Last Friday night, the Belmont Towers were the backdrop for the party of the year. So far. Maria, Mary, and Megan found themselves the guests of honour surrounded by family, friends, food, and of course FUN! According to Thomas:
The dancing was good. Friends from L'Arche Cork, L'Arche Dublin (him in the blue tie and the beard), and L'Arche Kilkenny. Sausages, puddings, and the dancing. I liked it that much. I danced with Becca, Debbie, Megan, Jillian a lot and Mary. Gwen was too busy to chat.

Yeah, she was! Sadly, on Gwen's official last day as an employee of L'Arche Belfast we finally go to see her dance moves. Oh, my! Picture J-Lo crossed with Ginger Rogers and you are somewhere near the ballpark. Add a life-sized poster of Mary Egan or Maria Garvey used as a mask and you can imagine just how crazy the performance became!

But let us not forget the decor---enough balloons to keep the kids busy for 3 hours, flowers, paper ornaments, streamers and tea lights in all the right places. I hardly noticed any of this while I was cramming in the veg lasagne and the mediterranean veg sandwiches, but once I had settled in a bit, had a laugh with Helen O'Shea and rejoiced in the presence of Wee Sean Garvey, well, after all these things I noticed the ambience.

Then I ate chocolate cake, the tiniest piece, and pavlova. Pavlova. Who made the pavlova?

Aren't we lucky to have people like Gwen, Debbie, and Gosia in our community? Well done, women! And thanks to all the anonymous cooks and scurriers. I hardly know how Larry Gourley's 40th could come near this shindig.

It's a Strike!

2008-02-29T15:24:00.002Z

Just so's you know: if you post a comment, it will take a while to appear, like until Megan next checks her email and approves your comment. Think of it like this: when you, like Larry, throw a bowling ball down that lane it doesn't knock the pins askew the moment you let go. No. The ball has to meander its way down, eventually to send the skittles flying. Only then, once the computer has tallied, your score will come up on the screen.

Thanks so much for writing!

Aw, Pher Ph

2008-02-11T17:39:00.003Z

(Photo courtesy of Larry) It has been a month since any of us blogged. Why? Well, one reason is the sense of sending words out into the ether with no response. Are you out there? The next reason is that we've said good-bye to two more assistants. Makes me feel like, well, "Aw pher ph!", here after known as A.Ph.Ph. Those of you who are friends of Thomas Kerr will understand exactly what I mean by that.

However, a gentle prod from Maria and an afternoon with Thomas and Jillian in the kitchen has gotten me back on track. Imagine Thomas and Jill tidying the worktops, washing cups, etc. And then, what should Thomas find but a piece of toast left in the toaster! "Toast?" he offers Jillian who nearly falls to the floor with laughter. "TOAST!" she roars, "Toast!" As a by-stander merely responsible for gathering the minute shreds of cabbage littering the other sink I was suddenly lifted out of A.Ph.Ph. and into the present, wonderful toasty moment.

So good-bye Hannah, good-bye James. We miss you but we're still the same.

The Sea

2008-01-03T16:40:00.000Z

Helen has returned from her holidays with the community in Galway (the county, folks, not the city). This picture reminds us of a group of friends on holiday so we hope you like it. I am here to type Helen's reflection as she looks back....

We were by the sea. We went in Rosie with James driving. Me, Maria, Jillian, Thomas, Matthew, James, Hannah, Gosia and Joe. We went to the seaside and it was raining but Rosie was alright.

A nice walk on a mountain with Gosia, Mary Harrison, Matthew, Maria. I could see the sea. And then we went to the pub. I had Diet Coke.

Mary Harrison did art with us. I painted...

For New Year, we laid on the floor with duvets in a big room with candles and listened to prayer music. Then we sang.

We slept in the mornings and went out in the afternoons. I woke Maria up! We had chicken, ham and fish and chips and chocolate on holidays.

I rode in Maria's car both ways and so did Gosia and Jillian. We listened to music and sang and stopped for our lunch in a restaurant.

It was a nice holiday. I'd like to go back again at Easter!

Thank you to Helen for the detail-laden holiday report. When asked how hols were for them, Larry didn't respond, Jillian just shook her head and Thomas said: "Stayed up till 1 o'clock." I presumed that was on New Year's Eve, and asked Thomas if he made a resolution. He did. What was it? "Ummm. Can't remember." So, if you have not made a New Year's Resolution or if you don't remember yours, you are in good company!

Happy New Year 2008 to Friends Far and Near from all of us in L'Arche Belfast.

Happy and Handsome Christmas!

2007-12-26T17:31:00.000Z

Surely, many of you were impressed if you heard that Marie (AKA Czech Mary) received a goldfish in the sink from her KK during advent. [Incredibly appropriate if KK knew anything about the Czech Christmas Eve dinner.] I didn't think the gesture would be topped. But if you take a closer look at the photo today you will realise that someone was hard at work this advent. My expectations were exceeded.

The prayer and KK gift exchange were held as usual on Christmas Eve morning. We squeezed into the Ark and learned what little angels had been doing all the month long. The gifts were amazing reflections of the gifts that our community members carry with them in the world. We haven't room to enumerate the entire list but suffice it to say that Murray wrapped Matthew's Liverpool calendar in red and gold paper, Gwen brought our beloved Giant's Causeway into the room by giving Joe her blue painting of the famous rocks, Larry followed several coffee manifestations by supplying Scott with a giant mug, and Debbie presented Gosia with two books and one precious, handmade (by her hands!) lace bookmark.

The celebration was lovely and warmed our hearts for the coming of Christmas. We are wishing all of you a happy and healthy holiday with love and joy that spills out into the streets.

Did You See That Week Go By?

2007-12-20T00:32:00.001Z

As usually happens, time has begun to speed up to get us to Christmas. What an exciting week has passed! We said good-bye to our friend Gregor. He made mulled wine and juice and relaxed in the sitting room the evening he was leaving. Tell me if you have ever moved from one country to another and put your feet up all in the same evening.

While we were sitting around with our hot drinks and lebkuchen, the great news was announced: James and Fayth got engaged! By collating various texts, I have developed the idea that though James had intended to surprise Fayth by appearing in London for an evening rendesvous and offer his heart for her hand, excitement got the better of him. The first text came late afternoon. Lunch, cafe, YES. Or something like that. You might think we were having lebkuchen in their honour if your German is as polished as mine. But lebkuchen means something like flat cake. Nothing around these parts is flat just now. Love is in the air and so is Christmas.

A Great Meeting (AGM)

2007-12-12T10:16:00.000Z

Well, friends, I promised that if Thomas stepped out in his new finery, you would be among the first to know! Here is is, in technicolour. I admit, I have doctored the saturation just a tad to give the feel of that tie amongst all other ties that may have darkened the door, but isn't is a beauty? It is nearly brighter than Thomas's famous grin.

The AGM was more entertaining than most are. Following the chair's report by John Black and the treasurer's report by Fonsie Corr, Maria started her report by putting up a slide of L'Arche Belfast's flying pig. What? Did you not know that we have a flying pig? We do. As well as a dreamy, conflict-free, smooth-sailing community! If you care to see the real report, check out our website where it is available for all and sundry. www.larchebelfast.org.uk.

That's our NEW! and IMPROVED! website. We've done a lot of work to make it a place to gather all you need to know about L'Arche Belfast, no matter your angle. Take a look.

Now, back to the AGM. Noah was diligently selling shares for the Noah's World Fund. If you ever want to see pure joy and excitement, hand Noah £50 (someone did!) and tell him it is for the NWF. He lights up like Thomas's tie.

I was lurking at the back of the room, so this isn't the best shot. You can see, however, that the rooom was packed! Was it a night with L'Arche or Gregor's mulled juice that brought in the crowds? We'll never know. A big thank you to all who came out to celebrate this year's achievements and pitfalls, and next years hopes, with us.

Play A Little

2007-12-07T21:51:00.000Z

Calling all past assistants, visitors, and friends:

There is a challenge for you here. Many things in The Ember and The Ark change over the months and years, but so many stay the same. I am going to post a photo every so often. If you recognize the subject (or should I say object?), post your answer on the blog. We shall see who kept an eye to detail during the L'Arche experience!

Prizes? I don't know but there may be a prize or two....

Thanks to Annemarie for giving me the idea for the challenge...the rest of you had better be careful, she's got a keen eye!

Here is your first challenge. It may be an easy one, but I want to start you off on a positive note:

GOOD LUCK!

Rumour Has It

2007-12-07T21:27:00.000Z

'Rumour has it' is such a lovely phrase. The personification of bits of news flying hither and thither, possessing the fresh ideas that fly out of our mouths. Well, rumour has it that Thomas has a brand new tie. I know that there is a big event next Tuesday, the L'Arche Belfast AGM, and I am hoping with all of my might that Thomas will wear that fancy neck gear so I can post you a photo of it! You might wonder how Thomas came by this tie? That, my friends, is the work of Krist Kindle.

As Noah wrote this week,

In L'Arche Belfast, we celebrate Advent with Krist Kindle. At a special prayer, you draw a card with a person's name on it. That person is your KK. You give them secret gifts and you don't show them to anyone else or tell anyone about them. On Christmas Eve, you have 3 guesses to try to guess who is your KK. If you can't guess, then you're told.

We can't guess who is Thomas's KK yet, but it is safe to say that someone knows he likes flashy ties! So that these wee KKs might light your advent candle as well I present this list of confirmed Kindlings....

Jillian received a gorgeous quilled Christmas tree ornament through the door last Monday while we were all inside!
The same night Scott's front door was hung with a sign saying I'm in the Garden while he was in the kitchen.
Hannah received a link to a recipe website.
Gosia was given a recipe for cranberry puffs and she made them for everyone.

(A theme emerging? Or just 2 passionate cooks?)

Larry found sweets in a private corner of the Ember.
Helen received a new silver necklace.
Octavia was presented with honey & lemon for her cold, and an apple.

Certainly there have been many more notable manifestations but I can't be everywhere at once!

If you could be everywhere at once I would hope that you would make the L'Arche Belfast AGM one of the places. I have been waiting to have my first mince pie just after the unveiling of our new website....

Profile: Habitat for Humanity

2007-02-07T21:44:00.000Z

Habitat for Humanity N.I.

In Noah’s World everyone has a place that they can call home so now we are friends with Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland.

Habitat for Humanity (HFH) is a non-denominational Christian charity dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide. Since the founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has helped more than 1,000 000 people of all races, faiths and backgrounds to have a simple, decent place to live. HFH has built or renovated more than 200,000 homes throughout the world.
Habitat for Humanity works in nearly 100 countries and more than 3000 communities worldwide – a bit like L’Arche really!!!

“I like to have a place that is good to come home to for everyone,”

Roma Woman

Will You Be My Friend? A First Glimpse at the Allotment

2007-02-07T21:26:00.000Z

I spent two hours in accident and emergency two Sundays ago. "Sciatica" they said, "likely to last for months." Thank God it didn’t.

For the few days when my physical needs were all that I could think about I got a brief glimpse of the riches I so often take for granted. Health is wealth and friendship is the only thing that matters.

Everything I needed was given. People fetched and carried, did my dishes, made me tea, carried my bags and generally kept an eye that I had everything I needed. I HATE being needy and I don’t accept help graciously but in the end I guess that all of this is the universal language of friendship.

We say that the secret of L’Arche is relationship. One day Thomas asked ‘What’s that mean? After my awkward explanation Thomas exclaimed: "Ah…I know now – its about Friends!" Our ‘Field’ project comes out of a longing for more space and a way of being together so we can welcome new friends into our lives. We want to create a space of welcome, work & hospitality to those who come where, together, we can nurture friendship and cultivate community.This year we are choosing to make ‘friendship’ the focus of our planning & actions. Already in January old and new friendships are beginning to bloom. Like me, some people in the community have been connected with their friends through personal and family illness and we have also started on a journey of friendship with a few people in a local hospital. We will have a Craft Weekend in early Summer and we hope that friends from far and wide can come and participate and we are re-awakening our friendships with other communities and organisations with similar aspirations to ours. Finally … TODAY– the first day of the Celtic Spring, Scott and I met David who showed us our Vista allotment where we will be cultivating food and friendship in the future. What friends we have in the world. We are lucky indeed.

Thanks for Your Generosity

2007-02-07T21:12:00.000Z

Thanks to the generosity of our friends we are now able to replace our Microwave. Each time we use it we will be grateful to you.
The Noah’s World fund is still growing. It is now in excess of £2,500 with pledges of about another £700. Noah wishes to thank you all for that. £1000 of the fund will go to the The Field –‘A Space For Everyone’ Project.

Among the other projects that Noah wants to support is Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland who will be building homes with people in Guatemala this summer. Nadja and Maureen will be among the builders!!! We will keep you posted. Over the next few months we will profile the people and projects that we will be creating friendships with through Noah and his ‘World fund’.

A Share in Noah's World

2006-12-03T01:21:00.000Z

The Noah's World Project

2006-12-02T23:39:00.000Z

'The Noah's World Project is a commitment to creating a world where everyone belongs'

'When I am holding my new globe I am holding the whole world right now in a circle'

Maureen leads the way with a Hammer

2006-12-02T20:01:00.000Z

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!

~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Hi folks, What a year o look back on .. a year when everything we had planned fell away and everything that we were given came as an unexpected gift. None more than this moment here in the office with Maureen who is bubbling with an idea that creates the world that we are committed to… I hand you over to Maureen…

“I am so excited!! How utterly fantastic would it be if we as members and friends of L'Arche realised the dream we have of spreading only Good News, building community and helping all of those around us to live to their full potential. How amazing would it be if we were to be stretched beyond anything we thought possible doing it. And what if we not only built community through our words, relationships, and love but through bricks and mortar too!!! Oh yes, it really could happen!! This July I will be co-leading a Habitat for Humanity (HFH) trip to Guatemala to build simple, decent, affordable homes to help restore a community that has been broken and bruised for years. I planned this as Maureen, but while praying for my team I realised I am part of a community, I am part of a people who aspires to help make the world a better place. Lets do it together! Whether you are 18 or 88 you could come and build with us!!! No matter what your age, race, creed or ability, you could be part of it. I have been on HFH trips before and the reward of helping a family build a house to accommodate a home is unfathomable. As Thomas would say "You just have to do it!" Come!!!! Come as you are, we can be a witness of stepping out and shining. “Do not say I am only…” Jer 1: 7 there is room for everybody. Ask me to fetch anything other than a hammer and I am lost-even at that the risk of the hammer landing on my toe is quite high. I kid you not, I have many hilarious embarrassing moments, amazing memories and a changed heart to share. So could you. It is all part of the HFH experience.

We will be building alongside homeowner families who invest their own labour building their home and those of their neighbours!
I challenge you, especially those of you whose first thought was “great idea but not for me…” Think about it, pray about it and really discern it then after you have come to your decision think about and pray for us!! For more info contact me at mo60@hotmail.com

Profile

Maureen

I am 24 years old and come from Belfast. I love Jesus, ice cream, laughing and reading. I got involved with L’Arche just over a year ago, before that I had been in Detroit, USA for 2 years working with young women and homeless individuals.

Profile: Geoffrey and Marcin

2006-11-02T20:19:00.000Z

Over our heads, under our feet and in the air that we breathe you are always with us.

This month as we remember all of those who have gone before us we have Marcin and Geoffrey alive in our hearts and in the earth of our being waiting and settling and offering us the hope of new life from the seeds they have scattered through their short lives.

Marcin and Geoffrey, we remember you in the work of your hands and your hearts - in the shelves, the shutters, the fences, the smiles, the fun, the food, and the songs. We remember you in every outstretched hand of forgiveness and we remember you when we are ‘Friends’.

We remember you both and we are warmed by the memory.

Maria's Seasons

2006-11-02T19:59:00.000Z

It’s already November, I can hardly believe it but looking out my window the light touch of frost on the grass and the occasional floating leaf reminds me that in the Celtic calendar, at least, Winter is upon us.

I LOVE the Winter. I spent yesterday afternoon in my garden cutting grass, pruning back the lavender bush and scooping up leaves to make mulch. It felt tender and loving to be preparing everything for the season of darkness. The plants and flowers have loved me well all Summer filling my garden and my life with colour. Now it feels good to have a chance to love them back in my own way.

I read somewhere recently that Winter is the 2nd season in the natural calendar. We, human gardeners and farmers, tend to sow in the Spring but nature itself offers us its seeds in the Autumn. The Seeds fall to the ground, hide among the rotting leaves and slowly make their way down into the earth with the help of the rain and the snow all Winter long. Breaking the earth as they go they find their home and settle in before they open up in Spring, bloom in Summer and give birth to new seeds again in Autumn.

I like this idea of Nature’s Calendar better than the Roman one. During this Autumn there has been so much letting go for us… so many fallings, but now I think that maybe what has been happening is simply that we have been offering and receiving seeds - Seeds that have come through lives fully lived and fruits faithfully borne, seeds that are now resting in the earth of our being until they are ready to offer new life again.

Letting go of friends, loved ones, ways of being and doing, dreams, hopes and expectations is hard. I wonder if it is hard for a tree to shed it’s seeds and leaves? Now it’s time for the journey towards New life to begin. Here’s to the ‘Winter Wonderland’ that’s taking place in the earth beneath our feet even as I write.

Maria Garvey 01.11.06

Profile: Larry

2006-10-06T00:51:00.000+01:00

My name is Larry, I am 38 years old(nearly). It's going to be my birthday this month. I like tea, coffee, bikes, standing at the gate and at my bedroom window watching the cars go by. I love cars. I like fixing things and people say that I fix their hearts when they hurt. I have 3 brothers. I am a happy man!!!

>

Together We Will Be Alright

2006-10-05T22:43:00.000+01:00

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolour, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
Stanley Horowitz

‘Together we will be alright’

For some reason as I sit here this morning, I am remembering Pappi Ogane who was one of the first assistants in our community. Maybe I am thinking of the early years because of our recent birthday celebration or because these days we find ourselves talking a lot about Marcin and Geoffrey who were once so fully part of us and are now part of the spirit of our community. Whatever the reason, this is one of those very precious moments when I come back to the very essential of what our community is about.
Pappi came to us from a small township outside Johannesburg in South Africa. We were excited and curious about how it would be with Pappi. Our ways were very different. The points from which we viewed the world were very far from one another. His sisters names were ‘Comfort’, ‘Mercy’ and ‘Patience’, and our names weren’t quite so clear in their intention. His skin is black and ours for the most part is white.
The biggest difference, however, was in our understanding of time. For Pappi time was an abundant gift and everything got done in its own good time. Our core Members seemed to have the same general idea!!!
For the rest of us, time seemed to be a scarce commodity. It was something we imagined we could save or waste or even stretch. For some us ‘Time is Money’ was an idea that had some influence. The strangve thing though, with all of our mastery and control, nothing ever seemed to get done on time!!!
Finding our way together meant that we eventually had to begin to explore our differences and look for a middle path. Many conversations later and with the passing of lots of time we slowly began to see one another more clearly and to share life more fully. In and through it all there was a response that Pappi often offered that became one of the by-lines of the community - ‘Don’t worry Maria – Together we will be alright’
Here we are 5 years on. Life has brought many challenges and many blessings along the way and in it all we are still together in life and in death.
We hold together- even though we are so different, even though the eyes through which we look at the world offer us many different points of view. We are together because we choose to be together and because we know for certain that in our world that is constantly dividing against itself TOGEHTER is the only way forward.

Loving God
You call us into being
and give us our mission,
Thank You
for the gift of one another,
Thank You for our journey
together in L’Arche.
Help us to grow
in our response to you,
Listening to your voice within us,
Seeing You around us,
Delighting in our gifts,
Forgiving one another
for our failings,
Welcoming tomorrow
in Faith, Hope and Love.
Amen

'Lovely Day For A Wee Duet’

2006-10-05T21:55:00.000+01:00

Geoffrey Bunting - Fully Human, Fully Alive

30.06.’69 - 06.10.’05

It was a morning in July. For three days it had rained steadily. ‘Cabin fever’ had turned us all except Geoffrey into ‘morning grouches’. On top of that my car was in the garage for repair so it was hard to welcome Geoffrey’s relentless ‘joie de vie’ and insatiable appetite for relationship over breakfast.

For Geoffrey questions were a doorway into relationship and he was the master of - What, Where, Who, When, & Why. That and his fascination with cars made me a sitting duck that morning.
“Wh..wh..where is Maria’s car”?... “It’s in the garage Geoffrey”. “Wh..wh..what for”?... “Because it’s broken down”…. “Wh..wh..why”? … “It just is. I don’t know why”. Wh..wh..who broke it? … Nobody broke it, it just wouldn’t start … ‘Wh..wh..when will it be back’? … ‘Maybe tomorrow Geoffrey. Now you’d better eat your breakfast or you’ll be late for your bus…’
Reprieve for a few more bites of cheese on toast and then he started all over again. Eventually when I couldn’t face another round I answered: “I swear Geoffrey if you ask me one more question about my car today I’ll leave it in the garage altogether”. Totally unabashed, he cast his eyes upwards at the raindrops dancing on the skylight and then looking at me with a twinkle in his eye he proclaimed - “Lovely day Maria”
In that instant the morning’s misery dissolved into laughter and it became “a lovely day” in spite of the rain.

Geoffrey was ‘an alchemist’ with a gift for transforming what seemed unremarkable or worthless into something precious and valuable and bedside him the ordinary became extraordinary. With simple questions like - “You want a wee cup of tea”? “You have a mobile phone”? “You play the guitar”? he managed to transform strangers into friends and all of us into musicians. His love of Elvis, Abba and ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ meant that he wasted no time before inviting everyone who came into ‘a wee duet’ and through him we learned how to recognise harmony in discord, to see ‘microphone potential’ in every wooden spoon and to make music on an out of tune guitar with only four strings! Life sparkled with possibility and we had fun.

In his short life Geoffrey never managed to come to grips with pronouns and for him ‘You’ and ‘I’ were interchangeable. Maybe that’s why creating community was so natural for him – a space where ‘you’ and ‘I’ becomes ‘Us’ He was not a ‘solo’ player. He was naturally part of a ‘wee duet’ that gave birth to an orchestra.

For a very short time Geoffrey belonged with us and to us. Now he exists in us. Because he lived we are more - more free, more simple, more extraordinary, more grateful, more welcoming, more joyful, more musical and above all, more human.

From this tiny ember of ours Geoffrey’s life lit a spark of love that spread and created a community of friends that knows no boundaries. We remember him in our food and in our friendships, when we love without limits and when we recognise the ‘lovely days’ of our lives.
In remembering him we seek to hear again the ‘wee duet’ that was God and Geoffrey together in our world and to let their music ‘play on’ in our hearts, our lives and our world.

Geoffrey - You reminded us of the best of what it is to be human and the mystery of the divine in every human being. – Thank You.

Maria Garvey – Spring 2006

A Sign for Our Times: Interview With Jean Vanier in 'The Word Magazine July 2006

2006-09-23T02:29:00.000+01:00