a description of my new home

sometimes it feels like I live with a hundred people. that, of course, is an exaggeration - as i have my own room and we have different addresses, i don't technically live with all of them. i just happen to share meals with about 20 at a time (more at supper), share chores, and share a lot of common space with all these people - at least 20 of which are kids. Lest that sounds a bit overwhelming, the community is made up of at least 8 different buildings (most of which contain a number of floors and quite a number of apartments and/or common rooms) plus a farm (with a couple of buildings) in Friesland.

Last weekend, a lot of us went up to the farm for openingweekend - which is the name used to talk about all of us camping out together (in tents and buildings), doing some work together, playing games together, eating together, and just getting to know each other. Pictures have been posted at the community website. So if you'd like to see the people who have become a regular part of my life now (and a few pictures of me), then check out the Gemeenschap Foto album i'm pretty sure i haven't met everybody yet - nor have i even been in half the buildings!

but let me tell you about the buildings i do know about.

i have my own room. it's a decent size, with a bed, a chair, shelf, one wall that's mostly window, a desk, a cupboard, and a sink (so i don't have to bring my toothbrush anywhere).

i share a bathroom with a couple of others on my floor. the bathroom is kind of small. when you open the door (towards you) and walk in, you have to be careful not to hit the toilet. the toilet takes up most of the non-shower space of the bathroom (there's no sink - which is why i have one in my room). the toilet's against the back wall, and if i stand in front of it, i can touch one wall with my palm and the door with my elbow and if i lean back ever so slightly i bump into the shower curtain. on the bright side, though, the shower is more than half the size of the bathroom so there's lots of elbow room there. it's just kind of awkward to do anything other than shower in there.

i live on the second floor (of 5). As Achterburgwal 100, 102, and 104 have all been connected (along with 127 Voorburgwal from the back) and as the houses are slightly different, the floors are at different levels in each house, so there's a few flights in a few different buildings to get to the second floor. I now finally understand how families could have been hidden during WWII - there are so many strange doors, stairways and nooks and crannies (and i think i've only seen half the building - maybe even only half the hallways!)

one of my favourite parts of the house is the library. on the down side most of the books are in Dutch and German. on the up side, at least half of the books are theology related and i'm learning Dutch and planning on learning German. and the computer with internet is in there. and the floor is crooked. the house, like a number of old Dutch houses, has shifted somewhat so that in some places you can drop a ball on the floor and it would roll quite easily. it's a bit disconcerting (at least in the stairwall when you recognize it) but apparently it's quite nice for Muriel who's learning to walk with a stroller - except of course for the downhill slant :)

the other places i spend a lot of time are in the basements of 100, 102, and 104. one is the common room where anyone is allowed to come in during the mornings and evenings for a cup of coffee or tea. another is the kitchen area. and the last is the chapel. and each of these is a place for ministry.

if you go out the outside door, there's kind of a sidewalk (it's sometimes taken over by stairs coming out of the houses), then a one-way street, then enough space to parallel park (although much of the parking area is taken up by bikes and a tree every once in awhile). and then there's a canal (usually with ducks on it), with the same pattern on the other side of the canal. the numerous bridges and the great tall Dutch buildings (all at least 4 stories) add to the mostly picturesque view. the Oude Kerk is around the corner - and I can easily hear the bells in my room.

but it is only mostly picturesque - for the hemp museum is barely a two minute walk down the street, and the red lights and red curtains (and often the scantily-dressed women) can be seen from the front door. we live in De Wallen because we live on Achterburgwal (the middle street of the three parallel streets ending with -wal). De Wallen is Red Light District.

and for obvious reasons, it's not really a nice place to live. which is why the community is there. the streets are often filled with people coming by checking out what's happening - and the hope is that they will see something different in how we live and what we do.
- we ring the chapel bell, calling the community to prayer, twice a day. and the prayers go up for the church, for ourselves, and for the world that we cannot pretend to ignore.
- we've been eating dinner with the windows wide open to the street (although they're only about hip-level) and i wonder what people think as they walk by 25 people (including about 10 kids) eating and laughing and sharing a meal together in a place where you don't quite expect that much joy.
- we open the doors to anyone to come in for coffee and tea - and maybe a conversation. and answer the phone to talk with whoever calls - and open the doors to people who need a place to live for awhile or start new again.
- and each of these places and each of these apartments is one less place for an x-rated theatre (which is what the chapel used to be), one less place for another red lit window, and one less place for someone to sell drugs from.

and we pray that God might use the work we do and the doors we open so that we - and those around might love God more and love others more.