mystery Amazon box!

We get a lot of mail here at the BVS House. There is the usual quantity of junk mail and advertisements, but occasionally we get some mail addressed to us (current residents). However, we also get a lot of mail addressed to past residents. Typically, if they still live in Elgin we take it to them once in a while, but if they live far away we recycle it. Usually we get letters, but this week we experienced a first- we got a box from Amazon addressed to someone who lived here 7 years ago!

If you’re like me, you probably have several addresses listed on your Amazon account, and I can see how it would be easy to send a box to the wrong place. But when I contacted him he was just as perplexed as we were! His Amazon account showed no record of having ordered anything sent to Elgin and he knew nothing about it. So he said to go ahead and open it.

Everyone in the house gathered together and wagered guesses as to what we thought could be in the box. Among the various guesses were a book, a board game, a flashlight and batteries, a political book, and a rolling pin, among others. Eventually suspense got the best of us and we opened it….

Inside were 3 bottles of Burt’s Bees “Baby Bee Nourishing Lotion” (Original). It’s certified by the Natural Products Association to be 99% natural. Who would have guessed?

So that’s just the latest adventure here at the BVS House. We’re pretty good at turning ordinary life events into fun adventures, and that is one of the many reasons why I love living here…

-Tim

BVS House in Elgin Growing, Shrinking

Hey, everybody! My name is Lucas, and this week I am wrapping up three weeks of staying at the BVS house here in Elgin, IL. I am almost finished with an internship in the news services office for the Church of the Brethren, which will count towards my Journalism minor at Manchester. (I will be graduating in May, with a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies).

As I am leaving this week, we had a new house mate come in on Saturday, January 18th. Ben Bear will be a BVSer working in the BVS office. He will be here for about one year. (Fun fact: coming here to Elgin means that he has made to all three BVS community homes)! We decided to have a "Brunch with Ben" lunch on Saturday when he arrived, and had pancakes, eggs, and potatoes! It was delicious. There were a lot of the toppings to go along with the pancakes.

What does the future hold for me? I am not really sure after graduation. BVS could eventually be down my road. I have told people that I have narrowed my choice of placements down to six, if I did want to join BVS for any amount of time.

A few things that I do know: living with BVSers is fun (minus the not having any television to keep up with NFL playoffs). And, I would love to eat more meat than I am currently eating (if I did join BVS).

Until next time,
Lucas Kauffman

Chiberia+Puppy Walks

Hey Friends!

I write to you from Dundee and not our Elgin BVS House. Sarah and I have been puppy-sitting a precious, smelly, cuddly dog named Seamus! We are about half-way through and have about 6 more days to go! We stay here in Dundee to take care of Seamus and I have to say I miss being with my BVS housemates and co-workers all day, every day. It's weird to be with people during the day...and then not spend time with them the rest of the evening. That might be normal in most of the world, but it's not something I'm used to.

This past week, we have been trying to stay warm while taking Seamus for walks outside in record lows! When I stepped outside into "artic" temperatures the insides of my nose froze! 

 

Seamus rocks an argyle sweater and booties when we brave the artic cold! It's really adorable and like dressing a kid to go play in the snow. Which he does!

This evening we're having our BVS house over for tacos and a movie! Sarah and I are cooking supper for our besties. It will be good to have them over and spend more time together! I miss constantly being surrounded by them! I miss my little intentional community! 

Peace and Warm Wishes, 

Katie 

Introductions

Even though I have lived in the house since mid-August I unfortunately have not introduced myself yet. My name is Jenna Stacy and I am a member of Unit 303 in BVS. I grew up in Campobello, South Carolina and I am a member of Melvin Hill Church of the Brethren which is actually in Columbus, North Carolina. My house is only about five miles from the state line. So I split my time between North and South Carolina as I was growing up. You could simply say I am from the Carolinas.

To continue with my Brethren upbringing, after high school I chose to go to Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia. Looking back on my time in college I know that attending Bridgewater was a part of God’s will. It was everything I expected college to be and more. I genuinely loved my time I spent there. I graduated from Bridgewater College this past May with a degree in Philosophy and Religion as well as a Peace Studies minor.

My parents and I at my graduation.

As much as I loved the education that I was receiving, my time in college was much more than just school. I was also a pole vaulter on the track team where my teammates became my family and also my best friends.

The seniors on the Bridgewater 2013 Track Team

I also attended Harrisonburg First Church of the Brethren where I was a junior high advisor for three years. I definitely gained a family through the church as well. My summers were also spent in Virginia. I did a summer of MSS with Noel Naff at Mt. Hermon Church of the Brethren in Bassett, Virginia. Then I spent the past three summers at Camp Bethel in Fincastle, Virginia. Each summer I held a different job. My first summer I was a senior counselor, my second summer I was the craft lady, and this past summer I was a high ropes instructor.

Working on the high ropes tower.

Now I am in BVS. My current position is Assistant Workcamp Coordinator. My work has had me traveling to so many places and I loved every minute of it. I went to Maryland for orientation, Haiti on a site visit for a workcamp next summer, and Indiana for Powerhouse. This position has been so exciting through traveling and all of the work that comes with preparing for workcamps. I am eager to continue learning and preparing for my big summer!

-Jenna Stacy

Community Living

A Few Updates:

 Things are going well here in the Elgin house, the five of us are more or less getting into the rhythm of all living together, while constantly learning what makes each of us tick. All of us have been enjoying the new gym membership we have at the YMCA and are bracing ourselves for the cold winter ahead. The Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren has welcomed us in, and has all of us involved in some way – from teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir, Vital Ministry Journey, eating at Common Meal, working with the youth and more.  And since I’ve been here, we’ve been blessed with dinner invites, gifts of bikes, dishes, food, piano music and even getting our piano tuned! (Perhaps the first time in many many years!)  Each of us has been busy working away in the Elgin offices, in our respected fields. The NYCers are getting ready for registration to open in less than a month, Jenna has been hard at work, writing the Workcamp curriculum, and I've been sending out press releases and making phone calls to see how all the new BVSers are doing.  We all went our separate ways, last week, for Thanksgiving but have now coming back together for a short amount of time before we’re off again for Christmas.

Community Living:

One of my favorite things about this year is the chance to live in another intentional community house.  This will be my third community living in the past four years, and I have to say, I’ve learned so much from each of these experiences. These homes have been filled with much joy, laughter, and housemates who have become great friends. And although I really enjoy living with others, community living isn’t all glitz and glamour; it can and will be challenging, and it takes lots of patience and perseverance to understand and work with differences. So why take the energy to live with others?

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.
Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”   

Jane Howard

We all may not live in intentional communities, but  we all seek community– rather that’s in your family, your friends, your co-workers,  a sports team, etc. I feel like as I get older – finding these communities that fulfill me are getting harder. Yet, our basic needs remain the same, and one of those needs is a sense of belonging. (Pulling out some psychology class right there – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Humans Needs) When talking to volunteers about how their placements are going – the most common hardship is not feeling connected to the surrounding community and finding it hard to make friends-,aka not feeling like they belong.  I’d say this is a common feeling that most people experience. And since I struggle with this myself, it makes me realize how grateful I am to live with others in a very intentional way and just how thankful I am  for the many communities that have given me a sense of belonging.  Because like Jane Howard says, “you need one” 

I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season!

Chelsea

Another Round of the Real World

       As I skimmed over a few of the previous blog posts, to see what others have written about,  I found that people transitioning  in and out of the BVS house has been a very common theme.  And the theme, it seems, lives on, as I am the newest member of the house, as of three weeks ago.  I’m Chelsea Goss, a young adult in the Church of the Brethren, who has spent the last three years as a full time volunteer, after graduating from the much beloved  Bridgewater College.  I have volunteered in Portland Oregon, as a BVSer, working with On Earth Peace, as their Peace Retreat Coordinator. I worked as a resident volunteer and summer program coordinator at Camp Bethel for a year, along with an internship with New Community Project, which I followed by continued work with NCP, at their Spring Village site in Harrisonburg, VA. And now      I’m here, in Elgin, for my second year in BVS as the Orientation Assistant for Brethren Volunteer Service. 

       After my 1^st year of full-time service, when I decided to continue in the volunteer realm- I was asked the often question of, “when are you going to get a real job?”, or “when are you going to enter the real world?”.  So you can believe that now on my 4^th year of volunteering with plans for a 5^th year I receive these same ‘real world’ questions. (Although, a few have given up asking) And I understand where these question are coming from –  those wanting to know that I’ll have a retirement fund, and be able to financially  take care of a family, or to have some higher career goal worth working for.  And although I have these same questions for myself, in no way do I see them more a part of this real world that everyone wants me to enter.  I don’t know what is more real than devoting your time and efforts into serving others. (It’s that what we are called to do as Christians)  What’s more real in this world than living in community with others and building relationships, with taking time to listen to stories of those who are broken or need a listening ear, of being more in tune with God’s creation, by living simply, etc.   I feel like these years of volunteering are just as real, as any job I could get in the ‘real world’ that I supposedly haven’t entered yet.  My question is how can we live in the “real world” while not being of this world? How can we make our real world be a place of learning, experimenting, laughing, communing, serving etc.  and not allowing ourselves to get so bogged down by living in a society, where the way to succeed is measured by the amount of money you have, your schooling, your occupation, or what size jeans you fit into.  I realize that being a full-time volunteer might not be the best way to save money for any future child’s college fund, or paying off a mortgage, but for now, this is my real world. And I know that I have learned skills and have had experiences that will help to guide me for not only whatever job I someday may have – but have helped form life style choices that I hope can be implemented in all stages of life.

On another note – I’ve learned that having a Halloween party, at the BVS house, is a must. Here are all the housemates dressed in our finest yellow costumes. 

~Chelsea

Transitions, tossing grits, and Tim!

Lately it's been rainy and chilly here in Elgin and if you look hard enough, you’ll be able to spot a few trees with leaves that have begun to change colors. The transition between summer and fall has begun.

While Elgin has just begun to transition between seasons, the BVS house has been in transition all summer long! In the 3 months that I’ve lived here, three housemates have moved out (Rachel, Tricia, and Kendra), Julia came for a month-long interim placement (and left), Jenna moved in last month, and next month one more will join us. Meanwhile, I traveled to 10 states this summer so I haven’t even been around much myself. The last three months have been full of transition for everyone here. Apparently this is normal for the Elgin BVS house….no more clearly evidenced than by our discovery of a box of grits in the pantry that had an expiration date of 01/2000. Anyone leave that behind? (sorry, we threw it out…)

Since we have been in so much transition, I haven’t had the chance to introduce myself on this blog yet. My name is Tim Heishman and my BVS position for the year is National Youth Conference Coordinator, a position I share with two extraordinarily talented individuals and good friends, Katie and Sarah. I grew up in Harrisburg, PA and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I am a recent graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, where I majored in Biblical Studies and History.

Some of my hobbies include running, traveling, gardening (it helps keep me ‘grounded’ with all my traveling), cooking, exploring new cultures and learning new languages (especially dialects such as ubi dubbi or pig latin), sharing laughter and good humor, playing cards or board games, reading and writing, talking theology, spending time with family and friends, and singing in choirs.

I really value the joys and challenges that come with “living in community,” or being part of an intentional community (yes, even as an introvert). I lived in community for 2 years in college and also last year in a Mennonite intentional community in Baltimore. Those experiences were both challenging and joyful. In each setting, I was nourished spiritually, through the ups and the downs. Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite authors, says that “Doing things together is more important than doing things alone.” I really think he’s on to something. Sure, some things are much easier to do alone, but when we do things together (especially things that are difficult), we allow God a space to work that wouldn’t have existed otherwise. And we are changed as a result. So I'm excited to grow, change, and be challenged here in Elgin, with my new community!

God is always moving and I’m looking forward to seeing what that looks like in myself, together in our community, in Elgin, and around the denomination this year. And I look forward to sharing some of that with you right here, for what it’s worth….