Some key points that I’ve learned in the areas my home, play, and work intersect:
Time and Faithful Presence
I was trying to figure what I would write about for this assignment because I know I’ve not engaged with my community/neighborhood well. I especially don’t have much interaction with my instant neighbors. Now that’s its warm outside I’ve seen my neighbors outside more often but over the winter, hardly ever. On one hand I could do better with taking more initiative and being more bold but on the other hand I’m learning that it is difficult to develop relationships and that it takes a lot of time to establish trust and to have your presence known. Being a complete outsider, it’s taken me at least 7 months and I’m only now beginning to feel like I can tap into this Montana South Side culture. From what I’ve heard from others too who have moved here, this is not unusual. While this is frustrating considering I may only have these 9 months, it is somewhat encouraging to know that this is normal and may just be a part of the process. I’m reminded too of what Lupton wrote about in Toxic Charity that a crucial step before doing anything at all within your neighborhood is to take at least 6 months to simply get to know your community. I would also include, that as essential as it is to seek to know a community…being known matters too. Relationships are a reciprocal transaction.
Poverty=Broken Relationship
I recently had a conversation with a mom and her daughter about their neighborhood. After leaving them both I felt so downhearted. So much dysfunction and poverty. So many families with histories of sexual abuse or addictions or both. The saddest part was how they shared this information like it was so, so normal. While I know some of this information might be exaggerated gossip, I also know that some of the things shared are not incongruent from other stories I’ve heard and none of it surprises me, given even my exposure to the kids who come from these broken families, and witnessing some of the effects of these broken relationships and systems at places like the Washington Trailer Court. Poverty is not unfamiliar to me but I am learning the different shapes and forms it takes in every corner of the world. And yet, at the heart of it runs a similar vein. Broken relationships. I’ve read about this and learned about this but seeing it (or being close to it) with this awareness reinforces what I’ve learned conceptually.
Montana Culture
I’ve learned a lot about Montana culture in general. It always amazes me how I ended up here. In many ways I do not fit into this culture at all. I knew from the beginning that cold and guns and outdoors were not necessarily my thing. But, I’m learning that with familiarity comes appreciation and there is a lot I’ve come to appreciate about Montana. Practicality distinguishes Montana culture. I’ve become keenly aware of my own love for “frivolous” things like music, the arts, dressing up (only sometimes), whole foods, coffee shops…and while I enjoy and miss some of those things I appreciate the “get it done” mentality, hard working ethic, and level-headedness that often goes along with being practically minded. I also appreciate that there is nothing superficial about people here. They are real and honest and will say it as it is. While it takes a long time to connect and gain trust, once you have established relationship and trust, there is a real sense of belonging and looking after each other that seems to take place. I’ve been continually impressed by how helpful people here are and how they will drop everything to help someone in need.
CLDI
I’ve learned about what grace in action looks like and how ministry is life, and how an organization stills functions well (if not better in some ways) when relationships over tasks and programs matters most. I’ve learned the value of vulnerability and humility in ministry and how much I have to learn from the women I “ minister” too. And that as hard as we try, we can never make a person change. No one and nothing we ever do is going to be perfect but I’m learning to trust that grace can somehow redeem not only broken sinners but also fumbling ways as I try to love God and others well.
Time and Faithful Presence
I was trying to figure what I would write about for this assignment because I know I’ve not engaged with my community/neighborhood well. I especially don’t have much interaction with my instant neighbors. Now that’s its warm outside I’ve seen my neighbors outside more often but over the winter, hardly ever. On one hand I could do better with taking more initiative and being more bold but on the other hand I’m learning that it is difficult to develop relationships and that it takes a lot of time to establish trust and to have your presence known. Being a complete outsider, it’s taken me at least 7 months and I’m only now beginning to feel like I can tap into this Montana South Side culture. From what I’ve heard from others too who have moved here, this is not unusual. While this is frustrating considering I may only have these 9 months, it is somewhat encouraging to know that this is normal and may just be a part of the process. I’m reminded too of what Lupton wrote about in Toxic Charity that a crucial step before doing anything at all within your neighborhood is to take at least 6 months to simply get to know your community. I would also include, that as essential as it is to seek to know a community…being known matters too. Relationships are a reciprocal transaction.
Poverty=Broken Relationship
I recently had a conversation with a mom and her daughter about their neighborhood. After leaving them both I felt so downhearted. So much dysfunction and poverty. So many families with histories of sexual abuse or addictions or both. The saddest part was how they shared this information like it was so, so normal. While I know some of this information might be exaggerated gossip, I also know that some of the things shared are not incongruent from other stories I’ve heard and none of it surprises me, given even my exposure to the kids who come from these broken families, and witnessing some of the effects of these broken relationships and systems at places like the Washington Trailer Court. Poverty is not unfamiliar to me but I am learning the different shapes and forms it takes in every corner of the world. And yet, at the heart of it runs a similar vein. Broken relationships. I’ve read about this and learned about this but seeing it (or being close to it) with this awareness reinforces what I’ve learned conceptually.
Montana Culture
I’ve learned a lot about Montana culture in general. It always amazes me how I ended up here. In many ways I do not fit into this culture at all. I knew from the beginning that cold and guns and outdoors were not necessarily my thing. But, I’m learning that with familiarity comes appreciation and there is a lot I’ve come to appreciate about Montana. Practicality distinguishes Montana culture. I’ve become keenly aware of my own love for “frivolous” things like music, the arts, dressing up (only sometimes), whole foods, coffee shops…and while I enjoy and miss some of those things I appreciate the “get it done” mentality, hard working ethic, and level-headedness that often goes along with being practically minded. I also appreciate that there is nothing superficial about people here. They are real and honest and will say it as it is. While it takes a long time to connect and gain trust, once you have established relationship and trust, there is a real sense of belonging and looking after each other that seems to take place. I’ve been continually impressed by how helpful people here are and how they will drop everything to help someone in need.
CLDI
I’ve learned about what grace in action looks like and how ministry is life, and how an organization stills functions well (if not better in some ways) when relationships over tasks and programs matters most. I’ve learned the value of vulnerability and humility in ministry and how much I have to learn from the women I “ minister” too. And that as hard as we try, we can never make a person change. No one and nothing we ever do is going to be perfect but I’m learning to trust that grace can somehow redeem not only broken sinners but also fumbling ways as I try to love God and others well.