From Lake to Home

Act Five’s newest Resident Leaders reflect on their summers, how this season has prepared them for the next, and the excitement they feel for the year ahead.

From Jana: 

It’s crazy to think that roughly two weeks ago I was trekking through the Temagami wilderness working as a wilderness instructor. This summer was my second summer working with Coldwater Canada and it was a summer of trusting the process, and of deep blessings and growth, even growth that was hard to face at times.

Now the shore lines have shifted to sidewalks, the incline at the start of a portage has morphed into the incline of the escarpment stairs and my trusty PFD has gone from being zipped around my torso to hanging on my bedroom wall. As I notice the shifting and changing environment around me, I also sit in a place of deep gratitude for the place I’ve come from and the Act Five house to which I now call home.

Maybe it’s the cushion covers on the porch faded by conversations over morning coffee, or the wallpaper seeped in prayer and reapplied by boisterous laughter, or maybe it’s the backyard bursting with promises of Spaghetti Wednesdays. The collection of character that this home holds has become an invitation for me to pay attention, to express deep gratitude for this home, place and people and a cause for joyful anticipation of what welcoming our incoming students will bring.

Settling back into the city after being in the wilderness can be a shock, but as we have worked this past week to prepare the home and our team to welcome students on Monday, there is a buzz of anticipation for what is to come. I cannot wait to see what new character this home will take on as we lean into life with our 2024 cohort of students, and for what the Lord has to teach each one of us as we journey together!

From Evan: 

It has been a RUSH to jump from directing a camp out near Lake Erie, playing camp wide games, dressing up as silly characters and doing all sorts of songs with the campers, to quietly preparing here on Blake Street in Hamilton for a group yet to come. Yet, the beauty of this community and its rhythms have reminded me of how restful and rejuvenating a Christian community can feel.

Jumping into Act Five, I and the other RL – Jana, have found an existing sense of community and faith even over the quiet months of the summer. It has been so cool to be welcomed in just as a part of the community already, as if you’ve just bought a used car – it’s full of character! As the days go on I get more and more excited about the gap year program and its students that we welcome in just a few days -on September 2nd!

This summer was full of campfires had, jokes made, and tons of marshmallows eaten, and it has prepared me for tons of moments of fun and for deep moments of laughter. All of which I am hoping to bring right into the community of Act Five for 2024-2025.