Ordinary Time

The first few weeks of the program were rich with activity – from climbing escarpment stairs to scavenger hunting around the city to canoeing up North. Check out this video that summarizes our start-of-the-program adventures!

Despite our pace slowing down this last month, the daily activities of our lives have maintained their richness. We have tasted together the reality that God is not far off; indeed He is in the mundane everyday-ness of our eating, sleeping, studying, cleaning and resting.

One of our students, Angela, puts it this way:

Life has calmed down since the canoe trip and we are falling into rhythms. I would love to just write about the highlights but it is easier to talk about everyday life in the ordinary because not a lot of stuff that goes on is off the charts. Since the extravagance of the canoe trip, music, meals, and class life in the home have been the most prevalent activities.

As soon as we got home from the canoe trip, we were launched into academic work, which was exciting for some, and less so for others. The class, taught by John Bowen and Josiah Bokma, was quite interactive and more personal because our class only consists of 12 which warranted good discussion, but also made us subject to long pauses after questions. 🙂 

Eating meals together is a really big part of our community living. I am always really excited for dinner because we are actually alright at making food and there is just something really special about sharing food with the people you care about. With most activities we have done together and with other people since the trip, a meal has been a part of it — when we visited A Rocha for a few Fridays, we started our afternoon having lunch together; when we collected and tested water samples with Redeemer professors, we had them stay for dinner afterwards; when we met the Cubitt’s and they told us about their life, it was over a meal; everything just seems to revolve around eating communally which is really lovely. 

Music has become an integral part of the way we interact. There is always music playing throughout the house whether it be while dishes are being done, homework is being accomplished, or just in between activities. It’s nice to have musical people in the home because the piano gets well used and guitars are frequented; I think it may add to the surrealness of the program in that it’s like there is always a running soundtrack.

So in summary, learning is fun, friends are great, food is yum, and music is delightful. Life’s been super swell — see you in the next post! 

This week we are breaking from our normal activities at our home and spending each day with Oshwegen Baptist Church on the Six Nations reserve, where we are learning about the history and life of the local indigenous peoples of our area. Keep your eye out for reflections on this experience here on the blog!