JnR Journey Notes

Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant, too. We are pilgrims on a journey, we are trav'lers on the road. We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load. I will hold the Christ-light for you in the nighttime of your fear. I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear. I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh, I'll laugh with you. I will share your joy and sorrow till we've seen this journey through. When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony born of all we've known together of Christ's love and agony.                - Richard Gillard, 1997 It is just after Easter and a time to reflect on what Jesus's life and death and resurrection mean for today. Utmost in our minds are the verses of the above hymn that we sang together at our retirement service in Greensboro, NC, and again with the San...

The end of our time in Washington DC was bittersweet as we needed to say goodbye to the two other couples we had worked with for two months. Two months was sufficient time to explore the city on our days off and see most of the sites that interested us. From there we traveled to North Carolina to reconnect with the churches. It was good in that we got to see most everyone and had some great fellowship meals and time together over a long weekend. Then we headed back to PA to spend a week with Ruth's Dad. He seems to be doing about the same and stays active with his bread making yet and keeping up with the news and family. We spent a week traveling down to San Antonio, Texas, as we realized we hadn't had any "just couple" days since we retired Oct. 1st. So it was good to take plenty of time to relax at AirBnB places along the way and also spend some time exploring cities and having two restful days near Galveston beach. At the rodeo (State Fair) in Houston. Te...

Those of you who know me--Ruth--know my propensity to want to plan and to get things done. After all these years, I still often find myself waiting impatiently and anxiously for tomorrow. Waiting for spring and warmer weather. Waiting for conversations to wind down so I can get to my "to do" list for the day. Waiting for more certainty about our next move. Waiting for what comes after that--and where we'll eventually settle. Waiting to be a part of a local church body again and wondering what shape that will take. Waiting to hug in person our children and grandchildren again. Waiting for governments to lend justice and show respect for all peoples. In waiting for tomorrow, I too often miss out on today. As we enter this season of Lent when we remember Jesus's waiting to go to Jerusalem a final time, I ponder how he handled the waiting. He frequently warned his disciples about his impending suffering and death (Luke 9:22) but did not let that deter him from conti...

We're here. Been here since January 8. Four miles directly north of the White House. In a house called the International Guest House. We're learning the nature of hospitality (and it isn't what is taught in a college course). We're visiting the institutions and museums that tell the history of this country. We're navigating public transit and walking lots of blocks nearby to get a feel for the neighborhoods. We're eating and working together with the host couple, Jonathan and Betty Schrag, and the other five-month term volunteer couple, Frank and Jane Yoder. We're practicing how to live in community and then attempting to extend that community to the guests who make this home for a few days or more. Hospitality is more than clean sheets, hot muffins at breakfast, evening tea. Those are the nuts and bolts of what we have begun to learn how to do. However, this house sits in the heart of a culture that appears to have lost its way as being a place that accep...

May you experience the peace and love from God expressed through you and I in the new year! Our time in Baltimore ended on December 23. It was good this past month to continue to build on relationships at the house, as well as get a better feel of the city. It was especially good to have 'deeper' conversations than just "How are you? How was work?" We had many at the house and church who asked us to stay longer, but we are not ready to settle yet. We celebrated Christmas with our daughter, Michelle, in Philadelphia and are in the Lancaster area now. On Jan. 8 we will move into the International Guest House in Washington DC. Although this is a joyous, festive time of year, my (Ruth) thoughts have been especially focused on those who have little to look forward to. Living in Baltimore I was reminded daily of the disparity between those who have nice houses with many good shopping locations and schools nearby and those who need to live among rows of boarded up houses...

Time is moving quickly here in Baltimore, especially with it being holiday season. It's hard to believe we are half-way through our commitment here. Jim especially has been kept busy with fix-up projects at the house. One of his main projects was/is fixing the entryway halls and stairs from the basement to second floor where there is a lot of peeling plaster and holes that need fixed and repainted. He also spent and will spend some more time on projects at the North Baltimore Mennonite Church. Ruth has been helping with these as she can, but also babysitting and making special meals. We have had wonderful opportunities meeting a lot of the people from the church over meals or meetings as well as getting to know the house residents better. Often in the mornings or evenings there are several others cooking and eating in the kitchen, so we chat about life and work and aspirations. We just concluded Thanksgiving holiday time. We hosted a meal here before Thanksgiving for 30 peopl...

43 Steps. That's how many stair steps it is from the kitchen to our third floor bedroom--a great way to stay in shape! We arrived at Reservoir Hill House of Peace on Saturday, Nov. 4, and moved into one of the 10 bedrooms in the big old house. Little by little we are grasping the purpose and mission of those who live here and what our role in it is and will be. We will take part in a house meeting Monday evening and should know a bit more after that, as well. The house is administered by North Baltimore Mennonite Church which is about 3 miles from here. RHHP housed a Voluntary Service unit (which basically has closed), asylum seekers and individuals who work at various jobs in the city who wish to be part of the community here. Presently there is one VSer from Germany, three asylum seeker men and six other young adults besides us. Sunday morning we attended the Mennonite church and met a lot of the people there. We also attended a small group gathering Tuesday evening and got to ...