Changes...janell & ben's story

(This first part is written by ben). So I've started. The Decemberists are rounding the needle and in the room behind me as i write this, my very first blog. It's possible that it will be my final entry as my contemporary seems to be F. Scott--thanks a lot Jay.
Now onto our story: Janell and I met on a warm early summer's day, as teenagers, in the back of a stuffy chapel at camp. Our lives in full swing, we lived for each moment. Making experiences last and amplifying all our senses. The summers seemed hotter then, the food was better (or worse), the nights were longer and each movie was more formative. Along with all of this, our relationships seemed much more meaningful.
As you know, (or not) we married after 5 or so blissful and arduous years of dating. Soon after I worked to provide at many-a-terrible job where the only value was the dollar made and the friends found. As Janell finished her degree at Multnomah Bible College we began to ask the age-old question, "What will we become?" Who will we be when we grow up? (You know...fireman, rocket scientist.) We knew all along that our gracious God has a plan, and the question was really (and it still is), "Are we people who trust?" "Are we willing to live in the time and moments given?"
In 2006 we had a golden opportunity to go to a tropical paradise on someone else' dime!...I mean serve and toil for the Lord in Papua New Guinea. Just as the teen years of the past, we jumped into the plane and once again lived for the moment, relishing time, meeting amazing men and women and eating incredible foods. It is more than a little inspiring when the living God becomes more alive through the stories of missionaries living out the Gospel and loving the people that we often forget about....

All this to say that God has used many things to influence our lives but I can say with certainty that the things that have been most noteworthy came at moments when we were most vulnerable. Trips to foreign lands, a summer of camp ministry, a terrible job, or wrestling through things with the struggles of a close friend. In all these moments we went for it and were blessed, challenged and changed. This is our hope: to live in a place of community with a bit of risk, a bit of discomfort, where challenges abound. A place of vulnerability that (through grace) will be a place of tremendous growth and joyous labors.
(Switching writers now...Arcade Fire is now playing. Neon Bible to be precise). When Ben & I came home from Papua New Guinea, we came home convicted. We felt suddenly unsettled in our comfy little apartment. As part of the community of believers who follow Jesus (the Church), our eyes were opened to the incredible need of caring for our leaders in the Church. We started praying that God would show us how to love people. (And if you ever want your life to change or grow, just start praying). Over the next 3 years, our lives became full with relationships. We lived in a tiny 1 bedroom basement apartment, we called it the Downing Stadium. Our white concrete floors became witnesses to many new and formative friendships, a place for friends and family to lay their heads (on a pillow of course), many conversations with some people who don't know the saving grace of the Lord and many who do. And rest assured, they always left well fed. We were surprised that despite our tiny living conditions, people were always coming to stay!
We again started praying that God would give us a bigger place to live, so there would be more space for people to stay and rest. And if you have read Jay & Amy's story, you will have read how we came to be in our current house.
There's an old Irish proverb that says, "In the shelter of each other the people live." It's hard to do that here in America. And as followers of a Triune God, a God who is consistently dwelling in community, we wanted to make community a more literal part of our lives. Yes, this house will be undergoing a lot of changes, for the better. But the people who make this house a home will also be undergoing changes; changes full of learning how to communicate better, living humbly & selflessly, loving each other & our neighbor, and sharing in each others joys and griefs. But this house will also be a place for anyone to come and be loved. In the shelter of each other we are strengthened in all ways. Freeing ourselves from living individually. So here's to living a better story.