TheBanyanTree: Writing

[Sachet]

I would love to read anything you write, Jana. This post was wonderful 
to read and I look forward to more.

Glad to see you back writing hugs!

On 10/14/2012 12:05 AM, Indiglow wrote:
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> It's been so long since this mostly lurker wrote a story.  Was beginning to wonder if I'm a writer at all (other than poetry - which has been missing for a year or so...)  Am so inspired by so many writers here who are finally completing/publishing books - a life's dream.  I remember back in the late 80s, when I went to work for the University (of La Verne) and discovered the internet, and got hooked up with a group called Nerdnosh.  So many memories, people, places, travels, meetings, couplings, re-groupings, changes, and most sadly, deaths of some wonderful people I'm blessed to have known/met/broken bread with (I love you, Terry, Youngblood, Dee, LD [a long lurker on all permutations of the list, but a dear and beloved friend])
>    Still, deep within me, there is a need to write.  Has anyone seen the Ed Harris movie, "It's What I Am?".  That's how it feels.  I'm a writer.  That's who I am.
>    For a couple years, I've felt a calling, a compulsion - "I *should* write a..." but the writing hasn't happened.
>    Then things changed.  I found myself involved with an amazing church.  A small community here in Oregon - population 20,000.  We (the church) made the risky decision to use the entire Easter offering to go toward hunger - percentages to a local food bank, and to the Meru/Ruiri well project in Kenya - a community where children, instead of going to school, commonly spent their days trekking to critter-infested rivers to haul water for survival.  Building wells would provide water, allow the children to attend schools etc.  One well would serve a community of 10,000 people.  Detractors said the (elderly, impoverished) church would suffer if they sacrificed the Easter offering (one of the biggest of the year) but there were those who said, "I believe in a God of abundance."  We tried for a media presence - local newspaper articles, radio time (don't believe any materialized), web presence, FB site - whatever it took to invite the community and the
>   world to join in "taking a bite out of hunger."  We put "decorated" coffee cans in local businesses.  Those didn't collect much...  One can contained 37c.  Another had a bit more than $15. - but it was amost all in nickels and pennies.  How many people were aware of and wanted to make a difference about world hunger?  Some who contributed a few pennies at a time.  At the end of the day, end of the month, how did it fare?  We raised over $20,000.00!  Enough went to Kenya to build 2 wells - sufficient to provide water for 20,000 people.  That number 20,000 begins to take on a "woo-woo" aspect.  A community of 20,000 raises $20,000.00 which provides water for 20,000 in Kenya, Africa, and additionally provides 20,000 meals for those who depend on the local food bank.  Serendipity?  Doesn't sound possible to me. (BTW, for the curious - the church did not suffer at all - the month's offerings withouth the Easter offering were the highest of the
>   year.)
>    So what does this have to do with writing?  Ah, me...  it's a long story,  We found the church after "retiring" to Oregon.  It had a senior pastor, and an associate pastor.  Senior pastor had led and participated in several annual trips to Kenya to work on projects amidst the abject poverty, and therefore brought the well projects to the forefront.  Associate pastor had somehow become a particular friend, with much in common, and dearly beloved by me.  It was she (Joyce) who pitched the "Hunger Bites" campaign.  When the subject went to church counsel to vote, mine was one of two dissenting.  The other felt the church would suffer by such generosity.  I voted "nay" (until it was decided where the money would go) because it was not giving enough.  Side note - the senior pastor, a few years earlier (just when we arrived here) took his retirement, and agreed to another appointment at the church sans salary in order to free the monies for the
>   missions of the church.  So...  turned out that Senior pastor, Jim, was offered a volunteer position at the Methodist hospital in Kenya, coordinating volunteers etc., and accepted it...  which meant that we would once again need to pay a pastor's salary.  And since way leads on to way, that meant probably not being able to afford an associate pastor to focus on missional/congregational projects/needs.  So, in June, we said goodbye to pastor Jim, and in July, to associate pastor, Joyce.
>    Pastor Joyce was the leader of our adult Sunday School, known as "The Forum".  It is a small group - maybe 6 - 12 participants, mostly seniors to quite elderly.  (Oh, yes, I am a senior now!)   She was the one who generally selected the curriculum, lead the discussions etc.  On rare occasions when she would not be there on Sunday, she'd asked me to fill in for her.  I was perfectly willing.
>    When we knew she'd be leaving, the question went to the group as to what to do about Forum.  The general consensus was "Why doesn't Jana take over - she does such a good job!!"  Huh??? 
>    Then, there was the timing of all that...  My mother had had a stroke.  Bob and I had spent a month in CA caring for her, helping her in the recovery process.  We were exhausted, with most often as little as 3 hours sleep on any night, and 24/7 presence.  When we finally left, our urgency was returning back to Oregon before pastor Jim's last day.  To accomplish this, although Bob had surgery scheduled on Friday, we left late afternoon that day to complete the drive.  Wildfires added hours/miles, and after a midnight stopover, then a wee-M. continuation, we arrived home darn close to midnight in order to be at church in the morning.  Tough stuff.
> And that morning the entire group said I could lead the class until the new pastor decided what should be done with it.  Whatever.
>    I had the catalog from the publisher, as we'd near finished the curriculum we were working on at the time.  I ordered 3 possibilities for the next set of lessons/discussions, and ended up selecting one called "Instant Small Group" designed to be week-by week, rather than a book participants must keep up with.  Seemed perfect as Summer attendance is traditionally spottier due to vacation/travel etc.  52 weeks of lessons.  Folks love them, and loved the way I put them together!  (One week we baked a pie; we've played with play-dough, drawn, colored, done fortunes for fortune cookies etc.!)  My theory is get people engaged and talking - that's how I can learn.  Somewhere in the process (grandkids birthdays, other events, general messiness) the book was lost.  Aiiiiiieeeeeee!  Here is was Friday night, and I had no discussion guide for Sunday.  Bob and I searched everywhere.  No book.  I ordered a replacement.  It's not to this date arrived -
>   some 3 weeks later.  Huh?  So, having given up on the search, I faked it.  I wrote my own. 
>    Slam dunk!  The discussion was so animated it required we stretch the discussion to an extra week.  Folks loved it so much they got excited about it - and started spreading the word to others to come.  Pastor had so far not had any input at all, other than a "it's going great - carry on."  Huh?  This was a temporary commitment.
>    Whatever...  seems this is where I am, and that I'm writing again...  but what I'm writing is study guidelines for small groups for the Christian left - groups that are willing to take faith and beliefs to a deeper level and question what it really all means.
>    I'd share my writing, but think many would find it offensive, and many would find it boring.  I'll leave that up to all of you.  But...  the bottom line is, after years of drought, and years of should/could/would, I am writing again.
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> Peace&  blessings,
> Jana
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