http://VrienDuineN.tripod.com
http://VrienDuineN.tripod.com Family and friends,
We have now been in Atlanta for two weeks and feel it is a good time to let you know how we are doing. There have been many times in these last seven months where we have felt that what we were experiencing was changing us, but I think that our experience here in Atlanta is changing and will change us the most. It is changing our ideas of hospitality, social awareness, how we read the Bible, how we view the homeless, how we view people in jail, people released from jail, racism in America, our government…
We felt at home very quickly here. The people at Open Door truly have the gift of hospitality, something they strive for and work on daily. Before I go any further, I should say that Open Door is not a homeless shelter (as we had anticipated and told some of you) - to sum it up best, it is an intentional Christian community that offers various services to the homeless and poor in Atlanta. The community, our new housemates, are diverse to say the least. Of the 18 people living here - we have black and white, PhDs and illiterates, formerly homeless and middle-class, struggling alcoholics and crack addicts, ex-cons and ex-civil engineers.
What's "normal life" like here? I'll describe Monday morning - at 5:30am we're up and preparing breakfast for around 120 homeless people (mostly older African American men) who come for a hot breakfast of grits, eggs, sausage, vitamins, bread and coffee. 36 guests come to eat at a time - and unlike some places that offer meals with a "get your food, quick eat and then leave" mentality, Open Door works hard to offer gracious hospitality to their guests, allowing them to stay as long as they want for their meal. Before and after the meal, residents of the home and outside volunteers come together for a time of Scripture, prayer, and reflection.
Breakfast is served every Monday and Tuesday, lunch every Wednesday and Thursday, showers every Wednesday and Thursday (complete with a clothing room that people can visit and pick out a fresh set of clothes), a public bathroom open every day from 8-10am and 7-9pm, and a health clinic every Thursday.
As for life in the house, we eat our meals together, do chores together and spend a time every day in intentional learning contexts (i.e. bible study, book study, reflection time on house matters etc).
Today, on our day off, we visited the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site - toured his birthplace, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the MLK Center. Quite something to be able to soak in this history during Black History Month…though every day it seems we're faced with the sad realities that King's messages of racial reconciliation and equality still need to be heard.
It's so hard to sum up all of what we're doing, seeing and reflecting…going to our first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting (accompanying some of the guys from the house), getting to know people who have spent years and years in jail, hearing from a Christian public defender about the injustices of the judicial system…it's all so overwhelming and new to us. If you'd like to read more about what the Open Door does and stands for, we'd be happy to send some stuff to you (they send out a monthly newspaper and have several books).
Peace on your journeys of faith - we think of our family and friends often and look forward to lots of long conversations with you all once we get back!
Blessings,
Jon (and Deb).
PS - Some of you have asked for our address here:
Open Door Community
910 Ponce de Leon Ave NE
Atlanta, GA
30306-4212
