Buying books, telling summer stories, moving into a new home, late night trips to Wal-Mart (to get all the stuff you forgot at home), seeing people you haven’t seen for months, roasting a 150lb pig in your back yard on the first day of class and then inviting 100+ people over to eat it all! It’s all part of the fall semester and all part of our life here at the Potter’s House. As I sit writing this we’ve all moved in and although there’s still a few random items that need sorted, for the most part we are settled in our home and our life has begun to flow together.
The past week has been full of big events and big days. And in those big days and big events the Potter’s House has transformed from its summer silence and emptiness to a living, breathing, overflowing community. The excitement and anticipation spreads through the house as we dream about our year together and begin to catch glimpses of how our community will take shape. In the hopes of sharing the energy of the beginning of the semester with you, I’d like to share two of the events that took place as the fall semester got going.
First the biggest of the big events – our annual Pig Roast, hosted at the Potter’s House. It happens on the first day of class, and is our first opportunity to open our home to our neighbors and community. We had an absolutely beautiful day this year and welcomed over 100 students and community members into our back yard. At times throughout the evening I became overwhelmed with trying to make connections, remember names and find more cookies, but then I would remember Katie. Katie is one of the ladies living in the Potter’s House this year. A sophomore, studying fine arts with desire to teach in the public school setting, she is a fantastic and hilarious addition to our community. As a freshmen Katie came to the Pig Roast we had last August, she felt welcomed and cared for as a guest. And now she is not only living and growing in the Potter’s House but also reaching out to other students in her life and reflecting Christ’s love to them. And amongst all the craziness of the Pig Roast, that’s really what the event is about. Offering hospitality and welcome to new students in the hopes of sharing His transforming story and its impact in their lives.
Plato said: You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. This is one of my favorite quotes, partly because I love to play but mostly because I think it’s true. When you play with someone you engage them in a way that’s not possible in basic conversation. This past week I had the opportunity to help run a sand volleyball tournament for students. It was a blast, even if it did rain on and off throughout the evening! There were between 30 and 40 students there throughout the evening, some played rather intense games of volleyball, some played less intense but really funny games of volleyball and some just enjoyed the bonfire. It was truly a great night of playing together and discovering what people where about.
During the tournament I met Liz, a freshmen, she was invited to come along as part of a group from her dorm. She’s an animation major and has enjoyed her first week of college. Liz used to attend church; however, she always found it boring and somewhat sad. This past week she came to The Tuesday Night Thing (a student fellowship group), she said it wasn’t anything like she remembered church being, and then this past Sunday we had the chance to sit together in church and chat for a few minutes afterwards. Liz and Katie are just two examples of students who have been reached through the ministry here in Edinboro. Please pray for Liz, Katie and the rest of the students here in Edinboro as we continue to grow in our relationships with one another and in our relationship with Christ. Allow me to thank you on their behalf for you willingness to be an influence in their life through partnering with the ministry of the CCO at Edinboro University.
