Intentional Community

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"Intentional Community" is a phrase that gets thrown around Taylor University at such a frequency that it has become a bit of a joke. The school emphasizes it and the students complain about how we focus on it too much, or too little. But this weekend I have begun to understand what it is that TU has been trying to push for all these years. Don't get me wrong, the Taylor community is great and there are many things that we do well as a community, but for me there has always been something missing from our little bubble of a community. Today it finally clicked for me. 
This weekend I have been on kitchen duty. This means that four other people and myself have been in charge of feeding 30+ people for four meals. We plan and make everything. Frankly, this has been the most wonderful weekend! We're only halfway through the cooking adventure, but it's been so wonderful. 

This morning we made pancakes for lunch. We literally made 200 pancakes. It wasn't really difficult, but it was work and when we were done I just looked at everyone eating and laughing at the table and I felt apart of something. Here we had made this meal for everyone and they were truly thankful for it and the five of us had worked together, helping each other to get everything done on time. 

After we finished washing up, some of us on kitchen duty went on a bike ride together and it was such a lovely afternoon of exploring and laughter. When we got back we set up to make dinner and a few other people in the group came to help us handle the Great Grilling Debacle we got ourselves into. It was just so nice to see people actually coming together to help each other, even if the end goal was food. 
As a group we get along pretty well and I just love how well we fit together in this place we've started to call home. We come from very different places, and yet we have built this little community on the Irish shore and I love it so much. 
Tonight I also found my calling. Biscuit making. I have my grandmother's biscuit recipe and I multiplied it for lunch tomorrow. We made 35 biscuits and I have never been so happy, making something with my hands, sleeves rolled up,using all my strength to roll the dough, Josh Turner blaring out of the iPod speakers, the kitchen filled with people just laughing and dancing... oh it was bliss :) I wish I had taken pictures, but my hands were covered in flour.
Tomorrow we're cooking some more and hopefully going hiking, I can't wait! For now I'm exhausted from everything I've done today, but it's the kind of exhaustion that comes with a sense of accomplishment. 
I hope your weekend is as lovely as mine has been.
-E

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