I would like to be able to write something to share what is so amazing about this place, but I do not have the time or the words to talk about what happens on the inside. Instead I can at least describe what Taize is like for those (most) of you who have not been here. What I get from Taize I think will only be shown in my life later, right now there are too many thoughts.
You will have to excuse my engish, I am one of the only native english speakers here, and already I can hear my english changing. My vowels have changed, I talk slower and have a tendency to use simpler words and end sentences with “no?”.
Taize is a simple place, it is not yet a busy season, so there are only a 100 or so people visiting. The spring is only just beginning so it is cold in the morning and after the sun sets. There are no leaves on the trees. Taize is in the middle of the french countryside.
I sleep with 5 other guys in a the ‘barracks’. All the visitors eat meals together inside or sitting in the sun. We attend prayers three times a day in the church. We have small group meetings in the morning, and in the afternoon we help with work around taize, I am helping repair the floor in a big meeting tent. There are also workshops on different topics in the early evening before dinner.
Everyone comes to taize for somthing, not everyone who comes are christains, some are here just for peace and quite, some are here to ask questions. But what is increible about this place is that everyone is so open about what they are thinking. It is a blessing to meet people from so many different backgrounds.
The community of brothers is ever present but disconnected from the visitor community here, they attend prayers and take workshops, but other then that they leave us to ourselves, and we leave them alone, so they an actually have a life.
One important idea in taize is shared prayer, though we can have arguments or disagreements, when the prayer bells ring, we all go and seek God together. The prayers involve beautiful songs in lots of languages I struggle to pronounce, and silence.
Taize is not a comfortable place, the floor of the church is hard, the seats we eat at are hard and have no backs, the showers are simple, the mattress are thin, the food is… simple. But everything is as much as you need. The simplicity of life here hurts a little, but is very satisfying. It leaves room for thoughts within.
I am rather famous here, I’m the ‘person from new zealand’, ‘new zealand? wooooow’. People love my accent, which is a bit of a strange experience. It is almost 8:15 and the bells for morning prayer are about to begin ringing, I will try write something more interesting in the next few weeks. Next week I move into ‘Teal’ - ”tee-aal” with the other ‘perminant’ boys.
I love you all. Thanks for all your comments, I am reading them.
-Taize. Local time 8:10am, Friday 19 March.
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Wowie! Sounds like a full-on but good week for you. Lots of adjustments but sounds like you are adapting well
I imagined how it would be from your descriptions. When you peel all the layers away, there beauty is found. Looking forward to hearing some of those thoughts. Where are all the ‘perminant’ ppl from? Are they from europe? Looks like you moved from one ‘Teal’ to another type of ‘Teal’ 
If not already reiterated on facebook, we are all missing you. Big time.
On another note, you may not want to lose your NZ accent. It’s supposedly the sexiest English accent outside of the UK. ;P
Hope that brought a smile to your face!Have an awesome day Andy!
Thanks for the excellent ‘nutshell’ description of Taize’s essence. It sounds as if already you are slowing down and going deeper, the way one tends to there. It will be interesting to see what the next few weeks bring for you.
With you in heart and spirit…
I am enjoying so very much reading your blog posts. Keep them coming. I am trying to envision myself being there as I read… I wish I was experiencing this with you.
Still sooo proud of you for going! I’d never be able to go on my own – I’m so anxious about the world that I think I’d lose my ability to function on my own and just go into a panicked frenzy as soon as I got lost (which would happen very very soon after leaving NZ).
Bro, this is so interesting to read.
Makes me feel, well… annoyed that I’m not there too. Haha.
Life in New Zealand is too complex at times (which we have talked about in the patst), and as much as I try to make it simple, there’s always something trying to distract me and all that). I’m definitely keen to go and visit someday.
Random question: Do they do vegetarian food?
Just curious, and wondering what kind of scope there would be for it seeing as you describe it as “simple”… Seeing as most vegetarian food is by nature a little more involved (having to get the proteins etc when you don’t rely on meat).
Miss you bro.