This week is holy week, and its busy. I wish this was a week I could enjoy a taize Easter, but I don’t have a lot of free time. This week I work in cadolle in the afternoons, which means doing maintenance work, I’ve been spraying waterproofing product on the canvas of the taize ‘blue tents’ where people sleep where all the dormitories are full. In the evening I do ‘Night Welcome’ which really means you walk arround in the cold late at night telling stupid people to be quite and go to bed. And sending girls sleeping in boys rooms to go back to their beds, and vise-versa. And confiscating drugs, and helping in medical emergency’s and all that kind of thing. Its pretty hard work and I dont really enjoy being the baddy and ruining everyone’s fun, but its good to see the dark side of taize and develop the more forceful part of my character. Conveniently, the lack of sleep makes me less patient which means i’m less of a pushover, so it all kind of works quite well. In the morning I get up to do the breakfast dishes in Tilleul, because everyone else has work, and then to have breakfast with my night welcome team.
I haven’t any nicely completed thoughts to write here this week. This is a week of work and taize continues to challenge me deep down. This week I feel a long way from home.
Easter here is very interesting. Its a real journey into the darkness and out into light again, I’ll try and write some more about it next week.
Love to you all.
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Hey, that does sound really challenging!! But all good experience, and I suppose you will get a new brief in a couple of days. In my naivete I did not realise Taize had this ‘dark side’.
You were feeling a long way away to us too, but now we have read your blog you feel much closer. Thanks for taking the time, Son.
Dearest bro,
Happy Easter! It’s easter sunday here as I write this. Wish I was with you or vice versa. My thoughts are with you.
Ooo ouch, night welcome has to be the worst job in Taize. Very character building! They work you hard in Taize sometimes eh! It can be exhausting. I hope here’s still beauty there for you amidst the darkness and tiredness.
The names of some of the jobs in Taize are pretty funny eh! Like ‘night welcome’, and ‘special cleaning’ which means using chemicals so strong you have to wear a full yellow PVC suit, mask included. Very special.
Have you got my post card yet?
Go well as you head into this week.
Lots of love Andy!
xo
Our Jesus is risen!
Haha sounds like an interesting week! Aww Andy come back to NZ soon k? When you’re back we should all go tramping so i can actually come coz I would have finished uni!!! Yaaay. Anyway happy easter!
Love you bro. Miss you.