As I think back on this year, one thing that stands out to me is the incredible outpouring of hospitality I’ve received. Hospitality is one of those things, like sweet tea and country music, that most of us just expect to see in the South. But I’m not just talking about the “come on in and have yourself a cookie” kind of hospitality. I’m talking about the “come on in, you 22-year-old stranger, and make yourself at home FOR NINE MONTHS STRAIGHT” kind. Is this as crazy to you as it is to me?

As you might have guessed, my host family is the most obvious and dramatic example. From the day we met at their front door, the Gaw’s have graciously invited me into their space and into their lives. They’ve made an effort to include me in special events like birthday dinners, basketball games, gatherings with the extended family, and Christmas tree decorating (I even got my own stocking- are they trying to make me weep?). They’ve also welcomed me into daily activities like breakfast before school, homework in the evenings, and Saturday morning walks. The Gaw’s have quite literally communicated “mi casa es su casa” to me, and it still blows me away, especially as someone who is pretty possessive of her personal space.

Last week, when I asked if I could join a bonfire party they were planning, my “host dad” responded, matter-of-factly, “Of course! You’re a part of our family!” It’s a beautiful and humbling experience to be given a place at the table like this, not because I did anything special, but just because they wanted to.

As if that weren’t enough, it’s not just my host family who has shown me hospitality this year. It’s the eight other host families who let us cook and watch movies in their homes because we don’t yet have spaces of our own. It’s our beloved “Mamma T,” who, week after week, for several hours, lets us make a mess in her kitchen as we attempt to cook for Roundtable. It’s my wonderful mentor, who consistently welcomes me into her home, into her life, and into the lives of her family members. And the list goes on.

Aside from making me feel warm inside and grateful beyond grateful, this day-after-day, week-after-week type of hospitality I’ve experienced has given me a richer understanding of what it looks like for God to welcome His children. It also inspires me to practice extending this kind of welcome to others.

So, a big THANK YOU to the Gaw’s for inviting me into your family for the year. And thank you to everyone who has made me feel loved and welcomed in this year of transition.

At St. George's Episcopal Church, where I work as a Fellow, we have a big staff meeting every couple weeks. One of the staff members gives a presentation on a chosen topic, anywhere from sin to Catechesis. Recently, St. George's rector Leigh Spruill presented on community. Quoting John Bruin's "The Sociology of Community Connections," he defined community as "a group of people, usually in a given locale, who are consciously aware of belonging to each other in a way that is deeper than casual acquaintance. The group shares common goals, values, and practices, and membership demands some level of commitment and responsibility." Two distinct communities came to mind.

First, of course, was the Fellows community - both the Nashville Fellows and the greater Fellows Initiative throughout the country. The bond between the nine of us in Nashville this year is unmatched and unmistakeable. Our director has even noted that directors of other programs have commented on our closeness - on our awareness of belonging to each other. Bruin's definition is so apt it seems to be made for Fellows.

Surprisingly, I've found another area where I've seen community in even greater effect: the rock climbing community. Though I've only started climbing within the last year, anyone who knows much of anything about me is well aware of that fact. Climbing is something that has nearly enveloped my entire identity. There is so much to love about the sport. There's the physical challenge and the strength it takes to climb up a route. The obvious challenge of the next hardest route right next to you, and the one of many grades above you just across the way. Bouldering, top rope, and lead climbing - so much to be mastered, so tangibly near. And there's the mental challenge of the route right in front of you! How do I grab this hold, and move to the next? Can I actually clip that from here??

But most importantly, there's the community. I'm not typically one who's quick to make friends, but the number of people I have met through climbing is nearly astronomical. As climbing is typically done with partners (unless you're on autobelays, or Alex Honnold), it's a fairly good setup for meeting others. I've made friends with countless members and staff at Climb Nashville, and even convinced multiple coworkers to join the gym. The bond between climbers is one I've observed in many ways. The locale we share isn't just the gym on Charlotte Avenue, but also outdoor climbing locations - and not just their existence, but also their preservation and well-being. The belonging that we feel to each other is one of a common goal: sending the next route, whether it's 5.9 or 5.13. Our values are of an embodiment of the sport and of its tendency towards environmentalism - no matter who you are or from where you've come. Our practices are learned from and shared with each other because of our common goals - I know you want to send the next route as much as I do, so I'll help you as best as I can in hopes that you'll do the same for me. We commit to each other in our journey to better climbing, and hold each other accountable for being there and working hard.

I remember my Fellows interview a little earlier than this time last year, when I was asked for my own definition of community and how I've seen it in my own life. I vaguely answered something about how you can find commonalities with others and bond with them through that. Thankfully, this year has taught me that there is far more to it than that, whether it's where you'd most expect it (with Fellows), or least (with climbing). Either way, here's to community, and to an ever-continuing definition and understanding of it!

At the beginning of this program, I entered into a new community with eight young adults my age where churches, families, and people come together to invest their time and wisdom into our lives. The people inside this program give us knowledge, leadership, and an impregnable foundation upon which we can build lives of faith-driven work, service to our community, and abounding love drawn from Love himself. We are continually growing in our faith throughout the course of this program and bringing that faith into our host homes, our workplace, and our churches. Though, there is more to this program than the program itself and what goes on inside of it. I speak of the surrounding communities outside of the Fellows Program that are impacted by it.

We entered The Fellows Program learning about community and how important it is. I completely agree with the importance of community. The fellows program has great community within itself, but I also think it is important to branch out and enjoy other communities in Nashville. I have found just that in the Ultimate Frisbee pick-up games that take place every Saturday at Fellowship Bible Church.

If you know me, and not even that well, you should know that I love Ultimate Frisbee. When I first came to Nashville, I was immediately withdrawn from a lack of consistent pick-up frisbee games, someone to throw the disc around with, or going to tournaments every now and again. I heard from one of my co-workers of a group that plays every Saturday. So, I went and before I knew it I became great friends with them all. I have gotten the chance to invest myself in a group of people that do not know anything about the fellows program, pour out my newly found self, and share it with this Frisbee community. I listen to how their week has been and am updated on relevant situations in their life. The other week, a man shared that he and his wife are having a baby and a bunch of strangers were there to congratulate him. It’s such a friendly environment! Then, once we’ve caught up on each other’s lives, the group of roughly thirty men and women gather around in prayer, divide into four teams and have a tournament-style match for the next three hours. It is quite competitive, but we tend to goof around, partake in playful banter, make wacky throws, and just have a good time. The fellows program can be very busy and it is sometimes difficult to find time to pour out all that you are taking in…because there is a plethora of knowledge to take in. Ultimate Frisbee is where I am able to pour out so that I can be filled once again. Also, Ultimate Frisbee is really fun and you should try it!

Investing our lives in the community of Nashville and getting plugged in is a big goal of this program. I enjoy getting to do that with this little frisbee community, my church community, and at work as well. The Nashville Fellows Program has shown me what it looks like to step into a new city and become part of it. Finding this group of frisbee fanatics has helped to convey the results of this program in myself and reveal how it’s changing the way I love people I don’t know and how I interact with them. People who don’t even know The Lord are welcomed with open arms to play Ultimate and participate in our frisbee family (maybe they’ll even ask questions about my faith one Saturday.) This is what community is all about and I am thankful for this program to show me what that looks like. Now I can take this new perspective and with it, pour out the love that He has filled me up with into the world, like I have with my Nashville Frisbee Community. #frisforlife