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Sometimes small is better

9/4/2016

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Guest post by: Megan Fetter (parent of "express yourself" campers)
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When I first heard about LYN House I thought the concept of small groups of kids meeting to do creative things over the summer would be a perfect fit for our family.  Our son Jonah has experienced large summer camps and, while those were great for some kids, they just weren’t quite the right fit for him.  There was too much stimulation and it didn’t help him to be his best while he was at camp during the day.  Having a few hours each day focused on God, himself, and his own creativity helped us to keep his brain going over the summer but not overly busy.  
LYN house is a great opportunity for Jonah to do some creative work, spend time with other kids, and to build relationships with adults.  Jonah suffers from high levels of anxiety and depression and he needs people in his life that can reassure and support him.  It’s already hard enough to be 11 years old, with all of this going on, and we love that we know LYN House is a great place for him to get what he needs.  
We are currently growing our family through adoption from foster care and as we do that, I know that summertime at LYN House has and will provide us with a supportive and safe environment for our kids.  That means more to us and to these kids than anyone can imagine.


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Blessed Interruptions

3/8/2016

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Before I even arrived at LYN House as a summer intern, a vision I had for this ministry was that LYN House would be a safe place.  I desired it to be a place where individuals from all walks of life would feel loved and accepted and welcomed at any moment. As a result, whenever we lose touch with a kid, it warms my heart when they unexpectedly stop by to say hi.  One grown teen recently remarked,  “At the end of the day I can always come here and know that I am welcome.”

In the summer of 2008 I had the great pleasure of traveling to Kenya and spending a month in a Maasai village.  Prior to our trip my friend Ryan and I had the opportunity to have dinner with a family from Kenya. As she was preparing the meal she told Ryan and I, “Now that you have been here, you are always welcome here anytime. You can stop by anytime that you desire.”

Her comment is one that goes against our American cultural norms.  Showing up unannounced is simply seen as an inconvenience, impolite and abnormal.  Ryan and I heard her words and took that advice with us to our trip to Kenya. One evening towards the end of our time there, our neighbors (who were our cooks) had invited us to their home. However, up to that point we had never taken them up on their offer.  On our last evening there, we could hear individuals from their home worshipping together.  Ryan and I looked at each other and said, “According to Rhoda we are welcome to come over at any time. Let’s do it.”

So, we went against our own American cultural norms and walked into our neighbor’s home.  It was one of my favorite evenings of the trip. We were able to worship and study the word of God with our family in Christ.  By simply showing up we were welcomed and embraced.

The idea of allowing ourselves to be open to welcome and embrace individuals at any moment is hard, especially through a Western cultural lens. Personally, I love the idea of one of my friends surprising me and coming over unannounced. On the other hand I like structure and routine and so when a neighbor in need suddenly needs my time unexpectedly I feel inconvenienced and bothered.  I am not as eager to welcome them and embrace them as I should.

The struggle of having the time and energy to meet the needs of others is one we are all hopefully learning to embrace and understand. It was one that Christ himself knew first hand. In Mark 5, he is on the way to help Jairus’ sick daughter.  As he was making his way to Jairus’ home he encountered a large crowd that was pressing all around him.  Suddenly, Jesus realized that the “power had gone out from him.”  A woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years had reached out and touched his robe believing that just touching him she would be healed.

 Jesus was on his way. He had a miracle to accomplish. He had a plan, an agenda, and a destination in mind. Suddenly, he was interrupted once again by another person in need. I am sure Jesus was tired, worn-out and possibly slightly bothered that he had been interrupted; there was after all a girl on the brink of death waiting for him.  He could have easily ignored the interruption (she was as we know immediately freed from her suffering). The bleeding woman had already been healed, but Christ stopped and sought out the woman who touched him. He took a time-out and gave the woman his attention.

One of my greatest struggles is learning to not feel bothered by these “interruptions”, but to embrace them as Christ embraced the bleeding woman.  I desire people to see me as someone that they can call on in a time of need.  My hope is that when others think of me they remember feeling welcomed, loved and embraced. Seeing and viewing interruptions as a blessed opportunity is a long and hard process.  One thing I have also learned is that always embracing the interruption could also be harmful, because that individual may very well take advantage of you. However, if I was truthful that may just be my excuse to not be inconvenienced and to selfishly do with my own time as I please.

​My prayer is this: that Jesus opens our hearts, minds, and our own agendas to show us how blessed we could be if we allow ourselves to be interrupted and to embrace each person as he embraced the bleeding woman. 

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About The Author
​Heidi is the Executive Director of LYN House. She has been giving leadership and vision to the organization since she came on as staff six years ago. Heidi's heart and passion for the city sets the pace for the culture of the organization. Her experience in education and her educative work with seminary has equipped her well to be a part of this community. 
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Why you should shop locally

1/27/2016

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Why Shop Local? 
I’ve heard folks say they shop local because small businesses donate twice as much to local non-profits over big box stores, because of job creation, because the neighborhood sales tax helps fund vital neighborhood services like police, fire, & trash collection, these are all good reasons but the number one reason I shop local is because it builds community.

​   "The number one reason I shop local is because it builds community." 

How Does it Work? 
I build my community by spending my money where I live. Shopping local builds community when a shop owner like me takes the $20 you spent on clothes for your kiddo at Little Green Bean Boutique & I walk across the street to pick up locally grown produce for dinner at Pogue’s Run Grocer (just kidding, I can’t cook so I order a sandwich from their deli counter, served by Beth who got job training from LYN House).

In turn the cashier uses some of her paycheck to send her grand-kids to classes at Brookside Dance Academy, where parents & grandparents visit in the lounge & get to know one another while their kids learn everything from good manners to plies. Ms. Brianna, the dance teacher (and First Church Pastor’s wife), takes those same dollars down to Rabble Coffee where she meets a friend for a hot drink.  Josie, the Barista, takes the money that neighborhood folks like Brianna & her friend spend on delicious drinks and she orders more coffee from a local coffee roaster in town so she has plenty of caffeinated beverages for her next Board Game Night.

Carl, the owner of Gordon’s Ice Cream Parlor invites one of his customers to hang out at Rabble’s Board Game Night and then again to Karaoke Night at the Tick Tock Lounge, where they enjoy a fantastic meal served by the owner, Tammy. Carl’s friend mentions he really enjoys hanging out on the Near Eastside and is interested in moving into St. Clair Place Neighborhood so Carl introduces his friend to John (an original founding member of LYN House) & the nice folks at (NEAR) Near Eastside Area Renewal.  These folks help the friend buy a house and also send him down to see John at Audrey’s Place Furniture so he can furnish his new living room locally.

The money that NEAR makes from the sale of the house is reinvested to rehab another neighborhood homes. John takes some of his paycheck down to Sister’s Comfort Food, in the John Boner Neighborhood Center, to enjoy a little lunch before he walks down to the Little Green Bean Boutique to buy a gift for his new grandchild.

Then a shop owner like me takes that $30 and stops by Bookmamas in Irvington to pick up a book that Heidi had on the Wish List for the LYN House library before she heads over to Metta Yoga where local yogi Tammi (a LYN House tutor too) is teaching Community Yoga.
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What's the Result? 
And the cycle continues, it continues to build our community one dollar at a time by creating safe places for people to live, shop, worship & gather.

"On average, almost 70% of your dollar stays in your neighborhood when you choose to shop local. You'll be helping to build community too." 

So the next time you’re out shopping or dining & pull out your wallet, remember that on average almost 70% of your dollar stays in your neighborhood when you choose to shop local. You’ll be helping to build community too.

*The names in this post were not altered to protect the people mentioned, these are the real business owners & I hope you’ll be sure to shop with them! 

How Do I Get Involved? 

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Join us for our "Handmade Market: Valentine's Day Edition" on Thursday, February 4th from 5-9pm! If you've shopped our Christmas holiday event you'll know to expect handmade vendors, delicious treats and beverages for a fun night out for grown ups! We're partnering with the lovely folks at the LYN House (Love Your Neighbor) to raise funds for their afterschool tutoring program so 10% of your purchases will be donated to the neighborhood organization. If you're looking for something unique to show a special someone how much you care, our makers will be here to help with gifts for everyone from the kids to adults. We'll have a crafty table set up so you can make your own Pinterest inspired gift too! Grab a friend or your Valentine & join us! Stay tuned for more details & a line up of our handmade folks. Call 317.426.4232 if you have questions.
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About the Author
Heather is the owner of The Little Green Bean Boutique located on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. Her mission is to provide great quality children's clothing for families who are budget and eco-conscious. Heather is a local business owner who lives in the neighborhood and is for the neighborhood. Visit her website and check out her store on 10th Street. Many people have already benefited from the quality of merchandise she offers. 

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4 Highlights of Fall Camp

10/19/2015

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As the Indianapolis Public School system takes a fall break, LYN House gears up for a week of fall fun with kids in the neighborhood. Unlike other camps throughout the year, fall camp is all about celebrating the season with all sorts of traditions unique to LYN House. We had an average of 12 kids at camp this week, and needless to say, there was a lot of excitement surrounding our week. Since there were four days of camp this week, we chose one highlight from each day that seemed to be a group favorite. 

1. Creating Fall Snacks

The first day of camp we followed the halloween season and our bellies, creating familiar childhood snacks. It was similar to our summer and winter cooking camps, where we take the day to work through recipes. By going through this process we were able to learn the differences between measuring cups, we were able to see what happens when we add too much flour, and experience the excitement of our treat actually turning out like it was supposed to turn out. This process is valuable in so many ways, and everyone benefits from our recipes. We took the time to make apple pie bites, dirt cups with gummy worms, chocolate covered pretzels, and insect cracker bites. The apple pie bites were by far the favorite snack made that day. 
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​2. Carving Pumpkins

On the second day, Mr. Kyle joined us to help lead our pumpkin carving time. Being a skillful artist himself, he showed us how he is able to take a pumpkin and make it look like a polished piece of art. Through careful dedication and a lot of practice, they could also create something so unique. Shortly after Mr. Kyle's demonstration, each of us got to work with others to create a pumpkin of our own. Each of us worked with the other, imagining and creating our own art. At the end of the day, each pumpkin went to distinct people and businesses in the community. Our cards read, "Thank you for making a difference in the community." As you can imagine, the pumpkins were a hit in the community. 
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3. Reenacting a Halloween book

One of our favorite books ​is called The Little Old Woman Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. As Halloween thrives on fear, this book thrives on fun and engaging sound effects. Mr. Aaron helped us create homemade instruments and then assigned each part of the story a sound effect. The sound effects and the props brought the story to life with each telling. After this, we split into four different groups to reimagine the story with different characters. Each group practiced their version of the story, and presented their finished product in front of everyone. Although the original story is pretty good, everyone enjoyed the reimagined stories. 
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4. Making Hair Ties for a Friend

​The final day of camp was all about creating crafts from scratch. There's nothing quite like creating something from almost nothing. What's more, is taking the time to make something out of nothing for someone else. During our time together, each student took the time to create a hair tie for someone like them. One of Ms. Heidi's friends, a girl their age, has recently undergone a surgery removing some of her hair due to cancer. Because of the surgery, she now wears her hair in a pony tail off to the side. Eager to support her, LYN House got creative and took the time to make her beautiful little hair ties. Sometimes the best medicine is being loved by people who don't even know you. 
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Fall camp continues to grow as a tradition in the neighborhood. Just as the seasons bring rhythms into our lives, LYN House has developed some rhythms and traditions as well. Most of us can relate to some of these traditions, and we benefit by celebrating them and passing them on. 
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    Everyone has a story. Stories matter because people matter. LYN House has had six years of learning people's stories. Here, you will read stories of LYN House and it's members. 

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