Wednesday, October 11, 2017

The Farmhouse Project

When Tyler and I moved to Metamora four years ago, a barn sat in our backyard.

An old chicken coop that was probably built around eighty (plus) years ago.
Over time, the space was abandoned and so was everything in it.
You may be able to picture what the inside looked like after sitting untouched for so long, but let me give you a little insight...
There were old newspapers, some dated over one hundred years old, stacked, literally to the ceiling.
There was a dead, mummified cat laying on the ground. Seriously, I've never seen anything like it.
And dust...I've never seen so much dust in my life.

The church wanted to burn it down, and frankly, I wasn't opposed to the idea because what else would it be used for?

However, my ambitious husband had different plans.
He spent hours out there, clearing out the trash, dead animals, newspapers, and who knows what else. I never stepped foot in it because it was, seriously, that bad.
At first, he cleared out a tiny spot for us to sit.
Just enough space where we could open the door and watch the sunset over the farmland that surrounds us.


We spent most of our nights in our little cleared space. We talked about what the barn could be, what we wanted it to become, and dreamed of it becoming something more. 
Of course, Tyler was may more enthusiastic than I was.
I still saw an abandoned space that made me choke on dust when walking in the door, but he had a vision for the space.

Eventually, after a lot of work from mostly Tyler and some people from the community, the barn was finally cleared out and of course, we wanted to utilize this new open gathering space. 

What started out as just having a few friends over on a Friday night, turned into an official event we started calling Farmhouse Sabbath. 
At first, it consisted of 20+ people, gathering together.
It later evolved into food, drinks, and live music. 

More and more people from the community were attending every month and eventually, we started running out of space. 
So we renovated. 
And again, when I say, "we" I really mean Tyler and people from the community. 

                           

Seriously, such a mess and so much work. 
I can't even begin to tell you how many hours were put into making the picture above, turn into this...

                             

                                

And what turned into twenty people, hanging out, turned into an event that happens once a month and  brings in four hundred people.
We rest and we party. 

To give you a better idea of what Farmhouse Sabbath is about, this video explains it's value...   
  
                                         

So where are we at now?
This event, this space, has become such a huge part of the community. 
It's a place of not only resting and partying, but its a space where vulnerable conversations happen. It's a place where people gather to dream about what this community could be. 

Which brings me to the point of this entire post. 
This spring, something huge is happening. 

This barn is about to become a space that has the potential to be the center of our community. 




This project is something we are passionate about. 
It's something our community needs. 
But, it can't happen without help.
Which goes along with the idea of this space being communal. This building isn't being built to benefit our family, or our church...it's being built for the Evergreen and surrounding areas. 
This place is going to thrive because of it, but it has to be a joint effort.

I'ts obvious that in order for this to happen, this project has to be financially supported. 
If you are in a position where you are able to give, please visit THIS ONLINE GIVING SITE 

This community is about to do big things. 
I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. 

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