294 | Coffee in the Swarm | Natalie Harper

Show Notes
Transcript

Graceland University student, Natalie Harper, has been involved with campus ministries, including being a student pastor. As she heads into her senior year she's sharing her reflections on some of the conversations many students on campus are having. How is the pandemic impacting college life? What role does Graceland play in the discussion on racism? And how can Community of Christ young adults live out our Enduring Principles and values to make our community a better place?

Thanks for listening to Project Zion Podcast!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Intro and Outro music used with permission:

“For Everyone Born,” Community of Christ Sings #285. Music © 2006 Brian Mann, admin. General Board of Global Ministries t/a GBGMusik, 458 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30308. copyright@umcmission.org

All music for this episode was performed by Dr. Jan Kraybill, and produced by Chad Godfrey.

NOTE: The series that make up the Project Zion Podcast explore the unique spiritual and theological gifts Community of Christ offers for today's world. Although Project Zion Podcast is a Ministry of Community of Christ. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those speaking and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Community of Christ.

WEBVTT

00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:34.000
Welcome to the Project Zion Podcast. This podcast explores the unique spiritual and theological gifts Community of Christ offers for today's world.

00:00:34.000 --> 00:01:05.000
Welcome to Coffee in the Swarm, part of Project Zion Podcast. This is Mike Hoffman, campus minister at Graceland University. And today I've got Natalie Harper, who we're going to talk to and talk with today. I'm really excited about having Natalie join in this conversation. She has been involved with campus ministries, well, this will be her third year going into her senior year. She's been a student pastor of last year and this year. So welcome, Natalie.

00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:07.000
Hello.

00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:08.000
How are you today?

00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:09.000
I'm doing good,

00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:22.000
Good, good. I know, this is a little different because we're separated and not just actually sitting in the Swarm having coffee like or having something to drink like we might do. But let's be honest...

00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:22.000
A few months, a few months.

00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:43.000
That's right. That's right. Actually, it may be in a few weeks now. So we're getting close. So yeah, so that's good. So Natalie, can you tell us tell me what else you've been involved with at campus? I mean, obviously, I know your campus ministries things. And I know a little bit but yeah, what else have you been involved with?

00:01:43.000 --> 00:02:21.000
So I have four majors, and I'm very involved with the academic programs. I'm a business administration and economics, accounting and Hispanic studies major. So I spent a lot of time in the classroom but I love it. It's fun. I'm also in community Community Development club,Inactis, orchestra. I was a part of Senate and COSA for being a part of the house culture as well. I'm part of Amachi house. It's kind of hard to I try to participate in as many IMs as I can. I'm not athletic at all.

00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:29.000
For those of you that for those of you listening, IMs is the code name for intramurals here at Graceland. Yeah, yeah. No, that's,

00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:33.000
That's for people that don't normally do sports. So, yeah,

00:02:33.000 --> 00:03:06.000
That's my gosh, I thought you were like a triple major. I didn't realize you were a quadruple major, that's just amazing to me. So and I get that some of them are related. But that's a that's quite an achievement. That's really good, so heavy into academics, but it doesn't sound like academics are your only only the only part of your life. You know, sometimes we think of people who get into academics and that's what they focus on and they're not too engaged in other things. But I know you're engaged in campus ministry. So

00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:30.000
Graceland just makes it really easy to be a part of lots of different things to focus on academics, but also focus on campus involvement and, you know, fun things too. And that's why Graceland was the perfect school for me. Yeah. But I knew he would let me, you know, be a part of music be a part of student leadership as well as being rigorous, rigorous academics.

00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:33.000
Yeah. So Natalie, where do you call home?

00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:34.000
Lee's Summit, Missouri

00:03:34.000 --> 00:04:40.000
Lee's Summit. So that's what I was thinking. So just wanted to make sure so well very good. Well, appreciate knowing even more about you than I already thought I knew. So that's great. So, so there's, you know, I don't think it's gonna surprise anyone right now, when we're having this conversation. There's just a lot of news going on a lot of things going on worldwide. You know, we're in the middle of a pandemic. COVID-19 The United States is, if it's not finished, we're coming. Well, we're still in a lot of what we might call civil unrest. And I don't mean that as a negative term, but things about racial inequalities and injustices going on. And certainly there's things going on that way. And, you know, there's there's other issues going on. So what's your take? I mean, you know, in terms of anything going on, and, you know, that might include immigration and LGBTQ rights going on right now. So

00:04:40.000 --> 00:06:01.000
The more I learned about different worldviews and stuff, either from like, an economic standpoint or a humanitarian standpoint, using my, you know, economic economics degree in my, in my Hispanic studies degree, like I've learned about all these issues from different viewpoints and basically throughout my education experience at Graceland University, I've learned that, wow, there's a lot of programs, a lot of like, culture things that really need to be changed. So I think that everything that's going on right now, it's actually long overdue. I mean, maybe not the pandemic, necessarily, yeah, but like, racial unjust. Oh, yeah unjustice, the fact that it's been, it's been legal to discriminate against LGBTQ persons in the workplace until just a couple of weeks ago or early June. Like I thought that was already illegal. So I was shocked to hear that it wasn't illegal until now. So I think it's all of these problems that are coming to light. I think it's going to be really good in a couple of years to be able to actively work on improving these things

00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:11.000
You mentioned to me that you did a senior was a senior paper or project on on immigration.

00:06:11.000 --> 00:07:51.000
Yeah. So I just completed my economics research seminar class. That's basically the last class I have to take for the economics program. And in that class, I was allowed to research basically any topic I wanted, as long as it pertained to economics. And then I wrote a I think it was 25 pages at the end. And I wrote it about immigration and how immigration should it should be legal immigration should be easier and more efficient. Everywhere. Just and I wrote it just, you know, I had to back my research up using economic statistics of course, but I also included in the paper that, you know, there's you can't put a price on how beneficial it is do you have like cultural diversity within a country. So really, the impact of immigration is priceless. And so that's why I was very thrilled when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the DACA program, which protects kids that were have been brought into the country that weren't necessarily born in the United States, but only know the United States as home. So President Trump had been trying to basically ban this program and the Supreme Court said that that was unconstitutional. So I was very happy to hear that news. I think that is a step in the right direction in terms in terms of making it easier to legalize immigration.

00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:55.000
Yeah. So was DACA specifically part of your paper, or was...

00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:33.000
It wasn't necessarily part of my paper but it is an issue that I have I've been following for a while, especially because I am Hispanic studies major. And so, like that is something that I deeply care about is, you know, that's, you know, part of Worth of all Persons, you know, relating it back to the Enduring Principles like, no human can be illegal, like, you know, all human and everyone's just trying to make a better life for themselves make a better life for their families. And it's wrong to say that humans are illegal.

00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:52.000
So, Natalie, besides immigration and the DACA program, you know, you've mentioned LGBT, you know, rights and those kinds of things that have just recently been extended or approved again.

00:08:52.000 --> 00:10:42.000
I just think this year 2020 has basically just been like, basically a giant sign to stop all forms of discrimination. So stopping, you know, trying to stop discrimination against people of color with the different protests that are going on because, you know, like police brutality is a lot worse for people of color. And really there shouldn't be police brutality at all, for anyone, especially people of color like it's disproportionately affects those communities, discrimination against those with different sexualities and romantic interests, discrimination against immigration statuses, and even healthcare discrimination. I took a class last year called public finance. And we talked and we talked a lot about different health care systems around the world. And basically, the United States has one of the most expensive health care's healthcare systems, like per capita, despite being a private health care system, and not not a public health care system, so, so medical costs are extremely higher in the US, compared to other countries that are similar to the US. And oh, and I think that pandemic is challenging that like saying, you know, we can't tie health insurance to employment because how many people lost their jobs during the pandemic? And then just how, like, I saw on the news, like there was one guy that was in the ICU for like 30 days, recovering from Coronavirus, and he had a million dollar hospital bill.

00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:51.000
Wow. So when you when you talk about healthcare discrimination, you're really talking about the economics of it.

00:10:51.000 --> 00:11:52.000
Yeah, like, just not being able to afford to go to the doctor.

Exactly. Okay. Yeah. So that that really you know one of Community of Christ's mission initiatives is Abolish Poverty, End Suffering. And I can't think of any more such an example we're living through and in the pandemic, when you talk about a health care system that stops people from getting adequate health care or allows it to happen, but then has these incredibly large bills, where they might declare bankruptcy or have to declare bankruptcy.

Yeah. So then like the stimulus checks coming out, but not being fairly distributed. Like some people are getting them. And some people aren't getting them despite having the, you know, same need, or, you know, if they lost their jobs or reduced hours, which is..

00:11:52.000 --> 00:12:18.000
Or if they didn't lose their jobs, I mean, some of us who remain employed, we're still getting checks. Got stimulus checks, which is helpful, but it's not like it's, you know, it's really a challenge to say, okay, how does that work? We also many of us don't know, how much longer any position will go on or, you know, organization. So that's, that's part of it. So

00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:20.000
yeah, lots of unknowns.

00:12:20.000 --> 00:13:16.000
Yeah. So, you know, relating it to Christ's mission a little bit. You know, you've talked about the Worth of All Persons, which, you know, is one of our Enduring Principles, but is there anything in particular, you know, that's happening in the US, that you would also see as a part of our mission, in addition to that, I mean, it's there. You know, you've actually participated in Inspire you know, so it's there, which is a program you know, community Christ leadership program here very focuses on mission and understanding mission. Do you see anything particular about racial injustice or even the pandemic as far as what life might be like when we return to campus in the fall? Or maybe the other issues you've mentioned, too, about immigration or LGBT?

00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:56.000
So I'm very excited that Graceland released a plan for us all to be able to come back on campus in the fall, it's not going to be the same, of course, because you know, we're not going to be able to sit close to each other, we're not going to be able to, you know, do like, hands-on activities, like different like social activities, like all of that is going to change. But I was talking with you earlier, Mike about like the sacrifices I would have been willing to make in order to come back to campus. Basically, I was willing to do a lot more extreme things to be back on campus.

00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.000
When you say extreme things. You mean protecting things. I mean, yeah.

00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:07.000
More extreme things like, you know, like, I don't want to give Graceland any idea, so I'm not gonna name like I was willing to basically ...

00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:09.000
Wear a spacesuit?

00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:14.000
I was willing to give up a lot of freedoms to be on campus.

00:14:14.000 --> 00:15:35.000
And to some degree, I mean, I know we've seen a plan announced that those kinds of things, of course, there's also changes going on with a pandemic right now. We're in another period where, at least in some states, it's going back up again. And it's you know, it's pretty intense. It seems with younger people right now, it's, that's trend is going up. But, but at the same time, I think, you know, when we come back to Graceland, we will see each other we'll be able to communicate. I think it's going to be you know, we're right now I you know, on campus, we're looking at capacity of rooms, and how does that shape what we're doing and, you know, like, we may still have some meetings virtually even if all of a sudden on campus, just to reduce the risk. I mean, yeah, one of the things about Graceland, I love is the fact that we've got some really incredible, especially with the Newcomb Student Union now open, we have some beautiful meeting rooms, but I can see there's so many organizations that need to have meeting space. You know, and, and because of the capacity, limited capacity because of social distancing. It could get a little complicated, but, but I remember you saying all the things you're willing to sacrifice to come back to campus. So Natalie, will you have a roommate when you come back to campus.

00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:47.000
Yeah, I'm going to be in the campus apartments, which is there right across from the guys dorms. I'm going to be rooming with Haley Condit another Inspire student?

00:15:47.000 --> 00:16:02.000
Absolutely. Yeah. So yeah, so yeah. And you've decided, I guess it is it so it's been a while since I've been over to city apartments so you each will have your own separate bedroom. Right, and bathroom, too?

00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:14.000
Each, each student gets their own bedroom, their own bathroom and their own closet, and you share kitchen and a living room slash kitchen area.

00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:19.000
So there's still some common areas where you might have to be a little careful with each other. But..

00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:40.000
Yeah, and we'll have to be careful when inviting friends over. Um, and, of course, like, you know, like food prep as well. Yeah, we'll have to go to the stores every once in a while, whether that be Hyvee in Lamoni or Walmart in Bethany or Osceola, because you can't get everything in Lamoni.

00:16:40.000 --> 00:17:01.000
Yeah, that's, yeah, I guess. That's part of living in Lamoni, that kind of thing. And I've been actually my, I've been to both of those stores independently. And I actually, I don't know if students will take advantage of this. But what I love about it in Lamonie is, you can order online and then just drive up and pick it up and they bring your groceries out to you.

00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:03.000
so.

00:17:03.000 --> 00:18:16.000
So I feel very fortunate that I'm both old enough and also, like financially able to live in the apartment, because I feel like that is one of the safest living arrangements. But I know like a really big concern for moving students back on campus is going to be living in the residence halls. So my brother is going to be an incoming freshmen. And so he's going to be living in in the residence hall. And I--in Graceland plan they are opening up--if you want to have a single occupancy room, even if you're a freshman, you are allowed to claim that like they're making sure like more are going to be available. My brother is still choosing to be with a roommate and he's going to be rooming with one of his best friends, and they're, you know, they both respect what's going on and they're going to respect the rules. You know, it's still the risk of living in such close proximity to, you know, neighbors on the hall, you know, using the same restrooms using the same lounge spaces. So, yeah. big concern. Yes. and will continue to be a big concern.

00:18:16.000 --> 00:19:05.000
Yes. And I think the university is going to put some steps in place to, you know, to help measure students and make sure that I said, measure—take their temperature, you know, make sure that temperatures, things and, and, you know, I think it's, we also expect students I think that, you know, to be really forthright in, like, if they have any symptoms, you know, like, I don't know if it's come over our recording this morning or today, but, you know, I have a bit of a cough, but I also have incredibly seasonal allergies that affect me. So, you know, I don't show any other signs of COVID-19. But, you know, so those kinds of issues can affect people's perceptions around you. So now I have my handy dandy mask. I know,

00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:17.000
Yesterday I was in the store, and I had to sneeze and I was wearing my mask. So I sneezed in my mask. And I got some looks.

00:19:17.000 --> 00:20:10.000
I know, I know and sneezing doesn't seem to be part of COVID-19. At least I keep reading the expanding list of things. So like, so. So let's come back to talking about, you know, you mentioned two important issues, immigration and the LGBT, as well as the the social justice issues. You know, you've been at Graceland a couple of years, three years and and going into your fourth and so are those issues. How do you perceive those issues at Graceland? I mean, you know, for instance, I don't know if immigration but certainly, how would you classify or describe or talk about the the racial justice or injustice at Graceland do you see things here?

00:20:10.000 --> 00:21:27.000
There is an excellent club at on campus called the Black Student Union BSU. And, and this is one of the best organizations on campus like they organize so many events they take over the entire month of February for Black History Month. And so I've definitely learned a lot through this organization. I've learned a lot through the organization, but then that makes me realize, I haven't learned a lot about these issues, like in education setting, especially like my, you know, public school, you know, going to like a public Middle School, public high school, and, you know, here in Lee's Summit, and so, like, that made me realize that there's a lot of systematic things that are, you know, still in place that you know, keep a lot of issues in the dark when they need to be brought to light. So I've definitely been appreciative of BSU for, you know, you know, taking the challenge to take, like the education and action approach towards, you know, reducing the problems on campus. And there's, I know, there are still a lot of racial tensions on campus. I mean, I haven't you know, campus hasn't been...

00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:28.000
yeah, we haven't been together for while..

00:21:28.000 --> 00:22:18.000
Yeah, we haven't been together. We haven't been together since the, you know, all of the recent protests happened, but there have been some incidents through the years of, you know, people using racial slurs and saying really mean like, critiques of projects. And, you know, I just hope it can I just hope people learn that those things are not okay to say it's not okay to have the mindset that, you know, one race or one basket Ground is superior than the other. And I know this is going to be a challenge for many years to come. But I just hope that, you know, with more, you know, people getting more comfortable calling their friends out for bad behavior, that things can get better.

00:22:18.000 --> 00:23:07.000
That's, those are some important things. I I agree with you. I mean, in terms of I think you said something about a lot of tension at Graceland. Of course, I know as two white people sitting here talking about this. You know, sometimes it's hard to pick up on all the tension that goes on at least maybe, maybe I'm a little more insulated from others in that way. But, but yeah, it's just like a really important issue and as a student pastor, you know, with like, representing a faith community that really does believe in the Worth of All Persons and those kinds of things. Have you had to step in into conversations or tense moments, either in class or out of class or anything like that.

00:23:07.000 --> 00:24:49.000
Yeah, like I, I've definitely had some conversations, or I like to listen to what people have to say. And I don't necessarily like, could critique them then and there while I'm listening to them, because I think it's important for people to have an outlet, someone that will listen to them, but so I don't call people out in the moment, and maybe I should, that's just not something because I want to be like, you know, a trusted like listener first, but I've definitely have heard some things that were not nice about people of certain backgrounds, whether that be you know, different race, different sexual orientation. And in the moment, I just listen, because I want people to trust me to listen to those things. But then later, when people have calmed down I've had some time to think of a good response so that I don't make someone mad. I later talk to them and say, you know, hey, this is not an okay thing to say, like, could really hurt some feelings. You know, this is, you know, people can't control like, you know, they can't control who they're attracted to, they can't control the race that they were born as. So it's, you know, not fair to have those judgments and, you know, people are people, like, you know, everyone is worthy of being here, everyone is worthy of having a good experience on campus, you know, education wise, social wise. So I do, I do try to tell people that hey, this is like, not okay, but

00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:52.000
So you sort of correct it in private, or say something?

00:24:52.000 --> 00:25:24.000
Yeah. And, you know, I'm still learning I'm only 21. So I'm still learning how to use You know, tackle these issues because, you know, I haven't been like professionally trained on how to confront people. So I'm just, you know, trying to point out these things like as a friend, you know, not trying to make people mad, but, you know, try to kind of be like, hey, like, that's not okay.

00:25:24.000 --> 00:26:05.000
Yeah. Well, so, you know, our leadership team for Campus Ministry sort of identified the issue of radical love going into year, and sort of making that our theme, whether that's the exact words or not, and then there's also the work that Inspire is doing will sort of focus I shouldn't say sort of, will focus on non violence in preparation for the 2022 Community of Christ World Conference. Do you see those elements, you know, reflected in what you're talking about either radical love non violent acts of non violence or non violence as a subject.

00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:25.000
Oh yeah. Because I try to take an like an educational approach to solving problems instead of course, like fighting it out, whether that's like verbally fighting it out or, you know, throwing punches. That's not my style. So...

00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:28.000
I do know that about you.

00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:52.000
And I. So, one time we were trying to do choreograph and airband dance, and it had to look like we were throwing punches. And I didn't even like make the right shape in my hand. I wasn't forming my hand correctly to do the punch. So looking out of place, so people had to teach me how to throw a punch so that I could like look like I was throwing a bunch. Yeah, so that's just

00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:54.000
that's sounds real good, yeah,

00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:58.000
That's just shows how non violent I am.

00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:52.000
Well and for those of you that are listening and might not be familiar with air band. Air band is over 30 year tradition now, at Graceland during homecoming, which is a houses they pair up— usually there's a woman's house and a men's house—and they pair up and then they perform to it's really exciting to music and they dance and they move around. And it's quite a production. So I don't know if you've heard Natalie, that because of the pandemic, homecoming is going to be moved to the spring this year. So even though there will be home, obviously, you'll still be football games and some things going on here on campus. You know, it's it's sort of been reshaped a little bit, but they're I think they're still trying to hope for airband at least at the Spring Homecoming.

00:27:52.000 --> 00:28:12.000
I know they like specifically put airband in the announcement. We'll try to have it later. That's a good call, we definitely are in close proximity during airband practices and of course, performance. And then during the performance people get like lifted up. And you know, you're very close to people's eyes.

00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:51.000
I mean, it sounds like I guess you could do airband with social distancing, but it really it would be very different. And mask mask. Well, maybe you could work right into it. Yeah. So, um, let's shift gears here just a little bit. You know, we've talked about you being involved in Campas Ministries and Inspire. So, you know, not so much these issues, but they certainly shaped who we are and what we're talking about today. You know, what do you.. Where do you see the church going in the future? Yu've, you've been a member of Community of Christ since you were eight. Did you get baptized at eight?

00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:53.000
Yeah, I was baptized at eight.

00:28:53.000 --> 00:29:13.000
So, you know, I consider you one of the important leaders now and into the Future. So, you know, where do you see? Where do you see the church going in the future? Or how it will, maybe how all of the things that are happening now might change the church in the future?

00:29:13.000 --> 00:31:04.000
Yeah. So I think I'm Continuing Revelation is one of the one of the most important things that the church can continue to do. So I've admired that the church is very, very quick to like, send out statements in support of like, the, the protests for Black Lives Matter for, you know, advocating for acceptance of LGBTQ that they're very quick to, like, be supportive of like, the direction where the people are going. And so I think it's very important that the church is following the people instead of vice versa. So like, we can be the church community that the people want and deserve. Because I feel like a lot of churches are kind of stuck in their ways of this is how we've always done it. This is how we've always approached these issues. And that is, you know, that turns a lot of people away that don't necessarily agree with that. So I admired that the church is being proactive about, like being able to publicly share its support for willing to change how things are done. And I think that is very effective. I know, like, not everyone likes that, you know, different strokes for different folks. But I think for you know, trying to be a church in the 21st century and you know, maybe the 22nd, hopefully the 22nd century too in my lifetime. I think that's very good. And I hope the church needs to do that.

00:31:04.000 --> 00:32:15.000
So, you know, the words that came to mind, I don't know if they're in years past and of course, because I'm older than you, it may be before you knew these terms that I remember several years ago that we were called to be a prophetic people. You know, not just a people with a prophetic leadership and what you just described sounds like, you know, it's sort of like that, but you know, that, as a people, we feel led and inspired and moved by the Spirit of God. And so, and it's hard to separate our leaders, you know, now who are sharing in prophetic leadership, as well as the sense that people have in terms of being prophetic. So that's what's really profound. So, thanks for sharing that. Do. You know, you see anything else about the future of the church? It sounds like a crystal ball and I'm trying to think but not really predict things. It's like, where would you know, I guess, I guess where would you like to see the church is our besides what you've been through already. Are there other other things that

00:32:15.000 --> 00:34:08.000
Yeah, so I like how there's different avenues for you know, like the changing the going to church experience like so like, I know a lot of congregations typically just have the worship service Sunday morning, and then maybe a Wednesday night prayer service or in my congregation, there's, like youth classes on Wednesday nights, like Bible studies and like middle school and high school class as well. But I like how people are, you know, changing the narrative of that a little bit because, you know, going to church Sunday morning doesn't necessarily work for everyone you know, if they, you know if that's like their one day they can sleep in after, you know, a busy work schedule or, you know, they want to be with their family or friends on a weekend. And so I like how in Central Michigan we have a new congregation called Impact that meets Sunday nights. And it's a it's a, so it's still it's still an official congregation, but they don't have like the you go and sit in a pew and listen to someone speak. It's very like interactive, the small group, so everyone gets a chance to talk, they talk about the different scriptures that are going on, and everyone can, you know, pipe in like, this is how this is relevant to me. This is what I think about it. And they always have food, whether that's snacks or a meal, depending on like when they meet. And so, and this is like a this church has like millennials and like Gen Z in mind. And so I think that's it really cool that, that there's like different like experiments going on? Yeah, find a church for all the different people.

00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:12.000
So are all those things still happen now virtually?

00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:29.000
So not as much virtually because it's kind of it's kind of dependent on being in person but I know there are, you know, once like the cure the vaccine comes out or it's safe to gather again there'll be in full swing again.

00:34:29.000 --> 00:35:06.000
Yeah, sure, absolutely. The reason I asked I guess is just that, but I know in my own experience, it's like, churches changed for me to be more you know, to be through zoom or some other social media or, you know, and it just, it's opened my mind to the possibilities of things like you sitting in Lee's Summit and me sitting in Lamoni visiting like this. I mean, you know, this is not something we would have done normally in the summer, you would have been gone all summer. away from campus and I may or may not have called you or emailed you. Yeah, you know, but

00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:18.000
Yeah, if we were doing if it was if my plans hadn't been changed by Coronavirus I would have been Colorado right. Oh, yeah. On the adventures reunion

00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:57.000
Yeah, so another thing that's been reshaped is summer I mean, because I've seen I, you know, the, the events I was going to the summer have been canceled, I mean, you know, so things like Spectacular, which would have been really impossible to do virtually, but and one of the reunions that is was sort of at a primitive campground or a more rustic campground that, you know, was cancelled as well. And, and, and youth camps. I know some have gone become virtual and some you know, so, you know, so have you participated anything like that virtually.

00:35:57.000 --> 00:36:46.000
So I'm working with the Central Mission. In the summer, and we are currently working on coming up with a summer program. And we're going to have T shirts because can't have a camp without a T shirt. We're working on like different activities for every day where people can complete the projects and challenges at home and then share what they did on a group meet so that there's still that sense of community. Because I know people have definitely felt the absence of being able to be a part of a community physically and, you know, there's only so much you can do virtually. But still, it's better than still better than nothing to, you know, to video chat and stuff like that. So,

00:36:46.000 --> 00:37:27.000
eWll, I think one of the things it's like me, like, even though we spend a lot of time together, sometimes our time is has been more transactional, which sounds really negative, but you know, it's like, you and I meet together and we plan what's coming up? Are we gonna do something? We just don't sit in chat like we are now, you know. And so, I think that, you know, this might open some doors that way where people could actually do so are there is there anything else stirring your spirit right now? I mean, like, I don't know. I don't really, you know, are there other things that you'd like to like to talk about but, you know

00:37:27.000 --> 00:38:53.000
I'm just I'm just excited for people to... I'm just I'm just excited to see how the world is gonna change once you know doors can open again because I know for certain nothing it's going to be how it was. I think we're going to appreciate community more you know, appreciate the blessing that community is because now we know what it is like to not have that like I know even going to Graceland even know you know, might not have like New Year's in November or things like that, like, I'm still going to be just really appreciative that I can, you know, be on campus and see people even if I can't touch people or be close to people. So be really close. So I'm just really excited for how all of these different events are going to change and hopefully, hopefully it will change for the better. Like, I really don't see how things could get worse because all of these things are being challenged and people are gonna realize that how things were before just doesn't work. And, you know, not everyone has been forced to see, has been forced to experience how it doesn't work. So I'm really excited and optimistic about how things will change for the better.

00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:59.000
Natalie, thank you so much for joining me today and sharing with our listeners.

00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:00.000
Yeah it's been my pleasure.

00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:14.000
I appreciate your optimism and positive outlook for the future, despite the times we find ourselves in, so, alright, well, if all goes well, I should see you in a few weeks back on campus.

00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:16.000
Oh, yes, I'm counting down the days.

00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:19.000
Absolutely. Well, thank you. Thank you again.

00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:21.000
Yeah, anytime.

00:39:21.000 --> 00:39:22.000
All right. Bye bye.

00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:31.000
Bye.

00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:31.000
Thanks for listening to Project Zion Podact. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple podcast, Stitcher, or whatever podcast streaming service you use. And while you're there, give us a five star rating. project Zion Podcast is sponsored by Latter-day Seeker Ministries of Community of Christ. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are of those speaking and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Latter-day Seeker Ministries or Community of Christ. The music has been graciously provided by Dave Heinze.