I have been curious to visit a L’abri community since reading some of Francis Schaeffer’s work during my studies at Weltec. When Melissa suggested we visit the community in Hampshire I jumped at the opportunity. I had no clue there was one so close!
A few of us from college went for a weekend and it was so interesting. The community was based in an old Manor House which looked like something from Narnia, complete with dorm style rooms, independent flats, a communal kitchen, a library and study rooms (complete with log fires), dining hall, formal lounge, giant staircase, secret passages (there must have been), and communal bathrooms. The grounds were large and there was a chapel in the garden.
I wasn’t expecting the majority of the students to be from America, and enjoyed listening to the different way they spoke about life, and faith. It was fascinating to enter a community as a stranger and observe the way different people reacted to our being there. Some were keen to engage, while others stuck to themselves. We worked in the kitchen and the garden, contributed to the conversation over lunch and relaxed by fire with a good book.
Kim and I also managed to score couple accommodation, which was significantly roomier than the dorms and I slept so soundly. In the weeks prior to going I had been feeling exhausted. The kind of exhaustion that feels like it dissolves your bones. I woke up after the first night and felt so refreshed, like I had slept for a week.
Definitely keen to visit a few more different communities for tracks.
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