When I visited L’Arche GWDC (Greater Washington D.C.), I hadn’t expected to find my life’s calling. In fact, I hadn’t expected to see L’Arche GWDC at all. A string of coincidences led me there, starting with my trip to Washington D.C, organized by Johnson Service Corps (JSC), the organization that has connected me to L’Arche NC this year for a year of service.
As part of JSC, this year I’ve gone on several trips to explore spiritual understandings, and at every one I’ve been asked to introduce myself – names, pronouns, hometown, and job description. And nearly every time, I’ve had to explain what L’Arche NC was. But, my trip to Washington D.C. was different.
As soon as I mentioned L’Arche, our host gasped. “L’Arche?” she asked, giving me no time to reply. “That’s great! I work with L’Arche.” From there, the introductions derailed; she and I swapped excited smiles and stories. I don’t have the words to describe how happy I felt. It wasn’t just a matter of being recognized; it was knowing that there were people who believed in the same mission and not only that – but that L’Arche was so well known in a place so foreign to me, its community so well established.
Two minutes after the introductions were finally done, I asked for her number.
That was only the first coincidence. The next coincidence was the next room over, in the lobby. On every wall were paintings, and I was shocked to see who the artists were. They were all L’Arche GWDC members! Scanning the descriptions, I found the name of someone I knew from “Y’All Belong Here” on Zoom (our monthly interfaith prayer and meditation gathering). I had never met him in person due to the distance, never expected to, and yet – here his work was, displayed in a place of prominence, valued.
With great joy, I immediately texted my L’Arche NC coworkers a photo.
That was only the second coincidence. The third was on our neighborhood tour. You must know that L’Arche houses’ addresses are usually not published online. That’s because they are people’s homes and the residents deserve privacy. It’s only right. However, it does make visiting difficult, especially if you are out of state and haven’t followed any of the proper communication channels. So even though I had hoped to visit one of L’Arche GWDC’s four houses, I also had no real hope of accomplishing that. That is – until our tour guide led us right past it.
Of course, I spotted the L’Arche sign immediately and, like a moth drawn to flame, slowed my steps so I could take in the sight. This was my first real look at an established L’Arche house! Wow! Our tour guide noticed me stopping to stare and blessed me with the information she knew because she, too, was connected to L’Arche. Apparently, the L’Arche GWDC houses regularly invited their neighbors to dinner, to the point where kids grew up alongside the L’Arche core members.
My eyes teared up as our guide told the story of a young girl befriending and later defending a L’Arche Core Member. Because isn’t that the goal? For us to imagine community differently, for people with and without disabilities to come together to dismantle ableism? Of course, I’d prefer for ableism not to exist, but to get there, we have to fight for it.
That’s the impact of a L’Arche house—by living together with and without disabilities, the neighborhood is enriched, new ties are created, and the future generation is educated on Disability advocacy.
That was only the third coincidence of hearing of L’Arche on my trip to D.C., a trip that originally had nothing to do with my work at L’Arche NC. The fourth coincidence was on another tour; this time at an arts-based nonprofit, called the Sitar Arts Center. This nonprofit is dedicated to removing financial barriers from the arts. Our group went through room after room, stages, and studios, each with its own unique charm. The room I remember the most, however, was the last one. It was an art studio, spacious with paint supplies neatly organized. On one of the shelves was the word “L’ARCHE.”
L’Arche! Again! I was almost giddy at this point. According to Sitar Center Staff, every Friday, L’Arche Core Members would use the studio. This was yet another way L’Arche GWDC was connected to the community around them. I wondered how many more connections were there.How deep did it go? I thought to myself how wonderful it was that I could stumble onto L’Arche connections so easily. That’s what I want for L’Arche NC, for its name to be everywhere, not just in our own office, but in buildings across the Triangle.
That was the fourth coincidence. I didn’t need any more serendipitous moments, I was hooked. I had to meet the L’Arche GWDC members for myself. After texting the woman I met on the first day to confirm the address, I headed to the L’Arche GWDC house. In my excitement, I hadn’t sent an email in advance to warn of my visit, nor a phone call or a text. I just showed up at the front steps with an apologetic smile and said, “Hi! I’m from L’Arche NC!”
Somehow I passed muster and was invited inside. Because I also hadn’t timed my visit, three out of four of the core members weren’t even in the house. They were at the house leader’s concert. Despite this, I still had fun. The house reminded me of my own on several levels. The shelves full of jigsaw puzzles were almost exactly like the one in my room, only neater, and the kitchen was stocked with mandarins, my favorite fruit, and as I chatted with a Core Member, he asked the same quantitative questions I would, like “How many people are in North Carolina, anyways?” Even the relationships felt familiar. As one of the Assistants cooked dinner for a group of six (something I’ve done in the JSC house), Core Members filed in. Eventually, a playful disagreement broke out, which was word for word, something I had observed at JSC.
It was as if my home had transported itself.
But when I looked further, it was more than that. It was better. On the walls were guides on how to communicate. I don’t mean things like “Be Nice” or “Live Laugh Love,” although those are good. I mean concrete things, like a list titled “What [Core Member] likes,” or “Common Words Translated Into Spanish,” the last one explicitly for the benefit of the Spanish-speaking Core Member.
How amazing it is to have such a guide! I wanted one for myself, one that explained my moods, or even just a list of my favorite topics to talk about. How much easier it would be to talk to people if we had something specific to reference!
As I read L’Arche GWDC’s orientation handbook, I was struck again and again by how intentional everything was, how dedicated the organization was to nurturing friendships, respecting the people it served, and, as they put it, “walking alongside someone for life.” Every page made my resolve grow stronger and stronger.
Before this trip, I hadn’t known what I wanted to do after my JSC year was over. After this trip, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to stay with L’Arche. I wanted to be part of this ever-growing organization, this community that not only valued communication, but provided the tools to make it happen, therefore creating a web of joy that led to unexpected places.
I may have called my time in Washington D.C a string of coincidences, but they weren’t. When an organization is committed to goodness and respect for all, is it any surprise that they have so many connections? Especially when they’ve been building community for over forty years?
Imagine L’Arche NC in forty years. I can’t wait.
