Hunter Friends of L’Arche Retreat Workshop

A few words composed by Elizabeth Cant

We enjoyed our retreat workshop together at St Andrew’s hall in Mayfield on 13th June, where we were led in a reflection by Ruth Anagnostis about what song we can be for God. We enjoyed listening to and singing praises associated with various musical instruments and creating some beautiful pictures with coloured paper. Hunter Friends of L’Arche are waiting patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) for the Lord’s good time when we will have our own L’Arche House, built on Christ’s foundation with us as the Living Stones bound together by love.

Some of the beautiful pictures being created at the workshop

Hunter Friends of L’Arche talk to the 2NURFM Wellbeing programme

Recently, Iris Nichols from radio 2NURFM (103.7) invited our group to join in a discussion on her Wellbeing program, aimed at providing information and ideas on living a healthier lifestyle.

The interview (broadcast locally on 23rd June and distributed to other regional stations) provided a wonderful opportunity to talk about L’Arche in general and to explore our plans for the future of our Hunter Friends of L’Arche in our area. It is encouraging that we have already received enquiries about some of our activities.

Lorraine Austin and Geoff Rigby from Hunter Friends of L’Arche with Iris Nichols in the 2NURFM studio, preparing for the Wellbeing interview

You can listen to the 2NURFM - Wellbeing interview as an mp3 here 6.28MB

Jonathan the Artist

Some of the members of our group participate in the Adult Skills, Education Services and Training (ASSET) programme organised by the Samaritans Foundation of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. This photograph of Jonathan Ponsen and his art was taken at their Art Exhibition and was featured in their Annual Report.

A busy Saturday in the life of Hunter Friends of L’Arche

Saturday 16th May was a busy day for members of the Hunter Friends of L’Arche. We started with an all day fund raising sausage sizzle at Bunnings’ Glendale store. Not only do these occasions raise some much needed funds, they are also invariably provide a connection with someone in the wider community who have similar interests or concerns. We are grateful to Bunnings for their cooperation and support.

At night, we joined in a spotlighting tour at the Blackbutt reserve in Newcastle with about 80 other people. The tour provided a choice of walks in the rainforest and other areas within the reserve to observe a range of fauna with the aid of a spotlight. Our group appreciated the choice of walks as some of us were able to do the 55 minute walk, while others undertook the less physically demanding observation of the animals’ nocturnal behaviour in the enclosures. We heartily enjoyed the Aussie damper and billy tea cooked on a campfire by the reserve volunteers at the conclusion of the walk.

One of the possums observed during the Blackbutt spotlighting tour

Communications Workshop Explores links with Occupational Therapy

The Hunter Friends of l’Arche recently held a workshop to provide an opportunity for members of our group and other general community members to become better informed about how we can better communicate with each other.

Our focus was on the use of occupational therapy sensory techniques to gain a better understanding of what impact sensory disorders can have on communications for people with intellectual disability and the impact this has on behaviour, functions, moods and the ability to learn.

We were fortunate to have Anna Behnke and Dr Imelda Burgman lead the workshop, and thank them for their cooperation and professional approach in making the workshop such a success.

The response from those that attended was encouraging and the practical hands-on sessions helped us to understand just how difficult it can be to integrate sensory perception and physical movement and provided opportunities to learn some new skills and identify tools and techniques that can be used in a variety of ways.

The links that we have been able to establish with the workshop leaders and the University of Newcastle will be of great value to us in our future activities.

Full details of the workshop and detailed information aimed at developing and implementing strategies to improve communication skills are available from our Publicity Officer.

Some comments about the workshop from Vivienne Nelson

Thirty five of us met with about one third of participants from L’Arche houses in Sydney, Canberra and Tasmania. One of the great strengths of this day together was that we had present with us those who communicate without speech but with touch, movement and sounds. During the day my insight increased as I watched the assistants interpret the movements and touch of some of the core members.

Anna used the fantastic example of a backpack to demonstrate to us how we all carry this pack on our back all day or for some portion of the day, and it needs to be taken off and unloaded for us to regain our calm and equilibrium. We all need to learn that we can do or help others to do to find a safe space to chill out and regain our sense of self. When non-verbal communication is used we need to be able to read that communication. For example, “flicking” or rocking can be an indication that all is too much.

Anna and Imelda organised some games for us to play which helped us understand how it feels when your mind tells you one thing but you just can’t get your limbs to obey you. In one game, we had to copy a drawing of a simple star shape that was reflected in a mirror-our distorted faces showed just how hard this was!

We had a practical session with some of the assistants telling us of strategies to help the L’Arche houses run smoothly – one was about a core member who loves to go out for coffee but is reluctant to exercise, so they said to him, “let’s go swimming and then have a coffee”!

I went home reminded of our need to remember to give people choices, to understand afresh that we all need to be able to make our own choices as this makes us feel that we have control and some way of expressing what we enjoy and what we don’t enjoy. We all have our likes and dislikes that make us the individuals we are. Giving people choices is about offering each other simple friendship and respect. Maybe if someone needs a bit of motivation to go for a walk, go with them, or find out what it is that they enjoy doing, and make it happen for them.

Drawing a picture by looking at it in a mirror is not so easy

Forging links with Korea Friends of L'Arche

During a recent visit to Korea, it was a privilege to spend some time with Song Juhan and Jo Jaesun from the Korea Friends of L’Arche.

Juhan, the chairman of the board, related how they had started their group in 2001 and now have over 120 members. They have a regular monthly community meeting with an attendance of around 60, including about 15 people with disabilities. Jaeson, one of the other board members, was first invited to assist the community with translations when visitors came to Korea and was soon invited to join the group, a task that he readily accepted.

The Korean Friends of L’Arche are making plans for accommodation and, like our Hunter Friends, are continuing their plans to raise funds and move towards establishing their foundation Community coordinator and home.  We hope to continue this link with our friends in Korea as part of our shared solidarity with L’Arche communities both within Australia and overseas as our mutual plans and interests develop.

Geoff Rigby May 2008

Juhan, Geoff and Jaeson in Seoul

A Time of Reflection and Sharing at Tocal Retreat

Forty members of the Hunter Friends of L’Arche community, together with members of the Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra regional L’Arche communities and other interested people enjoyed a great retreat led by Eileen Glass and John Coleman at the Tocal Agricultural College site near Paterson from 18 to 20 April.

The theme, “A Taste of L’Arche”, provided a focus for the weekend based on reflections given by Eileen and John that highlighted three of the key aspects of the L’Arche philosophy; hearing the cry of people with intellectual disabilities, responding to this cry and finally, how L’Arche can be a sign to the world by showing that we can share mutually transforming relationship with each other. Members of the three visiting regional communities introduced  the sessions with prayers and reflections. John Coleman shared his musical talents throughout the weekend as we joined in many of his own songs and lyrics that have been inspired by his personal L’Arche experiences.

Vivienne Nelson guided us expertly in starting a visual diary using some simple artistic skills and encouraged us to further develop these skills at our leisure. She also worked with the children to produce an artistic representation of our first community home. The weekend concluded with a special liturgy based on the washing of each other’s feet as a symbol of our solidarity and love for each other.     

    Washing each other’s feet was a very special         The children produced a great design for

    part of our concluding worship service                    our first community home, including a

                                                                                       separate flat and chapel

Communications Workshop

We recently held a very successful Conference (supported by UnitingCare Ageing-Hunter, Central Coast and New England Innovative Community Grants Fund) aimed at enhancing our communications with each other. In addition to a variety of talks related to communication skills and individual experiences, we held a series of workshops that demonstrated the use of various communication tools and techniques and the use of art and music therapy as well as the role that sprirituality can play.

The art workshop was one of the final activities of the Communications Day held by Hunter Friends of L’Arche. It was conducted by Margaret Muir and was based on the Gestalt approach to art therapy with its emphasis on awareness - awareness of the OUTSIDE world, the INSIDE world, and the FANTASY world. Through a series of activities/play we were made aware of these three worlds.

By a clever use of the elements or language of art, texture, tone, line, colour and form we were led into our inner and outer worlds in a playful exploration of mostly non-verbal language. We discovered that often we are ‘spoken to’ by the quality of line and tone and colour just as powerfully as by verbal expression. I can see that this approach would be valuable in working and communicating with people who have few verbal skills.

The idea of making a visual diary of what we did in the workshop was a good one and could be explored further, especially in the context of a weekend ‘retreat’.
It was interesting that one of the participants who commented what we did was like a kids’ party, then created a really profound collage by re-imagining a place he knew and was now missing. Telling a story through an art work that you have made can help deal with many difficult emotions.

That is the main thing I got from the whole day – the importance of hearing each other’s stories.

Viv Nelson

Please contact us for further details or information about the Conference and plans for a follow up Conference in 2008

Watercolour Art Exhibition

Hunter Friends of L’Arche recently held our inaugural Art Exhibition at the John Paynter Gallery in Newcastle. Forty original watercolours by talented artists and members of our L’Arche community, Vivienne Nelson and Linda Rees, were donated to assist us with our fundraising programme aimed at providing a financial base to assist us in establishing our first home in the Newcastle/Hunter area.

Over one hundred and fifty people attended the official opening. In opening the Exhibition, Newcastle MP Jodie McKay said that she was humbled by the generosity of all involved and the professional way in which the Exhibition had been run. She has offered to assist us with progressing our future plans with the government.

                 Jodie McKay MP and artists                                  Guests enjoy the opening

                Linda Rees & VivienneNelson