ESR alum Jeffrey D. Meyers

Jeff Meyers brings us today's post as part of our ongoing series of profiles of ESR graduates:

I started in May as the resident host of Lauramoore Guest House and Retreat Center, which Earlham School of Religion acquired a few years ago.

The house is used primarily for people visiting ESR or Bethany, so I see a lot of distance students, prospective students, guest speakers, adjunct professors, and even the occasional member of Earlham’s board of trustees.

One of the things that attracted me to ESR was the strength of its community. We learn together, eat together, and worship together. We become friends.

Lauramoore reflects and reenforces ESR’s strong community. I suppose the house could function like a hotel, where nobody interacts with anyone else. Fortunately, the opposite is true.

When ESR and Bethany students are staying in the house, its atmosphere is transformed. We gather around shared meals. We walk, bike, and drive together to campus. We welcome prospective students and make them feel at home. During this past August two-week intensive, we took study breaks together around the television, where we cheered on our favorite olympic athletes.

I haven’t been the host at Lauramoore very long, but I’ve already met many new faces, had many good conversations, and been blessed by people who make my stay more enjoyable.

I’ve already graduated, but I’m glad to remain a part of the ESR community for a little bit longer, even if it’s mostly at a ten-bedroom house on the corner of N.W. 5th and Richmond Avenue.

More information about Lauramoore Guest House and Retreat Center can be found at http://esr.earlham.edu/about/lauramoore.