Hayden's Essay on the Home that is open to all

Moving back to my hometown during Christmas break of my 5th grade year was a stressful experience. As we made our way from Baker City, we got a call saying the deal for the house we were supposed to move into fell through. I remember being so scared not knowing what was next, but luckily for me, my dad had connections with so many people from our hometown. He was able to make a few calls and find somewhere for all our stuff, as well as somewhere to live for the following five months. In these five months my parents were given the opportunity to find the perfect house for our family and the hundreds who have walked through our door the past six years. 

         The first nine years of my life were spent in the same house, but with new people in it everyday. The year I was born was also the year my dad became a youth pastor, and because of that I grew up around hundreds of teenagers. My parents have both had a heart for youth since I can remember which led them to making our home open to all youth. I remember once or twice a week for several years, I ate dinner in my room and had to tiptoe to the bathroom when needed because there was a living room full of teens doing small group in my house. I never had an issue with it, in fact I loved having so many people around, and the dessert after dinner wasn’t too bad either. Because of my dad’s role as a youth pastor for almost a decade, he was able to make connections with so many people. Anytime I’ve been in public with my dad, he has been able to point out someone that he either did photography for, or who was involved in his youth group in some way. It’s amazing to see the lives my parents have impacted, as well as the lives they continue to impact. 

         It’s crazy to think that six years ago we moved back from Baker City. It’s even crazier to think that even though we left for nine months, when we came back we had the same support, if not more. Because of my parent’s connections we were able to live with one of his youth workers, who later became like a grandpa and grandma to me, while we searched for a new house. I remember constantly hearing my parents say they wanted a big living room so they could fill it with teenagers. After five months of living with these amazing people, we found the perfect home and were able to move in. Shortly after moving in, my parents started a college-aged group called One80, and for the next two years we had people in our home once or twice a week. As the group continued to grow, we realized our living room and kitchen wasn’t big enough. With feeding 30 people each week and having them come through our kitchen, there was hardly enough room to stand.  Eventually we remodeled our house to accommodate for the large group of people who came into our home on a regular basis.

         The past six years of living in our new home, we have had hundreds of people walk through our home. As horrible as it sounds, one of my favorite memories was in October of 2020 when someone from the college group passed away from covid unexpectedly. My dad and I were out of town when he got the call, and as soon as he heard, he was calling and texting kids from the group to check in on them as well as to tell them to go to our house. As soon as we got into town I picked up boxes of pizza, and headed home where at least ten heart-broken young adults stood in my kitchen hugging each other and talking about their dear friend. I’m not sure exactly how long they all stayed, but I know they were still here when I went to bed.

         Because of my parents calling to young adults, they have been able to open their home to hundreds of people the past 16 years. It’s incredible to see the lives they’ve touched, and even more incredible to see all the ways they come together. Through the good, the bad, and the ugly my parents have kept our door wide open for youth and young adults. From celebrations to times of mourning, my house has been part of it all.