Ana

I first encountered EI when I was watching Anna Carter’s presentation on the 2020 Theology of the Body Virtual Conference which was about the TOB’s Four First Things and the LGBT+ discipleship. 

Since finding Eden Invitation, I experience such Hope now. The Hope-- the joy that I can live a life full of meaning, full of purpose, while experiencing same-sex desires and being a disciple in the Church, having a personal relationship with God. Getting to know the other community members has helped me to change my own life perspective. From just feeling isolated, or thinking the only way to “be loved and love other person” has to be having a girlfriend. Now I’m way more aware of my own goodness, that I’m not alone in the journey, and how my life has a purpose even in the simplest things!

I’ve been in Eden Invitation for 3 years now. One of the things that has been pretty powerful to me is the culture of care here. The community has been growing with time, yes, but each person that comes can see how we are invited to care for each other. Here’s a place, here's people to receive every aspect of your person: not only your struggles, shadows or heavy falls in your journey, but also your hopes and dreams, your hobbies and unique gifts, what makes your life ‘shine’, which meme made you laugh today or even what new type of tea you’re into now. Every part of your story, each part of your journey, each part of you is received here.

I've seen that this growth isn't just an internal process, but also you can experience this in the ‘outside’ too-- people start to actually live this in their own lives! The way in which people relate with themselves, with others, with God, with their reality starts to change. With the time, I’ve seen people who don't share much or are ashamed of their experiences receive the love of God and this community-- now, they’re having way more patience with themselves and also with the people around them, and some of those people are now book club leaders or hearth group coordinators! This is something very unique that happens here, and very powerful...

Being here is an incarnate way in which somebody experiences how they are received, they’re good as they are, and then, after being aware of this, their whole existence starts to change, and starts affecting the others around them too! It’s contagious! It’s life-giving! It is God making himself known here for you through the other.