Love's Hangover

Yesterday, I drove down to Noblesville after a few painful hours in the library to go see an old college friend's new business. What I saw really fascinated me.

It was one of those things that caught my attention when Emily first started sending stuff out on Facebook. I kept wanting to go check it out but it never happened till now - and only because Emily had asked if I would be interested in going in on something with them to help with my fundraising. They call themselves "Love's Hangover." What it is is a fashion business that brings together little pockets of culture from all around the world. The one necklace that caught my attention was a kind of odd-coloured one with mostly browns and a few random spots of greens and reds - a fusion of Latin American and Kenyan beads and seeds.

So armed with a huge bundle of similar necklaces, bracelets and other fashion items either handmade by Emily herself, her friends or family members all around the world, I came back to Anderson with more items for my silent auction.

The business is run by Emily and her sister Irene. They make and sell jewelry, but also have classes to teach people to bead. At the shop, you find a wide selection of all kinds of jewelry and other fashion items such as crocheted purses and sweaters for babies. Emily told me they have a fairly busy schedule, having been invited to several locations to do a show of what they are doing. This Thursday, they will be at IUPUI.

The other part that fascinated me about what they were doing is how much they want to be involved in the community. They've been supporting other fundraising causes and when she found out I was going to Germany, she contacted to me to ask if we could do something together.

And then we got into a conversation about what I was doing in Germany. "You never looked like the type who would go be a preacher somewhere and hit people on the head with a Bible. So what exactly are you doing there?" The easiest way I knew how to answer was, "Well, one of the things we might get to do is to hang out at the coffeeshop in a redlight district. Things like that that involve being the church outside of a building. Someone once jokingly mentioned that basically this internship involves me drinking coffee with prostitutes. That may not be a bad way to sum it up."

After I said that, Emily and Daria, a mutual friend of ours, were both intrigued that I was allowed by the church to do something as unconventional as this. It seemed in their experience, the church was a cold, legalistic institution that sent missionaries to hit people on the head with a Bible until they "get saved."

It was a strange feeling of fresh air, being reminded that in this increasingly post-modern, post-Christian part of the world that we live in, some may no longer believe in the institution. But they still believe in the future and the hope and the love of a Greater Being. And they believe in doing good to and for others even if these things are not done within a building or using the name of a church or a title such as pastor or missionary.

If you'd like to find out more about what Love's Hangover is doing, you can find them on Facebook. Or check out their store in Noblesville, located at 159 N 9th St. If you're heading there from Anderson, take 32 all the way to Noblesville till you hit 9th St. Take a right at 9th and go past Logan St. You'll see Key Bank on the right and a parking lot on the left. Culture Shock, the name of their store, is located just before the parking lot. Feel free to use the parking space there, and let them know you found out about their shop through this blog. They'll be nice to you.

And hey, come on out to the concert and silent auction this Saturday and check out some of the stuff they have. It's on April 24, 6 pm at Park Place Church of God Newberry Room. See you there!