Mark Yaconelli is a narrative catcher. Because the director of the Fireside group storytelling mission in Ashland for 12 years, he has coached on a regular basis folks to inform hidden truths that they’re longing to share.
The group organizer and retreat chief has seen firsthand that when folks sideline their built-in arguments and actually hearken to somebody vulnerably inform an actual story about themself, a connection is created. Emotions of tension and isolation are quickly lifted. Wounds can heal.
Lately, the Oregon Well being Authority requested Yaconelli to assist southern Oregon highschool college students describe their lives earlier than and after their households have been affected by the Almeda wildfire and the coronavirus pandemic.
Yaconelli was requested in 2015 to assist the Roseburg group address the trauma of the mass capturing at Umpqua Group School. He skilled volunteers to be compassionate listeners at espresso outlets and libraries to simply accept the ache folks wanted to say out loud.
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He’s been known as in to assist teams perceive each other throughout racial strains and to advise scientists pissed off that their data-packed studies of local weather change have been being tuned out.
His method: To talk from their coronary heart about why they wish to defend vegetation, puffins and the planet.
Mark Yaconelli, the creator of the brand new guide, “Between the Listening and the Telling: How Tales Can Save Us,” has left his Ashland house to launch his Tales on the Street Tour.Janet Eastman/The Oregonian
On Tuesday, Yaconelli, the creator of the brand new guide “Between the Listening and the Telling: How Tales Can Save Us,” and his spouse, Jill, hopped into their van with a freshly utilized signal that reads Tales on the Street Tour.
Over the subsequent 12 months, the Ashland empty nesters will meet strangers searching for a approach to counter defeat, elevate hope and faucet into the collective want to belong.
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The trail ahead, says Yaconelli, is thru the emotional language of storytelling.
Merely, storytelling is a chance to authentically hook up with others, to journey on a journey collectively to “discover what it means to be human,” says Yaconelli.
Creator Anne Lamott calls Yaconelli a trainer with knowledge, persistence and humor who has written “an proprietor’s guide for the soul.”
One small city, one coronary heart at a time, Yaconelli shall be permitting folks gathered at artwork guilds and bookstores, church buildings and home events, to really feel seen and be heard.
He’ll set the stage for an viewers to be accepting of another person’s loss, fear or low self-worth. He’ll take away the noise and assist folks discover the phrases to launch what has been buried of their hearts.
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However largely, he’ll be listening.
Mark Yaconelli led an interactive presentation on the ability of storytelling Aug. 9, 2022 on the Chetco Library in Brookings.Jill Yaconelli
Listed below are Mark Yaconelli’s upcoming occasions in Oregon:
Saturday, Aug. 13: Mark Yaconelli will current an creator discuss from 1 p.m. to three p.m. at Books by the Bay in North Bend.
Sunday, Aug. 14: Yaconelli will converse beginning at 10:30 a.m. adopted by an hour-long workshop on Sacred Tales on the First Congregational Church in Corvallis.
Wednesday, Aug. 17: The creator will discuss from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. atCanvasback Books at Klamath Falls.
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Thursday, Aug. 18: Yaconelli will lead an hour-long, interactive presentation on the ability of storytelling beginning at 4 p.m. adopted by a reception and guide signing on the Grants Move Museum of Artwork. The free occasion is open to the general public.
Friday, Aug. 19: The creator shall be presenting at a fundraiser for the Buddies of the Youngsters mentoring program.
Sunday, Aug. 21: Beginning at 11:30 a.m., Yaconelli will converse on the Nice Spirit United Methodist Church in Northeast Portland.
Residents of Oregon or Siskiyou County, California, can obtain a free copy of “Between the Listening and the Telling: How Tales Can Save Us” if they comply with present suggestions in regards to the guide. Go to tfff.org, the nonprofit Roseburg-based Ford Household Basis’s web site.
For extra data on Mark Yaconelli’s tour and The Fireside, go to thehearthcommunity.com.
On Saturday morning at the Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, three-star prospect T’Andre Waverly announced his commitment to Oregon State over Washington and Notre Dame.
The product of Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Washington, is ranked as the nation’s No. 96 athlete and No. 18 player in the state in the 2025 class by 247Sports. Once he arrives in Corvallis, he’s expected to play tight end.
“I believe in [offensive coordinator Ryan] Gunderson for the future,” Waverly told 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman. “And I’m excited to get to know the new tight ends coach [Will Heck].”
“[Head coach Trent] Bray seems like a real get to business guy and I like that. I don’t want a coach who will pamper me. I want someone who will tell me what I need to do and what to do.”
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Despite seeing the in-state prospect going elsewhere, tight ends coach Jordan Paopao has pulled in a promising batch at the position after signing four-star Baron Naone and three-star Austin Simmons in December.
For an athlete, a loss can shake even the strongest mental foundation. For Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, those feelings bubbled up after losing to the Oregon Ducks 32-31 at Autzen Stadium in early October.
While interviewing with ESPN before Ohio State’s semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns for the College Football Playoffs, the quarterback reflected on that feeling of loss.
“It’s been a rollercoaster. Some of the ups and downs that we did go through are why we’re sitting here today in the semifinals and probably playing our best ball right now,” Howard said. “There have been some tough moments. I’d say that Oregon loss early on in the season was rough.”
Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) walks off the field after losing 32-31 to Oregon Ducks during the NCAA football game at Autzen Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Howard, who went 28-35 passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns, remembers what he did after that fateful quarterback keeper turned slide that sealed the fate of the Buckeyes during that regular season encounter with the Ducks.
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“Coming out of it I felt like I played a good game but it was really just the ending. I sat there and stewed over just how could I have done that differently. But when we got back here I think it was about six in the morning. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was kind of at a loss. I went into the indoor and I just laid there for about an hour – hour and a half. I was in a dark place. I just wanted another crack at them so bad. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the next chance I could get,” Howard said.
It wasn’t too long before Howard got his second chance with Oregon. After winning the Big Ten Championship, the No. 1 ranked Ducks were seeded for the Rose Bowl. With the Buckeyes easily beating Tennessee at home the previous week, Ohio State faced the Ducks once more.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) motions at the line of scrimmage during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Before every game, I listen to two voicemails that my late grandmother sent me and I’ve been doing that every game for the last three years now,” Howard said. “I listened to the voicemail and it just brought this immense peace over me. This year for the playoffs it actually probably got me going even more. It really helped.”
Those voicemails helped Howard correct his headspace before facing Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Howard went 17-26 in passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. The Buckeyes completely shut out Oregon in the first quarter, with the Ducks only responding at the end of the second quarter with a touchdown and two point conversion. Howard reflected on the point in the game where the Buckeyes were up 34-0 against the No. 1 team in the nation.
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Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) holds a rose following the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Ecstatic. I mean, at that point it felt like it was almost not real. It was like ‘Man, are we really up on the No. 1 team in the country right now that we were in a dog fight with at their place?’” Howard said.
The Buckeyes won against Oregon 41-21, advancing to the Cotton Bowl Classic against the Texas Longhorns, where Howard and the Buckeyes are knocking on the door of a National Championship.
“You take a big National Championship ring and hoisting the trophy up. It takes a lot of the hardships and bad things that happened this year and kind of go out the window,” Howard said.
Lewis & Clark College is opening up its residence halls early to students impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles. Odell Annex pictured here, is a residence hall on the Lewis & Clark campus in Portland.
Adam Bacher courtesy of Lewis & Clark College
Some private universities in Oregon are offering extra assistance — from crisis counseling to emergency financial aid — to students who call Southern California home.
This comes amid the devastating wildfires currently burning in Los Angeles.
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Lewis & Clark College, University of Portland and Reed College sent out messages of support to students with home addresses in Southern California this week.
Administrators at Lewis & Clark contacted around 250 undergraduate students in the region affected by the blazes. These students represent close to 12% of the college’s current undergraduate students.
The school, which begins its next term on Jan. 21, is opening up its dorms early for Southern California students at no extra cost.
“We will keep communicating with students in the weeks and months ahead to know how this impacts their next semester and beyond,” said Benjamin Meoz, Lewis & Clark’s senior associate dean of students. “That will mean a range of wraparound academic and counseling support.”
Lewis & Clark also pushed back its application deadline for prospective students from the Los Angeles area to Feb. 1.
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Oregon crews arrive in Southern California to aid wildfire response
Reed College began reaching out to about 300 students who live in Southern California on Wednesday. In an email, the college urged students and faculty impacted by the fires to take advantage of the school’s mental health and financial aid resources.
Reed will also support students who need to return to campus earlier than expected. Classes at Reed do not begin until Jan. 27.
Students at University of Portland will be moving back in this weekend as its next term begins on Monday, Jan. 13. But UP did offer early move-in to students living in the Los Angeles area earlier this week. A spokesperson with UP said four students changed travel plans to arrive on campus early.
Students are already back on campus at the majority of Oregon’s other colleges and universities, with many schools beginning their terms earlier this week.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/advancelocal/FO5PCXGSI5DVRK5OK3KXZ2FRYI.jpeg "Oregon’s Hearth community storytelling project goes on the road, invites you to speak your truth")
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