We have survived our first week here in Lombard. Over the past few days, we've unpacked our final boxes and arranged our living space to feel like home. I was hoping to post pictures today, but we still haven't hung anything on our walls...hopefully we will get there this week!
Our excitement over the past few days was about Andrew's job prospect. He had an interview at a local church on Saturday for several hours. The interview consisted of meeting with four different groups of people that included church staff, parents, volunteer youth leaders and students themselves. Andrew left the interview feeling positive about his interactions and confident in his representation of himself.
He got a phone call this afternoon letting him know that he made the cut and is moving on to the next round of interviews! We assume this to be the final step in the process. Sometime after Labor Day, he will be meeting with more students of the church! It was so great to hear back from the committee within a matter of days and even more thrilling to hear that they continue to be interested in him as their youth director...woo-hoo!
While waiting to hear about a new ministry possibility, we received some tragic news from Newhall. Yesterday afternoon, the father of two of our students in Grand Rapids died from a sudden heart attack. He left behind three children (a daughter entering her senior year of high school, a son entering his sophomore year, and a daughter starting sixth grade) and his wife of almost 20 years. We are praying for the kids and for their mom, and will be making a trip back to W.Mich for the visitation and funeral tomorrow and Wednesday. If you remember, say a prayer for the Halas family over the next few days, weeks and months.
My first few classes have gone really well. I am taking four classes (apparently four grad classes entail more work than four undergrad classes) which are: Personal Spiritual Formation, Bible in Ministry, Teaching for Transformation, and History and Philosophy of Ministry. I am enjoying my professors and classmates. Many of my classes have the same students since we're all in the beginning stages of the same program.
I've been able to meet a lot of new people and start building friendships with other grad students both in my program and in others. I will be getting involved with Grad Chapel within the next few weeks and am also hoping to lead a Discipleship Small Group of upper-classmen undergrads.
It's been a real week. Our relationship is growing and we are being stretched personally: Andrew as he walks through this interview process and me as I find my place in the Wheaton community. Meanwhile, we are reminded of the relationships we left behind, sharing in the pain of the students we love and praying that the Lord will be near to them.
Peace from Lombard.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
arriving
We have arrived...in Lombard that is!
On Saturday, we left Holland a little bit after 9am with the Jeep, van and UHaul full of stuff. My parents and brothers rode with us, Eric and Angela met us there, Andrew's mom met us and my uncle Roger (who also lives in Lombard) came and helped us out. We fit everything in the small apartment and have found a somewhat-comfortable arrangement of furniture. Our bookshelves and display shelves act like walls to separate our "bedroom wing" from the "living room wing." It's definitely cozy!
Today was Grad Orientation at Wheaton, and as a new graduate student, I participated, naturally. The day started with an opening address from Dr. Jerry Root. He spoke about the importance of authenticity in community and how the only way to reach people for Christ is to be authentic. He is also speaking at GradChapel on Wednesday and at an event on Friday night.
After the opening address we had meetings with our departments. There are about 17 people in my Christian Formation and Ministry (CFM) program. I really enjoyed seeing how people came from all over the country and the world. There are five different concentrations within the program and about eight people in my Student Development concentration. I'm looking forward to getting started with actual classes on Thursday! I hope that it's an academic challenge, but also hope that I'm not in over my head.
While I was at Orientation all day, Andrew spent the day in the apartment. He cleaned out our "spa" so it's usable now :) For those of you who haven't been in our apt--our tub has spa jets that are functioning, but weren't exactly sanitary.
The other exciting thing in our lives is that Andrew has an interview with a local Christian Reformed Church on Saturday!!!!! It's from 10am-2pm. We're so thankful right now and are praying that his time with the committee and other people from church will go well!
Overall, we've been feeling a little overwhelmed by the move and are beginning to realize that we actually live here (like when I paid $7 for a quart of ice cream tonight!). We miss our community in Grand Rapids, and I miss my family in Holland, but we are glad to have each other. That's one of the plus-es about being married--wherever you go, your best friend comes too!
On Saturday, we left Holland a little bit after 9am with the Jeep, van and UHaul full of stuff. My parents and brothers rode with us, Eric and Angela met us there, Andrew's mom met us and my uncle Roger (who also lives in Lombard) came and helped us out. We fit everything in the small apartment and have found a somewhat-comfortable arrangement of furniture. Our bookshelves and display shelves act like walls to separate our "bedroom wing" from the "living room wing." It's definitely cozy!
Today was Grad Orientation at Wheaton, and as a new graduate student, I participated, naturally. The day started with an opening address from Dr. Jerry Root. He spoke about the importance of authenticity in community and how the only way to reach people for Christ is to be authentic. He is also speaking at GradChapel on Wednesday and at an event on Friday night.
After the opening address we had meetings with our departments. There are about 17 people in my Christian Formation and Ministry (CFM) program. I really enjoyed seeing how people came from all over the country and the world. There are five different concentrations within the program and about eight people in my Student Development concentration. I'm looking forward to getting started with actual classes on Thursday! I hope that it's an academic challenge, but also hope that I'm not in over my head.
While I was at Orientation all day, Andrew spent the day in the apartment. He cleaned out our "spa" so it's usable now :) For those of you who haven't been in our apt--our tub has spa jets that are functioning, but weren't exactly sanitary.
The other exciting thing in our lives is that Andrew has an interview with a local Christian Reformed Church on Saturday!!!!! It's from 10am-2pm. We're so thankful right now and are praying that his time with the committee and other people from church will go well!
Overall, we've been feeling a little overwhelmed by the move and are beginning to realize that we actually live here (like when I paid $7 for a quart of ice cream tonight!). We miss our community in Grand Rapids, and I miss my family in Holland, but we are glad to have each other. That's one of the plus-es about being married--wherever you go, your best friend comes too!
Friday, August 6, 2010
getting close
Hey All (two followers)!
The time is drawing near to our big move. We secured the basement apartment in Lombard and will move on Saturday, August 21. Our families are all willing and really excited to help us move, so that will help with a lot of the physical burden.
I just watched a documentary called "Sprawling From Grace" which is about urbanization and transportation. It had a lot to say about the importance of transportation and city-planning that includes thought for communal space and pedestrianism versus city-planning that focuses on moving as many cars as fast as possible. It will be nice to live in an area with a vibrant public transportation. Woot.
Andrew's job situation is our biggest concern. It would be so wonderful to get him into a healthy, vibrant and supportive ministry situation. In my humble opinion, he is quite something and has a lot of passion and love to offer a congregation...hopefully there is one out there looking for somebody like him! We're waiting to hear back from a few churches where he's sent in resumes, so it's a lot of waiting and trusting right now.
In other inconsequential news, I got my hair cut today and added bangs. I'm torn between trendy and low-maintenance, given my curly-frizzy mop.
The time is drawing near to our big move. We secured the basement apartment in Lombard and will move on Saturday, August 21. Our families are all willing and really excited to help us move, so that will help with a lot of the physical burden.
I just watched a documentary called "Sprawling From Grace" which is about urbanization and transportation. It had a lot to say about the importance of transportation and city-planning that includes thought for communal space and pedestrianism versus city-planning that focuses on moving as many cars as fast as possible. It will be nice to live in an area with a vibrant public transportation. Woot.
Andrew's job situation is our biggest concern. It would be so wonderful to get him into a healthy, vibrant and supportive ministry situation. In my humble opinion, he is quite something and has a lot of passion and love to offer a congregation...hopefully there is one out there looking for somebody like him! We're waiting to hear back from a few churches where he's sent in resumes, so it's a lot of waiting and trusting right now.
In other inconsequential news, I got my hair cut today and added bangs. I'm torn between trendy and low-maintenance, given my curly-frizzy mop.
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