A Little Further Down the Road

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.