Working in an English-speaking "bubble" of Christians is not my usual definition of cross-cultural missions.
Don't get me wrong. Gina and I both love what we do and who we're working with. We are both, God-willing, having a broader impact on Europe than just with the other English-speaking Nazarenes we come into contact with on a daily basis. All the same, we have not yet had the opportunity to learn either High German or Swiss-German in order to better integrate ourselves into the local community.
However, when Gina and I have traveled away from our local area, we have come into contact with people who are fascinated with the idea that we would spend a year away from the U.S. doing volunteer work. I, for one, can say that "teaching and working in a library at a Bible school" is by far the best opening for a spiritual conversation I've ever had ... followed immediately by "just graduated from seminary."
We recently returned from traveling in Italy. Along with seeing some amazing historical and natural sights, we met some fascinating people. In Rome, we met Francis and Susan - a couple from the U.S. who were traveling Europe on their way to meet their son in Vienna, Austria. As we were first becoming acquainted with them, the words "just graduated from seminary" popped out of my mouth and from that point on, Francis and Susan were extremely interested in us. "Are you a priest?" they asked, much to my embarrassed laughter. Imagine a young priest traveling with a beautiful young woman like Gina, alone, in Europe, with both of them wearing wedding rings. The scandal! I corrected their misconception, and we both explained what we were doing in Europe for a year and why. Oddly, we ran into Francis and Susan at least twice more during that trip. If you account for the random paths both families took through Rome amid millions of people, you would have thought our meetings a little more than coincidental, too.
In Amalfi, which is a coastal area about an hour south of Naples, Gina and I were ourselves the recipients of God's grace. Or, at least, a vivid image of it we will not soon forget. We learned of a very reasonably-priced seafood restaurant on the coast in view of Mt. Vesuvius, and headed out in search of it. When we got there, we realized we had forgotten to bring enough cash that evening. The waitress arrived, and we tried to explain our mistake and prepared to leave the restaurant with our heads hanging low. "Oh, no, no, no! Stay, sit! Eat!" she said. "You can come back and pay us tomorrow." With our mouths hanging open in shock, we enjoyed an incredible meal and service that made us feel like we'd just paid hundreds, instead of nothing at all, to eat there. Of course, we returned the next evening, enjoyed another wonderful meal, and settled our bill for both (even though they seemed not to remember us, and would have let us eat for free a second time). We left that restaurant with a new perspective on the lavish generosity of God's grace!
On our last day in Florence, we had a couple of hours to kill before boarding a train and it was raining anyway. So we sat in the lobby of our hostel and enjoyed the time talking with Leonardo (one of two brothers who run the place). He shared some funny stories with us about other tourists and guests, and we mentioned that I had also spent a few years working in the hotel business. I shared a couple stories of my own from that experience, and his expression communicated absolute amazement. I thought it was funny that a guy who had worked in the business three times as long as I ever did, and who must have surely seen everything, was so astonished by what I'd experienced as a hotel desk clerk in the U.S. Toward the end of our conversation, the topic began moving in a more spiritual direction (it seems even "I worked at a hotel" can serve as a great opening line, given the right opportunity). Gina had apparently talked with him previously, because he already knew we worked at a Bible college. He shared how he wasn't particularly religious himself, but was adamant that people who disagreed with religion should disagree and leave people of faith alone. We shared that we understood and appreciated his perspective very much, but unfortunately the conversation was not able to go much further.
Finally, the hour-long train ride between Florence and Pisa afforded us the opportunity to meet and share conversation with a Hindu man who was traveling with his family. Originally from India, they were currently living in the U.K. and were traveling Europe on holiday. I can't immediately recall how we got onto the topic, but we quickly moved in a spiritual direction. He shared how open and tolerant the Hindu faith was, and shared with us some of his perspectives and listened willingly as we shared our own. While our faiths are vastly different from one another, we were also able to reach some common ground. That conversation is probably worthy of its own entry on our blog, and I will let Gina take you through it in more detail. Suffice it to say that both parties were completely fascinated by what was said, and it was a very peaceful, positive encounter between "rival" faiths and cultures. He appeared to have genuine interest and appreciation for what Gina told him about Jesus, and about a relationship with God, and, yes, even about entire sanctification (which she brought up when he asked about what makes our "branch of Christianity" distinctive). She did a fantastic job of explaining these things, using terms and images that he, as a Hindu, could readily understand.
Always, such encounters were unplanned, spontaneous moments of opportunity. Often, they came as interruptions to our plans. We might be hot, tired, or hungry, and not exactly thrilled about conversing with a nearby passenger or talkative desk clerk. Yet we were enabled to recognize these moments and rise to the occasion as best we could. We understand that such moments, whether or not they immediately lead to any conversions, are why we're here in Europe. Yes, we live in a beautiful, quiet area, and, okay, we get to do some traveling. I don't wish to minimize the very cool experience we're having here on a daily basis. But I do want to emphasize the entire reason we came here was not to "experience Europe" but to share, in some small way, in what God is doing here - in and through the lives of everyday people like the Hindu train passenger, the waitress in Amalfi, the desk clerk in Florence, and the American couple in Rome.
God is not just at work outside the U.S., and you don't have to give a week, two weeks, or a year of your life in some other country to participate in His work of renewing people's lives and redeeming creation. Moments like we've had happen as "accidents," and the idea is simply to make yourself as "accident-prone" as possible. Recognize opportunities as they arise all around you every day. Be open, even when tired or otherwise generally unwilling, to the Holy Spirit pairing you up with someone who may either be an encouragement to you (like the Amalfi waitress) or someone who may need to encounter Him through you (like the Hindu man or the American couple in Rome or Leonardo the desk clerk in Florence).
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
German History Lessons
I've gotten permission to share this conversation I had with one of the staff at EuNC. Her name is Ingrid. I was sufficiently moved by our talk that I felt it was worth sharing. - Andrew
* * *
I just got a heck of a lesson in 20th century German history from a lady who works at EuNC named Ingrid.
She initially asked what further travel plans Gina and I had for the summer, and after filling her in I mentioned that one place I'd love to visit happened to be Berlin. She then shared what it was like for her and her husband, Jacob (pronounced YAK-ob), to travel Germany while the Wall and the Iron Curtain were still in force. She told me what it was like being in Berlin before the Wall came down, again during a time in the late 80's when the situation was uncertain, and again in '89 when she could hear people chipping away at the Wall with their hammers 24-7 as it came down.
I shared that I was a young teenager at the time, and didn't remotely grasp what was happening but would never forget the radio announcements that the Wall was down or, following that event a year or two later, the coup de'tat against Gorbachev and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Our conversation moved further back in time, and I took the risk of bringing up the Second World War. Various times in the last five months, I've tried to learn more about that period in history from a German perspective without any luck. The Germans I've spoken with aren't thrilled about talking WWII. It's like going through a really bad divorce and then having someone clueless come along and ask you intimate questions about your marriage. It's a pretty sore subject.
True to form, Ingrid was less than thrilled that I'd brought it up but she also said she felt it was important for Germans to talk about what happened. She said it was important that Germans not hold it in and act like ignoring history would make an especially dark period go away. She also said that, to this day, she isn't proud of being a German because of what took place over 60 years ago. When she was in Holland with her husband, who was then her fiancee, the whole country celebrated the Dutch Queen's birthday by hanging out flags. Ingrid was mortified by this display of national pride, because she had been raised with the idea that national pride had to do with nationalism ... specifically with National Socialism (Nazi), and was therefore dangerous and bad.
Our conversation revealed a division between the mindset of a German (or even European) and an American. America has its own dark periods of history, as does Christianity. I specifically mentioned slavery, racial prejudice, and the Crusades. I explained that, as an American Christian of a generation far removed from such times, I could learn about these things and talk about them freely with a sense of sadness but not a shred of guilt. I explained that I was able to separate my sense of personal responsibility from that of those individuals and people groups of the past who carried out such deeds and possessed such attitudes.
On the other hand, Ingrid reinforced my perception that Germans (or Europeans) internalize their history to a far greater degree. While she did not explicitly say whether or not my theory was correct, she clearly possessed a far greater sense of personal responsibility and share in the corporate guilt of the German people for what was done during the Third Reich.
Two interesting stories emerged from this conversation:
First, Ingrid shared this story. After she became engaged to Jacob, he returned home to Holland. An older man he knew asked him how things were going now that he returned, and Jacob happened to mention he was engaged to a German girl. This man ended the conversation, and hasn't spoken a word to Jacob since. This man had personally suffered under Hitler, and decades later, continued to harbor the hurt and bitterness in his heart so that he could not accept that his friend was going to marry "one of them."
The second story Ingrid shared also had to do with a man who had suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Jacob and Ingrid went to the United States, as non-Americans, on "home assignment" and toured the American South for six weeks. Following the service at one of the churches they visited, the pastor suggested they stand out front by the door and greet the church members as they left the sanctuary. As they were standing there shaking hands, an older man came up to Ingrid with a very stern look on his face. Ingrid was immediately fearful she had inadvertently done or said something wrong during the service to upset him, due to cultural differences. This stern-looking older man came up to Ingrid and told her how much he had suffered as a soldier fighting the Germans. He said that, as a result, he hated all Germans. But when he became a Christian, the love of Christ entered his heart in such a way that he was able to release the hatred and the pain behind it. He wrapped her up in his arms, and said, "Ingrid, I love you. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, I love you."
Ingrid blinked after telling me that last one, smiled, and said, "This is heavy talk for coffee break, isn't it?" At which point, I thanked her big-big for sharing these stories with me, since I had hitherto been unable to get anybody else to talk to me about the past in Germany. I'm so grateful she was willing to share, and I wanted to share with you as well.
* * *
I just got a heck of a lesson in 20th century German history from a lady who works at EuNC named Ingrid.
She initially asked what further travel plans Gina and I had for the summer, and after filling her in I mentioned that one place I'd love to visit happened to be Berlin. She then shared what it was like for her and her husband, Jacob (pronounced YAK-ob), to travel Germany while the Wall and the Iron Curtain were still in force. She told me what it was like being in Berlin before the Wall came down, again during a time in the late 80's when the situation was uncertain, and again in '89 when she could hear people chipping away at the Wall with their hammers 24-7 as it came down.
I shared that I was a young teenager at the time, and didn't remotely grasp what was happening but would never forget the radio announcements that the Wall was down or, following that event a year or two later, the coup de'tat against Gorbachev and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Our conversation moved further back in time, and I took the risk of bringing up the Second World War. Various times in the last five months, I've tried to learn more about that period in history from a German perspective without any luck. The Germans I've spoken with aren't thrilled about talking WWII. It's like going through a really bad divorce and then having someone clueless come along and ask you intimate questions about your marriage. It's a pretty sore subject.
True to form, Ingrid was less than thrilled that I'd brought it up but she also said she felt it was important for Germans to talk about what happened. She said it was important that Germans not hold it in and act like ignoring history would make an especially dark period go away. She also said that, to this day, she isn't proud of being a German because of what took place over 60 years ago. When she was in Holland with her husband, who was then her fiancee, the whole country celebrated the Dutch Queen's birthday by hanging out flags. Ingrid was mortified by this display of national pride, because she had been raised with the idea that national pride had to do with nationalism ... specifically with National Socialism (Nazi), and was therefore dangerous and bad.
On the other hand, Ingrid reinforced my perception that Germans (or Europeans) internalize their history to a far greater degree. While she did not explicitly say whether or not my theory was correct, she clearly possessed a far greater sense of personal responsibility and share in the corporate guilt of the German people for what was done during the Third Reich.
Two interesting stories emerged from this conversation:
First, Ingrid shared this story. After she became engaged to Jacob, he returned home to Holland. An older man he knew asked him how things were going now that he returned, and Jacob happened to mention he was engaged to a German girl. This man ended the conversation, and hasn't spoken a word to Jacob since. This man had personally suffered under Hitler, and decades later, continued to harbor the hurt and bitterness in his heart so that he could not accept that his friend was going to marry "one of them."
The second story Ingrid shared also had to do with a man who had suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Jacob and Ingrid went to the United States, as non-Americans, on "home assignment" and toured the American South for six weeks. Following the service at one of the churches they visited, the pastor suggested they stand out front by the door and greet the church members as they left the sanctuary. As they were standing there shaking hands, an older man came up to Ingrid with a very stern look on his face. Ingrid was immediately fearful she had inadvertently done or said something wrong during the service to upset him, due to cultural differences. This stern-looking older man came up to Ingrid and told her how much he had suffered as a soldier fighting the Germans. He said that, as a result, he hated all Germans. But when he became a Christian, the love of Christ entered his heart in such a way that he was able to release the hatred and the pain behind it. He wrapped her up in his arms, and said, "Ingrid, I love you. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, I love you."
Ingrid blinked after telling me that last one, smiled, and said, "This is heavy talk for coffee break, isn't it?" At which point, I thanked her big-big for sharing these stories with me, since I had hitherto been unable to get anybody else to talk to me about the past in Germany. I'm so grateful she was willing to share, and I wanted to share with you as well.
A visit to the doctor
Back when I (Gina) was a newspaper reporter, I wrote an article about a company that provided free interpreters for Spanish-speaking immigrants visiting doctors or going to the hospital. The head interpreter had explained to me that even people who are becoming fluent in English may have difficulty with the specific medical terminology that they otherwise wouldn't encounter in their daily interactions in a new country.
I could see the importance of this service and was happy to hear someone was providing it for people in our community. Yet, I couldn't personally appreciate the incredible sense of security and comfort having a translator could provide in a medical situation until I faced one here in Germany.
Recently I experienced some inner ear problems, finally realizing I was going to have to make the dreaded doctor's appointment.
It's one thing to go to the grocery and muddle your way through a new language to purchase your food for the week. It's entirely more difficult to try communicating with someone about your health in a different language. While you have been learning the words for milk, fish, chicken, apple and the words for how much money you owe, you are unlikely to have learned the German words for "vertigo", "dizzy", "inner ear", or "does this hurt?"
When I entered the doctor's office, the impasse began immediately, as I know almost no German and the woman processing new patients had a similar unfamiliarity with English. We tried to fill in the blanks with pointing, gestures, facial expressions and blundered attempts to pronounce the few words in the other language that we knew.
Having gotten processed, I found a seat in an examination room. The doctor was much more fluent in English, thank goodness, and made up for my miserable lack of German. However, even here we had many pauses and attempts to find the right word for something. Finally satisfied that she understood my complaints, the doctor said she would have her assistant perform a series of tests on my inner ears.
The assistant was the same person who checked me in. So began a nervewracking battle of communication. It's very important to understand a person who is explaining a health test to you: Did she just say I should press the button when I hear a tone through the headphones, or that I should hold down the button? Should I push it when I think I hear something but I'm not sure, or only when I'm positive? Maybe I am supposed to push it only when I don't hear something?
Misunderstanding the simple nuances of these instructions could completely undermine the test and result in a diagnosis of hearing loss when I don't have one, or show my hearing is fine when maybe I am losing it.
It was at this moment when I first felt true empathy for immigrants in my home country.
I could have asked one of our German-speaking colleagues to go to the appointment with me, but I hadn't wanted to be a bother to anyone. Now I was wishing I'd asked.
Fortunately, everything went fine and I emerged from the tests with the doctor hailing my ears as completely healthy. The experience simply gave me a new appreciation for the numerous obstacles facing strangers and immigrants as they settle into a new country.
I could see the importance of this service and was happy to hear someone was providing it for people in our community. Yet, I couldn't personally appreciate the incredible sense of security and comfort having a translator could provide in a medical situation until I faced one here in Germany.
Recently I experienced some inner ear problems, finally realizing I was going to have to make the dreaded doctor's appointment.
It's one thing to go to the grocery and muddle your way through a new language to purchase your food for the week. It's entirely more difficult to try communicating with someone about your health in a different language. While you have been learning the words for milk, fish, chicken, apple and the words for how much money you owe, you are unlikely to have learned the German words for "vertigo", "dizzy", "inner ear", or "does this hurt?"
When I entered the doctor's office, the impasse began immediately, as I know almost no German and the woman processing new patients had a similar unfamiliarity with English. We tried to fill in the blanks with pointing, gestures, facial expressions and blundered attempts to pronounce the few words in the other language that we knew.
Having gotten processed, I found a seat in an examination room. The doctor was much more fluent in English, thank goodness, and made up for my miserable lack of German. However, even here we had many pauses and attempts to find the right word for something. Finally satisfied that she understood my complaints, the doctor said she would have her assistant perform a series of tests on my inner ears.
The assistant was the same person who checked me in. So began a nervewracking battle of communication. It's very important to understand a person who is explaining a health test to you: Did she just say I should press the button when I hear a tone through the headphones, or that I should hold down the button? Should I push it when I think I hear something but I'm not sure, or only when I'm positive? Maybe I am supposed to push it only when I don't hear something?
Misunderstanding the simple nuances of these instructions could completely undermine the test and result in a diagnosis of hearing loss when I don't have one, or show my hearing is fine when maybe I am losing it.
It was at this moment when I first felt true empathy for immigrants in my home country.
I could have asked one of our German-speaking colleagues to go to the appointment with me, but I hadn't wanted to be a bother to anyone. Now I was wishing I'd asked.
Fortunately, everything went fine and I emerged from the tests with the doctor hailing my ears as completely healthy. The experience simply gave me a new appreciation for the numerous obstacles facing strangers and immigrants as they settle into a new country.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Yodeling Fest parade
The annual Switzerland Jodelerfest (Yodeling Festival) was held in Schaffhausen this year on July 2-4. On July 4, a new friend and I went into the village to see the big 2-hour parade. It was an amazing display of traditional Swiss culture.
To see the video click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL95Ud1mL9M
Sunday, July 4, 2010
What it's like to be in a German city when their team wins a World Cup game
Andrew and I were in nearby Ulm, Germany, Saturday when Germany played its quarter-finals game in the World Cup. Germany won 4-0 and the city was going crazy. (You'll need to give the video about a minute to load.)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Meeting over cats
Gina here.
One of the hard parts about packing up our life in Kansas City and moving with a couple of suitcases to another part of the world to serve in missions was giving up our cat.
We had Sophie just over a year, but her sparkling emerald eyes, her puppy dog shadowing of Andrew and her desire to be stroked and cuddled anywhere at any time, deeply attached us to her. We are fortunate that we didn't have to give her away forever. Andrew's family, who had two other pets, kindly took her in for the year we are on contract in Germany/Switzerland. Sophie was my first ever pet (outside of a hamster or gerbil). Before owning her, I'd thought I was a dog person, but now I'm sold on cats.
It was interesting to notice, once we got here, that Busingen is a thriving metropolis of cats. There are cats EVERYWHERE. Being that it is a farming region, I theorize that the cats are meant to keep the rodent population down, so they all live outside, freely wandering the gardens, alleys and sidewalks of the village. Seeing cats everywhere makes me homesick for Sophie. Sadly, because they're outdoors cats, most of them are skittish, turning tail to run anytime I show a sign of wanting to approach one.
Across the street from the Regional Communication Center where I work, there is one cat that strolls slowly around the town church every day. His coat is a patchwork of jet black and pure white, and he has one shrunken or damaged ear. I figure he lives in one of the homes nearby. I also learned that he won't run if I approach, and lazily rolls over on his side for a good belly scratch each time I pay him a visit. Recently I picked up a pet brush at a local "dollar store" to see if he'd let me brush him, since he's shedding his winter coat.Today, I saw him getting some shade in a rose bed in front of the church, and I went over to say hello. As I brushed him, a woman on a bicycle stopped in front of me and began gesturing to the cat and speaking in German. I haven't had any opportunity to take a class in German yet, so I just said, "No sprechen sie Deutsch. English?"
She easily switched to English, asking me if the cat had been hurt by a car. I explained that he was just lazing in the shade and I came over to give him a good scratch. At that explanation, the cat stood up, stretched and then rolled onto his side by my leg and gestured that more scratching was in order.
The woman laughed. I explained about how I missed my cat and see this one each day from my office window, so I came down to make friends. She told me the cat belongs to a family behind the church, and they named it "Filu." (I'm sure my spelling is wrong.) She said the cat is very old, but got its name because it was so friendly all over the village.
"If a man went around the village visiting all the women, he would be called 'Filu.' That's how this cat got his name," she explained. We both had a good laugh at that. She pointed at the cat, which now had a paw draped across my leg and was rubbing his head against my knee. "See? He's in looovee," she said, drawing it out.
Filu stood up and slowly wandered away, apparently realizing he was becoming the butt of some jokes.
The woman said the owners would have a laugh over my story of going so far as to buy a pet brush for a cat that's not even mine. Then the woman asked me my name. I gave it, and asked hers: Anita. Then we wished each other a good day.
This was only my second time to be able to chat with a resident of the village. Most of the time, people are busy on their way places or working in their gardens. The language barrier generally limits us to a friendly nod and the customary greeting, "Gruetzi."
It's funny what can open the door to a conversation. I hope that this unexpected chat about a cat will give me a chance to talk to Anita again.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The End of a Semester
Eight students graduated yesterday: one with a Certificate in Spiritual Formation, four with Certificates in Christian Ministry, and three with Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Religion (one of those graduating with honors). Congratulations to Sara Schmidt, Florentina Enes, Carla Zabala Vidaurre, Gideon de Jong, Victor Pereira, Niels Tacoma, Alec Marfenko, and Matthew Erwin!
With the students already beginning to leave this morning, a peaceful silence falls on the campus. For these eight students, it is the end of their sojourn at EuNC and the beginning of a new chapter in their journey. Some will pursue further studies while others will step into their respective roles of ministry. A few may not be sure of what lies ahead. All are open to whatever the Lord has in store for them.
Gina and I have greatly enjoyed our time becoming acquainted with a number of these students. We will also be saying goodbye to Jason and Regan Veach (and their son, Carter) who volunteered at EuNC during the past year. They are returning to the United States next month to pursue pastoral ministry in a local church. Gina and I have enjoyed getting to know this wonderful family over the past few months, and we pray that God will make their way smooth as they transition back into American life. We hope and pray that all the friendships we have developed endure and have a chance to deepen.
With the summer break already upon us, we consider how life will change for us. Various Work & Witness teams will arrive to help out on a number of projects. It is my understanding that a couple of older ladies with library experience are interested in helping me in the library. I have a few projects lined up for us to work on together. I imagine that some of my duties will change for the summer, as my presence in the library will no longer be so important with no students on campus.
I have some personal projects and goals I would like to accomplish during the break. For starters, I will be once again teaching Intro to New Testament to a new group of students in November, and I would like to spend time this summer re-vamping my materials in preparation for that. I am also excited about pursuing some type of research project. I've gotten strange looks from people who can't imagine I would do such a thing for "fun," but my brain is rested and restored by this time after leaving my seminary coursework behind. I'm hoping to keep up my skills and learn some things by pursuing further research into the early church, particularly the life and thought of some early church theologians. Hey, I might as well take full advantage of the opportunities afforded to me by running a library, right?
Gina will continue working hard this summer on "Engage" magazine. Her colleague, Tiki Lobo, is doing a wonderful job carrying much of Gina's load with the Eurasia newsletter, "Where Worlds Meet," as well as the weekly "Snap Shots" which are sent across the region. Gina is able to focus the majority of her time and effort on the web magazine. She is also working hard at finding and developing new writers to contribute their stories to "Engage." Word is continuing to spread throughout the denomination about this valuable online resource!
Gina and I are looking forward to the arrival of Gina's father toward the beginning of September! It will be the first family visit we've had since we've been here. We can't wait to see him!
There is much to keep us occupied this summer, but we are looking forward to a time of rest as well. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!
With the students already beginning to leave this morning, a peaceful silence falls on the campus. For these eight students, it is the end of their sojourn at EuNC and the beginning of a new chapter in their journey. Some will pursue further studies while others will step into their respective roles of ministry. A few may not be sure of what lies ahead. All are open to whatever the Lord has in store for them.
Gina and I have greatly enjoyed our time becoming acquainted with a number of these students. We will also be saying goodbye to Jason and Regan Veach (and their son, Carter) who volunteered at EuNC during the past year. They are returning to the United States next month to pursue pastoral ministry in a local church. Gina and I have enjoyed getting to know this wonderful family over the past few months, and we pray that God will make their way smooth as they transition back into American life. We hope and pray that all the friendships we have developed endure and have a chance to deepen.
With the summer break already upon us, we consider how life will change for us. Various Work & Witness teams will arrive to help out on a number of projects. It is my understanding that a couple of older ladies with library experience are interested in helping me in the library. I have a few projects lined up for us to work on together. I imagine that some of my duties will change for the summer, as my presence in the library will no longer be so important with no students on campus.
I have some personal projects and goals I would like to accomplish during the break. For starters, I will be once again teaching Intro to New Testament to a new group of students in November, and I would like to spend time this summer re-vamping my materials in preparation for that. I am also excited about pursuing some type of research project. I've gotten strange looks from people who can't imagine I would do such a thing for "fun," but my brain is rested and restored by this time after leaving my seminary coursework behind. I'm hoping to keep up my skills and learn some things by pursuing further research into the early church, particularly the life and thought of some early church theologians. Hey, I might as well take full advantage of the opportunities afforded to me by running a library, right?
Gina will continue working hard this summer on "Engage" magazine. Her colleague, Tiki Lobo, is doing a wonderful job carrying much of Gina's load with the Eurasia newsletter, "Where Worlds Meet," as well as the weekly "Snap Shots" which are sent across the region. Gina is able to focus the majority of her time and effort on the web magazine. She is also working hard at finding and developing new writers to contribute their stories to "Engage." Word is continuing to spread throughout the denomination about this valuable online resource!
Gina and I are looking forward to the arrival of Gina's father toward the beginning of September! It will be the first family visit we've had since we've been here. We can't wait to see him!
There is much to keep us occupied this summer, but we are looking forward to a time of rest as well. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!
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