Sunny (perhaps too sunny) Southern California!

About a week and a half I took off on an airplane to move to sunny California! To tell you the truth, the flights were horrible. There was lots of turbulence on the first one- nausea is not good! The second flight was smoother, but there were two screaming children in front of me and a lady who puked across the aisle from me. To top it all off, the man who sat next to me was about 35, barely spoke English, was married, and offered to give me his number so we could meet up sometime. I would like to make some new friends out here, but I passed on this one.

Ashley and her mom picked me up from the airport. We drove to our little apartment complex in Pasadena! Our apartment is small, but livable. We have little kitchen with a refrigerator that rocks forward when you open it. Ashley's mom bought us some cockroach hotels to decorate the kitchen with- no mice or ants yet though! We have two walk-in closets (who puts two closets in a studio apartment?). All of the storage is really high up, but the shower head is about at my eye level. Our toilet has almost overflowed several times (I am not sure why toilets hate me...oh, life in DeVol 214), but maintenance is coming to look at it. So, the gist is that the apartment is small and old and kind of quirky, but it is home. I feel contented with that.

Last week was orientation. I felt like I was back in junior high. Who do you sit with? Will these people like me? Am I wearing cool enough clothes? Will anyone notice the pimple on my forehead? But, I met some nice people who seem like they could be good friends in the future. It feels super overwhelming to meet all these new people, but I try to remember that making friends takes time.

Classes started yesterday. I had a class called Urban Evangelism with Ralph Watkins. The class is going to be fast paced and thought provoking. Today I went to New Testament: Gospels with Marianne Thompson. She had sent me an email last week because she and her husband went to Duke with Duane Watson, one of my profs at Malone. It mad me feel welcomed and connected to something familiar. Right after Gospels, I went to Systematic Theology 1 with Dr. Kirkannian. He is from Norway and has an accent. It was hard at first to understand him when he was going over the syllabus- which happens to be the most complicated syllabus I have ever seen, but once he started into the actual course material I was able to understand him much better. I loved how he was talking about us approaching theology with humility and as finite humans. I think I am going to learn a lot in that class.

In other news, my computer almost died this weekend. But a new friend, Adam, was able to look at it and get it moving faster! It was super exciting to not have to buy a new computer right now!!!! Plus it was super super hot here the end of last week and weekend, over 100 degrees! Our apartment doesn't have air conditioning. Ashley's aunt kindly put us up in the Westin across from our complex for a night so we could sleep well for a night! It was fun to watch movies on the TV and get California Pizza Kitchen (by the way, to those in the Midwest the stuff in grocer's freezer aisle is no where near the real stuff).

Last night, our new friend, Grace, invited Ashley and I over to watch Dancing with the Stars. We took snacks and had lots of fun. We think we are going to make it a weekly event. It is nice to feel like there is a real connection beyond the "hi, what's your name ?" conversations I have been having for the last week or so!

Well, I have reading to do; so, I am going to go and try to chip away at the mountain of reading!

Pictures of the Apartment from Ashley!

Today I got pics from my roommate Ashley of our little apartment! Here are some of them.

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" Update

I thought I would post a little update about the plans for the big move to Pasadena! I booked my flight last week. I am flying out of Baltimore/Washington Airport at 12:30pm on Friday September 18th! I am working on finding someone to pick me up at LAX, but then I will get my keys to Ashley and I's apartment and move in! I am taking almost everything I have there on the plane with me. So, I have to sort out my stuff down to a little over 100lbs.

My roommate, Ashley, is from Santa Cruz, CA. Her mom has been collecting kitchen and bathroom stuff for the apartment all summer! It was such a blessing when she told Ashley this (who then told me). I was imagining getting off the plane and having to go get stuff in order to be able to eat in the apartment...YIKES! We are only about 5 minutes from a Target; so, we will be able to get anything else we need. Our apartment is a studio; so, we might be getting some bunk beds at some point to save space. I am excited to get to decorate and get things we need to settle down into our new home!

Orientation starts the day after I get there. In the evening, there is some sort of social event. I feel like I am starting college all over again, with all the awkward social interactions and the attempts to make new friends. Hopefully, I don't get lost and walk into the wrong classroom! There seems to be lots of stuff to do during orientation...tours of the library, panel discussions, dinner with other students. I am hoping to be able to create a sense of home and normal in the midst of this busy schedule. The fact that Ashley and I will be able to do lots of these things together will be helpful, I think.

That's the latest! Oh, and I schedule classes on September 11th. I will let you know what kinds of nerdy things I decide to take!

Can You Wear Jeans to the White House?

A couple of weeks ago, my boss, Byron, and my coworker, Brad, were joking about whether you can wear jeans to the White House. I, being my nosy self, asked who was going the White House and wanted to know. It ends up they were going to the White House Policy of Office on AIDS for a meeting. Then, Brad asked me if I wanted to go with them. Let's think about this: I, who had a slight obsession with presidents and first ladies, who was the DAR's most outstanding American History students, who spent most of 5th grade wanting to be the first woman president (it was that or an Olympic athlete...ha!), who has watched almost every episode of The West Wing, do I want to go to the White House? I think my answer went something like, "Uh, yeah!" Brad kindly explained that I would have to wear dress clothes and asked if that was ok. I thought I could handle some dress pants for an opportunity to go to the White House...

So, the day prior to the meeting comes, and I realize I don't know what I am going to wear. My sister's dress shirts don't fit. I didn't bring any really White House appropriate shirts for the summer (I was expecting to do laundry and work projects...). So, Faith and I went trampsing around downtown DC to find a White House appropriate shirt. After going to H&M and Filene's Basement, and back to H&M, I found a nice blue and white stripped button up shirt that was both White House appropriate and ok for the blistering DC in August heat.

The day of the meeting arrived. I got up, got ready (grey dress pants, new shirt, black kitten heeled shoes with the pointy toes, pearl earrings my mom got me for graduation...I even put on some make-up). Anyway, after a cup of cofee and a bowl of honey nut cherrios, I jumped in a cab with Byron and Brad to meet Brad's friend Lois at her hotel. She had flown in from Chicago to go the meeting. At the hotel, we went over what was going to happen at the meeting. We wanted the government to provide better access to testing options. Currently, if you go to get tested you may be met with a 4 page questionaire about your sexual history (not really a hospitable enviroment if you think you might have HIV). There are all kinds of barriers to people being tested- social stigma, small communities with a lack of privacy, dirty, delapidated clinics, etc. Grassroots efforts to get people tested are more affective than ad campaigns and such. As well, we want everyone to be tested- slowing the spread of the disease (there is all kinds of research that shows this could work...I am not medical journal guroo, so...google it). In order for everyone to be tested, more and better options for testing are needed. That was what the meeting was about. Brad is an advocate of portable testing, which hasn't been approved by the FDA. This was discussed at the meeting as well.

After talking at the hotel, we went to a coffee shop to get a snack and then walked to the Executive Office Building, where our meeting was. We had to show photo ID several times, go through security, and get a cool pass to hang around our necks (they had a big A on them and said appointment and were green...just like on The West Wing). We were early for the meeting; so, we were looking out a window on the fourth floor. We could see out over the West Wing and the front yard of the White House. And there was Bo, the Obama's dog, playing with someone in the front yard! We walked down the hall and could see more of the West Wing from the Indian Treaty Room- a conference room with a big seal of the President on the wall.

We went to the meeting, which went well. The man we met with had only been there for 3 weeks; so, he couldn't tell us a lot. The office is still working on the national strategy for AIDS. They are interested in getting everyone tested and seemed concerned about the difficulties people have in getting tested. The man who we met with couldn't really tell us anything about the portable testing. The meeting was interesting and I took lots of notes. The man we met with seemed really passionate about HIV/AIDS issues but seemed to understand the bearacracies issues with being able to deal with it adequately (This hurts me to say this...but it kinda reminded me of Walter Wink and the powers...).

Afterward, we were leaving the building, but we went down one too many floors on the way out. After we asked a security guard where we could exit, he walked out a door, and there was the West Wing! We are talking french doors open with the a very large seal of the president on the wall. Walking toward the gate, we could we see the porch and where all the reporters are set up. Brad, walking backwards, told us he would go out the gate first and then he could get a picture of us coming out the gate. He ran into a large planter.... We left out the Pennsylvania exit, with all the tourists watching us. A little full of ourselves and high from the experience, we went to Old Ebbit's Grill and had some lunch.

It was pretty amazing! I learned a lot about bearacracy and passion- how when the too meet it can be hard. I got to see things I have only seen on TV. It was pretty crazy!

Being a Neighbor to History

On Thursday, the Senate voted to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor (now Justice Sotomayor) as the 111th Supreme Court Justice of the United States. The vote was taken 5 blocks from my humid, cave-like basement bedroom. Yes, that's right, 5 blocks away! Now, let's consider why this is historical. First, a supreme court justice was confirmed. Second, Sotomayor is only the 3rd woman to be confirmed as a justice. Third, she is the first Latino to be a justice. When people talk about these great historical facts, I often feel like ranting about what is wrong with our society that only 2.7% of Supereme Court Justices have been woman or that more minorities have not been included in the past (many of you have probably been subject to such rants in the past...). Yet, today I would like to focus on a larger theme...the shaping of history.

I grew up in a small Ohio town that has a sign because William Henry Harrison's log cabin of the famous (or so they claim) log cabin campaign was built there. Great historical events didn't take place in my backyard (no battlefields, no inventors, no sporting stories...). But this summer, I am in a city full of history- Washington DC. The burning of the Capitol during the War of 1812, the Inagurations of presidents, the passing of laws, protests. In fact, some civil rights marches were planned in my living room. Two houses down from me lives a former Senator from Arizona. Only about 2 or 3 blocks away is the house where Barrack Obama lived while he was a senator and while he was running for president. It seems that everywhere I look I see statues (mostly of men on horses).

History is in the air in DC (and perhaps with the led in the water)! But if you watch the people leaving the government buildings, they are just normal people. They shop with you at the grocery stores and corner markets. They wear flip flops with their dress clothes to walk home. The people who run our government are just that people. They may seem to be shaping history by confirming justices or passing stimulus bills or agreeing to lower the number of nuclear weapons the US has, but they are people who are just like the people in my hometown. They go to church, they grocery shop, they watch TV and eat pizza, and they even have fears and dreams. Shaping history (or appearing to be shaping history) seems like hard work to me, but realizing that these people are at times just as powerless as the rest of us offers some perspective. They have bad day when the red line is running slow, they dance like fools during the screen on the green, they send their kids to school....they even walk on sidewalks!

So, next time you shake your fists at the people in those big white buildings in DC, remember that they are people.

PS- I am not saying that we shouldn't disagree with them. In fact we should disagree, but perhaps we want to stop seeing them as giants or monsters...

Ukrainian Flashbacks...

I realized the other day that it has been just over a year since I visited Ukraine and spent time with orphans in Crimea. It seems like just yesterday was jumping rope and playing hand slap games with the kids! In honor of reflecting back on the experience a year later, I thought I would post a reflection I wrote the August after the trip. So, here is what I wrote:
In my time at Malone College, I have learned a lot about the painful, broken state of the world. My eyes have been opened to racism, gender discrimination, extreme poverty, modern slavery, homelessness, unjust international debt, intimate partner violence, and unfair trade practices. Often a friend and I joke that our education has ruined our lives and maybe ignorance about the pain in the world is better. But we end up coming back to the idea that God knows and cares about the pain and suffering in the world, and we must know and care because God does. I have spent nights awake in my bed on campus overwhelmed by the pain in the world and wondering how to “change the world.”
After three years of learning and seeing the broken state of the world, I boarded a plain with 10 other Malone students and alumni and traveled to Simferopol, Ukraine. After two flights and a train ride, we spent time playing with orphans at four different orphanages. One day we got the privilege of taking about 15 of the children to Yalta, a resort town on the Black Sea. We went to the zoo, McDonald’s, and a castle! It was a day filled with fun, laughter, pictures, and excitement. That day was amazing, but the kids we were with face great odds in surviving till their 25th birthdays. Many of the children who may have already been abused, neglected, or abandoned will face drug abuse, prostitution, and homelessness their futures. On the boat ride to the castle, I sat with my arm around an eleven year old girl named Liza and couldn’t help but feel mixed emotions. I wanted to save these kids and make their lives better, but I knew all I could do at that moment was to be present in the midst of their suffering. As I looked over the kids on the boat, I prayed, “Lord, please come make it right soon!” That prayer made me feel at peace. By taking those children to Yalta, I was not saving the world, but I knew God was in the process of saving the world. Going to Ukraine made me long for the day God would come make us all and the world whole, healing all pain and suffering.
My prayer that day flows from something else I have been learning at Malone College. Because not only have I learned about the pain and suffering in the world, but I have also learned about God’s faithfulness. God is faithful and will make the world whole again! May we be faithful in caring for the orphans of the world and of Simferopol, Ukraine as we wait for the healing God will bring!

Putting the Pieces of the Puzzle Together

Sense the last update, I have found a place to live at Fuller and signed a lease! Hip, hip, hurray! I have a place to live. My roomie, Ashley, and I will be living in a community called Koinania (which happens to be a NT Greek word for community, gathering, congregation, or church...I know, I took Greek! Thank you to the Duane-Train!). Our apartment is on the first floor and is a studio. Needless to say, it will be small, but we both just got out of dorm living. The fact that there is a kitchen seems to be an upgrade for us- no more dorm food for me! The huge plus of this particular apartment is that it is just a block over from Fuller's campus. It will be nice to be able to walk back from the library in the dark safely and easily. Plus, we will be able to run home for lunch rather than pack or buy food on campus. There also happens to be a playground right next to the complex. I have yet to figure out the benefit of this for us, but it could be nice to swing the all the kiddos! We are thinking about investing in some bunk beds and hiting the garage sales to find kitchen stuff...

It seems that more of the details of the big move are falling into place. This weeks big adventure will be purchasing a plane ticket to get to the land of sunshine and roses (get it, Pasadena and roses...Rose Bowl...I'm so witty!).

Life in DC has been busy and humid lately! Almost every week since I have been working at the hostile we have had a large group staying which creates lots to do in terms of dishes and laundry. On Friday, I helped my coworker Gregg replace a window pane he had broken (this sounds more impressive than it was...I mostly was in charge of holding the glass and telling him that it wasn't working...)I had last Weds. off; so, I had breakfast with a friend and ventured to District's Target to buy razor blades and birthday cards. Then, I met Greg and some of his friends to play trivia at a local pub. The trivia night was hosted by the pub's owner who was a character! Our trivia team did not place but we certainly did well (I think we missed 6 or so).

My mom is flying from Ohio to visit for almost a week. It should be fun to show her the sights! Let's just hope my brother takes care of the dog while she is gone (hint, hint, Jacob!).

Googling My Future

Ok, so I know this is going to sound kind of strange and nerdy and slightly stalkeresk, but this evening I was googling some of the people who will be my professors at Fuller. And I got really excited again! I am super pumped and just thought I would share that tidbit of info.

In other news, last Wednesday I went to the Smithsonian American History Exam. I hitched a ride on the metro to Smithsonian station (which happened to be open this time...see previous post!) and arrived shortly before the doors opened at 10 am. After a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner during which some elderly men stood and took off their hats, the doors opened and began the journey of learning about American history and trying to remember what I learned in school (its been 5 years since I took an class in American history). I saw the first American flag, Kermit the frog, Dolly Madison's dress, and some boots worn by the first person to hike the entire Appalachian trail. It seems that American History is made up of a lot of random stuff. But, it appears that the American public loves to look at this stuff. There were tons of people gawking and taking pictures (hint: they don't come out very well if you use a flash and are taking a picture of something behind glass!). It made me begin to think about identity and what it means to be American (or anything else for that matter...what does it mean to be Christian or a woman). Perhaps our identity is rapped up with a cassette playing boom box (this made me feel old- a cassette player in a museum!) or a beautiful sparkly dress. But other pieces appeared that perhaps weren't as happy-go-lucky. The lunch counter from a sit-in during the civil rights movement or photos of the Vietnam war....of course, all of these past dark spots have seemingly been triumphed over according to the museum. I am not sure I want to buy into the museum's story about who I am and who we are. Perhaps we live in relation to something bigger than Oscar the Groach or a steam powered locomotive.

And so, I come to the thought that I want to live my life following the calling to live faithfully for God, serving God's people and our purpose in the world. This requires me to realize that although I love Kermit and the rest of the muppets, my life is not bound by the meaning of being American but rather I should find purpose and meaning in my calling to serve and follow Christ. Now, this does not mean that I always succeed at not chasing after the American Dream, but I'm working on it.

Since Wednesday, I have been working lots of hours here at the WP House. This afternoon I took a lovely nap and made brownies. It is only slightly over a month until I move to CA and I am excited about starting seminary (with all those people I googled)!

I don't want to be a princess...I want to be a theologian!

I was reading a theology article tonight online, and I was thinking about how much I want to do that...I want to read, teach, and write theology. Now, I know for many people this sounds insane- who would want to write papers for the rest of his or her life? But, it seems that this is what I like and this is what I am passionate about...for better or worse. Wow, it sounds like I getting hitched to theology!

Currently, a couple of hurtles are between me and the dream! I am accepted and ready to go at Fuller...except that it seems that I still need an apartment (something the Fuller housing office has been little help with so far). It also seems that getting a degree in high finance may be helpful to understand financing and stuff. I also need a job while I am at Fuller...oh and a church and some (preferably awesome) friends and a mentor and someone to make me raw cookie dough when I have a bad day and...you get the picture. Those of you who know me understand that I am a detail person. I want to have all the details figured out. I am (thank you to my socialization as a woman) interested in how the details will be sorted out as well. So, here I am with lots of details and no answers, waiting. Prayers for me and the details I seem to be marrying when I marry theology are appreciated! Bum, bum, bum, buuuum, bum, bum, bum buuuum, buuuum, bum, bum, buuum, bum, bum, buuuum, bum!

DeVol Ladies in DC

Well, this is my first non-introductory post! As I mentioned before, I am not sure why people think this new chapter in my life is going to be so great (I am not saying it isn't going to be good, but I do think it is going to include a lot of challenges). One of the reasons for my thinking is that I miss my Malone friends like crazy! I wish we could all be back in DeVol Hall living together. For just over 24 hours, I got the great privilege of seeing three of my dear friends: Lindsay, Colleen, and Liz! The braved massively congested traffic to make it into DC to visit!

It was one of the best times I have had since graduation! We ate Indian food at a local restaurant (which was a pretty hilarious experience of Lindsay giving verbal affirmation to the waiter and us catching up). Then we headed on the metro over to our old friend Barrack's house (no dog sightings). We ventured to the National Mall to see the monuments where I gave my famous night tour- there is no need to pay that hefty night tour price when you have me! After having some serious discussion about how much war hurts those who die and those who survive and trying to remember our American history, we ventured to the metro station to head back home. But when at 10:04 we arrived at our station, a sign appeared explaining that it closed at 10pm on the weekends. We decided to walk the other 10 or so blocks back to the house (rather than walk about 5 blocks to the next station and about 6 blocks from the closest station to the house). After a brief trot, we made it to the reflecting pool in front of the Capitol building where we hung upside down on the ledge looking at the rotunda and the night sky. We laughed! It was great! We discussed who the lady on top of the Capitol building was, considering Sacagawea as a possibility! The great irony, we decided, being that America has a long, tumultuous history with American Indians. As well, we decided that she was the ultimate working mom- carrying a baby on her back while leading Lewis and Clark (if we remember our history correctly)! We arrived back at the house after a brief hold up at the Supreme Court to let a crane move some stuff that might have fallen on us if we kept walking (according to the construction guy).

It was a wonderful visit! It made me long to be with my friends from Malone again and reminded me of who they inspired me to be over the years! It seems that we are all struggling to carve out lives after graduation, but for a brief time the four of us laughed and played in our nation's capitol like it was 1995! (I don't really know what that means, but it sounds good!)

Starting a new chapter...WHAT?

On the recommendation of a friend (hm, hm...Cody), I have decided to start a blog to share my thoughts and life with my friends (who seem to have spread out all over the world). It seems that I am "starting a new chapter in my life"...please imagine me saying this in a deep, important sounding voice. I am not really sure what this means or why everyone thinks it is such a great, exciting thing.

This "new chapter" includes heading to seminary at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. I will be "leaving on a jet plane" (you know you sang that) at the beginning of September to live in an apartment, take classes, and accrue debt....ok, really to get my M.Div. degree. The new reality is both scary and exciting at the same time. I waver between freaking out and thinking I am going to live in the Garden of Eden.

In this seeming in between time, I am living and working in Washington DC at a Quaker hospitality center on Capitol Hill. I am folding laundry, attempting to give people directions around the city, and visiting museums!

So, I am hoping to put life event updates and various ramblings up for you all to read if you so choose! Cody, who recommended a blog, thinks I should blog about what I am thinking about writing my PhD dissertation about...I don't think I will share any such secrets! But I may tell you about some other great adventures....stay tuned, life continues after these messages!