Goldie took a beating this past week. She is currently in critical condition. We are still waiting to hear from specialists whether she will pull through. It very well may be that her last act was protecting me from harm.
Goldie was born in 2001, in a Ford factory somewhere in America. She is a model Focus, and her body is covered in Gold, hence her name.
I inherited Goldie from my wife while we were still dating. Rachel lived close enough to work to take public transportation, so I worked out a deal with her father and got the car for a buck. Goldie has proved herself a faithful servant ever since.
And oh the places we have gone! To Pittsburgh and back several times! Down to my home in Gaithersburg, MD and back. To Rachel's home in North Jersey and back countless times. And, least we forget, Goldie took us on our honeymoon tour of over ten states along the east coast. To top it all off, most recently Goldie took me and Rachel all the way to St. Louis and back. Before we left we treated her to some spiffy new tires, and a full inspection! Never once, in all this time has she complained. She didn't complain when she was attacked by a suicide deer, which left her with an unsightly deformity on her trunk. She didn't complain last winter when a slippery snow storm sent her crashing into a sign and almost a telephone poll. Yup. Goldie is an icon of endurance and persistence.
Sure, she's had her troubles, like any car with 150,000 miles. She's needed a few key components fixed over the past year, including a timing belt, and that thingy the engine sits on, but she always comes out on the other side of her ailments ready for more action.
Well, this past week was a particularly hard week for Old Goldie. First, last Monday a car ahead of her rudely ran over a heavy medal disk along the highway and shot it directly towards us. I had only a split second to react, just enough time to realize that I really couldn't do anything--swerving on the highway doesn't usually turn out well, as we'll see later. I was sure if the object which was shotgunned toward us hit the windshield, it would easily break through and collide with me. Luckliy, Goldie took the hit for me, right in the head of her hood. Whatever the object was, it left a nasty jagged scar right in the middle of the dent left by the deer years earlier.
A few days later, Rachel and I left our house only to find that our poor Goldie had sustained yet another injury. At some point between breakfast and 2pm that day another car we suspect drove by and thwacked her right in the left rear-view mirror. When we found her the plastic holding the mirror was hanging by a wire, and the actual mirror was laying on the ground miraculously still in one piece. I had some first-aid training in boy scouts when I was young, and I knew time was of the essence, so I quickly bandaged up her wound as best I could with Duct tape. We got everything in place just in time to leave and get Rachel to work on time.
That weekend (which was this past weekend) I traveled home. On Monday, during my return trip, the unthinkable happened. Goldie and I were driving along steadily, intent on getting home to see Rachel as soon as possible while still observing the legal speed limits, when all of a sudden a gray truck the size of a stegasaurus quickly tried merging into our lane. Goldie was in his blind spot, so we quickly veered out of the behemoth's way, down an exit ramp. The roads were slick that day from the rain, and Goldie tried her best to steady us, but inevitably lost control. We swerved left and right until finally Goldie smashed her nose into the guard rail, spun around, and rammed her backend into the guard rail. We were perpendicular to oncoming traffic!
Praise God, the traffic stopped, and Goldie used all the strength she had to move us to the shoulder, and to safety. I was, and am, completely uninjured. Praise God. Not as much can be said for Goldie.
After a couple hours, and some help from the local law enforcement, my insurance company, a tow-truck, and my mom and sister, I was able to get Goldie to a body shop, and grab a rental car to return home with. Goldie is still sitting in Rockville receiving care from some very well trained professionals.
I told this story in a light way so that you can clearly see that our hearts have not been stunned or discouraged in any way by our recent misfortune. The car was given to us by God, and might be taken away by God. God provided before, and he will provide again. God protected me, I should died multiple times in that car, but He has protected me. But, one day God will call me home. No matter what happens, Rachel and I put our trust in him.
That being said, Goldie was a key part of my ministry. Without a car, my job will become very difficult, and very complicated, as will Rachel's life. Please pray that our car can be fixed, or that God would provide another car, or another form of transportation--aka a jet pack--as quickly as possible. I would like for you to pray this so God will be glorified when He does provide for us, and so that you will be further encouraged in your prayer life and reliance on God.
To God be the glory!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Costco and College Transition
It's already noon and this is the first chance I have had to sit down to my computer and get to work. Well, that's not true. I did sit down at my laptop at about 7am this morning to look up directions to Alaina's house in North Philly.
Alaina is a Co-worker of mine. She used to work with the EIC program (Eastern in the city) until it was shut-down last year. She was shuffled to a position on campus, where she provides academic advisement to students struggling with grades and poor study habits. I picked her up this morning to take her to Costco. She's working out the budget and menu for a fundraiser that she, Katie Zoet--another coworker, and I are putting together to help our students afford to go to the Jubilee Conference in February. The event is called "Breakfast for Dinner." Even though we are doing a lot of the organizational stuff, students who are planning on attending the Jubilee will be running the event on Jan 30th, 5-8pm.
It's always nice working on projects like this with my co-workers. Believe it or not my job can be pretty lonely sometimes. I basically have to set my own goals, strategies, and schedules everyday of every week by myself, and then try to keep myself accountable to those things. I'm not complaining; it's the nature of the job, I understand that. But, it is nice every once in a while to work side-by-side with people who really understand what you're going through.
In a way, that's really a core part of my job; identifying with students and trying my best to understand what they are going through. Lucky for me, being only two years out of college myself, I don't have to search very far into my own personal experience to recall what types of struggles they are encountering. I remember what it was like struggling with purpose, and wondering why exactly I was even in college, other than for the mere reason that it was expected of me. I remember too, feeling distanced from God, and uprooted from my life as a dependent youth. As much as I hated to admit it, being dependent, and having everything handed to me, actually had a lot of benefits.
Many students struggle with these basic questions of identity and purpose all the way through college, and I don't have to tell you that many of them look for the answers in all the wrong places.
One of my students, a girl named Wathira, is facing these hard questions as a senior in college. She has enjoyed college in some ways, and despised it in others, but what really scares her now is the daunting reality that college is quickly coming to an end. She has no idea what will come after college. She was told in high school that college was the time and place when you find out what you will do with your life. Yet here she is, with no clear direction for where do go. She will graduate in May with a degree in English literature, this is a subject she is passionate about, and loves writing essays on, but she cannot conceive of a job in that field which would suit her. So then the bigger question hits her, "What did I just spend four years of my life doing? What did I just spend over $120,000.00 on exactly?"
The age old compulsive response that everyone wants to tell her is "Well, with a degree at least you can get a job." The problem with old truisms is after a while they're just old. The fact is more people have degrees in the world today than ever before in history, and a bachelor's degree just isn't as impressive as it used to be. Fact: My wife is working on getting her master's degree and she works at Starbucks. Fact: All of her co-workers have either a master's degree, bachelor's degree, or associate's degree. So the lesson is: I can get a job at Starbucks right out of high school, OR four years, $120,000.00, and a bachelor's degree later I can... ... get a job at Starbucks? Something isn't right with this picture.
This is the reality that Wathira and many of her peers are transitioning into. On top of this, there doesn't seem to be a community for her to enter into that will help her through this transition. The world tells her that if she has made it through college then she ought to be able to fend for herself. Degree equals responsible adult, didn't you know? Of course, her degree wasn't in "responsible adult." In fact the average college student doesn't receive one iota of training on how to survive in the real world as an adult from their university.
Thankfully, Wathira is part of a weekly coffeehouse small group. During the small group time she gets to meet and talk with young adults who have graduated from college some time in the last 2-5 years. She is gradually building relationships with people who still very much know what Wathira is going through, and can share all the wisdom and knowledge they have gleaned in the past few years. Building relationships like these are essential for someone in Wathira's shoes. I know this because almost every new young adult I meet who I invite to small group tells me they have been looking or praying for something just like this for a long time. Many of them come depressed and downhearted, but by the end of the first or second meeting they are shining with joy and laughter. I'm aware that their joy may only last until half-way through their drives home, but for all of them the small groups are a penetrating light in their week when they can commune together, share their struggles and joys, and delve into scripture.
Pray for all the college students and young adults out there who are still seeking fellowship and community, and are struggling with meaning and purpose during this next week.
Until Next Time.
In Christ,
Elliott
Alaina is a Co-worker of mine. She used to work with the EIC program (Eastern in the city) until it was shut-down last year. She was shuffled to a position on campus, where she provides academic advisement to students struggling with grades and poor study habits. I picked her up this morning to take her to Costco. She's working out the budget and menu for a fundraiser that she, Katie Zoet--another coworker, and I are putting together to help our students afford to go to the Jubilee Conference in February. The event is called "Breakfast for Dinner." Even though we are doing a lot of the organizational stuff, students who are planning on attending the Jubilee will be running the event on Jan 30th, 5-8pm.
It's always nice working on projects like this with my co-workers. Believe it or not my job can be pretty lonely sometimes. I basically have to set my own goals, strategies, and schedules everyday of every week by myself, and then try to keep myself accountable to those things. I'm not complaining; it's the nature of the job, I understand that. But, it is nice every once in a while to work side-by-side with people who really understand what you're going through.
In a way, that's really a core part of my job; identifying with students and trying my best to understand what they are going through. Lucky for me, being only two years out of college myself, I don't have to search very far into my own personal experience to recall what types of struggles they are encountering. I remember what it was like struggling with purpose, and wondering why exactly I was even in college, other than for the mere reason that it was expected of me. I remember too, feeling distanced from God, and uprooted from my life as a dependent youth. As much as I hated to admit it, being dependent, and having everything handed to me, actually had a lot of benefits.
Many students struggle with these basic questions of identity and purpose all the way through college, and I don't have to tell you that many of them look for the answers in all the wrong places.
One of my students, a girl named Wathira, is facing these hard questions as a senior in college. She has enjoyed college in some ways, and despised it in others, but what really scares her now is the daunting reality that college is quickly coming to an end. She has no idea what will come after college. She was told in high school that college was the time and place when you find out what you will do with your life. Yet here she is, with no clear direction for where do go. She will graduate in May with a degree in English literature, this is a subject she is passionate about, and loves writing essays on, but she cannot conceive of a job in that field which would suit her. So then the bigger question hits her, "What did I just spend four years of my life doing? What did I just spend over $120,000.00 on exactly?"
The age old compulsive response that everyone wants to tell her is "Well, with a degree at least you can get a job." The problem with old truisms is after a while they're just old. The fact is more people have degrees in the world today than ever before in history, and a bachelor's degree just isn't as impressive as it used to be. Fact: My wife is working on getting her master's degree and she works at Starbucks. Fact: All of her co-workers have either a master's degree, bachelor's degree, or associate's degree. So the lesson is: I can get a job at Starbucks right out of high school, OR four years, $120,000.00, and a bachelor's degree later I can... ... get a job at Starbucks? Something isn't right with this picture.
This is the reality that Wathira and many of her peers are transitioning into. On top of this, there doesn't seem to be a community for her to enter into that will help her through this transition. The world tells her that if she has made it through college then she ought to be able to fend for herself. Degree equals responsible adult, didn't you know? Of course, her degree wasn't in "responsible adult." In fact the average college student doesn't receive one iota of training on how to survive in the real world as an adult from their university.
Thankfully, Wathira is part of a weekly coffeehouse small group. During the small group time she gets to meet and talk with young adults who have graduated from college some time in the last 2-5 years. She is gradually building relationships with people who still very much know what Wathira is going through, and can share all the wisdom and knowledge they have gleaned in the past few years. Building relationships like these are essential for someone in Wathira's shoes. I know this because almost every new young adult I meet who I invite to small group tells me they have been looking or praying for something just like this for a long time. Many of them come depressed and downhearted, but by the end of the first or second meeting they are shining with joy and laughter. I'm aware that their joy may only last until half-way through their drives home, but for all of them the small groups are a penetrating light in their week when they can commune together, share their struggles and joys, and delve into scripture.
Pray for all the college students and young adults out there who are still seeking fellowship and community, and are struggling with meaning and purpose during this next week.
Until Next Time.
In Christ,
Elliott
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Coffeehouse Office
Well, here I am again, at the Gryphon, with one awesome addition; my wife Rachel is sitting across the table from me. She has no idea I'm writing about her. She's working hard on some homework from her grad class. She's going back to school to get her Master's in teaching. It's her day off...well sort of. She didn't have to work at Starbucks today--a part-time job which helps us with health insurance and other bills--but she did have almost two hours of class already.
We joke to each other that if we ever go into the mission field we might actually find time to relax.
Missions have been on both our minds lately with the tragedy of Haiti still very much present in the news. We wonder how long the media will keep reporting about them. We wonder how long we'll remember them.
Small group went really well last night, although only about half the group showed up. That left about five of us total, which is a good size for a small group. Numbers never bother me too much. I faithfully do my job the best I can everyday, and trust that God sends who he will send. Anyways, last night we talked about "Poverty and Justice." After being sent--free of charge--to the Urbana Conference with my wife this winter, I left inspired, and decided that the 2010 theme for the young adults and college students in my ministry would be "Poverty and Justice."
During the missions conference I found many helpful resources, including a 6-week lesson and journal series called "The Hole in Our Gospel" based on Richard Stearns book (President of World Vision) by the same name. I decided to use this journal series as a Lenten study, which starts in about four weeks. I've spent the last week studying the bible and reading books about the Christian's responsibility for the poor, hungry, sick, and marginalized. Getting into this I thought I was already pretty well-suited to lead others in becoming aware of the needs around us, and show them how to be proactive in meeting those needs. But somehow the more I study and pray the less adequate I feel. The funny thing about delving into the lives of the poor and destitute is that the more you learn the less capable you feel to make a difference. This rubs my academic mind the wrong way. I like learning about a problem, and then quickly learning a solution. It's a fairly painless process. Learning about the lives of the poor is very painful...and unsettling, because my own life begins to seem much more luxurious than I would like it to seem.
At the end of the series the college students and young adults will be challenged to actually find a way to actively stand up for justice for those who have no voice, or start a campaign on campus that will raise awareness around a particular issue, like clean water, the spread of AIDS, or the child sex-trade.
If you're interested in any of this, or want a closer look at what we'll be doing, you can check out the website. It actually has the 42-day journal online for free, so if you feel compelled you could do your own Leneten study.
http://www.ministryplanet.net/sites/sixweekquest
Well, that's my 15 minutes. Back to work, got another small group tonight, this time it's at Starbucks!
Until next time.
We joke to each other that if we ever go into the mission field we might actually find time to relax.
Missions have been on both our minds lately with the tragedy of Haiti still very much present in the news. We wonder how long the media will keep reporting about them. We wonder how long we'll remember them.
Small group went really well last night, although only about half the group showed up. That left about five of us total, which is a good size for a small group. Numbers never bother me too much. I faithfully do my job the best I can everyday, and trust that God sends who he will send. Anyways, last night we talked about "Poverty and Justice." After being sent--free of charge--to the Urbana Conference with my wife this winter, I left inspired, and decided that the 2010 theme for the young adults and college students in my ministry would be "Poverty and Justice."
During the missions conference I found many helpful resources, including a 6-week lesson and journal series called "The Hole in Our Gospel" based on Richard Stearns book (President of World Vision) by the same name. I decided to use this journal series as a Lenten study, which starts in about four weeks. I've spent the last week studying the bible and reading books about the Christian's responsibility for the poor, hungry, sick, and marginalized. Getting into this I thought I was already pretty well-suited to lead others in becoming aware of the needs around us, and show them how to be proactive in meeting those needs. But somehow the more I study and pray the less adequate I feel. The funny thing about delving into the lives of the poor and destitute is that the more you learn the less capable you feel to make a difference. This rubs my academic mind the wrong way. I like learning about a problem, and then quickly learning a solution. It's a fairly painless process. Learning about the lives of the poor is very painful...and unsettling, because my own life begins to seem much more luxurious than I would like it to seem.
At the end of the series the college students and young adults will be challenged to actually find a way to actively stand up for justice for those who have no voice, or start a campaign on campus that will raise awareness around a particular issue, like clean water, the spread of AIDS, or the child sex-trade.
If you're interested in any of this, or want a closer look at what we'll be doing, you can check out the website. It actually has the 42-day journal online for free, so if you feel compelled you could do your own Leneten study.
http://www.ministryplanet.net/sites/sixweekquest
Well, that's my 15 minutes. Back to work, got another small group tonight, this time it's at Starbucks!
Until next time.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Let us see what we see
Well here I am, sitting at a table against the far wall of the Gryphon Cafe in Wayne. I had a brilliant idea earlier today...actually it wasn't my idea, but it is something I've been thinking about doing for a while and finally decided to try today after someone else suggested it a few weeks ago. I decided to start this blog.
What is this blog anyways? What's it all about?
Good question, he says to himself :)
Well, at this point I'm really not sure. I guess it's an attempt to help my supporters stay in touch with me, and get a better feel for what types of trials and triumphs I encounter on a daily basis with my campus ministry.
The clock at the bottom of my screen is telling me I have about ten minutes to say something profound, or at least something interesting, because I need to pick up some students from Eastern in twenty minutes for our small group tonight. That clock is always telling me things. Usually he tells me that I don't have enough time to do everything I want, or that I am late for something, or that it is much to early in the day for me to be this exhausted.
There are other voices, the ones on my voicemail for example, that I usally only have time to listen to once or twice a week, then there is the voice of caution in the back of my mind telling me not to be too honest, and to keep everything sounding pristine and glorious.
Six minutes to go.
The person who suggested I write this blog happens to be a new supporter. He encouraged me to write often about my ministry and to write from my heart. He shared that the last couple he and his wife supported in ministry lived in some hostile and impoverished area in one of the Americas south of us. He also shared that the stories that the missionaries shared through their newsletters were the most cherished memory they had from being supporters. He encouraged me to not go for the Christianized candy-coated delivery, but to be authentic and real. That sort of scares me, because some of the things I think, and some of the things I witness might make my supporters think twice about supporting this ministry.
Two minutes to go...make that one.
Well, I have to getting going soon, so I'll leave you with what you can expect from this blog. Nothing profound, obviously, but hopefully something interesting. I can't promise my thoughts will always be organized or well stated, but I can promise that I will try my best to share a little bit from everyday here, even if I am squeezing it in between a million other things. Welcome to campus ministry!
My clock says I have to go. Until next time.
What is this blog anyways? What's it all about?
Good question, he says to himself :)
Well, at this point I'm really not sure. I guess it's an attempt to help my supporters stay in touch with me, and get a better feel for what types of trials and triumphs I encounter on a daily basis with my campus ministry.
The clock at the bottom of my screen is telling me I have about ten minutes to say something profound, or at least something interesting, because I need to pick up some students from Eastern in twenty minutes for our small group tonight. That clock is always telling me things. Usually he tells me that I don't have enough time to do everything I want, or that I am late for something, or that it is much to early in the day for me to be this exhausted.
There are other voices, the ones on my voicemail for example, that I usally only have time to listen to once or twice a week, then there is the voice of caution in the back of my mind telling me not to be too honest, and to keep everything sounding pristine and glorious.
Six minutes to go.
The person who suggested I write this blog happens to be a new supporter. He encouraged me to write often about my ministry and to write from my heart. He shared that the last couple he and his wife supported in ministry lived in some hostile and impoverished area in one of the Americas south of us. He also shared that the stories that the missionaries shared through their newsletters were the most cherished memory they had from being supporters. He encouraged me to not go for the Christianized candy-coated delivery, but to be authentic and real. That sort of scares me, because some of the things I think, and some of the things I witness might make my supporters think twice about supporting this ministry.
Two minutes to go...make that one.
Well, I have to getting going soon, so I'll leave you with what you can expect from this blog. Nothing profound, obviously, but hopefully something interesting. I can't promise my thoughts will always be organized or well stated, but I can promise that I will try my best to share a little bit from everyday here, even if I am squeezing it in between a million other things. Welcome to campus ministry!
My clock says I have to go. Until next time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)