Where have the days gone?

Pslam 13 my first "sermon"

2008-10-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

I preached my first "sermon" well it was a chapel message at Holland Christian High School. I got up in front of 800 students and however many teachers. I think it went okay. I wish that I would have had it completely memorized, but I didn't have time. There were a couple of times where my nervous almost got the best of me, but I just slowed down and tried to regain composure.
If you're interested here's the message...

Psalm 13

In Psalm 13, the writer cries out:

1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

4 and my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6 I will sing the LORD's praise,
for he has been good to me.

One warm summer night, Kurt and his friends Bryan, Scott, and Travis decided to go swimming at a local farm pond about 5 miles outside of town. All four boys were enjoying a summer of freedom before they started college in the fall.

Scott said, “I bet I can beat all of you across the pond.” “Yeah right Scott, maybe if my left arm was broken,” replied Bryan.

So the guys decided to race from one end of the pond to the other end. “Ready. Set. GO!” And they were off.

Bryan made it the other side first with Scott and Travis close behind. The three guys climbed to shore. “Where’s Kurt?” asked Travis.

They turned around and looked at the pond. Kurt had only made it half way, and he was struggling to keep himself above the surface. At first the guys froze before reality kicked in. They jumped back into the water and swam as fast as they could towards Kurt. The three guys didn’t utter a word to each other; the only sound was the frantic swim strokes of the boys. They could see Kurt slipping below the surface as they began to close the distance between them and Kurt. Their muscles were slowing due to exhaustion.

By the time they reached the middle of the pond they couldn’t find Kurt. They kept searching and searching. Travis swam back to shore and ran to call for help. They finally found Kurt, but it was too late. Kurt was dead.

The boys hadn’t been drinking; it wasn’t a reckless action. All of them were healthy and athletic guys that had swam multiple times across that pond over the years. Kurt may have cramped up in the middle of the pond and panic may have set in.

Questions must have flooded into the boys’ minds as the shock wore off and the difficult reality set in. So where is God? How could He let this happen? Kurt’s death seems so pointless. What kind of God would allow this to happen?

Put yourself in Travis, Byran, and Scott’s position.

How would you talk to God? Could you even talk to him?

The Psalmist in Psalm 13 feels a lot like Bryan, Travis, and Scott. The Psalmist feels like God has forgotten about him. The Psalmist emphasizes his point by stating that God has intentionally hidden his face from the Psalmist. The Psalmist confronts God with four “How long” questions. He doesn’t want information from God to answer his questions; he’s accusing, protesting and questioning God. Simply put: The Psalmist is pissed off at God. He feels forgotten, alone, confused, and defeated. The Psalmist knows who God is, and what he has promised to do. He’s yelling because he knows that God is listening. Psalmist is telling God that life isn’t right. There is injustice. Things need to change, and God is responsible to change them. In verse 3 the Psalmist writes 3 imperatives for God to look, answer, and give light to his eyes. The Psalmist is telling God what to do. The Psalmist is extremely bold here because he is putting himself at the same level as God, the high King, by making these demands. The Psalmist is claiming some kind of authority to do so. He knows that his relationship with God can handle his crying out in raw emotion and protesting the evil and pain in the Psalmist’s life. The Psalmist cries, “How long, O Lord.”

Like the Psalmist, we feel like God has forgotten about us and has intentionally turned his face away from us. We want to scream “how long, O Lord” at God’s face. Maybe we live in a home that isn’t safe from emotional, physical or sexual abuse. Maybe someone very close to us has been diagnosed with cancer. Maybe we have friends that have all of the sudden alienated us for no reason.

We want to tell God what He should be doing. He should be stopping the pain and evil in this life. But we often stop short. We don’t yell at God. We bottle it up. We’re scared. Can we really accuse God of leaving us? Can we question why God put us in a dysfunctional family? Why friends and family are diagnosed with terminal illnesses? Why has a friend started a false rumor that has spread around the school? And the ultimate question: Why isn’t God being God?

Questioning God doesn’t seem right or okay to do. In our heads, we may falsely think, “If I’m a good enough Christian with a strong enough faith, I’ll be able to see the good out of this horrible situation. God is sovereign and wills everything. God must be willing this pain in my life.” Or maybe we think, “Christ suffered on the Cross, and maybe I’m supposed to suffer too.” We use illogical logic tells us that it is a lack of faith to question God in our prayers or out loud. Maybe if we don’t voice our emotions and feelings, then maybe they don’t exist. Can we really trust God that he can handle what we throw at him even when we’re in deep sorrow and darkness? Do we trust that God can handle our raw anger, frustration, confusion?

The Psalmist does trust that God can handle his anger, frustration, and confusion. The Psalmist knows that he can come before God and scream “How long O Lord?” There is shift in mood from the Psalmist lament to God in verses 1-4 to a confession of trust in God in verse 5. Although this shift seems so quick from him being pissed off to trusting and praising God, the Psalmist is in a covenantal relationship with God. It’s an agreement between him and God that God will never leave him and that he will be faithful to his people.

The Psalmist states in verse 3 “Look on me and answer, LORD my God.” Here he is claiming not only that God is his God, but that he, the psalmist, is still one of God’s covenant people. The Psalmist is remembering the promises of God to his people of “I am the Lord your God” that are repeated throughout the Old Testament. The Psalmist knows that he can come before God and protest the injustice and pain and command God to act. The Psalmist knows that God is listening to him even from the deep darkness that surrounds him; otherwise he wouldn’t put forth the effort to write the Psalm. The Psalmist knows that God is not just hearing but listening and will act. God is big enough and strong enough to handle what the Psalmist accuses him.

Even though God hasn’t acted, the Psalmist trusts that God will in the future. In verse 6 the Psalmist will “sing the LORD's praise, for he has been good.” The Psalmist is holding onto that and places his hope in that.

Like the Psalmist we can trust in God that he can handle our anger, frustration, and confusion. God is our God, and we are his people. We don’t have to just talk to God. We, Christians, chosen by God, can yell at Him. We can scream out at the pain and in the injustice of this world. God even helps us by giving us scripture that conveys our anger, hurt, and frustration against Him. He allows his people to yell and scream at him. He’s big enough to take it. It’s not like he doesn’t know what we’re thinking anyways. God allows us to speak that way to him. We’re not in danger of losing our salvation or faith. He has created a paradigm that we can come before Him, almighty God, in faith. We don’t have to be “proper and put together Christians” all the time. It’s impossible to do. There is injustice in this world, and there is a lot of pain. We suffer, and God is the only one that can help us.

One third of the Psalms are filled with lament Psalms where the writers protest what is happening in their lives and the oppression and suffering they are experiencing. God has created such an intimate relationship with his people that we can directly come to him and lay everything out honestly. We can come to God when our emotions are raw and our thoughts are confused. God has given us Scripture to help us in the process of lament, and he has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us through the process. We’re not alone in our sorrow.

Psalm 13 and other Psalms 5, 40,44 to name a few show us that: We can state that things in life are horrible like Kurt’s death. Something has to be done because things can’t stay the same. We won’t accept the present situation because it’s not fair and it’s unjust. It’s God’s obligation to change the situation. Lament is the way that we process pain. Naming our feelings and our pain, then pains lessens its strength and strangle hold on our life and faith. In our distress we can yell at God, “how long?” because he listens to us. He responds with Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. Christ has been victorious over death, and when Christ comes again he will usher in the fullness of the Kingdom of God. There will be no more pain and suffering, and we can continue to come directly before God to speak with him. We will no longer cry out “How long, O lord.” God will restore all of his creation and end pain and suffering forever. We will sing like the Psalmist "the LORD's praise, for he has been good to me." Amen.

Chicago!

2008-06-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

I've escaped Grand Rapids for a week and half in Chicago. I've been enjoying running by the lake in the mornings (well whenever I decide to get out of bed), watching TV, hanging out with my college friends, and exploring the city. Also, I went to an old motorcycle bar called the Twisted Spoke with Sarah and a woman from her church. I ate a half pound burger with everything on it-it was soooo good.

Here's the story of one of my marriage proposal...

The waiter questioned me, "Are you sure you want everything on it? It has like 4 kinds of cheese on it."
Me, "Why, not?"
He responded, "That's so awesome."
I finished the hamburger and ate some of my fries and the pickle. He came back and asked, "Did you eat the whole thing without any help?"
Me, "Yep." That was all I could muster because I was so full.
He asked, "If you like beer, I'd marry you."
Me, "I like beer too." I thought he was going to buy me one, but no luck.
He went on to say something about me probably not wanting his number (which was true.) I was having trouble listening to him since I was so full. Here's the documentary...

The beginning....
Yum...
I could barely get it in my mouth. There were like 6 pieces of bacon (not the thin precooked kind).
After the first bite...
I'm sooo happy right now. It's so good.The end...I'm wishing I would have stopped 20 bites ago. I was experiencing a massive food coma.

Hmm...too much time...

2008-06-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking that I'm going to get back and update everyone. Well it's been a while, and I can't remember everything that has happened.
1. At the beginning of May, I went home for Tulip Time. I had a great time with my family and friends. Also, I ate a TON of food which is the main point of Tulip Time.
2. I finished the end of my second year of seminary on May 16. It was horribly busy, and I felt that I did mediocre work. I've gotten some of my grades back, and they were not as high as I was hoping. Luckily my scholarships don't count on a GPA neither will my job. There's not much difference between 3.6 and a 3.5, well that's what I keep telling myself. I can't believe I have 2 years of seminary past me.
3. I started a 2 week summer class on May 19, yeah I had a weekend before I started classes again. NOT enough! I was still pretty burnt out. The class was on Urban Ministries but there was only 2 of us in the class. The other guy was in his upper fifties, and he help me know it everyday. It was a hard class to go to because discussions were a little lopsided. I had to write a short paper and then a 15-18 page paper. This almost killed me because I couldn't focus that long. Anyways, I choose the topic of Spiritual Warfare. I don't really remember learning about it in school or church. The CRC has had some discussion lately due to the Synodical 2007 Study Report on 3rd Wave Pentacostalism (which is a review of the stance in 1973). Also CRCpublications has published two books that touch on the subjects-Signs and Wonders: Reformed look at the Spirit's ongoing work by Algera and Spiritual Warfare: what the Bible teaches, what you need to know by Jeff Stam. The main thing that I came away with after writing the paper is that the Devil works on 3 fronts. Evil works through our sinful nature (indirectly-also referred to as fleshly desires), the world and it's evil systems, and the devil's and demon's direct involvement (the cosmic warfare of good and evil). In Reformed Circles we are really good at recognizing the first two-our sinful state and the evil world systems, but we shy away from the third. We are scarred that we'll be labeled fanatic Pentecostals or charismatics to name things as a the active, direct work of the devil. But it's a reality the devil is active in our world-in North America. We should be able to name evil-the source of it-without trying to put the blame on our actions. Some things are just out of our control because Satan is assaulting, attacking us. The ONLY thing to do is pray for God's intervening. We can't do anything, Satan's too powerful. Now the danger (which many Reformed people are validly concerned about) is becoming consumed with the work of the devil by trying to name and rank the demons or living in fear of his actions. We cannot live lives of fear, but we live in lives of hope that Jesus has conquered the Devil through Jesus' death and resurrection. We live in the Kingdom of God, and the devil has been defeated. When Jesus comes again the Kingdom of God will come to full completion. There will be no more sin. This is what we must focus on-this is our hope and joy. We must acknowledge the evil in the world and try to diminish as much as possible. But when it comes down to it, we have to have faith that God will do the fighting for us. He will continue to bring forth His Kingdom in this world. (Maybe I should be come a preacher?!? Haha, NOOOO way!) I just wanted to share that with you.
4. I finished my paper on Sunday, and started a new class on Monday.... In between finishing and Monday, I got a flat tire. 3.5 hours later, I was back on the road. I had to get 4 different people to help me....so annoying! I've finished my second class on "The Theology and Practice of Pastoral Ministry." It was a great class. The only downside is that it's over and it was 6 hours every day Mon-Thur and 3 hours on Friday. I'll write what I took away from that class after I've finished the papers and books. Plus, this post is getting a little long...

Happy Birthday to Me and other such stuff...

2008-04-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's official. I'm 24. I've been 24 for a week, and it's not that great. The only difference is now I have to buy my own health insurance-which basically means I'm going the buy the cheapest plan and skip any annual check up visits until I get a "real job..." The good things is that I'm pretty healthy and don't have any major meds that I take.
The birthday itself was uneventful because I spent most of the day in the airport and driving back to GR. I was going back to school from spring break in TX. All in all it was a good trip. We spent most of the time pool side and playing cards. (Pictures to come)
My elder sent me a card asking me to let the church know what I was up to, so I thought I would include the letter on my blog for your enjoyment...or just stop reading after this if you aren't interested. (I won't be offended because it's kind of long...)

Things are going pretty well at Calvin Seminary despite that it keeps me very busy. I’m finishing up my 3^rd quarter of my second year at seminary. I finally seem to be getting the hang of this seminary thing. My first year was very hard adapting to a different kind of learning and environment. This year, I’m more familiar with what the professors require, but this year has been difficult I’m learning Greek and Hebrew at the same time! I have about 500+ Greek and 300+ Hebrew vocabulary words getting jumbled around in my mind. God has been so faithful in guiding me and strengthening me, so that I have been able to maintain a high GPA to be eligible for scholarships each year. I am anticipating graduation in May of 2009 with a Master’s in Divinity degree. Due to the curriculum changes in the last year, I have decided to finish my Master’s of Divinity degree in three years instead of four years. This requires me to take a couple of summer classes right after the 3^rd quarter ends. I can’t believe only have a year left! I will have to finish my 10 week congregational based internship after I graduate. I’ve been debating about extending my internship to a yearlong internship at a Christian school (maybe at an overseas missionary school?) I am planning on receiving my degree, but I am not going to candidate or seek ordination. I really feel God calling me to teach in a classroom setting. Part of my program requires that I preach 6 sermons, but since I’m not going to be ordained the field education coordinator will allow me to replace the sermons with chapel speeches at local Christian schools.

While in seminary, I’ve grown so much and been challenged to evaluate my beliefs and my reasons for why I hold those beliefs. Don’t worry, I’m still Reformed to the core! Some of the issues I’ve been wrestling with:

1. Women in Office/Ministry. I feel caught in the middle at times in discussions surrounding this topic because of the stance of our classis and church, my female classmates, and what the Bible says. I do not feel God’s leading me to be ordained to serve in the church, but after studying the Scriptures I am still somewhat confused. I do not see a clear “answer” in the Bible other than to continually be faithful to God’s laws and be led by the spirit. I see and cannot deny the God given gifts of preaching, pastoral care, and leadership in my Christian sisters, and I have listened to their call stories to the ministry.

2. I just got back from a week long seminar called SCUPE: God’s Reign in Our City sponsored by the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education. The seminar focused on God’s work in urban settings and the challenges and issues that are relevant to that setting (which could spill into our future ministry. During the seminars focused working poor, returning citizens who have been incarcerated, evangelism to Muslims, and unjust wars, I felt convicted through the workshops that I attended to begin to identify injustice that I see around me-the systems that perpetuate and exacerbate injustice. Also how I contribute to and if I fight against injustice. Social justice is often seen as a negative thing, but it’s our calling to love ourselves but also to love our neighbors. I’ve been evaluating how the church that I am attending in GR is loving and ministering to their immediate local community. What ministries are they doing to meet the needs of those in the community and at the same time living and speaking the Gospel in the world.

After I finish my summer classes in mid/late June, I will begin preparing to help lead the “Facing Your Future” program hosted by the seminary. The focus of the program is to promote ministry as a lifelong vocation. I attended when I was in high school after being nominated by Pastor Zeilstra and Mr. Jason Leif, and I learned so much. It helped discern my calling, introduced me to lifelong ministry friends, and challenged me to think about how my knowledge of God should really influence my daily life. For the first 10 days, the participates listen to lectures by seminary professors, learn about the different CRC ministries, and visit different CRC churches in Grand Rapids and other religious worship spaces. I encourage the council and pastor to evaluate the young people in our congregation, search out leaders, and nominate them to participate on the program. The “Facing Your Future” program was the best high school program I have experienced due to its focus and depth.

Thank you for letting me take your time to share with you what is going on in my life. I’m excited to see how God is working in our church and community. I’m planning on visiting home for Tulip Time. Lola Spoelstra is making me a new costume, so look for me in the baby parade! If you have any questions or comments please find me after church on the Sunday after Tulip Time. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support not only during my time at seminary but throughout my life as I’m discerning God’s leading in my life.

Snow...

2008-03-28T05:47:00.001-07:00

It snowed again last night...ugh...

Spring?

2008-03-26T14:07:00.001-07:00

I'm ready for spring. It just keeps snowing. Last weekend, was ridiculous-almost all of the churches canceled their Good Friday services. We got so much snow, it's finally beginning to disappear today-it's still only low 40's not including windchill. Luckily I'm leaving for spring break in a week and half...Texas here I come!

I got in!

2008-03-19T08:02:00.001-07:00

Last night I found out that I'm going to be an FYF leader this summer! (I was nervous because there were more applicants than leader positions.) Calvin Seminary runs a 3 week program called "Facing your Future" in July for high school juniors and seniors. The program is focused on encouraging the students to seriously consider ministry as a life long vocation. Ministry, in this context, is focused on working with the church or denominational agencies. (Ministry in the general sense is what we as Christians are called to in all of life whatever our job is.) The students spend about half of the program in Grand Rapids learning from seminary professor lectures, visiting various religious institutions, theologically reflecting in small groups, and having a little fun doing it. Then in the second half they go to an excursion site to see concretely ministry in the world like church planting with Home Missions, World Relief, World missions work. I'm so excited to have the opportunity to work with high school students again because I'll be able to apply some of the things that I've learned from seminary. Also, I'll hope to renew my calling/excited to do ministry with them...sometimes I get too caught up and bogged down doing homework and getting good grades that I forget about the ministry calling.

In other news, I've trying 2 new things. I'm taking salsa lessons with a friend. I'm terrible at it-horrible...but hopefully I'll get better. It's fun, but frustrating at the same time. I'm learning to play ping-pong. We have a table at seminary, and it's a nice change of pace during a day of class. I'm not ready to take on the Korean students, but I'm beginning to get as good as the Americans. I've been working on my topspin forehand-luckily my tennis skills are somewhat beneficial.

Keep it coming!

2008-03-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

I just saw 3/5 of my grades from last quarter. I dodged some bullets; I think the professors were feeling a bit generous. I guess I didn't fail my Ethics exams (by the grace of God) and ended up with a B...usually I hate B's, but in this case I'll take it. I just don't want to ever have to take another class like that again (but sadly I have to next year with the same professor). And my preaching and Greek grades were a bit higher than I was thinking. I might pull out the semester with 1 B and a smattering of A-'s (cross your fingers for an A in Worship class). I can deal with that! Especially after my horrible winter quarter...

Too long!

2008-02-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's been a while. Here's a quick update:
1. I checked out of real life for about a month. I was so incredibly busy as my winter quarter was winding down. In the last 2 weeks of the quarter I had 4 exams, 2 quizzes, 3 papers (one was a 15 page Greek exegetical paper). I didn't really sleep at all maybe 3-5 hours a night, and the week before wasn't that great either with another Hebrew quiz and a couple of more assignments due. By the grace of God I got through those last weeks. I finished on Wednesday Feb. 20 at 12pm. I have no idea how things are going to turn out. I don't think my input (the hours spent studying and preparing) will equal my output (text and paper performance), which is pretty disappointing. Although, I just found out my Hebrew grades. I've never worked so hard for a class; I'd study for 30 hours for a weekly quiz and get a C! I finally saw some improvement from receiving F's on my first couple quizzes to getting an A on the final exam. The professor gave a B+/A- as a final grade for the class, but I have no idea what that really means.
2. The seminary gave us a 4 day weekend to try to recover and prepare ourselves for another quarter. It wasn't long enough! I spent most of it almost comatose in front of the TV watching Alias on DVD and movies from Blockbuster (I signed up for the 2 week free trial!). It was great. I did manage the clean the apartment, but that was about it. It was great, and what I really needed.
3. Monday classes started, and I think that I like them better than last quarter. (Which is good because I didn't like most of them). I'm taking a New Testament Gospels; Old Testament Narrative; Personal Evangelism, Discipleship, and Cross-cultural ministry; and a systematic theology class Holy Spirit, Church, and Kingdom. I think that I'll have less homework than last quarter (but that doesn't take much), but I think I'll have too much work to be able to get a part-time waitressing job. But we'll see...
4. I've discovered a gem of a deal! I purchased a $5 bus ticket for 10 rides. I can ride one bus from Calvin campus downtown, and it only takes about 25-30 minutes one way. It's so nice to get away from campus, and downtown Grand Rapids it's not too bad. I save so much because I don't have to pay for gas or parking in the day. It's not much longer to take the bus than drive and try to find a parking spot. I hope to begin to explore the downtown shops and coffeeshops more in the coming months.
5. On Friday's I play indoor tennis with 7 Korean pastors and seminary students. It's a ton of fun, except I usually don't understand what they are saying. I've definitely seen improvement in my game from when I started (although I was pretty rustly when I started). I still struggle with my forehand, but my serve is something to be reckoned with. Anyways, I'll stop rambling now, and I promise to be better at keeping up with the blog.

New Years in Chicago

2008-01-05T09:44:00.001-08:00

For the first time in many years, I didn't celebrate New Years in Pella. New Years is a strange holiday because it's so hyped up-but there isn't much to do. I've never liked the holiday much except that it used to mark the new start of a semester in college. This year, I had a good time with my college friends, we ordered in and then went to a friend's house. It was low key and a great time. I rocked guitar-hero (well I was playing on easy and the person I was against was playing expert) and dominated my opponent.
I don't really feel like it's a New Year because I'm half way through my quarter. I still have to take 2 midterm exams and write tons of papers...it seems like August should truly be the start of my "New Year." I'm sure I'll get used to it. Happy 2008!

This the only picture I have that you can see my nose ring. It's pretty small, and I think I like it more every day. (Except when I forget I have it and pull it out accidentally.) After a couple of weeks, I think I'm going to replace this little stud with a 2 karat cubic zirconia...just kidding.

Pictures of my great time with my family in Pella are coming...I forgot my camera in Grand Rapids, so I'll be posting them soon.

It's Christmas...

2007-12-27T16:37:00.000-08:00

I'm in Pella for the holidays. The seminary gives us a almost two weeks of vacation for Christmas, but for some ridiculous reason they scheduled us to come back on a Friday. It would have been nice to start on Monday and get a couple more days of break. I've been trying to study Hebrew because I'm doing horribly in it. I don't know how I'll ever fit all of the vocabulary into my brain. I've had a pretty blessed life. When I put forth effort, I usually see positive results...not so in Hebrew. I'm a complete dunce! I just hope I can pass; otherwise I'll be in seminary for another year.
Ugh, I get depressed just thinking about it. Other things that have happened over break. My whole family was here (including my ridiculously cute nephews). It was really good to see everyone despite my annoying cold. My sister-in-law and I bonded with a trip to Des Moines where she convinced me to get my nose pierced . It was painless for the most part. I have wanted to get it done since I was 15, but I never got it done (trying to respect the parents). My sister-in-law is very persuasive, so I go it done. I like it-except when I hit myself in the face. Yeah, it happens-especially with a cold!
These next couple of days, I'm planning on studying in the ONE coffee shop in Pella (the lack of choice is annoying), reading Anne of Green Gables, watching TV, and hanging out with friends and family. I think I'll be rested and ready for school in a week or so (well I guess I'll have to be either way).

New Pens and Pencils

2007-12-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to stop procrastinating this quarter. I tried to sike myself by buying new school supplies. The school supplies are great. I highly recommend Pilot v7RT ball point clicker pens, they've made me fall in love all over again with underlining my readings. :) The downside that my new school supplies aren't helping my procrastination. Oh well there is always next quarter to work on it. Maybe I'm just perpetuating the vicious cycle and just accept the fact that I'm a procrastinator. I like to work under pressure, maybe I'm a closet adrenaline junkie?

I'm DONE!

2007-11-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

I'm completely finished with my Fall quarter of classes...and it feels so good. I'm spending a couple of days in Chicago with some friends and then heading home for some good quality time with my family in Iowa. It feels so great...I'm planning on relaxing the entire time by catching up on some of my favorite TV episodes like the Office. Tomorrow I'm heading to the Shedd Aquarium with some seminary friends...I'm excited....

I'm ready for home...

2007-11-12T20:32:00.001-08:00

I'm ready for the quarter to be over...4 more days. It seems so far away.

Support

2007-10-31T18:59:00.001-07:00

This is what keeps me sane, grounded, and laughing my friends and family...My Dad-he's great if you haven't met him you should. I think that I need more pictures on my computer of my family...this is one of the few...

Friends from "home" who have lived with me through many, many years of ridiculousness....

Friends who walk along beside me at Calvin Seminary and understand what happens to a QAL stem of a YQTL verb with a waw conversive....I'm still trying to figure it all out.
Hebrew Buddies forever...Roommates who are so incredibly encouraging and know just what I need! Like a excuse to
leave Grand Rapids and watch the sunset over the beach.

God has truly blessed me with great friends and family. (Sorry to any of you that I didn't put a photo up of you...I still love you all the same!)

Finished with Hebrew!

2007-10-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

I took my Hebrew Final today....It feels so great to have that gorilla off of my back. I started the course almost one year ago today. I remember visiting my friend Sarah Franken in Chicago during my Thanksgiving break. I had so many naive dreams and aspirations about Hebrew during that time in my life. After Sarah went to work, I found my way to the nearest coffee shop. I ordered coffee and a scone and opened up my bright green Lambin Hebrew Textbook. The following events are still a little unclear because I was completely disoriented and utterly confused after paging through the "Introductory Paragraphs," reading, and then rereading over and over. I was so confused and didn't even know how to formulate questions. I remember feeling a huge lump forming in my stomach which eventually migrated to my back which was filled with despair, confusion, hopelessness, and anger. I had to change my attitude that Hebrew was something that I had to endure and grit my teeth and bear.
But I'm finished with 6 credit On-Line Hebrew class, it's over and I passed. I don't think I passed the final exam, but I passed the class. That's what counts. I may seen over dramatic but until you have experience it don't judge. It sucked me dry-spiritually, emotionally, intellectually. I'm told that when I take the Old Testament exegetical class on Jonah I'll begin to like Hebrew and even see some usefulness. I'm a little skeptic, but hoping that it's true that this last year hasn't been a waste of time spending hundreds of hours in front of computer. Myself worth isn't found in the grade that I get from a stupid 10 question multiple choice quiz that tries to trick me into getting answers wrong. (example: One of the answers for the quiz was either Poel or Po'el-who cares how the English spell the verb category for the Hebrew verb stem? I still knew what it meant!) I'm done, and I'm happy. I'll savor it for a couple of minutes, but then I have to return back to the reality that the quarter is ending in about a week. I have to get back to writing my systematic theology paper; it's a never ending cycle.

What the?

2007-10-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

I just registered for Winter Quarter's classes. I can't believe it's that time. I still have about 3 weeks of school yet, but I ONLY have 3 weeks to finish a boat load of papers and study for tests. I hope some of this education is sticking-sometimes I don't know if it is. I want to really get all that I can from seminary, but sometimes it just seems like I'm doing what I can to keep my head above water. I was writing a paper about my internships for a little "testimonial" in my small group, and I reminded of what ministry was and what it felt like. It's good to be reminded that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Theodicy - I don't really understand it all...

2007-10-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Reformed theology is "sound, structured, logical", but how does it apply to real life? Sometimes the intellectual abstract ideas and truths don't really hit into real life. How can a God who is Sovereign, Good, Loving, Merciful let such horrible things happen in the world. Yes I believe God is in control of everything, but why does He let people suffer so much on earth. I just found out that one of my best friend's mom has cancer-it's like they can't get a break from the destruction of sin in their life. I know He's going to renew everything when Jesus comes again, but it's hard to find real comfort right here on earth and right now. God doesn't promise us a peaceful or easy existence on earth, and He doesn't have to explain why He allows good and bad things to happen. It would just be much easier for us if He did; I guess that's were faith comes in to fill in the gaps. It's still hard, and it still sucks.

School's In Session...

2007-09-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

I'm about 1/3 of the way through fall quarter, but I haven't gotten into the swing of school yet. I'm lacking focus, motivation, and in general positive feelings towards school. I think one of the major reason for it all is that I'm still tired from this summer. The summer was good but not at all restful. After 1 month in Europe, 1 month jammed packed with Hebrew, and 5 weeks in a Chicago for an internship. Hebrew continues to be like an omnipresent gorilla on my back (I've been working on it since last Thanksgiving)! It's hard to explain unless you've taken it on-line. It's really frustrating. I'm about 60% of the way through, and I have to finish before November 15. I can't wait until then!

2007-08-29T23:09:00.000-07:00

My roommate Chelsey and I went to Ontario for a wedding (which was amazing!) We stopped by Niagara Falls along the way.

Dave is one of our friends from seminary, and he was a national tour guide.
.We also stopped by St. Thomas, and we visited the memoral that commemorated the killing of Jumbo the Elephant. The town was known as a meeting place for trains from the east and west; also one of the trains ran into Jumbo.
Over the summer, my legs decided to catch up to the rest of me...

It's been a while...

2007-08-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

I finished my internship in Chicago. Although, I didn't end up doing much or really anything at it; I did have lot of time to explore the city. I love the city for many reasons:
1. There are a lot of amazing ministries and organizations that are ministering to the city through different and innovative programs and ways.
2. Free concerts, amazing parks, museums, street festivals.
3. Great friends.
4. I love public transportation-it makes life so much easier than trying to find a parking spot.
5. Walking around-I excercised without even knowing it.
6. Fun restaurants.
7. Team Jewel.

Now I'm less than a week from school starting in GR. I've finally moved in and settled into my apartment...for the most part. Our kitchen is still a mess, but my bedroom's put together. I'm not ready for it...in fact I'm feeling pretty apathetic to the whole thing. I'm not exciting for school or even nervous for it. A lot of the anxiety of the unknown has lessened because I have a year of seminary completed. Hebrew is still an everpresent dark cloud that looms over my head. I hate the start of a new quarter because I hate trying to get all of my books together-to find good deals and try to guess which books the professors aren't really ever going to use...

Tara's Wedding!

2007-07-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend flying to Seattle because on of my best friends from college was getting married! It was so great to see all of my roommates from junior year because we haven't all been together since graduation a year ago. We can't wait until the next wedding-hopefully someone gets married within the next five years! No pressure Sarah F or Becca!

I love my nephews...

2007-07-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

I decided that I needed a change of scenery, so I am spending an entire week with my 2 brothers, sister-in-law, and my 2 nephews. It's been amazing. Although, my Hebrew studies are suffering due to my own lack of motivation and overwhelming frustration and better things to do-like playing with my nephews and chatting with my sister-in-law Denae! At then end of the week, my parents and sisters are coming up to join us all because Max is getting baptized.

In general, I like kids, but my nephews are amazing. I'm being completely unbiased with a completely objective opinion...haha or something like that! Seriously though, I am completely in love with them and fascinated by them. Mitchell is only a year and half, but he's so incredibly smart with a huge vocabulary. The doctors say that his intelligence level is about a 4 year olds', and he's about size of about a 3 year old. My favorite things about Mitchell are:

1.He calls me “Auntie Sarah.”

2. When he wants something, he'll used sign language to say please.

3. He has the cutest white boy dance ever.

4. When he asks what something is, and after you tell him he'll repeat the word over a couple of times. Then he remembers it later on!

Maxwell (Max) is a few of months old, and he's already so big. He's so incredibly content and happy (unless he's hungry-but give the kid a break! I'm crabby when I'm hungry too!) If he's fed and has a clean diaper-he just sits around and coo's and smiles. I love it!

So here's a couple of pictures...
Seriously, how can you not think they are adorable?
Mitchell loves food...I think he gets that from his Auntie...
My older brother, Brian is really into computers/he's a computer geek. Brian is hoping that his son walks in his footsteps.
This is Maxwell. The top picture is so funny. It looks like he's being mugged or something...

Amsterdam, Netherlands

2007-07-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

The buildings are beautiful, and it reminded me of home in Pella, Iowa. I spent a couple of days in Amsterdam, and it was strangely familiar. Although, I didn't see anyone wearing wooden shoes or Dutch costumes. They also clean the streets with zamboni like machines unlike Tulip Time in Pella where we use buckets suspended from wooden yokes and straw brooms...
Narrow streets...not really made for 2 way traffic...
The house in the middle with the green first level is the Anne Frank House.
The canals in the NL are slightly better than the one in Pella...

House boats on the canal

Florence, Italy

2007-07-02T21:35:00.001-07:00

I wish I had room to buy some local artwork, but I didn't think I could get it back to the US in decent shape.
Sunset...
The Cathedral - Santa Maria del Fiore was started in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio. Many artists worked on Santa Maria del Fiore, such as Giotto, Donatello, Paolo Uccello, Ghiberti and Luca Della Robbia. It is massive...in general churches in Europe of massive and so ornate.This painted on the ceiling of the church. The at the bottom of the painting depicted graphic scenes from Hell and then moved up heaven and Christ. Intersting building...I think it has a lot of character.
The view from our hostel...not to bad!

Outdoor replica of Michelangelo's David. We saw the real David in the Accademia Gallery, but we weren't allowed to take any pictures.

Finally some pictures from my Europe Trip: Rome

2007-07-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

Everything that I brought to Europe!
Angie and I at the top of St. Peter's in the Vatican, Italy.
These small cars were everywhere. They are only a 2 seater, but the advantage is that they can park vertically on the side of the road because it is so short. Most of the cities in Europe were built so long along that they didn't plan for the need for parking.

Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy.
Colosseum in Rome, Italy
Being an Uber tourist....

Enjoying some great gelato in Italy! I had coconut and coffee...so good, so much better than icecream!

HOME!

2007-06-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

I am home in Pella. I am still trying to adjust to the time change, but it's not working out so well. My first night I got about 2 hours of sleep, and last night I went to bed at 9pm and slept the whole night. Pictures are coming, but I haven't had time nor energy to organize them.
Yesterday one of my dear friends from high school Amanda Wetter, now Herder, got married in Pella. It was such a beautiful wedding, and I am extremely exicted for both of them. I was her personal attendent, which was fun and a huge learning experience. I know that I can't get married for a long time because I don't think I could orchestrate everyone and everything.

It is coming to an end...

2007-06-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

I fly out tomorrow morning from Zurich...I cannot believe that the trip is so close to being over. So many things have happened, and I feel like I have grown a lot too. I arrive into Chicago around 4pm, and I am going to stay with my friend Sarah Franken. Then I will drive home in the morning to Pella hopefully in time for my friend's wedding rehersal dinner. Amanda Wetter is getting married on Saturday; crazy how those things happen. Also another great friend Tara is getting married, and my cousin just got engaged recently too. It is crazy, but really good. I promise to post pictures when I get home, and do a better job of emailing and catching up. If you are in Pella for the month of June and early to mid July send me an email at matherlysarah@yahoo.com. I will definately need an excuse to take a break from Hebrew. See you soon. (I cannot find the exclamation mark on this Swiss-German computer.)

Still alive!

2007-06-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry to make this short, but French keyboards are quite different from US ones. I enjoyed seeing the city of Paris although I did not realise that the French Open was going on. So I did not get to get to see the grounds. Right now I am in Strasburg, France and heading to Gevena, Switerland which is a Reformed mecca. One of my very good friends from Calvin is studying in Geneva, so I will get to visit him and it will be nice to see a familar face again. I cannot believe that my trip is almost over. I fly out in 3 days! I am definately going to miss Europe, okay I will stop getting so sappy!

In Paris!

2007-06-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was trying to decide to go to Paris or Amsterdam. I chose Paris...the fact that I'm in Paris is still sinking in. On the way to Paris from Germany, I met a German guy who gave me advice to see and what not to-which was extremely helpful. Since I changed my plans, I didn't have a place to stay, but I thought I could find a cheap hostel...WRONG! All of them were booked that were decent and reasonably priced, but I a finally found a couch surfing host! I met a guy from Michigan that is staying at the same apartment. He's been in Paris for a couple of weeks and is helping me plan out my time in Paris. It's great because it is overwhelming at times, and my Parisian host works 12 hours a day and can't take me around. Last night I saw the Arc de Triomphe and Montrmoatre (the big white onion domed church.) Today...I'm going to see all the museums! Louvre here I come!

Everything seems to work out!

2007-06-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'm in Thessoloniki, Greece, and finally getting settled in. A day ago, I sent a reminder email to my host that I was coming. He forgot that I was coming and planned a trip of his own. So 20 hours before I was supposed to arrive; I had no place to stay. Luckily the couchsurfing network is really strong in Thessoloiki, and I arranged to stay with another girl Nasta last night-or so I thought...We exchanged emails, but when I arrived at 12:30pm today, I tried calling her number and I couldn't reach her. I just kept getting a message that said the number that I had dail was no longer working! I thought that I had written it down wrong, but later I found out that I had the correct number she just wrote it wrong in her email. Later, I tried emailing, but she never responded to my emails today.
Luckily, I had written down the number of another couchsurfer , Elsavet, before I left Athens. I called her up, but she couldn't meet me until 3 hours later because she had to take an exam. I ended up walking around, and finally sitting down in a cafe to eat lunch, and I even studied Hebrew. Well I called her after her exam, and I found Elsavet-without any problems. I am staying with her, and I even get my own room. Since Elsavet has exams so she can't take me around, but she contacted another friend who is hosting an American to take me around the city. I also contacted another couchsurfer, Lena, and we are hanging out tonight.
If this sounds confusing or strange...it is to me too. I'm learning to just fly by the seat of my pants and roll with the punches. It's working out-so far...(you only can plan so far in advance with these kind of things.) My clothes are being dried at the local laundramat.I have a place to stay with clean sheets, I remember where the apartment is (I already got a little lost trying to remember the number of the apartment after I dropped off my clothes at the laundromat, but I found it in the end.) And I got to take a cool shower. Life is good.
I fly out of Thess. at 8pm and arrive in Dortmound, Germany at 10pm. I've found a hostel to stay at because I didn't want to have to sleep in the airport for a whole night. I tried to do that when I arrived in Athens at 2:30 on the 29th-not fun. I did not get much sleep due to the cold, hard floor and trying to make sure that my bags weren't stolen. After a night in Dortmound, I am going to go back to the Netherlands instead of going to Belguim. I just felt like I didn't get enough time to see the country, and it will be nice to stay somewhere a little familar. (I'm staying the same place as I did with Angie with my friend's brother in Utrecht.) I may even get to go to a My Chemical Romance concert in Amsterdam. I'm pretty excited. Well, I better go.

Moped Diaries

2007-06-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

I rented a moped for two days. I love being able to zip around the island and go where I want. At first, I was a little nervous and not at all confident in my skills, but now after a couple of long drives I'm basically a professional. I think if my car in the States ever dies; I might replace it with a moped. Haha! It'll definitely save on gas.
The island is nothing short of amazing. It is beautiful with the rocky coasts and crystal clear blue waters. There are a lot of foothills, and white houses and churches dot the landscape. I wish I could download my pictures now to let you see them all. Sadly, you have to wait...I am so sad that i have to leave today, but I must continue my trip.

Thank you for your prayers...

2007-05-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the beach in Athens...it was beautiful with white pebble beaches with blue/aqua water. There were palm trees, mountians and sail boats in the distance, and men in thongs...(definately could have done with out that!) I tried to study a little Hebrew, but soon gave up to just watcht the waves come in.
After that I went back onto the tram and stopped at the city park/garden. I was enjoying strolling around the park, until I heard a man incessantaly yelling "Hello miss, hello, hello..." I tried to ignore it, but finally I looked back. The man, who was older maybe 55 or so, kept trying to talk to me in Greek and English, but I told him I that I didn't understand. I walked away, and thought that was the end of it. I decided to leave the park because I didn't want to accidently run into him again. As I was walking out of the park, the man came up beside me. He wouldn't leave me alone and was following me. He kept asking me where I lived, my phone number, if I would have coffee with him, and when he would see me again. I kept brushing him off and walking faster and faster into the metro station. Luckily we were in a very busy and public place. I tried to politely brush him off, but then I realized that he wasn't giving up that early. Then I told him that I didn't want to talk to him and please leave me alone repeatedly. I quickly walked almost jogged down the hallway to the subway. Luckily I was in a big metro station, and I saw a police man. I ran to him and explained what happened. The police man caught up with the older man and made him leave the station. I haven't really experienced anything like that in my travels. It was a minor incident where nothing serious happend (nothing was stolen and I wasn't hurt), but it shook me up a bit. I managed to get home without too much trouble. Although it took me a little bit to figure out where in the metro station I was because I was just trying to get away from the man and not looking where I was going. Thanks for all of the prayers for safety, I really felt them today. Don't worry, I still have my gaurd up while traveling-plus almost everyone knows what HELP! means. I miss all of you, and I can't wait to see you all again.

Okay...

2007-05-31T00:48:00.000-07:00

My first day in Athens. I met my host Thanos, and I was a little off balance with everything because I had not had a good night of rest. I don't even have to sleep on the couch, I got my own room-which is great! After showering and unpacking my things everything started to look up. We went to the Acropolis (which is a big hill) that the Parthenon is located and walked around the grounds. There was an awesome view of the city because the city surrounds the hill. The city of Athens is realtively new, and the buildings are only 40-50years old.
After the Acropolis, we went to the Natioal Archaeological Museum that is filled with artifacts from 4000 years ago...or so they say. It's crazy to think about even if the things are "only" 2000 years old. Then we went back to the apartment that Thanos shares with his sister and his parents live upstairs. His mother cooked us a Greek Feast of stuffed zucchni, cauliflower, and bread with red wine from the Northern part of Greece. After dinner, we went to a outdoor Jazz Festival. In Italy, I had told my friend Angie that I really wanted to sit on the back of an Italian scooter because they are everywhere! But sadly, I never got the chance, but last night Thanos took me to the concert on the back of his motorcyle. So that is close right? The concert was great. We stayed for 2 acts. The first act was the Athens Big Band and the second was a trio of Belgians. Well I better go and try to reserve my ferry ticket because I am going to the Greek Island of Paros for 2.5 days.

Athens...

2007-05-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

I landed in Athens at 2:30am today. I am just glad I got here. The subway to get to the aiport shut down while I was on it, and I was not sure that I would get to the airport in time. Since being on my own I have had horrible luck trying to get to my destinations due to missing the train by 20 seconds, not being able to get a hold my hosts for the city, and whatnot. But I am here. I slept in the aiport on the floor until 7am and took the bus into the city. I reached the city center and then met up with my couch surfing host. His name is Thanos, and so far he has been very hospitable. I think it will be a great visit. I can even read some of the words on the signs thanks to Dr. Wiema's Greek class. Well okay, I can sound out the words and I've recognized like 3 so far, but it's better than nothing.
Oh yeah, this post is for Albert and Kees. Angie and I stayed in Utrecht with one of my friend's brothers. It was a really good time. We got away from the business of Italy and Amsterdam. Also we went to one of the best choir concerts; it was the Death Mass...it was powerful with amazing soloists, orchestra, and large choir. After the concert we got a tour of the city and got to ride home on the back of 2 bicyles. Okay I better go...

In Germany

2007-05-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry...I am still alive. I have been on my own for two days, and I am doing well. I am staying the night in Munich before heading to Vienna in the evenning tomorrow. Sorry I do not have any time to write, but I wanted everyone to know that I am okay.

Heading to the Homeland...well sorta

2007-05-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Angie and I spent about 8 hours on the train from Florence to Munich, and then tonight we are going to take an overnight train to Amsterdam. We are going to spend a day and half there. We are planning on visiting the Anne Frank House amongst otherthings. Well, I will check in again. Sorry for the lack of pictures...I cannot download my pictures from my camera. I will have to wait to do that until I get back.

Florence

2007-05-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
I am still alive. Within the last 24 hours I have climbed about 1000 steps. Yesterday, I climbed to the top of St. Peter's Basillica in the Vactian. The view was breathtaking of Rome. The church was gigantic and beautiful with all of the art inside of it.
We are in Florence now. It is beautiful minus the smog in the background. Our camping hostel (we sleep in tents without electricty) overlooks the city of Florence. The view is amazing. Today Michelangelo's David. Wow! It is huge...the I did not realize the scale that it was. It was surreal to see it in person after seeing so many images in books. I climbed 500 steps to Michelangelo's lanter at the top of the Duomo in the Cattedrale Di Santa Maria Del Fiopre. Again the artwork was amazing. Tomorrow, we leave for Munich and and then for Amsterdam. Wow. I cannot believe how the time has flown...

In Rome

2007-05-19T23:01:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I am here in Rome and still alive. We are going to visit the Colossum today and the Vatican tomorrow. I will write more later, but my internet time is almost over. Miss you all!

We made it!

2007-05-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

I am safe and sound in Bern, Switzerland. Angie and I just checked into our hostel and are feeling a little better about life. We had to spend 2.5 hours in McDonalds because our hostel was not open until 3pm and our backs were hurting from carrying our luggage. It was one of the longest 2.5 hours because we spent the entire time trying to keep ourselves awake. At least there was a tennis game playing on the flat screens. We wanted to keep ourselves awake until 9pm tonight to get on the time schedule here. I soon realized after trying to put my change in my money belt serveral times and then having the change roll down my pant legs that there was a large hole in it. Actually like two thirds of the seam had been undone. Luckily nothing fell out. We are planning on just taking it easy tonight by staying in for the night, and then we leave for Rome tomorrow.
Update to the post: It is 9:15 and I am not even tired yet. I hope to beat this jet lag quickly. Also, I made 2 new friends at the hostel. This adventure had a rocky start, but it is definately shaping up!

FINISHED!

2007-05-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

Just got done with my last pastoral care exam...I don't know how well it ended up. It's DONE, and that is what matters. I'm going to repack for my trip by trying to lighten the load, and then catch about 2 hours of sleep before I head off the O'Hare airport. I'll try to email as soon as I can so everyone knows I'm still alive....

Turning 23 has never felt so good....

2007-04-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

It's official. I'm. 23 years old. Crazy how fast time goes. I'm less than a month of away from finishing up my first year at seminary-wow. It seems like forever ago, and I feel like I'm different person than from 9 months ago.

Here's some pics of my birthday party. We went bowling and then came back to my house for cake and a dance party. It was a great birthday. Thanks to everyone who made it so special
My college roomate Sarah (right) came up. It was a great time. I'm going to be living with Chelsey (middle) next year, and I'm pretty pumped.
This is probably my favorite picture of my seminary friend Tim. Haha!

At the Bowling Alley....
Mike, another friend from college, came from Hudsonville to hangout!
Becca and Sarah road from Chicago to visit. It was nice to hang out with my Dordt girls again!

Roomies!

spring break

2007-04-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

My first seminary spring break. We went on a road trip to go camping at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky for four days. We cooked our meals over the fire and coleman stove and even got to shower once during the trip. I got to know some of my friends from seminary a lot better. Although there were some rough patches on the trip; we still had a ton of fun. We arrived in Kentucky, and it was beautiful. It was 80 some degrees; but then we forgot a few essentials for our campsite and drove around for 2 hours to find a lighter fluid for our coleman stove. Our first night camping, there was a thunder storm, and our sleeping bags, tent, and everything else got really wet. The next morning we woke up to 30 degree temperatures and the weather for the rest of the week continued to stay in the mid to upper 30's. Did I mention that we were missing a sleeping bag? One of the guys ended up not using a sleeping bag the entire trip. He was a trooper! We took a short tour of the caves, which were pretty cool . We packed up a day early, and decided to drive half way home and get a nice hotel. We deserved it. Sadly, we didn't take too many photos, but we made some good memories.

After spending more and 18+ hours in a car, then I left within an hour of arriving in Grand Rapids to head for home to Pella, Iowa. It was a short trip but really good. I got to see my family and spend a lot of time driving to and from Chicago with my little brother. My mom, my sisters, and I explored our new super-walmart in Pella. And we celebrated my birthday by going out for steaks. Can life get much better? I think not!

I spent almost fourty hours in a car in a week! But it was great.

The Sermon....

2007-03-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

I gave my first full sermon on Luke 19:1-10 which is the story about Zacchaeus. I got through it! Thanks for all of your prayers and support. The process of writing it was really draining but good. I got some really helpful feed back from it. There were positive things about the sermon and areas where I need to revise and work on. The two professors that teach the class were really encouraging me to develop my gifts. There are aspects that will be able to carry over to my teaching, but writing a sermon and delivering is still very different from. I have to preach in a month on April 19. I have to choose a narrative text from the Old Testament. I think I'm going to do the story of Ehud in Judges 3. The story has always interested me. Anyways, I better go I have a big Greek quiz for Friday.

Backstreet Boys are always in style...

2007-03-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

Shout back to Backstreet Boy's Millennium album song #4 "It's gota to be you." It always makes me in a happy mood. If you're feeling in a bad mood, you should pop it in. During the song, I feel the need to do a little "jig"

I'd like to share 3 things with you....

1. I feel into a deep sleep on a counch in the seminary community room--it was great.

2. My recreational soccer team rocked tonight. We tied 9-9; it was probably our most fun game and highest quality of play-I didn't score, but I got really, really, really, really close. I had some cool defensive moves.

3. I haven't changed from college; I have a 5 page paper due in 11 hours...I only 1 page done...crap...

Hint of Spring

2007-03-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

It's 71 degrees outside. Yes, you heard me, 71 degrees, but for some reason I'm in the library. I can't justify being outside. I way too much to do, but I can't do it because I keep looking outside. Hmm...I think I'm going to pack up my stuff and go for a walk, but the only problem is that I'm not dressed for trapsing around outside. I better enjoy today because it's supposed to get cold tonight with temperatures getting down to the 30's by the weekend.
Grades are officially in. I am okay with most of them. My preaching grade was a bit lower than I expected. I don't know what to do about that. I have so much fear and anxiety over that class. Writing a 20-25 minute sermon and delievering it infront of class is very daunting; even though the professors and my classmates are nice. There is 30 minutes of critique. I give my sermon next Tuesday. Yikes! It's coming up soon. Well, I'm going to go out and enjoy the weather!

Reflections

2007-03-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Good things that are happening in my life:

1. Things are staring to warm up in Michigan, and it is supposed to get up to 45 today.

2. I got gas yesterday in a near by town that was 20 cents cheaper than in Grand Rapids

3. Two of my classes were canceled today.

4. It's the weekend.

5. It's Sarah Franken's Birthday today.

6. Good friends at seminary that support and love me.

Reflections on the Winter Quarter

The grades are starting to roll in from winter quarter. After putting so much into quarter (emotionally, physically, spiritually, whatnot) it's hard to view grades without any emotional attachment. Everyone wants good grades; I want good grades. I am used to getting good grades. I've been told over and over grades don't matter in the big scheme of life. I know this is true. But right now, they do...

I handed in a paper that I had spent about 45 hours on and anguished over. I really learned a lot about myself and the topic of Christ's atonement, but in the end I got a C. I was really diassappointed.

After working so hard, it's nice to get affirmed at the end. If you just work extremely hard and learn a lot during the semester, but the professor's evaluation of your work is poor, then what?

Seminary is an uphill battle at times, and sometimes you need a boost and support to keep going on by a professor. It's hard not to have grades measure you whether it's your intelligent, abilities, or even self-worth.

I know that my self-worth is more than grades that I'm a child of God. Hopefully, if I keep telling myself and having people remind me, I'll fully believe it.

Sarah Squared

2007-02-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

Random picture. This is from the weekend that Sarah came up. Good times with a good friend.

New Quarter and New Outlook

2007-02-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I've completed my 3rd day of classes. I think that I'm going to enjoy most of them. I'm a bit nervous for my Philosophy for Understanding Theology class, but the other classes seem okay. I'm going to be busier this quarter because I have 6 classes as compared to last quarter. I'm going to try to learn Greek and Hebrew at the same time. Hopefully that will go well.

In other news, I had a great weekend with my friend Sarah Franken. It was good to see a familiar face. I just found out that I will be doing a 5 week internship in July and August at Grace and Peace ministry in Chicago. I'm not sure exactly what I'll be doing, but I might have an opportunity to work in a battered women's shelter and help with an ESL program. Most of the people that I will be working with speak Spanish. I was told that it wasn't going to be too large of a problem if I can't speak Spanish. Before I go I'll try to brush up on it. It'll be hard to dedicate a lot of time because I'm going to try to make a lot of head way in Hebrew over the summer.

Lastly, last night I came home to find a huge box with my name on it. My dad sent me a care package with food to snack on while studying! I was so surprised! It was amazing! It's so nice to be reminded of the people that love and support me through my journey at seminary. I love my dad; seriously he's great. If you haven't met him, you should...

Well I better go. I am trying to figure out tax stuff. It's such a headache. I'm almost done, but I can't find my information from last tax season. It's somewhere in my house in Pella...I think. I can't find any information on it-I'm sure I filed it, but I don't know if the was completely processed. I don't know...it's frustrating. The upside is that it's getting warmer in Grand Rapids.

Back to school

2007-02-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

I've done nothing the last 4 days...it's been great. I did manage to dye my hair black and do some laundry, but that's about it. I can't believe it's over already, but I have to get back in the school mode on Monday.
Here's another picture of my hair. It's starting to grow on me...literally...

the cut......

2007-02-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

I am still recovering from exams. My mind is still in a fog. Today I got lost on 3 different occasions. I got lost going to the hair salon, to my soccer game, and from the grocery store to school. I hope things get back to normal. I cleaned my room today...it looked like my closet had vomited all over my room for 2 weeks.

Exams are over!

2007-02-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

As of 5:00pm today, I am completely done with all of my exams. I did okay on them, but not as well as I hoped to. Oh well, they are done. I'm hoping I stop dreaming about random test answers. I'm ready to be done with this quarter, but I still have a 12 page paper to write by 5pm tomorrow. I hope I can get it all done-I should be able to.

In other news, I am planning on cutting my hair...like 10 inches and donating it. I'm a bit nervous about it, but I think it'll be a nice change. Something to spice up life.

Exams

2007-02-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

I'm really stressed right now because it's the end of the quarter. Seminary has been a bit rough at times. I have a heavy load with 6 classes. I'm still trying to find balances in my life (socially, spiritually, academically, and whatever). I think I spend too much time in the library....seriously. I don't have any time to really relax because I'm doing homework, rushing to some event, and then back to homework. Every day I leave the house at 7:45am and get home around 12am. I think I need more down time. I'm going to try to do that more next quarter. I can't take a break yet; I have to finish researching and begin writing a 12 page paper, plus 4 final exams. I'm not sure how everything is going to get done, but it will some how right? I start exams on Thursday. I think I'm going to need a ton of prayer for the next week.

Got Snow?

2007-02-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

We have so much snow in Michigan. Seriously it's slightly ridiculous. It all seemed to come on Friday and Saturday. I was unimpressed with the snow plowing ability of the city of Grand Rapids; even the main streets were still full of snow. Yesterday, almost every church, besides one CRC church and the Korean churches, was canceled.

Today all the schools, including elementary, high schools, and universities were closed; well except for Calvin College and Seminary. One professor said the reason why Calvin Seminary doesn't close is because we're all adults. We can chose if we want to go to school or not. I don't think that every professor has that feeling. Today, I chose to exercise my power as an adult. I choose not to go to Greek this morning, it was a great decision. Maybe I make that decision too often, but at least I'm still doing well in the class...

I'm trying to finish the quarter strong, but it's getting harder and harder. I still have to research and write a 12 page paper...I'm nervous about it. I don't really know how to write a 12 page research history paper. The professor does not want ANY filler. We're not allowed to reflect or write our opinion, and he wants us to present facts. My topic is Wilhemus a Brakel's understanding of original and actual sin. Until I was given the topic, I didn't even know who Brakel was, but I guess he's a famous Friesan Reformed thinker of the 17^th century. I'm slightly petrified to start it; oh well one day at time right?

Some time for fun

2007-01-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm busy with school; I still make time for fun. Last weekend, I went snow skiing and snowboarding for the first time. I first started out skiing, and my first run was a bit rough. By the third run, I seemed to have it down. Skiing was a lot easier than I thought it was, so then I thought that I should move on to snow boarding. I had heard that snow boarding was hard, but I thought I'd be able to get the handle of it. Well, no one told me anything about how to snow board. My first run took me 20+ minutes to get down the hill. I lost count how many times that I feel, and sometimes when I got my self up, I'd fall 10 seconds later. It was funny but so tiring. Getting up was hard to do because you're feet are tied together on the board. During my spill down the hill, I had managed to veer extremely to the left, and almost hit the snow machine and ran into a mound a snow.I finally got to the bottom, and I was about 300+ feet away from the lift back to the top of the hill. No one told me how to get my feet out of the snow board, I tried to fiddle with the straps, but I couldn't get it. I ended hopping all the way to the lift. There was not anyone around to ask how to take off the straps because I was so far away from the lift. Finally I asked an older guy, but he was skiing and didn't know anything about snow boarding. Then I saw this 12-14 year old kid, and he looked at me like a was a moron and loosened my straps on my board. It took him like 10 seconds. The next couple of runs were just as horrilee. As I was going down the hills, I heard people making fun of me from the lifts. By the end of the night, I was tired, wet, and bruised, but I had gotten better. I made it down the hill 2x without falling (okay so it was the bunny hill, but it was still kinda big). The next 2 days I could barely lift my arms above my chest. All in all, I loved it and hope to go again soon.

Urbana 06

2007-01-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

I've been ridiculously busy this quarter. The rumor is that winter quarter of your first year at seminary is the hardest because of the classes you have to take and dealing with the Michigan winter. Well I had to change my schedule from the normal winter classes that Masters of Divnity students take. Since Christmas break I've written a ton of papers, and taken a lot of 2 Greek quizzes. The semester is not going to let up until the end of the quarter in mid February. I have another 12 page paper for history, 7 page paper for systematic theology, plus regular homework, and I've got to start studying for exams. Oh well, it'll all get done. Little by little.

I went to URBANA 06 in St. Louis over Christmas break. It is a missions conference put on by Urbana for about 5 days. Overall the experience was good, but since my break was less than 2 weeks it make my break seem really short and rushed. In the morning there was a bible study, large group lecture in the stadium where the St. Louis Rams play, and then we had a 2 hour break for lunch. It was crazy because in a matter of 15 minutes 22,000 hungry Urbana participants were unleashed onto downtown St. Louis' restaurants. It was crazy, especially since most people didn't drive to the conference. Then in the afternoon, there were 2 sessions of smaller conferences lead by various people, or you should visit the Global Connections. Global connections had about 2,000 people that wanted to talk to you about missions and their agencies or schools. The conference center hosted dinner, and then there was a night large group lecture, and then small group prayer meeting.

My reflections on Urbana. I got to visit with a lot of missionary schools from all around the world. I hopefully will be able begin working with them to see if I will be able to do my internship there next year. Over all Urbana was good over all, at times the messages seem to offer a watered down or somewhat shallow interpretations of the Bible, but then there were speakers that really challenged me. It was a hit or miss at times. The large lectures began with praise and worship, it was amazing to see 22,000 Christians worshiping together. We sang songs from around the world, and the crowd was so diverse from different countries and backgrounds. It was beautiful to see and hear. I was really challenged by one speaker Brenda Psalter Mcneil. She asked us where we were settling in life. I realized that I was setting at Calvin Seminary in my school work. I was worried about giving the professors what they wanted to hear, instead of enjoying what I was learning. I researching “safe” topics; instead of studying what I was interested and felt lead to study. I really want to take ownership and joy in my work. It is hard at times because it is so intense and difficult sometimes. I've begun to develop better relationships with my classmates, and we starting to support and help each other. Well, I better go. I'm just going to take it one day at a time...

Sorry for the delay!

2006-12-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

Wow. I am sorry that it is been such a long time since I have updated my blog. I finished my first quarter of classes just before Thanksgiving. At first, I didn't think that I would like having such a short 9week classes. I found it was such a blessing to learn from the first quarter classes and start fresh with the next semester. I am learning not to be so anxious, unsure, and nervous about homework and class periods. I'm still struggling to find the right balance of school and life outside of it. I got my grades back, and I did really well which was a huge answer to prayer. This semester is going to be much more academically challenging. I have two 12 page papers and two seven page papers. I'm extremely rustly on writing long research papers...I think that last time was in high school. I am taking 4 in class course: Church History II with a very intimidating professor, Greek 202, Global Christian Theology, and a systematic theology: Christ and Salvation. I'm also taking on-line Hebrew, and so far it's been going okay. For the first time, I'm really enjoying one of my classes. My Christ and Salvation class is great because my professor, Dr. Feenstra, helps us understand the material. He is open to questions and has a very peaceful demeanor.

I am ready for Christmas break, but it's not going to be as long and peaceful as I had hoped. I have classes this whole week including a Greek midterm on Friday and a paper for church history. We are in the middle of our quarter, so I'll have to do a lot of homework during break. I'll be home for a couple of days, and then I'm going to attend the missions conference Urbana in St. Louis. I'm really excited for the conference, and what I'll learn there. Then after the 5 day conference I'll be home for a couple days. Then on the 4^th of January, I start classes again, and I have to hand in a 7 page paper on the first day after break. I'm not sure why the professor did that. I'm continuing to make friends, but I'm still trying to find my place at seminary.

Horrible with dates...

2006-11-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

My sisters: Annie is on the left and Alexa is on the right

It's official, I'm horrible with remember birthday dates. I want to wish a belated birthday wish to Alexa, Annie, Brian, and my Dad...luckily my mom and Erick's haven't happened yet. Geesh, I thought by now I'd get better at remembering. I love my family so much! Everyday is a special day in my book :) Or maybe it's my way of trying to rationalize my forgetfulness....

My Dad...I'm not sure what he's doing.

This is Brian and my nephew Mitchell at Tulip Time

Time flies...

2006-11-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Well I got my car fixed...or so I thought. The starter was replaced, but in less than a week it doesn't start again. It's really really frustrating. The auto body shop said that they stand behind their work for up to a year. I hope to get it fixed in the next week, and I hope to not have to pay anything.

Other than that things are okay. This week, I had a 2 major assignments due, which made for a really stressful weekend. I handed in my 7 page paper in last night at 9pm...only 4 hours after dead-line. Don't worry, I asked for a short extension. So this weekend, I hope that things are less stressful. The quarter is almost over. There is only about 4 more days of class next week, and then finals! It's so crazy how fast time is going. I just found out some awesome news--one of my final exams was canceled. Well the professor said that we if were happy with our grade then we don't have to take the mid-term exam. I only have 2 in class exams on Monday and Tuesday and one take home exam. So a lot of the stress of finals will be over soon, but next week is going to be filled with studying Greek and Church history. I have already registered for classes for next quarter. I have decided that I'm going to allow myself to not be so overwhelmed. I am only taking 4 classes instead of 5 classes. I want to get involved in the Woodlawn CRC, the church I'm attending and maybe even get a part time job (like 7-10hours a week). Well I better go my computer is going to shut down soon.

My car and the Psalms

2006-10-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

My car is still not running. I'm going to call a tow truck and get it taken in. I'm not sure what's wrong with it, but it's really frustrating not to be able to get around by myself. Luckily, I can take the bus to school, and friends from school bring me places.
I can't believe that there are only a few weeks of classes left before exams. It's really crazy how fast it's going. In my class, Formation for Ministry, I've been really convicted to read and pray the Psalms. There is a Psalm for EVERY emotion we are feeling. When there's no words in side of us...go to the Psalms. Use the psalmist's words. I've just started focusing on reading and reflecting on 4-5 verses each day. It's seriously been really helpful.

2006-10-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's been about 6 weeks since I have moved to Grand Rapids. I am getting better at getting around. My living situation is amazing because my housemates and I get along really great. It's such a blessing. Last week was the most stressful and busiest of my life. Last week was midterms. I had 2 midterms plus regular homework due. For three nights in a row, I got about 3 hours of sleep because I was was stressed. My stomach was in knots all week. It was a hard week, but luckily it is over now. I'm not exactly sure how well I did on the exams. I'll find out in a week or two.
We have a 2 day vacation due to Canadian Thanksgiving and reading recess day. I am so glad because I will be able to recooperate. I've been relaxing this weekend, but I have a pile of homework calling my name. I finished the last "touches" in my room, and I have put some pictures in the post.
Fall is beautiful in Michigan. The leaves are turning, and the weather is crisp. Luckily there aren't asian lady bird beetles here. I don't miss walking outside for 5 minutes and finding 10 lady bugs in my hair and on my clothes.
One weekend, some seminarians and I had a "Good Will Hunting" night. We put our names in a hat and picked another person's name. Then we had to buy that person an outfit from a thrift store. Each person put on their outfit, and we went out to eat and sang some karioke. It was a blast.

I can't believe I forgot!

2006-10-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

I've been a horrible aunt. My nephew turned 1 year old this week, and I totally missed it. Happy Birthday Mitchelle. I'll send him a birthday card at the end of the week. Here's some pictures of him...he's the cutest thing ever...seriously!

2006-09-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

I am staring my 3rd week of class. I'm am slowly starting to get into the swing of things. I wonder if I have mono or something. Each night I go to bed at 10:45-11:15pm and get up around 6:30am, so that is about 7-7.5 hours of sleep. Then by 11am or even 1pm I'm falling asleep in class. After class, I take a 1.5 to 2 hour nap. I can't stay awake while I am trying to do my homework. So I give up and lay down for a nap. I think that I could sleep for the entire night when I take a late afternoon nap. I first thought that I was just tired from adjusting to life in GR and seminary, but it's been 3 weeks. I've been eating healthy and often, and I even work out more here than I did at home. Well it's about once a week, but at home it was like once every 2 months! I'm going to try to make it the whole week without any naps. If it doesn't go away....maybe I'll have to take more drastic measures and go see a doctor.
I am continuing to make more and more friends, which has presented a bit a problem. I have to keep the balance between school and social life. I have been able to get to know a lot of others in the seminary community. It's been really good. Academically, I'm drowning in homework. There is so much reading and paper writing. So far, I've been doing well on my paper's and quizzes, but midterms are in 2 weeks. With a 9 week quarter system, it makes the year really rigorous and stressful. After midterms then there are exams about 4 weeks later....it's crazy. Hopefully everything will pan out! I've decided I'm going to spend one weekend night studying (at least until 9:30 or 10pm...)

Getting Settled

2006-09-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, well I'm basically moved in, and I'm just trying to figure out where to put some random stuff. Orientation ended on Friday afternoon, it was long and a bit overwhelming at times. Surprisingly there are a lot of girls enrolled in seminary. Most of them aren't in the MDiv program, but they are in a program which requires them to take the same classes as me. So in my classes there are 8-10 females in each class. This is such a blessing/comfort becuase I was bracing myself to be the only one or two females in a class of 30 - 40 students. My roommates seem to be great! I have slowly gotten to know them, and they seem like very grounded and caring people. I'm excited to see how our friendship grows. I also have met a great person at seminary, and it is amazing how well we have connected in less than a week. Her name is Ashely, and she is also in the MDiv program. We have similar interests, and she graduated from Calvin so she knows the area. Also, I have reconnected with FYF friends from the program that I went on in 2002. Without those connections I wouldn't know hardly anyone in Grand Rapids or at Calvin Seminary; God is amazing! Classes start on Tuesday, and I'm a bit nervous for the intensity of the study here. But I'll adapt, my aim is to learn and not get an A. It's hard to switch your mind set to be able to be okay with B's and C's. Well, I better go and finish all of my errands.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2006-08-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

It rained all day today in Grand Rapids. I did get a quick jog (but mostly I walked) in before the rains came. Despite the rain, I decided to run some errands; I went to the bookstore (but didn't by any books), drove around campus, went to Aldi's and Meijer (the Michigan form of Walmart), and opened a checking account. I met with my "student ambassador," which is a Calvin Seminary student who helps new students transition to life in GR and at the seminary. Her name is Rachel, and she has been such a blessing to me. She drew me a map of important places in GR like the grocery store and whatnot. We met for lunch, and she gave me some advice and tips about seminary life. I walked around the seminary, and it is werid to think that soon I'll be going to real classes there. I have spent quite a bit of time in the seminary before for various summer programs, but it kind of hit me that I'm going to be here for a long time. I met another seminary student named Ashely. She's my same age and graduated a semester early from Calvin College, so she already has taken some classes at the seminary. I don't know her well yet, but I think her and I will get a long great! An added bonus is that she is also an Masters of Divinity student, so we'll be in a lot of the same classes. It will be so nice to have someone to sit by and chat with between classes.
I still in the process of unpacking or really even starting. Last night, I was too tired to start, and I ran errands all day. So, I know I should start unpacking, but I'm not in the mood. I need to get on it because I only have 2 more days until I start classes. Tomorrow it is supposed to stop raining, and hopefully I'll get a little more settled into life here.
If you look past the junk, this is the loft that I built....okay my dad did most of it. I helped hold the screws and whatnot. It turned out pretty awesome, it's so nice because it leaves a lot more floor space in the room.

All of the furniture was the right price....FREE! My friend Amy and my parents gave me a chair, the loft, shelves, a dresser, and an end table. So everything is a little random but it works!

Leaving...

2006-08-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I leave in 5 days...I have mixed feelings about it. I thought I would be so excited and happy to move to Grand Rapids., but the transition may be a rough. I have to work 2 more days at Vermeers and 4 more nights at the restuarant. I'm definately ready to be done working at both places. I have always hated packing and organizing my stuff, but I have to be more on the ball since I don't think I'm going to be back until Thanksgiving or maybe Christmas . So I'm going to devote 2 days to packing before I leave, and I shouldn't have a problem fitting everything in my car. My next post I'll be living in a different time zone...I hope I can get used to the change quickly.

Update the good and the bad...

2006-08-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've actually written anything on here. Don't worry I didn't die or anything. Here's a run down of my life.
Last Wednesday I got to reconnect with an old friend. Tom Dykstra was passing through town as he was making the trek from Florida to Washington state. We ate some awesome Thai food, plus I got out of work for a while. Last Thursday/Friday my dad and I moved some things into my apartment in Grand Rapids. We made a sweet loft/desk/shelf combo the week before. I helped take some screws out of some boards, but basically my dad engineered and made everything. At least I painted it all myself. My roommates seem pretty cool, and the apartment isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be the only problem that I forsee is that the one small bathroom will be hard to schedule in time with 6 girls living there. The neighborhood is a slightly shady, but there is a nice park across the streeet from our house.
Last night at work, I lost$20 at work. I think it fell out of my apron pocket during the night, and someone just picked it up. So that put me in a bit of a sad mood the rest of the night.
I only have to work 9 more days!!!! And only 7 more days at Vermeer Manufacturing. I'm ready to not have to get up for work at 5:30am and work until 9:30 at night. I'm not going to have a job for the first 2 quarters of school. I have had a job all my life since I was 14...it's going to be a werid experience.
Oh and lastly, my finanacial aid from my church and Classis Pella is going to be approved in September. I was a worried for a bit because all of my information was lost by the chair person of the comittee, but it's all working out.
Well I guess that is all that is happening in my life right now.

Family bonding time

2006-07-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

There is a first time for everything. I learned how to shoot a variety of guns over the fourth of July weekend. It was so much fun! My dad, my older brother, and I went to Leighton to a shooting range and shot shot guns and hand guns. My dad said that I have a pretty good shot for a first time. He was so patient in teaching me how to aim and whatnot. This is the first gun that I shot. He called it a camping shot gun or something like that.

To the left: I was shooting at the far right dot on the target with a scoped gun. Not too shady for a firstimer huh? :)

This gun is like the M16 that they use in the army, but the one I'm shooting is not automatic so it's made for civillan use.

I shot the one inthe back with the brown handle. I think the middle one was the prettiest. It would accent my cell phone nicely. Haha, just kidding!

52nd Post!

2006-07-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is my 52nd post! I didn't even realize that I had hit the 50 mark. Wahoo!!!
Latest news: I sent my piece of crap laptop from dell in. FINALLY! They kept giving me the run around, but I finally got permission to send the computer in. The downside is that I may not get it before I leave for Calvin in the fall, and I left my SD card for my digital camera in the slot. I hope that they send it back to me...

New look and a new life lesson....

2006-06-27T20:21:00.001-07:00

I changed the look of my blog because I was getting tired of how it looked. I wanted to switch it, but the choices are very very limited. Does anyone know if there are other options? I tried not to pick ones that my friends already had, so that basically left me with a handful to choose from. I hope you enjoy the new look. It took a bit to get it set up because it changed all of my settings on my template. But I am quite happy with the look and how everything turned out!
Also, I learned something new tonight, and I'm pretty excited about it. I learned how to put a title with each post. Some of you have mastered this skill already, but I was completely in the dark before tonight. When I asked people how they put a title on their posts, they said that there is a space provided. Well about 6 months later, I finally found out how to do it. You have to change your settings to get it. So be prepared for some amazing titles, haha.

2006-06-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

One last post today. I need to get a new cell phone in Michigan. I'm thinking about getting a pre-paid Tracfone cell phone. Or maybe I could go without one. I don't use it a lot, and I bet I could just use a phone card or have people call me after 9pm. I'll have to give it more thought. Have you heard anything positive or negative about Tracfone? What do you think about going without a cell phone?

2006-06-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back in Pella after spending 9 days on a church serve project to Cary, MS. We taught Bible school in the morning, and in the afternoon we did various work projects. It was a good time, and it was interesting to get to know people from my church on a different level. The thing that really hit me was the cycle of poverty that entrapped people there. It's going to take a lot of work and prayer to change things down there. I was really impressed at the programs that the Cary Christian Center are running.The people living in MS have sufferred and lived in poverty and oppression for 100's of years...and it's going to take a united effort to change things.
I start work on Monday, and I think it's going to be hard to get back into the swing of things. Time is going by so fast. I can't believe I've been home for 2 months already, and I only have 2 more left. I know that the time will pass quickly. The weeks go by quickly partly because I'm running from job to job. to job. The main thing that has been stressing me out lately is: MONEY. I hate that it is so important. It's a fact of life. Even after about 2 months of work, I feel like my bank account hasn't changed much. I know that God is in control, and He provides for His people. But we have a responsibility to be stewards and use our money wisely. I'm worried that I'll be so deep in debt after seminary that I won't be able to teach overseas for a long time. I seriously researched joining the national guard or reserve to help pay for tution, but I couldn't commit myself for 8 years! I'd be 30 when I was done with my military term! I have no idea where God is going to lead me in that amount of time. Also, my parents and friends were not supportive of the idea, and after looking into the information I wouldn't be eligible to recieve as much financial aid from the army as I had orginally thought. I still don't know how it's all going to work out for paying for Calvin next year. I'm waiting on hearing back from Classis to see how much they are going to support me. I'm working hard this summer, so I hope to be able to pay for my rent for the year and some living expenses. I just keep trying to crunch numbers to see where I can tighten my budget. I know it'll all work out, but it's still hard not to stress. I know that money worries won't really ever go away, but I hate that it starts so early.

2006-06-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

Graduation and its implications have finally sunk in... This past weekend, I went to Sioux Center to Kate and Adam's wedding. It was a great ceremony and reception, and it was good to see a lot of people from college. Kate and Adam looked so happy, it was great. On Saturday when everyone was leaving back to home or where they work; it was bit odd. We didn't know when we'd see each other again. It could many months or even years. The good-byes were a bit vague and sad. We could not longer promise to see each other next semester, but instead we have to wait until someone gets married or dies (which would the less favorable choice)! We all promised to keep in touch and whatnot, but I think each one of us knew that slowly we'd loose touch. Well, I don't mean to leave everything on a sad note.
I waitressed tonight and make almost $60 for 5 hours, so that was exciting. I'm starting a new exercise program. I'm going to excerise 3 hrs each week....I've been trying to clock in at least 3 hrs of excerise for the last 3 weeks, and I've failed. Hopefully by the end of the summer, I'll be a little more disciplined.
Oh and here's some pictures of the weekend.

2006-05-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Well...I've been a workaholic this week. I work at Vermeers 40 hours a week. My job right now is paiting doors grey; it's getting a bit old. The paint we use is super sticky, so it hard to put on and even harder to get off your skin and hair. I am covered with paint speck s on my arms and head, oh well hopefully they ware off. Also, I have just started a waitressing job, it's nice to have some spending money. I work 4 nights in a row this week. The problem is I have to be at the restuarant at 4:30, and I don't get off of work at Vermeers until 3:30. It's hard to get a breather inbetween the 2 jobs.
I also have decided that I'm going to Calvin in the fall. I met with the recruiter from Vienna Christian School, and we had a great conversation. I just didn't feel pulled or called to go there. If I just went there because it sounded fun, I don't think I'd survive there. It's hard to commit yourself to live somewhere different for 2 years with only a week or so to decide.
Here's what I've been weighing in my mind...

Pros to Going
1. Good teaching experience-I'd get some teaching experience under my belt and maybe make me more focused in school.
2. Calvin Seminary will still be there in 2 years.
3. In Europe-I'd be able to travel to Italy on a weekend! The amazing places to visit and food to try!
4. Good environment of the school community

Cons to Going
1. I was looking forward to spending the summer at home and making some $$ at a summer job. If I went to Austria, I'd have to leave in July.
2. I am a little burnt out from constantly moving and packing up. In year in college I'd pack and unpack my things 6 times in a year. I was really looking forward to living in Grand Rapids because it's a bigger town than Sioux Center or Pella! And it is going to be different change from what I'm used to living in.
3. Next time that I go overseas, I want it to be long term (8-10 years). I don't want to breeze in and out of my students lives, they get that enough from other teachers. It seems like a lot of teachers who teach overseas only stay 2-4years, and I think it's hard on the students.
4. I have recieved some financial aid for Calvin, and I may not be able to get the same amount if I re-apply a couple of years later.

I know that some of you were hoping that I'd go to Austria, but I really think this is where God is leading me. You have to put off your vacation plans for another 4 years, then I'll know where you can come can visit me!

2006-05-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well...God keeps me on my toes. When I feel that He is leading me in a certain direction, then He opens up other opportunities. I was planning on attending Calvin Seminary in the fall. I had registered for classes and found an apartment to live in. I made up a budget and everything. I was ready to go in August. But at church today, a recruiter from a Christian school in Austria asked me to consider teaching in their school, Vienna Christian School. They are in desperate need of a high school Bible teacher. They need to know by the end of the week my decision. It's a 2 year commitment. I have to raise almost $38,500 in about 2 months. AHHH!!! In my mind my first reaction was, "No, I have my plans set..." Then I started to think, well it would be a great experience and maybe this is where God wants me to be. I am not sure. Both choices seem amazing and something that I want to do. I just don't know which one I should do first. I was wondering if you could pray for discernment for me, as try to make this decision.

2006-05-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

I graduated on Friday...crazy! I can't believe it's over! It's a bit surreal. During the ceremony, as my turn to recieve my diploma got closer and closer...my stomach started to ball up, and I got really nervous. I was now grown up and independent.
My sisters and I
Sarah, Tom, Me, and Mike
Asisan Sandwhich! The Ara(h)'s-Tara, Sarah, and Sarah
My roommates and I are finally reunited from junior year!

2006-05-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

I went to Tulip Time for the first time in 4 years; it was a good time. For those that doesn't know what Tulip Time. Once a year, my hometown celebrates its Dutch heritage, by having 3 days of parades, dutch food stands, dutch dancing, and whatnot. From the time I was 2 years old to a senior in high school, I only ever missed one Tulip Time parade in high school.

My sisters and I...aren't they cute???
It's a family thing...My mom and her 3 sisters and my cousins...We're all dressed in Dutch costumes from the same Dutch provience Marken. Obviously, we don't wear them normally. We are going to scrub the streets with brooms, and the men carry yokes with buckets of water. It's a Dutch tradition to scrub the streets clean for our Tulip Queen to ride on in her horse drawn carriage. It's fun, even though it seems a bit silly.

2006-05-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

I've been back to the States almost 2 weeks now. Here's a list of things that I have missed and love about the States, and what I miss about Nicaragua.
Things I have missed...
1. Green grass and rolling hills
2. Cool weather
3. Friends
4. Potato chips ( I ate a lot of pringles in Nicaragua, but there is more choice here)
5. Driving with "regular" traffic laws....not more rotundas
6. Flushing toliet paper down the toliet
7. Not being worried about the toliet not flushing
8. Always having water and electricity
9. Carpet
10. Houses without gates, barb wire, and gaurds with guns
11. Not sweating when I step out the door
12. My eyes and nose not burning because of burning garbage

Things I miss about Nicaragua....
1. My students
2. The cafetine ladies
3. My teacher friends
4. Surfing
5. Eskimo
6. Constantly feeling dirty...oh wait that's not one of them....
7. TGI Fridays Coconut banana chicken strips

2006-04-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

Asian Invasion. I got a lot of flack from these guys and other students because I was Korean American. They tried to teach me about Korean culture and language...but I wasn't a very good student.
Sam and I would have 3 point shot contests. I usually won...okay I lost one time, but that was only once.

2006-04-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Pre-K 1

2006-04-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is the 5th grade boys..

2006-04-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

Well I've been back in the States for 2 days. It's been really good to be home; I love the fact that I can understand what everyone is saying. The weather is so cool here, and everything is green. The tulips are blooming all over town; it's such a beautiful time of year. I didn't realize how much I missed Pella. Managua was good, but it was so hot and dusty. All the plants were turning brown. I would step outside and start sweating, it's a nice change.
I started driving my car yesterday, it's great to be able to go places whenever I want to.
Today, I went to the dentist..I got 3 fillings. The cavities were right in a row, after the dentist stopped drilling there was only a shell of the tooth left. It was crazy. I couldn't feel my right side of my face for about 4 hours. Well, now I have all feeling back in my mouth, and my mouth hurts. Maybe I'll have to eat soup for the next couple of days.

2006-04-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

We sent scuba diving. We were bored because we had to wait 3 hrs in the dive shop before we could leave...so we entertained ourselves.

We're not quite sure why there is a door on this dock...it's a bit ridiculous....

2006-04-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is right outside the house that we stayed at in Roatan....it was awesome to step out right onto the beach.

2006-04-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

Well I'm 22 years old as of April 12. Well at least I think I'm 22 now, it's hard when you don't know your real birthday. Some person in Korea decided to give me the birth date. I'm sure the date is pretty close, haha I'm not worried that I'm actually 30 years old or anything like that.
I spent my last 8 days in Honduras on spring break. We went to the island of Roatan. It was beautiful, but the trip had a few gliches. It seemed like everything that could happen on a trip did other than getting robbed. I and 3 other female teachers decided to take buses to the island because it was so much cheaper than flying. The way up to Honduras was easy we reserved our tickets and easily transferred busses. The trip up took 2 days. On our first bus we met 2 nice Sweedish backpackers Freddrick and Myad. They shared some of thier expeirences and knowledge about traveling. Thier advice and laid back attitude inspired us and helped us try to cope with the frustrating situations that would come throughout the week. On our way up to Roatan, we had to stay one night in San Pedro Sur. We rented 2 rooms for $11 each. The rooms seemed to be little more than glorified prison cells. They were grey walls with a chair and bed that was painted grey. Everything was spray painted with stencil letters "Hotel San Juan," even the shower curtain. We were a bit nervous about our living arrangements, so we decided to stay in the same room that night. We checked out at 4:00am the next day to catch our next bus. My friends who I was traveling with wished me a "Happy Birthday." We arrived in La Ceiba, and we had to catch a ferry to the island. The ferry was the most chaotic thing I have ever seen. There was absolutely no order. There were no railings to form lines to buy tickets or wait for the ferry, so it became a free for all. People were pushing and shoving each other to wedge themselves infront of other people. I clutched my backpack infront of me, so nothing would get stolen. I had to stand in the crowd waiting for the ferry for almost 2 hours because the ferry was an hour late coming into the harbor. I was sweating, and I could feel and smell other people's sweat. It was not a fun time. The boat ride itself was fine because I slept most of the way. When we arrived in Roatan, the men started unloading the luggage. They threw it in a big pile and you had to spot your luggage and then shout at one of the baggage handlers to grab it for you. The only problem is that the ferry has over 300 ppl on it. So everyone is yelling and trying to push their way to the front of the line to see their stuff come off the ship. We all got out luggage (thankfully) and then we got into a taxi. We had had gotten directions from other teachers from NCA who were meeting us at the house. The directions were West Bay, Out of the Blue, and by the Princess Hotel. That was it! Our taxi driver didn't know where it was, and we didn't know what it looked like. We ended up finding it after asking directions from serveral locals. By this time, we're all tired and just wanting a shower. When we get the house, we find out from the other teachers that a family of 18 is staying in the house and has decided that they are going to stay and extra day. All 11 of us had no where to say that night. This weekend is Semana Santa or Holy Week, and it's the major travel weekend in Latin America. Most people go to the beach. So almost everything was full. We ended up staying in a place that wasn't quite finished for one night. The rest of our time in Roatan was great. Our house was about 150 feet from the ocean. I layed on the beach and read, ate out at some great restuarants, and even got to scuba dive. I loved scuba diving. I want to get my scuba certificate when I get back. In Roatan, I took a short class and then went exploring around the reefs for about 1 hour. Then on Sunday we decided to leave and head back to Nicaragua. We didn't have school on Monday, so we had 2 days for travel. So on Sunday we woke up at 3:30am to try to buy ferry tickets and catch the 6:00am ferry. We got to the ferry station at 4:15 and the place was PACKED! We ended up getting a ticket for the 10am ferry. When we arrived on the mainland, we couldn't have find any bus tickets anywhere. We tried so many different bus lines, finally we found a ticket to San Pedro Sula (which is only about 2.5 hours away). We stayed the night there and hoped to find something in the morning. We were trying to be optimistic. Well we woke up at 3:30am again to try to find a bus. We revisited the nice bus stations, and we were disappionted again. We found a bus that was going to the capital of Honduras, and we decided to take it. The bus was not the nicest, it was a glorified chicken bus. When we got on the bus, it wouldn't start. So some of the men started pushing the bus to give it a rolling start. After a few minutes that bus started up...not the best way to start off. It only cost $5 for a 5hr bus ride. The bus made stops every 20-30minutes to pick up people. We got to Tegucigalpa, and we were sure that we'd find a ticket for that day because we arrived before 10am. We didn't....the best thing we could find was taking an old run down school bus to the boarder of Honduras and Nicaragua. We'd had to then try to find another similar buses that would slowly take us to Managua. It would have been horrible, because they cram the busses as full as they can. People are standing on top of each other inside the bus, hanging off the back, and sitting on top of the buses. We each had a backpack and a rolling carryon bag. It would have been so hard to find room on the bus and safeguard ourselves. We called the school and asked if we could be a day late coming back, so then we could take a nice airconditioned and safe bus back. We stayed the night in the capital in a hotel that was a little shaddy (but not as bad as Hotel San Juan), and then we road on the nicest bus to Managua. This whole trip was great over all. I learned a lot about traveling and about the people I went with. It was interesting to not know the next step of things, but it all worked out in the end. We definately prayed a lot during the whole experience though!

2006-04-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

I only have to teach 4 more class periods today before I am on Semana Santa break. I'm going to hang around Managua until Tuesday, and I'm going to try to finish up things for student teaching. I've been neglecting the assignments because I always say I'm going to do the next week. Well since I only have 2 weeks left, I better get on the ball.
After school I'm going to go surfing, I hope it will be really fun. There are a bunch of teacher going, and the waves will be 6-8ft. It doesn't sound very big, but when your looking at a wave about to break on top of you...you feel the full power of it tossing you around. So far, I have only thought that I was going to seriously die twice. Once was at San Juan del Sur on a camping/surfing trip. The waves were so much more powerful than I was used to, and the waves broke so fast without much warning. I was dropping down on a wave, but my board dipped in the water and sent my flying head over heels into the water. I didn't know which way was up in the water, but I survived. Another time was at the beach we normally go to in Managua; I was just trying to paddle threw the wave to get past the break. The wave just whipped me around in the water and made me do a couple of sommer sults. But considering I go surfing about 2x a week, 2 scary encounters aren't that bad. (Don't worry I'll promise to be careful in the future) I can't believe I only have 2 more weekends to surf before I go back to Iowa...where there will not be any surfing in the near future. Unless a massive earthquake occurs and splits North America in half...

2006-04-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

8.5 more days of teaching...it's crazy it has gone by so fast. I respond to a variety of names at NCA. In Latin American culture, students call teachers "profe," senior, or seniora, or maestro, but they don't add thier last name. So I respond to most students calling me "miss," which can get confusing if I am sitting around 3 other teachers. Some other high school students decided to call me "Susan;" they tell me, "it's for your own safety miss. " If you say Miss. Matherly really fast, it becomes Smatherly, and some students get a kick out of calling me that. My elementary students call me mainly 2 different names, but they are not trying to misprounce my name, they just forget how to pronounce it. I've stopped correcting them because I think it's cute. The pre-K and kindergarden students call me Miss. Beberly. Last night, I had dinner with a pre-k student and her family, and the parents called me Sarah, but thier daughter kept correcting them, "It's Miss. Beberly!" The 5th grade students call me Miss. Matherlyn. And once in a while, I get called my actual name Miss. Matherly. I'm still trying to get used to being called by my last name; it makes me feel so old.

2006-04-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

My forehead has quickly healed from the surfboard ramming into about a week ago. The swelling went down after 3 days, and there wasn't even a bruise from it. The cut has healed, and the only sign left that I had in a run in with the surfboard is a 2/3” scar on my forehead. Scars are always white, which is a bad thing in my case. I am getting tanner and tanner each day. I do all of my PE teaching outside, and on the weekends I go to the beach. I put sunscreen (45spf) everyday and sometimes twice a day. When I got to the beach, I'll reapply multiple times. I know sunblock can go bad after a while, but the sunblock I brought to Nicaragua is less than a year old, and some of it is brand new. I usually try to apply it 20-30 minutes before I go out in the sun, so it can soak in. Can a person become immune to sunblock?

2006-03-31T08:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had one of those class periods that never ends. I was teaching 1^st grade PE. It was the last period of the day and it was hot outside. The kids were not listening, following directions, and participating. It was so frustrating. One boy named Franz, the name itself conjures images of a spoiled brat, was the worst behaving student of all. He has absolutely no regard for authority or respect for people. During class he was misbehaving, and I told him to behave during class. He threw up his arm/elbow to get away from me and hit me in the face. It didn't hurt, but it's the principle of it. Franz is the typical spoiled rich kid with no discipline at home. Everyday at lunch time, his maid comes to school with his lunch and spoon feeds it to him. He'll be jumping around on the picnic table, and she'll hold out a spoonful of food waiting for him to stop moving and take a bite. It's hard for me not to really dislike him, but he does have his moments. He's one of the cutest boys, and sometimes he does things that are ridiculously funny. You can't help but smile and laugh The class and I made it to the end of the day without blowing up at the kids. I'm ready to tackle the class again, but I'm going to use reinforcement. I am going to combine the 11^th and 12^th grade PE class with the 1^st grade class. I am hoping that the class will be more under control. I guess I'll find out on Tuesday.

2006-03-31T05:40:00.000-08:00

Typical Day:
6:00am Wake up, Get ready for school, and pack lunch
6:30am Get into van to go to school
7:00am Faculty devotions
7:25am Homeroom with the 10th grade girls
7:40-8:30am Teach 8th grade Bible class
9:00-11:30am Teach 2-3 elementary PE classes
11:30-12:00pm Eat lunch with high school students
12:15-12:45pm Eat lunch again with elementary students
12:50-2:30pm Teach 1-3 elementary PE classes
3:00pm Walk home from school
3:15-5:00pm-Wind down from the school by reading, watching a movie, playing tennis, or taking a nap
5:00-6:30pm-Making dinner and eating
6:30-10:00pm-Lesson plans, bible study, hanging out with other teachers
10:00pm Bed Time
This is my life right now...it's good, but sometimes it's strange to see how scheduled my life it already. I guess this will prepare me when I have a job.
Sometimes, my morning goes a little different on days when I'm really tired.....
6:30am Wake up, Get ready for school
7:00am Walk to school
7:15-7:45 Check email
11:25-11:35 Stand in line at the cafetine for my lunch
This doesn't happen all the time, I promise.

2006-03-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

Today in PE class, I tried something new. I had the 9^th and 10^th grade boys help teach the Pre-K 1 class (3 and 4 year olds). We did very simple activities like kicking and throwing the ball to each other. At first the students seemed uneasy with each other, but by the end of the class they were having fun. It was funny to see how they interacted with one another. One boy in Pre-K has an attention span of 2 seconds and just runs around all over, and his 10^th grade partner didn't know what to do and just stared at the Pre-K student. One 10^th grade boy kept throwing the ball at a pre-k student, but the ball kept hitting the pre-k student in the face. I instructed the 10^th grader to bounce pass the ball to give the younger student more time to catch the ball. Some of the pre-k girls decided that they weren't going to talk or participate, and it was cute to see how the older boys tried to get them to participate. We ended the class with a big game of duck duck goose, which was very funny at times (Many of the pre-k students were clueless to the rules of the game, even though we had played it numerous times before). I think that each student walked away with a special experience. The pre-k students were so excited to play with the “big kids,” and the high school boys got to experience being 3 and 4 years old again.

2006-03-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

I am learning how to surf while I am in Nicaragua. I wish that I was really good at surfing, but sadly I am not. Each time, I go out I feel like I'm getting better or learn something new. Also each time I go surfing my body gets eaten alive by the bugs, and the next day or two it's hard to rotate my shoulders. I also start to notice new bruises on my legs and arms, but I guess that is the price you have to pay to surf. On Sunday, I caught one of the best waves in my short and slightly pathetic surfing career. I stood up right away, and even started surfing to the left (usually I just surf straight-it's the easiest). I felt on top of the world, and as the wave died out I jumped off my board. When I came up for air, a small wave rammed my board right into my forehead. Needless to say, I got a big bump and a nice cut on my forehead. I asked the surfers if it was noticible....yeah it was. I continued to surf the rest of the afternoon. Luckily it has gone down quite a bit these last 2 days, and it doesn't hurt. The nice thing about having a cut on your head, it's a great conversations starter with students.

2006-03-28T06:40:00.000-08:00

On Friday afternoon, there were 2 boys varsity basketball games scheduled to be played. My future as a basketball coach and refereed officially died that day. The athletic director, NCA boys' varsity basketball coach, and the Director of NCA were gone on a junior high field trip until Sunday. I was left in charge of making sure that the things went smoothly. In Nicaragua, things often don't turn out how you planned...Friday was one of the cases. The first game was between San Luis and Cedro Galan. These schools are very poor with too many students crammed into a very small room. There are no books or couple of very out of date books, and students have to stand around the room because there are not enough desks. San Luis didn't show up and didn't call, so I had to discuss with the Cedro Galan coach what he wanted to do. Did I mention he didn't speak any English, and I don't speak any Spanish? So I was talking through a student translator, luckily the coach was nice and agree to accept a win by forfeit. The problem was there were no referees because they didn't remember to show up or no one called them to remind them to come that day. The forfeit couldn't be legal because there was no official to sign it....that's where I had to step in. I was the official because there was no one else around, and that meant I had to referee the next boys game. I haven't been around basketball for at least 4 years! I never went to any Dordt basketball games in college, and I hadn't played competitive, organized basketball since 9^th grade. So I was a little rusty for sure! I was nervous and stressed, and I felt constant pressure from the NCA coach and the students. I had mentioned before that the game is not much more organized than barnyard basketball. I had to constantly tell players where they had to line up for three throws. I handed the ball to a player to throw the ball in, but he forgot that I handed to him and dribbled the ball inbounds. He responded, “I forgot, I thought that she passed the ball to me...” The game ended with a score of NCA 8 and Covanic 66; luckily it wasn't a close game otherwise the refereeing could have been disputed by either team. After the game had ended, some NCA players, the coaches, spectators, and Covanic players got together and played a friendly game together. It was cool to see how the game of basketball bringing people from all over with different backgrounds together.

2006-03-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

I don't like to have favorites, but the 5^th grade class is one of my favorites. Most the school and teachers have labeled the class as unmotivated and out of hand. My first day of teaching them was hard because they didn't listen or respect me. After the class ended, I was pretty discouraged, but I went to talk to ther previous 4^th grade teacher for advice. She gave me some very helpful tips like try teaching them something totally new, give them a lot of structure, and let them know when they are doing a good job. She and I decided that I would teach them hockey, since most of them had never touched a hockey stick before. One of the Canadian CRC missionaries had a mission team bring down 20+ hockey sticks to Nicaragua to teach kids how to play.

Since the first class period the 5th graders have been amazing, I started off the hockey unit telling them that I trusted them that they could handle playing hockey. One of the boys in the class has epilepsy, and if he gets hit in the head he could start having violent seizures. This made it very important for the students to follow directions and safety precautions. All of the students were excited to play and promised to behave in class. I look forward to each class period. They listen to directions, encourage one another, and display good sportsmanship when they didn't in the past. This class has been a blessing to me to see how drastic attitudes and actions can change so positivily.

2006-03-22T06:42:00.000-08:00

This week I am teaching full time. I am teaching 18 PE classes and 3 Bible classes each week. I'm really enjoying elementary PE because the kids are so excited to participate in class. In my pre-k 1 to third grade, the students are learning simple catching and throwing with koosh balls, and hopefully activities will lay the ground work to teach the students to juggle. In my fifth and six grade classes, I am going to start a hockey unit. I am excited to introduce this new sport to many of the students, but I am a little worried that they could get hurt. The sticks that we have are real wooden hockey sticks, and the kids do not yet have the skills to properly use them. I remember in junior high and high school; we used little plastic sticks that didn't allow us to hit the ball very hard. My 8^th grade girls Bible class is going okay. I am teaching the book of Revelation, and I am struggling to find a balance in the class. I am used to teaching Bible to older students, and I have to make adjustments for their ability levels. I can't ask the same questions that I would ask to a 10^th or 12^th grade class, but I still want to challenge them. I have 8 classes to teach the whole book, so I need to pick and choose which parts I want to emphasize. Most of the materials that I have received from other teachers and a pastor are very dispensationalist. It reminds a little of last summer teaching at Rift Valley Academy because most of the students believed the “Left Behind” theology. I want to present the book objectively to the students and not present strongly one side, especially if I don't agree with the theology. The materials I used to teach the class last summer are at home, but I'm getting by in class and working off of some of my memory.

I am still undecided on what I am doing in the fall. I am trying decide between teaching in school, going to seminary, or something totally that isn't related to teaching. The last two weeks I have been praying for guidance and a sign from God to direct me. I have applied to different teaching jobs in Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri, and I am still waiting to hear back from them. I finished my application to Western Seminary, and I am waiting to hear back from them. Today, I received a very encouraging email from Dr. Neil Plantinga, the president of Calvin Seminary. At first the email wasn't good news, he sad to inform me that I was not chosen to be a Presidential Scholar (which qualified me to receive a $5,000+ scholarship). He said hat my profile of my grades, references, and essays were very good, but he had a limited amount of Presidential Scholarships to give. Dr. Plantinga went on to say that he talked the VP of Academic Affairs and told him to make sure that I would receive scholarships that would put me in the Presidential Scholarship bracket. I do not believe that this means that I am going to Calvin Seminary for sure in the fall. More things have to fall into place, I still have to receive enough loans and other aid to pay for the rest of tuition. I have been throwing around the idea, if I don't get any teaching offers, I could get a office job in Sioux Falls or Des Moines. This would definitely be my last choice because I want to make the most of my college education, but maybe God is leading me there. I am just praying a lot and trusting that God will show me in His time.

2006-03-15T06:17:00.000-08:00

This week, I am teaching half of each elementary physical education class. I am really enjoying teaching the elementary children because they are so excited to participate. I am teaching the students how to play basketball, and this week we are focusing on dribbling and passing. They are doing a great job, even though some of them have never played basketball before. I am excited to see them improve on their hand eye coordination and fine motor movements. I will be teaching for 4 weeks. I want to teach different sports and skills like American football and hockey that the students do not usually learn in the PE classes. The students in the classes are responding very positively to me; although, they still have trouble remembering and pronouncing my name. I also have trouble remembering and pronouncing their names too! As I look forward to the weeks, ahead I get more and more excited. I can't believe that I only have 6 more weeks here in Nicaragua. It's going so fast!

2006-03-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

I have been observing the elementary students for almost a week. They are so cute and lively, which makes a teacher stay on his or her toes. One child may decide to run away from the group and within 3 seconds 5 or 6 children are running after them. It is crazy how you can loose almost total control of your class within a couple of seconds. I am slowly learning the kid's names during class. I have a clipboard with their names and pictures; it's neat to connect the names with personalities. I hope to start teaching next week. I am also helping teach 8^th grade girls' Bible class. I am going to teach a unit on Revelations in 2 weeks. The teacher was a little uncomfortable teaching the book, and I have had a college class on Revelations and taught it last summer. The only problem is that I don't have all of my notes and resources here because they are home. I am going to ask some pastors to borrow their commentaries on Revelations.

I'm involved in 2 Bible studies, which are a blessing to get to know others on a deeper level and grow in my faith. The first one 6 ladies (mostly teachers at NCA) are doing a Beth Moore Bible study on John the Beloved Disciple. The other Bible study is co-ed with some young teachers at NCA and other college age students, and we are studying a "Survey in Basic Christianity." We are going through the basics of the Christian faith and discussing and challenging each other.

2006-03-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

I am sorry that I haven't written in a long time. Last week, I started observing elementary PE classes. The kids are full of energy and want to participate in class. The elementary PE teacher is very patient and kind to the kids, but he lacks direction and discipline in his classroom. The school is working with him to develop his talents and gifts, and he seems very open to suggestions. I am very excited because there is a physical education teacher from Canada that is going to help with classes. He will be able to give advice and suggestions about activities and teaching methods from his teaching experience. In a week, I'm going to start to teaching classes next week, and I'm really excited to startt teaching again.

Each semester the junior high and high school students have a field day. I spent the day with the 7^th and 8^th graders, and we traveled to Rancho Ebenezer. I was excited to return to the ranch after spending time there on AMOR. The walls that we helped slap concrete on were finished and painted. The fences and gates that we painted looked very nice. The kids had a good time and learned a lot about farming and conservation.

This weekend the school had a fundraiser call Festival 2006. The day was full of games, good food, sports activities, and venders. It's a great opportunity for parents and teachers to interact, and families of the school to get to know each other at the festival. This is a picture with some of my Korean students. It is fun to interact with them, and they are very forgiving when I mispronounce their names.

These are 2 other teachers at NCA. The teacher on the left is Leah De Nooy. She is the 3rd grade teacher and graduate of Dordt College. The teacher on the right is Rachel Pontier. She is my roommate and my cooperating teacher. She is the high school PE teacher, and also a Dordt grad.

2006-02-24T04:53:00.000-08:00

This is my last day being with the high schoolers. Next week, I am going to take a 3 day break to finish papers and lesson plans that have to be handed in for my first segment of student teaching. Then I will start my elementary section of student teaching. I will also be teaching the girls’ 8th grade Bible class. I am trying to prepare myself for the drastic switch because teaching elementary PE is going to be very different from high school PE.
Yesterday, I saw my first Nica varsity basketball game. It was nothing like I had ever seen on a high school level. I felt like I was watching an elementary game because people were shooting at the wrong hoop. There were no plays being run, and people would decide to take random shots at the basket. Double dribbling, carry overs, traveling, and 3 second violations were fixtures in the game. I had a hard time not laughing at events in the game, but down here soccer is the main sport. If a Nicaraguan soccer team came to the States, they would demolish my high school team. This is one of the differences that I have observed in Nicaragua compared to the US.

2006-02-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

I just received an email from Calvin Theological Seminary. The email stated that I have been accepted into the Masters of Divinity program. I was a little nervous about being accepted to Calvin because I was not in the pre-seminary program at Dordt. At Dordt, I take some of the required classes for admissions to Calvin. I am also working on an application to Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI. I still have so much to do like applying for scholarships, financial aid, and other paper work, and I’m finding it hard to get it all done down here in Nicaragua. I can’t mail any of the forms or papers from down here because the mail system is not reliable, so I have to wait for visitors from the States to send the mail with them.
Right now I feel like I’m a senior in high school or my freshman year of college because I am at a crossroad in my life. I need to make a decision within the next couple of months that will determine what I will be doing and living for the next couple of years. I am deciding between attending seminary in the fall, teaching in the States, or teaching overseas. There are so many options, and I just have to be patient for God’s leading.