Christmas!

Well, I'm back at SPEC now. We all returned to 140 people at our home (which it is now - our home. yay!). We hosted the Volunteers conference - so all of the volunteers in England came to stay, and we went on retreat together. It was a grand time, and we had Sister Judith speak, and boy is she a story teller - 280 eyes were glued on her the whole time.

To be honest it was a little crazy coming back to that type of atmosphere when all we wanted to do was see each other again and catch up. We weren't all in the mood to meet a whole load of new people. So my earlier sense of energy and hope for the new year was a little bit dampened. But it picked right back up as the conference went on - and my joy really picked back up when we were able to gather together as a community again. The atmosphere around here is different. There is so much energy, so much hope, so much joy. Much more than was there last term. It's as if the break was what everybody needed to realize the potential there is in this place and in each other. We are so much more a family now - I am very hopeful.

Hope is a word that came to me over Christmas. I was contemplating the 'true meaning of Christmas', which comes up every year, and the answer is usually 'Jesus'. To be honest, my answer would always be 'family' in the past, but this year challenged that, as I was far from Mom, Dad, Meg, Dan, Grama, Nona, Scott, The Mark Suttons, and so many other close family and friends.

I'm going to give an excerpt from my journal, as it shows the thought process:

I have experienced the true meaning of Christmas. I'm quite sure, actually, that I experience this every year. Family getting together. I mean, I know the answer is supposed to be Jesus, but maybe it's a matter of a morphing meaning through the years - can you ever define what the meaning of a day is? When you're 4, it is about presents for you, so how can one define it as 'wrong' when that is what it is? Anyway, this beautiful famil took us in and treated us as their own. God provided through tem. How does that connect to Jesus' birth? The homelessness bit? The family part I suppose... Sometimes its hard for me to separate Jesus's birth from his death. I suppose Easter is more about forgivness of sins, the proof of unconditional love, and everlasting life. But what meaning does Jesus's birth have? What's the focal point? Hope? Jesus the saviour is born. Good times are near... an epiphany comes soon. Yea, that's it. Hope.

There's certainly more thought process since, but it's the beginning of a fun exploration :)

As that hinted at, Scotland was a HUGE blessing. The Haldane family reminded me a lot of my own, and truly took Annika, Anthony, and I in as their own children. It was wonderful to be in a family again. Anna's brothers were so much fun to play music with, study an atlas with, and just hang around with. We walked on beaches (The one in St. Andrews is featured in Chariots of Fire! yes, we ran!), saw cathedrals, and met a lot of great family. The Christmas traditions were fun - an Advent song as we lit candles leading up to Christmas, Christmas Crakers that have prizes in them and leaving Rudolph a carrot, and for Santa a cookie and a beer. We spent a lot of time with family friends just playing games! It was impressed upon me the importance of friends. The Haldanes were so welcoming to anyone who called or stopped by. There was always a bowl of soup or a quick cup of tea. Nothing too huge, but such a comfort to those who were struggling or stressed - a sense of normality, hospitality, and family. Scotland is my new favourite place, and I am going to move there. Currently, my list is 14 items long. Here we go:

1. Royal Bank of Scotland (the one we are all with)

2. Anna and the Haldane Family

3. A store entitled: "Thistle Do Nicely" (that one's for you dad!)

4. Scottish Accent

5. Friendly People

6. Hills and the Highlands

7. Dancing

8. Kilts and Tartan

9. Natural Beauty

10. Castles!

11. Cobblestone

12. Local feel

13. Beaches

14. Walking

The list continues to grow :)

Other quick business not really related to Christmas... It has been a while...

I have gotten an acceptance letter from Concordia, St. Paul in Minnesota! 1 down, 2 to go!

Just finished a fabulous retreat with 29 16 year old boys who had the perfect balance of rowdy and respectful. During every break they had, they were playing dodgeball in our living room with a designated referee and everything! They were surprisingly open about faith and God, and had TONS of questions during 'quiz the priest' including: what if there is no afterlife? and If God knows all of our days, do we really have free will?'. I was blessed to be able to work with them.

Lutherwood keeps providing fun songs and games to share with the community. I have had a request for 'the birdie song' to wake up a fellow team member in the morning :)

General prayers for the world. Specifically Gaza and Zimbabwe. I am continually surprised at how much more globally aware I am here. Maybe it's europe, maybe it's living with people from all over the world, maybe it's just me becoming more aware. Also the Whatcom County area, as the weather has been insane - flooding, power outages, rain... It's all over the place, people have been evacuated from homes. For some hope and some improvement.

I love you all and pray that you are safe, happy, and getting challenged at some point in your days!

Cheers m'dears!

For more Pictures of Christmas Adventures at SPEC, click here
For pictures of the Christmas Party dinner, click here
For pictures of White Elephant at the Christmas Party, click here
For More Scotland picures, click here
For even More Scotland pictures, click here

Recent Blessings

So, I know this blog isn't too up-to-date on my calendar of events, but I think the big event lately has been Mission Week. The SPEC team is going into a high school every day this week. It's similar to the mission I was on with SPECEast, but that was a very small primary school. This is a high school with 1000 boys (and a handful of girls). It's quite different - but I still love it!

We have been doing sessions in classrooms, a social justice rotation, and the advent program. The advent program has probably been the largest project we have taken on. We as a team came up with an outline of a modern nativity story. Mary and Joseph in modern day London. Herod is represented by Mary's overbearing father, the shepherds are a group of dancer/singer/rappers, and Jesus is born in a tube station (Angel station to be exact :) ). My part in this program is directing the band. I was expecting to be either playing piano, or watching and teaching students to play traditional carols. Boy was I wrong. I have a combo of 4 boys - all phenomenal musicians that know what they are doing. The pianist plays beautifully, and he and the guitar player can look at each other and change the feel of the song at the drop of a hat. I say "how about we do this in a different style" and the bass player starts playing a riff and the rest jump in. No planning time at all. It has been such a blessing to be able to work with such positive, competent musicians. They are truly showing the world what they can do with their gifts - way to go guys! The performance is tomorrow night - they are going to rock it! I am so excited!

On a personal level, I'm just excited to be putting on a show! I have missed rehearsing and the preparation for a performance. The adrenaline and focus and anticipation for such a grand event is something I have always loved and cherished. Now that it's missing from my life on a regular basis - I notice - big time. These are the times when I feel alive. (I suppose it's good that I'm heading into theatre :) )

This preparation has been a big topic around here during this Advent season. I'm not sure I've ever been so immersed in the Advent season. We talk about waiting and preparing all the time - and it's been very relevant as we have prepared for mission week. Now it's here, and all of the preparation is coming together - all of the waiting is coming to a climactic end - and I wonder how much of this translates to the religious side of things. Do I ever get this excited about Jesus being born? Or does it usually just pass me by? There's a big difference between showing up to watch a concert and being a part of the preparation for three months in advance. The performance always means more when we've had that personal investment. Shouldn't it be the same for Jesus? Is there a way to infuse this much excitement into the preparation for Jesus? I suppose during my life, we have had an advent calendar at home, we've gotten a Christmas tree, and decorated the house... but how do I prepare for Jesus personally - in my own heart?

I feel as if it is happening this season. Just hearing about it SO much - I can't help but have it on my mind. This year Christmas is going to be different for me - spending it with another family in a different country - on a different continent! So my usual preparations fall away. They are replaced, though, by a preparation of my heart. How will I feel spending Christmas away from home? My family will be on my mind and in my heart, but they will be far away, so what can I keep close to my heart that will be physically close as well? I can keep the miracle of Jesus extra close this year - and get my heart excited for his big performance - I'm getting involved in the rehearsal now.

But certainly - the English Christmas has been celebrated since October! But recently I have gotten the pleasure of trying mince pies, mulled wine, and Christmas pudding (Figgy pudding - like from 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas!') I have gotten the chance to attend English Christmas parties where we sit around and sing carols by a fire! We had Christmas dinner with parsnips, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, cranberry stuffing, and Christmas crackers with presents inside. That particular dinner also included a Swedish treat of a Santa Lucia performance! We were very lucky to experience their traditions as well.

I pray that your preparations and traditions are going well this Advent and Christmas season - You are all in my thoughts and prayers - keep me posted on your lives as well! I love you all!

Culture

Culture – we’ll start close. Culture begins at a family level. My family’s culture has taught me to be open-minded and see all sides of a story, to be a committed, hard-working person, and to treat all people with love, compassion, and politeness. It has shown me that the world is generally a good place, while keeping in mind the hardships that many go through each day. This is the level that has influenced me the most throughout my life, and though I moved out of the house and into slightly different towns and family cultures, the basics of those values were consistent.
And then I moved to England. In August of this year, I boarded a plane that landed in the London Heathrow Airport. I was picked up and taken to the SPEC Center, which is a retreat center for young people in the Westminster Diocese that I am volunteering at this year. This was all orchestrated through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Young Adults in Global Mission Program who prepared me quite well to be in British culture. I knew not to ‘jump the queue’ and to be ready to drink lots of tea, but what I wasn’t as prepared for was the multitude of cultures I would encounter here at SPEC. The 30 volunteers here are from 9 different countries – each with our own unique set of customs, values, and history books.
Initially, I don’t think we really knew what to do with each other – what do we say? Can I really ask questions about the snow in Sweden? Will it be all right to ask Anthony about his family back in Zimbabwe? What if I offend someone? What we have found as time has gone on, is that we are all curious about each other’s cultures, and all very excited to share our own. Through that discovery, there has begun a rapid exchange of stories, pictures, and customs that has taken my open-mindedness to a new level of understanding.
Hearing about Zimbabwe in the news is nothing compared to hearing about Anthony’s experiences back home and his sentiments about living in England. His appreciation for having water at the turn of a knob and his amazement at the peace in England shows so much more than a news story ever could. It is so real to hear his mom’s voice on the phone and to see the relief on Anthony’s face when he gets the confirmation that they are still all right.
Anthony’s is one of the many cultures I have been privileged to encounter. They has all opened my eyes not only to how different cultures work, but that my own, while appropriate for its time and place, is not the definitive one. I have never claimed its dominance, but have always felt comfortable in its effectiveness, and gaining an understanding of other backgrounds really challenges that. My culture, customs, and core values, the way of life I know so intrinsically probably would not apply, nor survive in other places. That’s quite a wake-up call to a girl that has always assumed she could survive anywhere and do anything.
To live, learn, and share culture is my contribution to our global world. By being open to learning about other cultures, and both sharing and challenging my own, I can help create that beautiful tapestry that the ebb and flow of diversity creates. This open door policy for cultural exchange and acceptance applied not only to the global cultures I am encountering right now, but the more detailed cultures of individual families and different types of social, racial, and economic backgrounds. These are the differences we encounter in one another every day, and the ones we must celebrate in one another to effectively communicate and co-exist.

Thanksgiving in England!

Oh my goodness! Retreats are coming and going, and I learn something during each one. But my most recent excitement revolves around Thanksgiving! I was so blessed to be able to spend it with the Scribner family in London. We saw lots of sights, drank English tea at the British museum, saw Spamalot, and made Pumpkin Pie with ingredients Jean brought from Washington! We even found a turkey dinner across the street from Spamalot! Here's a picture of Margie's family, flatmates, and me Thanksgiving morning.

Thanksgiving continued on Sunday at SPEC when Erik, another American volunteer, and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner. I have never cooked a meal that big before, but man did Erik and I have fun! I started the rolls at 11:00 am and kept cooking until dinner at 6:00 (well actually more like 6:15, but Thanksgiving dinner is supposed to be late, right?). The dinner was a big success! A shout out to Grama Sutton - I got her recipes for 'Grama Rolls' and Sweet potatoes - both were a big hit! We had a good time explaining all of our different traditions and dishes. The brits found it strange, though, when we said it was fine to put the fruit salad on the same plate as all the other food, but most went along with it anyway. We didn't discover until later that anything on the same plate, in England, is up for grabs to shove together with everything on the plate. I looked over at my neighbor who had fruit salad, roll, and turkey on one fork... we had a laugh together :) It was such a wonderful community time! To eat, laugh, and just be together as a family was so beautiful.

Another great part about this day may have been the fact that I was running the show ;) I have missed being in and around theatre a lot, and having that familiar feeling of working hard all day building up to the adrenaline rush at panic time was so wonderful. I felt alive! Everytime I get this feeling I am reminded of why I want to go into theatre - which leads me to the next big thing on my mind... UNI!

It has come time to apply for university for next fall. Discernment is a big process, though. I have gotten very overwhelmed regularly since I started the process. I am the kind of person that likes to know alllll of my options before making a decision. Well, we all know that there are thousands of universities in the US, and there is no way I could know about them all. So I have narrowed it down to 3... or maybe 5 universities. I am intending to major in theatre - either musical theatre or theatre education. I just had such an amazing time at the Morgan Middle School Drama Club that I can't imagine myself NOT doing thatre in that aspect or something similar. I don't know how I'm going to come to a decision, but luckily I don't really have to make that one until May. I am planning a trip back to the states in February to visit and audition at some schools. My biggest challenge now is the 'personal statement'. I have lots of brainstorms, but it's not coming together like essays normally do for me... maybe I just need some more 'think' time. Unfortunately, that time is running out!

Today I ran a session called 'Stranded!'. The premise is that a meteor is headed towards Earth and will destroy it in the next 48 hours. Luckily, we have known about this for some time, and have managed to build a space-station to live on. Un-luckily, there are only 3 spots left. Each young person is given a character, and throughout the session, they have to decide who stays and who goes. I was struck by how each made their case. Most began with: 'I should go because I have these special talents...' But later, when their shortcomings were revealed, the arguments turned to: 'I should go because I'm not.... (disabled, sterile, old, etc.)' I wonder how often in life we define ourselves by 'what we aren't' in comparison to other people. 'Well, I may be X, but at least I'm not Y...' Just a thought... Life would be nice if we could focus on the X - what we are and celebrate that - as well as the X in others. I guess it's sort of a 'glass half full' mentality.

I want to thank those of you who responded to my last post. The question of where God is in suffering was posed by the ELCA, though it had been floating around in my mind for some time. It's a question whose answer is always being refined in my mind. If you have any others you'd like me to think about - let me know, it may show up here!

I pray life is treating you all well in this Advent Season - Waiting time! :) Cheers!