Saturday, July 18, 2009

Gimping up Colfax on the short bus.


Things are looking up. Tonight my Aunt picked me up in the short bus (our family is so big we use a short bus to get around) to cruse up Colfax. Lucky for me, I got handi-capable seating in the bus. We (the fifteen of us) went to see Harry Potter. Yes, it was an extravagant night, indeed. After the movie we went out to the fancy restaurant, the one with paper napkins. While I ate my foil wrapped Mexican I got to thinking how wonderful it is to have a ridiculous big family. Then off to Target to wait while my young cousin got toys. My mother has six siblings, tonight it was three of her sisters, their husbands, and their children, Bevin and I. It wasn't all of us by any stretch but we were enough to fill the bus and two rows at the movie theater. Magical.

While this has been a trying time for me physically things are improving in other areas. For starters these few months at home have given me the opportunity to spend time with folks I love. Yesterday, Bevin and I went to meet young Vincent Joseph. Vinnie was born Monday to my oldest sister, Jesse and brother-in-law Brian. The baby is precious.

Also, the second surgery was successful but it still means I got to spend the week with folks in the house caring for me. A big thank you to all my highly trained nurses-Julie, Randy (and young Peter), Sharon, Sarah, Evie (and young Opal), Litty-bit, Anna and Ben. You all were great. Seriously, healing is better when there is someone there to sherpa with a positive nice-to-see-you attitude.

On the first of July, Global Mission and I made the choice not to continue with service in Indonesia. It was unclear if my visa was secure. Plus, with this second knee surgery it would be another ten weeks before I could travel so I would only be able to stay for a few months before the end of the limited stay permit. So, with sadness, we offer gratitude to our friends at the deaconess school, and close this chapter of emplyoment. However, where God closes one door he opens another.

On the second of July (yes, literally the next day) I was accepted to Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. They sent me a housing offer and are working out financial aid. I accepted the offer and have purchased tickets to fly out and begin attending classes starting September. My middle sister Kate will assist me in moving when I go out to see them August 14th in Davis. I look forward to meeting her new son, born in February, Simon.The old left leg will not be healed so she and her husband are going to help with logistics.

On August 2nd I will be presenting at Atonement Denver at 9:30 for 45 minutes on World Hunger. Then on August 9th I will be back in Boulder to preach and teach at Atonement Boulder.

Pray for me on August 10th when I have my Entrance interview to candidacy for the Rocky Mountain Synod. Hooray road of discernment! We'll see if God has been calling me to ordained ministry in the Church.

Here's what I get from this whole double surgery, right leg reconstruction, left leg reconstruction situation. Pain is easily forgotten. Faith grows in convalescence. Friends make things funnier and laughter heals all kinds of aches. And only in my family do you get to bring the short bus to the movies, gimped out on Colfax, cruising, with my best-friend.