Jacksonville, Day 2

Well, today we began our trip in earnest, and it's been what I expected, if not exactly what I hoped for. Overall,this promises to be a rewarding trip, with much to think on and be excited by for weeks to come.

After breakfast and quiet time, we headed out to do street clean-up (trash, mowing, edging; etc.). It started out a tad rough because lots of the equipment we had on hand is.... well let's just call it temperamental. Fortunately, Les Unruh and Eric Ness are excellent field repairmen, and by the end of the morning had more equipment running than we needed. Our goal for the week is to fix up sections of 2 roads that run on either side of the 2nd mile ministry house. Even with the challenge of initially doing all the edging without aid of power tools, I think we're on target to get it all done. In the afternoon, we shifted gears and went to a local elementary school, where we cleaned up their stage, which had been getting used as storage for old books. I think we will continue to be there the rest of the week doing similar service projects.

It may not seem like much, but as Eric very wisely said, our aim really can't be for major breakthroughs. We're really just support staff who help provide credibility and opportunity for the 2nd mile staff who do the real and hard work of building relationships and trust long after we're gone. And it's important to remember that this Gospel ministry, but it is not the Gospel. The Gospel is the message of salvation through Christ, and we may never get to share that message. What we do is show redemption applied, that the promise of the Gospel is true, and that is an exciting opportunity.

The Challenge for me is that I love the deep conversation, the grand story of someone's life and how God is speaking to them, but so far we haven't really had those. We stand out as outsiders, and people are polite but not in general terribly friendly. They genuinely appreciate our presence and work, but we probably won't have those big conversations. I hope we do, but it's more important that we can stand out enough for Ruth or Marc or the rest of the staff to have those down the line.

Two guys that have really stood out for us have been Earnest and AJ. They are local guys who hang out with the gang here a lot, so we've had some chance to goof off and talk a bit. I'm hoping for more opportunity over the course of the week to know them more.

a Few random things I've enjoyed learning so far-

1. One of the interns here is the daughter of our district superintendent

2. I am not old, but playing frisbee with these guys, I am reminded that I am not as young as I like to think.

3. Rachel is now a quarter of a century old.

4. Eric cannot dance, but he plays a pretty good game of spades.

Jacksonville-Day 1

So an opportunity arose recently to be part of a team from Manchester going to Jacksonville, FL for a service trip with 2nd Mile Ministries. Their aim is to reach into one of the poorest sectors of Jacksonville through relational ministry. I didn't think it was going to work out to go based on cost plus work scheduling, but a few weeks ago, Telly encouraged me to consider going with Chris (our roommate). Apparently, God liked the idea too, because my store manager gave me the week off, and to top it off, the church's giving covered the cost of everyone on the team.

So, 7 of us packed up and headed down this morning. The team here is pretty sweet. We spent the evening with 2 of the staff members, and a house full of interns. It's been great to learn all kinds of new things about the team, and get to hear stories from our new friends (one of the interns is the daughter of our EFCA district superintendent).

Most of what we've done to date has been settling in... basic orientation and a tour of the area. In some ways, it's not that unusual... rough neighborhoods here look like rough neighborhoods in Rock Hill. I think the thing that strikes me the most is how much of the neighborhood is empty. Condemned buildings abound. I am curious how the community will react to us. I keep hearing that we stand out in an awkward way, since we're the strange white people. Growing up with Mom and Dad involved in a camp for minorities and having the examples of so many relationships crossing racial lines, it seems really odd for me. I feel at home here as much as anywhere. I'm interested to see how God leads conversations over the course of the week.

For now, good night Rock Hill and hello Jacksonville!

An update on general things

So here's the general update, because we haven't done that in a while.

1. We're staying in Rock Hill! God has provided.

2. We BOTH got jobs! God definitely provided.

3. Jon is working at Starbucks. He's in week three, and still struggling to get things down. His co-workers are being very gracious and understanding.

4. Jon will also be working with our church, Manchester Creek Community Church, in an internship/portfolio building/working on ordination capacity. God has spoken.

5. I'm doing a temp job (1-2 months) doing data entry at a trucking company in Charlotte. It's full time and will dump me out at the beginning of the school year to start subbing again. God is working it out.

6. We're getting a new place! After a year of love and charm with the Awkward Stair (i.e. 417 Union Ave) we've decided to move. We were looking for a bit more room, a more updated place (namely a dishwasher) and a way to ramp up our part in the community. God found us a home.

7. We're moving in with the Foxes! Brandi and Chris Fox, long time friends (fellow married couple) came up with a random idea for us to move in together to maybe save some expenses, learn from each other, and provide a place for friends to feel welcome. Some benefits are:
a) a bigger place, one we couldn't afford on our own, for about the same rent
b) shared utilities (financial plus)
c) learning from eachother in terms of cooking, budgeting, being good stewards, etc.
d) a new way of life; we'll be forced to share (that's a good thing) and compromise (as if marriage doesn't teach you that enough) living more simply (separately both couples have way too much stuff....collectively...well, there WILL be a yard sale)
e) I get a cat. Well, I share the Fox's cat, but it's still exciting
f)opening our home to the community; this house has enough space so we can have Waffles, Pasta & Panthers, and other special gatherings in a setting where people feel free to relax and not be crowded.
g) love; you know how great it is when you come home from a tough day and your spouse is there to comfort you? Well now you have your spouse, one of your best friends, and your best friend's spouse, who will comfort your spouse, when your spouse is stressed from helping you de-stress from your hard day.



So there it is. That's about what we've been up to.

Contingencies.

As you may or may not know ....actually, I hate that phrase, because you either know or you don't. There are only two options in that scenario, so why make it blatantly obvious and waste words using the phrase? ANYWAY....

As some of you may know, The next month will be a very telling time for Jon and I. Currently we are unemployed. I can't be a sub if school's not in session. Jon can't be a student worker at RTS if he's not longer a student. So we're job hunting. We're beating every bush, shrub, weed, and tree we can find trying to find some income, really ANY income. We would LOVE to stay in Rock Hill. We really feel that God is calling us to do more work in this city, and we can't deny how strong the bonds are with many of the people here. Additionally, Jon's been offered the opportunity to do more work with our local church to help bolster his resume. We don't want to leave.

But the truth of the matter is, if we don't have any for source of income in the upcoming week, things have to change. Here are our four options as we know of them, so that when God does tell us which one, we can communicate with you in code : "Option #3 has arrived people, all clear" or "Option one is here. Meet at 07:30."


Option #1 If neither of us has a "for sure" job offer in the next week, we pack things up and move in with my parents down in Columbia. God has been gracious in giving them a home and with ample space for us to mooch off of as long as we would need to (THANKS MA and PA!). We'd move down there, save some rent money, and begin the job hunting process all over again. This take us away from Rock Hill, so it's not ideal, but we go where the Lord puts us.

Option #2 If one of us is able to secure a job in the next week then we might be able to stay in the place we are in now. It would mean scrimping by, and ultimately we wouldn't be able to stay for long because we can't live here on a minimum wage paycheck. We have some very generous friends at the our church who have offered us the use of their winter home while they're humidity free up north. Again, God has been gracious in providing us this option if we need it. Because it would mean storing our furniture, and it wouldn't be permanent, it's not ideal. But we WILL go where the Lord puts us.

Option #3 If we both get jobs relatively soon, we should be able to afford to continue living in our current place; "The Awkward Stair" as we've affectionately called it for the last 10 months. This would be great and Jon could keep his church opportunity. We could continue building the friendships we have started and contribute to a community we love. This would be nearly ideal, but WE WILL GO where the Lord puts us.

Option #4 If one or both of us gets a job soon, we've hatched a crazy idea with another married couple to move in together (that's right, 2 married couples under 1 roof). The benefits would be saving on rent/utilities/other bills, building a friendship to a higher level, and being able to help each other grow in all sorts of ways. This option has too many "what if's" and "only if's" to count, but it is a fun idea to think about while you're doing dishes. this would also be nearly ideal, but none the less, WE WILL GO WHERE THE LORD PUTS US.

Friday, June 18th is pretty much our deadline for the first option. If neither of us have something by then, it's "Hello Mom and Dad!"

Please pray for us. We need so much of God's direction in our lives. Pray that he will provide jobs, where ever he sends us. Pray that he will be glorified through all the muddled-ness of this time. And pray wherever we are sent next, that there is a dishwasher.

Out of Touch

Now that the school is done, we're out job hunting for the summer as we try to figure out whether God plans for us to be in Rock Hill or not. The process of beating the bushes has made me increasingly aware of an unusual trend in job applications... a wholly online application process.

Now, I want to be careful about my own opinions, since it's very easy to get righteously indignant about perceived shortcomings that directly affect us. Additionally, I could get so focused on these perceived limitations that I ignore God's sovereignty and care for us.

Still, I do find this trend interesting and potentially disturbing. In these situations, the entire application is designed and managed by the employer and is accessible only online. There are several advantages to this method. For one, companies can take in a huge number of applications without getting bogged down. Additionally, as one friend pointed out, this allows them to instantly screen applicants who cannot meet their availability requirements or such. And by tailoring the application process, they can weight and measure certain attributes that are most important to them.

The troubling part of this process is that eliminates the human interaction factor. I've noticed that companies who do online applications will not even talk to you. They simply promise to review your application, which from what I can tell means they see what the computer says about your application, good or bad. So in a service industry, where personality and communication skill are vital to success, an applicant has little opportunity to showcase his skill. Likewise, there is little chance to showcase intellect, teachable nature, drive and desire; etc. For instance, I know that on paper, my application looks risky in some regards. I'm about to have a Masters degree, which suggests that I would leap at the chance to find someplace better. What doesn't show up is that I'm looking for a means to commit to the area and serve my church here. If I can speak with no one, then how do I convey this desire?

Another interesting aspect is the personality test that is often included in online applications. The application asks a series of questions to get a sense of the applicant's work ethic, work style, instincts; etc. However, these questions are very basic, allowing no explanation of one's views, and certain questions are repeated, though phrased differently (in an effort to catch people who are intentionally lying about their views). My problem here is that the questions carry implicit nuances which the employers don't really seem to care about. For instance, do I like people? Yes, very much. Do I like being alone? Yes, because I have to get away to recharge. Do I like spending time with groups of people? Yes, I love group interaction, but do I like being in the middle of large crowds? No, I find them much more impersonal. My only way of improving things is to strike up conversation with strangers so that I'm not alone in a throng. Answers like these could be seen as contradictory on a superficial level, and I know in a couple of cases, I had to redo an application because these tests threw out my application.

There are major limitations, I think, but my deeper concern comes from wondering if we aren't stripping ourselves of human contact, interaction, and camaraderie. In our quest to streamline and speed life, every time we insulate ourselves from the messiness of personal communication, I fear we begin to forget how to truly know one another and be known. By association, I wonder if this helps make our jobs less personal: more focused on only hours, tasks, and paychecks. In so doing, does this not threaten to strip core meaning from our labors?

I need to think about this more, but I'll try to add another post later on a Christian response and focus to our work in these ultra-modern times.
Jon

Sold!!

I sold my first sewing project EVER!!!!

I never thought etsy.com would be profitable, since it is so HUGE and has so many crafters who are more talented than I am, but lo and behold my little shop did it! It feels incredibly validating.

My two most recent projects though have gotten by far the best reviews. Hopefully I'll get the pics to post in a couple days.

Old Endings and New Beginnings

I guess I'm still coming to terms with impending graduation. It's strange to realize that being a student has been on of the most dominant traits of my life. The only thing I've been for longer than my 28 years of study is single. And I guess that in itself is a comfort, since being married has turned out so beautifully. Still, it's a big chapter closing. I'll still be given to reading and personal study, but it's hard to imagine returning to formal schooling. I'm not a true academic to go for a phd. and a D. Min. seems like it would be largely vanity, since personal study and discipleship with Godly men can accomplish the same ends.

In some small way, I grieve for the loss of these days that have been so wonderful. But I wouldn't continue even if I could. I'm far too eager to be about the business I believe God designed me to do. There's the rub. God has a funny way of systematically stripping us of the needless things which we hold dear, thrusting us into uncertainty that we may find Him sufficient. We've gone through so much of that financially that it's almost commonplace now, and you begin to feel you truly know how to trust God. Then He brings a new wave of change, a different aspect of that same dependence, a new chance to respond in faith.

That's the great comfort and joy. he knows the end from the beginning. He has seen all of it, and there are no surprises to Him. The process of revelation and growth may seem achingly slow, but the end is sure. He knows me and I will know Him. This is the dawn of a new chapter of His grace. So, I'm sad to say goodbye to His past kindness, but I'm excited to see His coming ones.