Keely's First Update From India

Hey All,

This is a long update, so let me put the PS first: the next Young Adults event will be Friday, July 20^th. We’ll meet in Somerville @7pm. The plan is to check out main street: ice cream, classic cars, etc. Friday nights during the summer on main street Somerville are worth checking out. And I live close by, so we can always take a jaunt over to my house as well. More to come on that.

But for now, as many of you know, our own Keely is spending a year in India! Here’s some of her first email update…

“…

For those of you who I haven't managed to talk to
recently, I graduated from F&M back in May and am currently in India
for one year of graduate school through an Ambassadorial Scholarship
from Rotary International. I'm slowly adjusting to my new
surroundings, which - I'm beginning to understand - will be a long
process. Of course, as usual, this is going to be a bit of a long
email, so just bear with me!

…

The hostel is a little rough - lots
of bugs here, and I need to get used to the cold showers, etc. but I
think with time I'll be able to call it home. I should be grateful,
really, because there's a major housing shortage, and a lot of
students don't have anywhere to live and are searching for a place to
stay in the city. Craziness! I bought a mosquito net to put over my
bed, which makes me feel like a princess, haha. I hope it works! I
don't want to get eaten alive at night.

So yesterday was our first day, technically, which was really just a
welcome session for everyone. The school is expanding into a new
campus down the road, and there's a beautiful new building where we
had our "inauguration". It was a really interesting experience. We
have a school song that we stand for, and there are a lot of
formalities that the professors take quite seriously - but they also
have a sense of humor about everything. Everyone I've met so far has
been incredibly nice and welcoming. Unfortunately, someone neglected
to tell me that I had an orientation that I was supposed to attend
last week, so I'm a little behind everyone else with filling out the
necessary forms, etc. For example, nobody told me I had to bring my
ORIGINAL college AND high school diplomas (seems a bit excessive,
right?), and then they acted like I should have known to do that. "It
was assumed" Sigh.. It really makes me appreciate what everyone at the
International Center at F&M does to prepare for our international
students! Hopefully they'll work out all the paperwork for me, though,
and I won't need to send them anything else. I had a bit of a meltdown
over everything (in my jet-lagged, homesick, control-freak state the
other day), and it's amazing how *everyone* knows about it within an
hour. I had about five people ask me if I was feeling okay. It was
nice, I guess, but it made me more upset sometimes! I just miss
everyone so much back home right now, and it's going to take some time
to get adjusted here. But the whole thing was a good lesson that I
need to make sure to watch what I say and do, because everyone will
know!

Right now, we have a bit of a break before our next orientation
session with the computer services and library departments this
afternoon. I'm hoping it doesn't rain too much today, because the
campus is pretty wet already. The temperature isn't too bad. It's hot
and muggy, but there's a lot of shade on campus and fans in all of the
ceilings. The rains come and go periodically, and they stop as
suddenly as they start. Yesterday evening, I was on my way off campus
to meet Indu's son to get my cell phone set up when it started POURING
rain. I watched the road from underneath the security check at the
gate, and people were still walking by, riding bicycles, driving cars,
waiting for buses, and - one guy - riding a horse down the street! I
wouldn't want to get stuck without an umbrella anywhere this time of
year!

Anyway, that was an incredibly long-winded way to tell you all that,
yes - I've arrived safely! I'm moved into the hostel, and waiting for
paperwork to be sorted out.

…”

So, everybody keep Keely in your prayers!

Peace,

Kevin

Did you take your Jesus today?

Howdy Folks,

I hope that this update finds you enjoying your summer! The shore, the water gap, baseball, NYC, etc…there’s all sorts of good stuff going on.

I wonder, what’s your summer routine like? I know that a popular thing to do among some is to stop going to church in the summer. And I can understand how that happens – people are on vacation, seeing friends and relatives, etc. But does that mean that you take a break from God for the summer? I hope not – ‘cause God doesn’t take a break from you.

One way to keep yourself aware of God in your life this summer is to try some type of daily devotional. In about 5 or 10 minutes, you get a little dose of spirituality…like taking a Jesus vitamin in the morning.

Here’s a quick example: John 14:27, 19:20-21 says “’Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid’… After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’”

Here’s a thought about it: “When Jesus, risen from the dead, says in his Gospel ‘I give you my peace,’ he is not offering us a life with no inner struggles. He invites us to realize that our hearts find peace especially by being rooted in the spirit of mercy.”

As you’re eating breakfast, or driving somewhere, or mowing the lawn, think about that…What does the spirit of mercy mean to you? What would it mean to have peace but still have inner struggle?

Try something like that for a few days and see how it works out for you. It’s a very small investment in time and effort, with a potentially great reward for you.

Here are a few options for giving this a shot daily: a daily devotional from Taize (that’s where I got the above one), the Upper Room (from the United Methodist Church), and Our Daily Bread. If you aren’t sure which one to use, here’s a link to a quiz to see what type of devotional you might like…

Alright, have a good one! Oh, and a reminder: if you want in on the trip to Dave and Busters, be at the church on Friday at 6:45pm, or meet us up there!

Peace,

Kevin

John Wesley and a change of Seasons...

Greetings and salutations,

Well, the summer is upon us! I know, I know, not officially, but for all intents and purposes. But for you purists, summer indeed does not begin until June 21^st…the summer solstice. Do you know technically what the solstice is? It’s when the earth is most tilted towards the sun (or away from the sun if it’s the winter solstice…this is of course from our northern hemisphere perspective).

Throughout human history the solstice has been of significance. In ancient China, barbarian Europe, and the Roman Empire the date was important. Some sects of early Judaism held it in high regard, as do some American Indian cultures. There is also some evidence that Stonehenge was used as an astronomical tool and certain parts of it appear to be solstice-specific.

But enough about the solstice. To prove that dorky religious humor can be on something cool like YouTube, I commend to you “John Wesley – Chapel Linebacker”. This is a video that has a guy who is supposed to be John Wesley (the founder of the Methodist movement) running around and tackling people at a college. Us seminarians find it hilarious, but you just might find it bizarre…in which case, I’ve done my job. Have a great day!

Oh, and see some of you at Dave & Buster’s on the 22^nd…check the Young Adult calendar (link at right) for details…

Peace,

Kevin