A snapshot from the last week
It has been a most amazing week.
Tuesday through Thursday, I was up in the Pocono mountains at "The Bishop's Conference," an event where rostered leaders from throughout the synod gather for a time of learning and fellowship. The site--Skytop Lodge--was just GORGEOUS; an elegant hotel with delicious meals and wonderful service, and sprawling snow-covered grounds for exploring. It was a refreshing chance to laugh and learn alongside partners in ministry throughout the synod. Especially engaging was the topic--"What is God up to in the world and how can we be a part of it?"
But even apart from the laughing and learning, I had a most amazing moment. During Tuesday evening a met a seminary student who is doing her internship in the nearby city of Bethlehem. Although we'd never met before, when I went to introduce myself and shake her hand she surprised me by saying, "I hope you don't hate me."
?Que?
Turns out this seminary student, Elizabeth, recognized my name from the time she had spent working for the Global Missions department of the ELCA. She was there when I was a senior in college who had applied for a two-year position to return to Costa Rica. From January until June of that year, I was anxiously anticipating my "letter of acceptance," convinced that I would be the ideal candidate for this job.
By June, I hadn't received any word from the division for Global Mission, and I was both hurt and ROYALLY pissed that the ELCA would so thoroughly drop the ball on this.
Elizabeth said to me, "You were so overqualified for everything, we didn't know what to do with you. I hope you don't hate me."
It felt so good to be able to share with her the way in which that door closing opened up a sequence of amazing opportunities wilder than my wildest expectations, including a job in Allentown, the courage to take a leap in love, the blessing of having Gonzalo here with me and the amazing way in which his imigration was possible, and the great lessons I have learned from staying in the US for a while. We hugged and promised to go get coffee someday soon.
And now, I'm on the brink of a return-trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua with my husband who is now a US Resident. We're going back to the barrio where we met and, for the first time, reuniting with our friends and neighbors as a married couple. It will be SO nice. After a week in San Jose, we'll hop on the ticabus and wind our way to Nicaragua for a week with Gonzalo's family. We are hoping to spend our time just being with them--sitting on the white patio chairs in the yard, listening to the chickens and the pig, the neighbors and the far-away birds, soaking in the sun and conversation, and celebrating la vida. I'm sure we will return with many more stories to tell.
Tuesday through Thursday, I was up in the Pocono mountains at "The Bishop's Conference," an event where rostered leaders from throughout the synod gather for a time of learning and fellowship. The site--Skytop Lodge--was just GORGEOUS; an elegant hotel with delicious meals and wonderful service, and sprawling snow-covered grounds for exploring. It was a refreshing chance to laugh and learn alongside partners in ministry throughout the synod. Especially engaging was the topic--"What is God up to in the world and how can we be a part of it?"
But even apart from the laughing and learning, I had a most amazing moment. During Tuesday evening a met a seminary student who is doing her internship in the nearby city of Bethlehem. Although we'd never met before, when I went to introduce myself and shake her hand she surprised me by saying, "I hope you don't hate me."
?Que?
Turns out this seminary student, Elizabeth, recognized my name from the time she had spent working for the Global Missions department of the ELCA. She was there when I was a senior in college who had applied for a two-year position to return to Costa Rica. From January until June of that year, I was anxiously anticipating my "letter of acceptance," convinced that I would be the ideal candidate for this job.
By June, I hadn't received any word from the division for Global Mission, and I was both hurt and ROYALLY pissed that the ELCA would so thoroughly drop the ball on this.
Elizabeth said to me, "You were so overqualified for everything, we didn't know what to do with you. I hope you don't hate me."
It felt so good to be able to share with her the way in which that door closing opened up a sequence of amazing opportunities wilder than my wildest expectations, including a job in Allentown, the courage to take a leap in love, the blessing of having Gonzalo here with me and the amazing way in which his imigration was possible, and the great lessons I have learned from staying in the US for a while. We hugged and promised to go get coffee someday soon.
And now, I'm on the brink of a return-trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua with my husband who is now a US Resident. We're going back to the barrio where we met and, for the first time, reuniting with our friends and neighbors as a married couple. It will be SO nice. After a week in San Jose, we'll hop on the ticabus and wind our way to Nicaragua for a week with Gonzalo's family. We are hoping to spend our time just being with them--sitting on the white patio chairs in the yard, listening to the chickens and the pig, the neighbors and the far-away birds, soaking in the sun and conversation, and celebrating la vida. I'm sure we will return with many more stories to tell.