A New School Year, Jordanian Refugees and The Windy City

The seasons change so quickly in Spokane and we are reminded that time does not stand still. Already a new school year has begun and midterms are just around the corner. Many things have taken place since this last post, so we'll try to touch on each them without being too verbose.

1.) On July 21, we celebrated our One Year Anniversary. A few weeks before we had been able to take a trip to the Olympic Peninsula (see previous post). We are so thankful for the year of marriage that God has given to us. Though there have been challenges in learning to resolve conflict, and how to communicate well, these minor things have been eclipsed by the joy of living daily life together. Being married truly is a journey of looking not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of the other. In dying to my own desires, a unity and joy much more beautiful is born.

On our anniversary, we dressed up in the same attire we wore at our wedding and went to Manito Park for a picnic of deli food from Huckleberries.

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2.) Moody Aviation recently began a new school year, which means new students entered into the hanger, and the graduating class made their leave for wherever God is calling them next. To see the graduating class move on is bittersweet. There is great joy in knowing that they have been trained well and are now equipped to be used around the world, and yet there is also sadness to see them go, especially with the maintenance specialist students, whom John has worked very closely with for the past year. At this point, the school year has been underway for almost three months, new students are flying for the first time and Moody Aviation is in full swing. The Our Ministry page on our website explains more about our involvement at Moody.

2009 Graduating Class

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3.) In August we made some new friends. Naimah and Haidar are refugees from Jordan who were recently placed in Spokane. One day when Clarissa was getting into her car, she was approached by a woman in full hijab, who, with very limited English language skills, communicated that she needed quarters for laundry and wants help learning English. We were delighted by the answer to specific prayer. Recently we had been praying that God would give us insight in who we should be serving. We moved into this neighborhood because of the diversity, poverty and proximity to downtown, with the desire to be servants to those around us (and quickly found that it was not very easy to step out and make friends with people who are different from you). Getting to know Naimah and Haidar has been a blessing. They are very devout Muslims and we have been learning a lot about Islamic practices and cultural norms. In September, Clarissa and a few other girls put on a baby shower for Naimah, and recently Naimah gave birth to their first child, a baby boy they named Muhammad. It has been both a challenge and a great joy to figure out how to serve them.

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4.) At the end of September, we took a trip to the Chicago area. Our purposes were two-fold. First, we wanted to attend the wedding reception of one of John's best friends who was recently married in Spain. Second, we hoped to connect with some of the people that John knew from living in the area for 10+ years. We planned three African Dessert Nights that people graciously offered to host for us in their homes and sent out postcards to over 50 people inviting them to come and hear about aviation ministry and how we are involved. Though we were discouraged that not many people were able to come, we know that there were many people who wanted to be there and were unable to attend. Now, we are gearing up to host some African Desserts in our apartment here in Spokane. Other highlights of our trip to the Chicago area (this being Claire's first trip there) were getting to walk around downtown Chicago, going up in the Hancock building, eating authentic Chicago Deep Dish at Gino's Pizza, seeing Moody Chicago and visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Anniversary Trip to Olympic National Park

For our one year anniversary we drove to the other side of Washington to go backpacking in the Olympic National Park. It was a wonderful time to get away, be together and be outdoors. Here are a few things that made the trip memorable:

1. Getting to spend two nights backcountry in the Hoe Rainforest and two nights camping on the beach.
2. Having a mouse take up residence in our car while we were back country (he made a little nest and also found some trail mix which he "hid" in little piles all over the car). We named him Herb so Claire wouldn't be so freaked out if he ran across her lap while driving to the coast. Note: We stopped in Forks (yes, land of Twilight) to buy a mouse trap, but he never took the bait. We figured he ran out when we weren't looking.
   
3. Forgetting our eating utensils when we were back country, so John whittled spoons out of sticks.
   
4. Seeing a coyote up close; he looked at us and completely ignored us. Somehow this little guy must have missed out on the whole fight-or-flight gene.
   
5. Getting to see tidepools. This is one of Claire's most vivid memories from her childhood.
   
6. Reading a Spurgeon sermon together after dinner every night.
   
7. Praying through the goals we set back in January and thanking God for enabling us to meet so many of them.
   
8. Going to a marina in La Push and seeing a boat named, "Miss Clarissa"
9. Watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean from our campsite.
10. Having a lavender flavored Americano in Sequim (home of Washington's largest lavender festival)

Our Journey Begins

John sets up the stove



View from our beach campsite

Eating with John's whittled spoon


My husband is sooooo good looking.


A boat named Miss Clarissa

Community Gardening

Is it strange that we live next to other living breathing humans, who in imago dei should be honored, valued and known, and yet many times we barely know their names. We go about our separate lives, isolated by a yard, a fence, or (as in our apartment/house) a wall. Is it not also strange that though we have the ability and the space, we have other people grow all of our food? Sometimes I wonder if a more tribal way of life, of living in community and eating food that is the fruit of our own mutual labor is more of how God intended us to live. Though I by no means will deconstruct the entirety of our post-industrialist society and claim things ought to be different, I can't help but wonder if we have disconnected ourselves too much from one another and the means which were origonally used to obtain our nutritional substinance. Just a thought.

This year marks our first real attempts at cultivating the seemingly barren Spokane soil to produce something we can eat. In May we talked with some of our neighbors who had also expressed interest in having a garden and together we tilled the soil in the empty lot next door (though often it is not quite as empty as the name implies, having various transients taking up overnight residence). We figured that if any of the homeless folks living on the lot decided to ransack our garden for tomatoes and spinach, they probably needed it more than us. Now, 2 months into our horticultural adventure we are starting to see the evidences of all our toil. Especially considering that is only our first garden, we are quite pleased with the results. Getting to spend time with our neighbors, digging in the dirt together has also been worth the effort and thoughts are already begin to take shape of how next year's garden could be bigger and better.

Sean

Claire

Becca and Sarah

Applying for AIM Air

We recently started the application process to become long-term missionaries with African Inland Mission. AIM has a specific aviation division based in Nairobi, Kenya and they are constantly in need of pilots and mechanics. John actually worked with AIM Air for 6 months in 2006-2007 and had a really positive experience with the organization. The application process for long-term missionaries is long, but we are excited to be taking these first steps of eventually serving in Africa.

10 days, 8 states, 2 countries, 2 national parks, 2 sets of grandparents and lots of driving

We recently returned from a delightful 10 days of Spring Break. One of the wonderful things about working at schools is that we still get a spring break. Wanting to see some sunshine, spend time outdoors and see grandparents, we set out on our road trip. Our first night we spent with my mother's parents. The next morning we got up early and drove to Southern Utah where we spend the night at Bryce Canyon. However at over 8,000 ft, Bryce was not exactly offering the southwest weather for which we were looking. It was snowing and 15 degrees that night. Needless to say, both John and I have decided that snow camping is not for us!


This is John at our campsite. The wind was so strong we had to hang up the rain fly of another tent to shelter our fire from the wind. Thankfully, the next day was beautiful and the hike down into the canyon was amazing.


After a few hours of driving south we reached Zion National Park. Pictures don't do justice to this majestic place. After driving through the canyon, it is evident why it was named Zion. We loved hiking there and even hiked up the narrow ridge of aptly-named Angel's Descent.

The Mother Omelet

Not that this omelet has spawned baby omelets, but the name seemed fitting because it reminds of a mother ship....big and round (at least before was folded over). Actually, this particular omelet fed both John and I for breakfast. Here is what is in it: tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms, chicken sundried tomato & provolone sausage, grilled onions, red peppers, and a sprinkling of Tillamok medium chedder cheese. Mmmmm. I am so thankful to God for yummy food, the tastebuds to enjoy it and a delightful husband who likes to share it with me.

Valentines Day and Benjamin Button

For Valentines Day, John and I went to a before noon $5 movie at the AMC downtown. Prior to our cheap cinema date we had intended to get coffee and French pastries from Madaline's. (For those who are strangers to Madeline's, they have spectacular croissants and they pull great shots.) Unfortunately, it beeing Valentines Day, the place was packed and we had to settle for Starbucks. Coffee ok, pasteries sub par.

At 11:05 we settled into our seats. Little did I know, I would be using my sleeve as a Kleenex for the next 160 minutes. The film has a Forest Gump-esk feel to it, following the life of a unique man, from his birth to his death. After the film, I couldn't quite place what made the film so sad, and yet satisfying all at once. His "condition" of being born old and growing younger as the years pass seem to bring so much pain and saddness into his life. At least that is how it appears on the surface- hopeless. However, upon further reflection, it is clear to the honest viewer that life is no different for any of us. We grow up and live our lives in a world where people die, hearts are broken, and some of the most deirable things are left wanting or fade with progression of time. As I continue to think on it, I am all the more convinced that Benjamin Button's curious case is not what made his life lamentable, but because life just is lamentable. There are so many things that are broken or lacking in our individual lives, in relationships, in our communities and on it goes. I am reminded of C.S. Lewis' perspective on Heaven, when he muses that if we crave something better than what this life offers (unending happiness and true love), and if we have that desire outside of ever expereincing it on this earth, then clearly we must be made to experience it at some point. I am eager for Heaven, but thankful that this journey here makes me all the more aware of how much I want that place of peace.

Miniature Edible Holiday Architecture

I am aware that it is the middle of February, and as such Christmas is long past, however, I could not resist the temptation to post these photos. Over the holidays we had a bit of a Gingerbread decorating contest with John's mom and sister. We each had a kit that provided us with a basic structure, but the rest of the creating was left to us. It turned out to be way more fun than any of us were expecting. This was definitely a tradition in the making. If you can't tell from the pictures, ours is an African hut (karibu means welcome in Swahili) and John's mom and Rachel's is a log cabin.