shuffleboard, snow and Guido de Bres

Hey everyone - its been about two weeks since we have posted - yikes. There are many reasons - ie we've been busy. Here is a short update.

1. Shuffleboard: Hillary and I went on a min-vacation with some free airline tickets and accomodations. We stayed in St. Simons Island, GA and got to hang out on Sea Island - where you see Hillary tearing it up in shuffleboard. It was in the upper 70's, so we walked the beach and swam in the pool!

2. Snow! We were back in Hartford for about a day when it started to snow and didn't stop. We got 13 inches and this is a picture of our grill covered with a snowy hat.

-as you can see there was lots of shoveling to do. Our sidewalk isn't too large but our driveway is way too long. Now I know why the majority of my neighbors have snow blowers.

3. Guido - he is the author of the belgic confession, which was written in the 16th C. during the Reformation. I've been studying a lot for ordination exams (I need to pass them to become ordained in the Presbyterian Church) and one morning my first thought on waking up was of Guido de Bres - isn't that wierd! So if you remember me during the next week please pray for me as I'll be taking the written portion of the exams.

feeling 27

So I turned 27 yesterday and I am already feeling it. I had a fun day with some great surprises but by the end of the evening my throat was bothering me, my head hurt, and my body ached. I felt mostly the same when I woke up this morning and I was teling Hillary that I am feeling my age! It is strange to be in my late 20's. I know you have to age and that everyone who's older than 27 is thinking, "just wait" till you reach___." I don't know why getting older is hitting me more this year, but it is.

zeroing in

It looks like everything is coming together for me to take my ordination exams in late December. This has been a long process and it is exciting to be drawing to a close but there is a lot to do. I'm memorizing all sorts of things, like where you could read about Gideon, the years David was King of Israel, and differing views of God's decrees. Some of this is will be very usefull and other parts I will likely forget after the exams. It is exciting to prepare and go back over all this stuff I learned in Seminary, but it can be a little overwhelming at points. I also need to write a paper or two, so pray for me - the written materials are due by Christmas.
Hillary and I are heading down to my parents for Thanksgiving so that will be great. Seeing friends and family, eating good food, and time to just relax - we are both looking forward to it.

some long awaited pictures

So here are some pics from the past few weeks. I'll give some captions with each:

Here is Hillary's Uncle George helping celebrate her Dad's birthday when she visited in September. Yes, he is using a blow torch to light the cake.

This is our dinning room upon first arriving. This is my dad and I putting the finishing touches on as we install a new chandelier. The room is a lovely red.

Next is the living room in progress. It is a fun yellowish green and I am wearing a hat so I don't get paint in my hair. At various times Hillary and I will finish painting and be out and about suddenly realizing that we have paint in some unknown spot. My favorite was the splotch of paint we saw behind Hillary's ear - I think I noticed at Crate and Barrel. The reason you don't see Hillary in many of these pictures is because she is always the one who remembers to take pictures. She does lots of the work but won't get the credit online.

This is one of our favorite cows in the West Hartford Cow Parade. It is called meloncowly - hahaha. West Hartford is joined by Istanbul, Marseille, Milano, Copenhagen and other cities as they currently host cow parades. It is funny to see West Hartford on that list.

Last but not least is Hillary (finally a picture of her) as Dad shows her the controls on his new four wheeler. We both took cruises around the farm and had a blast. I was almost trapped in the corn field you see in the background. I was going down this path trying to get back to the house and it kept getting narrower and narrower until I was afraid of running the corn over. I couldn't get into reverse and was feeling a bit foolish, but it all got worked out. We went to Hillary's Dad's to relax for a day and then Hillary helped him out at a craft fair down in Albany, NY. The last picture is the set up for the craft fair.

This was quite a lengthy post, but we've had it coming since there have been all sorts of fun pictures we haven't shared.

mondays are tricky

This was a pretty cool weekend: youth bonfire type thing Friday night and my parents in town the rest of the weekend. We painted our living room a fun green color (we need to post some pics) and got to enjoy time together. Saturday morning was the second week of a guys bible study which I am leading. It is a blast.
Monday is an odd thing to know what to do with. I see lots of people on Sunday so it seems kinda repetitive to get coffee or hang out on Monday, but by mid-afternoon I am largely demotivated as I stare at my computer screen or page through another book. I realize that connecting with people and being around them is important for me but I haven't figured out how that needs to happen on a daily basis. I am working things out with my schedule so I am with people and seeing them most days of the week, but Monday has eluded me so far.

kayaking, sleep over, and pad thai

We have had a full but fun weekend. This is world awareness month at our church here in CT and there have been various events to help us look beyond ourselves. It all culminated this weekend with an international dinner, where people make food highlighting their heritage or ethnic background. It was a lot of fun and I made Pad Thai. No, I don't have any Thai heritage but thought people should be aware of wonderful Thai food. It took me longer to prepare than I expected so I made us late for the dinner, but it worked out. After the dinner some of the teenagers from church came over our house to watch a movie and sleep over. It was fun having people here. We worked really hard this past week to paint the dinning room and half-bath. (I'll try to post some pictures soon.) In addition to all this fun stuff I got to go kayaking for the first time. This picture isn't actually of us (my friend Mark and I) but gives you a good idea. It was a scenic river that had beautiful stretches but was only about a 25 minute drive. There were some really cool rapids (I got capsized at the end) and we had such a great time. Overall we are doing well here in CT and are slowly adjusting to life in a new place. It will be better when we are more connected to friends here and have the house together, but it is going well.

tearing it down

We closed on our house this Tuesday. It is kind of anticlimactic as you sign document after document acknowledging all the ways you can blow your mortgage agreement. In talking with our attorney he told us that when banks forclose on a home and he has to do an eviction they actually take all the stuff out of the home and leave it on the curb - just like on TV. That would be unimaginably terrible. The main point of all the paper signing was "pay your mortgage and you'll be fine, otherwise we'll break your legs." Just kidding, that's if you get your mortgage through the Connecticut Mafia.

Since we actually own the house now we have started to tear down wallpaper. It has been easier than I expected and we might actually paint 2 rooms tommorow. We went to the grand opening of the Crate and Barrell store in West Hartford yesterday and had a blast. There is all sorts of beautiful furniture, rugs, and all other types of home goods. Here are pictures of two things we really liked: a cool chair and a snazy bench. We would have liked to purchass one but firgured it would be better to pay our mortgage. Anyway, neither of these pieces would look good on sitting on our curb.

progress on multiple fronts

I looked at our blog and realized it had been 11 days since I last posted - oops. As you can imagine there is plenty going on here and overall it has been good.

We are much more settled in our home. We have unpacked ~70% of our boxes and the downstairs is generally put together - except for the wallpaper of course. The upstairs is not so orderly but we have our bedroom mostly situated so we feel alright. We have also gotten to meet our neighbors on one side. Max and Christina seem pretty cool - they have two dogs: belle and scarlet - and we are going to hang out sometime.

We had our first youth event this Monday. Since many teens had off for Columbus Day we went hiking at Talcott Mountain which has beautiful views and this cool old house with a big tower on the top of it. We piciniced at the top and had good weather for a hike. Today we're having teens over for dinner and then hanging out - it should be a lot of fun.

Overall we feel like we're in a place where we have a lot to give to others and to the church, but we also feel like we are in a good place to receive from others and grow. Thanks for your continued interest in our lives.

the jury is in - not guilty

We have heard from probate court and the purchase of our home was approved! The decision was made on Wednesday but we just heard this morning. Our closing is not until Oct 16th - booo! But we are glad to have an end in sight. Since the house is generally ours we took down all the curtains today and started washing them - they smell really funky. Hillary has been wondering if they contribute to the odor hanging about certain rooms and it is only now that they are in a pile on the dinning room floor that we truly appreciate their smelliness.

We had a fun weekend down in PA - staying with my parents while we attended a wedding of a childhood, elementary school, middle school, high school, and college friend. It was awesome to see them married and I got to participate in the ceremony. I did some readings, prayed, and was privileged to speak about marriage. It was a moving experience and very encouraging to me. It is exciting to be used by God and to share his truth with others. We also enjoyed hanging out with my family - my sister, brother in law, and niece were at my parents house for a short visit so we all got to hang out. Lindsay (my niece is super cute and loves to bang things together and make tons of noise.)

We are settling in to West Hartford and glad to be here. We have new cell phone numbers, which we will email out shortly so if you call us and don't get through that is why.

life in CT at present

Hello friends - it has been a somewhat hectic yet exciting time during our first week in West Hartford. We arrived last Saturday staying primarily with the pastor and his wife, but also with some friends down in Groton, CT until Wednesday when we got into our house. The housing situation has been up and down with the culmination being Wednesday morning at 8:45 still unsure of whether we would be in our home that afternoon when the movers arived with all our stuff. Presently we are renting until the sale is approved by probate court. Our hearing is this Wednesday and they judge who will be presiding is picture to the right. Assuming all goes well we will close no later than Oct. 16th, but hopefully sooner.

Besides working on housing stuff I have been trying to figure out my job here with the church. I've had time with some of the volunteers and got to have coffee with one of the teens on Thursday. I went to presbytery (gathering of Presbyterian elders) on Friday/Saturday and enjoyed meeting many of the elders (guys who lead the church) in the southern New England area. Today I am catching up on various internet related items, at a friend's home - we aren't online yet at our house. I am also living the bachelor lifestyle of staying up late and missing meals since Hillary is in Buffalo, NY singing at a friend's wedding. She'll be back in town Monday afternoon and then we'll be in PA for a friend's wedding next weekend. Thanks for your prayers as we are trying to get settled here.

in town and somewhat settled

We arrived safely in West Hartford on Saturday afternoon and it is beginning to sink in that we are moving here. Our housing situation is coming together: it looks like we will be able to rent our home for the next month or so until we can close on it in mid-October. We are excited that it is all working out and very thankful for God's timing in bringing it all together. We'll update some more once we get a little more settled. Thanks to all of you who are praying for us.

on the move

It looks like we will be able to close on our home Monday Sept 17. This means that we have a little over one week left in St. Louis. Thus, on Sunday afternoon we are having an open house from 4 until whenever. Stop by for a few minutes or a while. We will have some snack type stuff and beverages but if there is something you'd like bring it along. Hope to see you then.

we are in

After meeting with a church last night and talking with some different folks this week we are at the needed support level to go through with the mortgage on our house and move to CT. It is difficult to communicate the joy, relief, and gratitude that we feel. In the last week God has been our provider and sustainer as the process of fundraising, moving, and home buying has taken us on a wild ride. All along it was him, at work and he is worthy of our trust. Thanks to the many of you who have prayed, listened, and cared for us in many ways. We are deeply indebted to you. Thanks for being the body of Christ.

wall paper central

My mom and I drove up from PA to Hartford, CT for our home inspection and it went well (our home is "above average" for its age, according to Tom King our stellar inspector).
It was a lot of fun to see the house and there is great potential. There is so much cool stuff we could potentially do with the house and my mind is kinda swimming in the various details. The one funny thing (or maybe not so funny) is the amount of wall paper we will need to take down. This stairwell, which goes from the 1st to 2nd floor gives you a good idea of the extent of the wallpapering. Fortunately it is not terriblly ugly or audacious.
The house my parents moved into when I was 5 had wall paper that was ~4 layers deep with exciting themes sucha as hunting dogs, shiny metal florals (don't even try to image it), and roses. A killer combination if you ask me.

"you got to pray just to make it today"

Thank you MC Hammer, for the thoughtful lyrics which describe our state of affairs. I hope this isn't super cheesy but as I sat here those words came to mind.
I (jarrett) really want things (housing especially, but also fundraisng and moving) to settle down and be done with. This is probably obvious but I feel stretched and struggling not to"check out" emotionally.
I tend to disengage when I begin to feel anxious and worried. While this may make for a more placid exterior and a more distant sense of fear, it is not a solution and avoids entrusting myself to God. So here we go...

Hebrews 4:14-16
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

on the increase

Since we last posted it has been exciting to see how God has provided for us. Thursday night we were pretty discouraged and anxious about potentially losing the house. But after talking with the church on Friday and being in touch with different people our support is coming together. We are at ~50% right now and could potentially be between 58-65% by midweek. It looks like we will be able to go through with the mortgage and thus will be moving to Hartford sooner than we anticipated. (maybe 13th-14?). We are still working on the detials for the closing and talking with moving companies. With all this preparation to go to CT iwe have just begun to think through leaving St. Louis - which will be hard. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for us and encouraged us as we've been up and down a lot through this process.

feeling tattered

This is a picture of a little new testament that I got during undergrad and has traveled with me to various places, even spending some time in my trunk. I think this picture describes Hillary and I today. You see "Hope" blazoned on the front but it is partly obscured by shadow and is clearly worn in different places. We are trying to hold to hope and asking God to anchor us but we are cetainly feeling tattered. Here's the situation:

In working on details for the mortgage to buy a house in CT (see previous post for details) we have hit a snag. One of the various documents we needed to process the mortgage is a letter from the church confirming our salary. In talking to the church they cannot legally give that letter until we are at 75% of our support. The mortgage process is time sensative and if we don't have the letter from the church by the 5th we will probably loose the house.
We just found this out yesterday and were surprised and upset. At first, loosing the house at first seemed almost certain. In getting this house we felt God's leading and blessing because it fit so well what we need and what we had hoped for. When it was thrown back in the realm of "uncertain" it was hard to trust God's hand in the process. As we have talked things over with the mortgage agent, Al (sr. pastor at our church in CT) and prayed we do have hope (and a plan).

We are working to see if we (and the church) can get to 75% by Sept 5h. We're at 41% right now but have individuals and churches who have committed to give but haven't sent in their information yet. We're going to talk to them and get potential commitments to see if we can get close to the 75%. I think the 75% can definately happen and even if we are a little short there is a way it can still work out.

What you can do is pray for us:
1. that we could trust God and love each other amidst difficult circumstances
2. that we could touch base with people who have committted to give
3. these folks would understand, not feel pressured, but respond in a timely manner
4. especially in our conversations with the churches, that God would move the decission process forward.


Here's some good news:

Hillary made yummy cookies (I had two for breakfast and need to learn to be more discreet if we have kids)

I got to go climbing outside yesterday. This is my pile of gear after I got home and dumped it in my study which is an increasing mess.

What's in Store

In starting this blog I wanted to use it as a means to communicate with folks who are interested in what is going on with us as we live and serve in Hartford, CT. In looking at our blog I realized that we don't have a description of what we are doing in Hartford - so here we go...

I (Jarrett) have been called as an Assistant Pastor of Youth and Families at Christ Community Presbyterian Church (PCA).

We (my wife and I) are headed to CT because this position fits our sense of calling, meets needs within the community, and lines up with the vision of the church.

We have felt called to serve with a church in an area of the country where Christianity is not a dominant cultural force and to work with a population that has more of an urban orientation. Hartford, fits this bill and meshes with our sense of calling in ways we did not even realize until visiting there.

In addition, there is a unique need in that community for a church to serve teens and their families with the gospel of Jesus. Connecticut is an area underserved by the church with a small population of Christians, thus there are few there to engage the brokeness, often characterizing the teen years.

Finally, there is a church in this community with a vision to impact Hartford, and CT as a whole, for Christ. My position at the church is the culmination of about 5 months of emails, phone calls, and conversations. Christ Community started in 2004 as a new church in West Hartford. It grew out of a bible study of about 8 people who were commuting to a church in Manchest (45min. away). The purpose of Christ community is to present an authentic vision fo biblical Christianity by planting churches through CT, where people delight supremely in God.

My job with the church has three primary aspects: working with the teens and their families; shaping the philosophy and strategy for the children's ministry; helping oversee youth and children's ministries at multiple sites as the church grows. I have some ideas of what this will be like, but I'll get a much better idea once we head there.

Going into this work there are three primary needs that we have: friendship (ministry can be lonely and we need people to stay in touch with us and remind us that we are a part of Christ's body); prayer (only God, working by his Spirit can change us and those we serve); financially (the church has asked us to raise 40% of our salary for the first 3 years of ministry).

This is just a quick overview of what is in store for us. If you would like some more information on what we are doing or would like to be involved contact us: theallebachs@gmail.com. We will continue to update on the blog and will also be sending out monthly prayer requests and quarterly newsletters to those interested.

high stakes poker

We've been going back and forth bidding on a house and it is intense. You put this offer out, wait a few hours, hear back, then make your next move. It has been exciting but it looks like we are going to get this house. It is in a great location, has lots of charm, and really seems to fit what we are looking for. Hillary is very excited and I think I am too, except the reality is setting in that we are buying a home. Wow. We'll keep you posted and let you know how the home buying situation goes.

This Sunday morning I am speaking at during the Christian Education hour at Memorial Presbyterian Church. I am pretty excited and God is continuing to provide for fundraising. We have raised over a third of our support so far and are encouraged by the progress. Now is when the various details of house, moving, jobs, fundraising etc. will all colide. We are excited to see how God is going to weave all these different pieces together. Thanks for being a part of it.

public transport makes me work

So, I went to Chicago last week via megabus, which is a pretty cool set up. The tickets are cheap and they only run between major cities so it goes quickly and there aren't all these stops on the way. Chicago is a neat city. I had fun walking around just checking out downtown and wandering a little to far. I was meeting a friend out in the suburbs for a leadership conference run by Willow Creek church. To make my train I booked it for about a mile in flip flops with my backpacking pack on. By the end I was tired and sweaty, but made my train on time. We cam into Chicago a day or so later and we ended up running that same distance to catch a train and again I was in flip flops, but this time had recently eaten some deep dish Chicago pizza - yikes.

The conference was pretty good. There were the usual ups and downs of stuff I liked and didn't but it was good for me to be there. I'll have to write more about it when I have more time.

We are putting an offer on a house presently and are moving back our time table for CT to mid-September. I'll post tomorrow with some more info but have presently been at the library too long and need to go make dinner.

back then out again

Hillary and I were in Nashville, TN this past weekend and it was a good time. Hillary had lived there 3 years before coming to St. Louis so she has a lot of friends there, many of whom we got to see. We stayed with a couple who had 13mo old twin boys and they were a blast. They don't necessarily talk but just make a lot of noise back and forth. We went to Station Inn and heard some live blue grass, which was a first time for me. The band, Town Mountain, was really good and it was neat to see the amazing banjo and mandolin playing.

Saturday was a low key morning. We went shopping (tax free in TN for weekend) before we had our final fundraising gathering. It was encouraging just to share what we are headed towards and where God is leading us. In working on various details it is easy to loose sight of why God is leading us to CT and what he is calling us to do. Hillary's friends (whom I am getting to know better now) were encouraging as they asked thoughtful questions and prayed for us at the end. We were both glad to have gone down though it was a little sad towards the end as Hillary said goodbye because we're not sure when we'll be back in Nashville.

what to say...

So, it has been a difficult week. I feel like the yo-yo, lots of up and down. I'm more of a stable type of person, yet emotionally I've been all over the place and it is tiring. It is unnerving to know that in 15mins or half an hour I could be in a completely different mood, and as if yet, can't simply control it. Maybe this is what it is like to be more "emotional?" Whatever it is, I hope I get a better feel for how to ride it.

Presently, we are in St. Louis but are headed to Nashville this weekend. I've been back in St. Louis a week and it has been pretty hectic. We've been looking at houses in Hartford and have so far considered three potential houses, one of which we put a contract on, but it didn't work out. Hillary and I both are feeling the weight of so much uncertainty looming before us. Thus, it has been difficult to connect to each other. Sunday afternoon I was up and she was down, while Sunday night I was down and Hillary was up. (almost funny in retrospect)

Writing online is kinda strange knowing anyone can read this. How do you talk about the harder points of life without just complaining or pretending life is fine?

Anyway, here are a few high points:

-this past saturday, Hillary got her hair cut. She had been waiting a while and now it is short, fun, and looks very nice. I don't have any pictures, but it is similar to this haircut, except for Hillary it's more in her face. http://www.natalieportman.com/gallery/mags_2004_marc-hom/4397_G

-I've read a few low key fun books by Jenny Nimmo...

-third, I redpointed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redpoint) a difficult route at the rock climbing gym today.

Zoom, zoom, zoom - kinda

At 12:40 pm I left Hartford, CT in a Ford Focus from Hertz, stopped once for a very fast bathroom break and arrived just in time in Newark Delaware to preach at a church's evening service. I didn't estimate how much NYC traffic would slow me down.

We were in Hartfod house hunting and from our experience homes are wiley, elusive creatures that are difficult to capture. Though the "hunt" was not successful we learned alot about the process (like remember to bring your check book in case you want to make an offer -duh). We almost put a contract on one home but after looking at it the next day with a friend we saw some major flaws (a slanted floor with jacks in the basement - yikes) and decided not to go throug with it. We continued driving around and looked at homes with our realtor but also cruised the neighborhoods on our own looking for "For Sale by Owner" signs. On Sunday morning I left for Newark and Hillary stuck around, meeting with our agent and checking out a home before she flew back to St. Louis. The home she looked at seemed like a really good possibility, but we just found out this afternoon that it is under contract. We've been up and down through the housing search and continue to battle agaist discouragement. It was good to stay with Al and Winnie Baker - pastor and his wife. They were great in listening and encouraging us to stick with the search and trust God's provision. We're not sure if another trip to CT is in the works or if we'll wait till we get there and rent till we find a home, but we are presently considering what will be the best strategy. Pray for us.

Preaching at the evening service of EP (evangelical presbyterian church) went well. I came in right as the music was ending and I heard "well we're waiting for the preacher" and there I was. I was praying on the way down that I would make it in time and I just did. I walked in carrying my suit, computer, and notes to find someone handing me the wireless mic and sending me upfront. So I preaced in my shorts, flip flops, and a short sleave shirt in this big white pretty sanctuary. It went well and I had a lot of fun reconnecting with people in DE. Major kudos go to Hillary for her behind the scenes work in helping me on the sermon. If you're interested they should have the auido online at http://av.epcnewark.org/sermons.html

There's plenty more I could say but this is already a long entry, so I'll leave you with part of the text that I preached on: "And Jesus said to him,''If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'"

cheese, brats, and beer

When I asked what there is in Wisconsin, "cheese, brats, and beer" was the response. While that was a pretty accurate summary (I had cheese curds for the first time - kinda like motzerella sticks) they failed to mention the cool huge windmills.

It was a good trip - we stayed with Josh, Ali, David, Zach, Abby, and Gabe Brumbaugh and also visited a friend of Hillary's from college (Robin and her family). I've known Josh four years now - we started seminary together and now he is the pastor of a church in Evansville. It was neat to see him leading a church and I was encouraged to see God working in and through him. Hillary and I spent time talking with he and Ali and playing with the kids. It was helpful for Hillary to hear from Ali what it is like becoming a pastors wife.

During the weekend I realized that I am not nice to play with. David (their oldest) wanted to play Stratego with me (see picture) and I agreed. In highschool I often had intense matches of Stratego with a close friend and I brought all my stratego skills to bear in this game. After some successful initial moves on David's part (he is 6yrs old) I decimated his forces and lured him into a devestating trap. Needless to say he was really upset and started to cry and then I realized the depth of depravity as I considered my quest for victory and willingness to use ruthless Stratego tatics to beat a six year old. I apologized for not playing nice and eventually things got sorted out, but that was not my greatest moment.

minis, meetings and some mayham

Well, an exciting week continues. Here is one of the pictures of Hillary freaking out because she is inside a Mini Cooper. She had a blast driving it and hopes one day that he dreams will be fulfilled and we will have one of our own.

This Friday we received our fundraising brochures and Sunday night we had our first gathering of people where Hillary and I talked about our vision for ministry in Hartford and our needs as we move in that direction. I feel like things went well and enjoyed the time. We are gearing up for St. Louis gathering #2 tonight and some fundraising opportunities in Wisconsin this weekend. We'll be visiting friends from seminary at a church that Josh is now pastoring. They have four kids who are a blast and have been waking up saying "its only three days till Mr. Jarrett comes." They have three boys and a girl and I know the oldest two boys best. I'm sure there will be lots of wrestling and fun things like that.

This week has been a little strange with both Hillary and I feeling down at different points. It's been hard to put a finger on what it is but just having a hard time with life and the different things we are working on. We're doing better today and looking forward to the weekend but I am amazed how easily feelings and all that stuff can change. I thinking about how I've been feel and my conclusion is that I presently have the stability of a yo-yo, hahaha. We'll update after WI with some fun pictures and stories. Until then...

internet malfeasance and fun on the 4th

I am trying to rent a car through enterprise, but the library I am at never allows me to get to the enterprise website. I'm not sure if it is part of secret plot where the U. City Library is in kahootz with Hertz or Budget rental car companies, but I am considering these other companies since I can't manage to get to Enterprise's site. Hopefully I can access one of those or we may need to pursue other alternatives -->

Despite my travails at the library life has been going well. The fourth of July was fun: we took a ride in a friends Mini Cooper (pictures forthcoming) and Hillary was ecstatic. She loves Mini Coopers and called her Dad tuesday night to tell him and woke him up with her call. He thought something might be wrong because she was agitated, talking fast, and occasionally screaming but she was just excited. On the 4th we also went to a BBQ at a friend's house and then saw Cindy Loper (not sure how to spell her name) perform down by the Arch. I was surprised by how much of a musician she was - I had just assumed she was an 80's rocker with a medium amount of talent, but I was wrong. The fireworks after the concert were spectacular and we got free Mentos as we walked to the Metro.

This week has been pretty full with work and fundraising stuff, but various plans are coming together. Today we should get our brochures - which are pretty cool - and Sunday night we have our first gathering of people to talk about our vision for ministry in Hartford and our needs for going there. Pray for Hillary and I for Sunday night and as we do lots of administrative mailing and phone call type stuff - that we could connect to people.

-J

building

A friend of Hillary's asked how she could pray for us and wanted to know if there would be any information like that on the blog. I thought, "so far the blog is just a collection of my somewhat random musings but it would be great to have prayer requests on there." So for those of you who would like to pray for us, here we go:

1. I feel like we are trying to build something and it is coming along but still has a ways to go - please pray for perserverence and discipline to stick with it.

2. Pray that Hillary and I would both understand that as we fundraise, it is really in God's hands. All things are his and we are dependent on him.

3. Pray for my preparations for different gatherings of people that I would work hard and have skill and wisdom in communicating our vision and need.

4. Pray that God would provide for us.

thanks!

busy with details and some fun shopping

So the past few days has been pretty full as Hillary and I have been working on fundraising stuff for the upcoming job. I've been trying to talk to compile lists, talk to folks and work on pie charts, which are confusing. The big thing thta is coming up is that we are putting together three gatherings in St. Loui's where we'll get people together to talk about our what we'll be doing in CT and asking for people to partner (by praying, giving financially etc.) This process has been a mix of things as I flirt with anxiety and excitement. We had dinner with the Dunham family Monday night and that was really helpful. Craig has done fundraising stuff for the past 14(?) years and had a lot of good ideas and encouraging stuff to say.

In the midst of this there have been fun things going on: I got to climb Monday and Tuesday and I am shopping for a helmet. I've decided which helmet to get but I'm trying to figure out which color.

I think the orange is pretty cool but somewhat invasive, so my main options are the green or the blue. If you have some incredible insight feel free to let me know.

documenting the break in

So this is the hole that the squirrell tore in the screen of our kitchen window. You can't tell from the picture but it's about four inches from end to end.

intruder alert

so I came home last week and there was a squirrell in our kitchen. It tore through the screen window and ate some of my blueberry bagels I had gotten for the trip to Memphis. It was a harrowing experience for the squirrell and I as I attempted to get him out of the house and literally scared the crap out of him. (Hillary just found more squirrell terds yesterday). Anyway, I am working on a bunch of details for fundraising for the job in CT and looking at moving companies presently.

an interesting beginning

hmm, 3:14 am and starting a blog, is this ominous? I will hopefully remember this all when I awake tommorow.