What a whirlwind of a week. An incredible one though, to be sure. I got a good dose of city shock with driving into the city and getting lost, but I was on the up-and-up after getting some sleep. I met several other TechMission workers who will also be in LA/Orange Counties, and we had a blast together. I am so thankful that I don't have to feel alone in this - TechMission does a great job of offering us support and plenty of training, and knowing more people in the area who are doing the same thing as me will help me settle in a little more comfortably.
Our first day of training covered TechMission and AmeriCorps stuff. The following two days consisted of training with the Center for Transforming Mission, a Christian organization that trains and supports leaders at the grassroots level to work toward positive change and transformation in poor communities. It wasn't at all the kind of training I was expecting to receive from AmeriCorps... in a good way. They challenged us to be very careful about entering another context believing we have all the answers to people's problems and to examine ourselves about why we have chosen this type of work.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Chicago
I am FINALLY in my bed, in the hostel, in the middle of downtown Chicago with the sound of the train running by. Words can't express how very glad I am to finally be where I belong, after two days of traveling. As I neared the city, I noticed lots more roads - lots more concrete. No more cornfields! Then I saw the Chicago skyline and freaked out just a little bit thinking about getting in there all by myself. Little did I know at that moment what an adventure it would be. Mapquest gave me excellent directions... except it didn't predict that my very last exit to downtown would be closed off! I don't have a GPS, so that led me into about an hour and a half of driving through the city on my phone with a friend at her computer trying to navigate me through. And just when we thought I was almost there, a concert blocked the road I needed to get onto and got me completely lost all over again! Aaargh!! I truly believe I am the WORST at navigation, so this was my worst nightmare.
But I am here. In Chicago. I have no idea what to expect tomorrow when I start training, but I don't think anyone else does either. This is certainly an adventure with lots of new experiences awaiting. I'm pretty sure I got half the city mad at me with my driving... I got beeped at at least twice that I remember when I cut vehicles off. Then I went down a one-way street. Ugh. Parking was an adventure too... well, more of a test of faith. I was told that I would have to give my keys to the attendant and let him park it, but I guess I didn't understand that I wouldn't get my keys back until I leave on Thursday morning. When the attendant said he would take my keys, park my car, and leave the keys in the car for me to get when I leave, I literally thought he might be joking. But he said that was the system here, and my car would be safe. I'm just thinking about all of my stuff IN my car.
Oh my - Jessica isn't in Delaware anymore!
But I am here. In Chicago. I have no idea what to expect tomorrow when I start training, but I don't think anyone else does either. This is certainly an adventure with lots of new experiences awaiting. I'm pretty sure I got half the city mad at me with my driving... I got beeped at at least twice that I remember when I cut vehicles off. Then I went down a one-way street. Ugh. Parking was an adventure too... well, more of a test of faith. I was told that I would have to give my keys to the attendant and let him park it, but I guess I didn't understand that I wouldn't get my keys back until I leave on Thursday morning. When the attendant said he would take my keys, park my car, and leave the keys in the car for me to get when I leave, I literally thought he might be joking. But he said that was the system here, and my car would be safe. I'm just thinking about all of my stuff IN my car.
Oh my - Jessica isn't in Delaware anymore!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Travel Update
I'm fighting some unhappy feelings at the moment. Which is NOT how I wanted to leave my beloved Delaware. But apparently doom is coming in the form of Hurricane Irene, and I have to leave tomorrow morning or else get stuck here on the peninsula and miss my TechMission orientation in Chicago which starts on Monday. Don't get me wrong, I'm super excited to be heading West, but all week I had expected to have Saturday home with my family and now I've been rushed to get myself together so I can leave before the storm hits tomorrow. Such is my life - why do I even try to plan?!
To be honest, it's slightly unnerving when I see the bumper-to-bumper traffic headed inland as people evacuate the coastline, windows taped up to prevent breakage from high winds, lines at all the gas stations as people prepare for loss of electricity. The news has been covering the storm all day, scaring everyone into preparing for the worst. And if perhaps it does end up being really bad, I won't be with my family to help them through it. So if you happen to remember me in your prayers in the next couple days, for peace and encouragement as I leave my family and Delaware behind, I'd appreciate it :) Oh how I will miss it!
The plan is to leave tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. and stay in Indiana with friends tomorrow night. Then I'll head to Chicago on Sunday for orientation and training. Next Thursday the plan is to pick up my sister at O'hare in Chicago and head West to sunny California! Well, hopefully it's sunny. With all the doom and gloom lately, who knows? This is a very short post just to let you all know what's going on with my travel plans. Thank you so much for your thoughts and continued prayers. I will certainly be needing them in the coming transition!
To be honest, it's slightly unnerving when I see the bumper-to-bumper traffic headed inland as people evacuate the coastline, windows taped up to prevent breakage from high winds, lines at all the gas stations as people prepare for loss of electricity. The news has been covering the storm all day, scaring everyone into preparing for the worst. And if perhaps it does end up being really bad, I won't be with my family to help them through it. So if you happen to remember me in your prayers in the next couple days, for peace and encouragement as I leave my family and Delaware behind, I'd appreciate it :) Oh how I will miss it!
The plan is to leave tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. and stay in Indiana with friends tomorrow night. Then I'll head to Chicago on Sunday for orientation and training. Next Thursday the plan is to pick up my sister at O'hare in Chicago and head West to sunny California! Well, hopefully it's sunny. With all the doom and gloom lately, who knows? This is a very short post just to let you all know what's going on with my travel plans. Thank you so much for your thoughts and continued prayers. I will certainly be needing them in the coming transition!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Three More Days!
I'm getting close! Just three more days, and then I'm heading West to begin my next life adventure. Unless this hurricane that's wracking the Bahamas right now comes up the coast and runs me out of town early. On top of the earthquake yesterday, we East Coasters sure are getting our share of natural disasters here lately.
About a week ago, there was a thunderstorm, and as I often like to do when I see those dark, terrorizing cumulonimbus clouds approaching I went out onto our deck to watch until rain forced me back inside. The wind began to pick up, and a sudden gust gave me a split second of thrilling terror, as if it was going to suck me up into the sky. In wasn't even that strong, but in that moment I felt a total helplessness and wondered if perhaps that is how the people in the Midwest felt when tornadoes ripped through their homes this summer, or how the people in Japan felt when they saw the wall of water rush ashore with no regard to anyone or anything in its path, or those in Haiti as the earth shook and brought down buildings like a deck of cards. I can only imagine that their terror was at least a hundred times stronger than mine. It's pretty crazy how these things just come up on us, and how with all our technology and knowledge we're utterly helpless in the midst of them.
It reminds me that my God is so much bigger, stronger, more fearsome than I in my humanity can fathom. God is love, yes. And God is also to be feared, not in the I'm-scared-of-the-dark sense, but a holy fear. A recognition that He set this entire universe in motion, commands its forces to operate, and can wipe it out with but a word. (Which He will do someday soon, but then He will remake it the way He originally meant it to be, free from the bondage to darkness and sin!)
About a week ago, there was a thunderstorm, and as I often like to do when I see those dark, terrorizing cumulonimbus clouds approaching I went out onto our deck to watch until rain forced me back inside. The wind began to pick up, and a sudden gust gave me a split second of thrilling terror, as if it was going to suck me up into the sky. In wasn't even that strong, but in that moment I felt a total helplessness and wondered if perhaps that is how the people in the Midwest felt when tornadoes ripped through their homes this summer, or how the people in Japan felt when they saw the wall of water rush ashore with no regard to anyone or anything in its path, or those in Haiti as the earth shook and brought down buildings like a deck of cards. I can only imagine that their terror was at least a hundred times stronger than mine. It's pretty crazy how these things just come up on us, and how with all our technology and knowledge we're utterly helpless in the midst of them.
It reminds me that my God is so much bigger, stronger, more fearsome than I in my humanity can fathom. God is love, yes. And God is also to be feared, not in the I'm-scared-of-the-dark sense, but a holy fear. A recognition that He set this entire universe in motion, commands its forces to operate, and can wipe it out with but a word. (Which He will do someday soon, but then He will remake it the way He originally meant it to be, free from the bondage to darkness and sin!)
Monday, August 15, 2011
Easier Than the Last Time
On my drive home from town just now, I passed by one of the local high schools. Several sports practices were underway and the marching band was headed to the football field in formation. I never got to do marching band because I never went to a school with a football team, even in college! (I still have never attended a football game. Some might say I’m not truly American. They might be right.) I caught myself with feelings of desire to jump in with the band them and play an instrument… even though I haven’t played my clarinet or flute in a real band situation since junior high.
When I visited my old high school when my mom needed to check on something in her office, I took a look at the photo case with photos of students past and present displayed. Several of my former peers are now married or engaged – some even have babies. As I remembered each of my peers that were pictured it was evident how very much things have changed in all of our lives. Since I returned home from Albania, I have spent a lot of time with family and friends and am again reminded how the lives that I leave at home continue to change and develop when I’m gone, whether I like it or not.
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