Faith and Facts

For all of you United Methodists out there (and for anyone else, really), I found a great resource on the General Board of Church and Society's website that I want to share. Faith and Facts Cards offer one-page documents that deal with important issues--like immigration, living wage, global warming, health care. They have brief sections like "What does the Bible say?" and "What does the Methodist Church say?" and also offer some suggested actions. They would be great bulletin inserts. I'm using the immigration one for a bulletin board I'm creating to help educate folks about Hispanic ministries and immigration.

Workers, people

It has been a huge gift to get to know some folks in our community who are day laborers and/or migrant workers. Twice in the past couple of weeks, I've walked down the two blocks from our house to the area where (mostly) men gather in the hopes that someone will drive up looking for a few hands to help with some physical labor. Our neighbor across the street is one of those who waits each morning, now in the cold, sometimes in the rain, hoping. It has been a gift to hear some of their stories--of their children (sometimes here, sometimes very far away), of their border-crossing (sometimes painful and dangerous, sometimes relatively easy), of their friends (or their isolation), of their past or present faith communities, of their plans and hopes, of the desperation that they confront as the economy gets worse and the trucks pulling in front of the building dwindle. On Wednesday, only one truck came by the whole morning and left with two workers. There were probably around 30 workers standing nearby.

It is good just to chat--to talk about daily life, to learn more about what they do with their days, what they enjoy. I look forward to getting to know some of them better.

Last Friday, OPB's Think Out Loud program (one of my favorite radio shows) featured migrant workers. I highly recommend it:

http://stream1.opb.org:9000/tol/episodes/2008/1121.mp3

Thanks

We are so thankful. For the love we share between the two of us and with our wonderful family, beautiful friends, those we continue to encounter in this new still-new place...for all those folks teach us...for the great and unending gift of grace, we are thankful. For work that sustains and challenges us, for a cozy home that allow us to extend hospitality, for the many opportunities to work for positive change in the world, we are thankful.

Our gratitude grows as we think about where we were at this time last year... in jobs that we knew were not long-term, struggling with the pain of an awful church situation, not sure where to go next, in a house with no heat. It was a difficult time for us. Thankfully, we shared some delicious meals with people we love in warm houses and were reminded of all the gifts we still enjoyed--and of all the ways we were still called to give of ourselves. When I think about that time, I am especially thankful that God walked with us and that we did not give up on the church.

This Thanksgiving, we shared a rainy walk, a meal and a movie with Cathy and Ron. They are also new to the Oregon-Idaho Conference and don't have family members nearby. They spent 15 years as missionaries with the Methodist Church in Argentina and it was so great to hear more stories about that time in their lives. We also ate some delicious, alternative T-day meal that included some favorites in Argentina--like gnocchi...mmm.... It really has been a wonderful day!


Gratitude often makes me sing and these are some of the songs I've been singing today:

A couple of Holy Cov favorites: Thank You and Thank You, Jesus.

A Gospel Choir favorite: I Don't Feel No Ways Tired

Company

We've been talking about having an open house for months and we finally just put it on the calendar! We invited church folks, neighbors, people we'd met at the gym... and people came!

Eric chatting with Evan, Jessica and Rhoda:

Concha and Giovanni (=cutest neighbor ever):

Dani and Eleuterio:


An intense game of Taboo: Dan, Alexis, Max, Kathy and Kenya:


Eleuterio, Dan and Mat:


It was so great to visit with folks! In the weeks before, we spent lots of time talking with neighbors on our invitation visits. Even though lots of folks couldn't come, it was great to make those connections. Now it will be easier to talk to folks or create times to get to know one another better.

Yesterday, we had youth group at our house. Here we are making thank-you cards for people in our lives we're thankful for:


It was a full weekend, but a great one!

Chicago!!!

It was SO great to be back in Chicago for a couple of days. I miss the lake and the neighborhoods and all that, but I mostly just miss the people! We drove down from Madison Sunday morning and made it in time to Holy Covenant's second service. Boy do we miss those folks and that community! It was wonderful to be there for worship and to catch up with so many people.

Here are some of our favorite HC ladies:


We continued the conversation at Wishbone, a favorite brunch place.


My mom drove in that afternoon and we just hung around and visited over coffee. I am so glad that she was able to come--it had been five months since we'd seen each other!


We all had dinner (Giordano's deep dish pizza!!!) at Megan and Barrett's new place, and the my mom headed to her friend's place. It was so nice to just lounge and talk until bedtime.


We met Joseph for breakfast the next morning at the Blind Faith Cafe (one of Eric's former places of employment) and then stopped by Robyn's office downtown that afternoon. Not long after we headed down to Pilsen (our old neighborhood), huge flakes started coming down--snow! It was kind-of exciting, but I am so glad that we don't have to deal with freezing weather for months and months like last year!


We met up with our community meal friends and Trent and Jeanne's and had a wonderful time visiting with them all!


We stayed up late hanging out with Trent and Jeanne until some of us started falling asleep on the couch. Just like old times. In the morning, they made us lattes with their fancy espresso machine and Trent took us to the airport.

It is so good to be home but we miss my family and our Chicago friends dearly. Please come see us soon, everyone. You've always got a place to stay at the Conklin B & B.

Madison with the Jersey Guyz

The Jersey Guys, in uniform, prepare for their first project at the youth convocation: the shout-out video. Jeff, Mark, and Goose:


Practicing for one of their hilarious skits:

Mark and company leading the youth in morning arobics (to "We Like to Party" by the Venga Boys).


Here's where Eric spent a lot of his time, editing videos to be shown in the large sessions:

We had lunch Friday with Bridget, Casey and Sam (Jeff's family) at Rocky Rococco Pizza. Casey (a big fan of Madagascar) entertained by singing (and dancing to) "I Like to Move It, Move It" ("back it up, back it up") and Sam was so smiley and charming. We were so happy to finally meet their littlest guy.


On Saturday, I went downtown to meet Anna V., a Holy Covenant friend who just moved to Madison about a month ago. We enjoyed visiting over coffee and walked through the cool area around the capitol building.


It was also nice to visit with Tina and Kris, a couple of other Garrett friends who are in the Wisconsin Conference of the UMC.

Back in the midwest

We're in Madison, WI for a couple of days where Eric is doing film work for a United Methodist youth conference with a couple of seminary friends. Mark and Jeff are the "comedians" for the program and are leading games and drama. Eric's going to do some "man on the street" (more like "youth in the hotel hallway") interviewing and creating of short clips that will be used in the program. Pretty fun. He's excited to be using a really fast digital camera and iMovie, which is super easy to navigate.

Our trip here yesterday was long, but it may have been the smoothest multi-leg trip we've ever had. It got off to a good start. We actually got out of the house on time (4:30 a.m.!) and made it to the bus stop. We happened to meet a new neighbor there (he and his wife just moved to Cornelius) and chatted quite a bit as we rode the bus. He was interested in knowing more about the Methodist church, so we talked about that. When he got off, another young guy sitting nearby had overheard our conversation and came to introduce himself. He and his wife just moved to the area from Ashland (southern Oregon) and were involved in the UMC there. It was so great to meet both of these guys and invited both of them to come to the open house we've having at our place next weekend. Imagine that--two great conversations with new friends who are interested in finding a church...all before 5:00 a.m.!

Mark W. picked us up and Midway and took us out for coffee and sammies before handing over the keys to his car. He was hoping to come up to Madison with us, but wasn't able to, so he let us drive his car here. He and Julie are so great and we are excited to hang out with them more on Monday when we're back in Chicago!

Fall Colors

Just thought I'd share a few pictures of the amazing colors we've seen around here these past weeks. I am just amazed every time I go outside.

From our front yard:


In the backyard:


Roses in October! View of Portland and Mt Hood:


Conklins checking things out:


In Portland:


Driving home from Jefferson, South of Salem. I actually pulled over to take this picture, which really does not do the scene justice.

I love fall.