i've been busy...

well. it was a full week. i meandered to a place called vienna, virginia for my first intern cluster meeting. i drove past fairfax, viriginia, where rumor has it my friend natalie's parents live! the interns were nice. some i connected with, some i connected with less. one is in DC at a cool church that i had listed as a horizon site i would go to if any came up missing an intern. another intern i connected with is at a horizon site in baltimore that i also listed as a site that i would love to have if no one was assigned to their church. alas. those churches both got lovely interns. but, i will get to see their churches and what they do.

i have decided that i like teaching confirmation. all i do is Bible studies that have a theme. the boys do such a wonderful job. they ask great questions. we read the text together and then i just try to get as many questions out of them as possible. i give a little background and guide a little, but try to let them be curious. today i got a free will question! i can barely explain free will to myself, let alone an eleven year old! it freaked me out, but was fun to try. we laugh alot in confirmation. since almost all the boys play soccer and i don't really know much about the game, i am going to a game next week. one of them is sitting out and another is playing so the one that is sitting out is going to be explaining things to me. i think it will be fun. it will at least let the boys know that i care about them as whole people.

this morning i was introduced to a little boy that is maybe 7 years old. his dad said to the boy that i am from minnesota. the little boy looked at me and said one word, "hockey!" it was the best response i have ever had to being from minnesota. i proceeded to tell the kid about skating on our ponds and how people at Bemidji State would park on the lake in winter. he loved it. in the conversation i was asked if i would go skating...i said i would if they could get a bunch of kids together....uh oh...i haven't ice skated in years. well, i may as well take one for the team. it should be fun, though i am sure i will hurt when it is all done with!


Anneka the Ole!


Oh, Yes...it is an Ole flag!



It takes about ten minutes to walk from my little apartment to this view...seriously! i live on the house side...as opposed to the senate side. i asked if the house and the senate have west side story style gangs and do street rumbles. this was not met with humor. people take politics VERY seriously here.


so, i was walking one evening and low and behold an anti war protest...now you can't really tell, but there are tourists all over the place next to the protesters. i saw one group of east indians holding up a $100 bill so they could get a photo in front of the capitol...next to them was a group of people with an upside down american flag...i wasn't brave enough to take a picture.



Biblical plants at the national botanical gardens...also only ten minutes from me...right on the mall. papyrus...good for all your prophetic rants!




castor beans...rumored to be the plant that grew up around jonah...



not really biblical...but my dad gave me a sensitive plant when i was in first grade. you touch the leaves and they move.


okay...i have never been to any professional sporting events before. ever. in DC everyone wants a new stadium...just like home!!! so, someone had free tickets to the last nationals game played at RFK stadium. a good way to see my first sporting event. the nationals even won! i had to rush there after church...ah the life of a clergy person...

God is sued!

Quite a delightful little story.
suing God to prove a point...

http://www.startribune.com/484/story/1428841.html

my new hairstylist

it was only a matter of time that i told you all about my new, fabulous hairstylist!
this evening i went into a salon close to the house office buildings. the woman that washed my hair said that every client was a gift from God. how is that for a witness? puts me to shame. she said that every tip is a gift from God. if only i had that sort of graciousness.

the hairstylist was from Colombia. she asked me where my hair had been dyed...she liked it. i said back home in minnesota. we talked about how i ended up on capitol hill. she asked if i worked in congress...okay, now i was dressed in my scrubby jeans and a tank top...i so did not fit in with the hill crowd! i said no. i told her i was going to seminary to be a pastor. that i was here in DC to learn about being a pastor. this opened up a fun conversation. she asked me what i thought of people here. i said they are too serious. they do not know how to enjoy life. she said, "i am from colombia. we are life!" she concurred with me. then...she talked about hugging trees and the spirit of the sun. it was beautiful. she was talking about enjoying the created world.

she finished my hair and said, "you could be in a magazine!"

and the best part...

she blessed me as i left.

she said that i could come visit her since i am new to the hill.

it was nice getting a blessing from a stranger. it was nice in a city that is so tightly wound to meet a person that could maintain her spirit.

i hope i can be that free with blessing people.

freedom and idols

i began to read luther's freedom of the christian today.
i have mostly skimmed it previously...sorry to the various professors out there...i know i should have read it fully, multiple times before now!

i feel like this town is not really aware of what it really means to be free. of the trememdous burden freedom lays on us. in the introduction, luther writes, "unfortunately there are many people, especially those who are proud of their titles, who oppose the truth with all their power and cunning. admittedly it must be that Christ, set as a stumbling block and a sign that is spoken against, will be an offense and a cause for the fall and rising of many."

i am struck by the idols people here make of their titles. the title is the god that is worshiped.

a prophetic voice is needed here. i am uncertain who that may be. i will only do my best to insert the Word into this town.

i think this will be what i struggle with until the end of the year. until i am back at my cozy little church in minneapolis.

i'm melting! it is so hot here.

okay. i pulled in a little after 1 on tuesday.
at 8h30 wednesday morning i was back at church to start working. shaking hands, learning names, feeling crazy.
the office manager is an ole...oh, yes...they are everywhere! for you non-lutherans that would be a person that went to St. Olaf College. but, you know, i have never been so happy to see someone from WI and a graduate of st. olaf.

anneka (the ole), took me to lunch with a friend of hers. the friend works in a senator's office. i go bumbling down the street and low and behold i am in the Hart Senate building. I was there once before, when i went to visit senator dayton. now, i still don't really know where we are going. turns out that we were headed to the back offices of the senate. the offices where all the worker bees are. anneka worked for russ feingold, so knows the ins and outs.

i thought, "well, that was a fun, first day adventure." right. there is more. still haven't been in DC for more than 24 hours. we head off to a part of capitol hill that has an open air market. eastern market is a little more my style that other parts of the hill. something was going on...we asked around...a car was about to be blown up for a movie that was being filmed. the movie includes: russell crowe and leonardo dicaprio.

okay. my brain was sort of melting down. these things really DO happen. who knew?

i was offered the tour of the capitol that senate interns get. i think i will take advantage of that.

that same night i met my intern committee. wow. they are very kind people. with intense jobs. part of me is comforted that i am meeting good people in various positions in government. i can trust that they will make good decisions on my behalf.

my committee gave me housewarming presents. one couple had been missionaries in liberia. i am excited to visit with them about liberia. i have had so many clients that are asylees/refugees from there. there are so many liberians in minnesota and i still know so little.

i met a docent for the smithsonian yesterday. she does natural history and will give personalized tours of the fossils and such. i think my dad will like that.

i have decided that people here are not homebodies. they do not enjoy putzing around their homes. maybe, because their homes are small. everyone seems to be constantly doing things. this city moves so very fast. it is difficult for me to get used to. and no one makes eye-contact. ever. i have an issue with this. i don't care if people think i am a country bumpkin. after loving God, we are to love our neighbors. now, i cannot love my neighbor if i ignore them. i refuse to ignore creation as it walks past me. i will smile. and if they don't like it, tough.

i made a discovery yesterday...
i was wearing my collar (people here like the collar, ALOT!) yesterday. suddenly, people were making eye contact. they were even acknowledging me. i may wear the collar all the time, just to get people out of their own worlds. anneka did point out that the whole package may have been throwing people. nose piercings, short hair....collar. i don't think it looks odd. others do though.

so, this morning i woke up and wanted to go home. i'm fine. but, it was a moment of just being tired and disoriented. i feel out of sorts here. i have not seen any of the alternative people i am used to. i finally found a little independent coffee place just now where they look like me.

a few photos...
lola, who tried to escape (also the one who likes to chew...).


linus. very vocal. yet, so sweet.


my cute little fireplace!

oh, dear! they dress REALLY nice!

i got into dc today around 1h30. poor kitties. lola escaped when we got to the apartment. i ran her down while my supervising pastor got in my car to parallel park the uhaul. welcome to dc! the apartment not only has a fireplace, but it even works! when i drove up to the church i thought, "oh, no! i will hit the capitol before i get to the church!" not quite. the church has a nice view of the capitol dome. just turn right and there it is.

things i learned while driving east:
1. i have it REALLY good in minnesota.
2. coffee doesn't exist east of wisconsin.
3. internet doesn't really exist in pennsylvania.
4. everyone looks at me weird in: indiana, ohio, and pennsylvania. why? :)
5. an echo towing a uhaul is a bad idea in the mountains. especially when the uhaul people in minnesota put the ball on the hitch WRONG! thank God i did not have an accident, though i wish that i did not know that was a possibility.
6. linus is getting sedated when we move home next year. he meowed for hours on end.

in the last few hours i have discovered that people in my congregation have crazy government jobs that they can't really talk about. those jobs really do exist!

the best for last...
my upstairs neighbor is a lobbiest....for...WALMART!!!!!!!

oh, yes. i did just write that. i never thought those people were real. she is so nice. i came bumbling out, introducing myself as a lutheran vicar. then she said walmart. i think neither of us expected the other to say what we each said. i think my mouth may have dropped open briefly.

and so the year starts.
we waved at natalie from the freeway as we passed valparaiso. thought of colin as we slept in toledo. and discovered west-pennsyl-tucky. that is a shout out to colin and amy, who taught me that term during prophets. thanks for clueing me in. i think my friend aaron is an intern in those mountains someplace!

leaving minnesota, day 1

well, the trailer can almost fit the little car (dubbed the "marshmallow" by the previous owner) inside it! oh, dear. there have been many adventures this week in trying to get my butt across the state line.

Adventures

1. Driving back to minneapolis from bemidji (after visiting my family) a great blue heron flew RIGHT over my car. now when i say right over, i mean, the bird was skimming the top of my car. there was nothing i could do! i was on highway 10. halfway between motley and little falls. i think the heron even pooped on my car...is that a good sign?

2. convincing various mechanics to order and install a trailer hitch for me. trust me.

3. getting out of my apartment by noon yesterday...ugh.


Now...i have a few questions. i have crossed into a new state or two....what does a sign mean when it says, "wisconsin fun ahead?" also, what kind of border is that between WI and IL? i realize not all MN borders are water, but it is nice to have a moat protecting us on most sides...

and a word of advice...kitties and toll booths are a BAD idea.

it has been entertaining driving through WI and the little bit of IL so far and seeing where people are from...
wausau, lacrosse, janesville, madison, menomenie, eau claire, chicago...

speaking of chicago, do you think this would attract more people to a churchwide assembly?



tomorrow will be another day of craziness in the car with the cats as we venture east to...ohio or pennsylvania. maybe waving at our fellow vicar natalie in valparaiso!