Landing a job like getting into Harvard
So it turns out that Stephen's not the only one underemployed. The update is that a GREAT shipyard company in downtown SEATTLE wants to interview Stephen...and he didn't even apply for the job, they just found his resume on an employment website. Ironic, we know.
We could use all the prayer and connections you've got!
Monday, 9 November 2009
Thursday, 5 November 2009
"The Nobodies"
A poem shared in my Poverty & Development class this week, written by an individual reflecting on how he feels he and his people are perceived in the world. It also reveals perceptions of the non-poor.
"The Nobodies"
Who are not, but could be.
Who don’t speak languages, but dialects.
Who don’t have religions, but superstitions.
Who don’t create art, but handicrafts.
Who don’t have culture, but folklore.
Who are not human beings, but human resources.
Who don’t have faces, but arms.
Who do not have names, but numbers.
Who do not appear in the history of the world, but in the police blotter of the local paper.
The nobodies, that are not worth the bullet that kills them.
Eduardo Galeanao
The Book of Embraces
W. W. Norton, 1991
"The Nobodies"
Who are not, but could be.
Who don’t speak languages, but dialects.
Who don’t have religions, but superstitions.
Who don’t create art, but handicrafts.
Who don’t have culture, but folklore.
Who are not human beings, but human resources.
Who don’t have faces, but arms.
Who do not have names, but numbers.
Who do not appear in the history of the world, but in the police blotter of the local paper.
The nobodies, that are not worth the bullet that kills them.
Eduardo Galeanao
The Book of Embraces
W. W. Norton, 1991
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
World Relief Seattle Celebrating 30 Years!
Hey friends-
The letter below is from Cal Uomoto, director of World Relief Seattle. I got this in an email this week and just wanted to share, since WR is close to my heart. World Relief is an international organization, and may have offices in your area if you are interested in getting connected.
Dear Friends,
World Relief is excited to celebrate our 30th year of impacting lives here in Seattle. And we could not have done it without you!
In 1979 World Relief began as an answer to the growing needs of refugees fleeing the war in Southeast Asia. Our services soon expanded to the resettlement of persecuted refugees from over 25 countries as diverse as Burma, Bosnia, Iraq and Sudan.
We are thankful for you – our partner churches, community members and volunteers. It is encouraging to see that our work is having an impact. People are thriving! I’d like to invite you to join us in reflecting upon a few of the inspiring people we’ve met…
Rosa fled the war in Sudan after losing two of her four children. She arrived in 2001 and, with help from the Seattle community, found employment and a home. Because she knew how much a home meant after being uprooted, she wanted to give back to others. Rosa is now a licensed foster mother and her home is a safe place for orphaned refugee children.
Sergei and Alla fled the former USSR after Sergei was imprisoned for his Christian faith. Once settled, they founded the Slavic Gospel Church in Federal Way. The church has grown to 1,200 members and has sent teams to help rebuild communities in Ukraine, Russia, India, Mexico, and Argentina.
Eric was a teenager when bombs exploded around his home in Freetown, Liberia. He grabbed his 6 year-old brother and fled, not knowing if other family members survived. They lived alone on the Ivory Coast for six years until joyfully discovering their mother was alive. As a family, they were resettled in Seattle, and Eric is now the proud owner of his own fleet of rental cars.
These stories are a celebration! When we – as a community – give to strengthen refugees, refugees are successful at strengthening others and giving back.
As we look ahead to the next 30 years we are keenly aware of the vital role that our partners play. Please consider giving to directly meet the needs of refugees and further our work. We thank you for joining us in impacting lives!
Sunday, 1 November 2009
U2 + grilled corn
Short story: we have an incredibly generous Swiss friend named Levin. He called us an hour before the U2 concert started at the Rose Bowl and told us to be ready to go in 20 minutes. ...he bought us tickets! The show was amazing and it was really fun to go to such a huge event only five minutes from our place, not to mention for free. :)
Giant expanding screen that Stephen says is very detailed, in terms of engineering. ;)
We also helped grill corn for Allelous at Fuller's annual Harvest Party- we were the Asia Crew. Brianna (my exercise buddy!) grew up in Papua New Guinea and Arthur is 1/2 Japanese and just got back from living in Tokyo for five years.
The boys made a big fire...not so good when lots of little kids are around...:)
Saturday, 31 October 2009
update
Happy Halloween everyone! Stephen and I celebrated by dressing as burritos so that we could get free burritos at Chipotle. This consisted of putting some foil on our bodies, and that's about it (to look like a burrito wrapped in foil...although mine was pretty minimal ;)). Spontaneously, half of Allelous decided to go so we had a festive time with a bunch of our community-mates.
And now I'm stuck in for the evening working on two papers. But at least I get an extra hour tonight! :)
I have a part-time job now assisting a physical therapist/counselor in her home office about five minutes from our place. I had my first day this week and I enjoyed it and the woman I work for. It's a really nice, relaxed environment and super flexible- two great aspects of a job while doing grad school.
Stephen had two interviews last week- please pray that he gets a yes to both interviews! We will update with details when there is news.
We are missing all our friends and family- it's strange to be away from home but still in the states. I've been realizing that I'm glad I did Fuller part-time the past several years so that we're only required to be here for 15 months. Although we do really love it here so far- all that is missing is...YOU!
We are excited that my grandparents will be at their place in Palm Springs soon. We look forward to Thanksgiving and a weekend away. And we hope to get to Stephen's grandparent's in Arizona soon. :)
This week and next I'm in an intensive course called "Poverty & Development" and it is DEFinitely intense. Not only the pace but also the subject matter. I'm really excited to learn all of it. It's completely applicable to what I did in China last year and my internship at World Vision this past summer. The professor is Bryant Myers, the "guru" of Transformational Development (with a Biblical worldview). I read his book Walking With The Poor before I went to China and studied his teaching at SPU. He worked for World Vision International for 30+ years and is a walking encyclopedia of first-hand development knowledge, skills and experiences/stories. I'm really thankful that one night in Japan the thought popped into my mind to see if there were any internship opportunities at World Vision US in Federal Way- because sacrificing pay for the experience this summer is proving to be fruitful in many ways, including helping me tie all that I learned there with this class, with my previous experiences abroad and with refugees in Seattle. I'll be taking more Development courses this year - like Conflict, Relief & Refugees, along with Research Tools & Methodology.
The two other courses I'm in are:
-Church & Mission in a Global Context
-Current Trends in Islam
Anywho, there's an update on my academic life!
I'll write more about what I'm learning...someday when I don't need to be writing papers. :)
-Jill
And now I'm stuck in for the evening working on two papers. But at least I get an extra hour tonight! :)
I have a part-time job now assisting a physical therapist/counselor in her home office about five minutes from our place. I had my first day this week and I enjoyed it and the woman I work for. It's a really nice, relaxed environment and super flexible- two great aspects of a job while doing grad school.
Stephen had two interviews last week- please pray that he gets a yes to both interviews! We will update with details when there is news.
We are missing all our friends and family- it's strange to be away from home but still in the states. I've been realizing that I'm glad I did Fuller part-time the past several years so that we're only required to be here for 15 months. Although we do really love it here so far- all that is missing is...YOU!
We are excited that my grandparents will be at their place in Palm Springs soon. We look forward to Thanksgiving and a weekend away. And we hope to get to Stephen's grandparent's in Arizona soon. :)
This week and next I'm in an intensive course called "Poverty & Development" and it is DEFinitely intense. Not only the pace but also the subject matter. I'm really excited to learn all of it. It's completely applicable to what I did in China last year and my internship at World Vision this past summer. The professor is Bryant Myers, the "guru" of Transformational Development (with a Biblical worldview). I read his book Walking With The Poor before I went to China and studied his teaching at SPU. He worked for World Vision International for 30+ years and is a walking encyclopedia of first-hand development knowledge, skills and experiences/stories. I'm really thankful that one night in Japan the thought popped into my mind to see if there were any internship opportunities at World Vision US in Federal Way- because sacrificing pay for the experience this summer is proving to be fruitful in many ways, including helping me tie all that I learned there with this class, with my previous experiences abroad and with refugees in Seattle. I'll be taking more Development courses this year - like Conflict, Relief & Refugees, along with Research Tools & Methodology.
The two other courses I'm in are:
-Church & Mission in a Global Context
-Current Trends in Islam
Anywho, there's an update on my academic life!
I'll write more about what I'm learning...someday when I don't need to be writing papers. :)
-Jill
Thursday, 29 October 2009
weekend fun
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Stephen brushing up on some calculus for a math tutor interview
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Rose Bowl aquatics center
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Zuma Beach, Malibu
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Tuesday, 20 October 2009
some photos...
The long drive...to lanes lined with palms trees...
to our little bungalow...
to a brand new library (with the most comprehensive seminary collection in the nation)...
with a great sundeck and beautiful view of the mountains...
to a billboard of our fav tv show on Sunset Blvd...(please excuse the low-quality cell phone photos) ;)
Monday, 19 October 2009
California, here we are!
Hello from Pasadena, 91104, USA!
More specifically, hello from Allelous Intentional Community, our new home, 1.5 miles from Fuller Theological Seminary. We love our cute little bungalow, built in the 1930's. The community was the first housing that Fuller purchased...many amazing people have come and gone through here- if only these walls could talk.
We are pretty settled now, school is three weeks in, and Stephen has found a part-time job to generate some moolah while he continues the search for a job that will utilize all of his amazing mechanical engineering skills. Job hunting is not fun, but he is thankful for the time off and we are thankful for the time together.
We have met many people in these weeks, gone on some adventures including exploring Los Angeles, meeting up with old friends from high school, a community retreat on an almond farm, as well as frequent trips to the Rose Bowl to run and swim. The weather is gorgeous and we are continuously confused by the Halloween decorations...isn't it still summer?
We miss friends and family a lot, but we are excited to finally be here so that I can finish this chapter in my academic career. Allelous has been an incredible support, beginning with the unloading of our moving truck in a record 20 MINUTES! It took about 7 hours to load, so at 11:30 pm after 14 hours of driving this was a good way to be welcomed into a community of people who knew our names and were looking forward to meeting us.
We will be adding to this in the coming days. Please post comments/questions and let us know how you are doing!
As far as we know, I will be finished with my masters degree in Cross-Cultural Studies with an emphasis in Islamic Studies next December, 2010. Hopefully Stephen will have found an incredible job that he loves, which could mean that we would possibly stay a bit longer. Allelous has several spots for alumni, so we could potentially fill those and remain living in the community. But who knows...for now we are happy and feel so blessed by what we have and are excited to see what is in store for us in the future!
We hope all is well in Seattle and Denver and everywhere else in the world where there are people we love!
-Jill (& Stephen)
More specifically, hello from Allelous Intentional Community, our new home, 1.5 miles from Fuller Theological Seminary. We love our cute little bungalow, built in the 1930's. The community was the first housing that Fuller purchased...many amazing people have come and gone through here- if only these walls could talk.
We are pretty settled now, school is three weeks in, and Stephen has found a part-time job to generate some moolah while he continues the search for a job that will utilize all of his amazing mechanical engineering skills. Job hunting is not fun, but he is thankful for the time off and we are thankful for the time together.
We have met many people in these weeks, gone on some adventures including exploring Los Angeles, meeting up with old friends from high school, a community retreat on an almond farm, as well as frequent trips to the Rose Bowl to run and swim. The weather is gorgeous and we are continuously confused by the Halloween decorations...isn't it still summer?
We miss friends and family a lot, but we are excited to finally be here so that I can finish this chapter in my academic career. Allelous has been an incredible support, beginning with the unloading of our moving truck in a record 20 MINUTES! It took about 7 hours to load, so at 11:30 pm after 14 hours of driving this was a good way to be welcomed into a community of people who knew our names and were looking forward to meeting us.
We will be adding to this in the coming days. Please post comments/questions and let us know how you are doing!
As far as we know, I will be finished with my masters degree in Cross-Cultural Studies with an emphasis in Islamic Studies next December, 2010. Hopefully Stephen will have found an incredible job that he loves, which could mean that we would possibly stay a bit longer. Allelous has several spots for alumni, so we could potentially fill those and remain living in the community. But who knows...for now we are happy and feel so blessed by what we have and are excited to see what is in store for us in the future!
We hope all is well in Seattle and Denver and everywhere else in the world where there are people we love!
-Jill (& Stephen)
Stephen was superman and drove the ENTIRE way. We had a 16 foot truck and towed our car behind...a big job. Thank you Stephen!
We stayed two nights with my beautiful friend Mary and her husband Nolan and puppy Gunner on the way down. They have a new home- it was great to finally see her new life in Medford, OR.
On our first adventure out of Pasadena we started with the Griffith Observatory which has a great view of LA and if you squint you can see the HOLLYWOOD sign in this photo. :)
BAYWATCH!
Next stop was Venice Beach in Santa Monica. We checked out Muscle Beach and watched the sunset. The water was so warm too...we plan to have a beach day sometime this week.
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