Double Blessing

Yesterday, we experienced blessings via unexpected sources - the pharmacy and the post office.

In the morning, Heather and the girls made a trip to Target to get those stuff kinds of things that you need to get before going on a trip. She also needed to get two months worth of her medications. She went to the pharmacy expecting to pay regular non-insurance price for both of them since she was getting extra and getting them out of the ordinary sequence. Pharmacies seem to be the place where we have issues with customer service the most, so we've tried out most of the pharmacies in town. To make a long story short, the pharmacist offered to give Heather a two month supply of her medications and hold off on processing the first month until Monday, when insurance would expect to see it processed, and wait until after we get back in July to have us come in and pay for the second month.

In the afternoon, Emilia and I went to the post office to see what we should do about our mail. We went up to the counter and asked the postal clerk about her recommendations. She pulled out a yellow form and said that they can hold mail for 30 days, but for anything more she would need a supervisor's permission. Then, she gave us a kind of you aren't going to make me ask are you. Just then, Sheldon Jones (Heather sings with him on the worship team and I play with him in a basketball league at church) walked by and said, "Hi, Andy." I returned his greeting, and the postal clerk asked him about holding our mail. He was the supervisor, and our mail is being held for the entire time we're gone.

One of the ideas that has often intrigued me is that of the double blessing - the birthright blessing and the Abrahamic blessing, or the blessing given to Abraham that his descendants would be a source of blessing for all nations on earth. According to my understanding, the double blessing would have been passed from Abraham to Isaac and then Isaac to Jacob.

Through this experience so far, we feel like we have been doubly blessed. We have been given the opportunity to go through the prayerful support and the contributions of many - pharmacists and post office supervisors included. We also carry the responsibility of passing on the blessings we have been given with students who will go places and do things we would never be able to do.

Today's Prayer

As I was trying to finish up some work before we leave for Portugal (I fear there may be more work than days and hours), I came across the following prayer that has been attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas. Sometimes, I have found that I don't always have the words I need to express my prayers. These days seem to be one of those times. Here's my prayer for today.

THE PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE
St. Thomas Aquinas

O creator past all telling, you have appointed from the treasures of your wisdom the hierarchies of angels, disposing them in wondrous order above the bright heavens, and have so beautifully set out all parts of the universe. You we call the true fount of wisdom and the noble origin of all things. Be pleased to shed on the darkness of mind in which I was born, the twofold beam of your light and warmth to dispel my ignorance and sin.

You make eloquent the tongues of children. Then instruct my speech and touch my lips with graciousness. Make me keen to understand, quick to learn, able to remember; make me delicate to interpret and ready to speak. Guide my going in and going forward, lead home my going forth. You are true God and true man, and live for ever and ever. Amen

Departure Draws Near

I had a realization of how close leaving for Portugal is. We've been keeping an eye on the weather, so we know what to expect. When I checked the 10 day forecast this afternoon, the weather in Lisbon for our arrival is listed - High 74/23, Low 61/16.

We also got an email from Kyle and Jayme late last week - most of the students are starting out with little or no experience with English, the girls need to bring their own mac and cheese, and cooking and cleaning schedules are coming together.

Thanks for the many prayers said on our behalf and the words of encouragement you have sent.

The Staples Delivery Guy

As I was working in my office at school, Sara, our department secretary, had to run out and pick up our new Spanish honor society's charter. It was being framed to hang next to the English honor society charter in the department. She ordinarily signs for deliveries, but since I was the only one there, I got to sign for a couple of packages.

The delivery guy asked about summer school and why they're weren't more people around. I told him that most of the classes are in the morning, and that we only have one more week in the first of two 4 week summer school sessions. He asked what I was teaching, and I told him a literature class. He asked what we were reading. When I told him we were working through poetry right now, his eyes lit up, and he went on to tell me about poetry's influence on his life. He quoted the first few lines of Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and related it to his father's death. I told him we had just read some Frost in class this morning.

Then, he went on to tell me about reading Hermann Hesse while he was in school and asked who I enjoyed reading. I mentioned that recently I had been interested in Billy Collins's work. (If you're interested in checking out Billy Collins, several of his poems have been animated as part of his goal as U.S. Poet Laureate of getting poetry into the lives of young readers. They can be found on YouTube. Forgetfulness is one that I enjoy and have used in classes.)

Finally, he asked me if I had read Dostoevsky or Tolstoy. I've read some of both and a collection of Tolstoy is actually sitting with a bookmark in it on the floor near my nightstand. He mentioned Dostoevsky's The Idiot and explained how the impact of those around Prince Myshkin pushing him into madness has always stuck with him. Some could use what happens to Myshkin as a way of justifying withdrawing from society especially if we hope to retain our goodness and innocence.

As the Staples Delivery Guy was explaining how writing is his way of withdrawing from the influence of those around him, I decided to ask him if he had ever done anything to get his writing out there for other people to read. He kind of bristled at the idea of letting people into the intimacy that we often feel with our own writing - a struggle I can understand.

I am also reminded of something Rob Bell relayed during a session at Calvin College's Festival of Faith and Writing that I attended in the mid-April. In reference to his writing, speaking, and even during interactions with friends and neighbors, he said, "I want to be the one who starts the conversation rather than always trying to have the last word." I need to work on getting the words out - whether they are written, spoken, or communicated through my actions - to start conversations.

Passport Photos

As I was leaving campus this afternoon, Dr. McGuire was just pulling into the parking lot. She also makes a point to ask me about the girls and greet them when we are at English Department events. She asked me about passports and if we had gotten them yet. I told her the story of getting our passport photos. She said I ought to be sure to write the story down with Portugal memories, so I figured sharing it here would be good.

We decided to get our passport photos taken at Walgreens. We marched back to the photo section and asked if we could get passport photos taken. The lady working grabbed her camera and pulled down a white screen on the wall next to the dairy case. Emilia wasn't so sure she wanted to get her picture taken, so we let her decide the order for getting pictures taken.

I walked over to screen, turned around, and had my picture taken.

Heather walked over to the screen, turned around, and had her picture taken.

I put Audra down on the floor. She walked over to the screen, pivoted around on her left foot and smiled. After our shock at her perfect caricature of how to get a government photo taken, the picture lady said, "Uhh, she has to be higher the screen doesn't come down any more, and it has to come down past her shoulders." Though Walgreens sells just about everything, I haven't seen instant toddler growth pills.

After sensing our confusion, the picture lady said, "Why don't you hold her up? But you can't be in the picture."

Heather and I looked at each other, and I took a seat on the floor in front of the white screen. Audra gave me her "Dad, this isn't how it works look." I grabbed her by the knees and held her up over my head as I sat in front of the screen. Audra was so puzzled by why she was being held this way and just stared down at me. Finally, as my arms were starting to tremble, Audra looked over at Heather and the picture lady was ready and got the two shots we needed.

Fortunately, Emilia's turn was pretty uneventful though the picture lady did have to take extra shots after Emilia decided to test out a few of her poses.

Post-Sleepover Thoughts

Emilia had her first successful sleepover at our house last night. Surprisingly, asleep by 10. Not so surprisingly, up by 6. We did all those typical sleepover things - ate pizza and ice cream, told crazy stories and built castles out of cardboard boxes - I'm not exactly sure what the girls did. Of course, Audra tried to keep up and the older girls graciously let her tag along.

Heather and I have talked a lot about what the girls will gain this summer. We've joked about them getting to have an answer for that inevitable beginning of the school year question, "What did you do this summer?" Watching Emilia and her friend, Jae, makes me wonder what the girls might miss this summer.

People's reactions to hearing the news that we're going to Portugal have ranged from "What?!?" to "What a great opportunity for you and the girls" to "Awesome!" A couple of days ago at Ellis Johnson's dedication I was talking to Ellis's grandpa, and he'd heard we were traveling this summer. I told him the story about Kyle and Jayme's e-mail and just how quickly everything seemed to happen. He said, "If you had more time to think about going, you probably wouldn't." His response surprised me, but in light of the successful sleepover makes a lot of sense.

Often, when we have to time to think about doing things, we focus on the reasons why we shouldn't rather than looking at "the why we shoulds." In spite of successful sleepovers, we're still excited for June 4 to come. We know there are things we will miss here, but we also want to be the kind of people who look to live in the "shoulds." I'm also reminded of the adjustments that the girls (and their parents) will be making as we leave the familiarity of home.

Getting Started

Heather and I have both been spending the end of this week trying to get grades finalized. Olivet graduation ceremonies start this evening and then we can turn our attention to the beginning of summer and our coming trip to Portugal.

We are in the process of getting letters sent out to friends and family explaining briefly how we ended up deciding to go and how you support us during our time in Portugal. Writing letters and asking for help has always been a difficult thing for me to do, especially if money is involved. I guess it goes back to stories my dad would tell about when he would come home from college and his parents would ask him if he had money to get back to school, and as long as his pockets could jingle, he had money.

Anyway, both Heather and I have gotten specific questions about what exactly we will be doing. Here's what we know. We will be staying with Jayme and Kyle Himmelwright in Sao Pedro da Cadeira.


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During the course of the summer, we will be creating an English Immersion Experience for students who have expressed interest in studying at European Nazarene College (the instruction at ENC is in English). I think Jayme has planned for 2 instructional times during the day: one in the morning and one at night. As of the last official word we've gotten, we will be working with 6 individuals (from Spain, France, and Italy) and 1 family of 3 (they're from Barcelona and have a 4 year old son, so Emilia's been working on learning Spanish). We will all be living and learning together in the Himmelwright's home.

We are excited for the opportunity to go and be a part of the work God's doing in Western Europe.