Jen is back!

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Our stuff is in Minnesota. Jon was ordained on the 14th (and the ordination service went well) and we got our stuff into the U-Haul and took off at noon on the 15th. My brother Sean and I then managed to get stranded in Columbus with car problems while Jon continued on unaware that we had lost him on I-70. (Eight hours later, we tracked him to the hotel where he was shocked that we weren’t behind him.) On the 16th (after getting the problem with Sable fixed), Sean and I drove from Columbus to La Crosse, Wisconsin with 4 very mewy cats. On the 17th, we drove from La Crosse to Madison, spending 30 minutes of the time in a ditch on the side of I-90 because someone in front of us suddenly hit their brakes, causing us to swerve on an ice patch to avoid them. Sable made it (though there is still an engine cylinder misfiring) and has survived two runs to the airport in Sioux Falls in addition to the move up to Madison. A team of people from both churches was there to help us unload our stuff and I spent the next couple days (aside from the airport run and a trip to Watertown to get banking and household errands done) in bed with a wicked cold.

I’m in Montana now and I’ll be here until the 29th. I have Internet access here (YAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!) so I’ll actually update now and then. God willing, we will have DSL or broadband set up by the time I get back to Madison…

Can This Get Any More… *Interesting*???

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We took Sable in yesterday and they reconnected a spark plug wire that had come loose. She purred like a kitten on the way home; but the problems started again this morning. Apparently, the connector was degrading but they didn’t think there would be a problem. Uh huh. Prayers that we can get her back into running shape (again!!!!!!!!) would be appreciated. This is of course happening on Saturday and we have to leave on Monday morning.

As for packing, I swear that I am going to stab a certain member of the church if she asks if I’m packed yet. (This person seems to know how to press all of my buttons at once — really strange but true.) My in-laws sent Jon to their hotel room to sleep and left me to pack by myself. I got some done but not the entire house. Jon has had a cold and so he hasn’t been able to do much. (I have his cold now. Oh joy!) Hopefully, we can get the rest of the house packed up with their help.

Oh did I mention that I got maybe 4 hours of sleep last night?

Jen is at Melting Point

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Could all of you pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease commit the following things to prayer?

1.) Our car who is having trouble keeping power and this is NOT a good thing when we have 900 miles of driving next week and 3 5-hour roundtrip drives to the airport. Please pray that they can figure out the problem when we take her in tomorrow and that we can afford to have the work done.

2.) Packing — pray that we can get everything boxed before tomorrow at 3 when some people are coming to help us move the big pieces of furniture into the garage.

I’m feeling really panicky and stressed right now, so keeping my nerves in your prayers is also not a bad idea…

The Good, The Bad, and the Liposuction of Bears

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My life these days is dedicated to the packing of boxes. Here is a synopsis of the last week:

The Good

  • Lunch with Dawn last Friday. It was wonderful to meet her and to learn a little more about what the OPC is as well as talking about some of the people we knew.

  • M and W helping us pack. They’re people from our church and they’re actually moving to the vicarage when we leave, so they do have a vested interest in getting us ready. 🙂 They are also absolutely wonderful people and M helped me get about 90% of the kitchen packed in a 3 hour period. Happy Jen who has time to take care of her kitties so that they don’t have to do things like this.

  • The Downtown Choral Concert went really well. We did Michael Burkhart’s Savior of the Nations Come with the choirs of Second Pres and First Methodist and had a wonderful time. The music was easier than most of the stuff we’ve done in choir this year. I’m not getting to do any choir stuff for Christmas this year (because I’ll be out of town and Jon’s churches don’t have choirs), so I really wanted to do this.

  • My ordination dress is being altered by a professional seamstress… for free. I received my dress from Lands’ End and it was about 4 inches too long in the sleeves and 3 inches too long in the hem. I called our WELCA president and she recommended one of the WELCA ladies. We hung out with E for two hours on Saturday and she managed to get everything pinned up perfectly. Apparently, she used to make quite a bit of money sewing wedding and prom dresses and she now is a major quilter. E is one of the people I’m going to really miss — not because she can sew like a dream, but instead because she really has been an encourager and supporter of both Jon and I in this last year. She has continually praised Jon’s sermons and has made me feel welcome whenever I’ve hung out with the WELCA ladies. Given that most of them are old enough to be my grandparents, I’ve appreciated that.

    • The Bad

  • It’s starting to kick in that we’re leaving. As much as I kicked and screamed about coming here, I have to admit that this was probably the best thing that could have happened. We had housing, we adopted the cats, we minister to wonderful people… We’re both really sad to be leaving. Of course, I’m also having to resist the urge to get homicidal when dealing with one member of the congregation who is forever (even after I’ve just answered her question for the 5678th time) asking me about how excited I am to leave and go someplace nicer. I can’t exactly admit that I’m sad (mostly because I really don’t need her pity) but at the same time, it would be dishonest to say that I’m fully excited.

  • I bombed my maneuverability test. I’m not exactly broken-up over this. I did fine going in but hit a cone on the way out and dragged it across the parking lot. (They don’t exactly look well on this because those cones represent people.) I take the test again tomorrow at 1. If nothing else, it will give me a little more independence. Worst case, I wait til we’re in Minnesota to get my license.

  • Sable (our happenin’ 1984 Volvo) is having some engine problems. Basically, she’ll lose power and then she’s fine when we re-start her. Our mechanic (who isn’t really Volvo-trained) thinks it’s a sign of just being an old car on her last legs; but I think it’s something with the fuel lines. (It took them about 10 days to diagnose the fuel pump problems and fix them this summer. Thank goodness that a friend loaned us their car during part of that time!) She wasn’t having these problems before the fuel pump incident and I think the pump might not be working well. In any case, I’m praying hard that she stays running through this month because we have a 16 hour drive for the move and then 3 5-hour drives to and from Sioux Falls to make airport runs.

    • The Liposuction of Bears
    My hands get really yucky and dry during the winter. Right now, they’re cracking and it’s not exactly fun. The problem is that with flu season, I have to wash them and Purell them frequently (as they think I’m allergic to the flu shot) to keep from getting the flu and it dries out my hands pretty well. My mother-in-law advised me to either slaughter a bear and use the grease from it or to just suck it up and use Vaseline jelly. (Vaseline grosses me out royally, so my vote is naturally for the bear grease.) Any suggestions that don’t involve either of them?

    Advent II Hymns

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    Light one candle to watch for Messiah:
    Let the light banish darkness.
    He shall bring salvation to Israel,
    God fulfills the promise.

    Light two candles to watch for Messiah:
    Let the light banish darkness.
    He shall feed the flock like a shepherd,
    Gently lead them homeward.
    –WOV 630 (stanza 1 & 2)

    On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
    Announces that the Lord is nigh;
    Come, then, and hearken, for he brings
    Glad tidings from the King of kings!

    Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
    Make straight the way for God within;
    Prepare we in our hearts a home,
    Where such a mighty Guest may come.

    For Thou art our Salvation, Lord,
    Our Refuge, and our great Reward.
    Without Thy grace our souls must fade
    And wither like a flower decayed.

    Stretch forth Thine hand, to heal our sore,
    And make us rise and fall no more;
    Once more upon Thy people shine,
    And fill the world with love divine.

    To Him Who left the throne of Heaven
    To save mankind, all praise be given;
    Like praise be to the Father done,
    And Holy Spirit, Three in One.
    —LBW 36

    Advent I Hymns

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    Light one candle to watch for Messiah:
    Let the light banish darkness.
    He shall bring salvation to Israel,
    God fulfills the promise
    –WOV 630 (stanza 1)

    Rejoice, rejoice, believers, and let your lights appear.
    The evening is advancing, and darker night is near.
    The Bridegroom is arising, and soon He draweth nigh.
    Up, pray, and watch, and wrestle: At midnight comes the cry.

    See that your lamps are burning; replenish them with oil.
    And wait for your salvation, the end of earthly toil.
    The watchers on the mountain proclaim the Bridegroom near.
    Go meet Him as He cometh, with alleluias clear.

    O wise and holy virgins, now raise your voices higher,
    Until in songs of triumph ye meet the angel choir.
    The marriage feast is waiting, the gates wide open stand;
    Rise up, ye heirs of glory, the Bridegroom is at hand.

    Our hope and expectation, O Jesus, now appear!
    Arise, Thou Sun so longed for, over this benighted sphere!
    With hearts and hands uplifted, we plead, O Lord, to see
    The day of earth??s redemption that brings us unto Thee.

    Ye saints, who here in patience your cross and sufferings bore,
    Shall live and reign forever, when sorrow is no more.
    Around the throne of glory the Lamb ye shall behold;
    In triumph cast before Him your diadems of gold!
    —LBW 25