Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Life at Calvin Seminary

Hi everyone,
No one has posted in a while, so I thought that I would post something of an update.
I just finished my first semester at Calvin Seminary. It was challenging, but an over-all positive experience. I have been learning a lot about myself and God.
One of my activities is called Hope Equals. You can become fans of it on Facebook. It is a new initiative started by my denomination to work for peace in the Middle East. At its heart, it is a networking agency trying to connect with Palestinians and Israelis who are working for peace and connecting them to groups in the US. One of its most important functions involves starting clubs on campuses across the US. I have started one up at seminary and we are already having a pretty big impact. It helps that Elias Chacour is visiting next week. (We were not responsible for bringing him, though we are grateful for the chance to piggy-back)
I see Kirsten on a weekly basis. She lives in town. I also communicate frequently with Phil. A few days ago I caught up with Matt Gruel. We had a good conversation. It is good to be in touch with them.
I have been back in the states for 6 months. The transition is going relatively well. I learned a lot about what not to do when dealing with culture shock when I returned from MESP. But, even so, I am beginning to set into a mild melancholy. On occasions vivid images from my life in Beni Suef pop into my head. The images are pleasant. But, they remind me of the huge disconnect between my life here and my life there. I never really processed what happened on my year working there. I'm not sure how to process it. Returning from MESP, I processed it by getting angry at the world.
This time, I'm trying to find meaning through relationships and friendships. But, this is difficult. I live with my grandpa on the opposite side of town. (life with him has been interesting... I need to write a book about the experience some day). Life with him is inexpensive, but lonely.
I'm curious to hear about your lives. What sort of things are you up to?
Wihishtooni (I miss you all)
Micah