A familiar face

This week there were guests visiting ASP from CCCU schools. One of them was my professor/advisor Dr. Jeff Van Der Werff. He thought it would be good to visit Eli and I, and he also came through this program in the 80s. It was nice to see someone I knew from Iowa. Eli and I even got to go out to eat on the CCCU's tab. We went with another visitor from Canada and two ASP students Jeremy and Fred. We decided on the Banana Cafe-a Cuban/Puerto Rican/Mexican place that is also known for it's piano bar, but we didn't get to see any live piano playing.

Lent in the City

I've been reminded in the past week how many people are reading my blog-it's so cool and makes me think the sweet opportunity I have to share things and but also the responsibility to be careful of what I say!

I would say I am now done with transitioning into a new place and job and am now falling into a routine. I guess that's a good thing, but it doesn't make for really exciting stories all the time.

So maybe I'll share something I've been learning...it has been very different for me to be living in a place with others who have different values and beliefs than me. Not a day goes by that there isn't some discussion or disagreement about political beliefs, the church, views of men and women, or something else. While I am always up for a good discussion, it is somewhat frustrating that I have found very few people here who share most of my core beliefs, despite our commonly proclaimed faith. I have really been forced to think about what I believe and why I believe it. My mind is constantly going back to past conversations and thinking about what I truly believe to be a Christian response. And how do I properly respond to both Christians and non-Christians I disagree with without making God look bad? I know it is good for me to be grappling with such issues, but it isn't always fun.

Washington often seems to me a pretty godless city. This morning as I walked to work I saw a few people with ash crosses on their forehead and it made me think about how each person may not be able to change the world with their faith, but can be a light/show their cross to the people they encounter on the streets or in their offices.

Last night I was asking my roommates if they were giving anything up for Lent. A couple of my roommates said they didn't really get the point of it, or they weren't Catholic, or it just didn't seem very important to them. I don't believe it's necessary to do anything different for Lent, but I have enjoyed taking on different ways of observing Lent over the past years. For me, the thing that probably competes most with God in my life is the obsession of time and feeling like I have total control of time. So this year, as I did last year, I am trying to memorize a book of the Bible-Ephesians. I recognize this will take time out of my schedule daily but I hope will benefit me as I defend my faith in daily discussions, and will help me focus on being a light to city, or at least the few people I interact with.

I don't know if any of you do anything for Lent, but it really is a cool experience. Don't just give up sweets because you think it will help your diet, and don't give up Facebook just because you want to appear holy. Think of areas of your life that are competing with God for your faithfulness and go from there!

Okay, that may have sounded like a sermon. But I suppose there is more to my semester than visiting musuems. Oh-And stay tuned for some updates on my homeless friend Patricia!

A dinosaur is going to eat my head!

I don't know that anything too exciting has happened in DC since I last wrote, but I can try to scrounge for a couple new things. I've been a little sick and am just starting to get over it-mostly cold and headache-so I guess most of my free time has been spent sleeping.

Friday night I had another enthic food "first"-Greek food. It was okay, but I think I'll always prefer chicken strips and fries. Yesterday I went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. This was probably my favorite Smithsonian so far, probably because it had a lot of things about animals in it and had a lot to look at. We also caught a glimpse of the Hope Diamond. I guess I didn't realize how big 45 karats was going to be. I was expecting it to be like the size of a fist, but it was only about one square inch from the top....I was kind of disappointed. I went to the museum with a group of guys and I learned a lesson-never do that again. We were through most of the museum in under and hour...a little faster than I was hoping for. Consequently, I learned very little.

Today was a fairly busy day. I went to church at Capitol Hill Baptist again-the service lasted 2 hours! Tonight I went to a praise and worship service at Ebenezers, which is a coffee house started by a pretty big church in DC. It was nice to have some kind of worship twice in one day, and it reminded me of being back at NW.

Despite many happy times, we had some sadness here. This weekend we found out one of our good friends is leaving the program for the rest of the semester and it has been pretty hard on everyone here because he was such a great guy and we will miss him. So we could all use your prayers.

Dutch Bingo at the Capitol

I have once again been reminded of the incredible things being at ASP has to offer me. Yesterday I got out of work a little early and decide to take a walk by the White House. I had only seen it from the back side and thought it might be fun to walk all the way around it. There were so many tourists around and I couldn't help but think how excited these people were to get one glance at the White House, and I could see it everyday if I wanted to.

Then today we had class at the Capitol, and sat in Nancy Pelosi's meeting room and talked with her secretary Wendall Primus. After going around and introducing ourselves and where we were from, Mr. Primus told us that he is originally from Iowa and has an aunt and uncle who live in Orange City! I didn't get a chance to ask him their names, but here I was in the Capitol building and the secretary to the Speaker of the House was using the Orange City hospital as an example in talking about healthcare. I'm sure if we would have found on their names we would have known them. If I would have talked to him more he probably would have told me he used to live in Middleburg...that's usually how it goes.

Still cooler than that, one of our professors told us today that he is working on scheduling a briefing at the White House for next Friday! Seriously, how freaking cool would that be-to have class in the White House?

Well, I'm soon getting ready for the weekly progressive dinner that's held on my floor. Each apartment makes something and we travel from one apartment to the next eating-it usually makes for a very entertaining evening and allows us to build some community too.

Last night was a great night of random fun. After supper, some my roommates and I were pretty bored and didn't want to spend any money. So I recycled an idea from my NW days and slowly got my roommates into the idea. Soon enough we were pulling our mattresses off our beds, lining them up down the stairs and sliding down! It soon became the hotspot as people came in and out checking out what was going on. We also enjoyed getting one roommate Andrea ready to go 80s dancing, and then convincing her to create a music video to the song Cereal Girl from Sesame Street, a parody of Material Girl by Madonna. Andrea eats cereal all the time and her outfit made the production absolutely necessary. She's also very willing to pull our her dance moves and ex-cheerleader moves on demand.

This morning we had a special treat. Our neighbor Chad cooked us a special Valentine's breakfast. Although my roommates weren't too pleased about being awakened (psh, it was already 10:30) we all enjoyed getting to eat eggs, waffles, and bacon.

Oh! And yesterday I got a pretty fun surprise when I received flowers from my parents. They were tulips and they are beautiful-I have been missing the Dutchness of Orange City so they make me very happy!

New Experiences as Work

On Thursday at work I got a break from the norm of phone calling, but only because I was in the right place at the right time. I met one of my coworkers in the elevator and found out she was going to do a home inspection. I said it sounded like fun, and the next thing you know I was on a bus headed to an apartment. My cooworker Theresa took pictures of potential healthcode violations-I think there were lots of them, and there were bugs all over. The woman only spoke in Spanish, but I understood most of what she said. I enjoyed the experience because I have talked to so many people on the phone about their landlord-tenant complaints, and now I have a better understanding of what they are experiencing.

On the bus ride home, Theresa and I were talking and the conversation somehow turned to faith. She told me she grew up in the church but was didn't feel people were genuine and things just didn't make sense to her. Church never answered the questions she had. It was interesting to talk with her about why she had decided to leave the church. I had mentioned my dad was a pastor and she asked me why it was I believed in God. I think that's the question that's so scary for Christians to be asked. And right away I started thinking about I Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." I didn't want to mess up the answer to that question, but I tried to speak from my heart and beyond that I couldn't do more. I don't know whether Theresa will remember that conversation at all, but I pray she will, and I pray that I will have more opportunities to talk to coworkers like this too.

Her name is Patricia

I think I half heartedly prayed for it, because I wasn't really sure if I wanted what I was praying for. I'm coming to see that if you "kind-of" pray something to God that, if answered affirmatively, will result in you being challenged, he usually gives it to you. I think that's what happening to me. Before I left for DC, I mentioned to a few people that I thought it would be cool if God put a homeless person in my path to my internship that I could befriend and bless. I even kind of prayed for it. And now I think it's coming true.

The first time I saw her was when I went to visit my internship a couple weeks ago. I remember because I was kind of lost and wasn't even on the right street and when I saw her. Now I see her often. She's a tiny woman, probably in her seventies. She usually sits on a milk crate about a block from the Legal Aid Society, wrapped in a shawl, holding a sign saying she's homeless and would like money. I'm not sure about giving homeless people money, but I thought maybe I could bring her some food sometime. People walk by her all the time and just look the other way. It kind of reminds me of the story of the good Samaritan.

I had planned on bringing her a granola bar yesterday, but I forgot. I went to Subway with a friend for lunch and decided to bring her a cookie back, but she wasn't there anymore. Today I went back with the cookie and a granola bar. I was excited as I left my internship and saw her sitting on the milkcrate. So I went over to her, told her the story about the cookie-it must have sounded lame. I asked her if she was hungry and she said not really. But when I told her I had some food with me she eagerly took it. I introduced myself and she told me her name is Patricia, but that people call her Trish. She was very sweet. I'm not really sure what God has in mind for this situation, but it would be sweet if I could get to know Patricia more, and find ways to bless her. I'm not going to be stupid, and I have no idea what will happen next, but I'm kind of excited to see!

Heading to Michigan in a couple of weeks!

This past weekend I requested a stipened from Michigan State to attend one of their visit days. Last night I received confirmation that they will give me the amount I requested which will cover my whole flight! I am excited for a number of reasons. At this point I have only been accepted at two law schools and I have already visited Creighton, so I feel it is incredibly important for me to visit and get a feel for MSU and the area. I also have a friend from Camp Geneva who attends MSU who is willing to let me stay with her for the night, so not only will I have a free place to stay but will get to see someone I love a heck of a lot. I am also looking forward to having a break from DC and seeing some familiar faces. Probably the most exciting thing is that Tim and Tami will be able to get me from Lansing and I can stay with them for a couple days and see my nephew baby Jericho!!! I will have to miss a day of class and a day of my internship but it will be totally worth it.

Back to the present, it's my second week at my internship and I'm getting more comfortable with my duties. This afternoon I went on my very first solo "court run." I went to the DC Superior Court buildings to bring documents to be filed, get copies of files, stuff like that. It doesn't sound like a big deal but it's kind of a complex process and I was very nervous I would mess up...but it all went pretty smoothly. I've also been doing some "legal" writing of sorts-I have written a few summaries that are being sent to other organizations about cases we are unable to take. I'm not really sure if what I am doing is important, but I'm just going to try to do a good job. My Dutchness mixed with the lovely weather led me to abandon the costs of public transportation in favor of walking home from my internship. I think the internet told me it's about 2.7 miles but it took me about as long as it would to take the bus home. Don't worry mom, I'm being careful.

Pretty Smells and Old Documents

Last night I had my first experience with Ethiopian cuisine. It wasn't my first choice, but I went with the crowd. We went with about 12 of us, and when they brought the food out, we were all a little confused at first. Everyone's order was on this big round plate. The waitress had to go around and tell which piles belonged to which person. We were also given this bread like substance-it was like a tortilla but kind of spongy-and that's what you ate with. This picture shows what the food looked like. Oh, did I mention none of this was my order? I found pasta on the menu and went with that-and was pretty satisfied too. I tried other peoples piles of varying color and consistency, it was okay.

This morning was glorious. The weather was in the 50s and for the first time I ran outside by the Capitol. It's still hard for me to believe that I'm here and all the amazing buildings are at my disposal. I could hardly keep from smiling as I circled around the Capitol and thought of how this is a nice change from running around OC and cornfields.

After lunch we headed West of the Capitol and to the Botanical Gardens and the National Archives. The gardens were pretty cool, it smelled wonderful in there. They had some pretty neat kinds of plants in there, like endanged plants, medicinal plants, and flowers and fruit producing plants. And what also made it so great was that it only took like 20 minutes to go through it all! Here are a couple pictures from inside.

The National Archives were pretty cool. It's hard to imagine that these are the documents that define us as a nation. As I looked at the Consitution especially I thought about how it has stayed relatively unchanged since it was written, while other nations have gone through many constitutions. I thought I'd try to snap a photo of me with the Constitution, but without a flash it didn't turn out great. So this is the best I have.

Okay, I know this is a long post, but I thought I'd also put up a picture of me and my roommates, I don't think I've put one up yet. Here we are in front of the Capitol. From left, me, Andrea, Mandi, Shanley, Christine, Eli.

Off to Work I Go

I can't believe how busy I have gotten in the past couple of days. Living in the real world must stink for that reason. But I guess most people don't have both a real job and classes to take and homework to do.

On Sunday, Eli and I went to church with the daughter of some people from my church. We had to take the metro to the furthest place possible, but it was worth it for a homecooked meal. The church had women ministers which is different than I am used to and we had communion-but we went up in groups around a big table and had it served to us in that way. The couple kindly brought us back to our apartment in the afternoon. Of course the Super Bowl was Sunday night and most students gathered in our lounge here. I was mostly interested in watching the Office after the game was done.

Yesterday was the first day of my internship. I tried to take a "first day of Internship" picture but it didn't turn out that great. I am working at the Legal Aid Society of DC. This organization provides legal assistance to people who can't afford it. Their focus is in the areas of family law, housing law, and public benefits. So far, I have spent most of my time answering the phones in the "intake" department. This means callers tell me their situation and I try to discern whether or not they qualify to come in for an initial interview with the staff. If we don't cover their kind of case I have to try to refer them to another organization that might be able to help them. Answering the phone will take up most of my time. The other part of my duties involve going on "court run" which I was able to take part in this afternoon. Each day the lawyers as LAS have documents that need to be filed so I will go around the city bringing them to the right place. I was bombarded with information today about where to go and which papers go to which office. I am hoping I will remember it on Thursday when I have to do it again.

My internship will take up a lot of my time during the week. I will spend Monday and Wednesday mornings and all day on Tuesday and Thursdays at LAS. In another adventure in public transportation I accidentally got on the wrong bus on my way home. The driver gave me some misinformation...I eventually hopped of the bus about 6 blocks from where I live and had to safely get through a kind of sketchy part of town. I guess I learned my lesson about that!

I guess I should be getting back to my studies-we got a big assignment dropped on us yesterday as we began a new unit about public policy. We are studying healthcare and have to read an entire book by Tom Daschle tomorrow-although, it seems kind of unnecessary at this point after he withdrew his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services. I thought about making that argument to my professors...but I'm pretty sure it won't fly.