We are moved…not unpack, but moved!

A few moving pictures:

That our place…in the top left corner.

The kitchen…

We are amazingly blessed to have lots of friends and family who made the trip over with us to help move us in..Thanks!

We went to church at Garnett Church today. It was good to get to experience the church we will be working at for the next 10 months…and we were able to connect with a few people which was good. Unpacking, shopping (faucet handle, cordless drill (I miss Top Shop already!), groceries, and Monkey Slippers for Beth) Then anniversary dinner (6 years!) at Kilkenny’s now free with purchase internet at The Coffee House On Cherry Street. Tomorrow the real stuff begins when we start our CQMissional orientation and start really figuring out what we will be doing.

That’s it. Honestly right now I am tired and missing the familiarity of NLR right now. I know we are starting on a great new part of our lives, but sitting on the edge can be scary!

So…here we go!

I have been sort of sorrowful about moving tomorrow.

Not regretting our decision, just sad to leave these comforts. So after my mom & I packed most of the day I spent a little time downtown this afternoon.

Picked up a picture we had framed (which turned out wonderful-thanks to Holly).

Got a coffee at my favorite cafe.

Said goodbye to a friend, and scored some great candy.

And thoroughly enjoyed a stroll downtown-one last time. Topped off w/ a stop at the Farmer’s Market for some fresh flowers to grace our box-laden apartment tomorrow. (Though all the vases are packed, as I realized when I returned home. So a nalgene will have to make do.) 

And then I found these two quotes that friends listed on Facebook this afternoon. They hit home for me. And encouraged me.

“God came down and lived in this same world as a man…that we might be changed- not into an angel or a storybook princess, not wafted into another world, but changed into saints in THIS world. The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.” -E.E. (Thanks, Lisa)

&

Accomplishing His vision means you have to be available. Your gifts or personality don’t matter if you don’t show up. (Thanks, Brandon)

Time to keep cleaning/packing!

Well, friends. I just got back from selling something that was practically attached to my shoulder/face/hands for the better part of 8 years.

My trombone.

The man at the music store asked if it was emotional for me.

Sort of.  I mean, this instrument opened up a whole new world to me.  Friends, music, travel, college, $. It was a trusty friend, and I couldn’t help but be flooded by old memories as I carried it from the car to the store.

And lest you think I’ve turned all non-sentimental and am just getting rid of everything so I don’t have to move it, I held on to my wedding dress (and always will) & my guitar (which someday I really do hope I learn to play.)

We just got back from visiting family, it was good to get to see my cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents, and get to be there for Shawn’s wedding.

We were talking to my aunt and uncle about Garnett Church and its involvement in the community around them, and they said something interesting. The church that they are part of has asked themselves a question: “If the church went away today would anybody in the community notice? Would they be sad? Happy? Relieved?” The decided that irrespective of a person in the communities faith (or lack of…) they should be sad to see a church leave. This is an interesting way to think about how the church should relate to the people around it.

we did not take very many pictures, but here are a few:

I went hiking a bit on top of the mountain…it was super foggy, which was a actually really cool.

The obligatory feet shot.

There is a reason that the remote lock for the car did not work on top of the mountain. I can feel my body mutating already.

Of course the big event was a wedding. It rained for most of the outdoor ceremony…so no pictures of that, but there was a pinata and dancing…

That was our trip to New Mexico…well, there was more then that, but that’s all we have pictures of, sorry you have to miss out on the Big Texin, the worlds largest cross in the western hemisphere and the Cadillacs.

A few random things to consider:

A fun video: Joe’s Dance (im just plugging this everywhere so my neighbor can get lots of views, so…you should watch it and pass it on…you know, in one of those annoying email forward things).

Something to consider about the current health care debate: Jesus’ Health Care Plan from Barna

For the cooks: 100 ways to crack an egg

Im working on an email to send out giving people some more details about CQMissional and our move…you get to see it here first….

We thought we would send out one last email before we move, giving you a few more details about what we will be doing…and some specific things we would love for you to be praying for.

As you know we will be participants in a new program called the Certificate in Missional Leadership. We want to try and give a good idea of what that really is, so here it goes (oh, if the pictures are small on your monitor just click on them, you will get a big version)…

So, that is what we will be doing. For 10 months we will be studying, be mentored, and getting hands on ministry experience.

Next slide…

We are the participants, CWMissional does the academic, coaching, and housing part (as well as facilitating the whole thing) the Ministry site is Garnett Church of Christ which runs the Green Country Events Center:

Garnett Church is doing some really cool ministry by serving their community and reaching out to other organizations. But there is of course a reason for it all:

So, the idea is that by serving people, building connections, and making sustainable impact God will be glorified and people will come to know Jesus Christ. This could happen through building relationships, people coming to and coming to trust the church…there are lots of ways that this could happen. For example:

This is a real story! But see that stuff in the dreamy cloud? It has not happened yet. But someday it could, and it could have a huge impact on the Hmong community in Tulsa.

We will spend the majority of our time working at the church. Part of the point of all of this is to experience lots of things, so we don’t know yet exactly what we will be doing, but there are lots of possibilites:

And of course one of the big questions is why? Why do we want to go do this? And of course we have a nice picture:

Part of this is for us…it is a way for us to be equipped, challenged, and prepared for ministry. A big part of this is for CQMissional. We want to help establish the ministry that they have. We think it can impact a lot of people in the coming years and we want to be a part of that. And a big part of why we are going is that we want to continue impacting people for God’s glory.

So, that’s it! This is what we will be doing!

There are a few more things we want to mention:

We are still in the process of raising money to help pay for all of this. (see this post on our blog for more info). If you would like to help support us financially just give us a call or shoot us an email and we would love to talk to you about that. Or you can download this pdf with some more info in it.

We will be moving to Tulsa on September 26, and the program officially starts on the 28th. If you want to help us move we would love the help!

We still have our cell pone, so that is the number to call if you want to talk to us.

We also have new email addresses im scared of spam, so let us know if you want them. Our NLR addresses will keep working for a while. Same thing with our new mailing address.

Some things to pray for.

We want to be open to what God has for us to learn. As we study, meet people, and serve the community around us we want to have receptive hearts and minds.

We want to embrace new and uncomfortable things as we serve people. Pray that we will not let ourselves get in the way of serving others.

Our friends are generous, and we have already raised about a 1/3 of our tuition, which is amazing!

Pray for New Life Ranch as they transition our positions to new people. The Ranch will be fine without us, but we want the transition to be smooth.

That’s it! We will send out a few emails in the coming year to update people on what we are up to, but mostly we will be posting to our blog www.benandbethwest.com. Thanks for reading our story and being a part of our lives!

We thought it would be good to post a few pictures to show you what we’ve been up to.

Our amazing Community Group held a going away party for us. We had s’mores. (This is Jude enjoying his s’more.)

Then we went to an Arkansas Naturals’ baseball game. Rhett put forth a valiant effort to catch any & every fly ball that came anywhere remotely near us. In the end, it was Nathan who caught one. He just happened put his arm out at just the right moment & caught the ball (right where Rhett had been standing).

These guys came too.

We also recently made a trip up to Missouri to visit my parents…

…and Truman State University (where Beth went to school).   We didn’t take the camera out very much while we were there, but here are a few shots.

Dobson Hall, room 237  (middle window, right above the door.) Lots of good memories here!

This is the pond at the Belzer’s farm. I went into that muddy water 10 years ago this month & came up washed clean by the Spirit.

One of my college roommates (Brandy) was in town from Germany w/ her husband & sweet baby girl. We hung out with them & got to visit the amazing Belzer family all at the same time.

There is a bridge near the Belzer’s that the train goes under. One of my lasting memories from my time in Kirksville is standing on the bridge, at night, while the train passes underneath you. It’s a thrilling/scary experience! I’m not even sure how to explain it. But I really wanted Ben to experience it, and I was happy that it lived up to all of my great memories.  While we waited for the train to come, Ben got artsy with the camera. (Can you find Ben?)

In other news, Ben rode a horse.

And in case you forgot what we look like, here’s a shot of us from the Naturals’ game.

We are headed to Albuquerque this week for some time with Ben’s family. And moving day is September 26th. Lots of stuff to do between now & then!

This weekend we ate lunch with some of the elders at Garnett Church of Christ where we will be working during our time with CQMissional. Greg Taylor, the pastor said something I thought was very insightful…I don’t remember exactly what he said, but here is the idea:

“When we relate to the poor we cannot use our money to have power over them, but to put power under them”

I think this is a beautiful picture, and there are lots of conversations that could come out of this one statement.

Last night we watched The Garden, which you should watch. The gist of the documentary is that due to politics and money a huge community garden in downtown LA was destroyed to build a warehouse. It’s hard to know the real story, and there were faults on lots of sides, but in the end it is a true example of people with influence holding power over people, when they had an amazing opportunity to put power under people.

Ben shared some of his answers to our application questions, so I thought I’d share a few of mine.

In one or two sentences, what is your favorite  movie and why?
Steel Magnolias. I love those southern ladies (& their accents!) The way they fully invest themselves into each others lives is intriguing. They draw me in & we are all friends….we laugh together & cry together. Great writing….true-to-life emotions…and Dolly Parton….what could be better?

Complete this sentence: “I think others would describe me as…”
A friend. Someone who listens & loves. Someone who has a solid faith–grounded & rooted in His love, no matter what the circumstance. And I’d hope they’d describe me as a vessel of the Lord’s love.

In one or two sentences, what is your favorite  book and why?
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. I read it often. Corrie’s faith & forgiveness-and that of her sister’s is truly awe-inspiring. To find hope in the circumstances they were given blows my mind every time I read it.

If YES, how long have you been involved?  Is it serious?  How do you think the CML will affect this relationship?
Well, we’ve been married for 6 years (almost-on Sept. 27 it will be 6 years). So we’re pretty serious. I think that CML is going to stretch us in ways that we can’t even conceive. I want us to both find the things that the Lord has created us to do & I want to see how they can really fit together best to be used (together) for God’s glory. We will not be the same after this….and that is exciting. Not that we are in a bad place now (relationally)…but we are excited for what this year will mean in the life of our relationship.

1. What does a relationship to Christ mean to you?  What does it mean to join God’s kingdom?  How do you do that?
A relationship with Christ is what I have. I entered into this relationship “officially” when I was 19, but I had been talking to Him for years before that. And I think He was speaking to me since day 1.

Sometimes I feel like we’re tight…I know what He wants of me, I see & feel Him moving. And other times, not so much. But I know that He is the constant one in this relationship. It is I who pulls away. Joining God’s kingdom means that you choose Him. You choose the life He has for you, not your own. It means acknowledging who you really are (a sinner) and recognizing and accepting who He is (the Saviour) & letting that wash over you.

2. Describe one significant (human) relationship you have (or had in the past) and how it has affected your life.
Gotta go with Ben on this one. There are others who have deeply affected me, but this one has changed me the most. He is a great man. Not a perfect man, but a great one. He cares deeply for others, specifically the ones no one else seems to spend much effort on loving. He is disciplined, creative, a great baker, and my closest confidant. He is an inspiring servant-thinking of others more than himself.

Our relationship is dynamic & we are learning to love each other. Not sure that you really figure that one out & just coast from then on. Something I read before we were married said basically that it was ridiculous to think that 2 fallen people could even just live together in a house & not drive each other nuts; much less when you throw a marriage into the mix. And I believed that when I read it, but have truly experienced that as our marriage has grown. We are very different people, Ben & I. And that is what is so great-we balance each other out. He encourages me to be more active, to be less selfish, to think more deeply, and to care more about a lot of things (politics, economics, design). There is a safety I feel with him that frees me to ask ridiculous questions about anything (faith, scripture, history) and he won’t think less of me for asking.

This relationship, more than any other, is teaching me how to really love.

4. Why do you want to participate in the Certificate Program? What do you hope to gain from the experience?
Because I want to be stretched. I want to become more comfortable with the way I was created & I want to discover how I can best use my skills & passions for God’s glory. I want to be exposed to things and people I am not comfortable with, because I want to learn to love better. I want to be less judgmental & more loving. I want to figure out ways I can use what I learned in my counseling program & my passion for administration & systems to glorify the Lord. I want to figure out how to make those seemingly dichotomous things fit together beautifully.

5. What most excites you about living in the city and building relationships with people in new and different contexts such as an urban area? What about this most worries you?
I am excited about living in a pedestrian friendly area of the city. I want to walk to a Farmer’s Market & get some things to make dinner with that night. I want to walk & bike to places instead of driving there. I’ve never lived in a city bigger than about 10,000 people. I’m looking forward to being exposed to a lot of different kinds of people & getting to know their stories-where they’ve been, what they’ve learned. I’m concerned about being uncomfortable. I’m concerned about the unknowns about what we’ll be doing every day & who we will hang out with & what we’ll do. I’m concerned about getting lost/flustered trying to find my way around a big city with lots of traffic. And parallel parking.

But I’m also really excited about how I will be a different person at the end of all this.

This is our last full week working at New Life Ranch…and to be honest it has been a sad week for me. I am excited about what we will be doing in Tulsa, but at the right now I am sad…i will really miss a lot of things about being here:

• mostly my friends and community…im gong to really really miss people
• living in the woods
• bike rides with Luke and Geoff
• seeing raccoons, foxes, and even bobcats in our yard
• access to tools
• walking to work
• seeing the chapel from my office window
• a boss who is my friend
• borrowing cars
• being part of something much much bigger then myself
• monday night football
• Our amazing NLR basketball team
• community group
• Wednesday lunches
• no cell phone coverage
• sunsets on the west40
• the creek
• really funny people
• and there is so much more….

So…I’m sad right now…and I think that is ok.

I officially applied to be in the CQMissional Certificate in Missional Leadership Program today. Here are some answers to a few select questions:

What or Who Motivated you to Apply
At the most basic this is a huge chance for us to take a risk to do something new and uncomfortable and see what God does. I am excited to get to learn about myself, my giftings, and my passions, about new people, new ways of serving people, and new ideas about ministry and faith.

In one or two sentences, what is your favorite  movie and why?
This one is hard…im not very good at picking favorite things! I really like The Game. The first time I watched it I loved the challenge of trying to figure out what was going on. I think that what I really like about it was that overall a big take away of the movie to me was “things are not as they seem”…which I generally think is a good way to approach a lot of life.

Complete this sentence: “I think others would describe me as…”
A servant. I think people would say I am somebody who is willing to help others out in any way I can.

In one or two sentences, what is your favorite  book and why?
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. My parents read the Chronicals to my brother and I when we were little, and we spent a lot of time running around the yard as Peter and Edmund. I have returned to the book (really the whole series) several times and I always see the Gospel more clearly. This one simple book makes Christ’s love and sacrifice more clear to me then Mel’s take ever could.

Are you presently involved in a dating relationship?
I am married…so….we go on dates sometimes, We also live together.
If YES, how long have you been involved?  Is it serious?  How do you think the CML will affect this relationship?

We have been married for almost 6 years, that seems serious. It is hard to even imagine how our marriage will change in the next 10 months. It is going to be really good for us to be discovering who we are as individuals, and as husband and wife. We are going to be stretched as we experience new things, and grow through new situations. I think there will be some hard times, but I am excited to see our marriage grow as we grow.

What does a relationship to Christ mean to you?  What does it mean to join God’s kingdom?  How do you do that?
This I know: I am fallen and sinful, my relationship with God is broken. Christ fixed my fallenness and made it possible to have a relationship with him and his father. After that the idea of “a relationship with Christ” gets harder for me to grasp. How can I possibly be friends with the creator of all things? How do I have true conversation with somebody I can’t see and hear with my physical senses? I know that it can’t be about me. There are things I can do…I can pray, study, listen, walk in the woods, serve people…but I think it is Christ and his spirit who make me sensitive to him. In truth I don’t always (or perhaps even often) feel close to Christ, feel that I am really listening to him, serving him, perceptive to his spirit, and sometimes I do. It is good to know that it is not about me! All I can do is serve Christ today, talk to him today, learn about him today, and allow his will to be done in my life.

Joining God’s Kingdom is to put yourself under God’s kingship. To live your life to glorify him to the world, to live the life he has for you and to do his work. If we can join God’s Kingdom, then we must be able to not be in God’s Kingdom…so it seems that that to join God’s Kingdom you have to first realize that you are out of God’s Kingdom! Sin and fallenness keep you out, and Christ can bring you in if you acknowledge your own sin, and accept his saving Grace.

Describe one significant (human) relationship you have (or had in the past) and how it has affected your life.
Beth is of course the most significant human relationship I will ever have. It is hard to think of an area of life that we do not share…we live together, work together, go to church together…we are friends, business partners (if you count running our family finances as business…which it sort of is), co-workers and co-leaders.

I think the biggest thing I’m learning from our marriage is about my own selfishness. I am learning to put aside what I want for what is good for us, how to change plans and be ok, how to let go of my desires. It is awesome to see how as we give up our own desires God makes changes our hearts so that our desires match. Being in the program is a good example of that…as we struggled though figuring out where we are headed in life God slowly brought us to the same place until it was clear what the next step in our life is.

Describe a very stressful experience you have had and how you dealt with it.
While traveling in Europe several years ago my wallet was stolen.The first thing I did was try not to let it ruin my day, I still did the stuff I had planned that day (on loaned money.) and enjoyed it very much. There was a lot of money in my wallet, and now I was stuck in Rome with no money and no way to get more. After that I did what I usually do when I am in stressful situations; figure out all the steps to solve the problem, then do the first one…ignoring all the rest. I needed some money s oI could eat, so I asked a friend for some. Step one done. Time for step two. I needed to cancel cards so I called the credit card company. There were a lot of steps that I had to do, and they were made harder by being in Italy (as an added bonus all of us were splitting up that day…so I headed out to a different city on my own). In the end it was not a big deal, everything worked out (my parents were not so glad for the $100 collect call…but I think they got over it).

Why do you want to participate in the Certificate Program? What do you hope to gain from the experience?
For me my desire to be in the Certificate Program really comes down to wanting to discover how my gifts fit into God’s Kingdom. I want to use my gifts to serve people, and I want to begin to figure out how to do that effectively. Built on top of that there are many other reasons. I want to be exposed to new thing: new people, new ideas, new cultures, new places, new ways of doing ministry. I want a chance to grow outside of the comfort of NLR. I want to be outside of what is comfortable to me. I also want to help form this program. I’m excited about being part of something new and being able to add my gifts and talents to the mix of CQMissional and helping in some small way to form it into something that can impact lots of people in the years to come.

What most excites you about living in the city and building relationships with people in new and different contexts such as an urban area? What about this most worries you?
I will miss the woods and the stars, and seeing foxes and bobcats in my yard. That worries me a little bit. The thing that worries me the most and will be most uncomfortable is focused on people and relatioinships though. Some people are really good at connecting with people, being open and people are comfortable being open with them. Some people are naturally good at good relationships. I’m not one of those people. So, it is going to be hard for me as I learn to connect with people.

All that said, one of the things that excites me most is knowing new people, learning their stories, cultures, desires, fears, needs, skills, talents….I want to push myself to build relationships with people even though it is hard. I’m excited about the city itself to. Cities have a unique energy and aesthetic that I am excited to explore. I hope that because of where we live we can walk and bike more than drive (even ride the bus? I might be setting myself up for disapointment on that one!)