Update #11: Prayers Appreciated!

Dear friends and family,

Thanks for all hanging in there with me people. I know I get bad at keeping you updated, but I want you to know how much I appreciate all your thoughts and prayers. I thought that, today, I would share what's been keeping me from you all for a month now.

After my trip to Dallas at the beginning of February, I made another trip the following weekend back to California, an unexpected and delightful surprise of a trip, for a church synod meeting and a visit home to see my mom. After hauling myself to the train station long before the crack of dawn so I could make it to a 1:00pm meeting in California (sometimes I love traveling west!) and getting done with the meeting I piled myself into the car and made the trek home. A trip down the Blossom Trail (in the Central Valley...if you get a chance this month, go!), a visit with one of my very best friends in the world (practically my sister), and a surprise visit to church later I headed back to San Francisco for my red-eye back to New Jersey. Thankfully after that weekend, the traveling has mostly stopped...until April at least!

More recently, and perhaps more time-consuming, I filled out, wrote, and submitted my application to the second portion of my dual-degree program, the Master of Social Work at Rutgers University. And now I just sit back and wait. Except for a few small snags, all of which could use your prayers in the next couple of weeks: 1) I have to get accepted by Rutgers to do the dual-degree program (hopefully not a problem!), 2) this year there are seven people from Princeton applying to do the dual-degree program, which historically only has 2 or 3 every year, and is actually capped at 4 people due to financial reasons, and 3) in the current economy, I can't imagine that Princeton is going to be able to dig out the necessary funds to expand, though I am praying for that. So, as you can see, prayers would be especially appreciated for this.

We are on "Reading Week" which I am using for some reading, yes, but also for an opportunity to relax a bit. Winter is finally starting to loosen its firm grip around these here parts, and I'm so glad that it's been almost 6 weeks since the groundhog saw his shadow! With the warm weather comes an itching to reorganize and clean...they don't call it spring cleaning for nothing! I hope you are all well, and will write again soon! As always, I love hearing from you and will do my very, very best to respond!

Blessings for a delightful spring,
Megan

Update #10: Nonstop Flight and Theology From 30,000 Feet

Dear Friends,

Well, I’m sitting in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport waiting for my flight back to New Jersey (which has been delayed, of course) and decided now is as good a time as any to say hello and write an update! My first thought was that I ought to share with you how much I love nonstop flights. For those of you who heard of my travel woes in August (I finally got to Louisville, aka my “second home” about 13 hours after I was supposed to) and going home for Christmas (32 hours to get home from Princeton) you’ll understand why I am so happy to be on a nonstop, with baggage in hand. I don’t have to worry about a connection, I don’t have to wait for the excruciatingly slow and unorganized baggage claim in Newark, and I get to eat Swedish meatballs from IKEA and actually send this update that much sooner (a lack of Internet is keeping me from sending it now).

So, I’ll get to the whole grad school thing in a minute but some of you may be wondering why I’m in Dallas and why I’m going to San Francisco next weekend. I have the opportunity to be part of a General Assembly (national level) committee of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Committee on Representation, since the summer of 2004. We meet 2-3 times a year in various places, although last year we seemed to be permanently stuck in Louisville (see above) and from this I’ve had the chance to visit Atlanta, Louisville, St. Louis, Dallas, Albuquerque, Daytona Beach, FL, and hopefully on the docket for the next couple of meetings are Nashville and Lake Tahoe. Our main goals are advocacy and monitoring as well as training on how to and encouragement for Synod and Presbyteries (the middle governing bodies in the Presbyterian Church) to create and maintain their own Committees on Representation. The four main areas we deal with are 1) racial ethnic diversity, 2) male/female equity, 3) youth and young adult involvement, and 4) inclusion of persons with disabilities and disability awareness. This October I will be in charge of a biennial training event for our Synod committee staff and plans for it have been in the works for a year and a half already! So, this is just one area of my life that I’m getting to share with you all!

Now, back to that whole school thing: classes for the spring semester are in session (we began about a week ago) and my professors are already off to a running start. I have a rather eclectic mix of classes this semester:

· Introduction to Preaching

· The Theology of Karl Barth

· Iconography, Symbolism, and Theology

So far I’m enjoying all of them, although the last one on the list is certainly the must unstructured and unpredictable class I have, and I do like my structure in my classes. It should shape up to be a good semester though and while I’m a little anxious about preaching, I think I will really enjoy it. Also, after writing 4 papers totaling about 61 pages for the fall semester I am oh-so-thankful that I will only have 2 papers this semester.

With Princeton’s new schedule we also had a Jan term (shh, don’t tell anyone I called it that!) that took up three weeks of…well, January. I took one three-credit course in the pastoral care section entitled Ministry with Persons with Disabilities and Their Families. While it was a very, very intense three weeks, it was an incredibly valuable experience, especially for someone who is looking into working with children or adults with developmental disabilities for her vocation.

I know there have been several things I promised I would write about and haven’t gotten to them yet in my updates, but this is getting a bit long, so I think I’ll wrap things up for now. Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear from you. I also want to take just a minute and thank those who lifted up my alma mater, Westmont College, during the Tea Fire in November. Westmont is well on its way to recovering, no doubt in part thanks to your prayers. If you’re interested you can read more about fire recovery and rebuilding efforts here.

May you be blessed this day.

Thanks for reading,

Megan

Alive?

Well, I am still (mostly) alive. Christmas break has come and gone and so has over half of our January term. Things are just flying by...and I am having a hard time keeping up. So, for the time being, this is just to say I'm still mostly alive.

Signing off for now...
Megan

The End of an Era

This particular era I speak of is the fall long-term portion of the semester. It is over. Finished. Kaput. And I am happy.

In one week I wrote 11,722 words totalling approximately 47 pages, equalling three papers. And then I drank a very, very large margarita. During finals week I also sang about 16 hours in three rehearsals and four concerts.

I am now focused on Christmas which is blissfully free of papers. I am ignoring the sociological research methods final looming over me in January. I visited Santa Barbara, saw wonderful people, went caroling, did some Christmas shopping and will now embark on the mad dash for the finish line that is Christmas...luckily this is a different...a good kind of mad dash. And then I will relax.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas and prayers for a blessed New Year.
Love,
Megan

An Update to My Update...

Dear family and friends,

It was one week ago this evening that I wrote petitioning for your prayers. Tonight however, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude, peace, and also sadness at the tragedy that has transpired in one of my second homes. One week ago today, my alma mater, Westmont College, sat ablaze on the hill with fire. Tonight it is lit from within by a sense of God's protection, love, and a peace that surpasses all understanding.

First, I want to thank you for your prayers. I personally had one of the longest and hardest sessions of prayer in my life, praying against the fire that buffeted the college on three sides and I am sure I am not the only one. I was already confident that prayer works, but this confirmed it even more. For proof, please see these pictures taken by Brad Elliott at: http://www.westmont.edu/teafire/pictures2.html

Second, the real update on the fire: the Tea Fire was 100% contained on Tuesday but only after burning 1,940 acres, destroying 210 homes, and damaging 9. Westmont itself was hard hit: it lost 9 structures on campus as well as 15 faculty homes in the adjoining neighborhood, Las Barrancas. Four of the structures destroyed (the math building, the physics building, and two Quonset huts used for arts and ceramics) were scheduled for demolition in the next few weeks. The most damage on campus occurred in the dorm I lived in my freshman year, Clark Halls. Two of the 17 small cottage-like buildings were damaged and two were destroyed including Mark "the RD's" house, which was a complete loss. Westmont is now beginning the rebuilding, recovering, and healing process with the support of thousands of alumni across the country and around the globe.

On Wednesday the cause of the Tea Fire was announced, but in a manner that was somewhat damaging to the school. As a result, confirmations were made today that no Westmont students were involved in the start of the Tea Fire but rather another area college. To catch up on more news regarding the circumstances surrounding the blaze, please see http://www.independent.com/. In the midst of a traumatic time, Westmont's officials have acted with incredible integrity and compassion and I am so grateful. In addition, some of our "rival" schools have really been incredibly, particularly Azusa Pacific University who postponed a conference championship men's soccer game that they could have won by Westmont's forfeit in order to give our school an opportunity to play. Read the incredible story here, courtesy of the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke18-2008nov18,0,5737203.column?page=1. Westmont students have also been volunteering to help area families clean, sift through, wash clothes and bedding, and do other practical things.

Westmont's campus is currently closed for an extended Thanksgiving holiday and classes will resume December 1, on which day Westmont will also be holding A Service of Hope and Renewal, which if you are in the Santa Barbara area are all invited to at 10:30am at Westmont. Many faculty and lots of students have lost everything and so if you would like to make a donation or offer help of some kind, please let me know and I will be happy to tell you where and how to do so. If you would like to make a monetary donation directly to Westmont, you can do so here: https://secure.westmont.edu/forms/giving/donation_form/newdonationform.html. Note that it is for wildfire relief in the appropriate area.

Just a quick note on where I am: our long term for the fall semester will be ending very quickly and I have about 55 pages of writing to do before the end of the semester. I will be home in Visalia for Thanksgiving, so I hope to see some of you! Lots of activities and Christmas concerts and parties are on the docket for the next couple of weeks as well. I will be in Santa Barbara over my Christmas break as well for a couple of days, and hope to see more of you then!

I also wrote a (rather long) reflection about the fire for my writing as faith practice class as an assignment and a way to process. I would be willing to share it if you're interested.

Thanks again to all of you for your prayers and thoughts. They are indeed felt.

Blessings,

Megan

Update #9: Please Pray for Westmont and Santa Barbara

A little late, and there will be an update to the update soon, but I figured since no one ever reads this blog anyway it doesn't matter much.
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Thursday, November 13, 2008

Dear family and friends,

I know several of you are aware of this already, but I just wanted to ask for fervent prayers as soon as possible. Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA (my alma mater and that of several PTS students) is surrounded by a 1,000+ acre wildfire tonight. It began around 6:00pm Pacific time and has already burned several homes. Westmont's campus has several spot fires on it and the prayer chapel has possibly burned as well as some other buildings.

They are keeping students safe in the gym which is fireproof and lots of Westmont community members are letting students stay in their homes who were already off campus and cannot get back. There are several Princeton students with ties to Westmont (alumni and parents). Please pray. I'm exhausted (I haven't been getting much sleep this week) but I'm too distracted and sad and worried and praying to sleep. I know if I laid down I'd fall asleep, but I'm worried now about Santa Barbara because it seems that the city is in grave danger.

From Westmont:
"Conditions on campus improved to the point where staff were able to get food from the Dining Commons and bring it to the gym, where the
community is sheltered in place.

Conditions in the area may make it possible now to leave the campus for a Red Cross shelter, but that option is still being explored. Firefighters are currently attempting to put out several fires at Clark Hall. Structures lost to or significantly damaged by fire include the Physics Building, the 'old Math" building, Bauder Hall and the Quonset Huts.

Again, we are grateful that no one has been hurt on campus, and everyone is safely in the gymnasium and in good spirits. Thank you for your prayers.

Chris Call,
Vice President for Administration"

The hidden blessing is that several of the buildings that have been destroyed/damaged were already marked for demolition as part of the growth of Westmont's Master Plan. However, very recently, part of one of the dorms has been damaged, parts of it destroyed, as well as the Resident Director's house. They've also lost lots of homes in the Montecito and Santa Barbara community....dozens probably and the fire is completely out of control..a true "wild" fire. Scary. I do know the tree canopy at Westmont is probably pretty bad. This link has pictures...all from Westmont. Better news than any other source in Santa Barbara probably comes from The Independent in case you're interested.

Thanks for your prayers, so so much.
Love,
Megan

A Halloween Haiku

Trick-or-treaters come
Cute costumes and pillow sacks
As fall settles in