Ice Cold Camping

I went camping this last weekend with a bunch of girls who are in my program here at Wheaton. I didn't really know any of them so it was a great chance to make some new friends and get to know them. And we definitely had quite the experience as the temperature mysteriously dropped...it was at freezing temperatures the first night (but a warm 41 degrees INSIDE the tent! cozy! ha!)

One of the girls ran a triathalon at Devil's Lake and finished well. We had a lot of fun cheering her on. Notice the warm clothes while our friend was diving into the lake and then getting out and hopping on a bike to air dry! yikes.


The weekend finished in Madison, WI where we walked around a bit and ate at an Afghan restaurant. It's strange to be paying $8 for a plate of food that I used to eat at the office every day for much, much less than that!


But, all in all, there was fun to be had. I have to admit, it was great to hang out with people who enjoy stuff like camping and such once again. I am definitely loving the variety and the caliber of people that I am getting the opportunity to spend time with. There's more of that in this week ahead as well. I was praying before I came back to the States that I could have a bit of a social life again. I totally enjoy hanging out with my team and we do have fun together but there is something about just hanging out and not talking about work or feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. So, God is answering many of my prayers during this time.

So...as I'm writing this I have a pile of reading that is trying to get my attention. I suppose I should be a good steward of my time and get to that. :)

Ramadan

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is upon us. It began September 13 and goes until October 12. During this time Muslims around the world fast (food, drink and sex) from sun-up to sun-down every day. Then when the sun sets they break their fast together. This is the month that is said the Qu'ran was revealed to Mohammed. For Muslims, this month is a time of reflection, devotion to God and self-control. They see it as a sort of "spiritual tune-up" so to speak. A secondary purpose for this time is to reflect on the poor and more unfortunate.

The "Night of Power" which is usually the 27th night of Ramadan is rumored to be the evening that Mohammad received the revelation which is now the Qu'ran. This evening Muslims every stay awake in anticipation for their own power encounter with God. They say this night is better than a thousand months.

During Ramadan much time is spent in the mosque reciting verses from the Qu'ran. Some even spend the last 10 days of the fast in the mosque entirely devoted to worship and prayer.

I just wanted to share a bit about this for those of you who may be unfamiliar with the month of Ramandan and I would encourage you all to be praying for Muslims around the world as they enter into this month of spiritual significance. They are seeking. May they find TRUTH. To aid you in prayer, you can get daily emails or you can order a printed prayer calendar as a guideline for how to pray for Muslims around the world during this time. You can also email me if you are interested in knowing more. Please also pray for Christian brothers and sisters both nationals and expats who are living and working among Muslims. Pray that they would be lights and that they would have opportunities to share the truth of Jesus with those who have not heard.

Social Butterfly

Today we had a "retreat" for our department at a local park. It was a day designed to spend time getting to know the other students and faculty outside of the classroom environment. I have to admit I've been a bit overwhelmed at beginning the social process of meeting and getting to know people all over again, especially outside the context of community living! So, I had a great time today playing games and just chatting with people for more than the 10 minute break during classes. Although I did feel like a royal idiot when I was sharing about training teachers overseas with one of the professors and he asked what my educational background was in teaching and I said, "I don't have one." ha!

After the "retreat" I had a time doing a group project for a class of mine and then some of us went out for dinner and just shared about our lives, our stories, what God was teaching us. It honestly was the first day when I really felt connected to people here. I hope for more continued opportunities like these.

I feel overwhelmingly blessed at the things I'm learning. All my classes seem to be weaving themselves together into a lot of common themes and things that I've seen over my last two years or have had questions about. It's great to have a neutral enviroment to discuss and think and theorize. Tomorrow, you'll find me reading, and reading, and reading, and reading....I'm discovering that this is a major component of grad school!