Claimed, gathered and sent

It has been a very difficult and emotional week for us as a family. Ray's retired Seeing Eye dog, Abby, was put to sleep on Monday. All the animals in our family knew it was time, including Abby. She was just done--tired of the pain of arthritis and her body not working like it used to. All of us miss her very much. Amity has been looking especially melancholy, while Pokey, the cat continues to look around for his buddy. The doctors and staff at Emmitsburg Veterinary Hospital   were so wonderfully compassionate. The vet was crying with us as Abby was put to sleep. They care so deeply at that place. Even when we saw the folks at the main desk on our way out, they were crying with us. In the midst of all of this, the community at LTSG carried us with their love and thoughtfulness. From classmates that are still here to those already on internship, from the Dean to the President to Pr. Vickie Brown, who put together and conducted a burial service for Abby, the community of God...

Merriam-Webster defines transition as,  " a: passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : change b : a movement , development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another." Basically, I've finished the semester's projects, traveled to New England for Synod Assembly, and returned from visiting with friends and family in Rochester  in time to...move the very next day. We are living in that time called transition. Mon. the movers came and took our stuff off to storage for a month.. After that, we moved across the quad to a furnished efficiency apartment.The critters, Abby, Amity, and Pokey are enjoying their vacation with us at the Baughman Hall Motel (seminary housing). We will be here until internship begins next month. We were unsure size-wise how things would work out for 2 dogs, a cat, and 2 adults in an efficiency, but all is well. Pokey, the cat, especially loves the large second floor windowsill which offers him a better vie...

One of the joys of this past Spring Semester has been the number of professors and courses that have invited us to reflect upon past and anticipated experiences in light of the cross. Below is what I wrote regarding Palestinian liberation theology and the cross, especially from Bishop Munib Younan's book, Witnessing in Jerusalem , as well as in the light of my own experiences in the Holy Land. Introduction The situation in the Holy Land seems bleak at best these days. For the residents on all sides, life is a daily roller coaster ride. Hopes for peace rise at the prospect of each negotiation and are then crushed by violence. The people want to have hope. It is a land that should be a place of hope considering the biblical events that unfolded there. Luther’s words in the Heidelberg Disputation still speak today to those who are willing to hear in that volatile place: 20. He deserves to be called a theologian… who comprehends the visible and manifest things of God seen through suffe...

Abby had x-rays at the vet yesterday. Her arthritis was not as severe as anticipated. She does have some in her hips, hip dysplasia, and some muscle loss. Considering her age of 13 1/2 years, we all decided it was best to just try to get her comfortable. When she came home, she was feeling no pain. She had been put out for the x-rays and was still woozy, which was great. She didn't hurt! Tramadol has been added to what she's already taking for pain and though it's early, we already see an improvement. She was wiggly, outgoing, and wagging her tail today like she used to. She even bounded over to me from the bedroom to the living room! At least for now, Abby is much more her old self. She isn't huffing and puffing, looking at me with pain in her eyes, and unable to settle down anywhere. At the moment she's resting comfortably next to my chair. She may make it to internship after all. Thank you all for your prayers. The hard and sad thing is that when dogs start...

Abby, Ray's retired Seeing Eye Dog, has been ageing rapidly the past few months. Several times her back end has given out on her. She is very Stoic and doesn't let on how much pain she is in. We took her to the vet today and as she was being examined, her pain level was obvious, even though she did not bark or yelp. She is spending the day at the vet for x-rays. We wonder if she will be able to make it till internship in August. We are conflicted. We don't want her to be in pain and we don't want to have her put down simply because it would be convenient. She is 13 1/2 years old. Some days she doesn't even wag her tail--which is something that was in perpetual motion. Please pray for us that we will do the right thing for her when the time comes. In the meantime, the issue is to get/keep her comfortable.

We had a great visit this weekend to Petersburg, WV. That is where I'll be doing internship for a year starting in August. Here are some pictures of the area around the motel we stayed at, the church, and the parsonage. It's going to be a good year.

This weekend, Sat. & Sun., we have the opportunity to visit Petersburg, WV, where I begin internship in August. The picture at the left is from Google Earth. Because of the way God brought this about, I have not yet met my supervisor. We have only spoken over the phone and I have heard wonderful things about him. So, this weekend, we will meet. These are a few pictures I got from online sources. I will take plenty while we're there. Ray, being a train geek, buff, or whatever you want to call a train aficionado, is very happy about the nearness of a rail line. Perhaps he and a couple other train friends can connect and take advantage of the setting. In the meantime, because of being sick, I had to get extensions for some coursework. Prayers are appreciated as I begin to feel better, get the work done, and check out what will be our home for a year.