Friday, February 1, 2008

A Personal Update

Well, I have done a lot of "soap-boxing," and so I guess its about time for a more personal update.

Here's some of my latest news:

1) Grad school! I started my first full semester of grad. school classes in Intercultural Studies at Wheaton. In some ways it doesn't feel like a lot has changed, though it is nice to feel a bit older when i say "I'm a graduate student." :)

2) Internship: This semester I am doing an internship at my home church in Wheaton, Church of the Resurrection, an an Anglican Mission in America church. The internship title is "prayer and social justice," but in reality will end up encompassing all sorts of things. Mainly I view this as a time to deepen my roots here, to be discipled, and to further prepare for ordination within this denomination. One of my main goals, though, in this, is to help encourage concern for the poor and for justice ministries at our church. It is a time to practice much of what I would like to do in the ME.

3) This summer: I have applied for a scholarship to study Arabic for two months in Jordan. I wasn't planning on returning this summer, but if accepted this would be an all expenses paid opportunity and would also allow me to do two things: a) attend a controversial Anglican Conference in Jerusalem (GAFCON) b) Meet some Anglican leaders in Jerusalem with whom it is possible I could work with in the future.

I have also been accepted to take two week-long classes in Reconciliation and Social Justice at the Eastern Mennonite University.

4) Arab relationships: I have been blessed with several new Palestinian and Arab friends, including a refugee from Iraq. Many opportunities for ministry with them have opened up!


4) Prayer Requests: Openness to God's leading and changing of my plans, acceptance to this scholarship, humility, funds for the summer classes, for my Arab friends.

As a side note, I hope you have been keeping up with the terrible situation in Gaza. I encourage you to read the last two entries in my friend's blog who is over there: Tabulagaza

Peace of Christ be with your spirits!

Jonathan

1 comment:

Rebecca Allen said...

Jonathan -
I could not find an email address for you on your blog, so I guess I'll just reply there!
This past year I was in a master's program in International Development at Eastern University outside of Philly. Our program required a field semester in the fall in which we completed our studies. The head of the Palestinian Bible Society was in my grad cohort, and he convinced me to come and work with his organization.
The project he set me up with was the Living Stones student center in the town of Birzeit, located about 20 min north of Ramallah. I was there for about 3 months building relationships with Palestinian university students from all over the West Bank, teaching some of them english, and also teaching english in some of the various schools in outlying villages in which the Living Stones center teaches servant leadership courses.
It's an amazing organization with amazing people. Here is the website for further info: http://www.pbs-web.com/pbs_1024.htm
I'm returning there on Wed to continue working in the same project and hopefully to get more involved in the organization. I'll be there until June and will then reassess where God is leading next.
How are you finding your grad program? How long is it?
Looking forward to hearing back from you!

Rebecca