What a week it has been! Monday through Wednesday were full of orientation stuff-- meeting other students and the CS staff and having classes on city safety, public transporation, roommates, and internships. Thursday and Friday were my first two days at Rice. :) After a tour of the facility, I learned more about the programs and services offered, met the staff, and spent some time on the unit getting to know the boys. There are 5 units at Rice and I will primarily be working on the unit for 10-13 year old boys. There are 9 boys on the unit. All of the kids have some type of mental illness or severe behavior problems, so I can already tell that this is going to be a challenging internship and that I am going to learn a lot. I am very much looking forward to it and am excited to learn and grow. I already like the kids and the staff I will be working with. Much of my time will be spent directly on the unit with the boys, but I will also be sitting in on group therapy, including art therapy. This coming week I will be taking Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training, which will involve learning about how to de-escalate situations when a kid is having a crisis and how to safely restrain a kid who is out of control. Hopefully it is training that I will not have to use very often.
Yesterday I finally moved into my apartment! :) I am living in a studio apartment in the Gold Coast area with one roommate. It feels good to be settled in and no longer have to live out of a suitcase. The apartment is very cozy; our closet is bigger than our kitchen and our beds fold into the wall! :) I really like where we are at--the CTA and many stores and restaurants are within walking distance and my roommate is great! It is going to be a great semester...
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
The beginning of a new adventure...
As a senior in high school, I was on my first college campus visit at a strange reformed school in the middle of a cornfield in northwest Iowa. I remember meeting with the head of the social work department and learning all about the program and why I should attend the Dutch school. During the meeting, I asked the man: "Are there any off-campus programs in a big city?" He told me that, in fact, the school does send students to Chicago each semester to learn and work and grow. I told myself at that time that if I chose that school, I would do the Chicago Semester.
Here I am, a little over four years later, laying in my hotel bed in Chicago after my first lond day of orientation for the 2010 spring semester of the Chicago Semester Program! :D I can't believe it is finally here! It seems like it was just a few months ago that I sat in the social work pod for the first time, learning about Dordt; but at the same time, it feels like it was lifetimes ago.
All that said, my first day in Chi-town has been long and fun, full of new people and experiences. My parents drove me here on Sunday because I had some appointments this morning for my internship. Orientation started this afternoon. I have already used the CTA several times, walked down the Magnificent Mile, eaten awesome ethnic food (Middle Eastern--really good!), and been solicited for money. I love the diversity and busyness that I have seen already.
Tomorrow is another big day of orientation stuff. The biggest thing is that we will figure out who we are living with and where. We are currently staying at a hotel and will move into our apartments on Saturday. There are 88 students participating in the program, from 12 different schools (13 students from Dordt). Wednesday we will visit our apartments, sign our leases, and finish up orientation. I start my internship on Thursday! I am very excited!
That is all for now. I will try to keep this thing updated, at least weekly. Love and Prayers.
Here I am, a little over four years later, laying in my hotel bed in Chicago after my first lond day of orientation for the 2010 spring semester of the Chicago Semester Program! :D I can't believe it is finally here! It seems like it was just a few months ago that I sat in the social work pod for the first time, learning about Dordt; but at the same time, it feels like it was lifetimes ago.
All that said, my first day in Chi-town has been long and fun, full of new people and experiences. My parents drove me here on Sunday because I had some appointments this morning for my internship. Orientation started this afternoon. I have already used the CTA several times, walked down the Magnificent Mile, eaten awesome ethnic food (Middle Eastern--really good!), and been solicited for money. I love the diversity and busyness that I have seen already.
Tomorrow is another big day of orientation stuff. The biggest thing is that we will figure out who we are living with and where. We are currently staying at a hotel and will move into our apartments on Saturday. There are 88 students participating in the program, from 12 different schools (13 students from Dordt). Wednesday we will visit our apartments, sign our leases, and finish up orientation. I start my internship on Thursday! I am very excited!
That is all for now. I will try to keep this thing updated, at least weekly. Love and Prayers.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Yes, an update...
I have recently had a couple of people ask if I was ever going to update my blog again, so I figured it was about time that I did so. It has been a couple of months, after all.
Senior year has been good. I know that seems like such a simple, nondescriptive word for last 3 1/2 months of my life, but it really is the best adjective for it. Good. I have really enjoyed my classes, which are all in the social work/sociology/psychology areas. The workload is not as heavy as last year, and I find the materials to all be quite interesting. One exciting thing in regards to acadamia: I had the opportunity to go to Indianapolis with one of the social work professors and two other students for the North American Association of Christians in Social Work Conference back in October. It was awesome! The workshops were great and very though-provoking. Most of them had to do with integrating faith and the social work profession. I learned a lot about a variety of topics and had a ton of fun.
Another exciting thing happened in October... my brother, who is in the Army and is currently stationed in South Korea, surprised us all with a visit! :) We had no idea he was coming; he literally showed up on the doorstep. He was back for about 2 weeks and spent a few days with me up at Dordt. It was great to see him again. He only has a couple of months left over there, and then he moves to Georgia (the state, not the country). I am just glad he will be on this side of the world again!
The rest of my family is doing well. Not a whole lot new with them. My sister is in high school now. Crazy. Dad still enjoys preaching, driving the bus, and feeding people. Mom somehow puts up with both Hannah and Dad and keeps things in order at home. :) She also continues to homeschool Hannah.
I only have two and half weeks left at Dordt. I can hardly believe it and am not exactly sure how I feel about it. Part of me is very excited. I am really looking forward to Chicago next semester (by the way, I am working at Rice Children's Center, a residential treatment center for children with behavioral and emotional problems... I am so excited!) yet I am also dreading saying goodbye to people. I do not want to leave my roommates or my other friends. And I am really sad about leaving the nursing home that I work at. I love the residents. Plus I have an amazing church home here. Despite the pig smell and the flatness of it, I have somehow come to love Sioux Center. Perhaps I will stay in the Siouxland area after graduation; I am not sure yet. Part of my heart is still in Denver, though, too, and Alaska, for that matter. I have thought about going onto grad school right after Dordt, where I would probably study geriatrics (working with the elderly) but I think I am ready to be done with school for a while. Still waiting for God's leading on that one. For now, I am doing my best to focus on the present, enjoying the time I have left at Dordt and trying to get all of my end-of-the-year projects done. ;)
Even though Thanksgiving has come and gone, I pray that we are able to continue to count our blessings. We have so many. Love and Prayers.
Senior year has been good. I know that seems like such a simple, nondescriptive word for last 3 1/2 months of my life, but it really is the best adjective for it. Good. I have really enjoyed my classes, which are all in the social work/sociology/psychology areas. The workload is not as heavy as last year, and I find the materials to all be quite interesting. One exciting thing in regards to acadamia: I had the opportunity to go to Indianapolis with one of the social work professors and two other students for the North American Association of Christians in Social Work Conference back in October. It was awesome! The workshops were great and very though-provoking. Most of them had to do with integrating faith and the social work profession. I learned a lot about a variety of topics and had a ton of fun.
Another exciting thing happened in October... my brother, who is in the Army and is currently stationed in South Korea, surprised us all with a visit! :) We had no idea he was coming; he literally showed up on the doorstep. He was back for about 2 weeks and spent a few days with me up at Dordt. It was great to see him again. He only has a couple of months left over there, and then he moves to Georgia (the state, not the country). I am just glad he will be on this side of the world again!
The rest of my family is doing well. Not a whole lot new with them. My sister is in high school now. Crazy. Dad still enjoys preaching, driving the bus, and feeding people. Mom somehow puts up with both Hannah and Dad and keeps things in order at home. :) She also continues to homeschool Hannah.
I only have two and half weeks left at Dordt. I can hardly believe it and am not exactly sure how I feel about it. Part of me is very excited. I am really looking forward to Chicago next semester (by the way, I am working at Rice Children's Center, a residential treatment center for children with behavioral and emotional problems... I am so excited!) yet I am also dreading saying goodbye to people. I do not want to leave my roommates or my other friends. And I am really sad about leaving the nursing home that I work at. I love the residents. Plus I have an amazing church home here. Despite the pig smell and the flatness of it, I have somehow come to love Sioux Center. Perhaps I will stay in the Siouxland area after graduation; I am not sure yet. Part of my heart is still in Denver, though, too, and Alaska, for that matter. I have thought about going onto grad school right after Dordt, where I would probably study geriatrics (working with the elderly) but I think I am ready to be done with school for a while. Still waiting for God's leading on that one. For now, I am doing my best to focus on the present, enjoying the time I have left at Dordt and trying to get all of my end-of-the-year projects done. ;)
Even though Thanksgiving has come and gone, I pray that we are able to continue to count our blessings. We have so many. Love and Prayers.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Question
I am two days into my senior year at Dordt and I have already begun to hear the question, “Do you know what you want to do when you graduate in May?” To be honest, the idea of looking for a job and leaving Dordt scares me. While I think I am ready to be done with school and begin work, I do not know what I want to do yet. I am not sure what population I want to work with or even which state I will move to.
Here is the biggest issue: I am not sure I want to do “professional” social work. When I began college, I chose social work because I love people and want to serve them. More than anything, I want to live out my faith and share Christ’s love and hope with those who are hurting. I feel like social work is the most practical way I can live out my faith and follow God’s commands to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27) and “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.” (Micah 6:8) (Not that you can’t do those things in other careers; you certainly can. I just felt that this was the field I personally could best live them out.) The very core values of social work fit perfectly with what Scripture call us to: service, social justice, dignity and worth of human beings, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.
That being said, I am terrified of having the “stigma” of being a professional. Next semester, I will be doing the “Professional Semester” in Chicago. Though I am excited about it, I am also not looking forward to it. I don’t necessarily want to act (and dress) like a professional. But more than that, I also do not want the relationships I have with the people I serve to be “I am the professional and you are the client.” So I took four years of college and will have a degree—big whoop. I don’t want people to think I think I am somehow better than them because of that. Of course, I am thankful for the knowledge I have learned and the education I have received, I just am not sure how to use it in a way that does not cause a division between me and the people I work with.
This summer I really learned that what I want to do with my life is incarnational ministry—living among those I serve and being on their level. I remember how some of the family advocates at Joshua Station would talk in frustration about the way some of the social workers acted towards the residents. It seems like many of the social workers viewed the residents more like cases to be handled than beautiful, individual human beings with stories and strengths and families. My biggest fear in social work is that I will begin to see human beings—created in the image of God—as cases to be handled.
If, as a Christian, I am called to “walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6), how do I do that as a professional? Jesus was not a professional in a place of power (though He had immeasurable power as God’s Son); rather, he served and loved the people around Him in a very humble way. He ate with them, got dirty with them, and died with them. He did not have a 9-5 schedule and certain professional boundaries with the people. He did not dress in slacks and nice shirts and make appointments and refer to the people as “cases.” His service and love was a lifestyle, not a career. I guess that is what I am getting at. I don’t want social work to be my career; I want it to be my lifestyle. I do not want it to be a 9-5 job, I want it to be a 24/7 job. I don’t want to be professional; I want to be passionate.
So where will I be in 9 months? Only God knows. What do I want to do when I grow up? Love my God and serve the people He puts in my life. As for the details, I will trust God and wait.
Here is the biggest issue: I am not sure I want to do “professional” social work. When I began college, I chose social work because I love people and want to serve them. More than anything, I want to live out my faith and share Christ’s love and hope with those who are hurting. I feel like social work is the most practical way I can live out my faith and follow God’s commands to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27) and “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.” (Micah 6:8) (Not that you can’t do those things in other careers; you certainly can. I just felt that this was the field I personally could best live them out.) The very core values of social work fit perfectly with what Scripture call us to: service, social justice, dignity and worth of human beings, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.
That being said, I am terrified of having the “stigma” of being a professional. Next semester, I will be doing the “Professional Semester” in Chicago. Though I am excited about it, I am also not looking forward to it. I don’t necessarily want to act (and dress) like a professional. But more than that, I also do not want the relationships I have with the people I serve to be “I am the professional and you are the client.” So I took four years of college and will have a degree—big whoop. I don’t want people to think I think I am somehow better than them because of that. Of course, I am thankful for the knowledge I have learned and the education I have received, I just am not sure how to use it in a way that does not cause a division between me and the people I work with.
This summer I really learned that what I want to do with my life is incarnational ministry—living among those I serve and being on their level. I remember how some of the family advocates at Joshua Station would talk in frustration about the way some of the social workers acted towards the residents. It seems like many of the social workers viewed the residents more like cases to be handled than beautiful, individual human beings with stories and strengths and families. My biggest fear in social work is that I will begin to see human beings—created in the image of God—as cases to be handled.
If, as a Christian, I am called to “walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6), how do I do that as a professional? Jesus was not a professional in a place of power (though He had immeasurable power as God’s Son); rather, he served and loved the people around Him in a very humble way. He ate with them, got dirty with them, and died with them. He did not have a 9-5 schedule and certain professional boundaries with the people. He did not dress in slacks and nice shirts and make appointments and refer to the people as “cases.” His service and love was a lifestyle, not a career. I guess that is what I am getting at. I don’t want social work to be my career; I want it to be my lifestyle. I do not want it to be a 9-5 job, I want it to be a 24/7 job. I don’t want to be professional; I want to be passionate.
So where will I be in 9 months? Only God knows. What do I want to do when I grow up? Love my God and serve the people He puts in my life. As for the details, I will trust God and wait.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Summer Book List
When I was not working at Joshua Station, going to classes, exploring the city, and hanging out with the other interns this summer, I was reading! Here is the list of all of the books I read this summer or am in the process of reading. If you are looking for a good book, I recommend one of the following: (my top three recommendations have *s next to them)
With Justice for All--John Perkins
Prayer of Jabez--Bruce Wilkinson
Butterfly in Brazil--Glenn Packiam
Just Courage—Gary Haugen
*Crazy Love--Francis Chan
In the Name of Jesus—Henri Nouwen
The Enneagram Made Easy--Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele
The Work of His Hands—Ken Gire
*Windows of the Soul—Ken Gire
To Own a Dragon—Donald Miller
SexGod—Rob Bell
Jesus for President—Shane Claiborne
Mother Teresa: Her Essential Wisdom—Carol Kelly-Gangi
Skin Game—Caroline Kettlewell
*The Noticer--Andy Andrew
With Justice for All--John Perkins
Prayer of Jabez--Bruce Wilkinson
Butterfly in Brazil--Glenn Packiam
Just Courage—Gary Haugen
*Crazy Love--Francis Chan
In the Name of Jesus—Henri Nouwen
The Enneagram Made Easy--Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele
The Work of His Hands—Ken Gire
*Windows of the Soul—Ken Gire
To Own a Dragon—Donald Miller
SexGod—Rob Bell
Jesus for President—Shane Claiborne
Mother Teresa: Her Essential Wisdom—Carol Kelly-Gangi
Skin Game—Caroline Kettlewell
*The Noticer--Andy Andrew
Between Chapters
I have now been back home for about 2 weeks. I left Denver with so many great memories and amazing new friends. I learned and grew a lot. I am not sure I could ever really put into words on a silly blog all of the things I experienced and felt over my two months in Denver, but here are a few of the big lessons I learned this summer:
*I learned the importance of knowing a person's story. Every single person has a story to tell. One of the ways I learned this was by doing interviews at Joshua Station for families who were interested in the program. Each person had a different story with pain, joys, strengths, and weaknesses. You cannot judge a person until you know their story and where they come from. Another way I learned the importance of story: one of the things all of us interns did over the summer was to share our life stories with each other. I have never experienced a group of people being so vulnerable with each other before. Why can't we all be more vulnerable and authentic with each other? By listening to each of the other interns' stories and by sharing by own, I learned just how connected we all are and at the same time, learned to appreciate diversity in personalities and experiences even more than I did before.
*I learned to live the mystery and not try to find all of the answers. So often, we search for answers to the question of "why?" We try to explain God and life and things that are really beyond our comprehension. In one of our classes in particular (Street Psalms) we talked a lot about lamenting the brokenness in the world. We don't have all of the answers and never will. In fact, the more we study the Bible and learn about the issues in the world, we just come up with more questions. The solution is to simply live the mystery and trust a God whom we can never fully comprehend.
*I learned the importance of soul care, which is especially important in ministry to prevent burn out. In our class, Leading from Within, we learned tools we can use to care for our souls and be healthy individuals. One of the tools was taking an Artist Date (basically a date by yourself, doing something you love, like making something, watching a movie, or taking a walk. The possibilities are endless). We also learned the importance of journaling, solitude and silence. In addition, we learned spiritual practicies such as Centering Prayer and Lecto Divina. (Google them to learn more...it would take me too long to explain them here, but they are great!)
I will blog more as I do more processing and journaling. Now I am trying to shift gears as I prepare for my Senior year at Dordt. To think: 9 months from now I will be done with my college career and looking for a full time job. Crazy. Exciting. Scary.
All I can do is live the mystery and take the hand of my God who has led me this far.
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*I learned the importance of knowing a person's story. Every single person has a story to tell. One of the ways I learned this was by doing interviews at Joshua Station for families who were interested in the program. Each person had a different story with pain, joys, strengths, and weaknesses. You cannot judge a person until you know their story and where they come from. Another way I learned the importance of story: one of the things all of us interns did over the summer was to share our life stories with each other. I have never experienced a group of people being so vulnerable with each other before. Why can't we all be more vulnerable and authentic with each other? By listening to each of the other interns' stories and by sharing by own, I learned just how connected we all are and at the same time, learned to appreciate diversity in personalities and experiences even more than I did before.
*I learned to live the mystery and not try to find all of the answers. So often, we search for answers to the question of "why?" We try to explain God and life and things that are really beyond our comprehension. In one of our classes in particular (Street Psalms) we talked a lot about lamenting the brokenness in the world. We don't have all of the answers and never will. In fact, the more we study the Bible and learn about the issues in the world, we just come up with more questions. The solution is to simply live the mystery and trust a God whom we can never fully comprehend.
*I learned the importance of soul care, which is especially important in ministry to prevent burn out. In our class, Leading from Within, we learned tools we can use to care for our souls and be healthy individuals. One of the tools was taking an Artist Date (basically a date by yourself, doing something you love, like making something, watching a movie, or taking a walk. The possibilities are endless). We also learned the importance of journaling, solitude and silence. In addition, we learned spiritual practicies such as Centering Prayer and Lecto Divina. (Google them to learn more...it would take me too long to explain them here, but they are great!)
I will blog more as I do more processing and journaling. Now I am trying to shift gears as I prepare for my Senior year at Dordt. To think: 9 months from now I will be done with my college career and looking for a full time job. Crazy. Exciting. Scary.
All I can do is live the mystery and take the hand of my God who has led me this far.
They say that pictures speak more than a thousand words, so here are a few photos of some of my favorite people and memories from Denver:
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Picture Captions:
1: Me, Bella, and Lizzy (a couple of Joshua Station kids) at Arts in da Hood day camp, where I helped the last week I was in Denver
2: Alex, Bella, Lizzy
3: Me with my friend and mentor, Rebakah
4: Me, Hannah, and Gina at Estes Park
5: Gina, Connie, Me, and Hannah at the Botanical Gardens
6: Downtown Denver from the air
7: All ten interns with the DUS director, Greg
8: Jenny and I on our helicopter ride
9: Me and Penny, the director of Joshua Station
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Summer is Coming to a Close
A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks. There have been some amazing high points and some very sad low points.
High points include the opportunities I have had to build relationships with the families at Joshua Station and with the other interns and staff. This week I am helping out at a day camp for kids called Arts in the Hood. On Monday I drove a few of our JS kids. It was fun to hang out with them and watch them interact with the other kids at the camp. I am going again on Wednesday and Thursday. Another highlight from the last couple of weeks was going on a helicopter ride over the city. There is a man in Denver who owns/flies a helicopter and takes people from different ministries over the city to pray for the city. It was amazing. All of us interns got to go. Seeing the city and people from above was a reminder of how small we are, and how much more amazing that makes the fact that God loves each of us individually and has a plan for us.
The last few days have been really hard here at Joshua Station. On Sunday, one of the JS kids, an 8 year old boy named John, was killed when he road his bike onto a busy road and was hit by a taxi. The whole community has been in shock and mourning. John was such a funny kid, with lots of energy. I worked with him a little bit at kid's club and saw him around JS all of the time. Tonight we did a memorial thing at Kid's Club, so the kids had space to grieve. We talked about death and favorite memories of John. Then the kids made cards for his parents. Finally, we let a bunch of balloons go outside and said goodbye to John. The whole thing really sucks and doesn't make any sense. Please pray for John's parents, Pam and John Sr., as well as the JS community (especially the kids).
A lot more has happened in the last couple of weeks, but my mind is kind of fuzzy right now. I will try to fill in the blanks later. This week has really been a time of closure and goodbyes. I am really going to miss the people here. I have talked to the director about coming back next year. We'll see where God leads.
High points include the opportunities I have had to build relationships with the families at Joshua Station and with the other interns and staff. This week I am helping out at a day camp for kids called Arts in the Hood. On Monday I drove a few of our JS kids. It was fun to hang out with them and watch them interact with the other kids at the camp. I am going again on Wednesday and Thursday. Another highlight from the last couple of weeks was going on a helicopter ride over the city. There is a man in Denver who owns/flies a helicopter and takes people from different ministries over the city to pray for the city. It was amazing. All of us interns got to go. Seeing the city and people from above was a reminder of how small we are, and how much more amazing that makes the fact that God loves each of us individually and has a plan for us.
The last few days have been really hard here at Joshua Station. On Sunday, one of the JS kids, an 8 year old boy named John, was killed when he road his bike onto a busy road and was hit by a taxi. The whole community has been in shock and mourning. John was such a funny kid, with lots of energy. I worked with him a little bit at kid's club and saw him around JS all of the time. Tonight we did a memorial thing at Kid's Club, so the kids had space to grieve. We talked about death and favorite memories of John. Then the kids made cards for his parents. Finally, we let a bunch of balloons go outside and said goodbye to John. The whole thing really sucks and doesn't make any sense. Please pray for John's parents, Pam and John Sr., as well as the JS community (especially the kids).
A lot more has happened in the last couple of weeks, but my mind is kind of fuzzy right now. I will try to fill in the blanks later. This week has really been a time of closure and goodbyes. I am really going to miss the people here. I have talked to the director about coming back next year. We'll see where God leads.
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