RheAnn in Japan

Ten years ago tomorrow, I adopted a big fluffy pregnant cat and named her Bosch after my favorite painter. It was just me and her. She didn't even LIKE anyone but me. And when she had her 6 little black babies in the closet of my attic apartment in Nashville, she wrapped her paw around my finger and pushed them out, knowing I was right there to love her, help her, and support her.


And for 10 years, I have been...and she me. She has seen me through THE craziest and hardest of times (too numerous and overwhelming to list.) And she's helped me and even HEALED me! She is my best friend, in so many ways, and leaving her to come to Japan was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.


Until now.


Today I found out from my friend Kara, who graciously took that big fluffy cat into her home back in May, that prompted by some strange behavior over the past couple weeks, she'd taken Bosch to see a vet. The approximately 14 year old Birmese was diagnosed with CDS (feline Alzheimer's). !!!!!! I am devastated. She is not doing well at all--not eating, not aware, getting lost, lethargic, not wanting touch, not recognizing Kara, using the bathroom in strange places... The doctor gave some medicine and I pray that it gives her some relief...for BOTH her sake and Kara's! Can you imagine helping out an old friend by hosting their beloved cat while they're on the mission field...only to have her diagnosed with an irreversible and even fatal condition less than 3 months later??


What will life BE like for them? :(


I am hurting.


I am hurting because I already missed my cat...SO much! And now there is this deeper longing and this...guilt! I love her best and most. I promised her a better life. I said, "It's you and me." Now I've forsaken her...ABANDONED her! She must be so frightened!! Oh, poor baby!! I love her so much!! What if my friend gets tired of her? What if caring for her is too hard? It would NEVER be too hard for me!! I love her. I LOVE HER! I would do anything for her. (What CAN I do?)


Oh, Bosch.



Please pray for this awesome, special kitty that she may know she is loved, even if she knows nothing else.
And pray for comfort and strength for all those who cherish her...especially Kara.

And me.

:(

Maybe this was the first of many bumps in the road, or maybe this was the only one of its kind.  Who can say, really?  But...I've had a hard week, followed by a week of reprieve, followed by the mother of all hard weeks.  I am not in the gripey state of wanting to say too much about it, but I do need to admit... This is hard.
"This"--being alone in a new place,
"This"--missing my family, friends, and easily accessible allergy-friendly foods,
"This"--maneuvering through day-to-day life without comprehension of language,
"This"--learning about myself and others through trial and error,
"This"--teetering along a thin line between professionalism and friendship; openness and privacy,
"This"--restructuring of time, needs, passions, and responsibilities,
"This"--absence of middle ground between overwhelm and isolation,
"This"--feeling of disconnect from those who are in closest proximity to me,
"This"--reconciliation of dreams, desires, and reality,
"This"--fear that so many people who've put their trust and belief in me...may be disappointed in me...

Confession:  Even as I write this, and even as I experience these things and these feelings, there is a constant whir within me that assures me I'm just fine; that I will be just fine; that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be; exactly who I'm supposed to be. 

Do you know that I once lost track of time while talking to my friend Jeffrey and he missed the last bus from Boulder to Denver?  He was born without arms or legs and his wheelchair didn't collapse AND weighed 400 lbs, so it was impossible to drive him home or hire a cab.  Without a second thought, I arranged to leave his chair in a nearby restaurant, carried him to my car and buckled him into the safety belt, drove him to my apartment, and proceeded to carry him up a steep flight of stairs in the middle of the night...realizing only the next morning when I carried him down again...how crazy heavy he was!!!  I thought I'd drop him on the descent, and I told him so.  (Poor guy!  He was terrified!)  He said, "I know!  The way you ran up the stairs with me last night, I thought, 'Good Lord!  Who IS this woman??'"  ...But that's me.  When the situation calls for it, I somehow arise with all it takes to survive...and sometimes even thrive!

So that's not different here and now.

This isn't horn-tootin'.  I'm amazing at my job!  I am, and I'm soooo glad!  Who really knew that I would be?  I certainly didn't.  But, thankfully, it's true!  Each of my classes is so, so different and therefore requires not only a different lesson plan each week, but also a different part of me!

The day of my first class was the first emergence of any real drama for me here in Japan.  It came in the form of a misunderstanding between me and my colleagues.  (Imagine that!  A misunderstanding between people of different cultures, from different countries, with different languages and ages and personalities??  Who'da thunk it?) ;)  Riding the train toward the church, I tearfully lamented, "I'm unable.  I'm not ready.  I can't do this."  But a dear friend back in the States happened to still be awake and on Skype and said, "Uhhh, yeah you can.  Let's get you prepped," and proceeded to brainstorm with me precisely how I would manage my first class.

This was an introductory meeting, so I went in expecting to lead a couple activities for 3 to 10 adults in their 50's and ended up with over 30 potential students between the ages of 2 and 70 whom I needed to teach/entertain for almost TWO HOURS! Ha!!  But you know what?  It went really, really well! :)  And each my classes since have too!



Even so, I lingered in a "funk."  I was able to apply so many of the compassionate communication skills I obtained through my education at Naropa University and though it would have (for a split second) seemed easier to just throw in the proverbial towel and head back to the States, I hung in there.  I'm glad I did.

I guess it's just tricky to truly settle in anywhere, especially when there are SO many adjustments to make.  I'm an open person.  I love to share my stories and my heart with others and I love encouraging that type of openness within them.  Even so, I was not quite prepared for the cultural difference wherein what is shared between two does not remain between two and becomes instead "common knowledge."  It is my belief that the people of Japan Presbytery care for and worry about me a great deal, so it seems natural to discuss me...even things about me that I'd rather they didn't discuss--typical American "taboos" like money, health, and personal life, you know?  I had begun to feel that my life lacked walls and doors and curtains, so to speak.  Everything I said and did and felt seemed up for discussion...whether I was a participant in that discussion or not.  BUT...once I realized what was happening and how horribly it was affecting me.  I drew upon my resources (support from friends, family, and employer, conflict resolution training, and straight up, tearful prayer) and managed to work through things and restore joy and equanimity to my life and my work.  (I specify now that these are two different things.) ;)

Anyway, it's been a rough go of late. Struggles and disappointments have seeped into a months-long run of good days. I'm grateful, though, for all that I've learned and am learning--the greatest lesson of which seems to be a reminder to be gentle with myself and others and to not hold on too tightly or let go too quickly, but to instead float along, oar in hand, ready to paddle if things go off course.

(June 8)  To isolate one experience or day or even weekend and call it "my favorite in Japan so far" seems extreme and even inconceivable!  I have had so MANY great days and so MANY wonderful experiences in the past two and a half months that it would be simpler to select a BAD day from the bunch.  (There've been so few!  ...And "bad" seems harsh.  I haven't had any "bad" days here!)
Something happened last month though, and I feel like it needs further mention here in my blog, and yes, I'm assured in saying, "It is my favorite weekend in Japan so far!" :)

A few weeks ago, I visited Kunitachi to stay with my friend Kenta Karasawa and his family.  He is the pastor of Kunitachi Nozomi Kyokai.  This was the most complicated journey by train I'd made alone thus far, but I arrived safely after only one missed connection.  (Due to renovations at the Ebina station, there were no signs with Romaji...so I couldn't read ANYTHING!  "Which train is this?  What direction is it going?  Is it an express?"  I finally had to ask an employee to confirm I was headed to the right platform.  Things like that make me sweaty. Ha!  But it all worked out!)

Kenta and the Satohs met me at the station and I left my belongings at the manse and took off on bike for a day full of adventure!  (It was hilarious how concerned Karasawa-sensai and Satoh-sensai were about my ability to ride the bike and my safety while doing so!)

(May 24)  Yesterday was Pentecost.  I woke up early because the church I was visiting, Megumi, is two hours away by train.   As has become my routine, I immediately checked my e-mail.  Tucked into a collection of sweet correspondence from people I love was, what its author titled, a "Love Letter."  This letter came from a peer of mine whom I was lucky enough to mentor as an Orientation Leader during his first semester at Naropa University a couple years ago.  The letter explained the path this young man had taken to the place and time we met and the road(s) he's taken since then.  He highlighted my role in his life as being pivotal to the man he's become and is becoming.  I was moved beyond measure by his words.

I've often paused to reflect on how I got to where I am (wherever that may be at the time) and always I can pinpoint certain people and experiences that directed me somehow.  It fees amazing that I am just such a guidepost in someone else's life.

If I asked myself that question today--"How did I get here?"--I hardly know where my answer would begin.  Indeed, it's been a long and unique journey--blissful and rich at times, somber or inimical at others.  I feel each stone in the path beneath my feet has been perfectly placed, so I cherish the good and (so-called) bad that strenghtened and formed me into the woman who is now so joyfully relishing my life as a missionary in Japan!

After worship and lunch yesterday (where I was asked to SING! ...That's a story for another day.), I joined with many people of all ages to celebrate the commissioning service of Pastor Iwao Satoh, whose family (True, Humika, and Tabi, as they will be known in the U.S.), will leave next week to minister to Japanese-speaking families in Louisville, KY.  Though the service was rather long and I, of course, understood very little, the significance and import of this day was deeply felt.  It was exactly two months ago that I too publicly declared my intention to drastically change my life in response to a call from God.  ...The thing is... My call from God initially came through Iwao Satoh!

Perhaps you've heard this story, but for me the wonder of it keeps it from ever becoming old.  :)  Two years ago, I visited Japan representing The Cumberland Presbyterian magazine at the annual General Assembly conference.  It was my job to assist the then-Editor, a great lady and mother by the name of Pat White, by taking photos, conducting interviews, and preparing notes for a slew of articles.  From the first day of our 10 day stay, I felt an immediate connection to the country and the people.  By Day 3, I found myself sitting in a meeting (on which I was meant to be reporting) thinking, "I love it here.  I do.  I love the food I've eaten, the people I've met, the places I've been, the things I've done.  I love Japan.  I wanna live here.  Yeah.  Maybe I'll just stay here.  Well.  No.  No, I can't stay here.  I have a cat and a job and school, so I'll have to go back to Colorado and take care of all of that, then I can just come back.  ....No, no, no.  That's ridiculous.  How would I ever come back here?  And why?  I wouldn't have a place to live and I don't have a job here and I don't even speak the language!!"  At this point I realized I had not made a single note about the meeting for about 15 minutes, so I refocused on the task at hand.  When the meeting ended, however, I saw something I will never forget.  A man stood quietly near the back door wearing a sandwich board sign that read: "ENGLISH-TEACHING MISSIONARY NEEDED.  PLEASE INQUIRE."  As you can imagine, I immediately felt shock!  I asked God, "How can I live here?" and God said, "Be a missionary!"  People always talk about how they made the biggest decisions of their lives..."It was a SIGN!" they'll say.   ...For me it was an ACTUAL sign!!

In Japan it is not common to do things that might seem outrageous or draw all kinds of attention to one's self.  It would take someone rather silly or foolish to make such a spectacle as to wear a large sign in a crowd of visitors.  Luckily for me, there was someone just silly enough to take that risk, and that someone was Iwao Satoh.  He knew in his heart that we sometimes have to be a fool for God!  So God orchestrated this whole relationship perfectly--a silly sign for a girl silly enough to respond.  And now my friend, my sign, my guidepost, is about to take another risk in the name of Jesus Christ.  He's uprooting from his life of comfort here, leaving his friends and loved ones, and the familiarity of HOME to begin life all over again, to some extent.  I love him and his family very much and I cry when I think of their leaving--because I will miss them, because I know how difficult it is and will be, and because I am so happy for them!  I pray that they may be as welcomed and cared for in MY home country as I have been in THEIRS!



They will leave a void in this country, one that I know I cannot even hope to fill, but I hope that I can follow their examples of love and patience, of extending compassion and forgiveness to all, of sharing in the excitement and sorrow of others, and of being genuine and fearless when it matters most.  If I can do this, I know my life will be changed for the better, and hopefully I can also impact many other lives along the way.

I really love being in Japan and I love all that I'm learning and have learned.  Some will say that the joy I feel in my life here is but a "honeymoon" phase.  I have heard this before and admittedly, when I consider it now, it makes me worry.  Further consideration, however, unravels that theory entirely.  The "honeymoon" can be unending if I continue to deepen my relationship with everything and everyone around me.  I may not ever have come back here without Pastor Satoh, but I'm here now, and I'm going to make the most of every moment.

By the way, the title of this post comes from the fact that THREE different ladies told me yesterday that I look like Snow White.  Perhaps it was my long red dress or the scarf I wore, I don't know.  In some ways I do feel like Snow White--wandering through the woods and singing merry songs.  (I just wish all the birds and rabbits would unite to do my dishes!!) :)

My goodness!!  It's May 21st already!!  I've been in Japan for six weeks now!  This is hard to believe, even for me!!!
I apologize that so much time has passed since I've updated this blog.  (Were you worried?) ;)

Allow me to explain.  ...In order to get Internet at my apartment, I needed a Japanese bank account.  In order to get a bank account, I needed a Japanese Residency ID card.  In order to become a resident, I needed to live here for one month.  Add those hoops to my already hectic schedule of settling in, traveling around, meeting new people, learning new things, AND having my 30th birthday, and, well, I've been doing a lot of jumping...and I don't even start teaching for 2 more weeks!?!! ;)



I'm happy to report, though....All is well.  I love my new home and am amazed, though simultaneously not surprised, at how quickly I'm adjusting to my new apartment and new routine, to new foods and new places and new experiences.  I have so many really, truly GOOD friends here already and am so loved and well-cared for that I get a little overwhelmed at times.  There come times in life when we can feel--when we just KNOW--we're on the right path.  For me, this is one of those times.  I arrived in this place at EXACTLY the right time and I am falling right into the flow of EXACTLY what I'm meant to be doing.



No one can tell me how to do this, not exactly, so by-and-large, I'm finding my own way...and loving every minute of it!  So much has happened since last I wrote, I hardly know where to start in sharing it with you!
Perhaps I'll let these pictures speak for themselves:

Today (April 9) is my first full day in Japan and exactly 3 weeks until my 30th birthday!
I arrived at Narita International Airport around 1:30 pm yesterday and fumbled my way through the various lines and offices required for entry to Japan.  I was feeling very sick to my stomach and still managed to lift all 3 of my 50 lb (each!) checked bags and my 40 lb carry-on onto a luggage cart.  (Someone had left one out so I was able to use it for free and not have to try to figure out the cost or count out any yen!!  It was very serendipitous!)
I made a friend in the Chicago airport and also one on the plane.  This made me very hopeful for the friends I will make during the next 3 years. :)
So far, my experience has been excellent. I'm experiencing typical jet lag symptoms but my hosts and hostesses are very warm and understanding.  I'm already starting to recognize certain words but can't yet remember enough to try to speak.  I'll be glad to start language school in July so that I can feel more confident!  Between now and then I will listen and practice independently, and my hostess/"sister" Urara will work with me as a tutor.  I'm very excited about this!  Today she helped me run some errands--including applying for my residency card.  With this I can open my bank account and get a cell phone and Internet service!  It will be ready for me the day before my birthday.
I feel really good, really happy.
These may be the last 3 weeks of my 20's, but they are the first 3 weeks of the rest of my life!  EVERYTHING is changing...but it feels right.
I was loved and held throughout my preparation for this move and during my travel and upon my arrival.  I know that I am enveloped in prayers and positive energy.  I hope that the goodness I am feeling will ooze into the lives of all the people I meet.
Stayed tuned!!  And keep those prayers comin'! ;)

So many individuals, families, groups, classes, and congregations have blessed me in the work I've been called to do in Japan for the next three years. (I'm behind on my thank you notes, but not on my gratitude. THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!)

In these last two weeks of life in the USA, I'm making another plea for your support. I'm still about $10,000 under my goal. (I'm raising now the money I will live on during my entire stay which is $1,700 a month, or $61,200 total.) To meet this goal is essential. To exceed it would be REMARKABLE!

I have a few ideas of how we can make this happen.

1. If you haven't already, donate now! :) If all of my friends and family sent 10, 15, 20 (or more) dollars to:

RheAnn White
c/o Missions Ministry Team
8207 Traditional Place
Cordova, TN 38016

we'd be in really good shape!! :)


2. Another option is for you, my friends and family, to pledge a larger amount over a longer period of time. For example, you can donate $5 a month for all three years (for a total of $180.) Any amount that works for you, your budget, and your prayerful desire to support my ministry can be inserted into this pledge formula:
X (dollars) x 12 (months) x 3 (years)
Simple, right?
(Your pledge and/or donation can be sent to the address above.)


3. If each of you asked 3 people to match your pledge or donation, we could rapidly QUADRUPLE the figure!!!


Remember all donations (of any size or frequency) are tax-deductible.
Checks should be made to Missions Ministry Team, but should include my name in the memo line in order to insure that the funds are designated to my work.

So, what is my work exactly??

I've been called to serve as an English-teaching missionary in and around Tokyo, Japan!
In addition to teaching 8 classes at 4 churches to students of various ages, I will be attending language school full-time in order to learn Japanese!!
I'm confidant that God will use me to touch many lives and to learn from and grow with the people I meet on this journey.

Thank you for partnering with me on this amazing adventure--through your prayers, your encouragement, and your monetary gifts. ...We're almost there!!  :)

I'll be writing more SOON about my recent commissioning service.  (It was AWESOME!)



And...I leave from St. Louis on April 7th!!!!

After that, all my blogs will be coming to you from a different hemisphere!!!  Yes, starting on April 8th, I will truly be "RheAnn in Japan." :)

Every journey has twists and dips, patches of road without signs where you wonder for a few miles if you're lost; if you missed your turn somewhere, sketchy gas station restrooms, bad radio... Wait.  I think I'm losing the metaphor here.  Refocus.
During these past weeks of perpetual travel, I've been all over emotionally as well.  It has been INCREDIBLE visiting so many churches, meeting so many amazing people, and reconnecting with friends and loved ones across my home state of Tennessee.  I feel very far away from the little girl I was when I lived there, but I feel the lessons I learned then just as deeply within me now.  ...I was also pleased to discover that I'm still learning! ;)
Churches, families, and individuals throughout the state have taken me into their lives and hearts along the way.  I've been so held and well-cared for and no amount of thank you notes could ever aptly express what this has meant to me.  I've also been moved by God's work within the various communities I visited.  From after-school programs to women's missions groups to Bible studies and prayer groups, God is certainly stirring among us and calling us to compassionate living!  It's really inspiring!

On the support-raising front, I have also been the grateful recipient of incredible generosity.  Every dollar contributed will be put to the best use of which I am capable.  Thank you for allowing me to represent you in Japan.  And special thanks to Dyer CPC and Greenville CPC for "adopting" me!!!!  These 2 churches are the first to pledge 100 dollars a month for the entire 3 years of my service!  ::round of applause::

Being in my hometown with my former school mates, saying "farewell," was a beautiful and important stretch of this journey, and in light of the love I felt, I barely missed a beat when in my very own beloved Memphis, my car was burglarized.  Though the back window was broken out, only my coat and scarf were taken.  Anyone who knows me knows I'd have put the perpetrator in my car and taken him or her somewhere warm and given them anything I had that they needed.  Having it taken from me and at the expense of my [mom's] vehicle really upset me for a bit.  But as blessed as I am and with the way my friends banded together to help me, I could hardly focus on that hurt.  Certainly the person who violated my sense of safety was hurting as well.  I'm doubtful that stealing my coat really helped him or her, but I hope that somewhere down the line, they find the healing and peace they need.
In my city, they say "This happens all the time."  I wish we didn't shrug it off so easily.  Surely the fact that it happens "all the time" means that there is always something wrong...something that needs our prayer and our attention.  Alarm systems may protect but they don't eradicate the deeper problem.  I have to wonder:  What compassionate action is God calling us to do in response to this pain in others?  How can we apply the model of Christ's life to help our petty criminals, our impoverished families, and open our own closed hearts?
I was "All Shook Up," ...and maybe it's time to be.

When I left my home in Boulder, a dear friend came by with chai and a few free hours to help with packing.  She also presented me with a precious going away gift.  It was a small silver bird on a thin, pale yellow thread, delicately laced through a small necklace clasp.  It was, she explained, "a wish necklace," meant to be wished upon before wearing and when the thread inevitably broke, the wish would come true.  Upon her suggestion, I infused the gift with all of my intentions for my move to Japan--everything that I wanted to bring, to learn, to see, to hold, to breathe, to experience.  I've not since taken it off, wearing the slowly fraying accessory even when swimming and bathing and getting a massage and wondering when it would finally snap and if I'd even notice!  Since October, that little bird has become a part of my day-to-day life--a reminder of all I am and all I hope to become.  My friend told me she chose that particular emblem because she viewed me as a little bird about to take flight.  I must admit, that is exactly how I feel.

In the past week, I've visited lots of people and places and been highly emotional at times.  I've discovered it's possible to be TOO present! (If you affect your experience of anything by trying to impose meaning, sometimes you're left with meaning...and not experience!) Yes, it has been challenging.  Even when I consider that it might be easier to just scrap this whole idea of moving overseas and resettle among the familiar, deep-down there is a comfortable urge to keep going.  The unknown calls me forward...and the possibility of adversity does not deter me from wanting to soar into the adventures ahead. 

Recently I met JoAnn who'd moved to Japan as a single lady herself in the 60's.  We talked about her life there and the way her life since has been shaped by having lived there.  (She met and married another missionary and their first child was born in Kyoto.  She also carries a deep love for the people of Japan.)  I visited with her and her pastor Kevin and friend Sally.  She even had me over to her farm for lunch.  We looked through pictures and shared our experiences.  I felt like I'd always known her!


Driving back to Nashville, I was on the phone with my mom.  We made arrangements for me to come home for a few days at the start of March (after 2 months on the road) to re-pack and head back out for a youth retreat at NaCoMe--my first one in nearly 4 years, and potentially my last for just as long or longer!  Mom began making suggestions of other churches and places and people I should try to contact or visit before I leave for Japan.  I noticed a tightening in my chest.  "When will I do that?" I asked her frantically.  Then, realizing that I was growing immediately unhappy and overwhelmed, I said to her, "No.  I'm doing enough.  I'm not going to do anymore than I've already planned.  I'm okay."  She agreed with me and it felt really good.  As our conversation continued, I casually reached up to adjust my seat belt off of my shoulder.  My finger caught the thread of my necklace...and it SNAPPED!

I think it's pretty fitting.  I needed to learn and accept that there is no longer a reason to be so hard on myself.  To do what I can is to do enough.  To push myself too hard is to set myself up for feeling overwhelmed or disappointed in myself.  This lesson left me feeling untethered and ready to fly.  Whew!

I grew up on one end of this state but have, at various points in my life, lived all over it.
As I prepare to leave for Japan, this return to my home state has been about more than raising support and connecting and reconnecting with people.  It has also been about connecting and REconnecting with parts of myself.

I will forever carry with me the generosity and hospitality I have experienced in the homes of people who barely know me, just as I have in the homes of those who know me very well.  It feels good to be loved and cared for; to feel safe; to feel like family.  It feels good to drive down familiar roads, sing songs on familiar stages, eat meals in familiar places, and to be surrounded by and embraced by friends.

When I've asked for help, my needs have always been met.  Even amidst a snow storm that prevented me from making it to my engagements in Arkansas, the sweetest lady I know took me in...and made me soup...and told me stories...and let me win at Rummikub. :) 

I've spent hours on the phone and writing e-mails and making plans, but I've spent just as many face-to-face with new and old friends, with family, and with people so inspirational and encouraging that I have been in a perpetual state of, "Ah, I am BLESSED!"

Thank you to the amazing churches and groups with whom I've been able to speak:
Greenville Session, Shiloh Session, Loudon Men's Fellowship, Loudon Morning Bible Study, Brenthaven CP Women's Ministry, Union, Faith Fellowship, Nashville Presbytery Ministers, Women of Woodbine, Mt. Joy, and all of the amazing families and individuals who've offered so much to me.  THANK YOU!

I still have a few weeks left in this state and I'm looking forward to more connections and more growth.  It is such a sentimental journey.  Last week, I stood in front of a small stage in a legendary venue in Nashville and watched one of the former youth from the Brenthaven YouthROCKS which I used to lead, totally rockin out with his band.  To say I felt "proud" would be an understatement.  It really helped put some things into perspective for me, regarding past, present, future, and interconnectedness.  His is one of many lives I somehow managed to shape even a little.  Think of the ripple we can and have already made...

I can't wait to see what's next!

As you probably know, I'll be doing a bit o' traveling between now and my target departure date (3/30).  I'll let you know where and when I'll be just as soon as I know where and when I'll be there!  I invite you to meet me at any of these engagements or propose one of your own! :) I'm hopeful to meet many new people, but equally as eager to see family and old friends before I head across the ocean into Tomorrow. :)

January East Tennessee, Nashville, Southest Arkansas

• 23rd: Greeneville, TN (speaking at the session retreats of Greeneville CPC & Shiloh CPC)
• 24th: Brentwood, TN (attending worship at Brenthaven CPC)
• 25th: Brentwood/Nashville, TN (available)
• 26th: Brentwood, TN (Women's Missions at Brenthaven CPC)
• 26th: Loudon, TN (Men's Fellowship at Loudon CPC)
• 27th: Knoxville, TN (Fellowship Supper at Union CPC)
• 28th: Lenoir City, TN (Bible Study at Faith Fellowship)
• 29th: East TN (available)
• 31st: Monticello, AR (preaching at Shell Chapel in AM & 5th Sunday event in PM--canceled, due to inclement weather.)

February

• 14th: Greenbriar, TN (speaking during worship at Mt. Sharon CPC)
• 21st: Bartlett, TN (speaking during both services at Faith CPC)
• 28th: Dyer, TN (speaking during AM worship at Dyer CPC)

 March

• 3rd: Milan, TN (after-school program & evening fellowship at Milan CPC)
• 7th: McKenzie, TN (preaching at Shiloh CPC)
• 7th: Lebanon, TN (speaking at evening worship at Lebanon CPC) 
• 12-14: Centerville, TN (participating in spring retreat at NaCoMe)
• 21: Brentwood, TN (commissioning service at Brenthaven CPC, 10:45 AM)

Please e-mail or call me to set up speaking engagements!

I'll be honest.
I don't really know where "home" IS anymore?  Even having spent most of a month here at my mom's house in southern Illinois, I can't quite claim it as my own HOME.  Maybe I'm reluctant to settle in, knowing that I'll be traveling and then moving again so soon.

I'm not too worried about feeling "home-less," though.  I've found I catch glimpses of "home" all the time--in a late night conversation with my sister, in perfectly fried farm eggs with my mom, in rollerskating with my 8 year old niece (in the same rink where I learned 26 years ago!), in reading stories and falling asleep with my nephews, in laughing myself to tears with my brother and sister-in-law, in forgetting my worries with my beloved friend Cliff...  Sometimes I think home is where you suddenly see yourself most clearly...





Like 2 weeks ago, when my Auntie Kynda invited me to evening worship at her church A Voice in the Wilderness.  I'd never been there or met any of the members, but within minutes, I felt right at "home."  I am very moved by the voices of genuine and passionate people and this room was FULL of them.  I think many in my generation are turned off of religion--Christianity, in particular--because of the thoughtlessness with which some "Christians" speak and the blatant hypocrisy their closed-mindedness seems to illuminate.  That is why I am all the more drawn in when people are compassionate and loving and fearless.  I was inspired by this congregation!!

Then this past Sunday, I had a REAL "homecoming."  I preached at Burnt Prairie Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a tiny rural church that my ancestors donated land for 150 years ago!  Generations of my family grew up in this church, including my mother and uncles!  It was somewhat surreal to fill the pulpit in a place that shaped the lives of the people who made me who I am today.  In light of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I spoke about not hiding behind our religion or acting/not acting because of fear of how others will view us, but to reveal ourselves--flaws and all--and attempt to remove barriers between ourselves and others, in order to fully connect, to help, and to heal.

...I think I can call any place I am "home," as long as I'm heeding that advice.