...before the onset of the DMiss cohort in Pasadena. Am I excited?
Well, perhaps. More than anything, I'm aware that I feel prepared and calm about going. It feels like I'm about to scale a serious mountain and these two weeks represent the planning and preparation stage, if not 'base camp' itself.
During the last few weeks, all sorts of things have come together. One of the most exciting has been Sarah's receipt of a job offer with a national educational charity that focuses upon children with special needs. After last year when our business and income went completely AWOL, we both embarked upon a voyage of discovery—as in: "Now what??"
For me, it turned out to be a case of reconciling myself to the need to get right out of the boat of commercial activity. Something I didn't find easy, having combined my vocational work and study alongside commercial work for my whole adult life. But each step on the water confirmed that I was being upheld by the Lord.
For Sarah, the journey was one of vocational discovery. It took a few major twists and turns of investigation—getting metaphorically speaking beyond a few 'no through road' and 'no u-turn' signs—to propel her towards a realisation that she wanted to combine her vocational commitment to the Institute with a local, part-time job. A few weeks later one presented itself and turns out to be a really great match for Sarah and her capabilities, with a funding term that coincides superbly with my studies.
Back home again. I've yet to blog about the trip to and time in Pasadena; it will hopefully happen—but the last three weeks have been spent (a) getting over jet lag and tiredness; (b) emotionally adjusting to the new terrain of my life, as I begin DMiss studies and a revised program for constructing a missional theology and Sarah begins her new work outside the home; (c) gathering resources for the onset of studies.