Voici! Our second blog since touching down here in the Great White North. Actually, it's not so white just yet. Of course, we know it's coming, though, as each morning gets a little brisker. We're excited for the winter, which is good, because we probably won't be for long once it sets in. But, hey, it's only September 28th, we got some good sunshine ahead of us before we have to cross that bridge. In fact, next week, our little house-church community, Curieux, is headed an hour outside the city for some apple picking at a monastery! That will be a really fun field trip. Not only will we be apple picking, but we'll also be discussing the future endeavors of our little community. Being a part of this church has really been a great experience for Lauren, Dennis, and me. It's definitely more of an alternative type of church, where sermons never happen, music only seldomly, the location changes each week, and there's always a delicious potluck meal to enjoy. The first time we went we fell in love because it was so easy to have Dennis there. It's very similar to a lot of communities across North America and Europe who are sort of experimenting with what it means to be a church and/or community of beleivers. Now that the founding members have moved away, the core group of us (about 12 to 15 people) have the exciting task of asking once again who we are, and where we're going. Curieux started as an alternative type of church that reached out to those in the arts scene. David Brazzeal, the founding member, saw a disconnect between artists and the church and so started Curieux (which means Curious {plural-adjective}) to reach out to artists of faith. Now, we're presently asking ourselves how we can maintain our natural, very social environment without compromising the impassioned faith that we all share and long to espouse in various ways. It's kind of like stripping down everything that usually means "church" to the western mind, keeping our foundation as Jesus-followers, and rebuilding something new from that common foundation. It's truly an exciting process to feel a part of and be able to contribute to. We'll keep you posted as things develop.
Our school starts this Friday. We've had a good month settling in to our new home for the next two years, and are ready to begin our work for this year. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers as God guides us, as a family, through this time of transition.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Getting Settled
So, we arrived Wednesday night at 11 after our flight was delayed for about three hours. In the end, it was a blessing because half of the flight got redirected to other flights so that by the time we reboarded we had 6 seats for the three of us! This made the flight a lot easier for Dennis, which, as all you parents know, made the flight a lot easier for mom and dad. The latest video posted will show you our home for the next two years. We're really happy with it, although it's really empty. Through our great friends Andrea and Julien, we have multiple connections around the neighborhood with people who are willing to just give us stuff to furnish our home. So far we have a fridge, a stove, a desk, a table and chairs, a queen-size bed, a futon mattress, and a rug (which is the only thing we actually have purchased thus far). So the last 3 or 4 days have been filled with organizing boxes and suitcases around the apartment, trips to the park, meeting new and old friends, and acquainting ourselves with our new neighborhood, Parc-Extension. The neighborhood, of course, is unlike anything Lauren and I have ever lived in. We're just beginning to learn about it, but we do know from our friends who have been here for three years that it's about 50% South-East Asian (meaning Indian, Bengali, Sri Lankan, and Pakistani) and the rest is a pretty even mix of Africans, Chinese, South Americans, and caucasians. The neighborhood used to be inhabited completely by Greeks, but most of them are older now and there kids have moved to other areas. Nonetheless, their influence still lingers as there are a few Greek Orthodox churches still alive and well. As with most very ethnic neighborhoods, it's not an upscale area, but the many immigrants here have many kids, which makes for a safe, playful feeling on its streets. We're excited to become a part of this community and learn from the cultural diversity that is unavoidable here.
Our YWAM school will be starting next month, so in a week or so we'll have our first few meetings in order to prepare for the six students who will be attending: 4 girls and 2 guys from France, Germany, Switzerland, and Montreal. Our little church, Curieux, met last night and we were welcomed with much enthusiasm by our closest friends out here. Of all the confirmations that Montreal is where we're supposed to be, our little church has been the biggest one of all. Over and over again we have been blessed by that community, and look forward not only to more blessings but also to what we can give back over the next two years.
So, things are off to a great start out here. Once again we find ourselves on the precipice of an adventure, now with the knowledge of last year's experience, our enthusiasm is bubbling within us as all the possibilities and potential present themselves. We continue to ask for all your prayers and support as we discern what God can and will do through us these next few days, months, and years. This is really fun.
Our YWAM school will be starting next month, so in a week or so we'll have our first few meetings in order to prepare for the six students who will be attending: 4 girls and 2 guys from France, Germany, Switzerland, and Montreal. Our little church, Curieux, met last night and we were welcomed with much enthusiasm by our closest friends out here. Of all the confirmations that Montreal is where we're supposed to be, our little church has been the biggest one of all. Over and over again we have been blessed by that community, and look forward not only to more blessings but also to what we can give back over the next two years.
So, things are off to a great start out here. Once again we find ourselves on the precipice of an adventure, now with the knowledge of last year's experience, our enthusiasm is bubbling within us as all the possibilities and potential present themselves. We continue to ask for all your prayers and support as we discern what God can and will do through us these next few days, months, and years. This is really fun.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
An End, and Another Beginning...
As the summer draws to a close, we look back and reluctantly bid adieu to our family and friends, the foundation of everything we're doing in Montreal. And then we look ahead as the path winds out of sight and into a city we know, with so many possibilities we don't yet know. The twinge of excitement mixes with the dull pain of two years away from home. Still, our home away from home, Montreal, is looking more and more welcoming each day. We have great friends out there, Andrea and Julien, who have already found an apartment for us to rent, a free queen size bed, and a few boxes of kitchen essentials their friends are trying to get rid of. They email us with updates almost every day, and all we can say is "wow".
We apologize for not updating the blog very much during our three-month furlough at home. It's not as if we weren't having as many noteworthy experiences at home as we did in Montreal. We've been to San Francisco, Santa Maria, San Diego, Pismo Beach, Catalina, Tucson, Gilbert, etc. and in between spent most of our time hanging with Grandma LoLo, Uncle Jimmy, and the Manthornes on Santa Carmela. Grandma Lolo, aka mom, has been and continues to be our biggest supporter not only at home but also in Montreal. This summer she's whisked us away to all kinds of fun events, sometimes joining us, sometimes insisting we enjoy some alone time while she watches Dennis. Not even a smidgeon of what we're doing at home or in Montreal would be possible without her.
As for us, Lauren has worked hard all summer--learning first hand what it's like to be a working mom; and I've spent a lot more time with Dennis--learning first hand what it's like to stay at home. It's been insightful, difficult, and rewarding for both of us. It's an experiment we deliberately entered into--to switch the roles we'd so strongly established in Montreal--in order to acheive a more balanced work/home life between the two of us. It should definitely impact the way we organize our respective and collaborative efforts in Montreal.
So, one week from today we have a non-stop, one-way flight from LAX to Montreal. Traveling with Dennis, now that he's nearly walking and as determined as ever, will be an adventure all its own. The first few weeks, I know, will be fraught with character-building and stretching, but, unlike last year, we do know the city, we're learning French, we have a core group of friends that are already buffering our arrival, and we feel as sure as ever that Montreal is and should be home for the next two years.
We apologize for not updating the blog very much during our three-month furlough at home. It's not as if we weren't having as many noteworthy experiences at home as we did in Montreal. We've been to San Francisco, Santa Maria, San Diego, Pismo Beach, Catalina, Tucson, Gilbert, etc. and in between spent most of our time hanging with Grandma LoLo, Uncle Jimmy, and the Manthornes on Santa Carmela. Grandma Lolo, aka mom, has been and continues to be our biggest supporter not only at home but also in Montreal. This summer she's whisked us away to all kinds of fun events, sometimes joining us, sometimes insisting we enjoy some alone time while she watches Dennis. Not even a smidgeon of what we're doing at home or in Montreal would be possible without her.
As for us, Lauren has worked hard all summer--learning first hand what it's like to be a working mom; and I've spent a lot more time with Dennis--learning first hand what it's like to stay at home. It's been insightful, difficult, and rewarding for both of us. It's an experiment we deliberately entered into--to switch the roles we'd so strongly established in Montreal--in order to acheive a more balanced work/home life between the two of us. It should definitely impact the way we organize our respective and collaborative efforts in Montreal.
So, one week from today we have a non-stop, one-way flight from LAX to Montreal. Traveling with Dennis, now that he's nearly walking and as determined as ever, will be an adventure all its own. The first few weeks, I know, will be fraught with character-building and stretching, but, unlike last year, we do know the city, we're learning French, we have a core group of friends that are already buffering our arrival, and we feel as sure as ever that Montreal is and should be home for the next two years.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Summer!
Well, well, well. It's been much too long since our last blog, nearly two months. We've been home now for most of that time, with a few vacations interspersed. Lauren just landed her third job for the summer. She now works at a restaurant, a coffee shop, and on the tennis courts. She's making some much-needed money. I, on the other hand, am laying low most of the Summer with no major obligations except caring for Dennis Michael. Other than that, I have been doing a few little projects/experiments here and there. A few of those are volunteering at an elderly home once a week, going to a weekend-long retreat on the Buddha and Jesus, recording nine new songs for another album, some football coaching, and just recently beginning to play out at some open-mics. Also, in June, while I was in San Francisco for a family wedding, I was able to meet with two prominent people of faith in the Bay Area. One of them was Nichola Torbett from Seminary of the Street (seminaryofthestreet.org) and the other was Mark Scandrette (reimagine.org). I encourage you to check out both websites; these people are doing some very unique, creative things within their communities. It was great to share thoughts and ideas with both of them. On that same note, I've started meeting occasionally with a friend of mine back home here, about the same age as I am, who seems to be on the same page as I am in a bunch of ways. It's been great to meet with him and start discussions that have been swirling around in both our heads for quite some time now about our faith and how it relates to Orange County, our careers, and our families. It's really been a blessing to me. We leave for Tucson to share a few days with Grandma and Grandpa Fitz, Uncle Steve, Aunt Katie, and Cousing Lily on Monday. We'll be there until August 1st (Dennis' birthday) and then come back home for our last month in the OC for quite some time. It will be filled with fundraising (hopefully), preparation, work, and anticipation. Amidst all of that, we hope to be able to continue working on our French. From what we've heard, the school next year will be predominantly Francophones, so it'll be sink or swim for us Anglophones. Rosetta Stone to the rescue! Just as long as I can get my sugar mama to find some time in the daily grind for a little parlez-vous...
Until next time! Thanks for following. Leave comments!
Until next time! Thanks for following. Leave comments!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A Superb Experience
So, I wrote in my last blog that I would elaborate a bit on what I did for my internship and my internship report. Our school director, Pierre, calls the internship a personal faith project. As I wrote in my last blog, for me it was experimenting with everything I've ever been interested in. Firstly, it was prayer, and that remained primary throughout the entire eight months. I knew from the beginning that prayer would precede everything else I did out here; so, I surrounded myself with resources that would birth, nourish, and sustain a habit of prayer. That in itself has been and will continue to be quite a journey for me. Secondly, my search for a vocation (AKA the career I was meant to pursue) motivated and initiated many of the diverse experiences I've had in this big city. To summarize, for weeks, sometimes months, at a time I seriously considered each of the following careers: musician, social activist, chaplain, journalist, farmer, music therapist, and teacher. I've written new songs, I've met with an elderly man once or twice a week, I've reported on events for a local newspaper, I've learned the ethics of how we eat (mostly thanks to my wife and Wendell Berry), I've gone to information sessions and conferences pertaining to these interests, I've met with various faith-leaders, whether Buddhist, Catholic, or Evangelical, and, finally, I've learned about the importance and innate value of work. In other words, I've learned that our work, the daily tasks that each one of us has, whether it be at home or outside the home, religious or secular, is the substance of our spirituality; it's where our faith is "wrought out at the coal-face", as Lesslie Newbigin describes it. In response to this realization and through lots of prayer and practical logic provided by my wife, I decided a few months ago to return to the career I thought I was leaving behind when I came out here. Thus, I've applied and been accepted to l'Université de Montréal for their masters program in English Studies, starting next fall. Of course, my primary obligation (besides Lauren and Dennis) will be to the Urban Cultures YWAM school that Lauren and I will help run the next two years. The classes for my masters will be worked in around that. Nonetheless, I'm happy to be progressing towards a career in teaching literature, no matter what form that may take.
So, at the end of the eight months, while reflecting on all these experiences and realizations, I decided that music would be a good vehicle to crystallize them. Thus, for a good two weeks before the internship report was due, I scoured my journals and notes, highlighted, wrote down, cut-up, and grouped together anything that seemed to represent a common theme that was prevalent during my time here. I was determined to finish 8 to 10 songs, record them, and burn them onto a CD to hand in on the due date. Much thanks to my divinely patient wife who generously allowed me the time to write and record, and thanks to my fellow classmate Andrew Koole who supplied the Apple Garage Band program and his sweet harmonies, I was able to accomplish my goal. The 10 songs on the CD are very raw, recorded in about 3 hours (compare that to the near 300 hundred hours my last CD took), but nonetheless are adequately representative of my/our experiences out here. I'm excited to share, continue writing, and playing these songs with some of my friends and family back home.
So, at the end of the eight months, while reflecting on all these experiences and realizations, I decided that music would be a good vehicle to crystallize them. Thus, for a good two weeks before the internship report was due, I scoured my journals and notes, highlighted, wrote down, cut-up, and grouped together anything that seemed to represent a common theme that was prevalent during my time here. I was determined to finish 8 to 10 songs, record them, and burn them onto a CD to hand in on the due date. Much thanks to my divinely patient wife who generously allowed me the time to write and record, and thanks to my fellow classmate Andrew Koole who supplied the Apple Garage Band program and his sweet harmonies, I was able to accomplish my goal. The 10 songs on the CD are very raw, recorded in about 3 hours (compare that to the near 300 hundred hours my last CD took), but nonetheless are adequately representative of my/our experiences out here. I'm excited to share, continue writing, and playing these songs with some of my friends and family back home.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
A Woman's Perspective
It's been too long since I've had this blank blog page before me, the keyboard at my fingertips, feeling such power and freedom with the knowledge that all you loyal followers will read whatever I, Lauren Christine Fitzgerald Flanagan, choose to express! Ah, the World Wide Web!
Okay, so it's a rainy day and I've been inside a little too long. Actually, not true either. I'm prattling now (if you don't know the word: look it up; it's my new fave, probably because I do it too much!). Focus, Lauren, focus...
Denny, Big D (switched from Lil' D since he's a beast now), and I just returned from my favorite place here in Montreal: Jean Talon Market. The only way to give you an accurate image is to call it a farmer's market, yet it's so much more...Open all week long, every day, one stop shopping. Now that Spring has come-- and with it asparagus, tomatoes, leeks, rhubarb, and the like-- the market is booming. It's enormous, and there are outdoor vendors set up as in any farmer's market, as well as permanent stores selling local meat, cheese, beauty products, grains, bulk, produce, you name it. Any herb, plant, or flower is also there to purchase, along with other gardening supplies. Amazing. I can never get enough. After strolling through, studying cheeses I've never heard of and seeking out Quebecois produce for about an hour a half I feel like I'm just getting started... but King Dennis usually lays down the law and hurries me along.
I was recently able to show off this favorite spot of mine to a very special visitor... Momma Lolo herself (Lois, Denny's mom, that is)! She arrived the 1st of May, Dennis' 9 month birthday, accompanied me while Denny was away on his outdoor extreme camp, and was then here for a week after Denny returned. What a blessing! To see Grandma and Grandson reunited after too much time apart... words don't do it justice. She marveled at his smile and flirtation skills (wooing every person who is willing to look his way), watched him learn how to crawl, was here to guide us and snuggle with him during his first real sickness, and even allowed us a date night on her last night in town: what a woman! We tried to spoil her as best we could (especially on Mother's Day) by showing her our favorite spots, feeding her crepes, and drinking red wine and some local beer. We had an awesome time together, and are now anxiously anticipating all the time we'll have in good ol' Fountain Valley beginning in 18 short days.
As to not overwhelm you all with a 17-page blog, I'll save the stories of my growing passion for social justice through the way we eat and cook for another day. In the meantime, if anyone has any good bread recipes or tips, leave me a comment! I've been teaching myself to make our bread that we eat, and it's a learning process...
Thanks for reading; happy Spring!
Okay, so it's a rainy day and I've been inside a little too long. Actually, not true either. I'm prattling now (if you don't know the word: look it up; it's my new fave, probably because I do it too much!). Focus, Lauren, focus...
Denny, Big D (switched from Lil' D since he's a beast now), and I just returned from my favorite place here in Montreal: Jean Talon Market. The only way to give you an accurate image is to call it a farmer's market, yet it's so much more...Open all week long, every day, one stop shopping. Now that Spring has come-- and with it asparagus, tomatoes, leeks, rhubarb, and the like-- the market is booming. It's enormous, and there are outdoor vendors set up as in any farmer's market, as well as permanent stores selling local meat, cheese, beauty products, grains, bulk, produce, you name it. Any herb, plant, or flower is also there to purchase, along with other gardening supplies. Amazing. I can never get enough. After strolling through, studying cheeses I've never heard of and seeking out Quebecois produce for about an hour a half I feel like I'm just getting started... but King Dennis usually lays down the law and hurries me along.
I was recently able to show off this favorite spot of mine to a very special visitor... Momma Lolo herself (Lois, Denny's mom, that is)! She arrived the 1st of May, Dennis' 9 month birthday, accompanied me while Denny was away on his outdoor extreme camp, and was then here for a week after Denny returned. What a blessing! To see Grandma and Grandson reunited after too much time apart... words don't do it justice. She marveled at his smile and flirtation skills (wooing every person who is willing to look his way), watched him learn how to crawl, was here to guide us and snuggle with him during his first real sickness, and even allowed us a date night on her last night in town: what a woman! We tried to spoil her as best we could (especially on Mother's Day) by showing her our favorite spots, feeding her crepes, and drinking red wine and some local beer. We had an awesome time together, and are now anxiously anticipating all the time we'll have in good ol' Fountain Valley beginning in 18 short days.
As to not overwhelm you all with a 17-page blog, I'll save the stories of my growing passion for social justice through the way we eat and cook for another day. In the meantime, if anyone has any good bread recipes or tips, leave me a comment! I've been teaching myself to make our bread that we eat, and it's a learning process...
Thanks for reading; happy Spring!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Update
So, it's been a few weeks since our New York trip. Since then, we've had class on different forms of church, gone into the wilderness for 5 days for the Niko Camp, and been working hard on finishing some of the major reports due at the end of the month, also known as the end of the school! It's a very busy time for us with the above-mentioned reports, preparing for our quickly-approaching summer at home, and, most importantly, Dennis crawling! Man, it's turned us on our heads. He's quite opinionated now that he can crawl, not to mention mobile.
One report that I just finished was based on two books: Foolishness to the Greeks: the Gospel and Western Culture by Lesslie Newbigin and The Complex Christ: Signs of Emergence in the Urban Church by Kester Brewin. Both were excellent explanations of how and why we need to revamp our thinking of missiology in the western world (meaning Western Europe and North America roughly). They really gave me new insight and meaning into what it means to be missional in the urban context.
Another report that I'm still working on is a study on the sub-culture of the elderly in Montreal. Based on my weekly meetings with an 82 year-old sweetheart of a man, a few visits to organizations serving the elderly, and a book based on the important role of the elderly in Quebec, my report will focus on the problem of isolation among many seniors in Montreal and their inherent, but all-too-often ignored, value in our society. I've come to realize that working with the elderly is definitely something that's heavy on my heart; I am thankful to have discovered such an interest.
Lastly, at the very end of the school, we are required to turn in our internship report. My internship over the last eight months has basically been experimenting with every thing I've ever been interested in. As you can imagine, it has lead me all over the city where I've experienced all kinds of amazing things. In fact, for the next blog I will go into detail about my internship, all the experiences it has entailed, and how I plan to wrap it up nicely with a bow on top. For now, I'll keep in you some suspense.
One report that I just finished was based on two books: Foolishness to the Greeks: the Gospel and Western Culture by Lesslie Newbigin and The Complex Christ: Signs of Emergence in the Urban Church by Kester Brewin. Both were excellent explanations of how and why we need to revamp our thinking of missiology in the western world (meaning Western Europe and North America roughly). They really gave me new insight and meaning into what it means to be missional in the urban context.
Another report that I'm still working on is a study on the sub-culture of the elderly in Montreal. Based on my weekly meetings with an 82 year-old sweetheart of a man, a few visits to organizations serving the elderly, and a book based on the important role of the elderly in Quebec, my report will focus on the problem of isolation among many seniors in Montreal and their inherent, but all-too-often ignored, value in our society. I've come to realize that working with the elderly is definitely something that's heavy on my heart; I am thankful to have discovered such an interest.
Lastly, at the very end of the school, we are required to turn in our internship report. My internship over the last eight months has basically been experimenting with every thing I've ever been interested in. As you can imagine, it has lead me all over the city where I've experienced all kinds of amazing things. In fact, for the next blog I will go into detail about my internship, all the experiences it has entailed, and how I plan to wrap it up nicely with a bow on top. For now, I'll keep in you some suspense.
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