Mid-week update

We still have one meeting left, which will happen today with Jim Beverly, a well-known authority on world religions. We've met with all the others earlier in the week, and everything was great. Two of the organizations we met with were focused on poverty and caring for the economically poor. Another was focused on art and artists, asking: how can art play a bigger role in our Christian faith and vice-versa? The last one we met with was focused on homosexuals, asking: amidst the wide spectrum of Christian opinions on homosexuality, how can we offer those dealing with it a safe-haven for discussion, counseling, and understanding? Of course, this has offered all of us, individually and collectively, an abundance of fodder for thought and discussion. For me, it's been nice to meet with these organizations a second time because I'm not swept off my feet with each new place we visit. Last year, these people were so insightful, compassionate, and dedicated to their causes, after each meeting I was convinced their respective cause and perspectives on that cause were the only things that mattered. This year, having become "a bit less vague to myself", I'm more certain of my personal goals. Nonetheless, this year's visit to Toronto has still had a significant impact on a few beliefs of mine; specifically, what Geoff Ryan at 614 Salvation Army shared about our undeniable call as Christians to identify with the poor. Geoff, his wife, and their 3 or 4 kids live in Regent Park, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Canada because of the poverty and gangs that are present there. He has chosen to live in this neighborhood because he believes there's no other way to have a significant impact on it. So, his kids go to school there at a sub-par inner city school, and when there's a shooting or a fire in the middle of the night and everybody is outside, he and his family are outside, too--immersed in all the action of the neighborhood, living side-by-side with these people. Of course, the difference is that he and his wife have chosen to live there, the others have never had a choice. He explains that Christ had all the choices in the world, he was God!, but he chose to humble himself and become one of us, and absorb the sins of the "neighborhood". This is how Geoff theologically explains his calling to the inner city, and it's a passionate one. Just one example here of some of the amazing things we've come across this week. We pray that amidst all the info-influx, we are able to personally take steps towards making these ideas and concepts concrete realities in our own lives. Thanks for reading.

Toronto this week!

Tomorrow we leave for a week-long trip to Toronto with our school. Altogether there will be 11 of us (six students, four staff, and one baby) on the trip. Fortunately, we've made some great connections through friends to be able to stay at some nice houses while we're there. I (Denny) have taken on the responsibility of planning what we'll be doing and who we'll be visiting during the week. Last year while I was a student we went to Toronto, and this year will be very similar. We'll be meeting with Yonge Street Mission (http://www.ysm.ca/), a ministry in downtown Toronto working with the poor, and John Franklin, the executive director of Imago Arts (http://www.imago-arts.on.ca), an organization that exists to "to engage in promoting artistry of high caliber that will be both enriching and carry positive influence on the Canadian cultural landscape". We'll also be meeting with Geoff Ryan from the Salvation Army along with his Ignite interns (http://www.614network.com/regentpark/) to learn more about the intensive, amazing things he and his team are doing in an area of Toronto torn apart by gang-violence and poverty. That same day we'll travel out to Mississauga to meet with Wendy Gritter (http://www.btgproject.blogspot.com/) from New Direction, an organization doing some amazing things related to the homosexuality issues within the church. I encourage anyone to check out her blog, very interesting stuff all the time. Lastly, we're meeting with our friend Andrea's father, James A. Beverly, who happens to be a significant authority on world religions within the evangelical Christian milieu. In fact, he recently finished a book, Nelson's Illustrated Guide to World Religions, which Hans Kung (a world-renowned Catholic theologian) has given his illustrious commendation to. I wrote him to ask if he would meet with us humble YWAMers and he replied saying only because his daughter said he should. I appreciated his honesty! We'll meet with him on Friday to discuss how we as Christians can gain new perspectives on other religions and learn to live side-by-side with people of other faiths in our immigrant-rich context. Amidst all of that, we'll find time to do some sight-seeing and walking around the big city of Toronto. It's the biggest in Canada, with roughly 4.5 million inhabitants. A staggering statistic we heard this week is that 47% of people living in Toronto were born outside of Canada. That's a lot of immigration! So, we're looking forward to an engaging, motivating week. When we return, we'll be looking forward to a bit of a calmer November than October. Lauren has finished and passed her French course, so we're getting better with the language obstacle every day. It's really exciting once you get over that hump, language-wise. So, when we return, we'll be able to really get settled in for the long haul and continue this wonderful journey we're on together. Our funding is really tight, but we know we're where we're supposed to be. We'll write again soon. Check out the links I listed above if you're interested; all the organizations are really interesting to learn about. Love ya!

Quick Update

Well, we're about finished with the first two weeks of our school, and, of course, it's been a whirlwind of activity. Lauren is almost finished with her six-week French course and has really benefited from it. Next week we're in for a great week of teaching on urban missiology. The week after that we're headed to Toronto to meet with a few great ministries out there. By the time we return, we'll be ready to settle into more of a routine, getting involved in both of our volunteering responsibilities and continuing to run the school. This morning it was 30 degrees outside. There were actually a few flakes of snow falling from the sky! It's October 15th! Despite the prematurely freezing weather, we're doing great! Enjoying the excitement of being on our own and learning our rhythms as a family once again. I (Denny) have my second Montreal gig on November 13th, so am beginning to practice/prepare for that. Of course, there's much more to tell you, but we must be patient. Thanks for following!

School starts this week!

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.

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.

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.

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!