Control

Watched the Democratic Debate in LA tonight.


This one question caught my attention:

Wow, imagine if that question was turned around: "Mr. Clinton, could you control your wife?" That'd create a riot.

Man oh man. Silly double-standards.

News Blog Site

Just wanted to make you all aware of WJC's news blog, which is maintained by the students in the program. The posts tend to be personal reflections on either the program or current events.

I should have a post up soon, and will continue to contribute throughout the semester.

Here it is.
http://wjcblog.typepad.com/ink_tank/

Figuring out DC.

Since I last posted I've chopped cucumbers, onions and celery, seen pictures of the some of the worst crimes committed against humanity and experienced my first professional hockey game.

Getting the whole package here in D.C.

So I'll explain. The chopping business was part of my service project that students in the WJC are required to participate in. Required, yes, but I was quite happy and excited to do it. I served at the "DC Central Kitchen," which prepares and distributes 5,000 meals a day for various homeless shelters in the D.C. area. I met some pretty interesting people, including a woman named "Mrs. Dot," who, despite her drill-sergeant of the kitchen like ways and almost undecipherable accent, was all too lovable.

Today I went to the Holocaust Museum, which was simply amazing. A very powerful place that definitely will affect anyone who visits it (maybe the Iranian president should visit it). There were thousands of pictures, hundreds of artifacts and many videos in the museum that served to show the incredible plight of European Jews under the Nazi regime during World War II. I wouldn't do it justice trying to describe it in words, so I won't.

On Thursday I went to see the Washington Capitals play the Toronto Maple Leafs. (yes, Leafs.) One of the students here is from Minnesota, where hockey is like the state sport. I had a good time, even though we definitely got the nose-bleeder seats. (Hey, it was $10.)

Classes have been going pretty well. Our last session gave me a lot to think about. We had our director, who is an Orthodox Christian, explain to us how Catholic and Orthodox believers view the world in comparison to Wesleyan Christians (of which many evangelicals can be described as). Our popular Protestant culture in America has tended to encourage people to make Christian versions of whatever it is they do in life (eg. Christian music, Christian books, Christian radio stations).

Our director said this is very different from the typical ancient church view, which simply said you should just be the best at what you do--that is how you honor God. I definitely have been thinking about that the past few years, but the way he presented it was even more powerful.

There has been other stuff lectured on that has shaken my mind up a bit, but I'll just leave it at that; a lot of it is still processing.

Tomorrow we're visiting a new church: Capitol Baptist Church, which apparently is pretty well-known even outside D.C.

You all can be praying that I stay resolute in the midst of difficulties and doubt. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of frustration and stress when I enter my internship, and I don't want to get into a stage of self-pity. Rather, I want to push myself all the harder--learn and grow from my mistakes and short-comings. Also pray that I not draw back from the people around me. I've been really happy with how part of this WJC group I feel. For all you who know me and read my blogs, you know I have a lot of inner-turmoil around my social life and where I fit in sometimes. So it has been good that I feel so accepted and liked here. I just don't want to unintentionally lose that because I got lazy.

Love. Faith.

--mjf.

Weather!

Wow. So today was the coldest day I have experienced in a long time. Currently, at 2:00 pm, it is a steaming 23 degrees. Walking to church today I felt like my ears were going to freeze and fall off. Right now I'm wearing like four layers of shirts just to get my body warm again. The sky, however, is quite clear.

I've been told the weather has been acting up a bit lately: snowed two times in the past week, weather in the upper 50s, then two days later in the lower 20s. So yeah, seem to be getting a quick tour of the weather diversity here in D.C..

Church this morning was pretty nice. I went to a place called Christ Our Shepherd with many of the other WJC students. It definitely was different than I am used to, but very good. The pastor had quite an academic sermon (sounded like a professor), and there was a dance team that performed. There also was another pastor who had a stout British accent. It just so happens that relatives of my pastor in La Mirada go to this church--small, small world.

As it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day tomorrow, there's nothing really going on. So I'll probably be doing some sightseeing around town. Need to get all the tourist out of me before I actually have to start working.

One of my roommates did a video tour of our house. Here is the link (you may need Facebook to view this): http://biola.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=508346632776 .



A bunch of us at a place called Cosi, in downtown D.C.. It was sort of a coffee/sandwich place with a twist: you could order smores! But that was a fun day. We all jumped on the metro to go shopping, and then just cruised downtown for a while. Cool city I am in. Also, last night, after playing games at our house, all the WJCers went to a nifty little pizza place for dinner. Delicious!

DC--Days 1 and 2

So, I have officially arrived at the nation's capitol. The land of the most powerful people in the world. And behind the scenes, also home the country's most impoverished people. What a city.

The plane flight was, as you might expect, tiring. I flew from Portland at 11:30 PM and landed in Houston at 5:30 their time. After a two hour layover, I proceeded on a plane to Baltimore, arriving at 11:20 EST.

Then I had a long day of orientation and settling in. I met all my fellow WJCers, got a crash course in DC public transportation, and heard a great message from a local pastor who is affiliated with the program.

Needless to say, I passed out as soon as I hit the pillow last night.

Today began with a walk to Union station--a rather large hub for DC public transportation. There we ate some delightful breakfast at a restaurant right in the center of this impressive and elaborate complex.


(Union Station--you can see the statues which go around the entire perimeter of the complex. It's hard to capture the immensity of this place on camera)


Oh yeah, did I mentioned it snowed today? That's a minor detail. Yeah, it dumped. Big ole southern flakes is what they said it looked like. Basically that means big and wet flakes. And given that you walk everywhere, we got the pleasure of enjoying it in all it's glory. Least I got to test out my new "Weatherproof" jacket.
From there commenced several more orientation type deals, with a lunch break at a quaint little seafood restaurant.


(Us at the seafood place)


The house I am staying at is fantastic. It's a four story house in the typical DC row-house style (tall, but very skinny, and cramed like a tuna in-between two other houses). We're pretty much in the backyard of the Supreme Court building. I know, it's crazy. I've seen this place in pictures, on TV--but now I am living just a couple blocks away from it. It literally would just be 3 minute walk to get there.

I haven't got to cruise the city too much (that'll come this weekend), but it already has been quite a mouthful portion for this west-coast boy. I'm just paranoid about getting lost. I've used public transportation, like what? Twice in my whole life? And that's basically our only mode of transportation other than walking. It's a little nerve-wracking to think that I will have to be relying on public transit to get me everywhere I need to go on time. Driving a car you have so much...control. But our director says we'll be experts in a couple weeks--so we'll see.

I'll be keeping you all updated as I go along. I'll try to post at least once a week--probably more in these first couple weeks. Once it kicks up, though, it'll be a little more difficult.


Cheers


(Door of WJC's Green House)

Almost there

So, in less than four days I will be flying to the other coast of the United States; to a place where this country has made all its laws; to a place where some of the most powerful people in the world go to work--Washington DC.

It has been a wonderful break. Been good to see my family again. But I'm ready to get back into my element--back to pushing myself and discovering where God is going to take me. I think this next semester is going to be pretty defining for me. If I do well enough here, I could be opening up job opportunities for after I graduate. I also will be seeing a place that I have never seen before--only widening my already expanding borders.

I want to thank all those people--especially my family--who have made this trip possible. All the support, the money, the gifts that'll make my DC trip a little warmer, heh. And for just allowing to do this--for believing that I can, even if is a little hard to see me so out there.

So, in case you haven't heard, I most likely will be working for the Washington Times when I am over there--you'll be able to read some of the stuff I write for them on their website, I'm sure. If it's not with the Times, then it will be with a place called Market News International. But, I'm pretty confident of the Times position.

This will be my first real, working internship. It's a little nerve wracking, but I'm going to stay in prayer and do my best. I guess if my professors didn't think I could do it they wouldn't have recommended me
for the program.

Keep me in your prayers. This is new terrain for me...but I am very excited.