Disheartened
Every now and then I like to blog about my current emotion. If I could pick one word to describe my Lutheran Bible Translators interviews on Monday, it would be "disheartening." Maybe I was holding out too much false hope, but I asked each of the 4 people I interviewed with about the chances that I could go to Latin America, only to be repeatedly shot down. I know there are still languages in Spanish-speaking regions that have no portion of Scripture, but from what I understand all those where a translation project is realistic are either done or nearing completion. Some of my interviewers suggested other ideas--proposing my own translation project someplace in Latin America, a theoretical position trying to involve Hispanic Lutherans in the U.S. in missions, learning French and hooking up with a project in Cameroon, learning Portuguese and hooking up with a project in Mozambique--but none of them appealed much to me.
Each of the 4 interviews I mentioned above lasted about an hour, and I feel like they all liked me, as in they were grasping at straws because they genuinely wanted me to be an LBT missionary. Hopefully, if I wind up elsewhere it will be my decision, not a result of being denied acceptance. I also took a test on the Bible (which I passed if you were wondering) and met with an off-site psychologist (who forgot about my appointment and showed up an hour and 10 minutes late).
So. It was a good day, although not in the sense that I had originally thought. If anything, it clarified in my mind that my heart and my interests lie in the Hispanic realm. I have already started thinking more about other options (grad school, teaching, interpreting, translating, some combination), although I'm going to hold off on making a rash decision. I should hear back early next week re: LBT's assessment of my interviews, and then in around a month or so re: my Statement of Doctrinal Belief. I am also armed with information such as when the GRE (required for admission to LBT's training facility, the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics) is offered at a 50% discount, and when my GIAL application would have to be submitted, so I have a tentative timeline for my decision-making process (assuming I AM accepted).
The good news is that I didn't have to go back for a 2nd day like I was originally planning on, so I got a bonus free day in Chicago to hang out with the friends I was staying with, from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mt. Prospect, IL! We were able to stop by Concordia Chicago to put in a good word for YLM with the faculty member in charge of student mission trips and visit Frank Lloyd Wright's house and studio in Oak Park! That night the servant event teams from St. Paul hosted a Chicago-style pizza taste-off for Chris and I; my personal fave was Giordano's. We also tentatively planned a Chicagoland fundraiser dinner to be held at St. Paul for October of this year.
Enjoy my pictures of Frank Lloyd Wright's house. I took a lot considering no photography was permitted inside because I love Frank Lloyd Wright!
The front of the house was so pretty with all the trees in bloom!
Plaque on the outside of the attached, octagonal studio, which was accessed through the house by a passageway with tree branches running through it! FLW didn't want to disturb nature.
More outside the studio...the doors are tucked away because FLW wanted every visitor to experience a journey of discovery upon entering his buildings.
Typical FLW windows.
That bay window like area that juts out from the wall on the left is part of the playroom FLW built for his kids--one of the coolest rooms in the house! FLW wanted a grand piano in there but didn't want to waste that much space, so he cut out part of a wall, inserted the back through the opening, and suspended it from the ceiling of a stairwell!
Side view of the whole house. There are a bunch in this neighborhood (very close to Concordia Chicago), even a church. If it hadn't been so cold we probably would have done a self-guided walking tour of them all. Oh well, next time!
Until next time, blessings!
Each of the 4 interviews I mentioned above lasted about an hour, and I feel like they all liked me, as in they were grasping at straws because they genuinely wanted me to be an LBT missionary. Hopefully, if I wind up elsewhere it will be my decision, not a result of being denied acceptance. I also took a test on the Bible (which I passed if you were wondering) and met with an off-site psychologist (who forgot about my appointment and showed up an hour and 10 minutes late).
So. It was a good day, although not in the sense that I had originally thought. If anything, it clarified in my mind that my heart and my interests lie in the Hispanic realm. I have already started thinking more about other options (grad school, teaching, interpreting, translating, some combination), although I'm going to hold off on making a rash decision. I should hear back early next week re: LBT's assessment of my interviews, and then in around a month or so re: my Statement of Doctrinal Belief. I am also armed with information such as when the GRE (required for admission to LBT's training facility, the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics) is offered at a 50% discount, and when my GIAL application would have to be submitted, so I have a tentative timeline for my decision-making process (assuming I AM accepted).
The good news is that I didn't have to go back for a 2nd day like I was originally planning on, so I got a bonus free day in Chicago to hang out with the friends I was staying with, from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mt. Prospect, IL! We were able to stop by Concordia Chicago to put in a good word for YLM with the faculty member in charge of student mission trips and visit Frank Lloyd Wright's house and studio in Oak Park! That night the servant event teams from St. Paul hosted a Chicago-style pizza taste-off for Chris and I; my personal fave was Giordano's. We also tentatively planned a Chicagoland fundraiser dinner to be held at St. Paul for October of this year.
Enjoy my pictures of Frank Lloyd Wright's house. I took a lot considering no photography was permitted inside because I love Frank Lloyd Wright!
The front of the house was so pretty with all the trees in bloom!
Plaque on the outside of the attached, octagonal studio, which was accessed through the house by a passageway with tree branches running through it! FLW didn't want to disturb nature.
More outside the studio...the doors are tucked away because FLW wanted every visitor to experience a journey of discovery upon entering his buildings.
Typical FLW windows.
That bay window like area that juts out from the wall on the left is part of the playroom FLW built for his kids--one of the coolest rooms in the house! FLW wanted a grand piano in there but didn't want to waste that much space, so he cut out part of a wall, inserted the back through the opening, and suspended it from the ceiling of a stairwell!
Side view of the whole house. There are a bunch in this neighborhood (very close to Concordia Chicago), even a church. If it hadn't been so cold we probably would have done a self-guided walking tour of them all. Oh well, next time!Stay tuned for news on my future plans. For the time being though, I am fully committed to YLM. Starting on Tuesday I'll be working with a group from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, building a house near the San Pedro y San Pablo mission site in Juarez...looking forward to showing some boys how to hammer!
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