Back in Fargo. After saying my goodbyes all the great folks at LYONS and other Seattle friends, I took off for 4400 miles of driving, starting with a trip to San Francisco with Kirsten for a wedding. Then back to Seattle to pack the apartment and head east! Thankfully, all the driving has so far been safe and uneventful - I'll do my best to keep it that way. Congrats to Kirsten on taking the position of Transitional Director at LYONS!!! She's going to do great!
Below is a picture of the Olympics that my mom took from Sunset Park in Ballard. I'm definitely going to miss the water and mountains of Seattle - like the youth and people, Seattle's landscape has become a part of me. I've also attached my goig-away article that I wrote for the August LYONS newsletter. One more week in Fargo, then it's off to Philadelphia and seminary!
Surprises, Part Two!
A year ago on this page I wrote about surprises. I wrote about being open to the many ways in which God unexpectedly surprises us. It was my “goodbye message” to all of you – how we all can joyfully expect God to surprise and change us.
What I failed to say, however, was that these surprises are not always welcome. Losing Bergie and Dinah was one of these surprises – the kind we all certainly wish would never have happened. Was this God’s way of surprising us? I don’t believe so. I don’t think the accident was “meant to be” or “a part of God’s plan”; sometimes evil things just happen that have nothing to do with God. Nevertheless, it happened, and we were all heartbroken – it was definitely an unwanted, unwelcome surprise.
Thankfully, time and community have a way of helping us heal, and we give thanks for all the healing that the past year has brought. For many, our tears have slowly turned to laughter, and our grief has turned to stories and memories. Thoughts of Bergie and Dinah are slowly turning from our sorrow to remembering them as two amazing children of God. Of course, the mourning and healing will continue, but thankfully we all have each other for comfort and to reassure ourselves that life does indeed go on.
God may challenge us with surprises, but God also equips us with the faith and courage to meet these challenges. Just think about all the ways in which God has surprised LYONS in the last year! We had no idea what would happen after losing Bergie. But one by one the surprises kept rolling in! Youth, parents, volunteers, pastors, and staff all came together to keep LYONS afloat. God worked through all of us to make sure that this ministry remained meaningful and vibrant. What a great surprise, and what a testament to the LYONS community as a people of God! I sincerely want to thank all of you for stepping up to the plate and making this past year a success – LYONS could not have thrived without all your dedication, love, and support!
New challenges await all of us. LYONS will continue to run understaffed until a new Executive Director is called. We’ll need a lot of your help and patience to get through this upcoming transition. Once called, the Director will then need your hospitality, welcome, and support as well. This will not be easy (change rarely is!), but I trust that you all will embrace him or her with open hearts and arms in the same way that you openly embraced me.
Lastly, thank you for all your personal support. Some people believe that ministry is a one-way street, but this simply is not the case! While ministering to you, you have ministered to me as well. Your energy, enthusiasm, and faithful witness have inspired and challenged me, and I am very, very grateful. This interim year has truly been an amazing experience, one in which I will hold in my heart for a lifetime. I give thanks to God for all of you, and am blessed to have been a part of your lives for the last two years.
I hesitate to call this a goodbye – just look at how well that worked a year ago! I plan and look forward to visiting you and keeping in touch, and perhaps even one day returning to live here in the Northwest. Until then, may you continue to know God, live and love Christ, and practice openness to the joy of surprise!
Sincerely Yours,
Christoph
Vicki, Peter, and Wookie Bear. Mom, Dad, and Dog. AKA the Matriarch, Patriarch, and the MetroCanine.
