Last Friday, I witnessed something AMAZING, and I have to tell. My dear friend, M., has been sick for some time. In addition, she's been heartsick for her son, who was taken from her about 5 years ago, when he was just 1 year old. M. is a refugee from Liberia; her son's dad took him back home "for a visit" five years ago, but purposefully left him there, while using his passport to bring another child back to the U.S.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was at M.'s house. Her poor health, and her anxiety over her son, seemed too much to bear. She cried, and asked for prayer. We have prayed together a few times. Her chronic health condition - which is a mystery to her doctors - has taken her to the ER on a regular basis of late. We've prayed over the phone, while she sits in the hospital bed alone. Two weeks ago, when I visited her at her house, we prayed again. We prayed for a few things: 1) that God would encourage M., and 2) that He would watch over her son, and 3) maybe even provide a miracle...

What first brought M. & I together was Ted's involvement in filing her naturalization paperwork last April. After concluding the interview, it became clear that M. cannot read; she never learned. So, to prep her for her citizenship interview, she and I started meeting to review the basics of literacy, and also some facts of U.S. history. She didn't tell many people about her efforts, for fear that she might be teased by some family and friends. Though she has failed her test once, she gets another try this Spring, before needing to re-file her application.

Back to our meeting last week. Our typical Friday meetings had been cancelled this past month, due to the increased stress of her health problems. We met in other capacities (to pray, review her diagnosis with her doctor), but last Friday, we did make it a point to pick up our literacy review.

As I sat waiting in Starbucks - reading intently - I jumped as I felt her hand over my face from behind. But the biggest, most wonderful shock came when I turned around and saw this adorable, 6-year-old face next to hers. It was her SON! Just arrived from Liberia!

Friends, I cannot tell you what a wonder this was to me. Just two weeks ago, there seemed to be no answer in site, no tangible hope to grasp on to. M. has tried several times, with the assistance of the State Department, to get her son back. 

When M. sat next to me last Friday, laughing at the amazement of it all, the first thing she said to me was, "Remember how we prayed??"

And that's when I remembered... we had prayed. We had prayed for M.'s encouragement. We had prayed for her son, and we had even prayed for some kind of miracle... 

Wow... Thank you Jesus! It was a humble reminder that our God can do all things. It's also a reminder of how He pursues us with His love... I thank God that M.'s son is safe and now in his mother's care. Thanks to each of you who have heard pieces of M.'s story before and prayed.

Winters

I thought I'd post photos of some of our favorite winter moments from our 5 years in Philadelphia.

2013

Perhaps our last walk in Carpenter's Wood for 2013. The air was frigid! Despite nuzzling in my scarf, we had to cut the walk short!

First snows!  This is our block first steeped in snow this year. Every tree branch and telephone wire. Gorgeous.

Our neighbor on the corner

We got free tickets to a Sixers game in December - my first pro sporting event in Philly! Of course we left after the 3rd quarter... and they ended up going into double overtime and winning! 

Ted took me to "Christmas Village" downtown to go shopping for my Christmas gift. 

The sky took my breath away this day, one of the first snows over Hunting Park. Filled with praise at His beauty.

2012

Ted's birthday! Jan 25th, we trudged out to Frankford Hall in the snow.

Special winter date night at UNO's - our first deep dish pizza in Philly.

2011

Hospitality -  post legal clinic dinner at our home

A dear friend's 30th birthday!

2010

NO IMAGES AVAILABLE. We were returning from Haiti and Ted was finishing his final semester of law school. I guess we didn't take a lot of pictures then...

2009

 First snow as a married couple! An infamous Philly winter.

2008

The night we got engaged :)

Reminder of Truth

A beautiful day down by the Schuylkill. A perfect day down by the Schuylkill.

We sat and read for an hour by the sparkling water, enjoying the cool breeze. An amazing August day! Reading aloud - a silly mystery novel we're both enjoying - we soaked in the Goodness and thanked God for the beauty He permits us to enjoy.

Thank you, Lord!  Like every other day, this one is an invitation from God to appreciate how good and great He is, how good the gifts He freely gives. He is in our every waking moment, His presence constant. However, I do not often see or experience each day as this gift that it is. My day today was an incredible reminder to my soul of that Truth... that the gifts are Real! 

Today, I felt thankful for the grass, the trees, our lovely bike ride, for my husband, and... for all that is True [His Freedom, His Love] that I still just faintly - faintly - grasp.

Moving day

Why was moving day so much fun?

Was it the endless sweeping, or the running back and forth with boxes?
No.

Was it the early morning Dunkin' run, or putting chairs in the street to find the perfect parking spot for our u-haul?
No. Though each of these things were kind of fun, in their own way.

What made moving day so great were the people who came to help.

Our neighbor, Ramon, was preparing for days to help us. At 8:30am, he was the first to join the effort in assisting Ted. Then his son, Jose. By 9am, who else shows up but our landlord Andres, Tim P, another neighbor Luke, and Chino. The men tackled the jobs at hand, leaving me to dust, sweep, and steal a couple more donuts when no one was looking... ;)

On the other end, I marveled at how quick the work was with so many helping hands. Like a well-oiled machine,  one friend commented. Everyone was flying up and down the stairs at the entrance to our new place with furniture and area rugs, not skipping a single beat. Sure, they had the lure of a 70-degree weather day and presumably better afternoon plans to motivate them to finish, but they also made the choice to be here with us today, and that meant so much.

Oh, boxes!

The donut snatcher!

In our kitchen window ;)

Change is afoot: your prayers

Early this month, Ted and I started to look for a new place to live. Back in February, we decided that it would be good for us to move out of Hunting Park, at least for this next season of our lives. It felt big for us to make this decision, so then we started searching and awaiting what God would provide. This past Sunday, we found our new place, an apartment just about 3 miles away :) Praise God!

This decision was a long one in the making. I have been contemplating it for some time. After some good conversations following the Christmas break, we both decided that living in a lower-stress environment would be good for both of us for now. It's a good decision for us, one that will challenge us not to find our value or justification in the things of this world (in this case, how challenging our neighborhood living environment is for us.)

We are going to miss it here. There is sadness in leaving, as in any big transition. Thankfully, we will still be here almost every day, but internally, I know this will feel like an entirely new phase for us. We will now be coming in to Hunting Park from the outside. Some good friends and ministry partners are here. Please pray for our transition, for our new apartment in a tranquil, tree-lined block in Mt. Airy (Philadelphia), and for our rootedness to ever be in Christ!

To commemorate the years we spent in our 4225 home, we made a riveting video "tour" of our space this past Sunday, where so many memories have been made. (And by riveting, I mean kinda boring! hehe.) I've spared you the link and just posted a few pictures from it here. In the bottom photo, Ted is explaining how his love of coffee developed in this home, lol. So you see, you're not missing much by my not posting the video :)  Love you all.

Prayer update

Family and Friends:

A lot has changed since our update 2 months ago, not the least of which is the weather! Today, I (Katharine) am writing you from a cool café in the Fishtown section of North Philly (very "hip," for being overrun by "hipsters" and their cool cafes and eateries!) The sun is streaming in from the glass-front café, and I am loving it.

 

We also have some personal transitions afoot, as Ted and I are looking for a new place to live.Yes, back in February, we decided that it would be good for us to move out of Hunting Park, at least for this next season of our lives (which we see as the next, final year of Ted's fellowship at Christian Legal Clinics.)

 

This decision was a long one in the making. I have been contemplating it for some time (some of you may remember, that a shooting incident on our block last April caused me to question and reassess - in a healthy way - my current reasons for living here.) After some good conversations following the Christmas break, we both decided that living in a lower-stress environment would be good for both of us for now.

 

That being said, our housing/apartment search began 1.5 weeks ago, and there's nothing to show for it quite yet! We told our landlord that we'd like to be out by May 1st, so we have a deadline for our search, but it's not so inflexible that we'll be in a total lurch by then :) Our current housemate would like to continue living in 4225 N. Franklin, so we may stay on another month, by her good graces :) It's a funny situation we find ourselves in!

 

Please pray for peace, for God's provision of a new home - He knows just what we need - and for God's loving Spirit to fill us from the inside out.

 

We encourage you to check/follow Katharine's blog for some more updates/photos. There are many events to report on including: Pro Deo 2013, Drexel Spring Break, and a Winter Trip to Orlando.

 

Our boss, Pete, has his surgery scheduled for April 30th, a one-week hospital stay in Pittsburgh (about 5 hours from here), and an expected 6-8 week recovery time. Thank you for your prayers for Pete and his wife Wendy as well.

 

More stories from the legal clinic to be coming soon!

With all our love,
Katharine + Ted

A year in review

It's pretty amazing for me to look back at this last year of blog posts. One year ago, I was posting about my application for the Reconciliation conference at Duke Divinity School, the dinners we hosted for the legal clinic team, and plans for CLCP's first Pro Deo Conference.

Today, Ted is typing away to promote our second annual Pro Deo Conference, I am trying to decide on drinks and appetizers for our clinic team "debrief" this Thursday, and the themes from the Duke Reconciliation conference still weave their way into my reflections on my life and faith - many of which will be picked up at this weekend's much talked about Justice Conference in downtown Philadelphia.

In between these markers, it's been quite a year. One month after registering for the Reconciliation conference, I witnessed a shooting on our block, while nannying for my neighbor's baby. That sent me on a several month journey that included seeing a counselor and going away more regularly for a day or two at a time to help handle the trauma (Wayne, Glenside, California, Maryland and even a long weekend in Orlando in December.) The Duke conference was thought-provoking and allowed me to hear some key messages from God. It was also great for getting away to a beautiful space, but on the deepest level I found myself wondering, "what does this all mean for me?"

The day I returned from the conference, God blessed us with a housemate, Janira, who is still living with us. Two months later, I decided to quit my nanny job and started to dig into my new part-time job as director of development at CLCP. I continued working Wednesday and Thursday morning's at Oxford Circle Mennonite Church. As a part of my processing journey, I've been asking for awhile what God is shaping me for and what plans He has for me. I am excited for the women's retreat coming up at my church in April, which will center on the theme: "finding our identity in Christ." This syncs with another layer of what God has been teaching me, that who I am is founded in Him; it will never be defined by my work, by others, or outside circumstances.

"Because I live, you also will live." - John 14:19

On that note, I'll close ;)

(Is there something you'd like to hear more about? Say it in the "comments" section below, and I'll write more about it.)

Staff Retreat

Imagine sitting by a warm fireplace, on a comfortable couch, with a journal and Bible in hand, looking out at a scene like this one. This comprised at least half of my day at CLCP's first staff retreat, which took place last Monday. I'd like to share with you excerpts from our director's recap of that day. In it, you'll find ways you can be praying for us (highlighting in particular the fourth paragraph below):

Dear CLCP board,

                I wanted to report to you on what came out of our staff retreat, and our extended time of prayer, reflection and fellowship. The legal ministry is God’s work and it is a work of the spirit.  It will emerge from our life with God.

                Our theme was “Nothing is Impossible with God.” We looked at Isaiah and how God cares so much about Justice and the Poor and how he showed his mercy even in judgment by providing the Jews and the world with a Messiah. Isaiah shows us how things are now, how they will be in the near future, how they will be when Christ comes, and what the heavenly kingdom will be like.  So we can look at our world and realize there is more than we can see now. That is helpful when we look at how big the problems are that we are trying to deal with.

                Wendy led us off with a lesson on loving as Jesus loved, and took us deep into John 17 and what it means to be one in Christ, to be one as He is with the father, that type of unity. We left feeling closer to that oneness, and if I could pick one thing that emerged from our time it’s that we want to build on that with our clinic attorneys. 

                We are concerned that we are lacking spiritually, on clinic day, which is our main event.  That we come from work, all business, give advice, go home for dinner. And that what happens behind closed doors, in our clinic offices, could be better, for the attorney and the client.  We’d like to encourage attorneys to come spiritually prepared, maybe even listening to a good tape or music on the ride down.  We’d like to get attorneys there a half hour early, and have a good time of prayer and preparation that is inspiring and gives some food for thought, a transition from the work day. Have people praying for the clinic time, seeing it as a divine appointment, taking the time to minister effectively. Then afterwards, have a meal together and a time to debrief, right there at the clinic. And see the time spent as given to the Lord, even if clients end up not showing up. This will take some set up by us, and cooperation from the attorneys. We also need to constantly be incorporating new attorneys into this fellowship. 

                We talked about our spirituality.  That’s not our vision, or our plan, or our procedures.  It’s what we look and feel and sound and smell like.  We are in the justice and reconciliation business.  It’s a people business. Our goal is changed lives.  We deal with poverty at its root – broken relationships, with God, family, employers, everyone and everything. That takes time. We need help from our community partners.

We talked about loving like Jesus loved, what that would look like.  There is a humility and gentleness that is needed that may seem unlawyerly, and in some sense we need to give up something to get there.  We are all so busy.  It’s an enemy and obstacle to our work, which asks volunteers to donate time they don’t have.  We need to model an unbusy lifestyle.  “I have time for you. No, I’m not busy.” We value busyness, and we shouldn't.

                We’d like to model an effective approach to sharing the gospel with our clients.  We want to have non-Christian clients, and clinic attorneys. We need to struggle with the tension that will bring; it’s a good tension – not everyone will agree with us. A local pastor and friend asked Ted and me if we wanted to go with him to share the gospel to a friend’s son last Friday at 6 pm.  I wish I had said yes and gone with him. I missed an opportunity....

Wissahickon morning

Just another morning in Philadelphia. 

Sometimes I can't believe I live in a place like this.

 Where I can venture into the woods, just about a 20 minute drive away from our house.

I found the most beautiful spot. On a rock, in the river, with a covered bridge in view, and colorful leaves falling all around me like snowflakes. Wow...

 Thank you, Lord.

Good for the soul

There are few things so energizing as laughter and good conversation with friends.  I would also say that few things are as satisfying and enriching as cross-cultural experiences that take you out of your everyday comfortable "routine" and expand your appreciation of life...

In this past week, we had both!

First, last Saturday -  a wonderful celebration with neighbors. The "cross-cultural" aspects came in as the baby shower started two and a half hours after the start time listed on the invitation (but certainly not "late"), the conversations around us were mostly in Spanish, and the food and drinks were thoroughly Puerto Rican -  out of this world amazing!! Our friends were such gracious, wonderful hosts. They went out of their way to take such good care of all of us - constantly refilling our cups with sugary, delightful drinks. ;)


It had been awhile since Ted and I were led into that realm of unpredictability where you really have no clue what and how things are going to unfold. It's a familiar feeling though -took us right back to some nights in Haiti. I personally appreciated it. It's such a great thing to be invited into other people's lives for these precious moments. But after 4 hours of baby shower madness, we were pooped :)


The following Friday, we had the opportunity to see good friends for yet another celebration! It was a friend's birthday, and our friend B picked the perfect spot in South Philly for us to celebrate. Sitting at the back of a family-owned Italian restaurant, where all the pasta is homemade and the owners regularly come out to chat with you, our group of six enjoyed delicious food and laughed (almost to tears) until we closed the place down. Even though it was well past 11pm, the owners never would have kicked us out!  You could tell that they loved the fact that we were enjoying their place.

Dinners, Part 1

A few weeks ago, Ted and I invited two of our neighbors over for dinner. It was something I had wanted to do for weeks, but whether it was conflicts with scheduling or not catching each other on the street at the right time, it had taken awhile to make it happen.

Tuesday, at 6pm, we had the table set beautifully in fall colors, and a favorite recipe of ours was just finishing on the stove. We waited, and waited for our neighbors to come, but… nothing happened. No one came! At 6:30 I decided to call one of the expected guests and she said, “oh yeah, I can’t make it!” Apparently the other neighbor was nowhere to be found… but our friend said, “You know, Thursday would really be better for me anyways.” Ok, so we were okay with trying for Thursday instead – but I knew to be a little more prepared for the unexpected... (Thankfully, our friends next door were home that night and in need of dinner, so we carried the food over and ate together :)

Two days later, Thursday, we had a somewhat simpler meal prepared to serve. Was anyone going to show up this night? We thought they might come at 6, but by 6:30… no one had come. I called the same neighbor and she was clearly not at home, and the other neighbor was nowhere to be found, again. So, we invited another friend to come by but he did not answer his phone. Finally we dug into the food ourselves and had great leftovers for the following week.

Ha! Sounds so strange, right? Well it may not be so uncommon, as our friends next door made clear after our first “no show” dinner. They have had similar experiences to ours, and they don’t think it necessarily indicates that people aren’t interested in getting to know us better. Having people over for dinner may not be a common part of the culture in our neighborhood—at least not in the form we expect it.

Philly

This is a blog about what we're doing in Philly.

Philly is a great place to be.  Its major deficit is that it’s so far from California (big negative), but this is where Ted and I found ourselves three years ago, in a time of natural transition in life and as a result of much prayer and conversation.

Ted started at Drexel Law while I worked at UPenn.  After year one, we married and moved to a new neighborhood, closer to the church we had started attending and the ministry opportunities represented there.  I started an accelerated master’s program in international development at Eastern University. Just six months after I finished, Ted got his JD!

So, here we are! We are now members of our church, Ted is commencing work as a lawyer right in our neighborhood, and God has been so faithful in providing us a place to be, with friends and beautiful spots nearby.

As we move into our fourth year, thank you for being invested; thank you for caring for us and for even wanting to know what’s going on!

Love,

Katharine