A Rollicking Good Time
- Posted by under Life at Bethel
- Tuesday March 31st, 2009
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Another production has come and gone. Last weekend was Bethel’s musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie. I was not a member of the cast for this show. In fact, for the first time since coming to Bethel, I did not audition for a mainstage production. As much as I loved acting and enjoyed being in Pirates of Penzance last year, I figured that I would need a break this semester, or perhaps just in general. I love acting, but it can be quite a draining occupation, especially when you are trying to be a student on top of it. It turns out that I was right. I definitely needed a break. I do not know quite how I would have survived this semester if I had been a member of the cast. I’m sure I would have, but I do not know in what state I would have been. All this is not to say that I was not involved in the production. To not contribute to a show seems like it would be nearly unthinkable. I worked on the set of course, but that is my job. I also worked props and helped with scene changes. So I only had one week of long, late rehearsals, unlike my friends who had been rehearsing for months.
The final product was so wonderful. The audiences seemed to love the show every night. I was so proud of my friends. The music is written in such a way that lets good singers show their stuff, and we had some excellent singers in this cast. I was a little worried last year when it was announced that we would be doing this show because I had once seen a very disappointing production of it. I don’t know if it was because our show was better (which it was) or if it was just because my friends were in it, but I loved our show. The songs will no doubt be stuck in my head for days. I cannot express how impressed and proud of the cast I am. It was wonderful to see them perform, even if I could only watch it from the wings.
Can you believe it?! It’s almost April! My first year at Bethel is flying by! Right now, I am really busy with schoolwork, and life stuff. This was the week of decisions.
First, I had to decide who I would be rooming with next year. I am SOOO excited because I have the chance to room with a Shupe RA, Leah. She and I are pretty good friends, and when she approached me about it, I was honestly a little surprised, but really honored and excited for the opportunity. I told her I would need to pray about it, and last week, I felt God saying “YES, Amy, this is the right thing!” So, for anyone reading this who is going to be a freshman girl next year, hopefully I get to be your next-door neighbor!
Second, I had to decide what I wanted to do as far as activities go next year. This year I was honored to be the freshman vice-president. It was a really awesome job and very rewarding, but I feel like I need to give someone else a chance for next year. And I fell like God is tugging at me in another direction, so I will not campaign or run for the position. I feel really good about this. I recently interviewed to be a block mentor, a leader who works with incoming freshman during orientation and throughout the first semester. I became really close with my mentors last semester, so if it’s in God’s will for me to mentor next year, I hope I can become as close with my block! But, that’s up to God if He wants me in that position. I find out sometime this week!
Third, I had to decide what I need to do this summer as far as work goes, but that’s unrelated to Bethel things. I might be a Summer Camp Counselor at a Hope Montessori School back in my hometown in St. Louis. But that’s still TBD.
So many decisions. So little time. God is really working in me now. Let’s see where this goes 
I need to de-stress myself sometimes, so I watch this: Ladder Blooper
Beijing
It’s hard to believe that it has already been nearly 3 weeks since we first stepped off the plane here in Beijing. Everyday has been a new experience, new challenge, and a new oppotunity to take in all that is China. Routine has settled in a bit as we have been working hard to wrap up classwork from the semester. Nevertheless, we have still had plenty of time to get out and see Beijing.
Beijing city traffic
The Great Wall of China
We spent several hours on the wall; hiking, climbing, and of course, taking pictures! We were fortunate enough to have good whether for the day and took advantage of the low attendance.
The sea of people enjoying the temple grounds
The temple itself was quite large and it provided several good photo ops!
Amanda and I making our own temple
While we only have 3 weeks left here in China, we still have so much to do! This weekend we will be traveling to the city of Xi’an and seeing the Teracotta Warriors. I am looking forward to taking in every last morsel that China has to offer!
So it was the big Birthday weekend and it was amazingly amazing! It’s wonderful when you realize that you have great friends and loved ones that make you feel special and appreciated. I am a big fan of food (no one would ever guess 
and so this weekend was a weekend of eating out with friends for THE day.
After a morning of lots of birthday calls, text messages, birthday cards and birthday wishes, I got set to head to the mall for the birthday shopping spree and what a spree it was (within college student budget ofcourse :) It was fun. I actually bought my first 2 dresses of my life without someone forcing me to consider wearing a dress, so that was a huge stepping stone in my life. But as you grow older you tend to make mature decisions such as buying a dress (lol, I know some of you are rolling your eyes). After mall shopping we get ready for Hana Yori.. and I was surprised with an ice cream, strawberry, cheesecake cake from my roomates. Yummmmmmmm!!!!
- At Hana Yori before the fun food entertainment
Lizzie and I
I got so many calls, birthday cards and birthday wishes, that there really wasn’t anything else I could have asked for. My friends and I decided that we were gonna dress to impress (which we hardly ever do). So you can imagine it was a special day. At Hana Yori, it was super fantastic (I mean, I shouldn’t say that I am surprised because I cook like that in my kitchen all the time :P). lol.
Tasty Tasty food!!Oooooooh
- My Birthday Buddha!
Lizzie is hungry :)tummies are full, everyone
Tee Tee and the b-day gurl
Friends for a lifetime
Me and my beautiful roses
Gorgeous
- Ready for food!!!
This was definitely a great birthday. One to go down in the books. It’s great how the Lord shows you his abundant and infinite love for you in so many little ways. I appreciate the amazing women and friends in my life and know that they will forever be part of me. Thanks guys! This was a weekend to remember.
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happy
Hey there
So updates… Since Christmas break it has been crazy returning to classes, assignments, extra curricular activities… So much for time management which I have to admit I have been doing pretty good trying to stay afloat. I know many of you know what I am talking about.
I am super excited about this week as my birthday is coming up this week (actually I chose the whole month to celebrate-what’s new) but of course THE day requires more attention. If any of you have suggestions for a restaurant where I can have dinner that would be really helpful.
Tune in for birthday updates!
Hello.
My name is Greg.
And I have a problem.
I have done an awful job with blogging this semester. It has been horrid. I feel like I must apologize or something. At the very beginning of the semester, I started a post about my break, but it was never finished. After that, I just got busier and busier. The first half of this semester has been almost positively the busiest eight weeks of my life. After that, I was somewhat overwhelmed by all that I have neglected to tell, that I was almost afraid of finally posting. Nevertheless, here it is. I shall do my best to sum up what has happened since the events of midnight breakfast.
I survived finals well and made it to Christmas Break which was a much needed vacation from academia. My family spent Christmas day at home, and my grandparents from Michigan came down to visit us. It was good to see them. Family really is so valuable. During Break, I also got to work as event staff at 3DYC. A huge youth conference which was held in Grand Rapids. That was loads of fun, and on the back end, I spent a couple days with my roommate, Chester, who lives outside of the city. The other big news from break is that I started dating a wonderful girl named Hannah. She is awesome.
After break, there was that weird period where everyone gets used to their new schedule and reorients to academic life, but as soon as that adjustment was over, life got crazy. I have a much tougher class regimen this semester which keeps me busy as it is, but things got really complicated when rehearsals for A Doll’s House started picking up. I did not have a huge part. Indeed, it is the smallest part I have ever had, but it kept me busy nonetheless. The killer was when I agreed to assistant stage manage for the student directed show, Bright.
If you have ever contemplated assistant stage managing and set designing for the same show, don’t. It is among the more foolish decisions I have ever made. The stage managers do more than the actors anyway, but set designing on top of that was draining. And since it was a student directed show, I had to do most of the construction myself as well. Keep in mind that this started during A Doll’s House. We would finish a dress rehearsal for one show then go to a blocking rehearsal for another. That is the madness that kept me from blogging.
But still, as difficult as this was, and as bad as I might make it sound, I am still glad I did it. The process was incredibly rewarding. The set turned out better than I ever could have planned, and the show came together beautifully. I may never assistant stage manage again, but I do not regret having done it for Bright.
This brings us to Spring Break, another very much needed escape from hectic college life. The first weekend, I repaid my roommate’s hospitality from Christmas and let him stay at my house while we shot a movie. It was written by me, edited by him, starring both of us, and it will be shown in Bethel’s student film festival.
However, the latter half of Spring Break was the really exciting part. On Wednesday morning I woke up at 3:30 to head to Chicago’s O’Hare airport with my friends Scott and Ryan so that we could be early for our flight to Los Angeles for five days. I wish I could describe this trip in detail, but it would take far too long. Let it suffice to say that we had an amazing time seeing the sights of Hollywood, visiting the beach, and seeing an old friend who goes to college outside of the city. It was incredible.
Well, now my life is caught up, and I no longer have the crushing guilt of not posting hanging over my head. It is a good feeling. Perhaps now I shall stay more up to date. Although, it would seem that the most exciting part of the semester has passed. Ah well, the musical is coming up soon, and perhaps I can write more detailed posts about some of what has already happened. We’ll see.
For speech, one of my general education courses, the second speech we are supposed to give is a commencement speech. An inspiring speech meant for celebration. I decided for mine I was going to make up an award of my own. The Father of the Year Award and present it to my dad, even though he’s currently in St. Louis, MO with my mom and sister. Thought I would post it for you:
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it … Dad
The following poem, written by an unknown author, creates a beautiful picture in anyone’s mind about the ideal father through imagery-driven nature metaphors. A father who is strong, generous, calm, and faithful. A father who is joyful, warm, and deep. But also a father who understands his faults and his imperfections. A father who strives to be better everyday. A father who, in my opinion, deserves the Father of the Year Award. Today, it is my pleasure to introduce that very man. Robert, husband to Nancy, and father to Julie, and Kelly, as well as myself, is the chosen, honorary winner of the 2008-2009 Father of the Year.
The Father of the Year Award is given out annually to the nation’s best fathers that encompass all the qualities as mentioned before: a strong, compassionate, wise, and faithful father. Nominees are judged based on their control over these features, as well as how the family in turn reacts to the father. The award’s purpose is not only to give out a piece of paper for the wife to frame or put up on the fridge. It serves as an example to all other fathers out there the right way to live a life of integrity.
For many of you, you’re probably asking why him? Who is this man? What has he done that makes him deserve this award? First I want to start by saying if it weren’t for my dad, I wouldn’t be here today. Well, obviously I wouldn’t be here today, but what I am really trying to say is that who I am as a person would be completely different if my father was someone other than Rob.
Born in St. Louis, MO to Bob and Roz circa 1955, Rob was the middle child, with one older brother, and a little sister who would arrive when he was 4. Rob was born into a liberal, non-practicing Jewish family, who would celebrate Hanukah with a Christmas tree and a picture of Santa Claus, while playing and singing the Jewish dreidel game.
In high school, my father was the starting quarterback, who ironically, as he says, could barely perform 2 pull-ups on the bar. He had a sweetheart named Robin, who probably believed simply because her boyfriend’s name was a part of hers, Rob and Robin were of course meant to be. But later, the pair broke it off. Rob was ready for college! Joining a fraternity that was known for its wild parties and heavy hazing of new students, Rob was ready for this new life and independence. He began drinking and his junior year, became the popular fraternity’s president.
No you’re not in the wrong room. This isn’t the Award for Most out of Control College Partier. Because something happened amongst all the parties and glory and fame of the school. My father met my mother.
Nancy, a freshman at William Woods, an all women’s school across the street from Rob’s college, was introduced to Rob on a blind date by a mutual friend. The two enjoyed each other so much the first date, that Rob soon called back to see her again. He remembers there being something different about Nancy that he was not used to seeing in other girls and he wanted to know what it was. Second and third dates turned into second and third months, and soon Rob and Nancy were falling in love. Seems too good to be true? That’s because it was. After six months, Nancy broke it off because Rob wasn’t a Christian. It was over. The relationship at least. The seeds Nancy planted were far from dying though.
The entire summer of broken heartedness, Rob spent writing love letters to Nancy, even though she wouldn’t respond. Soon Rob began to realize the reason he had fallen in love with her. She was different because she was happy. She was happy because she had Jesus. Upon returning to school, Rob told Nancy he was very serious about finding out more and exploring this Jesus. Nancy said she would help as a friend. Eventually though, once Dad become a Christ-follower, the relationship re-evolved. My father was baptized in 1979.
One year later in 1980, Rob and Nancy were married. They have brought up three daughters, who all know Christ and see their dad as the spiritual leader in the family. This is how I stand before you today. Completely humbled by who my Fathers, both heavenly and earthly, are. I am who I am because Jesus found my Dad. And because Jesus is in the center of my Father, he was too close for me to miss. He found me and my sisters years later.
I am so proud of the person he is in overcoming adversity. For example, Thanksgiving dinners are always fun affairs for my dad’s family to come over. Giving the prayer, Rob likes to start in the Old Testament by thanking God for fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecies and moving to the New by praising Jesus for fulfilling it. It is evident, at least to me, that he tries so hard every day to live a life for Christ.
Finally, I must go back to the poem I read earlier, for these qualities are what bring my dad here today to accept this award rightly won. These qualities I pray all of you as well as myself strive to attain in our lives. My father: majestic like a tree, who stands humbly rooted in Jesus. My father: warm like the sun, who invites anyone in. My father: calm like the sea when Jesus calmed his own stormy waves. My father: wise enough to have seen the need for change in his life. My father: joyful like my mom when he was rescued by Christ. My father: The Recipient of the Father of the Year Award. Congratulations, Dad!
Sydney
It was nearly 2 weeks ago now when we first arrived in Sydney, Australia. After our red eye flight, we ventured out into the city for a day’s worth of exploration. In the Darling Harbor area, we stumbled upon a replica of Captain Cook’s ship that discovered Australia.
Doing my best imitation of Captain Cook
That night we walked to the Sydney Harbor where we spent some time snapping pictures of the very photogenic Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House.
Sydney Harbor Bridge
The following morning, a small group of us ran from our hostel in the heart of the city, to the opera house and through the Royal Botanical Gardens. Then the whole group traveled across the harbor to Manly Beach. We spent the day lounging and buying some unique “down under” souvenirs.
Manly Beach
On our third day in Australia, we took a small trek to the town of Pittwater. We stayed in a hostel which was literally off the beaten path for two nights. During our time in the bush we were able to see the more rural side of Australia.
Enjoying my "Joshua Tree" in Pittwater
On our last full day in Sydney, we were treated by Jan’s grandmother to a trip to the Taronga Zoo. We saw several familiar faces as well as some animals exclusive to that part of the world.
Alexis, Jan, and I showing our excitement for the zoo
Our last night in Sydney was beautiful and we all enjoyed the city for one last time.
Sydney Opera House, downtown Sydney, and the harbor
Singapore
Everyone relaxing after the art museum
Singapore was an intriguing city to be in. Although it’s appearance was primarily Asian, it had several very apparent ties to our own Western culture.
Laura and I outside of downtown Singapore
We left Singapore, and with it left the all too familiar warm weather we have all grown accustomed to. Now in Beijing, we will have to get used to this balmy 50 degree weather! We have several things to look forward to while we are staying in Beijing, and I am excited to experience this new culture firsthand!
