Painting Sunday
Hey all,
Support for Joanna
I just spoke with Joanna this morning. She’s doing really well, but money is tight.
As Joanna’s community, we’ve agreed to share such information and to help her out as the spirit leads. Please consider sending sending some support money to Joanna.
If you are cool with not having a tax deduction (preferred since it is much, much easier for her to get the money this way), send a check made out to her directly to her parents:
Joanna Geiger
529 Freemont St
Lancaster, PA 17603
If you want the tax deduction, you can give it to Fairlington Pres earmarking it for Joanna Geiger.
Jan’s 20th Anniversary
Jan’s 20 yAnd need help decorating! On Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 pm, Andi will be decorating the fellowship hall Italian style and could use a couple of volunteers to help set up tables and chairs. I’ve got some red and white checkered tablecloths, red taper candles and (empty) wine bottles to put them in for the centerpieces.
Webmaster(s) Needed
We’re looking for someone(s) to manage the website after I depart. Anyone interested? We use wordpress and it’s really easy to do. I’m happy to show you all the details of how.
God and the New Physics
Hey guys - Tim Fry asked that I share this upcoming Sunday Morning Conversation series with the HG crew. Just in case you’re interested…
Sunday Morning Conversation Series starting Sunday at 9:30am:
God and the New Physics: Trying to learn about the Creator by studying the Creation.
Historically, theology has been informed by perceptions of the cosmos. In Medieval times, it was considered that the sun revolved around the earth, and humans were at the center of the universe. Copernicus and Galileo saw an end to that. Isaac Newton discovered laws of mass and motion. With them, one could predict the movement of planets (and apples!) with great precision. Such precise laws tended to support the notion of a “clockmaker God,” who created the world and then withdrew to watch it play out. Humans might only be characters in a foreordained pageant, with limited free will.
Starting at the beginning of the last century, physicists discovered fascinating facts about the very small and the very fast. Quantum mechanics of subatomic particles work probabilistically. That is, one can make accurate predictions about statistical results, but each individual tiny particle could be in one of a number of quantum states. Is that the kind of way the Creator approaches the seeming contradiction between human free will and Calvin’s predestination? The class also describes the quantum entanglement of particles. Einstein said they evidenced “spooky action at a distance.” Is there scientific evidence that “there’s something out there” we don’t understand? Come learn about some of the interesting and surprising facts of modern physics, and join in a freewheeling discussion of what they might mean for us. The material is geared to non-specialists who like to grapple with ideas.
Join us for four conversations beginning Sunday, October 11th at 9:30am for a guided discussion on many of these issues.
This Sunday’s Conversation – Evolving Views of Physics: Implications for Theology? Includes wave/particle duality and quantum entanglement. Discussion includes free will and spooky actions at a distance.
Conversation 2. Stuff: What is it? Includes the Standard Model, quarks, and strings. Mysteries of the Particle Zoo. The complexity of the universe seems to be based on a limited number of physical principles. Are there somewhat analogous principles that drive the complexity of our lives? If we understand them better, can we gain more clarity?
Conversation 3. The Anthropic Principle. Certain mathematical constants that describe the natural world have values that are extremely precise, and relate to each other in a way that supports the generation of human life (the cosmos becoming self-observant, if you will). Because the probability of all these constants lining up so precisely is vanishly small, can we make the claim that human beings (anthropoi) are in the cosmological center stage? If we’re important, what should we be doing? Did God initiate a cosmic series of events because he wanted to create an outstanding good?
Conversation 4. Life. The cell and the living complexity that has evolved over time. Most life is single cell and mostly autonomous. However, some cells have diversified, specialized, and become part of larger complex organisms. Was this the goal all along? Whose? What larger wholes are we part of?
An Update from Joanna
Namaste from India!
I was trying to sort through some pictures today which lead down a trip through my memories of places I’ve been and places I’ve loved. Like DC in the spring, when you can almost mistake the cherry blossoms for snow. I reflected about people I have grown to love, roommates, childhood friends, and new acquaintances, the kind you instantly love. India and it’s people have now achieved spots on both of those lists.
India completely took me by surprise in almost every way. I had heard many accounts of what I could expect and I was sure that I was going just to survive. I never expected to actually enjoy this place. India is like a little globe within it’s country boundaries. Every part and province you go to has different people groups and different language. Even though Hindi is the national language many of those provinces and people groups do not speak Hindi. Luckily we were able to get by everywhere we went with English. Our trip started in Chennai then we traveled to Bangalore, Mysore, Dharwad, and ended in Goa.
In many ways I didn’t understand why I was going to India. India was never on my list of countries that I really wanted to see. I expected just reigning chaos everywhere. I also have a sensitive stomach that hasn’t really taken a liking to curries in the past. I also expected to be sick the entire time. However, as I prepared to leave the US I knew that God wanted me on this trip and so I knew that I would, indeed, survive. I was happy to find that I not only survived quite well but that India has no more chaos then Chicago or New York might have and that my stomach has actually done quite well here and have had very few issues!
The travel schedule was the most chaotic thing about the trip. We were only in any location for up to three days! I had all of what I thought I might want for the next two years or so in my pack and had to carry my laptop bag with me. I felt like I was weighed down to the max and really dreaded travel days. God is good and he supplied people to help me. My team mates were wonderful and were always helping me carry my bags. My pack got nicknamed “the beast!”
For those of you who don’t know I came to India with a team from Australia called Rahab. Rahab is a ministry that reaches out to Sex Workers in Adelaide. I will be returning to Adelaide to work with this team. Since I had to go back to the US I met the team in Chennai instead of going to Australia and traveling with them. Again, God was good and we had traveling mercies the entire trip start to finish. I didn’t have any trouble meeting up with them in Chennai, despite a few of my flights being delayed, I was still able to make all my connections. Before the team left they held a fund raiser and were able to raise quite a bit of money for us to give away.
The numbers of this trip in and of itself make a great story: seven woman, one country, five cities, four train journeys, twelve days, countless cups of tea, many many times of laughing until your sides hurt and one big adventure! We knew we were only in the country long enough to get some exposure and that was the purpose of the trip. However, as we went through every location we were able to leave some of ourselves behind. We were able to buy mattresses for a home that rescues the girls of temple prostitutes so they aren’t dedicated to the temples themselves. 70 mattresses in all! That home gives the girls a hope and a future.
So what did we do in India? We tried to be a blessing wherever we could. We gave what we could and saw God moving in every location. We played, laughed and cried. My team was absolutely fantastic. I don’t think I’ve laughed like I have in the past three weeks in a very long time. In Bangalore, I met a fellow YWAMer who worked on the base. She helped us around Bangalore and took us to ministry locations and the markets etc. While we were in a rickshaw ride she told me how she was raised in a Christian home but she was the first one to be formally educated. Her family had big dreams for her and were not pleased when she told them that she wanted to join YWAM and be a missionary. They don’t support her and she has been praying and longing that they’ll come around. God gave me a few words for her and told me that I was to try to support her as her “family.” While I know she has been encouraged it has encouraged me as well because I believe that was a divine appointment for me. I love seeing how God’s economy works!
After the team left I stayed on in Goa with Pat, one of my teachers from DTS, who recently came to India to work in Goa. I originally thought that I would be working with her while I was here but when I got here we found that there really wasn’t anything for me to do. So I rested. It was a much needed respite. I have just been on full steam for almost a full year and really full steam since I returned from my DTS. It was so good to just rest and pray and hear what God would say. God really reaffirmed and spoke about these next two years and He really breathed some life and dreams in me. I am excited to see how they come about!
My last month at home was incredibly difficult. There seemed to be ages of things on my “To Do” list and not enough time to accomplish all of that and be able to say good-bye. There were many times that I just felt completely desperate. I shed a lot of tears but many of you constantly were encouraging me and I cannot thank you all enough for all the support you gave me during the last couple of months. It is so much easier to say good-bye knowing I have a big team in my corner.
I apologize for the length of this letter but didn’t know if I could do India justice by making it shorter. I leave for Adelaide tomorrow. I have two full days of travel with an all day lay over in Malaysia. Please pray for continued traveling mercies and for protection. Thank you all for being who you are and what you mean to me! I miss you all very much and can’t wait to hear from you!
May abundant blessing come your way!
Joanna
Photos
Alright Friends, since some of you have asked… I’m posting all of the pictures that I have from HG/Friends-of-HG-related adventures on Flickr. You can find my page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lrnwllms/ . Let me know if you want originals of anything. Enjoy 
Celebrating Jan’s 20 Years of Ministry with FPC
You and your family are cordially invited to join us as we celebrate and give thanks for Jan’s 20 years of ministry at Fairlington Presbyterian Church with an Italian dinner in the fellowship hall at 5pm Saturday, October 17.
What to bring: Most importantly, bring yourself! If you would like, you can also bring your favorite pasta dish, salad, bread or dessert. If you aren’t able to bring food, don’t let that stop you from coming! We always have more than enough to share.
Questions? Contact Andi at andi_allen05@yahoo.com.
Buon appetito!
Helping Casa Chirilagua
Friends of Casa Chirilagua, we need you!
WHO: Casa Chiri and 12 of our closest volunteer friends!
WHAT: We need help for our Art on the Avenue booth. We will be helping children make bird feeders out of recycled materials.
WHEN: This Saturday, October 3 from 9:00 AM – 6 PM
WHERE: Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria on Mt. Vernon Avenue
WHY: Not-for-profits in Alexandria host art projects for children at their booths at the festival. It will be a fun way to give back to the community, meet people nearby, find volunteers, and promote Casa Chirilagua.
HOW: If interested please sign up for a 3 hour slot (9-12 AM, 12-3 PM, 3-6 PM) by contacting Rachel Hoppe: rachel_hoppe@hotmail.com
We hope to see you there!