November: Nominated, Nostalgic, Needed, Noteworthy, Nifty

Heyyyyy Blog,

I am back with another update on how my time as a Raleigh Fellow has been!!

I have to say this month started on a major high as we celebrated our girl, Meg’s bday🤩 in Alexandria, VA as a pit stop before the TFI National Conference in D.C. (there was even a limo involved)!!

The D.C. trip was a little bit of a roller coaster, but for the purposes of not turning this blog into a book, I will focus on the positives which included an insane dance party, roaming D.C. together, seeing my bestie girl, Maddie, who is doing the Greensboro Fellows program, watching Cheaper by the Dozen 2, and creating space to process hard things that came up with one another🫶🏼. This retreat was also the month that we decided we were going to brush our teeth together every morning and night at retreats and it’s where snuggle-puddles were created. We were also nominated as the “golden retrievers of the conference”, and I’m not sure if it was the hiding under the tables while grabbing people’s ankles or the pitch-perfect riff-off that gave us that title🧐. 

I also had the chance to take some of the Fellows to my happy place, Chapel THRILL, to meet some of my college friends and watch UNC beat Duke for Homecoming in an incredible double-overtime win, literally a heart attack of a game🐏. Ugh, it was truly such a nostalgic experience that made my heart super happy!!! (GTHD)

Then we did a quick turnaround two weekends later as we headed back to the lake house for the Jason Young Retreat, which was much needed and so sweet as it had been 2.5ish months since we had been there, and this time we were actually friends. I really connected with Jason’s teaching and enjoyed learning from him. A couple of noteworthy takeaways for me were the idea of holding vs. carrying our problems and how we are not meant to carry them and the red-tape activity in which we were able to view one another’s brokenness, SO POWERFUL. Super grateful for Jason as well as Mary and the wisdom that they shared so beautifully with us!

To close out, we had two super fun celebratory moments. The first was Bunner’s bday celebration at the nifty Boxcar where we played Guitar Hero, Just Dance, and partook in the air hockey tournament. BUTTT, what has to take the cake for this month is Linda May’s engagement, THE FELLOWS ARE ENGAGED!!!!💍

Key Moments: Meg’s Bday in Alexandria, D.C. Trip, Ashley’s very pink 29th bday💖, UNC Homecoming win vs Duke, Linda May’s engagement, field trip for Just Leadership (got to see Meg’s work🐴), Jason Young Retreat, Bunner bday celebration at Boxcar, Canes game, the start of Secret Santa 🎅🏼

Peace and Love, 

Girl Hunter 💕🤠✨🪩

A Note To My Dad

This month has been jam-packed with all kinds of highs and lows! I’ve felt challenged, sad, joyful, and held in all my emotions by my friends. I couldn’t be more thankful. While there’s so much I could talk about right now, I feel especially led to share some things I’ve learned from my professor, David Spickard, who also happens to be my dad (and now everyone else’s which is so fun!)

I can’t begin to describe the gift it has been to share the space of a fellows class and learn from my dad in this capacity. Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to first-hand experience walking through what it looks like to be a just leader. It’s opened up hard and honest conversations but also opened my heart to the call of seeking justice. In understanding God’s heart for justice, I've gained a deeper understanding of the importance of moving toward others in love and grace. This, I know, leads me to experience more of the fullness of God and have my own needs met. In class, we have walked through the four qualities of a just leader: See the Whole Playing Field, Build Cultural Competency, Give Power Away, Take Bold and Courageous Action. I have wrestled with the way I’ve pursued each of these qualities in my day-to-day life, but I can confidently say I am qualified to be a woman of justice. I am qualified because it is Christ who justifies me, defines my calling, and works through His Spirit within me.

All this to say, I’ve learned a lot from my dad. His own heart for justice and the work he’s doing have impacted me greatly. I’m not even sure he knows the weight of it. So this is my blog for the month, a recognition of my thankfulness for my dad and his leadership, wisdom, and humility. 

Love you lots, Dad,

Meg

Thoughts From a Man Without a Car

Let me set the scene….

It’s a typical Tuesday evening on one of the chillier nights of the fall season here in Raleigh. There is a cool breeze over the city and the leaves of the grand oak’s are dancing with it. My belly is warm and full, after a hearty serving of chili simmered excellently by none other than Janet Whited.

After our meal I decide to join some other fellows for a couple games of pickle ball. How am I to resist some much needed activity. I hop in my car and cheerfully cruise to North Hills Park to slap the ball around with some friends. It’s darker than normal, sooner than normal, due to this unusual thing us humans do where we all change the time of our clocks by an hour for some reason none of us understand.

As I arrive I am greeted by fellows and friends, and we begin to play under the bright florescent lights and wispy cirrus clouds. We have some lovely competition, knocking the bright yellow ball back and forth over the awkwardly sized net, too cowardly to be for tennis, and too proud to be for ping pong. A healthy sweat has been broken, and I wipe my brow, content with my motion for the evening. The cold has become sharper, and I look to Gretchen, who has come to spectate shivering, ready to leave, but in need of a ride.

We get in the car, ready to depart, but even more so ready for the release of heat from the vents to bring warmth back to our extremities. As I turn to navigate out of the parking area, my precious vehicle loses all function.

Fast forward 30 minutes and it has been realized that it is going to be out of commission…

My car is dead.

Something that I have gotten to experience this month has been the dedication and practical love of a biblical community. My class of fellows, host family, former fellows, and college friends, all came alongside me and provided very practical help when I really needed it.

Living in Raleigh it really is pretty impossible to be productive without a vehicle. My week of being carless in Raleigh was actually a blessing, and I saw God teaching and reminding me of a few things.

It’s ok to ask for help. I am not someone overly inclined to receiving help, much less asking for it. Being helpless and without a car, God reminded me its ok to rely on my loving community. If I would drive my friends around when they don’t have a car to get around, why would I deny them to help me in my helplessness. This also helped to remind me of my human desire to be capable and do things on my own, and that at the end of the day I have to rely on lots of things, people, and ultimately God. Also that this is not a highlight of my inadequacy, but that it is the blessing of Christ that my burdens need not be carried by me, and that Jesus carries them, while God also places people around me to be cared for by and to care for. I see pretty clearly a picture of Christ’s sacrificial love, in the way my friends went well out of their way to assist me this month.

It’s ok to slow down. In this time without my car, I had significantly more downtime than I have had all of this year so far in fellows. It was rejuvenating to be slow, and I was honestly quite at peace with the whole situation, despite logistical and financial stresses. Being able to get out of a rushed rhythm helped me to focus more on Gods provision and be at peace with my situation, rather than always bouncing from one thing to another, always concerned how I will get each thing done.

My privilege of owning a car and having autonomy. This time also allowed me to reflect on the privilege that I have been blessed with my whole life. I am reminded of all the amazing little and big ways that I am fortunate. All of my immediate needs are met, and the temporary lack of a car at the end of the day is a pretty manageable problem to have when compared to the issues we are seeing in the world today. This month, and so far this year, God has continued to grow my empathy and care for people facing hardships I can’t even begin to imagine. The least we can do out of response to these blessings we have received is to acknowledge and be thankful for them, as well as become knowledgeable and empathetic about the disparity/difference between our experience and others. Then from there we get to move in compassion to try and rectify these differences where we can. In reference to 2 of David Spickards 4 Qualities of a Just Leader, we need to build cultural competency and take bold and courageous action. And we should do all of this as a reaction to Christ’s love.

This got pretty long pretty quick. This is just a tiny snapshot into one part of my month, and only a of the many ways God has been teaching me throughout this month. It has been such a blessing to walk alongside this special group of friends as we all process and learn about the world, ourselves, the God of the universe, and His plan for all of it.

Signing off until next month,

Simas

An Account on Suffering & Embracing God's Great Blessing

         Let me start by saying…I can’t believe it’s already been two full months of my experience as a Raleigh Fellow. Maybe this is a common feeling amongst all young & “veteran” adults, but it feels like every year/month/week flies by at a perpetually and gradually quicker pace. October has been chocked full. While I believe this fellowship experience doesn’t fully emulate structure and rhythms of working full-time, it feels like I am working 40 hours. Over the past 8 weeks, I’ve been in the full swing of the fellows course curriculum, aiding my private wealth management team at Wells Fargo Advisors meet end-of-year objectives, and spending time every day to refine a set of healthy, consistent routines to succeed as an adult.

It is easy to emphasize the busyness of a fellow’s schedule. Truly, I find the rhythms and way of life as a fellow to be overwhelming in many aspects. YET I feel convicted in saying that this overwhelmed feeling is mostly coming from a good place. Specifically, October was a tough month for me, but the difficulties I faced have challenged me in ways that continue to inspire me to grow and better myself. In brief, my maternal grandma has dealt with some serious health issues and has been hospitalized for almost 4 weeks. I don’t know what God has in store for my grandma and if she will come through on the other side. It is incredibly tough for me to see here suffer so greatly—very much toeing the line between life and death. I am lucky to be placed in a program near her hospital. However, trying to process my visits with her has not been easy. What I’ve realized in all of this is that I DO NOT have a healthy way of handling tough emotional situations in my life. Especially in the face of highly emotional situations, I tend to withdraw and to shut myself off from the world. I almost can’t believe I can articulate this phenomenon—it feels natural for me to experience a difficult situation, withdraw from the world, face the consequences, and completely erase that a sequence of events from my recollective memory. This specific reaction has occurred enough where it feels normal. I am incredibly blessed that I had professors, TAs, friends, colleagues, and family members who have been compassionate has I’ve (unsustainably) dealt with difficult matters in my own life. This Raleigh Fellows’ year has truly forced to face head on my own weaknesses and blind spots. I am not the only experiencing the suffering that defines this fallen and Sin-laden world. Even more, perhaps more selfishly, I have priorities in life, and I cannot let symptoms of this broken world to derail my experience of life. Simply, I cannot allow suffering of my own or in empathy to dominate my conscious mind and distract my awareness from my own life responsibilities. I wish I had time to fully meditate and reflect upon difficulties I face in my life. Realistically, I believe—rather—it is more important to move forward and find ways to better myself as a person, as a man, and as a Christian. So, I ask not only that you pray for my grandma, but that you also pray for me…that the Lord will provide me a way or better understanding of how to properly balance my empathy and emotions whilst continuing to lead a Christ-centered and fulfilling mortal life.

This may seem abrupt, but I do want touch on another important development in my experience. The following is an account of the blessings I’ve experienced at my marketplace internship. Simply, I am absolutely loving my experience working for Wells Fargo Advisors. The financial world is more of an unknown to me. Yet, I am realizing it is very much a business about people. A particular tenant that continues to prod at me is that my private wealth management team wants to cultivate client relationships that allow for a hug—an embrace of brotherly love and trust in the financial advisors and our team to provide the best financial outcomes for each individual portfolio. Everything my teammates have thrown at me I’ve taken in stride and provided outstanding results in return. This past month I was buried in data entry and organization in Excel of inherited IRA accounts amongst our clientele. Specifically, it was important for me to organize information gathered from our client reports to indicate which accounts are due to have RMDs or how far off to expect RMDs…etc. This work is not easy or quick or fun, and I don’t have a ton of experience in Excel programming, BUT I find it incredibly thrilling to immerse myself fully into the world of finance. In addition, I have been heading up our monthly birthday card/gift procedures for our clientele and tracking new asset flows for the team (i.e., a client deposits X amount for us to invest or hold). Again, I lack knowledge and experience in finance, but I go to work every day eager and excited to learn more while using my skills in systematic thinking, analytical approach, and understanding of the political elements that influence business and commerce. I do not know what the Lord has in store for me after fellows, though I do feel that finance could be another potential career direction for me. Stay tuned for more next month.

         Thankfully in Christ,

         Luke

On the Road Again!

Gone every weekend:

This past month I’ve been just about anywhere but the Great State of North Carolina and has included:

1. JMU GreekIV Getaway: Going in I wasn’t super excited for it but I was excited to help Maddie as GreekIV meant so much to her in college and it was a joy to watch her in her element.

2. Grandma’s birthday: This was a quick in and out trip to celebrate my Gram and spend some quick time with family; Gram is like a second mother to me and it was great to be there and celebrate her, it sadly was the last time I saw my childhood dog Bella who passed away two weeks after this weekend.

3. Men’s retreat: By this point I was very exhausted from the last two weeks of travel, we also went to the state fair this week which was a total blast! Got to meet Virginia’s boyfriend, Pete, who’s a stud! The weekend was great, big emphasis on confession amongst dudes, time to bond with the guys and actually get to rest some saturday which I wasn’t expecting.

4. JMU Homecoming/Halloween: Going back to JMU was an absolute blast! I loved getting to see my Box Boys (ROLL TOOLBOX!) and send videos back to the Fellows of my college home, go to the Young Life alumni tailgate and catch up with so many friends, watch the Dukes win again (8-0)! It was bitter sweet to leave but I’m glad to be back in Raleigh.

5. Currently we’re in DC for the National Fellows Conference, vageuly know what this week/weekend will entail but excited for what the Lord’s got in store!

Class:

Dad (AKA David Spickard) in Just Leadership has been great, I wasn’t in the least bit interested about classes this year, I thought it’d be what I despised most about my week but I look forward to his class each and every Friday. In Just Leadership we talk about what Biblical justice looks like and how to live it out, each class continues to open my eyes everytime.

Sleep:

Sleep has always been a bit of a battle for me, but never in the ways I’ve experienced currently. I haven’t had a genuine sleep schedule since I was in high school, and even then I never had a healthy one. But the Lord has taught me to be more deligient and patience in this battle, I’m a night owl and always will be but that part of myself will have to be hidden away for awhile. It’s been easier and easier to fall asleep as time goes on but I’ll always miss my time in college staying up with roomates til four in the morning.

-Sincerely Chai boi Superscrub Bunner Bunah Bunter Niestrath

PS: LINDA MAY STOLE MY TITLE, SHE LITERALLY SAT NEXT TO ME ON THE COUCH AND THEN STARTED TYPING IT OUT :(((((

PSS: Linda May didn’t actually steal my title but she did sit down next to me on the couch and we both had the same title and were geeking out about :)))))

On The Road Again!

Hey, y’all 😀I am writing to you from home sweet home (aka Virginia)! For today’s blog, I will switch it up and give you all a play-by-play into what our day of travel has looked like!

1. Meg’s Birthday!!!: Y’all. Meg is 23 today?! Meg is so fun and awesome and so cool and I am so very grateful to be friends with her. 

2. Road Trippin’: It was absolutely beautiful traveling today and being able to see the leaves change and the clear skies (... and also sing All Too Well *the 10-minute version, Taylor version of course*).

3. Lunch with Mom: We got to meet Viriginia’s (Fellow Virginia, not the state) mom!! … And celebrate Meg, eat pizza, and enjoy cake together! Mrs. Lundeen is so kind and was such a lovely hostess, making us all feel so welcome. 

4. Exploring: After a long day of travel we stretched our legs and got to enjoy some different parts of DC together! It was SO chilly and I was very bundled up!  

5. Dinner & Movie: We made it to Safeway (very safely;-)) and are enjoying a fun movie night to celebrate Meg!!!

Today has been so much fun and so much hustle and I feel SO ready to start a great weekend in DC for the National Fellows Initiative Conference. I can’t wait for all that we will learn and memories that are going to be made!! I am so grateful for all of the good moments we have had together so far, and I can’t wait to take on the week ahead with my friends. 

PS- Boy Hunter stole my blog title, please know that I wrote my title first :) you can trust that my word is true, do not believe anything you may see in other blog posts. 

Write to ya soon,

LM 

October: Overjoyed, Overwhelming, Open-minded, Obedient, Omniscient, Omnipotent

Heyyyyy Blog, 

October slipped away into a moment of time … 

This past month I have felt overjoyed with my Fellows community and my time in Raleigh!!! After being more settled and getting into a routine, this place has felt more like home🫶🏼. At this point, we have all shared our testimonies and are officially friends, TURN UP!! This group has been so good at having deep and meaningful conversations but also having super fun and chaotic moments together, and that’s always something that I appreciate in friendships. 

A core October memory would absolutely be the fair. This is something that I look forward to every year and getting to experience it with these people was seriously so presh and wholesome. The food, the vibes, the people, NOTHING COULD BE FINER🌽🎡 (also ended this night with Gretchen and Simas after Gretch locked her keys in the car which ended up being one of the most chaotic and fun nights possible, super thankful that they engaged in my antics hehe). 

This past month I was also able to see a lot of my college friends and other friends outside of Fellows and catch up and hear about their lives, which was super refreshing. Finding the balance between old and new friends was difficult when first starting the program, but I’m glad to have a better grasp on it now and so thankful for the old and the new friends! 

October started off overwhelming while I was still navigating change and trying to make time for rest. That in addition to desiring more time with Jesus is something that I have prayed a lot for this month and it has been really sweet seeing God answer those prayers. I’ve also been super thankful for the ways in which my Fellows people (host-mom, Robin and mentor, Rebecca) have helped encourage me through this, super grateful for them💌. 

I’ve also been trying to be more open-minded to what God has for me in the future and through time with Him, really focus on trying to hear what God is telling me. Especially as this relates to grad school applications and being obedient to where He may be calling me after my time as a Fellow. Through these things, I have been reminded of God’s character and especially the ways in which He is omniscient and omnipotent. 

Thanks for the mems October, November I am ready for you!!!!

Key Moments: UNC football game, Super sweet girls nights, Concerts, THE FAIR, Celebrated our first Fellows bday (VA), Visits with old friends, Wrote my eulogy (yes, you read that right), YAM Holiday-block party, 1989 TV🎤

Peace and Love, 

Girl Hunter 💕🤠✨🪩

Stop & smell the roses

Welllllcome back to the blog!

This will be my second blog post since starting fellows. I’ve officially lived in Raleigh for 2 months now. It has been different than how I thought living in NC would be. The beginning of this month was challenging because I wasn’t sure how much I really liked Raleigh. I had to remind myself to give the city grace because it is new and unfamiliar. As I brought this to God, He reminded me that He wants me in Raleigh for a reason. That He has called me here for a purpose (one that I’m still figuring out), but to trust Him and rest in His presence here.

God has also provided new beginnings and exciting opportunities to make roots. As the month has continued on, I’ve been finding little spots around the city that I love. I’ve felt like I am starting to make this place my own. Sola coffee is my new favorite coffee shop (someone go with me, pls & thank u). Their seasonal lattes are actually the best. I finally found a beautiful outdoor space to be in nature. Shout out the rose garden near NC State! There are so many roses of all varying colors there, plus multiple large trees. I discovered I really like trees. Lastly, I’ve been loving this brew yard called Bowstring. There’s live music there which is something that makes me feel so alive. Also lots of fun draft beers to try (I am now a beer girly as y’all know). Though it is hard, God has been so good to me in Raleigh and He is providing abundantly. It’s been really exciting to find new places in a city that I’m learning to love.  

I also wanted to talk about my friend Meg and her relationship with her father. Her dad, David Spickard is one of the Raleigh Fellows’ professors. He teaches our Just Leadership class which has been one of the most impactful classes I’ve ever taken. David aka “Dad” (the fellows felt this was the only right nickname to give him) is an incredible picture of humility, what it means to not only listen, but to listen well, and how to lead with a heart of justice. David creates a space in class to be vulnerable, real, and challenge societal norms. The way Meg has embraced this unique dynamic is so admirable. I see so much care, togetherness, and leadership in David and Meg’s relationship. It is a beautiful picture of a father teaching and shepherding his daughter (and now us too). It is a relationship I am grateful to observe and be a part of. 

So what am I learning here in Raleighwood?

That’s what the locals are calling it at least (so me, I’m a local). I am learning how to slow down, build margin into my life, and how to be interruptible. This is a lesson I’ve been trying to learn for years now, but I finally feel like I’m really living it out. The fellows have done a great job in affirming me in this belief too. I really try to be present in each moment of my day and take it all in. To intentionally stop, lift my eyes, and pay attention to what God is doing. It kind of feels like I am stopping to smell the roses. Like on the path of life, I am walking slower, leaving more time in the “in-betweens,” not rushing through it, and stopping to appreciate the beauty around me. So I’ll leave this as an encouragement to each of you: A reminder to slow down and rest in His presence.

Now let’s talk about what I discovered in October.

Things to know:

1. Not only can you kill cockroaches but they can fly

2. Make sure to check which chipotle leftovers are yours (shout out Linda May)

3. I really like trees

4. Hunter is a great road trip buddy

5. You can dream with God (God cares about your life today & your time on earth)

6. I’m not as big of a Taylor Swift fan as I thought… the girl fellows go so hard in this

October REPORT: 

R- I’m reading The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up & Psalms 

E- I’m eating toasted plain bagels with cream cheese 

P- I’m playing When I was Younger by Colony House

O- I’m obsessed with going to concerts (4 this month!!)

R- I recommend using clarifying shampoo 

T- I’m treating myself by taking a second to be present and take in the moment

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ 

With all the love, Maddie Roberts

God's Fingerprints: October

Hi everyone! In my September post, I introduced the desire to be on the lookout for “God’s fingerprints” throughout my fellows year.  

At one of our October roundtables, we discussed one of our summer reads, Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  One of the particularly striking quotes was “We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things? “.  Once again, it reminded me to be on the lookout for God’s fingerprints over everything: big and small. Ashley shared something she heard once about how we should be able to “rattle off” the ways we saw God in our day.  I loved the verbiage “rattle off” and it renewed my challenge of constantly noting how God is moving around me. 

So I’d like to rattle off some October fingerprints: 

• I’m seeing how God hand-picked and is weaving our fellows class community together in such special ways. 

• I especially felt so loved by the fellows in how they surprised me and celebrated me for my birthday. Shoutout girl Hunter and Simas for baking me a bomb flourless chocolate cake and shoutout to everyone for my new squishmellow.

• The state fair was just FUN and the timing of us hopping on the skylift right as the fireworks went off had to be a good and perfect give from above. 

• Fellows asking about my chronic back pain, offering me rides, etc. helps me feel the Lord see me and help me. 

• Monday night girl’s nights have been so special and I’m so thankful for a vulnerable, real, silly time with them. October girl’s nights also meant two nights of roasting marshmallows. 
  

• Linda May gets fairy hair (this gets it’s category)

• A group of fellows and YAM/student ministry leaders attended the Trinity homecoming soccer game. Besides the fact that this homecoming game was soccer and not football, it was unlike any high school homecoming game I’d been to because it included a fair with many tents with activities, games, and food. I noticed one tent with ladies doing free tinsel fairy hair (impermanent sparkle strands). I immediately reported this to Linda May who has been “praying over getting fairy hair for a very long time”. By the grace of God, our very own Linda May was the LAST recipient of free fairy hair.  Not only that, but because of her overwhelming gratitude the generous fairy hair lady gave Linda May EIGHT strands when the other customers only got four. Wow. I could end my God fingerprints here for the month but I’ll keep going.
  

• Work 

• I saw the Lord answer my prayers this month at work. Starting in the role of a medical assistant at NeighborHealth was overwhelming and stressful. There’s a lot to remember and keep track of in a timely and efficient manner. Sometimes the schedules get backed up and the day becomes stressful and long. These days are usually Tuesdays. I vividly remember praying on Monday night over the anxiety I felt about work after having one of those Tuesdays the week before. The next morning at work we had a highly unusual amount of people who did not show up for their appointments which made the day extremely manageable. It’s good for people to come to get care and to be busy and hardworking but I felt the Lord’s blessing on me that morning in letting me have a “breather” and surprising me with an easy morning when I had pictured it anxiety-filled. 

• I see God’s good and purposeful placement for me in who I’m working with, what I’m learning, and how I’m enjoying my work. I always think about the non-fellows year alternative and feel so unmeasurably blessed for this opportunity that led me to NeighborHealth.
  

Class/Host fam/Other: 

• David Spickard took our Just Leadership class on a field trip to Neighbor to Neighbor and I loved seeing what the Lord has done with dreamers who had a heart for people.  

• The beautiful fall leaves, weather, and sunsets! The Spickards had us over for dinner and I had to pull over three times on the way there to take pictures of the pretty sky and trees. 

• YAM holiday event - It’s been so fun to get to know the fellows alum/young adults who are involved at Apostles. I see the Lord’s provision in new community.

• I’ve found my host family home to be such a comfort. I feel especially blessed by Barbie and her gracious care for me and their dog Chip. Both of them have basically become my therapist. I’ve never had a dog and it’s been such a treat to have dog snuggles when I come home. 

Thanks for tuning in for my big and small God winks this month! Every day is a gift!

Virginia

What are you celebrating?

At work a couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in our weekly corporate team meeting getting nervous about the ways I was going to contribute to the meeting and update my coworkers on all the work I’ve been doing. I was thrown off when my boss started the meeting by asking, “Meg, what’re you celebrating this week?” I hadn’t prepared to answer this question. It struck me that I’m so easily consumed by the busyness and the stressors of my week that I forget what God is doing and how I can celebrate it.

This came up again at Roundtable when we discussed the book, “Life Together” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the ways we view community. I realize I can sometimes look for the ways a community is going to serve me rather than carrying a heart posture of thankfulness.

I think this last month has looked a lot like taking a step back to let God in. Now that sounds really nice and the reality is that I’m not doing it well. I get into these zones where I’m go go go and then I finally take a minute to look around. I wish I were better at it. This month has reminded me to slow down, look around, and find things to celebrate.

So here are a few things I’m celebrating…

The fall weather
Seeing two of my favorite artists in concert
Eating corn at the State Fair
Dance parties at Roundtable every Wednesday
My mentor Beth- she’s a gift and a friend I hope to have forever!
Getting to have my dad as my teacher (truly such a privilege and something really special to me)
Piling in the car with the fellows to DC (technically that’s tomorrow but I’m celebrating early!)

While this month was full of activity and fun, I’m learning to recognize that I can celebrate even the simplest of things. God works in the mundane too.

I don’t want to brush over celebrating the horse I got to pet at work, the clouds reflecting God’s intricacies, thoughtfulness, and patience, the conversations that make my day, and the fact that God is with me.

What are you celebrating?

May He bless and keep you,

Meg

Where are my keys?

What a month October has been! We played pickleball (I watched), volleyball (played that one), went to the state fair (pictured below), watched Gabi rizz up a guy at the ice cream shop (she did great y’all), surprised Virginia on her birthday (at a restaurant that was closing in twenty minutes), and so many more crazy times. I have loved building a community with the people here so much, it’s difficult to put into words. The way each of us contributes to the group in such different ways is a joy to see, and a beautiful representation of what’s to come in God’s kingdom.

I didn’t really get into what life was like on the day-to-day in my last blog, mainly because I wanted to start off by processing what I was feeling at the end of the first month, but now I’m here for it… so here we go.

CLASSES

If you know ANYTHING about me, you know I love learning, so classes have been absolutely amazing. From Old Testament (s/o Emily, Hayes, and Eric), to Just Leadership (taught by THE David Spickard) to Family Systems (hi Laura!!), I have greatly enjoyed the wisdom we’ve received from such knowledgeable and giving individuals (and some others not mentioned). Can’t wait to learn more in November, and for the teachers we’ll have next semester!

HOST FAM

Y’all I am as spoiled as spoiled can be with my host fam. They are some of the most generous, loving, and gracious people I have ever met. What’s really funny is the one bane of my existence is doing my dishes right after I eat (sorry college-roommate-Meg), but our one huge rule at the Mangum house is… do your dishes right when you use them. God has a great sense of humor and knows exactly what tools to use to grow me. I also get to live with another Fellow, the amazing Meg Spickard!!

FELLOWS

MVPs this month are Hunter Davis and William Simas. They stayed with me after I locked my keys in my car at the state fair (cue internal screaming) and kept me laughing so I wouldn’t beat myself up about it. They truly were great friends to me that night, I am so thankful for them. That’s not to say the other Fellows are not amazing friends. I am so grateful for each of them, for Meg’s laugh, Luke’s teasing, Linda May’s silliness, Hunter’s generosity, Simas’s good-naturedness, Gabi’s humor, Bunter’s hugs, Virginia’s wisdom, and Maddie’s joy. Most of all, I’m thankful to God for the space and time I get to inhabit with them.

ROUNDTABLE

Y’all. Roundtable is the sickest part of Fellows. Fellowship is so awesome, I eat UP every roundtable we have. It is such a special time to participate in with the other Fellows. I am so grateful to Ashley and Sam for opening up their home and time to us. Also, shout out Molly, who has strangers invade her house every Wednesday and is a CHAMP about it. Roundtable is such a beautiful time of community, discussion, and openness, and it brings me such joy every week to participate!

JOB

God also granted me the gift of awesome co-workers (shoutout to Susan, Karen, and Ryan!!). My job can be kinda slow sometimes, that office intern life, but they make the time so enjoyable. They are all so gracious and helpful, I would not be able to make it without them. Also super great to work in an Audiology office that gives me a snapshot of what my future could be… in five years (woo grad school!!).

OTHER STUFF

Meeting with my mentor has been awesome. Ann is such a good listener and kind soul, I’ve greatly appreciated her opening her home to me these past couple of weeks. Her dog, Ruffin, is the cutest, and I’ve loved sitting on the porch, hanging with Ann and Ruffin.

We gave our eulogies in Spiritual Formation, which I strangely found to be a fun and cathartic process. It was eye-opening to hear what other people wanted to be seen as and remembered by at the end of their life, who they wanted to give their eulogy, too.

Neighbor to Neighbor is the ministry we volunteer with where we get to mentor kids in the community who need some extra help with schoolwork. My kiddo is the silliest, he loves games and playing outside, and works really hard at his reading. I can’t wait to see the progress he makes over the next couple of months, and I am so grateful I get to work with him!

All in all, October has been a heck of a ride. I am constantly baffled by the way the Lord is working in each of our individual lives. My favorite concept we have discussed this month is Imago Dei, the image of God, how we all carry it, and what that means for the way we interact with those around us. What better way to learn and apply this mandate for life than with the people whom He hand-selected to be in it for the next 7 (eek) months?

A Slaytastic October <3

Hello sweet babies, it’s ya girl, Gibs. This month I decided to invent a new word: SLAYTASTIC. Which as you would guess is a combo between the words ‘slay’ and ‘fantastic’. I would say this month lived up to slaytastic standards.

S(laytastic)tate Fair!!

I friggin love the NC state fair!!!!!! I was LIT to take the fellows to experience some classic North Carolina culture. Shoutout to Virginia’s boyfriend, Pete, for being the ONLY ONE who would ride a rollercoaster with me. King tho. We grubbed our hearts out and had a silly time with lots of laughs. Exhibit A below:

Thank you Jesus for these sweet life long friendships that I prayed so hard for.

AYO FIT CHECK

I absolutely love working at RHP. But the thing I love most has to be the old dance studio mirror in the women’s bathroom. Kidding but like not really. How can you not snap a fit-check pic every day? Let’s take a moment to appreciate the cringe mirror selfies that I have an addiction to taking.

In all seriousness, thank you Jesus for Refugee Hope Partners, and that I love where I work so deeply.

THE PACK IS SLAYTASTIC

As a former Meredith angel, it is my civil duty to back the pack. Linda May, Simas, and I went to the NC State game this month and it was surprisingly really fun for a girl who hates football. I left the game bleeding wolfpack red and foaming at the mouth with NC State pride. True story. (thank you Risa Bolash for the top)

Thank you Jesus for seeing you in the NC State game through joy, laughter with Linda May and Simas, and a wolfpack win.

Other slaytastic highlights…

The Layaways Concert!!! 10/13

Virginia’s Bday!! 10/18

Eras Tour Movie!!! 10/19

Apostles YAM Party!!! 10/24

Youth Group Pumpkin Painting!!! 10/29

Chris Renzema!!! 10/30

Thank you Jesus for a month of blessings, laughs, strengthening friendships, crazy North Carolina weather, and my overall spiritual growth and love for the Lord.

xoxo,

Gabi

NO FREE SHOUTOUTS

Good day to my loyal subscribers here at the RF blog. This is your host William Simas, and thanks for tuning in!

On todays episode we are going to be giving shout-outs the people that have been making things happen this past month. Quite a lot has gone down since our last episode, so there is quite a bit to cover. And remember, there are NO FREE SHOUT-OUTs, I’ve been paid handsomely for each of these.

SHOUT-OUT THE STATE FAIR: we had a wonderful time attending the fair as a class of fellows. It’s special to spend time with everyone outside of classes and bond over Krispy Kreme burgers, Livestock, Fireworks, and GODs chosen Holy state of North Carolina. Also shout-out Virginias boyfriend Pete <3 for coming along, being goofy, and making a killer vlog. Also shoutout Gretchen for leaving her keys in her car, and shoutout Hunter for the entertainment as the three of us waited together, way too late, for her car to be unlocked. I was belly laughing for approximately 45 minutes.

SHOUT-OUT THE JIM AND JANET WHITED: these sweet people have cared for me so well, keeping me fed, and navigating the dynamic of a faithful NC State fan live in their UNC household. Their grace towards me comes directly from God, and gives me hope that some UNC fans can be good people.

SHOUT-OUT THE MEN AT CHURCH OF APOSTLES: myself, Bunna, and Luke went to the mens retreat this month, and had a really special time. It was awesome to get immersed in the community of men at the church. The talks were amazing ranging from honor to confession. We got to see how deep Gods roots are in these people, through how they know and care for one another.

SHOUT-OUT DAVID SPICKARD: he has been leading my favorite class so far, and it has been an amazing opportunity to learn about the heart that God has for justice, and the call for us to be leaders that pursue justice in all we do. David has offered up amazing scripture and insight to how to practically identify and confront injustices in our community and in the world. Also shoutout David and Alice Spickard (and Meg I guess) for having us to dinner this past Thursday. Good food and vibes.

SHOUT-OUT MY BOSS DARIN MCCLURE: as a fellow member of the NC State Wolfpack, he just gets it. He has been kind enough to have bless me with tickets to 2 games, in which they have been victorious over Marshall and Clemson(Sorry Virginia). My Job at Darin’s company Mid-Atlantc Associates, has also been such a blessing. I have gotten to learn so much at various sites/projects about different environmental assessments. I have gotten to test for soil gas, inspect a vapor intrusion mitigation system, and test for lead and asbestos on the roofs of some buildings. Lots of super cool experience and knowlege.

SHOUT-OUT THE CRUTCHFIELDS: Thank you to Ashley and Sam for opening their home to us on Wednesdays for cooking, eating, cakewalks, trick or treating, and most importantly quality conversation and community. It has been such a safe space to enjoy time with one another to get silly and be friends, while also diving deeper into heavier conversations about our faith. Roundtable has been such a blessing. Sam lead one where we got to identify and talk about the labels we put on ourselves that arent true, as well as the labels that God says are true about us. Exercises like these are impactful personally, but also have helped our community to grow in vulnerability, trust, and affirmation.

FINALLY SHOUT-OUT GOD: This month has been so very full. Full with activity, stuff to learn, and great people. Greatest of all, it has been full in the Spirit. God has worked in so many of the big and small moments this month, and I’m thankful that I ended up in this program.

Thanks for tuning in. And remember, NO FREE SHOUT-OUTS

Hi friends, my name is Luke Aminuddin (Ah-ME-new-din). As I write to you now, I am currently in a Starbucks less than a mile from Church of the Apostles–host church of the Raleigh Fellows—where I am working on some assignments for my fellows course curriculum. Straight up, it has been a whirlwind of a month here in Raleigh. It hasn’t been easy to focus and devote time and energy to the fellows courses in the midst of massive life change in my post-undergraduate career. But, by far, my experience as a fellow to this point is highlighted by the class sessions. Every book we’ve read in preparation of this fellows year and the class sessions I’ve experienced have been extremely thought-provoking and spiritually fruitful. I grew up in the church, led middle student ministries in other organizations preceding fellows, and I always sought fellowship and others who could teach me more about God in the context my faith. But I’ve learned so much more than I could imagine about myself, God, my relationship with God, my place as a young man in the church community, and new ways in which I can approach my faith. With all that said, know one thing: being Christian is not easy and takes constant work, but we live on this earth to work for the Lord—so delight in the work you have now because we don’t know what God has planned for us. For some, the summer reading books and the classwork are “chores” or busy work that gets in the way of other responsibilities as a fellow. My perspective is that God wants us to work hard to better ourselves as living vessels of Him so we can use the gifts He’s given us to bless the world and live in the way of Christ. Always seek to learn and pursue ways to strengthen your arsenal of knowledge.

I’ll end by briefly mentioning two other things that have been momentous thus far. Foremost, I feel blessed that my work as a reading tutor with my student through Neighbor-to-Neighbor (N2N) has immediately led to fruit. I am extremely grateful that God has lit a fire in my student to want to learn and to love learning. In fact, his mother told me a few weeks ago that the tutoring sessions has not only allowed my student to maintain pace with his primary school education, but that he is actually flourishing and excelling in his coursework. I thank God for putting him and I together as mentor and mentee, and that God will continue to bless our future sessions. Finally, I want to express my overwhelming gratefulness for God’s hand in securing my job placement for the year. It was a long, arduous process, but I finally started a position (two Thursdays ago) at Wells Fargo as an administrative assistant for a private wealth management group. I did not expect to work in finance (given my politics degree) but I feel extremely blessed that God has given me an opportunity that allows me to learn more about wealth and income management. Most fellows don’t go through such an extensive onboarding process for a nine-month internship, and it was not easy to wait for things to move along. But I think I am in a place where I can truly prove my God-given skills in writing, research, data analysis, collaborative group thinking, and presence in public forums. I pray that God continues to be with me as I continue on in this position.

Cheers, and happy October!

Many blessings,

Luke Aminuddin

Howdy doody buckerooni!!!

It’s cha boi Hunter (Boy) otherwise known to the Raleigh community as Bunner, Bunah, Bunter, Boy Hunter or just good ole Hunter when Girl Hunter isn’t around.

What a blast it has been so far, an exhuasting but exillerating one to say the least! I remember getting advice about the first few weeks to rest up because it will be exhausting but just never expected it look like this but I’m so glad it is, that being said, waking up is hard. I hate mornings, I’m such a night owl and have spent my college career going to bed as late as possible and sleeping in late and loved it…that just isn’t possible anymore and wow I wasn’t prepared for this. Having to actaully get up begin life before noon everyday for work, church, class, study time for class is just something I truly never imagined I would do but here I am, and it is getting easier but that’s life.

I can see some of the work that fellows sets us up for life wise, whether it’s done intentionally or not, but I bet it is. Showing us that we can run the rat race, while having strong and consisten fellowship, being genuinely involved in a church, serving within the community, and having time*** for myself is so incredibly possible, and I’m so thankful for the way that it’s being shown/taught to us.

Some things I’m grateful for:

1. Hospitality - Between my own host family (Shoutout Julie & Shea Tisdale) and every other family, there has been nothing but love, kindness, and genuine relationship shown to me.

2. Guy community - This year there are only three guy fellows, including myself, which can be hard but there are a number of past older guy fellows that love us like their own and want to know us and instill wisdom.

3. Youth Ministry - I lead Young Life in college and didn’t leave my time leading passionate or on fire for continuing it again, but now I get the opportunity to lead Middle Schoolers and it’s actually one of my favorite things of the week. Being able to let my inner child out and just be goofy and weird with these dudes is a blast as well as leading along some stud leaders: Luke, Simas and Neil.

Til next time!

-Bunner, Bunah, Bunter or just ole Hunter

Why would I leave?

I often get asked why I chose to do The Raleigh Fellows Program when I have lived in Raleigh my whole life. To which I reply “I love it here, why would I leave?”. The 3 words I would use to describe this month would be:
LIT
CRAZY
MOVIE

And yes, I am 22 years old. 

Although I have lived in Raleigh for 22 years, I was still extremely nervous to start this program. I knew I was going to be coming in with one of my close friends (shoutout SIMAS), but who were the rest of these jokers gonna be? Will they like me? Will I like them? Will they laugh at my jokes? (this was very important to me). Spoiler alert, I do in fact love these jokers, and they love me too.

The friendships definitely began to blossom at the lake. The one on one partnerships were huge in establishing those connections. I was lucky enough to have one on ones with Bunner, Virginia, and Linda May. I left each one on one feeling so excited and hopeful for how my friendships with everyone were going to look for the rest of the year. Although I left the lake without having “official” one on ones with everyone else, I still had meaningful, silly, and intentional conversations with everyone. I truly felt all the prayers that I was receiving.

Some of you know that I struggle with anxiety. Not once did I feel anxious on the lake trip. NOT ONCE! Guys this is kinda huge. Our God is so good. If you have been praying for me, I definitely feel it. Thank you forever and forever.

In other news……

IM WORKING AT REFUGEE HOPE PARTNERS! and I friggin love it. I’m working in non-profit administration and middle/elementary homework help. I also get to work with girl Hunter so that’s a treat in itself. The staff is so loving and welcoming and has made starting my first “big girl” job so much fun. Getting used to working a big girl job is taking some time to get used to, but I get to be in a field that I love with an amazing staff, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m also living with the BOLASH FAMILY!

PK DUUPPPEEEE. Just kidding. Living with a host family is so crazy. I say crazy in a “lit crazy movie” type of way. I’m living with another family while my own family is 15 minutes down the road, which is totally weird if you think about it. But oh how sweet it is to be living with the Bolash fam. They love me so well and treat me like I am one of their own. I especially have enjoyed hanging out with their daughter, Risa. Risa and I actually went to college together but didn’t really become friends until now. God is so freaking good because I not only get to live with Eric and Robin, but Risa. She has been a blessing to me and I am so thankful for her. My goal during my time with the Bolash family is to turn Eric into a gleek. We’ll see if I can succeed.

Overall, my first month has been one lit crazy movie. A month of full schedules, navigating north Raleigh, making new friends, missing my college friends, spending too much money on coffee, and so much growth in my relationship with the Lord.

xoxo,

Gabi <3

God's Fingerprints: September

At our orientation retreat, Ashley gave us a letter written by someone in last year’s class (s/o Mallory Larson) with encouragement and advice as we began this nine-month journey. Toward the end of her letter, she wrote something along the lines of “be looking for God’s fingerprints throughout your days”.

In our Old Testament Genesis readings, I’ve been reminded of God’s nature as a Creator, specifically that he delights in his creation and especially delights in humanity. This is also referenced in one of my favorite scriptures, Colossians 1:16-20 which says “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things and in him, all things hold together…He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross”.  

His fingerprints are truly over every inch of this world and our lives, as he holds them in his hands. 

Our second Old Testament class, taught by Emily Walker, led us to identify God’s original design for the nature of humanity. In the first two books of Genesis, we see that humanity is: man and woman created in God’s image, God-breathed, to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth. God created us and saw that we were very good. He created us to enjoy him and his creation, to embrace a relationship with him, and to interact with him as the living God of the universe. Emily asked us if this is how we think of our humanity now. Even after the fall, this image of humanity is what we are restored to through Jesus (Colossians 1:20). As followers of Jesus we are called to understand who we were designed to be. I believe God designed us for the garden, as described above. And because of the fall, we do not live in full glory but we have it to look forward to when God creates a new heaven and a new earth. In the meantime, I believe that in his mercy God gives us a glimpse of glory or shows us his “fingerprints” when we stop to notice them. 

We are doing a series in Exodus at church and Pastor Lauren spoke last Sunday on how the heart of God is to reveal himself to his people. He did this with the Israelites constantly telling them that “they will know” their provisions are coming from the Lord himself. Because we face the reality of living in a fallen world we often doubt God’s faithfulness, goodness, and provision. But he promises to draw near to us when we seek him. Pastor Lauren recommended some practices to heighten our awareness of God. Aka to notice his fingerprints. 

It will be my goal this year to be doing just that. So I’d like to share some of “God’s fingerprints” I’ve noticed throughout this first month as a Raleigh Fellow. Here are a few big ones from September: 

• In general, the overwhelming provision of this program: my gracious host family (Barbie Burgess), my job (medical assistant at NeighborHealth) my mentor (Marilyn Young), the community of the Fellows alum (s/o my buddy Derren) my fellow fellows (aka my 9 new best friends) and our courageous leader (Ashley Crutchfield). 

  • I’ve been blown away when reflecting on how God knew exactly what I needed for these next nine months and placed me with these exact people in these places for my good. 

• Sitting by the pond during quiet time at Fall camp feeling absolutely exhausted by the weekend but hearing the words of Psalm 23 “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul”.  

• It was certainly a little rough leading at a youth retreat so soon after we hit the ground running, but at this moment I was reminded of Jesus’ example for us to slip away and find stillness in alone time with God. Also a moment of appreciating his beauty in creation.

• Similarly to above, during our first spiritual formation class we had individual, unhurried, silent time with God to invite the Holy Spirit to uncover whatever he desires within us. 

• We had just meditated on Matthew 11:25-30 and in this silence & solitude I felt like I was receiving a hug from Jesus like a child collapsing into a hug from their parent. A hug where I released my heaviness onto him and I stood up feeling lighter. Just as Jesus invites us to do in verse 29 by taking upon his yoke and finding rest for our souls. 

• And maybe the most important one…I treated myself to Smoothie King after sharing my testimony and they made extra of my order so I got another free cup.

  • 🙌 Jehovah Jirah

Every day is a gift!

- Virginia

September: Scary, Slay, Sweet, Surprising, Spontaneous, Spoiled, Spectacular

September: Scary, Slay, Sweet, Surprising, Spontaneous, Spoiled, Spectacular

Heyyyyy Blog, Girl Hunter (some call me Lizzy???) entering the chat!🫡

I cannot believe it has already almost been a month since I started this thing called Raleigh Fellows and man has so much happened since the first day, September 6th.

Deciding to do Fellows was exciting but also a little scary for me. The idea of entering into a completely new and unknown community and putting off what I had for years decided was the next step for me, OT school, seemed a little daunting. I think it has already been evident that surrendering the decision to do Fellows to God and trusting Him with it was and will continue to be one of the best decisions I could have made for myself.

When thinking of a word to describe time with my 10 new besties (Ashley included, of course), the first word that comes to mind is “slay”. Meeting a new group of people can be intimidating and it was that at first, but I think that feeling quickly faded as I was able to have super sweet conversations with everyone early on. I have loved seeing the similarities and differences among our group and how these bring us together. It was honestly a little surprising how fast we all seemed to click and mesh, but this has made me really excited for the next 8 months (and hopefully more) of doing life together!!🫶🏼

Something that fills my cup is spontaneous adventures and spontaneity is absolutely a word I would use to describe the past month in this program. From swimming with the water mat out to main lake at orientation retreat (sooo random but was totally here for it), cookout runs, late-night hangs, and coffee shops, the fun hasn’t stopped!

I have also felt so spoiled this past month. From the INSTANT (like fr) fame that you get as a Fellow at church and in the community, but also from my host family (shout-out the Vincent’s), my buddy (shout-out Mallory Larson), and my mentor (shout-out Rebecca Sipe). I have felt beyond loved and cared for by these people and have already learned so much from each of them. This has definitely been a highlight for me so far and I have been overflowing with a sense of gratitude for the impact I know they will have in my life!

I am working at Refugee Hope Partners and this was a little hard at first, learning the rhythms and being thrown in, but after finishing my third week and growing more into a routine there I can confidently say that God is growing a desire in my heart for this population and the injustices that are present there!

God has already taught me so much about myself (turns out I am more of an extrovert than I thought I was and saying no to fun things is hard for me???). I am also learning to balance my time and my relationships outside of Fellows and the new ones I have made from Fellows.

With this being said, September was spectacular and I cannot wait to see how God continues to reveal things to me and prune me during this program!!!

Key Moments: Orientation Retreat, Church Intros, FALL CAMP, pickleball, 1st YAM hang at Bowstring, testimonies, starting work at RHP, 1st roundtable chef experience with my cooking partner (shout-out Simas), 1st and 2nd girls’ night (MMGPN), and of course LOTS of coffee ☕️

Peace and Love, 

Girl Hunter 💕🤠✨🪩

This Is A Big Dump

Hello my friends! Simas/William here!

I’m pumped to finally put some pen to paper and share about my experience jumping into all the crazy and wonderful parts of becoming a Raleigh Fellow. For this post I think I want to just give an outline of all the major aspects of being a Fellow, my experience with them so far, and how I’ve seen God work in them.

The Whited’s

My sweet host family! When arriving back in Raleigh I moved in with the sweetest couple, Jim and Janet Whited. They were both CPAs and are both quite involved with Church of The Apostles. They are a UNC family which is hard, but we have bonded in spite of it. They are so kind to welcome me into their home and let that be my home base as I jump between all the activities I am about to list. I have seen God through the Whited’s in their provision of sustenance in meals, and space to be at rest. They reflect God’s desire to give us space to prepare and be sent out in the world, and they use their resources accordingly, equipping me to be filled up and be engaged with the Holy Spirit throughout my days.

Classes

I thought i was finally done with school?!? Why am I enjoying this?! These are two questions I have thought to myself the past couple weeks. It has been so cool to have classes on Mondays and Fridays. To come into them excited to learn rather than scared of making a bad grade is so refreshing. God has been tugging at my heart especially with David Spickard’s “Just Leadership” class. Hearing about how intertwined justice is with the identity of God, and what that means for us has me so excited to learn ways to be disciples of Jesus that pursue justice daily. I’m so thankful to have teachers willing to share their wealth of knowlege with us on such an array of things; justice, the old testament, spiritual formation/practices, health and wellness, and much more to come!

Roundtable

Its hard to say for sure, but Wednesday nights might just be my favorite time of the week. The chance to all come back from our places of work and gather at Ashley(the fellows director)’s house. We get to catch up and make jokes, as two of the fellows are preparing dinner. We then get to share in a meal prepared by our friends, for our friends. At dinner we get filled up with food and with community. After dinner so far we has been going through and doing everyone’s testimony, which has been such a beautiful experience. Going from being complete strangers with these people, to sharing hard and heavy things about our lives, and how we have seen God in the face of it all, has been life giving. After such a short time I already love these people.

I’m Basically A 6th Grader

Who would have thought that getting placed as a leader for 6th grade boys would be the best thing ever? DEFINITELY not me. It has been so much fun getting to meet the guys at youth group and get to form relationships with them. We have already gone to youth ministry FALL CAMP with them, at which I discovered that by most metrics I might as well be a 6th grade boy. We laughed, yelled, ate too much candy, told ghost stories, and just about everything else 6th graders are into. It was great to be able to walk through some hard things with them during small group time, and I’m so impressed by the way some of these kids opened up. I’m excited to keep leading small group with them this year to hear about where they are at with God, and so I can share about how he has changed my life.

Work?! Commuting?!? Responsibility?!?! Dangerous Chemicals!?!!?

Starting off work at Mid-Atlantic Associates has been so cool. My little Tuesday-Thursday mini work week has been a cool way to dip my toes into the adult world. I have gotten thrown into the middle of things so fast, which is really cool. I have been double checking data from lab results of radon levels at redevelopment sites, learning how to/performing property condition assessments, and going on site visits to write reports, mark off areas with hazardous chemicals and more. This job has been such a cool opportunity to learn things I never thought I would, such as the repair and replacement costs for any and every HVAC unit in existence. I have been learning how to view work as good, and from God. That we are designed to work, and God is present in and cares about the work we do.

Amare The Math Man

On Monday nights we go to Neighbor to Neighbor to mentor and tutor underprivileged kids in Raleigh. It is an amazing organization that has become ingrained in its community, with many programs that uplift and enrich the lives of people facing poverty and systemic barriers to success. My kid is named Amare, and he is a sweet and energetic 3rd grader. I am helping him with math, and he is a competitive guy, so we have battled it out in a math board game which he calls “The Frog Game”, and he’s quite resilient and has beaten me a couple times. He’s getting really good at his subtraction. I’m excited to be a part of is life, and am certain that I will learn just as much from him as he will from me as I hear about his life. I see God in the long term vision and commitment to prosperity that Neighbor to Neighbor has for it’s community is a beautiful representation of Jesus’s longing and commitment to the renewal and thriving of our souls, as well as our communities. ALL of our communities, especially those facing oppression, poverty, and injustices.

Filling In The Gaps

There has been so so so much more going on in the time between all these commitments. Amazing friendships and connections have been formed between the 9 other fellows in our class, Ashley, her husband Sam, the countless Raleigh fellows alumni, staff at Church, teachers, church members, youth group kids, coworkers, and more. We as fellows have been filling our gaps with amazing people and some fun activities. There have been some great times at coffee shops(shoutout SIR WALTER), pickle ball, game nights, family dinners, and more. God has been so present in the big things we have been doing, but I have been so aware of the Holy Spirit and how it has been present and filling in the gaps, keeping me energized and expectant that it will do great things in, to, and through this community.

I Love Raleigh.

See ya next month,

William Simas

What am I doing here?

Hey y’all, Gretchen here, and I am so thrilled to be writing this blog! Reading the old Fellows’ blogs is what showed me the heart of this program, and I’m so glad I get to leave my mark here for future Fellows to read as well. Some quick facts about me: I take a lot of naps, I have a cat named Smokey, my favorite color is green, and I’m from Mississippi. Now, onto the blog…

If there’s one constant thought I have had during my first month in Raleigh, it is, “What am I doing here?” A couple more-accurate-to-my-feelings questions would be “what did I just do” or “did I really just move 12 hours away from home?”

All valid questions.

You see, moving a couple of states over and not doing research on the city you’re moving to really sets the stage for sheer confusion and disorientation when actually arriving at said city. I have no clue where I am, no knowledge of the city’s culture, severely lacking in cozy coffee shop locations, constantly surrounded by strangers, etc. The short of it: I feel out of place.

The cool part is, I’m learning to be okay with that.

I automatically have to rely on people around me, something that’s always been hard for me. I also have to trust God a lot more as well. Trust that the relationship with the people with those around me will deepen. Trust that someday I will get to work and back without Google Maps. Trust that I already have a place in this world, it’s not something I can find for myself. Trust that I’ll find a rhythm to the life I find myself in, and be thankful for the changes that come my way.

So, in closing, I’m going to rejoice in my inadequacies. I get to be weak, which in turn makes me strong (thanks Paul). And that’s really cool.

Gretchen