The Very Personal Bits

Sorry for being away for so long.  It’s been busy, battling to have a working phone, moving into our apartment, shopping for things that we need and flexing into the new life.  Also, my computer has completely stopped talking to the internet.  First it was the Wi-Fi, now it’s everything.  Fortunately, we have as many computers in this family as we do people!...so I’ve wrestled one away from a child…in exchange for the use of my iPad :-)  As I understand it, we will have days and days where the internet is concerned…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Probably the most personal part of moving, and one I have never done with any great level of success, is finding a church.  Having been raised in the same place my whole life and returning to it as an adult, my relationship with St. Paul’s is, to say the least, steadfast, comfortable… and unbeatable.  Replicating that place and its environment of tradition, love and people is impossible.  The sooner I realize that, the better I’ll be when it comes to transitions like this.

As I think of someone I know who should retire but won’t, because no one could care for her clients as she does, I must take the same approach to church shopping.  Nothing will be perfect, but if we can feel the presence of God and find comfort in a community of faith…and my children feel valued in the environment as well, then that is our home…until we can return to our beloved St. Paul’s.

I am a firm believer in structured communal worship.  But I also acknowledge that, if we’re not growing and being fed, then there are more rewarding places for my heart on a Sunday morning than warming a pew for appearance’s sake.  In France, it was family drives through the mountains with a picnic...

Mother's Day 2008

Generally, English-speaking churches on international assignments cater to the most masses without catering to any one sector of Christianity.  There is, of course, a Catholic church here.  Then there is the fundamental non-denominational church with the contemporary rock band service on Saturday and traditional on Sunday.  And, worshiping in the same place, nestled between the rock service, traditional service and Korean and Chinese congregations, is Trinity.  I wouldn’t say it’s Episcopalian…it might be Lutheran.  It’s comfortable.  They follow the lectionary, have communion every week with wine, and sing hymns in all the right places.  I’ve been twice, and tomorrow I will take the family too.

Part of this decision too was our choice of school for the children.  We toured six schools in the five days that we were here in December (as well as the 25 homes).  Both David and I were in agreement that whichever school we chose would yield an education well beyond what we were experiencing at home, and they’re all good.  It came down to four things…do they have room for both children (2^nd grade seems to be a high commodity in this town), British or American curriculum (many of you know what a fan I am of British primary education), would Abigail, because of her late October birth date, be put back a year, and location, location, location…  You could add the feel and environment to that list, but once we narrowed our search by these first four, environment was a non-issue.

Our selection was quickly narrowed to two great candidates, an American school, with a Christian foundation, or a bilingual school with British curriculum.  As the admissions officer at the pick British academy that had no placements in 2^nd or 4^th grades told us, putting William into a British system at this stage would cause difficulties for him in the long term.  It is possible that he would have gaps in his learning due to the difference of what age certain things are taught in the two systems.  AND, Abigail would have had to step down a year…which could have been glossed over as 1^st grade is ‘class 2’.  She would still think she was in 2^nd grade, she would just transition from being the youngest to being the oldest…

So Concordia International School Shanghai it is!  It was the last school we toured, and we didn’t even take notes for it.  We decided we would either love it or hate it and move on.  We were also told that 2^nd grade was already full, so the tour was a formality.  Then we were told that GM, being an investor, has a certain number of guaranteed placements…and they had one left.

Concordia felt right.  The Headmaster, Dr. K, owns a home on Lake Chemung, less than a mile from our house In Howell.  He attends the same church in Brighton where our kids went to pre-school and is friends with our neighbor, two doors down.  There are 45 minutes of religion every day, one hour of Mandarin language instruction and, otherwise, a seamless academic transition for both children.  AND, if church doesn’t work out for us, at least they’ll have that 45 minutes every day of structured Christian instruction.

My first Sunday at Trinity, I was asked to introduce myself to the congregation.  I said I was from Brighton (because, fundamentally, I am) and that I was church shopping for my family.  It turns out that Dr. K and his wife were sitting right next to me.  Once we exchanged pleasantries, he asked me how progress on their house is coming.  (For those who live in my neighborhood, theirs is the house on Hughes Rd between Grand River and the boat access, that is having a second floor added).  Then I had a flock of well-wishers around me, offering advice, suggesting book clubs and generally being very welcoming.

So far, it’s working out.