The Joys of Low-Tech Living and Doing Orientation with the Flu

Lack of internet access still proving annoying. Yesterday was finding computers in the Student Union Building on UBC campus, today is working with the old and recalcitrant computers in the Regent Library, tomorrow will (hopefully) be bringing my laptop into the Wireless-friendly Regent Building and navigating that new adventure. That is, if I don't expire from this bloody flu first. I should really be in bed, but there's just too much going on here to miss.

For those of you who asked me why I had to go all the way out to Vancouver for a theological degree, here's a better answer than a probably gave you. Regent is not a seminary (in that it doesn't just train ministers, in fact out of 40 students in orientation, only 4 of us are taking the MDiv), not a Bible College, and not like anything else I could have chosen to go to. The faculty here are stunningly brilliant (many of them are the world's authority in their field), I'll be in classes with people all around the world, and one of the paid student positions is for someone in charge of making soup for the entire community (500+ people) every Tuesday. Awesome. In other words, considering this is a Christian graduate school, it's about as open and inclusive as it could be. I think I'd find any other place where I could study an MDiv too narrow.

In between the achy bones and the frustrations/sadness of living in a new place, I'm really excited to be here. I saw the mountains between the clouds today, I laughed inapropriately loudly when people said things I never expected to hear in a room full of Christians, and I heard some amazing stories of people from New Zealand, Singapore, and California.

There's still so much to do though. School supplies, registration (should I change courses?), finishing up my previous courses, sleeping, eating, making new friends (I hope). By the time the term starts I'll finally be all ready for my Christmas holiday....