Dreaming

As I lie in my childhood bed , I look around my room. Though most of my decorations have been packed up, I still have a bulletin board full of pictures and quotes. One quote at the top of the board says, "Real beauty is dreaming big dreams." I started thinking about my dreams lately, and how some of my biggest dreams have been realized.

Last Christmas as I traveled home, I felt miserable. I didn't know what I was going to do after school. I had lost interest in studying. I felt as though I were walking through a desolate wasteland, lost and hopeless. During that time, I asked myself what I would do if I could do absolutely anything, without worrying about doing God's call or disappointing others. My weary heart whispered that I would like to travel. I wanted to go to Nicaragua for a mission trip (maybe with my aunt and uncle who go annually), and I wanted to go to Europe to visit Edo and his family, especially to meet his baby girl. However, I thought these dreams would take at least a year to come true - if they ever did - because I had to finish school, and I didn't anticipate graduating until August 2013.

To make a long story short, I ended up with more classes in the spring, and I finished off a degree in Linguistics and Exegesis by April 2013. I went to the Netherlands to live with Edo for the summer, and I got to be the nanny for his daughter, Julie, for a month as well as travel to different places. It was one of the greatest gifts I could have asked for, better than I had hoped.

As the months became warmer from Christmas to summer, I felt like my desolate wasteland inside was greening up. While at Taizé monastery in France in June, I realized that I was walking through a lush garden inside instead of a scary wilderness. Over the past six months, I have clung to a blessing from Common Prayer by Shane Claiborne et al. It goes like this:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.

May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.

May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.

May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors. 

At first, I clung to the peace of Christ as I went through wilderness and storms. Now I have begun rejoicing in the wonders I have seen. I am awed by the way God has worked in my heart and life. I no longer feel lost and afraid. He has taught me to dream again, and he has fulfilled my desires.

Now I am living at home again for a few months, but in January, I will go to Nicaragua for a year, Lord willing. I have been accepted to Christian Reformed World Missions. While in Nicaragua I will be involved in developing a community of work, play, prayer, and fellowship. As I build relationships with my teammates (cohorts in community, you might call us) and the people of León, Nicaragua, I will endeavor to demonstrate that the love of Jesus transforms all of life. Concretely, I will likely be helping in local organizations that need extra hands and minds, supporting local pastors and leaders in their work. It's a new program, developing under the supervision of the Nehemiah Center, so we don't know exactly how everything will go yet. I'm excited, though. I get to return to the city where I lived three years ago. Friends and adopted family will be there, and the gallo pinto (rice and beans mixed together, a typical dish) is plentiful. That's my big news, my next step: Nicaragua! Until then, I'll be raising financial and prayer support among churches and individuals, going to orientation sessions, and brushing up on my Spanish and Nicaraguan knowledge. Our God is a God of big dreams, and he sees them through. Yay!

 

The Oudmans go to Washington

Three weeks ago, I had the privilege of road-tripping to Washington D.C. with my brother, Dirk. We took a circuitous route, going up to Sarnia, ON to visit an old family friend, then down to Ohio to see family, but we finally made it to the capital city. Having recently been in capital cities of Europe, I was excited to visit the United States' capital again since I enjoyed it so much the times I visited before. Needless to say, it was easy to don my "tourist mode" again as I toured around with Dirk. 

D.C. has become Dirk's home for the semester as he interns with the Center for Public Justice and takes some leadership classes as part of his last year of university. Before we settled him into his dorm, we spent a day exploring the city and visiting our favorite sites as well as some new ones.

Dirk and I hanging out on a hot day at the Washington Mall, in front of the capitol building.

We'd recently watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with Jimmy Stewart during a family night, and it was fun to see the capitol dome that makes that idealistic young man so excited. I hope Dirk will be able to stick to his guns just as well as Jimmy Stewart.

Due to earthquake damage in 2011, the entire Washington Monument was closed for restoration. When our family went to DC 6 years ago, we walked down the stairs inside and had a tour of all the special stones that States and people donated to the monument. Needless to say there was no tour this year.

The Lincoln Memorial is iconic for Washington, and just plain inspiring. It has quotes from President Lincoln on the walls. Unfortunately, it seems to always be crowded. Maybe Dirk will get to hang out with the statue on a quieter day.

Leaning against the Monument, holding up the other side of the world. I took a picture like this with the Eiffel Tower in Paris, too. It seemed like a good mirror image.

Dirk especially wanted to see the Korean War Memorial. Near the Vietnam Memorial, this shiny black wall has etchings of faces instead of names, and you feel like one of the soldiers advancing through the underbrush. It made me think of Grandpa since he almost had to go to Korea when he was drafted during the war. His time ended just before his unit deployed.

My favorite memorial is the one of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Dirk took a picture of me with FDR's wife, Eleanor. An accomplished lady. I hope I can serve God and others too, even if I never have a statue with an inscription like she does.

We found the Center for Public Justice, where Dirk will spend the majority of his time for the semester. Hopefully his striking profile will help him get the job done. ;)

Finally, we found his dorm and classroom building. When we had to return with all of his stuff the next day, we felt like pros since we had already scoped out the neighborhood.

Other highlights of the trip to Washington, D.C. were dining at Old Ebbitt's Grill (the place to be in DC), and underestimating rush hour traffic as I tried to flee the city after moving Dirk.

We also visited the Holocaust Museum while we were there. It was informative and interesting, but also very moving. I learned things I had never known about Jews, Germans, and World War II. The museum was especially powerful for me because I had just been in Berlin a few weeks before. Seeing different sides of the same story impacted me deeply.

With this adventure to the capital city, I feel a renewed sense of pride and belonging in my country. Visiting the US capital seemed like a good way to end a summer of travel. I hope to be a good ambassador for the US as I travel the world, seeking to spread ideals of liberty and justice for all. However, it doesn't end with citizenship for me. If the United States is the final standard for the world, it is not good enough. Rather, justice is rooted in the kingdom of God, who brings true freedom to people. Peace, Jesus offers. I pledge allegiance.