Reflections on Home

We now have internet at the new house. How convenient. Jena, my sister in law and our housemate, just so happened to have an wireless router, and so I have the luxury of posting from bed as I drift off to sleep. Hopefully my sleepy state doesn't lead to posts I'll regret in the morning, but I doubt it...not this time, anyway.

We've been in G-Rap for two full weeks now, and it's been a good settling process. The first week was difficult, but this week was much better. I've had plenty of tasks to take care of during the days while spending time with my beautiful baby Addison. I got my licence switched to Michigan, along with the van title and some nifty new license plates. I ordered all my books for the semester (four of them came today). I had to buy a new modem to get the internet running at the house. I called a ton of day care places to check on rates and details. And we continue to put the house together, box by box, room by room. We have a lot of stuff. I wish we didn't, but we do. At least we're trimming the fat (vis a vis an upcoming garage sale). And I need to buy a car this week, so I've been looking into that as well.

It's been interesting. Transition is always a difficult and exciting thing. For the last seven years of my life, I've pretty much constantly been in transition. Dorms (202D), parents house, dorms (104B), parents house, dorms (104B), Little Pine Island Camp, apartment at Trinity, apartment at North Park, house in Indy, house in G-Rap. The only place we stayed long enough to call home was Indy, and just like that, we're gone.

There are so many things we'll miss about Indy. It's our daughter's birthplace, and where she spent the first year of her life. It is the home of some great dining establishments: Squealers, Yats (Cajun Creole Crazy), Bub's, King Kabob, La Margarita, Rick's Cafe Boatyard, Claddagh's Irish Pub. I'm salivating just thinking about the goodness. We lived 1.5 miles from the Monon trail, where we walked and ran regularly. We were a mile from the bank, post office, and public library. Downtown was clean, easy to get around, and beautiful.

And of course there are the people. The people of Hope Covenant, the people of the Hollis Adams lunch bunch, some dear, dear friends who I got to meet with regularly to encourage and sharpen each other and talk ministry, music, life and everything in between. It's hard to even think of some faces, because it rips my heart to be separated from them. We haven't had very deep roots for over seven years, but they dug in pretty far in Indy. Just when it began to really feel like home, we left.

But duty calls. Seminary calls, and I'm actually in a good place right now. Though I miss Indy, I'm loving getting to know G-Rap. We live dangerously close to a Best Buy, a restaurant with excellent falafel called The Pita House, a mall, and Baker Book House. We are close to Marcie's family, and as I mentioned before, her sister even lives with us. I've gotten to meet some of the neighbors, and our next door neighbor gave us some fresh produce from her garden. Our house is very nice, a perfect fit for us, and it's starting to feel like our house finally.

But what makes everything go 'round are those constant and intimate relationships I share with my Lord, my wife and my daughter. Home is a nebulous concept, and is not bound in all facets by geography. I feel at home when I am with Marcie and Addison, no matter where that is. They are my family, they love me and allow me to love them. Yet ultimately, none of us can feel fully at home until fully present with Christ (2 Corinthians 5), and I know not when that day will come.

So for one more week, I am a full-time stay at home (home, get it?) dad looking for a car and continuing to put a house together. After that, let the weekly commute to Chicago begin. Thankfully the Cubbies are getting their act together to get ready for my arrival. Thanks, boys. Heal up good, Alfonso.

Shenanigans and Goings On

Some snippets of what's going on:

• I've been suffering from lame duck syndrome since making the decision to move to G-Rap. Overall, it's not too bad, but during lulls, I start to lose motivation.
• Blake's performance on American Idol this week was the most impressive I've ever seen. I generally consider AI a waste of my time, but for the first time, I was actually impressed by the artistry of one of the contestants. Sure, people with pretty great voices have been on the show, but this actually impressed me from an artistic standpoint. You may disagree, but I liked it, and I decided that I'm not too much of a hipster-snob to shout it from the rooftops.
• I've been reading Randy Frazee's The Connecting Church, and wish it was titled something more accurate, like Is True Community Possible in Suburbia? or something to that effect. That would have made me want to read it much earlier. As it stands, the title is sort of sterile sounding, and doesn't do justice to this excellent book. Very challenging to the suburban church paradigm, and an excellent, no compromise plan for Biblical community.
• Addison is at an unbelievably entertaining stage of her development. She is beautiful, social, happy, strong, loving, and more a joy than I could have imagined on my own.
• Training for the 5k is going pretty well, but I've had a bit of abnormal soreness in my left leg for the last couple days that has thrown off my training a bit. The race is in 8 days. Training for it gives me a goal to strive for and an added sense of purpose. It seems silly, but it's true.
• I've been listening to some great music acquired from the library: Neko Case, Over the Rhine, more Yo La Tengo, Wilco and Billy Bragg, Iron & Wine/Calexico, old Sigur Ros, Joanna Newsom, and some new permanent acquisitions from the Violent Femmes, TV on the Radio and Vigilantes of Love.
• I'm pumped about the Wilco show on June 15.
• Last weekend was incredible. Congrats to Ush and Steph. The community of 104 (college friends) coming together is truly a beautiful thing, and we are extremely blessed each time we come together. The way Addison lit up around our dear friends brought more joy to my heart than I can describe. You are truly family.
• It was great to see my family for my dad's birthday as well. Stockholm Inn is always amazing (you don't know what you got 'til it's gone), and it was wonderful to get to see everyone. I love you...you are also truly family (duh!).
• Go Bulls.
• Golden State? Amazing.
• Prior's season ending "exploratory" shoulder surgery? Big surprise, right?

To borrow an apropos sign off from my dear friend, Vis...you have my love.

We're Moving...

...from the birthplace of the late Kurt Vonnegut to the birthplace of the late President Gerald Ford. You can read my wife's terrific description here. What follows is a modified version of the letter we sent out to our friends here at Hope Covenant Church. We appreciate the prayers of many of you who knew of our quandry before today. This was a tough decision, but we definitely sense God's peace about it now. Some adjustments to this letter were made for the protection of the innocent.


Beloved friends,

When we moved here to Indianapolis on July 28, 2005, we thought we would be here for a one year internship, an integral piece of my studies at North Park Theological Seminary. Thankfully, we had the joyous opportunity to extend our time here another year, affording us the privilege of building stronger friendships with many of you and getting involved in more areas of ministry than we would have dreamed.
After weeks of wrestling through our options for August 2007 and beyond, we have determined that in order to continue my seminary education we will no longer be able to serve at Hope Covenant Church.
I must for a variety of reasons go back to seminary full-time this fall. North Park has graciously allowed us to stay here for two years, but at this point, a move is inevitable for us.
In considering our options, we tried to figure out a way to stay here and go back to seminary full-time, but nothing we came up with seemed like a healthy option for us or for the church. As a full-time student, commuting to Chicago three days a week, half-time pastor here and full-time husband and father, I would not be able to give my best to all three. In fact, in trying to give myself to all three, I would have to fail in one area, and that is not something I am willing to do. Being a full-time student and investing in my family are non-negotiables, and in order to do those things well, we were forced to move in another direction.
After our final Sunday at Hope on August 5, we will be moving to the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. As some of you know, this is where Marcie is from, and basically her entire immediate and extended family lives in the area. This will allow Marcie to go back to work full-time, while having the support system to place Addison into trusted and reliable care during the days that I am in Chicago at school. Though the commute to Chicago is almost as far as from Indy, this option will free me from having to work, giving me the ability to focus entirely on schoolwork and family.
We cannot overstate how difficult this decision has been to make. Every time we look at your faces we see dear friends who have journeyed with us through these past two vital years. We have felt loved and supported amid joyful and difficult times. We have received encouraging words and have felt free to be ourselves in ministering to you and your children. The ministry experience I have received here is truly rare, and I thank you for your patience in letting me try new things and figure out how to do ministry. Looking back, Addison may not remember a lot about the first year of her life, but we will with joy be able to tell her stories of the great people who wrapped their arms around her and us…you.
God has been continually faithful to Hope Covenant Church for over 25 years, and will continue to be faithful after our departure. Though it is hard for us to leave, we know that He is in control and will provide for all your needs. We are humbled to have made any impact on your lives, and we pray for God to continue to guide you into his love, truth, justice and grace.

Blessings,

Andrew, Marcie and Addison Gates