The Path to Aberdeen

Well, I mentioned before that my roommate Kaitlin was buying a house, and that the timing coincided with Tommy's month-long Aberdeen trip closely enough to make it a possibility. Though I did not feel a personal burden to come on the trip, I had said that if it seemed financially viable for me to come, I would make it happen. I would have to 1) not be paying rent in 2 places, and 2) find a temp agency or agencies to work through in Aberdeen.

Initially, we thought I had to move as of the end of Sept. That left the awkward question of where I would store my stuff in August and the likelihood that I would have to move my stuff twice, which I did not want to do. This was because Kaitlin was the caretaker of our building and because I could not take over that job, I could not take over the apt.

Then, before she had gotten around to giving her 2 month notice, we received notification that the caretaker system was being abolished and they were going to outsource the care of the buildings. She had been the caretaker for our property for 3 years. Since this 'coincidental' happening allowed me to stay on and take over the lease, I stopped seeking a new apt. and started to seek a new roommate. I finally settled on Erica Christenson, a friend of Kaitlin's, who also, luck would have it, needed to move in early, in the middle of August. Thus, at Kaitlin's suggestion, Kaitlin is subleasing from me for the month of August, and Erica will be able to move into her room (the larger room) in August. I paid about $50 for the first week before the move-in, and wallah! I was free to go to Aberdeen, where they are not charging us for rent at the community house where we are staying. Tommy was given a small room in the basement with a bed, and I inhabit the 'piano room' on the main floor. The other residents here are Dan and Angie Cleberg, the directors of the Fallout Creative Community and owners of the Red Rooster Coffeehouse, their daughter Zion (7), and Rosanne and Jeremy, who are both volunteers here.

I also applied for a temp agency out here and went to my interview on Aug. 2nd. I have not been sent out on any jobs yet, but I'm sure that will come.

That's my story! Tommy also has a bit of a story about how we made it here, which you can read at his blog, The World and Everything. Feel free to follow along for the ride... :)

Update on Ministry Trip Ideas: Stop 1 - South Dakota?

Ok, so this isn't anything final...but, while traveling, my roommate Kaitlin emailed me and told me she had put down an offer on a house and gave me the update on what that might mean for me housing-wise in the near future. This happened a time or two until one of the offers was accepted. Now, if the inspection goes well, I'll be needing to move most likely at the end of August. She doesn't mind if I move earlier. So this changes my view toward Tommy's August trip to Aberdeen, South Dakota. To refresh your memory, he has plans to spend a month working with the mentally disabled there on a creative project of some sort, to assist the ministry and coffeehouse, and in return they will be mentoring him in fundraising (which will be a bigger part of what he may need to do going forward w/his music consultancy work w/church plants etc.), and giving him a stipend for the month as one of their interns recently left, opening up some room in the budget. (This is a new development; he was initially just volunteering to do it for free because it is on his heart.) His biggest struggle with this is being away from me for so long, so early in our relationship.

I've wondered if the change in housing situation may make it possible to join Tommy on this first plan. I have seen Dan Cleberg (who runs the Red Rooster coffeehouse and the Fallout Creative Community out there with his wife Angie) speak before at an Urban Ministries Training Week with Source Ministries - and I STILL tell people one of the stories he told* at that, even 10 years later. So it wouldn't be too terrible to spend some time out there with such great folks. :) I'm willing to go if I'm not paying rent anywhere here, and if I can make money there for a month, perhaps by temping. Storage would not cost too much, altho' I don't want to move my stuff twice. Perhaps I can strike a deal either with my present or future roomies to accept $ for storage for 1 month?

Tommy's checked, and per the Clebergs, I could stay in the 'piano room' of the community house for the month if I wished, and there is reportedly a temp agency in Aberdeen. Once we find out for sure the details on that, I will contact them to see what I can do in advance to find placement for the month, if anything.

Oh! I've forgotten to mention - we've both gone through orientation this past week with eXtreme Loyalty Marketing, and have flexible sales jobs we are going to try out this summer, selling those great cards with free/discounted oil changes and other services door to door. (At least my sis and aunt say they're great!) We might love it or hate it, but it will be some non-office-job time outside together (working opposite sides of the street) in the sun, with potential to make some really good money. I'll probably look into temping also, just because it sounds like I'll need to stay in office work for awhile to qualify for a loan to get a house sometime - Kaitlin says they want you to have been in the same 'field' for many years; unfortunately that is never how I've lived and I get fearfully bored if I don't change things up. And of course I want to find a temp agency w/some medical insurance because the temporary kind I am on can only be used for 1 year. We'll see how it goes. My agency was so great with their benefits in NYC; I don't know if there are any comparable agencies here.

Re: the house dream - it's not necessarily the normal 'American Dream' thing, it's more that my family here doesn't have any 'guest room' available for me and wherever I (or I and Tommy) may be led to move futurely, it's nice to have a bed to sleep in when you come home for the holidays (not a futon or air mattress)...and a place to leave your books and such. Could be rented out when I am away... that's the thought anyway.

Ok enough rambling! I'll put the Dan Cleberg story in a note below just because it's unfair to allude to it and not share.

* The context of this story was (I think) in a discussion about prayer walks, and specifically how it's always good to go through your community and pray for God to fill the empty lots or buildings with good things. Dan had prayed for a particular space in the neighborhood.

At the same time, he had this guy who would come into the coffeehouse on a regular basis who wasn't very keen on God but LOVED the band Kiss. So whenever Dan would be out at a garage sale or something and see a Kiss album, he would pick it up and give it to this guy for his collection, just as a way to show him love.

Anyhow, time went by and the space Dan had prayed for was purchased by a church. One day he came into work and a whole pile of all the Kiss albums he'd ever given this guy were there, under the register. Next time he saw the guy, the guy said he'd given his life to Christ at this new church and he didn't feel these records were good for his spiritual life, so he brought them back. I don't know one way or the other since I'm not really acquainted w/the band, but anyhow, it was a fun story.