math to make mush-minded Karen

We’ve finally gotten some sunshine here in the Shenandoah Valley! – although it’s currently raining again. It does make it easier to sit in class 8-5 when it’s raining anyway. (Just now, I’m looking out the window at the rain, and y’know those helicopter seeds? They were moving UP because of the crazy wind that’s bringing in this rain!) So yesterday and today, everyone was out mowing their lawns, and I rode my bike to school and went on a run. It’s SO green and lovely! Here’s a picture of me at lunch today.

There’ve been some neat opportunities to interact recently at SPI (Summer Peacebuilding Institute). Notably, we had an Iranian speak on US-Iran relations. Remember “Argo”? Our speaker said he was disappointed that the movie portrayed the Iranians pretty stereotypically and not as everyday people. There’s a center at EMU (Eastern Mennonite University) for inter-faith dialogue. I’m actually a bit disappointed that, as I’ve experienced it, things have been less spiritual-focused than I thought they would be. In trying to respect the differences in “faith traditions” present, I feel like genuine conversation about beliefs has been absent, much less discussion about how Christians should be working together as a microcosm of God’s love, which is what I really care about. (I don’t mean for that to sound harsh.)

I think you end up getting people in this program who aren’t afraid of conflict, so there’s quite a bit present here, too!  In class today, there were some very strong opinions expressed, and some of them were toward the professor. He’s Liberian, and there was some confusion among the Americans about a linear process, and we never got a satisfactory answer. So,

much new information for me 

+ 

confusion for those who are almost finished with their master’s here

 =
very mush-minded Karen

I’m thankful it’s the weekend!