Dislocation incarnation and other -ations

Like celebration--Merry Christmas!

 

I might observe that Christmas is my favorite holiday because international ministry is all about incarnation--physically entering other "worlds." But it's also my favorite because I grew up with parents who were busy in ministry almost all the time--but made Christmas a time to focus on our family. As a result, some of my fondest memories are of Christmases, celebrated in California, Texas, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. And besides, I have gotten gifts, big or small, from friends and (mainly) family every year at this time for 52 years!

 

When I was six, my dad left nuclear engineering and went to seminary--with 3 kids and pregnant wife (Carolyn was brought home in a stocking the week before Christmas in Mesquite, Texas. It was both a time of loss and loneliness as well as incarnation and celebration. But my dad turned his small bookshelf in our tiny house (under 1000 square feet, for sure!) into a fireplace to hang stockings, using boxes wrapped with brick-printed wrapping paper. It was a very different Christmas from the family Christmases in California, when we lived across the bay from both sets of grandparents--I'm sure even more for my parents in their late 20's with little money and 4 kids aged 6-0.

 

My mother later explained that we got underwear, socks, and so much more ;-) under the tree from then on through my teens because every year people would send us special gifts for Christmas, but she would use them to replenish our basic necessities. (I got jackets, jeans, and shoes from the missionary closet, a bit like a church goodwill outlet, but never underwear!) It was normal for us, but I can't say I enjoyed all the Christmas gifts equally ;-) But I was able to take being fed and clothed as a given! By the way, this is not a tradition we have continued! (Giving underwear and socks for Christmas gifts, I mean. We do continue to enjoy being fed and clothed...)

 

This year, for the first time since we left Colorado for Taiwan in 1996, we're taking a year long home assignment. We're traveling a lot, but we're based in CO this year instead of Taiwan. This is our first Christmas in the US since 1998. So it's good, but very different from what we're used to. Traveling so much has brought home to us how much dislocation is itself a stress, one that we experience as a family who has no single place to call our home, though we have many places where we are welcome and several places we call our own (one house rented out, one apartment in Taiwan, and one home we enjoy sharing thanks to Laura's parents, where we are now.)

 

So when I remember Christmas, I think of celebrations in many places, where we always remember the one who entered our world not because he belonged here, but because he wanted to adopt us into his own family, and leave us with a paraclete--the gift of his presence in each of our worlds, no matter how challenging our circumstances or how exciting (or modest) our gifts. For me, the celebration of his incarnation is made more precious by taking time to share gifts, meals, and memories. I hope you find room to celebrate and remember, wherever you are. My own parents are gone now, and my sisters are in Spain, Texas, and Taiwan (I think this is a shout out!) Meanwhile, we're here in CO with Laura's parents, her sisters from Ohio and Texas, and 7 of 9 grandkids. Sheng Dan Jie Kuai Le (another shout out to everyone in Taiwan and beyond!) Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad.

 

With love from the front range of Colorado, Steve and Laura (together with Sarah, Joey, and Robby, at least for a few more days!)

 

PS I haven't written an email update for months now while we traveled in Taiwan, then in the eastern US for close to 3 months, and most of you have gotten moved into a "google group." Since you're probably distracted at the moment anyway, I'll write more about that later. Hopefully it won't be too different for almost everybody! Basically it means I send this to the "TEAMspinella" and then "TEAMspinella" sends it out to all of you one by one. Email me back if you have any questions (and you got this email!)

Dr. Steve and Laura Spinella, Sarah, Joey, Robby
Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #18, 2F-1, Taichung 40454, TAIWAN
011.886.4.2236.6145, of 4.2236.1901, fx 4.2236.2109, cell 9.2894.0514
USA: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, 719.528.1702, cell 713.408.7208 (new cell #, note Houston area code)
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800.343.3144 <www.team.org.tw/ccg>, <http://groups.google.com/group/TEAMspinella/>,
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu>, <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

 

So how long has it been, anyway?

It's official. We're planning a year-long home assignment starting in mid-July. Did you realize we've now been in Taiwan one month short of 12 years? During that time we've only returned to the US once for longer than a summer, in 1998. Part of our thinking was to allow our kids to have stability in their school environment. When we did go back to Colorado in fall 1998, we saw how hard it was for them to shift schools, and we could see it would only get harder in junior high and high school. Another factor was to provide continuity for the ministry of the Center for Counseling and Growth, which I lead here in Taiwan. We'll partially address that second concern, for the ministry, by planning up to three trips back during the year for me to do consultation and supervision. The first concern, our kids, has been flipped--by August we anticipate they will all three be at Rice University in Houston, Texas and we'll be "empty nesters."

 

Over the years, many friends have asked us, "How long will you stay in Taiwan?" For some people, this reflects bewilderment that we would come to Taiwan at all. Especially since we moved from Colorado Springs, a place many Americans visit on their vacations. For some people, staying two years may be an admirable sacrifice, but staying 12 years is just weird! For a second group of people, "How long will you stay?" is a question framed by experience. These people may know that the average "career" in international ministry involves an in-country stay of just three years. We know this statistic is not too far out because foreigners in Taiwan (e.g., people like us) often get asked how long we've been here. At some point, perhaps when we crossed 10 years, people started responding, "Wow, you've been here a long time," or some variant on that. Besides, we ask other internationals the same question, and we know international residence is usually a lot shorter. [Counselor's tip: when meeting new people, try beginning with, "So have you been [here] a long time?" Whatever they respond, you can followup with, "So how are you finding it?" And you can tailor your answer to the same question according to your newly acquired knowledge of how long they think is a long time!]

 

But these days, some people ask that question with something else in mind. You see, it is not uncommon that people who do stay [longer] leave when their youngest kids graduate from high school. Some people know this and they're sizing us up: "Are Spinellas on their way out?" Quick answer: "We have no plans to leave!" Longer answer: We realize the equation has changed. If family cohesion has been a key factor in our staying this long, and it has, then why wouldn't it impact us in the future? Also, when you stay a long time because of external factors, there can be a built up pressure for change. The very international identity that drew me to this assignment also means that this is the absolute longest, by about twice, I (Steve) have stayed anywhere in my whole life. Laura, on the other hand, lived in the same house for 19 years before she married me. (She was 22, moved there when she was 3, in case you're wondering!) So we can tell you that it's about time we took a deep breath, paused, and re-visioned where God is calling us. Maybe it is to continue, refreshed and released, here in Taiwan, perhaps with some adjustments or perhaps in essentially the same role. Again, refer to the quick answer: "We have no plans to leave!" One person here told me, "When you came, I didn't think you'd stay. But I guess I was wrong. You're still here." That was after 10 years or so. He's been here more than 20, so you know he's seen a lot more internationals come and go. So do lift us up as we plan intentionally for a longer home assignment, to include reflection, reconnection, and re-visioning. But if you already know what our next 12 years might hold--please tell us, too! In the meantime, "We have no plans to leave."

 

And while I'm reflecting, let's talk about "vacation." My idea of vacation is a time when I take a break from work. That is not my idea of a home assignment! In fact, when we have taken summer home assignments, they have been more busy, more stressful, and involved more hours of work than when we stay in Taiwan for the summer. That is one reason why our ministry organization recommends longer home assignments. But let's face it, when you live in Taiwan and you're visiting the US, some people are going to call that a vacation. So if you agree, I won't try to correct you. Still, I would like to suggest that Laura and I will continue to have lots of work responsibilities, even during this planned home assignment. So we will take a vacation now and again, both this year and next, and we will also try to slow down our pace around more intense work commitments so that we have some balance in our work. Besides that, we'll try to enjoy the mix. When we have the opportunity to visit partnering individuals, families, and fellowships, we are often going out of our way to be present with others (who are not at work when we see them!) So it is a bit of fun, not just a duty. We get to renew relationships, eat, drink and be merry, and have some serious and meaningful personal conversations. I hope part of our renewal will be to reconnect with our personal and ministry partners in a new way--as a couple with adult (or at least emerging adult) children. It takes a lot of work to arrange all that connecting, but our hope is that it will also be both renewing to us and others and, sure, also involve some fun!

 

I sometimes sign these updates, "From the far side," but maybe this time I should say, "From one side or the other!" or, with our kids soon to all be back in the US, "from both sides now."

 

In him who keeps us, no matter which side we're on, Steve and Laura

 

Dr. Steve and Laura Spinella, Sarah, Joey, Robby
Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #18, 2F-1, Taichung 40454, TAIWAN
011.886.4.2236.6145, of 4.2236.1901, fx 4.2236.2109, cell 9.2894.0514
USA: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, 719.528.1702, cell 719.360.6485
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60189, 800.343.3144 <http://groups.google.com/group/TEAMspinella/>,
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu>, <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

 

TEAMspinella: Eat rice, go Rice

It appears that our family is on its way to being a "totally Rice" family. Joey and Robby have both been accepted early decision to Rice University and plan to join Sarah there next fall. Laura and I met while we attended there many years ago. Joey is looking toward mechanical engineering while Robby is looking toward history. We just put Sarah on an airplane heading back to Houston yesterday. In keeping with the recently completed holidays, here is a recent update from J's blog:

"First off, this break has been wonderful.  I have enjoyed spending time with my family immensely, including the Drevets family (dad's sister) which was down here in kenting with us for a week.  Christmas was the most anticlimactic yet, at least as was indicated by the number of presents under the tree on Christmas morning.  Of course, that's not what is really important, and neither was new years, of which I spent the last minutes practicing a jazz guitar arrangement of "Auld Lang Syne" and doing pushups.  Whenever I stop and think about all the things I should and want to get done, I start to feel overwhelmed, and quickly pick up a guitar or start watching a movie or quickly read some arcane Reuters: oddly enough article.  These escapes have been quite successful thus far, although in the back of my mind I feel responsibility sinisterly beckoning me. 

"One of the main things I have invested my time in this break is recording songs for a new CD.  The CD will be called "Unperfect", and I hope to release it sometime shortly after break.  So far I've got eight songs which I feel pretty good about, and two more to go.  I know, I know, a CD is supposed to have 12 songs, but I'm working on it.  I'm still undecided on how I want to release the CD- throw them out like frisbees next time I play in chapel, sell them so I won't be a poor college student, use them to raise money for the general Morrison missions trip, or just put them up for download online.  Right now I'm leaning towards the second or third option, possibly augmented by the creation of a myspace music profile with song lyrics included.  All the songs on the CD are songs I wrote with some sort of message about God.  I'm hoping and praying that God will use this CD to bring him glory.

"Down south, the beach has been very enjoyable - playing a dodgeball-esque soccer juggling game with long gone morrison alumni, riding waves, getting "a tan" (well, I like to call it that - red is tann-er than white)... On a hike in Kenting National Forest our family (once again including Drevets) flew kites in the very gusty wind.  Soon my little mickey mouse kite was hundreds of feet away from me, dancing over this huge coral rock face.  Suddenly mickey dove down somewhere behind the massive face, and in shock, I realized I probably was never going to fly that kite again.  probably.  Enter climber Bill (name changed for privacy).  Climber Bill, realizing the dire nature of this situation, scoped out the area, and realized that he could manageably climb up the backside of this hundred-something-foot rock face.  After climbing up the crumbly coral, thrashing through the thorny bushes, prancing past the primate poop, and standing tip-toe in the tallest tree, he was able to reach poor mickey.  Five minutes and two scars on his legs (remember the thrashing) later, climber Bill had rescued the mickey mouse kite.  (with the aid of his older sister Sarah (name not changed for privacy)).  That was probably the most exciting thing Climber Bill did all break."

You can read the rest of this post at http://www.xanga.com/jodian. You can listen to or download the CD at http://groups.google.com/group/TEAMspinella/web/joeys-cd-unperfect. There is also a link to our picture albums and other websites there.

With love from the far side, Steve and Laura

Dr. Steve and Laura Spinella, Sarah, Joey, Robby
Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #18, 2F-1, Taichung 40454, TAIWAN
011.886.4.2236.6145, of 4.2236.1901, fx 4.2236.2109, cell 9.2894.0514
USA: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, 719.528.1702, cell 719.360.6485
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60189, 800.343.3144 <spinella@alumni.rice.edu>