TEAMspinella: 2014

Thursday, December 25, 2014

[TEAMspinella] Happy Incarnation Day

It's Christmas Eve and Joey, Laura, Robert, John and Sarah are all in the house! Merry Christmas to people who remember Christ everywhere, and to families who gather on this occasion. Now that we have adult children, we especially look forward to these occasions, although I have found occasion to mention how welcome any grandchildren would be as well.

This year will go down in our family as the year Sarah married John Forcey. John, that's 2014! It's also been a year when Laura and I haven't traveled outside the US--first time in many years. We celebrated Colorado by Laura's Friday hikes with international women friends, Steve and Joey's second backpacking trip together, a Colorado State Parks sticker on the minivan (mountain biking at Cheyenne Mt State park anyone?!), and daily sitings of Pike's Peak. We declared our US homeowner identity by finishing our basement, buying a third queen sized bed, welcoming many guests into our home, and visiting even more garage sales. I realized this year that we've actually been back from Taiwan four years now, so we're becoming increasingly comfortable shedding our Taiwan identities and owning our Colorado selves.

For TEAM, my focus shifted toward assessment this year, so I got to meet many potential TEAMers from afar, connect with a growing group of missions coaches and appointee mentors who invite, encourage, and welcome potential TEAMers in their journey to international ministry assignment, and work with a great Global Care team spread around the globe to provide counsel and care. Laura has not only worked alongside me in this but also had a delightful set of connections with international women through the international women's connection, welcoming me into this as well in different ways. Laura also got to care for her dad after his knee replacement last December and for Sarah after her ACL knee surgery in February, and she is very grateful for all the help we got planning, hosting, and celebrating Sarah and John's wedding in July! The international women showed up in force, many for their first American or Christian wedding. She also made a trek east with her mom to see her older brother and his extended family while I hung with her dad Bob here in the Springs.

Robert is completing his second year working for an optometrist here in the Springs and enjoys both his Colorado connections as well as his Houston connections. He adds that he is in good health. Joey and Laura live in north Austin, where Joey is now a software product manager for NI and Laura delves into cutting edge chip packaging in her UT research group. They are part of the Austin Stone (a church) and rock climb, bike, and generally help Austin become slightly more sane. John and Sarah have decorated their first apartment in College Station, where Sarah is in the internship year of her PhD (all encouragement to work on her dissertation is welcome) and John is in his fourth year of about seven years in a PhD philosophy program. They bike slightly less than before they got married, but have discovered a new route to a nearby lake.

Our ministry funding has continued to decline, but we are very grateful, not just for the partners we have now, but also for everyone who has partnered with us in ministry since 1990--24 years, but who's counting! We continue to invite your partnership and continue to work through TEAM--who will be happy to accept any contributions at their website TEAM.org or the address below. Our ministry expenses and living allowance come directly from the money that comes in designated for our ministry.

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas story as an international is that God entered a family, community, and nation in order to share in it and ultimately bring new life and light to all of us. This to me is what incarnational living means, and I think we all need to do more of it whenever we can! Happy Incarnation Day and Merry Christmas!

Your friends and companions in the journey, Steve and Laura

PS This is my "best attempt ever" at writing a traditional Christmas letter. My family advisory council made me throw the less traditional one away last night, although one charitably said I could post it on my blog.... Love to all who read this far (and those who stopped sooner) and we can't wait to see you again as soon as possible.

Steve and Laura Spinella

street: 1930 Springcrest Rd, CO Springs 80920

mail: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Steve cell 719.355.4809, Laura cell 832.755.4261
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

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Saturday, October 11, 2014

[TEAMspinella] Assessing the damages, budgeting for the costs

Do you remember the story about the person who built a tower without counting the cost? Well, started to, anyway?

When I was growing up in Dallas, Texas, there was a tower downtown that continually remained unfinished. My dad would tell me about how the ambitious builder had even gone so far as to gather precious furnishings from around the world for his tower, but ran out of money before he finished the structure. There it stood, a useless and expensive place marker amid the Dallas skyline.

In Taiwan, we would frequently walk to the natural science museum, about 15 blocks from our house. Over the years it became a rather nice walk through a parkway over a buried canal, but we would look out at a large 14 story or so building that went unfinished for many years.

After the big earthquake, I actually watched large digger shovels with jack hammers on the end of their cranes destroy a condemned 20 story building floor by floor from the top down, while large trucks carried away the debris until it was only a mound of rubble in a very large hole in the ground. (To start, a large crane would lift a couple digger shovels/scoops/bulldozers onto the top of the building, then they would take it from there. They collected the steel rebar from the concrete into a giant wad for recycling.) Unfortunately we had a perfect view (and earful) from the TGIFriday's next door that offered the lunchtime hamburger special.

There were other buildings that never got off the ground. In Taiwan, you have to sell some 25% of the units in a building before you can begin construction. I watched a beautiful lion dance, which must not have conferred enough good luck, because that site was never built, instead becoming our favorite fruit market for years in a large, open-sided temporary building.

I think Laura feared our unfinished basement might be such a project as well this last year.

But in many ways, the readiness assessments TEAM does for people passionate about and called to international ministry are the same. Every one has a beautiful end in mind, but not all are ready to make the journey. In doing assessment we look at testimonies, references, personal histories, and personal inventories. We do interviews, spend time, and seek to listen well. But in the end, we don't know for sure which journeys will result in people staying, flourishing, and contributing, we can only assess the risks. The recommendations we make run the gamut from obvious to greatly uncertain. We know that God can do anything, but we also know that every journey involves sacrifice, and some risks in life are better not taken just like some risks in the financial markets.

For the past year, I've been responsible to lead the TEAM Counseling Office's part in these assessments. It's a hard job, but I am part of a good team with a great heart to care for each person and family in their journey, no matter how TEAM as an organization participates or intersects that journey. We need your intercession as we relate to applicants, appointees, missions coaches, appointee mentors, ministry area leaders, sending communities, and all the other partners and players in these journeys.

When we make an assessment, we make one of five recommendations: yes, on the path, not now, can't tell, or no. As you might guess, the middle options are actually the hardest. If there is a path, we need to say what still needs to happen. If not now, we need to say what would have to change. If we say we can't tell, we need to say what else we need to better assess readiness. And then we want to walk with people through that messy middle. (Well, no is not an easy recommendation to give either!) Father God is at work in all of us. None of us can get by on our own--I believe we all need grace and mercy more than anything, So we are left with assessing readiness and then communicating as well as possible what readiness might look like and how one might get there, knowing that we don't know what we don't know and so forth and so on.

Thanks for sustaining us as we seek to be good contributors to this part of the journey as well.

Yours in the one who keeps us, Steve and Laura

PS A big shout out to anyone who's celebrating 10/10--a big holiday in Taiwan. We especially miss Taiwan this time of year.

By the way, the young adult Spinellas (and now Forceys) are doing well these days, John and Sarah Forcey in College Station, TX, working, teaching, and studying in their PhD programs, Joey and Laura Spinella in Austin, where Laura is the only anglo on a Chinese research team at UT and Joey is a product marketing specialist for National Instruments, and Robert Spinella here in Colorado Springs working for an optometrist. Later this month my wife Laura will be making a big trip east with her mom to see her mom's brother and family while I stay here with Laura's dad, staying up as late as we want, but eating more meagerly ;-).

Steve and Laura Spinella

street: 1930 Springcrest Rd, CO Springs 80920

mail: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Steve cell 719.355.4809, Laura cell 832.755.4261
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

[TEAMspinella] Outside the lines

This may be, by the way, a new personal record in length of time since last email update. I don't think they give any awards for that :-)

Our daughter Sarah is scheduled to marry John Forcey June 28 here in Colorado Springs. They're here already, getting ready and helping us get ready. The subject line has nothing to do with them.

What is outside the lines, at least for me, is that I just got a final building inspection on our basement finishing project. Ironically, this 1000 square feet is only slightly smaller than the 1200 square feet we lived in the 15 years we were in Taiwan! Of course, we did have both a storage room and a parking space in addition to the apartment. Here we just have a two car garage and more parking than we've ever used on the street outside. Basements in Colorado are unlike basements anywhere else we've lived in that they are actually very livable space (when finished) due to the extremely dry climate and, in our case, the sixty or so feet of sand we live on.

I haven't ever done a physical project of this size, and certainly didn't make time for such projects during our years in Taiwan. And it has stretched us. There were times when I was on a conference call while friends were working in the basement, when I hung up on my supervisor to let a building inspector in the house, and nine months (and still counting) when the six feet behind our bed in the master bedroom are stacked floor to ceiling with things that (once) lived in the basement. Our house is still full of "early matrimonial" and "lately garage (sale)" furnishings. We remain fairly content all the same, though we have our bouts with materialism fortunately seldom both at the same time!

There have been lessons learned. Among them, ...

--I would have a much more worn out body if I'd been doing construction for my whole adult life.

--Men you get to know doing construction are a different group as a whole than the ones I run into in my "day job."

--I've run into low self-esteem, traumatic stress, terminal illness, divorce, financial pain, and cancer just in the basement. I've also had people walk with me I would otherwise have almost totally missed. (This part is not a lot different than international ministry, but it amazed me the people who came into my life in a project that had "nothing to do with" ministry, but as many of you already knew, it did and does.)

Here's one more lesson that I keep thinking about--life isn't perfect, but it's still possible to continue. I am an idealist (polite word for perfectionist, day dreamer, and several others I won't put here.) The basement is anything but. Every job and every workman made mistakes, big or small, paid or volunteer, me or not me. Getting the basement finished required making imperfect decisions, choices that didn't stick, redoing some things and living with others, and getting up the next day to do more of all that. In my mind, this became a perfect metaphor for life at 57.

Funny thing, in spite of all that, the last inspector told me, "You did a good job." (Just last Friday he told me to change something!) Then he told me that he had actually been the supervisor for constructing several of the homes around me, before the money ran out and the project collapsed. And good people are still living in those homes, even though they weren't perfect and the builder went out of business. My take away--it is possible to do a good job and enjoy life even when everybody makes mistakes.

So rejoice with me! Now I can stop thinking about building codes and just look at Laura's "to do" list for a while. The project is not finished, but it has still been judged complete and up to code (and, yes, I had several repeat visits from inspectors that just didn't find one visit enough to satisfy, as well as some grace for a humble homeowner who has not a license of any sort.)

Did I mention that a wedding is coming? Our speaker Sunday said the reason we "make them say all those vows" is because we know what's ahead. I suppose that's the thinking behind building codes, too, though I have had occasion to wonder. May you have grace for today, mercy especially when you don't know you need it, and the courage to continue, even when your personal preferences get knocked around a bit or more than a bit.

In him who keeps us, even if we have a somewhat finished basement, Steve and Laura

PS The big request, of course, is for the wedding experience, the relationships, and the journey yet to come

Steve and Laura Spinella

street: 1930 Springcrest Rd, CO Springs 80920

mail: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Steve cell 719.355.4809, Laura cell 832.755.4261
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

Saturday, March 22, 2014

[TEAMspinella] Who do you say that I am?

I was just trying to think of a memorable subject line, this isn't intended to be any kind of comparison to the person who said that a good while back (they said he was the long awaited one!)

I'm at a ministry conference at a community in Maryland. I came by myself--Laura made the trip to Texas, I got Maryland, and then Chicagoland next week. I'm a lot more relaxed than I was back in 1990, when Laura and I drove down with our six month old twins and Sarah to interview with the fellowship to be one of their ministry partners. Bob and Ralph interviewed us and Bob still remembers. We were young, that's for sure. He said this week that we were the first ministry workers they took on that weren't providing direct services--we've always been caring for people in ministry as our primary role, and then there was a training component too. Thanks Forcey and to all of you who've helped! I've always said this group adopted us, and we're grateful to be adopted. What I remember is that the engine light was on in the car when we arrived--I didn't notice it until we pulled in the driveway after driving down from New Jersey. We never drove the car back, but then the Father provided two great cars that kept us going until we left for Taiwan in 1996. My parents were here in MD back then, and even today someone I didn't know told me they remembered my parents fondly. I told them I do too!

So 23.5 years later, here I am back at Forcey. Today I got to speak to about 140 middle schoolers at their school chapel. They were very nice to me, all thing considered. I told them stories about a few of the people I've gotten to know in my journey, before I ran out of time. Supposedly I was helping them think globally instead of just about themselves. At least it got me thinking about some of the people I've gotten to know and what makes them interesting. The middle schoolers went from me to lunch so there was definitely no going long with this crowd.

But about who I am, I am still not sure what to say. Earlier this week some of us ministry partners were introducing what we did, so I said, "I just talk to people." (Actually, that's not all. Sometimes I go for walks, too. I've even helped carry groceries.)

When I got to Taiwan in 1996, I used to let people know I had a doctorate. I thought that would help build trust. What do you think?! Now I just say who I'm married to. Literally. Even my cards just say "Steve and Laura Spinella." "Global Care."

But now I'm wondering about the "Global Care." Maybe I should go for "local care," or "immediate care," or even just "hope to care." "Hopeful care" sounds good. I like the sound of that, as in I'm hopeful, and I'm hopefully caring, or at least I'm hoping I'm caring.

I'm 57 now, my parents died at 59, and I'm hearing from a lot of people that life starts getting less global at some point, and maybe my life will too. Then who will I be? Maybe I could be content to just be who I am, and not worry too much about what people say. At the middle school chapel I asked if any of them had parents who were older than me. Some of the teachers raised their hands.

In any case, I'm realizing that people are not so much worried about who I am, but they would like to know I care, and caring for whoever is right in front of me is probably the best place to start. Caring about who they are, where they've been, what they're hoping, and what's on their minds...and hearts.

So, who are you? I would like to know, and hopefully if and when you tell me, I really will want to know--and cherish--who you are. Like I think we are cherished by the one who knows us best.

Steve

PS The conference is going well, I've also gotten to see a few folks in the area, and Laura is doing well back in Colorado. Monday I'll head up to TEAM's Wheaton office for a few days and then back to Colorado on Thursday. Don't worry, I'll just be...talking to people. Oh, and by the way, I just finally got licensed by the state of Colorado as a marriage and family therapist, too. I thought maybe I ought to, being back in Colorado for over three years now :-)

Steve and Laura Spinella

street: 1930 Springcrest Rd, CO Springs 80920

mail: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Steve cell 719.355.4809, Laura cell 832.755.4261
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

Saturday, February 22, 2014

[TEAMspinella] Fwd: [sarspin] Match Results!

We are forwarding you Sarah's news.

In case we didn't get you the even bigger news yet, her wedding is July 28, 2014, here in Colorado Springs, and we'd love to have you join us. They have a wedding site up and ask that you give them your contact info if you think you might come... John and Sarah's Save the Date (http://bit.ly/1eAzTd0) Their wedding website is http://www.theknot.com/wedding/Spinella-Forcey.

She mentions her dissertation below also. One reason I'm excited about that is that her topic--measuring global mobility--is the kind of basic research that can move my own work forward, but so often doesn't get done. So join me in cheering her on to an effective contribution to our field as well.

Steve and Laura

PS Laura just got back Tuesday from the heart of Texas, and I'm so glad!

Steve and Laura Spinella

street: 1930 Springcrest Rd, CO Springs 80920

mail: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Steve cell 719.355.4809, Laura cell 832.755.4261
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sarah Spinella <sarspin@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 11:58 AM
Subject: [sarspin] Match Results!
To: sarspin@googlegroups.com

Friends,

Today is match day for internships. I am very happy to announce that I matched! I matched at the Texas A&M Student Counseling Service! August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015 I will be working full time at the Texas A&M Student Counseling Service!

This is wonderful news because it means John and I will live in College Station for our first year of marriage, and John will be able to continue in his philosophy PhD program (he would have taken a year off and moved with me, had I matched elsewhere). Now we can finally start apartment shopping and envisioning what our first year of marriage might look like more practically!

I was preparing myself for the worst, and trying to commit things to my heavenly provider, but such a big decision not in my hands was definitely anxiety-provoking. The first thing I felt when I read the email this morning was a huge wave of relief that this drawn out application process is finally over! The rest of my PhD program feels like no big deal now...though I do still have to write my dissertation.

Also, it's been two weeks now since my ACL surgery. My knee seems to be doing great and recovering quickly! This week I was back to a regular schedule of activities. I can get around pretty well, but my leg is in a brace for three weeks, a brace that must be locked in the straight/extended position whenever I am standing, walking, or sleeping. Luckily I'm allowed to take it off to shower, and for physical therapy. It does make me a slower walker though, and I get tired easily, so I rented a wheelchair from the health center for longer distances (e.g. getting to class on A&M's huge campus). One thing I certainly didn't expect was so much bruising in my leg (because it keeps bleeding internally for a little bit after they sewed me back up)! But I'll spare you the pictures.

Attached is a picture of me with my leg strapped into a machine that moved it around (which I used 6-8 hours every day the first week but not anymore), and also a picture of friends that visited me during my recovery (John in the middle).

Thanks for remembering me!

Sarah

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

[TEAMspinella] It's not what I do...even quietly

If you read many international ministry updates, you may be struck by the pace of the doing reflected in them. In a sense, this is a bit like Christmas letters on steroids--if you think you've been busy, well, get this.... I know, because I've written more than my far share--many of which you can see at http://teamspinella.blogspot.com/ or in the google group. In fact, I write a lot less updates when...well, I really can't compete with the other letters!

Sure, I have filled my time, but I don't have exciting ministry stories to share. (And right now I'm tempted to pull some out, but I'm trying mightily to resist and stay on topic here.) From where I sit, it makes me wonder how much progress I've really made in believing that it's not what I do that makes me worthy. Our local community is reading through an old book in a new format (resources!). As I read through Luke, that story about the seminary grad and the IRS lawyer got me (paraphrasing on the identities a bit here!) Do I actually compare myself to others to figure out if I measure up?! (Shhh--yes, I do, in more ways than I acknowledge.) So, finessing the story a bit, sometimes I might not trumpet my success in these ministry updates or when we get together, but underneath I'm often still keeping score! Speaking of which, the local team did get solidly trounced in the Super Bowl and I watched the whole lopsided game :-). Think of it as an example of a time when keeping score didn't work out very well, and an illustration of how much we are being taught that the score matters! This was, after all, the most watched television ever in the US.

So anyway, Laura's down in College Station, TX, where Sarah just turned 26 and the next day had ACL surgery on her knee. This is where they replace the tendon connecting the thigh to the calf because it is either torn or too loose to keep the knee together. The good thing is that they can do this surgery at all. Apparently Spinellas are hard on the tendons, as Joey had those two achilles tendon surgeries (calf to foot) and now Sarah has had this one. In both cases, it sobers me to think that until recent times or in less prosperous places this might have just meant being crippled, but now it can be fixed.

I've stayed back here in Colorado, where we are journeying with Laura's parents through a knee replacement (for her dad, Bob) that came with some memory complications, most likely due to the anesthesia. The knee is doing well, and we're all learning to be patient with the complications, which have improved some, but we don't know how much improvement will come.

As you can imagine, we're feeling the proverbial "sandwich," and wondering how long this will all last, or what it will yet include. I can tell you that these experiences leave us more aware of our own limitations and weaknesses and less confident that "we can conquer the world." And, you know, that's probably the good part!

Love in him who keeps us, Steve and Laura

Steve and Laura Spinella

street: 1930 Springcrest Rd, CO Springs 80920

mail: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Steve cell 719.355.4809, Laura cell 832.755.4261
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>