TEAMspinella: February 2014

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>