The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Merry Christmas!

December has been a mix of hectic business and much needed relaxation time. With the first of December also came the start of my second quarter at seminary. Classes jumped right in, with professors trying to cram in as much material as possible before the break, and by the end of the first week of classes, I was sick. After four days bedridden with the flu, I was able to return to classes, and somehow got through the next two weeks without falling behind. Unfortunately, the cough that accompanied the fever caused me to lose my voice. It got me out of any talking required for class, but things became very difficult when it came time for me to do liturgy in church. About two out of three words I tried to say actually made noise, so it was good that everything was printed in the bulletin as well. Christmas break was quite a relief when it finally arrived.

Mikaela also had a busy month. First, being December, any resemblance of peace or focus in the kindergarten classroom is nearly impossible with Christmas anticipation being so high. Added to that, there was a virus being passed around the school, so she had between one and four students out of school sick on any given day in those three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas (a big impact on a class of 11!). And finally, a new student joined her class, which has been challenging because he had to learn all of the routines which the rest of the class has been trained into for months. So when it was time to send the kids home on the last day of school, she was very ready to have a break.

During this first week of Christmas vacation, we've been able to enjoy a level of relaxation we have not achieved since we got married. Since July we've been traveling, in school, working, and doing chores non-stop. So having two weeks with limited responsibilities has felt wonderful to us.

Our first Christmas together started at 3:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. We had to leave our apartment with enough time for me to be there before the 4:00 service. After the service we ate dinner with the Bueckmans, a couple who was kind enough to invite us over to give us a place to stay between church services, and we got back to church in time for the 7:00 service. After that service the Bueckmans took us to see a holiday light display, and then we returned back to their house for desserts. After desserts, it was back to church for the 11:00 service, where Mikaela was conscripted to fill in as a soloist for someone who had developed a cold and lost her voice. Immediately following the service, we went home and straight to bed. The next morning we got up early enough to have a special breakfast (homemade cinnamon rolls!) before rushing off to church for their Christmas morning service. When we returned home, we were so tired we did not even want to open gifts until after we had taken a nap. And although we were not able to return home to spend Christmas with our families, we got to Skype and Facetime with both of our families during the day. Despite the long and exhausting nature of the day, we had a wonderful Christmas.

The day after Christmas was a little less dramatic, but extremely fun. Mikaela's brother TJ bought us tickets to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra at the ScottTrade Center. We were able to see their two-and-a-half hour production of "The Christmas Attic." It was a very good time, with loud rock music, pyrotechnics, and band members standing on platforms that raised them up into the air and then extended over the audience, with the final number being their iconic “Carol of the Bells.” We had heard that Trans Siberian Orchestra put on amazing shows, and this one definitely did not disappoint us! Compared to that, the rest of the month felt relatively quiet!

We would like to conclude by wishing everyone a merry Christmas. This is such a wonderful time of year, for this is the time we take to remember that God, the One who created the whole universe, loved us enough to humiliate Himself enough to become a human, then be further humiliated and allow Himself to be killed that we might die and rise with Him, and therefore live eternally.

In the name of Christ our savior,

Nick and Mikaela

Finals, Family, and Snowfall

Greetings to our friends and family and blessings as we enter the Christmas season!

November has been a busy month in the Duerr household. Mikaela had the opportunity to attend the Missouri District Professional Church Workers' conference at Tan-Tar-A Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks. She  enjoyed attending workshops for professional development, and spending some quality time with her fellow teachers. Despite having a great time at the Lake of the Ozarks, she was very happy to return home to St. Louis.
As Mikaela was out of town, I was finishing my first quarter of classes at the seminary. In the last week of the quarter, I took four tests and wrote two papers. Although I enjoyed the classes I took and learned a lot from them, I was very glad to finish the term and enjoy two weeks off classes.
A big excitement this month was when we got our first snow here in St. Louis! As California natives, we enjoyed the beauty of the snowfall out our window so much that we couldn't seem to get anything else done! The first afternoon that it snowed, we got to go to the St. Louis Botanical Gardens with some friends and enjoy the fresh snow as it decorated the gardens. Several snowball fights were involved as well!
The main event of November was of course, Thanksgiving. We enjoyed the company of my parents, Steve and Cathy, and little brother, Tony, who flew out to visit from California, as well as Mikaela's younger sister, Karina, who flew out from her college in South Carolina. This was the first time we had family visit since we got married and moved to St. Louis, so it was very exciting! We had fun showing our family our apartment, our church and school, and the seminary. We went sight-seeing with them to the Gateway Arch, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour, the Old Courthouse, the St. Louis Basilica Cathedral, and some famous St. Louis restaurants like Fitz's and Ted Drewes.  On the day before Thanksgiving, it snowed for most of the day, so we all sat in our apartment watching the snow fall, waiting for it to stick on the ground, and then when it started to stick, we all went out and had so much fun playing in the snow! We built a snowman named Ivan, threw snowballs, and probably made all the neighbors stare at us for enjoying that tiny bit of snow so much. We loved having family here and we were disappointed to see them leave! Overall, it was a wonderful break, but we were both glad to get back into our routines this week!

In the name of Christ our Savior,
Nick and Mikaela Duerr

A Lesson in Trust

Hello friends and family,

October has been a busy month. School is in full swing for both of us. Mikaela has settled into a routine in her classroom, and is no longer planning day-by-day, but has planned well ahead so that she actually has time to relax. Since the last post, I have gone from just barely starting school to being almost done with my first quarter. My classes are going well, and I am keeping very busy between homework and work in the campus mailroom and general labor crew. On top of that, I have had the opportunity to help out a lot at church. The last two Sundays I have been up in front of the church, leading the liturgy, reading the Bible passages, and helping to serve communion. It has been very nice to finally be up in front of the church, getting a taste of what has been my goal for years.

In our free time we have also been taking a class together. The seminary offers Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University for free to all students. So over the last two months we have been getting lessons in money management. It has been great for us to be in control of what we do with our money. In fact, today we sat down for several hours and budgeted for the next month. Because of this, we are able to both start paying off our debts and pay for groceries.

Our month has been very busy. We had the opportunity to participate in two big celebrations. Mikaela's school, Our Savior Lutheran, celebrated its 50th anniversary this month, and we were happy to be a part of the festivities. We also got to celebrate the seminary's 175th birthday on the same weekend. That was a lot of fun, even though the outdoor portion of the event was pushed inside due to inclement weather. The final anniversary this month is still to come. Mikaela will turn 23 on this coming Thursday. Of course, she won't be happy about me adding this since she claims she is getting old, but it's only fair you should know.

Not only have we been busy with school and celebratory events, but God has been very active in our lives. This month, twice, we have had unexpected expenses that have somewhat blindsided us. The first was a medical bill that we were not expecting, and the second was the oil change on the car, which we expected, but the cost was triple the amount we had in our budget. Both situations threw our budget into turmoil. We had an emergency fund that would help cover it, but we were still reeling from the shock. And both times, after we cut our budget and pulled from savings to pay the expense--the medical bill and the oil change-- we were unexpectedly given enough money to cover the cost. While stressful, we saw God proving to us, multiple times, that He was taking care of us. It is just amazing to us how He has stepped in on our behalf and makes it possible for us to continue following His call.

We appreciate all of your prayers, and we are praying for you.

In the name of Christ our Savior,

The Duerrs

Settling In

Dear readership,

First, Mikaela and I would like to thank you all for the support that you have given us, both in the past and currently. We are very thankful to have all of you in our lives.

Second, and the primary purpose of this blog, we want to update you on how things are going for us in the ministries to which we've been called. The months of August and September (thus far) have been both exciting and challenging. After our wedding and honeymoon, we made the long drive from California out to St. Louis. We moved into our apartment and began furnishing it late in July. While we managed to get many pieces rather cheaply, or in some cases free, we are still looking for a few items to complete our search. Now, decorations are going up, and we are almost completely settled in!

Shortly after arriving, Mikaela started work at Our Savior Lutheran School in Fenton. After some initial staff meetings, she started preparing both her classroom and her lessons for the incoming kindergarten class. First, she had to clean and strip the classroom to its bare bones, then start decorating after that. This was a long and arduous process due to a long summer of disuse, but after many long hours, she finally had the classroom prepared just in time for the start of school. Her class started on August 13th, and she has been working tirelessly since then to teach her class of ten five-year-olds the basics of reading, writing, math, and classroom etiquette.

After about a month of waiting, I finally have started classes. Since we live off campus, and Mikaela needs the car to drive to work, I had planned on riding my bike to school every day. Unfortunately, on the second day of classes, a spoke in one of the wheels broke, and now I'm walking. I get rides when I can, but there are many times that I enjoy my walks in the cool morning air. Classes have been their own sort of adventure. Since they are initially designed for second career students who have not been the classroom for years, they are starting slowly, but I am constantly encountering new material that is challenging me. For me, that is the best part of being a student. I have also managed to get three on campus jobs, trying to help cover expenses of school and costs of living. I am working in the mail room, sorting and delivering mail, and on the general labor team, setting up and tearing down for events on campus. I have not yet started my ushering job, but I am looking forward to the opportunities it will provide. I have also begun working at my field work church, also Our Savior Lutheran, and have done the readings for several services, with many more to come.

We have also had the opportunity to explore our new home, the city of St. Louis. Our second week here, a friend wanted to go to a Cardinals game for his birthday, so a large group of us gathered together and went to the game. We sat in the highest seats possible, and eventually the game ended in a rain delay, but we had an amazing time. Over Labor Day weekend, we took the metro to Laclede's Landing, just above the Mississippi River, and went to the annual Big Muddy Blues Festival, a free, three day event with live blues bands. From there, we wandered across the street and saw the famous Gateway Arch. We decided to not yet go to the visitor's center, but that is something we plan to do soon. Last weekend, we decided to take a walk in Forest Park. Due to the close proximity of the seminary to the park, we were able to park our car at the school and walk to the park. It was altogether a delightful afternoon.

Mikaela and I appreciate all of your prayers and support in the new and challenging part of our life. We also pray that God would keep you in His care as you fulfill the calling He has given to you.

In the name of Christ our savior.