Can you believe how quickly January seemed to fly by? It’s
amazing how quickly the weeks go when we are so busy with work and school!
Nick has kept extremely busy with school, as most of the
winter quarter happens in the month of January. He spent most nights in the
first week after break staying up until midnight (or later!) working on
assignments and reading. This quarter, Nick has been going to a retirement home
once a week as part of his coursework. He spends his time there talking with
the residents, many of whom don’t have family nearby to visit them. He enjoys
talking to them and hearing their stories, and about their families –
especially their grandchildren!
Mikaela jumped right back into work right away in January,
putting in some hours in the classroom even before break was over. It was hard
to keep up with all the extras that come in the month of January – report
cards, school fundraisers, open house, National Lutheran School’s Week, and the
100th Day of School (which is a big deal in Kindergarten!) – all on
top of the normal planning, prep work, and teaching that comes with the job! She
came home many evenings in those first weeks back with several more hours of
work to do before going to bed. One small luxury for her was having a day off
of school for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The seminary did not take that day as
a holiday, and so while Nick went to school, Mikaela spent a relaxing day at
home, and joined him at the seminary for a picnic lunch, enjoying a beautiful
day in this mild winter!
Despite the full days and the long to-do lists, we have
enjoyed so many blessings in this past month.
First of all, some of the hectic craziness in our schedules
comes from the fact that we get to spend our weekends with wonderful friends! We
feel so fortunate to have people here at seminary that we have met and
befriended, especially after making such a long move away from friendships we
had been developing for years at college. We are blessed to spend time with other
couples our age, playing games, watching movies, snacking on good food, and
just having good conversation, getting to know each other better.
Secondly, January 12 marked six months of marriage for us!
Thanks to gift cards that we have received, we were able to enjoy a nice dinner
out at Elephant Bar to celebrate. Once again, time flies doesn’t it? It’s
amazing how quickly six months have gone by, and yet we can look back and see
how much we have grown together and learned about each other and about living
life on our own as grown-ups. (One of these days, we’ll give you some of our “First
Year of Marriage Fails” stories.)
We were also blessed financially once again, with God
showing us how He is working in our lives over and over! The week before Nick’s
seminary tuition payment was due, a check came in that was $14 over what we
owed, allowing us to go another quarter without having to take out loans to pay
for his schooling. This is a huge blessing to us, allowing us to focus on
paying off Mikaela’s student loans, rather than accruing more debt. We continue
to be amazed at the way that God’s people show us His love through their
generous support of Nick’s ministry, and we want to thank you all for your
support, both financially and through prayer!
Lastly, we have been blessed with good health and mild
weather, neither of which are to be taken for granted! Mikaela has managed to
keep away from most of the illnesses
that her Kindergarteners spread around, and when she has gotten sick, they’ve
been short illnesses contained in a weekend. And Nick has managed to keep away
from the illnesses that Mikaela brings home! We have been grateful for dry,
clear days as well, keeping us from having to drive on dangerous, icy roads.
Although we wouldn’t mind seeing some more snow (it is still our first year out
of California, you know!), we know that we have been blessed with the mild weather
that we’ve had so far this winter.
As we go into this next month, we look forward to a visit
from Mikaela’s mom and dad, the start of spring break for Nick, the start of
the Lenten season, and some good times with friends. We are so thankful for the
blessings that God has granted us, and we thank you for being God’s blessing in
our lives, whether through financial support, prayers, or friendship.
In the name of Christ our Savior,
Nick and Mikaela Duerr
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| Picnic Lunch at the Seminary |
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