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.