My name is Trevor, and I am a Resurrection House Intern for the 2011-12 program year. I was born and raised in Reston, Virginia, which is about 25 miles west of Washington DC. After getting a degree in History from Virginia Tech, I returned to northern Virginia and have done a variety of jobs from moving furniture to working as an Instructional Assistant in a Special Education school. I decided to apply to the Resurrection House program to discern God’s call in my life by working with a local parish, volunteering, and receiving regular spiritual direction. Part of the program is to live with two other people, Kate and Steven, in intentional community. Using the early church described in the Book of Acts as inspiration (Acts 2:42-47), we have committed to sharing meals, prayers, chores, and providing support to each other. There will undoubtedly be some challenges, but we should be able to overcome difficulties that arise through effective communication, compromise, honesty, and remembering that God calls us to live in community.
I had never been to Omaha prior to September 3, 2011. To be honest the only things I knew about Omaha were that Warren Buffett was born there, the College World Series is played there, and a lot of Omaha steaks get delivered at Christmas. I have only been here 3 weeks, but many things have pleasantly surprised me. The Henry Doorly Zoo is massive, Memorial Park is lovely, the Old Market is interesting, and the Joslyn Art Museum had more to see than I could fully appreciate in one visit. However, the most impressive thing by far has been the warmth and hospitality of the people I have met. It cannot be overstated how important that is for someone completely new to town. Several people have stated that Omaha is a “hidden gem,” and I am starting to see why.
At the conclusion of our opening retreat to the Benedictine Center in Schuyler, Nebraska I was placed at All Saints Episcopal Church. It is an honor to be placed at the largest Episcopal parish in Omaha. We are still working out my specific responsibilities, but my goal is to have a mutually beneficial relationship. I aim to contribute to the active, generous community that has already been built, and in return feel closer to God through strong relationships with the congregation. Elsewhere, I am only two weeks into Year One (The Old Testament) of the Education for Ministry course and have already learned a lot. Yesterday we (the interns) had our first preaching workshop. We were asked to speak for three minutes from the pulpit about something we love. Our presentations were recorded and then used as a visual tool for feedback. It always makes me a little uncomfortable to see myself on video, but it was a very effective tool and should lead to improvement.
Being 1,200 miles from my family, the people I love most in this world, has been tough. I have felt homesick at times. For example….the Washington Redskins are 2-0, it’s Dallas Week AND we're playing on Monday Night Football, yet nobody around here seems to care. It helps to be reminded that I came here to challenge myself and experience new things. It does not make sense to want to get out of my comfort zone, and then complain when things are different.
I will conclude with a verse of scripture that I have repeated many times since my arrival, and hopefully will continue to be with me…..
“O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,
as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.”
-Psalm 63:1 (English Standard Version)
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