Since last we wrote…
Since last we wrote…
Edison-Swift Top 10
1. Third Annual Alternative Thanksgiving (November 26)
For Paul and Sue, Thanksgiving Day begins with a long walk uptown for coffee. Lunch consists of grilled turkey burgers and sweet potato fries. It's a restful and restoring day. We have so much to be thankful for, especially you, good friends and family.
2. Paul's position RIFed (November 11, 2009)
Paul was one of the 40+ churchwide staff to learn his position was eliminated, part of a "Reduction in Force." Paul was offered a choice: he could take the three-month separation package or accept a position on the Web team along with a significant salary reduction. After gathering information and advice, Paul accepted the new position. He's also accepted the Spirit's nudge (push?!) to actively seek his "next great position." To that end, we welcome your leads and networking on Paul's behalf.
Having our income slashed prompted long-needed and long-avoided family budget adjustments. One such adjustment is to eliminate our telephone land line (bye-bye 847-823-1201). Reach us by using our cell-phone numbers: 847-318-0262 for Paul, 847-638-5481 for Sue or our "Google Voice" number: 224-585-9112.
3. East–West family visit (August 2009)
Nicole's parents, Chunlin and XiaoPing, flew from China to help Nicole get settled in her new Connecticut apartment. Nicole drove them out for a Midwest visit. The seven of us—Nicole, Chunlin, XiaoPing, Annie, Sean, Paul, Sue—spent three glorious vacation days together. With Nicole translating and love interpreting, communicating was easy and the message was clear: We are family.
4. Sweet home, Park Ridge (June 2009)
Until August 2010, Annie and Sean will call Park Ridge, Ill., home. Annie is a resident chaplain at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. Sean landed a great position working at Metropolitan Chicago Information Center as a Web and database programmer. They lived with us for three months before moving into the great house they're renting from St. Andrew's Lutheran (an LC-MS congregation). Their address: Anne and Sean Edison-Albright, 912 Elm St., Park Ridge, IL 60068.
Annie will be part of the bishops’ synod-assignment process in March (think NFL draft). This is one of the last steps before first call and ordination.
5. Nicole's graduation, baptism (May 2009)
On Friday, May 8, Mama Sue and Papa Paul were proud to watch Nicole graduate from Michigan State's Eli Broad College of Business with an MBA. On Sunday, May 10, we were proud to stand beside Nicole as she was baptized at St. Luke's Lutheran in Park Ridge. "I felt like God had been knocking on my door for seven years and I finally opened it," said Nicole. "I'm glad I've become a member of God's big family."
6. Remembering Paul F. Swift (March 11, 2009)
Even
though Paul's dad had been struggling with heart and kidney issues, it was still
a shock to get the call that he had died. We were in the car the next day,
driving to Pittsford, N.Y., to help with the arrangements and be with family.
Annie and Sean didn't let a little thing like an ocean keep them from
participating in the celebration of Paul F. Swift's life. Annie wrote a
powerful eulogy for her grandpa, which Sue was honored to deliver at the
funeral. Sean created a memorial Website, posting photos gathered by this "Kodak
family." On Saturday, the day of the funeral, Pr. Schick, Annie's intern
supervisor, teachers and members of Bratislava International Congregation
gathered in Annie and Sean's apartment to hold a memorial service.
7. Sue goes GMS (February 1, 2009)
On February 1, Sue began a new position at the churchwide office: assistant director for Global Mission Support. She's part of a three-person team charged with raising money for ELCA Missionary Sponsorship and Global Gifts. Get a taste of what she's been up to by visiting and subscribing to the Hand in Hand blog digest (http://blogs.elca.org/handinhand).
8. 12 days of Christmas (December 24, 2008—January 5, 2009)
Two planes, a train, and a bus or two later, we arrived in Bratislava, Slovakia, around 5:20 p.m. on December 24th, 2008. The Christmas Eve service at BIC (Bratislava International Congregation) began at 4:30. With Sean leading the way, we hustled down the pitch-dark cobblestone street. Soon we heard "Angels We Have Heard on High" waft through the mist. We were close.
"Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn king."
We arrived in the back of the church just in time to sing the last refrain and watch Annie and Pr. Schick recess down the aisle.
"Gloria in excelsis Deo; Gloria in excelsis Deo!"
Thus began our 12-day holiday with Annie and Sean. It was wonderful to experience their loft apartment (only 112 steps up) which features a roof-top patio (perfect for viewing New Year's Eve fireworks), a view of Bratislava Castle from their bedroom window, and the galley kitchen where Sean coaxed big meals out of a tiny space. Some highlights: being invited to join Christmas Day and New Year's Day gatherings; visiting Bratislava's Tesko (food and department store) and IKEA; hearing Annie preach the Sunday after Christmas; our overnight visit to Budapest, Hungary; a day trip to Vienna, and coffee-shop hopping to stay warm.
9. South Africa and Malawi (October 2008)
www.tinyurl.com/2008safrica www.tinyurl.com/2008malawi
In October we both attended the World Association for Christian Communication Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. The world-class conference explored the theme "Communication is Peace." Sue then stayed on to make World Hunger Appeal visits in and around Johannesburg, South Africa, and then flew on to Malawi. Visit www.tinyurl.com/LWTMalawi to read the Lutheran Woman Today (July/August 2008) article Sue wrote about her visit to two amazing villages in Malawi.
10. Send-off to Bratislava (August 2008)
Annie and Sean lived with us for the six weeks between Annie's graduation from Yale Divinity School and deploying as ELCA missionaries serving in Bratislava, Slovakia. Annie served as the intern pastor at Bratislava International Congregation. Sean taught classes in math, computer science, English, and British literature at the Lýceum (high school).
Coming up
Christmas 2009 Christmas celebrations with Annie, Sean & Nicole.
Dec. 27, 2009 Annie is the guest preacher at St. Luke's the Sunday after Christmas. There's only one service that Sunday; it begins at 10:00 a.m.
