Communion and a feast with the Wilkinsons

After 5 sweet weeks of living in each other's pockets, the Wilkinson's hosted an amazing feast of homemade pasta, salad, garlic bread, and Russian cheesecake. Dinner began with a meditation on the last supper of Christ, and we shared communion with each other in the light of candles and the setting sun.

the "Wilkinsons", a lumberjack, and Moonstone

After two weeks of intense class, book readings, listening and wrestling, students were invited to create a presentation with a group on a topic of their choice supported from classwork. Students pulled out all the stops, even daring to include an impressive impersonation of Dr Loren and Mary Wilkinson. After 5 weeks with the Wilkinsons, their endearing personalities were easy to capture!

Photograph--a dramatic poetry presentation for God and Nature

Photograph
A skit
By Jason Weigner
Intro by Abigail DeMaggio
Edited & first performed by Mathew Caliguire, Abigail DeMaggio, Andrea Dotters, and Jason Weigner



Intro
What is right? What is Just? What is true? Do I know? Do you?
Each side so extreme Impossible to find a mean?
Rulers over creation Slaves to preservation
Stewards of God’s Earth Struggling from Birth to death,
To be, to live, to breath, to love, To find love,
To find answers.

Photograph
1 (Black): Now let us take a photograph 2 (Black): Leave out the precious color
3 (White): Left with only black and white 4 (White): Which shade do you find best?

1: Clear cut (axe a tree) 2: Factories
3: Hug a tree (Hug the tree) 4: Save the fleas! (protestor)

1: Development 2: Novelty
3: Sentiment 4: Posterity

1: MP3s 3: Symphonies
2: Internet 4: Parchment

1: God is law 3: God is love
2: Humanity 4: Divinity

1: Mathematical 2: Rational
3: Artistical 4: Supernatural

1: Feminine (Making fun of opposite gender) 3: Masculine (Ditto)
2: CEO 4: Family farm

1: proud to be black 2: proud to be white
3: Disgusted at white 4: Disgusted at black

1: Industrialization 3: Naturalization
2: Meatitarian 4: Vegetarian

1: Evolution 3: Creation

2: Calvin 4: Armenian

1: Consume 3: Simplify

2: Gorging (Belly Pat) 4: Dieting (lick lips longingly)

1: Conceit 2: Independent
3: Reverence (bow to 1) 4: addiction (cling to 2)

1: Self-indulgent 2: Greed (reach in 4’s pocket)
3: Austerity 4: Stingy (Defend pocket)

1: Arrogant 2: Deceptive
3: Depressed 4: False honesty

1: Impatient 2: Restless
3: Timid 4: Passive

1: Rash 3: Coward

2: Waste 4: Horde

1: White 2: Black
3: Black 4: White

All four begin shouting their color for a few seconds until #4 yells “WHITE!” really loud then all are quite, taking their places in a line behind a piece of paper opposite their color.

Each pick up their paper, blank side out when they say their line:
1: People picking either side
2: Spilling blood or trying to hide
3: Why must all be white OR black?
4: The Photo fades out of sight.

Now each flips over their paper while they say their line then stick it to a wall, each piecing their piece of the puzzle to form the globe.
1: Its time to see that in the line
2: A blended peace is there to find
3: The photo snapped in black AND white
4: Is contrast beauty at its height.

Chillin' at Karekare

For a little change of scenery, students and staff travelled to Karekare Beach. God and Nature class was held at the idyllic setting of a fireside chat, scenic views, ferny forest, and an afternoon in the sun on the beach.

Refiner's fire

re·fine (rĭ-fīn')

To reduce to a pure state; purify.
To remove by purifying.
To free from coarse, unsuitable, or immoral characteristics

re·store (rĭ-stôr', -stōr')

To bring back into existence or use; reestablish: restore law and order.
To bring back to an original condition:

eu·re·ka (yu-'rE-k&)
interjection Etymology: Greek

Used to express triumph upon finding or discovering something.
Greek heurka, I have found (it)
Creation Groaning and the Refiner’s fire


Community worship time invited an examination of 2 Peter 3: 10-13. In this passage we learned that the understanding that the fire of God is a refining fire, where the earth will be purified, renewed, FOUND! The groanings of creation from Romans 8 will be forever silenced. As a community, we meditated on the groanings that are and were near and dear to our hearts, the way we see, feel, hear creation creaking in agony at the sin holding it in bondage. Written on pieces of paper, these were placed in a globe, and burned, a visual symbol of the promise of renewal. Eureka!

Samoa!

Hello!

My name is Taj, and Karyn has asked us students to share a bit about our recent experiences with you. We just returned from Western Samoa on Thursday morning, and personally, I've been missing Samoa every day since.

For me, the Samoa experience was all about the people I met and got to be friends with. We stayed at the Safua Hotel for our first week or so, and over that time I really got to bond with some of the guys who work at the hotel by playing pool with them and singing with them. When they first invited me to play pool, I told them how bad I was but they made me play anyway. My efforts were pretty futile, but even after losing they invited me to play again and again. I really felt accepted by these wonderful guys. By the time I left the Safua Hotel... I was still pretty bad at pool, but I had made some amazing friends: Sinave, 2A, Sal, Max... I miss them all a lot, but I hope that someday soon I can return to Savai'i Island in Western Samoa to see them again.

Goodbye Samoa

Student Life Coordinator Karyn Wynalda, Programme Assistant Jane Bowden, Marine Biology Professor Kristel VanHoute-Howes, and Student Life Coordinator Alison Baker enjoy their last evening in Samoa.

Our beach boys

James, Taj, Matt, Peter, Austin, Nick, Jason, Matt

Dressed up in Samoa

Glenyss Weeks and Abigail De Maggio show off their Samoa style. Both girls were impeccably dressed by their homestay hosts.

Fia Fia at Faga Village

Caroline, Karyn, and Matt ready for the fiafia

The highlight of the homestay was the final fiafia night with the Faga Village community. Although we'd participated in a few fiafias before in Samoa, this one was the wildest and most fun. Students sang their hearts out, danced their feet off, and laughed and laughed.