2008: A Year of Changes

2008 has been a year of many changes in my life. As I take a few moments to reflect on the past year, let me share a few highlights with you.

The Big Change: Graduation
In May, I graduated from Nazarene Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree. It is nice to be finished with classes and not have the stress of always working on a project or paper and reading multiple books concurrently. I feel that my seminary education has helped shape me as a person and has equipped me for full-time ministry. (Click here for more about graduation.)

Changes in Romania
Throughout 2008, I have been in contact with the Nazarene missionary leadership in Romania. We decided together that it would be best for me to slightly postpone my departure date for Romania until August 2009, giving me a year to earn, save, and raise financial support before returning to Romania as a volunteer missionary with the Church of the Nazarene’s Mission Corps program, planning to stay at least 4-5 years. (Click here for more about how God's been leading me.) The details of my assignment have not yet been determined. I’ll be sending you more information later in the spring, as details become more concrete. If you’d like to read more now, you can click here to go to my Romania website.

Photo: Cristina, Kent, Bobbi Jo, me, & Elizabeth at this year's Romania Christmas Party/Reunion.

Changes at Work
I am continuing to work in the Sunday School & Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) office. After I committed to working through General Assembly in June 2009, my position expanded to a full-time one. (I worked there part-time for 3 and a half years while in seminary.) I now have benefits (like insurance), so I am enjoying being able to see the doctor and dentist.

The other big change at work is that Nazarene Headquarters moved from its location of over fifty years in Kansas City, Missouri, to Lenexa, Kansas. It has taken some time to adjust to the new building and policies. In the long run, the benefits will greatly outweigh the difficulty in the transition. One of the main benefits is that all employees work in a single building now, so we interact with people much more than we ever did in three buildings. Click here for more about the move to the GMC.


Changes within my Family
In October, just before my grandma’s 91st birthday, she was taken to the hospital for some tests. Her weight had been progressively dropping and her memory was worsening. After some tests, it was strongly recommended that she move from the house she’s lived in for the past 62 years into a nursing home. While it is a hard transition for all of us, we believe she will receive better care at the nursing home than she could provide herself.

Photo: My brother, parents, grandma and I on Christmas Eve.

My brother Joseph graduated two weeks ago from York College of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in history. I wasn’t able to be home for his graduation, but came home for Christmas a few days later. I dug out my academic regalia from my seminary graduation in May and we got a picture of our family's two 2008 graduates.

Other things haven’t changed much
There are other parts of my life that have changed in 2008, but many things that have also stayed the same. I’m still living in Lenexa, Kansas, with Derl & Karen Keefer and their cat Matthew. We live about 2 ½ miles from the Global Ministry Center, so the commute is quite short.

I attend Overland Park Church of the Nazarene where I teach in the English Language Learners program. Click here for more about ELL.

Photo: Teaching English Language Learners at Overland Park Church

What’s Coming in 2009
I will be staying in the Kansas City area until early August, working at the Global Ministry Center through General Assembly. This spring I will be taking a class at NTS on theology of missions. (Graduates receive a coupon to take a course tuition-free, so I’m taking advantage of it while I’m still in the area.)

During the next few months, I will be speaking in various churches as I raise support to cover expenses while I am in Romania. For the majority of August, I will be in Pennsylvania until I leave for Romania at the end of August. I’ll send another update in the spring with more details.

I invite you to visit my website www.jepjon.com for updated information.

May God bless you as you enter this new year. If I haven’t heard from you in a while, I would love to hear what changes are happening in your life.