JBU re-acceptance petition letter

To Whom it May Concern:

On January 1, 2009, the world lost a wonderful young man, and I lost one of my best friends, Will. His funeral was held at the Cathedral of the Ozarks on January 5. JBU’s spring semester started a few weeks later. At home, where I lived with my parents and four younger siblings, there were a lot of changes. My father began to commute to a town in south Arkansas and only came home on the weekends. My mother, who had worked only part time outside the home for the majority of my life, began working 40+ hours a week in Fort Smith. As the oldest child, I took on a lot of responsibilities caring for my two littlest sisters, taxing them back and forth between school, extra-curricular activities, and home, preparing dinner most nights of the week, and helping with homework. At school, I was enrolled in five classes, and barely passed three, with low C’s. It was as if I just didn’t care about school any more--I rarely attended class, never went to chapel, and sunk into a deep depression. I lost contact with friends, except for the few that had been closest to Will, and spent the majority of my time at home. I felt that God, if He indeed existed, had abandoned me. Before getting my grades back for the semester’s end, I had already decided to “take some time off.”

The last year and a half has been a period of unique growth, spiritual and intellectual, for me.  I spent six months working at a tanning salon and then began working at a local florist as well. Will’s sister, my best friend, decided to move to Germany to live with her mom for a few months and I was lucky enough to join her in October of this year. There, I worked at a gas station on a military base and traipsed around the city of Stuttgart for two fabulous months! While I was vagabonding though, I realized that I didn’t want to spend my life working low-paying jobs in order to just squeak by financially.

 I know now that education is one of the only means of moving ahead in this world. I’ve also realized that education is more than just showing up: it means hard work and dedication, and I am (finally!) ready to fully apply my potential as an A student.  My goal is to earn my Bachelor’s Degree in English and then attend a Master’s Degree program to obtain a Master’s of Education. I would like to move back to Germany, or wherever God sees fit to send me, and teach high school English on a military base overseas.

Spiritually, I have come to a place where I recognize there can be no alternative to believing in God.  Without His guiding hand on every endeavor in my life, my efforts are futile. He has taken me though the angry storm of disbelief and delivered me to the calm shores of His Divine Love. I think Oscar Wilde said it best, “Skepticism is the beginning of belief.” Because of my former uncertainty, my relationship with God has become much stronger now that I am certain beyond  a fraction of a doubt that God created me, He died for me, and He has “plans for hope and a future” for me as He promises in Jeremiah 29:11.

I am so excited about coming back to John Brown University. I am ready to dedicate myself fully to my studies and look forward to the intellectual and spiritual growth that I know will take place in such a God-honoring atmosphere!

Sincerely,
Morgan “Molly” Abbey

Funny the way it is...

So much can happen in the span of one week and one day!

Last week, I posted sitting in Echterdingen with the snow falling gently over the red tile roofs of the neighborhood.
Today, I post sitting in my parents lovely home in Siloam Springs,  Arkansas, with a parade of puppies playing happily in the back yard.
My adventure was, in some ways, cut short.
In other ways, it was the perfect length--Home for Christmas!!!!
After a few crazy days last week, I hopped on a plane in Stuttgart at 11 am on Saturday morning and arrived in Northwest Arkansas about 9 pm Saturday night.
So thankful for my wonderful parents, the fabulous Crystall and Brandon, and of course my Bryn and her lovely mama-la, Colleen, who helped last week make a crazy sort of sense. Without the support of them, and of course my awesome God, I think I would have lost it!

In my last post, I said I wasn't sure if I'd ever want to come back to Siloam. Lemme tell ya something, when the going got too rough, this girl was LONGING to be in Siloam Springs! Funny the way it is...
I have no idea, really, what the next few months will hold for me. But as my mom put it, there are so many possibilities and we cannot wait to see what doors the Lord will be opening for me! Pray for me, friends, that I will be able to choose the path thats best for me according to His divine plan, which is by far better than anything I could ever have "planned" for myself.

I'll leave you with this funny thought from my very wise and currently bearded little brother. In his western civ class last week, the professor asked the class to explain what control means. After several other students answered, Paul raised his hand and said, basically, "Control is an illusion. None of us have any control what so ever!" So true, little brother, so true!

A Panic of Joy

When Carolyn and I went down to the Christmas market for the first time last week, I said the silliest thing. We came though a little tunnel connecting the streets and all the little wooden booths were being set up, there was a massive Christmas tree in the middle of the street and I was so over come by it all that I exclaimed, "I'm having a...panic...of...joy!"

Extreme, yes, but I think that is probably the best way to describe how happy I am here. Its like being in a snow globe, a living story book!  There is so much to do and to see, but I'm not rushed. I have all the time in the world!

This Tuesday, Bryn and I took the train downtown to an exclusive little botique and she bought the most beautiful wedding gown. She looks (and feels!) like a princess in it. It wasn't even all the way zipped up when she squealed, "This is it! This is my dress!"

Upon arrival, we lounged in these Alice in Wonderland-esque chairs and were served still water in little glass tumblers.

After she had made the decision, which really wasn't a decision at all, we walked down to a little Mexican place called Chico's and had amazing chicken quesadillas and chips with guac. It was yummy! Then she headed off to pick up the precious boys she nannys for and I stayed downtown to do a little Christmas shopping. 

The view from Chico's

Later in the afternoon, I met up with some friends from work, Rey and Catie, and we did a little window shopping, drank some yummy gluewein, and went ice skating! None of us fell, and we were completely impressed with ourselves!

The skating rink is set up in the middle of the Christmas Market, which is by the schlossplatz. I thought the color of the sky was incredible. And I still can't believe this is what I get to see on a regular basis!

When we were skated out, with aching feet and sore lower backs and freezing cold hands and cherry red noses, we split up and headed our separate ways home. I hopped on the train and then realized that I had no house key and would be locked out for at least an hour before someone was back at the apartment! Being the clever girl that I am, I got off the train in Vaihingen, which is a short taxi ride away from the base I work on, hailed a taxi, and walked the rest of the way once on post to the Patch Shopette, where I surprised Carolyn by knocking on her door! I told her all about my adventures of the day and then we headed home together at 7:00!

Of course, there are time when I feel like crying, like last night at work when I royally screwed some paper work up and almost burst into tears in front of two boys I work with, my manager, and a store full of customers, but I didn't! And we got everything worked out and the boys were being so sweet, telling me about times when they had screwed something up big time and my manager gave me a shoulder pat and showed me the right way to do it and told me his tricks for remembering it correctly. Good people up at the Shopette, lemme tell ya!

Now that I know how much of the world there is left for me to see and discover, I'm not sure if Siloam Springs can contain me, or I, Siloam Springs! We shall see what the future, and the Lord, has for me! In the words of Dr. Seuss, I feel like I'm starting to happen:

It's opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,

don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.