Busy, busy

It's been like a slingshot. For nearly three years, we have been pulling it back and its being released, us being flung quickly towards the near future. What I mean is that we have been so busy preparing and now as the last semester of our Seminary time is coming, quick week by week, to an end, I have this experience of quick passing time. The Great Fast will start soon, things will really fly by. As it stands now, we have a scant three months left. Of course, a full three weeks of that time there are no classes. Those weeks are Clean week (the first week of Lent), Holy Week (the week leading up to Holy Pascha) and Bright Week (the week after Holy Pascha). Though it is moving by so quickly, we are blessed! We are so very thankful to God that we have had this time.

This past week, we received a visit from two Deans of the Diocese of the West. It is something that us seminarians in the Diocese of the West wait for and look forward to each year. Fr. Matthew and another Dean (the second dean is always a different one) come for a day. This year, Fr. Basil came with Fr. Matthew. A block of 35 min. to speak with each seminarian and their wife is usually scheduled. It provides us with a good measure of support and morale. We feel loved and acknowledged. After Vespers that day, they take us and our wives to dinner. We have a wonderful few hours of fellowship. We hear some encouraging and sobering stories. It is a great blessing for us all. Of course, we in the third year will graduate. For us, this is the last dinner we have with all these people at one table—until the next chapter in the book of our lives comes, whatever God has for us.

I'll make this post a short one because this weekend, I was blessed to travel to a meeting of seminarians from other Orthodox seminaries. I'll put up another post about that experience later this week. Remember, we are always happy to pray for you.

The Baldwins

Fellowship

We are already half way through February. It's still chilly around here, but some days are a little warmer than others. The snow seems to come and go, but the boys have had many chances to enjoy it. We are doing well. Our wonderful little newest family member, baby Baldwin in the womb is keeping Veronika tired. It's exciting to think about April being around the corner and to see baby Baldwin for the first time.

We are trying to have a lot of great moments of fellowship in our last semester here. We are trying to get together with the other families. Mostly, this happens on Sunday afternoons. It's a great blessing to be able to do this. There are a lot of seminarian families here and we have shared some great times with them. It is a huge support to be able t spend time with other seminarian families. We share our struggles, our joys, our plans, stories about our kids, our lives. We are forging bonds that will, God-Willing, help strengthen us on the journey to come, once we leave seminary.

Being as how I grew up in Mississippi and that this past Tuesday was Mardi Gras and that I miss my home, I just had to pay homage to my roots. We had a little get together at the house for Mardi Gras. Of course, I had to start the morning off right with a traditional New Orleans breakfast Calas and a Cafe Du Monde Cafe au Lait.

Left: Calas, a deep fried sourdough-esque rice doughnut covered in powdered sugar

Right: Cafe du Monde Cafe au Lait, Half Coffee and Chicory-Half hot milk

King Cake. It has the Mardi Gras colors, Purple=Justice Gold=Power and Green=Faith. They are said to have been chosen by Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch Romanoff of Russia during a visit to New Orleans in 1872. 

Blackened Catfish 

 Gumbo and Rice

We are thankful for all the prayers and support that we have received during out time here are St. Tikhon's. Even on our last semester, Veronika and I have been blessed to continue working in the kitchen here at St. Tikhon's cooking meals for the Seminarians. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and if you have any prayer requests, let us know. We visit the monastery everyday and are happy to keep your intentions in our prayers. If you would like to help us by donating, please click on the “donate” on the right. Your donations to our paypal account will help us get through this last semester. Whether small or big, every donation help tremendously. Thanks!

Onward, into February!

The weather is off and on around here. We have had some cold days and we have had some warmer days (45 degrees is warm, right?). Overall, it hasn't been to bad. We continue to plow (pun intended!) through this final semester. What an amazing experience we have had, what a blessing! There are so many moments here, moments full of Grace. It is difficult to remember them all—or to write them down. We try and live them. It is that way with the Christian and his life in Christ. Sure, there are ups and downs—days of cold weather, sunny weather. There are so many experiences of the faith, too many to write down. We live them, that is how we “remember them”. We are transformed by Christ in our life into Christ—we become like Him, we become Christians. Our continuing transformation is filled with all the moments.

There was one such moment in Church, recently. Now, I have told Aidan many times that “prayer is talking to God.” He asked me about prayer is and that is what I told him. The other day we were in Church during Vespers. He was quite chatty (which is normal for us Baldwins!). He wasn't being particularly loud, but he was chatting to himself (I thought). I said “Aidan, please, let's be quite, we are in Church.” He looked up at me and said “I'm talking to God.” I told him to God ahead and talk to God.

Another such moment has been our time with the Dean, Fr. Alexander. He has imparted so much experience to us seminarians. He spent 30 years as a parish priest in KY. It has been an immense blessing to receive my formation here at St. Tikhon's while he was Dean.

Now for some pictures of what's been going on around here!

We get some beautiful scenes of sunrise around here. I have always been fond of sunrises and sunsets. Growing up in Mississippi, I saw some amazing ones. Even when I lived in Phoenix, the colors were vibrant. Still, I am going to miss these kinds of scenes here. 

A taste of NEPA (North East Pennsylvania): Deep-Fried Pierogi....soooo good!

Occasionally, there are ordinations at Seminary. Here's photo from the most recent one. It is Deacon David's ordination.

And finally, another video:

Please pray for us! Remember, if you have any prayer requests, please send them to us!

The Baldwins