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