Black Thursday

This has got to be the hardest week at work I've had so far in my relatively short professional life.

With the downturn in the economy, many people are struggling to make money - and businesses are looking for ways to cut costs. Churches and ministries are simply not getting the cashflow they need to operate at normal capacity.

And this week, the leadership at work made some very difficult decisions -- hard decisions now to avoid drastic ones later.

Yesterday, 10 team members -- friends -- found out that their positions had to be eliminated.(That's between 10-15% of our team.) Many others are getting pay or hour cuts. But we're all affected.

There is such an overwhelming combination of emotions inside of me... it's hard to know what do and how to feel. Intense sorrow for my friends. Sheer gratitude that I still have a job.

We've all known for a while that finances are tight. We knew they were going to be implementing changes - including postponing one of the festivals in Latin America for a year. And cutting back staff is not an unusual process for ministries (especially) -- and any company really -- to have to undergo during economic recessions... but that doesn't make it any easier to have to experience it.

The team I work with is like a family, and it's hard to describe to people who haven't been a part of it. And because of the depth of the relationships, we are all hurting immensely from the loss of these friends. Those of us remaining are picking up lots of additional responsibilities. The ministry is still moving forward, but now with fewer staff. This is a stretching time. If I were to describe it in terms of pizza crusts, this would be the extra-thin, extra-crispy.

I have to keep reminding myself that God is not forgetting about these friends who no longer work with the team. He's still faithful. He's still going to provide. And He's still working His plans and purposes in all of us.

Please pray for the team as you think of it. These are very difficult times.

A Timely Discovery

I had my suspicions, but the events of last night confirmed it.
My roommate Jenny can play the piano and read music -- quite well, I might add (...though she says she doesn't).
This hidden talent was unveiled when I was playing half of a 4-hand duet. Jenny hesitantly offered to pick up the other half (all the while saying it wouldn't be very good... but that she would try).
Not only did she pick up the other half, but she was sight-reading it and doing a very good job!
I'm so excited! I LOVE playing piano duets!
Who would have thought? She certainly didn't intend to let on... : )

I finally bought a piano!

I did it. I finally bought a piano. It's an 88-key (weighted) portable keyboard that sounds and feels like a real piano. Oh my goodness. I'm so excited. : ) And I just spent the past hour playing it. But I made myself stop because I must get some sleep -- though I could probably play all night (and because it has a headphone jack, I don't have to worry about waking my sleeping roommates).

I have a piano.

And it's downstairs just waiting to be played.