Life Update

Wow where to begin. I look at the list of people I have invited to check this thing out and there are some people I have not seen in a long time. Anyway my life...

First off I still love Jesus and want to do His work so no backsliding besides the usually inability to sanctify. "Sanctify stupid!!!" And yes I am still relatievly obsessed with Five Iron Frenzy despite their demise two years ago. I cried but have lived on...

Well as many of you know after college I spent two years working in China and that is all I can say about that or I will have to kill you. No that was a good time in my life I learned a ton of things about ministry and about myself. One thing I learned was that at this point in my life I am not called to over sea's mission work. There is always the possibility in the future and in many ways I long to find a way to do some short term stuff and some how stay involved in over seas missions.

So I came home really feeling like I didn't have a clue as to what I wanted to do. So I started doing the whole job search thing. Hooray for that long and annoying process of basically being told over and over again how you're not good enough for anything. It was at this point that I coined the phrase "over educated and under employed." I quickly discovered that I was over qualified for every entry-level position but not qualified enough for any positions that pay above the poverty line.

In the end I found a job working at a middle school in Edina Minnesota. I started working with a guy named Justin. He is an autistic child in the 8th grade (when I started he was in 6th). At first things were really tough I had no idea what I was doing and there was not a lot of training involved so I was just kind of thrown into it. But God has really shown His grace in finding this job. About half way through my fist year something clicked with Justin and we really started getting along great. Ever since then working with him has been an absolute blast we spend most of our time goofing around, walking around school and talking with people.

This summer ('05) we went to camp together for 7 days. It was a pretty intense week but we made it through and it pushed the level of trust in the relationship to a new level. So anyway we have entered our third year together and so far so good.

During my last year in China I read the book Desiring God. The book had a profound effect on me. So upon returning to Minneapolis Bethlehem was on the top of my list for Churches to check out. I went once and that was it I was in love. I had thoughts of checking out other churches but God has really given me a spiritual home at Bethlehem. Early on I got involved in a Bible Study and last summer I actually started leading it with a couple other guys. I also work in the nursery every week which has been a good way to get to know some of the families at Bethlehem which other wise can be kind of tough for a single guy.

Every since my return to Minneapolis what the future holds has been ever on my mind. I have pursued a number of different options but nothing really stuck out, nothing jumped off the page. So I continued on trusting that the Lord was preparing something for me. In the last month God has lead me further in the pursuit of a career then any of the others that have floated across my mind. So in January I am going back to school and going to start working on my prerequisites for some of the different nursing programs in the Twin Cities. Yes that's right I am heavily considering becoming a male nurse -Insert Joke Here-.

I am still not completely sure yet but I think that the (personal) skill set (especially when it comes to working with children) I possess and an ever growing desire to help people with physical needs as well as spiritual ones has lead me here. The science classes will be tough no doubt but I think we will realize if this is the right thing for me about half way through Anatomy and Physiology. I am not sure if I would work her in the states or head over seas but we will see.

Anyway that as true of a life update as need be. Sorry it is so long, I will try keep this updated about me as I go. Thanks for reading...
Godspeed,
Caleb M. Saarela