PhD applications

Thanks for the many encouraging emails! We stepped out of the office after sending our news and enjoyed a day snowshoeing in the Rockies with Peluche but hope to respond to each of you soon.

Snowshoeing in the Indian Peaks on 12/6

As I mentioned in the last blog, our upcoming steps are largely unknown. That doesn't mean, though, that we aren't exploring options to see what may open or that we're not committed to continued service - we just hope to do it from a tent-making instead of a support-based platform! The most immediate step to share are the applications to four doctoral programs here in the States. While I'm still accepted at a program in the UK, there will be a lot more options for Jason in the States as well as possible funding for my studies straight through the universities themselves. After thinking through what could contribute to a favorable next spot for us, I applied to three programs on the west coast (1 in California, 2 in Washington) and one on the east coast (in Massachusetts).

In some ways, we were hoping to get to stay in Colorado as we feel very much at home and love our friends and backyard mountain playground here. But, after talking to the communication departments that offer PhD study near here, I realized that they weren't the best fits for my research interests (language, social interaction, and identity studies). If I'm going to spend 3-5 years back in school it would be better to find a place that could be a good academic home, with advisors who have experience in these broader topics as well as being excited about sign language research and a long-term goal of supporting deaf communities internationally. All four of the programs appear to be a good fit, and I've directly interacted with professors at three of the four who are interested in overseeing my study which is a very encouraging thing. The fourth is a very holistic and integrative program in a location that is a base for many non-profit organizations interested in humanitarian aid and, in general, would offer Jason a good variety of options as he explores what God has for him next.

We should hear back about these applications between now and March. We're trying to hold these loosely and praying that God will direct the process. If none of them make an offer, we'll trust there is something else good in store for us. If one or more of them do, we are looking at a move early in 2012 along with all the details that come with a major transition (e.g. selling our house).

So what happens between now and then? Well, we are very excited for the next 3 months! This month we are going to rest. Yes, we have been resting in many ways the last couple months and have been sleeping better than we have in a long time...but this month in particular we are looking forward to bringing some closure to this past phase of our life by going through photos and videos from the last 5 years and making a giant photo album of our travels. We are also very much looking forward to spending the holidays with both of our parents and families - something that has been a rare treat in past years because we've often been in other countries or traveling to or from them around the holidays!

In January, we have a special opportunity to visit my dad's homeland - Hong Kong - with him and some of my siblings over Chinese New Year! We'll be gone for a little over two weeks in mid-January and can't wait to visit my dad's childhood home and see family that I've not seen for years, and some that Jason has never had the chance to meet. Here's a picture of us with my dad when he came out for a visit in October:

Hiking with dad in Rocky Mountain National Park

In February, we are celebrating our transition in a different way. We had frequent flier miles accrued from all our work travels that we needed to use so we scheduled a trip to Europe for a month of fun! Part of the reason we graded standardized tests last month was to earn money for this trip - between that temp job and our frequent flier miles, our flights, hotels, and train-transportation are all covered! We figure we can live on nutella and bread for the rest of it ;).

So that's a glimpse into where we are at right now and what is coming, or may be coming. We are eager to see what adventure God is inviting us into next. We are at attention for the Voice telling us which way to go and, like Digory in Lewis' "The Magician's Nephew", know that it often comes from many directions all at once...Emmanuel, God is truly with us.

"A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. It was hardly a tune. But it was beyond comparison, the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.” - C.S. Lewis