First Impressions

8-17-13

So, arrived here on Friday. I'm not in the apartment I was expecting to be (it's not finished yet), but I still have a place to live and he's not changing the rent because it's his fault the apartment I was going to be isn't finished yet. He and his parents (who spend weekends here working on the little apartment) helped me bring most of my stuff in. The one guy thinks I have a lot of stuff, but really it's clothes and books and kitchen stuff. So I left some stuff in my truck over Sabbath because I had to get groceries.

They took the time to give me directions to Aldi, but I got lost on the way there and took a drive through Ann Arbor's neighborhoods. I eventually found it. Met a lady named Debbie who has family in my home town. I told her I'd end up seeing her a lot, because I like shopping at Aldi. Then I got lost on the way back, but eventually found the apartment again.

This morning I got up and went to church. I put extra time in my schedule in case I got lost, but my written-out-by-me instructions were excellent and I ended up arriving at church before anyone else. Like only fifteen minutes, but still. People trickled into Sabbath School, but the superintendent was like, "There's only three of us here, so pick a favorite hymn." I'm pretty sure she and I were the only ones singing for a least two songs. The Sabbath school class I attended was really good--I had never thought of the Resurrection being God's endorsement of everything Jesus had done, but that makes sense. The sermon was super on-point, full of practical advice, and yet not too long.

Then I met another UM grad student and she introduced me to a bunch of other students and I went to a yummy potluck and met the pastor and his wife and many others (whose names I'll eventually learn). Apparently the student group is rather active, and that's exciting.

Tomorrow, it's more grocery shopping and room organizing and maybe some furniture finding and maybe a walk through the neighborhood. Apparently people expect stuff sitting on the curb to be taken by people, so maybe I'll end up with some useful things.