January 2012 was a busy month for us at Bethany House. On Tuesday, January 3, we were interviewed by Pastor Karen for her show on WIMG 1300 AM and WZBN TV-25. It was a little difficult to get to the station (we circled around South Broad Street several times trying to get to the other side), but we finally made it! The interviews covered topics like our intentional young adult community and the work that we are doing in the greater Trenton area.
On Monday, January 9, we volunteered with registration for The English School at the Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church. We met Pastor Nina’s daughter Jessica, who is very organized, and graded placement exams for the applicants, who generally were very enthusiastic.
On Tuesday, January 10, we attended a pre-presbytery event about Bethany House at the First Presbyterian Church of Hamilton Square, where we met lots of people whom we would like to see again, and then the presbytery meeting, where we were commissioned as residents of Bethany House. Pastor Nina wrote a beautiful litany of commissioning based on Micah 6:8, and we all signed the Community Covenant (except for Jamie, who was on a service project in New Orleans).
On Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), Erin led a Day of Service with hundreds of volunteers at Trenton Central High School. The volunteers cleaned and painted murals to make the high school more beautiful; they also made personal care packages to donate to local shelters.
On Thursday, January 26, we attended the installation of Rev. Wendy S. Bailey as the Regional Presbyter of the Monmouth and New Brunswick Presbyteries in Miller Chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary. It was a rainy evening, but inside the chapel it was bright and joyful. Amy really appreciated the time of praying out loud for each other. After the installation we met up with old friends and made new ones at the reception.
Bethany House of Hospitality 