Comments on: Attending Seminary Means Living In a Foreign Land

By: A Seminary Survival Guide Sampler | Said at Southern

A Seminary Survival Guide Sampler | Said at Southern — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:56:04 +0000

[...] You Must Learn Triage [...]

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:18:51 +0000

Live off campus. Fantastic advice. I’ll have more to say about that sometime soon.

By: jdantzlerw

jdantzlerw — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:14:55 +0000

I have been here in New Orleans both before and after “the Storm” and I have seen the attitudes of many students change. Before the storm many seemed to be very comfortable moving to New Orleans and seeing nothing of it for three years other than the seminary campus and the Wal-Mart out in the ‘burbs. Granted, there are still many students that feel and act this way, but there seems to have been a shift since Katrina with both new and older students wanting to be a part of New Orleans, to be in the community reaching the people for Christ. This is a welcome change and I hope that we’ll see it at other seminaries as well, and that it won’t take a natural disaster to make it happen. The best advice I can give on the subject is that if you can.. Live Off Campus!

By: Joshua Stewart

Joshua Stewart — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:34:21 +0000

I couldn’t have said it better myself. I moved from Georgia to post-Katrina New Orleans. WOW! What a major culture shift. I find it hard to make friends in the first place, but, living here has made finding friends even more difficult. Most all the people I have gotten to know are from the seminary. I moved off campus which has helped in finding people who do not have convictions that are too strong on subjects that they know very little about. I am sure that elicits some A-mens from those of you living on a seminary campus.
Thanks for the thoughts.

By: Jessie

Jessie — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:21:04 +0000

Boy did this post strike a nerve! I have been in this new country called Dallas, TX for my husband to begin seminary for 10 days now. He is used to moving around all over the world since he grew up as an Army brat. But for me, this is my first time out of Orange County, California. This is the first time I haven’t lived within 20 minutes of my entire family. This is the first time I have lived somewhere that doesn’t have a Trader Joe’s!

It’s so tempting to choose not to adjust, and just count the days when life will return to what you are familiar with. I know for me it will be a conscious decision to immerse myself in this new adventure despite it not being anything close to familiar to me.

Thank you for the reassurance that I am not alone in this life adjustment!

By: Andy C

Andy C — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:21:39 +0000

Mark:

I fully understand your Texas culture shock. We went through it 5 years ago on a corporate relocation to the Dallas area. I was a born and bred New Yorker. I told someone at the time thast a move from NY to TX was as close to an international move a boy from NY could do without leaving the country.

But it is nice to see people pround of their heritage. No one rides around with the flag of New York, city or state, on their car.
We love it here now, do not want to go back to northeast. Made great friends. Became Christian. Started seminary here a few months ago.

We will always have New York in our blood (and our accents!). But we love Texas as well.
Anyone coming down here; keep an open mind and heart. If you do, you will be pleasantly surprised.