James, Heidi & Sophia Roland

Wellinghall Downs

1011 E 10^th St Atlantic IA 50022

Dear Loved Ones,
As you may know, on September 7^th, 1998 our lovely little Sophia unexpectedly joined us in the world-she was born three weeks early on her Dahl grandparent's farm. It was a golden day which cast a hopeful glow over the coming year. That was an intense week for the next day we moved into our new home, Avalon Hall, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Jim began school the day after that, and, following shortly, Heidi began apartment managing duties at our apartment complex. Like a Super Bowl advertisement our lives were

insanely flickering from one activity to the next with little time for us to think or breathe. We had to consciously make the decision to seize every moment, reflect and enjoy various adventures in the midst of academic life.

What a joy it was to share many candle lit evenings with our friends, reading James Herriot stories over soup and bread. The visits of family and friends have always been some of the highlights of our lives, and we really did cherish those times! The school year sped by in blurred flashes for Jim. On March 30^th he nailed his paper An Unbearable Yoke to the tower door of Northwestern College's Nazareth Hall. His paper dealt with the history of Fundamentalist/Evangelical social restrictions and Christian liberty. This work sparked controversy and discussion on campus, which eventually produced over 760 requests for the paper on the Internet.
Finals week and graduation commencement came quickly and were a flurry of exams, family arrivals, meals, parties and goodbyes. On June 1^st we departed from Avalon Hall and moved to Atlantic, Iowa, Jim's hometown, to live in his Roland grandparent's former home. Wellinghall Downs is a quiet and timeless place where the wind, like a stream, regularly blows across the downs. We chose the name of Wellinghall after the home of the venerable old Ent Treebeard in Tolkien's great classic, The Two Towers. Our home is surrounded by Oak, Maple, Pine, Weeping Willow, Magnolia, fruit and nut trees, hedges, and a white fence in the front yard, while the "Downs" to the south are grassy hills- perfect for star gazing and walks. The house itself is a Victorian era two-story.

Many of Grandma Martha's flowers came up again, filling several of the established garden spots with an overplus of daisies, black eyed Susans, bachelors buttons, and other sweet grandmotherly blooms. In the vegetable gardens there are proud rows of all kinds of vegetables and annuals- the very sight of which brings delight to our hearts after two years of being away from the soil. There are strawberries, green beans, radishes, zucchini, acorn, & butternut squash, pumpkin, watermelon, cucumber, muskmelon, potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, beets, lettuce, parsley, chives, thyme, basil, raspberries, cherries, apples, onions, peppers and corn. Iowa is famous for her sweet corn! We've both enjoyed the prospect of tending and harvesting. We even have three chickens!

It is indeed a storybook setting, with squirrels and rabbits a plenty, while birds of many kinds- cardinals and an old blue jay, mourning doves, orioles, finches, woodpeckers and the usual assortment of robins, sparrows and crows abound- regaling us from early morning to late evening with an amazing variety of song. We plan to spend many an evening here with a cherished book in front of our stone fireplace.

Shortly after arriving in Atlantic, we acquired a beautiful 13 foot red sloop-rigged dinghy which we christened "Fortitude." Besides Sunday afternoon sailing, our plans for the coming year include various writing projects, Jim's work at the family funeral home and much studying for both of us. Next Fall Jim hopes to begin a Master of Arts program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, Illinois) in Christian Thought and Philosophy of Religion. Further degrees in History would likely follow which would allow him to teach, write and research.

In closing, we are pleased to announce that God is multiplying our family-we are expecting our second child in February. To God be praise! This year we are spending in Atlantic seems a perfect time for us to have another baby. As we both have come from large families, we feel the call, equipping and blessing of the Lord for a "vocational" ministry of raising godly offspring. Please pray for us as we attempt to balance the desire to pursue excellence in all our endeavors against the desire to enjoy the moment and be "unbusy."

From the Garden,

James & Heidi Roland

Wellinghall Downs

1011 E 10^th St

Atlantic IA 50022

[email protected]

(712) 243-5227

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