April Marie Cervinka began her freshman year this fall at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago is great for two reasons, Deep Dish Pizza and Blanco (soccer player), neither of which April listed. April is majoring in Music with a violin emphasis. She really enjoys the seminary level Bible classes she is able to take as well. With this major April hopes to “reach the world with the gospel using a universal language (music) as my portal inside closed countries.” Follow link to continue reading.
April lives on campus on the 10th floor of the Houghton dorm. Unfortunately she informed me that this is pronounced Hoe-ton and not Huff-ton as would be proper. Perhaps she can work on correcting that during her time at Moody.
April has made many great friends already, but list two as the “best” friends she has met. We hope she’ll send us pictures of both. The best girl friend she has met is Sarah Grandinetti, because they are both violin majors, love to laugh, often screatching Handel’s Messiah up and down all ten flights of stairs, waking up at 6 in the morning to make brownies for someone and drinking cherry pie tea.
The best guy friend on the other hand is Jacob Brown, who plays harmonica and guitar at the same time. He is teaching April guitar and in return she is teaching him to play the violin. Speaking of these lessons she said, “We are both progressing very fast, and soon he wants me to teach him harp.” The two of them often sit outside in the grass and play hymns and fiddle music while people pass by and listen.
April’s biggest challenge in college so far has been not being so busy in the hope that she might be able to complete homework at reasonable hours and spend more devotional time with God in the mornings and afternoons. This has proven hard as she spends most of her time practicing in Doane (the music building, the affectionately call, Sweet Doane.
Her favorite class is Church and its Doctrines where her professor gives them seminary level teaching. April’s favorite non-thinking class is “Self Defense” which has come in handy in playing flag-football as the other teams can’t seem to understand that the flag is there so you don’t tackle people.
Best food in Chicago is at Portillos where the meal of choice is giant chocolate cake pieces in a milkshake, apparently Joey can now support this statement after visiting last weekend. Coming up April is most excited about the Missions’ Conference when there will be no classes and great speakers all week. My understanding is that this is the same place Pastors Tony and Nathan performed the first Rap song in a Moody Chapel service, “The Bible’s Great Commission.”
April is a part of Symphonic Band where the group is already like family praying together after each practice. They will be traveling to Wisconsin this winter and to California next Spring Break. April has fallen in love with her new church family, Covenant Presbyterian where Pastor Tony went while in college many many many many many many years ago.
April sent a follow up to her biggest challenge so far and I’ve copied it below
You asked what I’ve learned so far at school. Well, so far I’ve learned that the people of Chicago are so extremely sarcastic that it’s hard to understand whether they’re serious or not. (Not sure if April is serious or not). The beggars are also great liars, and love to take advantage of us sweet, Moody students who show compassion on [them].
On a more serious note, although I was serious previously, I’ve learned that’s it’s so easy to be a stale Christian if we’re not careful. We take in the Bible so much everyday that it can become a textbook. It takes a constant reminder that I need the Lord just as much here as I did at home, and when I get busy running around crazily to all my classes and events, I need Him even more. Otherwise, I could never handle all the stress or achieve the high expectations of Moody Bible. (good point, we must all be careful of this).
I don’t think you got the pun. “Doane, Sweet Doane” as in “Home, Sweet Home.”
Most people must think (incorrectly, of course) that you should pronounce Hough “Hoe”…I get called “Mrs. Hoe” a lot! Bummer.
That is a bummer! It’s okay, Laura. The correct pronounciation is easier to say, since my dog can even say it. It’s the only word she can pronounce properly, so she says it a lot. It’s quite impressive.