Dodging Raindrops: August 2021

The moving kicked off on Thursday Aug 19th when J and A set off by car for California.

They took 2 days to get to Los Angeles. They stopped in Yreka, CA for the night.

J did all the driving. The majority of cars were going 75 plus in CA and J wasn't comfortable with A driving and A wouldn't be comfortable going that fast.

On Saturday they did a bit of shopping and drove around to get a feel for the area. On Sunday morning they visited a Presbyterian church nearby.

Move in process started at 1 pm on Sunday afternoon. A had to have a COVID test done (administered on campus) and they verified other health requirements such as other required vaccines. The COVID vaccine is not required.

A moved into his dorm. He kept missing his roommate and I joked that he was actually a robot. J never got to meet him.

This is A under the bells. They are from the original Biola building which was located in downtown Los Angeles.

Sunday night there was a Torrey event (the Honours program) and J happened to meet a family from Ottawa whose daughter is attending.

On Monday morning J said goodbye to A and began the drive back.

A had "Torreyentation" on Monday and Tuesday.

I flew down on Wednesday morning out of Paine field (which is fantastic).

View of Seattle.

I flew into John Wayne airport in Santa Ana, which is closer to Biola than the airport I used last time - LAX. My wait for the rental car was really long and that area wasn't air conditioned.

My first assignment was to drop some things off for A. I was still dressed for Seattle so while I waited for him I was dying in the heat! Here is the thermometer in the rental car at some point during my visit.

I got to see his dorm. J took this photo soon after they arrived. He hadn't unpacked at this point.

I wish I had a photo of his room once he'd properly settled in.

Wednesday night there was a Torrey event in Calvary Chapel with worship and a speaker.

I took this photo of Calvary Chapel in April when we visited and did the drive thru tour of campus.

Afterwards there was a reception with hors d'oeuvres. I met A's mentor for the Torrey program. He got his PhD from the University of Toronto and his two sons were born in Canada. We had a brief chat and I quickly realized he was a good fit for A.

A will have this mentor all the way through the Torrey program. I met one of his new friends in his Torrey cohort (small group) and connected with his mom whose name is Mary. They are from Nashville. We got along very well.

Official orientation started on Thursday. There was a banner welcoming all the undergrads by name.

That is A's name circled. You can click on the photo to enlarge.

I bought a sweatshirt from the campus store. I didn't have much to do during the day.

I love this fountain. I was tempted to get in, since it was so hot.

There were regional meet ups in the afternoon. Ours was Pacific Northwest which included Oregon and Montana. We connected with 2 girls who went to the same middle school as A. Our pastor's daughter and her parents were at this meet up as well. I met a mom who lives in Bothell. We got some good information from that meeting.

There was a CMA dinner that night outside under a giant tent. After the dinner, the dean spoke as well as various faculty members.

I got a photo of A with his roommate!! His name is Tucker. He is from Colorado Springs and is in the same things as A (CMA and Torrey).

Following that event there was a welcome for all the students from the president out on the big lawn.

On Friday parent orientation started at 9 am. Spiritual development, Safety, Heath, Wellness, and Academic Success were the sessions that I attended.

A and I had lunch in the cafeteria with the Hitchcock family. Here is the view from the outdoor (covered) seating of the cafeteria.

In the afternoon, I played hooky and went to an upscale mall 30 minutes away, just for fun.

That evening there was a free BBQ for everyone on campus. Long line. It was worth it.

I ate with A. We had a great chat.

Next was the worship service and goodbye.

I saved this photo from the President's Instagram page.

Saturday I picked up something from pharmacy for A in the morning and went to Long beach which is a 30 minute drive from La Mirada.

It really is a long beach. So much space!

I found these hibiscus flowers on a random light industrial street near the hotel.

I checked out of hotel at 1 pm and dropped off medication for A when he had a break in between activities. I was "breaking the rules" since we were supposed to say our goodbyes Friday night and leave. I hugged him and left. I killed some time in Santa Ana and then went to the Santa Ana airport. My flight was at 7 pm.

The only tears that I shed during my trip was when I prayed for A at the end of the Friday night communion service.

Here is the beautiful sunset view from the plane.