Experiences
As you can see, all of us have some interesting tales to tell about our house.
Peter
Hi! My name is Peter Ivaska, and I have been living here at Sutton Place
for a little over a year. I am grateful for the blessings God has given
me during my stay. This has been a time of seeking to better understand
my relationship with the Lord and my own identity. There have been times
of breakthrough and joy as well as times of trial and frustration. The
faith, love and companionship of my housemates have helped me along this
journey and have encouraged me to place my hope in the love of our Saviour
Jesus Christ. Sutton Place is a wonderful place for food, fellowship and
fun. Here we get a glimpse of heaven as we get to know Christ in His
children from across the world. I will miss this house when it comes time
to go. But I know God has brought us together here for a purpose, and I
look forward to seeing everyone again in His time. A heartfelt "Thank
You!" to all who give of themselves; your gift has made Sutton Place such
a blessing to sojourners like myself looking for shelter as we make our
way home.
Sam
Sutton Place has really been a home away from home in the
past 1.5 years I've lived here. It was actually my first
time living away from home, kind of unusual for a grad
student, but it was the perfect transition.
Before I came to Sutton Place, I could hardly disntguish
Koreans from Chinese or Japanese people. Now, if I hear 5
seconds of a conversation (without seeing the people
talking), I can tell that it's Korean! That's just one
example of how my horizons have been broadened since living
here. I've enjoyed getting to know people of all different
ethnicities since I've been at Sutton along with tasting
some of their food. It's also great to see how the body of
Christ knows no international borders.
--Sam
SungSoo
I am so thankful that I can live in Christ-filled atmosphere like
Sutton Place. It makes me feel that I am alive in Christ in this
boring town. In particular, it is quite exciting to live with 22
unique house members from all over the world. I am sure that this will
be a great experience for my fututure ministry. If you want to know
more about me, please visit my blog
http://withlord.lifewithchrist.org Thanks.
--SungSoo Lim
Lydia
sutton place is a culturally and linguistically diverse home
for students from all over the world. I enjoy meeting people
from different countries, learn to cook different style of
food (korean, danish, mexican, indian, Than, american...),
hear different languages. -- I learn to tolerant people with
differen habits, life style, way of thinking (they may need
to tolerant me too). It is a great home for international
students and fun place to live.
Lydia Wang
Alan
I have lived at Sutton Place for almost three years, now,
and the best part of living here has been all the contacts
that I have made with other residents and other members of
the BSF. It is good to be able to come home from school and
strike up a conversation with other housemates over lunch or
dinner or watching TV and the like. I appreciate, too, the
interactions with and help I've received from all of the BSF
staff. Clint and Darla helped me a lot when I was a house
officer, in very practical ways. (For example, when I was
house handyman, Clint showed me how to reset a toilet bowl
on its drainpipe.) Dave, Yana, Sharyl, and Brett have also
been positively encouraging whenever I have interacted with
them, such as at BSF Family Gatherings. In summary, the
personal interactions are the strength of Sutton Place.
Alan Bolind
Matthieu
I woke up by big noise, all throughout the house. While I sticked my
sleepy head round the door of my room, I was told that is was
house-cleaning day today. The all and everything cleaning day, ones
per half year.
My days here in the US count just no more than two, I am barely
surviving from my jetlag, but no grace here, I can help to soap the
whole house! Everything was literally turned around. Variating from
soaping the house, washing and bleaching all kitchen stuff, whitening
walls, till reparing the bathroom.
The good thing however was that we all ate Chinese lunch together at
the cost of the house. My first Chinese lunch here in the States!
So far my first experience. It might sound a little dramatic, but it
wasn't that bad actually. Really soon I got to learn my house mates
and we have a wonderfull time together here. In conversations, in
helping eachother, in doing things together, in being brothers and
sisters in Christ and in trying to shine His light out!
I would like to thank everybody that makes my stay here a wonderfull time!
Matthieu Kleppe
-exchange student from The Netherlands-
Tale of Sir Gregorius
Journey to the center of the earth!
Suttoners are quite adventurous when it comes to travel - this is a report about the miraculous trip to a place called Chicago.
It seemed to be become just regular weekend on the Campus of U of I, but this time something was different… US, a cheerfull crowd of Suttoners gathered together at IHOP in the frosty morning to get started.
(The most efficient way to finish a pancake)
Swedish Style Pancakes are always a good start, they are nutritious and inspiring.
We hopped in the car and off we went. Sunny crispy air, endless corn fields and mountenless landscape accompanied us on the way to the promised city.
Suddenly, an unexpected stop induced by human needs forced us to stop at a rest area.
Well, that was a mysterious place my dear reader – some super natural powers (of corn fields?) lifted us in the air. As you might expect from graduate students scientific explanations of this phenomenon emerged in our heads:
You know what I mean, but lets stick with the story:
As we found out later this day, it’s quite normal for Illinois and we got used to it:
Trying not to look like tourists we decided adapt to the Chicago style by updating our outfits:
(Don’t we look like native Chicago folks?!)
Now without worries we mixed with the Chicago crowds and unrecognized we climbed the Seas tower, eat in China Town, walked down the Michigan Avenue and chilled at the Navy pier.
Some questions about the mysterious levitation still remain unsolved - it was observed in California as well, but we think this is another story…
By Polina & Gregor (brought to you by 3’rd floor©)
Polina Gefaehrlicheundverfuehrerichefrauaufdemdrittenstockwerkova
My first impression from the house… I loved it at the first sight. It was a nice August day; sunny, green … a new place… a friendly girl opened a door and showed me around. Noticing that I am ready to take my luggage to my room she warned that I d better look at first at the room. But what for?! I loved the house already! I knew it couldn’t be bad here.
House meeting. Chaplan’s part
It was a little bit messy and smelled as old wooden house would smell in a hot summer day but the sliding squeaking doors, cracking stairs, exits in different places all over the house and whenever you go you will find one which mad me on the first day a little bit perplexed and disoriented. I recall how I could not decide which stairway to take to get to the kitchen…
Kitchen ! What a lovely place! Spacey, full of light and of refrigerators. A place in a green big one was immediately offered for me (I mean for my food). And I love this green fridge.
It was a lunchtime when I arrived. Many people were around. It was smart of me to come at a lunch time because first I met half of the house and everybody was friendly open and screamed in different variations: Ah! You are that Russian girl for whom we are waiting for! One guy offered me fresh tomatoes from his parents’ garden. They were warm, juicy and right in time.
(Sutton Place people: photo-models from the Sutton Place catalog)
People…
It was exactly what I expected. Funny, open, warmhearted, generous people, who are ready to help you and listen to you, give some wise advice. It is still like that even though many people moved out, but people who moved in are not even slightly less marvelous.
(friends’ support is very important)
Whenever you come home from a busy day spent in the library you can find somebody studying in the living room, cooking in the kitchen, watching TV, a rushing downstairs …
(Cooking the Austrian house dinner )
(The cozy fire-place room and reading night)
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Their radiant eyes, warm smiles, and a phrase how was your day makes you feel like at home without special efforts. They are studying much but you can always find somebody ready to go to dance, play Frisbee even at 11 pm (and I would say more likely at this time), discuss political situation in the former Soviet Union or your own place in the world, and the path God prepared for you.
(Ready for the ball-room spring formal dance)
The house is embracing the people from different countries making research in different fields but experiencing similar struggles, concerns or happy moments. For example this picture with a giant Hershey’s indeed it was a happy moment that we shared together
(a gift from Sutton Place fans. How sweet of them!)
(Bear dunes. Time is fast like sand falling from our hands)
Or I recall our trip to Michigan Lake last August where we shared our food and fun not only with each other but with raccoons too.
Twenty-two people is not much at all but exactly what you need. You may be sure that at least someone will support the most crazy of your initiative. Making smores over the fire in the fire-place in the Christmas Eve – let’s do that, speak in cavemen language sitting around the fire in a forest not far from Michigan Lake – why not?
(taking off for a Michigan trip)
Legends of the house… Of course there are some. One of my favorite memories is an almost mysterious discover of one of the most initiative housemates. Accidentally he found out once that gray paint on the wooden cabinets in the kitchen is not what it really is. It was gray paint but … on a china cabinets! Returning cabinets to their primordial condition became a project of the century, which though as most of such types of projects is still in process… temporally frozen…By the way it was my cabinet who was honored to become the first test-example.
(we are among the rocks in the Death Valley)
A squirrel nest in the kitchen was a top-legend during my first semester in the house. You still can have a chance to hear it if you ask an old resident. A skinny Chinese guy who used to live in the house became a legend, which was told to new comers not once during my second year in the house. He was one whole with his bike. People told he traveled once through Canada on his bike and then later from Champaign to O’Hare… Having spent one year in the house, I felt the right to call myself an old resident and with a certain pride and feeling of importance I acquired the same habits of telling stories about old good days of the Sutton place.
A Brief Portrait of HeeKyung
- Please tell us about your hometown.
My hometown is Seoul, Hamburg and Champaign.
Seoul is my mother town which is always fast and dynamic, a
good place for young people to hang out to technological,
giant malls. But I'd recommend the quiet strolls along the
old palace, the antique streets next to it with the history
preserved and to have a view of Seoul and the river at
Namsan tower especially around evening at sunset- it'll be
quite an experience. :)
Hamburg is a town full of trees and philosophical German old
thinkers taking a quiet rest along a beautiful river called
Elbe, the whole city itself looked as a giant park - filled
with green forests. Meeting people from diverse countries
and getting to know German neigbours sticks out as a special
memory to me.
- Please briefly tell us about your family members.
Ma, Pa and a younger brother
- How would you characterize your college life? Also
please tell us about your college if other than UIUC and the
subjects you liked the most.
I am wondering where my desire and passion really lies to
work for God's kingdom than for my own needs. I learned in
college that it is God's glory and working for His kingdom
that will bear fruit a lifetime. Also, I enjoy Intl Studies
more than Business.
- Your current major and research area, if available
Intl. Studies and a minor in Finance/Business
- Would you tell us about a person you had crush on?
I had a crush when I was in sixth grade in Germany to a
sweet American classmate. Although I knew he liked me, I
couldn't tell him that I liked him as well until he went
back to the states after a year..
I generally don't realize romantic desire until enough time
passes to build trust plus to have conviction from the
Lord... patience & praying will get it through I pray. :)
- What do you do in your pastime?
I like to hang out with my friends, make music in some
way..to worship and to pray & ride bicycle and swimming.
daydreaming
- What is your all time favorite movie? You can mention
more than one.
Forest Gump, Terminal, I am Sam
- What was the weirdest food you have ever had?
Snails about 11 years ago
- One thing unique about yourself?
Compassionate, understanding, just the way I am created by
the Lord.
- The most recent dream you remember, or any frequent
or weird dream?
I seldom recall dreams. But my old roommates tell me I
frequently talk in sleep so I guess I must be dreaming
something.
- Any person you respect or admire? You can list many.
Jesus Christ! :) I guess I like Anne Sullivan and Ghandi.
Maybe Eleanor Roosevelt.
- What are your pet peeves with regard to your life at
Sutton Place? How do you overcome them?
I don't really have any pet peeves at Sutton Place... oh, I
know duty number II !
- What would you do if you had only one day left in
this world?
I will have to write so much love& thank you messages to
give to God for all the great things He has done in my life.
Tell my family how much I am thankful for their company and
a chance to get to know them. Like Lydia, I think I would
just want to hold hand with someone special and watch the
day pass away quietly.
- A few things you are honestly confident about Jesus?
He guides me and draws me near when I need Him in the
darkest time. I hope He loves me like how much I search for
Him...
- How would you like us to pray for your life?
To not be afraid to be real and live the present as worthy
and precious as to give up my life all for glory of God's
Kingdom.
And the Suspense Begins
Sutton Place
