A plea for help.

This really is not the kind of post anyone should probably put up at the very start of a blog. But, alas, timing is everything.  I look forward to sharing about so many different things. Unforunately, this is a medium at my dsiposal to share something, a pressing and immediate need.  What follows is a ltter that I have prepared and am distributing to anyone who is interested about the situation Julia and I find ourselves in.  Thank you for reading it through, your prayers, and, if you can, assing it on to others.
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Dear friends and family,

It has been more than a year since our family began to walk through a journey we had never planned on or ever wished to endure.  Since the December 16, 2010 explosion in Afghanistan that forever tragically altered the life of our son, Daniel, and changed our family we have lived through great suffering, sorrow, anger, and immense loss.  We have also experienced joy, happiness, and great gratitude for all the love, support, and encouragement from church, friends, and family.  Julia and I chose to follow the only path that we could. We decided to support Daniel as much as we could.  We knew, and have since seen, that the need for direct and constant support of family was extremely important to the recovery and rehabilitation of this young US Marine, and any in such a situation.  We believe it made a huge difference in his finding his "new normal." 

While serving our son in such a way was one of the greatest honours and privileges of my life, this commitment to family came at a great cost.  I had to give up my job and, therefore, we ended up losing our home and much of our possessions.  Yet it was a cost we were willing to endure.   After the joy of seeing Daniel recover enough to care fully for himself we moved on to the next stage of our journey.

Unfortunately, employment has been very hard to come by.  Employment in my old career, over 25 years working for the church, is virtually non-existent.  After spending much time unemployed, working entry-level jobs, grabbing the odd day-labor opportunities, and picking up part-time work as I could, we have come to a point of having to make some choices.  In discernment with friends and family I have felt that this is a time for a career change and therefore an opportunity to set us up for the future.

In the search for what is next for me I looked back at what gave me great joy.  That led me to think of my responsibilities, at times, as the lead cook for the retreat and conference center I was most recently directing.  I have always had a heart for, and I am gifted at, serving others and creating environments that allow people to retreat, to be renewed, and become refreshed.  The culinary world affords many opportunities to combine these gifts and my love of cooking.  When presented with this idea a couple of close relatives responded, "that makes so much sense, you have loved cooking and baking since a little kid."

To make the leap into the world of culinary arts I began working a seasonal job at a restaurant kitchen in the Vail Valley in Colorado.  I learned a great deal with that experience.  I have also talked to many in the food and beverage world seeking their advice.  It has become clear that to move forward I needed to go back to school.  The best time to do such schooling is during the "mud season" and summer so that I can return to the Vail Valley for the winter season.  To accomplish this I researched schools and settled on a desire to attend the well respected Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado.  I have been accepted and tentatively could begin April 30th.  Attending school in Boulder allows me to go to school during the week and return to home on the weekends.  Julia will continue to work in the Vail area. Therefore, we do not need to be uprooted again and we can continue to establish ourselves in a wonderful and supportive community.

My education would hopefully come in three distinct phases: (1) formal and intense study at the culinary school (May-November 2012); (2) a requisite externship (a self-sustaining paid job at a restaurant in the Vail Valley from December 2012 through April 2013); and (3) an optional international learning experience (my hope is to follow my passion and learn in Israel or elsewhere in the Middle East - with Julia joining me - from May through October 2013).

This leap into a new career is, however, a costly venture at a time when we have very few resources at our disposal.  The total cost for the first phase (tuition, fees, and living costs) is approximately $45,000.  For this part we have already secured some student loans, gifts, and savings. With these, combined with anticipated wages, we are left with a deficit of about $11,000.  The second phase is basically self-funding.  While optional, the final phase would give me a huge lift up in my ability to find good and steady employment. For the study-abroad opportunity we would need additional assistance of between ten and twelve thousand dollars.

Caring for Daniel and trying to reestablish ourselves was only possible through the very generous out-pouring of love, care, and support from friends, family, and those we never had the privilege to meet in person.  To enable this change in our lives and to set us up for a future where we can be secure and give back through service to others we need people to invest in us and invest in our future as servants to people through a ministry of food.  After school, and externship, and hopefully an international "stage”, we hope to land in a place where we can serve others through creating a food and beverage environment that allows people to retreat, refresh, and be renewed.  We ask for assistance to make this dream and plan to come to fruition.

There are a few ways you can help:

·         You can give a single or monthly gift to help with tuition and school fees (Assistance for this can be sent directly to us or by sending the gift directly to the school on our behalf - address below).
·         You can give a single or monthly gift directly to us to help with phase one living costs.
·         The costs we have outlined does not include housing for me while in Boulder.  I am planning to camp or live in spare rooms or couches of generous people in the Boulder area. (housing in Boulder is expensive and would cost between $5,500 and $6,000).  If you are able to help with this please contact me.
·         If you are interested in helping us set up or help fund the study-abroad component please contact me.
·         If you are unable to assist us financially we do request your prayers for us and continued prayers for our family.

Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

I invite you to follow our journey at my new blog at  http://rileywanderingbutnotlost.blogspot.com.
You also can look back at the story of Daniel's injury and recovery at http://danielcwriley.blogspot.com.

C. Neil and Julia Riley

4923 Lake Creek Village Dr.

#15-201; Edwards, CO, 81632

wanderingbutnotlost@msn.com

303-748-8739

The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts

637 S. Broadway, Suite H
Boulder, Colorado, 80305
303-494-7988
www.escoffier.edu

The wandering begins

"Wandering but not lost" is a description given to one of my favourite fictional characters, Aragorn (from JRR Tolkien's, The Lord of the Rings). It is one of the many titles and descriptions of this man and king.  I understand the title to mean that though he looks like he is wandering without purpose or plan he is, in fact, not really as lost as he looks.  At times he is sure of his path even though others do not see it.  But, there are many moments that the path he follows is known only to something greater than himself.

The above is what my life feels like.  Sometimes I have had a course laid out before me that I am following.  I can be confident of where I am heading regardless of whether others see or misunderstand that path. There also times in a day, or in my life, that I do not know or comprehend fully the journey I am on.  But, somehow I know and trust that there is something greater than I directing or leading me.  Or, at the least, wandering with me.  I may wander, but I am not lost.

This blog is a record of my journey.  I hope to include not only what I, and my family, are doing now, but to include stories of my past and to share my hopes for the future.  Within this I will include what I see along the path - whether by words or pictures. I hope what I share and offer will encourage, enlighten, challenge, and maybe even make you laugh.  I invite you to wander along with me.

If you want to read about the journey I travelled with my son, Daniel, as he recovered from an IED explosion in Afghanistan I direct you to that blog at http://danielcwriley.blogspot.com  It is full of stories of sadness, joy, and a few really funny moments.