missionaryMAC

Thus read the body of an email two-time LAC volunteer alumna Joleen sent me on August 4, 2023, mere days after her most recent international experience, in Panama . She'd attached a flyer for the 2024 Northern Colorado Ladies' Retreat she'd been talking up.  I was going to be on home service...I didn't have anything that weekend...I knew I had other contacts in Colorado ... ...so two weekends ago Joleen, fellow Panama volunteer Debra, and I joined 20+ other Lutheran women for a weekend in the Word against the backdrop of a canyon carved by the Fall River.  We took a circuitous route so Joleen could show off her home state, stopping first at Red Rocks (OK, first for a bathroom and coffee)... There I go... And here I come! ...then at the 7,300 ft. Lookout Mountain... Golden, CO, home of Coors, is nestled on the far left side of the photo.  Buffalo Bill's final resting place sits atop the peak.  ...then for lunch in downtown Golden.  THEN we started our ear-popping

[Current location: Baltimore, MD {layover @ BWI!}] What better song to listen to when driving through the foothills of the Rockies on a gorgeous day? Before I headed to the Northern Colorado Ladies' Retreat in Estes Park with two short-term volunteers turned friends, though, I frontloaded my trip to the The Centennial State with four other visits: 1. Bethlehem Lutheran School, Lakewood, CO When I hosted "Vicar Ben" and his wife Amelia as part of a Mission Education team from Concordia Seminary St. Louis  in January 2023, I semi-jokingly warned the whole group of students I'd be hitting up their vicarage congregations and first calls on my next home service. Guess I made good on my threat (promise?) in at least one case :) Ben connected me to DCE Sarah about leading a Wednesday chapel service, then created a Google Sheet for teachers to sign up for individual classroom visits as an afterthought. Every single slot filled up! Ben & Amelia must have been taking copiou

I owe the title of this post to my friend (and former DR missionary) Courtney's fiancée for asking when she was leaving for "gal pal time" on Good Friday.  The idea came from our mutual friend (another former DR missionary) Lizz, the newest St. Louisan of the three of us: "Spend the day in Grafton. Enjoy lunch at the Loading Dock and then take the skylift to Aerie’s Resort and try out the Alpine Coaster." We met up to carpool, stopping on the way to fuel up with  coffee (or not coffee, in my case). An hour later...up we went! You can see the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers behind us.  Courtney & Lizz nominated me to be the first victim.  Gravity propels the cars downhill, but you can accelerate and brake using hand levers on either side; the much slower ride back up is mechanized.  The rules dictated we were to stay 80 ft. behind the riders in front of us, so I didn't see either of my gal pals until we were on our way back to the start

[Current location: Estes Park, CO] The Saturday after returning from my epic loop through Iowa , I hopped back on I-70 and ignored the déjà vu as I repeated the STL to KC leg. This time, though, I'd stay on the other side of the state to visit two congregations and stay with my Deaconess friend Sarah.  Before I hit the road, I spoke at LWML rally 1 of 2, held at my home congregation.  Rev. Paul Prange's opening devotion spoke to my heart; he used Jeopardy-style clues to highlight the lives and witnesses of various biblical women.  What fun to speak to a whole room of "d"eaconesses (if you've heard my presentation, you'll get the reference)! SO many familiar faces were in attendance, including a former coworker from my high school job at Kirkwood Public Library. KC stop #1: St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee's Summit. Pastor Otto introduced me at all services (including Saturday night), and most of the Bible classes joined together to hear me present in the

[Current location: St. Louis, MO] My last post mentioned a pit stop. Ta-da! Field of Dreams!  I love both the movie and the book it's based on and bleed red for my hometown Cardinals, so when I calculated that it only added about an hour to my drive from Davenport to Lisbon, it was a foregone conclusion that I'd swing (no pun intended) by. It was freezing - ok, 36°- so what you see below represents a grand total of maybe  20 minutes outdoors, including taking pictures of all the signage to read later.  You can tour the farmhouse...starting in April. The light stands in the distance illuminate the MLB field behind the one used in the movie.  I ran the bases! And by ran I mean walked.  On the whole, underwhelming. There's not that much to see, the only bathroom is a Porta-Potty, and the gift shop is mostly apparel. I considered visiting the If You Build It Experience in town (Dyersville), but it was also closed for the season. Nevertheless, 'twas a necessary pilgrimage

Me? Including the Mission Central leg, last week's loop - that included Illinois too - meant sleeping in six different beds in seven nights and SO. MUCH. DRIVING. Crazy? Maybe. Here's what the view from the passenger seat looked like, though.  From Mapleton, my mom and I headed 90 min. to Jefferson, where we stayed with the Robsons in Al's grandparents' farmhouse. There was frost  on my windshield as we headed to Trinity in the morning. I shared off-the-cuff with the LWML ladies, attended worship at 9:30, then formally presented during the "Lutheran 1/2 Hour" of fellowship.  Pastor Martens had waaaaay too much fun with the sign. A very kind couple snuck out in the middle of my presentation to get us Subway sandwiches so we could vamoose as soon as I was done and eat on the road...to Ottumwa for my sister's 2nd bridal shower (Something Blue Before "I Do"), hosted by her fiancée Christian's family.  The three of us shared a hotel room in Ottu