Graduatin’ in the Rain
Ugh. It's raining. Or maybe it just stopped. I suppose I did request prayers for it in my last newsletter, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. We've been getting quite a bit of precipitation recently, usually in the late afternoon. That meant a soggy first-ever graduation ceremony for Concordia the Reformer Seminary on Friday but didn't lessen the magnitude or diminish the celebratory air of Symposium's epic conclusion in anyone's mind.
I'm proud of the entire group of graduates and vicars-to-be and excited for what God will do through them in their new ventures. They've become my friends and brothers in the 10 months since I moved here. Last week's high, though, is already giving way to conversations about when they'll each depart. Some have tickets and some don't, but please pray for safe travel and for the difficult good-byes and hasta luegos that await in the next two weeks or so.
Until next time, blessings!
Graduates, vicars-to-be, students, faculty, and staff following the cross in triumphant procession.
The crowd, including representatives from ALL Dominican Lutheran churches, got cozy under the rented tent to stay dry.
Rev. Joel Fritsche officiated and preached.
Rev. David Preus presided over a rite of sending for those returning to their home countries to serve vicarages during the 2019-2020 academic year before graduating next May.
A faculty representative personally addressed each graduate, sharing a brief biography (and a funny anecdote, in many cases) before presenting him with his diploma and a gift from the institution.
Sometime in all this, I noticed a rainbow!
A sancocho (a typical soup with large pieces of braised meat and starchy vegetables) and bizcocho (cake!) reception awaited everyone after the recessional hymn.
On my way to bathroom on the 3rd floor before I could even think about joining the buffet line, I heard voices on the 2nd floor - an intimate circle of students and their professors sharing words of thanksgiving with one another. I felt a teeny bit guilty eavesdropping, but the window slats were open and I wasn't the only one!
Can we just talk about this cake for a second?!?
Milling around after dinner, it hit me that I had pictures of me with no one from the entire week. Time to remedy that.
Jamielynn, James, Isaac, Johanna, me, and Rev. Miguelángel Pérez, president of the Lutheran church in Venezuela.
Narrowing it down to just two of my favorite Venezuelans!
Rev. Omar Kinas, president of the Lutheran church in Chile, and I. We first met when I led a short-term team to Chile in August 2015.
The Caribbean dream team: Rev. Charles St-Onge and I. The countries he oversees as Area Facilitator and the countries I was asked to focus on in my first year on the field...align rather closely!
I'm proud of the entire group of graduates and vicars-to-be and excited for what God will do through them in their new ventures. They've become my friends and brothers in the 10 months since I moved here. Last week's high, though, is already giving way to conversations about when they'll each depart. Some have tickets and some don't, but please pray for safe travel and for the difficult good-byes and hasta luegos that await in the next two weeks or so.
Until next time, blessings!
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