Connection and support

After two weeks living in Dennison, I'm feeling a little less anxious about moving away from my seminary community.

For one thing, if I wanted collegial support, there are at least three different text studies in the area I could attend. I went to one on Tuesday at Lands Lutheran Church near Zumbrota, and I met a delightful group of pastors. It was a great opportunity for discussion of what the week's lectionary texts might have to say for our communities. And since it was followed by lunch, it was also a great chance just to connect socially.

I also have been quite successful thus far in maintaining connections with my seminary friends, both near and far. I think I mentioned all my online chatting, phone calls, and video calls, and I've also been lucky enough to spend time in person with a few friends. Last weekend I went to St. Paul to see a movie with a friend, who then came to my new home to hang out, and I enjoyed dinner with another friend the next day.

Today, I met two friends in Mantorville, where we had lunch at the Hubbell House and a little dessert at the Chocolate Shoppe.








They are in Rochester for this internship year, so it was a great place to meet in between. We're looking forward to exploring the many little towns in this area over the next year to see what treasures we can find in the form of awesome eateries!

I'm so grateful that I'm able to maintain these connections, and I'm also excited about getting to know the new people I'm meeting!