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First of all I just want to say how grateful I am for the wonderful opportunity that you have presented me with. I am really looking forward to working with all of you over the next year. I feel truly blessed and honored that the Lord has allowed me to serve this congregation at such an exciting time in the congregation’s history.
Now a little something about myself and my family, I am full-time student at Luther seminary in St. Paul, MN. This year, by serving as inter pastor at Kimball Protestant Parish, I will I will be fulfilling the internship portion of my education. I have lived in Minnesota the past two years, while completing the first half of my seminary education.
Prior to Minnesota I lived in Grants Pass, Oregon for six years. This is where I met my wife Sheila. We were introduced to each other by a mutual friend not long after I had moved to Oregon. We dated for two years before we got married in June of 97. Sheila is originally from Spicer, Minnesota, where we have been living for the past two years. Unlike me, Sheila grew up in the Lutheran church. I grew up in the Reformed church, but I believe that the Lord used Sheila to guide me to the Lutheran church.
When we were living in Oregon I began to think that the Lord might have been calling me to the ministry. This was a feeling that I had wrestled with before but had always managed to find an excuse not to pursue. But God didn’t give up on me and apparently He knew that I would eventually come around. I think the support that I received from Sheila played a large part in my finally coming around.