First Post

Each student that is taking part of the Leadership and Mission in Rural Congregations course has different interests they want to learn about while being immersed in the countryside of Nebraska. Yet, as we spend time together as a group we have started to understand the importance of building strong relationships by working side by side by embracing our differences in personal desires. A strong image that has been present since the first day of traveling to Nebraska is that God’s work gets done by relationships that communally work together regardless of the diversity in personal interests in that community. As this group walks together unified there is a hope in finding a deeper and richer appreciation of God’s presence in the midst of Nebraska’s rural environments. Therefore, each day will be a blessing for this group in our pursuit of understanding how God’s work gets done in rural Nebraska regardless of its diversity.            

8:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2014 we began our adventure to Nebraska.

Dr. Terry Baeder  /  Katherine Tuttle /  Matt Lawler             

Michael Oellig /  Louis Tillman                                          

                                          

                                              

Steve Bogie 

We arrived by car to Midway Airport before 9:00 a.m., went through security, and waited patiently to board our plane for Denver International Airport.

It was a smooth and safe flight to Denver International Airport.

Next, we met Kent Miller who drove us from Colorado to Nebraska. The three hour trip from Colorado to Nebraska allowed some of us a moment for some needed rest.

 Kent / Matt / Katherine / Michael                                                                                 Bev / Terry/ Louis

Kent is immensely hospitable he made sure that we felt welcomed, taken care of, and provided all our meals throughout the day.

                         

  

Lutheran Church Of Our Redeemer                                

We then visted Kayla Hochalter for a short pitstop in Fort Morgan, Colorado at Lutheran Church Of Our Redeemer . Kaila provided excellent insight about relationships within rural ministries and what it is like being a pastor in that context.

Louis / Steve / Terry / Matt / Katherine / Kaila / Bev Michael

After our meeting with Kayla we hit the road again, and after a long trip from Colorado we finally crossed the state line into Nebraska. Soon after crossing the line we met our house hosts and settled in to where we were staying for the duration of our immersion.

Some of us took a walk around the neighborhood and found out that even though we all are a long way from Chicago, Illinois there is a piece of home in Nebraska.