In preparation for Mike completing his term as bishop we
readied our home for sale fully expecting it to take 6 months to sell in the
Storm Lake real estate market. It was
listed April 2 and by April 6th it was sold! (assuming inspection and appraisal and loan
approval all happen!) We had made the
decision to relocate to Mason City…outside Western Iowa Synod, within a couple
of hours of 3 of our 4 adult children and a couple of hours from Storm Lake
where Mom and Dad live. Mike’s brother
and family live in Mason City.
The Western Iowa Synod met in Assembly the last weekend in
April to elect the next bishop and to honor Mike. Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson and his wife
Ione attended along with the first bishop of the ELCA Herbert Chilstrom, and
Bishop Emeritus of WIS, Curt Miller and his wife Sharyl. Bp Hanson paid tribute to Mike and his twelve
years at bishop of Western Iowa Synod. The spouses of rostered leaders also
presented a gift to me…a certificate at a gift shop!
As a part of the Assembly congregations had been challenged
to raise $30,000 for clean water in the Southern Diocese in Tanzania. After Friday’s offering there were behind the
scene hints that it would be a surprise.
On Sunday morning after worship Mike announced that the offerings were
$82,000! Dakota Road played, the
assembly rose to their feet ululating, and a serpentine dance line formed!
On Saturday night Mike was honored at a banquet as part of
the assembly celebrating companionship.
Dakota Road played and one of the interns paid tribute to Mike on
behalf of clergy narrating how he started in the Lay School of Ministry, then
seminary and now is interning. The
companion synod committee then honored Mike for his work with the synod and the
Southern Diocese of Tanzania. Our
children presented a PowerPoint celebrating their dad. It was a very special night.
As a part of raising money for wells I donated a quilt with
the blocks made from fabric I’d gotten in Tanzania. Thanks to a generous donor the quilt raised
$1000.
And another exclamation point - that Monday we were up and
over to Mason City for our second house hunting trip and bought a home!
….and so another chapter in my life…
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