Friday Farewell...

By Kaitlin Torgerson, Outreach Coordinator

Last August, I journeyed into the Lutheran Volunteer Corps after a summer of working at a Bible camp in the wilderness of Montana. I went straight from the backcountry to a week of orientation in Washington, DC to the Puget Sound and the Earth Ministry offices. I showed up straight out of college without an ounce of an idea of what this year would hold. Now here I am, after one year, one major auction event, two new staff members, three wonderful housemates and friends, four trips to Olympia for lobby days, and five final days at Earth Ministry. This Friday, I say farewell to Earth Ministry and start searching for my next steps.

Earth Ministry has been a true blessing for me this year. It’s hard to even begin to describe what I’ve learned this year, and I’m sure I’m just starting to realize what a gift this year has been. More time and space is needed to fully understand its impact. But just to start things off, here’s a quick top-ten of what I’ve learned with Earth Ministry:

• What it really means to be a person of faith and how to live out my values
• A greater definition of Creator
• Website Maintenance
• Appreciation for ecumenism
• How to read a bus map
• Nonprofit and office etiquette
• Some of my skills and talents and embracing who I am
• Advocacy 101—speaking with my legislators
• More about climate change and its impacts, local foods
• Why people of faith care about the environment

I’m certain in a few months this list will quadruple. It’s hard to wrap my head around leaving this place and hearing my next calling. I do know something here has touched me deeply and I’m not ready to leave Seattle just yet. My plans are still uncertain, but I do know I’m staying in Seattle and am busy job searching (and am certainly open to suggestions) Thank you to all the Earth Ministry staff, congregations, and colleagues I’ve worked with in this past year. Thanks for sharing part of you life with me and allowing me to learn from you. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to work with such talented, passionate, and caring people. I couldn't have asked for a better agency to be placed.

And in a few short weeks, please give a warm welcome to Chris, the new intern with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps. It sounds like he's going to be great!