Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
Touch down San Francisco. Was picked up from the airport by Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) student Shane, whose job it was to safely transport me to the seminary in Berkeley in a kindly and orderly manner. As he did so, I took in all the sights of Bay Area. This is my first time in Northern CA and it is beautiful. I will be here for the next four days getting to know the other half of what is called the "Western Mission Cluster" of seminaries: Luther Seminary and PLTS. I'm also here to help strengthen partnerships in the area with other academic institutions and organizations.
I am sure many of you have seen in movies or on television a person driving his or her car in the San Francisco/Bay Area and going up and down extremely steep hills--yup, that is what it is like. The last few miles to the seminary are STRAIGHT UP hill, you gain 1000 feet I was told in that last stretch, and my ears even got plugged. That said, you can imagine then how beautiful the view is from the seminary toward the bay, and the grounds themselves are equally as delightful. As Luther Seminary capitalizes on the best the Midwest flora and fauna has to offer, PLTS does the same with their campus.
Shane dropped me off at the Admissions office at PLTS where I was met by the staff, Jane Phillips, Administrative secretary and Greg Schaefer, Director.
The first order of business for Greg and me was hosting a supper for the students working with Lutheran Volunteer Corp (LVC) in Berkeley. These five students (Dan, Sarah, Chelsee, Emily, and Megan), all recent college graduates, will spend the next year working in non-profit organizations as volunteers. These organizations include the YWCA, legal aide, elderly low-income housing, and juvenile chemical dependency. It was a delight getting to know them and hearing about their placements with LVC, their backgrounds, and their future ambitions--which may or may not include seminary. I was impressed by these young people's willingness to take a year out of their lives to make a difference in the life of someone else; they are a testament to us all of what it means to be a servant of Christ.
My evening ended with a wonderful night's sleep in a guest room at PLTS.
I am sure many of you have seen in movies or on television a person driving his or her car in the San Francisco/Bay Area and going up and down extremely steep hills--yup, that is what it is like. The last few miles to the seminary are STRAIGHT UP hill, you gain 1000 feet I was told in that last stretch, and my ears even got plugged. That said, you can imagine then how beautiful the view is from the seminary toward the bay, and the grounds themselves are equally as delightful. As Luther Seminary capitalizes on the best the Midwest flora and fauna has to offer, PLTS does the same with their campus. Shane dropped me off at the Admissions office at PLTS where I was met by the staff, Jane Phillips, Administrative secretary and Greg Schaefer, Director.The first order of business for Greg and me was hosting a supper for the students working with Lutheran Volunteer Corp (LVC) in Berkeley. These five students (Dan, Sarah, Chelsee, Emily, and Megan), all recent college graduates, will spend the next year working in non-profit organizations as volunteers. These organizations include the YWCA, legal aide, elderly low-income housing, and juvenile chemical dependency. It was a delight getting to know them and hearing about their placements with LVC, their backgrounds, and their future ambitions--which may or may not include seminary. I was impressed by these young people's willingness to take a year out of their lives to make a difference in the life of someone else; they are a testament to us all of what it means to be a servant of Christ.My evening ended with a wonderful night's sleep in a guest room at PLTS.
posted by Liza at 10:31 PM
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