South Dakota - Feb. 13-15, 2006

Just returned from a trip to South Dakota visiting with prospective students at schools along Interstate 29.

First stop Monday, Feb 13th was at the U of SD in Vermillion. My colleague Krista Breuer from Wartburg Seminary and I met with prospective students Aaron and Adam. Had a chance to break bread with them at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant, answer their questions about seminary study and hear what is happening in Lutheran Campus Ministry at U of SD.

Valentine's Day was spent on the campus of Augustana College, Sioux Falls. Krista and I were joined by colleagues Brian Halverson from Chicago, Louise Johnson from Philly and my boss Ron Olson from Luther. Thanks to the wonderful ministry program by Pastor Paul Rohde we met with 30+ students in the "Pre-sem/Church Vocations Group" both in large group format in the morning and then spent the afternoon having individual appointments. Great conversations all around.

Feb. 15th saw Krista and me back on the road joined by Kevin Stillson who is missionary for the "Answer the Call" initiative of the South Dakota Synod. His calling is to plan discernment events in South Dakota for high school and college age students and to promote the financial and spiritual support of the syond for those preparing for professional ministry.

Our first stop that day was in Brookings on the campus of South Dakota State University where we met up with Pastor Bob Chell at the University Lutheran Center, who put us in contact with a number of students interested in seminary study. We met three of them at the center for conversation and took four more out to lunch.

The last stop on the SD swing was to Northern State University in Aberdeen. We were the guest speakers for the campus ministies regular Wed. night gathering. Had a wonderful time hanging out with students over pizza and kool-aid and giving them information about seminary study. Our thanks to Rhonda Heglund for the organizing and the Peer Ministry group for the hospitality.

It was great to be a part of such wonderful campus ministry programs up and down the eastern section of SD. Let us not forget the vital ministries Lutheran campus ministers are involved in across our coountry not only on our ELCA campuses but the state and university campuses as well. Thanks be to God.