It was an honor to preach and preside at Celebration Lutheran in East Wenatchee July 2, the Sunday after Pastor Dave Haven’s retirement. Thanks to the members of Grace Lutheran, Wenatchee for hosting a cluster luncheon that same day, during which I highlighted some things we do together as a synod and then we heard what is happening in various ministries and communities. In 2004, after I finished my 10-month internship at Emmanuel, Cheney and EWU Lutheran Campus Ministry, I took a short trip to Seattle to see family friends the Atiks. I asked everyone in Cheney if I should stop somewhere on the roadtrip and the consensus was Leavenworth. So how fitting that I began my time as bishop in this beautiful western corner of the synod and Maynard and Darlene drove over to see me.

Despite serving the last 12+ years in this synod, I have never been to the Grunewald Guild, so Monday morning, Synod VP Lisa Therell and I drove up there after meeting at her congregation, Faith in Leavenworth (amazing murals by Richard Caemmerer and a novel-worthy story about the church building). Lisa was elected vice president at the same synod assembly and it was great to start conversations about our synod.

Then I drove down to Ellensburg where Lutheran Pastor Ethan Bergman serves Grace Episcopal. Ethan and his wife will be on the companion synod trip (with me and Heidi and Dan Cryer) this fall so we talked about that and the Domestic Hunger Grant application process for our synod (which Ethan helps facilitate). That process has come a long way since I wrote my first grant and started this blog back in 2013. I spent the night with the Cryers in Kennwick and Heidi helped me think through so much of the trip to the Ulanga-Kilombero Diocese. On my way out of town I had lunch with synod council exec committee member Jerry Ethridge, who I had gotten to know through the Stewardship for All Seasons program Lord of Life and Trinity participated in together.