Shoulder to Shoulder with Selian Hospice

 Pictured above is the team on a lay over at the Amsterdam airport.  Front row:  Mel Sullivan, Michele Hermansen, Dorothy Washington.  Second row:  Kris Linner, Krista Jannusch, Rachael Huyck, Ann Allison.  Last Row:  Jim Brown.  Not pictured: Jack Swanson The team has gathered at the airport on Sunday, September 28.  There is a buzz of anticipation and excitement as our preparing  and planning  has brought us to the day of departure.   Armed with agency and the belief that we have the power to take action in the world, the team is determined to make a difference with an openness to the unknown, with a curiosity that fuels our eagerness to learn and grow and with the confidence that God will produce the fruit from the seeds that we sow in the days, months or even in years to come. We are venturing onto untrodden paths, so  we pray a prayer from the Lutheran Book of Worship: "O God, you have called your servants to ventures...

I am dedicating my trip to June Kjome, a dear friend, mentor, role model, social justice activist, missionary and nurse who died at the age of 103.  Her entire life was an inspiration.  She said, “It is a great temptation when you’re older to tell everyone how to do it (the work of peace and justice), but I don’t think people need advice as much as they need examples.”   What an example she was! June was born in Decorah, Iowa and was enthralled by the missionaries who spoke about their experiences abroad.  After graduating from nursing school June volunteered to be a Lutheran missionary.  When the mission board called her and asked her to go to Zululand, she responded, “Yes, where is it?” In 1945 she boarded a cargo ship and sailed to South Africa.  For 17 years she worked in the  back country clinics of Zululand.   She was appalled by the institutional racism which fueled her passion for peace and social justice. Living in LaCrosse, WI she dedica...

When I was a child I grew up hearing about the work of Dr Mark Jacobson, a medical missionary in Tanzania.  Mark grew up in Stillwater and our families both were active participants at Trinity Lutheran Church.   Mark and his wife, Linda, would share stories of their life and work when they were home on furlough, captivating the minds and hearts of the Stillwater community. Mark was a humble man, so I did not know the extent of his work nor how he was revered by the Tanzanian people, until I visited Arusha, Tanzania last October.  It was there that I learned the impact Dr. Jacobson had on the community, the country and the world.   It was when I saw the faces light up when they heard that the group was from Dr. Jacobson’s home congregation that I understood how revered he was. His worked spanned almost 4 decades.  Dr. Jacobson developed a health care system in Arusha including clinics, two hospitals, a nursing school, the hospice program and much, much more. ...

  SHOULDER TO SHOULDER :   Walking with Our Partners  at  Selian Hospice   in Arusha, Tanzania My entire career has been walking with individuals and their loved ones at the end of life with the majority of the time spent working in hospice.   People have often asked me, “How could you do that work?” and it is difficult to find the words to explain that for me it was more than a job, it was calling that could not be ignored.  The calling was fed by the opportunity to work with a team of compassionate caregivers who tended to one another with the same care they provided for their patients.  It was affirmed by the gift of being invited into people’s sacred moments, intimate thoughts, and swirling emotions. It was validated every time I witnessed a peaceful death.  The calling was sanctioned when grieving individuals felt heard.   I have seen hospice make a huge difference in people’s living and dying. Sandy's story continues to  rever...