Thank you, Messiah!

I cannot believe that my time at Messiah is almost to a close. My last day will be Sunday, August 8th, so I wanted to reach out and say from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being you, Messiah.

Thank you for inviting me into your lives. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to learn, be challenged, laugh, cry, breathe, and live alongside you. Thank you for all of your insights, lively discussions, and growing and learning opportunities. You have been with me every step of the way. I give thanks to God for that daily.

Thank you to all of the youth! For showing up and participating in a variety of ways that are true to who you are. From preschool chapel, confirmation to high school—I feel so blessed to have had these opportunities to spend time with each of you.

Thank you to all of the groups that I have participated in: the Monday morning group, Tuesday & Wednesday morning book studies, Stephen Ministers, and Centering Prayer. Each one of you made me feel welcome, and I will cherish the times we spent together.

Thank you to all of you who came to Walking with Wonder. It has been a fun project for me, taking my love for nature and creation and weaving it together with God our Creator. Thank you for giving my project a chance, for taking a step—so that we could walk together. I enjoyed so many of our conversations and your helpful feedback. It was such a blessing for me to set time aside for these walks so that we could breathe together outside with our Creator.

Thank you to those who opened yards, houses, phone lines, and zoom calls to me. Each discussion has left an imprint on my heart, and I will carry those memories with me as I continue on.

Thank you to my internship committee. For your dedication to me, for your feedback, insights, and conversations. I cannot tell you enough how much I value your time helping me grow, learn, and embrace my time here.

Messiah truly is a community of people who care about the community they are a part of. I hope to carry that passion with me into the communities that God is calling me into. Thank you to all of the staff and volunteers who have walked alongside me this year. I have learned so much from you and from being in relationship with you. Thank you, Pastor Kathy and Pastor Peter, for mentoring me. For answering my many questions, for providing me with your insights, guidance, and wisdom. Each conversation has meant a lot to me. I have filled up multiple notebooks—ones that I plan on keeping near to me as I embark on new opportunities.

As I end my internship, I plan on moving back to my hometown, Wausau, Wisconsin, to finish out my senior year online. After that, my future is in God's hands. I hope to remain in Wisconsin, but we shall see where the Holy Spirit is calling me. And wherever that is, I know that I will always remember my time at Messiah with a heart filled with gratitude and love. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity, and I cannot say thank you enough!

God's blessings, peace, love, and joy to all of you,

Maggie Westaby, Pastoral Intern