Pastor's Corner - An Email Flashback 

For vacation last week, Brenden and I decided to do an artificial cruise experience.   We tried each day to eat a different country's food for at least one meal or treat each day.   We set sail with our first stop in Cambodia for a lemon thyme stir fry.   From there, we traveled to Italy for pasta dishes, British Columbia for a fish chowder, France for pastries, Greece for gyros, and Long Beach for kombucha.  In between our port dining excursions, we unpacked boxes and reorganized rooms.   After a few days of this cleaning routine, I realized that we were more likely crewmembers of this cruise, not tourists.  

Last year, at about this time, we were also on vacation in Southern California, the beginning of another journey.  

This week will mark 6 months since we began our official ministry journey together with me as your pastor.  (whew - that went by fast!)  We have another milestone in our journey to celebrate this Sunday!  One year ago I sent the email below to Cam Beck as the chair of the Pastor Nominating Committee. 

As I re-read this email myself, my eyes tear up every time I read "one church welcomed me wholeheartedly as if I had been and would be there for years." I am so blessed to feel the same way in 2021 as I did in 2011.   I share this today, and probably every year, as a testament to how amazing things can happen when we notice a nudge from the Holy Spirit. 

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February 7, 2020

Hello,I am an ordained minister currently working at the University of Dubuque.  I'm not looking for a new job but at the same time my husband and I aren't feeling as comfortable as we would like in the midwest.  I am in San Diego for a friend's 20th wedding anniversary.  We woke up today, went for a run in beautiful weather and my husband said, "Are there any churches down here you can work for?" ....mostly joking.  I did a quick search and saw First Pres in San Pedro come up.  In 2011 I was working for a company that sent me to a different city in California for 4-6 weeks at a time.  In between, I went home to Idaho.  In each city, I reached out to a Presbyterian church to introduce myself and offer to participate in the life of the church for a short time. San Pedro gave me an exceptionally positive response. For years now I have told people how one church welcomed me wholeheartedly as if I had been and would be there for years.  I sang with the choir, played violin, had dinner in homes, and really felt like I lived there.  I have sat looking at the MIF for awhile now, talked to a friend in ministry, and decided I felt some push to send an email.  I thought I should at least see where you are at in the process and if you have some viable candidates you are already in conversation with, or if you are still openly looking.  I have a very warm spot in my heart for that church.  If nothing else, I'm writing so you can let others know they've impacted a life and a ministry career they probably didn't even know about.  :)
Blessings,
Jennifer Pattee