One extremely cold winter day Deaconess Intern Jessica Koenig arrived in Fremont for a visit with our Good Shepherd family. Two years and two seasons later, on a very hot summer day this month, Deaconess Jessica Feldmann will return to St. Louis with her husband, so Mike can finish his training as a Lutheran pastor.

We had no idea how Jessica would become God’s very special blessing to us all in so many wonderful and powerful ways – but God did! From her joyful conversations and personal Christian care visits to her infamous “announcements” at our worship services; from  leading Women’s Bible Study to taking Vacation Bible School to a whole new level; from helping us to see what “Family  Ministry” looks like to encouraging the Family Ministry Vision Team to dream even bigger; from introducing our first Christmas Dinner Theater to leaving us with the beginnings of JAM [Jesus And Me], a new approach to Sunday School that will invite children, youth and parents to grow together in Christian faith and action in very  exciting ways – just “Come and See!”  What can we say to all this, but borrow Jessica’s favorite words, and say “It’s All Good!”

We also answered God’s invitation to be his personal blessing to Jessica, especially during her first year with her sister Heather’s battle with cancer and Heather’s subsequent journey to heaven. Then we were here to celebrate her  wedding and first year of marriage with Mike. Yet here again, Jessica blessed us by sharing what God was teaching her about the importance of keeping our eyes on the hope of heaven, and how God desires to bless us, like he did her sister. What can we say now, but rejoice with her and God and remind each other, “It’s All Good!”

 Pastor Anderson, 
“Blessed to be a Blessing”