Messages Home: Feb. 7, 2009
From Loretta Jasper, CSJ, who is working for a month at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany. To learn more about her mission, click HERE.
My partner arrived from New York State Fri. afternoon. His primary site will be the Graf installation.
Prior to his arrival, I wanted to make sure I am just a teensy familiar to Bob’s side of the rotation (Graf post) so spent Fri. a.m. traipsing through various buildings, introducing our program/myself to various officers and program heads. The receptivity is stellar and the needs are many. I am not concerned that we will be lacking for “moving us along a little more” (a term we learned, those of us who were in New Orleans with re-building for the week over a year ago) during this rotation.
Getting onto the Graf post was a bit of a challenge for me, given the roadway system beyond the checkpoint. An officer informed me that I was off post and not far from the artillery range. OOOPS! Folks are wonderful and warm in providing (re)direct. Many persons: military, civil service, civilians are consistently rotating in/out of both posts on a regular basis.
The soon to retire chaplain offered to show me persons to meet among the batallions at Graf. The military clerk in the one section made sure we met as many folks as possible to connect and make our program known.
Sat., 2/7, while on an excursion to Amburg, the clerk was in one of the stores w. his spouse and 6-month old. He was only too eager to introduce me. An indication of friendliness.
Also in Amburg, our little cluster of three on the excursion sat beside a German couple who knows someone in Joplin, MO., who served in Vilseck a couple of years ago. The spouse was a civilian working on base at the time with the military spouse.
The world is very small, with many ways to connect.
Today, I am on my way to the chapel service on base; then to orient my partner to his base via an initial drive through.
It is cloudy,and balmy…a bit cooler than is the Midwest at this moment.
Continuing blessings…appreciating our mutual zeal across the ocean.
Loretta Jasper