March 2022

Welcome to my little but ever changing world. After graduating from seminary I went to Japan to serve, doing the same things as any Japanese pastor would do. At first I had a great deal of language and cultural training—and after they let me loose, I knew just enough Japanese to be, “dangerous.” However, little by little I was able to preach, teach, council, and do my pastor stuff just fine, I just didn’t look Japanese. Because I wasn’t Japanese, we all knew that I would only be welcomed into the Japanese circle to a certain point, I would always be known as ‘that’ foreigner. I worked hard on learning the language and respecting the culture and therefore I was respected and accepted.

The Brown County Historical Society invites the public to attend 'DO TELL - Notable Women of Brown County' on Tuesday evening, March 22 at the New Ulm Country Club. Dinner at 6 p.m., Program at 7 p.m. Dress up like the photo “Gossip Girls” and qualify for a door prize drawing.

State Representative Paul Torkelson (R-Hanska) will seek re-election in the new House District 15B, which contains all or parts of Brown, Redwood, and Blue Earth counties, and the Lower Sioux Community. Torkelson has represented much of this area for the past seven terms, but a new redistricting map – required after every census to meet state population patterns – changed the boundaries.