by Kyle Cristofalo
Lutheran Vounteer Corps Member
(Kyle ends his LVC year at the Southeastern Synod office following the "Glocal" event at Christ the King, Norcross, GA, August 4, 5 & 6)
The first week I lived in Israel-Palestine I went to a going away party. Though not a remarkable event on its own, this farewell party set the tone for the rest of my year—not a month went by without a new set of goodbyes. Members of my church would go back to their respective homes in Europe or the States. Volunteers at the organization I worked for would return back to their normal jobs. Visas expired and hopes of renewal were denied. When my term ended and I was thrown my own goodbye party, there were new people starting their lives in the place I’d come to love and call home. Though fitting, this did little to ease my anxiety about leaving. In short, I don’t like to say goodbye. Just over a year since I returned from Israel-Palestine and prepared for my impending move to Atlanta, it is once again time to say goodbye. While it is hard to believe that my year working with the synod is just about complete, the calendar does not lie. In just over a week, the Glocal event will be finished, and with it my official time as a member with the staff will also end.
When I started my year with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps last August, it never crossed my mind that by the end of the year I would have hit nearly 10,000 frequent flyer miles. These trips however, have been much more than merely accumulated Delta Sky Miles. At each conference and leadership training, I have imagined with others in this synod and with Lutherans from around the globe, what a world without poverty and hunger could look like. I have traveled with staff and members of congregations throughout this synod passionate about bringing the justice we read about in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, to those who need it the most; who are committed to use their privilege and status as members of a respected denomination to fight for those disenfranchised and silenced. I have had the pleasure of working with several members of the synod to create a vibrant and dedicated Hunger, Poverty, and Justice Issues Task Force. Their hard work has already caused them to be recognized by staff members in our denominational World Hunger office and they have many exciting educational events planned for the upcoming months. Working to eradicate systemic hunger in our four-state synod will not be easy, but I am confident that y’all are up to the task.
This year could not have been nearly as successful and enjoyable had it not been for the support and guidance of Bishop Gordy and the synod staff. From day one they embraced me as a valued and trusted colleague. Their help however, has often gone beyond what was required of them and it was always quite clear that I could count on them for whatever I needed. I could not have asked for better people to work with. I am especially grateful for the support and guidance of Assistant to the Bishop Pastor Darrel Peterson who has served as my primary supervisor throughout the year. Throughout the year I was consistently impressed that despite changes within the ELCA and our synod coupled with an unpredictable yet bleak economic situation, the staff continued to be dedicated to carrying out the work in front of them.
As I prepare to say goodbye once more, I am happy to say that this goodbye will be a little different. At the end of my term I won’t be boarding a plane and crossing several oceans. I won’t have to deal with jetlag or reverse culture shock (which I always think doesn’t exist, until I return to the States after a long time away.) Instead, I’ll be moving about a half a mile from my current house and in just a few weeks start Divinity school at Emory’s Candler School of Theology. My decision to go down this path and stay in Atlanta is no doubt related to the support and relationships I have forged with the synod staff as well as members of this synod. I am thankful that though we are parting in one sense, our common faith in Christ and commitment to bringing about the Kingdom of God, will always keep us together. While I am sad to leave my work at the synod office, I am excited about the chance to build on the work that we have started.
When I started my year with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps last August, it never crossed my mind that by the end of the year I would have hit nearly 10,000 frequent flyer miles. These trips however, have been much more than merely accumulated Delta Sky Miles. At each conference and leadership training, I have imagined with others in this synod and with Lutherans from around the globe, what a world without poverty and hunger could look like. I have traveled with staff and members of congregations throughout this synod passionate about bringing the justice we read about in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, to those who need it the most; who are committed to use their privilege and status as members of a respected denomination to fight for those disenfranchised and silenced. I have had the pleasure of working with several members of the synod to create a vibrant and dedicated Hunger, Poverty, and Justice Issues Task Force. Their hard work has already caused them to be recognized by staff members in our denominational World Hunger office and they have many exciting educational events planned for the upcoming months. Working to eradicate systemic hunger in our four-state synod will not be easy, but I am confident that y’all are up to the task.
This year could not have been nearly as successful and enjoyable had it not been for the support and guidance of Bishop Gordy and the synod staff. From day one they embraced me as a valued and trusted colleague. Their help however, has often gone beyond what was required of them and it was always quite clear that I could count on them for whatever I needed. I could not have asked for better people to work with. I am especially grateful for the support and guidance of Assistant to the Bishop Pastor Darrel Peterson who has served as my primary supervisor throughout the year. Throughout the year I was consistently impressed that despite changes within the ELCA and our synod coupled with an unpredictable yet bleak economic situation, the staff continued to be dedicated to carrying out the work in front of them.
As I prepare to say goodbye once more, I am happy to say that this goodbye will be a little different. At the end of my term I won’t be boarding a plane and crossing several oceans. I won’t have to deal with jetlag or reverse culture shock (which I always think doesn’t exist, until I return to the States after a long time away.) Instead, I’ll be moving about a half a mile from my current house and in just a few weeks start Divinity school at Emory’s Candler School of Theology. My decision to go down this path and stay in Atlanta is no doubt related to the support and relationships I have forged with the synod staff as well as members of this synod. I am thankful that though we are parting in one sense, our common faith in Christ and commitment to bringing about the Kingdom of God, will always keep us together. While I am sad to leave my work at the synod office, I am excited about the chance to build on the work that we have started.
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