MLS Graduation for Philip

This weekend, Philip graduated from Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw.  Philip is the fifth graduate among the Schroeders from MLS in the past seven years.  And for the first time since 2009, we will not be making trips to MLS to watch our children play sports, sing in the choirs, etc....

Philip, like all other seniors in 2020, ended his senior year in disappointing quarantine status with online classes since March 13.  The worst of it, at least for Philip, was being robbed of these final months with his classmates.  He did not even really get to say goodbye to them.  When you live with these people in dormitories for four years, this abrupt end is particularly hard.  All in all, Philip has handled it exceptionally well.  And if there is good news to be had, many of his classmates are expecting to be in New Ulm, Minnesota next fall at Martin Luther College.  God willing, he will move into the dorms and attend classes live and in person next fall.

Philip was awarded a few scholarships.  Most noteworthy is that Philip is the first recipient of the Hannah M. Kieta Memorial Scholarship.  Hannah was a classmate of Faith and was killed in a car accident last August.  Hannah excelled in German, and the scholarship was awarded to Philip who intends to continue studying German at MLC next year.

Because of the COVID-19 lockdown, we had to watch Philip's graduation in virtual fashion.  We met in our church and watched it projected on the big screen.  You can watch the virtual graduation here:

We are quite proud of Philip and his accomplishments, even though his senior year was certainly a strange year with unexpected challenges--beginning with a football season that lasted 15 minutes because of an injury on the first day of practice to ending with a stay-at-home quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In any case, here are some photos related to Philip's graduation.  (Hat tip to Vanessa Hose for taking the family photo.  Thanks!)

Philip with the MLS Class of 2020.

The classic "A boy loves his mother" photo, a graduation tradition of each Schroeder boy.

MLS alumni -- Classes of 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2013, and 1988.

Graduation weekend

This past weekend, we managed to have two of our children graduate from college.  Nathanael officially graduated from Concordia in Ann Arbor on Sunday, May 19.  Nathanael chose not to walk in the graduation ceremonies (despite Laura's questioning), but he has completed all that needed to be done for the diploma.  We are proud of him, and we are looking forward to see where he will working and what he will be doing.  He has some ideas, but no definitive plans at the moment.

And while we would have made efforts to get to Nathanael's graduation ceremonies in Ann Arbor, we were not terribly broken up about not having to drive through the night from New Ulm, Minnesota to Ann Arbor, Michigan to be at both graduations.

On Saturday, May 18, the whole family managed to be in attendance for Faith's graduation from Martin Luther College, as well as the Call service where Faith was assigned to be a teacher in a Lutheran school.  Faith graduated with a double major, meaning she was eligible to be assigned to any grades from K-12.  Faith's preference was for high school, and she was even recommended for the high school level.  Needless to say, we were all surprised when Faith was assigned to teach science to grades 5-8 at Mt. Lebanon Lutheran School in Milwaukee.  And of course, she will also be coaching.

Faith's Divine Call is certainly different than what was expected, and it is taking some time to wrap her mind around what all of this entails.  But different means different.  We cannot assess it as either good or bad until she experiences the staff, the students, the school, the work, living in Milwaukee, etc...  Early phone calls by Faith to the people at Mt. Lebanon have indicated that different will be good.  And if we believe the Holy Spirit is at work in his Church, then we also believe God thinks it is good that Faith will be serving at Mt. Lebanon.  We are proud of what she has accomplished in the past, and we are looking forward to what her future will be.

Here are some photos from the weekend.

The graduates, Nathanael and Faith.

Grandma & Grandpa Schmidt came to congratulate Faith in New Ulm.

In the Chapel of the Christ.

This photo shows two people who are agonizing over Faith's assignment.  Faith was hopeful that she might return to her alma mater, Michigan Lutheran Seminary, as a tutor.  (MLS did not get any new female tutors assigned to it.)  Philip, who will be a senior at MLS next year, was praying fervently that Faith would not be assigned to be a tutor while he is still there.  Both had strong reactions to the announcement of Faith's assignment--Faith was surprised; Philip was relieved.

Graduation from MLS

This past weekend, Andrew graduated from Michigan Lutheran Seminary.  We are proud of all of his accomplishments, and pray that the Lord will continue to bless and keep him in his future endeavors.

Here are some photos from the weekend.

The concert choir sang for the commencement service.

President Peterman presented Andrew with his diploma.

Laura was looking forward to this hug more than anyone.

Andrew with his godparents, Dan & Jeanette Schneider.

Confirmation and Graduation

This is fairly stale news by now, but I have been tardy in getting some milestones noted on the blog.  Below are pictures from Caleb's confirmation on May 18 and from Nathanael's graduation from Michigan Lutheran Seminary on May 24.

Congratulations and God's blessings to both of you!

 Alyssa, me, and Caleb

 

 Grandpa Schroeder, Caleb, and Grandma Schroeder

 Grandma Schmidt and Caleb (Feel better soon, Grandpa!)

Okay, so this is on a liturgical gesture....

Psst, Caleb, I used to have hair like yours.

Nathanael is all about maternal affection. 

President Petermann presents Nathanael with his diploma.  

Nathanael and Charli on their big day. 

The sunny day was great for the graduation, but lousy for putting shadows across people's faces.  Anyway, here's the whole family at MLS.

Two crazy weeks

It has been a strange and wild two weeks.  It was all supposed to revolved around Caleb's Confirmation and Nathanael's graduation from Michigan Lutheran Seminary.  That is the short version.  But the last two weeks looked a little more like this:

Sunday (May 11): Divine Service; house cleaning; Happy Mothers' Day!; Greenfield Village; take Nathanael, Andrew, and Charli back to MLS

Monday: Catechism Class wrap up; house cleaning

Tuesday: House cleaning; Shut in visits; 6th Grade Bible History Class; Church Council

Wednesday: Clean out the garage; pack up for trip; go to library to get a book on CD for the trip to New Ulm; get bulletin printed

Thursday: Leave at 6:15 AM for New Ulm, Minnesota to get Faith from Martin Luther College; begin disc 1 of biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer; slowed down in Chicago; lunch at the Arby's in Johnson Creek, WI where I also revise the upcoming sermon; Mississippi River about 4:00 PM CDST; New Ulm about 7:00 PM CDST; meet Faith; supper at Veigel's Kaiserhoff (no sauerbraten -- arrrgghhh!); bed time at the Colonial Inn.

Friday: Breakfast at the Ulmer Café and revise Sunday's sermon some more; pack up Faith; kill time at the Library at Martin Luther College; tried to nap in a quiet corner there, woke up to students giving their parents a tour; Commencement Concert at 4:00 PM; pack up Faith's last stiches of clothing and the Buick is FULL; supper at Subway; Faith takes the wheel at we leave New Ulm at 7:00 PM CDST; Mississippi River at night; I take over driving.

Saturday: Rerouted through Milwaukee at 1:00 AM CDST; Fly through Chicago at 2:30 AM CDST; Gas up in LaPorte, IN and Faith takes over driving the rest of the way; Home at 8:00 AM EDST.  Go to bed till about Noon; House cleaning

Sunday (May 18): Examination of Catechumens; Divine Service with Rite of Confirmation; Photos; Get ready for Open House at 2:00 PM; Mom passes out in our kitchen about 7:15 PM; EMS techs show up; Mom to hospital and we follow close behind.

Monday: Go to hospital with kids (after they finally get up) to see how Grandma is doing; take Nathanael, Andrew, and Charli back to MLS; listen to Bonhoeffer CD on the way back home; back to the hospital for a while.

Tuesday: Mother is released from the hospital; Mom & Dad immediately return to Wisconsin; take a nap; Laura gets her blood tested and platelets are down to 2,000; conduct final 6th Grade Bible History Class of the year; Laura has a bloody nose, so we go to the hospital immediately; stay until about 9:30 PM.

Wednesday: Take kids to school; then to hospital; try to do some church work; go to sports banquet at St. Peter; leave during banquet to pick up Laura who had been released; back to St. Peter to get kids; home and to bed.

Thursday: Get bulletin done; get a few other church-related items done; thanking God that I booked a guest preacher for Sunday.

Friday: Faith and I go to MLS for their final chapel of the year to listen to recipients of sports awards (academic awards were for the previous day); get Nathanael and Andrew's dorms packed into the van (as much as they could empty at the time); get checked into the hotel; nap; commencement concert at 7:00 PM; fiasco trying to get everyone picked up and back to the hotel for pizza; return Nathanael and Charli to the dorms by 11:00 PM; bed.

Saturday: Graduation at 10:00 AM; photographs to follow, then parties all day.

Sunday (May 25): Get to sleep in much later than a normal Sunday; check out of hotel; more parties to go to; home at about 10:30 PM; bed, sweet bed (kicked out by a 5 year old at 3:00 AM).

I am looking forward to what is supposed to amount to a normal week this week.  I suppose God's sense of humor will have other plans.