A few days before we came to America, Miska and I got engaged. Who is Miska? Why I am writing about her? She is my classmate back in Slovakia. We both are Lutheran seminarians who will be in the 4th year of theology study this September. We both applied for the Student Immersion Program and we both came to America. My new home congregation for 3 months will be Muskegon’s Dr. Martin Luther Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The first American I talked to was a customs police officer. He thought that two east Europeans were suspicious, so we had to wait for an interview for one hour. We were very scared because we were the only Europeans in the waiting room. Fortunately the officer who interviewed us was also a member of a church. He let us enter the US and so here we are. Ready for service, new experiences, and spreading the Lord’s Word. Thanks be to God and the Parks, the family who drove us all the way from the Detroit airport.

There is a tradition in Slovakia to take photos in front of the altar with the whole congregation. So I asked my new home congregation to do so and they gladly accepted. Here is photo from today’s service.