Megan Strusz, St. Paul member and nursing student at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, made it her mission to bring her nursing talents to communities in Costa Rica with limited access to healthcare. Megan knew she wanted to study abroad in college but found it difficult to fit into her school schedule. She took it upon herself to research international volunteer programs and found her way to VIDA Volunteers. So, on Christmas Day 2023, Megan packed her bags and headed to Costa Rica, not knowing a single other person on the trip. “I was scared to make the trip alone but I knew it wo ..read more

My best friend, Adam, and I have never lived in the same town. Through life’s chances, we’ve always been separated by at least a drive on the interstate. While we text and check in on each other every day, our favorite pastime is sending each other things we know will make the other laugh. Sometimes it’s a meme from the depths of the internet; others it’s a short video clip of a comedian or just a silly situation. But without a doubt, our shared sense of humor is an important part of how we love each other as friends. Recently, Adam sent me a funny gag about Christianity. These are by far our ..read more

It takes many hands to keep the St. Paul campus looking its best. The Memorial Garden, the sidewalks, parking lots, the front entrance, and all sides of St. Paul need lots of loving care like mowing, weeding, planting, pruning, and more. A group of nature-minded individuals keep St. Paul looking tidy and welcoming. Cultivating care Peg Iglehart cultivates care in all things. She’s thoughtful and precise. She’s currently decked out in a shirt that says, “I love gardening from my head tomatoes,” a perfect fit for this interview. In her arms are a stack of t-shirts and a bowl of pinecones. Peg lo ..read more

St. Paul quilters are helping foster kids find a piece of comfort during a time of transition. Fostering Crossroads, a local non-profit that provides placement bags when a child is placed into foster care, put out a request on Facebook. “Blanket donations needed,” it said. The placement bags feature clothing, stuffed animals, quilts, and other items. St. Paul quilting coordinator Belinda Holbrook saw the request and knew just how to help. “The St. Paul quilting group had worked with the Department of Health and Human Services in the past to provide quilts to foster kids so when I saw this need ..read more

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the ways we feed ourselves. I’m talking about the type of feeding that goes far beyond nutritional guides, food pyramids, and recommended 100+ ounces of water daily. Admittedly, the water thing is one I struggle with myself.   We give a lot of time and thought to feeding a child the right mix of grains, proteins, dairy, fruits, and vegetables to grow their little bodies and minds but sometimes that gets a little lost as we get older, as schedules fill up. The bigger question I’m left with is how do we feed ourselves to grow into the best version of oursel ..read more

“What do I need to do to obtain eternal life?” This is my favorite question that Jesus is asked, and it can be found in the 10th chapter of Luke’s Gospel. Sometimes, we think of eternal life as a destination we reach after death, but scripture teaches us that it’s not just about getting to heaven. Eternal life is about living a life closely connected to God, where every breath and step is a blessing and source of great joy.   The question that was really being asked of Jesus was, “How can I live a life filled with everlasting peace and joy that overcomes death, despair, and evil?” I ..read more

A few goodbyes were shared around St. Paul as two staff members embarked on new journeys. St. Paul social worker and counselor Angie Vaaler is relocating this month and groundskeeper Harris Schneekloth retired in April after more than 30 years at St. Paul. Farewell to Angie Vaaler In 2015, St. Paul had an exciting idea: an on-staff social worker to help serve St. Paul people, Madison families, and the greater community. In 2018, Angie Vaaler, the first St. Paul social worker/counselor, helped bring that idea to life. Angie has spent the past five and a half years guiding clients through diffic ..read more

These days, it feels like nothing makes the news, at least not “above the fold” or before the first commercial, if it isn’t Caitlin Clark, campus sit-ins, the war in Gaza (remember Ukraine?), the Trump trial, or polls in the presidential race. Credit to the QC Times – they do regularly have worthwhile local stories on the front page. But the “regularly scheduled programming” of the top stories, run over and over again, still becomes somewhat deadening. Aren’t there interesting things going on in South America? What’s happening in the art world? What’s the most interesting new building to go u ..read more

I like to take note of people who encourage others. That’s because I’m highly aware of being the beneficiary of the same. I can’t calculate the number of people in my life who have encouraged me – people who have gone out of their way to lift me up in small and large ways. What their supportive words or deeds have done for my life is immeasurable. As far as I’m concerned, encouragement is one of the greatest gifts we can give each other. It’s its own form of love. And when it comes to people of faith, we don’t step down in discouraging times or in the presence of disappointing news. We step up ..read more

St. Paul member Samantha Stahle surrounds herself with the things she loves, and dance is at the forefront. Do what you love, love what you do is a phrase Samantha lives by. It’s on the shirt she wears to work. Similar positive messages adorn the walls of her job at Studio A Dance Company. She found her love of dancing at an early age, and it carried on into her adult years, providing her with deep, lasting friendships and new refreshing challenges. “I started dancing at five years old. My mom put my two sisters and me (we’re triplets) in dance to help build our confidence as we got older,” Sa ..read more