I started seminary knowing that I would be away from home for the first week of each semester for prolog week. My first year of seminary was also Tony’s last, so we were on campus together at the start of both semesters. The next year-and-a-half of prolog weeks were entirely virtual due to the pandemic, followed by an optional face to face in January of 2022. With the hours my wife was working and a difficult holiday season, I was happy for the opportunity to participate in prolog week from home. This September, it was time for me to go back to campus. It felt like it was my third prolog week and not my seventh one. In El Salvador, I commuted to and from university for my undergraduate degree. This was the first time in my life for me to go on to campus and stay there without anyone looking out for me. It felt like I was achieving a milestone in life, even if it was twenty years after most people in the US have that experience.
At the same time, it became very real that I was in my last year of school. In addition to the course work, a whole new list of papers and projects has been added to my plate as I work through the synod’s candidacy process to be approved as a potential candidate for a pastoral position. So if I seem a little jittery, no need to worry – it’s just a sign of too much coffee.
Coming to my final year also brings about the uncertainty of what happens next. My back has started to let me know that my years as a landscaper are coming to an end. What will my next chapter look like? I do not know. Is it back to school for a new career? I do not know. Does it mean moving? I do not know. Will there be enough opportunities here in the Milwaukee area? I do not know. What I know and I believe is God’s promise that he will always guide us on our journey in life, even when there are more questions than answers.
Although my anxiety is great, it does not compare to the anxiety that many of you and those around you are suffering. People of God, we all need to remember that God is dwelling and accompanying us through the work of the Holy Spirit.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
Edwin Aparicio, Pastoral Intern
