Interview with Deacon Ro Fesser
Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center Brush Colorado July 19, 2018 On July 19, 2018, I had the opportunity to meet with Deacon Ro Fesser at the Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center, 122 Hospital Rd, Brush, CO 80723. I arrived at Eben Ezer about 8:30 am and Deacon Ro met me in the lobby. We went to her office for a moment and then we went to All Saints Church where Ro utilized the PA system to do a morning devotion throughout the facility. We then went back to her office where Ro took the time to answer my question about how she came to be the chaplain at the care center. She said she was a seminary student at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Toward the end of her studies, Ro had a required class to take and was in an extended seven-month Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program in St. Louis. She said it was a very stressful time as she had to fly between St. Louis and Chicago on a weekly basis, but she managed to pass both courses. She said on the last day of CPE, she said to her classmates the chaplaincy program was educational, but she had decided chaplaincy was never going to be part of her ministry. She had a big grin on her face when she told me, “God must have heard me say never!” After a year or so after graduation and no call materialized in the mid-west, Ro moved to Ft. Collins CO. She said she liked the area but was again frustrated as she did not obtain a call to congregational diaconal ministry, so she took a position in chaplaincy at Poudre Valley Hospital. Refer back to God and never. Not long after she started working at the hospital, she was able to obtain a part-time chaplaincy position at Eben Ezer. As time passed and conflicts arose due to the distance between Ft. Collins and Brush (about an hour and a half drive between the two sites), Ro decided she had to make a choice between the two positions. She decided to work at Eben Ezer as the care facility was in line with her faith and she could profess the gospel all the time. An hour had passed and Ro gathered a speaker, boombox, and a folder of music and off we went to one of the neighborhoods. In my previous post about Eben Ezer, the CEO explained the residents of Eben Ezer had requested they all be referred to as neighbors and the areas where they lived as neighborhoods. The first neighborhood had neighbors who appeared to have limited ability to communicate. A few of them seemed to be asleep and others had little reaction to stimulus. One of the neighbors was a delightful woman whom I sat next to and chatted with for a while. This neighbor had a visitor, her step-son, and he was included in the conversation. They were both very friendly and were happy to engage in conversation. Ro began the service with a warm welcome to the neighbors and then she started the boombox and utilized the speaker to lead the neighbors in a hymn. Several of the neighbors perked up and a few sang along. After another hymn, Ro read Scripture and then gave a short sermon. I remember most vividly how Ro talked about having to live with each other and treat each other with love and respect, as the Scripture demonstrated. After the sermon was another hymn and then Ro asked the neighbors for whom shall we pray. Several prayers were lifted and then there was a blessing and closing hymn. The service took about a half-hour. We said farewell to the neighbors and went back to the office where Ro had to check her messages and return a call and then we were off with the equipment to another neighborhood. Ro conducted a similar service at the second neighborhood, but the neighbors here were much more responsive. Ro interacted and made it a point to speak to each of the neighbors before starting. There were two boys, who appeared to be about 13 years of age, in the common area where we met. They helped Ro pass out and collect the papers with the word to the music. Ro explained to me during my visit that there are programs with local schools which enabled the young people to volunteer at Eben Ezer on a regular basis. I must note that during my visit, I noticed at least eight young people who were assisting the neighbors by pushing wheelchairs or visiting with them. The second service lasted longer than the first service because there was more interaction with the neighbors and many more prayers were asked to be lifted. After the second service, we went back to Ro’s office to return the sound equipment and then we went to another part of the facility to look at the independent living units. A member of the congregation where I am serving is interested in moving to Eben Ezer and I promised them I would obtain more material and take pictures of an independent living apartment; which I did. After the tour of the independent living facility, Ro and I went to lunch in Ft. Morgan where we were able to talk for an hour. My impression and reflection of my visit to Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Facility. It takes a very special person to take a call to this care facility. As Ro and I spoke, I came to the realization this call is like no other as the congregation, so to speak, does not go home after service, but the members of the congregation are home. The definition of the congregation begins with the 250 (or so) neighbors who live at Eben Ezer, but the congregation must also include the 200 (or so) staff members who work at the facility, and the congregation must also include the family members of the neighbors and the family members of staff. Realistically, over a thousand people could potentially need the services provided by the Eben Ezer chaplain. Right now, Ro is the only chaplain on staff. They are actively looking for a pastor to fill a second chaplain position, but until the position is filled, Ro must be the chaplain for everyone. In addition to the requirements of chaplaincy, Ro must also complete the work an office professional must do at a typical congregation. All the administrative duties associated with Sunday service are completed by Ro. A trade-off for working at Eben Ezer is that the work of upkeep of the facility is completed by the maintenance staff of the facility; a definite plus. Ro and every person I had the opportunity to meet at Eben Ezer, does not approach the work they do at Eben Ezer as a job, but they are all fulfilling a call by God to serve the neighbor. The concept of being called neighbors living in a neighborhood is truly inspiring. As Christians, we are called to serve the neighbor and at Eben Ezer the term moves from being a concept to reality. Each person I met at Eben Ezer was warm, caring, and willing to serve each neighbor; from the young people who volunteer, to the staff in scrubs, to the maintenance staff, to the administrative staff, and the chaplain. The real indicator of the ministry of Eben Ezer hit home when I recall telling Deacon Ro about the fact I live with and am primary care giver for my mother who is 84 years of age. I told Ro if something were to happen to me and mom had to move to a care facility, I would be comforted knowing she would be well cared for at Eben Ezer.
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