Pastor Robert Morris and Karalee Morris

Our dear Friends in Christ.
There are no words that exist which even begin to express how good and gracious God was to Karalee and I that He gave us the privilege and honor of being part of First trinity for these past 13 1/2 plus years. From day one you welcomed us with open arms. You accepted us just the way we were. Day in and day out you showered us with the spirit’s fruits of goodness, kindness, patience, and the list goes on. Simply put, you continually showered us with Christian love. How we give thanks to God for you.

Personally, what a merciful and gracious gift God gave me when you called me at the end of September 2001 to be your pastor. From the day I was installed in December 2001 till now, my retirement, ministry has been joyful and fun. Above all, I had the privilege to see God working in you through His Word and Sacraments. How astonishing it has been to watch the Spirit working through the Gospel bringing individuals to faith in Christ as their Savior, bringing those who had strayed back to Christ, equipping you to follow Christ as His disciples, and empowering you to love Him by loving others.

At this point I must add that the proof of the Spirits work through the Gospel is the way you live your lives. You are a people who live in peace with one another. When the rare moment of conflict did arise, forgiveness and reconciliation were the rule. You mourned with those who mourned and rejoiced with those who rejoiced. You have always been there to help someone in their time of need, whatever that need was. You went out of your way to help the poor. Whenever God laid in your lap a way to share the good news that Jesus is the Savior from sin and death, you went with it. Examples are our support of Sheba, the establishment of Daycare, and hiring Betty Wood as a much needed Christian Counselor for this community. You willingly worked with Betty to seek other ways to share the Gospel with the lost. Once again, all I can say is “I thank God for you!”

Finally, Karalee and I are actually speechless as we think of the retirement celebration that you held for me this past Sunday. “Thank you” is simply not adequate to express our gratitude for those who spent so much time and worked so hard to make that day a reality. It cannot adequately express your gifts to us. It cannot adequately express the outpouring of your Christian love for us. That day was an absolutely phenomenal day for us. It was and always will be one of the best days of our lives. We do thank God for you and thank each and every one of you as well. We will certainly miss you. After almost 14 years, you are family to us. We have and always will love you as you have loved us. Therefore, be assured that you will always be in our prayers. First of all, we praise God that He brought into your midst Interim Pastor Richard Pape and his wife Sylvia. Pastor Pape is an excellent pastor. I know that he will continue to share with you that life-giving and life-strengthening Gospel. I know that he will help you to grow in those areas where more growth is needed because of my weaknesses. God couldn’t have given you a better Interim than Pastor Pape nor a better person than his wife Sylvia. Secondly, we pray that as you go through the process of finding your next pastor whom God has already chosen, you will not grow weary with all the ups and downs that go with the process, but keep your hearts and minds open to what God is teaching you and all concerned. Last, but not least, we will always pray that God will continue to bless you in every way. Above all, may His peace, which is way above all human understanding, guard and keep your hearts and minds always in Christ our Lord and Savior.

In Christian Love; Rev. Bob and Karalee Morris