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Dear Bishop Schol:

Grüße aus Berlin! My name is Michelle Dromgold and I was recently commissioned in August as a Mission Intern of the United Methodist Church. During my international placement, I am working with the Kindertreff Delbrücke, an after-school program for under-privileged children and youth, at the United Methodist Salem congregation in Berlin, Germany as a Social Worker with an emphasis on Interreligious and Intercultural dialogue.

As a member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, I am excited to be representing our conference during my time here in Berlin as a young adult missionary! Indeed, the congregations, communities, and programs of the BW Conference have been formative in my decision to now serve as a Mission Intern. Growing up Lutheran in Rochester, N.Y., I first became actively involved in the United Methodist Church during my undergraduate studies at American University, where I renewed my faith in God through the discussions, individuals and worship services of the AU United Methodist Protestant Community. Serving as the freshman representative of the United Methodist Student Association in 2006 and as the worship coordinator in 2007, I chose to recommit my faith in Christ by joining the UMC in 2008 in the Kay Spiritual Life Chapel. In the spring of 2009, I additionally joined Dumbarton UMC, where I continue to hold my membership.

As a result of our conference’s support of campus ministry and young adult programs, I have had the privilege within the last five years to represent our conference as a voting delegate at the 2009 UM Student Forum in Shrevesport, LA, through the submission of legislation to the 2010 Young Adult Global Convocation held in Berlin last summer, and as a participant at various conferences of the Reconciling Ministries Network and Methodist Federation for Social Action. Together with a group from Dumbarton UMC, I also had the privilege last fall to pilgrim together to Israel and Palestine, to learn about the injustices there, to meet local Christians, Jews and Muslims working for peace, and to trace the steps, miracles, and life of Jesus. All of these conferences, experiences, and privileges have been instrumental milestones of my faith and life journey and have shaped my call and decision to now further represent our conference and our global church as a Mission Intern.

Therefore, I want to take the time to thank you, my Bishop, for your support and advocacy of campus ministry and young adult programs within the Baltimore-Washington Conference. I know from your involvement as an American University trustee, that you strongly value the contributions and potential of students and young adults within our conference. Thank you for your individual support and leadership that has contributed to American University’s tradition of having numerous alums pursue missionary work and seminary study and for my ability to now be serving as a Mission Intern of the United Methodist Church.

I ask that you and the conference would continue to hold me and the other young adult missionaries serving in the U.S. and around the world in your prayers, as our work cannot be sustained without God’s grace and guidance.

During my time abroad and upon my return to the United States for my domestic placement in the spring of 2013, I look forward to further connecting with you and with individuals and congregations within the conference with whom to share my story. Please feel free to share my story with others and to extend my appreciation of our conference’s continued spiritual and financial support of campus ministry programs and young adult missionaries.

Peace,
Michelle S. Dromgold