The passage of time never ceases to amaze me. Moments long anticipated rapidly transform into present experiences and memories of the past. Short phrases can influence a lifetime, while hours of research can so quickly be forgotten. Time it seems, has no rules, no bounds, and though I was informed that my set time frame working with National Lutheran Communities & Services was to be for 8 weeks, the past few days have left me stunned in the question of, “how can it be that I only have three weeks left?”

I am incredibly thankful to the Institute for Leadership and Service, all those at Valparaiso University who support the CAPS Fellowship Program, the organizations that have provided internships for us this summer, and all those who have served as mentors, instructors, and guides for each fellow throughout his or her lifetime. In reflections with another CAPS

Summer concert at the foot of the Washington Monument.

fellow, it has become increasingly evident to me that all of our involvements and internships this summer are a culmination of past experiences, current passions, and the various walks of life that we have traveled in our short twenty-some years. While professionally, the internships that we are a part of continue to challenge us, educate us, and provide us with unbelievable opportunities, I believe that the greatest development can be found in the personal sphere, in the people that we meet and the life lessons that we accrue in these short months and are sure to take with us as we move forward in leadership and service.

I personally can attest to the life changing learning opportunities that I have found in the people and conversations at National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS). Before expounding upon the impact that those around me have already left, I suppose it best to provide a brief background about NLCS, their ministry and mission, and the work that I have been privileged to be a part of.

Waiting to cross the Potomac River by way of cable ferry.

National Lutheran Communities & Services is a not-for-profit, faith-based ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that provides seniors with a variety of lifestyle, residential and health care options through retirement communities and services in Maryland and Virginia. They are currently composed of three residential communities: The Village at Rockville, The Village at Orchard Ridge, and The Legacy at North Augusta, as well as a home care agency, myPotential at Home. Services provided through the communities and myPotential include independent living, assisted living, assistance with living, skilled nursing, memory care, and short-term physical, occupational and speech therapy. In my time at NLCS, I have had the opportunity to travel to all of these entities, and to experience the impact that the ministry of NLCS has in each location.

My internship is embedded within the strategic development side of NLCS, and is focused on the expansion of the mission and ministry of NLCS, and the ways in which NLCS can look to meet the continually changing needs of older adults and other constituencies of need. Specifically, I have had the opportunity to join a team of brilliant individuals working on the development of a new healthcare delivery model that seeks to keep the patient at the center of care, and focuses on health and wellness promotion and disease prevention. As my fellow interns at NLCS can attest, this project has left me incredibly encouraged and excited, as it has truly been an experience in which I have seen the active development and creation of the way I believe health care should be delivered. It has provided the opportunity to have a glimpse into the policy side of health care, to see the in-depth work that is required to enact change, and to be exposed to the dedication of others from a variety of fields all working towards a common goal. From the moment we arrived at NLCS, we have been considered a part of the team and given the respect and trust equal to those who have been working on this project for years. We have participated in team meetings, partnership development with acute care providers and universities in the area, and entrusted with research and contributions to the development of the program. The combination of all of these experiences surmount to professional development that is invaluable.

Walking through the streets of The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, Virginia.

None of these experiences would be possible were it not for the passion and character of all those who compose the NLCS team. Each day has proved to be an example of what can happen when servant leadership, empowerment, and respect are held at the core of an organization. Once, when driving through the rolling hills of Virginia to one of our communities, my supervisor, Dan, painted this atmosphere of dedication in words that I will never forget. “When you have the convergence of talent, time, and treasure, opportunity and need, you are obligated to act.”

Service is often presented as an option: an elected lifestyle for some, an occasional moment for others, and perhaps even as the sentiment of, “that’s nice, but not my thing”. We fall into a habit of allowing it to become a choice, a conscious act of beneficence, rather than a duty of humanity. But when endowed with the talent, time, treasure, and opportunity to meet a specific need it is evident that such service is not a choice, but a responsibility. To fail to act is to disregard that which has been entrusted to you. This is not to say that each person must take on every cause, or fight every battle. But it has instilled in me a call to awareness to the abilities that I have been given, the needs around me, and the opportunities in which the two may harmonize.

The weeks that have passed at National Lutheran Communities & Services have been filled with lessons such as these and with moments of conversation and events that have propelled deeper thought and exploration into what it truly means to lead and to serve. Five weeks have rapidly elapsed, a mere three remain. I cannot wait to see what each coming moment affords.

Moments of reflection at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial