“You may say: It’s too much — all this grief, all this violence and injustice, it’s too hard. You are right: The mind can comprehend one death, but it cannot comprehend thousands, especially when one’s own community, nation, or ancestors played some part in causing the death. Mother Theresa once said, ‘If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.’ And so, begin with one.

Can you choose one person to practice wondering about? Can you listen to the story they have to tell? If your fists tighten, or your heart beats fast, or if shame rises to your face, it’s ok. Breath through it. Trust that you can. The heart is a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it becomes.”

— Valarie Kaur

“Love a UUFM Elder”
Keep an eye on emails from Rev. Rita and Macey about outreach to the elders of our UUFM community! We will be nominating an elder each week and inviting families to write to them. Perhaps if your family doesn’t find time to write much, you can encourage your child to pick some artwork they have made to send! If you need stamps and envelopes or if you need to have an envelope picked up and delivered, Rev. Rita or Macey can help with that. We offer this opportunity as another way to keep our community connecting while we are away from each other. We hope that this will be a fun way to brighten the days of our elders, especially those who are living alone.

Dear Friends,
As I continue to keep you all in my hearts and thoughts, please know that I am just an email or a phone call away. While I am no longer holding virtual “office hours”, you can reach me on my personal phone at 507-995-7929. My typical workdays are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. I will continue to do my best to serve as a resource to our community, through connecting you to one another and of course, directly. Being a light in the lives of others is as important as ever, and I hope you will stay connected.

Please consider joining our private Facebook group: UUFM Children’s Faith Development
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/1404655806251029/). This group is intended for families and congregants who are involved in Children’s Faith Development. My approval of new members’ access to the information there is what makes the group a safe space for sharing. I will be sharing our weekly stories as Facebook videos on my personal page publicly and sharing them in the group, as well as short prayers and meditations.

Link to the stories:
Our virtual Stories for All Ages are now available on the UUFM YouTube Channel. At least one new story will be available by Sunday, each week.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNwWkbABO6HpDlw5Po2TdQA?view_as=subscriber

Virtual Children’s Chapel
Our next Children’s Chapel will be this Sunday, May 17^th at 11:30am (after worship). A separate Zoom link will be sent out to families via email and posted on our private Facebook group. Dedicated facilitator, Deb Fitzloff, will be joining CFD Director, Macey Forsyth, for our next virtual Children’s Chapel.

Youth Group:
We want the youth to be able to have their own platform to connect face-to-face with one another. Lee, Barb, and I agreed that between the three of us, we will make sure that Zoom Meetings be held each upcoming Wednesday from 6:30-8pm. This Wednesday, as usual, we plan to check-in, spend a little time chatting, and try some games. These weekly virtual meetings will run through the end of May.