After becoming an ordained pastor of the ALC, Pastor Jane Anitha began her role as manager of Siloam Boarding Home where she supported over 600 Dalit girls. She faithfully stayed in this role from 2012 to 2023. She is now a pastor for five small village congregations. A dynamic person with a huge heart, she cares deeply about the children in the ALC boarding homes and treasured her time as manager.

Jane recently had the opportunity to fly to the United States for a visit, and she spent Nov. 20-24 in Minnesota. She has many friends here, so as you can imagine, her schedule was packed during her short visit. Here's a recap of some of the highlights. 

On Thursday, Jane visited LPGM's office and spent the day with LPGM staff. For some staff, Jane's visit was a reunion, since they had met her many times over the years. However, for other staff members, this was their first time meeting Jane, and they were thrilled to connect with her after hearing stories and seeing photos. The staff shared lunch with Jane and spent some quality time catching up. 

After a relaxing lunch, preparations began for the evening's gathering, "Thankful Thursday." The gathering, which occurred prior to the board meeting, served a few purposes-- to welcome Jane to Minneapolis, to celebrate Mary Peterson's retirement, and to give thanks for our generous community of supporters!

LPGM staff, board members, volunteers, and supporters sipped drinks and munched on Indian appetizers while chatting with friends - old and new! Jane was the guest of honor, and everyone wanted a chance to connect with her, including Gordon and Betty Olson, LPGM's co-founders.

After folks had settled in, Bethany Krepela, LPGM's development director, started the program by thanking everyone for coming and recognizing Verne Winter's years of service to the LPGM board and various committees. Verne is "retiring" from development committee service at the end of this year. He is a longtime LPGM supporter, and his valuable insights will be missed. 

Pastor Dan Ruth, LPGM executive director, then introduced Jane and invited her to share a few words. Jane told her story with great emotion and talked about the impact of LPGM on the boarding homes. She gifted colorful Indian shawls to both Dan and Mary, as a gesture of respect and fellowship. Tears flowed as she spoke, and it was clear that many people in the room resonated with her stories.

Dan then spoke about Mary's retirement and her contributions to LPGM. He thanked her for her service, and Bethany brought up a gift, as a small token of LPGM's appreciation. The gift was a cork globe that Mary can decorate to show where she has traveled and where she'd like to visit.

Finally, Dan announced that Esuvat Lukumay, founder of Eripoto for Girls & Women, would be dedicating a room to Mary at Eripoto's safe house.

Mary, clearly touched, shared some of her thoughts about retirement. After Mary's words, the gathering wrapped up, and board members and staff headed downstairs for the board meeting. 

On Friday, St. John's Lutheran Church in Minneapolis hosted a reception for Pastor Jane in their lounge from 2:00 - 3:30 pm. LPGM friends and supporters came for fellowship, snacks, and updates from Pastor Jane and LPGM staff. Pastor Jane discussed the ministry of the Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC), its connection to LPGM, and the impact of education on the lives of Dalit people in India. Jane is a powerful speaker, and this special afternoon was filled with more tears and authentic connection. 

Jane then headed to Northfield, Minnesota, on Saturday for a intimate gathering hosted by Karna Hauck, the daughter of LGPM's co-founders Gordon and Betty Olson. The event brought together folks from Northfield, Red Wing, and the surrounding area who know Jane and are friends with Gordon and Betty Olson.

On Sunday, Jane visited Bethlehem's Minneapolis campus. She and Pastor Kris Tostengard-Michel shared together during Storytime at worship.