Coming Full Circle by Susan Baller-Shepard

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible” (Hebrews 11:1–3).

I am a mutt. My genealogy spans several countries, with no clear delineation as to whose genetic characteristics I carry most. I look at old daguerreotypes and stern photos of my forebears and wonder whose side I favor more in temperament and appearance. My foremothers were full of chutzpah. They had no choice. They were women who migrated to America, not knowing what they would find when they arrived, one giving birth on the ship on her way here. They were white-skinned in appearance, so they had an easier path than many. My great-great-grandmother Sarah distributed her nine children evenly across the United States as she and her husband moved westward. They arrived from England, settled in the Midwest for a time, then headed further west. Sarah and her husband Albert kept moving west through the rest of their lives until they came to the end of two things—their lives and this country, in Oregon.

In 1985, I decided to serve as a PC(USA) Volunteer in Mission. I knew I could be placed anywhere in the world for my service. That prospect was exciting, appealing and terrifying. In 1986, I was assigned to a project in Walsall, England. Walsall was not on my map, and since it was before the days of Internet use, I went to the library to find where I was headed. Walsall is less than 10 miles from where my great-great-grandparents, Sarah and Albert, were born and raised.

What other connections does Susan find between her life and the lives of her ancestors? Besides geography, what ties exist between generations? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the January/February 2007 issue of Horizons!

Call (800) 524-2612 or subscribe to Horizons or order the January/February 2007 issue (HZN-07-200; $4 plus shipping).

Susan Baller-Shepard is a published author and parish associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Normal, Illinois.

"Kitchen" by Hugh Nobel, Scotland.

Other Articles Online This Issue


What other connections does Susan find between her life and the lives of her ancestors? Besides geography, what ties exist between generations? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the January/February 2007 issue of Horizons! Call (800) 524-2612 or subscribe to Horizons or order the January/February 2007 issue (HZN-07-200; $4 plus shipping).	Coming Full Circle by Susan Baller-Shepard “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible” (Hebrews 11:1–3). I am a mutt. My genealogy spans several countries, with no clear delineation as to whose genetic characteristics I carry most. I look at old daguerreotypes and stern photos of my forebears and wonder whose side I favor more in temperament and appearance. My foremothers were full of chutzpah. They had no choice. They were women who migrated to America, not knowing what they would find when they arrived, one giving birth on the ship on her way here. They were white-skinned in appearance, so they had an easier path than many. My great-great-grandmother Sarah distributed her nine children evenly across the United States as she and her husband moved westward. They arrived from England, settled in the Midwest for a time, then headed further west. Sarah and her husband Albert kept moving west through the rest of their lives until they came to the end of two things—their lives and this country, in Oregon. In 1985, I decided to serve as a PC(USA) Volunteer in Mission. I knew I could be placed anywhere in the world for my service. That prospect was exciting, appealing and terrifying. In 1986, I was assigned to a project in Walsall, England. Walsall was not on my map, and since it was before the days of Internet use, I went to the library to find where I was headed. Walsall is less than 10 miles from where my great-great-grandparents, Sarah and Albert, were born and raised. What other connections does Susan find between her life and the lives of her ancestors? Besides geography, what ties exist between generations? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the January/February 2007 issue of Horizons! Call (800) 524-2612 or subscribe to Horizons or order the January/February 2007 issue (HZN-07-200; $4 plus shipping). Susan Baller-Shepard is a published author and parish associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Normal, Illinois. "Kitchen" by Hugh Nobel, Scotland. Other Articles Online This Issue Better Together Living In-between Coming Full Circle Presbyterians and Gender Justice Celebrating the Legacy . . . Mission in Our Midst Birthday Offering Dedication Service Birthday Offering Recipient List Dispatch from Forbearance Nurturing Our Faith Supporting Mission Mosaic Health Connections Strengthening the PC(USA)	Current Issue JAN/FEB 2007 About This Issue Contents FREE Resource How to Use In Our Next Issue to Horizons, call (800) 524-2612 or the January/February 2007 (HZN-07-200) issue of Horizons magazine ($4 plus shipping/ handling)

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