The Acacia Community

We recently got a chance to ask one of our newest friends, Kara Wester, some questions about who she is and how she ended up moving to Littleton after finishing nursing school in Minnesota.  If you haven’t gotten a chance to get to know her, this will give you some insight into who she is…

Give us the basics— where are you from, how old are you, tell us
about your family.

I am from Austin Minnesota. Austin is a very small town (about 25,000) and is known as “Spamtown USA.” Austin is where Hormel has their headquarters and that is pretty much why there is a town.

We have the Spam museum in our town to attract tourists;) I went to college not too far from home in Winona, Minnesota (yet a smaller college town). I am 22 years old and have a sister 18 and a brother 16. My dad is a pastor at an Evangelical Free church in Austin. My mom stayed at home with us. All of us kids play the piano. My sister and I never played sports but my brother plays soccer. Another big family activity we all enjoyed was playing games. We love to play board games, yard games, and my personal favorite cards!

You recently finished nursing school in Minnesota. What led you to
that field of study, and where do you hope to go with it?

I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 5. My grandmother and 2 of my aunts are both nurses and were good influences on me. I have always loved blood and guts and caring for people. Even though I always had the interest it wasn’t until I was 16 that I made my final decision to major in nursing. After coming home from a summer mission’s trip from Romania I sought God and felt His leading to pursue nursing. At that point I looked into colleges and eventually made my dream a reality. I don’t exactly know where want to go with my nursing but continue to seek God’s guidance. At this point I would like to work in the Birth Center and would love to work with teen moms.

You shared with me a little bit about your plans to move to Colorado
someday as a young girl. Tell me how those dreams have become a
reality this year, and what it feels like to actually be living out
here.

I am a very goal oriented person. I had many dreams and a lot of them have become reality in the last couple of months. Colorado was a big move for me and a little scary. The move has brought me out of my comfort zone. I still sometimes feel like I’m living in a dream. So far Colorado has been great! I feel so at home already. So far I have done some hiking and sightseeing in the mountains which is part of the reason I love Colorado so much. I look forward to trying snowboarding down the mountains this winter. It will be exciting to see what God has in store for me over the next few years!

What made you seek out a faith community when you got to Denver?
Share how you found WBCC….

In coming out to Colorado the first thing I wanted to do was find a church. I feel like church is a great place to meet people and develop good friendships with people who have the same passion. Church has always been a very important part in my life. I firmly believe that God is who brought me to WBCC. My story goes like this: I was driving to Wal-Mart (on Bowles) with my mom to pick up some stuff for my new place. On our way we saw the banner outside the church for the Beth Moore simulcast. I love Beth Moore and decided if I wanted to find out more about the simulcast that it would be easiest just to go to church. I didn’t have internet at my place yet so I knew nothing about the church or even if they had a “young adult” group. Going to church by myself was hard for me and not knowing anyone was something I had never experienced. I randomly just picked a seat but God had placed me in the perfect spot. During greeting the people sitting next to me found out that it was my first time and that I had just moved here; hearing that they made sure after the service to introduce me to Craig. Craig proceeded to introduce me to others in college group and that night I decided to jump out of my comfort zone again and go play Ultimate Frisbee. Since then I have been going to church and college group!

Your dad was/is a Pastor, right? Describe what it was like growing
up in that context, and share a few ways that being near ministry
shaped your view on God and the Church?

My dad became a pastor when I was in 3^rd grade. It wasn’t always easy being a pastor’s kid. Often times people would look at me as the “perfect little pastor’s kid.” I loved being involved in ministry and would do various things with preschoolers. People in the congregation often viewed my involvement in ministry as something I did because I was a pastor’s kid. There were times I felt great pressure to put on a mask and rise to the expectations people had for me. Unfortunately I became very good at pretending I had everything together. Moving off to college was a great experience. I had the chance to meet people without having that label of “pastor’s kid.” Growing up in ministry made me have a new appreciation for those who work in the ministry.

I believe that being close to ministry expanded my view of the Church. I have observed how critical people can be sometimes and have also seen the conflict that can exist. On the flip side I have also seen how encouraging people can be. The Church is far from perfect but growing up it was instilled in me the importance of having a fellowship of believers. It is very important to be involved and do your part in the body of Christ. My view of God I feel like has been shaped more by my dad. Watching him and seeing him handle different situations helped me realize the amazing love God has for us. I also further saw the importance of God’s grace that he extends to us.

What are some of the stereotypes being put on you about Minnesota or
Minnesotans? Are they true?

One stereotype about Minnesotans is one of the phrases we use: “Yah-sure, you betcha.” This is a Norwegian phrase that is not used any more by my generation. We will use the phrase as a joke when meeting people because it is one of the common stereotypes. We do however end our sentences in “ya know” or “ya know what I mean.”

Another stereotype (this one about Minnesota the state) is about the weather. Unfortunately it is all too true; in the summer it is very humid and in the winter it is very cold and when it snows the snow stays for pretty much the whole winter!

Often times Minnesota is also known for being nice (often called “Minnesota-nice”). This stereotype is often true. People in Minnesota are very nice and will often sugar coat things.

Minnesota good-bye is another stereotype that is all too true. When we say good-bye it takes all afternoon. I guess we just enjoy socializing and don’t say good-bye very well so we just drag it out as long as we can!

What’s one thing we should know about you that we haven’t learned yet?

One thing you should probably know about me is that I was homeschooled growing up. That said when it comes to music or movies I often don’t know much and I blame that on my sheltered life growing up;) I am pretty naïve and can be very gullible sometimes (especially if I’m tired).

Words your friends & family in MN would use to describe you…..

My brother and sister would describe me as bossy. Being the oldest I always liked to take charge. I still do but often times it takes me getting in my comfort zone before I’ll step up and be a leader.

Some words my friends and family would describe me as: energetic, outgoing, competitive, blonde (because I can be slow and ditzy sometimes), determined, talkative, loud, caring, and a good listener.

Are you a reader? Any recent books you loved?

I am not a reader but may become one now that I don’t have homework and I will be working nights. I have read a few books. One recent book I read and really enjoyed was Redeeming Love written by Francine Rivers. This is a fiction book and is based on the book of Hosea. A good romantic love story! I also read the Ashley Stockingdale Series by Kristen Billerbeck. This is another chic-flick series that I enjoyed. Another great book I read back in high school was Dominion by Randy Alcorn. This is a great book for everyone to read! It opens your eyes to inner city life and the racial issues that Americans still deal with today.

I have read Searching for God Know What by Donald Miller and plan to read Blue Like Jazz one day. Currently I’m readying Soul Graffiti;)

Best concert you’ve been to OR would want to go to?

One of the best concerts I’ve been to is actually a Lori Line concert. Lori Line is a pianist. I had the opportunity to hear her play a few different times as a young girl. She had an orchestra that would play with her some songs. At every concert she would always take song suggestions from the crowd and then would arrange them to fit into one song. My favorite part was during her Christmas concerts when you would ring your bells (that you brought) along with the songs. She inspired me to continue to practice piano!

Favorite TV Show & Why?

I really don’t have a favorite TV show. Working in the healthcare field I work in the evenings and don’t have a consistent schedule so it’s hard to follow a show. I do however love sports. Back in Minnesota I would follow the Twins in the summer and the Vikings during the fall/winter. I have been following the Rockies lately but will forever be a Twins fan! However, I do plan on becoming a Broncos fan this next football season!

Another question: Favorite movie & Why?

One of my favorite movies is Friday Night Lights. I love that it’s a football movie. It also portrays the importance of team work. I think the movie also gets the message across that there is more to life than just football and winning.