Erika’s Story

Over winter break of my sophomore year of college, I read on social media that a friend of a friend was in the hospital. Her sister had invaded her home and attacked her and her own father, and the father died. The girl I knew was in critical condition. Suddenly, I felt reminded of every terrible thing that has ever happened in the world. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of bad things, never to surface. 

I came to church the next morning, and it was like seeing the sun again. I knew I could ask Pastor or my friends to pray for her, but even more than that, I was reminded that I had a whole community of people who will always have my back. Being here reminds me that the world is not a dark and dreadful place. For me, Abiding Presence is my lighthouse in a world that can often feel desolate. 

I started working for the Abiding Presence internship program during its inaugural summer in 2020. For the past three summers, I have worked for the Food Ministry as the senior food ministry intern. My time at the food pantry taught me so much. More than anything, I’m grateful for the relationships I made through that work. I’ve been able to connect and talk with so many of our adult members of the church who I may have never known otherwise. 

This summer, I’ve had the privilege of being our first-ever “writing” intern. My main project has been working with Pastor Meredith to write a book about our internship program and how other churches can replicate it. In addition to this, I have been writing profiles on all of the college-age interns. One of my favorite parts of this summer has been writing these profiles; I have loved not only hearing my peers’ stories but also being able to tell them. 

I am so grateful to the Abiding Presence internship program for giving me and my peers a safe space to gain meaningful work experience and build relationships. Working here has been my favorite part of each of my summers since graduating high school. 

Erika Maaseide will be a senior at Lehigh University this fall studying History with minors in English and Global Studies.