Adult Delegation Bios
July 19-29, 2002
Hello, my name is Heidi Meyer. I live in Uptown Minneapolis and have been coming to SJA for about a year and a half. I am a member of a fantastic Small Christian Community that began in the fall of 2001 and am very excited about being part of the delegation to TN2. I grew up in Plymouth and graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts. After college, I studied German and taught English in Vienna, Austria on a Fulbright Grant. I presently work at AFS, a non-profit international student exchange organization in St. Paul. I am an avid cross-country skier, book club reader, and traveler, and have recently become a Spanish language learner! The journey to TN2 will be my first trip to Central America.
Hello, my name is Susan Sell. I am married to Jack Sell and the mother of 4 adult "children" and the grandmother of 6. I am currently a member of the Parish Council. I had the pleasure of hosting and spending time with the TNII delegates when they visited SJA. I look forward to strengthening these friendships as we visit TNII. In 2001, Chuck MacDonald of the webteam wrote a feature on Susan Sell, Parish Trustee.
Hola! My name is Danette Moore and I’m very excited about being part of the delegation visiting Tierra Nueva Dos. I grew up with a family of 10 in a Minnesota farm community before moving to the City of St. Paul, where I’ve lived for the last 9 years. I live with my husband of 8 years, John-Sebastian, our 3 cats, and our parrot. When I’m not working as a City Planner, I’m enjoying camping, canoeing, hiking, and now practicing my Spanish. I look forward to seeing the beautiful country of Guatemala and meeting my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Hello, my name is Carol Krush. I am 59 years old. I am a general practice medical doctor and have worked at a Native American clinic in Minneapolis for the past 28 years. I have 2 sons ages 23 and 25. I enjoy dancing, biking, skiing, hiking, running, camping, reading, conversations, and parties with friends. I am a member of Alanon and the SJA family group for over 20 years. I am also the coordinator of the TN2 bible study group.
Hello, my name is Dorothy Irvin. I have experience teaching Bible and biblical archaeology and repairing houses. My most recent career is in Asian bodywork therapy. I am the mother of a grown son and daughter. For more on Dorothy, visit our 2001 feature on her.
Hello, my name is Kathy Malaske. I am married to my wonderful husband Tom. Tom and I have been married for seven years. I am blessed with two great stepchildren, Jeni and Erick. Jeni and Erick are both in College and live away from home. I work for a company called Conwed Plastics which makes different kinds of plastic netting. I love to garden and work in my yard. I am really looking forward to going to Guatemala and meeting everyone.
Hello, my name is Kathy Hoene. I am very excited to be a part of the delegation to Tierra Nueva II and learning about our sister parish relationship and the people in the sister parish community. I have never traveled outside North America and I hope to gain a larger world perspective particularly in our countries’ relationships with each other.
Hola! My name is Mindy Ahler Olmstead. I have been involved with the Sister Parish Committee at St. Joan’s for over 5 years and am the current chair of the committee. This will be my 6th journey to Guatemala and I am looking forward to reconnecting with my many dear friends who live there. I am very excited to be traveling with this fabulous group of women. My husband Kraig and I live in Southeast Minneapolis along with our dog and 2 cats. I work at a fair trade retail store in St. Paul called Ten Thousand Villages, which sells things from Guatemala along with things from many other countries. I also enjoy biking, skiing, reading, cooking, and spending time in nature.
Hello, my name is Pat Johnson. I am looking forward to meeting more of our Guatemalan friends in Tierra Nueva II. I enjoyed meeting the TN2 delegates when they were at St. Joan of Arc. I am a mother, a grandmother, and a teacher. Twice a week I teach English to new immigrants to the USA. Many are Spanish speaking. I teach in their homes because they often have small children and cannot go to lessons at a school. It is a pleasant job. I feel as if I am part of their families.
Hello, my name is Judy Miller. I am a widow, mother of four 30 year olds and doting grandmother of 2. I was born in St. Paul and attended 12 years of Catholic schools. I lived about 3 miles from where I was born. I am one of the many St. Paulites that attend St. Joan's and wonder how I got along without it. I have been to Guatemala in the early 90s with my husband. He was active in Central America issues and I just followed along. I am looking forward to this trip with this great group. It will be a great learning experience.