First Lutheran Church, Onalaska, Wis.
Fifth-grader at Eagle Bluff Elementary School, Onalaska, Wis.
I believe that everyone should be treated equally and have a second chance. Nobody should be left out or be bullied, no matter what. I believe anyone can do anything that they set their mind to.
I asked people to give money to the La Crosse Collaborative to End Homelessness for my birthday instead of gifts because every year for the past three years I’ve donated money to somewhere instead of birthday presents. I figured other people need presents/money more than I do.
I pray for a safe and healthy day and night, and I pray that my friends and family are also safe. I also say thanks for the wonderful day I had. I normally pray in bed, but sometimes I pray during the day—and I, of course, pray at church.
Someday I want to be a pastor because it’s not usually a typical thing a fifth-grader would want to be when they grow up. Also, God made all these amazing things happen to me and without him I wouldn’t be here. So I guess it’s just my way of saying thanks.
I think it’s important to help people because I guess I put myself in their shoes and see them struggling, and I wouldn’t want to be in that position. I would want someone to help me. I’ve had an amazing life so far, and I feel everyone should have an amazing life. It makes me feel amazing to help others.
I’m excited to start confirmation classes because it’s going to be different from Sunday school because we’ll be digging deeper into the Bible stories and they will motivate and inspire us.
My favorite Bible story is Ruth 1:16-17 because I read it at my parents’ wedding. It meant a lot to me, but I’m still young so I don’t know too many stories.
My favorite hobby is playing softball! I enjoy family time and hanging out with my friends at school and in my free time.
When I talk to people about my church, I tell them everyone’s really nice and I have a lot of friends there. My pastors are very inspiring. And I like the communion bread!
The best part of fifth grade is all the freedom we get. We get to eat snacks during the day and we’re allowed to sit where we want and bring toys or fidgets. I enjoy that one of my best friends is in my class. My teacher is amazing and I enjoy going to school every day. I love seeing the little kids in kindergarten because me and my friends help with bus duty.
One thing I wish people knew about kids my age is that we can come up with really inspiring things. Just because we may not be very skilled in the subjects at school doesn’t mean that we aren’t skilled with our talents and kindness. Kids have more power to change the world than they realize.
My favorite part of going to church is listening to the sermons because they relate the stories to real life. I like it when I get to sit with friends and listen to the praise band and choir.
I’m a Lutheran because my parents started going to First Lutheran Church before I was born, so I’ve grown up there. I like how our church welcomes everyone and nobody feels excluded. I also love our church’s beliefs. I’m a Lutheran for life! (To watch a short video of Olivia reading this response, click here.)
Sentence prompts are provided to each person featured. If you’d like to nominate someone for “I’m a Lutheran,” email megan.brandsrud@elca.org.
