“They made my favorite kind of cake, German chocolate,” Stafford said. “They did a lot to prepare our home here. They painted some parts of the parsonage in the inside. They even redid some plumbing. They also bought new appliances, a washer, dryer and an oven.”
Material blessings are awesome, but he has more important things to focus on. Every morning, he gets up and eats his breakfast, a Bible at his side.
“The rest of my family is not up yet, so I’m all alone with my breakfast reading some scripture,” Stafford said. “But after God, comes family.”
As a family man, he can’t wait to get in the hearts of the children at both churches. But, he wants his congregations to know he is there for them beyond the sermon level.
“They should feel comfortable to come in and talk to me about anything,” Stafford said. “Even though I’ve been a pastor for just 11 years, I’ve heard almost everything. I’ve visited people in prison and jail.”
He’s a human being too, so no matter what someone needs to confess, he will listen and bring them God’s forgiveness to their situation.
“Visiting nursing homes is something I really enjoy too,” Stafford said. “I feel like I can really relate and share with older people. That’s something I grew up with.”
Born in Pine Island, it feels good to be closer to family again. Now only an hour away from loved ones, instead of six, he looks forward to forming closer family bonds and making new memories.
“My wife Amy is from Southern Minnesota too, in Monticello,” Stafford said. “Here there are also more opportunities for my children. We can actually make a day trip to a museum in Minneapolis. Before, we would have to stay overnight.”
He beams with positivity about the new changes, but knows this drastic move will definitely be an adjustment, a good one.
“In Lengby, I could see my neighbor’s house, but our yards didn’t touch,” Stafford said. “This is the first time we’ve lived in a house where we can go to our backyard and talk to the neighbors.”
New faces mean more growing opportunities. And where new opportunities lie, he is happy knowing God is there to guide him through them all.
“I preached in Hartland once when I was a student at Bethany Lutheran Seminary,” Stafford said. “One week, the pastor was on vacation so I came here and preached. So, I had seen these churches once, but that was 12-13 years ago.”
Preaching the gospel to this little corner of the world is what he is called to do.
“When I decided to become a pastor in college, I had such a peace about it,” Stafford said. “I never wavered from it. Faith was always important to me even as a kid. I remember owning my own Bible when I was 9 years old.”
He knows the future is filled with many dips and turns, but can say with utmost confidence that this two-point perish is his focus for the far distant future.
They chose me,” Stafford said. “I chose them.”
