First Year Reflection from the Albany Synod Fellow

Written by: Rev. Trey Tirpak

The most significant win I have been part of here at First has been the revitalization of the food pantry. In the late Fall of last year, the First Church Food Pantry started to re-imagine how we might “reopen” in new and better ways out of the pandemic. “Radical generosity” was the phrase coined by our senior minister, which I and volunteers then ran with.

Seeking to be radically generous, we decided to move from primarily giving cans and supplementary food items to primarily giving high-quality, fresh produce and meats, as well as cooking supplies like oil and sugar and even spices. We want guests to be able to make many meals for themselves and their families, all while trying to lower their grocery bill as much as we can. We also decided to regularly give personal items like feminine products, adult underwear, toiletries, laundry detergent, and cold-weather clothing. There’s even a “free shopping” experience in our chapel where guests are encouraged to take all that they need from the shelves. We used to give close to 9 meals per monthly visit, and now we’re giving close to 24 meals per monthly visit. We now give out thousands of pounds of goods to our neighbors a month, all without increasing our budget.

Equally important to our neighbors being blessed is that there has been a shift in the culture of volunteers at the pantry; radical generosity has changed us. We know that we can’t provide everything our neighbors need, but we can be radical with what we can give. That’s a win-win in my book.

I’m very grateful for this program, and I’m looking forward to the remaining time I have left.

Photo at top: Rev. Trey Tirpak teaching the children about communion on Easter Sunday 2021

Photos at bottom: First Church Preparing Thanksgiving Baskets for the Pantry

Dordt University Student: Raising awareness of a genetic mutation affecting Dutch individuals

Written by: Lucy Borkowski, a student at Dordt University in Sioux Center, IA

Are you proud of your Dutch ancestry and all of the family traditions associated with the

Dutch culture? It is great to be Dutch; however, in areas where there is a large population of

Dutch people, there is a high prevalence of a PLN genetic mutation, which is associated with

heart regulation. For our hearts to beat, calcium ions must be present in the cardiac cells, and

phospholamban, a protein encoded by PLN, regulates calcium levels in the heart. A recent

mutation in PLN was discovered in 2010 in the Netherlands, and patients who have this suffer

from heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and sudden cardiac death.

As of right now, there is no treatment or cure for the PLN mutation other than standard

heart failure treatment. Taking certain precautionary steps may mitigate the effects of this heart condition. Medications, like beta-blockers, can lessen the strain on the heart by slowing the heart rate. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) can be inserted to monitor heart

rhythms, pace the heart back to a regular rhythm, or administer shocks in the event of a deadly rhythm. Similarly, catheter ablation can be inserted through a blood vessel and into the heart to treat abnormal heartbeats. These treatments and heart transplantation are some methods of lowering the additional stress on the heart caused by PLN.

If you are interested in knowing if you have the mutation, the first step is to examine your

family history. Since the PLN mutation is a hereditary disease, an affected individual has a 50% chance of passing the predisposition on to their children. Typically, the effect of the PLN

mutation is not seen until people enter their middle-aged years, so looking for family members

who passed away unexpectedly from heart failure would be a good indication you might want to seek professional guidance. The next step would be to see your doctor, set up an appointment with a genetic counselor, and complete genetic testing.

To receive genetic testing, a genetic counselor will help you complete analysis of your

DNA. After receiving your test results, you should seek advice from your counselor and

cardiologist. If your results are negative, that does not mean you do not have the PLN mutation; you just do not currently exhibit the mutation and should retest your genes in the future. If you test positive for the PLN mutation, cardiologists recommend that you undergo cardiac screenings. It is also good to inform family members of your genetic condition as they might also possess the PLN mutant.

Finally, it can be difficult to grasp your medical condition and be joyful about your future

knowing that you live with a mutation affecting your heart. Reaching out to close friends and

relatives is another way to stay connected with people you love and remain grounded in

ordinary life. Remember, God has a plan for everything, and trusting in Him can bring joy amid

uncertainty. He alone designed the human heart, and we give glory to Him every time our hearts beat.

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Heart Health & Dordt University – Here’s a chance for you to learn more about your heart health, and to help raise awareness for others at the same time! Recently, a mutation in the PLN gene encoding for cardiac muscle cell regulation has been discovered to affect individuals with Dutch ancestry. Since it is a genetic condition, the PLN mutation is passed along from generation to generation, and carriers of the mutation may experience a decreased lifespan as well as cardiac heart failure symptoms. A research group at Dordt University is developing a study to raise awareness of this mutation and to help people understand the impacts of the mutation on families. If you are interested in learning more about PLN and its effects, please contact Lucy Borkowski at lcybrkwsk19@dordt.edu and follow the PLN Genetic Mutation Awareness Facebook Page.

The Law and Prophets Film Screening in Albany

Since June 1967, Israel has controlled, in one way or another, the lives of the Palestinians living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Over the course of fifty years, this control has become more sophisticated, more systematic, and harder to recognize.

The Law and the Prophets is a feature documentary that amplifies the voices of the brave, determined individuals who are trying to expose the destructive, unjust, and sometimes invisible ways in which Israel exploits and oppresses Palestinians.

At the Madison Theatre in Albany on Saturday, September 10th - 2 p.m.

Joshua, who directed the film, will be present for a time of Q&A following the screening.

The Law and the Prophets is a feature documentary that shows what life is like for the millions of Palestinians who are living under the Israeli military occupation. The film includes interviews with many of the brave, determined individuals, both Palestinians and Israelis, who are trying to expose the destructive, unjust, and sometimes invisible ways in which Israel exploits and oppresses Palestinians. Their voices deserve to be heard.

The screening is free and open to the public but reservations are requested.

RSVP to John Paarlberg