Catching Up With... Katy Hanson

Carys Parker
Pastoral Intern

This summer, Carys Parker, West Side's Pastoral Intern, will be visiting with some of our members who are not able to be worshiping with us in-person. Be sure to check back each week to see what is happening with our dear friends!

What is bringing you joy or encouragement right now?

Katy is an endlessly and wonderfully curious person who enjoys continued research in her field of speech-language pathology --- specifically social cognition and the psychological aspects of understanding and using speech and language to communicate,
(the field she spent the majority of her career working in). She also enjoys combining her love of learning new skills using her creative side: designing her garden, sewing, essay writing, and making and selling jewelry. She hopes to start learning how to draw with pen and ink in combination with water colors, as other family members have done. She is intrigued with learning Picasso’s technique of not lifting the pen from the paper until the end of the drawing.

Katy further shared how she finds joy in learning and practicing new prayerful ways of being present with God and, as a direct result, more present with others. She enjoys seeing how prayer better connects her to others from church, her neighbors, and individuals she passes on the street. She has experienced how prayer has the power to deepen her empathy and transform one’s, perhaps negative, inner feelings into an increased desire to bless and care for others. 

Tell me a little about your experience at West Side.

Katy expressed how very meaningful the West Side community has been for her and her late husband Mike. She is thankful for the space, resources, and community she finds at West Side that continue to support her in deepening her relationship with Jesus. 

How can we be praying for you, Katy?

Katy has been experiencing increasing pain, particularly in her back and legs, which makes it difficult for her to walk and be active caring for her home as well as enjoying a variety of creative projects. She has asked for prayer for pain relief and guidance and wisdom for her medical specialists in finding how to increase her comfort and physical functioning in the future 
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