Congratulations, Dr. Larry Rast!

I didn't watch it live, but I did watch the video of the announcement of the new CTS president. (If you did not see it, check out the Witness, Mercy, Life Together blog on my sidebar.) Here's my "It's a small LCMS world" story.
I never got the whole story before my grandma died, but my mom's family and the Rast family go back awhile with LCMS roots. My grandma had an autograph book where Dr. Rast's father had signed it as a child. Dr. Rast's children thought that was pretty neat to see.
My senior year of college our wind ensemble went on tour and one of the churches we went to was Rev. Rast's church where he was a pastor before he came to the seminary.
My first year of teaching, Dr. Rast's oldest son, who is also named Lawrence, was in my class. It was the first year Dr. Rast was at the seminary. To say my first year of teaching was challenging is an understatement. I had neighborhood kids that had never heard any Bible stories before they came to our school and then Seminary professor and other pastor's children. We made it through that year together. It's hard for me to believe that Lawrence is graduating from college soon-I'll always think of him as a second grader!
The list of candidates for the next CTS president was a great list. I would have been happy with any of the candidates. But I think Ram and I know Dr. Rast a little better than any of the other candidates. We are thrilled that he was chosen.
I taught Rev. Harrison's (LCMS Synodical president) oldest son, Dr. Rast's oldest son, and Deaconess Nielsen's (works for CPH especially with the Sunday School materials) oldest daughter. Now I'm curious who else I had in my small classes at Zion Lutheran Academy that will have parents elected to do work for the LCMS.
It was before the age of internet announcements, but I remember when Dr. Wenthe was elected as CTS president. I remember all the talk a few years after he began of what a good president he was. After that we took it for granted that he was CTS president and doing a good job. I pray that Dr. Rast can fill Dr. Wenthe's job and continue the mission of CTS.