Learning as she goes by Donald Teuma-Castelletti

Showing up somewhere new is, for most, intimidating.
Like the first day of school way back when, there is that inherent feeling of the need to run in the opposite direction. Either that or walk head long into the first group and start making friends.
This was the case for Rev. Dr. Jessica Hetherington, who started her first day in the Pontiac on July 1, 2017. Setting out, she attended the Bristol Canada Day ceremony, simply shaking hands and letting others know she’d be the new student minister with the United Church in town.
Now, one year later, she bids farewell for now as the newly-ordained minister begins her work closer to home. But in the short time that Hetherington has been here, she readily admits to falling in love with the beauty of the land, the support from the locals, and the opportunities she’s been offered, all here in the Pontiac.
Her journey to the area all began with the need for more experience in the field. While excelling within urban churches as she studied out of Montreal, it was decided that she’d need more hands-on work with people.
The best way to learn? Send her out to a rural ministry, of course. So, ever the eager student, she gratefully accepted the opportunity to conduct her internship in Bristol and started on her way, husband and children in tow.