Shoes in the entryway
by Sami Hoffer, first-year student from Shakopee, Minnesota
As a college student, there are times when the anxiety of work and school becomes too much to handle. I long for the comfort of my home and the presence of my family. A month or so ago, I decided to spend my Friday evening visiting the house of two people I had never met. David and Gena Foster greeted me at the door with smiles, and I immediately felt the peace of home come over me. I was in a new setting with people I had never met, and yet I knew I was in a place where my struggles could wait by the door. I kicked off my shoes, and someone put a plate in my hand, a fork in the other. The cinnamon roll looked delicious, so light and beautiful. I took a bite and the last of my worries melted away.
From 1990-2020, Buell and Kathy Fogg opened their home to Union’s students through the ministry of food and community. Every Friday afternoon, Kathy would bake anywhere from 10 to 12 dozen cinnamon rolls, and after vespers, students would pour into the Fogg home to eat and fellowship. This “Cinnaministry” became famous, making appearances in places like Australia, Canada, and even Hawaii. When the pandemic hit, this 30 year tradition came to a sudden halt. This year, however, the tradition is being rekindled in a new home.
David and Gena Foster are both Union alumni and felt the call to carry on this legacy of community and food for current students. The Fosters met at Union. David won Gena over by putting his shoes next to hers at Gymnaires practice and later by carrying her A&P books to class. When I asked Gena about this, she said, “It was so sweet.” She had a twinkle in her eye. After five and a half years of dating, they were married. Both earned nursing degrees, and continued their education to become nurse practitioners in the Lincoln area. David and Gena have two daughters and during the years when the girls were growing up, David and Gena were involved with different CVC and CVA ministries. Now that their girls are in college, they decided to try a different avenue of ministry: the Cinnaministry started by Buell and Kathy Fogg so many years ago.
I will say, I ate three cinnamon rolls the first night. They were so delicious, I could almost taste the love that Gena poured into them when she made them earlier that day. I was surrounded by new and old faces, laughter and peace. The Foster home is a home away from home, a place to rest and relax. There is always a seat for someone new, there are always enough cinnamon rolls to go back for seconds. So, if you know a student who needs a place to put their shoes, there is a spot by the door in the Foster’s entryway.