Board Member Andy Neimi with wife Carissa
My name is Andy Niemi. I live in Shoreview, MN with my wife of 25 years, Carissa. We have two children and will very quickly be empty nesting. I have worked in the insurance industry since the mid-1990’s. My work experiences have allowed me to learn a wide variety of skills and I am hopeful they will be beneficial to the work at Wilderness Fellowship. Above all of that, I love Jesus and have experienced his love and faithfulness to me through every circumstance and turn of my life. I am committed to bringing this ministry before him and trust that he will continue to lead and guide us.
In the early 2000’s, I went on my first prayer retreat to Wilderness Fellowship. It has become a regular part of my life, as I have learned the urgent things are not necessarily the most important things. It has been in the silence, stillness, and solitude of my many visits in the years since that I have heard my Father’s voice the clearest. If you know me, you likely know about Wilderness Fellowship. It is one of my favorite conversation topics.
The son of a lumberjack, I spent my formative years in the wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula harvesting timber alongside my father. My attraction to Wilderness Fellowship came very easily. If you remember the “Three Basketeers” photo from a previous newsletter, you will realize why I look familiar. I have loved the opportunity to get back in the woods and work over the years, too. Volunteering at The Wilderness brings back so many fond memories of my childhood: timber, chainsaws, and hard work.