The Yellow Barn: Reuben's Journey BeginsBook I of The Yellow Barn TrilogyMeet Reuben Anderson, a 72-year-old dairy farmer in southwestern Minnesota whose remarkable journey of discovery reshapes his life and has a profound impact on the lives of those around him. Reuben's odyssey reveals the power of the gifts he brings to others, setting the stage for future experiences and innovations in volunteerism. We meet a rich cast of characters who are touched by Reuben's journey, a journey which ultimately creates extraordinary opportunities for many, and profoundly enriches the lives of countless others. Gary Solomonson Gary's early years were lived passionately in a small farming community in Minnesota's southwestern rolling prairie with its patchwork of meadows, lakes, rivers, marshlands, fields and grove-sized wooded areas surrounding small towns and family farms. It is this environment and its inhabitants which Gary brings vividly to life in The Yellow Barn Trilogy. Gary enjoyed volunteering from a very early age, especially in school, church, scouts, and regularly visiting seniors in their homes, nursing homes and hospitals, along with his father and mother who were very active volunteers for The Salvation Army. Following high school, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Cloud State University with majors in philosophy and speech/theater arts and a minor in German language. From 1968-1972, he completed an additional four years of graduate studies at Luther Theological Seminary where he received a Masters of Divinity. Prior to graduation, Gary was invited by Bishop Kent S. Knudson of the American Lutheran Church (now the ELCA) to become part of a group of graduates interested in creating innovative ministries, known as worker-priest ministries, working a full-time secular job and volunteering for a part-time ministry. His worker-priest ministry focused on multifamily housing and senior living communities i