I’m in my thirties, was born in California but have lived in the Netherlands, Germany, and Utah since then, and returned to the Bay Area in December 2015. I live in Berkeley, CA with my husband Loel and daughter G. I’m finishing up my M.Div at Church Divinity School of the Pacific–my third and hopefully last graduate degree!
Before seminary, I earned an MA and Ph.D in American Studies, with a dissertation on Latter-day Saint memory and identity. I’ve worked as an adjunct instructor in Germany and Salt Lake City, UT and a K-12 tutor here in the Bay Area; I’ve also been a stay-at-home dad with volunteer work on the side. Now I’m Rev. Mees: a transitional deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of California, awaiting ordination to the priesthood in June 2023. I’m deeply invested in living out the story of Jesus through inclusive and accessible worship, helping churches move out of the pews and into the neighborhood, and theologizing with children, youth, and adults.
My pronouns are they/he, and I like to cycle, lift weights, do puzzles, and put together Lego sets. My library card might be my most prized possession, and I love being a dad more than I can express.
A note: I started transitioning in 2019, and posts published before then are written from the perspective of someone assigned female at birth. I decided not to edit them–the sentiments and ideas expressed therein are still true, even if I would express them differently today.
Rev. Mees 
I loved reading these things about you!
This might sound a bit odd, but I think I used to be neighbors with your family on Via Navarra, in Fremont, California. We lost contact when we left Calif. and you moved back to the Netherlands. I was going through old photos and found pictures of Marion and myself with all the kids, that being you, Anneke, Elske and my boys Grant & Lance. I was curious and started searching on-line on found this blog. By some chance, I hope I’ve found the right person.
Loree Becker
Hi! You did find the right person (good sleuthing on your part!). By chance, my mom and I were talking about you and your boys the other day. (I think one of your sons shared a birthday with Elske? On September 18th?) If you want, I could pass my mom’s email address on, if you’d like to get in touch with her. Let me know. I hope all is well with you!
Saskia
Yes, I would love to get in touch with your mother! By the way I love your blog!
Thanks! Why don’t you send me an email at eatsleepreadlove@gmail.com and I’ll pass it on to my mom.
Hi Saskia,
I’ve only had time to read a post or two and skim through your very clever, interesting 100 things about yourself. I love your “multinationalism” tho I’ve never even traveled outside the US except very short, long-ago ventures over the borders into Mexico and Canada.
Maybe I find you so fascinating because you have strong similarities to both me and my daughter, who is about your age. She is hoping, matter of fact, to complete her funding to get to go again to Germany–this time for just a 10-day trip visiting hospitals and such as part of the Master of Social Work program with USC (her undergrad also). She sought out an au pair job in Germany right after college graduation 3 yrs ago… landed just south of Ulm. Was a tough adjustment with 3 challenging kids, but she loved the travel and socializing (other nannies, German people and even some relatives in the country). She even more loves London–spent one term there as you did here at Berkeley. She has an interest in possibly a two-year stint in London after her MSW next May.
So you get the feel. (Also knows French a bit better than German, which she picked up well for comprehension while there and a little for conversation.) I hope to help her e-publish a humorous and/or spiritual-lesson kind of book on her European travels and au pair experiences (she has lots of great pics and IS a good writer).
Back to me… your PhD focus is intriguing…. I am similarly interdisciplinary. I hope we can stay in touch. I am and will be looking for writing collaborators. There is so much to get across because our education system is unable (or unwilling) to get to many of the most important things to learn (like ABOUT religion and religious psychology, not religious content per se). Sounds like you might appreciate that… And my hunch is that Europeans are more sophisticated and knowledgeable about the nature of religion and religious beliefs, even if they don’t know much about even Christianity in most cases–history, doctrines, etc.
So sorry I am only now responding, I didn’t see this comment until I was updating my “about me” page just now!
If you do help your daughter get that e-book published, I would love to read it. She sounds like she has a very interesting life! I’ll check out your blog and I hope to be in touch!
Hi Saskia,
No problem about the delay… you are very busy! As to procedure, a couple things: you may be able to set your blog to see “notifications” and/or get emailed with all new comments, as I have mine and it appears yours is also WordPress. Secondly, it corrected when I hit “reply” but prior, the rt. margin was cutting off the last 2-3 letters in this About Me section… not sure the cause of that.
Incidentally, my dau (Whitney Pepper if you do FB and want to friend her… and I may suggest you to her) did get to Germany in June and learned lots and had a good time… got her interested in military recovery and re-entry to society from war zones and/or serious injuries, maybe including family work. She’s been very busy so not moved along on a Nanny or travel, etc. book yet. So I have no idea when she may but will try to remember to keep you posted.
You might want to check AwayPoint, a blog by psychologist/author Valerie Tarico who I know and highly respect. Particularly check for her recent posts on a couple aspects of Mormonism–re. Romney as Pres. cand., and just the other week on significance of Mormon underwear (not a deep history or other serious study, more light-hearted than most of her posts).
Talk to you later sometime!
Howard
saskia so nice to meet you
David in Maine USA
Hi Saskia, this may sound a little odd but I’ve been trying to find a way to contact you. I tried twitter but I can see you aren’t active on there (though we seem to swing in similar circles!)
My husband is about to start a PhD in Utah history and was hoping to ask you some questions. Is there any way you would be willing to send me an email at madelinepetersen(at)gmail(dot)com?
Thanks so much!
Dear Mees/Saskia,
I’m glad to have found you and contact you on behalf of the farewell of your doctoral supervisor Randi who’s getting retired by the end of next February. Please get back to me soon since I couldn’t find any mail contact to write to you directly.
Looking forward to hearing and hopefully reading from you soon!
Best groetjes from Dortmund, Sandy