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<v ->Rebecca, thank you so much</v>

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for your willingness to be interviewed.

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And if you could please tell me your full name.

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<v ->Reverend Rebecca Tollefson.</v>

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<v ->And could you spell Tollefson?</v>

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<v ->It's T, as in tomato</v>

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O-L-L-E-F, like in farm

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and then son, S-O-N.

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<v ->Great, I like that t as in tomato. That's great.</v>

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Um you are clergy.
(laughing)

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You are clergy.

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<v ->Yes.</v>

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<v ->In the Presbyterian Church USA, correct?</v>

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<v ->Correct.</v>

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<v ->And when and where were you born, Rebecca?</v>

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<v ->I was born in Princeton, New Jersey.</v>

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<v ->Hmm.</v>

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<v ->On March 25, 1952.</v>

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<v ->Okay. Thank you.</v>

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And where did you go to school?

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<v ->Are you referring to seminary?</v>

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<v ->Yes.</v>

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<v ->Okay, Louisville Presbyterian.</v>

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<v ->Okay.</v>

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<v ->Seminary. Louisville, Kentucky.</v>

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<v ->Thank you.</v>

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And what work or ministry were you doing

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at the time of Re-Imagining?

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<v ->I was the associate for women employed</v>

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by the church in the women's ministry unit for the PCUSA.

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<v ->Great and could you say a little bit</v>

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about what that involved.

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What that work involved.

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<v ->I had a wonderful committee across the United States.</v>

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I think there were maybe, gosh, I wanna say 15 of us.

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<v ->Wow.</v>

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<v ->We worked on issues concerning</v>

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women's church administrators,

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church educators, clergy women.

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We looked at pay equity.

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We looked at

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the lack of women

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as head of staff for churches.

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I'm just trying to think.

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We really worked more on

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collaborating with other pieces

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of the women's ministry unit.

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When I first came, Maryann Harvey assigned me

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to the general assembly writing team

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on the sexual misconduct policy for the denomination.

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<v ->Oh.</v>

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<v ->And so I explained to her ever since</v>

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that I'm still the key point person here

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in the Presbyterian.

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(laughing)

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<v ->For that issue?</v>

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<v ->Well, yeah. And now instead it's called sexual misconduct.</v>

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Well there's that policy but it's called

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selfie boundaries now and I appreciate that,

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more positive aspect of

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how do we better care for ourselves

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and our congregations.

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<v ->Yes. Yes.</v>

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And what work or ministry did you do

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after Re-Imagining, Rebecca?

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<v ->After that, then with downsizing on national depth,</v>

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I was able to get a position with Call Referral Services

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in Louisville, still on national stats.

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And in that, I worked with all

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the personal information forms

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that contain true the denomination line

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people seeking other positions.

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<v ->Okay.</v>

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And your current position is...

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<v ->I'm the executive director</v>

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of the Ohio Counsel of Churches.

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<v ->Great. Thank you so much.</v>

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Rebecca, how and when did you

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first become aware of feminist theology?

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<v ->You know I was looking at that question</v>

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and I'm trying to remember.

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I'm thinking maybe in the mid '70's

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with the

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International Women's Year.

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<v ->Okay.</v>
<v ->In 1975.</v>

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And both my mom and I became part of

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consciousness awaring groups.

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So I'm thinking there was some of that.

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I don't think there was much in seminary.

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I don't remember that.

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Seminary was 35 years ago

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so I remember 75 but not 35 years ago.

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(laughing)

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<v ->Well obviously that was really important.</v>

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I'm curious, what do you remember about that?

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About that international year

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and the consciousness raising groups.

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Any memories stand out?

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<v ->Oh yeah. I think it was pivotal for my own self-awareness</v>

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and development

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as becoming independent

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and seeking to do the ways

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that I as a female wanted.

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Became aware of my rights.

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And I think that was the real grounding

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for where I am today in terms of my own personhood.

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And how I've been able to maneuver,

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how I've been able to develop relationships

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and be in different positions.

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<v ->That's fascinating.</v>

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Could you just say a little bit more

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about how that happened?

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How the group or the international year

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developed that in you?

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<v ->Well,</v>

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I remember I graduated from college in '74

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and

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I then spent time in Grand Teton National Park.

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And then came back to my parental home

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and was just kinda sittin' around

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and my dad said "you need to leave".

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(laughing)

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Seriously.

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So I moved to Des Moines from Charlotte, Iowa.

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So it was not far.

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<v ->Yeah.</v>

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<v ->But being on my own,</v>

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my mom was a strong individual.

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<v ->Yeah.</v>

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<v ->Again, very much a mentor I would say and an example.</v>

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<v ->Yeah.</v>

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<v ->And when she started in one of these circles</v>

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in our hometown, I was still there

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and I joined her with that.

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And all I remember is that sense that women have rights too.

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And, yeah.

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And there was,

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well I won't say

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because that would not be confidential then.

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<v ->Yeah. Good.</v>

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<v ->There were certain people at that time</v>

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could care less about women's issues.

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<v ->Yes.</v>

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<v ->And so this was just a real growing time.</v>

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And when I went to seminary in '78,

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I got known as this uppity woman.

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<v ->Oh.</v>

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<v ->Well, it was okay.</v>

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<v ->Yeah.</v>

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<v ->I was sticking up and at that time,</v>

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the Presbyterian church had come out with a new hymnal.

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No, we didn't have a hymnal

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but we instituted inclusive language.

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And I was the one who you know,

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you've got to use inclusive language

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you know when it wasn't used.

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I remember my second year, somebody said,

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who came to seminary, I was told to be aware of you.

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And I said "really?"
(gasps)

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(laughing)

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<v ->Wow.</v>

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<v ->Yeah, watch out for her. Yeah, I didn't put up with crap.</v>

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<v ->Yeah.</v>

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<v ->So I think that International Women's Year</v>

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just kinda set me on a path where I continued to learn.

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Where I was given opportunities

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to learn outside the box, if you will.

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I look back and I think

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that was really the pivotal time for me.

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<v ->Uh-hmmmm. And I love it that it was you and your mother.</v>

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And your mother was kind of the mentor for this.

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<v ->Well, she went to the Re-Imagining conference in '93.</v>

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<v ->Oh she did?</v>

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<v ->She did and she also had her best friend</v>

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from high school meet her there.

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So that was really neat.

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<v ->Yes. You know I notice there's a beeping sound</v>

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on the phone.

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Do you know what that's from, Rebecca?

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<v ->Let me go back to speaking like this.</v>

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It could be incoming calls.

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<v ->Oh okay. Sure. Okay.</v>

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<v ->Let me try this.</v>

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<v ->Okay.</v>

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(laughing)

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Good.

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Thank you.

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<v ->Yes.</v>

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<v ->Good.</v>

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So we're moving to Re-Imagining now.

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Could you tell me about what led

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to your initial involvement in Re-Imagining?

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Rebecca?

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Rebecca?

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Rebecca?

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Have I lost you?

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Hello?