News for January 2012
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Trick or Treat for UNICEF Mae Smith
A Certificate of Appreciation was sent to our church from UNICEF stating “The U.S. Fund for UNICEF congratulates the Park Ridge United Methodist Church for helping UNICEF save kids’ lives.” One hundred and thirty dollars was sent as a result of the “Trick or Treat for UNICEF campaign” in which our Sunday School were involved.
Edited: January 11th, 2012
Christmas Poinsettias 2011
Christmas Poinsettias – 2011
The Poinsettias in the vestibule are given by the Lewis and Montgomery families, in loving memory of Elizabeth, William and Donald Lewis
Given By: In Memory of:
Ed and Rue Abdelhak Loved Ones
Adrianna Coe Husband, Parents, and Brother
Charlene Gungil and Family Parent, Ronnie & Leonora Williams
Eleanor Heil Loved Ones
Kaye Hong and Annie Hong Glory of God
Aubrey Langdon Loved Ones
Dolly Lewis Doc Lewis, Jedh, Ruth and Colby Barker
Harriet and Fred Ludewig Loved Ones
Sondra Marra Loved Ones
Marion McCarthy Parents, John & Nellie Holgren
Phyllis and John Mengler Verna & Joe Bishop
Larry Morgan Wife, Janet
Alice and John Morone Parents, Becky & Richard Wirt, John &
Louise Morone
Jeff and Jenny Morris Loved Ones
Olive Ottens Loved Ones
Christine Peterson Joel & Elizabeth Peterson
Will and Mae Smith Their parents
John Thomas and Lillian Thomas Wife & Mother Joy Thomas
Varian Family Mom & Nana
Doris White Husband, George (“Tex”)
Caroline Williams Parents, Leonora & Ronnie Williams
Adrianna Coe In Honor of: Son, Sachio Coe
Edited: January 11th, 2012
MY MOMENT
Memories of Christmas in Grenada, West Indies Charlene W Gungil
My memories of Christmas in the Caribbean still fill me with excitement and joy, though it has been decades since my last one! I remember the thrill of Christmas Carols playing on the radio beginning from December 1 and all the way through to December 25. The stores in the city would all put out their toys on trays on the sidewalks to entice the shoppers. Special toys would include starlights, water pistols and Kadar dolls. The supermarkets and larger food stores would order red delicious apples, green grapes and pears, and sell them to discerning families. This was a big treat since none of those fruits grew in the tropics, and was available only once a year. The usual mangoes, bananas and sugar apple would take a back seat as we indulged in these imported exotic fruits.
For the children, the excitement built and reached a crescendo on Christmas Eve! This was a special day as most of their shopping took place on that day. The stores remained open until ten o’clock at night, and the city was abuzz with people, activities and lots of fun. It was quite an event, as it would be one of the few times that children could stay out late into the evening. The weather was a balmy 80 degrees Fahrenheit; the air smelled of spices as all the Moms baked their special Christmas cake; musicians came serenading in the wee hours of the morning with their banjos and harmonicas, singing in English and Spanish.
Everyone went to church on Christmas morning. Methodists, Catholics and Anglicans (Episcopalians) all worshipped at 5 AM! We walked the mile to church with all of the neighbors in the dark, but dressed in our newest clothes. We watched the morning break over the ocean from our church, a spectacular site. The worship service ended with all of the Church bells ringing, and congregants spilling out into the street filled with anticipation for what the day would bring. We would go home to homemade bread, fresh eggs, codfish salad and hot cocoa grown locally. Later in the day, steel orchestras would traverse through the island playing all the famous carols, but on steel drums with a calypso rhythm! We would pack (six children and two parents) into the car, and visit our aunts, uncles and cousins to exchange gifts, drink punch de crème, eat cake and play with our new toys. At the end of our visits, we would pile back into the car, and head home, giddy with the joy and delight of another Christmas Day.
Edited: January 11th, 2012
NOTICES
HUMAN RELATIONS DAY Sunday January 15, 2012
Offering supports Youth Programs in Arkansas
Marissa McDaniel has known many challenges in her life. From her mother’s addiction to drugs and alcohol to her relocation and adjustment to a strange new life, her life and the lives of her family has been transformed with the support of BCD, Inc. This is her story:
At age 11, I watched my mother sink into a life of addiction to drugs and alcohol. As a result, my siblings and I were removed from the home and had to go live with relatives. Leaving my mother and being uprooted from familiar people and friends was very hard to deal with. Living in such a situation makes for a doubtful future. It’s hard to believe that you will go great places and do great things when the present is so uncertain.
About the time I turned 15, my mother found help in Better Community Development, Inc.’s (BCD) recovery program and, my siblings and I were uprooted once more to a different city and state. We went from a small town in North Carolina to what seemed like a huge city: Little Rock, Arkansas. The culture shock and becoming familiar with a new way of living was very difficult. So much so that, after a year, my older sister and I begged to go back to North Carolina. Her request was granted, mine was not. After she left, I became the oldest child in the family and responsible for my younger brother and sister. Your generous gifts to the Human Relations Day Offering supports programs like BCD, Inc. in Little Rock, AR.
I was heartbroken that I could not go home with my sister, but I put my faith in God, and I surrounded myself with good, positive people who were going somewhere in life. Moving to a new city was scary yet, the opportunities to do what I wanted and be who I wanted were limitless. I could have gone down so many paths. Having good friends and positive people in my life like those I found at Black Community Developer’s Youth Initiative Program have helped me stay on a positive path. I have been able to go places and experience so many things that I know I would not have if I actually had gone back to North Carolina with my older sister. It’s a blessing in fact. God knew what He was doing!
I now work for the New York City Department of Education as a Biology and Chemistry teacher for 9th and 10th graders. I teach in a small high school in the South Bronx. I love learning science, especially learning about the human body and I love helping people. So, my next endeavor will be to enroll in medical school, become a doctor and pursue a career in public health. After that, only God knows! Thank you, God! and thank all of you wonderful people at BCD who helped my mother find sobriety, and helped me build the foundation for my life.
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
– McDaniel, M. (2010) BCD Stories of Success Better Community Development Inc. Retrieved from http://www.bcdinc.org/index-14.html
–Adapted from the BCD,Inc.: Rebuilding Lives. Restoring Communities website
The article also appeared on United Methodist Church UMCOR website www.umcgiving.org
Edited: January 11th, 2012
