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09 Oct

October 9, 2012 |

Roger and Marilyn Reeck, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Honduras

On Sunday we eagerly watched the presidential elections in Venezuela. A few months ago we had little interest in that country but, since last May when we helped at the first One Story workshop, the Lord has laid this South American country on our hearts. We are consultant/trainers for two of the five One Story projects there.

During this past week we have feverishly worked on Spanish stories for the next One Story workshop. We leave on Wednesday, October 11, again for Venezuela. Our time will be divided between two activities. We fly together to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and the next day leave separately to two different areas of the country. Marilyn will travel to a Karina village, and Roger will travel to the Amazonas to visit a Curripaco village area. We will be observing One Story projects among these ethnic groups. We will then travel to a retreat center near the city of Valencia for a one week workshop. There will be 5 different language groups represented.

La Ceiba One Story Workshop. This was truly an exercise in flexibility. The particular group of participants, the date (finally settled on September 17-27), and the focus of the workshop kept changing. Finally, plans came together and then things changed again. We were to have 3 participants from Venezuela, one from Mexico, 2 from Honduras, and one from Nicaragua. Then the day they were to arrive, 3 were not able to fly (passport and yellow fever vaccine problems). We regrouped and came up with new workshop topics and schedule. The participants included Braulio from Venezuela; Jotam, a Mayagna Indian from Nicaragua; and two Misquito men from Honduras. Praise the Lord that in spite of many difficulties, the goals were achieved.

The end of October, Roger will leave for Texas and be in the US until the middle of December. His pain level has remained high while here in Honduras, and we have chosen that he not be here during the months of the worst rains. We pray that being in a different weather situation will help relieve his pain. He continues to wear the boot and prosthesis on his left leg.

09 Oct

October 9, 2012 |

Front Line Foresters (l-r): Will Stauffer, James Parker, Jake Essig, Lance Wood, Brian Menzie, Kyle Geiss, Becca Berhai, Antonio Castillo (click to enlarge).

Huntington University has launched a student ambassador program to represent the student body to alumni, family, and friends of HU.

Nine students will serve as Front Line Foresters this year. They will host Foundation Breakfasts, participate in Prayer Ministry luncheons, host Homecoming & Family Weekend events, welcome the Board of Trustees to meetings, and show appreciation to donors with thank-you calls and letters.

Through these interactions, the student ambassadors will develop leadership skills and gain a basic knowledge of philanthropy and the workings of the Advancement Office at HU.

“Since beginning my role in advancement more than a year ago, I’ve had a strong desire to engage with and involve students in a more significant way in donor relations,” said Vince Haupert, vice president for advancement. “We asked our esteemed faculty to recommend students who are spiritually grounded, academically successful, and display a professional demeanor. We certainly didn’t lack for qualified students.”

08 Oct

October 8, 2012 |

The new track at Huntington University.

Huntington University dedicated two significant renovation projects during Homecoming & Family Weekend on October 5-6.

In 2010, Huntington made renovations to Becker Hall (the Administration Building) to update the building and to create space to house the digital media arts program. The biggest renovations were to Davis Hall, on the third floor. It now supports a film studio with a greenscreen, a stadium-seat theater, faculty offices, editing rooms, and an equipment cage.

The DMA department named the Martin Center for Digital Media Arts in honor of Jerry and Elsie Martin and their support of the recent capital campaign. The ceremony was held on the third floor of Becker Hall.

Over the summer, the university renovated and resurfaced the track and field stadium. The stadium was named the King Track and Field Stadium in honor of longtime HU coach Tom King (right).

King first came to Huntington in 1970 as the dean of men. Over the next four decades, he coached more than 94 All-America Scholar Athletes. His athletes have earned more than 53 All-America honors, including four-time national shotput champion Jim Arnett, two-time national champion John Ngure, and national runners-up Danielle Vohs and Jenny Keil. Teams and individuals coached by King have competed at the national level many times. He has also been named MCC Coach of the Year in 32 of the past 44 years.

08 Oct

October 8, 2012 |

Silas

Sam and Sarah Ward are mourning the death of their two-year-old son, Silas. Silas passed away Friday, October 5, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind. Sam is pastor of Creative Worship & Drama at Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne. For those of you who attended the 2011 US National Conference, Sam was the worship leader throughout the conference.

Viewing: Monday, October 8, 2012, 3-5 and 6-8 pm.
Viewing location: D.O. McComb’s Funeral Home, 8325 Covington Rd., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Funeral: 11 am Tuesday, October 9. Viewing one hour beforehand.
Funeral location: Emmanuel Community Church, 12222 U.S. Highway 24 W., Fort Wayne, Ind.

Many people have left notes on Sam’s Facebook page. Cards can be sent to the Wards via the church address:

Sam and Sarah Ward
12222 W Jefferson Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN 46814

08 Oct

October 8, 2012 |

Bishop Phil Whipple (right) with Keith and Nicole Elliott.

On September 30, 2012, Bishop Phil Whipple conducted the ordination of Keith Elliott, senior pastor of Criders UB church in Chambersburg, Pa.

04 Oct

October 4, 2012 |
Jim Woodward received the "Outstanding Service Award" in 2010.

Jim Woodward of First UB church (Findlay, Ohio) received the “Outstanding Service Award” in 2010.

Ryan Dunn, reporter for The Courier newspaper (Findlay, Ohio)

Before Jim Woodward asked the dozen jail inmates to join him for an opening prayer, he acknowledged change will not be easy for the prisoners.

“I think we all need patience,” Woodward told them. “I know I do.”

Each Thursday night, a Hancock County jail recreation room becomes a makeshift church, complete with pastors preaching growth through Scripture. The congregation is detained men and women. Some have been convicted of crimes, others are waiting while their cases inch forward in court.

Inmates can attend one of three 45-minute sessions, two for men and one for women, often discussing responsibility and opportunity after making poor decisions.

Woodward, who organizes the program and owns The Razor’s Edge barbershop in Findlay, said the meetings grew from a monthly guest speaker to weekly Bible study. “We felt if we did it once a month, they’d fall back through the cracks before we got back there,” Woodward said.

Despite strict searches by corrections officers, inmates consistently visit the service. “Would you go to church if you were patted down before and strip-searched after?” Woodward said.

They meet in a large room that makes tackling heavy topics difficult. Voices echo loudly off the cinder block walls and several air vents hum, but few inmates break eye contact.

The Revs. Darwin Dunten (right) and Teddy Fairchild, of Findlay’s First United Brethren and The Rock churches, respectively, routinely cite Bible passages that speak of strength through God. Both pastors said they deliver the same sermon, with additional explanation, as they do during regular church service. “What I preach on Sunday morning is what I bring here, literally,” Fairchild said.

After a year and a half of chaplain work, guiding both inmates and corrections officers, the jail has become a “second church” for Fairchild (right).

There are remarkable moments when inmates connect deeply to a reading, but Fairchild said his group aims more for long-term growth.

“I don’t think there’s ever really a success mark,” he said. “Our goal is to plant the seed for change.”

The jail church can guide that change, he said, through rehabilitation programs and job searches. If inmates prove to be committed to improving their lives after incarceration, Fairchild vouches for that progress.

Dunten said they try to encourage inmates, and hope they will later join a church. “When they come in, we’re not condemning them,” Dunten said. “A lot of these people have never been encouraged.”

Though some argue against jail programs working to inspire inmates, Dunten said Scripture clearly states the importance of doing so. “I understand the frustration, but it does not take away the responsibility the church has,” he said.

The personal approach is what draws inmates, such as James Waller, each week. He said he always wanted to attend church, but struggled to find the right fit. The program highlights relevant Bible messages that are applicable to everyday life, he said. “Every time I go to these, when somebody talks, it relates to me,” he said. Waller said he plans to visit Fairchild’s church after leaving jail.

A recent session hosted incoming County Commissioner Brian Robertson. He asked the inmates to share the burdens that continue haunting them. Some spoke of their past, ongoing temptations, and pressures to provide for a family. “It’s very, very easy to be a wayward son, but it’s hard to find a path to the straight and narrow,” Robertson told them.

More than 30 people attended Bible study that night, about a third of the jail’s inmates.

Word has spread quickly because the problems discussed, such as curbing drug use and maintaining relationships, are ones that matter, said Lt. Ryan Kidwell, jail administrator. “What I think makes (Woodward’s) program different is he tries to address real-life problems for the incarcerated,” Kidwell said. “He doesn’t put on any type of front.”

The team of volunteers improves jail life, he said, as inmates act with more respect toward corrections officers thanks to the program. After leaving jail, many inmates visit Woodward’s barbershop. He “sees them for who they are and not what they’ve done,” Kidwell said.

During sermons, Woodward passes a spiral notebook to the inmates. He asks them to detail any topic for him to pray over. Woodward holds on to those books, which are filled with personal messages. Most ask to stay dedicated to change, or be more accountable toward loved ones, he said.

“There’s always some who come to get out of their cells, no question,” Woodward said. “But they trust us.”

04 Oct

October 4, 2012 |

Early October is always a time of denominational meetings at the national office in Huntington, Ind.

  • The Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team met this past Monday and Tuesday (October 1-2, 2012). Lee Rhodes, pastor of Countryside UB church (Breckenridge, Mich.) is the chairman.
  • The Global Ministries Leadership Team meets today and tomorrow (October 4-5). Kurt Uhen, a layperson from Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) is the chairman. This group is a joint venture of the US and Canadian national conferences (2 of the 10 members are from Canada).
  • The Executive Leadership Team meets next Monday and Tuesday (October 8-9). Bishop Phil Whipple is the chairman. This is the highest governing body between sessions of the US National Conference. The ELT will be looking at a number of proposals for changing the Discipline, which the US National Conference will then consider in June 2013.
  • The Higher Education Leadership Team meets October 17. J. Michael Caley, pastor of Banner of Christ UB church (Byron Center, Mich.) is the chairperson. This team provides oversight of Huntington University.

03 Oct

October 3, 2012 |

L-r: Elsa Hiliare (Christian Horizons Global co-ordinator in Haiti), Mr. Alexis, Hermmy, and Joan Sider. At the airport in Haiti.

Hermmy sleeping in the Montreal airport.

L-r: Sleeping on her tray on the airplane. During the flight. Sitting on her bed at Joan’s home in Toronto. Eating breakfast and watching TV. (click to enlarge)

Joan Sider, New Hope UB church, Toronto, Ontario

Our churches in Canada have been working in partnership with our churches in Haiti since 2002. A medical team went to Haiti in October 2011. While working in our clinics with Haitian doctors, we met Hermmy Alexis, a 12-year girl. It was discovered that she had tetrology fallot (hole in the heart). The surgery needed to repair her heart couldn’t happen in Haiti.

As we talked amongst ourselves, a suggestion was made that we try to bring her to Canada and apply to the Herbie Fund through The Hospital for Sick Children. One of our nurses, Margie Blackler, started the application process immediately upon our return.

After months of phones calls, texts, emails, and help from various people, we were able to bring Hermmy to Canada on October 1, 2012, a year after her condition was first discovered. Hermmy received her visa at 9:30 am that morning. I arrived in Haiti at 3 pm with Denis Costello, an Air Canada pilot who made the arrangements. Then, with Hermmy, we flew back to Canada at 4:15.

Hermmy had never been on a plane before. As the time progressed, it was obvious that she was growing tired. She slept a fair amount. She slept on my shoulder/lap for the whole flight between Montreal and Toronto. She had her first elevator ride in Montreal’s airport; she flung herself at me and buried her head into me, obviously frightened by the experience. The second elevator ride was better. And when she came to my home and we travelled up the four floors, she was smiling, understanding that it was okay.

Hermmy will live with me until she returns to Haiti–just call me “mom” now!

My cats Spunky and Maxi were waiting to greet her, and she smiled at them–I even saw her pet one–so that is good. I’m glad cats are okay.

Upon awakening Tuesday morning, Hermmy promptly made her bed. Showing her how the water taps work and the shower, I got the next “wow” reaction. Turning on the shower did it. She has had her first washing and used the shower wand so her hair wouldn’t get wet.

Trying on clothes which people have generously donated was a tiring experience. She had to stop and have a sleep–a very sound one at that.

Watching TV in English is going to be one of her daily activities. She was savvy enough already to use the remote to change the station. I am glad for that spark of confidence in an otherwise pretty shy young lady.

I’m grateful for the assistance from Jinette Cesaire, a Haitian-speaking woman, who recently began attending my church. We’ve been on the speaker phone several times already, beginning upon our arrival late Monday night. Jinette is very willing to allow us to call at any time. She will help translate when we go to the hospital.

I’m grateful for the iPhone app that lets me speak in English and then speaks what I’ve said in creole. Technology is wonderful! I am trying to get an iPad for her–several folk are trying to help make this happen.

Hermmy’s surgery date has changed from October 9 to October 12. We have several appointments, beginning on Wednesday.

Here are a few prayer points for now:

  • That Hermmy will remain well–she has a little sniffle this morning I’ve noticed
  • That Hermmy will adjust to her new situation–including the food.
  • Getting an iPad
  • My adjustment to this new role of motherhood–glad to do it, but just different for me.
  • I’m not a cook, so pray about this big stretch for her.

October 3 Update: We need you to pray for Hermmy. She is not feeling well–stomach and head–homesick too, I suspect. When I went in and slept in her room, she settled for the night. She has a low grade temperature. I suspect a cold may be coming–sniffling, but no sneezing. Her disturbing night has left her very tired this morning too.

She has appointments today. I called to alert them to her unwellness. The first thing they said, “Well, she has to be well, or there is no point in having these appointments.” Doesn’t that sound sympathetic?! Pray for me to keep my cool with them when we do go in a few minutes.

Thanks for praying. I know God brought her here and He is going to protect and keep her.

03 Oct

October 3, 2012 |

Huntington University will “Remember the Past, Live Today, and Embrace the Future” at Homecoming & Family Weekend on October 5-6. Festivities will include alumni awards, department and five-year class reunions, a parade through the center of campus, coronation, the annual Davis Hall Follies, among other activities.

Huntington will recognize three alumni for their achievements at 12:45.

Dr. David Nicholls, a 1972 graduate with a degree in business education, will be honored with the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Citation. He has spent more than 30 years as a teacher, administrator and superintendent, and is now the executive pastor at New Hope Community UB church in Bryan, Ohio.

Jeff Edgel, a 2004 graduate with a degree in elementary education, will be honored with the 2012 Young Alumnus Award for his music ministry and his promotion of the university. Edgel is a member of the Christian rock band Attaboy. Through the band, Edgel ministers to teens around the country and promote HU.

Brooks Fetters is a 1981 graduate with a degree in business administration. He later returned to Huntington to earn a Master of Christian Ministry degree in pastoral ministries in 1987. He will be honored with the 2012 Alumnus of the Year award for his leadership in the Huntington community and his support of the university. Fetters worked as a funeral director in the Huntington community for many years, and was elected mayor in January 2012.

02 Oct

October 2, 2012 |

The ONE80 car in the demolition derby.

The ONE80 car at the finish.

Ben Gladhill, associate pastor of Christian Education, Lake View Church (Camden, Mich.)

On September 25, ONE80 Student Ministries of Lake View Church helped sponsor a demolition derby car for the Hillsdale County fair in Hillsdale, Michigan.

Doug Faler, ONE80 adult leader, drove the ONE80 car in the derby. After a great showing in the second heat of the derby, Doug and the ONE80 car advanced to the Feature final along with 11 other cars. In the end, we finished sixth in the Feature!

It was a great opportunity to for our Student Ministries to get its name out to our surrounding community. As well as be a witness to others participating and at the fair.

A special thanks to all who supported ONE80 Students Ministries in this event and cheered Doug and our team to a great showing. Many youth and adults from Lake View Church came out to support our car at the derby. Also a special thanks goes to those who spent many hours working on the car and supported this project financially!