News, Prayers, and More News

Dear Friends:

Good evening, all! How can we get weather like this all summer long?! Man, what a great day. If it weren't for a little nosedive that I took at the roller rink this afternoon (I'm sure Jeff Hookham and Brian VanZee will be glad to share details), today would have been ideal!

I hope you've enjoyed the photographs from the Cookout. Let's give one more thanks to Brian and Jill. Be careful, VanZees, someone may get the idea to make the Brisket Blowout an annual springtime event! We also need to thank Jeff Hookham for arranging the Bounce House. That was a big hit with the kids. Thanks, Jeff! If you still would like to donate to help pay for the Bounce House, please contact Jeff at jhookham@yahoo.com.

Next, let's thank Ashlee and David McCrary for bringing our donuts (and kolaches!) this morning. Thanks, McCrarys. We do appreciate it. Next week, the Hudsons are in charge. Thanks, Greg and Courtney!


PRAYERS AND PRAISES

We have lots of people that we need to pray for this week. First off, let's say a prayer for our friends Mary and Vince. I don't think it's any secret that the Ericksons have been wanting a baby. Well, Vince and Mary were brave enough to tell us this morning that they had an in vitro procedure several weeks ago that began well but ultimately resulted in them losing the baby. This is, of course, a difficult time for Mary and Vince. Thank you, Ericksons, for sharing this difficult news with us this morning. Please know that we are here for you. God is with you as well. He has big plans for you guys down the road. I hope that all of you will pray that God--and our church and class--will comfort Vince and Mary during this difficult time. Hang in there, Mary. One day at a time! We love you guys. Please let us know if there is anything else that we can do for you while we pray. From where I sit, your strength and courage reminds me to count my blessings. God will bless you guys very soon. I just know it.

Let's also continue to pray for Amy Nicholson's dad and Amy's entire family. Pray for strength and healing during this time of grieving.

In different news, it looks as though we will be losing another couple to the Houston area. Must everyone move to Houston?! That place is like a huge vacuum. David McCrary has taken a position with Ford Audio and Video. I believe he begins in about 2-3 weeks. Let's praise God for this great opportunity for David. Please pray for Ashlee, David, and Rylie as they make the move. We're gonna miss you guys, McCrarys!

We need to pray for Miss Raelynn VanZee. She has been dealing with a cold and a bit of a fever this weekend. Please pray that Raelynn will get back to full health soon.

Also on the Erickson front, Vince brought good news that his friends Cole and Iva did receive a positive ruling on the children they have been keeping for some time. They will be able to keep the kids, but another challenge by the biological parents has arisen. Please ask God to be with Cole and Iva as they begin to face this next--and hopefully last--round of court visits.

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Of course, we need to continue our prayers for Matt and Beth Ramsdell. I received this note below from Beth yesterday. We're continuing to pray for you, Matt and Beth!

MESSAGE FROM BETH RAMSDELL

Hi Wes,

I just wanted to send a thanks to the class for their support and prayers during this hard time for Matt and I. We are very lucky to be part of such a caring class that helped us through this tough time in our lives. Thank you so much for the beautiful plant that Amy delivered, Please keep us in your prayers and hopefully we will have good news again in the near future and will be blessed with another little one. God bless you all!

Beth Ramsdell

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Ben Sullivan will be flying home on Tuesday morning. We need to pray for his safe travel and for Teresa as she drives to Love Field to pick him up.

We need to pray for little Bella Bartram. She will be having surgery on her birth mark on Tuesday morning. Please pray for Bella, Pam, and Brian as they go through this experience. Pray that the surgery will go smoothly and that it will be completely successful. We're praying, Pam!

Last but certainly not least, I would like to say a praise for our church and, especially, for our church leadership. Steve R. brought the great news this morning that our church has been given a great honor. Out of about 36,000 United Methodist Churches in the country, our church is within the top 100 as far as attendance is concerned. Praise God for his great work at FUMC-Waco! This strikes me as a particularly good accomplishment given the fact that A) Waco is not a major metropolitan area, B) fifteen years ago our church went through some difficult times, and C) this town has more Baptist churches than it has Baptists! Praise God for our great church leadership and for everything that God is accomplishing through us. Onward and upward, my friends!

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INFORMATION ABOUT OUR NEXT BOOK

As I mentioned last Sunday, Steve May will be teaching our class for a few weeks beginning on May 18th. If you would like for Steve M. to order a copy of the book for $12.00, please email him at smay@hot.rr.com. Otherwise, you can pick up a copy here through Amazon.com. Thanks again to Steve for finding this book for us. I'm looking forward to it, Steve!


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I think that covers matters for today. I hope that all of you have a terrific week. We'll look forward to seeing you next Sunday morning!

Wes and Dana