Update from Christchurch/New Zealand

It snowed in and around Christchurch a few days ago, and the locals talked about it being "the icing on the quake". I told our friend Lorraine, that we hope the people of Christchurch will not lose their wonderful sense of humor. See below what she wrote in reply. Christchurch has dropped from the news headlines, but the struggle continues:

We are all trying to maintain a healthy sense of humour (humor), but at times it's quite hard because there is no sense of it all ending! It's very much like wartime trauma and fatigue, because we never know when where or how bad the attacks will be. Our congregation, Linwood Avenue Union Church, is 47km from our home - we still are very involved there because of the fantastic caring attitudes of members for the surrounding community, but the congregation has only about 100 members, and many wonderful but quite 'needy' people.) The original fault line (where we live ourselves) has been experiencing further sizeable shaking, (up to 5.3) but we are very fortunate and our home remains virtually unsullied. Even those local shakes are much worth in Christchurch, 35-45km away, because their ground is now so unstable.

FYI, further examples of our local church leaders' and members' stress include these challenges.

1. Our children's program leader has been suffering greatly from continuing EQ trauma, and went with her husband to visit family in Britain 3 weeks ago for an 8-week break, but her husband died over there within 24 hours of contracting influenza - many individual's physical resistance is very low.

2. The couple who led our Seniors' outreach program (serving about 100 people from neighbouring rest homes/hospitals) were both injured in the February EQ, both suffered sever trauma with destroyed home and had to move to the North Island - both are now in full-time care themselves.

3. Our minister's wife and children been struggling and nearly returned to Australia , but have managed to stay so far. However they need regular respite breaks from the shaking - they are away for their fourth brief break at the moment.

4. Our minister's assistant (a widowed woman, a retired nurse), has been forced to take a respite break because she is exhausted.

5. Our church's office secretary (a 5-mornings weekly volunteer) has had to take her family away from Christchurch three times to help them cope.

6. Several families have already lost their homes or are likely to do so.

7. Two children have dropped out of school prematurely because of trauma.

8. Most of our youth have had to travel across the city to temporary school locations for the past 7 months. Next week some schools will reopen, but others will be demolished or be a further year or so -the task is soooo big!

9. A number of members have lost their jobs because so many businesses have been destroyed.

10. Several members have taken in family and others whose homes are unliveable.

11. Many supermarkets, shopping centres and malls are still not open - some never will be.

12. Many people still have no sewage system, reliable phone system, fresh clean water or adequate home heating. The continuing quakes keep bringing up fresh liquifaction and open cracked walls and floors even further every time.

Monday Update

The people of Norway mourn the victims of Friday's massacre at an island youth camp and bombing in Oslo, in which at least 92 people are known to have died.

Joan and Dave Strasinger ask for prayers for their friends, Linda and Larry Dreaden. Larry was in an accident on Tuesday and was still in a coma on Sunday.

Malinda Moseley and Helen Trabue ask for continuing prayers for their friend, Juanita. After many months of waiting, she has been removed from the kidney transplant list due to other health complications.

Laura Crenshaw's mother is recuperating from hip replacement surgery.

We give thanks for Emily Warren's recovery. She was discharged from the hospital on Saturday.

Sarahann Callaway is in Ghana with a group of fellow students and faculty from Belmont University. Click here for the whole story

The Vine Street youth are leaving today for a work trip to Christmount, the Disciples campground in North Carolina.

And it was SO good to see Dick Schellhardt in worship on Sunday!

Monday Update

The General Assembly is in Nashville, and what a Sunday we had! Thank you for your continuing prayers for this wonderful gathering of Disciples in our city.

Bob Binkley will have medical tests on Tuesday, and the family asks for our prayers.

LaRuth Faubion is not well and asks that we remember her in our prayers.

We continue to pray for Emily Warren and her grandfather; they are recuperating from serius injuries they suffered in a recent automobile accident.

South Sudan is now an independent nation, and we pray for peace for its people and its neighbors.

Aaron Partington and Dina Mingle were married on Saturday in Vermont. Congratulations! We wish them and their four girls much joy in their life together!

Sarah Spencer

Sarah sends her greetings and gratitude from Yakutat, Alaska:

Hello Vine Street!

I just wanted to say thank you for all the support you've given me over these past two years. And, now that I've decided to stay in Alaska, to extend an invitation for all of you to come and visit!

Thank you for showing me love and service so that I could go out and show others as well. You all are wonderful! <3 Sarah Spencer

This article about a bike day gives you a taste of Sarah's life in Yakutat.

Sunday morning

Congratulations to Craig and Marcina Clark Gardella who were married on May 28.

Jim ClenDening's daughter, Michelle, will have surgery this week to treat an infection in her leg.

Don Zirkle's nephew was named North Carolina High School Lacrosse Player of the Year! Congratulations!

Janet Clanton and her family celebrate the birth of her grandson, Adam Mitchel Hambright; he was born on May 28, 2011 in Asheville, NC

Disciples Families in Joplin, MO

According to news reports as of this morning, 123 people were killed by the tornado that ripped through Southwest Missouri this past Sunday, making it one of the deadliest tornados in the state's history. Property damage is estimated in the millions, and the loss of life and livelihood will inevitably have a catastrophic impact on this close-knit community. Week of Compassion has been in touch with South Joplin Christian Church and Joplin's First Christian Church. Many, many families from those congregations have lost their homes. Others have sustained extensive damage. Each and every member has a neighbor or friend or relative who is suffering unbelievable loss. The situation can only be described as devastating--with so many of our own Disciples families gravely affected. Read more.

4101 Harding PIKE, Nashville, TN 37205 | (615) 269-5614

Sundays: Traditional Worship at 10:00 a.m. in person & ONLINE

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