Thank you for your prayers for Kathy, Brian, Thompson, Emily, and Boyd who are mourning the death of Kathy's mother, Betsy Pinckley. In addition to the memorial service in Kentucky, there will be a memorial service in Nashville on Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel at Forest Hills Baptist Church (Old Hickory Blvd and Hillsboro Rd).
The Berhow family
Kathy's mother, Betsy Pinckley died peacefully this afternoon with her children by her side. Thank you for your prayers and your friendship for Kathy and Brian, Thompson, Emily and Boyd.
Kathy Berhow
Kathy's mom, Betsy Pinckley is hospitalized after suffering a massive stroke. Please keep her and the family in your prayers.
Mark Wolfe
Mark Wolfe and Rachel Wolfe continue to covet the prayers of the Vine Street family as Mark faces a renewed threat from cancer. The plan, at present, is for surgery in early December to remove a tumor in the lung.
Peace
Amid news of escalating violence between Palestinians and Israel, we pray for peace and fierce conversations.
Vicki Robertson
Our friend Vicki has breast cancer. Please remember her in your prayers.
Jan Volk
Jan is now recovering at home after shoulder surgery on November 13. Your thoughts, cards, and prayers for Jan are much appreciated. She will need lots of support during the coming weeks of painful therapy. Go ahead and drop her a note on Facebook!
Room in the Inn
Please remember our overnight guests in your prayers. They each have their own story, and like all who long for wholeness, they need the grace and mercy of God.
Wednesday guests
Leslie, Paul, Walter, Steven, Scott, Harold, Keith, Bryan, Mike, Charles, Reggie, and Bill.
Thursday guests
Alexander, Dewayne, Anthony, Kelvin, Michael, Edward, David, Keith, Jason, Kevin, David, and Leslie.
Dr. Denis Mukwege
We continue to keep Dr. Mukwege, his family and staff in our prayers. See his response to the recent attack on his life and his work in Eastern Congo.
Room in the Inn
Our guests on Tuesday night were Augustino, Mick, Charles, Bryant, Jermaine, Lee, Eric, Matthew, JP, Alexander, Bruce, and Gerald. Please remember them in your prayers.
Leigh Ann Zirkle
Leigh Ann's cousin, Monica has now been diagnosed with hemophagocytic syndrome and has received a round of chemo; she is not doing very well. The family greatly appreciates your continued prayers.
Diane Easterling
Diane's brother, Cliff Briley, died on Sunday afternoon. Please remember him and all who love him in your prayers.
Rachel Wolfe and Mark
Rachel's son, Mark Wolfe has been diagnosed with lung cancer. He lives in California, and Rachel is still with him awaiting a report about treatment options. Thank you for your prayers.
Linda Edwards
Linda's mother, Ann Hawkins died on Thursday. The funeral is being planned for Monday, November 5, at 1pm at West Harpeth Funeral Home (6962 Charlotte Pike). obituary
Church World Service
The power is out where Matt Hackworth lives, but that didn't stop him from making a video about our ecumenical response to Sandy through Church World Service ("To be fair, I have a generator," he commented).
In case you don't know, Church World Service is the ecumenical agency that organizes CROP Walks to fight hunger - among many other programs.
In response to Sandy, CWS is providing material resources, including blankets, hygiene kits, school kits, baby kits and clean-up buckets to local agencies in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
CWS Disaster Response Specialists are working with state, regional and local organizations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, our member denominations and other agencies to determine where further assistance is needed.
Donate now to support our work through Church World Service.
Leigh Ann Zirkle
Leigh Ann's cousin, Monica is being treated now for Still's Disease and is responding well. She will remain in the hospital for another two weeks. We greatly appreciate all your prayers.
Drs. Anil and Teresa Henry
We received this prayer and ministry update from our friends in India:
Christian Hospital Mungeli is a mission hospital that was started in 1896 and was one of the earliest Disciples mission stations in India. The hospital did well until all missionaries were asked to leave the country. India is a country which has major hurdles due to a rising population. It is already the most populous country in the world (1.25 billion), and poverty, the highest density of people in the world, sanitation, female infanticide, illiteracy and most of all discrimination due to the caste system are major hurdles. The poor are left with no way to move forward in this scenario.
Mungeli is in one of the most rural states of Chhattisgarh in this country. It is here that the hospital, once the largest hospital of the region, lost its western funding and became almost nonfunctioning for forty years.
Now, through the prayers and support of the UCC and Disciples churches, the hospital has not only been able to revive itself, but has also moved forward to grow and expand into a modern hospital. In addition, there is now a growing school which educates 650 children, 400 of those from the surrounding villages, and recently 40 nursing students from the area who attend the newly started Nursing School.
The three institutions are thus a leading legacy to the Church of North and South India showing how it is possible not only to be charitable but also to be self sufficient.
We thank God for these blessings and those who support Global Ministries and the wider church to make this happen.
Anil and Teresa Henry
Dear God, we thank you and praise you for being with us here in Mungeli these past few years as we slowly develop and grow as a community. We know that you heal the sick, give strength to those who are weak, give hope for those who come to us where their lives have lost the slightest glimmer of hope.
We thank you for this opportunity to serve those who are in need both through the hospital, Rambo Memorial School and also the School of Nursing. We have been blessed as we touch the lives of many thousands each day.
We praise you as we see a patient get well, children go to school and get to know of your love and who are training to become nurses comforting those with pain.
Give us the strength to reach out not only in Mungeli but around the world to be witnesses to the love and care that you provide.
Amen
Al Smith
Al completed his radiation treatments on Friday; he was exhausted. He rested over the weekend and is feeling better and stronger now. He'll have additional tests at the beginning of the new year to determine how the tumors responded. Thank you for your prayers!
Superstorm Sandy Response
Having done significant damage last week in the Caribbean, Hurricane Sandy is crossing the Eastern North American coast. The combination of the hurricane, a large low-pressure system coming across the Mid-Atlantic States and a cold front from the north have converged to produce a massive storm that will continue to affect the northeast US and Canada for the next several days.
Effects of the storm include: tidal storm surge from Virginia to Maine; tropical storm winds from the coast to as far west as Ohio; heavy rains from North Carolina to Maine and up into Nova Scotia, Canada; and heavy snow fall (as much as 24 inches) in the northern Appalachian Mountains, in West Virginia in particular; and serious flooding in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Early predicted damage estimates are in the tens of millions.
Hurricane Sandy is already a killer, having caused at least 69 deaths in the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, at least 16 U.S. deaths, and one Canadian fatality. Across North America, more than 7 million are without electricity, and more than 15,000 flights have been canceled.
Hope just appeared over Manhattan @jodikantor 10/30/12Week of Compassion stands ready to respond. We are in touch with Regional Ministers in affected areas, all of whom are busy collecting information from congregations concerning the effects of Sandy on their members or communities.
Our partners at Church World Service will provide material resources in affected areas, including blankets, hygiene kits and clean-up buckets, as needed. CWS also will assist communities in developing long-term recovery plans and provide technical and financial support, as possible.
We are also coordinating with our partners, including the Latin American Caribbean Area Office of Global Ministries, Church World Service, and the ACT Alliance, all of whom are currently assessing needs. Tropical storm conditions and severe rain and wind affected Haiti from October 23 to October 27, covering all departments of the country.
In Haiti, severe flooding damaged and blocked infrastructure/roads, damaged/destroyed houses, caused loss of livestock and severe damage to agricultural fields. Evacuations have taken place in risk-prone zones and certain Internally Displaced Persons camps. New outbreaks of cholera have been reported and more are expected in the coming days. The Cuban Council of Churches, a long-time CWS partner, is conducting damage assessments in affected areas. A shipment of material goods from CWS to Cuba departed on Oct. 27.
How You Can Respond:
- Remember, the best response in the midst of a humanitarian crisis is to donate from your financial resources. Week of Compassion will help you respond in a way that is efficient, flexible, and impactful. Click here to donate.
- Donations to the Church World Service Blankets+ program and supporting their clean-up bucket, hygiene kit, and other material resource efforts are also incredibly helpful.
- Of course, continue to keep those affected by the storm in your prayers. The clean-up effort will not happen overnight, and will take the efforts of many people. By teaming up with our great partners, we can contribute in effective, important ways.
The God of the rainbow, the God of healing, the God of hope calls us to respond. Thank you for your concern for all of those affected. Thank you for your prayers, and as always, for the generous, Courageous Compassion that moves each of you in word and deed.
Mark Wolfe
Rachel asks for our prayers for her son, Mark. She writes, "I will fly to California tomorrow to be there as my son, Mark, undergoes a biopsy. (In 2010 he was treated for cancer of the super-glottis-throat cancer but the site was not in the throat!) We feel calm about this because the pulmonary specialist said that what they are seeing on the scans could be cancer but also could be an infection in the lung area. We pray for good news from the biopsy and I would appreciate the prayers of our church family as we face this newest development."