Here I am again with more news.
As some of you also may remember, I talked Gracie and San Juana into
going to a large church called Christian Faith Center. While Gracie and
I continued there, they built a larger place to accommodate more people
at a time. While we were waiting for the ride home at the old place, we
met a lady named Delores Hakala. We didn't see each other often, but
eventually she and I started emailing. After we started going to the
new building, Delores made me aware that the attitude of the leaders and
some other members was getting sour. So she and her husband and our
household stopped going there. While Delores was looking for another
group to settle down with, I went with Virgil and Tabita to their
Romanian church. I took my Victor Reader Stream there with things to
listen to while they had services in their language.
Delores had a knee replacement surgery, and we girls went to see her.
She lives just a couple of blocks from us! She and I started visiting,
and we talked about minister to people who are in assisted living homes.
Then she found it; a small Assemblies of God church not too far from
where we lived. Gracie, San Juana and I've been going there now. It's
very nice! I started playing my QChord there for worship, without
having to go through commitees/worship teams, and the pastor's wife
asked me to play for the offering just before service started. They
have a nice piano, maybe a baby grand, which I played for that. They
even let me play before service, even if just to practice for Christmas!
Although I've had some emotional hupheival when I was talking with
Delores and getting some emails that triggered it, The Lord is helping
me grow into a closer relationship with him and other believers, and
He's surely guiding me into more service through Him.
Delores started making lunch and meeting time with other women, and we'd
have fellowship and prayer together. Sometimes I've been the only one
of our house, but all the girls in our house have taken part. There is
a lot of interaction between Delores and us, giving and sharing. We
seemed to have formed a good friendship. I've been to a nursing home a
few times with her. She writes poetry, much of it inspired by God. The
last time, I played Christmas music on their piano, and she read some of
the poems while I played QChord. We want to do more of this, and
establish a support group for anyone in need. She is putting a book
together of many works. She's taken photos and put them with music on
DVD, and she and I are working on a CD with her narration and music that
I'd already recorded.
Women's aglow came, the second Tuesday of the month since last fall, and
I've gone with Delores most of the time. There is another Christian
group called God's Girls. They had me play for the Christmas meeting.
I plan to just go to Aglow.
Some of you may remember the hard time my dad went through. He was able
to have the stomach tube removed, but there may be some scar tissue or
something sticking to the back wall of his stomach, which they want to
look at this Friday. He's still on oxygen. My mom has had back pain
for some years, and it's gotten so bad that not even lying on the floor
helps anymore, so she sits a lot with handywork and a heating pad behind
her. I'm sure they would appreciate your prayers. Thanks!
Well, I think I'll stop here. I hope all is going well with all of you.
Sharon
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