Well Brad,
	You asked me to share, so I will.  This week, our church is 
ministering to a family in real need.  They used to attend our 
church, but left when their daughters hit puberty because we don't 
have much in the way of ministry for youth.  The mother had a breast 
removed this past March.  She had tried to return to work, but it has 
been discovered that she is allergic to the medication that she was 
on, so she is waiting to find another medication that she can 
tolerate. Her job is important because she carries the insurance for 
the family.  Her husband has twisted bowel syndrome, which means 
that, every once and a while, his intestines just knot up and he has 
to lay in the hospital, on pain killers, until they straighten 
themselves out.  He can't eat much in those situations eithre, for 
obvious reasons.  When he is working, he delivers beverages to local 
stores in the smaller towns around Bangor.  Near the end of last 
month, he was making a delivery to a small country store.  He had 
cases of beer and wine stacked up on a hand cart.  Someone at the 
store had carelessly left the trap door to the celler open and, as 
Steve was backing up, he didn't see this and fell into the celler, on 
to the concrete floor with all of the beverages falling on top of 
him.  He has massive injuries.  This couple's two daughters are 
learning disabled and, on top of that, the younger one is deaf.  The 
younger daughter was hospitalized last week with what may have been 
blood poisoning.  Her leg was swollen and hard, with red streaks, so 
it had to be drained and so forth.   Both parents are out of work, 
for now and it just goes on.
	 Anyway, even though they have left our church, we have kept tabs on 
this needy family, because it is the right thing to do.  We took up a 
collection for them yesterday.  Some people have offered to purchase 
grocery store gift certificates, and I've organized for some dinners 
to start, until we learn what else they need.  This is truly the fun 
part of ministry, trying to help others in need.  I had made prayer 
shawls for the mother and two girls earlier this year to reach out 
and Greg is going to talk to the pastor of the church that  they are 
attending now to coordinate efforts.  We don't want any walls.
	I know that I tell you guys these stories from time to time.  This 
is what church is to me, reaching out as Christ's hands and feet to 
those in need.  When you think about it, pray for the Barker 
family.  They can use it.
God bless,
Kathy