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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodist News |
November 2001 |
Hearing the terrible news while abroad
When the last issue of the Hoosier UM News arrived, I read it carefully and prayerfully, relating to story after story of responses our Indiana United Methodists shared about the national tragedy. Then I reread this column and saw that it was conspicuously minus any references to the attacks.
That was because I turned in my October column before Sept. 11, explaining that I was leaving Sept. 6 on an educational opportunity tour to Scandinavia. Editor Lynne DeMichele sent an email back, "Have a good time, and DO NOT FALL, as I did at the World Methodist Conference."
So much for her advice! I fell Sept. 11 dislocating my shoulder, narrowly escaping a stay in the Bergen, Norway hospital. In the emergency room, under intense emotional and physical pain, the wonderful nurse explained to me how important it was to relax. Good advice, but very difficult under such circumstances.
Then a most wonderful thing happened. Those of you who knew my husband can appreciate this. I mean this with kindness, but with frankness, must admit: He was a walking encyclopedia of the world's dumbest jokes! But, regardless of their stupidity, listeners never failed to laugh! Then he would say to me, "See, I raised his/ her risibility!" Suddenly, that terrible day, I recalled one of those jokes and started to laugh. I laughed and laughed in spite of the pain. And that is what saved me from the hospital stay the nurse and doctor had expected. My arm was in a sling for 10 difficult days but I did stay with our group throughout the remainder of the journey.
That night when we returned to our hotel, we learned about the tragic attacks in America. It was a sad, sad evening. We prayed in the dining room for the victims, some of our people not knowing whether their own families were also involved. The next day in Oslo, our hearts were touched by the mounds of flowers in front of the American Embassy. Tears rolled down our cheeks as we sensed the reality of the tragedy and the sympathy expressed by friends in a foreign land. We stopped our bus for five minutes of silent prayer during the same time memorial services were held in America. We returned safely Sept. 21, but not without great concern about our flights and about the heartaches that clouded our country.
REV. JIM DOEPKEN, …
a member of North Indiana Conference serving in the Alaska Missionary Conference, will be in Indiana Nov. 4-16. He will visit churches to talk about God's work in Girdwood, Alaska and to share some of his experiences as a missionary.
If you wish to contact him about specific times you may do so through his email address chapel@girdwood.net . A general outline of his schedule includes: Nov. 4, morning, Valpraiso First; afternoon, Lafayette Trinity; Nov. 7, afternoon, Ft. Wayne Wayne St.; Nov. 11, morning, Middlebury First; afternoon, Monticello; Nov. 12, afternoon, Marion First; Nov. 13, morning, West Lafayette; afternoon, Kokomo Main; Nov. 14, afternoon, Frankfort St. Matthew; Nov. 15, afternoon, Huntington Evangelical; Nov. 16, 17, 18, Zionsville First Mission Fair.
LOWELL AND CLAUDIA WERTZ's …
Last updated on 02/18/2004newest ministry emphasizes computer classes. A few years ago they began a pilot program by training six students. Their second class of 30 registered students produced 20 graduates. The third class of 80 produced 56 graduates. Their waiting list now has 560 names.
Lowell's newsletter included a quote from Frank Lauback, a linguist in Asia, Africa and Latin America who died in 1970, who said, "The world needs Christ more than it needs skills. It will not accept Christ unless we offer it help with these other things. But if we give skill without character, we make the world only more powerful to do itself harm."
Lowell wrote, "We view our class as a way to show the love of God to people in a practical and useful way."