Family Lines Newsletter, June 8,
2006
**Thank You for Your
Concern!**
By David Chadwell
Too often that which seems so permanent in
life instantly becomes a puff of smoke. Instantly that which was a part of
your reality lives only in memory of loved ones and friends. On Friday
morning, May 26, at 5 a.m. we received a call from Jerry, Joyce’s brother, that
Mary, Joyce’s mom, was in serious condition. He asked us to meet him in
Crossville. About 8 a.m. we received a call enroute that Mary had
died.
Until the last 24 hours, Mary was mentally
sharp and filled with her usual sense of humor. In less than 48 hours before
her death, she and Joyce were talking on the telephone giggling like school
girls.
Joyce’s home always had a strong, positive
sense of personality. I will not say it is large—that would be a huge
exaggeration. As Joyce and I cleaned the house before we left, I
vacuumed. I plugged the cord into one socket and vacuumed four rooms—and
could have vacuumed at least one more room! (The other three small rooms
had a linoleum floor covering.) Though I have many pleasant memories associated
with that house, without Mary’s strong, positive sense of personality, to me it
was just another house. It seemed so unnatural to be there in Mary’s
absence. It was always something special because Mary was
there—whistling! Even though she was often told that “whistling women and
crowing hens often come to a no good end” she still whistled.
A few days before Mary’s death, our
daughter, Anita, said the following to Joyce in an e-mail.
“Grandma Wells is simply the most content
and least depressed person I have ever met in my life. Her sense of humor
is constant regardless of life’s conditions. She never acts like she wants
anything more than she has. She never seems to think ill of others.
She doesn’t hold grudges. She has no personal agenda. She is just so
comfortable being herself. In those and many other ways, she is an
inspiration. I have no problem seeing why she ended up with so many
‘adopted’ children to swarm around her now. It gives me a lot of comfort
to think of how much love is around her all the time. Everyone treats her
as well as she treats them, and she and grandpa only had friends wherever they
went for good reason.”
Now you know where Joyce ‘got
it’!
One of Mary’s joys was to sit at her table
or in her recliner and watch the many birds at her bird feeder. The first
thing I did when we arrived was to fill her bird feeder. One of the last
things I did before we left was to fill her bird feeder. Thanks Mary for
the many ways you touched and blessed my life! My indebtedness to you is
bigger than I can ever repay!
Page 2
**Remember in Prayer**
•
Amy Lowry, daughter of Jimmy & Debbie Edwards and daughter-in-law of Jack
& Janice Lowry, will have a biopsy on Friday. Please keep her and
husband Eric in your prayers.
• Continue to pray for our Guyana Medical
Mission Team and the hearts and lives of the people they touch this week.
•
Hailey Clayton, the infant daughter of Todd Clayton (cousin of Carrie
Burress).
• Jess Huff has returned to Methodist Nursing Home, but is still
quite ill from the effects of the flu.
• Joan Jenkins (Kerry’s mom)
• Joel Prigge (brother-in-law of Louise Howard)
• Joyce Cox is scheduled
for a heart cath in Little Rock on 6/8/06.
• Kathleen Yother (mother of
Shirley Bullard)
• Luis Mendez was dismissed from the hospital Tuesday
afternoon.
• Richard Branum – recovering from knee surgery.
**Guyana Medical Mission
2006**
Our Guyana Medical Mission Team will return home on Northwest
flight 3037 on Sunday, June 11 at 8:37 p.m. If you can greet them at the
airport, please do. It is always a blessing to see the smiling faces of friends
and family!
Team members from West-Ark include:
•
Azia Blasdel
• Missy Blasdel
• Michael Blasdel
• Richard Bullard
•
Shirley Bullard
• Jeannie Cole
• Michael Cole
• Joyce Dunavin
• Roy
Dunavin
• Colleen Frost
• Nancy James
• Glenda Lewis
• Jack
Lewis
• Niketa Stinchcomb
**Prayer Pagers**
A
441-1648 Amanda Daws
B 441-1734 Jane McGowan
**Military in
Prayer**
Mike Russell, Lori Dotson, Mitchell Bryant, Shane L.
Newton, and Adam Morrissun.
**Notes of Thanks**
Dear
West-Ark Family:
Thank you so much for your concern for our family – the
calls, cards, and prayers for Don Reed in his illness and death. Also, thank you
for your prayers for our brother-in-law Joel Prigge. His last chemo treatment
has been postponed until July due to his extreme weight loss and low blood
count. Please continue to pray for Joel’s healing. Again, we thank you for your
love and support.
God bless you,
Wilburn & Louise
Howard
Thank you for your continued prayers during
my 2 months of recuperating. I love and appreciate each of you.
Myra
Flippo
I want to take the opportunity to thank
everyone at West-Ark for making Blanca and me feel special. Thanks for all the
gifts, letters, and signs of love we received. Thank you all for being a
blessing in our lives.
Jeffrey Nolasco
**Joy Bunch **
Sign up
in the foyer for our trip to Fin & Feather, June 17th.
**Senior Game
Day**
Thursday, June 15, Noon to 3:00 p.m. in the Annex.
Join us
for some fun games, fellowship, and food!
(Note the location has changed to
the Annex.)
**Darold Wear**
Wanda
would like everyone to know that Darold has moved to Paris Health & Rehab
Center, 1414 S. Elm, Paris, AR 72855.
**50th Anniversary
Reception**
Please join our family on this joyous occasion
when
our parents Norman and Kay Cole
celebrate 50 years of marriage
at a
Reception in their honor
on Saturday, June 10, 2 to 4 p.m.
The Hampton Inn
6201 C Rogers Avenue
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Sandra, Lisa and
James
Your presence is the only gift desired.
**Wedding
Invitation**
Desiring God's will for their lives
and
believing that includes each other
Myra Flippo and Eugene Puckett
will be
married Saturday, June 10, 2:30 p.m.
West-Ark Church of Christ.
Everyone
who would want to share in our occasion is welcome.
A reception will follow
immediately afterward in the Family Life Center.
Page 3
**VBS
Update**
Volunteers – Teens & Adults
Thank you, teens, for
the hard work you have already put in! We appreciate you!
If you are a family leader, please come by
the VBS table and pick up some revisions to your guide book.
If you do not already know your
“Assignment,” please check the VBS bulletin board and look for your
name. If you still do not find your name or have any questions
regarding your role, please contact Carolyn Harrell or Dena Jenkins.
Set-up will begin on Thursday, June
15. Any and all are welcome to help. Family tents will be ready to
decorate on Friday, June 16.
**Happy 90th
Birthday!**
Emilio Mendez will be 90 years young on June
16!
**Hey Kids!!**
Register
TODAY for VBS 2006
either online at www.westark.org
or at the table
in the foyer
or by calling (479) 452-1240!
If you register by Friday, June 16, you can
find out your tribe on Sunday, June 18!
"Make Room for the Savior"
VBS at
West-Ark Church of Christ
Monday – Thursday, June 19-22
9:30 a.m. to 12:00
noon
(Ages 4 years – going into 6th grade)
• Have fun with your Bible-time family
• Visit the Temple
• Listen to the Storytellers
• Play
Bible-time games
• Visit and participate in the Carpentry Shop
•
Candy Shop
• Rope-Making Shop
• Pottery Shop
•Metal-Working Shop
• and other interesting shops in the
Marketplace!
**Other Coming
Events**
Men’s Prayer Breakfast
Dayton Church of
Christ
June 10, 7:30 a.m.
VBS at Rena Road Ch. of Christ
“The
Greatest Promise Ever Kept”
June 12-16, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Two years – 12th
Grade
Gospel Meeting
With Bobby Dockery
Dyer
Church of Christ
June 12 – 14
Singing 6:45 p.m. nightly
Preaching 7:00
p.m. nightly
425 N. Washington, Dyer, AR
Page 4
**Family Life
Ministry**
By Brad Pistole
Do you ever get set into a routine? Me too!
We all like our routines and we all like certain traditions.
Well, this year, we are continuing an
age-old tradition at West-Ark but we are CHANGING THE TIME for this tradition.
Vacation Bible School has taken place the
3rd week of July for several years. But for many reasons, beginning this year we
have changed it to the 3rd week of June. So, in other words, VBS is almost
here.
For the next two weeks, the teens will be
working on VBS every day (Tues – Fri) from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the building. We
will be practicing on the plays, working on various props and set designs, and
setting up the market place and family tents.
So if you are a 7th-12th grader and you
would like to help, come on up to the building this week and next. And bring $5
with you for lunch each day. We appreciate your service and your willingness to
make a difference in the lives of our elementary children.
*Special
News*
Congratulations to Kailey Firm and Jessica Frost, two of our
7th grade students from Greenwood. They were both recently recognized with
several different outstanding academic awards. We are proud of you!
**June 14
Nursery**
Morning
Trish Carson
Morgan
Dunavin
Dwonne Cogswell
Vicki Anderson
Evening
Terri Jones
Marquetta
Walker
Happy Birthday
**Happy
Birthday**
June 12
Barbara Aldridge
June 13
Brent Evans
Randy
Moss
June 14
Dorian Belt
Marcia
Dye
Tilman McClendon
Tilman McClendon II
Lynnette Purvis
John
Wood
June 15
Brady Burress
Logan
Burress
Beverly Ingram
Jeffrey Nolasco
June 16
Kalen Griffin
Loretta
Loudermilk
June 17
Louise Hamilton
Marquetta
Walker
**Attendance and Contribution
Count**
Morning Worship 652
Morning Bible class
439
Evening Worship 311
Contribution $18,120.00
Wednesday Night
310
Children's Home $227
Iglesia de Cristo
Attendance
65
Contribution $238
Lao Church
Attendance 38
Contribution
$200
"Making disciples for Jesus who are
eager to serve others."