News & Names

Please give us your ideas on the forthcoming name change of the church.  We haven't had many ideas coming from you as to what we should do about our situation.  It is hoped that we can somehow indicate by our name what we stand for and what we do.  [I've updated the association's name on this Web site to more-or-less coordinate with the change made to the association name on the World Church's Web site.  This isn't exactly the "official" name yet. -ksj]

 The usual plea goes out to each one of you:  I need articles to put in the newsletter.  If you have had any kind of an experience that you would share with others, please send it to me.  Or if you have news of something that is occurring in your area, things that are taking place that affect your particular job, or anything that you are involved in. I know that many of you volunteer for different things and help out in your community.  This is the type of thing I'm referring to.  I guess I'll have to write letters to those that I know have something to share.  Lately I have been impressed to write to at least three people on our list, so I guess I had better get on the ball and do it.

Addresses MIA

E-Mail

I'm having trouble with my e-mail.  I have several that are returned to me as undeliverable.  Perhaps I have the wrong spelling or whatever, but I need to have them updated.
We will send the newsletter by snail mail to all of our people and hope that some of the members will respond by giving us their correct e-mail addresses.  I know that Tom Barrett sent me a new e-mail address and for the life of me I can't find where I have put it.  I hope that he will respond and give me a correction again.
Here is the list.  If you find your name on it, please send me an e-mail (to Army05@aol.com) so I can get it correct.
1. Cleland@riley.army.mil
2. GMParker@chicago.avenew.com
3. swandog@niral.ne.jp
4. jerry_shelton@odedodea.edu
5. ambersue@flash.net
6. SSC-grl416@netpmsa.cenet.navy.mil
7. davegail@cs.com
8. jermer@earthlink.com
9. efields@marcha.navajo.iles.gov
10. E30@earthlink.com
11. baldwin@inet.net
12. jgraham@bunt.com
13. martin@iland.net
14. bonocol@hotmail.com
15. husband@widowmaker.com
16. dshill@jamies.com
17. condit@msninc.com,
18. jcmkjw@impop.bellatlantic.net,
19. centim064@aol.com.

US Mail

It looks like we have finally been able to enlist the United States Post Office in helping to keep up with addresses.  Even though they have helped in  this area, they have made some mistakes on delivery.  (Go figure!)  We will keep hoping that  we will eventually get everything correct.
Here are some of the movements we  have received:
· CMDR Judy Anderson to Alea, Hawaii
· CPT Andrew Merz to Coronado,  California
· Tony & Angela Engquist to Silverdale, Washington
· SSG Brent and Chasity Briese to  Otis Orchards, Washington
· SGT Rolana Frank to Kennewick, Washington
· A1C Robert Frink to  Mountain Home AFB, Idaho

We hope that all these transfers have every one  settled in and enjoying their new surroundings.

We also picked up two new  sustaining members, Terri & Butch Powell from Stewartsville, Missouri, and LTC John  & Carolyn Griffiths (Ret) from Glendale, Arizona.
 

Finding Who’s Where

We have a good number of people in the Hawaii area.  If any stationed there  would like a complete list, just let me know.

I now have the database set up so I can pull them all together and get a list. This can be done for any  state or, for that matter, by zip code.  That's something new for us, and I hope  will be helpful.
 

Dues Due Soon

Just a reminder to our sustaining members:  April is fast approaching and  yearly membership dues are due.
We will keep reminding you with each  newsletter, and those that forget will get a personal letter!

---

Our Chaplain in Saudi Chaplain Captain Scott Jobe (who is currently the only chaplain we have in any of the military services) is TDY to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, for 90 days.  He is serving as the Senior Protestant Chaplain.  As such, he is responsible for all Protestant religious ministry programs while at Prince Sultan Air Base. Scott says he's keeping extremely busy, ministering to our U.S. troops, as well as allied country troops from France and Britain.  He ministers at and/or supervises 5 worship services (2 Traditional worship services, 2 Gospel worship services, and 1 Contemporary worship service).  In addition, he supervises 5 music practices and 4 Bible studies.  He spends most of the rest of his time visiting and counseling all these troops who are serving currently in the desert.  He even finds time to get a few hours’ sleep most nights!

---

Here is a testimony from Shirley and Richard Cozart of Panama City, Florida:

Tour of  Duty in Turkey

By Shirley Cozart, Panama City, Florida

In 1974 Richard received orders for a two-year tour in Incirlik CDI in Adana, Turkey.  We were blessed to be able to make our move together. With tales of  bad experiences that others had had, it was with a lot of fears and questions that I packed our three children and headed for the unknown.

Oh, what  wonderful experiences we had!  The only setback was that we were the only  RLDS members at the time.  We joined a wonderful chapel family, got involved  in their programs, taught Sunday school classes, and joined the choir.  That  was good, but we were lonely for the fellowship such as we had known with our  church family.

I wrote to Brother Pershing Tousley, who headed up the Armed Forces  Newsletter, and asked for names of church members  anywhere in Turkey. They printed my letter, which brought our first  response.  I was sent a printout of members in several countries.  I sat down  and wrote letters to all those in Turkey, Crete, and Athens, Greece.  I  wanted to see if we could get together for a small retreat.  Then I received  a letter from Hanover, Germany from Marilyn Sordin.  She and two other,  Sandra Webb and Leslie Blanchard, who was a priest, wanted to visit Turkey  and get together with us.

Of course, I started planning but, because of  conditions at the time, those who would have come couldn't get leave.  I wrote Marilyn and told her of the situation, but we wanted them to come whenever they could.  It wasn't long before plans were made and the long- awaited day came.  It was just before Easter 1975.  They arrived on a Friday eve.  I had planned dinner at our very small quarters—a 2-bedroom trailer with a cabana built on.

On Saturday morning while Richard, Cindi, Sandra, Les and Yvonne went to our son Howard's baseball game, I prepared a picnic lunch while Marilyn did their laundry.  We spent the afternoon exploring Snake Castle and having our picnic  lunch.  Introducing our new family to our new home was exciting.

On Sunday morning, Richard picked them up while I prepared for our Sunday  together, Richard & Les went out to find a spot to have our special service.    We had planned a Communion, Prayer and Testimony service.  The place they  chose was a beautiful stretch of flat grass near the runway.  It was a lovely  sunny morning with a breeze that gently moved the tall grass.  Made it look  like waves.  On the hills you could see the shepherds with their flocks of  sheep and goats. You could hear the shepherds calling to each other and the  bleating sounds of the animals.  I spread a quilt on the ground while Les and  Richard set up the communion in the center.  We seated ourselves around it.   As we prepared to start we suddenly heard all kinds of birds chirping but  didn't see one on the wing.  They sang along with us as we used old  conference Hymnals that I had collected.  Our service was a bit longer than  an hour, but we weren't in any hurry.  As long as the Spirit was in attendance  we were content to bask in his love.

At the close of the service we stood, held hands, and prayed.  We were  surprised to find that while we prayed a car had driven fairly close to us  and a man was getting out his model airplane.  None of us had heard him drive  up.  God protected our service.  Back to the bird song.  As I shook out the  quilt, I frightened a flock of little birds that had been eating the grass  seed.  They were all around us.

At the end of the day before our new family members left us, we sat in the  living room and everyone had a paper and pencil.  We were to write what the  weekend meant to us.  Then we went around the room and each read what they  had written.  From the youngest, Yvonne age 10, to the oldest, who was 53, we had all written about the same thing.  That weekend we were truly of one heart and  one mind!  When I think of the experiences we've had, this one tops the list.   Later we did find other members and had communion at our home every first  Sunday.

I would like to encourage others to share their experiences.  We will never  know who will be blessed by your testimony.  God wants us to be diligent in  sharing our testimonies.  God Bless All.

Shirley is in charge of seeing that people are visited.  If any of you would  like to be visited by someone from the church, just let us know and Shirley  will go to work on it. -CH

---

Lee Ecker sent the following, and I thought it was worth reprinting.  -CH

In Harm’s Way

via e-mail from Lee Ecker

"It wasn't until a few days ago though, that we started doing something that  I feel may be the first thing I've seen in my short naval career that has truly made a difference.  Right now we're supporting the USS COLE and her  crew in Aden.  When the attack occurred, we were a day away.  Just by luck we  happened to be on our way out of the Gulf and headed toward the Suez Canal  and could get here in a relatively short amount of time.  I know what you all  have seen on CNN, because we have seen it too. I just want you all to know  that what you see doesn't even scratch the surface.

I'm not going to get into it for obvious reasons.  But I will tell you that  right now there are 250+ sailors just a few miles away living in hell on  Earth.  I'm sitting a in a nice air-conditioned stateroom; they're sleeping  out on the decks at night.  You can't even imagine the conditions they're  living in, and yet they are still fighting 24 hours a day to save their ship  and free the bodies of those still trapped and send them home.  As bad as it  is, they are doing an incredible job. The very fact that these people are  still functioning is beyond my comprehension.  Whatever you imagine as the  worst, multiply it by ten and you might get there.
In Harm’s Way, Cont.

Today I was tasked to photo rig the ship and surrounding area.  It looked so  much worse than I had imagined, unbelievable really, with debris and disarray  everywhere, the ship listing, the hole in her side.    I wish I had the power  to relay to you all what I have seen, but words just won't do it.  I do want  to tell you the first thing that jumped out at me - the Stars and Stripes  still flying.  I can't tell you how that made me feel…even in this God-forsaken hellhole, our flag was more beautiful than words can describe.

Then I started to notice the mass of activity going on below, scores of  people working non-stop in 90 plus degree weather to save this ship.  They  are doing it without electrical power, and they are sleeping (when they can  sleep) outside on the decks because they can't stand the smell or the heat or  the darkness inside.  They only want to eat what we bring them because they  are all scared of eating something brought by the local vendors.  Even with  all that, the USS COLE and her crew is sending a message, guys, and it's that  even acts of cowardice and hate can do nothing to the spirit and pride of the  United States.

I have never been so proud of what I do, of the men and women that I serve with, as I was today. There are seventeen confirmed dead sailors who put it  on the line for all of us, and some of them are still trapped there.  Please  take a minute to pray for their families and say a word of thanks for their  sacrifice — one made so that we can live the lives we do.  All of you that  serve with me, thank you.  All of you that have loved ones that serve, thank  you"

* * * * * I do not have the name of the individual that wrote this message, but it is apparent that he is currently serving in the Navy.   I'm sure that those of you that are currently on active duty can relate very  well to the conditions that existed on the USS COLE right after the explosion  in her side.  I know that when I served on the USS JOHNNIE HUTCHINS DE 360, we  were always aware of the possibility of an explosion and the damage it would  do to our fragile ship.  It's true that the warships are made of steel, but an  explosive placed strategically, as was the case with the USS COLE, does a  tremendous amount of damage and in many cases sink the ship.  Our hearts reach out to each one of you as you continue to put yourselves in harm’s way so that we here at home can enjoy the peace that comes from the security of  knowing we are being protected.

---

Whose Hands Are You In?

via e-mail from Kelly Garrett-Heaviland

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19;
a basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.
A baseball in my hands is worth about $6;
a baseball in Mark McGuire's hands is worth $19 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.
A tennis racket is useless in my hands;
a tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.
It depends whose hands it's in.
A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal;
a rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in
A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy;
a sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose! hands it's in.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches;
two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it's in.
Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse;
nails in Jesus’ hands will produce salvation for the
entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in.
As you see now, it depends whose hands it's in.
So put your concerns,  your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families, and your relationships in God's hands because…
It depends whose hands it's in.

---

Closing Remarks

by Curt Heaviland, Assn. President

Please keep us informed of your whereabouts and any changes in addresses.
Again an appeal is sent out for articles to be included in the newsletter.  Your article or testimony does not have to be current or one specifically pointed to a situation in the military, but rather one that has affected you personally.

GOD BLESS,