BMH Editor's Blog

Jay and Deb Hocking, who concluded their year of service at the Chateau in France by hiking the entire St. James Way across France and Spain, have completed the walk and are now back in Indiana. Here is a quick summary report and a note about their future plans:

We made it!

We completed the whole 1,100 miles in 73 days, arriving on the Atlantic coast on November 10th, Debbie's birthday! We're now back in Indiana, and will be driving out to Oregon for the month of December to spend time with Debbie's side of the family.

Answers to the most common questions we've been receiving:

Have lots of blisters? No - and if you have trouble with blisters on hikes, you should check out the book "Fixing Your Feet" - THE comprehensive guide to foot care. I'm very glad we bought it.

What did you eat? Roughly 11 pounds of chocolate, over a hundred loaves of bread, and anything easy to carry that we could find in grocery stores.

Tired of walking? Yes. We'd highly recommend the pilgrimage to just about anyone, but we've satisfied our desire to go for long walks... for now.

Thank you all so much for your prayer and financial support this last year, it's very much appreciated, I hope we've been able to clearly communicate how much we appreciate having you as partners.

We've already started meetings with GBIM about returning to the Chateau, and hope to be approved by early January. We'd appreciate your prayers as we try to sharpen our rather rough plans for our return to France.

Dr. Patrick Kavanaugh (pictured), chair of the Grace College music department, was recently given the 2005 Bill Reneker Memorial Community Service Award during the eighth annual Winona Lake (IN) Community Dinner at Rodeheaver Auditorium.

The award recognizes an individual who is respected by the community and involved in some form of service to the citizens of the town that results in significant impact on the community. The recipient is chosen by the Winona Lake Town Council, with approval by Bill Reneker’s widow, Judy Reneker-Burd.

Kavanaugh, who moved to Kosciusko County in 2003, is the founder-director of the MasterWorks Festival, the Christian Performing Artist’s Fellowship, is the founder and conductor of the Symphony of the Lakes, and is music director at the Winona Lake Presbyterian Church. He is also the author of a number of books, including Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers.

Shoppers seeking to obtain BMH Books products now have another easy discount alternative.

Retail giant Wal-Mart is now carrying BMH Books on its website. To view the several dozen BMH Books available on the site, log onto www.walmart.com, click “books” on the drop-down menu, and enter “BMH Books” in the keyword search area.

A great deal of additional purchasing information on each book is available in addition to its title, discounted price, and cover image.

BMH publisher Terry White said, “We are pleased for this latest addition to our aggressive national marketing plan for BMH products. Our books are having an impact for Christ both in the Christian and in the secular marketplace, and this will make them available to a much wider audience than we previously had.”

All BMH Books products are now available from the publisher’s website at www.bmhbooks.com and by calling (toll-free) 1-800-348-2756, but they are also available in Christian bookstores through the Ingram/Spring Arbor and AFIRM distribution channels, and on popular book-buying websites such as CBD, Amazon.com, and others.

A fascinating new book giving the spiritual biographies of 128 of the world’s greatest scientists, explorers, astronomers, mathematicians, and physical scientists has just been published by BMH Books and is now ready for shipping.

Pioneer Explorers of Intelligent Design: Scientists Who Made a Difference is written by Dr. Don B. DeYoung, chairman of the Physical Science Department of Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana.

DeYoung, who holds degrees in engineering, physics, and theology, has written 15 books on science and the Bible and is currently president of the Creation Research Society. He and his wife, Sally, are members of Community Grace Brethren Church in Warsaw, Indiana.

The lavishly-illustrated book also includes an intriguing “Missing Persons” section, in which 16 great thinkers who did not profess a Christian testimony are discussed. These include Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Stephen Gould, Thomas Huxley, Carl Sagan, and more.

In his foreword for the book, Dr. John C. Whitcomb says, “Dr. DeYoung has provided for us an illuminating and encouraging ‘Hebrews 11 Hall of Fame’ for creation science…this alone puts to rest the persistent idea in most of the academic world . . . that science is at its best when biblical creationism is totally excluded.”

The 101-page paperback retails for $12.99 and is now available at bookstores, online at www.bmhbooks.com, or by calling 1-800-348-2756. The ISBN number is 9780884690733.

"Loving Your Neighbor" - Church Raises Funds for Lifesaving Heart Devices

Jeff Kirkpatrick, Chief of Police for the City of Seal Beach, California, and Pastor Don Shoemaker, Chaplain for the Police Department, stand beside 14 Automatic External Defibrillator units that will be carried in police cars or located throughout the city in public places.

The AED's were purchased mostly from $17,000 raised by Grace Community Church's "Michele's Fund," named after Michele Fishback, Director of Women's Ministries at the church, who died in March after her body rejected a heart transplant.

A recently-returned construction team from the Clinton, MD, Grace Brethren Church (Howard Mayes, pastor) will report and have a reception this Sunday on their recent trip to Chad in Africa.

The group helped construct a hospital and medical facility there which will be used by Grace Brethren churches and personnel. One wing will be named the "Roger and Vera Fredericks Surgical Center," named for a generous donor couple from the Clinton church--Roger Fredericks recently went to be with the Lord.

For a photo essay and further information, click on http://clintongrace.org/missions.htm

From today's York (PA) Dispatch:

Family: Plenty to be thankful for, in spite of fire

BROCK PARKER The York Dispatch

Guy and Peggy Pusey still had bloodshot eyes and appeared to be stunned yesterday, two days after a fire destroyed much of their Dover home.

Even their hero dog, Shelby, who alerted the Puseys to the blaze, seems to be having trouble coping with the loss of the family's other dog, Buddy, who died in the fire.

"She's been walking around looking for our other dog," Peggy said of Shelby.

But as the Puseys gathered with family and friends for a Thanksgiving meal yesterday, they said they have plenty to be thankful for, despite losing most of their possessions to the fire.

The couple and their 14-year-old son, Taylor, got out of the Main Street home safely shortly the fire started at 4 a.m. in a back room on the first floor of the house.

Shelby, a border collie the family adopted last summer, spotted the fire, jumped on Taylor, licked his face and woke him up, Guy said. Taylor ran upstairs and warned his sleeping parents about the fire, and all three were able to escape.

Lost four pets: Guy Pusey said the flames were so hot from the fire, he couldn't get close enough to put it out. Firefighters, Guy said, have determined that the fire started in a stereo at the house. Three cats the family was babysitting for Peggy's parents died in the fire, as did their 10-year-old border collie, Buddy, said Peggy as she fought back tears.

In addition to losing the pets, Peggy said her family didn't have renter's insurance. She said she had been talking to Guy about getting it last week. But almost immediately after the fire, Peggy and Guy said everyone from firefighters, to family, friends and strangers came to their aid.

"We just want to say thank you to everybody," Peggy said. "We don't know all their names, we just want to say thank you."

While the Puseys' plans for Thanksgiving at home were ruined by the fire, Peggy's sister, Joy Gillette, and her husband, Mike, invited them to a turkey feast at their Madison Avenue home in York City yesterday. The Puseys are going to stay with one of her other sisters, Michelle Dailey, and her husband, Brian, until they find a permanent place to stay.

In some ways, Peggy said, the fire has even been a blessing, because she hadn't been talking to some of her sisters before the blaze Tuesday. The family, she said, has put their disagreements behind them to help the Puseys recover from the fire, Peggy said.

As for Shelby, Peggy said the dog has secured her place in the family.

"Five or 10 minutes more and all of us would have been dead if it wasn't for my son and the dog," said Peggy. "Shelby is so hyper, we used to say she's going back to the pound. Now, she's never leaving our side."

Anyone wishing to help the Puseys can contact Peggy Pusey's sister, Becky Wickard, who is working with Hope Grace Brethren Church in Dillsburg to set up a benefit fund for the family. Wickard can be reached at 645-3497.

A new website, www.MoreGBCs.org, has been mounted by a church-planting team in the Tri-State district and is available to all who wish to follow the news, pray for prayer requests, or contribute finances or personnel to the church-planting efforts of the team.

Tri-State Church Multiplication (TSCM) is a team of Grace Brethren pastors and lay leaders who are committed to planting Grace Brethren Churches in the Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky tri-state area. Believing that the most effective means of evangelism in today’s culture is the planting of new churches, the group meets monthly to pray, plan, and implement church-planting initiatives.

The mission of TSCM is to promote Great Commission ministry by praying, strategizing, resourcing, and implementing the planting of new Grace Brethren Churches in the Tri-State area of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Key personnel include chairman Ned Denlinger from Mason, OH; vice chair Steve Makofka from Centerville, OH; director of church planting Daniel Pierce of Greenville, OH; secretary-treasurer Mark Saunders from First Grace Brethren Church in Dayton, OH; and team members Danny Wright, Bob Foote, and Brian Orme.

Current district church-plant projects include The Happy Church - Mike & Connie Tabor, Jackson, KY; Cornerstone GBC - Tim & Jayne Nixon, Springboro, OH; Daystar GBC - Brian & Janie Reifsnider, Union City, IN; Mason Family of Grace - Ned & Kathy Denlinger, Mason, OH.

Cornerstone Grace Brethren Church in Miamisburg, Ohio, which just began holding public services with Pastor Tim Nixon on October 1, 2006, will be at Best Buy and Toys-R-Us at 4 am tomorrow, Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving, 2006) to hand out hot chocolate to those cold shoppers waiting in line.

Pray that the Cornerstone team will have opportunity to have spiritual conversations with those in line, and that God might direct those He's leading to Himself, to shop at those stores that morning.

The Lebanon (PA) Daily News today carried this feature article about the architect who is a member of the New Beginnings Grace Brethren Church (Keith Shearer, pastor) in Myerstown, and the building he designed for that congregation.

Architect’s career well-built

By STEVE SNYDER
Staff Writer
Lebanon Daily News


At an age when most people are several years into retirement, Bob Beers is still flying, in every way possible.

A fit and energetic 70 years old, Beers still handles a busy business schedule, working on architectural projects in State College, Hershey, Cornwall and Myerstown.

On weekends, he flies his private plane from Lancaster Airport to a spacious shore home he designed in North Bethany Beach, Del.

Beers takes pride in his health, which he maintains by playing tennis and golf and riding a bicycle.

“I could go back to high school and feel pretty good,” Beers said with a chuckle, “but I’d probably be sore the next day.”

A football, basketball and baseball player at Lewistown High School, Beers was president of the Class of 1956.

A day after graduating, he married Elaine Gutshall in Lewistown’s First Methodist Church. The couple have three children and six grandchildren, one of whom, Claire Behney, is a member of Lebanon Valley College’s powerhouse field hockey team. All three children live nearby: Kimbra Behney is a nurse for the Elco School District; Sharon Patches works in the admissions department at Good Samaritan Hospital; and their son, Jon, is an engineer and public-works director for the City of Lebanon.

Beers’ architectural career and connection to Lebanon County formally began in 1956, when he accepted a draftsman position with Haak and Kaufman in Myerstown, although his first experience with architecture actually began a little earlier.

As a high-school junior, Beers met renowned architect John Haughwout, who, at the time, was working in Lewistown. Haughwout, who later became a prominent architect in Pittsburgh, invited Beers to his office and soon became the first student selected for Lewistown’s work co-op program.

During that time, Beers designed a house and entered it in Ford Motor Co.’s Industrial Arts Award Program, which earned him a certificate of merit signed by Henry Ford II.

“I never hesitated,” Beers said of his decision to pursue architecture as a career. “I never said, ‘What if?’”

Fifty years ago, architects often learned their trade through on-the-job training, a long and challenging process.

“That was a very common way for someone to get their registration,” said Beers’ business partner, Bob Hoffman. “You had to work with a registered architect for 10 years and then take an examination. The examination was very challenging, lasting 32 hours over four days, when he got his registration. It’s not an easy thing.”

In 1973, Beers became a registered architect and partner in the Myerstown firm, which changed its name to Haak, Kaufman, Reese & Beers. A couple years later, two of the partners died, leaving Beers and Jim Reese together. They continued their partnership nine years until each founded his own firm in 1982.

Beers set up his office in Lancaster and opened a Lebanon branch in 1996 when Hoffman came on board. The firm’s name was changed to Beers & Hoffman in 2002.

The two had almost joined forces three decades earlier, right after Hoffman graduated from Yale.

“I knew Bob when he graduated,” Beers said. “I missed him by a couple of days.”

“He tendered an offer,” Hoffman said, “but I had already made other commitments.”

Beers spends about 90 percent of his time in Lancaster, and Hoffman follows a similar schedule in Lebanon.

“It definitely is a team,” Hoffman said. “We do it both ways. I have a large number of projects that are mine, and he has his projects, but we still collaborate. It’s a good cross-pollination. With a fax, a phone and e-mail, it’s easy to communicate.”

Beers, who like Hoffman has a keen sense of humor, said Hoffman’s heavy community involvement in Lebanon “is why I’m still working. He’s so busy with his charitable endeavors.”

When Beers lived in Myerstown, he served on the borough’s Zoning Hearing Board and Planning Commission. The family later moved to Spring Hill Acres near Cornwall before Bob and Elaine built a stunning 3,700-square-foot brick and stucco home in Lititz in 1998.

One connection Beers has maintained to Myerstown is his warm relationship with the Evangelical School of Theology.

“He was the architect for our library in 1969 and our apartments in the late 1980s,” the school’s president, Dennis Hollinger, said. “He also handled the renovation of the major building on our campus, Christ Hall. He’s been very, very significant in shaping the look of our campus.”

Hollinger said Beers’ work on Christ Hall, which was completed in May 2005, is little short of amazing.

“People really rave about the transformation,” Hollinger said. “In honor of his work with us, we named the student center in honor of him.”

Among Beers’ other major projects in Lebanon County are Cornwall Manor and several churches in Myerstown, including Grace Brethren. Beers is still a member at Grace Brethren, where he taught Sunday school for many years and was a member of the church board. He also was a member at Myerstown United Church of Christ and a member of its board.

“It’s an important part of my life,” Beers said of his faith. “You’re always being led by Christ in all your decisions.”

Beers dedicated his business to Christ in 1982.

Beers has designed more than 300 churches during his 50-year career, including Calvary Church, which he attends. Calvary’s complex north of Lancaster includes a 2,600-seat sanctuary, a 1,000-seat fellowship hall and a 350-seat chapel, along with a gymnasium, classrooms, library, music suites, offices, kitchen and courtyard.

The Beers & Hoffman Lebanon County project list includes the Lebanon Valley Expo Center, Philhaven trauma center, Good Samaritan Hospital’s expansion/ renovation, Ebersole auto dealership, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Cedar Haven, Harpel’s, the Lebanon municipal building expansion, Lebanon Country Club, the Lebanon Federal Credit Union, Annville Family Practice and Fredericksburg Library.

Current projects include the new Lebanon Market House, Christman Memory Support Center at Spang Crest and renovations at four Lebanon School District buildings.

“In this business, most projects are long,” Hoffman said. “Schools often take three years. Churches are very long projects. Fund-raising can take two to three years, and then the actual work makes the total four to five years or more. You get to know your clients very well, almost like a second family.”

Beers’ current projects include St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and Brookline Manor retirement community in State College, Cornwall Manor’s expansion, Lebanon Valley Brethren Home, a private eye doctor’s office in Myerstown, and a restoration of Milton Hershey’s homestead in Hershey.

“That’s a small but exciting project,” Beers said of the Hershey homestead. “It’s being done in two phases. We did the exterior and are now working on the interior.”

Only one profession ever tempted Beers to leave architecture.

“It would have been nice to be a pilot,” said Beers, who first flew a plane when he was 17.

His father, Carl, was an instructor of ROTC pilots from Penn State at Bellefonte airport.

“I gave that up,” Beers said of his flying career, “then I took it up again 20 years ago. I try to fly every week.”

In addition to his flights to his shore home, Beers makes business trips to State College, Altoona and Johnstown. He also flies to Penn State football games.

“It beats the traffic,” Beers said with a grin. “I can get to State College in 35 minutes. The airport is three miles from Penn State’s campus, and they have shuttles.”

With his full-speed-ahead lifestyle, sitting in traffic just wouldn’t work.

Jonathan Carey, pastor of the Ellett Grace Brethren Church in Akron, Ohio, recently shared an idea that has impacted his church, community, and the world.

Jonathan received $50 from a distant relative for a family funeral he had done. He didn’t feel comfortable taking the money and using it personally. At the same time, he was mulling a conclusion to a message he was giving on service and using resources to reach people for Christ.

He decided to break the $50 bill into 50 one-dollar bills. At the conclusion of his message, he gave each family in his church a $1 bill and challenged them to pray, work together, and figure out how to maximize that buck for God’s glory.

At a breakfast recently, Jonathan shared story after story of how God has worked in people’s lives to bring exponential results (Eph.3:20) from $1 bills. Here are just a few ways people invested their bucks:

* A new widow felt impressed to buy a cup of coffee with her $1 bill. While she was paying, she felt compelled to buy another cup. Ironically, she doesn’t drink coffee. She was on her way to visit her husband’s gravesite. When she arrived, she saw two people shivering next to another gravesite near her husband’s. She met them, gave them the coffee, and learned that one of them had recently lost a loved one as well.

* A family used their $1 bill to buy a box of nails. They sold the nails in the box for 50 cents each to raise money for a family next door that was trying to build an additional room on their home to accommodate a handicapped child.

The idea and act of service attracted community-wide attention and was featured in the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper. Not only did the family from the Ellet church help to raise over $140 for this family, but other community organizations have also gotten involved to offer further assistance.

* A family bought some bread, made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and handed them out to homeless people in the Akron area.

* A lady bought some crayons, sold them, and used the money to buy school supplies to give to the school the Ellet church frequently reaches out to.

* A husband and wife split their $1 50/50. The wife took her $.50 and got 50 pennies. She made a goal to give away each penny saying something like “a penny for your thoughts.” In the conversation started, she purposed to highlight the fact that “In God We Trust” was printed on the coin.

One day, a man entered the lobby where she works as a receptionist. The man looked pensive. Through a translator, she asked his thoughts, offered her penny, and communicated her trust in God. She came to learn that this man was a general in the Iranian army and was visiting the States for some medical treatment. He has since returned to Iran and returned to work.

Could it be that one penny from $1 given out of just $50 could change the world?
(source: www.cenational.org)

From today's Chicago Tribune:

4 children killed in Elkhart laid to rest

By RICK CALLAHAN
Associated Press Writer

ELKHART, Ind. -- More than 300 mourners, including teary-eyed parents with young children clinging to them, filled a church Tuesday for the funeral of four slain children whose mother has been arrested in their deaths.

As the funeral Mass began, three white coffins -- the largest containing the two youngest children -- were rolled into St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Elkhart, followed by family members, including a weeping young woman cradling a swaddled infant.

The white-linen-draped coffins were moved to the church's white-tiled altar, which was lit by candles mounted on ornate holders.

The 90-minute Roman Catholic service was mostly in Spanish, although mourners were led in singing both Spanish and English versions of "Amazing Grace," "How Great Thou Art" and other songs. Exclamations and chatter from more than a dozen young children punctuated the service, leading some parents to scold their youngsters during the long Mass.

Deacon Ramiro Reyes told the largely Hispanic gathering that the four young victims -- Jennifer Lopez, 8, Gonzalo Lopez, 6, Daniel Valdez, 4, and Jessica Valdez, 2 -- were now far beyond their earthly concerns.

"They are in God's hands now. May God embrace them now and for all eternity," Reyes said, urging those gathered to pray "for all parents who suffer over the deaths of their children."

Autopsies showed the four siblings died of asphyxia, and investigators are treating the deaths as homicides but have released no further details.

Their mother, 27-year-old Angelica Alvarez has been arrested in their deaths, and prosecutors have until Wednesday to file charges. The Elkhart County prosecutor has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday morning to discuss Alvarez's arrest.

She was found unconscious Nov. 14 among her children's bodies in the basement of their home in Elkhart, 15 miles east of South Bend.

Gonzalo Lopez, father of the two oldest children, has said Alvarez was depressed after losing her job and had been hospitalized for 12 days. Officials at Norco Industries, where Alvarez had worked as a housekeeper for three years, said she quit in mid-September.

Lopez earlier told the South Bend Tribune that he met Alvarez in Mexico and that they lived in Lazaro Cardenas, a port city in the state of Michoacan. A decade ago, Lopez and Alvarez moved near Elkhart to Goshen, where Lopez had family.

Alvarez, however, left her entire family behind in Mexico.

The Rev. Wilson Corzo delivered the Catholic service almost entirely in Spanish.

But the Rev. Brian Baughman of Osceola Grace Brethren Church, where Alvarez and her children had attended services, addressed the gathering in English with a Spanish translator at his side.

He urged those gathered to turn to each other for comfort as they deal with the tragedy.

Baughman said he had been bothered since the four siblings were found dead whether the oldest child, 8-year-old Jennifer Lopez, had understood the Christian belief that Jesus Christ died for humanity's sins.

He said he found his answer in a blue spiral school notebook that the child had kept that included comments in which she thanked God for help in passing a mathematics test. He held the book aloft and said it was proof that she was a Christian and would have an eternal life.

"'Dear God, I loved it when I got a B-minus on my math test. I thank you for that. I love you a lot. I love you and my family,"' Baughman said, reading a passage dated Nov. 6 from the notebook.

"I believe these four children -- all four of them -- are right now in the direct presence of God in heaven," he added.

As the service ended, Baughman's wife, Tammy, her voice cracking, described the personalities of the four children, recalling Jennifer's contagious smile, Gonzalo's love of giving hugs, Daniel's obsession with "The Lion King" and Jessica's independent streak.

Tammy Baughman had visited the young family the day of the children's deaths but she has said she did not see any signs they were in danger.

Grace College graduate Matt Nightingale, who is Pastor of Music and Creative Arts at Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City, California, sang the National Anthem Sunday prior to the 49ers and Seahawks game. Here are edited excerpts from his report of the event.

Sunday was an amazing day in so many ways. It was the Celebration Sunday for PCC's Beautiful Day weekend. All the people in our church gathered together in one worship celebration at 9:15am. We sang and praised God for all He did.

I had to leave the gathering at 9:45 to head for San Francisco. Gary and the congregation prayed over me, and they all clapped as I walked up the center aisle.

That was a sweet moment, feeling the support and encouragement of my church family... and even like I was being sent out on a mission, to use my gifts for the glory of God.

We arrived at 10:40 or so and walked through the Entertainment Gate into the stadium. We found the people from e2k Entertainment, and I went out to the field for the soundcheck. Then came the wait. Two hours till the anthem!

We had field passes, so we just hung out on the sidelines. The kids got some autographs, we got to see both teams warming up... lots of stuff to look at and explore. The atmosphere got more and more charged up with excitement.

Finally the big moment came and I walked out onto the field, right down the 25-yard line. I didn't forget the words! And they even shot off explosives as I sang "and the rockets' red glare." It was really thrilling and surreal all at the same time.

Remarkably, I wasn't nervous at all. There was a great peace about the whole thing. I am grateful to all who prayed for me. I really did feel the presence of God out there on the field!

After I sang, as I was walking off the field, Bryant Young ran over and shook my hand. It was awesome! Then it was up the super-secret-special-passes-only elevator to the press box, where we enjoyed the game in luxury! All-you-can-eat free food and drink, TVs tuned in to network coverage and a killer view of the game.

And what a game! Everyone was calling it the most important game the 49ers had played in years, and they played it really well. I'm not a big sports fan, but I was absolutely riveted to the field and completely tuned in to what was happening!

The halftime tribute to Jerry Rice was awesome as well... there was a real sense of history about it, with Steve Young, Joe Montana, Bill Walsh and even Eddie D. (whom my Uncle Alan used to fly for back in the glory days of the Niners) were all there.

Oh yeah, and the Niners won! It was a Beautiful Day.

This report from Fox News Channel 28 in South Bend, Indiana, details some of the ministry Brian Baughman (pictured) and his wife have had to a family in crisis. Brian is Hispanic pastor at the Grace Brethren Church of Osceola, Indiana (Greg Serafino, pastor).

Hundreds Turn Out To Remember Slain Siblings

Plenty of tears and tissues, as hundreds turn out to remember four young children allegedly murdered by their own mother in their Elkhart home last week.

Monday night, visitation services were held for the slain siblings at Grace Brethren Church in Osceola.

Angelica Alvarez and her kids spent a lot of time at that church. Angelica attended an English as a second language class there once a week.

While in class, her children attended a youth Bible study group. It was during Bible study, that many people in the small congregation got to know the four children.

Rays of sunlight break through the dark clouds above Grace Brethren Church in Osceola. However, they did very little to brighten the spirits of people inside.

Brian Baughman, Pastor at Grace Brethren Church says, "Cries of agony you might say."

The reaction from mourners Monday as they passed by the bodies of Jennifer Lopez, her brother Gonzalo, their step-brother Daniel and step-sister Jessica.

A family friend, Tammy Baughman describes each of the children.

As for Jennifer, the 8 year old, "She was a girlie girl and she loved princesses."

6-year old Gonzalo, "He loved superheroes and he loved to eat."

4-year old Daniel, "He liked to play chase, loved to watch cartoons."

And the youngest, 2-year old Jessica, "She would play and run around until her little exhausted self would crash with her blanket."

Tammy Baughman was with all of the children just hours before their deaths.

Baughman says, "Helping them do fun things at home, reading the Bible with their mom."

Baughman, whose husband is the Hispanic pastor at Grace Brethren, bonded with the children over the years during Bible study. She says things seemed pretty normal inside the family's home when she left last Tuesday.

Baughman says, "I don't know what normal is exactly, but nothing was concerning me."

While the question of why still remains unanswered, family and friends turn to their faith for guidance as they prepare to bury these four young children.

Pastor Brian Baughman, Grace Brethren Church, says, "We've spent some time reading the Bible, realizing although some things happen we don't understand that doesn't make sense to us that God lets happen, we just have to trust He has a plan and a purpose and hopefully we can understand what that was."

Until that happens, people here will find some comfort in their memories of the kids.

Baughman says, "The cuteness of the things they did make you smile. It's just a sad thing."

The children's funeral will be Tuesday morning at 11 a-m at St. Vincent de Paul Church on south Main Street in Elkhart. It's expected to be standing room only. They will be buried at Chapel Hill Cemetery in Mishawaka.

The children's mother, Angelica Alvarez, is in police custody at Elkhart General hospital where she was taken after being found with her children last week.

The Elkhart County Prosecutor has until Wednesday to formally charge her in connection with their deaths.

Grace Brethren International Missions sends the message, "Praise the Lord that the European Charis meetings you recently prayed for were a great success.

"Paul Klawitter, GBIM Europe Regional Director, reports, 'The 30 participants (from seven countries) unanimously sensed that the Spirit guided our deliberations. We were deeply humbled that our 12 European churches could have something to offer to the 1000+ African Grace Brethren Churches.

'We hope that these small steps will contribute to Africa’s immense spiritual wealth somehow being shared with spiritually impoverished Europe.'”

The Grace Brethren Church in Owings, Maryland (Robert Wagner, pastor) is one of many churches participating in the shoe box ministry of Operation Christmas Child this year.

The following is an edited excerpt from an Annapolis, MD, newspaper article which appeared this weekend. To read the entire article click here.

County church women have found the best way to recycle shoe boxes: Pack them with toys and candies and send them off to children throughout the world.

This isn't a project they've undertaken on their own. It's a worldwide effort known as Operation Christmas Child that began in 1993 with the objective of bringing gifts to children in impoverished countries. It's an operation of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization. Last year the shoe boxes reached 7.6 million children in 95 countries, according to the agency's statistics.

Locally, the collections are under way at Chesapeake Christian Fellowship, 377 W. Central Ave., Davidsonville, where two tractor-trailers sit ready to be packed.

"We're hoping to fill each trailer and call for a third," said Becky Minemier, a member of the Davidsonville church and chairman of the local operation.

She estimates that each trailer will hold about 4,000 boxes. All week long, pickup trucks, station wagons and SUVs have arrived at the church filled with the carefully and lovingly packaged shoe boxes. The trucks will leave Tuesday, but until then, they stand ready for loading.

Donna Leadmon, who lives in Davidsonville but attends Grace Brethren Church in Owings, needed two station wagons to deliver the load from her church to the Davidsonville site.

"I was praying for 50 boxes and we ended up with 126," she said. "You can never underestimate the power of the Lord."

“Veritas,” a journal of counseling and discipleship, has been created by the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus, Ohio (Jim Custer, pastor) and is available online at http://www.gracebrethren.org/discipleship/pages/Veritas/Veritas_Main_Page.html

According to the site’s front page, “Welcome to Veritas, the e-journal created by the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus, Ohio. Veritas means truth. Our goal is to provide every individual at Grace the opportunity to grow into maturity in their relationship with Jesus Christ, the author of truth.”

With click-thru sections that are titled Counselor’s Corner, Logos Forum, Men’s Issues, Women’s Issues, and Young Professionals, the site says, “This issue of Veritas will focus on the topic of Hearing God’s Voice. This topic will be discussed from a theological perspective, how men and women are impacted by hearing God’s voice, a challenge to young professionals to understand and apply this topic to a life calling, and finally a discussion on how we apply hearing God’s voice to daily living in a fallen world.”

“We hope you enjoy not only the new format but also the topic and the variety of perspectives the various authors bring to this topic. We desire to stimulate your thinking and generate discussion. We invite your comments. Please feel free to respond to the authors in the submission form at the end of each article.”

Brian Baughman, Pastor of Hispanic Ministries at the Grace Brethren Church of Osceola, Indiana, (Greg Serafino, pastor) is having unique ministry opportunities following the tragic deaths of four children in a story which has attracted national attention. In this news report from television station WNDU, Baugham is quoted.

Father of Murdered Elkhart Children Speaks

by Kari Huston

She's accused of killing his children. still Gonzalo Lopez tells Newscenter 16 he can't hate his former wife, Angelica Alvarez.

“I blame her job. She was fired recently and with all that stress look how far she went,” Lopez says. “Nothing we can do now. I don't hate her. I say this with all my heart. I only wish her luck. She will need it.”

Maternal Filicide, as it's called in psychology, is child murder at the hands of mothers.

According to a study by the American Journal of Psychiatry 61 percent of children murdered in this country are killed by their own parents, 30 percent of those by their mothers, 31 percent by their fathers.

In April of 2005 a mother in the Chicago suburb of Rolling Prairie killed both her children.

Research says murdering mothers often suffered abuse themselves, have limited education, poor social support, and sometimes a history of substance abuse.

Recognizing the signs of such a break can be difficult even for professionals. “There is often a change in behavior,” explains psychologist Dr. Brad Mazick, of the Madison Center for Children. “There may be severe mood swings. They may go through possessions and give things away. They may make comments that people overlook like, ‘If we were gone things would be better’.”

Jennifer, Gonzalo, Daniel and Jessica were loving outgoing children according to everyone who knew them.

Brian Baughman is pastor of Hispanic Ministries at the Osceola Grace Brethren Church where the family attended. “The children were so lovable, always wanting a hug,” he recalls.

“The funeral services will be together for all four children. Both fathers (Fernando Valdez, father of two eldest, and Gonzalo Lopez, father of two youngest) are working together to be sure these kids have a funeral together. They were always together in life.”

Visitation for the Lopez and Valdez children will be together at the Osceola Grace Brethren Church Monday, November 20, from 4 – 8 p.m.

A Mass of Christian burial will be take place at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Elkhart Tuesday, November 21st, at 11 a.m. Angelica Alvarez remains under arrest inside the hospital tonight.

A judge agreed there was probable cause to arrest Alvarez yesterday. Elkhart County Prosecutor, Curtis Hill, has until next Wednesday to formally charge Alvarez. Because the Thanksgiving holiday falls next Thursday, it's likely her initial hearing won't be until Monday, November 27th.

Matt Nightingale (right), a 1994 graduate of Grace College and former Grace employee, will sing the National Anthem for the San Francisco 49ers/Seattle Seahawks game this Sunday, November 19.

The game begins at 1:05 p.m. PST, and Matt, who won the 49ers National Anthem audition contest, will be singing around 12:45. Matt, his wife, Luanne, and sons Josh and Jake will see the game from a box seat at the stadium.

A father of four, Matt is a licensed minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church and the Pastor of Music and Creative Arts at Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City, California.

The 49ers website says, “In his spare time, Matt has been pursuing a career in music, and recently released Still Standing, ‘an album of remarkable passion and candid personal confession with a hefty dose of pure pop confection thrown in for good measure.’” For more information, visit www.mattnightingale.com.

More information is available on the 49ers website at http://49ers.com/gameday/gameday_pages/anthem.php?section=Gameday

Among the many visitors today to the BMH Books exhibit at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting being held in Washington, DC, were BMH board member Rick Fairman (left), who is on the faculty of Lancaster Bible College; and Robert Clouse, who pastors the Grace Brethren Church in Clay City, Indiana, and is the author of BMH book War: Four Christian Views. BMH publisher Terry White is at right.

The convention ends at 4 p.m. Friday. Approximately 4,200 biblical teachers, scholars, and pastors are members of the ETS. (Jesse Deloe photo)

YIB (Your Intrepid Blogger) is spending today and the next several days at the Evangelical Theological Society convention in the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington DC (remember the portico where President Reagan was shot?)

Tomorrow we'll try to post a photo of your BMH Books booth in action. BMH Books senior editor Jesse Deloe is here with me, and we're having a ball connecting and re-connecting with all kinds of Grace Seminary alumni, former colleagues and friends, and Grace Brethren pastors and theologians.

Just a few of those we saw today--Jim and Nancy Nesbitt, Terry and Deb Hofecker, Rick Fairman, Gary Meadors, Ron Clutter, Chip Heim, Keith Minier, and probably a bunch more I'm forgetting.

The ETS website informs us: Sixty scholars established the Evangelical Theological Society in 1949. The diverse group, differing in denominational loyalties and doctrinal orientations, considered one common belief supremely important: the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. They began to meet annually as intellectuals to discuss how the Bible relates to history and modern-day issues.

This year marks their 58th annual conference and the theme is “Christians in the Public Square.” More than 500 scholarly papers will be presented as members develop the topic of the evangelical’s influence in society and culture.

ETS has 4,200 members including seminary presidents, leading conservative scholars, pastors, overseas missionaries and students engaged in graduate work. Their educational backgrounds and fields of expertise encompass history, philosophy, linguistics, psychology, political science and law as well as theology.

Meanwhile, the AGBM (Association of Grace Brethren Ministers) officers are meeting in Winona Lake, and our staff is assisting them with issues related to our communication outsourcing arrangement with AGBM. Pray for these courageous men as they work to re-shape the future of our association of ministers.

My Sunday School Superintendent has some old, extra unused Sunday School material for adults from Scripture Press. He has about six or seven books for two or three years. Do you know of any church or group that could use them?

Pastor Christian Becker
First Brethren Church
Buena Vista, VA
cjbecker@juno.com

Ken Lawson (pictured), a detective from the Columbus, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church who is heavily involved in the fight against human trafficking was featured in the July/August, 2006 issue of FGBC World. As a followup on this subject, he sends along the following information:

I was in Washington DC this weekend meeting with former Congresswoman Linda Smith and Shared Hope International (an anti-trafficking ministry who is often recruited by the Departments of Justice and State to help the U.S. government address this problem). As part of their efforts to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children, they have started "The Defenders".

They are a group of men who pledge to defend children from those who would exploit and harm them. Toolkits are available for pastors to help lead their men to positions of integrity and action. The men are called to pledge:

I am a man who is invested in the children of America and the protection of their futures from the commercial sex industry. I am taking a stand, declaring that the sexual exploitation of children, using pornography, and buying sex is not something real men will tolerate. I believe real men guard themselves and protect children with dignity.

As a Defender, I pledge I will…

1) Refuse to be a victim of the commercial sex industry. I acknowledge that pornography, prostitution, and sexual addiction have no place in my life and that it is not only harmful to the women and children involved, but also to myself and those around me.
2) Commit to stand up and speak out — holding other men accountable for their behaviors and actions, being a wingman for friends in my life, and finding tools to help us avoid gateways to addiction and abuse.
3) Educate and protect children from the dangers of online recruitment by predators. Play an active role in monitoring their activity online and report any suspicious behavior.
4) Refrain from looking at, buying, or collecting pornography, knowing it is the gateway to child victimization in the commercial sex industry.
5) Say no to purchasing sexual services. I will not support the devaluation of my sisters, daughters, and friends.

The website is: http://www.thedefendersusa.org/.

Please post if you think this would be a valuable resource for pastors in the fellowship. If anyone has any questions, they can email me (ken.lawson@yahoo.com).

According to officials at Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana, Early Admission (EA) applications have surpassed the 1,000 mark for the first time in Grace College’s history and represent an increase of 145 percent over last year to-date.

With several weeks still remaining until the Early Admission deadline, it is likely that EA applications will surpass the total number of applications received for fall 2006, which produced a record class, according to Dean of Enrollment Ken Moyer. Applications already received represent 40 states and seven countries, he reported.

The impact of the soaring applicant pool brings a significant increase to the number of accepted EA students, up 168 percent from last year, and enrollment deposits, up 75 percent. The academic profile of accepted students shows an average high school GPA of 3.61, average ACT composite of 24.4 and average equivalent SAT 1150 (math and reading).

According to Moyer, the two primary reasons cited for the continuing increases are, “the high levels of student satisfaction on campus and increasing awareness within the evangelical community of the value and importance of sound theology. Prospective students and parents are increasingly reporting difficulties finding Christian liberal arts colleges committed to the classical and defining doctrines of the faith that form the foundation of a clear and consistent Christian worldview.”

The new CE National training center in Winona Lake, Indiana, was dedicated this past Saturday afternoon, November 11, with about 140 guests present.

Ed Lewis, Executive Director of CE National, made introductory remarks about the organization and its role that impacts the church by serving as a catalyst for biblically accurate and culturally relevant minstries to children, youth, and adults.

A special welcome was given to all in attendance, including the CE National staff and the CE National Board of Directors. Also shared at this time was the fact that the entire building project (including gifts in hand and pledges) only lacked $4,000 to see the project paid for.

The group sang "To God be the Glory" accompanied on the keyboard by staff member Peggy Owens. CE National Board Members Margie Brubaker and Cindy Thornley lead in the reading of selected Scriptures and Jim Brown led in a prayer of thanksgiving.

Jesse DeBoest, a director at CE National and the main liaison between CE National and the contractors, recognized various individuals and companies including DJ Construction Company (general contractor), Dennis Boyd and Art Bushen for their assistance in landscaping, and Paula Bowman with her assistance on the interior decor.

Steve Peters, Board President, gave a devotional, followed by an a cappella version of the Doxology by Christi Barlow, Sherilyn Rank and Dave Rank.

Ed Lewis and Timothy Kurtaneck announced the naming of the new training center to be "The Russell Center" in honor of Dennis and Janine Russell of Mukilteo, Washington.

Vice-President of the CE National Board of Directors, Dave Knepper, led in a prayer of dedication asking that God would use this new facility to honor His work and His Kingdom.

The event ended with a cake reception and several hours of visiting and sharing. More information and construction photos are available at www.cenational.org.

Grace Brethren High School will present Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap." Performances are 7 p.m. Nov. 16 through 18 at Grace Brethren Church, 2900 Sycamore Drive in Simi Valley.

The mystery is set in 1950s England at a guest house. Heavy snow barricades the guests in the house.

When they discover that the deaths of the caretakers follow the pattern of the nursery rhyme Three Blind Mice, the intrigue is on.

"Mousetrap" stars Olivia Smith, Paul Figueroa, Caleb Hargis, Lindsay Hanson, Austin Smith, Kelli Sinclair, Jordan Burnett and Candice Windham. The play is directed by Rachel Masie.

Tickets, $10 in advance and $13 at the door, are available in the school office at 1350 Cherry Ave., Simi Valley. Call (805) 522-4667 for more information.

Dr. Tom Stallter, (pictured) currently on sabbatical leave from Grace College and Seminary as professor of intercultural studies, is now in France, where he will be involved in three events. He will lead and participate in discussions for Charis International for Europe on November 9-11.

Then he will teach a one-week module on Intercultural Communication to English speakers on November 13-17.

Finally, he will lead two seminars for French church people at the Chateau de Saint Albain on November 18. One seminar is on “Understanding African Culture for Ministry,” and the other is on “Values and Teamwork” in the local church.

Stallter served with Grace Brethren International Missions in Africa before joining the Grace faculty.

From today's Alaska Star:

Family band plays tune members of all ages can enjoy

Article and photo by AMY M. ARMSTRONG

If the idea of family members playing in a band together really blows your trumpet, you might want to check out Saturday night's no-charge 7 p.m. concert at the Grace Brethren Church in Birchwood.
On tap is the Ed Singer Family Band - a 30-member group now in its sixth year of offering area families an opportunity to make music together.

"Some of our members have been playing their instruments for decades," said Ed Singer, the band's maestro. "And others have been playing for only a few short months."

With members ranging from 11 to 60, Singer said the band offers an opportunity somewhat uncommon in traditional musical performance groups with individuals of similar experience and talent levels grouped together.

"This gives less experienced players the chance to sit next to a more experienced player and really learn in the process," Singer said.

He is a 34-year veteran public school music teacher now marking his 26th straight year teaching at Central Middle School in Anchorage.

He saw a great lack of venues where family members could play together.

"This band is such a marvelous opportunity for kids to play with their parents," Singer said. "I select music that reflects as much variety as possible."

His wife, Debbie, is a former public school and private school music teacher. She's been playing the flute for 43 years.

She enjoys the family dynamic the band offers.

"Here you have grandpas playing next to their grandchildren," Debbie said. "It is just a rare and wonderful experience to have the generations interact together. There is such a need for more of that in our society today."

While it isn't the main focus of the band, the Singers also saw a need for home school students - their own daughter, Katherine, being one of them - to play in a group and have the experience of presenting a performance.

"If this wasn't something we could do together as a family, we probably wouldn't be able to do it," Debbie said.

Katherine, an accomplished pianist, worked as the band secretary and played percussion until she got her braces off about a year ago and could start learning to play the French horn.

For other band members, Monday night practices are an opportunity to pick up a childhood hobby.

Brian Trimble of Eagle River played the bassoon in high school.

Then he took what he calls a 30-year hiatus until Singer loaned him a bassoon so he could join the family band.

"I told him I was a former bassoon player and he encouraged me to pick it back up," Trimble said.

Turns out he rekindled his love for the instrument.

"I just fell back in love with the bassoon, and now I get to jam with the clarinets," he said. "It is one thing to practice at home all by myself. It's just not the same as getting together with others to make music. That just brings a very special kind of joy."

For Kathy Houser, also of Eagle River, the family band gives her the chance to put her 35 years of clarinet playing alongside the efforts of her daughter, Victoria, a ninth grade student still mastering the instrument.

Her older daughter, Stephanie, a 22-year-old music major at the University of Alaska Anchorage, tags along for Monday night family band practices.

"It is something that I can do with my kids and that means a lot to me," Houser said. "I like that we are making memories together for down the road and developing music appreciation at the same time."

For Saturday night's performance, Singer said he chose music that reflects a variety of styles.

"Of course we will have a march," he said. "You always have a march."

With a nod to Veteran's Day, Singer said the concert program will include the national anthem.

Other selections slated for performance include "Rudimental Regiment" - a British-style march; "Bach Fugue in B Minor," "A Medieval Christmas" and "Appalachian Trail" as arranged by John Kinyon, "Summon the Heroes" by John Williams and "The Mansions of the Lord" by Nick Glennie-Smith.

The Grace Brethren Church is located at the corner of S. Birchwood Loop Road and Birchtree Road.

Mike Gehlert, executive director of Camp Conquest in the Northern Atlantic District, sends along the following update:

"The Lord is blessing camp in great ways. We are going to settlement on Wednesday, November 1 at 4:15 for the purchase of the adjacent property at 440 Forest Road, Denver, PA 17517.

"With gifts and pledges the Lord has provided $150,000 toward the $200,000 purchase price. The need at this point is to raise the additional $50,000 plus settlement fees.

"Please continue to pray with us, that we will be able to raise the remaining funds in a timely manner."

In February of 2001, 49 pastors and church leaders gathered "to motivate and assist church leaders to dream about church planting, articulate that dream and determine the next step... to reach every county for Christ."

They listed several places as sites where they hoped to see Grace Brethren churches planted. Two of these locations now have Grace Brethren Churches celebrating their fifth-year anniversary this fall and others are just getting started!

On November 5 and 6, 2006, just north of Columbus, Ohio, approximately 50 pastors and church leaders are gathering to ask the question "Where do we go from here?"

This All-Ohio Church Planting Summit is an opportunity for participants to KNOW what HE has done, SHARE what HIS Spirit is putting on your heart, and to unite hearts in PRAYER for HIS will to be accomplished. (Tom Avey photo)

The November/December, 2006, issue of FGBC World, the all-fellowship publication for Grace Brethren Churches, is arriving in homes and churches this week. Here is promotional copy you may use for bulletins, newsletters, websites, and other communications. Please pass along to your church staff.

Week 1:

In a small town that is 89 percent Hispanic, the Mabton Grace Brethren Church of Mabton, Washington, seeks to share Christ’s love with immigrants and maintain their unity as one church with two languages. Read more about the growth of this Hispanic ministry in the November/December issue of FGBC World, now available. Take a copy today or read it online at www.fgbcworld.com.


Week 2:

“I like reading a book where I learn something,” says novelist Karen Harper, a former teacher who now has more than 40 mystery, suspense, and historical books to her credit. Read about this fascinating Grace Brethren person in the November/December issue of FGBC World, now available. Take a copy today or read it online at www.fgbcworld.com.


Week 3:

Retirement is another opportunity to serve others for Tracey and Marie Owen, of the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church in Winona Lake, Indiana. The Owens are involved in Roving Volunteers in Christ’s Service (RVICS), a non-profit organization of retired couples who volunteer their time to serve through organized work ministry. Read more about this exciting ministry and the Owens’ adventures in the November/December issue of FGBC World, now available. Take a copy today or read it online at www.fgbcworld.com.

A ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m. last Friday marked the official public opening of the new Tree of Life bookstore and cafe in the old Herald Bookstore space at 1104 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, Indiana.

Boards of both Grace College and Seminary and Brethren Missionary Herald Company were meeting, and so they were among the 100+ who participated in the grand opening.

Tree of Life has signed a 20-year lease with BMH for the space, which is a combination general Christian bookstore, full-service cafe, coffee bar, and college bookstore featuring textbooks, wearables, office supplies, and music. (Joel Curry photo)

The completely-remodeled Tree of Life bookstore includes about 7,500 square feet of general inventory and college bookstore products.

There is a fireplace with lounging furniture, a complete cafe with a number of cafe tables, free wireless internet throughout, and much more. Shoppers thronged the store after Friday morning's ribbon-cutting and grand opening. (Joel Curry photo)

Sharon and I appreciate--more than you will ever know--the hundreds of e-mails, cards, phone calls, floral tributes, and even personal visits during this past week of our bereavement.

The funeral, which was 2 p.m. Thursday, really glorified the Lord, I think. Sharon spoke for about 10 minutes about Jamie, detailing some of the events of her life and the impact on her of both the chronic pain from an old jaw injury and also the mental health issues that were so troublesome to Jamie toward the end of her life.

Following that, we played a tape recording of Jamie, at age 11, singing "I have a friend, and His name is Jesus," which was recorded in 1982 at the Grace Brethren Church of Waterloo, Iowa, when we gave a concert there with the Watchmen men's chorus. It was powerful, and moving, and made an impact.

Then Pastor Joel Johnson, who had been Jamie's junior high pastor and had stayed in touch with her for the past 20 years, spoke wonderfully from his own acquaintance with Jamie, mixing in scriptural stories and examples with a plain gospel message. The way to have a secure future for eternity was made clear.

We thank the many churches and national organizations who sent lovely flowers. Pastors Howard Immel and Gary Austin and their wives from our Iowa churches came to the funeral--we were very touched by that.

Tomorrow I will be back in the office at Winona Lake, resuming BMH activity. Yesterday we delivered the boys and their belongings to Chad's father, who has legal custody of both boys and who will now be raising them. As you remember them, please continue to pray for some strong spiritual influence and good role model in their lives.

The official cause of death is listed as "undetermined." The autopsy showed nothing wrong with any organs, no blood clots, no heart problems, no recurrence of cancer, no connection with the surgical site from Wednesday's jaw surgery.

The toxicology reports, likewise, showed no alcohol in the blood, no illegal drugs, and only the expected "therapeutic levels" of painkillers following the operation. The simple answer seems to be that the Lord was finished with Jamie's time on earth, and He took her. God is good, and we don't question Him.

We are grateful for the support and caring of our family in the Lord. May you know this same encouragement in your own times of trial.

Jamie Lynn Fahning, 35, died at her residence in Prior Lake, Minnesota, on October 28, 2006. She was born June 7, 1971, in Des Moines, Iowa, and was adopted 14 days later by Terry and Sharon White of Winona Lake, Indiana.

A resident of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, much of her life, Jamie was a 1990 graduate of Eden Prairie High School. She worked at a number of jobs in childcare, retail sales of cosmetics and beauty supplies, and as a veterinarian’s surgical assistant.

She was married December 5, 1992, to Michael Fahning of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and she spent much of the remainder of her life raising her two boys Todd, 16, and Chad, 12.

Though she struggled in latter years with mental health issues, addictive tendencies, and chronic pain, Jamie will be remembered for her magnetic personality that always attracted neighborhood children and her boys’ friends to her home. She was an excellent cook, was musical, was skilled at crafts, and was a lover of plants, animals, and fish.

As a child, she traveled for several years—including the nation’s bicentennial year of 1976—with her mother and Miriam and Maria Pacheco of Winona Lake, Indiana, giving mother-daughter concerts in a number of Grace Brethren churches.

She is survived by her parents, Terry and Sharon White of Winona Lake, Indiana; by a brother, Jonathan Andrew White, of Winona Lake, Indiana; by her two sons Todd Fahning, 16, and Chad Fahning, 12, of Prior Lake, Minnesota; by a daughter, Alexandra Thorsen of Elk River, Minnesota; and by her maternal grandparents, Andrew and Mary Jane Auxt of Hagerstown, Maryland. She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Elzie and Helen White of Kittanning, Pennsylvania. She is also survived by her biological parents, Leslie Bowman of Maryville, Missouri, and Jack Nichols, of Santa Barbara, California.

A memorial service will be held at the Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, 4565 Pleasant Ave. in Prior Lake, Minnesota, at 2 p.m. Thursday, November 2, 2006, with viewing beginning at noon that day. A graveside service will follow at the Eden Prairie Cemetery. Pastor Joel Johnson will officiate.

Memorial gifts will be used to further her boys’ higher education. Checks, made payable to the Fahning Education Fund, should be mailed to P.O. Box 694, Winona Lake, Indiana, 46590.

http://www.legacy.com/StarTribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=19789838