| 20 | Spring | 04 |
|---|---|---|
| Linda White Box 311 Cheyenne, OK 73628 | Richard's Family
| Dale's Family
| Garland's Family
Virginia's Family | Monta's Family | Ed's Family | Elmeda's Family Announcements | Watts Cousin's Reunion | Mahan Reunion |
Joe Elder 813 SW 63 Oklahoma City, OK 73139 |
| Volume 13 | of the family, by the family, for the family | Issue 4 |
Circulation: 15 - US Mail, 34 - e-mail, 49 totalThe cost is $2.00 per year (mailed). If you have an e-mail address, Joe can send you a newsletter via e-mail for free. So send him your e-mail address and save money. The news needs to come to Joe or me, Linda White. Linda White Richard’s FamilyMom says she's sure blessed to be receiving money from the gas well. It is being used wisely I'm sure. She's planning to fly to Greenville to visit Sharon, Cecil, Billy and me on April 1. When she returns to Oklahoma on April 13, she plans to visit her sister Lila in Claremore for a few days. Her former pastor and family, C.W. and Lois Parker, are now serving a church in Pampa. We don't know the name of the church. Her current pastor lost his wife in a tragic car accident a while back. He's raising their infant daughter with the help of his mother-in-law. Altus recently received some much-needed rain; we're glad there was no wind or hail damage there. She's been keeping her and Sharon's yards fertilized. They're still seeking a buyer for Sharon's house. We have to remind ourselves that God's timing is always perfect. But sometimes we sure don't understand it! Sharon's recovering from a badly sprained ankle and oral surgery to remove a cyst under her tongue. Otherwise, she's staying busy keeping in touch with her boys, Jason and Jeremy, who are in Germany. They're in the Army National Guard Reserves and got called up to cross train to the military police. They are at separate places in Germany, but will get to see each other now and then. They're both settled in and are enjoying it. Sharon and Samantha (Jason's wife) will get to fly to Germany in October to see the boys. Cecil and I are having some work done to the house/yard--landscaping, new gutters, and bricksteps. We're also trying to housebreak our little black & tan miniature dachshund puppy, Heidi. She's so tiny and cute. I must go--is that whimpering I hear in the next room? Love to all, Dale’s FamilyDear Family, Our family is spread out all over the world. Justyn is in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He is taking classes at a local Jr. College and doing better than he has in years. He also works part-time. He is publishing a book of poetry this year. His first. Nathan, still living at home and completing his senior year of high school, graduates this summer. Today he and two friends are mountain climbing near the Tibetan border. Should summit in two more days. This mountain peaks at 18,000 feet. His plans are to enter the Navy and process into the SEALs as soon as he completes the initial training. Whitney, now 17 is in boarding school in Central Taiwan. She is running track and will be traveling to Okinawa in April for events. She is often homesick, but really enjoys the dormitory at Morrison Academy. Amber, the youngest child is in 4th grade and is homeschooled. She likes the outdoors and has a lot of friends...Chinese, Irish, Canadians and Americans. Her accent changes hourly depending on with whom she plays. Gailia continues to work with the local house church Back to Jerusalem missionaries. She has a great ministry and is challenged weekly to share with these wonderful young people. It is very fulfilling. We spent Christmas and New Years in the USA. Traveling to numerous locations and saw a lot of family. We should have taken an additional 4 months of stateside, but didn't. Regreting that now. As for me, Brandt...I'm just returning from Myanmar and a two day hike of 30 miles. My feet are sore and I just want to crash. I now have 36 hours completed on my PhD in Business Leadership and Organizational Management. It feels good but I'm not half way yet. God has been good to us all: Health, energy, safety and a Rat Terrier and a deaf white cat. Love you all, Dear Friends, Here is a little bit of what has been happening out here lately. I have a lot to share with you. It has been a busy Spring for us. Let me just get started with some local house church information. Since my team rotated off last year I've been careful not to build a new team. I want Monty, my team leader to do that. He is still preparing to return in June and I'll hand off our role at that time. Because I haven't had a team, the local hc brothers and sisters have been led by the Lord to partner with us. We now have about 10-12 full time workers living and serving in the market towns and rural areas where some of you have traveled. Reports from our co-workers indicates approximately 5,000 baptisms in our area and 90 churches in 2003. Most of these are Wa, some are Lahu or other minorities. As the spiritual fruit is being harvested so has the persecution increased. Some of this is just the normal Spring crack down by the government. From February 26th through March 11th I traveled with a team from the states. Our goal was to meet up with all my hc guys and pray with them and encourage them. We also hiked back into the Wa state. It was a great trip and three men of influence prayed to receive Christ and were baptized. One of my volunteers, Dr. Roger Lee, had a GPS unit with maps he had downloaded. He knew instantly when we stepped into Burma and out of China. He also told me a couple of days later that we had hiked 30 miles in two days. The pastor with me said, "you are a liar! You keep telling us 45 more minutes...that was 4 hours ago." We all just laughed. My local hc evangelist that I brought on this trip said, "Hey, Shi Lao Shi, You are smart...you keep us going by telling us just 45 minutes more." We all laughed...you all know how I am. God was really been good to us. Last week one of the team members wrote to say he has tummy trouble now. Well, I just had to say, "you are a real missionary now!" After leaving Ximeng, I got a phone call from an hc evangelist (Bro. Ho Xian) who told me he had just been released from questioning by the authorities. They found my name, address and phone numbers in his bag. That just made me feel "peachy." That also explained why I had been getting calls from people in Ximeng that I didn't know. Friday I had received my third call from the head govt. official in Ximeng. He says he wants to meet me and is inviting me to return to Ximeng to be his guest. When I talked this over with my hc guys they all told me is was a trap. I will probably go, but not next week like the official wants. Late Friday afternoon I shut down my house phone number and got a new mobile number. The officials still have my address and my two names, but I'll just have to live with that. In the middle of a harvest and a season of persecution God is at work. I can't express how grateful we are for being used by the Lord here in China. That makes it all the more difficult knowing we are finished. I love the "game." The thrill of winning people to Jesus and discipling them just a few steps ahead of the local police. We are good at it. This is God's doing 100%. We also received a call from our head HC friends yesterday saying they were in town. They are featured in the film , The Cross. They fled last Fall from Kunming when the police took control and shut down their school. Let me tell you what is happening with the church situation in the states. Nothing at the moment. I have received several encouraging emails, but we are on hold. So, we wait. I have once again gone before the Lord and asked for His leading and understanding. Gailia and I know we are done with our current role out here. When Monty and Germaine return this June, and if we are still waiting for the Church to invite or not invite, we'll still hand off our role to Monty. I promised him my job and really believe he is the person to take the work to the next level. So, just pray that we'll know what God's will is. If God opens another ministry up to us, we'll pray and ask for direction. Right now we keep doing what God has called us to do here. I'm moving ahead on my PhD program too. I take two more classes beginning in April. At the completion of those courses I'll have about 40 hours finished. Pray for our: Whatever God wants with our lives we are willing, Brandt Garland’s FamilyHello from South Dallas, I have resigned my position with FFA of Oakcliff. I did not "fit" as the principal stated. I thought this could be where my patriotic duty could make a difference and leave no child behind. I would not have left on my own so I stated in a second letter to the board. Beware of charter schools for they have the reputation of getting a credential teacher to set up the classes,,, whip them into shape and replacing them with non-credential personnel to save money to finish up the benchmark test... I suppose... It was like teaching in a third world country. The conditions were horrific... and I do feel much of the stress relieved. I met a man from Lubbock, his name is Steve Reddish. We have mutual friends here with the church I have attended since I took this job. We have known each other about a year. He is with the Department of Public Safety. When he found out about my teaching situation he wanted to move a wedding date from June. With him in Lubbock and me here it would not have been a good situation and he wanted me to be free to work with my "mission impossible" and when that mission was over he wanted to move the date and I said yes. Oh yes... the date. could be March or May... NOT April. No there is not a date just a month or two... grin. He wants to attend our family reunion in June at Childress. I know he is going to fit right in. grin. I just got back from Venessa and J L's (Duncan) and they have a new store. I do enjoy my grandsons and they call me Gram. Is that not the best name? Now I hesitate to tell you that they sell vacuums at their store... because it is not just a vacuum it is a air cleaning system. It took Rowdy's asthma to prove it works. They had that baby on inhalers and now he can run and jump and play like everyone else..no inhaler needed. He still has aggressive sniffles now and again but not the asthma. The system uses water to clean with and it is not difficult to use. It is amazing how it cleans the air in less than 5 minutes and it also does floors... all kinds of floors. I will not feel comfortable with a baby on carpet again unless it has been cleaned with this system. Jennifer and Jamie are in Alabama still with the pipe line (family business). Jennifer's office building is fulling manifest that she designed and it is a very handsome building. If you are in Ardmore you should stop and see her building... she is very proud of it and Jaxon is sooo big. Yes he is nearly 8 months old now but he is wearing a size 2 year... He is a solid baby...and strong too. He is so bright and alert. We went to the park and walked and talked and well you can tell I love being grandma..... grin.. Laura stays busy working and traveling. Summer is coming up and you can bet you will see her at the beach some where... I love you all... Tucson News Not much to report here. Just trying to keep up with work and the daily chores of living. Tucson seems to be booming more than usual for those looking for work in these trying times. The wages aren't as good [between min-$10/15 an hour, though I haven't found one that pays that much]. But there's plenty of work, mainly services, but there is a lot of construction going on. I keep thinking they will eventually run out of water here since it is a desert, but they haven't yet. I've had some people ask me what denomination of a church I belong to. I don't belong to any denomination, I'm totally independent, leaning more towards the so-called Plymouth brethren. So far I can only find these on the internet, and very recently I may have found an assembly here in Tucson, just one. There are maybe 10 in Texas [Amarillo, Ft. Worth, Dallas, Waco I believe, and a few others], a few in Oklahoma, Colorado, etc. They go by different names which explains why I've had such a hard time finding one. The one here in Tucson is called the Bible Chapel. I have had my eye on it for some time now, but due to frustration in finding a good church to go to I hadn't really checked into it. On their billboard it reads "Preaching Christ and Him Crucified and Risen again." That was the reason why I had my eye on it. Take care and God bless. Virginia's FamilyEveryone in our family is doing well and glad it is almost Spring! It has been a long, cold, snowy winter here but no one is complaining as we really needed the moisture and our irrigation water supply is predicted to be near normal. I enrolled in a 34 week Bible Study Course at church in September. Our group meets every Monday evening for 2-1/2 hours and there is lots of studying to do. Also, have been taking two online 12 lesson computer courses through Idaho State University in Pocatello and I am 3/4 finished with that - Introduction to the Internet and Introduction to Windows XP. There are 2 lessons each week - only 4 more to go! The kids gave me a Compaq 7550 computer with Windows XP and a HP printer for Christmas and I just can't let it sit here without knowing how to use it! I'll be glad to get all the "lessons" finished as I have lots of work to do this Spring, mainly in the yard. I am not having a vegetable garden this year and will turn that into lawn. I am going to take some time off and go visit Roger in April. Barbara and Dennis are doing well. Dennis has not had any more problems with the blood clot in his leg and is still being maintained on a low dose of Coumadin daily. He hopes to get some contracts with the Forest Service this summer with his backhoe and water truck. Barbara stays busy with part time work, tole painting and other projects. Both Barbara and Dennis spend lots of time with the little kids. Roger is fine. He will be moving into his new townhouse in April. No outside maintenance! It's time he has more time for himself and less responsibility for upkeep, both inside and outside. He had a big house, big yard with lots of trees and bushes and a long driveway to remove the snow from in the winter time at his previous residence. He will finish his 3 year elected position as union grievance chairman the end of June. Shannon, Kenneth, T. J. and Jordyn are well. Both work to maintain a livable income like so many other young couples. T. J. loves Kindergarten and is learning to read. Jordyn will be 3 on May 18 - they are growing up much too fast - both just adorable. Hope to see all of you at the Cousins Reunion on June 6! Love to all, Monta’s FamilyDear Family, I have enjoyed having a few pennies in my pocket and hopefully in a few months we will have a few more. The well south of the orchard, close to the cow lot, is producing and on line. Pete, Joann and I went down there a few days ago. From my uneducated guess, the first check or so out of it will be fairly good, and we should get it about May 30 or June 30. Possibly sooner since they have all our paperwork on file. It is my understanding that the first month or so on line will be of the highest pressure, and thus a bigger check. You can notice the decline in production from one month until the next on the first well, and the second well should be the same. I am covered up with doctors again. Not sick, just trying to fix the odds and ends. I fell so much better now than I have in several years and want more of it. Joann seems to be doing much better. I hope she keeps on improving. I want to do some traveling this summer. Thought I would start off in a few days by going to Amy’s close to Fredericksburg and back by Mollie’s at Rusk. I may spend a week or so in that area as I know so many people there. I have been reading a road map like it was a novel. My friend Pat and I have been discussing taking a cruse to Alaska this summer. It will be fun if we can get enough people together (Elmeda? Virginia? Anyone?) I am finally signing up for water aerobics. It took these warm days to get me to do that. When it was so cold, I couldn’t think about going outside, let alone go to a pool. I have been doing well without it and hopefully will do better with it. Take care everyone and I love you. Ed’s FamilyLife doesn’t slow down much around here. I can’t even recall if we had a newsletter since we all got together at Christmas. It was SO FANTASTIC seeing everyone!!! So happy that so many attended and pray that the rest of your holiday journeys were safe and full of wonderful blessings. Nancy, as always, has been busy as a bee. She will probably get me for sharing this, but I found it too funny not to tell everyone. Mom just finished painting the guest bathroom (sponge painted it -her arm is killing her). She noted that it is such a bright yellow, that it makes people look like they have jaundice when they are in there. Ha, Ha! The annual Easter egg hunt which her sorority hosts is coming up soon and to get ready, she and the other ladies stuffed almost 2,000 Easter eggs the other evening. (The entire population of Groom isn¹t even 600.) Randal has been just as busy. The state finally told him he could finally hire a few people so he is trying to not only find/interview/hire a few of these much needed individuals, but also get his budget for the next 3 years completed. Needless to say, they have been looking forward to getting away. This last weekend, they went to visit Amy and Montie, and help Amy recover her kitchen chairs. Afterwards they hoped to drive through Stephenville and see where Richie works, then it is on to Dallas to spend the spring break week with Rhett and Ashley. Amy is working on completing all the paperwork so she can get help in getting some new teeth. She is very excited. Rhett and Ashley have been tremendously blessed since the last newsletter. Rhett earned a promotion at work to the position of Associate Account Analyst. He misses working for his previous boss, but likes his new boss and while very busy, he is loving his work. Recently, Rhett and Ashley signed papers for their new home that is currently being built. They expect to be able to move in beginning of July. To top things off, Ashley just learned that, next school year she will be teaching kindergarten in a private Christian school. She is soooo excited. All the headaches of the public school system were becoming too much. Right now, the private school is about 2 minutes away from their home, however after they move, it will be about 30 minutes away (but worth it!!). We (Ray and Heather) moved, finally found a place to call home in Austin. Our address is: 6506 Cat Creek Trail We have been working on fixing up the place and, as weather has permitted, are cleaning the yard and hope to do some landscaping. We¹re going to have to plant deer-resistant plants, however, as just the other night we had four deer in our yard. I love them when Dad, Rhett, and Ray bring them home for meat, but not sure how I¹ll take to them munching my flowers and herbs. I¹m volunteering as co-chair for the Hugh O¹Brian Youth Leadership Seminar to be held, for the first time, in Austin. Needless to say, there¹s too much to do, especially since the entire event is organized and run by volunteers. HOBY is a three-day seminar for high school sophomores. I vaguely recall being a sophomore. Anyway, that is all the news that I know. We are all keeping busy and doing well. Our love and prayers to you all! Elmeda's FamilyNews from Oklahoma City It is spring break. Yard mowing, house painting, and vacationing. If you weren’t broke before this week, you will be broke after this week. We fixed up around the house on Saturday thru Wednesday. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday we vacationed in Branson and took in a few shows. We had a fantastic Christmas. John came home for a couple of weeks. John married Ashly Adams on December 30th. She is in her senior year at OU. Ashly went out to California and spent several weekends with John before he left for Iraq. We went with her on the mid-February trip and had a great time seeing the sights and walking on the beach. John is back in Iraq for a second tour. He says that it seems funny that his unit has a bunch of new guys and they refer to him and a few others as veterans. If you want to drop him a note, his current address is: Lcpl Elder, John W. 2/1 Weapons Co., 81’s Plt. Rachel is now driving with a learning permit. She hopes to get her license on her 16th birthday, May 10th. She also thinks that we are supposed to furnish her with a new mustang. If we do, it will come from a box of corn flakes and she can carry it in her pocket. Carol and I are doing as expected. Some parts of life are actually getting better as time goes by. I will go back to my cardiologist next month. Hopefully he will give me a clean bill of health and a small bill for his services. Joe, Carol and Rachel Elder Announcements
Watts Cousin's ReunionIt is time for us to prepare for the "Cousins Reunion" to be held June 6, 2004- 10:00am at Childress Fair Park Reunion room in Childress, Texas. (Entry at either the NE reunion room door or the North Kitchen door) Lunch will be served at 1:00pm to allow time for those who wish to attend church. Coffee and Sweet rolls will be available at 10:00 so come early to visit. CRAFT AUCTION: Bring a craft item, home canned jelly or something of value to our auction. (Georgie Watts will be our auctioneer) You've heard the old saying, "There's no free lunch", well lunch is free if you bring a craft item for the auction. Also this year all children will get free lunch. Otherwise, lunch will cost $5.00. RSVP-- PLEASE call 800-658-6335, email maryw@chipshot.net or mail us a reply as to the number count to: Bill Watts BRING Your photo albums, genealogy...............etc. Dress Casual...The children have access to the playground, tennis court, and the swimming pool should be open (charge for it is $2.00 per person)
Bring all your family and let's have a good time and get to know all of our kin. Bill & Mary Watts Mahan ReunionContacts:
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