Henriet's Blog

Semper Vita, Cindy Patterson and the PNW Leadership Summit

Last Friday and Saturday (June 18-19, 2010), I attended the Leadership Summit of the Pacific Northwest Conference of the Free Methodist Church at Warm Beach Camp. I have attended this annual business meeting of the church for many years. They do a great job of incorporating worship, stories and reports of what God is doing in and through the churches located in Washington and Alaska. Why do I attend this summit? Well, I'm an ordained pastor (we call them elders) in the Free Methodist Church. I had the privilege of being ordained in 2006.

Thank you, Cindy!

This year, the leadership summit was very exciting for me because my friend, Cindy Patterson, was ordained. She's worked very hard and studied for quite a few years. Last Saturday was her big day. She was ordained. And, she chose me to be her supporting elder. What an honor! "Thank you, Cindy!" Cindy is not only my friend and fellow pastor, she's also a volunteer who is making Semper Vita happen. Her skills are in operations. Her passion is to be the hands and feet of Jesus to people in the community. Being ordained only confirms that she's been serving God in many ways—demonstrating Jesus' love through service.

Thank you, Matt & Jim!

Though the ordination service was the highlight of the two days, there was another exciting moment for me and Semper Vita. I had the opportunity to share about Semper Vita with my fellow Free Methodist pastors. I currently do not serve at a local church. The denomination has released me to lead Semper Vita. And, now I had the opportunity to share what I've been working on for 3+ years. Thankfully, it was well received. It's exciting to be part of a denomination that believes in the mission and vision of Semper Vita. The superintendent, Matt Whitehead, and the assistant superintendent, Jim Harbour, have been very encouraging over the years. "Thank you, Matt & Jim!"

Thank you, Teresa!

Another Free Methodist volunteer is Teresa Lerew. She attended all my workshops at the Northwest Ministry Conference last March. Since then, she has volunteered to help get Semper Vita off the ground in Auburn, where she attends the Auburn Free Methodist Church. Teresa currently is helping us to reach out to non-profits in and around Auburn so that we can make Semper Vita active there. "Thank you, Teresa!"

Church Fined For Military Funeral Protests

US Marine Matthew Snyder's family got the right verdict. A verdict against a church. What kind of church? the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church. Led by Rev. Fred Phelps, this church pickets at funerals of fallen soldiers. Why? Because the US including the military tolerates gays.

The Verdict

A court in Baltimore ordered this church to pay 2.9 million dollars in compensation and 8 million dollars in punitive damages for "mental pain and suffering" to Matthew's father, Albert Snyder. He sued the church after they picketed at his 20-year-old son's funeral.

This Baptist church believes that the deaths of soldiers is a punishment from God for tolerating gays including in the military. The church claims to have picketed more than 30,000 times. However, this Baltimore case was the first time that a funeral protest went to trial.

Snyder's Response

The BBC reported that Albert Snyder sobbed when he heard the verdict. He said, 

"I hope it's enough to deter them from doing this to other families. It was not about the money. It was about getting them to stop." 

Fred Phelps also threatened to protest at the funerals of victims of the Minnesota I35 bridge collapse. The BBC did an expose on Fred Phelps' family and what motivates them.

 

Hat Tip to Cindy Patterson.

Dunn and Pavarotti Die

Jennifer Dunn died September 5 of a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in her lung) in her home in Alexandria, VA. She was 66 and her death was unexpected.

"It's like a whole generation of Republicans have lost their mom," said Brett Bader, a Republican consultant from Bellevue. "She was that giant of a figure."

The Seattle Times reported that Rep. Dunn served in the U.S. House from 1993 to 2004, representing the district that includes Bellevue, east King County and part of Pierce County. For a timeline of her life and accomplishments click here.

Luciano Pavarotti died yesterday, Thursday, September 6, in Modena, Italy. He was 71. The legendary tenor known as "Big Luciano" died of cancer. His health had been failing for the last year. For more of the story click here.

These deaths were sudden. Dunn's very unexpected. Life is fragile. Savor every day. After all, "this is the day that the Lord has made." I WILL rejoice and be glad in it.

Hurricane Henriette Makes History

Tropical Storm Henriette grew to a hurricane and hit land again. In the process it made history. Yesterday, Hurricane Henriette hit the southern tip of Baja California at San Jose del Cabo. Only nine hours before Hurricane Felix hit Nicaragua's remote Miskito Coast. The LA Times reported that it was the first time that two hurricanes made landfall on the same day since the U.S National Hurricane Center began to keep records in 1949.

According to ABC News, Henriette threatened Mexico's mainland today, had sustained winds of 75 mph, and could bring as much as a foot of rain to certain areas.

It's interesting to have a hurricane as a namesake.

Remaining Korean Hostages To Be Released

The South Korean government and the Taliban came to an agreement on Tuesday, August 28, to release the remaining 19 hostages. Twelve of the 19 hostages were released on Wednesday, August 29. The remaining hostages are scheduled to be released today, August 30. (Click here for the full story.)

What great news but at what cost! The South Korean government promised to withdraw all its troops--200--by the end of the year and forbid all Christian activity by its citizens in Afghanistan.

I feel torn. Of course I'm happy for the hostages and their families. Yet I fear that this creates a dangerous precedent. All terrorists have to do is nab some key people to force their will. Being a missional Christian has just become a lot more dangerous.

As I write this I'm humming: "I have decided to follow Jesus...no turning back, no turning back."

Goodbye Tom; We Did The Hokey Pokey

Yesterday, I attended the memorial service for Tom Ingram at Timberlake. Many paid tribute to his life, his love, his adventures, and his relationships. According to all who spoke, Tom was himself, lived boldly, loved everybody and made every life he touched better. His sister-in-law said, "God, if there's pasta in heaven, have Tom make you some of his smoked salmon fettuccine."

At the end of the two-hour memorial service, the about 300 attendees did the hokey-pokey in his honor. A final wish he'd given to a group of friends in his last days. He said, "I wish we all could do the hokey-pokey." And we did.

For a final tribute to Tom Ingram, read his obituary as published in the Seattle PI.

Tom Ingram Dies After Valiant Battle

Tom Ingram passed away on Wednesday, August 22, 2007. He had fought his cancer valiantly and decided to live bravely until the very end (click here to read more about his story). After returning from Moldova, his health started to deteriorate quickly. He was in Evergreen Hospice for his last few days with his wife Barb and other family members by his side.

His memorial service will be held tomorrow, Saturday, August 25, 2007, at 3 p.m. at Timberlake. For directions and a map click here. Timberlake is located at 4505 236th Avenue NE in Redmond, Washington.

Peru Quake Survivors Found In Church

Seven people were found alive under the ruins of the church of San Clemente in Pisco, Peru. The church collapsed on worshipers during the 8.0 Peruvian quake on Wednesday, August 15. The quake hit as more than 200 people celebrated the Feast of the Assumption.

In total more than 500 people died, thousands are injured, 80,000 are homeless and more than 33,000 homes were destroyed. World Vision, as well as many other organizations around the world, are helping with relief efforts.

An eyewitness said that the quake lasted two-and-a-half minutes. That's forever when the ground is shaking.

As I write this Hurricane Dean is bearing down on Mexico. Let's pray for people in these areas as they are facing great challenges. Let's give thanks that Jamaica was largely spared.

As a side note, Timberlake in Redmond, WA, is hosting an Everyone Prepared Seminar in October. Invite your friends and neighbors to this very practical opportunity to get prepared in case of local disasters. For those outside the Seattle area, check with your local fire station or look for CERT programs to become prepared.

Update on Korean Hostage Situation

Negotiations will resume tomorrow, Thursday (11:30 PM our time today), between the Taliban and South Korean officials for the release of the remaining 19 Korean hostages. Source: The Times of India.

The South Korean government has asked all 120 of its missionaries to leave Afghanistan. Reportedly, the missionary families are extremely stressed due to the hostage situation. Korean Christians as a community identify so strongly with the hostages, that they feel like hostages too. Source: MAGL students, 13th cohort.

This is just one story of Christians caught up in world events. For other stories with a Christian world view check out World Magazine or Christian News Today.

Two South Korean Hostages Freed

Two of the South Korean women were freed Monday and driven to a U.S. military base. This is the first breakthrough in three weeks. The Taliban released them for the sake of good relations.

AP Photo of Kim Ji-na        Photo of Kim Kyung-ja

The women were driven to waiting Red Cross officials who took custody of them and brought them to the base. 

Let's keep praying for the remaining hostages.