MIDWEEK MESSAGE #282
Hello everyone and welcome to Midweek Message #282. I hope you are having an absolutely fantastic week! Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Please let me remind you to pray for our educator of the week: Carol Watson. Mrs. Watson is the principal of Gosport Elementary School. While you are praying for her, why not pray for all the teachers, students and helpers at GES? One of our folks, Gabrielle Corder, teaches Kindergarten there. We also have some young people who are students there.
I’ll be trying to get back into the swing of things (explanation below), so there will not be a MM next week. To start this double edition off I’m going to add our educator of the week for next week: Matt Cazzell. Matt is the principal at MCES. And as I mentioned above, please remember to pray for all the teachers, students and helpers at MCES. Several of our folks teach at MCES. Cara King-K teacher. Rachel Nicholson-inclusion teacher. Cristi Wood-PreK teacher. Kim Floyd-school nurse.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
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- Jo and I leave for Arizona this Thursday, the 19th and will return the 22nd. Please keep us in your prayers.
- Pastor Ryan is preaching on the 22nd. His sermon is on “I AM the vine and the branches” from John 15.
- Church family pitch-in is Wednesday, the 25th at 6:00. If the weather is not too bitter cold, we will plan to open the entry between the two buildings so you can see the progress.
- We will be hosting the Legislative Breakfast on Saturday morning the 28th from 7:30-9:00.
- A ladies Connection Event is scheduled for Saturday, the 28th at 1:00 PM. The cost is $15.
The ladies always have fun at their events and this one sounds really good, even for a pastor! Did someone say PIZZA? If you have any questions please contact Stacy Wood (812.320.1603) or Christina Corder (812.327.4825). They ask that you RSVP about attending by this Friday, the 20th.
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Don’t forget the New Beginnings Crisis Pregnancy Center’s Annual Diaper Drive through the month of February. They will accept all donations of diapers, wipes, or pull-ups, but are especially in need of diapers sizes 4, 5, and 6 and wipes. Donations of pull-ups are very welcome. Size 2 is not needed at this time. To make it easier for you, you may bring the diapers to OVCF and we will take them there, or you can take them to the center on M or Th, 12-4 PM.
YOUTH NEWS
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- Jo, Tami and I were able to make the last of the Biddy Ball games at MCES this past Saturday. We saw Marci Arnold, Piper and Dax Bell, Boston and Berkley Groomer, and Jordan Mangia finish out their season. Tom Mangia coached Jordan’s team.
- Hudsyn Biggs, Draven Stahl, and Gannon Wiegand (Eric and JuliAnne’s grandson) will finish their regular season this coming Saturday with a game at SES. They play in the 9U league. (They are the only ones I know who are playing. Other than some of the 3rd graders I see at SES when I read, I know of no others from OVCF. If you do, please let me know and I will include them in the next MM).
- Rob Anderson helps with raising/lowering the flag at MCES. He saw a need to be able to store the flag properly and safely at the school. He and his dad took it upon themselves to build a storage box for the school. It says, “Flag Box”. 😄
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Many of you know the story, but some of you don’t, so I’m going to close with the reason we will be gone this weekend. In November of 2016 I was hit by a car while riding my bike on 43. It was a hit-and-run so I have no clue to this day who it was. But I began researching bike accidents and what was being done. I ran across 3 Feet Please and found that it had recently changed into the hands of a man named Dave Waechter. I contacted Dave and we began an occasional email back and forth. Before I knew it, we were corresponding on a more consistent basis, often on topics like grace and forgiveness and guilt. Not just cycling stuff. Then he came to visit me and Jo and stayed at our house. He lived for years in California and Arizona and was
growing increasingly weary of the intense heat so for two (of our winters) he worked remotely from Maine. Yes, Maine! On his way home, he would always stop by for a day or two to visit. We did some MS (Multiple Sclerosis) rides. One was totally washed out by rain, but we got to spend the whole weekend visiting and laughing. Another year, we rode the morning until it was washed out. Again, we spent the weekend laughing and eating. He always made a way to include Jo in our shenanigans (she was the safe one). In February of 2024, he and Susan invited us to visit them in AZ and paid for first class tickets (what a way to go!) and our hotel room. We were given a car to use during the day while they worked, then the evenings we spent together. They took us to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. One week later, I got a phone call that would change my life. Dave called and made no sense. When I immediately called back there was no answer. He was hospitalized with a glioblastoma. He (and Susan) fought for 18 months until September of ’25 when he lost his battle. During those 18 months they found time to visit us and stay at the Hogan’s Airbnb. We were to go to AZ for his celebration of life in November but that was when the airlines were cancelling flights and one of the early morning non-stop flights was going to be cancelled, but they couldn’t tell me which one. So I rescheduled for this weekend. We are looking forward to seeing Susan and some of her family (whom we have not met) and getting reacquainted with other members of their family. I apologize for this long story, but thanks for listening and letting me share part of my story. Please pray for our trip, but especially for Susan.
When I get back, I will be starting a new sermon series for the months of March and April called “The Road to the Other Side.” The first sermon will be The Suffering Savior from Isaiah 52:13-53:12. I look forward to getting back and seeing you. Until then…know you are loved.
Pastor Bill
