Rice, Mark and Whitney Scriven, Jaye and Teresa Simmons, Sammy and Daina Small, Alex Smith, Alona Smith, Frank and Julie Strasburger, Mark and Fran Sul- livan, Diane Wenning, Joanne Willis, Jeff and Rebecca Woodward; Rick, Ivy, and Sharon Zhang.


Edgemont (VA): Ryan Tucker, Amanda Tucker, Darrel Tucker, Donna Bradley, Ryland Bradley, Steve Hayse, Elizabeth MacDougall.


Edgemoor (SC): Delores & Dean McDonald. Greenwood (SC): Chris & Jenni Funk.


Lake Placid (FL): Kerry & Lori Thompson, Ashley & Ashley Greene, Steve & Jan Hancock.


Maupin Avenue (NC): Mary Jane Pinkston, Donna Willis.


Neely’s Creek (SC): Brandyn & Bryn Zielke.


Old Providence (VA): Faye & Ben Brown, Sheryl & Thomas Riley. Ora (SC): Chad, Toni & Mason Hunter.


Pinecrest (NC): Gabriel & Youleen Rodri- guez, Damon & Jennifer Peary, Bonnie Weathersbee, Donna Weathersbee.


Pisgah (NC): Lori Price.


Rock Hill First (SC): Kathy & Tom Black- burn.


Starmount (NC): Israel & Fernanda Car- doso Assis.


Statesville First (NC): Jimmy & Frankie Epperson, Chris Cole.


Union (SC): Della McCorkle, Scott & Melissa Chaney, Daniel Williams; Joe, Deneen, JR & Jessie Gordon.


Installations Ballston Center (NY): Elder: .


Mint Hill (NC): Elder: Butch Bigham. Deacon: Tom Vehue. Shem Creek (SC): Elder: James Evans.


Starmount (NC): Elder: Marcelo Olivei- ra. Deacon: Jose Rodriguez.


May/June 2023


“Providence, Amidst the Storm” By Jeannie E. Casey Thomas, member of Centennial ARP Church


after receiving a tornado warning. As we went in, we were followed by others from along the route, a couple, a younger gentleman, an elderly couple, and a family with young children. As we waited, I looked out to see the storm surge as it came across the gas pumps and the parking lot. After years of living in tornado alley, there was no mistaking this as part of the tornado. Suddenly, a man came in, clearly shaken and in the most colorful way, and said,


A


 across the road in front of me.”


After the warning was lifted and we left the gas station, a line of cars was visible, stopped on the interstate heading back to where we had just come from. One after   happened to them, and more so if we hadn’t made it to that exit in time. Now, about two hours later, I was on the return trip home, and along the inter-


state, I found myself looking for the exit where we had stopped. It wasn’t hard to  to dodge to keep from hitting it, and then there was dirt debris, things you couldn’t imagine in the road, and there it was- a mangled sign, accompanied by a clearly laid path where the tornado had crossed the interstate - where we literally had been driving moments before we got off at that exit. At the exit, we were patting ourselves on the back for thinking to stop. “Oh, what a good job we had done.” But did we do it? I mean, seriously, we are people of faith. Do we really believe that we can be responsible for the kind of power and the  in our charge, and God knew that. He made sure that warning got our attention. He made sure that exit was there so that we could get off immediately. As Christians, we are to obey God’s commands, and in this situation, it was no different. What I remember hearing over and over was, “Surely, the Lord is in this place…” which is a passage from Genesis 28:16 while the passage relates to Jacob seeing the stairs to Heaven, and I know that our situation would not be similar to seeing Heaven, the passage also points out something that is true every day, everywhere we go, with- out fail. The Lord is in this place, any place we are, any time we are there. I remember how we watched so many people piling into that gas station with us to seek shelter from the storm, and we prayed for the people that we heard about  know one thing for sure…The Lord surely was in this place, and God’s hands were on us. I praise the Lord that he protected us in this because I know how terrible the damage from a tornado can be and the kind of power it can have on somebody in a car.


 CLASSIFIED ADSCLASSIFIED ADS


Richard Taylor is seeking American communion tokens from the 18th and 19th century. Price depends on quality. Contact at allfortennis@yahoo.com or 864-325-1685.


31


s I was driving down the interstate, I was a little concerned about what I might see. I thought back to earlier when we (the two-car caravan taking our youth group to a conference at Bonclarken) had stopped at a gas station


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