Newsline
TESTIMONY Divine Appointments Transformed Our Family
AVON PARK, Fla.—When she said they knew nothing CFS called. They had a 3-month- first people in our immediate
my husband and I were dating, about this boy. When we told old boy for us, and his foster par- family to get saved, and then
we always talked of having chil- her we were Protestants, she ents called him “Mikie”! No, not revival broke out in our family.
dren. My mother had seven chil- sent us to Children’s and Family that Mikie, but isn’t it amazing My mom and brother were
dren and my grandmother had Services (CFS). how God works? Two days later, saved on Easter Sunday. I have
13, so I thought we would have We went there immediately he came home with us. two sisters who are now married
at least two. and told them we wanted to My husband and I were not to ministers.
After we married, I opened a adopt a baby. Group meetings Christians at that time, but we Three years after adopting
beauty shop. My clients knew I were taking place the next week felt it was important for Mike to Mike, we adopted Kim, a 12-day-
wanted children but had for potential adop- go to church, and he loved it. old bundle of joy. We would not
been unable to conceive. tive couples, and We became regular attendees of be “Granny” and “Pop” to four
One day a client told me each couple was the Kincaid (IL) Church of God beautiful grandchildren today if
her sister worked at the assigned a case- under the pastorate of Delbert it were not for God’s divine
local Catholic hospital worker. Two and Saundra Rose. We were the appointments. —Deanna Dean
where they were looking months later, in
for someone to adopt an November, our
abandoned 3-month-old home study took
boy. She said the nurses place. I told our
UCC Encourages Condom
called him “Mikie.” caseworker I
I came home hoped we
Distribution at Churches
excited about this lit- would CLEVELAND, Oh.—Highlighting their desire for churches to
tle boy, and my hus- have our be “places of spiritual and physical wellness,” UCAN, Inc. (United
band and I went to baby at Church of Christ HIV and AIDS Network), issued a statement in
the hospital. We Christ- March encouraging condom distribution at places of worship.
were finally rout- mas. Michael Schuenemeyer, the United Church of Christ’s execu-
ed to the head On tive for health and wholeness advocacy, said, “The availability of
sister, and December 17, condoms as part of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention
sends the right message and more importantly, it saves lives.
People of faith make condoms available because we have chosen
life so that we and our children may live.”
Earlier in the week, Pope Benedict XVI spoke in Cameroon,
Africa, saying that condoms were not effective at preventing the
spread of HIV. “You can't resolve [AIDS] with the distribution of
Mike Dean
condoms,” he said. “On the contrary, it increases the problem.”
By the
Percentage of Americans who
Numbers
• Those who attend church weekly or more: 43%
• Those who attend church monthly or less: 31%
Source: Pew Research Center • Those who attend seldom or never: 26%
30 EVANGEL • JUNE 2009
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