By Billy Ray Warren

By Billy Ray Warren

Previously, we noted that the teacher who is also the designated librarian in the night school for high school students in the Philippines is attempting to expand the school’s tiny library which currently has only one shelf of books.  You responded beautifully with high school textbooks, dictionaries and copies of old National Geographic magazines.  (You may still bring them to the church building at any time.)
The librarian would very much like to have copies (new or old, paperback or hard back) of any of the following:
1.   The Naria stories
2.   The Lord of the Rings stories
3.   The Harry Potter stories
4.   The Twilight stories
5.   The Percy Jackson stories
6.   The Maze Runner stories
7.   The Hobbit stories
8.   Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
9.   Stories by O’Henry
10. Stories by James Thurber 
 
Pacita and Hugh Walker continue to pack boxes with books and other items that we contribute.  They’re always in need of school supplies, of course - from reams of copy paper to pens, pencils, paper clips, etc.  It’s a wonderful, gratifying ministry because it goes directly to students and their teachers.

​Saturday, March 31, at 2:00 p.m. the crowd gathered at Glenn and Dorlea Rikard’s farm for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.  But before the hunt began, Glenn served as a tour guide to his animal kingdom filled with chickens, pigeons, turkeys, potbellied pigs, donkeys, peacocks, etc.  Children, especially, were thrilled to hold newly-hatched chicks and two-day-old pygmy goats.  After time spent in the barn and barnyard, the children were turned loose for the exciting Egg Hunt.  Indeed, there were eggs galore!  Before leaving the farm, many of the children and adults spent really enjoyable moments touring the fine old farmhouse in which Glenn has created a museum that reflects life on a farm in the 1930’s and 1940’s.  Each room is meticulously furnished in the period, complete with such standard items as an icebox, iron beds, a farm lady’s bonnet and a framed picture of Jesus mounted on the wall.  No detail has been overlooked. 
 
After goodbyes and thank-yous were expressed to Glenn, many went on to Sharlie Behel’s beautiful home for a weiner roast.  (Actually, it was a wonderful old-fashioned “weenie” roast - the best kind!)  As you know, Sharlie is the consummate hostess and, as such, makes everyone feel right at home.
 
So, Easter Eve was a grand day!  The weather was perfect, the settings for both events were ideal, the food was delicious, and the camaraderie was something to behold.  It was a true Magnolia day, from start to finish.

​by Billy Ray Warren 
​
We have received word from one of “our” schools in the Philippines (the night school that serves students who work during the day to help support their families) that its makeshift library has only one shelf of books.  The teacher, who is also the designated librarian, wrote this in a recent email to Pacita and Hugh Walker: “We don’t have a working library, and I see the need for one to help students learn to be adept in a competitive society.”  Well, whether it’s to help students compete or simply to enrich their lives, every school needs a library.

Specifically, the teacher/librarian is in need of used books in the fields of science, mathematics and English grammar/composition - as well as novels suitable for students in grades 7-12.  She also needs used dictionaries and magazines such as  National Geographic, Smithsonian, Scientific American, etc.

So, if you have books and magazines in the categories above which you no longer need or want to keep, here’s your chance to donate them to a good cause - and to make a group of students and teachers very happy!

By the way, the teacher/librarian also stated that she plans to recycle tires to make chairs for the library.  She said that she knows how to do this.  That’s amazing!

By Billy Ray Warren

It’s very evident that Magnolia is full of musicians.  From our talented praise team to our church family as a whole, we love to sing joyfully to the Lord.

And we also are blessed with gifted instrumentalists.  An event held last week at Florence High School became a showcase for one group of horn players and percussionists extraordinaire.  Our brother Jim Champion, an excellent musician in his own right (both vocal and instrumental, we might add), served as the emcee and overall coordinator for the annual Music Performance Assessment (MPA) of instrumental musicians who are students in grades 7-12 in area schools.  All of the following young people from Magnolia received the highest rating possible - Superior:
   
     1. Breanna Martin - grade 10, Florence High - percussion
     2. Henley Phillips - grade 8, Florence Middle - alto sax
     3. Collin Summers - grade 7, Shoals Christian - percussion
     4. Davis VanDyke - grade 10, Florence High - trombone
 
The official photographer for the entire event was Magnolia’s own Jerry Woolfolk.

One has to wonder: could the event have even taken place without the help of Magnolia?  We’re just kidding, of course, but it is very gratifying - and impressive - to know that our family was such an integral part of this great opportunity for Shoals area young people.

We congratulate Breanna, Henley, Collin, Davis, Jim and Jerry on a job extremely well done!

By Billy Ray Warren

​On March 12, 2018, the entire City of Florence will be invited to a huge birthday party, for on that day Florence (which was founded on March 12, 1818) will be 200 years old.  (Don’t boast too loudly to your European friends; they might laugh and tell you that their town is 800 or 1,000 years old.  However, the USA as a country is just 242 years old in 2018, so, in that regard, Florence’s 200 years are quite significant.)
 
At the citywide party on March 12, there will be cake and punch, a proclamation by the Mayor, a downtown parade, items placed in a time capsule, etc.  And Trowbridge’s, which is 100 years old in 2018, will sell cones of ice cream on that day for five cents!
 
From March 12 until November 30, there will be more celebrations, with each month focusing on a separate aspect of Florence’s history.  The role of the faith community (Protestant, Catholic, Jewish) in the development of Florence will be celebrated in November with a citywide event at the Shoals Theater.

Guess what!  In the midst of all of these celebrations, Magnolia will, in May, 2018, mark its Silver Anniversary.  On May 9, 1993, the first worship gathering of the fledgling church (with no name at the time) met in the Magnolia Room at the Holiday Inn in Sheffield.  It was from the name of that big room that, later, Magnolia  Church of Christ derived its name.

Twenty-five years later, we are a body of believers who love each other (and say so!) who are committed to our faith, who reach out to the community in significant ways, who give credit to the Father for our 25 years of growth, and who look to the future with surety and optimism.  All of that is definitely worth celebrating!

by Billy Ray Warren

Once a year, Pacita and Hugh Walker make a detailed report of Magnolia’s efforts toward our “adopted” schools in the Philippines:  Special-Needs Student School, Pinamungajan Night National School and LUT-OD National High School.

The Walkers report that, using donated and purchased items, we have sent six boxes each to the first two schools listed above and placed a few items for the third school in some of the boxes.  Here’s how the money itself was distributed:
 
1.  To Pinamungajan National High School for sports safety equipment;
2. To Pinamungajan National High School for travel to required events and to feed  
    students on these trips;
3. To purchase ten (10) scientific calculators to lend to students whose coursework required their use;
4.  To build some necessary classroom furniture;
5.  To purchase 100 slap bracelets with embedded flash drives so students and teachers may enter the digital world in their coursework; and
6.  To build sets of steps for the LUT-OD National High School.

Item #6 probably needs some explanation.  You might recall a Sunday morning a couple of months ago when Hugh showed us a series of slides that pictured our adopted schools, along with some of the students and teachers.  He pointed out that the LUT-OD National High School is located in a deep ravine.  The Department of Education there doesn’t provide money to build steps so the ravine might be navigated more easily (and more safely!).  Money from Magnolia has funded the construction of two sets of steps.  A third set will be added later.

As you know, Pacita and Hugh visited each of the schools on their recent trip to their home in the Philippines.  They weren’t able to visit in the classrooms of the LUT-OD High School because of safety concerns related to the ravine in which the school is located.

We offer sincere thanks to the Walkers for this excellent report and for establishing a longstanding connection between Magnolia and our dear friends in the Philippines!

by Corinne Hayes
Just what is Blankets of Blessings? Recently, the nurses in Palliative Care at ECM hospital told one of our volunteers that as patients face the end of their lives; they take special comfort in having a soft blanket to wrap themselves up. That is all that the Magnolia family needed to hear! Soon we were working together to personalize blankets much like the one above. The blankets are embroidered with a message and an edge is hand crocheted. Our volunteers believe that spending time making the blankets special with a little extra touch of love is well worth it. We find ourselves praying for those who will soon be touched by this small effort and for their families who are facing losing the one they love. Blessings from Magnolia!
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by Corinne Hayes
Our thanks go out to the shepherds at Magnolia for encouraging us to dream!
Our first Town Hall Meeting of 2018 may have taken longer than planned but it wasn't on  empty stomachs. After filling our bellies, Jimmy Hayes, our minister at Magnolia, started the meeting by sharing comments from a church survey from December of last year. We also listened to great stories of others from our community being reached through ministries like Bundles of Blessings, Blankets of Blessings, Benevolence, Room in the Inn, and our participation in the Community Soup Kitchen. Even though these are not new to Magnolia, each ministry is still fresh in the impact that it is having on lives. Just yesterday, visitors from several community groups came to our Bundles of Blessings to see how they can hook up with us to help young families.
Other ministries shared during our meeting including the Youth Ministry and their desire to participate in helping the community. The Philippines outreach shared about their many past projects and the most recent purchase of USB slap bracelets sent to a night school there. Finally, Euna Hudson shared her dream of starting a program to help students finding themselves lagging behind in school.
And it didn't stop there. Soon ideas were coming from every direction on ways to help those who need answers to discover Jesus for themselves. We are dreaming of new ways to touch people through social media, simulcasts, personal relationships, and so much more. Magnolia, keep dreaming, and we will work together with Him to make His dreams come true!