Rev. Christine Brownlie sent in this picture of herself and members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Blacksburg, dedicating their time capsule and a memorial peace pole. Brownlie said "The eight plaques on the pole say 'May Peace Prevail' in the languages that were the native tongue of those who died in the shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16 2007."
Thanks, Christine!
On September 27 at 5:30 p.m. Christ Episcopal Church in Blacksburg will dedicate a labyrinth built in memory of the tragic events of April 16, 2007 at Virginia Tech. The traditional Evensong service will include music and readings and information about the role of labyrinths in spiritual practice. The church is located at the corner of Church and Jackson Streets in downtown Blacksburg. The event is free and open to all who wish to attend. For more information, contact Rev. Scott Russell @ 230-1240 or see the church website www.christchurchblacksburg.org.
Submitted by Marsha Hertel
Do you have news or photos from around the New River Valley? If so, you can share at newriver@roanoke.com.
To see a rainbow.
After the downpours we've been having lately, Myasia Hendricks saw an almost perfect rainbow rise above her church after Bible School in Radford.
Shout out to Brenda Hendricks, Myasia's grandma, for sending in this great picture.
Have you caught any rainbows? Or just anything you might want to put up online? Send your submissions to us at newriver@roanoke.com
Todd Viers sent us an email, letting us know about an August fundraiser for the Pulaski County Christmas Store. The details are below:
On August 23, 2009, beginning at 5:00 p.m., in the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church, Corner of Jefferson and Third Streets in Pulaski, the Pulaski County Christmas Store will be holding a “Sweets and Treats” Gala to raise funds for their upcoming Christmas Season of service for the children of Pulaski County. This will be the first of what is hoped to be an annual event. We are very fortunate and excited to be able to present Lea-ann Dunbar and Allan Bergius of Munich, Germany, as they come to share their talents with the community. Along with Lea-ann and Allan, we will have a multitude of local talent to share their gifts, including the Celtic Harp group with Sandy Dawson and friends, Marva Hickman, the New River Valley Community Chorus Quartet (Lisa Kegley, B. J. “Bucky” Lawson, Doug Lindamood and Lynn Loftus and pianist Valerie Cash), and serving as Master of Ceremonies, Dr. Don Stowers. This will be a wonderful evening of music, with dessert being served at intermission for the enjoyment of all. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by contacting Sally McCarthy at 540-980-6962 or any Board Member of the Pulaski County Christmas Store, or by mail to the Pulaski County Christmas Store, P. O. Box 2464, Pulaski, Virginia, 24301. Tickets are $25.00 per person or $40.00 per couple. Most of the local artists are well known in the community, and need no introduction. Following are short biographies and photographs of Lea-ann Dunbar and Allan Bergius.
Barbara Krzysko of Salem, who grew up in the Lafayette community in Montgomery County, recently went back home to Lafayette United Methodist Church for a Memorial Day service.
She shares these photos -- which you can view in either a slideshow above or this gallery -- and this report about the service:
Steve and Barbara Krzysko, along with 10 members of their family, attended a Memorial Day service at Lafayette United Methodist Church in Lafayette, Va. This is a small church built in 1842 that Barbara attended as a child. The pastor, Ben Lockhart, spoke on "What If?" reading from Psalm 47and Luke Chap. 24, verses 44-53. Jeanette Apgar, a member for many years, has assembled a display of photos of the church's history and also of members of the community who have served our country, some giving the ultimate. Barbara's four brothers, Beverly Sink, Melvin Sink, Douglas Sink and Charles Sink, all served. Oldest brother, Beverly, was killed in Vietnam on 2-27-67 while serving in the Army. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. Beverly's son, Mike Sink, is pictured with the photo of his father and a copy of the citation. Also included is a photo of the church and of the family.
Do you have news or photos involving people or events in the New River Valley? If so, you can share at newriver@roanoke.com
Nathan Cronk (back center), a Bluefield College student from Floyd County, recently went on a mission trip to trip to Nanjing, China.
Here's a release from Bluefield College describing the trip:
Seven Bluefield College students recently returned from a Spring Break trip to China, but the venture abroad was not your typical chance for rest and relaxation. The BC students were on a mission to "model Christ" and to share with students from the Communist country "what it means to be a Christian."
For 10 days, the Bluefield College team interacted primarily with students from the Jiangsu Institute in Nanjing, China, and other residents in Nanjing and Beijing. Their purpose was clear, but the process was not so obvious.
"Since China is a Communist country, you cannot go there with the intention of evangelizing," said BC campus minister David Taylor, an advisor on the tour. "You simply try to model Christ or to be Christ to the students you come into contact with and share with them what it means to be a Christian."
The BC students worked within Jiangsu classes, where they presented material about life as a college student in the United States and, if the opportunity arose, ideas and messages about faith and family.
"If we had the chance, we shared some tidbits about our faith," said Nathan Cronk, a senior from Floyd, Virginia, majoring in exercise and sport science, "but nothing hardcore -- just plant a seed here and there and get them thinking."
Seth Jones, a senior from Hebron, Maryland, majoring in biology, spoke about the same challenge. He said that although the team was not able to directly minister to the Chinese students, they were able to show pictures from home, which included images of churches, family, and Christmas.
"The entire time with the students was filled with excitement and wonderful interaction," said Jones. "I had what was possibly the best time in my life, and I miss it very much."
The students exchanged e-mail addresses with their Chinese counterparts with the hope of building on their relationships and continuing to witness.
The trip, according to President David Olive, may also lead to an academic exchange program between Jiangsu Institute and Bluefield College.
"Our students were a wonderful representation of the college," the president said about the mission trip. "Hopefully we'll have several Jiangsu students and a professor here next semester and more Bluefield College students in China next spring."
Joining Dr. Olive, Taylor, Cronk and Jones on the China mission trip were students Evan Sherman of Newport, Pennsylvania, Christian Ruark of Parsonsburg, Maryland, Emily Wingfield of Gloucester, Virginia, Nicki Childress of Glen Allen, Virginia, and Courtney Willard of Archdale, North Carolina, as well as Professor Scott Shauf and Dr. Olive's wife, Kathryn.
The Bluefield College spring 2009 project in China is just one of many ways the school strives to fulfill its mission of being a Christ-centered college in service to God and the global community. Last spring, BC students traveled on mission to South Africa. In the spring of 2007, students served on mission at Graffiti Church in New York City. Other missions abroad have included trips to China in the summer of 2006, Brazil in the spring of 2006, and Europe in the summer of 2005.
When the Spring Semester ended most students relaxed and recovered from exams and hectic schedules at Radford University. There was one exception. A group of six Radford University students, one Virginia Tech student and two St. Jude’s Catholic Church members took a mission trip that changed their lives forever. The Catholic Campus Ministry sponsored trip traveled to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and made life long friends, worked to bring water to a school, and fell in love with the simple life. The mission trip to Haiti brought smiles, tears and understanding to what life is really about.
In the pictures we see Susan Danh (RU Senior) as she befriends a Haitian girl, David Clark (RU Junior) and Jamey Brittingham (RU Junior) as they pose with a soccer team in new uniforms we brought to donate, Susan and Mike (RU Sophomore) at the play ground, Theresa sitting with boys at the orphanage (who get up at 5 am to study in the courtyard every day of the school year) and Leah Edeline (RU Senior) as she plays Frisbee with a group of boys.
Submitted by Karen Melendez , Catholic Campus Ministry, Radford University
You can view the photos in the slideshow above or in this photo gallery.
Also of note: Four of the people who went on the mission trip -- two students, two adults -- will make a presentation about it this Thursday, May 28 at St. Jude's Catholic Church, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Do you have news or photos that involve people or events in the New River Valley? If so, you can share at newriver@roanoke.com
