Frankville Community Presbyterian Church -- July 2020

Karla’s Korner Listen in to Karla’s weekly posts at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9t7DsW_OcCgSPSDwKiq9gw. Call, text or email her with any joys or prayer requests.

Session’s Section

Session met on June 18 via Zoom. Bible School and Sunday School are still on hold pending reopening. Planning also underway for Confirmation classes when possible. Talked about the need to paint or trim around the church windows; committee will get estimates. First newsletter went out to members in early June and is posted on both church sites. Will continue doing a monthly newsletter; send news to Janine to include; share with others. Continued discussion on plans for church going forward. Zalmona is going to try starting with outdoor services in July. Pastor Rupert will paint 6’ boxes on the ground for distancing households. No passing offering plate; no singing. If COVID numbers go up, plans could change. Call Zalmona (563-568-3875) if interested in attending. Session again went over things to consider about reopening – insurance company guidelines, whether or not to require masks, how to do distancing, singing or not, possibly needing some kind of waiver. Decided to continue as we have been with online services and to reassess the situation again at the next Session meeting on Tuesday, July 14.

Musings from Members

~From Jean Berg … As my health is not the greatest, I try to keep with regular routines like trying to keep up with lawn mowing

and gardening. I'm doing lots of crossword puzzles, telephone chats, reading, etc. Not a lot of baking anymore.

Clete and his family are doing okay through all of this; also, Clint and family are also trying to absorb it all. I miss seeing my church family as Leo and I used to live for Sunday worship and fellowship.

~From JoAnne Bodley … Just checking in with everyone. We are both well and surviving Craig’s retirement (Jan. 1). He has actually

only gone into the shop to help them once. This winter was puzzles and TV while I read. Now we can get outside and mow, work in the woods, (he works, I read). I get tired of the 3 meals a day. Guess new news is our first great grandchild this fall. Shelby and Sam will start their family the week of their first anniversary. Riley will start teaching at MFL and is hoping to be able to have a classroom. Kelby graduated and has been working at Luana golf course besides milking part time. So glad we live where we can go outside.

~From Mary and Quentin Quandahl …

The Quandahls are doing good. Quentin’s pacemaker is working and he is back to work too. We got a chance to see little Bjorn; he was born November 9. Because of April’s need for gowns I brought down the sewing machine. I have done very little sewing since high school. The first few were a mess, but the upper staff were happy to have them. Practice makes perfect. Lol. I have been working all the way through. Last few weeks have been four-day weeks. Love it.

The Nelson family

~Birth Announcements … Paige and Shea Gavin would like to announce the birth of their son, Francis Wayne Gavin, on Saturday, June

13th. He weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces and was 20½ inches long. Everyone is doing fine. Proud grandma is Kelly Cook and proud great grandparents are Dennis and Corinne Cook.

Lois Kamp would like to announce the birth of her daughter, Jaden Sophia Storm Martin, on Friday, June 19th. She weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Jaden joins a brother Emmet who is 2½ years old. Proud grandparents are John and Colleen Finger and proud great grandma is Dolores Hughes.

Francis Jaden

Prayer Requests … from Jean Berg for her health not to deteriorate anymore. “Lots of work yet to be done.” … for health, healing, wisdom, and patience … The family of Francis Wenthold (Jay’s dad) would like to express their sincere thanks for all the prayers

sent at the time Francis was sick and was put on hospice care at Ossian Senior Hospice. He has been steadily improving and is now eating solid food and building his strength back up. Thank the Lord. Prayer works!

July Birthdays July 9 Jean Berg July 11 Aubree Kjosa July 19 JoAnne Bodley July 30 Tom Froelke July 31 Spencer Kjosa

Circle/PW News Members of the ladies PW met on Saturday, June 20th for a meeting and short bible study. The ice cream social was discussed and it was decided to hold an Ice Cream Social-Covid Style on Wednesday, July 29th, with a drive-thru to-go meal for $8.00/person (see below). The PW ladies will meet again on Saturday, July 14th at 9:00 a.m. at the church to finalize plans. Please spread the word!

Frankville Presbyterian Women’s Ice Cream Social “COVID Style”!

Wednesday, July 29, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. We will safely prepare a drive-through to-go meal of maid-rites, potato salad, orange tapioca salad, pie, and ice cream for $8.00/person. Drive up carry-outs only! The Ice Cream Social is our only fundraiser to help us do all our mission projects and giving each year. We truly appreciate your support during this time of social distancing!

From Jeremy and Susan Beebout in Niger www.rca.org/beebout “She didn’t have to touch me, but she did.” A patient whom I recently diagnosed with possible COVID-19 told another missionary that she appreciated the fact that I prayed for her … and that I touched her. There is such a value in the human touch. In this culture, shaking hands is part of every greeting except between Muslims of the opposite gender. People have deeply felt the absence of physical touch. There are so many simple things we have come to appreciate during this strange time in human history. I pray that we would find new ways to value one another as we move forward into new realities. Niger has been rapidly opening up, against the recommendations of the Minister of Health. The mosques opened in time for the big celebration at the end of Ramadan. Churches are also open with some basic restrictions in place. At Clinique Oliva, we are almost back to normal patient flow now that Ramadan is over and the curfew has been lifted. Interestingly, the government is reporting zero cases but I am seeing patients with symptoms and signs that are very suggestive of COVID-19! I am concerned that tests that are being used do not work. Our patients continue to express their appreciation that we have stayed open through the crisis, during which they were often turned away from public and private health care centers. May 30 was International Global Outreach Day and several missionaries from Campus Crusade for Christ came and shared the gospel with our patients. Patients then received masks, soap, and SD memory cards with the Jesus film on them. It went very well and no one seemed surprised or offended. Continue to pray for these opportunities and protection for our staff and our patients. Most schools in Niger reopened June 1, trying to squeeze in 45 more days despite the approaching onset of the rainy season. Many classrooms are built of straw for economic reasons to accommodate the fastest growing population in the world. If the rains set in, those schools will be dismantled by the storms. Also, in rural areas, the children are needed to plant the millet and sorghum. Sounds like the days before mechanized farming in the U.S., doesn’t it? I am not sure these 45 days are going to be very effective, but maybe the students can recapture something of what was lost during the two and a half months the schools were closed. Ben will be back in school, but the girls finished the school year at Sahel Academy on May 22. Abby’s class was honored with a very short fifth-

grade recognition. Jeremy also finished two years as the school board chairperson and is very happy to pass those responsibilities on to someone else. The university opened so I will be giving first semester exams in a few weeks. It remains to be seen how the second semester will be handled as the university normally closes at the end of June. Travel in and out of Niamey has been allowed since May 22. Jeremy and the team went out to Dogon Doutchi that day and were encouraged to see the progression of the work. The stairwells are closed in. A new storeroom has been built and a septic tank and leach tank are now ready to be connected to the plumbing lines. The next step is the installation of final plumbing and electrical installations. We are still praying for an additional $25,000 for a solar installation on the site. Once that is in place, we can continue to hire personnel and decide on an opening date. We had planned to come back to the U.S. this summer for several reasons: college visits for Lydia, eye and dental care visits, and to obtain supplies for the clinics. The airport here remains closed. Given the probable restriction of quarantine on both ends, these travels are becoming unlikely even if the airport opens. We are thankful that the girls’ closest friends are in Niger for the summer. As long as they are with their friends, they do not care what they are doing! Hopefully we will still be able to take some time off to be together as a family. These are challenging times and no one is unaffected, but we know that God is still on His throne and we can have peace and confidence as we rest in Him. We also continue in prayer for the United States and racial reconciliation everywhere. The context in Niger is quite different; nonetheless deep prejudices and racism exist here just the same. Thank you for your sacrifices so we can do what we are called to do here in Niger.

Coloring is Fun at Any Age