CHURCH of GOD eW(j Big Sandy District VOLUME III, NUMBER 4 SUMMER EDITION, 1966 Dallas Says Farewell To Battles Family The annual picnic of the Dallas Church had more significance than usual on Sunday, June 19, as more than 350 people paid Mr. Cecil Battles and his family a fond farewell. The picnic site was Lewisville State Park just 20 miles north of Dallas and the weather was ideal for the day. Various games such as volleyball, softball, and croquet were provided for children and adults alike. Some swam and water skied on the lake adjoining the park. Just before the mid-day meal Mr. Ronald Kelly called everyone together to watch Mr. Battles unwrap a brightly colored package sitting at the end of the picnic tables. At first it appeared that the content was one of his favoritespeanut butter. Further unwrapping exposed an attractive (Continued on Page 3) McNairs Bring Split Sermon in Little Rock Mr. Carl McNair traded church areas for the weekend of July 2 with Mr. Kelly Barfield. Since Little Rock was changed from the Memphis church area last February, Mr. McNair has wanted to return to see the brethren again and pay his first visit to the new Fort Smith Church. Many of the Fort Smith brethren were ministered to by Mr. McNair when the area was served by monthly and bi-weekly Bible Studies. Mr. McNair had an additional treat when his brother, Mr. Burk McNair, and family arrived in Little Rock in time to share split sermons with his brother. The two McNairs parried brotherly jests before leading into their sermons. Mr. Carl McNair paraphrased a worldly view of seven vital points on how to be a self-starter. In short, he said no one will be pushed into God's Kingdom. He will make it only because he wants to. Mr. Burk McNair brought news of God's work in Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota and a sermon on "Which Church Are You In"? He then outlined the earmarks of the Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicean church members-all existing simultaneously at the end time. Shreveport's New Building SHREVEPORT LEASES NEW CHURCH BUILDING It's a first for Shreveport. Yes, it's the first time the Church of God has leased the entirety of a building for its own private use SEVEN DAYS A WEEK! God has certainly blessed this area with a first. Sound simple? Well, it wasn't. Much preparation went into this former community center building before it was ready for its first Sabbath service. The grass had to be mowed, refuse had to be picked up, hedges had to be trimmed, windows washed, curtains hung and chairs set up. Even a counseling room had to be added for the convenience of the Church. All of the preparation was made possible through the (Continued on Page 8) ~525252525252525252525252~O ~CHURCH of GOD ~-VJl'eW{) EDITOR Benjamin R. Chapman STAFF SECRETARY Lydia Cooper CIRCULATION MANAGER Jesse Bair PHOTOGRAPHER Sam Duncan AREA CORRESPONDENTS Houston John Ledbetter Odessa-Amarillo Edward Smith Dallas Wesley Winant Little Rock-Ft. Smith Ivar Mattson Okla. City-Tulsa Richard Prince San Antonio- Corpus Christi William Seelig Shreveport Leroy Neff Ft. Worth Alton Head The Big Sandy Edition of the Church of God News is published and sponsored by the Spokesman Clubs and affiliated members of the above-mentioned Churches of God. Circulation 2400. © 1966 by Radio Church 01 God. ~~~~~~~m2~~~~ Pentecost in Alice From Alice to Austin and from Corpus Chnsti to as far as the Rio Grande Valley came over 440 people to observe the Feast of Pentecost. The Corpus Christi and San Antonio Churches met in the Knights of Columbus Hall in Alice to observe this joyous occasion. Each family brought an abundance of food and placed it on a table so each person could choose his own delicious meal. There was real ORGANIZATION in every aspect of the meeting and no problems arose to mar the day. Even the caretaker of the building was very (Continued on Page 7) Hungry Brethren Line Up Page 2 Editorial The Drifters by David Robinson Weare living in a lethargic age-an age when our nation is without any real GOAL, PLAN or PURPOSE. And all too often, we, as individuals are drifting along just like the nation. People are increasingly mentally lazy, willing to be lulled to sleep by the soothing pronouncements from church and state that all is well. After all, if evolution is true, then the world is going to become better and better-no matter what we do! What about those of us in God's Church? Are we letting some of this worldly attitude rub off on us??? How can we resist this pull of the age? And most important-How can we overcome it? We are what we think. And that's just the trouble with many of us! We're thinking the WRONG thoughts. We don't think maturely. We don't set thinking GOALS. We never EXPAND our thinking. New thoughts DISTURB us. We like for our minds to run in the same old channels they always did. It's not hard to tell the type of channels a person's mind is operating along. Christ said "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." If you never hear a person express a mature or solid thought-that simply means he doesn't have any! Such a person is letting his life drift. He's not conquering an important part of human nature-MENTAL LAZINESS. And yet it is the MIND that God is dealing with. He gives us His Holy Spirit and opens our understanding. He expects us to do our part-that is to put our minds to work, expand them, broaden them. Some experience real difficulty in holding their minds on a given subject for any length of time. This is from a lack of mental exercise. For the mind is like a muscle-it develops with exercise. Many of us need to expand our thinking, control our minds and make them work for us. There are numerous examples in the Bible of men using their minds. David, a man after God's own heart, said he LOVED God's law and MEDITATED on it all the day. Do you think he just naturally thought on God's law? No, he controlled his mind. He forced himself to HOLD HIS MIND ON GOD'S PRECEPTS. He also went on to say that through God's precepts he got understanding which caused him to HATE every FALSE way. We, too, can come to think properly and hate evil by thinking deeply about God's way THROUGHOUT the day. Christ showed in the sermon on the mount that we are to CONTROL our thoughts. It is sin to mentally murder someone or to mentally commit adultery. Yet today such thoughts are rampant. The whole world is wallowing in all types of illicit and perverted thoughts. By meditating on God's law we can have right thoughts-big thoughtsexpanding thoughts. If we think God's thoughts we can come to have contact with the greatest mind of all-GOD'S MIND! The Apostle Paul said in I Cor. 13: 11, "When I was a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Too many of today's adults still think and talk as CHILDREN. But God has called us to deal with our MINDS! God does His part. We need to do ours and put our minds to work. Plan what to think about! Apply God's principles to your thoughts. Start NOW to control your mind. Come to grips with mental laziness and don't be a DRIFTER. Dallas Says Farewell to Battles Family (Continued from Page 1) wine cabinet with enough champagne to fill it. Mr. Battles came to Dallas in the summer of 1959 as a Ministerial assistant to Mr. Richard Prince and divided his time with the Houston Church. He was ordained a Local Elder ir 1962 at the Feast of Tabernacles and this year he was ordained a Preaching Elder. All of the Dallas brethren wish him success in his new assignment. Mr. and Mrs. Battles Everyone Takes a Break from the Fast Picnic Pace Pentecost at North Little Rock Pentecost weekend-Memorial Day weekend. They both arrived at the same time and the Ft. Smith and Little Rock bethren figured it would be nice to have a picnic! And they did-at the Burns Park in North Little Rock. With all the park facilities, everyone had a chance to play and get acquainted with other brethren from around the state. Besides the more vigorous volleyball and softball games, there were swings, bikes, and an amusement park to entertain the group. The Little Rock Spokesmen purchased a shuffleboard set for the use of the elderly under the picnic shelters. And, of course, tetherball competition still brings many red faces! The undisputed champion for the day was a petite 14-year-old girl. The sumptuous food during lunch restored the spirits of the players for an afternoon of the same thing. The group broke up early to make ready for the on-coming Holy Day-Pentecost. Many of the out-of-town members stayed with the Little Rock brethren that evening. Shreveport Says Goodbye to the Rices With mixed emotions the Shreveport congregation, along with visitors from Dallas, Fort Worth, and Big Sandy, gathered to say bon voyage to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Rice. After serving the North Louisiana, Southern Arkansas and East and North Texas areas for four years as a Local Elder and Preaching Elder, Mr. Rice is being assigned to serve in North Alabama. The party honoring Mr. and Mrs. Rice was on Saturday night, June 4, at our new building in Summer Grove. Special decorations and party dresses for the ladies provided a festive air. A variety of recorded music was played to suit different tastes in dancing. About mid-way through the evening, a mixer dance stimulated the timid to get on the floor and provided an opportunity to get better acquainted. This was an enjoyable finishing touch to a fine party. Two kinds of punch and a variety of hors d'oeuvres and sweets provided refreshment for practically any taste. Of course, all the brethren chipped in to give the Rices a tangible expression of our love for them and our gratitude for their service to us. Mr. Ric~ was given an electric shoe shiner and a certificate for books. Mrs. Rice received a pair of electric scissors. There were presents for the boys too, but these were not opened because the boys were visiting their grandparents in Mississippi. Rices Open Presents Page 3 Big Sandy's Boys' Camp Take a boy and add parts of the woods, a fishin' hole, a lake, the clash of canoe paddles, the smell of the outdoors, and FOOD. The result is a recipe for high adventure that makes a boy's heart sing with joy. Forty-five boys from the Big Sandy Church had such an adventure that started July 17 when they left on a three-day campout sponsored by the Spokesman Clubs. It would seem the call of the woods was not restricted to the young boys, because there was a great deal of interest generated among the men. More than a few looked back longingly at the Lake Hawkins campsite as they departed for more urban areas at the close of the day. In order for a camp to be a success, there must be a purpose. There were definite goals set forth: to instruct, to teach, and to help the boys learn campcraft and co-operaion among themselves. Instruction was given in such things as proper use of tentage, knives, axes, Ten-hut! All Aboard The Boys' Camp Busses knots, and first aid. One period was devoted to foil cookery, and then it was tried out for the evening meal with each boy doing his own. From the remarks, this meal was a tasty success and a few parents may get involved in backyard cookery as a result. The primary emphasis of the camp, however, was on waterfront activities so that a great deal of time was spent swimming, canoeing, fishing, and trying to stay up on water skis. The rules of water safety were taught and stressed at all times. All of these activities provided the perfect background to TEACH BY DO ING. Local Men From Big Sar After each jam-packed day of activities, a Bible study was held. These were conducted by Mr. Dick Ames, Mr. Dale Schurter, and Dr. W. E. Parrish with emphasis being placed on the importance of outdoor life as related to the Bible. The Bible study was followed by a game and then bed. Nee'dless to say, the camp was soon quiet! Line Up for Chow! Page 4 Scrub Those A Nighthawk Auf Wiedersehen "Until we meet again!" This melodic and most beautiful of all German words expressed completely the feelings of the men of the San Antonio Spokesman Club at their last meeting of the season on June 30. Although we will see one another constantly at Church services and Bible study there was a nostalgic air about this final meeting. We met in. the masculine dining room at the Nighthawk Restaurant in San Antonio. From the very first moment there was a sparkle and zeal not usually seen. Mr. Bill Norrod, our outgoing president, got the Club off to an interesting beginning and the pace was maintained by every member. Business rolled along at a fast clip and hands were shooting up all over the room, even when a halt was called and Mr. Roy Pendergraft was introduced as our Topicsmaster. As usual, Mr. Pendergraft gave us all he had. Each speaker had two weeks to prepare and it was evident that each had done his part. Every speaker had a mes sage, intensity and organization that gripped the audience. Best Evaluator of the evening was Richard White, Most Improved Speaker was Jim Leal and Most Effective Speaker was Bill Seelig. George Peyton received honorable mention for his add-color speech. It was very good. Incoming officers for the next six months beginning next fall are: Sergeant- at-Arms, Mr. Elliott Shiner; Treasurer, Mr. George Peyton; Secretary, Mr. William Shaak; Vice-President, Mr. Roy Pendergraft and President, Mr. Bill Seelig. Mr. Hammer, in his overall evaluation, stated that the meeting was in the upper echelons of all the meetings we have ever had. He was very pleased with the progress of each member and gave out six awards of merit for those who had successfully completed the speaking course. To the Club Directors go our hearts and appreciation for their sacrifice and dedication to the Spokesman Clubs around the world. Sandy Ready Boys' Camp Too soon, the last day dawned and on July 20, we broke camp and loaded up. As the bus rolled along back to the Church grounds, there were many pleasant camp memories. This year's camp has entered the past, but the keen anticipation for next year's high adventure has already started with such words as, "WOW!!! NEXT YEAR, I'LL . ..!" Ise Pans. Fellows! Little Rock Brethren Enjoy Inspiring Feast of Pentecost While the race cars were going 'round and 'round in the famous Indianapolis "500," God's people were getting thc kinks out of their spiritual lives and being encouraged to continue on to the finish line and into the 'Promised Land'; not disqualifying themselves by running illegally or giving up before the final flag is dropped. Pentecost for the Little Rock, Fort Smith brethren beamed bright, beautiful- and cool! Opening the morning services in the Little Rock YWCA was a sermonette, "What Are Euphemisms?" by Mr. Ray Wawak. He showed how even the mildest form of "niceynice" slang ought not to proceed forth from our lips. Mr. Kelly Barfield brought the main sermon, "The Gift of Foreign Languages." He carefully went through the miracle of languages that was per formed on the Day of Pentecost in which God sent forth His Holy Spirit on man. After a lunch in Burns Park and a bit of fellowship, over 300 again returned to the YWCA for afternoon services which were opened by a sermonette on "Baptism for the Dead" by Mr. William O'Neal. White Sunday, the day the world's churches have used to replace Pentecost, its origins and later its development, was thoroughly explained by Mr. Barfield in the afternoon sermon. He also explained why we were all there gathered on that particular day, going into the origin of Pentecost, what it stands for in God's plan of salvation and how, instead of the law being on tablets of stone, it is now planted in our hearts. Page 5 Hungry Painters Have Lunch in Mr. Barfield's Backyard News from Little Rock The orders were clear! The date was set! The response was overwhelming! After more than four years of apartment living-the kind of an apartment with lots of steps and a hard-to-mow hiIlIside lawn-Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Barfield located an older home in a gracious part of Little Rock. But it needed a good redecorating job. The Little Rock Spokesmen, many skilled in painting, gathered at the newly-rented home Sunday, July 19, and completely repainted the interior of the home. About 15 men were scattered around the home trying their level best to do the finest job they could. Meanwhile, Mr. Barfield was in Fort Smith for the Sunday afternoon Bible Study and Mrs. Barfield had stayed home to be on hand for the noon meal. The big move came Monday when Mr. Barfield, with the help of some older boys, worked most of the day setting the furniture in the new home. By evening, there were still several of the heavicr appliances to move, so the men gave Mr. Barfield a hand. They completely cleared the apartment that night. By Thursday, the Barfield's were pretty wcll settled in their new homc. Page 6 Then it was time for Mrs. Barfield and Bryce to leave for Memphis where she awaited the arrival of Bryce's brandnew sister (according to Dad, that is!). He was Right! And Dad was right! The next Tuesday (July 5) at 2 a.m., little Bonne Renee Barfield, weighing 7 lbs., 1 oz., was born. The Barfields returned to their home in Little Rock late Tuesday evening. Mother, baby, Father and Bryce are all doing fine! The Barfield's moving must have set off a trend. Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Lyles moved to Little Rock from Oklahoma City during the Fourth of July weekend. Thc transmission went out of the Mr. and Mrs. Williams Lyles' car at Clarksville, Ark., and he had to rent a pickup truck to pull the U -haul trailer on into Little Rock. Mr. Lyles came into God's Church in Houston under Mr. Richard Prince's ministry and later moved to Oklahoma City where they have been the last four years. Mr. Lyles is an account salesman for a bookkeeping service and expects to remain temporarily in Little Rock before moving to a new assignment in about five or six months. General News Mr. Jim Williams of Russellville, Ark., and Miss Bennie Owens of Little Rock exchanged vows of marriage in the bride's parent's backyard. Mr. Kelly Barfield officiated, giving God's blessing on the two fine young people. This was the first wedding performed by Mr. Barfield! The bride's uncle, who owns a floral shop, decorated the backyard scene of the wedding, and after the wedding guests and members of the family were served under a towering oak tree. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are at home in Russellville where he is continuing his education at Arkansas Tech. We all rejoice that another young couple has chosen to go God's way-all the way! Record Number Keep Pentecost Brethren from Houston proper and outlying towns observed a joyous Day of Pentecost, May 30, 1966. Approximately 560 persons gathered at the LO.O.P' Hall on Park Place Boulevard to enjoy abundant spiritual and physical blessings. Messages during the morning and afternoon services were given by Dr. Charles Dorothy, Mr. Paul Flatt, Mr. Malcolm Martin and Mr. Harold Treybig. Their sermons and sermonettes served to encourage, invigorate and spiritually rejuvenate Houston brethren. Good, balanced plate lunches were served to brethren seated at banquet tables during the noon interim at the Ripley House. This special Feast Day showed a substantial increase of 50 persons over the same festival last year when 510 were in attendance. Una N oche Buena iEra una noche magnifica I Los clubes Ambassador-Spokesman de Memphis y Little Rock tuvieron una noche excelente en Pancho's de West Memphis. iQue tiempo bueno pasaron todos! That's right! nearly 100 couples sat down to a scintillating banquet of spicy food and a lively club meeting. Mr. Robert McIntyre presided over the meeting. Mr. Wawak led the Tabletopics portion of the meeting while Mr. Welch introduced two Little Rock speakers and two Memphis speakers on this memorable Sunday evening. "lQue tipo de gringos tenemos aqui?" mused the owner of Pancho's. "They are muy alegres even though it's crowded. They relax but they no ruinan the property. iHum, que cosa extranjera!" This unusual thing troubled the owner so much, that instead of clearing away the tables and working in a crowded room, he opened the lounge to the group-FREE OF CHARGE! Earlier, he had sternly decreed, "no one uses the club's lounge for less than $200." Normally, the owner lost money even with such a gargantuan cover charge because of damages and destroyed furnishings. This time he even Pentecost in Alice (Continued from Page 2) cooperative and wanted to help in any way he could. In the morning Mr. Flores and Mr. Robinson brought split sermons and in the afternoon Mr. Hammer brought a very powerful sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Neffs Move to South Texas Mr. and Mrs. Larry Neff have recently moved to the South Texas area where Mr. Neff will assist Mr. Tony Hammer. Mr. and Mrs. Neff were married immediately after graduation this spring and went on a brief honeymoon before arriving at their new home. Welcome, and may your stay be long and happy! supplied a man to tend to the refreshments at -you guessed it -NO CHARGE. But the best part of the evening had just begun when the group moved across the lobby to the lounge. The world-famous Milwaukee "Dominotes," under the direction of Mr. Peter Ochs, turned out some of the finest dancing tunes the dancers had ever heard. The band members had left Milwaukee at 3 a.m., arriving in Memphis at 3 p.m., resting an hour and changing into their blazers and evening band clothes in time for the banquet at 5 p.m. They played for the group until about 10 p.m., then returned to Milwaukee the next day. They had to get back to work. Meanwhile, several photographers were busy taking couple's pictures. Who wouldn't want a memento of this memorable evening! The evening was formal all the way! The women wore full-length formals and men wore tuxedos. One exuberant Spokesman bubbled to Mr. McNair that we might as well have another party like this one! "Wait'll we get this one paid for!" he advised with a wink and a grin. Houston News A Spokesman Club picnic-outing at beautiful Bender Lake July 10 unofficially marked the close of club activities for summer recess. Club members, guests and children fellowshipped and enjoyed a full day of sports which included swimming, games of volleyball and archery. Special travel-log and Walt Disney movies were provided by Houston Spokesmen for the Houston Church widows and guests Sunday afternoon, June 26. Refreshments were served at intermission time. Colorfully revamped to authentically resemble a typical Dixieland cafe, the convening room at LaPorte Highway YMCA was the scene for a zestful and edifying Thursday Spokesman Club Ladies' Night meeting June 2. Entertaining Dixie-style -'tinkling Final Event at Bender Lake piano,' water-fountain a ppointmen t, outstanding speeches and a lively business portion were all contributing factors to a successful meeting. Dome-shaped Sylvan Beach Pavilion- built on high columns and with interior expanses of glass walls-offers a breath-taking panoramic view of Galveston Bay. And on the night of June 5, this same Gulf-coast showplace provided a fabulous setting for the Houston Church Polynesian Dance. Approximately 220 Houston brethren attired in authentically detailed and brightly colored costumes enjoyed a well-presented evening of dancing and entertainment. All guests-wearing door gifts of pretty leis-enjoyed dancing amidst palm trees to music provided by a combo of Houston Church brethren. A "floor show" featuring church talent was the highlight of the unforgetable evening. Polynesian Dance in Houston Page 7 San Antonio-Corpus Visit Historic Houston Ft. Worth To those still patriotic enough to fly the flag, sing an anthem and get chills when they hear "The Star Spangled Banner" played, the Fourth of July has a special meaning. To those in God's Church it has a very special meaning, because we understand government and love our country. For several months the brethren of Houston, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio Churches had planned to use the Fourth of July weekend in a special way: First, with a baseball game (on Sunday), and secondly, with a visit to some historical and national sites in and around Houston. The first item on the agenda once we got to Houston was a trip to the Astrodome for a ball game. If someone were to try to describe the vastness of the Astrodome he would really have to work at it! Huge, tremendous, large are just not enough. The visiting brethren from San Antonio and Corpus Christi were treated Princes Visit Houston Church Mr. Richard Prince, Pastor of the Tulsa and Oklahoma City Churches, his gracious wife Carol and sons Eric and Randy were special honorees during a Texas homecoming visit event June 21. A Day in Paradise When most people think about Texas they think of snakes, sand, cactus and a myriad other undesireable things. However, there are parts of Texas that make its people very happy to be Texans. One of those places is Landa Park in New Braunfels, just 30 easy minutes from San Antonio. Sunday, June 12, the San Antonio brethren met in this lush semi-tropical garden spot for a picnic, swim and fellowship. To illustrate the zeal for this outing, some people drove over one hundred miles for the occasion. It is not often we can get together like this and when we do it is very special. "Early birds" began arriving about 10 a.m. and had the area cleaned up before the majority arrived. Right away there were games of croquet, horseshoes Page 8 to dinner that evening. Later on Dr. Dorothy showed some color slides taken in Mexico which described the wealth and beauty of our neighbor to the South. Dr. Dorothy brought out two very interesting points: 1) Mexico is tremendously wealthy even though her people are in poverty. 2) Mexico is very beautiful in many areas and much of that country is still uncharted. He also mentioned many other interesting facts which surprised all of us. The groups split up on Monday, July 4, and visited such places as NASA Center where all the computerizing is done for space shots. Others saw historic San Jacinto monument which honors those who died to free Texas. Just across the drive from the monument sits the battleship "Texas" standing sentry over the battleground. Many wonderful things were there for us to see and make us doubly grateful we are Americans. and volleyball set up and activities of the day got under way. Pretty soon the dinner bell sounded and we enjoyed a delicious covered dish meal. Corpus News The Corpus Christi brethren tangled with the law! That's right! But it's not as bad as it sounds. It seems that they decided to have a picnic at the Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge on June 19. Everyone was all primed for a fun-filled day of swimming and water skiing. BUT, just before noon, up comes a rather disturbed park ranger who informed the group such activities were illegal. The timing proved very appropriate because by that time everyone was changed and ready for a hearty meal. The main dish was specially prepared by that master firsherman, Mr. Bud Sanders. Afternoon activities called for sightseeing, softball, volleyball, washers and dominoes. A wiener roast just before sundown capped off the splendid day of fellowship and enjoyment. Annual Picnic Sunday, June 12, was another meorable day for the Ft. Worth Church. It was the day of the annual church picnic. Games, water sports, and good food were the order of the day. A few hardy individuals rose before dawn in order to stake a claim in Casino Park on the edge of Lake Worth. After a delicious breakfast, they proceeded to mark off volleyball courts and softball diamonds. By 9 a.m. everything was in readiness for the activities of the day. Highlight of the morning activities was a volleyball game between the men and the women. The ladies fought a good fight, but, alas, they were no match for the men's team headed up by Mr. Chapman and Mr. Battles. After lunch, family activities were stressed. Each family had its own activities for one hour, then a softball game was organized for all members of the family. Some boats were made available by Mr. Childs, Mr. Waits and Mr. Burnett, and the afternoon was climaxed by water skiing and boat rides. God blessed the picnic with beautiful weather. Only when it was time to go home did clouds gather and rain fall. It was a day of joy and good fellowship with Mr. Battles before he left for his new assignment in New Mexico. Shreveport Leases New Building (Continued from Page 1) cooperation of the brethren. Members readily answered the "call to arms" along with the pot luck lunch on our own picnic grounds. On Sabbath afternoon, June 4, 1966, Mr. Rice gave the first sermon and dedicated the fine building in God's name. That evening with a change of decoration, the building was a setting for a farewell party for the Rice family. Everyone is very thankful for this tremendous blessing and extends a hearty welcome to all. Oh ye~, we saved the best news for the last, THE BUILDING IS AIR-CONDITIONED!