Grace Notes June 2025 Online Edition Final

Full Color Online Edition:

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Fathers kjhkhkhkhkj subbing for Pastor Eric – Daniel Reynolds

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athers play an incredible role in the lives of their children.

With Father’s Day on June 15th, it is an opportune time to reflect on what impact our dads have had on our lives. Although I am the father of four precious young children, I am still learning every day how to become an effective, consistent, and patient dad. I was blessed with a wonderful role model in my dad growing up but also recognize that not everyone had a reputable role model in their father. Some have distasteful childhood memories; others have glowing memories.

Yet the Bible paints a clear picture of manhood and fatherhood. The Bible offers a picture of God’s tender, yet compassionate example of the ultimate perfect Father. There are so many references to the Lord being long suffering towards his children (Romans 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 18:14, 1 Timothy 2:4). Being long suffering refers to the ability to endure difficult situations or hardships with patience and self-restraint, often without becoming angry or retaliating. Being long suffering as a dad can be difficult, especially when facing family financial hardship, spousal relationship issues, or dealing with rebellious or wayward children.

Fatherhood is one of life’s most transformative experiences.

To challenge the fathers of today, regardless of whether one is the dad of adult children or of young children, I want to share five simple (non-comprehensive) points for becoming a godly father.

1.

Godly fathers show humility and compassion: ingratiate to a child by showing a tender side, letting them know that their dad is always approachable and actively listens to their thoughts, holds them tightly for comfort when they are crying, and apologizes when reacting in a frustrating or gruff manner.

2.

Godly fathers lead by example: a godly father comprehends that what he does, models, and consistently demonstrates is what will have an incredible impact on his children. Words of instruction without actions are insufficient.

“My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26).

3.

Godly fathers are generous with their time: intentional quality time spent with a child making memories that are special just to that child are highlights that a child may remember for life. Even a few minutes each day of specific time set aside to show an interest in one’s child can create immense meaning. Additionally, quality time spent with one’s spouse will show by example how genuine love is displayed in the parental relationship.

4.

Godly fathers play with and pray for their children: being a fun-loving, playful dad allows kids to see that being a dad is not a burden but an absolute joy. Playing ball or board games, constructing a fort in the backyard, or just making up silly stories can deepen a dad’s relationship with a child. Fostering a child’s hobbies and interests allows the child to develop individuality and to feel supported in the process. Dads, spending time on their knees, faithfully praying for Christ to work in and through their child, will have eternal ramifications.

5.

Godly fathers know their identity is in Christ: it is so easy for fathers and men in general to find identity in various areas such as career advancement, prioritizing making money, purchasing and driving flashy cars, or time consuming projects or sports that take fathers away from their families. Instead, cultivate friendships with other fathers who share the same values and parenting approach. A strong support network can be an excellent source of encouragement, advice, and mutual understanding. Be surrounded with other dads who can offer a sounding board or a shoulder to lean on when going through a difficult time. Read godly parenting books and apply them to life skills as a dad. But always keep in mind that no matter what, Christ’s gift of sacrificial love empowers us to reach new heights of fatherhood. Our identity should be found solely in Christ and not in distractions that come our way.

An unknown author once said, “A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.” Ultimately, dads make mistakes–and that’s ok! Don’t try to be perfect, as there is no perfect way to raise children. Each child has varying temperaments, and a parenting approach for one child may not work on the next one. But God, in His infinite wisdom has inspired our “owner’s manual,” the Bible. Proverbs 22:6 sums it up well: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Children are a gift from God and grow up way too fast. As godly fathers, one must be intentional: praying continually, seeking God daily, teaching gently, and leading by example.

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Fathers We Have Known

by Max Hammonds

W

hen we consider those adults in our church who have made the church a haven of rest and a safer place to grow, we quickly recall the phrase: “Mothers in Israel.” But in the month of June, we turn the phrase in the opposite direction to say: “Fathers in Israel.” The Arden Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church has been blessed over the years with men who have been fathers to us in the best sense of the word.

Many of us struggle with the phrase: “God the Father” because our interactions with our fathers were frequently not ideal. Some fathers were neglectful, consumed with their own lives and careers.

Some fathers were working so hard making a living for their family, they forgot that those family members needed personal time and attention beyond food, clothes, and rent.

At Arden our “fathers in Israel” had specific spiritual gifts and the insight and patience to use them for our benefit. In this article, we highlight only a few of those “fathers,” although these are not the only ones we remember or appreciate. And we are specifically not mentioning the “fathers in Israel” currently ministering to us, only those who were our “fathers” in years past.

From the very earliest days of the Arden SDA Church, many remember Elder L. L. Moffitt, not his first name, but his considerable patience and easy-going manner, allowing him to gently but firmly guide a fractured committee back to focusing on the topic at hand. One individual especially remembers that when he prayed, heaven seemed to come close to earth, he was able to communicate so clearly with God. A second “father in Israel” in that time was Ron Worrel who had the spiritual gift of teaching. He was, at that time, the eighth-grade teacher at Captain Gilmer Christian School but also taught a Sabbath School class. One person particularly remembers how very smart he was and how he could clearly present the lesson’s material such that everyone understood.

Another “father in Israel” whose influence spanned from the

early days to recent memory was C. D. Huskins, a C.P.A. by vocation. While his organizational and accounting skills were especially helpful when the Arden SDA Church was young, C. D. is fondly remembered for his gentle, nurturing manner with new members.

Coming forward two decades brings to mind Dr. Royce Brown, very reserved with a droll sense of humor. His quiet manner served to cover his extremely generous giving to help the church in various projects. His reticence for the lime light also belied his intelligence to carefully create a workable plan for upgrading and remodeling the church or organizing a mission trip, spiritual gifts not always given the due they deserve.

Another physician, a greatly beloved “father in Israel,” was Dr. Ron Krum. He was known for his patience and compassion, whether with his patients in the doctor’s office or with the “flock” he shepherded as church elder. These characteristics enhanced his quiet ability to lead individuals through the numerous Bible studies or visitations to attendees in support of evangelistic meetings.

One particular pastor who stood out in the memory of another individual was Pastor Jim Sawtell. In shepherding his church, he was loving, caring, and personable.

But unexpectedly, he was also able to preach the Word of God in a clear, organized manner such that the message was understandable and its personal application was easily discerned by the common people.

Another physician, Dr. David Love, was much appreciated as a Sabbath School teacher. But his other hidden gift was his ability to relate to the youth of the church. One individual remembers his ability to firmly yet gently address their youthful exuberance on camping trips without being critical. Many remember the Saturday evening pizza parties and devotionals and the youth church services when the Methodist Church then being rented was too small for the entire church to sit in the sanctuary.

Not all the “fathers in Israel” were long in the tooth. Pastor Sam Leonor, our first youth pastor, was only a few years older than those he pastored. However, he knew how to let young people function at their level while tactfully guiding their activities to avoid dangerous or inappropriate expressions.

Early on, he learned to listen to them, to be adaptable to their wants and needs, and to advocate for them. While the youth saw him as an “older brother,” he was a “father in Israel” to them.

We are thankful for these and many other mentors and guides. They were the “fathers” we have known.

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Train Them 2 Fish

by Max Hammonds

T

he Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – which speaks French – sits astraddle of the equator in the western half of Africa, surrounded by smaller African nations. Those on its eastern border educate in English. Those on its Western border educate in French. When superimposed on a map of the United States, the DRC is approximately the same size as the US. Educationally, of the 10.5 million SDA Church members in Africa, only 1.5 million speak French.

The last major SDA university in Africa, which taught classes in French in Kigali, Rwanda, recently switched to English.

Two higher education institutions teach in French in the DRC, the Adventist University of West Congo in Kinshasa teaching only a ministerial course and the Universite Adventiste de Lukanga near Butembo (just north of Goma) teaching a full set of university subjects. Only two SDA short term lay training schools exist in Africa, Riverside Farms in Zambia and Kibidula Farm Institute in Tanzania. Both teach in English.

Politically, the western most cities of Goma and Bukavu are much in the news because the M-23 rebel group (Tutsis from Rwanda) is invading through these cities and threatening to take over the country – or at least its eastern regions – where people feel forgotten by the central government to the far west.

In 2011, a Share Him team led by Pastor David Dobias presented an evangelistic series in Lubumbashi in the south of the DRC. A young man leading the South Kivu Mission (located on the eastern border with Rwanda, Bukavu being its capital) requested Share Him come to Bukavu in 2012. Pastor Dobias made a trip to Bukavu to evaluate the possibility of taking a team to what the US State Department thought to be too dangerous.

Pastor Dobias was impressed with the preparations – Bible workers trained to prepare people and church members committed to support the campaign. Pastor Dobias convinced Share Him to recruit people for Bukavu and forty people signed on. In 2012, the SDA Northeast Union of the DRC recruited three cities to host the

campaign: Goma, Kisangani, and Bukavu with each city hosting multiple preaching sites.

Each of eleven preaching sites in Bukavu were supported by a Bible worker and a pastor. Financial sponsorship allowed the Bible workers to work for six months prior to the campaign and for three months afterward to help stabilize the new churches that would be developed.

Richard and Karolyn Leonard met Pastor Thomas Ongasa, field president for the SDA Church in the DRC, in Kigali on their way to Bukavu, starting a lasting friendship. Dr Llewelyn Williams and his family, part of the Bukavu team, also provided medical care. When he saw Imani, a crippled man, working on the street, Dr. Williams purchased a wheelchair for him. Two hundred forty-eight people were baptized and 1,000 Bibles were purchased for people interested in Bible study in Bukavu.

During a short evaluation meeting on the last night in Bukavu, the team decided to keep Bible workers nurturing new believers for one more year, forming small companies to host further meetings.

Karolyn Leonard volunteered to be the central person in the US to collect donations. Dr Williams donated money for Imani, the crippled man, to start a small business.

As Pastor Ongasa and Karolyn communicated monthly through the year, the growth reports from Bukavu were impressive, especially the work of Bible workers and the retention rate, 98%.

Karolyn kept collecting funds for the Bukavu project, including money for used clothes for poor children.

During this year, Pastor Ongasa studied Adventist church growth between French-speaking Africa and English-speaking Africa. The result of this study, including the Bukavu experience, was presented to Outpost Centers International (OCI) leaders gathered at Riverside Farm in Zambia. Kim Busl, OCI Field Vice President for OCI Africa, advised that a ministry should be organized to reach out to French-speaking countries of Africa following the Bukavu model, promising to give needed guidance for the project.

Pastor Ongasa shared the idea with Karolyn who suggested recruiting volunteers for a follow up mission trip in 2013 to launch a ministry. Dr. Williams supported the idea and committed to join the 2013 mission trip. Jonathan Leonard was sent to do preparation meetings since this was not a Share Him mission trip – with Pastor Dobias coaching behind the scenes.

People from the Arden SDA church joined this trip, including Carol Wetmore, Larry Cottrell, and Rick and Karolyn Leonard.

Imani, the crippled man, invited Dr Williams to his house and cooked food for his invitees, including fish. The idea of helping people to become self-supporting was born from that meal served by a former crippled man/beggar who now offered a good meal to his American friends. In the van traveling back to the hotel, Dr Williams voiced the idea “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day.

Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” He wanted to do a ministry that would help the crippled men begging on the streets of Bukavu.

At the end of the 2013 campaign, the team met and accepted the idea of starting a ministry. Many names were suggested. “Caring 4 the Congo” limited the outreach to the DRC, when they wanted the ministry to reach into other countries. “Preach Him Now” would put off non-Christian countries. “Teach Them 2 Fish” sounded just right. They also decided that the ministry should be a US based non-profit for the ease of donors supporting charities to get a tax

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deduction. Back in the US, Karolyn continued to collect funds for the Congo, this time through the Arden SDA Church.

Kim Busl invited Pastor Ongasa and Karolyn and Rick Leonard to attend the OCI retreat at Uchee Pines Institute in 2014 to learn how to start and run a supporting ministry in good standing with the SDA Church. After the retreat, Pastor Ongasa wrote the bylaws of “Teach Them 2 Fish” under the supervision of an attorney from Asheville. The bylaws, edited and approved by OCI, were ready to be registered.

Pastor Ongasa chaired the first meeting to elect officers for “Teach Them 2 Fish” (TT2F). Karolyn Leonard was elected as CEO of TT2F. Brenda Pace, Pastor Lee, Dr. Barry Bacon, Hannah Williams, Bill Ross, Linda Saye, and Gail Bremner were the first board members. Pastor Ongasa was designated as the representative of the ministry in Africa. He worked as a volunteer until December 2015, when he stepped down from his position as conference president to dedicate his time fully to TT2F.

At the registration meeting, the attorney said that the name “Teach Them 2 Fish” was taken by another US based nonprofit serving in Uganda. The group changed the name to “Train Them 2 Fish.”

While waiting for legal papers from North Carolina, Pastor Eli Rojas, the senior pastor of the Arden SDA Church approved using the church address for donation. Gail Bremner, the Arden Church treasurer, started receiving donations for TT2F. When Pastor Eric Bates replaced Pastor Rojas, the Carolina Conference voted for a matching fund of $10,000 toward property for a school of evangelism in the DRC. The Conference vote allowed all donations to be sent to the Arden Church, the mother church for TT2F. “Train Them 2 Fish International” was legally incorporated on June 10, 2014, in North Carolina. In June 2014, Kim Busl from OCI visited Bukavu for an evaluation, and on August 5, 2014, TT2F was officially recognized as a member in good standing of OCI. On August 17, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) approved TT2F as a 501 (c) 3 tax deductible nonprofit. In 2017, TT2F became a full member of ASI. “Train Them 2 Fish International” is legally registered in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The core ministry of TT2F is evangelism and outreach by training community members to be Bible workers, church planters, and medical missionaries – who know basic health and medical services – throughout the French-speaking countries of Africa. Since 2014, TT2F has planted 87 churches with more than 9,000 people baptized. TT2F has also trained community members (especially orphans, widows, seniors, homeless/displaced persons, the

disabled) to be self-sufficient (teach them to fish) in such skills as sewing, small-business manufacturing, handicrafts, baking, cleaning and laundry services, hairdressing and barber services, carpentry, construction, electrical repair, auto mechanics, and lay community dentists.

One hundred thousand patients have been seen for free; 3,000 lay people have been trained in soul winning, including community dentists; 110 orphans are under support; 1,673 kids have received help to go back to school equipped; 60,000 French Bibles have been distributed across Africa beyond the DRC, sharing God's grace to the people of Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Chad, Central Africa Republic, Togo, Benin, Tanzania and Uganda where the incorporation process is ongoing. “Train Them 2 Fish” helped send 10,000 Bibles to Senegal and assisted in installing AWR radio stations in Gabon, Chad, Kinshasa, Central Africa Republic and Togo. Six thousand Godpods (audio Bibles) in French, Swahili, Kikongo and Lingala have been distributed in the Congo. In 2025, Train Them 2 Fish has the goal to study the Bible with 10,000 University students – 70% of DRC people are young – and other community members in small kiosks set up on the street for just such a purpose. The French Bibles and study guides are ready in Kinshasa.

Train Them 2 Fish is the only ministry building a full time, French-speaking lay training center for the DRC, the largest French-speaking country in the world with 107 million people.

The ministry has purchased 42 acres 40 miles east of Kinshasa.

The DRC has given National Accreditation to the Missionary Academy of Trades and Social Entrepreneurship for a 10 month curriculum of community dental health, regenerative agriculture, natural medicine, nutrition, lifestyle coaching, health food industries, music and media, carpentry and furniture-making, small engine and auto mechanics, sewing, and literacy tutoring.

We believe that by reaching and training self-supporting missionaries from the Congo, they will easily be sent to other French-speaking countries in Africa to share the Good News of God's love.

TT2F French-speaking Training Center in DRC Total Budget: $198,881 ASI Donation: $ 25,000 Other Sources: $ 18,000 Needed: $155,881 This will include dental and agriculture equipment, treatment room and furniture.

Thank you for your generous tax-deductible donation to: Train Them 2 Fish International Inc. PO Box 642, Fletcher, NC 28732 Cell; (304) 279-3158 E-mail: trainthem2fish@gmail.com WWW.tt2fworld.org

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28 Fundamentals: # 14 Unity in the Body of Christ

“D

oes anyone want more sweet potatoes? If not, I’m putting them in the fridge.” Natalie, daughter of Albert Groot, Mark’s grandfather, was clearing off the supper table.

“Are you going somewhere, dear?” Albert (aka Pawpaw) rose to help her clear the table.

“Church board in an hour, Dad. We have some big issues to discuss tonight.” She paused, holding open the refrigerator door. “I’ll be interested to see how the new pastor deals with this one.” She placed the dish on the shelf and closed the door.

“New pastor?” Mark looked up in surprise from his dessert.

“I thought you just got a new pastor.”

“Oh, this is the same one. He’s been here about nine months.”

She turned to her youngest son, Matthew. “Matt, can you help clear the table when you finish there?”

“Sure, Mom,” he said around a mouth full of strawberry pie. “No problem.”

“I haven’t met this young man, have I?” Pawpaw said, elbows on the table, hands folded. “Tell me about him.”

Natalie sat in her chair to search her memory. “He approaches things differently. When he first came, he seemed to have no particular agenda, no program he was promoting. He mostly asked questions. What had we done before? How did we do it? And what did we think was next?”

Matthew looked up. “He visited us here once.”

She looked across the table at Mark. “I think he came while you were at the university and Pawpaw was back in his home in Georgia. Anyway, he spent the first six months getting to know everyone in the church, even some who hadn’t been to church in some time.” A smile broke out on her face. “People liked him, especially the old timers.” She mimicked the voice, “First pastor who didn’t slip a religious word into every sentence.”

Pawpaw laughed. “And what did he ask about you?

Matthew piped up, “He wanted to know what Mom did.”

“Like what?” Pawpaw’s gaze swung from his daughter to Matthew and back again.

“Like – was she the organizer of events, or did she make

presentations, or was she the hostess, or was she the greeter at the door.” Matthew pointed with his dessert fork as he talked.

“You are a very observant, young man.” Pawpaw nodded his approval.

“I just listen.” Matthew’s attention returned to his pie plate.

Pawpaw winked at Mark. “What was pastor looking for?”

“Spiritual gifts, Pawpaw.” Mark recognized the pattern.

Pawpaw nodded.

“So how’s it going now?” Pawpaw’s interest was back to Natalie. “What kind of pastor has he turned out to be?”

“Well, his first sermon was about loving your brother, including those around the church property who were our friends, but weren’t members.”

“Really?” Mark was perplexed. “How did they get to be friends?”

“A neighborhood clean-up party.” Now Natalie was smiling.

“Our committee . . .”

“That the pastor suggested you form.” Pawpaw inserted with his own smile.

“He did.” Now Natalie was laughing. “We talked with our neighbors, seeking out older people struggling with their home up-keep. We got neighborhood people involved in helping them with their yards. Some guys did some roof work, eaves and so forth. They even fixed one garage door, I think.

Then we had a neighborhood party to celebrate.”

“Brought everyone together in a common cause and developed friendships,” Pawpaw said to Mark. Then to Natalie, he asked, “What are tonight’s issues?”

“The church school . . . and how to afford it.” Natalie rubbed her forehead anxiously. “Some want to close the school. Others want to keep it open at all costs. We have only fourteen students in eight grades with the addition of a new family that moved here specifically for the school.”

“How do you think the pastor will handle things tonight?”

Pawpaw was listening expectantly.

“He will do the usual.” Natalie began to sound hopeful. “He’ll ask questions and get everyone’s opinion. Then, he’ll try to find common ground. He’ll seek a consensus of where we are and where we want to go – and why. He always insists we explain “why.”

Pawpaw looked at Mark, nodding. “And what did he preach about last Sabbath? I’m betting on something. But let’s see.”

Matthew spoke again. “He preached on Colossians 3:12-16 about consensus and seeking unity. He said that the love forces drawing us together are greater than the forces pushing us apart. And he threw in Galatians 2 about how Jesus breaks down ‘the dividing wall.’ Said that the greatest strength of the church is not the tithe or the church membership, but the love that holds us together.”

Pawpaw slapped the table. “I win my bet!”

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this one . . . this one is for his own son, to redeem the firstborn who belongs to God. Of course, the boy will always belong to God! The angel Gabriel, who had shocked Zechariah so much in the Holy Place ten months ago had been very clear about that: “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit and go before the Messiah in great power.”

Elizabeth is still speaking to the mohel, who has opened the scroll of names: “His father is Zechariah, of Abijah’s priestly line, and I am Elizabeth, descended from Aaron himself.”

The mohel looks suitably impressed.

“And shall I inscribe the boy’s name after his father,” he re you the boy’s grandparents?” the mohel [MOI- nods, “Zechariah?” And hardly waiting for Elizabeth’s uhl], the circumcising priest, asks the old couple. answer—“No, we’ll call him John”—he moves to write.

“Perhaps a tragedy has befallen his parents, and you are “Stop!” here to offer the sacrifices in their stead?”

Zechariah cries out instinctively, but, of course, there is Zechariah’s eyebrows shoot up and he glances at no sound, only his open mouth, the wild and urgent Elizabeth. When they were younger, he thinks, she would motions of his arms, and the flash in his eye. The old have had sharp words for a question like this. But they priest reaches out, his wife and relatives’ own eyes have both mellowed, both grown closer to God, both fastened on him, and grasps the mohel’s hand firmly. seen too much to be so easily ruffled. In particular, Neither of them recognize it, but it is the moment just before heaven meets earth. It is the pause, the breath, before a bird launches into his most heart-lifting, joyful trill. It is the split second before Gabriel turns Zechariah loose and the Holy Spirit floods him with vigor and song.

Zechariah takes the stylus from the shocked mohel’s hand, and himself writes on the roll: “His name is JOHN.”

Zechariah: Old Father, New Father

“A

Immediately the angel—Gabriel— drops his vice grip upon the ancient priest’s vocal cords; the dam breaks inside Zechariah’s throat and from his deepest being, a flood of praise bursts forth, catching up everyone in its rushing tide: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David. . . And you, child, will Elizabeth’s five months of prayer and seclusion, carrying be the prophet of the Highest; you will go before the face the promised child, seemed to bring her almost as close of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of to heaven as she was to earth. Still, the question the priest salvation to His people, by the remission of their sins asks Zechariah might be enough to draw Elizabeth’s ire. through the tender mercy of our God . . . to give light to But she answers calmly, knowing Zechariah cannot those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to speak: “No, we are his parents. God has blessed us with a guide our feet into the way of peace.” miracle son and we—with our family—are here to celebrate his brit milah, his circumcision, and to see his name inscribed on the roll of the first-born.”

[Adapted from “Pregnant Pause,” by Chris Small, a The lamb stirs in Zechariah’s arms, uttering a sharp series of vignettes originally written for the Christmas/ bleat. The old priest’s knobby fingers pet its woolly head. Advent season, Riverview Seventh-day Adventist How many sacrifices has he witnessed over the years? But Church] Page 7 | www.ArdenAdventist.org

, MD, MPH

Long COVID I

t’s an old story. Pandemics, like COVID, are not new. An infectious agent runs through a population with devastating results: hundreds of thousands die, the population gradually develops enough immunity through the entire group that the pandemic dies down, yet the old, the debilitated and the very young continue to contract the disease and die, but everyone seems to think that the pandemic is over. And is for most everyone – except . . .

A patient in Houston, Texas, contracts COVID for the third time. Each time the symptoms were mild, like a bad cold. But this time she gradually develops severe allergies to multiple foods that she never had before, requiring medications to control symptoms and an epi pen for the occasional anaphylactic shock.

A patient in Nacogdoches, Texas, after her first COVID infection, fights a three year running battle with asthma, high blood pressure, and fatigue, even requiring orthopedic surgery for extreme damage to a joint caused by inflammation.

A patient in Clarence Center, New York, develops a small artery inflammation post-COVID that created coronary heart problems, moderate kidney failure, and nerve dysfunction causing severe loss of balance.

All of these patients exhibit the newest difficult to diagnose, difficult to treat disease to raise its ugly head – Long COVID. Although specific cellular and subcellular dysfunctions have been recognized, there is no definitive test available and, therefore, no specific way to diagnose this disease. Multiple medical organizations have attempted to wrap a definition around this disease state. The simplest description is the onset of long-term inflammation affecting any number of organ systems.

Symptoms can spring up anywhere: heart and vascular (high and low blood pressure, arrythmias, and inflammation of the heart interior), lungs (asthma, shortness of breath, and scarring of the lung), kidneys (kidney failure), bowel (diarrhea, constipation, cramping), joints (arthritis flares), immunity cells (sudden severe allergies), hormonal systems (high and low blood sugar and extreme fatigue), the brain (brain fog, memory difficulties, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression) and peripheral nerves (imbalance and pain).

Of those who have had a COVID infection, half the people will develop some of these symptoms that may last three to six months, half of those symptoms will disappear in a year, and half of those clear within two years. Eighteen million American adults, 7% of the adult population, are living with some form of Long COVID that seems to go on indefinitely. People who have been vaccinated (but have not had a COVID infection) do not develop these problems, only people who have actually had the infection.

These wide-ranging symptoms following a viral infection are very reminiscent of other long term post-infection syndromes like post-Lyme disease. For many years physicians have been puzzled by the strange, sudden onset of these symptoms, especially the neurological symptoms. They have generally dumped these patients into a psychiatric category rather than deal with the very real debilitating and sometimes dangerous symptoms – heart failure, paralysis, extreme shortness of breath.

As a result, some patients have been admitted to psychiatric wards and hospitals and beset with diagnoses and treatments that only make the patient worse.

With the appearance of Long COVID, the medical community has been forced to become reacquainted with this phenomenon to the point that a new diagnostic category has been created: myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. This grouping is large enough to include all the symptoms of many post-infection syndromes, including Long COVID. Although many physicians are still unacquainted with this disease state and are unable to make sense of these symptoms, the more up-to-date physicians and the younger physicians in training are learning about this newest symptom complex and its cause. And many facilities across the country in large medical centers have established programs to specifically recognize and treat the various presentations of this disease – in what ever form it chooses to present itself. Many effective therapies have been created and are effective in addressing any variety of symptom sets that Long COVID presents in a specific patient. A quick web search will uncover such reputable programs and centers. As always, be very careful to avoid quick fix programs, mechanical gizmos, and dietary regimens that promise 100% cure in a short time and at great expense. If they are trying to sell you something, it is a fake.

The most effective way to NOT get Long COVID is to NOT get infected. The most effective way to avoid catching a COVID infection is to be vaccinated. If you discover that you are infected with COVID, even a light case, talk to your doctor about Paxlovid to nip it in the bud. The more severe the COVID infection, the more risk of getting Long COVID. Take the known precautions to avoid it.

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Crispy Veggie Pot Stickers INGREDIENTS

Servings per recipe: 4 Cook time: 7 minutes

� 2 Cloves garlic, minced � 2 Tbsp Soy sauce or Tamari � 1 C Green Chinese cabbage, shredded � 3 Tbsp Vegetable oil, divided � 1 C Carrots, finely shredded � 1 Tbsp Ginger, minced � 1 C Seitan, shredded � 1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce � ½ C Yellow onion, minced � 1 tsp Sesame oil � ½ C Green onions, finely sliced � 1 tsp Sriracha sauce � 2 C Shiitake (or brown) mushrooms, chopped (about 7 ounces) � Wonton wrappers

DIRECTIONS Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and allow to heat, then add the garlic and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the onions and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes until tender and moisture has been removed. Add cabbage and carrots and cook 2 minutes, until just tender. Add seitan and gently stir-fry for 1 minute.

Turn off heat and add green onions, sesame oil, hoisin, sriracha and soy sauce. Stir to combine, taste and season with more salt as needed.

Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

If you purchased square wonton wrappers, use a 3 1/2 inch round cutter to cut out a circle shape in the wrapper. Repeat with remaining wrappers. Keep the wrappers covered with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap to prevent the wrappers from drying out on the edges.

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Like Father, Like Son

by Max Hammonds

n September 22, 1995, my father passed away. It was O not unexpected. In fact, it was hoped for because of his severe ill health and rapidly increasing dementia. It was becoming impossible for my mother to care for him, requiring night and day attention during the last six months of his life.

He was not a Christian in the usual sense of the word.

He didn’t attend church regularly. Although he tried very hard to clean up his cowboy language, that, too, deteriorated in the last two or three years of his life. It is unlikely that he spent much time in Bible study. So far as I knew, his prayers (during which he cried) were limited to meal times and only when there was company who expected it.

My father did not tell me he loved me until after I had graduated from medical school.

And then it was a backdoor kind of admission. By then I had been married eight years and had a family of my own. By his actions, I knew it. But he never said it – until then. And then, only once.

But in his passing, I lost one of my greatest role models. In his living, my father taught me principles of life that I am still trying to pass on to my sons. These principles were the gleanings of years scratching a living from the sod of Kansas, wrangling horses on the ranches of Colorado, raising five children on little better than minimal wages. The teaching methods were often heavyhanded. But somehow I learned.

What I learned: Work hard – He was driving a team of four horses, plowing between his father’s team and his grandfather’s team, at the age of seven. He worked for WPA in his beloved Colorado when there was no other work to be had. He worked twelve hour days to save enough for a down payment on a new house and a new life for his family. He risked a

change of jobs after delicate cataract surgery in his early fifties cut his factory employment short. But he found work he could do – and he worked.

Show respect for women – He cared for his mother in our home into her old age. He supported his sisters when their husbands could not or would not. To my knowledge, he never struck his wife in anger, though he had a fiery temper that was not easily controlled.

Sacrifice yourself for others – He gave up a childhood as the oldest son to do a man’s work. Despite the highest grades on the 8th grade Greeley County exams, he did not complain when there was no money for high school. He passed by a potential career in entertainment to care for his needy parents and siblings. He spent almost no money on himself so that his children would never know the want of a meal or the lack of warmth – unlike his experience as a child and teenager.

My father’s principles were but the reflection of the Scriptures: “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might” Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Husbands, love your wives . . .” Ephesians 6:25 “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13 Did he know these? Did he consciously think on them as he did them? Probably not. But they were as surely part of him as his cowboy hat and guitar.

I was fortunate enough to be aware of this legacy before he died.

I was able to express my love for him and he for me. I was able to share my newfound faith in the soon coming Savior which he and Mom accepted as members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

But that all came after the fact.

Like Abraham, these principles were part of his experience prior to the circumcision and not afterward (See Romans 4:9-11).

I could mention other good principles and many bad examples. As a human and a father, he was far from perfect. By the Spirit, I had to choose what to cherish and what to reject. But he did the best he could with what he had.

‘For when the Gentiles, who do not have the Law, do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law unto themselves, in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts” Romans 2:14, 15.

I thank God for his life and for his principles. He was my father and I loved him.

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Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church Is a Safe Place to Grow.

Our family focus this month features new members Horia and Roxana Ghircoias. They joined the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church in April 2025.

Horia was born and raised in Bran, Romania as a Seventh-day Adventist. Bran is known for Bran’s Castle which is a popular tourist attraction.

Roxana was born in Borsa, Romania and raised as a Seventh-day Adventist. At the age of nine, she and her family moved to Italy where she lived for twelve years. She has two older brothers.

Horia finished high school in Bucharest and continued his education first with a B.A. in Business Administration from the British/Romania University and another B.A. from Polytechnic University of Bucharest in Electronics and Telecommunication. He also has a Master’s Degree in European Union Studies.

He works as a commercial drone pilot and received his drone pilot’s license in 2020. He is a contractor for Zeitview, which provides aerial inspection and data collection using drones. He also owns his own company “Color Vibez.” He has to travel for work, traveling to Texas, Oklahoma, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

Roxana finished high school in Italy. She graduated from the University of Arts and Design in Bucharest with a degree in Graphic Design. She works as a Freelance Graphic Designer from home in order to be with their two daughters, Cecilia, age 6, and Martina, age 9.

Horia and Roxana met while they were in college. Her roommate’s boyfriend was a friend of Horias. They dated for one and a half years and have been married for almost nine years.

They moved to Oxford, UK for nine months, wanting to go to a country that spoke English. Through an application in the DV-2018 Visa Lottery Program, they were able to receive green cards to live and work in the U.S. In October 2019, they moved in Hoschton, Georgia where they have relatives. In January 2025, they became naturalized US citizens.

Last year they decided to move to western North Carolina to be close to Captain Gilmer Christian School.

They also felt the climate and community were better for them as a family. They loved the mountains in Romania and now enjoy the local mountains.

Roxana’s hobbies include cooking, crafts, and arts.

Horia enjoys biking, hiking, and flying drones. Both love to travel, having traveled in the U.K., Spain, France, and Italy. They enjoy exploring new places and learning about different cultures.

They also enjoy going back to Georgia to visit their family.

Roxana was baptized when she was seventeen years old while living in Italy. Horia was baptized at the age of twenty-four at an SDA church in Bucharest. His grandparents, both Adventists, helped build a small church in a village while the area was under communist rule.

He was so impressed with the love his grandparents had for the church and the people.

They visited the Arden Church on meeting Danny and Kelly Barthelemy, who extended an invitation. Both of their oldest daughters were schoolmates. They attend their daughter Martina's Sabbath School Class. Cecilia attends the Kindergarten Class and has joined the Adventurer Club and Beginners Bell Choir.

Roxana helped her previous church with banners and church bulletins, using her skills as a graphic designer, and is interested in helping the Arden Grace Notes. Because of Horia’s travels, he hasn’t been involved yet in church activities but hopes to be in the future. Horia also goes by his first name, Bogdan.

We are so happy to welcome Horia, Roxana and their daughters to the Arden Church family!

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Our Purpose is, by God’s Grace, to reflect His character in our community, to demonstrate a quality of life that will attract all to be reconciled to Jesus Christ, and to encourage people to become His loving, maturing disciples.

Grace Notes Editorial Staff: Max Hammonds ...............................................Editor Chris Small.................................................Columnist Jean Davey..................................................Columnist Max Hammonds ..................Reporter & Columnist Pen Braister-Sturgis ..................................... Reporter Sara McCord ................................................. Reporter Dan Reynolds ............................................... Reporter Arizona McCord ............... Reporter & Proofreader Chris Small ..................................... Special Graphics Jim & Carolyn Sullenberger ................Proofreaders Nolan Darnell ........................ Mailing Management Shirley Wallstrom ...................Circulation Manager Whitney Barron .................................Layout Design Comments, suggestions and praises are always welcome. Please email or contact the church office.

Services each Saturday morning: Sabbath School Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.

Worship Service, 10:45 a.m.

Location: 35 Airport Road, Arden, NC 28704 Located on Highway 280, (Airport Road), 1.5 miles east of I-26 exit 40, and a quarter mile west of Highway 25.

Church Office: Office Manager: Whitney Barron Telephone: (828) 684-6700 Email: office@ardenadventist.org Website: www.ardenadventist.com Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs.,10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Arden Adventist Pastoral Staff: Senior Pastor: Eric Bates, D. Min. Email: ebates@carolinasda.org Associate/Youth Pastor: Rich Maskelony, M .Div. Email: rmaskelony@carolinasda.org Grace Notes is published monthly by the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church. Subscription is free by calling or emailing the office. †Do you have questions about what Adventists believe? Would you like to become a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Would you like to study the Bible? You are invited to attend a Pastor’s Bible Study Class. Please call for location and time. All are always welcome. † Disclaimer—The contents of Grace Notes, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained in this magazine of the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church are for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider, who is knowledgeable and experienced in the use of specific medical or Lifestyle Medicine interventions, or about questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice, or delay in seeking it, because of information published in this magazine. Neither Grace Notes nor the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church recommend or endorse any specific tests, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned in published articles.

Reliance on any information provided is solely at your own risk.

If you have a medical emergency, call your healthcare provider or 911 immediately.

Arden Adventist

GRACE N TES A Magazine for Sharing God’s Love In Our Community

Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church 35 Airport Road Arden, North Carolina 28704 (828) 684-6700 If you no longer wish to receive Grace Notes, or if your address has changed, please contact us.

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 80 Arden, NC 28704

Story Cryptogram Max Hammonds A Cryptogram is a message in substitution code. THE SMART CAT becomes MRX DGYUM LYM if M is substituted for T, R for H, X for E, etc. Break the code: Look for repeated letters like E, T, A, O, N, R, and I (the most often used letters); single letters are A or I; OF, IS, IT are common 2-letter word; try AND or THE for 3-letter groups. The code is the same for the entire cryptogram. In this cryptogram, J=H, S=I, and N=R. Fill these in first, before you start guessing.

OJL OLRQJLN DA OJL DVL-NDDF BQJDDY CRB DVYP BLELVOLLV. BJL YDELT JLN BOKTLVOB RVT CRB R XDDT OLRQJLN, GKO BJL QDKYT VDO ZLLU DNTLN SV OJL BQJDDL NDDF. BOKTLVOB CRVO OD ZVDC OJLSN YSFSOB, OJLNLADNL, OJLP YDBO NLBULQO ADN JLN. S CRB CSOJ R XNDKU DA BOKTLVOB ORYZSVX RGDKO JDC OJLP TSTV’O YSZL JLN RVT JDULT BJL CDKYT HKSO. S BRST, “BJL’B VD XDDT. S TDV’O YSZL JLN LSOJLN.” S YDDZLT KU RVT BRC JLN SV OJL CSVTDC. BJL CRB QNPSVX CSOJ R YDDZ DA JDULYLBBVLBB DV JLN ARQL. S CLVO JDFL, OJSVZSVX RGDKO JDC BJL TST JLN GLBO ADN RYY DA KB. BJL GDKXJO KB UNLBLVOB RO QJNSBOFRB. BJL YDELT OD NLRT KB BODNSLB RAOLN YKVQJ. OJL VLMO TRP S CNDOL JLN R YLOOLN OD OLYY JLN S CRB NLRYYP BDNNP. CJP? GLQRKBL S JRT TDVL BDFLOJSVX FDNL OJRV GNLRZ R NKYL. S JRT GNDZLV JLN JLRNO. OJRO’B R GSX TSAALNLVQL, SBV’O SO? XLVKSVL NLULVORVQL JRUULVB DVYP SV R DVL-OD-DVL NLYROSDVBJSU CSOJ WLBKB. CJLV CL NLRYSIL OJRO DKN BSVB GNDZL OJL JLRNO DA WLBKB, OJLV DKN DCV JLRNOB GNLRZ. OJRO’B ONKL NLULVORVQL. Taken from FAITH THAT WORKS Devotional by Morris Venden, 1980 and 1999, R&H

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Never Alone Left to ourselves, what we know of forgiveness would soon disappear. Left to ourselves, acts of mercy would soon drown in the ocean of self-centeredness. Left to ourselves, what light and warmth still shines in our communities would soon go dark. Why help a neighbor, when he is just one more competitor for dwindling resources?

But the good news is that we are never left to ourselves. Into this dark, unforgiving environment, where greed ran rampant and trust had disappeared, God shared His best—His Son. “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

He forgave, and so we slowly learned to forgive. He lifted up broken, wounded people, and in His name, millions of suffering people every day receive care. In the midnight of our anger and self-interest, His grace radiates clarity and power. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

Grace is the counterweight to the mass of ruin we have brought upon ourselves. One life of love outweighs the world. And the story of His sacrifice to save us and restore the light sings louder than the raging headlines of the day. “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:19).

Invite the light of grace into your world.

And stay in it. -Bill Knott

Answer to the Puzzle

THE TEACHER OF THE ONE-ROOM SCHOOL WAS ONLY SEVENTEEN. SHE LOVED HER STUDENTS AND WAS A GOOD TEACHER, BUT SHE COULD NOT KEEP ORDER IN THE SCHOOL ROOM. STUDENTS WANT TO KNOW THEIR LIMITS, THEREFORE, THEY LOST RESPECT FOR HER. I WAS WITH A GROUP OF STUDENTS TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY DIDN’T LIKE HER AND HOPED SHE WOULD QUIT. I SAID, “SHE’S NO GOOD. I DON’T LIKE HER EITHER.” I LOOKED UP AND SAW HER IN THE WINDOW. SHE WAS CRYING WITH A LOOK OF HOPELESSNESS ON HER FACE. I WENT HOME, THINKING ABOUT HOW SHE DID HER BEST FOR ALL OF US. SHE BOUGHT US PRESENTS AT CHRISTMAS. SHE LOVED TO READ US STORIES AFTER LUNCH. THE NEXT DAY I WROTE HER A LETTER TO TELL HER I WAS REALLY SORRY. WHY? BECAUSE I HAD DONE SOMETHING MORE THAN BREAK A RULE. I HAD BROKEN HER HEART. THAT’S A BIG DIFFERENCE, ISN’T IT? GENUINE REPENTANCE HAPPENS ONLY IN A ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. WHEN WE REALIZE THAT OUR SINS BROKE THE HEART OF JESUS, THEN OUR OWN HEARTS BREAK. THAT’S TRUE REPENTANCE.

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