A SURF idea Give them your best shot VANTAGE POINT MALCOLM GORDON Southern Union President From Board Room to Hospital Room, Part II Debbie's Story We met Debbie Stanton the night I was admitted into Florida pregnant with her daughter. When her daughter was eight years old she was also climbing a tree . Her mother asked her what she Hospital, prior to my bypass heart surgery. She came bouncing into the room with a great deal of energy and an even greater was doing standing on a branch and shaking another. She said amount of Christian joy, with a strong she was an astronaut coming in for a land- welcome to help us feel at home. ing. Unfortunately, she lost her footing Before I say more about Debbie, I and fell to the ground. She was badly in- would like to mention something else that jured with two broken bones in her up- was a real blessing that first night in the per arm and a shattered elbow. hospital. I am speaking of the visit by Even though Debbie worked as a John and Patsy Thurber. It was particu- nurse at a different hospital at that time, larly fitting that in addition to being dear she rushed her daughter to Florida Hos- friends of ours, John had the same sur- pital emergency room. She mentioned to gery ten years ago at Florida Hospital, the receptionist there that she was a single by the same surgeon, Kevin D. Accola, mom and did not have any insurance. The MD. receptionist responded, "Don't worry, Now back to Debbie. I found out that your daughter needs help." After a num- Debbie's nickname at one time, due to ber of surgeries and a lot of prayer and her boundless energy, was "Rickashaw Malcolm Gordon (center), had a meeting medical expertise, her daughter was suc- Rabbit." Later, however, someone said arranged for Debbie Stanton to meet Tom cessfully discharged from Florida Hos- that a more fitting name would be "Ni- Werner, president of Florida Hospital. pital. Debbie talked to the woman in tro." After my surgery, when she was once again my nurse, she charge of patient finance and was told not to worry, that when told me this amazing, heartwarming story. all the bills came in she would work out a weekly payment plan Eight years ago her husband, who was a tree trimmer, fell with her. out of a tree and was killed. At the time of the accident she was While Debbie was spending a great deal of time in Florida PAGE 6 • COVER STORY Calendar 30 Equipped to Finish the Work Classified Advertising 22 by Olson Perry NEWS PAGE 9 • SO UNION FEATURE Carolina 10 A SURF Idea Florida 12 by Tom Kapusta Georgia-Cumberland 26 Gulf States 4 PAGE 28 • OAKWOOD FEATURE Kentucky-Tennessee 16 Give Them Your Best Shot South Central 25 by Megan Walde Southern Union 18 COVER PHOTO BY DR. ADAM R. BUJAK FEATURES Cohutta Springs Dedicates Timberview 31 SOUTHERN TIDINGS (USPS 507-000) VOLUME 96 NUMBER 6, JUNE 2002. Published monthly by the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Cover: The Orlando Convention Center entrance became a common meeting spot Free to members. $8 yearly subscription to others. Periodical postage paid at for attendees of the Festival of the Laity to discuss, eat, and renew acquaintances Decatur, GA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send changes of during the four-day convention. The faces of various cultures represented the unions address to SOUTHERN TIDINGS, P.O. Box 849, Decatur, GA 30031. of the North American Division. Photo credit: Adam R. Bujak and Olson Perry. VANTAGE POINT Hospital with her daughter, she noticed something that greatly him and said they would like to personally pay the entire bill for impressed her: God was often mentioned and prayers were said Debbie's daughter's care. Of course, when Debbie read this she in behalf of the patients. Where she worked this was not allowed. was overwhelmed with joy. As time went on she became an She was so impressed by the Christian atmosphere of Florida employee of Florida Hospital, where she was allowed to talk Hospital, and that spiritual matters and prayers were encour- about God and pray with the patients. aged, she felt impressed to write a letter to When Debbie told me this story she said the president of the hospital. She did not earnestly, "I wish that I could some time know what his name was, but soon found have the opportunity of meeting Tom out it was Tom Werner. She wrote a beauti- Werner." I said, "Debbie, let me see what I ful, heartfelt letter to Mr. Werner telling him can do to make that happen." With the help how kindly she had been treated and how of the associate head chaplain at Florida much she appreciated the Christian atmo- Hospital, Greg Ellis, a meeting was arranged sphere of the hospital. This letter was writ- four weeks after my surgery, in the heart ten about Christmas time, and she felt that unit of Florida Hospital, where I had the would be the end of it, not expecting that privilege of introducing Debbie and Mr. she would receive a reply. Werner. On January 15 she received an enve- Tom Werner (left), Debbie Stanton, I need to add an important postscript. lope in the mail and was surprised to see and Malcolm Gordon. Debbie, on her own, organized a prayer that it had come from Tom Werner, presi- group among the nurses in the Florida Hos- dent of Florida Hospital. She quickly opened the letter and ea- pital heart unit. There she meets with other nurses to pray for the gerly read the personal handwritten letter to her by Tom. He told staff and the patients who are being treated in that area of the her how much he appreciated her letter stating her good feelings hospital. about Florida Hospital. Debbie is one of the many reasons why I am more enthusi- Tom also read this letter at a Florida Hospital board meet- astic than ever about the healing ministry of Christ as mani- ing, and after the meeting one of the board members came up to fested in the Adventist Health System. PLANNING FOR THE }tow Cmpicertcwit yo-ar g4ea. tittichazi etiacattoiv? Annuitize their future! Nczil • To assist in your grandchild's education ‘z$3441‘ A Deferred Charitable Gift Annuity accumulates tax-deferred funds • To be sure funds go to the one intended and pays out during the years grandchildren are in college or academy. • To benefit two things held most dear by grand- Many possible tax deductions and tax savings are available to the donor parents: their grandchildren and their church grandparents. Annuities may be funded with cash or appreciated securities. For more information, contact your local Trust Services Advisor. Carolina/704-596-3200 615-226-6500/South Central One does FloridaR07-644-5000 407-869-5264/Southeastern not usually Ga-Cumberland/706-629-7951 407-303-7742/FI Hos Col Hlth Sc think of an annuity Gulf States/334-272-7593 256-726-7039/Oakwood College for a child, yet Kentucky-Tenn/615-859-1391 423-238-2832(Sthrn Adv Univ this is exactly what South Atlantic(404-792-0535 Also, see www.willplan.org some educationally minded grandparents )1 Advice from a qualified attorney and/or tax accountant should always be obtained before implementing any of the described strategies. are doing. JUNE 2002 • SOUTHERN TIDINGS • 3 GULF STATES • CONFERENCE BY BECKY GRICE Conference Educators Tour Italy Louis, Conference superintendent of edu- cation. "This trip provided an opportunity to fellowship-- to get to know each other as friends in our ministry of service, to share mealtimes, and to worship as one family," he adds. The trip began with an overnight flight from Atlanta to Venice. The travelers were saturated with the richness of Italian art and architecture as they strolled along the canals, discovered the opulent splendor of Doge's Palace or shopped at the Piazza San Marco. After Venice, a trip through the Italian countryside took them to Flo- rence, with a side trip to the town of Pisa, then to the towns of San Gimignano and Orvieto, with another side trip to the pas- toral hillside town of Assisi. The final des- tination was Rome, where the educators found the awesome grandeur, beauty, and variety of the museums, monuments, foun- The group of teachers and friends pose in front of the Coliseum in Rome. tains, and cathedrals unparalleled. The trip was made possible prima- An incredible ten-day tour of Italy, of highways between its schools and rily through the generous financial sup- taken during spring break in March, high- teachers. Because of the distance and the port of the Gulf States Conference and lighted the 2001-2002 school year for the busyness of the school year, we often do the arrangements of travel coordinators- educators of the Gulf States Conference. not have time to spend together in an en- Gerald and Kathleen Martin of Florence, "The Conference spans hundreds of miles joyable, learning experience," says Leslie Miss. ra,f7its:71:5h1Oluert ."5 . "n-'-"m" .. pg., ,Lifp Montgomery First World Sabbath Program L.P41.1p,..........AB,. Helps Make Sabbath School a Delight For some years, Sabbath school the church board gave its approval. Pathfinders attendance at the Montgomery First "My husband and I take our steward- post the church had been steadily dwindling, ship responsibility very seriously," says US flag but since the inception of the World church member, Jessica Belcher.