Faith On Every Corner_Issue 2_Final_91617

Faith
On Every Corner
Issue 2
Everyday People Making A Difference
Enter The Mission Field
by Craig Ruhl
Chloe Steps Up!
New Youth Feature
by Karen Ruhl
Stories of
Faith and
Service
Featuring:
Christian Writer
Vanessa
Fortenberry
Spring Awakening
by Pam McCormick
A Heart For Service
Ruth Sullivan
by Karen Ruhl
Good & Faithful Servants
Ed and Cora Hamilton
by Craig Ruhl
BOOK REVIEW
Ancient Stones;
Timeless Encouragement
Reviewed by Karen Ruhl
Day Trippin’
by Karen Ruhl

Enter The Mission Field
Last night, Karen and I were streaming a movie that
provoked me into some serious thinking. The film
would fall under the genre of Faith or Christian.
It was a good movie that flowed well, with a good
message, even with a low production quality. We
tend to value these movies for their message more
than theatrics. In this case, I was more affected by
a sub plot than the main story line. Let me explain.
The primary theme was “What would Jesus do?”
The story focuses around a pastor of a small church
who is impacted by a homeless man who holds the
congregation to task because of the way he was
treated by the community. The pastor calls for those
in the church to join him on a journey to examine
their daily choices, actions, and responses. What
did they think Jesus would do in the same situation?
There were only a few takers. I’ll stop here so I
don’t give the story away for those who will want to
see the movie.
The sub plot that really struck me had to do with the
concept of the church as we know it today.
We attend church, read the Bible, sing the hymns,
hear the sermons, but how do we practice our
Christianity? Is this what Jesus would do? Or
would he take the church outside to where the vast
numbers of people needing to hear His words are?
Sometimes, I think that the brick and mortar church
is mostly like-minded people gathering together to
hear each other’s tales of accomplishments,
involvements, participation, generally sanctimonious
lives, shake hands, pat each other on the back,
and return to their everyday lives. There might as
well be a checklist in the pews; Bible, check;
pray, check; attend church, check, and so on.
Unfortunately, that is where it ends for many of us.
It seems like preaching to the choir, as the saying
goes. We, the people, are the church. I have heard
it said that one reason people don’t go to church is
that there are Christians there. I believe that this is
not just a Christian thing either.
There are many people of all faiths who are lovingly
engaged in daily acts of kindness, service, aid,
and comfort to those who are in need. This can take
a multitude of forms. Volunteering at a small community
food bank or kitchen, joining a jail or prison
ministry, visiting the sick or elderly, helping build
a house for a deserving family, and taking meals to
the housebound are just a few ideas. This is one of
the ways the pastor in the movie called his flock to
participate in Christ like behavior. He suggests that
this is what Jesus called us to do, minister to each
other. This struck a note with me as I watched the
movie. People don’t just need to hear God’s message.
They also need to feel God’s love. Both need
to be delivered by us, the church, in person. Bible
verses can be memorized, recited and woven into
a condemning, judging, and unforgiving attitude.
We can also decide to spread the Word through our
actions. To paraphrase a saying I remember -
“People won’t care how much you know until they
know how much you care.”
We believe that churches with pastors and congregations
are important in our communities, families,
and personal lives. However, faithfulness cannot
stop inside those walls. At one of our past churches,
at each of the parking lot exits, was this message on
a sign: Now Entering the Mission Field. This is true,
we are taught in the church but it is up to us to put
what we have learned into action once we have left.
The church has fulfilled its purpose.
Karen and I started our online digital magazine,
Faith On Every Corner, with the intention of sharing
stories of everyday people making a difference in
their communities through acts of love, service,
and kindness. We pray that our readers will be
inspired to seek out new ways to be of faithful
service. If you know of an interesting story of faith
and service, please let us know. Stay tuned, God
isn’t finished yet.
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Table of Contents
Enter The Mission Field Page 1
Letter from the Editor Page 3
Vanessa Fortenberry Page 5
Writing For God And Family
Youth In Service (New) Page 8
Featuring Chloe
Spring Awakening Page 9
Pam McCormick
A Heart For Serving Others Page 13
Ruth Sullivan
Good and Faithful Servants Page 15
Cora and Ed Hamilton
Day Tripppin’ Page 19
Video link: Page 21
Rev. John and Gwenyth Haspels
A Missionaries Story of Faith, Hope, and Forgiveness
Rest In Peace Willie Williamson
DOB 4-19-1950 - First saw Jesus 8-25-2017
Our thoughts, prayers, and love go out
to Vicki Williamson.
Vicki and Willie Williamson were one of our
first features for this magazine. They left an
indelible mark on our hearts.
Vicki, your faith is inspiring.
Sending our love, thoughts, and prayers.
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Letter from the Editor
Thank you for making our premiere magazine a success. We received
great comments and e-mails from readers who love having something
positive to read.
We encourage you to take a look at our two new features this month,
Youth In Service will feature kids of all ages serving and telling their
faith stories. We are also starting a book review. If you are like me,
you hate to start a good book only to have to put it aside because the
content is graphic in nature. Our goal will be to bring you reviews on
books that we feel are good and safe reading.
We look forward to sharing stories every month. Please email us your
story ideas to FaithOnEveryCorner@gmail.com.
Thank you and God Bless You and Your Family,
Karen Ruhl, Publisher and Executive Director
karenruhl12@gmail.com
For all of those suffering from the fires, earthquakes,
and hurricane damages, our thoughts and prayers are
with you. From our family to yours, we ask
God’s blessings over you.
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Faith On Every Corner
Publisher & Editor in Chief: Karen Ruhl
Senior Editor & Business Manager: Craig Ruhl
Photography: Karen Ruhl
Writers: Craig Ruhl, Karen Ruhl
Advertising: Craig Ruhl
Email: FaithOnEveryCorner@gmail.com
Phone: 828-305-8571
www.FaithOnEveryCorner.com
©Copyright Faith On Every Corner 2017.
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer and Copyright Notification
The Information contained in the published works of Faith On Every
Corner has been received from sources that we believe to be reliable.
However, neither Faith On Every Corner nor its authors, writers,
editors, or publisher can guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any
information published. Faith On Every Corner, its authors, writers,
editors, and publishers are not responsible for any errors or omissions
in our published works.
4
All Faith On Every Corner© publications, websites, blogs, and other
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published works may be reproduced, shared, copied, or transmitted as
long as the published work is unaltered and contains proper attribution
to Faith On Every Corner©. Contributing writers to Faith On Every
Corner© retain full rights to their articles.

Writing For God and Family
Vanessa Fortenberry
We recently had the opportunity and pleasure to
meet Vanessa Fortenberry at her home in Dekalb,
Georgia. During our visit, we heard and discussed
how this inspirational Christian came to be a published
author of children’s books.
on the great American love story, which, although
never finished, has been kept in her writing files. As
with many of us, life events caught up with Vanessa
and she found herself abandoning her dreams of
writing.
Vanessa was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia.
As a young girl, she wrote plays, poetry, and short
stories. Fascinated with words, she was also an
avid reader. While attending Clark College, now
Clark-Atlanta University, she found herself in the
predicament of having to choose between English
or Music as her major. Her love of music prevailed
and she initiated studies in Music Education with a
concentration in Voice.
After graduation, Vanessa still could not escape the
appeal of the “written word.” She continued to write
poetry and, while in her 20’s, she started working
Vanessa’s career consisted of teaching general
music, chorus, and voice to children in the publicschool
system. She excelled in passing on her love
of music to her students. In 2000, she decided to
return to school to earn a Master’s degree in Library
Media. Since she felt that there would be a cutback
in public school funding for music and other art
programs, she wanted to have a plan in place should
that happen. She earned her Master’s degree and
Library Media Specialist certification from the
University of West Georgia.
5

As a teacher-librarian, Vanessa enjoys story time
with her students and takes pleasure in literacy
events with them. Vanessa has been fascinated by
how children learn to read and how to best teach
them to read. In 2009, she returned to the
University of Georgia where she earned a Reading
Endorsement. At one point, she debated going on
to earn a doctorate degree. As she considered that
path, it made more sense to her to put her free time
and energy into writing her own books.
When asked about her dreams for the future,
Vanessa would always respond, “to write a book.”
But, she could never pinpoint the genre or
audience. In 2010, while exercising at the gym,
Vanessa mistakenly (how many of you know it
wasn’t a mistake?) turned the TV channel to the
700 Club. A conversation about how God knows
each of us by name quickly gained her attention.
Vanessa heard God speak to her that not only
would she write books for children, they would be
Christian books. After that, she went home to write
the first of many motivational stories for children.
Additionally, her love of music inspired her to
write songs to accompany several of her writing
projects.
Vanessa also wrote an article, Encouraging Your
Reader, published in the June 2012 edition of the
Guardian Angel Kids Ezine. (http://www.guardianangel-kids.com/)
Vanessa’s book launch celebration for her book,
Mama, I Want to See God, was held on March 1,
2014, at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown
Library in Decatur, Georgia. Vanessa spoke on the
theme: “Literature and Libraries: Influencing Children’s
Lives through Life Lesson Stories.” Interestingly,
Mama, I want to See God started out as a
poem she wrote for her grandchildren.
Vanessa at
her Barnes &
Noble book
signing.
Her local writing group encouraged her to finish
and publish the work as a children’s book. This is
the first book in the 3-book series called Families
Growing in Faith. Mama, I want to See God was
the 2017 Bookvana winner in the Children’s
Religious category. It was also named an awardwinning
finalist in the Children’s Religious
category of the 2016 Best Books Awards.
Daddy, I Want to Know God is the next book in the
“Families Growing in Faith” series. It is due to be
released in October 2017.
When we asked Vanessa what her life mission is,
she stated, “I use my writing as a tool for
Christian ministry that expands beyond the walls
of the church and communicates an inspirational
message to children and adults.”
6

Vanessa continues to develop her craft by participating
in several writers’ organizations. She is a member of
The Christian Authors Guild, (www.christianauthorsguild.org),
where she is also a contributor to the book,
Relief Notes: Encouraging Letters for Tough Times;
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
(SCBWI);
The Wesley Chapel Creative Writers Group; The
Stonecrest Writing Support Group; and she was
previously a contributing writer for her church
newsletter publication, The Anchor. In addition,
Vanessa is a member of The Christian Authors on
Tour group (http://christianauthorsontour.com).
You can subscribe to her blog, Children’s Bookroom,
and to her quarterly newsletter, Connecting Readers
to the Word, by visiting her website at
VanessaFortenberry.com.
Vanessa savors the moments she spends with her family
and friends; as well as baking delicious desserts for her
loved ones. While we were with Vanessa, she treated us
to true Southern hospitality with a luscious light lunch
and her homemade dessert.
Award-Winning Finalist in the
“Children’s Religious” category
of
the 2016 Best Book Awards.”
Vanessa has been busy with her book tour for
“Mama, I Want To See God.” Her new book, “Daddy,
I Want To Know God” will be released in October of
2017.
Vanessa enjoys meeting her friends and fans on her
book tour rounds.
LOS ANGELES –
Bookvana.com announced the
winners and finalists of THE
2017 BOOKVANA AWARDS
(BVA) on August 14, 2017.
Children’s Religious
Mama, I Want to See God by
Vanessa Fortenberry,
Follow on Facebook for more information. Write2Ignite 2018
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New Feature!
Youth In Service
Introducing Chloe
As a new feature, we have added a story about
youth in service. This month, we feature sweet,
curious, bright, and playful Chloe. This is a
personal story for us because she is our grandchild.
On a recent trip to the kids museum in Rutherford,
NC, Chloe jumped into action to help with one of
the displays. They have a grocery store where kids
come in, get a cart, shop, and even check out at the
cashiers stand,. There is play money, where someone
can act as cashier and the kids get the full
experience of being in control at the store. Chloe
and I had already played in the grocery store once
during the visit, but she really loves the exhibit and
it seems to be a really popular activity with
the kids, boys and girls alike. As we entered the
exhibit for the second time, we were shocked to
find everything had been thrown on the floor. The
place was a complete mess. I was ready to take
Chloe to another exhibit but looked down to see
Chloe picking up the items and putting them back
in place.
One of the workers came in, apologized, and said
a little boy had done the damage. She said he just
threw everything everywhere. Chloe said, “That
little boy shouldn’t have done that.” Since it was
obvious that Chloe wanted to help, we both got a
cart and started to pick up everything on the floor
and return it to the shelves. The museum worker
was amazed as she watched Chloe working
diligently to help get the store reopened for the
other kids.
I was so proud that my heart was about to burst.
Chloe didn’t need prompting, she just saw that
something needed to done and stepped up to the
plate. She had such a determined look on her face,
she never once complained or decided she had
done enough. Her goal was to continue to work
until the job was finished.
This little 4-year-old girl finished the job, watched
as the store started to fill with kids again and then
moved on to the next exhibit. The museum let her
pick a little gift for helping but that isn’t why Chloe
helped, it came straight from her heart.
Chloe and her beautiful mother Katie.
Do you have a young person you would like
featured in our magazine? Please contact us at
FaithOnEveryCorner@gmail.com

Spring Awakening
by Pam McCormick
She was called sweet. She was called good. She was
a good girl. She was a performer. She earned praise
by being at the right place at the right time and
seeking to please people in all that she did. She had
gone to church all her life. It was what you did on
Sunday. Everybody knows that. She lived the good
life. That’s what Mom and Dad wanted, a good girl,
so she was good, to the best of her ability. She
desired to be liked by others, so much that she
copied others, believing, that if she could be just
like them, she would belong and be accepted. The
people she admired wore the latest fashions, so she
had to get those kinds of clothes too, or her biggest
fear would come true. Her biggest fear was being
different, odd even peculiar; she would then stand
out in a crowd. She would hear others’ laughter
at nasty jokes. Even though her insides wanted to
cringe, she laughed. She cursed, when they cursed.
She made fun of others, because to not do so meant
she would be made fun of, and the horror attached
to that feeling of being disconnected with people
that really mattered, was real. She had to play the
game well, even if it meant she lost her identity. It
was worth it all, just to have friends.
She would buy gifts for people, expensive gifts, just
to earn their friendship. She believed there was
nothing inside her that had value. Her value came
from seeking the attention of others and doing what
they wanted, for in doing what others wanted, she
could belong. Do you know what? She never did fit
in, although she tried. She was like a square peg in
a world of round holes, and no matter how hard she
tried, she was lost and without hope of ever being
accepted for who she was, a person in need of love.
Then one day, the ones she idolized did something
that she did not expect; they went up to the front of
the church and asked a man named Jesus to come
into their heart. She told herself, “If that’s what I
have to do now, to be a part of their group, I’ll do
that too.” So she went up to the front with them. If
she went up and cried and appeared saintly, then
she could influence others to do the same. She
wanted to belong so badly; it didn’t matter what she
had to do.
And that was her life, her whole life:
PERFORMANCE to earn friends, to earn praise,
to earn the good favor of her parents, to be called
sweet and good, to emulate others.
How long could she keep it up?
9

Then, in a tiny closet, on a dark, hopeless night in May
of 2000, God heard the desperate cries of someone who
wanted to know if He was real or just someone in a
storybook. She carried three things into the closet space
with her and shut the door. She just felt if she could
numb herself, just enough, that she would get the guts
to take the sleeping pills she held in her hand. Drinking
a bottle of wine and two beers, she was inebriated and
ready to give up her life. She opened the pill bottle; she
doesn’t remember how many she took. As her eyelids
began to flutter and her eyes could cry no more, she said
with seemingly her last breath, “Help me, God!”
At 2:16 am, she awoke. Instead of being in the small
closet, she was now kneeling on her knees next to her
bed. As she looked around and felt her heart still beating,
she screamed out in hate and disbelief, “God, why
didn’t you let me die?”
She saw the hour and knew that in less than four hours,
she would be going to work. She covered her body with
the warm blankets and went fast asleep. She got up at
6:30 am and went about her normal routine for that hour
of the morning, getting ready for work. Little did she
know, but her night of darkness would soon turn into a
spring awakening.
All her deeds were not done in secret, as she had
thought. Everything had been seen by God, and He
knew what would come next. He had planned it. She
was going to be surprised to find the answer to her
question of whether He was real.
She went to work, wearing a mask to hide the tears
inside. She covered up all the hurt and all the pain with a
smile. No one could ever know the truth of what she had
done. What would people think of her, if she unveiled
this insecure, scaredy cat kind of gal, that just wanted to
be liked, whatever the cost. So she blended, like a round
peg in a world of round pegs, fitting into circles by
laughing life away and crying in dark, tiny closets, when
she was by herself.
God would not have it that way anymore. He set in
motion a plan where He used a woman named Carol to
come to a grown woman’s rescue. All Carol knew was
that God wanted her to do something, and as a result of
her obedience to God, a life was forever changed.
She tried her hardest to persuade Carol to leave.
She used the guise that she was busy and had lots
to do. It’s funny; Carol and she had never talked
before. They were acquaintances only.
Carol would not leave. I stood there in defiance and
trying to be as nice as I could, I kept telling her to
get out of my room. Carol didn’t budge. She stood
firm in The Lord, although I mocked her and
ridiculed her when she told me, “God sent me to
you.”
I’m very fortunate to be alive, because God could
have turned His back on me right then and there,
but God’s Love for me was greater than my attitude.
Carol walked towards me. Carol asked me, “Why
did you try to kill yourself last night?”
How did Carol know? No one knew. This was
impossible. No one knew what had happened the
night before. Then I remembered. In my last
seconds before going unconscious, I had cried out,
“Help me, God,” and God showed up. I went to my
knees.
Then, I straightened up and told myself, “Wait a
minute. I’m a Christian, just like Carol. What is she
doing telling me to go to her church with her? I go
to church all the time.”
God and Carol had patience beyond understanding.
Again, here I was, rearing my head and showing
my rear end and God was so good still.
When given the choice to go with her to her church
or go to my boss, I quickly decided that I didn’t
want to lose my job, so I would pacify Carol and
go.
While there, I spoke with a counselor and after a
long discussion about God, it was decided that I
was going to be okay. I knew all the stories, all the
facts, all the holidays like Christmas and Easter and
what they meant, so I would be okay. The counselor
determined in a short while that I would never
try to take my life again. Well, they were right, I
never did try to take my life again.
10

See, I got outside to get in my van and as I started
to open the door, I thought about something. Yes, I
know all the stories, all the special moments about
God, but I don’t know Jesus. I didn’t know Him. I
knew of Him, but I didn’t know Him.
I had been a good girl always doing what others
told me to do. I did, not because I wanted to do it,
but because I was told, “good girls go to church.”
Jesus knew about all the things that I did. He knew
me inside and out. My name is Pam, and I am being
changed one day at a time by a God that never
gives up on me. The Good News is that I didn’t
do anything; God did everything. He loved me so
much that He didn’t want to leave me where I was
at, and although life has not been perfect and I have
not been perfect, God has been.
Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who
believed in His name, He gave the right to become
children of God — children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will,
but born of God. John 1: 12-13
That was Monday, May 26, 2000. It was Memorial
Day. School was in session that day, because God
knew what I needed more than I did. Shortly after
that, a young girl from R-S Central High School
wrote a letter to the local newspaper asking why
schools did not observe the holiday. The following
year, all schools in the county observed Memorial
Day. If you’re smiling, I am too. God’s timing was
and always is perfect.
On June 23, 2001, I was baptized in a swimming
pool. I still have the picture that was snapped, as I
came out of the water. I was grinning from ear
to ear. I could not contain my joy. I had been
searching for love, and love found me.
Has life been easy? No, but God has been good.
Everybody walks a road designed personally for
them by God, since before time began. I can’t
compare my journey with another person’s journey.
We each have unique life circumstances that make
us who we are. I am thankful for everything that
has happened in my life, because without God and
a woman who boldly spoke up for God, I wouldn’t
be alive today to write this story. I write for three
reasons. First, to give glory to God for what He has
done in my life; second, to let people know God is
alive, and third, to tell of the hope I have in Christ
now, and it’s because of Him and Him alone, I
sing, in the storms, in the peaceful times. I know
my God is alive and is in control.
The Associated Press printed a story on June 13,
2010 of a man named Don Ritchie who lives to
save people’s lives. He lives near a rocky cliff, and
when he wakes in the morning, he looks outside
his humble home and if there is someone
considering suicide, he goes to them and offers
them a listening ear, a smile, and a cup of tea. At
the time of the post, he had convinced 160 people
to change their minds. God can use anyone and
anything to make Himself known. God just asks,
“Are you willing?” This story was very difficult for
me to write, but if it can be used by God to save
someone’s life, then yes, I am willing to share it.
I never could grasp the fact that was right before
my eyes every day. I was a sinner, and no matter
how good I would be, I never was going to be good
enough. I was basing my entrance to Heaven on
what I did. That’s the funny part. When I look back
at what I did to gain others’ approval, it wasn’t God
I was trying to please. It was others and little ol’
me.
Editor’s Note: by Karen Ruhl
This story is printed as written by the author. It is our prayer that her testimony touches the life of others. It
has to be written from the heart so we can feel those raw emotions. Thank you for sharing your story Pam,
we are sure it will be an inspiration to others.
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12

It didn’t take long for Ruth to start serving Randi
and Bob in big ways. The following was written by
Randi about her sweet angel friend.
“When we first moved into The Groves last Oct. 1,
Ruth had a key to help movers that got there ahead
of us. I let her keep it and that’s what she has used
for all her angel visits.
The very first thing I saw when we got to our new
home was the yellow sign she had posted at our
back door. The blue one she posted at the front
door. I kept those up for over a month! I have
laminated them and may post them again.
A Heart For Serving Others
Ruth Sullivan
There are times when we see a story or hear about
someone that serves directly from their heart. They
think about it, they just do it because it is the right
thing to do. Ruth Sullivan is one of those
people, a caregiver for her 99 year old mother, and
a loving friend and neighbor to many.
Ruth and I have several friends in common, we
were once part of the same church family in
California. One of our friends, Randi, recently
moved into the same community that Ruth lives in.
It was not by chance, Ruth helped Randi and her
husband Bob find a home there. Randi’s husband,
Bob, has Alzheimer’s, and they were very blessed
by being able to move into this gated area. Not only
is it a wonderful place to live, it is one story and
much easier for Randi to help Bob in and out of the
house.
Two weeks after we moved in, I came home to find
white chocolate-dipped strawberries in our
refrigerator. She has done this several times.
In December, as I was ready to unpack our crystal
and silver, I mentioned to Ruth that they don’t show
off well in our all-white cabinet. I wanted to paint
the back blue. Ruth suggested using blue scrapbook
paper . . . then came while I was at work and put it
up for me!
It was time to decorate for Christmas,
but all I put up were my wreaths. I
came home one day to find one that
Ruth made especially for our front
door,” Randi tells us.
13

Ruth loves to volunteer, limited only by how long
she is able to leave her mother at home. Ruth’s
mom can take care of herself for the most part so
she does not have to be there 24/7 but she stays
close to home.
For the past 9 or 10 years, Ruth goes to church to
make sure the paraments are on the communion
table and she puts water in the baptismal font.
Ruth has been attending Trinity United Presbyterian
Church for 16 years. She lived in Canada for 16
years and starting attending Trinity again as soon as
she got back. She has been singing in the choir from
September through June each year since 1985. The
choir takes a break for summer and Ruth continues
to sing in summer choir.
Ruth just finished being the MC for the Follies, a
dinner show that is held in the community she lives
in. This year was even more successful than other
years, even adding an additional day to the program.
She was involved in the rehearsals, pictures, and
even more rehearsals. The show ran in August. The
theme for the Follies was the Calendar Year.
Besides being the MC, Ruth did a number where
she was a witch for Halloween.
Being in showbiz is nothing new to Ruth, she has
been doing shows since she was 4 or 5 years old
and she knows how showbiz works. For the Follies,
you must be 55 or older. This years show featured
a Men’s Tap Dance Group, one of the men was 93
years old.
During the interview, I asked Ruth about her
parents. I asked if they served as well. Ruth was
excited to share her parents journey.
“My mother and father, Hursh and Harriette Parnell,
were part time missionaries for years, working with
the Hopi and Navajo Indians. They donated about
half their vacation time to making trips to Arizona.
Sometimes they went with my Aunt and Uncle,
Clair and Lorene Hanson, and often as part of a
larger group driving RVs.
My mother was a Buyer for the Irvine Medical
Center. When the hospital was replacing medical
equipment my mother would ask the vendors to
donate the “used” equipment. My parents took
operating tables, sterilizers, wheel chairs, medicine,
and anything else they could find. Another time
they had a request for sewing machines, something
they seldom got as donations Shortly after the
request they got a call from one of the local schools
giving them the old machines and someone else
contacted them with an offer to clean and repair all
the machines. Then a few weeks before they were to
leave they got a call regarding a bunch of bolt end
fabric from a clothing manufacturing firm.
Another sign of God’s work was when they were
taking an open trailer loaded with a piano and
furniture. My father was the expert on tying down
tarps. Part way into the trip someone told him (via
CB radio) that a corner of the tarp was loose. They
stopped and dad retied the rope and double checked
the other knots. Before long another rope was
loose, they made another stop. Then a few miles
down the road they realized that there had been a
major thunder storm and rain. Had they not stopped
they would have been caught in the storm and the
items in the trailer would have gotten wet,” said
Ruth.
14
Ruth dressed as a witch for the Follies and as a
clown for the parade in her neighborhood.
Hearing Ruth tell about her mother and father and
aunt and uncle being in service to God, shows us
how much we as parents and grandparents
impact our children’s lives.
Ruth is a wonderful Christian woman. Her
examples are easy to emulate. Be an inspiration,
like Ruth.

Good and Faithful Servants
Cora and Ed Hamilton
Karen and I met Ed and Cora Hamilton while we
were living in a rural community in southwestern
Ohio. It was during our first visit to a new church
when they greeted us in the parking lot, welcomed
us, introduced us to others as we entered and then
sat with us during the service. Afterward, they
treated us to lunch and shared their story of faith
and mission with us. We now live in southwestern
North Carolina and the Hamiltons live in eastern
Tennessee. What a blessing it was to be
able to visit them recently. During our
time together, we asked them to write
us with more details of their lives and
adventures together. Here is their story, as
told to us.
Ed and Cora, having been high school sweethearts,
married soon after graduation on May 22, 1957.
For more than sixty years, they have worked,
shared, prayed, and served together. Ed states,
“We work best when we work together. The Lord
has blessed us in so many ways that I can’t count
them. My greatest blessing has been Cora. She
has been the love of my life, my greatest possible
companion on life’s journey, given me wonderful
children, encouraged me in whatever I was
pursuing, and is a sister in Christ. In many ways,
we differ and yet, we are often of like minds. We
have memories and stories that will last as long as
we do and we look forward to
what the Lord has in store for us
with faith and confidence that
he will care for us and use us as
long as life shall last.”
15

The Hamiltons have been blessed with four daughters
plus grandchildren and great grandchildren
who are very special to them. They lost one
daughter at the age of forty. Their three daughters
are devoted Christians and, much like their parents,
love to serve others. Two daughters are nurses and
the third daughter is the wife of a Navy Chaplain.
All three take every opportunity to share their
Christian faith with those they serve.
Ed and Cora began their adult service lives when,
shortly after Ed graduated from Ohio State
University with a degree in Electrical Engineering,
he joined the Air Force and became a fighter
jet pilot. For more than twenty years, they served
their country with duty stations both stateside and
abroad. During this time, Cora helped raise the
girls and worked on a teaching degree. She taught
school within the Department of Defense Overseas
School System at several of their assignments.
Once Cora earned a degree in special education,
she started teaching at the local schools.
In 1984, Ed retired from the Air Force and he and
Cora settled into civilian life. This lasted about
a year. They decided they weren’t quite ready to
settle down. Now armed with a Masters degree,
Cora applied for a teaching position with the
Department of Defense Overseas School System
in the Philippines and was accepted. Now Cora
was the sponsor and Ed was the dependent. Many
Universities provided continuing education for
the DDODS teachers on the base and Ed could do
course work to be certified to teach in Science and
Math. During their second year there, Ed taught
Math and Science in the same system. Two years
later, Ed and Cora moved to Stuttgart, Germany
where they both continued to teach within the
DDODS. In 1989, they returned to the family farm
in Ohio where they built a house. Ed did the framing
and interior finishing while Cora taught Special
Education in the local school system. Once the
house was finished, Ed began teaching math at the
local high school. Since the school system did not
have a computer program, Cora and Ed began to
write grants and eventually about $1,000,000 worth
of computer equipment and software was acquired
with which they established a network linking the
four schools in the area.
Ed oversaw operating the networks throughout the
school system while teaching junior and senior
high school students math, introducing them to
using the computers in the lab and classrooms. The
Hamiltons continued to teach in the Greenfield,
Ohio school system until retiring in 2000.
While teaching, a fellow teacher led Ed to join
Gideons International. Gideons is almost 120 years
old and has distributed over 2 billion scriptures
around the world while seeking to bring the lost to
Jesus Christ. Most of us are familiar with the Bibles
placed in hotel and motel rooms by this organization,
but the ministry is very diverse. Ed states
that he has been blessed to have participated in the
distribution of complete Bibles, New Testaments,
and witnessing his faith during his long service
with Gideons. More information on opportunities
to serve is available at http://www.gideons.org/.
During the time that they were teaching, they
renewed their interest in sailing and purchased a
26 foot. trailer-able sailboat. During the summers,
when they were not teaching, they enjoyed taking
the boat to the Chesapeake Bay and many lakes in
other states. In the late ‘90s, they bought a 42-foot
sailboat and prepared it for extensive travel. In the
fall of 2000, they sailed from Lake Erie, through
the Erie Canal, to the Hudson River and then down
the River to the Atlantic Ocean, ending up in the
Florida Keys. After spending the winter on their
boat in Florida, although loving the sailing life
and being very blessed, they felt that something
was missing. Over the years, the Hamiltons visited
many churches of different denominations.
It was at a church in their marina that they met a
couple who were active with a group that helped
troubled children at an orphanage in the Bahamas.
The group needed a teacher and a person to perform
general work duties at the facility. A course
was plotted and plans made to make the crossing
in their boat. Foul weather forced them to change
course, landing them in Miami, Florida. In the
meantime, their youngest daughter, in Ohio, was
going to have a baby.
16

The Bahamas trip would have to wait until next
fall. Ed and Cora sailed north towards Annapolis,
Maryland. Severe weather caused them into port
near Savannah, Georgia. While doing some sightseeing,
they noticed a rather large ship named the
Caribbean Mercy tied up at the dock. They were
conducting tours of some sort so we decided to go
on board. The ship, part of an organization called
Mercy Ships, was crewed by believers in Jesus
Christ and provided outreach, when invited, to
developing nations. Ed and Cora were impressed
by the education department where children of long
term crew members were schooled. They left a
donation check and went on their way. They then
sailed from Savannah to Charleston where they
planned to stay about 2 weeks because Cora wanted
to work on genealogy. About 2 days before they
planned to leave, the ship Caribbean Mercy came
into the harbor and tied up at the dock. Thinking
it very interesting that a Mercy Ship should come
into our lives again, they decided to go take another
tour. They were again impressed by the crew
and the work they did including surgery, general
health examinations and treatment, well drilling,
optical, dental, and evangelical outreach. The crew
members came from almost 20 different countries
and even more denominations. Leaving Charleston,
they knew that God was sending them a message;
find out more about the Mercy Ship organization.
Leaving their boat in Annapolis, Ed and Cora returned
to their home in Ohio.
They contacted Mercy Ships, applied for positions
and in less than a month, they were working at
the headquarters in Garden Valley, Texas. Ed was
working in the computer department and Cora in
the education department. They could live in their
newly acquired 5th wheel travel trailer that they
parked the Mercy Ship headquarters facility. After
about three months, Ed and Cora were led to join
the Caribbean Mercy Ship in its ministry. Before
being able to do that, they had to complete the
Mercy Ship Discipleship program which consisted
of about a month of classroom activities where they
heard several speakers from different aspects of
Mercy Ship’s activities in addition to exploring and
deepening their relationship with God and seeking
His guidance on how they could be used.
They contacted Mercy Ships, applied for positions
and in less than a month, they were working at
the headquarters in Garden Valley, Texas. Ed was
working in the computer department and Cora in
the education department. They could live in their
newly acquired 5th wheel travel trailer that they
parked the Mercy Ship headquarters facility. After
about three months, Ed and Cora were led to join
the Caribbean Mercy Ship in its ministry. Before
being able to do that, they had to complete the
Mercy Ship Discipleship program which consisted
of about a month of classroom activities where
they heard several speakers from different aspects
of Mercy Ship’s activities in addition to exploring
and deepening their relationship with God and
seeking His guidance on how they could be used.
They traveled to Juarez, Mexico where a house
was being built for one of the member families of
the sponsoring churches. During this time, they
worked very closely with the church members to
deepen their relationship and were encouraged to
spend a night with a church family. This night
touched Ed and Cora in many ways. The young
couple came from outside Juarez and their family
was very rich. But their family was Catholic, and
when the couple converted and became Protestants,
declaring their love and commitment to Jesus
Christ, they were disowned by their families. The
house was built of tin and whatever else could be
found. The family slept on dirt floors and their water
and bathroom facilities were outside. They had
only bare necessities for them and their children.
Cora says, “The thing that brought us to tears and
showed their level of Christian commitment was at
breakfast time. They had taken funds that would
have provided for them and bought items that they
thought Americans would normally eat for breakfast.
What an example of Christian hospitality!”
17

Ed and Cora served on the Caribbean Mercy for
almost 2 years. The ship was like a small city,
requiring most of the services that would be available
on land. Ed took care of all the computers
on board and managed the computer network and
satellite communications while Cora had various
jobs including bank teller, bookkeeper, and manager
of the onboard café, library, bookstore, and
video room. The job she liked most was that of
“Julie” (on the Love Boat). When in port, she went
to the hotels and shops to find good deals for the
ship’s crew when they had time off. Both enjoyed
the opportunity to join the various outreach efforts
including water well drilling, dental clinic, general
health clinic, and evangelical outreach. They
were bountifully blessed by the work they could
do and by the fellowship and love of those around
them. There were about 18 different nationalities
on board the ship and many different denominations.
Those things were not spoken of, only the
common love of and service to Jesus Christ. All
were blessed by the opportunity to share different
insights and different life styles but it was Jesus
who they knew in common. After leaving the
Caribbean Mercy, Ed and Cora returned home but
continued to work for Mercy Ships as public relations
representatives. They attended fund raising
activities and represented Mercy Ships as recruiters
at functions such as mission festivals. More information
on serving with Mercy Ships can be found
at https://www.mercyships.org/.
In 2005, their pastor asked them to conduct an
introduction to missions during a mission weekend
in their church. People involved in mission
activities in several different areas were invited to
present information about those activities. One of
the representatives spoke about NOMADS (Nomads
on a Mission Active in Divine Service). NO-
MADS are people, most of whom have RV’s, who
travel the country working on mission projects.
Their work has been requested by a Methodist
church or other Methodist activity through the central
NOMADS office. Members of any denomination
can join NOMADS. They do whatever work
the requesting agency has, except for heavy concrete
work and steep roof work. Ed and Cora were
so impressed by their presentation that they subsequently
joined NOMADS. From 2006 until 2015,
they worked on multiple projects in Ohio, Tennessee,
Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, and
Arizona. Projects are generally three weeks long
except for disaster relief projects for which there is
a weekly sign up. The agency for which you work
must provide a place to park your RV, but you are
responsible for all other expenses you may incur.
Each NOMAD brings tools that fit the work they
expect to do. You may work as many or as few
projects as you want. Further information is at
www.umcnomads.org.
Ed and Cora Hamilton are great examples of a
couple living their faith through service to others.
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Ed and Cora Hamilton (left) presented a beautiful quilted
wall hanging to Rainsboro United Methodist Church on
January 25, 2015. The wall hanging was made by the
Nomads and presented to Rev. Debbie Ketcham on behalf
of the church.

Road Trippin’ in North Carolina
Photos by Karen Ruhl
Two and one-half years ago, our son called and
asked us to move to North Carolina to be closer to
his family. He said, “Mom, you will love it here!”
We prayed and after several months, decided to
make the big move. We are full-time RVers, so
moving a motor coach is pretty easy!
Once in North Carolina, we started exploring and
fell in love with this state - much of which we still
have not explored. We live in the foothills of The
Blue Ridge Mountains and about one hour from
South Carolina and all of its beauty.
We feel very blessed
to be able to explore
the country and
thought you might
enjoy some of the
photos from this area.
There are hundreds
of lakes within a short
drive from us and
many waterfalls. NC
is known as the land
of waterfalls. Looking
Glass Falls is featured
in this photo to the
right.
The fall is always
beautiful and will be
ready to show off in
a few weeks. Black
Mountain is on the
right starting to show
19

If you watched Hunger Games, you might recognize the building
in the top photo. It was the bakery in the first movie. This
abandoned town is fun to walk around in and snap some photos of
a once thriving mill town of Henry River Mill Village.
I will continue to share photos in future issues. Get out and take
a drive, there is a world of beauty surrounding you wherever you
live.
Beautiful South Mountain is home to a stunning creek that runs down stream from the High Shoals Falls waterfall.
This hike is not for the meek, I was surprised that I made it to the falls and felt like a Billy Goat along the
trail climbing over huge rocks and up hills. The water level was low the day I walked to the falls, still stunning!
20

A Missionaries Story of Faith, Hope, and Forgiveness
The Haspels are Presbyterian Mission Partners who
served in Ethiopia for over 40 years. They were
supported for over 10 years by Trinity United
Presbyterian Church. They are now officially retired
but continue to connect with the people they served in
Ethiopia.
Please click to watch them speak about the attack
against them and forgiveness.
VIDEO https://vimeo.com/228580330
This is a sermon the Hapels gave at Trinity United Presbyterian Church, our church home for many years when
we were in California. We contacted Pastor Doug Rumford for permission to post this link in our magazine.
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Book Review
Ancient Stones;
Timeless Encouragement
This devotional book has 52 devotions for the
present using the Old Testament scriptures. It was
written by the Encouragers Christian Writers Group
and compiled and edited by Cathy Biggerstaff.
I love reading the personal stories from the writers
as they tackle everything from ADHD to Questions
For God. Their experiences range from losing a
child to moving into a nursing home. Real life
situations that will make you stop and think. I was
able to relate to the devotions from experiences I
have gone through or someone close to me has
experienced. I will continue to use this book
weekly.
Devotions are meant to be read and prayed over. I
can recommend this book highly.
You can find this book on Amazon by following the
link below:
Ancient Stones; Timeless Encouragement
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Click to view more photos at www.Karen-Ruhl.pixels.com