The end of May and early June were both difficult and wonderful for       Arevena and me.  First we saw and felt the steady decline and eventual death of Arevena's mother.  Then came the calling hours, funeral, burial and    family gathering after the funeral in southern Ohio.  From Southern Ohio we headed to central Ohio, to my parent's home in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, for a brief visit.  We   continued our travels through West Virginia and Pennsylvania on our way to Maryland.

In Maryland we celebrated the birth of Meghan Rose Pelkey, our second granddaughter and third grandchild.  She was beautiful and born with a thick head of dark hair of which I am jealous.  Meghan and her parents (Seann and Heather) were fine, as was the proud big brother Colin.

I failed to mention that through the calling hours, funeral service, travel and birth, I had some viral "bug" that went into a sinus infection.  Yes, I shared this "bug" with Arevena.  While we  were where we once lived, we were now in a "foreign land."  We had no current doctors in Maryland, so we ended up in an emergency room just to get each of us an antibiotic.  We caught a nail in a tire and, fortunately, made it to an out-of-state garage for service.  I needed a haircut but no longer had a local barber.  We were where we once lived, but we weren't home.

Home being Defiance.  Home being St. John United Church of Christ.

An amazing thing happened while we were gone.  While Arevena and I were gone, the utility companies continued to send us bills for gas, electric, phone, waste water, garbage, and water, and there was the property tax bill.  While I can't say I was pleased to see my bank account depleted paying these bills, we had bills because we have a home.

The same can be said about our spiritual home, St. John United Church of Christ.  While    families are away for vacations and family reunions, the utility bills continue to come because we have a spiritual home.  While I hope your giving to the church is with an attitude of joy, we give to fulfill our mission and vision as a congregation.

I'm finishing this Pastor's Corner a few days before leaving for the Jamaican Mission Work Trip.  The St. John United Church of Christ Jamaican Mission Work Trip Team, thanks you for your support.  We hope to build two modest houses in Jamaica.  We'll give of our time and energy so people will have a house, that with God's love hopefully will become their home.

Your partner in ministry,

Bill

The Rev. Dr. William R. Nirote