03/03/09
A date like that happens only nine times in a century. Can you figure out what is special about it?
Click on the title to read the AP article.
---Katie
Monday, March 02, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
What a Wonderful Tribute!
We had a celebration at St. John today. We honored the man who has been a lay minister of the congregation for about 34 years. He turns ninety years old in August and is still going strong in ministry. It was just great to hear how many people he has touched. In addition to ministering to St. John's members (shut-in, hospitalized, grieving, and others), Ed led worship out at Disney every six weeks, worked closely with Great Oaks Village (a local children's home/shelter), worked with the Christian Service Center (homeless shelter, "soup kitchen") and I'm sure much, much more....I only wish I had his energy and drive!
Disney gave Ed a Mouscar, their answer to an Oscar, and had a representative there to present it to him. Orange County and the City of Orlando each had a representative there to read a proclamation from his respective municipality. One, I think it was Orange County, declared today to be Ed Soistman Day!
The church was packed. There were people from many years of St. John's life. I so enjoyed seeing folks I have not seen in years as well as people who are still friends living in the area. I know it must have meant a lot to Ed to see that so many people love him and care enough to come out and honor him in such a way.
Of course, nothing goes without a glitch...we arrived at church to find that the bathrooms, all of them, were out of order. Thank goodness they worked at the two houses the church owns across the street! Of course, with over 400 guests, lines got long!
My one negative comment - seeing all the love poured out on Ed today, seeing how important he has been to the community, not just St. John, it really made the FL-Bahamas Synod look small and petty for way they have treated him. I'm proud of Ed for sticking to his principles and and standing up for those who were being mistreated at St. John. He paid a price, but he did the right thing.
Thanks Ed! God bless you!
---Katie
Disney gave Ed a Mouscar, their answer to an Oscar, and had a representative there to present it to him. Orange County and the City of Orlando each had a representative there to read a proclamation from his respective municipality. One, I think it was Orange County, declared today to be Ed Soistman Day!
The church was packed. There were people from many years of St. John's life. I so enjoyed seeing folks I have not seen in years as well as people who are still friends living in the area. I know it must have meant a lot to Ed to see that so many people love him and care enough to come out and honor him in such a way.
Of course, nothing goes without a glitch...we arrived at church to find that the bathrooms, all of them, were out of order. Thank goodness they worked at the two houses the church owns across the street! Of course, with over 400 guests, lines got long!
My one negative comment - seeing all the love poured out on Ed today, seeing how important he has been to the community, not just St. John, it really made the FL-Bahamas Synod look small and petty for way they have treated him. I'm proud of Ed for sticking to his principles and and standing up for those who were being mistreated at St. John. He paid a price, but he did the right thing.
Thanks Ed! God bless you!
---Katie
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