Paige Loewen:
A memorable unexpected teacher was a patient I took care of a few years ago who was in the late stages of Multiple Sclerosis; paralyzed from the waist down. He had many other serious, complicated medical issues in addition to MS. Instead of being angry and depressed, he was full of love and life. He treated everyone with kindness, respect and gratitude. I looked forward to going into his room throughout the day. He taught me what a powerful example of Jesus we could be through showing kindness to others in spite of miserable circumstances. His kindness was not expected, and I will never forget him.

Jim Fisher:
Nearly 45 years ago, soon after I arrived in Taiwan preparing to teach at Taiwan Adventist College, I made a trip to a small mountain church on the east coast of the island. On Sabbath, before celebrating communion, an elderly tattooed church member and I knelt together to wash one another's feet, giving me fresh insight into the beauty of jointly sharing in an act of mutual humility with a stranger who was also my Christian brother.

Kim Kuzma:
My friend Donna has shared the wisdom gained on her life journey in order to help me make sense of my own and learn to love and accept myself. She's taught me that everyone deserves grace, and that before I can give others grace I first have to give it to myself.

Benjamin Jackson:
I shared an office for 7 years with a devout Catholic named Roger. Roger was (is!) my true brother in Christ. I learned that doctrinal difference matter a lot less than the Spirit of Christ present in our lives, and that His Church is far larger than we imagine.

Corey Bom:
I met a Catholic seminary student on the train once and I talked with him about God and had the opportunity to join him in his evening prayer. He taught me how important daily devotionals were to keeping my daily life focus on Christ, without reminding ourselves of Jesus throughout the day it's easy to lose that focus. 

Dave Thomas:
The owner and manager of a Brass Foundry in the district of my first pastoral assignment, a man whose name I no longer recall. He taught me to look at cancer, a devastating disease, in a very different way, as a disease that would give plenty of time to get ready for death as opposed to the lack of such a thing in sudden death by accident. That was a new thought to me. I still hope never to get cancer, but a certain amount of the dreaded-ness of the disease left me after that conversation.

Emily Ellis:
When I'm at home (Auburn, WA) I sometimes play the piano for a local Lutheran Church. The church doesn't have a lot of members and there's a variety of people's opinions within the church. But the pastor treats each person with love and respect despite their differences. He pours himself out to make an impactful service and to serve the community, no matter how difficult it may be.

Lidia Friederich:
Yes, it was about 6 months ago when I learned a new way to fold clothes and tips on tidying up from Japanese author Marie Kondo. She was definitely an unexpected teacher. I had to humble myself in learning a new, yet efficient method of how to fold my clothes at my age. I also discarded a lot of stuff, saying thank you in appreciation and keeping only what would spark joy. Yes, I learned the life changing part of it.

TOUCHES OF INTEREST

Please donate Lego and Duplo blocks for our Children and Family Ministries Vacation Bible Camp. No specific types or colors needed. Bring your new or used donation to Pastor Jenn’s office or contact her for more information: jenn.ogden@wallawalla.edu.

Sonbridge Constituency Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 10:00 AM.  The agenda will include inspiring financial and development reports of God’s blessings and an update of future plans. This constituency session is for designated delegates, but interested parties are welcome to attend!  Thank each of you for your amazing support.

ASWWU Global Service is hosting the annual Interntional Food Fair on Sunday, May 5. Theyare asking for volunteers to make food from around the world. ASWWU will help with costs for any cooks. If any of you are interested in helping out or getting some more information, please e-mail aswwu.globalservice@wallawalla.edu.

Membership Transfers (first reading)
(IN) James Barrett from WW City
Preston and Margaret Carman from Loma Linda, Cal.
Craig and Becky Connell from Pocatello, Ida.
Harry and Voni Flemmer from WW City
Benjamin and Claudia from Roswell, N.M.
Melvin and Betty West from Sunnyside, Portland, Ore.

(AWAY) Brandon and Amber Aberle to Westminster, Md.
Owen and Rhonda Bandy to Cedarville, Cal.
Louis and Elizabeth Yaw and children Madison, Caleb and Chandler Bartell to WW City

The First reading of the Ministry Placement Board report is in the bulletin as an insert this week. If you have any questions about the recommendations, please contact one of the pastors before Wednesday, February 15.  

50-Plus Club Potluck is February 19 at 5pm in the Youth Center. Please bring a favorite vegetarian dish to share, and enjoy a musical program by the Eslinger family.

Rik Swartzwelder, writer/producer/director of the film, "Old Fashioned" (a faith-based romantic drama with mature themes) will be on the WWU campus next week. Join him for a screening of "Old Fashioned" and Q&A at the Black Box Theater (CTC) at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Free and open to the community. Sponsored by The Center for Media Ministry.

In the Footsteps of the Judges and Jesus:  Study the stories of the Judges and the Book of Mark and follow in the places where they walked.  La Sierra University is offering a study tour of Israel and Jordan, July 2 – 25 with Doug Clark, Bev Beem, and Kendra Haloviak Valentine. For further information contact beverly.beem@wallawalla.edu.

Christian Aid Center: Breakfast Cooks from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Days currently open are Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  Please contact Jeannette Regalado for more information.

Come one and come all to the 74th annual OPS Amateur Hour February 25th, 8:00 PM at the Winter Education Complex. This year we have ten amazing acts ranging from original songs to acts that will leave you in amazement. This year we are blessed to have the show hosted by the one and only Jordan Stephan, who is former Amateur Hour grand prize winner. Tickets are $6.00 and $13.00 for families. A portion of the proceeds of the ticket sales will go towards Cancer Research.

Walla Walla University Alumni Association is seeking an exceptional person to manage all aspects of the Havstad Alumni Center.  Key activities include planning and coordinating alumni events, managing guest rooms, recruiting and supervising a network of alumni and community volunteers, and working with university and outside resources to communicate Center-related activities. This is a part-time position.  All interested parties seeking more information can contact the Alumni Association at (509) 527-2241 or wallawallauniversityalumni@gmail.com.

Bible Study on The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children led by Carol Cosaert and Lori Hutton (We will be using the book and study guide The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children by Stormy Omartian.) At the University Church Youth Room on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:00 p.m. January 4-February 1.  You’ll need The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children book and study guide available at the ABC or online. Contact carol.cosaert@rschool.org or huttond@charter.net for more information.

50-Plus Club Potluck is February 19 at 5pm in the Youth Center. Please bring a favorite vegetarian dish to share, and enjoy a musical program by the Eslinger family.

“Entrusted” – a free women’s DVD Bible study on 2 Timothy by Christian author and speaker Beth Moore, Wednesdays, noon to 1 p.m., Jan. 18 to Feb. 22, 2017 at SonBridge Community Center. Bring your Bible, a pen and a sack lunch! Join at any time! SonBridge Community Center, 1200 SE 12th Street, College Place, WA.  Learn from the Bible how you are entrusted! For more information, 509-529-3100.

Milton-Stateline Adventist School invites you to a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, Feb. 19th at the Stateline SDA Church Fellowship Hall 8:00 am to 10:00 am. By donation. All proceeds go to the 8th grade trip fund.

Milton-Stateline Adventist School Carnival is Sunday, March 5, 3-7pm. Join us for great food, sweet treats, fun games and amazing rides. Please support Milton Stateline Adventist School!

College Place Co-op Preschool has openings for children 3-5 years old.  Play-based & child-centered program of the WW Community College.  Tue/Wed/Thur from 9am-12pm. Only $90/month. Meets in the children’s wing of WWU Church. For more info contact Teacher Andrea @ 301-3878 or program manager @ 527-4237.

A new podcast with Pastors Alex, Jenn, and Kris is now available, entitled "Walla Walla". Check it out! Many episodes have already been published with more to come on a biweekly basis. Access more details at wallawallapodcast.com or search for "Walla Walla Podcast" on iTunes.

Camp MiVoden Registration for 2017 is now open! In addition to our regular kids camps we have a lot of exciting Ultimate Camps, and we have added another Family Camp as well. Along with the great camps that you already know are some new adventures that will be coming our way this summer. Come enjoy an amazing summer with God and others who live for him! Register now or get more information at MiVoden.com, or contact Denise Kinney: (509) 242-0506, DeniseK@uccsda.org.