Pastor Hal Shumway, Karen , her mother Neva and Jenny were
having a conversation and going through introductions when
Neva said, "Did I just hear two kids come in?"
"They're probably the Canfield children," the pastor said, "They
help out around the church while their parents are out on the
church bus route."
"The Canfields," Karen blurted out, "Weren't they the family
that was with you, Jenny and Wilfred when you all prayed
together with Mac Davenport?"
"They most certainly were, Karen."
Karen was about to get up from her seat to go and meet the
Canfield children when Wilfred came through the doorway
of the fellowship room and in followed Brian and Dawn
Canfield. Wilfred then addressed Karen and her mother.
"Dear ladies," Wilfred addressed them, "This is Brian and
Dawn Canfield." To Brian and Dawn he said, "Brian and
Dawn? I would like for you to meet Mrs. Neva and Miss
Karen Williams."
Mrs. Williams was the first to speak. "Well hello, Brian
and Dawn," she said with the manners of a grandmother
meeting her grandchildren for the first time, "Its nice to
meet you at last." she held out her hand which Brian and
Dawn both took. Mrs. Williams then said, "Oh, and children?
This is my daughter Karen." She motioned them to where
Karen sat, but as the children were going over to her Karen
got up from her seat and went over to them as they came
near, stooped down to their height, put her arms around
each of them and hugged them. With a hand on Brian's
left shoulder and one on Dawn's right, she smiled at both
of them as she said in a soft tone of gratitude, "Brian and
Dawn? You're prayers meant a lot to my mom and I and
I couldn't wait to thank you personally." She went on,
"Did you know my dad got saved last night?"
"Yes, Miss Williams," Brian replied, "Our dad told us
after Mr. Davenport called him about it."
"My mom got excited when my dad told her," Dawn
put in, "We all prayed he'd get saved."
"And your prayers were answered, Dawn," Karen said
as she hugged the children once more and then said to
them, "Thank you so very much, both of you."
"You're welcome Miss Williams," Brian replied.
"Please call me Karen."
The pastor, Jenny and Wilfred all looked on as the
Canfield children met with Karen and her mother
with the intro between Karen and the kids so
touching that Jenny began to sniff and a tear rolled
down her cheek. She brought her hand up to wipe her
cheek when Wilfred, ever the gentleman, pulled a white
handkerchief from the breast pocket of his blue suit
jacket and offered it to Jenny, which she took as she
removed her round glasses and dabbed her eyes with
it. Pastor Hal looked over to Jenny and to the kids with
the Williams family and beamed in praise and adoration.
Wilfred then said, "Brian and Dawn? Could you please
stay with these dear ladies? Jenny and I have to be
getting ready for the folks to arrive." Brian replied,
"Yes, Uncle Wilfred, we will."
"Very good, my boy." Wilfred then turned to Karen and
her mother with, "If you will please excuse us, dear ladies."
"Oh please," Mrs. Williams smiled with a wave of her hand,
"We'll be fine and thank you for your kind hospitality."
"You're very welcome, dear Neva."
Pastor Hal spoke up, "If you two ladies will excuse me, I
need to get my sermon together." He then added, "Gary
Canfield asked to have the congregation pray for your
husband this morning and that's first on our list." The
pastor then turned to Brian and Dawn. "Brian and Dawn?
He addressed them, "Could you please tell these two
ladies about the Sunday school classes while you are in here
with them?"
"Yes, Pastor Shumway," Brian answered.
"Yes, Pastor," Dawn replied.
"Outstanding!"
As the pastor left, Brian asked, "Can we get you anything while
you are here? We also have donuts and rolls in here."
"Can we get you a refill on your coffees?" Dawn offered.
"Oh, you're such dear children," Mrs. Williams said joyfully, "I'll
just have a warm-up on my coffee, please." She handed Dawn
her cup and Brian asked Karen the same. "And for you Miss_
Oh! I mean Karen? Brian remembered that Karen asked to be
addressed by her first name. "I'll have a warm-up too, please
and thank you."
"You're welcome, Karen."
Brian and Dawn each went to refill Karen and Neva's cups and
after they returned to the table with their cups, Brian picked up
two extra seats and brought them over to the table with Brian
waiting for Dawn to sit in hers before he would sit in his.
With the children both seated Brian and Dawn began to talk to
Karen and her mother about the Sunday school classes, the
overall schedules, and the church itself.
It was almost 9:00 AM when the Canfields returned to church
from the bus route. Gary wheeled the van over toward the
handicap entrance and parked the van so the sliding side
passenger door faced toward the handicap ramp that was on
the right of the church building. With the van parked, Gary
got out, walked around and pulled open the sliding door to
let the passengers out and to aid those who needed it. Vera
stood opposite him to assist him. Most of the passengers were
elderly folks and a few younger ones who didn't drive or own a car.
Gary and Vera stood by until all the passengers were off, assisting
an elderly woman who required the aid of a wheeled walker. The
younger passengers escorted the older folks up the concrete ramp
while Gary and Vera stood behind the lady with the walker.
Wilfred Templar looked at his watch and knew the folks who came
by church van would be here and immediately went to the side exit
where they would enter. On his way he stopped and instructed Jenny,
"Dear Jenny, could you please watch the front entrance as I assist
those coming in from the handicap access?"
"Yes, Mr. Templar," Jenny acknowledged, then said, "Oh, you'll need
a few of these." She handed him some bulletins. Wilfred took them and
said to her, "That's a dear young lady." As he began to make his way to
the handicap entrance, he stopped short, turned back to Jenny and
said, "Jenny, if you will please excuse me for asking this, but how old are
you now?"
"Eighteen."
"Then from now on, please call me Wilfred, we are both adults, are we not?"
"Are you sure you want me to call you by your first name now?
"But of course, dear Jenny. You have earned that privilege."
"Why thank you, Mr_uh, I mean Wilfred. I will."
"Very good." Wilfred then made his way to the handicap area to greet the
church bus folks.
Jenny watched him head toward the handicap door, feeling a little awkward
at addressing Wilfred by his first name. Jenny then thought to herself, After
awhile those formal titles do get impersonal, after all we are family.
This concludes Chapter Twenty-Two.
having a conversation and going through introductions when
Neva said, "Did I just hear two kids come in?"
"They're probably the Canfield children," the pastor said, "They
help out around the church while their parents are out on the
church bus route."
"The Canfields," Karen blurted out, "Weren't they the family
that was with you, Jenny and Wilfred when you all prayed
together with Mac Davenport?"
"They most certainly were, Karen."
Karen was about to get up from her seat to go and meet the
Canfield children when Wilfred came through the doorway
of the fellowship room and in followed Brian and Dawn
Canfield. Wilfred then addressed Karen and her mother.
"Dear ladies," Wilfred addressed them, "This is Brian and
Dawn Canfield." To Brian and Dawn he said, "Brian and
Dawn? I would like for you to meet Mrs. Neva and Miss
Karen Williams."
Mrs. Williams was the first to speak. "Well hello, Brian
and Dawn," she said with the manners of a grandmother
meeting her grandchildren for the first time, "Its nice to
meet you at last." she held out her hand which Brian and
Dawn both took. Mrs. Williams then said, "Oh, and children?
This is my daughter Karen." She motioned them to where
Karen sat, but as the children were going over to her Karen
got up from her seat and went over to them as they came
near, stooped down to their height, put her arms around
each of them and hugged them. With a hand on Brian's
left shoulder and one on Dawn's right, she smiled at both
of them as she said in a soft tone of gratitude, "Brian and
Dawn? You're prayers meant a lot to my mom and I and
I couldn't wait to thank you personally." She went on,
"Did you know my dad got saved last night?"
"Yes, Miss Williams," Brian replied, "Our dad told us
after Mr. Davenport called him about it."
"My mom got excited when my dad told her," Dawn
put in, "We all prayed he'd get saved."
"And your prayers were answered, Dawn," Karen said
as she hugged the children once more and then said to
them, "Thank you so very much, both of you."
"You're welcome Miss Williams," Brian replied.
"Please call me Karen."
The pastor, Jenny and Wilfred all looked on as the
Canfield children met with Karen and her mother
with the intro between Karen and the kids so
touching that Jenny began to sniff and a tear rolled
down her cheek. She brought her hand up to wipe her
cheek when Wilfred, ever the gentleman, pulled a white
handkerchief from the breast pocket of his blue suit
jacket and offered it to Jenny, which she took as she
removed her round glasses and dabbed her eyes with
it. Pastor Hal looked over to Jenny and to the kids with
the Williams family and beamed in praise and adoration.
Wilfred then said, "Brian and Dawn? Could you please
stay with these dear ladies? Jenny and I have to be
getting ready for the folks to arrive." Brian replied,
"Yes, Uncle Wilfred, we will."
"Very good, my boy." Wilfred then turned to Karen and
her mother with, "If you will please excuse us, dear ladies."
"Oh please," Mrs. Williams smiled with a wave of her hand,
"We'll be fine and thank you for your kind hospitality."
"You're very welcome, dear Neva."
Pastor Hal spoke up, "If you two ladies will excuse me, I
need to get my sermon together." He then added, "Gary
Canfield asked to have the congregation pray for your
husband this morning and that's first on our list." The
pastor then turned to Brian and Dawn. "Brian and Dawn?
He addressed them, "Could you please tell these two
ladies about the Sunday school classes while you are in here
with them?"
"Yes, Pastor Shumway," Brian answered.
"Yes, Pastor," Dawn replied.
"Outstanding!"
As the pastor left, Brian asked, "Can we get you anything while
you are here? We also have donuts and rolls in here."
"Can we get you a refill on your coffees?" Dawn offered.
"Oh, you're such dear children," Mrs. Williams said joyfully, "I'll
just have a warm-up on my coffee, please." She handed Dawn
her cup and Brian asked Karen the same. "And for you Miss_
Oh! I mean Karen? Brian remembered that Karen asked to be
addressed by her first name. "I'll have a warm-up too, please
and thank you."
"You're welcome, Karen."
Brian and Dawn each went to refill Karen and Neva's cups and
after they returned to the table with their cups, Brian picked up
two extra seats and brought them over to the table with Brian
waiting for Dawn to sit in hers before he would sit in his.
With the children both seated Brian and Dawn began to talk to
Karen and her mother about the Sunday school classes, the
overall schedules, and the church itself.
It was almost 9:00 AM when the Canfields returned to church
from the bus route. Gary wheeled the van over toward the
handicap entrance and parked the van so the sliding side
passenger door faced toward the handicap ramp that was on
the right of the church building. With the van parked, Gary
got out, walked around and pulled open the sliding door to
let the passengers out and to aid those who needed it. Vera
stood opposite him to assist him. Most of the passengers were
elderly folks and a few younger ones who didn't drive or own a car.
Gary and Vera stood by until all the passengers were off, assisting
an elderly woman who required the aid of a wheeled walker. The
younger passengers escorted the older folks up the concrete ramp
while Gary and Vera stood behind the lady with the walker.
Wilfred Templar looked at his watch and knew the folks who came
by church van would be here and immediately went to the side exit
where they would enter. On his way he stopped and instructed Jenny,
"Dear Jenny, could you please watch the front entrance as I assist
those coming in from the handicap access?"
"Yes, Mr. Templar," Jenny acknowledged, then said, "Oh, you'll need
a few of these." She handed him some bulletins. Wilfred took them and
said to her, "That's a dear young lady." As he began to make his way to
the handicap entrance, he stopped short, turned back to Jenny and
said, "Jenny, if you will please excuse me for asking this, but how old are
you now?"
"Eighteen."
"Then from now on, please call me Wilfred, we are both adults, are we not?"
"Are you sure you want me to call you by your first name now?
"But of course, dear Jenny. You have earned that privilege."
"Why thank you, Mr_uh, I mean Wilfred. I will."
"Very good." Wilfred then made his way to the handicap area to greet the
church bus folks.
Jenny watched him head toward the handicap door, feeling a little awkward
at addressing Wilfred by his first name. Jenny then thought to herself, After
awhile those formal titles do get impersonal, after all we are family.
This concludes Chapter Twenty-Two.
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