“There are no casual relationships on the battlefield of a great dream!” Pastor Tim White
On the second Sunday this October, Rich and I will celebrate 24 years of being a part of this community of friends we call Washington Cathedral. I will never forget the first day we walked into the cafeteria at Lake Washington High School. There were about 30 people there (later we found out that about 20 of them were from the Tri Cities there to support Tim). Naomi Marquez (now Pastor Naomi Marquez Blake) was a guest soloist that morning and we were so impressed by her beautiful voice. We were greeted with enthusiasm and warmth by Jane Bishop and she introduced us to her son-in-law, Dennis Brown, and his family. Pastor Tim stood up in front and said “This is the Day the Lord hath made and we will rejoice and be glad in it.” We walked out of the cafeteria that morning and said “This is it, this is where we need to be.”
That week we received a letter from Pastors Tim and Jackie signed “Your Friends for the Rest of Our Lives.” Little did we know the truth of that statement. The friends started to pour in – David Gerzsenye and his family. Roy and Pam Seymour with kids Chris and Kelly. Arden and Linda Apted invited John and Greg Hanna, their skiing buddies. John and Greg Hanna were so excited they invited their physician, Dr. Bob Hoskins. Pastor Naomi was traveling over once a month to sing and her brother Marci started teaching Sunday School every week. Her Aunt Darlene and Uncle Harold started coming and then Uncle Kenny and Aunt Margie. The church family continued to grow – Steve and Diane Sibley, Dennis Miyoshi, Rob McJunkin, Nancy Willsie (now McJunkin), Michael Fernandez, Teresa Christensen (now Fernandez), Bill & Sally Jo Holmes, Doug and Jeanne Sutten, and it goes on and on and it will continue to grow.
As I write these names, I have tears in my eyes. Some are still with us and some have gone on to heaven. What is even more important is how the list continues to grow. I work every day alongside people who joined the family 10 years ago, 1 year ago, 1 month ago, and I thank God that I am part of a diverse and growing family.
I believe the greatest gift that God gives us when we put our trust in him, is the relationships of wonderful people who are dedicated to the dream of building a “great caring network” engaging in a “conversation of hope”. Come join us we have lots of room!
That week we received a letter from Pastors Tim and Jackie signed “Your Friends for the Rest of Our Lives.” Little did we know the truth of that statement. The friends started to pour in – David Gerzsenye and his family. Roy and Pam Seymour with kids Chris and Kelly. Arden and Linda Apted invited John and Greg Hanna, their skiing buddies. John and Greg Hanna were so excited they invited their physician, Dr. Bob Hoskins. Pastor Naomi was traveling over once a month to sing and her brother Marci started teaching Sunday School every week. Her Aunt Darlene and Uncle Harold started coming and then Uncle Kenny and Aunt Margie. The church family continued to grow – Steve and Diane Sibley, Dennis Miyoshi, Rob McJunkin, Nancy Willsie (now McJunkin), Michael Fernandez, Teresa Christensen (now Fernandez), Bill & Sally Jo Holmes, Doug and Jeanne Sutten, and it goes on and on and it will continue to grow.
As I write these names, I have tears in my eyes. Some are still with us and some have gone on to heaven. What is even more important is how the list continues to grow. I work every day alongside people who joined the family 10 years ago, 1 year ago, 1 month ago, and I thank God that I am part of a diverse and growing family.
I believe the greatest gift that God gives us when we put our trust in him, is the relationships of wonderful people who are dedicated to the dream of building a “great caring network” engaging in a “conversation of hope”. Come join us we have lots of room!
Pastor Linda Skinner
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