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Triune Mercy Center / February 2014

From the pastor:

In 2011, our rehab counselor David Gay placed Eliza in a dual-diagnosis treatment facility in Columbia. Dual-diagnosis means there's a substance abuse problem, but there is also underlying mental illness.

In fact, Eliza suffered many illnesses: bipolar disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder. And not surprisingly, alcoholism.

She had numerous DUIs and ended up homeless.

As he often does, David suggested Eliza hang around Triune and help out while she awaited a rehab bed in Columbia. One morning, she was making coffee because I had a large group coming in from Greenville Women Giving. They were having a luncheon here because they had paid to build our Stone Avenue entrance and wanted to see what their donation had accomplished.

As I was preparing to address them, I asked Eliza if she'd like to talk to them as well. She was nervous but said yes.

So I introduced her as an example of someone we were trying to help. Eliza got up and very simply told about her life, her illnesses, her bad decisions. She told how she was ready to turn things around and get sober.

When she finished, the women rose as one to give her a standing ovation. All those women stood to applaud their sister who opened her heart about what she was trying to do.

Eliza left us, and entered treatment. She kept in touch with David for awhile, but then we lost track of her. When David made his yearly count of sobriety successes, he didn't count her because he didn't know what had become of her.

Fast forward to December, just last month. Our volunteer Lynn Mitchell, from Fourth Presbyterian Church, was Christmas shopping with her husband. They got tired and cranky and went into a seafood restaurant to eat lunch.

The waitress looked familiar but Lynn couldn't place her. But then the waitress crouched on the floor beside their booth and introduced herself.

It was Eliza. And that day - December 20 -- was the one-year anniversary of her sobriety.

Eliza told Lynn all about her time at Triune and how much David had done and how much it had meant to her to speak to that huge crowd of women. How they had cheered her. How they had urged her on. How they had given her the courage and the confidence to turn her life around.

That turnaround didn't happen overnight. Eliza didn't get sober until December 2012, some time after she left us. But as she told Lynn, she got something more than clothes and food during her time here. She got the courage, the confidence, to change. She is now sober, working and housed.

That's our target -- to encourage and lift people, whether through art or music or drama or gardening or conversation or worship. Or by putting them in front of 100 cheering women.

* * * * * * *

We have an opening to serve a noon lunch on the first Sunday of every month for approximately 150 people.

If your Sunday school class or Circle or business can do this on a regular basis -- or even a few times a year -- please call our volunteer coordinator, Kathy Sharp, at 233-8020, ext. 100.

Blessings,

Deb

January at Triune:

Worship and Bible Studies (Average Attendance):

Sun AM ..... 313 Sun PM .... 39

Meals and Assistance Programs:

Hot meals ................ 1,477 Adult clothing recipients ....... 334

Grocery boxes............ 208 households Child clothing recipients........ 65

Pop-top groceries ..... 143 individuals Laundry loads .......................... 96

Bikes ........................... 2

People placed in rehab ............................................. 11

Jobs ............................................................................ 2

Mental health counseling sessions .............................. 66

Bon Secours St. Francis nursing consultations ............. 61

Bon Secours St. Francis social work consultations ...... 24

Bon Secours St. Francis dental screenings ................. 11

Bon Secours St. Francis blood pressure screenings ...... 15

Bon Secours St. Francis hearing screenings ................. 42

Volunteer hours ........................................................ 1,015

Worship with us at Triune Chapel:

February 2, 11 AM -- Guitarist/singer Taylor Moore will join us one last time before traveling to Thailand. Deb will preach on "Wild Goose Christians," and we will celebrate communion.

6 PM -- Robbie Boman will lead a service on " 'Jesus's 26 Healing Miracles."

February 9, 11 AM -- The handbell choir from First Presbyterian Church of Greer will lead our worship. Deb will preach on "Already Gifted."

6 PM -- Our staff member Kathy Sharp will preach.

February 16, 11 AM -- Rev. Karen Eller, our associate pastor, will preach on "Choose Life."

6 PM -- Playback Cafe. Join us for this monthly improvisational theater offering that "plays back" stories from our homeless parishioners.

February 23, 11 AM -- Deb will preach.

6 PM -- Rev. Jerry Hill will speak.

City Prayer - Each Wednesday at noon

Celebrate Recovery -- Each Wednesday at 6:30 PM

Wish List:

Art supplies of all kinds

Acrylic paints

16-x-20-inch canvases

Glue

1989-edition United Methodist hymnals (used are fine)

Postage stamps

Bus tickets for Greenlink

Plastic cutlery

Recovery Bibles (A case may be purchased for $135. Call David Gay at 233-8020, ext. 130.)

Recovery Meetings:

Monday Noon Narcotics Anonymous

Tuesday Noon Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous

Wednesday Noon       Narcotics Anonymous

      6:30 PM Celebrate Recovery

      8 PM Alcoholics Anonymous

Thursday     Noon    Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous

       7 PM Narcotics Anonymous

Friday    Noon          Narcotics Anonymous

Saturday      9 AM Alcoholics Anonymous

   10:30 AM Women's Recovery

         7 PM Narcotics Anonymous

Serving in February :

Alorica Inc.

Brookwood Church Pelham Road Baptist

Buncombe Street UMC Prince of Peace Catholic

First Baptist of Mauldin Reedy Fork Baptist

Food for Life Ministries St. Mary Magdalene Catholic

Grace Covenant Presbyterian Triune Mercy Center

Mauldin UMC Valley Brook Outreach Baptist

Monetary Donations:

In memory of Floyd & Debra Woods and Oda & Bea Humphries - Floyd & Nancy Woods

In memory of George Latimer - Mark & Cathy Stewart

In memory of James Smart - Kirby & Joan Godsey

In memory of Jerry & Martha Fowler - Kerry & Kathy Kapps

In memory of Johnny O'Connor - Shirley Smith

In memory of Mary Frances Willingham and Lucy McBride - Margaret Anne McDaniel

In memory of Norris & Othelle Stulting - Bennett & Chris Chiles

In memory of Roy Burns, Jack Earl Pittman, Joyce Hall, and Anthony Clay Parker - Alvin & Sarah Drake

In honor of Adam & Brooke Kleinfelter - Stephanie English

In honor of Carol Ann Self, Barbara Wood, and Alex Monroe - Carolyn Monroe

In honor of Diane Smock - Carol Young Gallagher and Gale Garrison Sprague

In honor of Jim Neal - Jo & Don Carson

In honor of Jo & Doyle Kay - Jo Ann Cobb

In honor of Kelly Byers - Tom Wagner

In honor of Pan Little's birthday - Virginia Clarke, Anne Elsey, Jane Ingram, Patricia Rex, Carole Thimgan, and Jane Williamson

In honor of Scott Kester - Barbara Kester

In honor of Toni Masters, Oscar Masters, and Louise Dickson Cravens - Marty Vaughn

In honor of Mary Kuiper, Colleen Teodosio, and Erin Bryant - Kathie Weber

In honor of Deb Richardson-Moore -- Paul Goldsmith

Bradford J. Abbott

Doris Addis

Advent UMC

Alice Baird

Thomas Baliker

Joyce & Troy Barton

Russell Baxley

Joyce & Joseph Bearden

Berea Friendship UMC

Harold Boman

Virginia Brockner

Deborah Bucci

Jim & Sandra Cain

David Chrismer

Dorothy M. Clark

Ruth Velma Clark

Kathy & Alan Cochran

Alan & Stacy Corbin

Robert & Dawn Coyne

Cleo Crank

Crazy Eight Circle - First Baptist Church

Kathleen & David Cull

Marian Dameier

Disciples UMC

Sheri Donofrio

Elisabeth Egli

Estate of Mary Frances Willingham

Susan Fender

First Baptist Church members

First Presbyterian Church of Greer

Fluor Company match

William T. Freeland

Louis Garmendia

Marla Gatlin

Gleaners Sunday School Class - Covenant UMC

Christopher Goss

Bonita Gossett

Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Greenville Women's Club

Angela Grell

The Gridley Club

James Griffeth

Mike & Trish Harrison

Margaret Heatherly

David & Angie Howell

John Knox Presbyterian Church

Martha M. Johns

Michael Kellett

Lee Road UMC

Marguerite D. Ligon

Robert & Kathy Lloyd

Jane Ella Matthews

Glenda McAbee

Don & Cheryl McMahan

Adrienne Moore

Nan Ivester Circle - Buncombe Street UMC

C. Lynn Ogle

Julia Olson

Stefanie Paulos

Mr. & Mrs. I. Henry Philpot, Jr.

Praise Cathedral Church of God

Roundtable SS Class - Buncombe Street UMC

Clayton Rowley

St. Giles Presbyterian Church

Don Shabkie

George W. Sharpton

Bernard & Cynthia Showman

Albert B. Somers

Peter & Mary Stangel

David Sutherland

Scott Timpanelli

Debbie Varner

Katherine Watkins

Donna Watt

June & Cooper White

Hans Wiegert

Jane & Michael Wilson

Marian Withington

Plus, thanks to all our faithful worshippers!

And thanks to: Airport Baptist Church, Bridge Club, Eric Faile, George Fletcher, Barbara Hunter, Maranatha Seventh Day Adventist, Hal & Joey McFeely, Sheryl Miller, Reedy Ford Baptist Church, Elaine Robson, St. Michael Lutheran Church, Myron Stokes, Michael Stokes, UBS Financial Services, Ben Wakely, Mary Watson, Debbie Willingham and Howard Wimmer for donations of clothes, food, and other items.

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