Steve N

Steve Novak, my personal friend and local drug dealer... don't worry, it's legal. I first met Steve shortly after moving to Wenatchee. I'll never forget our first golf game. I love golf, but I'm not that good. I think I'm good, but my great friend Steve always reminds me that I am not. It doesn't matter though. The fact is: it's better to play bad golf than to do yard work. I digress... Steve and I have been through a lot together. Most of it is personal and not really the story I feel needs to be shared here. What does need to be shared is the example of the power and faithfulness of God working in peoples lives. Like Steve. From the impossible odds of adopting a wonderful little girl and then being able to adopt her brother, is a story of Steve letting go and letting God. Against all odds in later years of almost losing them, Steve's faithfulness to "STAND" in the midst of muck and mud, at the end trusting God, kept all his children close and also gave him an opportunity to be a real father to even more children without a father. His heart is pure, wise and seeks God in the most unlikely of places. His sarcasm is a gift, which sometimes does more damage than good... Especially when we are together. (We ask for your prayers not your criticism) But his humor can lift you out of many difficult times. He has the ability to help you focus on what really matters and an authentic gift for teaching. We have been through a lot together... I'm sure we will go through a lot more. One thing for sure, I'm proud of his stubborn clinging to the Cross of Christ. Steve, has a wonderful story about finding God. As Steve would say, "I never was a bad person. I always treated others well. I never killed anyone. I wasn't an alcoholic... etc, etc. I never saw the need for God. I was a good person." Why would I believe in God?" Then he watched the movie "Contact" in which there is a conversation between two of the main characters, Palmer Joss, a Pastor/friend and Ellie, a scientist who has a hard time believing that anyone could "prove" the existence of God. In the scene, Ellie challenges Palmer to prove the existence of God. Palmer Joss: Did you love your father? Ellie Arroway: What? Palmer Joss: Your dad. Did you love him? Ellie Arroway: Yes, very much. Palmer Joss: Prove it. Amazingly those few lines challenged Steve in his faith of God. How do you "prove" love? There is where it began. His faith journey is not ended... yet. I am honored to have been able to stand by him and be called his friend. I'm still no good at golf, but Steve takes me right where I am... and taught me. peace. johno~

Vance E

It's amazing how you meet someone early in life and somehow later in life, there you find them again. That's my friendship with Vance. A strong and faithful man, whose legacy will live forever in the lives of his children and his children's children and their children... Need I go on about the children. He is living proof that faithfulness produces a wonderful and abundant crop. I remember when Dawnette and I first got married, we made a trip from Portland to Wenatchee. We decided at the last minute to change our plans and visit MY friends in Wenatchee. (I lived in Wenatchee for a year and a half before moving back to Portland where I met and married Dawnette) After evening worship time, Vance invited us to have pizza at a local pizza place. I remember him asking where we were staying and I had said, "no where yet... we're just going to get a hotel room" Something that people say a lot to newlyweds. Anyway, Vance insisted we stay in a trailer home he had. Remembering that he had once owned a trailer park, I thought, "great! cheap!, free place to stay!" We followed him to his house and as he stepped out of his car, he pointed out our sleeping accomodations and that the toilet was outside in the garage. I won't share what I thought at that moment... I will only say, now, 15 years later, I can laugh at it. The next day we were off to finish our "honeymoon" as we had originally planned. Long, long, long story short... our car broke down, the hotel lost our reservations, we had no more money because we had to have our car fixed which took TWO DAYS! Yet to our rescue, Vance came to pick us up. I was hoping we wouldn't have to stay in the camper again... We didn't. He had found a home for us to stay in while our car was being repaired. He is a servent. His life reflects the Joy of the Lord. He embraces children, provides for those who cannot, yet, he is humble and serves without reserve. Next year, he will be 90 years old. What a life story. peace. johno~