(The following is a message from a member/Elder of a church in Foothills Presbytery.)

 

My name is Allison and I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when I was 11. I was not aware at that age how serious diabetes is, but I began to find out at age 25. At that time I was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, which could have led to blindness. Before the age of 40, I had coronary artery bypass and had developed kidney disease, which progressively worsened and led to kidney failure and dialysis at age 45. I was put on a donor list for a kidney and a pancreas and expected to wait at least 2 years for these organs, but God had other plans. I only had to wait 4 months to receive both organs in 2005. My donor was a 14 year old boy who passed away in an accident. I am forever grateful to this child's mother who even in her own grief chose to donate his organs. She is a Christian and said her son was a giver in life and that he would want to be a giver in death as well. It is only because of this mother that I am off dialysis and no longer diabetic. Currently, approximately 900 people in South Carolina are on the waiting list for an organ. For this reason, Donate Life SC requests your church's participation in National Donor Sabbath 2009 held throughout the month of November. They ask simply that you highlight the need for organ/tissue donation during your worship service sometime during the month of November. Bulletin inserts also are available and may be requested at www.donatelifesc.org. Download the request form and fax it to 1-864-609-5387 by October 9. You are also asked to include the new South Carolina organ donation registry website www.every11minutes.org  in your newsletters and bulletins. Thank you.

 

On October 25, 2009, at 10:30AM Good Hope Presbyterian Church will celebrate the Centennial of their sanctuary, "Grace is this Place." After 100 years they continue to respond to God's call. You are invited to join them for worship and a covered dish meal following the service. Please bring a well filled basket to share with all.

 

During six weeks this summer Grace Covenant Church in Mauldin held its annual food drive to help feed the hungry. After setting a goal of 1800 items, the congregation responded generously and donated a total of 2424 items for the food pantries of Golden Strip Emergency Relief, AID Upstate and God's Pantry.