Mount Carmel Light June 2014 - Mount Carmel Baptist Church

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highlights
PASTOR’S ON AIR.............................. 1
WOMEN’S DAY GOES HEALTHY...... 1
FIRST LADY CROSSES THE LINE.... 1
Sis. Abrams honored................... 2
Tick Talk........................................... 4
First Lady Patricia Evans pauses May 3
at the ½-marathon point of the Avon
fundraising event for breast cancer.
News from the Pews
First Lady Walks for
Breast Cancer Charity
M
t. Carmel First Lady Patricia
Evans recently completed
the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, a
39.3-mile, 2-day trek.
“Thanks to your kindness I raised
$2,400, $600 over my goal,” said
Sis. Evans in a thank-you note
to supporters. “Your prayers and
encouragement were instrumental
in my success.”
This was her first marathon-like
event—“walking or running,”
Sis. Evans said. “I believe I was
see first lady, page 3
Pastor Evans, Congressman McGovern Team Up
on Radio to Address Hunger in U.S.
M
t. Carmel Pastor
Joseph Evans
recently talked
with U.S. Congressman Jim
McGovern, who represents the
2nd district of Massachusetts,
during the weekly WYCB
radio show, “Talking Drums.”
They discussed the growing
problem of poverty, need and
lack of food in communities
WYCB radio host Winston Chaney (left) joins
across the United States.
Pastor Joseph Evans and Congressman Jim
see radio, page 3 McGovern (D-Mass.).
Grads, Promotees To Be
Recognized, June 22
T
he church’s graduates and promoted
students will be recognized on
Sunday, June 22 during the 10:10 a.m.
Christian Education Emphasis Worship
Service. If you are graduating this year
(or know of Mt. Carmelites who are), you
are encouraged to fill out the form in the
Sunday Church School office (rm. 104)
promptly by June 15, so your achievements and future plans can be acknowledged by the congregation. A reception
follows in Marsh Fellowship Hall. To God
be the Glory, great things He hath done!
Vacation Bible School Begins
June 23 at Mt. Carmel
T
he community-model Vacation Bible
School, launched by Mt. Carmel a few
years ago, is growing strong. This year’s
session promises to be the best yet. Along
with Vermont Avenue Baptist Church and
New Morning Star Baptist Church, Mt.
Carmel will participate in a 3-week, multichurch VBS session. Mt. Carmel hosts week
1, June 23-27 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. ; New
Morning Star, week 2; and Vermont Ave.,
the finale. Refreshments served nightly.
Volunteers, teachers and donations are still
needed. Transportation available. See Sis.
Carmelita Simmons for details.
Mt. Carmel Celebrates Women as ‘Salt and Light’
M
t. Carmel’s annual Women’s Day celebration on Sunday, May 4,
featured spirit-filled music by the Women’s Day Choir, a glowing
tribute to women from Bro. William Robinson, and a conscienceraising message from guest speaker Terri Thompson, hospital administrator
and government relations officer at Howard University Hospital.
Sis. Thompson brought forth the event’s
theme “Women of Salt and Light, Committed
to Expose Darkness” in a talk focused on
individual and community health.
“We are the salt and the light. We bring out
the flavor and brighten every room we enter,”
she said in greeting the women.
She charged the congregation to honor God’s
temple. Our bodies are the temples. “You are
not your own. You were bought and paid for.
Don’t squander your life—what God paid such
a high price for.”
She encouraged both men and women to
Guest speaker Terri Thompson
see women’s day, page 2
women’s day, continued from page 1
have annual health checks, and to
get their family members to do the
same.
The Women’s Day Choir rendered
a variety of selections, both familiar
and fresh. A reception in Marsh
Fellowship Hall rounded out the day.
Among the scenes from 2014 Women’s Day (above, from left):
Pastor Joseph Evans greets guest speaker Terri Thompson after the morning
worship service, along with Deaconess Melton Baxter, chair of the Deaconess
Board, and Deacon Raymond Smith, director of the Department of Missions.
Deaconess Emma Govan leads the period of Tithes and Offering. Bro. William
Robinson offers a tribute to women. Sis. Betty Dixon introduces the guest
speaker for the morning.
Below: The Women’s Day Choir renders music.
Friends, Family Gather
to Honor Deaconess
Abrams
O
n May 3, in pre-Women’s
Day festivities, Mt. Carmel
honored Deaconess Virginia
L. Abrams for her dedicated service
for many years as director of the
Department of Missions.
The event, held at 1 p.m. in the
Marsh Fellowship Hall, featured a
talk by guest speaker Elaine Nichols,
senior curator of culture at the
Smithsonian National Museum
of African American History and
Culture, as well as tributes from Sis.
Abrams’s family and friends. Sis.
Abrams also received presentations
from the Deaconess Board by chair
Melton Baxter and the Mt. Carmel
family by Pastor Joseph Evans. †
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On hand for the event honoring Deaconess Virginia Abrams were (from left)
guest speaker Elaine Nichols, Sis. Abrams’s niece Crystal Cooper, the honoree,
and her nieces Veronica Redd, Marion Henderson, and Cynthia Jackson.
Annual Church Picnic Set for July 12 at Bolling Air Force Base
M
t. Carmel’s annual Church Picnic will be held on Saturday, July 12 from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bolling Air Force Base. Photo ID required for entry for
ages 18 and older; sign up in the church office. Transportation from Mt. Carmel
will be available at 10 a.m. Leave your request in the office by July 9. Those
who wish to make donations should contact Deaconess Margaret Smith.
JUNE 2014
first lady, continued from page 1
‘assigned’ to take on this task. I
met so many amazingly gifted and
courageous women during the Walk
who inspired me beyond what I
could begin to describe to you.”
Physically, the most difficult
stretch of the event came early.
“The first day was the most
challenging,” said Sis. Evans. “My
legs began cramping after mile 21
because I didn’t realize I needed
to drink Gatorade. I was nearly in
tears during the last mile. It was a
72-year-old man who was ahead
of me during this period, and a
scripture—“I can do all things
through Christ which strengthens
me”—given to me during the Walk
by my manager, that gave me the
willpower to finish on the first day.”
Pastor Evans, seasoned athlete,
also came to the rescue.
“Joseph realized my problem,” Sis.
Evans explained, “and immediately
upon seeing me on Saturday, he
forced me to drink a large bottle of
Gatorade that evening. This gave me
enough energy to walk the remaining 13.3 miles on Sunday. After a
few Motrin and lots of Gatorade I
returned to work on Monday and by
Tuesday I was ready to resume my
work-out schedule. Additionally, it
was Joseph’s advice that prevented
me from having any blisters or callouses on my feet. That is major!”
Looking back on the experience,
Sis. Evans recalled, “The toughest part was the last 5 miles on
Saturday. Because of the tightness of
my thigh and calf muscles, my pace
dramatically decreased. In addition,
event organizers would not permit
us to use any type of earphones,
which meant no iPod or phone.
No music when I’m working out is
extremely difficult for me.”
With all of the fundraising
opportunities available, Sis. Evans
JUNE 2014
radio, continued from page 1
Sis. Evans, moments after she walked
across the finish line on Sunday, May 4
said, “I chose Avon Foundation for
two reasons: Avon has the highest
percentage of the money that goes
directly to the funded organizations
and it was only 39.3 miles.”
All of the efforts by Sis. Evans
and other participants were well
rewarded, and she’s grateful.
“Thank you for supporting me,”
wrote Sis. Evans, concluding her
note to contributors. “It’s difficult
knowing, 1 out of 8 women are
diagnosed with breast cancer and
this weekend I walked with a few
of those women. As the day grew
longer on Saturday and the miles
loomed ahead, it was my fellow
walkers who were still undergoing
radiation treatments who encouraged me to ignore my aching feet
and keep moving….With your donations to the Avon Walk for Breast
Cancer in D.C., we raised a total
of $4.5 million for Maryland, D.C.,
and Virginia breast cancer programs.
This money will fund mammograms
for the uninsured and impoverished
as well as meals for cancer patients
and extremely valuable research
programs at the Johns Hopkins
University Medical Center.” †
“We addressed American hunger,”
explained Dr. Evans. “Approximately
46 million to 50 million people, who
are among our working poor, are
hungry daily.”
In February 2013, Rep. McGovern
launched a series of speeches to
“End Hunger Now.”
Talking Drums airs every Tuesday
at 10 a.m. on WYCB 1340 AM.
The program features topics that
Christians are concerned about from
health, education, and civic news.
Other recent guests have included
Washington Informer newspaper
publisher Denise Rolark Barnes.
Other topics have included Stoddard
Baptist Home. †
Solution to may’s bible mothers
unscramble:
1.HEPHZIBAB, 2. JOCHEBED, 3. ZERUIAH,
4. ZIPPORAH, 5. REBEKAH, 6. BATHSHEBA,
7. ABIGAIL, 8. ELISABETH, 9. AZUBAH, 10.
HANNAH
The Long View
The Face
By Margaret M. Long
Have you looked in the mirror lately?
Of course you have. Then what did
you see? I saw me!
Our facial expressions can give
people all sorts of thoughts about
our personalities.
If we don’t have a smile on our face
they say we are mean.
Even though inside we are full of joy
they can’t and haven’t seen.
Then if we have a smile on our face,
They will say, “Every time I see
them, they are smiling, there’s got to
be something behind that.
Nobody smiles all the time unless
they have something to hide.”
Stop judging the book by looking at
the cover. Read the Book!
Get to know people before you
decide what kind of personality they
have.
More important, go back, and look
in the mirror and see what facial
expression you have.
They can say the same about you.
the mount carmel light
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be healthwise
“One and the same Spirit gives faith to one person, while to
another person He gives the power to heal.”—I Corinthians 9:10
Tick Talk
Happy Father’s Day!
Sunday, June 15
Block Tick Bites and Lyme Disease
W
hen warm weather arrives,
you might get the urge to
walk barefoot through the
grass. But before you stroll through
your lawn or head out on a hiking
trail, you’ll want to protect yourself
and your loved ones from ticks that
often lurk in tall grass, thick brush,
and wooded areas. Many ticks carry
disease, so do what you can to keep
ticks from taking a bite out of you.
Tick-borne diseases are found in
many areas across the country, and
they’re on the rise. The diseases are
often clustered in specific regions.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, for
instance, occurs mainly in the midAtlantic and southern states.
Lyme disease is the most common
tick-borne illness. It’s found mainly
in the Northeast and upper Midwest.
Ticks are tiny
8-legged creatures that can
be hard to see.
Deer ticks—
which can
carry Borrelia
burgdorferi, the
bacterium that
causes Lyme
disease—are especially small. The
young “nymphs” are only the size of
poppy seeds. Adult deer ticks aren’t
much larger—about the size of a
sesame seed. If an infected deer tick
chooses you for its next blood meal,
that bite can transmit Lyme disease or
another infection to you.
“Ticks can be so tiny that most
people who get Lyme disease don’t
recall a tick bite,” says Dr. Adriana
Marques, a Lyme disease expert at
NIH. But if you have symptoms of the
disease, she says, “the earlier you get
treated, the better.”
Tick-borne diseases tend to share
certain symptoms. Symptoms can
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include fever, headache, muscle
or joint pain, and extreme fatigue.
People with Lyme disease usually get
an expanding red rash that sometimes resembles a bull’s-eye.“The rash
is usually tender, not painful or itchy,
so people may not realize they’re
sick,” says Marques.
If left untreated, the infection can
spread and cause rashes in other
parts of the body. Some people may
develop nerve problems, arthritis,
or other disorders. But even if Lyme
disease isn’t caught until later stages,
most people fully recover after treatment with antibiotics.
Of course, the best way to avoid
Lyme and other tick-borne diseases is
to prevent tick bites in the first place. Most bites from disease-causing
ticks occur in the spring and summer
months, when ticks are most active
and when people are spending more
time outside.
Help keep ticks off your skin by
wearing long sleeves, long pants,
and long socks. You can also ward off
ticks by using an insect repellant that
contains at least 20% DEET (for the
skin) or permethrin (for clothes). To
avoid ticks, walk in the center of trails
and steer clear of tall vegetation.
If you’ve been in an area where ticks
are common, bathe or shower as soon
as possible, and wash or tumble your
clothes in a dryer on high heat. Check
your body carefully for ticks. They dig
and burrow into the skin before they
bite and feed. Removing ticks right
away can help prevent disease. If you
develop a rash or fever after removing
a tick, see your doctor.
So watch out for ticks! Make a habit
of tick prevention as you venture into
the great outdoors.­—NIH News in
Health †
Biblical Fathers
Match-Up
M
atch the fathers in the left column with their children in the
right column.
1.Isaac
2. Noah
3. Jacob
4. Abraham
5. Aaron
6. Caleb
7. David
8. Moses
9. Adam
10. Samuel
A.Ishmael
B. Achsah
C. Abel
D. Solomon
E. Esau
F. Gershom
G. Ham
H. Joel
I. Joseph
J. Nadab
Material for The Mount
Carmel Light should be sent
by email to [email protected]
or placed in the church office by
the deadline—the last Sunday
of each month.
Coeditors
Shannon E. Garnett
Carla R. Garnett
Correspondents
Brenda P. Durrington
Ushers
Staff Writer
Karisse A. Carmack
Melvin L. Smith, Jr.
Brotherhood
Margaret M. Long
The Long View
Mount Carmel Baptist Church
901 Third Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 842-3411 www.themcbc.org
Reverend Dr. Joseph N. Evans, Senior Pastor
JUNE 2014