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Volume 21, Issue 1
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Inside:
Special Needs Program Page 3
Love Letters From God Page 6
Homeless Families
Page 14
Columns:
Hooked On Books:
Page 8
Faith & Footprints: Page 10
Grace Notes:
News Wire:
Page 15
Page 16
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B r a n d o n • Va l r i c o • L i t h i a • S e f f n e r • R i v e r v i e w • P l a n t C i t y • A p o l l o B e a c h
A Free Publication from Osprey Observer Inc.
February 2017
Uniting Community And Families In Love And Prayer
By Amanda Boston
More than a dozen churches from been brought together by God's Son, “Character Pep Rally for Unity” and the Tampa Bay area united for an and we can extend His work of reconwill feature a celebrity speaker to be evening of prayer and thanksgiving at ciliation and peace to others. named later. As the name implies, the Bell Shoals Baptist The event rally will spotlight the role of an individChurch in Brandon. gathered a diverse ual’s character in unifying the commuIn response to the group of people nity through current struggles. nation’s escalating from various Students, parents and community racial and political denominations, members are invited to an encouragdivides, the event races and political ing evening jam-packed with entertainfocused on unifying views. The ment from local high school bands, community and famidrama teams lies. and choruses. Leading the In respect to charge was Rep. community Ross Spano from events, Spano the Florida House of clarified that Representatives. He although he expressed, “I had a can’t separate growing concern who he is as Dr. Stephen Rummage, senior pastor Bell Shoals Baptist Church, played an active and a feeling that I abeliever from needed to do some- role in planning and provided the venue who he is as a for the November 20 event. thing. I began to leader, he is pray about it and met with friends, evening dedicated careful not to community leaders and local pastors a time of prayer to infringe on the Worship Pastor Jason Millsaps, Bell Shoals who share a heart for that same vision educators, law Baptist Church, and Senior Pastor A.D. Shaw, beliefs of others. of unity. The November 20 event was enforcement, first “I understand Shekinah Glory Cathedral, joined together in prayer for our community. the first step of a series of meetings responders, milithere may be that we hope will take place at quarter- tary, and leaders some concern ly intervals.” of the city, state and nation. Worship that I will use my platform for some Dr. Stephen Rummage, senior teams from the participating churches religious agenda. But that’s not what pastor Bell Shoals Baptist Church, and combined into a mass choir to worship this is about,” explained Spano, “I A.D. Shaw, senior pastor Shekinah the Lord in song. The church, being sense an openness in the church parGlory Cathedral, share in Spano’s the body of Christ, put aside personal ticularly to get out of our comfort zone enthusiasm and shouldered key leaddifferences, displayed love for one and reach across divides to truly see ership roles in preparation for the another, and acted as an example of unity and love one another like Christ.” UNITED event. unity to the rest of the community. If you would like to get involved or Rummage said, “I believe that the In March, plans are underway for be added to the mailing list, please church is the beginning place for real a community event at a local high contact the office of Rep. Spano at unity in our communities. We have school. In Spano’s words, it will be a 744-6256.
Missionary Couple Relocates From Brandon To Village Of Hope In Uganda By Amanda Boston For nearly two decades, Uganda endured brutal attacks from the terrorist organization known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The rebel group employed ruthless tactics to procure its soldiers—it raided the northern Acholi villages and carried off the children to become soldiers or sex slaves. Mercifully, in 2006, the LRA’s stronghold weakened in Uganda, but the reign of its terror camMike Doud, a missionary with Village of Hope paign generated thouUganda teaches the orphans about farming. sands of displaced Janelle Doud sensed restlessorphans. In response to the crisis, ness rising within. “Mike and I Village of Hope Uganda was founded had missions experience in “to help the helpless in Africa, to bring West Africa back in the 80’s, safety to children who don't have safewe were at a point in our life, ty, to provide shelter to the homeless where we were asking God if and food to the hungry.” he could use us in some way In 2008, Bay Life Church of other than here in suburbia. Brandon partnered with Village of We saw this as an opportunity Hope Uganda to build houses and to use our past cross-cultural schools on 100 acres of undeveloped exposure,” explained Janelle. bush, two hours south of Gulu, With hearts for the motherUganda. After hearing Uganda’s disless and a passion for Christ, tress call, church members Mike and
the duo returned to Africa in 2009 to answer Uganda’s plea for help. Except, this time Mike and Janelle ventured to the opposite coast with an added companion—daughter Jenna, a brand-new high school graduate, joined them for a year. The first order of business was to clear the uncultivated land in order to create access roads, dig a well and erect mud huts. “When we signed on, the director of Village of Hope painted a pretty bleak picture of the work
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Missionaries Mike and Janelle Doud uprooted their lives in Brandon to build a village for Ugandan orphans.