First United Methodist Churches

of Barksdale and
Rocksprings, Texas

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BThis is the monthly newsletter of the First United Methodist Churches of Barksdale and Rocksprings,
Texas. Check out our web sites: fumcbarksdale.weebly.com & rockspringsfumc.weebly.com
Editor: Rev. Linda ONeal
revlindalee@yahoo.com
1267 CR 411
Home: 830-597-2114
Uvalde, TX 78801
Cell: 979-253-1592
Everyone is welcome to make contributions and suggestions to the publication of this newsletter!
Your input is solicited and most welcome!

New Bible Studies this Fall!

BarksdaleMens Monday at 6:30 PM
Womens Wednesday at 10:00 PM
RockspringsAdults Wednesday at
5:30 PM

On Monday, August 10, three campers on the Old Brown Ranch in

Edwards County between Barksdale and Rocksprings had their
Bar B Q tip over. This started a wild fire that ultimately encompassed 16,000 acres. All the rain we had this spring and summer
meant the grass was very tall. Then the hot, dry days of August
came and it all dried up. I can only imagine what it was like to
fight that fire in the August heat. Volunteer Fire Departments from
all around came to help. The Forest Service came to help. In all,
there were 300 people, mostly volunteers, fighting the fire. It was
amazing that no one was hurt. Some livestock was lost,

Miracles Happen continued:

but considering the extent of the fire, it could have been much worse. Some outbuildings were lost, but no
homes. Driving Highway 55 between Barksdale and Rocksprings, one can see much of the damaged
property to the west. When I inquired on Sunday, August 16, of the congregation in Rocksprings if we
needed to make a donation to help out, they said it was covered. Over $20,000 had been received from
individual donors at the courthouse in Rocksprings. It is a long standing custom in Edwards County that
people come together to help one another in times of distress. Seems to go without saying that it is to be
expected that people will step up and help out. The culture in this area is quite outstanding! The dedication
to public service and the generosity of the people is not the miracle. Those are standard operating
procedures! We praise God for people with good Christian character!
Before the service began Sunday, August 16, Will and Becky Allison came early and were telling me
what happened on their ranch. They stayed up most of one night using backhoes to dig a fire break along
one corner of their property. An eight mile long line of wild fire was heading their way. At dawn, they were
standing and watching the fire approaching. They despaired that the fire break was insufficient to stop such
a raging fire. A small local cloud appeared over the fire and sprinkled a little bit and moved on. This was
very disappointing. Then as they watched, the cloud stopped and began to build up. Then to their
amazement and to the amazement of people watching with them, the cloud reversed course to stop right
over the line of fire and released such a down pour of rain that the fire sizzled and their ranch was spared! I
asked them if I could tell the church about it and they said it was ok. We all thanked God that day! Then
when I got home that afternoon, I checked my email and there was another testimony from Mr. Grahams
grandsons wife that the same thing happened and spared his ranch! Two miracles!
As the fire raged in Edwards county, we had a revival two miles outside of Camp Wood in Real
County off of Highway 337. On Thursday night, August 13, Rev. Rudy Guerra brought the message and
afterwards prayed for healing. Some people came forward for prayers. Others of us were there to support
the ministry with prayer. We came forward and each stood behind one of those who had come forward for
prayer. Bridget Preece, who was there to support, received healing of the hearing in one ear! She had not
asked for prayer. Rev. Guerra said something like, Someone is experiencing their hearing being healed.
As he said that, much to her surprise, Bridget realized her hearing was indeed healed! Those of us from
Barksdale FUMC saw her crying, as it turns out, with joy! Other people reported healing miracles too. I
recall one was a healing of a kidney.
The next night, Friday, August 14, people again came forward for prayer. This time Rev. Guerra said
someones back was being healed. As he spoke, I was standing behind someone to pray for them. I
noticed that suddenly there was no feeling in my back. He also said someones left knee was being healed.
He said he could hear the knee popping as cartilage was being restored. I have a bad right knee, so I knew
that healing was not for me. But for thirty years my back has hurt all the time. I had a constant nagging pain
that I ignored. There was some limitation to movement. Bending over was difficult and I couldnt turn my
waist very far to the right. A disc in my lower back the doctor called L-5 was degenerative and had been
since I was 34 years old. Then all of a sudden it didnt hurt at all. I was shocked. I didnt say anything. I
thought it couldnt be true and I was just imagining it. There were other healings that night. I was just
preoccupied with mine and dont recall the others.
I went home and tried to sleep. My right knee was injured when I was 17 and was missing most of its
cartilage. As I lay there trying to sleep, my knee began popping. The next day, I got up and walked around
and realized my knee was very different. No joint pain. My muscles were weak around the knee, but the
joint had no trouble going up and down stairs! My back was very different. I could bend over and touch my
toes and I could turn my waist all the way around to the right. No pain. I spent the day just walking around
in amazement. Here I am a preacher who has sometimes prayed for others who were miraculously healed
and I am having trouble believing that it happened to me! I was afraid I would tell people I was healed and
then I would go back to the way I was. I didnt want to make a false testimony.
I went to the womens meeting of the revival with Carmen Guerra at 11:00 AM on Saturday. (It was
excellent!) Afterwards, I spoke privately to Pat Rogers, asking her to pray for me. I told her I thought I was
healed but I was having trouble believing it. She cautioned me not to let the enemy take away what God had
given. So Saturday night I told Rev. Guerra what had happened and thanked him for it. Paul Rogers made
me get up and give a testimony. For once in my life, I didnt want to talk in front of people, but I did. I felt like
it was something private and special and sort of too holy for ordinary words. Nevertheless, iI knew it was my
duty to publicly thank God. I never in my life felt so reluctant to speak. As it turned out, someone else had
the left knee healed!
Blessings have been flowing in August! Good people helping one another to cope with a tragic fire
near Rocksprings. Miracles sparing two ranches. Miracles of healing at the revival. Childrens Sunday
School classes now happening at 10 AM at Barksdale. What a blessing the children are!
God is good! All the time! God is good! Thank you Father for blessing us!

Barksdale News

BIBLE STUDIES
BEGIN AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER

Mens Bible Study will take place on Monday

nights at 6:30 PM in the Fellow ship Hall.
Dinner is provided. Ron Fulton teaches the class.
They will be studying The Call by Adam Hamilton.

Womens Bible Study will take place on

Wednesday mornings at 10:00 AM in the
Fellowship Hall. Those who wish to do so meet for
lunch at a local restaurant afterwards.
Cindy
Meador is teaching the class.
They are also
studying The Call by Adam Hamilton.

Emmaus Reunion Group meets

Mondays at 5:15 PM in the
Fellowship Hall at Barksdale
FUMC.

Adult Bible Study Sunday School Class

September
September
September
September

6Praying for One Another - Acts 4:23-31

13Sharing All Things - Acts 4:345:10
20Witnessing to the Truth - Acts 5:27-29, 33-42
27Remembering Gods Faithfulness
Acts 7:2-4, 8-10, 17, 33-34, 45-47, 53
The Adult Sunday School Class meets every Sunday at 10:00 AM in the
Fellowship Hall.
At the same time, the Childrens Sunday School classes meet in the
Sanctuary.

Rocksprings News
BIBLE and PRAYER STUDY BEGINS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

There
will
be
no
meeting this month of
the Trustees. Our usual
meeting day is the first
Monday after the first
Sunday which is Labor
Day. Our next meeting
will be October 5 at 5:15
PM.

We are going to be doing it differently this time. We will

begin earlier, at 5:30 PM. We will have dinner first, with
participants taking turns providing the meal, if they
desire to do so.
We will continue studying the gospel of John, but we
will only do so for 30 minutes and we will emphasize
application to daily life.
Then we will begin a study of prayer, based on
Richard Fosters book Prayer. This will take about 20
minutes.
We will conclude with 15 minutes of individual prayer
time and then 10 minutes of group prayer.
We plan to conclude by 7:15 PM
Among other things, we will be praying to find an
opportunity for mission in our community. We plan to
spend possibly one night a month doing something
mission oriented, as the Holy Spirit leads.
3

Revival Dinner at Barksdale FUMC Aug.14

L to R: Carmen & Rudy Guerra

and Paul Rogers

The praise and worship team and Pat Rogers the sixth from the
left.
Hosts and hostesses from
the church
L to R back row:
Bob and Jane Brown,
Ron Fulton
L to R front row:
Cindy Meadors
& Liz Mikulec
Not shown: Ernestine
Carson (She took the pix!)

Promotion Sunday Barksdale FUMC Aug. 16

Far L not in pic but
you see his white
shoe: Ron Fulton

ALL CHURCH
LUNCH

L to R Cooper
Preece, Westin &
Leland Norvell,
Colton, Carcen,
Hayden, Ceegan
(head not visible),
Hailey and Colista
Preece.
In front is Cody
Preece.
Inserted pic is
Ceegan Preeces
head.
4

FUMC BARKSDALE

FUMC ROCKSPRINGS

BIRTHDAYS in September
9Matthew Luch
12Charles Hunger
16Ernestine Carson
17Scott Williams
19Kathy Fulton
19Ellen Jones
21Vernon Prather
27Megan Prather
27Cindy Meadors
ANNIVERSARIES in Sept.
10Nathanel & Chelsi
Warden
18Lynn & Debbie Stotts
19Ron & Kathy Fulton
22Clint & Jennifer Luce

BIRTHDAYS in September
2Gracie Greene
3Bill Mitchell
3Alma Smart
7Jan Helwig
7Irene Varga
15Saige Shanklin
27Carl Cloudt
NO ANNIVERSARIES in Sept.

and
Anniversaries
Please correct and add to
these lists! Thank you!

ROCKSPRINGS
Lorine Brown
Jane Burlson
Julie Colclasure
Sarah Crenshaw
Janice Edwards
Anna Eustace
Aubara Fotiades
Victoria Garcia
Barbara Hayden
Elsa Jimenez
Jennifer Jones
BARKSDALE
Erica McKinney
Cindy Clements
Chad Matlock & his
Julie Colclasure
partner
Fred Cox
Josh Padgett
Crystal McCormick
Brinda Rangel
Brody Davis
Bobbie & Lowell Jessup Maxine Sorrells
The family of Darlene
Jaxson Martinez & family
Taylor
Gail McElroy
Tanner WalkerMilitary
Jenna Milam
Kathy Norvell
ALL PRAY
Our Military
Billie & Steven Smilth
Our Pastor
Dorothy Stotts
Peace on Earth
Diane Townsend
Gods Will Be
Scott Williams
Done
Ruth Ward

A little girl had been reading her

new Bible. Her parents were so
proud! They asked her to let them
know if she had any questions.
She asked, Who was the mother
of Jesus? The virgin Mary or the
King James virgin?

WEST DISTRICT NEWS

Lay Ministry Training
Coming up September 12, 2015
at FUMC in Goldthwaite
Dr. Phil Maynard
Membership Discipleship
October 1, 2015, 9 Am to 4 PM
Event for laity and clergy
FUMC San Angelo

The First United Methodist Churches of

Barksdale and Rocksprings, Texas
1267 CR 411
Uvalde, TX 78801

Address Correction Requested

New Bible Studies this Fall!

BarksdaleMens Monday at 6:30 PM
Womens Wednesday at 10:00 PM
RockspringsAdults Wednesday at
5:30 PM