Haiti Comes to Washington

Shirley Devereaux and Arlene Johnson went to Haiti on a mission trip. On a chilly winter's afternoon friends and neighbors gathered in Shirley's cozy home to hear their story and see their photos.

It was a story of challenges, and of being willing to follow Jesus beyond your comfort zone.

And it was a story of expanding horizons, new learning, and personal and spiritual growth.

We're glad you could go, Shirley and Arlene, and we're glad you could share your experience with us.

Family Portrait

Claire Minarcin's family will be moving back to the coast soon. In church last Sunday she said that she wished she had a picture of all her friends at Whitestone, because she had already told her friends on the coast all about us.

So after worship we all posed for a "family portrait." Looks pretty good!

And here's one with Pastor Jim in it, too.

We'll make sure that Claire (she's the girl sitting on the right) will have copies of these to take with her when she moves. And we'll look forward to when she can come back to see us and maybe show us pictures of her friends on the coast.

We'll miss you, Claire!

Forsythia in February!

For years, George Williams would bring cuttings of forsythia inside out of the winter cold, encouraging them to awake and bloom. It was a day of celebration when, while Winter still held its grip on the land, George would bring blooming forsythia to church.

We're glad the tradition continues. On Sunday, February 22nd, Peggy Liley brought the first forsythia blooms of the year to grace our worship center and to remind us of God's promise of Spring.

Thank you, Peggy. Thank you, Williams Family. And thank you, George.

CHRISTMAS EVE BREAKFAST, 2014

Remember the Christmas Eve Breakfast? It was just a little over a month ago that we gathered in the cozy church for good food and fellowship. Here are some photos to help you relive that good time. And a big thank you again to the Hyltons and their helpers for making it all possible!

Christmas Caroling, 2014

The Star Carol

THE STAR CAROL

Long years ago on a deep winter night,

High in the heavens a star shone bright,

While in a manger a wee baby lay,

Sweetly asleep on a bed of hay.

Jesus, the Lord, was that baby so small,

Laid down to sleep in a humble stall;

Then came the star and it stood overhead,

Shedding its light 'round his little bed.

Dear Baby Jesus, how tiny thou art,

I'll make a place for thee in my heart,

And when the stars in the heavens I see,

Ever and always I think of thee.

Words by Wihla Hutson

A Christmas Tradition

It's a Christmas tradition at Whitestone. As the holiday season approaches people gather after church to fill shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

We finish up our coffee and cocoa and snacks...

And then begin to lay the goodies out on the tables.

It doesn't take long before we're organized and ready to fill each box as it is passed around the tables.

Each finished box is carried over and stacked.

And just like that we're finished. This year we filled 28 boxes for shipment.

Next stop: happy children in some place of need somewhere in the world, including this year Northern Iraq, where children and their families have been displaced by ISIS militants.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

That makes us very happy, too.