Joys and Concerns in May
Celebrating Joys
Laurel and Rob Harris in the birth of their grandchild, Myles Hollis.
Nancy Petty and Karla Oakley, who marked 11 years of marriage on May 3.
Emerald Swenson, who graduated from Meridith College on May 9 with a major in Biology and a minor in Psychology. Emerald has accomplished this while working and raising her daughters, Emeline and Annabelle, and with much support from her husband, Sten.
Kyle and Rachel Burns, who are expecting their first child in November. We hold them in our prayers as they move through the pregnancy and prepare for their bundle of joy.
We give gratitude for the work of the resettlement team as they help resettle a refugee family of five. Through the collective generosity of other churches — including Hudson Memorial, White Memorial, Umstead Park UCC, Raleigh Mennonite — and many Pullenites, we are getting closer to the goal of securing six months' rent to get the family off to a good start in NC.
We are grateful for the Pullenites who recently returned from Matanzas, Cuba. They represented our church at the ordination of Wanda Hernández, General Coordinator of the Kairos Center.
Praying in Loss
We remember and pray for:
Rita Rakestraw in the loss of her stepmother, Mona Romaine, who passed away on April 23 in Baton Rouge.
Jack and Leigh Barnwell in the loss of Beth Barnwell, who died on April 27 after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage. Beth’s memorial service was held at Pullen on May 16 at 11 am.
The family of The Hope Center at Pullen in the loss of Onyx Williams, who died suddenly on May 4. We also pray for Rita and the Rakestraw family, who have been close to Onyx over the years. Onyx often visited Pullen on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights with Rita.
Brooks Wicker and Pat Hielsher in the loss of Brooks’ mother, Kathleen Wicker, who died on May 29 at the age of 100. Brooks’ aunt, Rebecca Clayton, also passed away on May 11.
Praying with Our Community
We remember and pray for:
Baxter Wells, who is recovering after surgery.
Emery Rockenbach-McCall, who broke her leg.
Gail Chesson, who is recovering well at home after hip replacement surgery.
Steve Edwards, who broke his ankle.
Tim Stephenson, who is at Rex Hospital with pneumonia and a flu-like virus.
Tony Quartararo's brother-in-law, Ken Garcia, who has a tumor in his brain. We also pray for Tony's eldest son, Anthony, who has prostate cancer and is facing surgery.
Erin Newton asks for prayers for a friend who is an Iranian Baha’i refugee in North Carolina. She and her husband fled from Iran 30 years ago, and the family they left behind is now suffering from the war and even more so from the dangerous government crackdowns on civil liberties. Communication is difficult, and Erin’s friend feels constant strain and anxiety for her loved ones.
Chalice Overy asks for prayers for her mother, Lucretia Grady, who has dementia and now needs around-the-clock supervision. Please pray for Chalice and her siblings as they care for their mother and try to find a care facility that they can afford.
Praying with Our World
We pray for our siblings in Cuba as the U.S. indictment of Raul Castro has them once again anticipating a U.S. invasion.
Chalice Overy, Associate Pastor
