Churches Unite For Prayer Day

SUN CITY CENTER - The United Methodist Church of Sun City Center was a host site for the World Day of Prayer in early March where 160 attendees from many area churches watched a video about life in Guyana, the host country of the worldwide event, and participated in a communal prayer and worship service.

Nancy Moon presided over the service, the theme of which was "God's Wisdom Provides New Understanding."

Colin Meertens, a Sun City Center resident, Seventh-day Adventist and native of Guyana, was the guest speaker.

A waterfall was built in the main sanctuary to represent Guyana (known as the land of six peoples and many waters).

Among the churches that joined the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center were: Prince of Peace Catholic Church, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, United Community Church, Redeemer Lutheran Church and St. John the Divine Episcopal Church.

"They prayed for God's wisdom to provide new understanding, written by the women of Guyana," said Roxanna Fitt, publicity coordinator for UMC-SCC. "The songs, pictures in the booklet, prayer of confession, Scripture reading and prayer of dedication in the booklet were all selected by the women of Guyana."

Club Donates Special Clothing To Veterans

RUSKIN - Members of the Ruskin Woman's Club's Sew Much Comfort program recently adapted and donated 40 pairs of athletic shorts to the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa.

That brings the total of clothing they have adapted to more than 300 items - including boxer shorts, pants and shirts - since the club adopted the program in January 2007.

The goal of Sew Much Comfort is to create normal-looking clothing that fits over casts and other medical paraphernalia or to change the items to make them easier to fasten and unfasten. These clothes are particularly useful to the wounded men and women coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Carol Fagot, chairwoman of the program, and her committee members assemble kits to give to seamstress volunteers in and outside the club, who then follow the included directions to adapt the enclosed clothing.

The club is looking for more volunteers and for donations that would be used to buy clothing, thread and fasteners to include in the kits.

For information, to donate or to volunteer, contact Fagot at (813) 234-3206 or Sue Prophet at (813) 642-9635. Checks payable to the Ruskin Woman's Club may be mailed to the club at P.O. Box 547, Ruskin FL 33575.

The Ruskin Woman's Club meets at 2 p.m. the first Wednesday monthly at 503 S. Tamiami Trail. For information about joining, contact President Sonja Council at (813) 634-1656.

Host Families Needed

SEFFNER - Echanges Culturels Internationaux, a French student exchange organization, and Judi Briant, English department chairwoman at Armwood High School, seek greater Brandon area host families for 17 French students ages 13 to 18 from July 8 to 27.

"We've had host families from as far away as Newsome and Riverview high schools in previous years," Briant said.

"The students come with two of their English teachers and spending money. They're very fluent in English and are well-chaperoned, well-insured and well-screened. They and their parents sign behavioral contracts."

Six days of outings have been arranged for the students. They'll go from Armwood High School, 12000 U.S. 92 E., Seffner, to Daytona Beach, Universal's Islands of Adventure, Clearwater Beach, Busch Gardens and Adventure Island, bowling and shopping.

Teenagers of the host families are welcome on the outings - bus fare is free for them, and they may take advantage of reduced entry fees arranged for the group.

"I just want the French students to be part of the family," Briant said. "Host families provide a place to sleep and meals. In the 18 years I've been doing this, I've never had any problems with the students. The only trouble has been with host families treating the students as au pairs live-in babysitters. In those cases, I've moved the students to other families."

"The French parents want their children to have the opportunity to use the language they've studied and to see Americans as real people - we're not all John Waynes or Britney Spearses!" Briant said.

"It's good for American kids to meet kids from outside the country, too. It's a phenomenal experience."

Briant said some of the youngsters have become lifelong friends, some have become college roommates, and many travel back and forth to France.

For information or an application and qualifying screening visit, contact Briant at (813) 453-9023 or via e-mail at jbriant@tampa

bay.rr.com.

Snippets

The Kings Point Rod and Reel Club hopes to snag a few new members at the next meeting at 7 p.m. May 14 in the Modular Room of the North Clubhouse, 1900 Clubhouse Drive, Sun City Center.

The club gathers the second Wednesday monthly. For information, call Arvo Arnio, (813) 633-5372.