Inspire, Spring 2006

Inspire 33 journalist, and I began to despair as I wondered where God was in the midst of all this calamity. But one encounter with a particular man changed all that. I was on lunch break when I noticed a Salvation Army worker handing out Bibles to storm victims. A frail, elderly man reached out to receive the book. Upon realizing it was a Bible, his face lit up with a smile, and tears started to well in his eyes. I went over to him, and he began to tell me of how he was rescued after waiting for days on the roof of his home, storm waters raging all around. “Have you lost everything?” I asked him. “Yes, I have,” he said, shaking his head and turning his face to the ground. But then he looked up, clutched his Bible to his heart, and said, “But look, I have everything I need, because I have Jesus my Lord.” His face beamed with unexplainable joy, bearing witness to an unshakeable faith in God despite what he had just been through. I began to cry as I realized God was really here in this place after all. God was in the Astrodome: moving, pouring out his Spirit on people to bring comfort, strength, love, and even pure joy in the midst of overwhelming human tragedy. There were many similar stories and testimonies to God’s grace and strength that followed, and I left that place with a deep sense of renewed faith in a God who doesn’t abandon His people in their darkest hour of need. Ray Johnson ’83 , who was featured in the Winter 2005 Inspire , shares an update: We are finally getting settled in our new home. We recently bought some living room furniture and can now watch TV or movies sitting somewhere other than the floor. It sure is nice to get some normalcy back in our lives. My daughter, Sydney, and I had a great time talking to the CU students when they were here. We are truly thankful for their sacrifice of both time and money. It was a great inspiration and blessing to have them down here. Our future is very bright. Chase is applying to get into the University of Southern Alabama. Zach is excelling in his soccer down here on the coast. He has several universities looking at him as he moves into his senior year. Sydney is happy as always. She made the A-B honor role for the second straight semester and continues to improve in soccer, tennis, and her new love of playing her guitar. I think I told you that my wife, Dana (Mosley) ’84, is an avid pianist and was sick about losing our baby grand piano in the storm. I just bought her an electric piano for Valentine’s Day, and she is happily playing as I draft this note. I want you to know that the impact of the Cedarville family will be felt in our lives forever. Thank you again for letting us tell our story of tragedy and victory following Hurricane Katrina. In the spring of 2004, Delta Alpha Epsilon (DAE is a group of student leaders who volunteer to work with alumni relations) raised enough money for the Porpiglia family to purchase a communication device for their developmentally disabled daughter, Tina. Claudia Whitestine Porpiglia ’79 writes: Christmas was extra special because Tina was baptized Christmas morning by her daddy (Paul, on the left) and our pastor during our Christmas service. She had gone forward the previous Sunday and used her communication device to ask to be baptized. There was no doubt that she knew what she was asking for, and she just beamed as she pushed the button and the device said, “I want to be baptized.” Her love for Jesus is evident without words, but it was really cool to “hear” her express it to others. Without her Dynavox, she could not have expressed her desire to be baptized. I know that most of the DAE members who were responsible for raising the money for the Dynavox are probably gone from the ’Ville, but I want DAE to know how the efforts they make impact others. This is just one example of how we can make a difference in people’s lives! Dana Mosley Johnson ’84 and daughter Sydney