In memory of a great pastor and missioner, The Reverend Cliff Nunn of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Four years ago Larry and I were asked to accompany a group of teens to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.  We agreed and in June of 2006 eleven teens and three adults headed down I29 towards the Gulf Coast.   We departed Pierre at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning and arrived in New Orleans around six p.m. on Sunday night and were greeted with open arms, great appreciation and a Cajun meal.  A week was spent working in and around the church [First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans] and on a couple of homes of members of the congregation and the pastor.  That trip plus the next two trips to the city brought the friendships between us South Dakotans and the Nunns more and more meaningful.  The following is a story of Pastor Cliff and his wife.

Cliff and Nieta fled Katrina in the early morning hours.  Nieta had previously stored her photos and Cliff’s computer “stuff” in plastic zip lock bags and plastic tubs.  This soon became a blessing.   The Nunns returned two months later to find their home had been flooded; their belongings lying in the gutters and around the neighborhood and the photos and computer belongings still dry in their containers.   Upon their return, they brought with them a camper and a motivation to see the city come alive once again.   For the next nine months the camper became not only their home but Cliff’s office as the church had also been flooded and was yet uninhabitable.  Cliff immediately put out signs and his phone number indicating help to rebuild, reconstruct, refurnish was available.

For three years Cliff worked tirelessly 24/7 to help the residents of New Orleans, the victims of Katrina, to return to their homes.  In the spring of 2008 the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program offered to “take over” his project and continue helping those in need.  The week before PDA was to assume the duties Cliff was walking with his wife when he collapsed.  Rushed to the hospital he died within hours of his walk.

God knew Cliff’s task on earth was finished and he was needed in Heaven to watch over the rest of us, along with his Lord, and that probably right now he’s trying to convince Him that, “Americans eat to live; WE [in New Orleans] live to eat.” and he still has that mischievous twinkle in his eye.   Cliff, you are missed.

---Meleta DeJong
(Who learned much about giving and caring from the man).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Top        Home Page

*Please click on photos to view enlargements*

May Birthdays	May Anniversaries
5/6 RAY SOWERS 5/12 MARIAN WILLIAMS 5/14 JIN YI RHOAD 5/18 CAELAN FERGEL 5/25 GLADYS MABERRY 5/25 VICKIE MABERRY 5/29 MATTHEW HILLMAN 5/31 JIN QIU RHOAD	May 16th - John and TaiLi Rhoad May 25th - Roger and Mary Edwards

Rummage Sale

For those of you wondering if the church is going to be having a rummage sale this year the answer is YES!!

We are definitely planning on having one but it won’t be held in the spring like it has been in the past. We decided to try something different this year and give those of you who want to do some summer cleaning and clearing out a chance to do so and so we will be having the rummage sale towards the end of the summer instead.

August 14^th will be the day of the big event. We will be reminding you through out the summer and will give you more details as the time gets closer. Until then you have some extra time to get through some of those things you just never seem to get a chance to go through. Happy sorting everyone!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Top        Home Page

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Top        Home Page

Relay for Life Team Planning Time of Remembrance

The OPC Relay For Life Team is planning a time of remembrance during worship on May 30, 2010.  The simple ceremony will honor friends and family, near and far, who has passed away in the past several years, no matter the cause (it need not be just death by cancer).

Many people in our congregation have lost friends and family who were special in their lives, and the Relay Team wants to honor and remember them.

If you would like the Relay Team to include your friend or loved one in the remembrance, please bring to worship any Sunday on or before May 2, 2010 a picture or two of the special person.  If one of the pictures has you or a loved one in it, all the better.

The pictures will be assembled into a video presentation for May 30^th.  You will received your original pictures back after they have been scanned.

Please see Candy, Ruth or Kay Cee if you have any questions.  Thanks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Top        Home Page

Camp Rimrock to Get New Bath House

During the month of May First Presbyterian Church of Sioux Falls will be constructing a new bath house at Camp Rimrock. 

Prior to the beginning of construction the old one needed to be demolished and removed.  Also needing removal were two pine trees, one of which measured over 116 years old.

Dennis and Jo Erickson of Sioux Falls, Rolly Kemink of Onida and Larry and Meleta DeJong of Pierre assisted in the destruction of the old bath house and removal of the largest pine trees.

This was the bath house as seen at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 17^th. 

Note the pine tree that had been dropped the previous day.

The bath house at noon