Carol Anne Friesen

Sun Aug 30/09 - Palmyra BIC Church - Installation Day!

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:15:50 -0700

Sun Aug 30/09 - Palmyra BIC Church - Installation Day!

Today, Terry officially became the new Lead Pastor and I became (as one gal told me) the "First Lady"!

We are so looking forward to what God will do through all of us together in the years to come.

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Sun Aug 23/09 - Palmyra BIC Church and Picnic

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:07:18 -0700

Sun Aug 23/09 - Palmyra BIC Church and Picnic

Here we are on our first Sunday at our new church!
It was a day to celebrate the first 100 years and begin the next 100!
"To God Be The Glory ... Still Telling His Story"!

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Ottawa - last day surprises!

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:18:21 -0700

Ottawa - last day surprises!

Terry had several surprises for me on this trip! On the last day when we came down for breakfast in the hotel, our dear friends Duncan and Anja Butchart from Calgary were waiting to join us! We enjoyed catching up and then once again headed out to enjoy the sites of Ottawa. The last pictures in this slideshow shows one other surprise Terry had for me on this trip! Thanks dear, I love you too! A wonderful celebration of our 35th Wedding Anniversary this month!

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Ottawa - another day in July, 2009!

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:27:09 -0700

Ottawa - Another Day in July 2009!

Everyday during our Billy Graham Conference we had a 2-hour lunch break! Time to go out and enjoy the sites, sounds and tastes of Ottawa. Go with us and enjoy Canada at it's best!

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Trip to Ottawa - Journey of Faith!

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:37:26 -0700

Trip to Ottawa - Journey of Faith!

While visiting Ottawa it was wonderful to see that church that had impacted my mother's faith as a young girl, which she then passed on to me. Interesting that she attended a church planting with her family, and that Terry and I have had a ministry of starting new churches! Amazing to think about how the decisions we make today can impact future generations! Choose wisely!

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Trip to Ottawa Canada - Day Two!

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:37:10 -0700

Trip to Ottawa Canada - Day Two!

The Rideau Canal boat ride was very special for me as I knew that my mother skated on this Canal as a girl in winter when it would freeze over. How fun to enjoy that ride and think that I was seeing some of the same things that she experienced as a girl living in Ottawa.

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Trip to Ottawa Canada - Day One!

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:31:46 -0700

Trip to Ottawa Canada - Day One!

Terry planned a surprise trip for me to Ottawa, Canada to attend the Billy Graham School of Evangelism, held at the Chateau Laurier. It was a very special experience for me since my mom grew up in Ottawa.

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My Beautiful Home is For Sale

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:39:49 -0700

My Beautiful Home is For Sale

Price reduced to $379,000. Located at 23 Pheasant Cove in Glenmoore, just minutes from the Rt 30 bypass, on 2 acres with vista views. For more information call me at 484-947-7804. Our listing agent Rita Fantanarosa (610-363-4051 or cell 484-433-1250) is wonderful and she sold us this home 4 years ago. Use her as your agent and receive the best possible purchase price. Bring me a buyer and I will give you a $250 Target Gift Card as a thank you for letting your friends and family know.

While we are sad to leave this special place, we know that God is guiding us and we are sure that the rainbow of His promises will go before us to our new assignment in Palmyra, PA.

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Saying Sad Good Byes and Happy Hellos

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:28:43 -0700

It’s hard to find the words to summarize what the last few weeks and months have been like for my husband Terry and I as we have sought to meet the challenges of leading well through necessary changes at Marsh Creek Church where he is the pastor as well as consider a surprising invitation to a new ministry at Palmyra Brethren in Christ Church. This church is located right next door to Hershey, about one hour from where we now live.

Over the course of our ministry years, invitations have come, been prayerfully considered, graciously declined, overwhelmingly accepted and cautiously explored. We have always sought to find God’s will as we desire to be faithful to His call on our lives.

We have to say though, that this has been the most difficult decision we’ve ever had to make. Maybe as we are getting older, the thought of moving is just more arduous, or the loss of relationships once again too heartbreaking to consider, or leaving family members behind just too much too bear. Whatever the case, this time we REALLY hope we are going to stay at this next place FOREVER!!! This is a running joke now in our family, as each time we arrive, love our new ministry assignment and declare that we are never moving again! Until one day, yet another Bishop calls and says, would you consider … and we start all over again!

So it was a few months back when former Bishop Craig Sider called and asked if we would consider being interviewed at Palmyra BIC church as they were in need of a Senior Pastor. Their former pastor Nate Yoder had led them very successfully for 8 years and under his leadership the congregation had grown to nearly 300 in attendance in two services on a Sunday morning, established a staff of 5 and they had recently purchased 30 acres of property for a new building program. Certainly it would be a wonderful opportunity. Nate had left to answer a call to become Bishop of the Atlantic Conference of the BIC, succeeding Craig.

Well, to make a long story short, through an exploration process that included scouting trips, casual visits, structured interviews, staff meetings, phone calls and emails we could see that things were lining up in an amazing way and this was indeed where God was leading us. While it was hard to believe that we could ever leave Marsh Creek, a church we had planted 15 years ago, left and been so blessed to come back to, the picture of God’s greater plan became clearer. We now realize that our gift mix as a couple is a great fit for what Palmyra needs next and for Marsh Creek this is a good transition time for a new leader to come in and take them into the next phase of their ministry. And while there is much more that could be written I did want to spend a little time telling all our friends and family in facebookland and beyond what has been happening with us. Sunday, June 21 will be our last Sunday at Marsh Creek Church and our move will take place as soon as we are able to sell our home and buy another one

Now perhaps some of my recent facebook posts will make more sense; the singing that was actually getting me through the crying, the praising when I was in disbelief, and the rainbow of joy in the midst of the storm. Through it all God has been extremely faithful and I can honestly say, answered our prayers for the best for Marsh Creek moving forward and for His perfect plan and will to be accomplished in our lives. We will always be grateful to our Bishop Nate for his help in this process and to former Bishop Craig for believing in us to extend the invitation.

So as once again we say our sad goodbyes and happy hellos, we go with our family motto clearly in focus ---

Only one life

T’will soon be past;

Only what’s done

For Christ will last.

On ‘The Great Adventure,’

Carol Anne and Terry Friesen

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Easter Eggs-stravaganza!

nobody@vox.com(Carol Anne Friesen) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:35:35 -0700

Kindermusik Classes and Easter Egg Hunt

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