The Luverne community news is short this week due to Ivan, however, as manager of Meadowcrest Apartments and writer of Luverne News, I want to devote my column to praise and thank the many volunteers who helped the residents at Meadowcrest Community.

This writer does not have adequate words to express how thankful we are for the help received during Ivan and help received after the effects of Ivan. My intentions are not to leave anyone out, but I do not know every ones name. I must mention Fire Chief Bill McManigle and his group of young men, who came to our rescue to remove a huge pine tree that crashed through the Community room roof. They also removed a large sweet-gum tree that fell on building D. Also, thanks to the fire department for delivering ice on two occasions.

A big hug and thanks to Mrs. Bee Gee McManigle for her call on Saturday to offer to cook hot meals for anyone who needed them. Ms. Bee Gee was also at Meadowcrest early Sunday morning to make a list of how many meals and bags of ice were needed. Chief McManigle and the fire department later delivered the much-needed items.

My heartfelt thanks goes to police officer Ben Green, who responded to my call for help to calm a 90-year-old male tenant. The tenant had knocked on my door at 1:30 am on Friday morning and stated he was seeing fire and fireballs that was being thrown toward his apartment. I tried to assure him that perhaps it was car lights he had seen. Officer Green listened with kindness and patience and concern.

Green asked the tenant to go to his apartment and show him where he was standing when he saw the fire. With all flashlights off and in total darkness officer Green found the source, a kerosene lamp or candle was burning in the window across the street. Also, some of the visitors of the apartment had been on the porches smoking cigarettes and as they puffed it did appear as small fireballs in such total darkness.

Also thanks to police officer Johnson, who came late on Friday night to close a storm door a tenant had left open after falling asleep on his couch. Thanks to Officer W.A. Neal, who took the time out during a stressful time of cleaning up trees on his own property to make pictures we needed of storm damages for our company for insurance purposes.

Thanks to the Luverne rescue squad, which responded promptly to a tenant in distress, who needed electricity for oxygen treatments. She was admitted to Crenshaw Hospital until electricity was restored to Meadowcrest.

Thanks to all the out-of-town workers who helped especially the power crew from Macon, Ga. restored the power for Meadowcrest. I would also like to give a special thanks to David Duckworth, a resident of Meadowcrest, who went beyond the call of duty to help all the residents who stayed in their apartments during the storm.

As I ponder over the stressful events that transpired from Wednesday until Sunday while preparing for Ivan and how we dealt with the after effects of Ivan, I was reminded of the many other times in my life when I was brought to my knees. It's times like these when you realize, what is important in life and what is not important. It is truly not material things. Your spiritual condition and your personal relationship with God are most important above all else.

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Luverne First Baptist Woman's Missionary Union (WMU) Night Circle met on Sept. 13 with Trubie Merle Strickland as hostess. Betty Bray, Voncile Nichols, Helen Moulton and Roma Edwards gave the program on "Passing It On". Strickland gave the Prayer Patterns. The prayer focus was on Indiana State University with a call for students to lead in missionary academic lives. Julia Davis gave a brief summary of the life of Kathleen Mallory. Baptist WMU promotes an annual offering for the Kathleen Mallory mission fund.

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The annual Homecoming of Mt. Ida Methodist Church will be held Sunday. Ashley Walker Davis will be the guest speaker at 11:00 a.m. A meal will be served following the worship service.

All friends, neighbors and former members are encouraged to attend this special time of fellowship.

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The Baptist Women of South Luverne Baptist Church met for their monthly meeting on Sept. 14 in the church fellowship hall. Director Doris Rogers opened the meeting with prayer. She also conducted the business meeting, which included final plans for a workday at the State WMU office in Montgomery.

The group will spend today helping the WMU with mail outs. Rogers informed the group of the time the SLBC ladies would be responsible to help maintain the WMU food pantry at Ala. Crenshaw Baptist Association. They will be co-workers with Dozier Baptist WMU on the first and third Wednesday in October. SLBC will also collect non--perishable food items to help stock the food pantry.

The upcoming Kathleen Mallory annual offering and World Hunger Day was also discussed. Faye Moody gave the treasure report and Betty Tomberlin gave the prayer patterns with prayer focus on Delaware. Then Doris Rogers led a group study of "When My Faith Feels Shallow," Pursing the Depth Of God.

The author Minette Drumwright Pratt's intention of her book is to open the minds of her readers to understand that just knowing the right things to do will not lead to a closer walk with God. They must learn the pathway to Christ likeness and apply them in order to achieve the heights of being a Christ Follower in a Christ--like manner.

Moody and Sherry Hatfield won the door prizes given by Rogers. Other members attending were Ella Billings, Polly Duncan and Jane Kauffmann.

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This Week: Please take the time to thank a fireman, policeman, rescue squad member, doctor, Nurse, electrician, city workers, Red Cross workers, an member of the EMA personnel, church staff and other places that opened their doors for shelter and the many other volunteers who worked around the clock during and after Ivan to restore things back to normal.

They are God's Angels.