See the Feb. 24th post for additional!
** LATE BREAKING: A colleague with the US Marshals has asked for prayer regarding two Dep. Marhals and a police officer who were shot this AM (03/08/11) in St. Louis. Further details will follow as I get them. Update: Dep. Marshal Perry did not survive. Other two officers expected to recover and the suspect is dead. See http://policelink.monster.com/news/articles/151514-us-marshal-succumbs-to-wounds-sustained-in-standoff.
** Sgt. Dino Heckerman in Streamwood, IL sends the following:
Please continue to pray for Jim Mandarino (much more to the story than what is being erroneously reported in the media). I am encouraged by Jim's courage and humility. Despite this difficult time, he is the consummate professional, keeping focus on what is important, his leadership roles as a husband and father. I am thankful to God to have Jim as a friend and fellow Sheepdog in my life. I pray and ask God that the truth is revealed, protect the court proceedings from any perverse and distorted attempts of the truth. For Jim's attorney's, blessing their prepared legal briefs with bold and effective testimony. Finally for Jim and his family, physical, emotional and spiritual protection, as they trust in the Lord will find new strength! These are dark times for officers across the country -- keep shinning the light of Christ!
See http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110308/news/703089895/
** Please continue to keep little Elizabeth Jetton and her parents in your prayers. See http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elizabethjetton/journal.
** From FCPO Pres. Paul Lee:
This is a little update on Jack Crans' daughter-in-law, Corrine. As you know several days ago she suffered a brain aneurism. She is still in ICU, she is awake, and alert but not out of the woods yet. FCPO Executive Director, Lamar Moore, was able to talk to Jack and Corrine by phone. He was also able to pray with both of them over the phone. She is in good spirits but still needs our prayers. Jack and Corrine expressed their sincere thanks for all the prayers. Corrine is the mother of 4 children ages 4 months to 8 years old. I will let you know if I hear anything else.
** Grant Wolf and my friends/colleagues in FL sent me this updated prayer request:
Please spread the word to pray for the men and women of the St. Petersburg, FL Police Department. Back on January 24th, two of their officers, K-9 Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz and Sgt. Tom Baisinger, were killed by a violent criminal who shot them both after pretending to surrender and luring Yaslowitz and a federal marshal in close and then shooting them. Officer Yaslowitz died immediately and the federal marshal was wounded. Sgt. Baisinger was shot and killed by the same felon while trying to rescue the two fallen officers. They were the first SPPD officers killed in the line of duty in 30 years. Officer Yaslowitz was a committed Christian who went to a Christian high school, a Christian college, attended the largest Baptist church in Clearwater, and attended a weekly Bible study at the police department. He left behind a wife and three small children.
Then just four weeks later, on Feb. 21st, a 25 year veteran, Officer David Crawford, was shot and killed by a 15 year old gang member who he stopped to check out on the midnight shift.
Needless to say, this has been crushing to the members of the SPPD. As St. Petersburg’s mayor said, “After not losing an officer in 30 years, we lost three in 30 days.”
This has provided opportunities for Christian officers to share their faith and the certainty of their eternal destiny with other officers. Lt. David Gatlin of the SPPD was the police department representative that Lorraine Yaslowitz requested to speak about her husband at the Baisinger-Yaslowitz funeral. He is the leader of the department Bible study. He gave an incredible presentation of the gospel which was not only heard by the 10,000 LEOs and dignitaries who were present, but it was also broadcast live on four local TV stations, so that hundreds of thousands of people in the Tampa Bay area heard the gospel. So God used the tragic death of these two officers to bring glory to His name and the name of His Son.
But there is still a lot of sorrow and emotion flooding through the law enforcement community here in Pinellas County, and particularly through the SPPD. So please pray for God to use this tragedy to cause the members of that agency to consider their own mortality and eternal destiny, and pray that He will grant them many years of safety without any further such incidents. They need an extended period of peace and safety in order to recover from the emotional toll these deaths have caused.
** Sgt. Mark Oliver in New Zealand sends the following:
Please pray, if you could, for the emergency workers and people of Christchurch after the earthquake of the 22nd of February as they continue to work through the rubble of debris that was once their beautiful city. I know they have been appreciative of the assistance from overseas workers including a team of Urban Search and Rescue personal from Los Angeles. I myself have received a request to go and assist but as yet have not been released from my core role here in the Communications Centre.
The week prior to the earthquake I was in Christchurch on holiday taking photo's of some of the very buildings that have now been completely destroyed. All the people that I know from Christchurch were saved from any serious injury or worse but most have lost possessions, houses and the like. The death toll now stands at 165 known with a significant number of people still missing so this will rise. The recovery effort is likely to go on for sometime yet and the rebuilding of the city even longer. They are still experiencing sizable aftershocks with one this evening measuring 4.8. I know there are so many incidents occuring around the world that require prayer, but any amount for those affected and those working to assist with the recovery would be musch appreciated.
** Please be in prayer that our "leaders" in DC will properly defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the face of those who would further erode God's law and biblical plan for marriage.
Updated FCPO-Denver MEETING SCHEDULE:** Thursday, March 10th, 2011, 7 PM, Calvary South Denver (http://www.calvarycsd.org/ for address/directions) in the High School Room.
** FRIDAY, March 18th, 2011, Calvary Chapel Aurora (http://www.calvaryaurora.org/), Room 138. NOTE the change from Thursday to Friday at the suggestion of Pastor Ed Taylor.
** Thursday, March 24th, Calvary South Denver.
