Ron’s Random Recitations

Some people start the year with little questions about what will be happening with their year. Last year at this time I had been asked by the Palau team to interview for a part time job with Luis Palau and the Twin Cities Festival. I did interview but was not asked to join their team until January. It seems that this year I am in a similar situation. I am still teaching at North Central University and working in the community as an urban missionary with Youth Resources. I have a number of irons in the fire and some I will not know about until February. But the one thing that I still know is God is faithful. I am currently working with one of the youth from my church that has an amazing talent and wrote and illustrated a book for a couple women going to Africa for the children. He printed about 4 books and that was it. I saw it and knew that this book was anointed and needed to be published. (See if you agree - http://www.mcconico.com/beau/book.htm)

It’s the Gospel from creation to resurrection in 40+ pages, with excellent art work (he hand drew). We would like to get this book

published. If you have any contacts to publishers please let me know. We are looking for people that are interested in helping us get this published. Our house is still under construction. The outside is done now. We are working on the inside – we are trying to get all the plumbing and wiring done. We will try to invite all of you to our house warming party when we are done – Hopefully before 2006. The year has been full of new starts. I was one of the charter members of a new Lions Club in North Minneapolis. I worked part time on the church relation team as the urban church representative with the Luis Palau Twin Cities Festival. A very challenging job – trying to reach urban pastors at their desks. It was an incredible event with over 200,000 people filling the State Capitol grounds during this 2-day festival in August with “Great Music” from some of the top Christian recording artists and a “Good News” message from Luis Palau. I was part of a group of churches that named themselves Hands Across the City whose Mission Statement is to unite the body of Christ by organizing Inner-City outreaches that minister the love of Jesus thru compassion, evangelism and fellowship to build lasting Godly relationships. We had 3 outreaches spreading the good news to hundreds of people in the parks and parking lots of North and South Minneapolis. We continued a fishing and boating program making boats available to urban churches and people of the urban community. I’m still amazed how many urbanites have never been in a boat. The Association of Christian Computer Centers started a VRAD program – that stands for Volunteer regional area director. I have been asked to represent the upper Midwest part of the nation. I was also a guest speaker and workshop presenter at their national conference that took place in conjunction with the Christian Community Development Association conference in Atlanta, GA. It was exciting being able to train so many people and share ideas with others across the nation. It was also fun and inspirational being with so many others from Minneapolis at CCDA. Some of us took a side trip to Montgomery, AL and visited the slave market and MLK memorial and his church. Especially before a national election, seeing the pictures of many who died for the right to vote. It was very emotional. Youth Alive Camp was as good as it was the year before. There were many life changing decisions with a very powerful closing service. However I was not able to be at the last half of camp because it conflicted with a major event for the festival. This year as a nation we walked thru some major battles that will be ongoing. From Gay marriage to the North Mpls Crime. I have lived on the north side for more than 45 years and I have never seen it so bad. I was on my front porch just the other day and 8 shots rung out across the alley. There are so many shootings and deaths that they no longer are even in the news unless they are especially gruesome. Please pray for North Mpls and our family. We feel that this is where we are to be ministering – pray for safety and effectiveness in ministry. This year we saw The Passion fill movie theaters nation wide showing the hunger people have for a fresh presentation of the gospel. As I watched the movie I felt like Simon carrying the cross. Thanks to an old family friend we were able to invite several friends and family members to the Michael W Smith Christmas Concert. We were also blessed by Project Success to take our whole family to the Black Nativity. Christmas has now come and gone for another year, but His spirit will be with us forever