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July 2020Celebrating our 14th year!VOLUME 14 • NUMBER 11

3SOUNDS OF FREEDOM

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NEW RESIDENT

C E L E B R A T I N G F A I T H, F A M I LY A N D C O M M U N I T Y I N N O R T H E A S T K A N S A S

More than 13,000 individuals repre-senting 500 churches across thedenominational and cultural spectrumgathered Friday, June 19 (Juneteenth)in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Parkbefore marching to the State Capitol topetition both God and civic authoritiesfor racial justice. Prayer was empha-sized throughout the peaceful event,which OneRace Movement leadershipexplained occurred not only on the155th anniversary of the final slavesbeing freed in 1865, but the 52ndanniversary of the Poor People's Marchon Washington, D.C., in 1968, also

protesting systemic inequality."We call for righteousness and justice

from the highest offices in the land,"said OneRace co-executive directorJosh Clemons. "And this is not justabout trendy activism, but somethingthat we live out every day."In the initial prayer time, co-execu-

tive director Hazen Stevens said, "Ibelieve God hates racism, and Godloves unity. We are taking a stand forunity, and we will start our stand on ourknees."Pastor Crawford Loritts of

Fellowship Bible Church, one of the

historic leaders in the racial reconcilia-tion movement in Atlanta, addressedthe sin of racism."Racism is not a social inconvenience

or a bad habit; it is a sin before God," hesaid. "It has to be dealt with the sameway we deal with all sin. It can never beendorsed, tolerated, coddled or put upwith. We need to address that sin with asense of holy impatience."Another key leader in the OneRace

Movement and reconciliation in thechurch, Pastor Dennis Rouse of VictoryChurch — one of the most multicul-

nn Please see MARCH page 2

Cedar Cove Feline Conservation andEducation Center in Louisburg, Kansas, is hometo 28 apex predators, and falls within a gray areaof oversight.The Netflix show "Tiger King" caught the

attention of millions of viewers back in March.The “murder, mayhem and madness” suggestedin its subtitle collided in a human train wreck of adrama — but it got Steve Klein’s attention for adifferent reason.Klein is the board president and resident cura-

tor at Cedar Cove Feline Conservation andEducation Center in Louisburg, Kansas. A variety

of 28 predators are in his and about 20 volunteers'care.He can rattle off their species and names, but

says his ability to remember them all isn’t abouthaving a great memory.“When they become family, it becomes easier

— but it’s a big family,” Klein says.Klein has volunteered — now full-time for an

annual stipend of $12,000 — at Cedar Cove for 20years. The mission of the center is to care for ani-mals and to educate the public about the impor-tance of keystone species within the global ecosys-

nn Please see BIG CAT page 3

FREE!TAKE ONE!

Amid a pandemic that has slowedefforts to count Americans, more thana third of Kansas households haven’tyet responded to the U.S. Census.In some counties, especially in rural

areas, less than half of the populationhas filled out the forms that help steerbillions in federal dollars and resourcesto the state each year.One recent, high-profile example:

Medical supplies that Kansas receivedfrom the Strategic National Stockpile tocombat COVID-19 went out to coun-ties based on their 2010 Census counts.As a whole, Kansas’ 65% rate so far is

slightly ahead of the national response

This Big Cat Sanctuary In KansasSays It's Nothing Like 'Tiger King'

EasterFest on Trackfor new August Date

Millions in federalaid could be lost asone in three Kansashouseholds has yetto fill out census

13,000 Christians From 500 Churches March in Atlanta

Family of GodChurch

nn Please see CENSUS page 2

VBS & Camp OptionsPAGE 8

Steve Klein sits with Clarencethe tiger at Cedar Cove. Klein isthe board president, residentcurator, and one of the onlypeople allowed this close to theanimals

It may be hard at ffirst to thinkabout Easter in August, but celebrat-ing late is better than not at all.“Christians celebrate the

Resurrection in a small way everySunday, so August is as good a time asany to have our big annual celebra-tion,” a spokesperson said.So, the seventh annual EasterFest,

the Topeka Easter Parade & Fun Fair,will return to North Topeka onSaturday, August 29, 10am to 3pm.Over three thousand people

attended last year to watch the parade,visit the Fun Fair, listen to live music,visit over 70 vendor & food trucks,attend the Health Fair and take part inthe big egg hunt or other activities.Every year, dozens of churches,

businesses and non-profit organiza-tions take part in the parade, anddozens more set up vendor boothsand kids' games as part of the familyfun fair. There have been lots of floatswith a variety of themes, and allshapes and sizes of other vehicles, aswell as walking entries such as schools,military groups, marching bands andmore.

2 • July 2020 ___________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com _________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ________________________ Topeka Metro Voice

tural churches in the nation — com-mented that he has been working at thisfor 30 years, but hasn't seen the whitechurch ever be as involved as it is rightnow, which gives him hope for realchange."If it doesn't happen in the church, it

isn't going to happen in society," he said.Dr. Kendra A. Moman of Victory

Church Midtown remarked about howthe recent deaths of black people have ledto today."The painful moments, these flesh

moments, tear us apart and divide uswhen we should be united by blood," shesaid. "Today we march, holding holycourt in the city of Atlanta, petitioningand protesting for legislative change."

Pastor Jesse Curney of New MerciesChristian Church reminded those inattendance that "you have to know thetruth for the truth to set you free, and thetruth is that racism and hatred [are]wrong," he said. "We won't be the churchand the people that God has called us tobe if we don't unite together so that thespirit of racism, inequality and inequitycan be broken."After a focused time of prayer by many

of the pastors in attendance, the crowdheaded out to march to the Capitol,where another time of prayer and wor-ship was held on the Capitol steps. Thecrowd was so large that people were stillarriving at Liberty Plaza halfway throughthe time there.OneRace Movement co-founders

Bishop Garland Hunt of The Father'sHouse and Pastor Billy Humphrey ofNew Bridge Church and Atlanta House of

Prayer spoke during this session, com-menting on the unity of the day. "It's greatto see all these faces as it's what Jesustalked about in John 17," Bishop Huntsaid. "We refuse to allow anything todivide us."Pastor Humphrey added: "It is God's

dream that His people would not bedivided by politics or race or anythingelse. That's why Jesus shed His Blood, toreconcile us to Himself and to one anoth-er. We are all one in Jesus, and we are a tes-timony to the world."Following their comments, the pastors

invited everyone to join them in honor-ing and praying for Atlanta Police ChiefRodney Bryant, expressing their love andappreciation for him. Afterward, thecrowd knelt for four minutes of silence,recognizing the lives of George Floyd,Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor andmost recently, Rayshard Brooks.Justice Giboney of The And Campaign

suggested some ways for the church tocontinue to move forward and makeprogress in civic engagement, recom-mending the Steps for Christian CivicEngagement on Racial Injustice from TheAnd Campaign website. LatashaMorrison, founder of Be the Bridge andauthor of the book of the same namewhich hit the New York Times' bestsellerlist this week, said internal work mustcome before external work in these effortstoward racial justice."We have to lean in and reflect on the

role we may have played; then we have torespond and repent before we can repairand restore," she said.Closing out the event, Clemons reflect

that this day had been a dream since BillyHumphrey's conversation with civilrights leader Dr. John Perkins at StoneMountain two years ago, when Dr.Perkins told him "I am looking at the ful-fillment of my life's work. Now, you haveto take this to the streets."Stevens added, "I have hope that today

is a turning of the page in our city and ourculture." –Charisma News

MARCHcontinued from page 1

Andrew Walker, lovingly knownas DJ Drew or Sir Drew, died June23 after complications from astroke suffered the previous week-end.Walker owned and operated

Solid Rock Sound Machine inTopeka with his wife, KarenWalker. The couple has been a partof the wedding industry and localevent celebrations for over 20years.Walker was known and loved by

many in the Christian communityand took part in many local organ-izations and networking groups.His friendly demeanor and readysmile made him popular in bothhis business and personal life.Solid Rock Sound Machine has

been a part of many local celebra-tions, including Huff ‘n Puff,Dance House, EasterFest, DuckRace, Walk for MS and more. Hiscaring personality will always be abig part of the wedding memoriesof many couples.Walker was on the Board of

Directors of Capital City ChristianChamber of Commerce (C5) for

many years, and was the DJ andemcee of the EasterFest eventsponsored by C5 for six years.Pop-up community events in the

driveway were common events atthe Walker residence, on NationalNight Out, Independence Day andother occasions. Walker was also a prolific poster

on Facebook, and used the plat-form to display his wit and faith, aswell as to encourage others andsupport local events, law enforce-ment and other organizations. Thenumber of posts about him recent-ly on Facebook is a testament tohis influence of the lives of somany.

Popular local event DJ dies after strokerate. But participation in the censusvaries dramatically so far, even withinindividual counties and towns.Though this year marks the first

time people can fill out the Censusonline, many families don’t have com-puters or smartphones. Others haven’ttaken the U.S. Census before, anddon’t know how the count works.Those with family members in thecountry illegally might be especiallyfearful.By law, the Census Bureau must

keep people’s responses confidential.The information cannot be used byimmigration or law enforcementagencies.The pandemic has postponed much

of the work that grassroots groups andcommunity leaders envisioned forpromoting the census, forcing them toadapt.Thousands of cases of coronavirus

have been linked to Kansas meatpack-ing plants, mostly in the state’s south-west corner.Other hard-to-count groups

include very young children, militaryfamilies and college students.College students should count

where they live during the school year,says Emily Kelley, who coordinatesoutreach work for the U.S. CensusBureau in Kansas and Oklahoma.Normally, census workers go door

to door in college communities duringthe spring semester to help make surethat happens. COVID-19 not onlythrew a wrench in face-to-face visits,she said, it also meant many studentsdidn’t return to their college townsafter spring break.“K-State students comprise almost

half of the population in the city ofManhattan,” Kelley said. “So makingsure we count them is really, reallyimportant.”The Census Bureau wants college

students to fill out their forms with theaddress they would have occupied onApril 1, had the pandemic not shutdown their schools.Kansas receives billions of dollars

each year tied to census figures.Even missing 1,000 people from the

count can add up to millions in missedfederal funding for the state and itscommunities each year.More than 300 federal programs

rely on the Census Bureau’s decennialcount to guide spending, includingdozens aimed at supporting ruralcommunities. It steers dollars foreverything from water and road infra-structure to libraries.George Washington University

researchers looked at a handful ofmajor health programs — includinginsurance for children — for 2015. Itpegged the stakes for Kansas at about$30 million in annual lost funds foreach 1% of the population that goesuncounted.“We hoped we would be over 80%

response rate at this time.” said WendiStark, who coordinates census out-reach efforts for the League of KansasMunicipalities. The pandemic forcedthem to rethink. “Our goal is to makesure that we have over 80 percent byJuly 31.”In August, census workers will fan

out to homes that haven’t replied. Themore people reply by phone or mail,or online, the less knocking thoseworkers will have to do amid a pan-demic.Census workers will keep knocking

on doors through October.Many rural areas with low response

rates in Kansas depend heavily on P.O.boxes for mail delivery. That compli-cates matters because census workershad to hand-deliver packets to homesthere instead, hanging them on doorsor gates. This year, the pandemicpushed that work back until May,meaning many homes only receivedwritten notice a few weeks ago.Officials remain confident that

response rates will climb once volun-teers and census workers can get outmore.Kansas created committees across

the state this year to loop neighbor-hood groups, pastors, doctors, educa-tors and others who have the trust oftheir communities into the work ofspreading the word.– Cia Llopis-Jepsen | ksnewsservice.org

CENSUScontinued from page 1

Topeka Metro Voice ________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ___________________________ July 2020 • 3

tem.He says humans are demanding too

much of the ecosystem for just onespecies, taking more than our share. Andanimals are paying the price.“Now, why are we so concerned about

the animals? Because these animals are lit-erally the key to the health of these envi-ronments and ecosystems that they occu-py,” Klein says. “They’re not just apexpredators, more importantly they’recalled keystone species."He illustrates the idea with what hap-

pened at Yellowstone Park when wolveswere removed. The population of grazinganimals grew until it destroyed the bal-ance of the park by eating up everythingthat birds, pollinators, and insects neededfor food or habitat. Balance was eventuallyregained after two seven-wolf packs werereintroduced to the park in 1995.Klein talks to the cats, wild dogs, and

fox as if they were his own — and in a waythey are, because none of them can bereleased in the wild. Each one has a fairlytragic backstory, some worse than others,but all ending in needing a new home.The oldest resident is Voodoo, a 19-

year-old African Spotted Leopard. Kleingreets him like he might any buddy:“Voodoo man!” and then makes a deepwoofing sound, as if speaking a leopardlanguage.When the big cat approaches the tall

security fence, Klein says, “He came froma domestic situation. A couple purchasedhim to be a house pet.” Before Voodoowas even six months old, the peoplethought better of their decision.“He’s going to come over for a belly

rub," Klein says. The big cat flops on hisback and as Klein pets him through thefence, Voodoo growls and makes a soundlike a thunderous purr.In reflecting on "Tiger King," Klein

says, “These animals are so mesmerizing,it’s hard not to see them being as sensa-tional as you want to see them being.”But, he says, the show wasn’t actually

about the animals at all. “The peopleinvolved weren’t doing anything to helpthe animals; it was all to exploit the ani-mals,” Klein says. “It wasn’t to make theirlives better in captivity or to try to furtherthe survival of the species in the wild.”Delcianna Winders is the director of

the animal law litigation clinic at Lewisand Clark Law School in Portland,Oregon. She knew about Joe Exotic andCarole Baskin, the main characters in"Tiger King," long before most people did.She draws a sharp distinction between

the show’s warring facilities — Baskin’s isaccredited by the Global Federation ofAnimal Sanctuaries and Joe Exotic’s isnot. She says GFAS is the gold standard forthe business, but only 15 facilities in theentire nation are certified.At least 100 other places call themselves

sanctuaries, refuges, or havens, includingCedar Cove. Without that accreditation,Winders says the businesses fall into a greyarea; to stay open, they need to be inspect-ed by the department of agriculture, localgame warden, or some other governingbody.However, Winders says, “when you get

into more nuanced things like adequatespace, adequate veterinary care, that’s real-ly hard for a lay person to know and toassess, and that’s where the third partyaccreditation like GFAS comes in.”

The popularity of "Tiger King" has got-ten the public talking more about thewell-being of big cats, which Winders isglad about. But, she knows the averageviewer still isn’t quite sure what type ofplace is okay to support and what isn’t —both Baskin’s and Joe Exotic’s businesseswere thriving.“There are some clear red flags.

Breeding animals is absolutely a red flag,”Winders says. “Another red flag is allowingpublic interaction with animals becausethat seeds, basically, a puppy mill opera-tion where they’re constantly breedinganimals to have some that are smallenough for public encounters.”She’s read reports about Cedar Cove

and notes that it doesn’t engage in thosebad practices.Klein and Winders agree that these ani-

mals don’t belong in captivity, but until

people stop breeding wild animals, they’llcontinue to need safe places to live outtheir lives. According to the WorldWildlife Federation, only 3,900 tigers existin the wild.Winders says that more than that live in

the backyards and basements ofAmerica— estimates say as many as20,000 tigers may live this way. “Because oflack of regulation, we actually have noidea," she says.Klein says, “We are a sanctuary to give

these animals the best possible lives wecan with the means at hand.”And what he asks of the animals in

return is to hold an audience captive longenough that a Cedar Cove guide has timeto explain how and why the animals are incages in the first place, and why that’s atragedy.– Anne Kniggendorf | ksnewsservice.org

BIG CATcontinued from page 1

Division of Tourism Launches NewTagline Celebrating Spirit of Kansas

The Tourism Division of the KansasDepartment of Wildlife, Parks andTourism introduced its new tourism mar-keting tagline and campaign last week,which honors and celebrates the persever-ance that defines what it means to be aKansan.The new tagline – To The Stars – builds

upon the state’s motto, Ad Astra PerAspera, meaning “to the stars through dif-ficulty.”“‘To The Stars’ reminds us who we are

and shows us where to go,” said KansasTourism director Bridgette Jobe. “It’s asalute to the free-spirited. To the rowdy.To the wide-eyed wanderers. To thedreamers. To the stars.”The coming year will continue with

stories and features on the KansasTourism website, TravelKS.com, thatbuild on and further develop To TheStars.Travelers are encouraged to learn

about the perseverance that embodies ToThe Stars displayed by Free Staters in thewar against slavery, dust bowl farmers,Santa Fe Trail pioneers, Amelia Earhart,Nicodemus settlers, President Dwight D.Eisenhower, astronomer Clyde

Tombaugh, plaintiffs in the Brown vBoard of Education landmark case,Greensburg residents, and many othernotable Kansans who charged aheaddespite adversity. More informationabout these historical figures, includingplaces to visit to learn about them, can befound on the Kansas Tourism Blog and atTravelKS.com.“Like many of us, the travel industry in

our state and nation is experiencingunprecedented challenges amidst theglobal pandemic,” Jobe said. “‘To TheStars’ is as relevant as ever for Kansas, andnow we have a chance to learn moreabout, and take hold of, the fortitude thathas forged our state by visiting sites thatcommemorate them.”The Division of Tourism is encourag-

ing #SafeTravels which includes physicaldistancing while exploring Kansas’ widespaces and unspoiled beauty.“Everyone is looking for what they can

do with their family this summer, andfantastic experiences are waiting justdown the road in Kansas,” Jobe said. “Takea road trip to find a new adventure –whether that’s a visit to the Fort ScottNational Historic Site to learn moreabout Bleeding Kansas, a hike at ournewest state park Little JerusalemBadlands, or traveling to buy local beeffrom a producer and seeing Kansas alongthe way.”T-shirts and other merchandise featur-

ing new To The Stars and Kansas designsare available at the Kansas Gear Store onTravelKS.com.

Voodoo is a 19-year-old African Spotted Leopard at Cedar Cove.


Kansas Congressman Roger MarshallFaces Attacks in GOP Senate DebateTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas con-

gressman running for the U.S. Senate hascome under attack over a 12-year-old mis-demeanor criminal case and for missingvotes while treating coronavirus patients.The criticism of Representative RogerMarshall came during a Wednesday nightdebate in Wichita. Marshall sought to por-tray GOP primary rival Kris Kobach as aniffy prospect for the November generalelection. Kobach cited a 2008 criminalcase in which the son of a Marshall busi-ness partner helped him get the chargechanged from misdemeanor reckless driv-ing to a lesser traffic infraction. WhenKobach also criticized Marshall for miss-ing votes, he said it was "about as low asyou can get." Marshall says he was treatingCOVID-19 patients at the time.Partner's Son Helped Reduce Charge

for Future Kansas CongressmanGREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) — Court

records show that future western KansasRepresentative and U.S. Senate candidateRoger Marshall pleaded no contest in2008 to a misdemeanor reckless drivingcharge stemming from a confrontation

with a landowner who accused Marshallof hitting him with his pickup. But TheKansas City Star reports that a local pros-ecutor who was the son of one ofMarshall's business partners in GreatBend later successfully asked a judge toreduce Marshall's conviction to a less seri-ous traffic infraction. Marshall denies hehit the other man, and the case was onlybriefly an issue during Marshall's first suc-cessful run for Congress in 2016.City of Topeka Looks to Cut Jobs in

Wake of Budget CrisisTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The city of

Topeka is looking to cut more than 30 jobsnext year to deal with a $5 million budgetdeficit resulting from efforts to slow thespread of the new coronavirus. OnTuesday, Topeka City Manager BrentTrout proposed cutting 32 full-time posi-tions and reducing at least one position topart time in 2021. The mayor and CityCouncil will consider the proposal beforefinalizing the budget in August. TheTopeka Capital-Journal reports that 14 ofthe cuts would be with the public worksdepartment. The proposed cuts come asreduced sales tax revenues have left thecity struggling to balance its budget for

this year.Spirit AeroSystems Extends Furloughs

for About 900 WorkersWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Spirit

AeroSystems is extending a temporarylayoff of about 900 employees as it grap-ples with the economic fallout from thecoronavirus pandemic and the groundingof the Boeing 737 MAX. The WichitaEagle reports that about 900 employeeswho were on a three-week furlough thatwas to end in early July will now be unem-ployed until Aug. 14. They will continue toreceive health care benefits and pensioncontributions throughout the furloughperiod.Kansas City Officer Pleads Not Guilty

in Black Man's DeathKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 41-

year-old Kansas City police detective haspleaded not guilty in the death of a Blackman who was killed last year while sittingin his truck. Eric DeValkenaere is chargedwith first-degree involuntary manslaugh-ter and armed criminal action in theDecember 3 shooting death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. DeValkenaere, whohas been suspended from the police force,pleaded not guilty Tuesday. Court recordssay DeValkenaere was one of two officerswho went into Lamb's backyard whileinvestigating an earlier disturbance.DeValkenaere told investigators he shotLamb after he saw him reach for a gun andaim it at the second officer.Kansas Governor Creates Commission

on Racial Justice IssuesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas

Governor Laura Kelly has appointed acommission to examine policing andother racial justice issues and named thesuperintendent of Topeka’s public schoolsand a state university administrator tolead it. Kelly issued an executive orderWednesday to create the Commission onRacial Equity and Justice. She said itwould focus first on relationships betweenlaw enforcement agencies and the com-munities they police and develop policyproposals for state and local officials. Thegovernor promised her administrationwould tackle such issues following GeorgeFloyd’s death May 25 in Minnesota. Thecommission's leaders are TopekaSuperintendent Tiffany Anderson andUniversity of Kansas associate deanShannon Portillo.Protests Spark Move to Rename Iconic

Kansas City FountainKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Protests

in Kansas City over the death of GeorgeFloyd may lead the city to rename one ofits most iconic sites, the J.C. NicholsMemorial Fountain near the CountryClub Plaza. Nichols was a developer whotransformed the Kansas City area in theearly 1900s by building the upscale Plazaand thousands of homes in well-main-tained subdivisions. But he used deedrestrictions to keep Blacks, Jews and otherminorities from buying his homes, help-ing create a racially separated city thatremains to this day. In response to that his-tory, the Kansas City Parks Commission isconsidering removing Nichols's namefrom the fountain and an adjacent park-way. Store in Branson, Missouri, at Center of

Protests over Confederate SymbolsBRANSON, Mo. (AP) — Branson,

Missouri, may be known for its countrymusic shows and wholesome entertain-ment, but the tourist hot spot now findsitself at the center of a standoff over

Confederate symbolism. Protesters havebeen gathering outside a strip mall storecalled Dixie Outfitters, which specializesin Confederate flags, clothing and othermerchandise. The protests have drawnpeople from opposing sides of the debate— Black Lives Matter demonstrators, aswell as those who support the store andthe Confederate flag. Confederate statues,the flag and other symbols have drawnnew scrutiny and criticism amid protestsover the killing of George Floyd inMinneapolis.Omaha Man Gets Prison for More

Than $800,000 in Medicare FraudOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha

man has been sentenced to nearly fouryears in prison and ordered to pay morethan $809,000 in restitution for Medicarefraud he conducted in 16 states. Federalprosecutors say Nereus Sutko visitedassisted-living facilities, retirement centersand low-income housing complexes inNebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and 12other states. Prosecutors say he held pizzaand ice cream parties at the facilities and

convinced elderly people to sign up forMedicare-funded products he never deliv-ered. Prosecutors say Sutko was paid morethan $1.8 million by Medicare, NebraskaMedicaid and Iowa Medicaid, much of itbased on fraudulent claims. Sutko pleadedguilty in December to health care fraud.Lawsuit: Kansas Official Must Disclose

Uncounted Ballot NamesBELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) _ A lawsuit

accuses the top election official in Kansasof violating the state's open records law byrefusing to release the names of peoplewho cast provisional ballots or saywhether their votes were counted. TheAmerican Civil Liberties Union suedKansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab inShawnee County District Court onWednesday. The lawsuit seeks a courtorder forcing Schwab to disclose the infor-mation. It was filed on behalf of votingrights advocate Davis Hammet and LoudLight, a non-profit group whose missionis to increase voter turnout.====================

–kansaspublicradio.org

Kansas News Briefs from around the state

By Peggy BeasterfieldOwner, Peggy’s Tax and Accounting Service

The InternalRevenue Serviceannounced thatanyone whoalready took arequired mini-mum distribu-tion (RMD) in2020 from certain retirement accountsnow has the opportunity to roll thosefunds back into a retirement accountfollowing the CARES Act RMD waiverfor 2020.The 60-day rollover period for any

RMDs already taken this year has beenextended to Aug. 31, 2020, to give tax-payers time to take advantage of thisopportunity.The IRS described this change in

Notice 2020-51, released 6-23-2020.The Notice also answers questionsregarding the waiver of RMDs for 2020under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, andEconomic Security Act, known as the

CARES Act.The CARES Act enabled any taxpay-

er with an RMD due in 2020 from adefined-contribution retirement plan,including a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, or anIRA, to skip those RMDs this year. Thisincludes anyone who turned age 70 1/2in 2019 and would have had to take thefirst RMD by April 1, 2020. This waiverdoes not apply to defined-benefit plans.In addition to the rollover opportu-

nity, an IRA owner or beneficiary whohas already received a distribution froman IRA of an amount that would havebeen an RMD in 2020 can repay the dis-tribution to the IRA by Aug. 31, 2020.The notice provides that this repaymentis not subject to the one rollover per 12-month period limitation and therestriction on rollovers for inheritedIRAs.The notice provides two sample

amendments that employers may adoptto give plan participants and beneficiar-ies whose RMDs are waived a choice asto whether or not to receive the waivedRMD.

IRS announces rollover relief for RMDsthat were waived under the CARES Act

785-286-7899

Topeka Metro Voice ________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ___________________________ July 2020 • 5

Dear Dave,My husband runs a small busi-

ness that has never done verywell. We have three kids, and Imake $55,000 annually in myjob. Part of what I make has beengoing into the business for over ayear to help keep it afloat, and wedon’t have a lot of money in sav-ings. What do you think weshould do?Stephanie

Dear Stephanie,If you’re putting other money

into a business account, that’s apretty good sign you’re not mak-

ing money in the business. Youand your husband need to sitdown together, and do a house-hold budget and a profit and lossstatement on the business. You’vegot to get on the same pagefinancially.Put all his business expenses

on the profit and loss statementin detail, and write out what itwould take for him to break eveneach month. But honestly, witheverything that’s been going onwith your finances, if he’s not atleast breaking even at this point,then it’s time for him to dosomething else for a living full-

time.I’m an entrepreneur and busi-

ness owner. Trust me, I totallyunderstand the allure and excite-ment that goes with runningyour own business. But your ownhousehold and its immediatefinancial responsibilities comefirst. The only money that shouldgo into the business account isincome the business creates.—Dave

No free passes

Dear Dave,I own a small business, and

recently a relative asked for a jobwith the company. I hate to saythis, but I’ve got reservationsabout hiring her. She’s basically agood kid, but not the most reli-able person in the world. Do youhave any advice on how to han-dle a situation like this?Bill

Dear Bill,As an entrepreneur, you have

the right and responsibility to dowhat’s best for your company.That means you shouldn’t hireanyone who isn’t a good fit—even a relative.If a relative is qualified, and

the kind of person who under-stands they’ll have to bring itevery single day, performing at alevel equal to or above your otherteam members, that can be a spe-cial and rewarding thing. But ifthat relative is the kind of personwho expects special treatment oris a problem child, that kind ofsituation can be a nightmare foryou, your company, and thewhole family.Would you hire this person

because they’d make a good teammember? Would you hire thisperson if they weren’t part of thefamily? If the answer to either of

these questionsis no, don’t hirethem. It’s assimple as that.The bottomline is you haveto do what’sbest for yourbusiness, yourimmediate fam-ily, and yourteam.—Dave

Responsibilities come first DAVE RAMSEYFinancial author,radio host, televisionpersonality, and motivational speaker

davesays

By Ryan ShumakerSmartvester Pro at The Retirement Team

Typically when youfail to plan, you areplanning to fail. It’s bestto have a plan beforetrouble comes, ratherthan make emotionaldecisions on the flyduring times of duress as this often leadsto the exact wrong decision. Incrediblynearly 1/3 of investors 65+ (a group typ-ically in or near retirement) sold 100% oftheir investments in stocks or stockmutual funds between February andMay of this year; a time in which stockswere down significantly.

Since stocks hit their bottom at theend of March, many popular US stockmarket indexes have seen gains between40%-60%, as of last month. It is clearthat many that sold exactly at the wrongtime are still sitting on the sidelines too incash or money market funds given thatthere is now currently more money inmoney market funds than there ever hasbeen in history. In fact, there is nearlytwice the amount sitting in cash right

now than there was just 5 years ago.Certainly ‘selling low’ and ‘buying

high’ is not a good investment strategy,but unfortunately it is one that far toomany that are close to or in retirementare following. The bull market thatbegan in March of 2009 and ended inMarch of this year is the longest onewe’ve ever recorded in the United States.It likely left too many feeling far too con-fident. Now at the first sign of troublewhen years of gains were wiped out veryquickly, panic set in and those losses werelocked in by many that sold everything. It is important to always have a plan

ahead of time for not only what to buyand when to buy it, but what to sell andwhen to sell it. It is also important forthose near or in retirement to have astrategy and plan in place for what you’regoing to do when markets fall and howyou’re going to generate reliable incomefrom your investments during suchtimes. Unless you have a really short

retirement it is not a question of if, butwhen and how many times the marketwill fall during your retirement. Relyingon emotions to guide you on the flyrather than having a plan ahead of timewill too often lead to poor outcomes.Typically when someone first comes

into our office they are positioned well ifmarkets perpetually go up, but have noplan and will do poorly when they gosideways or down. It is important to cre-ate a plan for those two eventualities asagain it is not a question of if, but whenand how many times they will occur inthe future. Knowing what you’re going todo ahead of time can help lead to betterpiece of mind, less worry, and less baddecision making, especially if the plan

you have ahead of time ensures yourretirement income stream will be unaf-fected by falling markets.If you are interested in getting such a

plan created, our firm is scheduling newclient meetings via phone, video confer-encing, or in person. Whether or notthere is a ‘second wave’ of theCoronavirus and/or a second selloff laterthis year should not impact a good, solidretirement plan as a good, solid retire-

ment plan should have a strategy to dealwith future market selloffs, regardless ofif they’re caused by a disease or some-thing else.

Material discussed is meant forgeneral/informational purposes and is notintended to be used as the sole basis for anyfinancial decisions, nor be construed asadvice to meet your particular needs. Pleaseconsult a financial professional for furtherinformation. Investment advisory services offered

through Next Generation Investing, LLC.Securities offered through World Equity

Group, Inc. member FINRA and SIPC.Next Generation Investing, LLC, & The

Retirement Team are not owned or con-trolled by World Equity Group.Insurance and annuities offered through

Ryan Shumaker, KS Insurance License#10359614. Ryan can be contacted at 785-228-0222

or RetireTopeka.com.

Nearly 1/3 of investors 65+ sold at market bottom


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P.O. Box 5724, Topeka, KS 66605Phone/Fax:. 785-235-3340

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Got an Opinion?email [email protected] Mr. President,

In recent months we have been witness-ing the formation of two opposing sidesthat I would call Biblical: the children oflight and the children of darkness. Thechildren of light constitute the most con-spicuous part of humanity, while the chil-dren of darkness represent an absoluteminority. And yet the former are the objectof a sort of discrimination which placesthem in a situation of moral inferioritywith respect to their adversaries, who oftenhold strategic positions in government, inpolitics, in the economy and in the media.In an apparently inexplicable way, the goodare held hostage by the wicked and bythose who help them either out of self-interest or fearfulness.These two sides, which have a Biblical

nature, follow the clear separation betweenthe offspring of the Woman and the off-spring of the Serpent. On the one hand,there are those who, although they have athousand defects and weaknesses, aremotivated by the desire to do good, to behonest, to raise a family, to engage in work,to give prosperity to their homeland, tohelp the needy, and, in obedience to theLaw of God, to merit the Kingdom ofHeaven. On the other hand, there are thosewho serve themselves, who do not holdany moral principles, who want to demol-ish the family and the nation, exploit work-ers to make themselves unduly wealthy,foment internal divisions and wars, and

accumulate power and money: for themthe fallacious illusion of temporal well-being will one day – if they do not repent –yield to the terrible fate that awaits them,far from God, in eternal damnation.In society, Mr. President, these two

opposing realities co-exist as eternal ene-mies, just as God and Satan are eternal ene-mies. And it appears that the children ofdarkness – whom we may easily identifywith the deep state which you wiselyoppose and which is fiercely waging waragainst you in these days – have decided toshow their cards, so to speak, by nowrevealing their plans. They seem to be socertain of already having everything undercontrol that they have laid aside that cir-cumspection that until now had at leastpartially concealed their true intentions.The investigations already under way willreveal the true responsibility of those whomanaged the COVID emergency not onlyin the area of health care but also in poli-tics, the economy, and the media. We willprobably find that in this colossal opera-tion of social engineering there are peoplewho have decided the fate of humanity,arrogating to themselves the right to actagainst the will of citizens and their repre-sentatives in the governments of nations.We will also discover that the riots in

these days were provoked by those who,seeing that the virus is inevitably fadingand that the social alarm of the pandemicis waning, necessarily have had to provoke

civil disturbances, because they would befollowed by repression which, althoughlegitimate, could be condemned as anunjustified aggression against the popula-tion. The same thing is also happening inEurope, in perfect synchrony. It is quiteclear that the use of street protests is instru-mental to the purposes of those whowould like to see someone elected in theupcoming presidential elections whoembodies the goals of the deep state andwho expresses those goals faithfully andwith conviction. It will not be surprising if,in a few months, we learn once again thathidden behind these acts of vandalism andviolence there are those who hope to profitfrom the dissolution of the social order soas to build a world without freedom: Solveet Coagula, as the Masonic adage teaches.Although it may seem disconcerting, the

opposing alignments I have described arealso found in religious circles. There arefaithful Shepherds who care for the flock ofChrist, but there are also mercenary infi-dels who seek to scatter the flock and handthe sheep over to be devoured by ravenouswolves. It is not surprising that these mer-cenaries are allies of the children of dark-ness and hate the children of light: just asthere is a deep state, there is also a deepchurch that betrays its duties and forswearsits proper commitments before God. Thusthe Invisible Enemy, whom good rulersfight against in public affairs, is also foughtagainst by good shepherds in the ecclesias-

tical sphere. It is a spiritual battle, which Ispoke about in my recent Appeal whichwas published on May 8.For the first time, the United States has

in you a President who courageouslydefends the right to life, who is notashamed to denounce the persecution ofChristians throughout the world, whospeaks of Jesus Christ and the right of citi-zens to freedom of worship. Your partici-pation in the March for Life, and morerecently your proclamation of the monthof April as National Child AbusePrevention Month, are actions that con-firm which side you wish to fight on. And Idare to believe that both of us are on thesame side in this battle, albeit with differentweapons.For this reason, I believe that the attack

to which you were subjected after your visitto the National Shrine of Saint John Paul IIis part of the orchestrated media narrativewhich seeks not to fight racism and bringsocial order, but to aggravate dispositions;not to bring justice, but to legitimize vio-lence and crime; not to serve the truth, butto favor one political faction. And it is dis-concerting that there are Bishops – such asthose whom I recently denounced – who,by their words, prove that they are alignedon the opposing side. They are subservientto the deep state, to globalism, to alignedthought, to the New World Order whichthey invoke ever more frequently in the

Archbishop Viganò’s powerful letter to President Trump:Eternal struggle between good and evil playing out right now

Many generations ago the JewishKing Hezekiah was in the midst of asuccessful reign when he was threat-ened with invasion by KingSennacherib of Assyria. Sennacheribused lies, deceit and fearful threats to tryand get the people to surrender.Hezekiah countered every attempt. Hetold his people, “With him is an arm offlesh, but with us is the Lord our God tohelp us and to fight our battles. And thepeople took confidence . . .” (2Chronicles 32:8) This makes me think of the decep-

tion that is happening in our countryover racial tensions, causing entirecities, businesses and even churches tofall on their knees in surrender. For thisis not a political, racial or justice issue;this is a battle between good and evil,and we must look to the Lord God to beour help and save our nation. As I followed the news and watched

the George Floyd protests turn to riotsin city after city, I was seeing the samestory lines, the same narratives acrossmost media outlets, including Christianones. I thought to myself, “Do allAfrican Americans agree with what

they are saying?” As I began seeking outdiffering points of view within the blackcommunity, I found articulate AfricanAmerican public figures that statedtheir cases with indisputable facts andgreat persuasion. They built casesagainst the story lines that America hasa racism problem, that white police offi-cers killing unarmed young black menis the greatest threat to their communi-ty, that white privilege is real and thatinstitutional and systemic racism exist.Before listening, there were manypremises I accepted, along with millionsof others in our country, and they logi-cally dismantled them, one after anoth-er. I learned how many were influencedby respected black historical figures likeFredrick Douglas and Booker T.Washington. I also came across regularblack grandmas, grandpas, moms anddads and even young people, that weptinstead of protesting over the destruc-tion of their communities. Some evenshouted, “You did this! Not the police,but you!” And they were lookingthrough their tears at fellow AfricanAmericans. After I had listened toenough, I shouted aloud to myself,“Where are their voices?” I wasabsolutely incensed that only one sideof the black community seems to beheard in national conversations on race. It is easy to receive the impression

that all African Americans standtogether on issues surrounding race. Itis also easy to receive the impressionthat one black voice speaks for all theothers. Not so! The Black Lives Matterorganization does not speak, nor standfor the values of the entire black com-

munity. Nor does Jesse Jackson, AlSharpton, along with leading profes-sional black athletes, musicians, actorsand politicians. These have bigger plat-forms, budgets and organizations.They make more noise and get moreattention. But even so, there are peoplewithin the black community that thinkdifferently and should be listened to. Iencourage my fellow white evangelicalpreachers and leaders to listen and learnfrom them in helping to shape theirthinking and preaching on race. It is written, “. . . evil people and

impostors will go on from bad to worse,deceiving and being deceived” (2Timothy 3:13). Deception is takingplace across America on the issue ofrace and it is causing division and law-lessness which is turning our cities intowar zones. What is the answer? Truth.Deception can be exposed throughinviting truth to the table. What istruth? Jesus and His Word. He is theTruth. Jesus exposed the sin of decep-tion in religious leaders of His day andpaid the ultimate price for it. They con-spired to kill Him, and when He died

and was buried, they cheered thinkingHis voice was gone for good . . . butthree days later He was back! He defeat-ed the violence they plotted againstHim, and rose from the dead makingfools of them all! His voice thenbecame multiplied thousands of timesall over the world through His follow-ers. A prayer for you - “Lord God, I pray

against the sin of deception that is blan-keting our nation. Open the eyes ofpeople to see the truth. Come againstthose planning disruptions and organ-izing chaos. Expose them. Givecourage, open doors and platforms forvoices of truth to speak no matter thecost. And let the church be a place ofbold truth, wrapped in good works andsacrificial love in the midst of thisupheaval. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Clint Decker is President of GreatAwakenings. Hope for Today is a nation-ally syndicated column. If God used one of Clint’s columns to

impact your life, share your story [email protected].

CLINT DECKER President andEvangelist with GreatAwakenings, Inc.

hopefortoday

LEARNING ABOUT RACE FROM OTHER VOICES IN BLACK AMERICA

nn Please see ARCHBISHOP page 7

Topeka Metro Voice ________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ____________________________ July 2020 • 7

Since the murder of George Floyd,there is an increasing pressure for peopleto affirm that Black Lives Matter. Manypastors and Christians have gone out oftheir way to assert that Black Lives Matterand attack those who would say All LivesMatter as racist. Should Christians be apart of BLM? The truth is most people donot understand what the movement isreally about. They are ignorant to thedoctrines being taught to their followers.Much like the Masons of old, the deep-

er you go into the belief structures ofBLM, the more terrifying it becomes. It isthe spiritual grandchild of Malcolm X (aMuslim and a Marxist) and child of LouisFarrakhan (Antisemitic Leader of theBlack Muslims or Nation of Islam, agroup so bad that Islamists call them acult) and Ameer Hassan Loggins(Muslim convert who believes himself tobe a modern-day Malcom X). What didthey teach? The religion that leads toblack liberation is Islam. Capitalism is asystem of oppression. The history ofAmerica is an act of violence. Does any ofthis sound familiar?

Most organizations like this have theirdifferent layers: the sheep (those are theignorant who join out of curiosity orbecause they think this is a righteouscause), the foot soldiers [the ones whocause the violence (Sheep in early trans-formation stage to soldier can often befound with them)], the rabble rousers(They stir the pot getting people angryex. Hollywood elitist, preachers, politi-cians, and celebrities like ColinKaepernick), and finally the inner circlewhich are the driving force and creatorsof the doctrine of the movement.We begin with the outer layer which is

given to the new members of the BLMmovement and can be found on theirwebsite. The first few paragraphs are lieswith some half-truths which are still lies.That nugget of truth gives them credibil-ity in some eyes. The truth to counter their lies would

take a book but here are a few.Zimmerman, a Cuban, was an overzeal-ous Democrat who killed TrayvonMartin, a troublemaker expelled fromschool, who happened to be beating onZimmerman at the time because hethought Martin may have been part of aseries of break-ins in the neighborhood.The media lied. People got angry. BLMtook advantage later on.Then Mike Brown after robbing a con-

venience store was shot by an officer whoalso was defending his life as Brown wentafter his gun. “Hands up. Don’t shoot”was never said, which Attorney EricHolder failed to prove in his own investi-gation. Again the Media lied. BLM alsoadmits to join up with other likemindedgroups without mentioning their name(ANTIFA). They touted that theybrought peace and prosperity toFerguson. They actually brought deathand destruction that Ferguson still hasnot recovered from.From there, BLM states their goal is

“the liberation for all Black People.” Whois oppressing them? White people, ofcourse. When you go deeper, there isstrong hatred toward Jews too.BLM says they are committed to heal-

ing; but all they want to do is stir up rageand wrath with lies. They say they want tocreate a culture alongside their comradeswhere all voices are heard; but in reality, itis culture that silences any who dare todisagree with them. I find interesting theuse of comrade, a communist term.

BLM says they respect and celebratedifferences except of course if you areWhite, Jew, Asian, or hold Judeo-Christian Values. They want justice forBlack People in that all crimes committedby Black people are justified. If you havenot noticed, each death they rally aroundis that of a criminal. Then they talk of thestruggle (Marxist term) and their plan torestore things as they should be. (Note:the state of Ferguson and soonMinneapolis). A higher meaning in thedeeper circle is the Black Domination ofthe world which can be found in theirnext sentence.BLM is “unapologetically Black in our

positioning.” This is basically a declara-tion that they are a political party forBlack People and Black People alone. It isimpossible for a white person to be a truemember of BLM, but they will take your

money. Also freedom and justice forblack people is the prerequisite whichmeans they are the priority.Their next two paragraphs point to

their global goals as well as state theirstance on the LGTBQ movement. Theyseek a one world government for their“Black Family.” They defend those illegal-ly here in America which shows theirdesire for open borders.With transgenders, they must take pre-

dominance over all other people with thismental disorder and are against anythingthat contradicts their existence as normal.They also claim to want to “disrupt”(drastically alter or destroy the structure)the American Nuclear Family. BLMwants to create a world no longer cen-tered around men as they destroy thepatriarchal society. They want to free theBlack Community of “heteronormativethinking” (“belief that all in the world areheterosexual”).BLM is clearly against these Biblical

principles of gender, marriage, and fami-ly. They also seek a one world govern-ment which pits them against the USA;but the deeper you go, the darker it gets.New initiates are sent a plethora of mate-rials, writings and videos, with the solepurpose of indoctrination; and much likeIslam, it produces anger which grows torage and wrath.

Once enraged, the initiate is most sus-ceptible to the end goals. Thus begins thetransformation from peaceful protesterto violent agitators. Here they learn theneed to eliminate “white privilege” and“Jewish privilege.” It is here that the doc-trines of Black Muslims also known asthe Nation of Islam or Black Theologyare inserted into the pupil’s head. Allthree names are a combination of Islamicteachings and Marxist principlesalthough Black Theology wraps it in apseudo-Christian wrapper. In any case,the doctrine of black superiority is key aswell as the elimination of the Jewishproblem and subjugation of the white.The peaceful protester can be reached.

The angry protesters is so enraged theyno longer can be reasoned with. Thennext layer is the indoctrinated. The finallayer is know the truth and deny it.Black Lives Matter is not about saving

black lives. It is a political movement benton inflicting anarchy until it reaches itstrue goal of a socialist (tyrannical) gov-ernment run by those who lead BlackLives Matter. It is also a religious move-ment indoctrinating its followers in Islampreaching that Islam is the liberation ofthe Black people of the world. Either way,it is a movement Christians need to stayfar away from.

The doctrines of Black Lives Matter Jesus didn’t “turn the othercheek” – neither should youBy George Ismael Feliu

What’s the second most misunderstoodpassage of Scripture? (The first: “Judgenot, lest ye be judged” in Matthew 7:1) I’dsay second place goes to Matthew 5:39, “…if a man strike you on the right cheek, turnto him the other as well.”Misunderstanding this passage has led

to public prayers for “our so-called ‘ene-mies’”—as if Christ and his Church don’thave enemies both human and spiritual.Misunderstanding this passage has led toexhortations to a literally helpless pacifism.I raise this difficulty not merely as a bib-

lical conundrum, such as “Did Adam andEve have navels?” It seems that Christrequires complete disarmament in the faceof moral, spiritual and physical evil, so it’sright to ask, “How can this be so?”How can it be right to “turn the other

cheek” with passive indifference when thesacred is traded for sacrilege? When truthis traded for lies? When purity is traded forperversion? When beauty is traded forugliness? When worship is traded forentertainment? When sacred tradition istraded for novelty? When open-handedcharity is traded for the heavy hand of thestate?Are we called to passive indifference

when Western Civilization, the cradle ofour faith and reason, is under attack byenemies secular, sectarian and spiritual?Are we called to mute helplessness whenthe honor of Christ’s Church, is assaulted?Saint Thomas Aquinas admonishes us

for such an imperceptive and myopicreading: “Sacred Scripture should beunderstood according to the way Christand other holy persons followed it.”Regarding “turn the other cheek,”

Aquinas recalls us to John 18:23 whenJesus rebukes the guard who struck him.He also reminds us of Paul’s beating inActs 16:22, “Christ did not turn his othercheek here; and Paul did not do so either.Accordingly, we should not think thatChrist has commanded us to actually turnour physical cheek to one who has struckthe other.” Paul didn’t remain silent whenstruck in Acts 23:3, but warned his abuserof divine judgment and retribution.Following the example of Jesus and the

saints, how is “turn the other cheek” to beunderstood? Surely not in passive indiffer-

ence to evil, or in a feigned helplessnesswhen the treasures of faith and reason arein danger of being lost.Aquinas shows us the way: “To interpret

the injunction of the Sermon on theMount literally is to misunderstand it. Thisinjunction signifies rather the readiness ofthe soul to bear, if it be necessary, suchthings and worse without bitterness to theattacker.” Our Lord is teaching us, by hiswords and example, not to collapse in theface of evil, but, rather, to resist evil whileresisting the temptation to hate the evildo-er.Yes, as Jesus said, we must love our ene-

mies and pray for our persecutors. Thatduty doesn’t preclude defending the vul-nerable, resisting wickedness, or champi-oning what Christ has entrusted to theChurch he founded.The season of Lent is a sacred time

given to us as a kind of “boot camp” andan annual reminder that our souls and allof creation are being contested for. Satanand his minions hate God’s handiworkand would destroy on Earth what has beenmade for Heaven. That war—one witheternal consequences—is being fought inour own hearts and minds. Our love ofGod is always in danger of growing cold,even as our passion for worldliness isalways in danger of being enflamed. Andall around us, the popular culture, thearrogance of the state, the witting andunwitting pawns and puppets of idolswish to seduce us or to silence us, and,finally, to consume us.Lent is a time to discover whether any-

thing other than God has power over us. Itis a time to see with clarity who sits on thethrone of our heart. It’s a time to ascertainwhether we have the humility, docility anddesire necessary to “enter through the nar-row gate” (Matthew 7:13), which is theonly passage into Heaven.My friends, it is time to wake up and

realize that we are in a war, and thingsdon’t look very bright for the home teamright now. Recall that Saint Bernardpreached that, “God chastises the goodwhen they do not fight against evil.” In hismercy, Our Lord gives us Lent to make usfit for the battle we must fight to our verylast breath. –Fr Robert McTeigue

name of a universal brotherhood which hasnothing Christian about it, but whichevokes the Masonic ideals of those whowant to dominate the world by drivingGod out of the courts, out of schools, out offamilies, and perhaps even out of churches.The American people are mature and

have now understood how much themainstream media does not want tospread the truth but seeks to silence anddistort it, spreading the lie that is useful forthe purposes of their masters. However, it isimportant that the good – who are themajority – wake up from their sluggishnessand do not accept being deceived by aminority of dishonest people withunavowable purposes. It is necessary thatthe good, the children of light, cometogether and make their voices heard.What more effective way is there to do this,Mr. President, than by prayer, asking theLord to protect you, the United States, and

all of humanity from this enormous attackof the Enemy? Before the power of prayer,the deceptions of the children of darknesswill collapse, their plots will be revealed,their betrayal will be shown, their frighten-ing power will end in nothing, brought tolight and exposed for what it is: an infernaldeception.Mr. President, my prayer is constantly

turned to the beloved American nation,where I had the privilege and honor ofbeing sent by Pope Benedict XVI asApostolic Nuncio. In this dramatic anddecisive hour for all of humanity, I ampraying for you and also for all those whoare at your side in the government of theUnited States. I trust that the Americanpeople are united with me and you inprayer to Almighty God.United against the Invisible Enemy of all

humanity, I bless you and the First Lady,the beloved American nation, and all menand women of good will.+ Carlo Maria ViganòTitular Archbishop of Ulpiana

ARCHBISHOPcontinued from page 6

8 • July 2020 _______________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews _____________________ Topeka Metro Voice

Summer camp builds confidence, teaches social skills and encourages valueslike respect and responsibility. And the friendships and memories will last a life-time! But how do you know if your child is ready for camp?Here are five tips to help you decide. Encourage independence.Allow children to take charge of their routines. Let

them brush their teeth, shower and get dressed on their own. Do they do a (most-ly) good job? If so, they’ll be able to handle these everyday tasks at camp. Practice being away from home. If your child has never spent a night away,

now is the time to try. If they do well, they’re probably ready for sleepaway camp.Talk it out. Have an open conversation about camp. What are they worried

about? Address their fears while encouraging them that camp is a welcomingplace. Visit camp.Attend our open house, Saturday, May 6, from 1-5 p.m. Bring your

camper and let them explore. When they return this summer, camp will be afamiliar place. Trust your instincts. Parents know their children best. If you still have concerns

about a full week of camp, try one of the following options.MINI-CAMP: Designed for 5-to-8 year-olds, Mini-Camp is a four-day session

and serves as a great introduction to camp.FAMILY CAMP: Our weekend family camps are designed to build strong fam-

ilies through shared adventures and time together outdoors. It’s a great way to helpparents and campers feel comfortable with the Camp Wood YMCA experience.Explore www.campwood.org to learn about Camp Wood YMCA’s summer

and family camps or give us a call at (620) 273-8641.

Finding the rightbalance of “up time”and “down time” forteenagers can be excep-tionally difficult, par-ticularly in a culturewhere kids are regular-ly bombarded withstimulation. So,whileyou want your campattendees to beengaged, I recommendbanning electronics(cellphones, MP3 play-ers, laptops, etc) toallow your attendees tofocus on why they arethere, specifically onstrengthening theirrelationship with theLord. Another impor-tant thing to consideris the unique rest needsof the average teenager.The average teen needs roughlynine hours of sleep a night, buttheir bodies don’t start to signalthat it’s time to go to sleep untilaround 11 pm because of the hor-monal changes their bodies aregoing through.Because of this unique combi-

nation of physical needs, glow-in-the dark night games are a greatway to engage your camp atten-dees. They provide the opportuni-ty for teens to fellowship with oneanother while still addressing theunique needs their bodies have. Inaddition to the night games activ-ities linked above a more tradi-tional camp fire, singalong, and/ors’mores event is another fun activ-ity for youth! As with all food,make sure that the snacks youserve are something everyone canenjoy.Having a late night (especially

for the adult youth leaders) gamenight would ideally mean havingmorning to sleep in under normalcircumstances, but at youth camp,this isn’t always the case!

Having activities that keep yourteens active and engaged through-out the day may also make thosenights slightly less late. Tying youractivities into your theme is also agreat way for your attendees tolearn more about the Gospel, par-ticularly that the message of JesusChrist is good news and it’s okayto have fun with it at the sametime! Some other activities youcan use to engage teens in theretreat include service projects,talent shows, or arts and crafts.As you plan your activities, you

may also want to consider howyou want to conduct them. Are

you breaking your attendees intoteams somehow? You can dividepeople by age group, congrega-tion, or if you are having a multi-year event you could divide yourattendees into “first year” “secondyear” and so forth. Dividing upyour campers into teams couldalso facilitate unique ideas thatwill really engage your attendeeson the spot. Overall, the most important

thing to remember when planningactivities for your youth camp isto keep it fun, stay within yourtheme, and help your attendeesdraw closer to Christ.

How to plan a Christian youth camp: Activities and games

CAMP INVENTION - Most Pure Heart of Mary July 6 - July 10. Regional programsponsors include ShurTech Brands, LLC. A nationally recognized, nonprofit sum-mer enrichment camp program from National Inventors Hall of Fame.

FOCUS Family Fun Night and Virtual Vacation Bible Camp - July 12, 6:30-8:30pm, Susanna Wesley UMC, 7433 SW 29th St. Families will be able to engagein a variety of activities including VBC videos and music on a giant inflatablescreen, STEM projects, family scavenger hunt, family water balloon fight, games,and crafts. There will also be popsicles, giveaways, and more. For children 3yrs. old through entering 5th grade. Children will receive a swag bag with VBCgoodies and daily materials for a “virtual” VBC through fun, self-guided, onlineactivities from July 13 to 16. This is a free event, but participants are encour-aged to preregister to help in planning. Call Jaymie Genovese at 785-3697 orregister at https://swumc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/409522.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL – July 13-17, 6-8pm. All children going intoKindergarten through 6th grade are invited to attend. 785.286.0467. BethelBaptist Church, 401l N. Kansas Ave.

ZIP FOR KIDS VBS – July 20-24, 6-8pm, Grace Community Church, 310 E. 8th St,Overbrook. Offering tracks in Cooking, Construction, Art, Messy Games andScience. Preschool through 5th Grade. 785-6706456, gccinoverbrook.com, [email protected]

ROCKY RAILWAY VBS – July 27-31, 5:15 – 8:15pm, Faith Lutheran Church, 17th& Gage. Climb aboard for mountains of fun! On this faith-filled adventure, kidsdiscover that trusting Jesus pulls them through life’s ups and downs. Register orvolunteer at faithlutherantopeka.com > ministries > children|families.785.272.4214; [email protected]

DAY CAMP - July 27 through July 31, Trinity Presbyterian Church 4749 SW 21st St.Crafts, Games, Music, Theatre, Archery, Outside Water Activities (weather per-mitting), Bible Reading, Prayer Time, Journaling. $60/child for the week. Age:Completed Kindergarten through Entering 7th Grade. www.TrinityPresbyterian.net785 272 2620

vbs & summer camps

Is your child ready for Summer Camp?

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4 Reasons VBS Is Important to the Local Church

What images pop into yourhead when you hear the wordsVacation Bible School?If VBS has been a great experi-

ence for you as a child or adult (orboth!), you are probably smiling.Some may think of VBS as "oldschool" or not an event for yourstyle of ministry. You might thinkVBS is OK, but you feel pressurebecause you need an event thatsets your church apart from othersin your area.If you are not sure VBS is for

you, here are a few things to con-sider.1. VBS is a dependable ongoing

ministry.For 90 years, LifeWay has pro-

vided trusted VBS resources tochurches, reaching more than25,000 churches and 3 millionpeople annually. VBS can be a short-term event

with long-term results.With a typical five-day time

frame, VBS offers a chance to pullout all the stops and create anunforgettable experience.Research shows connections madeduring VBS result in salvations,discovery of church prospects andpotential workers for other ongo-ing children's programs. Also, it isnot uncommon for a leader to vol-unteer to help for "just one weekof VBS," and feel God's tug on hisor her heart to work with kids per-manently.2. VBS creates lasting memories.

VBS is a special event that cre-ates memories that help lock Bibletruths in a child's heart and mindfor a lifetime. Birthday parties andother special events have themesthat use creativity to evoke feel-ings of excitement. Games, food,decorations and fun all linktogether in a total package. VBSdoes the same thing. When weconnect with kids through thisministry, the biblical truths thatpermeate all aspects of VBS alsoconnect with their hearts andminds.3. VBS is an opportunity to

share the gospel.VBS is an intentional evangelis-

tic opportunity.The biblical content built into

the curriculum lays foundationaltruths that help kids understandwho Jesus is and why they need apersonal Savior. The relationshipsyou develop with kids and theirfamilies can provide many oppor-tunities to not only show the loveof Jesus, but to share the truth ofthe gospel.

4. VBS is an event that you cancustomize.VBS is what you make it.Whether you provide an on-

campus experience that encour-ages your church kids to bringtheir friends or an off-campus,community-centered BackyardKids Club, the purpose of sharingthe good news about Jesus is thesame. Some churches are findingthat it's worth the effort to doboth. After a great on-campusexperience, you can take thoseresources to backyards and com-munity rooms, or on missiontrips.VBS is the resource. The name

you choose can be your own! Youcan call it VBS, Kids' Week, FunZone or any event name of yourchoice. Kids will come to love andtalk about the events that excitethem, engage them, and help themknow that God and the people atyour church really care aboutthem.VBS is an opportunity to ignite

the imagination of your church,involve volunteers for a specific"doable" commitment and con-nect with the kids in your churchand community.The methods you use will create

memories. The message you sharewill change lives.

Every year, more than25,000 churches host VBS

and more than 3 millionpeople experience it. Hereare four reasons why so

many people participate in VBS every year.

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Breaking-newsWebsite.

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For today's tweens and teens,technology is part of the fabricof everyday life. They're watch-ing TV on lots of devices andusing smartphones and tabletsto maximum advantage -- tex-ting, researching, sharing, con-necting -- and generally causinglots of hand-wringing amongparents who don't know howmuch is too much. While going to camp has

always seemed like a good wayfor kids to spend their summers,recent studies makes campsound not just good but essen-tial for our youngsters–especial-ly in the age of constantly being“plugged in.”It's not your imagination --

media use is off the charts.Teens use an average of ninehours of entertainment mediaper day, and tweens use an aver-age of six hours, plus severalmore hours spent using media. That’s well over one-third of

our kids’ waking hours!The Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention reportthat an American child is sixtimes more likely to play a videogame on any given day than ride

a bike.What better way to unplug

than a week or two at summercamp? Wanda DeWaard, SectionExecutive for the AmericanCamp Association, agrees.“Being plugged in is so isolat-

ing for children,” DeWaard said.“And going to camp is a greatway to make sure that they get abalanced life experience.”In fact, one thing that most

camp programs share is the rulethat tech devices stay at home.Whether it’s a theater camp,

an art camp, a soccer camp or atraditional outdoor experiencecamp, most require that cellphones and video games stay athome or buried deep in thebackpack, only to surface whenit’s time for Mom and Dad topick up campers.DeWaard applauds this poli-

cy, saying, “Cell phones encour-age homesickness.” What sum-mer camp encourages are all thethings that entertainmentmedia can’t provide.DeWaard sums it up this way,

“Camp is all about experiencinglife directly rather than virtual-ly.”

Camp a great way to unplug

10 • July 2020 _______________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ______________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ______________________ Topeka Metro Voice

Now that Downtown business-es are opening again after beingclosed for so long, they are reallyeager to serve you!Summertime is the perfect time

to visit Downtown Topeka, andhelp the merchants make up forlost time! There are many funplaces and events to visit, andshopping downtown can also befun, with all the unique shops anda bit of nostalgia in the air. Itmight remind you of a time whenshopping was more exciting, morepersonal, and less of a chore. There have been manyimprovements to the downtownarea in the last couple of years!You can check out the many newstreet statues and other art on thedowntown sidewalks. You mightalso run across some street musi-cians and sidewalk vendors at var-ious times and places. Whether you are in the moodfor shopping, eating or looking atart, you will most likely find whatpleases you in downtown Topeka! Don’t forget to check the list ofdowntown events – there is alwayssomething going on, and you

wouldn’t want to miss it! Following are some tidbitsfrom some of your friendly down-town merchants. Why not take atrip downtown and visit them?They are waiting to serve you!

A little bit of Heaven

Working side-by-side at CashmereGourmet Popcorn, Bill and Angie

Anderson’s goal is to create a high-quality product in every handcraft-ed batch of popcorn, and provide it

to you with unmatched customerservice. Faith and family is the driv-ing force behind this amazing com-pany. In fact, their family motto hasalways been, and will always be,"Thanks Be To God!" Along with daughters Aleighaand Emily, they produce, packageand market the popcorn. Withabout twenty flavors to choosefrom, you’ll find a little bit of heav-en in every bag.

A Full-Service Florist, HomeDecor & Gift Shop Downtown

Absolute Design by Brenda, 629 S.Kansas Avenue, offers hand-selectedflowers and exquisite designs with

delivery throughout the Topeka area. They have an expansive line ofgifts, jewelry and home decor for allyour holiday and year-round needs. Save $5.00 by using the couponon this page!You can also order or wire flowers

24 hours a day at their website::www.absolutedesignbybrenda.com.

Let your sweet tooth run wild

Owners Nick & Terry Xidis investtheir hearts and hands in fine choco-late and confectionery. This summer,

they will also feature frozen treats likechocolate-dipped ice cream bars,bananas or cheesecake slices.“Stroll into our cozy shop, savor the

intoxicating aroma of newbornsweets,” Terry says. “You’ll never leaveempty handed.”Hazel Hill, Terry’s grandmother, is

a symbol of their dedication to a fam-ily tradition of “the best in everythingthey do.” Nick is the third-generationchocolatier, and they use only thefinest ingredients, chocolate, freshcream and butter, to produce hand-made treats that explode with flavor.

Handmade chocolate truffles,home-style fudge, crispy-creamycaramel apples and more - they fash-ion delightful treats for every palate. Need a gift basket, gift box, or just

a few delicious chocolates to go?They’ll take care of all the packingand shipping, too

Pancakes and more

Hanover’s Pancake House at 1034S. Kansas Avenue has been a localfavorite since 1969! With a wide vari-ety on the menu, and friendly service,it’s a great place to stop for breakfast,lunch or brunch! They are alsofameous for the pork tenderloinsandwich, and it is huge!With the friendly service and gen-

erous portions, you won’t go away

hungry!

Diamonds are Forever

You'll find many specials andgift ideas at David's Jewelers, 623S. Kansas - a family business thathas served Topeka for four gener-ations. And this year they arenow celebrating 50 years in busi-ness! D i a m o n drings, pendants and earrings usu-ally top the list but they also offervivid colored gemstones inunique settings, watches, clocks,

statues and fine crystal, as well asmany other gift items, whetherfor yourself or someone else.

"Gifts can start at $20.00 and

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Topeka Metro Voice _______________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ___________________________ July 2019 • 11

Check out these upcoming Summertime Events & Activities Downtown!While you’re making your way

around the downtown area, checkout the new things to look at onboth sides of the street -- thereare lots of new features! Andwatch for these downtown eventscoming up:

ART WALK ON FIRST FRIDAYS –Downtown & NOTO arts district. Arts,antiques, fine crafts, many moreitems. Free shuttle will run from 5pm to 9 pm. The stops are at theNOTO Arts Center, 8th and Kansas,and 6th and Jackson. It runs every 15minutes. The vehicle is handicapequipped. The Washburn UniversityImprove will entertain you during yourride. NOONTIME BROWN BAG CONCERTSERIES - Every Wednesday 11am to1pm in Downtown Topeka

CAPITOL MIDWEEK FARMERS MAR-KET – Wed. 7:30am-noon, May 15-Oct. 9, Jackson & 10th.DOWNTOWN TOPEKA FARMERS MAR-KET - Saturday's through Nov.,

7:30am-noon, 12th & Harrison. Theopen-air market is full of fresh fruitsand vegetables, herbs, arts & crafts,flower, home-baked goods and more. SWING DANCING AT JAYHAWKTHEATRE. Check website for times

ROCK & FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL - July25. If you consider yourself a foodieand are in the Topeka area, you'll beat the CoreFirst Bank & Trust Rock &Food Trucks Fest on July 25. It's justthat simple. Not only will there beawesome tunes, there will be delec-table, Instragramable food optionsa-plenty! Musical talent includesThe Weeks, Machine Gun Symphonyand Chance Encounter.

CRUISIN' THE CAPITOL – Aug. 8. Areyou car-ismatic? Then you don'twant to miss the eighth annualCruisin’ the Capitol Car Show - oneof Downtown Topeka's signatureevents. This car show is unique formany reasons, including that it isopen to all makes, models, years andstyles. In fact, it isn't unusual to spymultiple variations of classic musclecars, souped-up rides, vintage road-sters and more!COUNTRY & FOOD TRUCKS – Aug.22. Get ready to boot scoot! Whetheryou're a fan of classic or contempo-rary, this year's Country and Food

Trucks will get you on your feet andmoving. But when the hunger hitsyou, be sure to make your way over toour lineup of great local and regionalfood trucks. Enjoy music fromFilmore and Drew Six.

TOUCH A TRUCK – Sep. 12.Downtown Topeka Touch-A-Truck is alocal Topeka event that brings theconstruction industry to life! This isa great event that will provide yourchildren with hands-on learningopportunities on top of a truck-loadof fun!JAZZ AND FOOD TRUCKS - September26. Foodies and Jazz aficionados

rejoice! Topeka’s Downtown Jazz &Food Truck Festival is Saturday,September 19. Both local andnational musical talent will take thestage at the Evergy Plaza and a widevariety of food trucks and vendorswill be along the avenue ready toserve concert goers. Enjoy the musi-cal stylings of the Relatively BrassBand and the Brian Bagget Trio. HOLLEY MILITARY MUSEUM –Downtown Ramada Inn. Featuring 5galleries, named after world leaders.Featuring World War II artifacts, AirForce One exhibit, Kansas WarHeroes, Space, Vietnam & more.Cost: Free. 10am-8pm daily.

KANSAS STATE CAPITOL – Mon.-Fri.,8am–5pm, SW 10th & Jackson St.Tours provided. For info: 296-3966 orwww.kshs.org/capitol. Dome ToursM-F 10:30am-4:15pm.

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1034 S. Kansas Avenue - (785) 232-1111www.hanoverpancakehouse.com

Hanover Pancake House...need I say more?

For Breakfast and Lunch it’s...

go from there," said Mitzi frombehind the counter at David's.

"We will be glad to help youfind that special gift for that spe-cial someone."

Don’t forget to check out theCapitol Building and the manystatues on the grounds there.

There are so many other uniqueshops donwtown you won’tbelieve it! Don’t stop with thisincomplete list! There’s plentymore to discover in DowntownTopeka this summer!

Bring a friend, or the family,and re-discover the joy of hangingout downtown!

12 • July 2020 _____________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ______________________ Topeka Metro Voice

TO NORTHTOPEKA!

As North Topeka businesses begin toreopen, at least in a limited fashion andwith safety precautions, event promotersare beginning to reschedule events.The 7th Annual EasterFest, the Easter

Parade and Family Fun Fair, held every yearat Garfield Park, will now celebrate on Aug.29.NOTO Movie Nites returns this sum-

mer also, with big screen movies set up out-doors. Bring your chairs & blankets!NOTO Arts Center has a class on Color

& Design. For information on classes call785-408-8996.; now open Thursdaythrough Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. andSaturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.NOTO Arts District also welcomes the

following new business to the area:• Thin & Crisp Gourmet Pizza, 822 N.

Kansas Ave.

And of course, North Topeka hosts FirstFriday like no other place in Topeka!Topeka Arts District has become an attrac-tion to Art Lovers and History Buffs alikewith beautiful scenes of art and history. Therestaurants, locally owned shops, art gal-leries and studios have become a favoriteart walk destination. Entertainment can also be found on

First Fridays, at various venues during theartwalk up and down N. Kansas Avenue, aswell as streetside vendors. The restaurants,locally owned shops, art galleries and stu-dios have also become favorite art walk des-tinations. You can also visit 3rd Friday's NOTO

Night Out! Many Merchants are also openlonger hours on Second Saturdays.Don’t forget to check out the new

Redbud Park across from the Arts Center!

More North Topeka events:

MOTHER TERESA’S FARMERSMARKET – Saturdays, 8:30-11:30am, 2014NW 46th St."SOUNDS OF FREEDOM" CON-

CERT - July 6, 7-8pm, Redbud Park inNOTO, 924 N. Kansas Ave. KansasNational Guard 35th Infantry Division cit-izen soldiers performC5Alive “POWER” LUNCHEON - Aug.

13, 11:30-1, C5Alive Power Luncheon atNOTO Arts Center; Ex. Dir. TomUnderwood will speak about comingchanges to NOTO Arts District.

35% OFF Burgers!

Summer brings more activiy to NOTO

More important than living in KANSAS iswhere you will live forever. Just as you wouldlook at a map of KANSAS to find your way, soyou must look at the Bible to find your way toheaven. The Bible says, “Narrow is the way,which leadeth unto life, and few there be thatfind it.” (Matt. 7:14). Jesus said, “I am the way,the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto theFather, but by me.” (Jn. 14:6). Jesus is theonly way to Heaven and He gave these direc-tions on getting there.

1. Realize you are a sinner. Everyonestarts the same place spiritually. “For all havesinned and come short of the glory of god.”(Rom. 3:23). Sin’s penalty keeps you out ofHeaven and condemns you to Hell, separat-ing you from God. Romans 6:23 says, “Thewages of sin is death.” Sin brings both physi-cal & spiritual death. “And death and hell werecast into the lake of fire. This is the seconddeath.” (Rev. 20:14).

2. Realize Jesus paid the penalty. JesusChrist’s death, burial, and resurrection provid-ed a way for you to go to heaven and restoreyour relationship with God. “But God com-mendeth his love toward us, in that, while wewere yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom.5:8). Since Jesus, God’s Son, was the onlyOne who could pay for our sin, He is the onlyWay to Heaven.

3. Repent of your sin and receive Jesus asyour Savior. In order to go to Heaven fromKANSAS, or anywhere else, you must acceptChrist by calling on Him in prayer. He tells usin Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall callupon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”Use the following prayer, or one similar to it, toreceive Him now:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. Ibelieve that you died and rose again for me.Please forgive me of my sin, become Lord ofmy life, and take me to heaven when I die. Iam trusting you completely, and in nothing Ican do. Thank you Jesus! Amen.

CONCERTSKANSAS PRAIRIE PICKERS – Fourth Sun. ea. Month,1pm, Auburn Commu-nity Center. Foot-stomping, hand-clapping tunes. Concessions availableTOPEKA ACOUSTIC MUSIC JAM - First Sat. of ea.month, 3-5pm, Potwin Presbyterian Church (entersouth door), 400 S.W. Washburn: [email protected] BERRYTON PICKERS - First Sat. of ea. month, 7-9pm, Berryton Baptist Church. Bring snacks, have fun!GRAND O’ OPRY - 2nd & 4th Saturday, 6:30PM-pre-show, 7PM showtime, Ottawa Memorial Auditorium, 301S Hickory, Ottawa. Tickets are $10 and only at the door.Ph. 785-214-0013, email [email protected]. FOR KING & COUNTRY – Jul. 2, 7pm, ProvidenceMedical Center Amphitheater, 633 N. 130th St. BonnerSprings. Special guests Echosmith and Dave Barnes. BROWNBAG CONCERT – Wednesdays, 11am-1pm, July 8- Aug. 26. Downtown Topeka on Kansas Ave. Variousartists perform live.DUO DU Jour – July 10, 7:30-10:30, Classic Bean,Fairlawn Plaza. Joel Davidson & Stephanie TeagardenCASTING CROWNS – Oct. 23, 7pm, Stormont Vail EventCenter. Special guest will be Matthew West. For info:castingcrowns.com

SPECIAL CHURCH EVENTSSENIOR FIT & FUN PROGRAM - every Mon., Wed., &Fri., 1:30pm, Rolling Hills Christian Church, 4530 NWHiawatha Place (US Hwy 75 & NW 46th St.) 785-286-0601 or [email protected] SENIOR SOLO'S – Every 3rd Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. atFirst Assembly Church, 500 SW 27th St, downstairsFellowship Hall. Games & Fellowship, lots of Laughter &Fun. 785-817-3071.HARVESTER'S PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS - everysecond Sat., takes place at Christian Lord Ministries,2421 SE California. Call 266-4979.FREE WEEKLY COMMUNITY PANCAKE BREAKFAST –Sundays at 10am sharp, at Oakland Church of theNazarene: 900 block of NE Oakland, followed by churchservices at 10:45am - followed at noon by The HopeHouse FREE Community Food & Clothing Banks.FIRST WEDNESDAY WESLEY CAFE – First Wed.,6:15pm, Susanna Wesley UMC, 7433 SW 29th. A wor-ship service will follow at 7:00. 785-478-3697 orwww.swumc.org/wesley-cafe-sign-up1.html . FIRST SATURDAY BREAKFAST BUFFET – 7:30 AM -10:00 AM, Shawnee Heights UMC, 6020 SE 44thNSIDE OUT FELLOWSHIP – Every Saturday, 6:30pm.Faith Temple Church, 1162 SW Lincoln. For info: 785-

380-7031 or [email protected] INVENTION - July 6 - 10, Most Pure Heart of Mary.Regional program sponsors include ShurTech Brands,LLC. A nationally recognized, nonprofit summer enrich-ment camp program from National Inventors Hall ofFame.FOCUS Family Fun Night and Virtual Vacation BibleCamp - July 12, 6:30-8:30pm, Susanna Wesley UMC,7433 SW 29th St. Families will be able to engage in avariety of activities including VBC videos and music ona giant inflatable screen, STEM projects, family scav-enger hunt, family water balloon fight, games, andcrafts. There will also be popsicles, giveaways, andmore. For children 3 yrs. old through entering 5th grade.Children will receive a swag bag with VBC goodies anddaily materials for a “virtual” VBC through fun, self-guided, online activities from July 13 to 16. This is a freeevent, but participants are encouraged to preregister tohelp in planning. Call Jaymie Genovese at 785-3697 orregister at https://swumc.churchcenter.com/registra-tions/events/409522. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL – July 13-17, 6-8pm. All chil-dren going into Kindergarten through 6th grade areinvited to attend. 785.286.0467. Bethel Baptist Church,401l N. Kansas Ave.ZIP FOR KIDS VBS – July 20-24, 6-8pm, GraceCommunity Church, 310 E. 8th St, Overbrook. Offeringtracks in Cooking, Construction, Art, Messy Games andScience. Preschool through 5th Grade. 785-6706456,gccinoverbrook.com, [email protected] RAILWAY VBS – July 27-31, 5:15 – 8:15pm,Faith Lutheran Church, 17th & Gage. Climb aboard formountains of fun! On this faith-filled adventure, kidsdiscover that trusting Jesus pulls them through life’sups and downs. Register or volunteer at faithlutheran-topeka.com > ministries > children|families.785.272.4214; [email protected] CAMP - July 27 through July 31, Trinity PresbyterianChurch 4749 SW 21st St. Crafts, Games, Music, Theatre,Archery, Outside Water Activities (weather permitting),Bible Reading, Prayer Time, Journaling. $60/child for theweek. Age: Completed Kindergarten through Entering7th Grade. www.TrinityPresbyterian.net 785 272 2620

SEMINARS & CONFERENCESMEDICARE MONDAYS – First Mon. ea. month, 1-3pm.Topeka/Sh. Co. Public Library, 1515 SW 10th. JayhawkArea Agency on Aging offers Senior health insurancecounseling. For info: 580-4545 or [email protected]

FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENTSSENIORS NUTRITIONAL LUNCH – Weekdays, except hol-idays, at noon at Auburn Civic Center, 1020 N.

Washington Street. Minimal cost per person.Reservations/cancellations required 24 hours inadvance by calling Meals on Wheels of Jefferson &Shawnee Co. at 295-3980. Each meal includes 1% milk& sugar-free items for diabetics. 215- 0064.BADMINTON – Mon. & Fri. 6-8pm, First Baptist Church,30th and MacVicar. Topeka Badminton Club invitesplayers of all ages and skill levels to come for informalgames. The fee is $3 per night. Free instruction uponrequest. Susan at 267-4906.DOWNTOWN TOPEKA LIONS CLUB - 2nd & 4th Mondaysat Noon, Madison Street Diner inside the RamadaDowntown, Guests are welcome.SHEPHERDS CENTER PICKLEBALL GROUP - plays Mon.& Wed. Mon. at Countryside UMC, 32nd & Burlingame,from 3-5. Park on the NORTH side & use the furthestWEST door. Follow the hallway to gym. On Wed. at FirstBaptist, 30th & MacVicar, from 1-3. Park on the WESTside. Gym is right inside the doors. TOPEKA SWING DANCE - Tuesdays, 7-8pm, SwingDance Lessons, no partner required, Jayhawk Theatre,720 SW Jackson. www.topekaswingdance.com.SAFE STREETS COALITION MEETING – First Wed. of themonth, 11:45am-1pm. Great Overland Station. For info:266-4606 or [email protected] FARMERS MARKET - every Wed. 4-6pmin Carbondale City Park. Vendor-grown or vendor-pro-duced. For vendor info, contact Mary at 836-7887. TOPEKA TWILIGHT LIONS BRANCH CLUB - 2ndWednesdays, 6:30 pm, Madison Street Diner, insideRamada Downtown. Guests are welcomeCOUNTRY AND BALLROOM DANCING - Thursdays 6-9pm. Croco Hall. Info: Edwina 379-9538 or 478-4760.SHEPHERDS CENTER LINE DANCING GROUP - meets2nd & 4th Thur, 2-4 at First UMC, 6th & Topeka. Parkon the west side & use west door. Immediately inside,turn left & walk the ramp to the library, then left to ele-vator. Push [B] for fellowship hall 785-249-3258. .FIRST FRIDAY ART MARKET – Downtown and NOTOarts district. Arts, antiques, fine crafts, flea marketitems, snacks & beverages, entertainment and more.SAVING DEATH ROW DOGS ADOPTION BOOTH - EverySat., 11am - 2pm, Petco, 1930 SW Wanamaker. SomeSat. adoption booths are held at PetSmart, 2020 SWWestport Dr. Updates at savingdeathrowdogs.comTOPEKA FOLK DANCERS CLASSES - Sundays, 2-4pm,2637 SE 41st St. Dances from 20 countries. No part-ners or experience necessary. No fee. 215-0968. TOPEKA ACAPELLA UNLIMITED AUDITIONS – AnyMonday 7pm, at Seaman Community Church,Fellowship Hall, 2036 NW Taylor. More female singersare needed to sing four part acapella harmonies. Comebe our guest any Monday night. Topeka AcapellaUnlimited is a Chapter of Sweet Adelines, International.Call Cindy at 785-640-7403 for info SQUARE DANCING - Shawnee Swingers has monthlydances and sponsors lessons in the Fall. Call or text785-845-2357; [email protected]. OnFacebook: Shawnee Swingers Square Dance Club.wesquaredance.comHARVESTERS MOBILE FOOD PANTRY, 1st & 3rdSaturdays, 2-3pm, Shawnee Heights UMC parking lot.DOWNTOWN TOPEKA FARMERS MARKET - Saturday'sApril 11 through Nov. 7, 7:30am-noon, 12th &Harrison. The open-air market is full of fresh fruits andvegetables, herbs, arts & crafts, flower, home-bakedgoods and more. JUL. CYCLING EVENTS – Various cycle rides are offeredby Kansas Cyclist. www.kansascyclist.com/JUL. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES – Outdoor events andactivities. www.getoutdoorskansas.org/calendar

TOPEKA HIGH PATRIOTIC CHIMES CONCERT - June 28,6 p.m. Music played on the 89 year old Topeka HighDeagan Chimes System. Food trucks will be availablefor a picnic on the Topeka High lawn as you enjoyAmericana at it's best. Music will be played on the onlyworking 18-note Deagan Chimes system in the world.TOUCH A FIRETRUCK, HOT DOGS, & FIREWORKS SHOW- Jul 2, 7-10pm, Osage Co. Fairgrounds, 510 Cedar,Overbrook. Free hotdogs, and a fireworks show atdark! FIRST FRIDAY ARTWALK – July 3, NOTO, Downtownand all over Topeka. 5-8pm.FREEDOM FEST - July 3, 6:30pm, Grace CommunityChurch, 310 E. 8th, Overbrook. Celebrate our freedomwith food, fun, fellowship and fireworks. 785-6706456,gccinoverbrook.com, [email protected]

SPIRIT OF KANSAS INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVAL –Jul. 4. Lake Shawnee, 3315 SE Tinman Cir. Car show8:30am, fireworks at 9:30pm. Blues Festival and vendorbooths are cancelled this year. Free event.INDEPENDENCE DAY – July 4. Have fun and be safe. Itis not legal to discharge fireworks within the Topeka citylimits except these times: July 3, 10:00am-11:00pm andJuly 4, 10:00am-11:59pm."SOUNDS OF FREEDOM" CONCERT - July 6, 7-8pm,Redbud Park in NOTO, 924 N. Kansas Ave. KansasNational Guard 35th Infantry Division citizen soldiersperform2019 NATIONAL NIGHT OUT PLANNING MEETING – Jul.7, 6:30 pm, Topeka & Shawnee Co. Library, Rm 101BC.Come register your neighborhood event and shareideas.C5Alive “POWER” LUNCHEON – July 9, 11:30-1, at ThePeak, 1920 SW Gage. Discussion of Covid impact, ideaexchange, and tribute to the late Drew Walker, C5 boardmember and EasterFest emcee.. • Cost: $10 for C5 members & first-time guests whoRSVP, $12 at the door• $15 for non-members & repeat guests.• Please RSVP to [email protected], so we know howmuch food is needed!Open to the public – Put POWER in your life with greatfood, great speakers and great company! Invite a friendto join you! SAVE THE DATE: Aug. 13, 11:30-1, C5Alive PowerLuncheon at NOTO Arts Center; Ex. Dir. Tom Underwoodwill speak about coming changes to NOTO Arts District.2020 SUNFLOWER STATE GAMES - July 10-19.www.sunflowerstategames.comTOPEKA YOUTH PROJECT GOLF CLASSIC – Jul. 17,Village Greens. 8am shotgun. 7:30 registration. Lunchfollows tourney. Cash prizes! Two $500 closest to pinprizes! Call 273-4141 to register. Benefits Topeka youthprograms.JESUS FEST – July 18, 7-10 pm, Salvation Army, 1320

SE 6th Ave. Free Christian concert, free food and drinks(while supplies last). Jrock Jennings - Joplin, Mo; BluesHealer Band - Topeka, Ks; Surrender - Topeka, Ks;Christina Johnson- KCMO; Eric Connell - Topeka, Ks(personal testimony); Index - Topeka, Ks; HOPE- Wichita,KsLADIES DAY OUT – Jul. 18, 10am-3pm, Ag Hall. A day ofshopping and pampering! Come support local smallbusinesses. There will be 80 booths for snacks, beauty,health, home goods, decor, gifts, local businesses,clothing, jewelry, and more! Many booths will be offeringfree samples or pampering services. Adm is $2 donationfor Foster the Cause. First 100 women will receive agoodie bag loaded with coupons and samples from ven-dors.ROCK & FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL - July 25. If you consid-er yourself a foodie and are in the Topeka area, you'll beat the CoreFirst Bank & Trust Rock & Food Trucks Feston July 25. It's just that simple. Not only will there beawesome tunes, there will be delectable,Instragramable food options a-plenty! Musical talentincludes The Weeks, Machine Gun Symphony andChance Encounter. YOUTH FOR CHRIST GOLF CLASSIC – July 31, 11:30reg.; 12:30 shotgun start, Lake Shawnee. Several spon-sorship levels available. Lots of prizes! 232-8296 ortopekayfc.orgCRUISIN' THE CAPITOL – Aug. 8. Are you car-ismatic?Then you don't want to miss the eighth annual Cruisin’the Capitol Car Show - one of Downtown Topeka's sig-nature events. This car show is unique for many rea-sons, including that it is open to all makes, models,years and styles. In fact, it isn't unusual to spy multiplevariations of classic muscle cars, souped-up rides, vin-tage roadsters and more!GOLF CLASSIC AND AUCTION - The Washburn AthleticsGolf Classic and Auction is rescheduled for Aug. 20-21.The four-person Scramble is sold out. Spots still remainfor the ShambleCOUNTRY & FOOD TRUCKS – Aug. 22. Get ready to bootscoot! When the hunger hits you, be sure to make your

FREE LISTINGS! E-mail your events to: [email protected]; mail to Metro Voice, P.O. 5724, Topeka, KS 66605; fax to 785-235-3340 or enter online at metrovoicenews.comGet your event Highlighted in Blue in print, our online calendar and promoted in social media for only $29!

t h e e v e n t scalendarTopeka Metro Voice ________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ______________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews __________________________ July 2020 • 13

The Area’s Most Complete Guide to the Family-Friendly Events You Want to See!

14 • July 2020 ___________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ________________________ Topeka Metro Voice way over to our lineup of great local and regional foodtrucks. Enjoy music from Filmore and Drew Six.7th ANNUAL EASTERFEST: TOPEKA EASTER PARADE &FUN FAIR – Aug. 29, 10am-3pm, North KansasAvenue & Garfield Park. Topeka’s annual EasterParade will begin at 10am at the tracks in NOTO andproceed north on Kansas Avenue past Garfield Park.Egg Hunt begins right after the parade at the play-ground in Garfield Park. Food Trucks will be on handand the Family Fun Fair, Vendor Market with Bingo,and Health Fair will be 10-3 in Garfield Park, in theShelter House & in the Gym, including vendor booths,children’s games, food, facepainting, pony rides, lasertag, bubble soccer, cake walk and more. Bands, gym-nastics, ballet and other entertainment will be onhand. For info: [email protected] or 640-6399SNEAKERS AND SMILES GOLF TOURNAMENT – Sep. 4,Cypress Ridge Golf Course. 1 pm shotgun. $360/teamincludes cart, lunch, drinks, prizes. Silent Auction.50/50 raffle. Chance to win Chief’s helmet! Puttingcontest, $500 hole-in-one. Benefits at risk youth. JerryHudgins – 785-338-2965. www.solereason.golfge-nius.com.TOUCH A TRUCK - September 12. Downtown TopekaTouch-A-Truck is a local Topeka event that brings theconstruction industry to life! This is a great event thatwill provide your children with hands-on learningopportunities on top of a truck-load of fun!PAW PATROL LIVE! Rescheduled for September 15-16,Stormont Vail Event [email protected] JAZZ AND FOOD TRUCKS - September 26.Foodies and Jazz aficionados rejoice! Topeka’sDowntown Jazz & Food Truck Festival is Saturday,September 19. Both local and national musical talentwill take the stage at the Evergy Plaza and a widevariety of food trucks and vendors will be along theavenue ready to serve concert goers. Enjoy the musi-cal stylings of the Relatively Brass Band and the BrianBagget Trio. 24TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION WALK - Sep 25, 6pm.Free children’s activities, live music and release but-terflies in memory of loved ones. Luminaries will beplaced on the grounds and can be purchased for$10.00 in memory of anyone you would like to remem-ber. midlandcareconnection.org or 785-232-2044

MEETINGS & CLASSESCONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA MEETING - Joinother concerned individuals to pray and unite in actionfor Shawnee Co. and our Nation. For info aboutmonthly meetings: 785-260-5659 or ks.cwfa.org.HEAT UP TOPEKA - Free fitness classes; learn andbuild healthy social & eating habits. Held at TrinityPresbyterian Church, 4746 SW 21st St. FlorenceCrittenton: 785-233-0516 www.flocritkansas.org TOPEKA TREASURE HUNTERS CLUB - 3rd Sun. of eachmonth except May, Sep. & Dec., 7pm, Papan’s LandingSenior Center, 618 NW Paramore St. FamilyMemberships include children & grandchildren up to18 yrs. A place to meet friends to discuss all aspectsof Metal Detecting, club business, plus socializing &entertainment. DEAF WORSHIP SERVICE – 3rd Sun., 3pm, FaithLutheran Church, 17th & Gage. Also, every Sun.9:30am service is interpreted.FAMILY EXPERIENCE (FX) – Every Sun., 6:01pm,Fairlawn Church of Nazarene, 730 Fairlawn Rd. A timeof high intensity, action packed, skit mania, worshipmusic all centered around the word of God for 45 min-utes. A free family worship event. For info: Emily Moore,272-6322 or [email protected]'S TRAIL LIFE & AMERICAN HERITAGE GIRLSTROUPS - Every Mon. 6pm, Cornerstone Comm. Ch.,7620 SW 21st. Faith-based scouting programs, age 5-18. Register at cornerstonetopeka.com. 478-2929.TOPEKA MANKIND PROJECT – Mondays, 6:30pm, 2112SW Morningside Rd. Supports men in becoming theirbest selves, including physical, mental & emotionalhealth & wellness. Open to any man. Brian Thomas:[email protected] or 785-727-9439THE FORCE (Students Taking Action) – 1st Mon. &3rd Tue., 6:30-8pm, Safe Streets, 2209 SW 29th St.Committed to being alcohol & drug free. Associatewith like-minded peers, plan activities & get involvedin the community. Youth 12-18 invited. 266-4606.HEARTLAND HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS – 2nd Mon.,11:45am-1pm. Promoting neighborhood well-being bymobilizing people, ideas & resources. 233-1365.TOPEKA LINCOLN CLUB – 1st Tue. of month, 7pm,Topeka Public Library. Discussing our greatestPresident, Abraham Lincoln, and his times. The publicis welcome. For info, contact Kirk Nystrom 235-6977.OUR LADY OF THE FAITHFUL – 1st Tues., 6:30pmMass followed by Dinner, Most Pure Heart of MaryCatholic Church. A Catholic group for those in their20-30s. Michelle Ann 580-3071 or [email protected]. Facebook: "Ourladyof theFaithful." SUNRISE OPTIMIST CLUB – Every Tue., 6:30am,Sunrise Optimist Complex, 720 NW 50th St. 246-1291.MENNINGER BIBLE CLASSES - Tuesdays 11am-12:30.Amerus Room, YWCA, 225 West 12th. A new studygroup for Year One of Flo Menninger’s course on FourYears through the Bible. Read and discuss Genesisthrough First Kings. Nominal charge for materials. Forinfo call the YWCA at 233-1750 or Clara Gamache at785-408-5433. (The Bible study is also taught on Sat.

mornings on 101.5 FM radio.) FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES Aerie 4319: First &Third Tue. 7pm; Auxiliary: Third & Fourth Tue. month6pm, 2941 SE Fremont Street. The Fraternal Order ofEagles is an international non-profit organization unit-ing fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, andequality, to make human life more desirable by lessen-ing its ills and promoting peace, prosperity, gladnessand hope. www.foe.com 785-266-7307O.W.L.S. (Older Wise Loving Saints) - meets the sec-ond Tuesday of the month. Location varies and can befound at www.faithfamilylife.comDADDY'S GIRLS EMPOWERMENT MEETINGS - Do youwant MORE... Come Join us for our More Luncheonswhere Real Women get together: share, learn andgrow to return to our homes, families workplace,churches & other places of influence restored andrejuvenated to pursue God's MORE...at Topeka PublicLibrary, 12 noon, every 3rd Wednesday. Sponsored byDaddy's Girls Inc. Please to RSVP make lunch reserva-tions: [email protected] or 785-969-0491S.W.A.G. (Spiritual Warriors Anointed by God) youthgroup -Wed at 7:00 p.m. 3710 NW Topeka Blvd.AWANA – Every Wed., 6-8pm, First Southern BaptistChurch, 1912 SW Gage Blvd. Bible based program forchildren & youth ages 3-HS. For info: 272-0443.AWANA – Every Wed., 6:30pm, Bethel Baptist Church,4011 N. Kansas Ave. Bible based program for children& youth ages 3-HS. For info: 286-0467.AWANA – Every Wed., 6:30-8pm, Auburn ChristianChurch. Bible based program for children & youthages 3-HS. For info: 256-2515.TOPEKA PRAYER GROUP - Every Wed., 6:30pm, 409SW Buchanan St.Do you believe that God hears andanswers prayers? Do you believe Jesus wants to leadHis people by His Holy Spirit? Come join us in prayeras we seek His face for answers and direction. 785-845-1948; [email protected] EMBROIDERY CLUB – 1st Wed., 9am–3pm,Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 2021 SW 29th Street(east door). Anyone with an Embroidery machine isinvited to attend, there are no dues or formal meetingagenda. Lunch is on your own. Teach each other, enjoyfellowship & complete projects. Call 379-5159.SAFE STREETS MEETING – 1st Wed., 11:45am, GreatOverland Station 266-4606.STUDENT IMPACT – Every Wed., 6–8pm, FirstSouthern Baptist, 1912 SW Gage Blvd. Youth games,teaching, worship, small groups. For info: 272-0443.CHRISTIAN CHALLENGE – Every Thurs. 7–9pm, FirstSouthern Baptist, 1912 SW Gage Blvd. Worship for col-lege students.INTENTIONAL MOM - 1st & 3rd Thurs., 9-11:30am,Topeka Bible Church Auditorium, 1135 SW College. Forall moms, helping them to be intentional! 234-5545.OPERATION BACKPACK – 1st Thurs., 6pm, IndianCreek Elementary School, 4303 NE Indian Creek Rd.Volunteers gather to assemble Weekend SnackSacks for low-income students. No assembly inAugust. Sponsored by Topeka North Outreach. Forinfo: 286-1370.TOPEKA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY – 4th Thurs., 7pm,Topeka Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 SW 10thSt. No program in Nov. or Dec. Promotes & stimulatesthe education, knowledge & interest of the member-ship & the public in family history, genealogicalrecords & research. 233-5762 or tgstopeka.org. KINGDOM ADVISORS TOPEKA AREA STUDY GROUP –3rd Thu., 11:30am, Northland Christian Church, 3102NW Topeka Blvd. Christian financial professionals:financial planners, accountants, attorney’s & insur-ance agents invited. kingdomadvisors.org or JimHanna, [email protected] or 357-6278 x19.TOPEKA (Downtown) OPTIMIST CLUB – Every Fri.,noon, Top of the Tower. Serving the youth of Topeka.Anyone welcome. For info: 272-1099 [email protected] (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) -- Every Fri. 8:30to 10:00 am at 3221 SW Burlingame Road. 800-932-8677. Support for your weight loss journey. tops.orgVIP LUNCHEON FOR SENIORS – Every Fri., Noon,Topeka Church of the Brethren, 3201 NW RochesterRd. (1 mile north of Dillon’s North). FREE lunch withChristian fellowship, devotions & entertainment pro-vided by Topeka North Outreach. Free will donationsaccepted. Free blood pressure checks the last Fridayof every month, and birthday celebrations the 4thFriday. For Info: 785-224-8803.A GOOD YARN CLUB – 2nd & 4th Sat., 9-11am, Wana-maker Rd Baptist Church, 2700 SW Wanamaker. DoingGood for Others: Knitting & Crocheting for Local Char-ities, free yarn, needles, hooks & patterns. All are wel-come. Anne, 272-9249 or [email protected] QUIZZING – 1st Sat. Learn God's Word & havefun with area Christian youth age 9-19. YFC/YEA stylequizzing & rules. 913-593-6427 or biblequizzer.org.MONTHLY SCORE MEETING – 1st Sat., 8-9:30am,Washburn Tech, 5724 SW Huntoon (enter east doorsfacing Huntoon). No RSVP or fee is required. Smallbusiness owners are invited to a BreakfastRoundtable discussion with members of SCORE(Service Corps of Retired Executives). Info: 234-3049.TOPEKA LOVE AGLOW – Once a month on Sat. morn-ing. A time of worship, prayer and encountering God.Call Tawny Barton at 785-409-0232 or Linda Williamsat 785-267-0600 for details.RUSSIAN HOUSE OF PRAYER – Every Sat., 4pm,

Williamstown Assembly of God, 1225 Oak St.,Perry/Williamstown. For info: 597-5228. SAVING DEATH ROW DOGS ADOPTION & EDUCATION -every Sat. 11am-2pm, Petco, 1930 SW Wanamaker.UPPER ROOM COMMUNITY – second Sat., 10 am,Capitol Building

SUPPORT GROUPSMIDLAND CARE GRIEF SUPPORT Groups: Building A,200 SW Frazier Circle; Every Mon., 4-5pm: 12 WeekAdult Group for Recent Loss 1st and 3rd Thu.,10:30am & 5:30pm—Ongoing Adult Group 1stand 3rd Thu., 5:30pm: Ongoing Young Adult Group (4-18 years of age) For All Groups: Call for start datesand info packet. Group and individual grief supportavailable upon request. Info: 785-232-2044 ext.341CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPS - Jayhawk AreaAgency on Aging provides an opportunity for care-givers to get together and share their ideas and feel-ings. 2nd Monday of the month, 3:30pm, Topekapublic library, Anton Rm. 3rd Friday of the month, 12noon, Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging, 2910 SW Topeka ABORTION RECOVERY SUPPORT – Providing servicesfor women & men who suffer from Post-AbortionSyndrome. Kay Lyn at [email protected] FAMILY GROUPS – for friends & families ofalcoholics. 785-409-3072 or topekaalanon.orgPURSUIT FOR SEXUAL PURITY – Men struggling withpornography & sexual addiction. This bible study/accountability group uses the Pure Desire book by TedRoberts. For info: 249-9509. All inquiries confidential.ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUPS – Monthly supportgroup meetings for caregivers of individuals withAlzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. All of ourprograms have moved from in-person to virtual. Starting April 8 - Caregiver support group via Skype9:30am every other Wednesday. Email Hayley Young [email protected] or call 785.379.3067 for the meetinglink and other info.

Starting April 15 - Caregiver Support Group via GoogleHangouts, 4:30pm every other Wednesday. EmailHayley Young at [email protected] or call785.379.3067 for the meeting link and other info..BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE – NE Kansas Chapter(B.A.C.A.) 3rd Sun., 4 pm American Legion, 3800 SEMichigan. Open to the public. For info: 817-5801.CELEBRATE RECOVERY - Every Mon. 7-9pm at TopekaFirst Church, 500 SW 27th, Bldg 'B'. Healing our hurts,habits, and hangups. Learning to grow in a Christ-likematurity.COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS/BEREAVED PARENTSGROUP – Meets 4th Mon. in Formation classroom atMost Pure Heart of Mary, 17th & Stone. Discussionstarts 7pm; fellowship & refreshments 8:30. 272-4895GRIEF SUPPORT – First Monday each month, 3:30-4:30pm, 400 SW Oakley. Call Donna Park for info:783-7527 or valeotopeka.org. Open to public. Free.GRIEF SUPPORT – Sponsored by Heartland Hospicefor those dealing with death or major loss:1st Mon., 5:30-7:30pm, Individual appointments;other times are available. Call Terry at (785)230-6730.3rd Thurs., 11am, Lunch After Loss, Paisano’sRistorante, Fleming Place, SW 10th & Gage Blvd, . Forreservations or info: 785-271-6500.EMOTIONS ANONYMOUS: a 12-step program for thosesuffering with emotional instability such as depression,anxiety, grief, etc. Meets every Tues. at Grace EpiscopalCathedral, Noon-1pm. For info: Sharon 785-633-7764 FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROMESUPPORT GROUP – 2nd Tue., 7-9pm. FirstCongregational Church, 17th and Collins. For info:Randy at 785-969-4038 or [email protected]. GRANDPARENT/RELATIVE CAREGIVER SUPPORTGROUP – 3rd Tue., 6:30-8pm, 2nd floor meeting room,St. Francis Hosp, 1700 SW 7th. For info: Sharla, 286-2329; Jennie (English/Spanish) 231-0763. "HEALING AFTER THE SUICIDE OF A LOVED ONE"("HEAL") – or Survivors of Suicide" (SOS). 1st & 3rdTue., 7-8:30pm, Pozez Education Center of Stormont

Vail Hospital, 1505 SW 8th St. Serving anyone who haslost a loved one by suicide.PRISON OUTREACH MINISTRY – Every Tue., 7-9pm,Topeka Women’s Prison, 815 Rice Rd. Reaching out tothose who can’t come in, finding freedom behind bars,inspiring inmates to seek salvation during a difficulttime. Providing support & guidance through the HolySpirit to offer strength. Director: Don Garner, 286-0489 or [email protected] ANONYMOUS – Every Wed, 7pm, St.Francis Hospital, meeting room #8.MOMS-IN-TOUCH PRAYER GROUP – Every Wed., 2:30-3:30pm, Library at Cair Paravel-Latin School.Experience God’s power through prayer as we lift ourstudents, teachers, staff, administrators & board upto the Lord. For info: 357-0369.DIVORCECARE PROGRAMS – (For updates checkwww.divorcecare.org) locations and times:WED. – 6:30pm, Topeka Bible Church, 1101 SWMulvane. Cost: $15. Child care provided. For info: 379-0505 or www.divorcecare.org.WED. – 6:45 – 8:45pm, Walnut View Christian Church,3634 SE 37th St. (just East of 37th & Croco). Cost:$10 registration (scholarships available). The videoseminar series featuring some of the nation’s fore-most experts on divorce and recovery topics, combinedwith support group discussion of the materials.Complimentary child care children up to the fifthgrade. Info: 266-7550 or [email protected]. – 6:30pm, Northland Christian Church, 3102 NWTopeka Blvd. No Cost. 286-1204, www.northland.ccPROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP – 1st Thurs.,7pm, Saint Francis Hospital 2nd floor conf. room ofthe cancer unit. For info: 266-9533.CELEBRATE RECOVERY – Every Fri., 6pm, 1912 GageBlvd. A Christ-centered program, based on 8 princi-ples found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Applyingthese Biblical principles, become free from addictive& dysfunctional behaviors. crtopekaks.org.

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16 • July 2020 ___________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ________________________ Topeka Metro Voice

MOVIES, STREAMING, BOOKS,MUSIC, INTERVIEWS & MORE!

My Spy is latest muscle man meets smart kid

By Michael Foust

A movie about Fred Rogers beganstreaming on Hulu in June, and itcouldn’t come at a better time in U.S.history. Rogers, of course, was the soft-spo-

ken, always-kind children’s televisionhost of Mister Rogers Neighborhood,which ran on public television for 31years and taught kids about life but alsoabout the fruit of the Spirit -- even if henever quoted Scripture. He taught chil-dren to listen to one another, to be kindto one another, and to treat others theway you wanted to be treated. Hetaught them to love. The 2019 film A Beautiful Day in the

Neighborhood -- which began stream-ing on Hulu June 2 -- tells the story ofRogers through the eyes of a cynicalmagazine writer, Lloyd Vogel, wholands an interview with Rogers with theassumption he is a phony. The tables quickly turn when Rogers

displays kindness to Vogel and evenpursues a friendship, rightly believingthe journalist has hidden hatred in hisheart that needs healed.The film stars Matthew Rhys as

Vogel and Tom Hanks as Rogers, and isone of the most uplifting films you’llever see -- especially during our divid-ed times.After all, Rogers, as an ordained

minister, was modeling the words andactions of Jesus. He viewed his televi-sion series as a ministry.What if we applied Mister Rogers’

lessons to our current crisis? What if welistened patiently before we spoke? (AsRogers does so often in the film.) Whatif we assumed the best of people -- andnot the worst? What if we put the needsof others before our own? Even if you don’t have Hulu, the film

can be rented for a nominal price onmajor platforms. (I subscribed to Huluas part of the Disney Plus/ESPN+package, which gives you three plat-forms for the price of two.) The film is rated PG for some strong

thematic material, a brief fight, andsome mild language. Language details:h-- (4), OMG (2), d--n (1).

Also streaming this month:

Adults/teensE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Netflix) --

It’s the classic Steven Spielberg filmabout a boy who befriends an alien.The film is filled with life lessons,including ones about friendship, loveand the wonders of childhood. Iwatched a sanitized version with mykids recently, and we also had a world-view discussion about aliens. Rated PGfor language and mild thematic ele-ments. June 1. Garth Brooks: The Road I’m On

(Netflix) -- It’s a two-part documen-tary about one of the most successfulsingers in the history of country music.His wife, Trisha Yearwood, is also fea-tured. Rated TV-G. June 2.Spelling the Dream (Netflix) -- It’s

an 80-minute documentary that fol-lows competitors and examines thesuccess of Indian Americans at theScripps National Spelling Bee. RatedTV-G. June 3. I Still Believe (Hulu) -- A Christian

singer demonstrates the true meaningof love when his wife develops cancer.It’s based on the true story of JeremyCamp and his first wife, Melissa. RatedPG for thematic material. It landed onHulu in May. ChildrenAll Dogs Go to Heaven (Netflix) -- A

con artist canine gets a second chanceat life when he develops a friendshipwith a little girl. Because of someintense scenes, this one may not be forsmall children. Rated G. June 1.Animated.The Liberty Story (Disney Plus) --

It’s a 1957 documentary about theRevolutionary War and the founding ofthe United States. Due to scenes depict-ing violence, it may be best for olderchildren. June 12. Schoolhouse Rock, Season 1 (Disney

Plus) -- If you’re a child of the 1970s or80s, then you likely learned a lot aboutU.S. history and government with thesecatchy cartoons and jingles. Now youcan show them to your kids. June 19.Animated.

Michael Foust is the father of anamazing wife, Julie, and the father offour small children. He has covered theintersection of faith and entertainment

‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’leads this month’s streaming lineup

JJ is a former Army Ranger turnedCIA operative with a finely honed setof skills. You set him loose withenough fire power, and he can system-atically take out a small army of adver-saries all on his own, leaving a givenarea charred and smoking.If, on the other hand, you send him

undercover with the goal of finessinginformation out of someone, well,that he’s not so good at. In fact, ifyou’re relying on his people skills inany way, you’d better simply duck andwait for things to start blowing up.And that tendency has now landed

JJ in a rather demeaning assignment.After his last field work wentkablooey, he was given one finalchance to retain his job. All he has todo is keep tabs from afar on a womanand her young daughter. That’s it.There’s something big going oninvolving a nuclear bomb, and thismom, Kate, and her 9-year-old,Sophie, likely have absolutely nothingto do with it. But since Kate has somefamily ties to the terrorists involved,she simply needs to be watched.Easy. Just watch and report any-

thing remotely suspicious.As if this assignment wasn’t sim-

plistic enough, JJ is also forced to workwith a mousy tech named Bobbi who’snever even been in the field before. Infact, they’ve got to move into the samebuilding as Kate and her kid, Set upcameras in the target’s apartment, andwatch as an innocent family doesabsolutely nothing. Ugh! It’s enoughto drive the action-oriented JJ com-pletely bonkers.What JJ and Bobbi don’t count on is

the fact that little Sophie is, well, natu-rally more gifted at their jobs thanthey are. Not only does she spot theircameras, track JJ back to his apart-

ment and see through his and Bobbi’sassumed identities, she manipulatesthem into doing exactly what shewants them to do.So if JJ and Bobbi don’t want

Sophie to blow their cover—andalmost certainly get them both fired—JJ is going to have to teach her how tobe a spy. That’s because one thingSophie isn’t so good at is negotiatingthe obstacles of middle school. Sosome spy savvy, and maybe a big hulk-ing escort, could certainly come inhandy.JJ agrees, but he’s pretty sure this

probably isn’t going to end well. He’dbetter take a couple hand grenadesalong … just in case.Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester

Stallone, Dwayne Johnson, John Cena,Vin Diesel—they have all sufferedthrough it. And now former prowrestler Dave Bautista (of Guardiansof the Galaxy fame) is taking his turn.He’s yet another heavily muscledaction-hero type to slip into the leadof a goofy kids’ movie and getthumped around in laughable ways.My Spy isn’t apt to surprise you

much—at least in terms of the plot. Itgenerally sticks to the formula and

gives its big flexing lead plenty ofabsurd situations where he can lookfish-out-of-water awkward, alongwith several scenes where he can mus-cle through and win the day. Kid side-kick Sophie has plenty of sass and anicely timed delivery of her snark.There’s a dash of romance, a splash ofdanger and explosions, and somefunny bits. The good guys win, the kidmakes friends. It’s all pretty typicalstuff.That doesn’t mean, however, that

it’s all good stuff.In this pic’s case, there’s more nasty

language leaking out around the edgesthan one might expect in a moviethat’s aimed at a family audience. Andcharacters unnecessarily vocalizeinnuendo being talked about. And afew just-offscreen, bullet-to-the-fore-head moments that can feel harsh.Things are a little too rough-edged fortykes, then, and a little too rewarmedfor everybody else.Of course, that kind of content

doesn’t make this movie atypical oftoday’s “family film” crop. It justmakes a potentially cute film lesswatchable.–Bob Hoose | PluggedIn

The Majesty of the Prairie. TheConnections Between Humansand Animals. The True Joys inLife.These themes are explored with

perfect vision by the author,Reyna Bradford, blind since shewas 15 months old.Sharing the lessons, heartaches,

and triumphs experienced by an

extraordinary woman who ignoresany limitations of a world withoutsight. The author introduces us toher remarkable life, including liv-ing on a hobby farm in the KansasFlint Hills, raising dairy goats, andtraining and competing with herlarge band of beloved dogs.Beautifully written, Bradford

shepherds us through the four

seasons and all that each cycleinvolves, offering her unique per-spective on animals, the land, andlife.

Local author writes book from unique perspectiveIn My Hands: Stories of the Land and Animals I Love but Can't See by Reyna Bradford

Topeka Metro Voice ________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews __________________________ July 2020 • 17

By Michael Foust

The number of faith-based come-dy films that are truly funny can becounted on one hand.There’s Mom’s Night Out. And

The Resurrection of Gavin Stone.And Christian Mingle. And … well… that’s about it. Unless you toss in stand-up com-

edy DVDs -- which I didn’t for thislist -- there simply aren’t that manyfaith-based comedy movies period.Comedy is difficult. And when youmix faith into the plot, it becomeseven harder to hit the bullseye But this unique genre has a new

entry, and it’s as good as any of theothers on the list. Titled Selfie Dad, it tells the story

of a husband/father named Ben whogets fired from his job as a televisionprogram editor and then tries tomake a living by posting funny

handyman videos online. His how-to videos always go horribly wrong -- and they quickly go viral, too. The plot turns when he gets seri-

ous about his Christian faith andmentions the Bible in a video, lead-ing to a plunge in his subscriberbase (and in his income).The film stars Michael Jr. in the

lead role and Chanda Pierce as theoutspoken star of the reality showhe edits. Both are hilarious.Thankfully, Selfie Dad also

includes plenty of positive messagesabout family (Ben learns to be a bet-ter father), prayer (Ben’s wife prays

for him often) and breaking thecycle of sin (Ben’s father was awomanizer -- something he wantsto avoid). Selfie Dad contains no violence

or language but does contain a fewsuggestive elements. (A woman at aparty makes a joke about taking herclothes off; later, she texts him buthe tells her never to contact himagain). It’s rated Rated PG. Selfie Dad originally was sched-

uled to debut in theaters. Because ofthe coronavirus outbreaks, it debutsJune 19 on video on demand. ‘Jesus in Athens’ (Prime) -- The

European migrant crisis led toroughly 1 million individuals flee-ing opression, slavery and poverty,often through Greece. It also led tocountless migrants, including for-mer Muslims, finding Christ. Thispowerful documentary tells thatstory. Because of mature subjectmatter, Jesus in Athens is probablybest for older children. It enteredthe Prime lineup in recent weeks‘Spy Kids’ and ‘Spy Kids 3-D’

(Hulu) -- These 2001 and 2003 live-action children’s films are a crossbetween a PBS cartoon and a JamesBond film. Young superhero-likedetectives fight the bad guys andsave the world. They’re rated PG foraction. (The first film has a coupleof OMGs and a “shiitake mush-room” said way-too-slowly.) June30. ‘American Gospel: Christ Alone’

(Netflix) -- It’s a documentary cri-tique of the prosperity gospel fea-turing interviews with its critics,including Paul Washer, MarshallBrandon, Michael Durham, JuliusKim, Matt Chandler, Jackie Hill-Perry and Bryan Chapell. Rated TV-PG. It entered the Netflix lineupquietly in recent weeks. ‘Where’s Waldo?’: Complete

Season 1 (Hulu) -- This animatedreboot of the 1990s cartoon featuresthe same problem-solving and edu-cational background from the origi-nal. Season 1 takes children to loca-tions such as Costa Rica, Scotland,Australia and Greece. Rated TV-Y.June 7. Michael Foust has covered the intersec-

tion of faith and entertainment more than15 years. He is the husband of a wife, Julie,and the father of four small children.

Hilarious ‘Selfie Dad’ leads thismonth’s family-friendly lineup

Just Mercy is based on a book of thesame name written by the BryanStevenson, a legal advocate who’s spentthe better part of three decades crusad-ing for the rights and better legal repre-sentation for those convicted of crimesin the South, especially those on deathrow. The movie, which premiered inDecember 2019, was released to DVDand streaming June 4. And the timingcouldn’t be more perfect.With strong performances by Michael

B. Jordan (Bryan) and Jamie Foxx(Johnny D), Brie Larson (Eva Ansley)and Karon Kendrick as Minnie, JustMercy begins deep in Alabama, just a 90-minute drive north from Mobile. That’swhere you’ll find the small town ofMonroeville, home of To Kill aMockingbird author Harper Lee.The folks of Monroeville, circa 1991,

are proud of their literary heritage. Askanyone, and they’ll point you to the ToKill a Mockingbird museum down theway. Or to the courthouse, where Leehad Atticus Finch make his fableddefense of a black man falsely accused ofrape. It’s a civil rights landmark, they’lltell you.Perhaps a few—too few—would see a

sad irony, too.Walter McMillian, better known as

Johnny D, is on death row. The blackman was convicted of killing a whitewoman named Ronda Morrison:Prosecutors said that he walked into alaundromat on Nov. 1, 1986, and shother several times in the back. In a trialthat took just a day and a half, he wastried and convicted by an almost all-white jury, which recommended life inprison. Not harsh enough, the judgedecided, and slapped Johnny D with thedeath penalty.Never mind that the crime’s main wit-

ness was a convicted felon himself whohad plenty of reason to frameMcMillian. Never mind the lack ofmotive or physical evidence. Never mindthat a score of witnesses said he was at afish fry when the crime took place. (Thefact that those witnesses were black,apparently, made their testimonyunwanted.)Enter Bryan Stevenson, a graduate of

Harvard Law School who rejected a posi-tion at a posh law firm to head a non-profit legal team called the Equal JusticeInitiative—an organization that givesconvicted felons (particularly those ondeath row) the sort of legal help thatmight’ve escaped them the first timearound. He looks into McMillian’s caseand finds all sorts of inconsistencies—somany, in fact, that he wonders whetheranyone read the evidence at all. If anyonedeserves a second chance at justice, it’sMcMillian.But Monroeville’s power brokers

don’t want to hear it. They got their man,never mind the evidence. They knewMcMillian was guilty just by looking athim. And if Ronda Morrison’s spiritdoesn’t rest easy, her parents sure do.Maybe if Stevenson had looked more

like Atticus Finch—a white man bornand bred in the south, a man who kneweveryone from the mayor and sheriff tothe lady serving coffee at the cornerdiner—Monroeville’s power brokersmight’ve listened to him.But Stevenson’s a Delaware-born,

East-coast educated black man. AndSheriff Tate and D.A. Tommy Champandon’t take kindly to carpet-baggingnortherners telling them how to runtheir town.Stevenson looks like a candidate for

sainthood. We hear hints of his child-hood, how he grew up poor, in a neigh-borhood not so different fromMcMillian’s own; and we see how hisdesire to help people on death row firstgerminated. When he leaves forAlabama, Bryan tells his nervous motherthat she “always taught me to fight forthe people need it the most.”Eva Ansley, who works closely with

Bryan, notes that unlike most lawyers,Bryan gets close to his clients—so muchso that they become nearly family tohim. And when one of those clients issent to the electric chair in spite ofBryan’s help, the condemned man thinksso highly of Bryan that he has the Army(from which he was honorably dis-charged) send the flag he earned to thelawyer.While “Johnny D” McMillian is no

saint (as we’ll see), he becomes a strong,faithful friend to many fellow death-rowprisoners. When one suffers a panicattack after getting an execution date,Johnny D walks him through calmingbreathing and visualization exercises.“Whatever you did,” Johnny tells theman, “Your life is still meaningful.” Andwhen that man is led to the executionchamber, Johnny D leads a noisy saluteto the condemned. He’s deeply saddenedby how he hurt his family, too, and wantsto do whatever he can to make amends.And sometimes, when the case againsthim seems to hit a wall, Johnny Dencourages Bryan, rather than the otherway around.While Just Mercy isn’t technically a

Christian movie, faith’s fingerprints areeverywhere here.Bryan, it’s suggested, is a Christian: He

bonds with a death-row inmate overhow both of them grew up in church.(Bryan played the piano there, while theconvict sang in the church choir.) Andwhen the guard roughs up the convictand forces him out of the room, the pris-oner begins to sing an old hymn with asmile. Later, Bryan participates in a wor-ship ceremony at a Monroevillechurch—watching and singing along asfellow congregants enthusiasticallypraise God.A convict is led to the electric chair as

the gospel song “Old Rugged Cross”plays in the background. The movieseems to suggest thin parallels betweenthe man’s execution and Jesus’ ownunjustified death: The condemned man

looks compassionately at one of the jailguards fastening his leg to the chair, andwhen he asks whether he has any lastwords to give, he simply says that he har-bors “no ill will” to anyone. The man’sgentleness, combined with the horrificway he dies, deeply impacts the guard—much as Jesus’ own forgiveness from thecross is sometimes shown to impact theRoman soldiers who took part in theexecution.As mentioned, Johnny D was actually

attending a fish fry during the murder hewas accused of committing—a fundrais-er, we’re told, for the church he attended.The spiritual “Lay Down My Life for theLord” plays as the credits roll. We seeplenty of churches and crosses in thebackground of various scenes.Some might be inclined, I suppose, to

see a political bent in Stevenson’s work.And some might be discomfited by themovie’s depiction of southern Alabamain the not-so-distant past. I have relativeswho live in Alabama, and I’d like to thinkthat some progress—difficult and halt-ing progress, perhaps, but progress nev-ertheless—has been made since then.But if history teaches us anything,

evil—and no doubt, racism is one of theplanet’s most pernicious evils—does notdisappear naturally with time. It takeswork and courage and risk and pain toaddress it. Oh, and faith, too.Just Mercy is a beautiful example of

the work, the courage and the faith ittakes to push against the wrongs of thisworld: faith that a broken system can stillbe repaired enough to yield a semblanceof justice. Faith that good people canstand up for a good reason. Faith in God,too, whose presence we subtly feelthroughout the film.It’s also timely with racial injustice in

the news and the recently passed historicFirst Step Acts – a signature criminal jus-tice and prison sentencing reform billpushed through Congress by PresidentDonald Trump. It was an issue thatwasn’t addressed by previous adminis-trations including that of the first blackPresident, Barack Obama.Theaters are filled with secular movies

that are either indifferent or outrighthostile to faith, with only the occasionalsmall, overtly Christian faith-based flickoffering counter programming. JustMercy finds the middle ground, showinghow faith can inspire and motivatebelievers in the real world.The movie is not without some issues.

But those are relatively minor in relationto its redemptive payoff. Just Mercy is aninspirational, educational and well-actedportrait of the pursuit of true justice.–Paul Assay | PluggedIn

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Just Mercy’ and the pursuit of real justice


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The Stress That Gets OverlookedStress and stress management

are growing concerns in today’swork force. They decrease workproductivity, affect our health,distract us from work, increaseabsenteeism, and most of all, theyaffect the company’s bottom line.Managing stress has typically

meant telling people to take thetime to smell the roses, exercise,breathe deeply, meditate, visual-ize, journal, etc. But what exactlyis stress? Isn’t the body designedto handle stress? Yes, but acute,short-term stress, NOT constantprolonged stress. Stress is more than a mental or

emotional problem. It is typicallydescribed as any type of mentalstimulus that triggers worry, anx-iety, and fear. It’s that ‘fight orflight’ mode that we’ve heardabout, running from the prover-bial saber tooth tiger. This signalsthe body, specifically the adrenalglands, to produce stress hor-mones: adrenaline, cortisol andnorepinephrine. This real prob-lem occurs when we constantlyproduce our stress hormones andoverwork our adrenal glands. Theconstant production of our stresshormones have a direct effect onour ability to lose weight, handlecravings, keep from getting dia-betes, protect from depression,keep high blood pressure incheck, defeat cholesterol, fightPMS, prevent hot flashes, stopinsomnia, and the list goes on.It’s easy to identify your stress if

it is work, finances, or relation-ships. But what about the stresseswe don’t think of? Can we beadding to our stress levels and noteven know it? Have we focusedonly on the mental stresses andoverlooked how diet and exercisecan contribute to stress?

Stress is CumulativeYes, diet and exercise can

increase the stress in your life!Keep in mind, stress is anythingthat triggers our adrenal glands toproduce more of its stress hor-mones. Digestive difficulties,blood sugar imbalances, and exer-cise cause the body to producemore of its stress hormones. Thisconstant demand can eventuallydeplete and exhaust our adrenalglands and cause adrenal fatigueand exhaustion, which is anunderlying problem to many ofour health issues.1. Blood sugar – When we skip

meals, our blood sugar drops.

Low blood sugar is associatedwith cravings, irritability, moodswings, and lightheadedness.Basically having low blood sugaraffects our concentration, ourfocus, and our ability to thinkclearly. Worst of all, it takes us outof our ‘fat burning’ zone. Lowblood sugar due to skipped mealsor poor dietary choices triggersthe adrenal glands to producemore cortisol and adrenaline.Eating processed, refined, junkfoods will also throw our bloodsugar out of balance and triggersadditional demand on the adrenalglands. Add that to all the mentalstress going on and you can even-tually deplete and exhaust youradrenal glands.2. Digestive difficulties – The

second culprit, which is oftenoverlooked, is bloating, gas, indi-gestion, heartburn, and other irri-table bowel problems. Digestivedifficulties are a huge problem!Antacids and other digestiveproducts are in the top five sellers

for prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Digestive prob-lems cause irritation and inflam-mation in your stomach. Thistriggers your adrenal glands toproduce additional cortisol,which works as a powerful anti-inflammatory, needed to reducethe inflammation in your stom-ach. The result is the adrenals areover-taxed, which further depletesand fatigues them.3. Exercise – There’s nothing

better than punching the heavybag or running or lifting someweight to let some steam off. Butthe intensity of the exercise couldbe adding more stress to the body.Exercise triggers the adrenals toproduce more cortisol and adren-

aline. The more intense the work-out, the more stress hormonesyou produce.Aerobic exercise (walking, jog-

ging, swimming, dance) at low tomoderate intensity is stress reduc-ing. On the other hand, moderateto high intensity exercise will trig-ger additional cortisol and adren-aline, which is stress producing.Exercising at moderate to high

intensity is great. But if the per-son is already in this exhaustedstate due to all the stress taxinghis or her body, it can workagainst that individual. This iswhy it is so important to recog-nize the difference between aero-bic training and aerobic “metabo-lism.” The thought that exercisecures everything just isn’t right.Your current health and fitnesslevel, along with the amount ofstress in your life, may dictate theneed for an easy, low intensityworkout instead of the “no painno gain” motto.

Identifying where the stress iscoming from is critical. If you’veonly focused on steps to reducethe mental stress and overlookedthese types of stress, it could bethe reason why your health hasbeen suffering. The key is to iden-tify where the stress is comingfrom and reduce it.Many of the principles taught

to help reduce mental stress workgreat, but they don’t help youdigest your food, keep your bloodsugar stable, or exercise at theright intensity.

Manage Overlooked Stress:• Don’t skip or delay meals.• Stay away from refined,

processed junk foods, snacks, and

beverages.• Eat protein and good fats

with each meal to keep bloodsugar stable.

• Take your time to eat anddigest your foods. Eating on therun is a ‘NO, NO’.

• Add a good digestive enzymelike Digest Plus if you strugglewith digestive problems.

• Avoid common food allergenssuch as dairy, wheat, corn, soy,caffeine, MSG, and artificialsweeteners for two to four weeks.

• Follow good food combiningprinciples.

• Eat fruits by themselves.• Eat protein with fibrous veg-

etables.• Refrain from protein and

starchy vegetables.• Keep exercise intensity low to

moderate for a while.• Use a heart rate monitor to

determine your intensity level foraerobic exercise

• A good rule of thumb is tokeep your heart rate below target-

ed heart rate (180 minus your age= maximum targeted heart ratefor aerobic exercise). When youexercise above that level, youincrease the amount of cortisoland adrenaline.

• Most importantly, nourishthe adrenal glands. Stress depletesthe body of specific nutrients andcauses hormonal and metabolicchanges and imbalances. Just asan athlete depletes his or her bodyof water and minerals after aworkout, a person under constantstress will deplete his or her adre-nal glands of their much-needednutrients. Products like AdrenalFuel, which contains vitamin C, B,zinc, selenium, and adaptogenicherbs such as ashwagandha, rho-diola, cordyceps, and ginseng, areknown to support and strengthenthe adrenal glands.These are the first simple steps

you can take to reduce the load ofstress on your body. –Dr. Len Lopez | cbn.com


Our mental health—how we consid-er the world and our role in it—is everybit as important as our physical health.And just as we must work to stay physi-cally fit, we must also work to keep ourminds “in shape.”Positive thinking. An optimistic out-

look. These are great attributes that canhelp improve our well-being. In fact,how we respond to an opportunity or achallenge is as important, if not moreimportant, than the opportunity orchallenge itself.Caregiving is one formidable chal-

lenge that more and more people arefacing these days. Few hands-on care-givers have the time or energy to see totheir own physical health and personalneeds, so it makes sense that workingtowards developing a more positivemindset isn’t high on the priority list.However, a few small tweaks here andthere can help set the groundwork for abetter attitude, a more fulfilling life,healthier relationships with oneself andothers, and even a less stressful caregiv-ing experience.Much has been written about atti-

tude, emotional strength, avoiding neg-ativity, self-pity, the benefits of opti-mism and the problems with pes-simism. A quote from Anthony J.D'Angelo’s book, The College BlueBook: A Few Thoughts, Reflections andReminders on How to Get the Most Outof College and Life, sums up the mes-

sage I am trying to convey: “Whereveryou go, no matter what the weather,always bring your own sunshine.”Leaving the bad weather behind is

what mentally strong people do to avoidpessimism. Amy Morin, LCSW, psy-chotherapist and author of 13 ThingsMentally Strong People Don’t Do, offersthe following tips for being emotionallystrong and independent:1. Don’t waste time feeling sorry for

yourself.We all have been dealt a “bad hand” at

some point in our lives, and we quicklycome to understand that life is not fair.When those with mental fortitude hit arough patch, they take responsibility fortheir actions, emotions and outcomes,

move on, and start the next chapter.2. Don’t allow others to demean or

talk down to you.Mentally strong people are in control

of themselves and comfortable workingwith others. However, they don’t allowthemselves or others around them to bebelittled or abused. They recognize thatthey have power over their emotionsand how they allow other people to treatthem. Life is not a single sum gain whereone person’s loss is another’s gain.Adding to the total is what happenswhen folks help each other thrive.3. Change is here to stay, so don’t

resist.Resisting change just makes things

more complicated. Having a healthy fearof the unknown is okay, as long as thefear helps to create an “edge” thatimproves performance and doesn’tbecome paralyzing. Strong individualsoften view change as a new opportunity.Flexibility is the key to navigating unfa-miliar territory.4. There is much in modern society

that we can’t control, so don’t waste timeand energy trying to change these situa-tions.Running over a nail and getting a flat

tire, flight delays, traffic, bad weather—all these things happen to countless peo-ple every day. Make a point of not sweat-ing the small stuff. Instead of frettingover frustrating yet minor situations likethese, concentrate on the things that arein your control and you will be far better

off.5. Avoid creating enemies AND try-

ing to please everyone.As a rule, strive to be fair and kind to

everyone (including yourself). It’s okayto set boundaries and say no. This maymean that some people will get upsetwith you, but no one can please every-one and still make significant progress.If you know you have been considerateand reasonable, there should be no rea-son why you cannot tactfully faceanother person’s criticism or disap-pointment head on.6. Don’t be afraid to take risks.You don’t have to be a professional or

an expert to start a project. After all, pro-fessionals built the Titanic; amateursbuilt the ark. Risk-taking is part of life.“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” theold saying goes. That remains true andrelevant today.7. Avoid dwelling on the past.Instead, live in the present and antici-

pate, plan for and enjoy the future. Thepast, whether glorious or not, is still thepast. Cherish old memories and success-es and learn from past hurts and fail-ures, but don’t rest on your laurels orrehash bad experiences. The presentmoment and the days ahead have thepotential to hold infinitely more prom-ise than those behind you.8. Learn from mistakes so you don’t

repeat them over and over.Being self-reflective in an accurate

way is one of the greatest strengths ofsuccessful executives, entrepreneurs andeveryday people. This can take somepractice, but it is important to be able toadmit when you are wrong and makeadjustments so you can continue mov-ing forward.9. Don’t succumb to jealousy.Sincerely appreciating other people’s

success is a positive characteristic thatbenefits everyone. Positive feedback israre in today’s society. Taking genuinepleasure from others’ success will upliftthem and serve as inspiration and amorale booster for you. It is never con-structive to take pleasure in others’ painor misfortune. The German term forthis is “schadenfreude,” and it is theo-rized that this phenomenon stems fromfeelings of envy, inferiority and hostility.10. Life is not always easy, so persever-

ance matters.

Everyone experiences failures bothlarge and small. The ability to pick one-self up and continue moving forward isa core characteristic of strong, successfulpeople. Diligence in the face of adversityseparates the winners from the losers.11. Learn to enjoy being alone.While many people find solitary time

lonely or dull, mentally strong peopletend to use this as an opportunity toreflect, recharge or be productive. Setaside quiet time to contemplate, medi-tate, innovate, read and study. Theseactivities may not seem “productive” inthe traditional sense, but they do nur-ture the mind and body. Learn to appre-ciate silence and enjoy your own com-pany. Too often we are interrupted by“urgent but unimportant” activities thatinterfere with “important non-urgent”productive behaviors, according toStephen Covey, author of The SevenHabits of Highly Effective People.Staying focused is an attribute of pro-ductive people.12. If you feel the world owes you

something, you are in big trouble.A sense of entitlement is never a

desirable trait. We are all responsible forour own welfare and happiness.Sometimes good things happen, or oth-ers step up to help us out, but we cannotrely on these factors alone to sustain us.Understanding this concept about indi-vidual productivity and motivation iskey for success in any area of life.13. Understand that life is a long-term

process, not a short-term plan.We all need to get past the “nanosec-

ond culture” that glorifies immediategratification. Being patient and com-pounding positive results are the hall-marks of people and institutions thatare successful and self-sufficient overmonths, years and decades.This list provides as good a road

map as any to become a mentallystrong person. Let me close by citing afamous 1910 speech delivered byPresident Theodore Roosevelt entitled“Citizenship in a Republic.” The fol-lowing notable passage from thisspeech is referred to as “The Man in theArena.”“It is not the critic who counts; not

the man who points out how the strongman stumbles, or where the doer ofdeeds could have done them better. Thecredit belongs to the man who is actual-ly in the arena, whose face is marred bydust and sweat and blood; who strivesvaliantly; who errs, who comes shortagain and again, because there is noeffort without error and shortcoming;but who does actually strive to do thedeeds; who knows great enthusiasms,the great devotions; who spends himselfin a worthy cause; who at the best knowsin the end the triumph of high achieve-ment, and who at the worst, if he fails, atleast fails while daring greatly, so that hisplace shall never be with those cold andtimid souls who neither know victorynor defeat.”No one should expect to be perfect

100 percent of the time, whether it is incaregiving, relationships, one’s career oreven mental fortitude. The most impor-tant thing across all these areas in life isthat we persevere, participate, andremain diligent and compassionate.That’s how we build our mental andemotional strength and become suc-cessful.–agingcare.com

The Importance of Staying Mentally Strong


Patrick Mahomes passes Tom Bradyas NFL’s top merchandise seller

Following up an MVP campaign in2018 with a Super Bowl victory last seasonhas moved Kansas City Chiefs quarter-back Patrick Mahomes to the top of theNFL's merchandise sales chart. Per Variety's Scott Soshnick, Tom

Brady's three-year run as the league's topmerchandise seller has come to an endwith Mahomes passing the Tampa BayBuccaneers quarterback. The top five players in merchandise

sales for the year from March 2019through February 2020 is Mahomes,Brady, Lamar Jackson of the BaltimoreRavens, Ezekiel Elliott of the DallasCowboys and Baker Mayfield of theCleveland Browns. Expanding the list out, it's not surpris-

ing to see quarterbacks dominate the topmerchandise sellers. The position isarguably the most important in all ofsports and receives the most attentionbecause quarterbacks touch the ball onevery snap. Quarterbacks make up 15 of the top 28

merchandise sellers. The highest-sellingnon-offensive player is Chicago Bearslinebacker Khalil Mack at No. 8. A trio of San Francisco 49ers elevated

their profile during the team's run to theSuper Bowl. Jimmy Garoppolo (No. 9)and George Kittle (No. 10) cracked the top10, and star rookie Nick Bosa not farbehind at No. 16. Mahomes has taken over as the face of

the NFL, especially last season by playing apivotal role in ending Kansas City's 50-year Super Bowl drought. At just 24 yearsold, he figures to be at or near the top ofmerchandise sales for years to come. Here is the Top 40:1 Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs2 Tom Brady, New England Patriots3 Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens4 Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys5 Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns6 Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers7 Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns8 Khalil Mack, Chicago Bears9 Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers10 George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers11 Saquon Barkley, New York Giants12 Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys13 Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints14 JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh

Steelers15 Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks16 Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers17 Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

18 Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints19 Julian Edelman, New England

Patriots20 Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills21 Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears22 Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings23 Christian McCaffrey, Carolina

Panthers24 Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas

Cowboys25 Sam Darnold, New York Jets26 Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs27 Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans28 Daniel Jones, New York Giants29 Todd Gurley Los Angeles Rams30 Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys31 Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

32 J.J. Watt, Houston Texans33 Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders34 Von Miller, Denver Bronocs35 T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers36 Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys37 Kyler Muray, Arizona Cardinals38 Michael Thomas, New Orleans

Saints39 Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings40 Le'Veon Bell, New York Jets

Postponed to July 31, 2020

xx

xxx

Major League Baseball......I'm soover you!! Anyone who knows meknows that my favorite sport is base-ball. When I watch other sports I haveto kind of like one of the teams thatare playing or like a playerthat is playing. With base-ball, I could watch ANYteams play at any level.Pro, Semi-pro, college, highschool and even little league. (Iremember watching Alex Gordon playagainst KU in Lawrence when heplayed for the Nebraska Cornhuskers).I even watched a little bit of the KoreanLeague.I know that I don't matter to Major

League Baseball. I try to go to at least 1game a year, but even recently thathasn't always happened. I don't spendlots of money on tickets, clothing ormemorabilia so my opinion doesn'treally matter to the powers that be andI'm fine with that.

If they play a season this year will Iwatch? Probably. Will I root for the Royals? Always! Will I watch the postseason and the

World Series? Absolutely! Will I lose sleep if they don't play

this year or even strike in 2021? Never!

The negotiations are a joke. Theowners were wanting the players toprorate their salaries based on thenumber of games played. This wasafter the players agreed to reduce theirsalaries back in March. The ownerskept asking for more and the playerskept rejecting the proposals. Nowbefore we get all high and mighty andcrucify the players for their continuedrejections, let’s put it in our worlds.Would you agree to making around25% of your normal salary to continuedoing your job? That’s what ownerswere asking players to do. Sure, lots of

players make millions of dollars, butthat’s irrelevant right now. It doesn’tmatter how much you make, workingfor 25% of your salary is just wrong. Iknow I wouldn’t do it. If you would,then I guess you’re better than I am.We all live lifestyles that are dictated bythe amount of money we make.Back to the negotiations. The worst

thing about it is their CollectiveBargaining Agreement expiresDecember 2021. After watching theway these talks have occurred, I'm notsure they will be able to accomplish awhole lot without concessions beingmade by both sides. Add to the factthat baseball commissioner RobManfred just imposed a 60 gameschedule with pro-rated salaries tobegin at the end of July and we havethe makings for a very heatedCollective Bargaining Agreementnegotiation next year and a potentialstrike.Come on players, you get paid mil-

lions to play a game. Come on owners,you make billions by just owning ateam. Get together, get it done andplay ball!! If you don't put aside yourdifferences there may not be muchinterest in your product after the cur-rent CBA expires!


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owners should also consider completeroofing systems (shingles and acces-sories) with a strong warranty. Just besure to check the fine print, especially ifyou live in an area with high winds.While many roofing products do comewith wind warranties, there are oftencaveats with regard to wind speed limi-tations. Timberline HDZ shingles comewith an available GAF WindProven lim-ited wind warranty, the first wind war-ranty for roofing shingles with no max-imum wind speed limit. The brand’sshingles that feature LayerLock technol-ogy, such as HDZ, qualify for this war-ranty when installed with four qualify-ing GAF accessories.

Durable WindowsToday’s high-performance window

options can dramatically improve yourhome’s energy efficiency, provide bettersound-proofing and weather resistance,and offer tilt-in capabilities for easiercleaning and maintenance. Some man-ufacturers offer customization optionswith regards to grille patterns, windowshape, interior and exterior frame colorsand glass types, making it easy to findoptions that complement your home’sstyle while providing performance fea-tures you value.This season, make smart home

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3 Projects That Combine Beauty and Performance

Coupon Expires Aug. 31, 2020

22 • July 2020 ___________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com _______________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews _________________________ Topeka Metro Voice

Payment in advance required: $12 for thefirst 25 words; 25 cents for each add'l word.

(classified ads also go immediately online)

SERVICES:DISABLED? UNABLE TO WORK? Win SocialSecurity disability benefits. Expert help, applica-tion to hearing. Fee only if we win.785.331.6452. Email:[email protected]

FOR RENT:OFFICE SPACE available, great for therapists,health and wellness companies, small businessowners & more! Complementary desks/chairsfurnished. All utilities plus Wi-fi/Ethernet included.$100 VISA cards to new leases if you mention

this classified ad! College Park Office Suites,2611 SW 17th St. Call or text [email protected]

WANTED:ASSISTANT EDITOR – Research articles &event info online & on phone. Some writing &editing. Some updating files, social media post-ing, possibly some deliveries. Mostly work fromhome. Could be part-time hourly wages, or con-tract services basis. Call Lee at 785-640-6399PART-TIME ACCOUNT REP – Work your ownhours. Call on businesses, churches & non-prof-its about their advertisements in Metro Voice.Generous commission on all ads you place; nobase. Call 235-3340 or email [email protected] SINGERS WANTED – Topeka

Acapella Unlimited is looking for female singerswho would like to sing four part acapella har-monies. Topeka Acapella Unlimited is a Chapterof Sweet Adelines, International. Call CindyPatton at 785-640-7403 for more information.

1. HIGHLAND HEIGHTS CHRISTIANCHURCH

785-379-5642Sunday Services: 8:30 and 10:00 AM

2930 SE Tecumseh RoadTecumseh, Kansas 66542

www.highlandheightscc.comJars of Clay Children's Ctr 785-379-9098

2. CHRISTIAN CAVALRYMINISTRIES INT.

Pastor Beaux Bryantc/o Seaman Baptist Church

2015 NW Buchanan, Topeka Ks 66608785-224-5419 • www.church4bikers.org

Sun. School 9:30 amSun. Service 10:45 am

Wed. Prayer & Bible Study 7pm3. TOPEKA BIBLE CHURCH1101 SW Mulvane St., Topeka

785-234-5545Worship: 8:00 - 9:30 & 11am

Sunday School & Bible Studies:9:30 & 11am

www.discovertbc.com4. NORTHLAND CHRISTIAN

CHURCH3102 NW Topeka Blvd., Topeka

286-1204Worship Sun. 8:00, 9:30 & 11am

www.northland.cc5. INDIANA AVENUE CHURCH OF

CHRIST“Grace has dispensed, because Grace

has redeemed”3510 SE Indiana Ave., Topeka, Ks. 66605785-266-7788, www.Indianaavecofc.orgBible University – Sunday - 9:30 a.m.

Classes for all ages.Morning Worship – Sunday – 10:45 a.m.Midweek Bible University – Wed. – 7pm

6. FIRST SOUTHERN BAPTIST1912 SW Gage, Topeka, KS

272-0443 www.fsbctopeka.orgSunday Services:

8:30 AM Traditional Worship9:45 AM Bible study--all ages11 AM Contemporary Worship

7. TOPEKA BAPTIST CHURCH“Finding NEW LIFE in CHRIST”

Sunday Worship 9:15 & 10:45am, 6pm~ Sunday School for all ages ~4500 SW Gage Blvd., Topeka

785-862-0988www.topekabaptist.org8. WANAMAKER ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH

“Being and making disciples of Jesus Christby the power of the Gospel, to the glory of God”

2700 SW Wanamaker Rd., Topeka(785) 272-9323 www.wrbctopeka.com

Traditional Sunday Worship 10:30am & 6pmSunday School 9am • Wed. Prayer 7pm

9. GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH310 E 8th St (E. US 56 Hwy)

Overbrook, KS; 785-665-7117Elvin Dillard, Senior Pastor

Sunday School 9 am; Worship 10 amwww.gccinoverbrook.com

[email protected]. LORD’S HOUSE CHURCH

300 SW Roosevelt, Topeka KS 66606Pastor Marilyn Hahn McGinnis

10 a.m. Sunday (Non-traditional Service)See “About Us” at our website

www.kawriverkeruv.comQuestions? [email protected]

11. COMMUNITY CHURCH1819 SW 21st St., Topeka

233-3537 www.CommunityChurchKS.comSun. 9:30am - Sunday School for all agesSun. 10:30am - Worship & Word, Children

AWANA Sunday at 5:45 p.m. See our website for info on our

Student Ministries & Kid Citywww.esbcks.org

18. CHRIST THE KING CATHOLICCHURCH

Voted 2015/16 Best Church in Topeka!5973 SW 25th St.

Topeka, KS 66614 ● 273-0710Reconciliation: Sat 3-4pm

Weekend Masses: Sat 4:30pmSunday 7:30, 9, 11am, 6pm

www.ctktopeka.org Fr. Matthew Schiffelbein, Pastor

Fr. Carter Zielinski, Associate Pastor

19. SEAMAN COMMUNITY CHURCHIndependent Christ-Centered Bible Church

2036 NW Taylor, Topeka, KS

354-8777 • www.seamanchurch.comAdult Sunday School - Sun. 9:30am

Sunday Worship: 10:30amChildren's Sunday School: 10:30am

Youth group 1st & 3rd Sundays 4-6pm20. HERITAGE BAPTIST CHURCH

1937 NE Madison St, Topeka, KS 66616 • 785-506-4594

Pastor Dale Stockburger Sunday Worship: 10 am and 6pmJunior Church for kids: Sun 10am

Wed. Evening Worship: 7pm21. HARVEST FAMILY FELLOWSHIP

Meets at 522 SW Polk785-220-5418

Pastor Rey RodriguezSun. Worship 10:30 am

www.topekaharvest.vpweb.com

Place your classified ad with us! 785-235-3340 or [email protected], or metrovoicenews.com

22. FAMILY OF GOD CHURCH1231 NW Eugene St.

Topeka, KS 66608Pastor Roger Randel

Sunday Worship 10:30am & 6pmWednesday Bible Study 7pm234-1111 • FOGchurch.com

24. TRINITY REFORMED BAPTISTCHURCH

Holding to the authorized King JamesVersion and the 1689 London Baptist

Confession of FaithSunday 10 a.m. Wednesday 6 p.m.Pastor Bob Spagnuolo 785-273-3506

meeting in our home: 4307 SW 30th Ter., Topeka

www.TrinityReformedBaptist.org

New ResidentNew ResidentChurch GuideChurch Guide

Wed. 6:30pm - Children, Youth, Adult~ Nursery care for all services ~

12. BUCK CREEK COUNTRY CHURCHMeeting at Buck Creek School House

5 mi. east of Perry on Hwy 24, 13th & Phillips Rd.Childrens Sunday School - 8:30 a.m.

Worship Service - 9:00 a.m.Contacts: Logan Barnett 785-597-5498,

or Scott Bond 423-0406

13. WANAMAKER WOODS NAZARENEServing Christ - Loving People

3501 SW Wanamaker Rd • 273-2248Dr. L.D. Holmes, Sr. Pastor

www.wwnaz.orgSun. Worship: 9am (Hymns) & 11 am

Children’s Worship 9 & 11 amSunday School 10 am, all ages

Sun. Evening Various Children’s Programs6 pm Life Groups; 6:30 pm Teen ServiceWed. 6:30 pm Adult & Teen Life Groups

Wed. 6:30 pm Kids University~ Nursery care at all services ~14. GRACE LIFE CONNECTION

Living grace inside-out in an upside-down worldSaturdays @ 5:00 PM

Bible Study Thursdays @ 6:00 PMMeeting at Highland Park Baptist29th & Pennsylvania, Topeka, KS

Pastor Pete Whitebird15. OAKLAND UNITED METHODIST

801 NE Chester, Topeka, KS 66616235-1010 • [email protected] O'Trimble, Pastor

Sunday School 9:15am, Worship 10:30amChildren's worship time 10:30am

Hear us on WREN Radio Sun. 10-11amLike us on Facebook!

All are welcome - Come and see us!16. HOUSE OF THE LORD CHURCH

A Spirit-filled, Word-centered church2531 SE Wittenberg Rd., Topeka

Sunday Worship 11am & 6pmWed. Prayer & Praise 7pm

785-266-LOVE (5683)J. Michael Borjon, Pastor

17. EAST SIDE BAPTIST CHURCH4425 S.E. 29th St., 379-9933.

Sunday Worship 10:45am & 6:00pm

Topeka Baptist Church7

14 1

Topeka Metro Voice ________________________ MetroVoiceNews.com ________________________ Facebook/MetroVoiceNews ____________ ______________ July 2020 • 23

Kansans for Life hosted its annualoratory contest to encourage teensto speak up for the value of humanlife. The 2020 David GittrichMemorial Oratorical Contest wasconducted by Zoom videoconfer-ence on May 30 for high school jun-iors and seniors. Students fromaround the state presented original,pro-life speeches that were based onrecent KFL legislative efforts to stopunlimited abortion and approve theValue Them Both Amendment tothe Kansas Constitution. The win-ner, Jacob Toole, will go on to com-pete in the National Right to LifeOratory Contest this summer.A panel of four judges ranked the

contestants. These are the top fivewinners:Jacob Toole, Washington County

High School senior – 1st placeNathan Knapp, Aletheia Academy

junior from Seneca – 2nd placeJimmy Mendoza, St. James

Academy junior from Lenexa – 3rdplaceValerie Rosqueta, St. James

Academy junior from Spring Hill –4th placeBaylie Owens, Excel Online

Academy senior from Hesston – 5thSeveral students said they grew in

their knowledge and ability to speakon pro-life issues. According toValerie Rosqueta, “Participating inthe contest was surely a new experi-ence for me! I learneda lot about the move-ment through myresearch and writing.Crafting a speech ded-icated to pro-life top-ics definitelyincreased my confi-dence to talk about itto others as well.” Some students have

already been activelyinvolved in standingup for women andtheir babies, such as inthe March for Life, 40Days for Life, and LifeChain. “I have recent-ly felt the need to beactively involved inthe pro-life move-ment,” says NathanKnapp, “and will con-tinue to work in what-ever ways God givesme to defend them,whether it be in writ-ing, in voting, or insupporting pro-lifeorganizations.”Kansans for Life

looks forward to nextyear’s oratorical con-test and is excited tohear a new generationof young people withthe passion to speakup for those who can-not speak for them-selves. Area publicand private schoolsand home school

groups are notifiedeach year.Information about thecontest is also avail-able at the KFL.orgwebsite each spring.Monetary prizes areawarded, and the win-ner is given the oppor-tunity to become apro-life spokespersonby presenting the win-ning speech at KFLevents. For any ques-tions regarding nextyear’s contest, pleasecontact the Contest

Director [email protected] goes out to

every judge who gaveof their time to makethis event possible aswell as the hard workof each and every stu-dent who participat-ed. After the national

contest, KFL will postJacob Toole’s speechand the other contest-ants’ video clips onthe KFL YouTubepage.

KFL Announces Winner of 2020 Oratory Contest

Trump Commemorates 200th Mile of New WallOn a day with temperatures in the tripledigits in Yuma, Arizona, President Trumptoured new construction of the wall at theborder with Mexico.More than 200 miles ofthe wall have now beenbuilt.The president was joinedat a roundtable withActing Customs andBorder ProtectionCommissioner MarkMorgan and Acting Homeland SecuritySecretary Chad Wolf. Together, theysigned part of the wall.President Trump promised to hit 450miles of construction by the end of theyear, and as of Tuesday it has hit 216 miles. “We have to know who and what is com-ing through our borders, into our bor-

ders,” the president said Tuesday. “And wehave to be able to defend that. And withevery new mile of new wall system, the

operational capacity ofCBP, specifically BorderPatrol, is increased.”“During the past twomonths we’ve seen thelowest number of illegalborder crossings in manyyears,” President Trumpsaid. “Illegal immigration

is down 84 percent from this time last year.Illegal crossings from Central America aredown 97 percent.”Following his stop at the border in Yuma,the president went to Phoenix to speak ata convention of Students for Trump, ayouth group dedicated to the president’sreelection.

JacobToole

ValerieRosqueta

NathanKnapp

JimmyMendoza


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