Dear Family Member:
Last month, we were excited to see the returning students in our Oakwood Overcomers Support Group. We kept in touch during the summer, but we missed our one-on-one meetings. By building close relationships last school year, we all sensed that ‘we are family.’ And as campus parents, we help our ‘sons and daughters’ overcome in areas where they need help.
The first gathering was at the Golden Corral Restaurant. You should have seen all the hugs. The parents of two sisters from Atlanta, GA joined us. We were friends in Denver and they were so pleased to see their girls ‘in good hands’.
Then, at the first weekly support group held at the Oakwood University Church Family Life Center, there were seven new students in attendance. What a blessing!
In addition, we were guest speakers at the Worship Service on campus for the United Student Movement. The room was filled with students and their attentiveness and responses was remarkable.
Cliff, Anthony Frazier, DAP graduate, and Tyler Roberts, former DAP client and 2016 Oakwood graduate, gave their personal testimonies. Their stories were powerful, and the students appreciated their honesty and vulnerability. By the way, the seven new students who attended the support group came as the result of Cliff’s invitation after the Worship Service.
Anthony Frazier and his wife, Phyllis, drove down from Louisville, KY to join us for the Worship Service. And this is an edited version of his story:
2016 Oakwood Graduate
In 2001, Anthony went on to Loma Linda University School of Nursing and received a BS degree. He was President of his class and graduated with honors. After working as an RN for three years, he was afflicted with cancer in his leg. He had nine surgeries and his leg had to be amputated. He also had to undergo a heart transplant. In all his struggles, he did not return to using drugs. Praise God, he has been ‘clean and sober’ for 18 years! What a miracle! May God continue to bless Anthony and Phyllis.
God has called us “for such a time as this” to expand the ministry to help Oakwood University students and the community here in Alabama. As Cliff says, “We are ‘400’ years old but God still has work for us to do.” We made a commitment 31 years ago to do some phase of this ministry until Jesus comes or we are deceased. No retirement!
Yours truly,And what keeps us going – it is the encouragement of family members like yourself who are faithful supporters. You never forget to share a gift each month. And you make it possible for us to continue to reach out even while some tell us it’s “retirement time.” Thank you for the gifts you send, whether $100 or $200 or even more.
We say,
Yours truly,
