The Little Chapel Among the Palms: Celebrating Three Winter Seasons at the Palms Rv Resort Chapel by the Pools in Yuma, Arizona

By Monte C. Fast

A fourth season chaplaincy for Monte and Billie at the Palms has been scheduled for 2012. Only the good Lord knows what lies ahead for this season. We have learned to expect the unexpected.



Other books Monte has written are Stranger by the Lake and Catherina, A Praying Grandmother. They are available through the publisher, Authorshouse, or internet booksellers like Amazon or Barnes and Noble. They are also available at Kindle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477268629

Monte C. Fast

Monte Fast with Billie, his wife of 50 years, has served as a Pastor, Christian Educator, Bible College instructor, director of a large charity, and is now semi-retired. He has long been intrigued by the history of his family. His travels took him to Northern Saskatchwan which he had visited as a child. While visiting several historic Mennonite towns and archives, he discovered his direct roots in the Dutch Anabaptist movements. He was privileged to interview Pastor Ben H. Fast, his oldest living cousin who gave him one of the few remaining copies of his book "From Windmills to Prairies." He also made connections with the Mennonite Archives in Saskatoon which is directed by a cousin by marriage, Helen Fast. These priceless resources triggered Monte Fast's research, which results in this second book authored by him.

Book preview

The

Little Chapel

among the Palms

Celebrating Three Winter Seasons At The Palms RV Resort Chapel by the Pools in Yuma, Arizona

MONTE C. FAST

US%26UKLogoB%26Wnew.ai

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone:[phone]

© 2012 by Monte C. Fast. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/12/2012

ISBN:978-1-4772-6863-6 (sc)

ISBN:978-1-4772-6862-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012916827

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Forward, No Upward!

Special Needs In A Senior Rv Resort

The Precious Toy By Billie Fast

Denomination Blues

Evangelism—Good And Bad

Advent Program

Five Advent Sermons

Advent Sermon Number 1—Angels

Advent Sermon Number 2—Shepherds

Advent Sermon Number 3—Four Kings

Advent Sermon Number 4—The Holy Family

Advent Sermon Number 5—A Star

Advent And Candlelight Scriptures

Christmas Carols

Four Lenten Sermons

Mary’s Gift—First Sunday Of Lent

Tabernacles On The Mountain—Second Sunday Of Lent

Bringing In The Ark—Third Sunday Of Lent

When They Had Sung A Hymn—Fourth Sunday Of Lent

One Easter Sermon

Jesus Is Alive And Knows A Secret!

About Your Authors . . .

Other books Monte has written are

Stranger by the Lake and Catherina, A Praying Grandmother. They are available through the publisher, Authorshouse, or internet booksellers like Amazon or Barnes and Noble. They are also available at Kindle.

Forward, No Upward!

It all started with an attempt to take a needed restful vacation.

The Fasts, Monte and Billie, had just struggled through a life threatening medical crisis. We owned a vintage Winnebago and had never spent any of our cold Nevada winter months in Arizona’s luxurious winter warmth. Hearing of a very upscale Yuma, AZ RV Resort called The Palms we decided to pamper ourselves for a couple of months. And The Palms proved to be one of the finest RV Resorts in the west.

When we arrived, we were pleased to see a picturesque little chapel standing by the swimming complex. And so on Sunday, we went to chapel. A nice couple from Yuma were leading the service. There was no piano or organ, no candles, no religious art. Only 40 chairs equipped with 40 Bibles. The leader had about 8 congregants, and he presented a nice Bible study. His wife led the unaccompanied hymn singing, and the faithful 8 did their best. For the next 6 weeks we were faithful members of his little congregation.

As that first winter season began to come to a close, the leader needed to finish a couple of weeks early. Hearing of my background, he asked me to sub for him for the final two weeks. To tell the truth, I didn’t know whether I had developed the physical strength to do it, but I said, I’ll try. And that was the beginning of a love relationship with the faithful 8. We actually increased by 5 or 6 and closed out the season with a larger attendance. Another upward step was an electronic piano/organ. I found one in the newspaper and donated it. We had music.

Then I secured a small but beautiful cross. It soon sat between two shining candles, and with my father’s worn out Bible displayed on the small communion table, we sensed a spiritual change in the entire room. We were in an nondenominational chapel. We felt the presence of the Holy Spirit among our small group. And God must have had something in mind because my physical strength was returning. For the first time in 5 years, I was ministering with full energy.

The congregation, without asking me, went to Palms management and asked if they would be willing to invite Monte and Billie back in 2010. And so things moved, again not forward, but upward.

Management provided excellent hymnals to go along with our musical instrument. And chapel goers began to sing . . . with feeling as well. 2010 was a banner year. The old Winnebago was traded for a fine new Southwind, complete with two slide outs. A housewarming party was the social event of the year for chapel goers. And