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Features
Couple Credits Their Amazing Story To An ‘Amazing God’
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
A couple who started their lives for a ‘2nd’ time, have set a June wedding date. Rhonda Jackson and Arcilous Mincey met for the ‘first’ time on Christian Mingle on Sep- tember 13, 2014.
Although this was their ‘first’ encounter, it was not the first time they had met. Rhonda says she was a stu- dent at St. Petersburg Jr. Col- lege when she encountered the man she called “Sam.” That was 31 years ago.
“I had a massive crush on a student named “Sam.” I did not know his last name, but I knew how he made me feel just to see him and I wanted to know more about him. How- ever, when I approached him, he told me I was too young for him and turned away and left me standing there without even asking my name,” she ex- plained.
Of course she was crushed, but went about her life, turn- ing her attention to her career, her son and God. Her brief marriage ended terribly she says, but she has a 26-year-old son from that union. In 2002, she dedicated her life to God and committed to a life of serv-
RHONDA JACKSON and ARCILOUS “SAM” MINCEY ...Have planned to be married in June
ice.
As a 57-year-old divorcee,
Arcilous Mincey thought that life and love had passed him by. “But God over- whelmed me by His goodness and His graciousness,” he ex- plained. “I was hoping and praying for “Miss Almost” or “Miss Close Enough,” but God’s plan for me was to meet “Miss Right.”
The two met on the Chris- tian Mingle chatline on Sept. 13th, and actually held a tele- phone conversation on Sept. 16th that lasted more than 90 minutes. It was on September 18th that they got to see each other when they met at a
restaurant in Westshore Mall. Rhonda says “Sam” told her about a dream he had a month prior to their chatline meeting. “It was identical to what happened to me 31 years earlier. He didn’t believe it until I pulled our college tran- scripts, and described what he was wearing.” The next day he brought her a picture of him- self looking just like she re-
membered.
“God allowed us to rapidly
fall in love, so rapidly, in fact, that I proposed to her 40 days after her first smile to me.
“Three days after she said yes to my proposal, God proved to us He was in control all the time,” he continued. When he wanted to give her the engagement ring, the cou- ple went back to the college campus.
Rhonda, who started col- lege at age 15, is now a Nurse Practitioner. Arcilous, father of a daughter and has a grand- daughter, is a teacher and or- dained minister.
“God showed both of us who we are, who we were, and who we could be, if we just be- lieve in Him and remain in His will. God showed us that I was the man she fell in love with 31 years earlier,” concludes Ar- cilous.
Nearly 5,000 Take Part In Early Voting For
District 6 Runoff Election
JACKIE TOLEDO
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Sunday, the seven-day period for early voting in the runoff election closed at 6 p.m. However, records show that nearly 5,000 of the 52,000 reg- istered voters in that district have voted.
Individuals who live in the area and who have not voted will have a final opportunity to vote on Tuesday, March 24th, but must cast their ballots at their assigned voting precinct.
The majority or 4,192 votes were cast through Mail In Bal- lots. Some of the residents who live in the area participated in early voting by visiting the Early Voting sites. A total of 573 votes were cast at those lo- cations.
The voters are returning to the polls to determine if Ms. Jackie Toledo or Guido Maniscalo will represent them in the District 6 Seat on the Tampa City Council.
In the election on March
GUIDO MANISCALCO
3rd, Ms. Toledo, who won 3,719 votes or 46.02%, and Maniscalco, who earned 2,348 votes or 29.06%.
The City Council District 6 Seat encompasses parts of West Tampa, Tampa Heights, Carver City, and Drew Park, along with other areas. T h e Neighborhood Associations in District 6 are: Armenia Gar- dens Estates, Beach Park, Beach Park Isles, Bon Air, Carver City/Lincoln Gardens, Culbreath Bayou, Culbreath Heights, Culbreath Isles, Drew Park, Gray Gables, Lowry Park, Marina Club, MacFarlane Park, Mid-Peninsula, Midtown, North Bon Air, North Hyde Park, Northeast MacFarlane Park, Oakford Park, Palma Ceia West, Parkview, Plaza Terrace, Ridgewood River, Riverbend, Riverside Heights, South Seminole Heights, Wellswood, West Tampa, Westshore Palms and sections of Lowry Park North, South- east Seminole Heights, Sunset Park and Tampa Heights.
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