Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 8-28-15 Edition

Local
‘Pastor Ethel’ Publishes Her First Book
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Growing up in a small Louisiana town, Pastor Ethel (Ethel Richard-Peterson) can’t remember a time when her household and her life weren’t full of spirituality and the Word of God.
Called to the ministry at a very early age, Pastor Ethel attended St. Matthew M.B. Church in Louisiana where she was involved in every aspect of the daily church functions, in- cluding opportunities to speak. Arriving in Tampa more than 20 years ago, Pas- tor Ethel said once you’ve been touched by God, you’ll never be the same.
“God has blessed me with a new building I’m still moving into, and I can always been identified by my favorite say- ing, ‘Won’t he do it? Yes He Will!”
“I’ve always believed that the church is a place of refuge, comfort and peace, and a place for you to continue your per- sonal experience with God. Your actions during the week prepare you for the Word on Sunday.”
Pastor Ethel said she’s flawed, so if people are looking for a church with a flawless pastor, her church, “Living The Word Church,” is not the place for you. “I serve a flaw- less God.”
Pastor Ethel’s book, “Mir- ror-Time,” encourages the reader to spend time with God, and it also brings you to a closer relationship with God. It contains scripture and songs, and at the end, you do praise.
“Mirror-Time will allow you to increase your faith in God and seed faith in the unbe- liever.
“It took me only a day to write the book, and I always believe that no matter your sit- uation, you can come up with
PASTOR ETHEL
praise. Once you start reading the book, God’s blessings will come to you. You’ll also learn how to flow and bring your joy to others.”
Pastor Ethel said she came up with the title of the book when God gave it to her. “I recall my childhood of grow- ing up listening to the Gospel legends of the time, and being in the mirror pretending I’m them.
“My parents were people of principle, and that’s how the eight of us grew up. I can’t re- member a time in my life when I didn’t love God or pray. I’m known to pray for hours and sometimes I have to keep a cup of water close by. I believe God will manifest what I pray about.”
Pastor Ethel said God put upon her His will and bless- ings to spread the word and teachings of the Bible.
“God needs to dwell in all of us, and I get a lot of revelations when I’m just driving down the road.
“Anyone interested in reading my book can call me at 1-800-245-7304. You can also listen to my radio show, “Living The Word,” on Sunday at 10 a. m. on WTMP 1150 AM radio.
Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay (RTTB) and its local com- munity partners have joined forces to host a block party and community resource fair as part of the ongoing Building A Healthier Sulphur Springs project – a collaborative com- munity effort to improve hous- ing and neighborhood conditions in Sulphur Springs.
The event was originally scheduled for July 25th, but was cancelled due to the tor- rential rain that came over the area. It will now be held Satur- day, August 29th from 9 a. m. to 1 p. m. at Abundant Life Worship Center, 8117 North 13th Street.
RTTB will engage several groups of volunteers to install the Healthy Home Kit, com-
plete exterior painting and yard clean-up on 7 homes. Abundant Life Worship Center has identified households in need of these services.
Also partners such as Com- munity Stepping Stones will engage neighborhood teens to hand paint and install new mailboxes to instill neighbor- hood pride while improving safety by putting legible house numbers to improve emer- gency response. Tampa Elec- tric’s Neighborhood Weatherization Outreach pro- gram will supply a number of energy efficiency measures that are included inside the Home Health Kit.
Tampa Electric’s approved contractor, Alternative Energy Applications (AEA), will install
ceiling insulation and seal duct work in qualifying homes. The Sulphur Springs YMCA will conduct one-on-one sessions with residents on how to grow their own bucket gardens and reap the benefits that come from homegrown, nutritious fruits and vegetables. Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful will lead beautification efforts by plant- ing greenery and removing de- bris.
Pablo Aviles of RTTB said the program was launched in March.
“This is the first time we’re doing it with partners. We’re planning to do one every other month if we can work out the logistics.
“Our goal is to help people with their housing needs while our partners take care of other needs.”
Aviles said they have tar- geted 175 homes in the Sulphur Springs community that need roofs repaired, have plumbing issues, and other problems. Of the 175 homes, 30 have already been taken care of.
“Previously, we dealt specif- ically with owner occupied homes. Now, we don’t have to turn down the renters by deal- ing directly with the landlords.
“We want to pay closer at- tention to tenants living in un- safe circumstances and also make their homes more energy efficient. Sulphur Springs is considered a food desert, so we’re working on setting up several gardens in the area.”
Aviles said they want to in- still more pride with the people to take better care of their homes and surrounding com- munity.
“We hope neighbors will in- spire each other. Right now, many of them are afraid to in- teract with each other. We want to make everyone feel at ease with their neighbors and build a long term relationship. We’d also like to set up a satel- lite office in the area.”
Aviles said they select he homes by walking through the neighborhoods and going door-to-door.
“We also get contacts through word-of-mouth, and we get leads from the city and churches in the community.
“We constantly are looking for more corporate sponsors, because the lack of funds sometimes prevents us from doing more.”
The Fair will include fire safety demonstrations and crime prevention resources by the Tampa Fire Department and the Tampa Police Depart- ment, respectively. Lowe’s will also provide a craft tent for neighborhood children where they can build their own wooden race cars.
Community Partners Join To Host A Block Party, Community Resource Fair
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015