---------------------- Forwarded by Maria Sandoval/HOU/ECT on 11/21/2000 
01:24 PM ---------------------------

11/21/2000 01:19 PM
Brenda Flores-Cuellar@ENRON
Brenda Flores-Cuellar@ENRON
Brenda Flores-Cuellar@ENRON
11/21/2000 01:19 PM
11/21/2000 01:19 PM
To: Felecia Russell/Corp/Enron@ENRON, "Teresa V. Contreras" 
<tvcontreras@yahoo.com>, Melissa Jones/NA/Enron@ENRON, "Ryan M. Matthews" 
<RMatthews@cima-energy.com>, alma.navarro@enron.com, Maria 
Sandoval/HOU/ECT@ECT, Susan D Trevino/HOU/ECT@ECT@ENRON
cc:  
Subject: The Tablecloth

Happy Thanksgiving to all.


> > > THE TABLECLOTH
> > >
> > > The brand new  pastor  and  his  wife,
> > > newly   assigned   to   their    first
> > > ministry,  to  reopen  a   church   in
> > > suburban Brooklyn,  arrived  in  early
> > > October excited about their
> > > opportunities.  When  they  saw  their
> > > church,  it was very run down and
> > > needed much work. They set a goal  to
> > > have everything done in
> > > time to have their  first  service  on
> > > Christmas Eve.
> > >
> > > They  worked  hard,  repairing   pews,
> > > plastering walls, painting,  etc.  and
> > > on Dec 18 were ahead of schedule and
> > > just  about  finished.  On  Dec  19  a
> > > terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm
> > > hit the  area  and  lasted  for  two
> > > days.
> > >
> > > On the 21st, the pastor went  over  to
> > > the church. His heart sank when he saw
> > > that the roof had  leaked,  causing  a
> > > large area of plaster about 20 feet by
> > > 8 feet to fall off the front  wall  of
> > > the sanctuary just behind the  pulpit,
> > > beginning about head high. The  pastor
> > > cleaned up the mess on the floor,  and
> > > not  knowing  what  else  to  do   but
> > > postpone the  Christmas  Eve  service,
> > > headed home. On  the  way  he  noticed
> > > that a local  business  was  having  a
> > > flea market type sale for charity so
> > > he stopped in.
> > >
> > > One of  the  items  was  a  beautiful,
> > > handmade,  ivory  colored,   crocheted
> > > tablecloth with exquisite  work,  fine
> > > colors and a Cross  embroidered  right
> > > in the center. It was just  the  right
> > > size to cover up the hole in the front
> > > wall. He bought it and headed back  to
> > > the church.
> > >
> > > By this time it had started to snow.
> > > An older woman running from the
> > > opposite direction was trying to catch
> > > the bus. She missed it. The pastor
> > > invited her to wait in the warm church
> > > for the next bus 45 minutes later.
> > >
> > > She sat in a pew and paid no attention
> > > to the pastor while he got  a  ladder,
> > > hangers,   etc.,   to   put   up   the
> > > tablecloth as  a  wall  tapestry.  The
> > > pastor  could   hardly   believe   how
> > > beautiful it looked and it covered  up
> > > the entire problem area.
> > >
> > > Then he noticed the woman walking down
> > > the center aisle. Her face was like  a
> > > sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did
> > > you get that tablecloth?"  The  pastor
> > > explained.  The  woman  asked  him  to
> > > check the lower right corner to see if
> > > the initials, EBG were crocheted  into
> > > it there. They were.  These  were  the
> > > initials of the  woman,  and  she  had
> > > made this tablecloth 35 years  before,
> > > in Austria.
> > >
> > > The woman could hardly believe  it  as
> > > the pastor told how he had just gotten
> > > the Tablecloth.  The  woman  explained
> > > that  before  the  war  she  and   her
> > > husband  were  well-to-do  people   in
> > > Austria. When the Nazis came, she was
> > >
> > > forced to leave. Her husband was going
> > > to follow her the next week.  She  was
> > > captured, sent to prison and never saw
> > > her husband or her home again.
> > >
> > > The pastor  wanted  to  give  her  the
> > > tablecloth; but she made the pastor
> > > keep it for  the  church.  The  pastor
> > > insisted on driving her home, that was
> > > the least he could do.  She  lived  on
> > > the other side of  Staten  Island  and
> > > was only in Brooklyn for the day for a
> > > housecleaning job.
> > >
> > > What a wonderful service they  had  on
> > > Christmas Eve. The church was
> > > almost full. The music and the  spirit
> > > were great. At the end of the service,
> > > the  pastor  and  his   wife   greeted
> > > everyone at the  door  and  many  said
> > > that they would return. One older man,
> > > whom the pastor  recognized  from  the
> > > neighborhood, continued to sit in  one
> > > of the pews and stare, and the  pastor
> > > wondered why he  wasn't  leaving.  The
> > > man  asked  him  where  he   got   the
> > > tablecloth on the front  wall  because
> > > it was identical to one that his wife
> > > had made years ago when they lived  in
> > > Austria before the war and how could
> > > there  be  two  tablecloths  so   much
> > > alike?
> > >
> > > He told the pastor how the Nazis came,
> > > how he forced his wife to flee
> > > for her safety, and he was supposed to
> > > follow her, but he  was  arrested  and
> > > put in a prison. He never saw his wife
> > > or his home again all the 35 years  in
> > > between.
> > >
> > > The pastor asked him if he would allow
> > > him to take him  for  a  little  ride.
> > > They drove to Staten Island and to the
> > > same house where the
> > > pastor had taken the woman three  days
> > > earlier. He helped the man  climb  the
> > > three flights of stairs to the woman's
> > > apartment, knocked on the door and he
> > > saw the greatest Christmas reunion he
> > > could ever imagine.
> > >
> > >
> > > True Story - submitted by  Pastor  Rob Reid
> > >
> > > Who  says  God  does   not   work   in
> > > mysterious ways. I asked the  Lord  to
> > > bless you as I prayed for  you  today.
> > > To guide you and protect you as you go
> > > along your way....
> > >
> > > His  love  is  always  with  you,  His
> > > promises are true, And  when  we  give
> > > Him all our cares you know He will see
> > > us through.
> > >
> > > So when the road you're  traveling  on
> > > seems difficult at best, Just remember
> > > I'm here praying, and God will do  the rest.
> > >
> > > Pass this on to those you want God  to
> > > bless, and don't forget to send it
> > > back to the one who asked God to bless
> > > you first.