‘Wall of Faith’ at meeting shares stories, prayer requests

By Rachel L. Toalson
Staff Writer
They prayed unceasingly.
Though Harold and Gertrude Batiste had only recently joined the Windcrest UMC family, a circle had formed—a circle that prayed diligently for their broken son.
He’d been injured Feb. 11, 1977. He lost control of his car and broke his neck. His spinal cord was damaged so badly that doctors said he would spend the rest of his life as a “vegetable.”
And so, they prayed.
They prayed that he would recover—that he would survive, become whole again and be all that God would have him be.
Randy Batiste cannot move without his wheelchair. But he spent nights typing term papers with one hand. He earned his high school diploma, a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree from the University of North Texas.
Today, Randy is on staff at the University of North Texas in Denton.
He has become “all that God would have him be,” his mother said.
The Batistes’ story was only one of many tacked onto the “Wall of Faith” at the Southwest Texas Annual Conference session June 6-9 in Corpus Christi.
The first-time display featured faith stories and prayer requests of clergy and laity from around the conference. The wall was an example of the 2007 conference theme, “Offering Christ to All: Sharing Our Faith Stories,” in action.
Linda Keen, leadership development director, said the prayer requests on the wall would be prayed for long after the annual conference session finished.
“Know that when you leave this place, these prayers will be prayed,” she said.
Gertrude Batiste said she wanted to share her story because she hoped it would encourage people—so they would believe in the power of prayer and the verse to which her son clung during the dark times: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
“They wanted a faith story, and that was the strongest one I had in mind,” she said. “I hope they’ll know that anything is possible. And that they’ll stick with it, that they’ll pray and keep the faith.”
Millie Goode of First UMC, Kings-ville, shared a childhood memory as her faith story.
She and her brother were walking along the bank of the Snake River in Idaho when he spotted a raft stuck among some trees. He decided he wanted to “rescue” it.
She prayed that she would not have to return home to her mother with news that her brother had died.
“I never thought my brother would try to ‘rescue’ a raft from the raging Snake River…but he did, and I learned the power of prayer and the mercy of God,” she wrote. “As the river threatened to take my beloved brother, I, trembling in fear, asked God to rescue him from his foolish decision to tempt an unpredictable and dangerous river. God heard and took pity on his foolish child.”
Goode said she still thinks what her brother did was “stupid.”
She said she shared the story because she believes it will encourage others to pray.
“We’ve all been in that crisis situation, when we need to look to a higher power to help us,” Goode said. “To me, that’s a faith story. It’s not about ‘we’re doing this or that program’ or ‘look how much my church is doing.’ That doesn’t make you transparent.”
Much of what filled the “Wall of Faith” were prayer requests from the clergy and laity within the conference.
They wrote about many concerns:
“For my son, Sean. He is going back to Iraq for the third time. Pray for his safety.”
“For God’s grace and mighty mercy for me and my husband as we work through his will in our marriage.”
“For Molly Urban and her team of young witnesses who are serving their Lord for two weeks in a mission to Uganda.”
“For all faiths to unite under the one God and live in peace.”
“For Michael Paul Crocker and his family.”
Keen said conference participants are to receive all prayer requests and be asked to include them in their prayers.