T RI -C ITY C HRISTIAN A CADEMY
’
M AY 1, 2013
I SSUE 6
Meet the Mama Bear
W
J OURNALISM
S TAFF
BY NHI HUYNH & JOYCE HWANG
e all will be seniors in
high school one day.
Miss Gracie Morillon, the
class sponsor of Class of 2013,
has some memories to share
along with some advice and
thoughts for the future seniors to help them be a better
example to younger generations.
1. What do you think about
past senior classes?
Every senior class has its BY JOYCE HWANG
unique out reach for the
school. Even though each senior class has its
strength and weakness, they left as a group that
glorified the Lord with their actions in the end.
There were some students that I wondered how
far they would get, but they succeeded. So very
proud of every single senior class that has gone
through the school, at least the six that I have
seen.
2. What was the biggest struggle that you have
faced since teaching the Class of 2013?
There are 23 students and 23 different personalities. I struggled trying to relate to each one personally
and to see how I can help a
particular student. I can’t
read one’s mind. I am sorry
that I don’t have that gift.
3. What do you love about
the Class of 2013?
What I love the most
about our class is that our
class is quick to serve.
Maybe it takes a while for
one or two people to step
in, but then everyone just
follows and finishes the job.
4. What have you learned since you came to
TCA?
I have learned the Spanish grammar and a lot
about science through teaching the subjects. I have
learned to know how to talk and interact with teenagers and how I can serve and help the students as a
teacher in order to guide the future leaders.
I have learned that I cannot do things on my own; I
have to trust the Lord. My testimony with my students
will be limited if I just simply base it on my own knowledge. Because this job also gives me provision and my
finance, I have learned to depend on the Lord in providing for me.
(Continued on page 9)
Nationals 2013
F
Miller performed her flute solo as
well as an Oral Interpretation of
Scripture and a Bible lesson, both on
the story of Esther.
Trogen played her violin solo as
well as acting out a serious poem
entitled “Home Burial.”
“I did well for performing at 5:30
in the morning [Arizona time],” Trogen commented.
Paine, the only TCA boy attending, performed a classical piano solo, took a music theory academic test, and gave
a humorous speech
about a unique show
and tell.
Mikalia Whitehouse
and Lauren Sullivan
did not attend the competition in Greenville,
but did send their first
place artwork to Nationals.
(Continued on page 3)
Co-Editors
Melissa Larsen
Jeremy Tetreau
Design
Mandy Huang
Officers
Claire Yang
Joyce Hwang
Nhi Huynh
Tristan Cipriano
Tatum Gardner
Mikaila Whitehouse
Margaret Towers
Tayler Mazaros
Caleb Hill
Josh Delo
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE
BY MELISSA LARSEN
ive TCA high school students took four days off of
school to compete at a national
level at Bob Jones University
in Greenville, South Carolina.
After earning first place in
their events, students have the
option to compete against the
winners in other state competitions across the US.
From April 9-11, Allison Sullivan, Ester Kim, Erin
Miller, Sydney Trogen, and Colin Paine took up the challenge to take their skills to the next level.
Arriving at the airport at 4:30 in the morning, the fivesome with their sponsor, Pastor Thad Todd, flew out of
Sky Harbor airport.
Competitors and sponsors stayed in the dorms. Paine
and Todd coincidentally stayed in Jared Lawson’s cousin’s
room.
“I learned [in the dorm] how animals eat their food,”
Todd said with a smile, “and I am not talking about
Colin.”
Sullivan and Kim competed with their flute duet. “It
was a great experience,” Kim commented.
Sponsor
Marianne Domico
F INE A RTS
2
F ROM THE E DITOR 3
A LUMNI
S ENIOR
3
WILLS
4
A NATOMY
6
P HOBIAS
7
N EW S EVIES
10
S UMMER !
11
B EST
IN CLASS
12
F OSTER C ARE
12
I SSUE 6 M AY 1
P AGE 2
The Cows Go Moo
BY MELISSA LARSEN
A
loud and exuberant busload of TCA students arrived at Arrowhead Christian Academy on Friday April 5,
2013. After hearing the elementary
boys chanting “Hey Ho, the cows
go moo,” throughout the ride, I
was ready for the freedom of the
open air. Soon the excited students
dropped off their instruments and
headed to the auditorium for the
opening meeting.
Long before the commencement
of the opening ceremony, students
had been preparing for this day.
After Christmas break, elementary
and junior high choir began working on pieces to perform.
This year, the elementary choir
avoided the difficulty of
memorizing many words by
singing A Two-Part Alleluia
(consisting of the two words
allelu and alleluia) as well as
A Little Mozart, an ironic
song with the letters of the
alphabet as the lyrics.
The Junior High choir
prepared Artza Alenu, an
Israeli folk song and a spiritual called Hush! Somebody’s
Callin’ My Name.
Besides automatically being able
to sing in choir, students had to
compete in individual categories
before CSA to have the opportunity
to perform at the festival.
Shelana Cochran, a fifth grader,
sang a duet with a fellow student
during run-offs earlier this semester.
“When we started singing, I was
a little nervous,” she said,
“partway through, it was good,
and later when we found out we
made it, it was fun.”
I, being one of the judges, had a
difficult time choosing among the
many students who had worked so
hard to prepare and many deserv-
ing to go. We debated for a couple
of days among the talented soloists
and groups.
Justin Raposa’s quartet, singing
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, was
the other small ensemble to make it
to CSA Festival.
“We were so excited when we
found out we made it,” Raposa
remembered, “the whole thing was
really cool.”
At CSA, Raposa knew he would
be nervous, playing two piano
solos, as well as singing in his ensemble, so he knew he wanted to
do his pieces and then relax for the
rest of the day by listening to others.
My job the day of CSA was to sit
in the warm-up room and prepare
students for their ensembles and
solos. Singers would come in the
room, jittery and excited. We
would take some deep breaths
together and I would play through
the piece while they sang.
I did not get to hear any of the
groups I sent out, but the small
ensembles must have gone well, as
both Cochran’s and Raposa’s
groups received Superior 1 rating,
the highest rating possible.
One twist this year occurred the
week before when Pastor Stertzbach went out of commission on
account of a kidney stone. Theresa
Trogen had to step in his spot directing the junior high choir, leaving me to warm up the elementary
choir by myself.
After answering questions like,
“Can I go to the restroom?” or “Do
I have to stand?” I finally warmed
up all of the students and lined
them up to enter.
In the end, both the elementary
and junior high choir received a
Superior 1 rating, coming home
with the top prize after a long semester of hard work.
Later, I asked a sixth grade boy
the purpose of the perpetual song
“hey ho, the cows go moo.” Andrew Miller did not know where
the song had originated. “They
sing it during band,” he said with a
smile, “I have no idea where it
came from.”
If they do not even know, how
can the rest of us possibly hope to
understand?
Spring Concert
BY MARGARET TOWERS
“The substance of a diligent man is precious.”
Proverbs 12:27b
hen people think of the spring concert,
they think of a full-on production with
showy lineups and costume changes. This year’s
spring concert was about making great music not
about the show. Pastor Stertzbach chose pieces
with difficult rhythms, key changes, and foreign
languages so the students could show off their
musical skills.
The highlight of the concert was the mass
choir singing Uniamo in Amore for the grand finale. The song featured three soloists, a mass
choir, and a French horn solo. When all the parts
came together, the song sounded amazing!
“The last song was amazing. Everyone had such
a great sound, and I loved the French horn,” said
Emily Tjepkema.
One of the most difficult pieces performed at
the spring concert was Be Humble Bumblebee com-
W
posed by The Real
Group and sung by the
high school Chorale.
“Bumblebee was sung a
cappella, in six parts
with at least seven key
changes, and our chorale
practices, all together,
were minimal. The song
was a blast as well as a
challenge,” said Melissa
Larsen. The high school
Chorale spent months
working through the song’s different sections.
“My favorite part of the concert was talking
with all of my friends,” said Mariah Tellez. Concerts are about making memories and being with
friends. Being able to share the memories of
“nailing” different pieces.
“The Spring Concert is the SAT’s of the music
program,” said Pastor Stertzbach. Throughout
the year, students are
taught to work on different
pieces. The musical instructors challenge the students
to use their musical abilities
to their fullest potential.
Miss Vancina, Pastor Stertzbach, and Mrs. Trogen
spend hours instructing the
different bands and choirs
to make their musical selections sound amazing. After
hours of learning and practicing, the students were put to the test in their
concert performance.
The Lord blesses those who work hard and
use their talents to honor and glorify Him. The
TCA student body did just that. They worked
hard this year putting this concert together, and
the Lord blessed their diligence with a successful
performance.
P AGE 3
T HE S WORD ’ S E DGE
From the Editor
T
BY JEREMY TETREAU
his last issue of The Sword’s Edge signifies the end of a journey. When I
first heard TCA was offering a journalism class, I was mildly intrigued,
but I didn’t think it was for me. After all, I enjoyed writing, but certainly not
in a newspaper-type setting. I asked Ms. Domico about the class, and essentially her answer was, “You’ll write a newspaper every month or two, but it’ll
be a lot of work.” Oh boy—work. Well, at this point, my mind was practically
made up—not a class for me. Interestingly enough, when the day for the final
“choosing of the classes” took place directly prior to school starting up in
August, I decided to try out Journalism, but I told myself I was probably
going to drop the class after the first week. Two weeks later, I was in for the
long haul.
And quite a long haul it was. Assignments due every couple of weeks,
hours of research, interviewing, and correcting sentences—the work was
annoying, to be completely honest. Thankfully, Ms. Domico knew what was
best for us. After several months of the long, annoying work, we started to
produce our articles faster and in higher quality. Sure, it was still annoying,
but we could do it, and we could do it well. Soon thereafter we began to write
about things we liked and loved. At that point, the writing started to lighten
up, at least so it seemed to me. Though still hard and long, the end result of
our work became worth it, and a quality publication began to drive our efforts.
In the end this class has done more than simply improved my writing.
This class has taught me diligence. This class has taught me perseverance.
This class has taught me what I might want isn’t always what God wants. In
the beginning, I didn’t want to even take this class, but in the end that’s exactly what God put on my heart to do. And I’m the better for it.
This issue is the last issue of The Sword’s Edge this year. More than half of
our journalism class is graduating in 17 days, so in order for this publication
to continue next year, we’re going to need some help! For those who will be
Juniors and Seniors next year, I’d encourage you to take a step of faith. Yes
the work is long and hard, but if you never stretch yourself, you’ll never realize what you’re really capable of!
For those who have contributed financially to make this publication possible, we thank you for your support of our endeavor. For those of you who
have faithfully read this paper, we thank you as well. Without an audience to
write to . . . well I suppose a newspaper wouldn’t have much purpose, now
would it? For Ms. Domico, our beloved “Journalism Mother”, we thank you
for all of your mentoring and loving red marks all over our papers—Not only
has our writing certainly improved, but our ability to receive criticism and
correction has increased as well!
With that said, I do believe the time has come. This summer, I encourage
you to grasp the truth found in Psalm 19:14—“Let the words of my mouth and
the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my
Redeemer.” Hopefully, and by God’s grace, we at The Sword’s Edge have written words acceptable in God’s sight. My prayer for you is everything you say
and do will honor and glorify the God who loves you!
Enjoy your summer, and we’ll see you next school year!
(Nationals 2013 continued from page 1)
In the speech and Bible categories, the top two performers in each room give
their speech a second time, allowing one set of judges to evaluate the top six
competitors in the country. Both Paine and Miller got callbacks for humorous
interpretation and Bible teaching, respectively, a huge accomplishment.
“When I saw my name on the list,” Miller said, “I went into shock.”
After the nerve-wracking awards ceremony, Paine received second in humorous interpretation as well as first in music theory academic test.
While the five students were at Bob Jones, they also had the opportunity to
eat cake for two TCA alumni’s birthdays: Sarah Anderson and Melina Wescott; they also spent time with alumni Andrew and Jonny Eberle, James Reynolds, and Amanda Todd.
Alumni Spotlight
W
BY JOSH DELO
hat was your most
embarrassing moment at TCA?
"Hmmm. . . I can think of a few!
But, let's go with having my
chair pulled out from underneath me in the front row of
opening chapel my first day of
seventh grade!" How many of
you have had an embarrassing
moment just like hers? I'm sure
most everyone has. Let's see
what we can learn from this
alumna and her experiences at
TCA and beyond.
Andrea Cunningham Crane attended TCA from kindergarten
all the way up until she graduated in 1997. In kindergarten, Mrs.
Crane had my grandma, Mrs. MacDonald, for her teacher. My
uncle was also her teacher in fifth grade. TCA helped prepare Mrs.
Crane academically for her future: "Academically, I was prepared
for everything I encountered in college." She continued to say that
the high standard required of her at TCA really helped her in her
experiences at college. TCA also prepared Mrs. Crane for her future spiritually: "TCA helped my love for God to grow and gave
me the tools to help me grow in the Word. I learned to put God
first and, if I did, all else would fall into place." After graduating
from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, she married Nathan Crane,
had two children, and just recently started a business with her
husband.
Mr. and Mrs. Crane just started their own business called Flipside, which is a family fun center in Gilbert, Arizona offering everything a family could want to do for fun. Bowling, laser tag, arcade, bumper cars, cafe and coffee shop, and huge party spaces are
some of the amazingly fun things Flipside has to offer. "My husband and I really liked to bowl together when we first got married.
We joked several times how it would be neat to own a bowling
center of some kind. When the time was right [my husband] put
plans to paper and started the process. We both wanted somewhere for kids in the East Valley that was clean, classy, fun, and
alcohol free."
Mrs. Crane challenges current TCA students to measure success
by God's standard: "Success isn't measured by how much money
you have in the bank or the number of things you own. True success is measured by the testimony you have and the things you do
for Christ." So, as we close out the 2012-2013 school year, let us
take this advice to heart and use it in our own lives.
I SSUE 6 M AY 1
P AGE 4
Look Back and Treasure the Moments
BY MARGARET TOWERS
O
h my word, do you remember the time… or I
can’t believe we actually did… are just a few
of the comments students say at the close of the
school year. The end of the school year is a time to
reflect on all of the exciting and interesting moments of the year. We can all look back on some
fantastic memories and use the truths, which have
been instilled in us by the faculty and staff at TCA.
Their Godly examples and helpful insights serve as
the foundation for our future. The school year
often seems to go by so quickly, but a few special
moments always stay with the students. Whether
they were moments making a student laugh or
moments bringing a student closer to Christ, they
all hold a treasured memory for someone. Below
are a few of TCA’s treasured moments of the 2013
school year.
Ninfita Milyard, Seventh Grade:
I have learned I can run to God during hard
times and can do all things with Christ. The upper
classmen and teachers have helped me know
Christ better and have taught me so much. Mr.
DeGraw, he gives really good devotionals! They
help me a lot during the day.
Caleb Hill, Eleventh Grade:
Something that
has really stood out
to me personally
this year was having the opportunity
Senior Will and Testament
I
BY TATUM GARDNER & MIKAILA WHITEHOUSE
, Kyle Balch, do will Tanner my amazing
soccer abilities (even though he is way
better than me), and give Madison Carlisle
(my sister) all my awesomeness (even though
she is already awesome), and my sense of style
because she has none. Just kidding!
to lead Ryan Huynh to the Lord. We met during
Reveille week, and the Lord laid him on my heart.
I practically started praying for his salvation the
day I met him. It wasn’t until January that I had an
opportunity to ask him if he wanted to know how
to be saved. To my surprise, he said yes. I had the
opportunity to help him become a born again believer.
Tatum Gardner, Eleventh
Grade:
Junior year has been hard
academically. Although I still
struggle with this often, the
one lesson I have learned is to
simply work hard and do
right. God always blesses the
efforts to do so. I have really
enjoyed Drama and Debate
because it has made me come
out of my shell, and if you
want to have a good laugh, I
would highly recommend this
class.
Acadia Caupp, Tenth Grade:
The wave pool experience during Reveille week
was one of favorite memories of this year. I really
enjoyed hanging out with the entire junior high
and high school as a group. The wave pool was an
activity that we had never done before, and it
turned out to be really fun
Brittany Mott, Twelfth Grade:
Coming as Mrs. Potato head for Spirit Week was
a lot of fun, also, being in kitchen with Kyle and
Chi was a blast! Tri-City has prepared me to move
on in my life by helping me build a firm foundation and strong relationship with God. Reach out
to others! It’s always fun to meet new people, and
who knows…someone out there may need a
friend.
Jessica Wietsma, Eleventh Grade:
I have made so many great memories this year.
The year, as a whole, has been my favorite out of
my time at TCA. I have had a great time being with
friends as we try to survive chemistry together.
We, as a class, got to win spirit week for the third
time, and amazingly our class won the skit.
Kara DeFord, Eleventh Grade:
My favorite moment was being at the championship game as a cheerleader. I also enjoyed pulling off the High school banquet, seeing all of our
hard work pay off and watching everyone have a
great time at the banquet. Was an activity that we
had never done before, and it turned out to be
really fun.”
Jeremy Tetreau, Eleventh Grade:
I have so many great memories of this year, but
two moments really come to mind. I really loved
when it looked like the seniors were going to take
the spirit week victory, but we ended up winning.
That was pretty incredible! I also loved the night of
the banquet when everyone was amazed at how
nice everything
looked at the
place and how
enjoyable the
evening was.
I, Mandy Huang, being of sound mind and
body, do will my ability to procrastinate on the
layout to the next journalism class. I will my
awesomeness and scariness to Ha Pham and
Victoria Yang, my ability to quit buying shoes to
Ryan Huynh. I also will my awesome underwater kickboxing skills to Trevor Le.
rass myself in
public to Sveta Roberts. I will my Starbucks
apron to Colin Paine.
I, Ryan Bither, being of sound and body, do
will my high golf scores to Tayler Mazaros. May
I, Nhi Huynh, will my smartness, cuteness
you become, and forever remain, a below aver- and my ability to have lots of money to my
age golfer.
brother, Ryan Huynh.
I, Tristan Cipriano, do will Kyle Dublin all of
my epic fails, Best Cries Ever, Trololos, Bad
Luck Brians, Good Guy Gregs, Meat Salads,
Chuck Norris jokes, “Seems Legit” comments,
and most important of all, the “Aliens” comment-hand gestures and all. You cannot forget
the aliens. You are worthy of my memes, young
padawan. Use the force to guide you. Use the
memes well.
I, Joyce Hwang, will my calmness and the
love of math, chemistry, and Physics to Victoria
Yang.
I, Melissa Jean Larsen, do will the ability to
get in basketball a “violent elbow thrashing”
violation without fouling to Sheridan Hill. I will
$.25 to Kayce Wells and Margaret Towers for
my third of the eighty-nine cent Taco Bell soft
taco and a wonderful and profitable year to the
class of 2014.
I, Jimmy Crosser, being of sound mind and
body, will my parking spot to Colin Paine-when
I, Wendy Le, being of sound mind and body,
(and if) he learns to drive.
do will my chemistry love to the sophomores.
I, Thomas Dao, have a jacket that contains
I, Gabe Lease, do will my weird greetings to
$200 in it. If anyone finds it, you can keep the
Sveta Roberts, my American citizenship to Anmoney, but not the jacket!
astasija Balakina, my politeness to Colin Paine,
I, Tyler Fangio, will my amazing clapping
ability to Taylor Mazaros.
I, Alex Glenn, do will my locker #163 to
whoever gets it next year.
I, Ivan Ruiz, do will this piece of paper to be
passed down through generations of seniors.
Anyone who holds this paper should be honored to do so and be excited to graduate.
I, Jacqueline Elizabeth Thomas, being of
sound mind and body, do will physics class and
all its difficulties to the junior class and brave
underclassmen to come. May the significant
digits be ever in your favor.
I, Emily Tjepkema, hereby leave all my Batman things to Batman. I give Tatum Gardner,
my awesomeness! I also give Margaret Towers
all my Hunger Games objects. And I give my
heart to Batman.
I, Chi Wang, will my beautiful face to the
freshman class.
my love of skinny jeans to Mr. Paine, whatever
public speaking ability I have to Margaret Towers, my laughter to Trevor Le.
I, Mikaila Whitehouse, do will the ability to
constantly trip in soccer to Sydney Trogen, as
well as the nickname “Crash”. I also will the
jersey #13 to Kimberly Collins, may you wear it
with pride. And to the cheerleading squad, I
will the ability to get back up, no matter how
many times you fall. Good luck to the up and
coming senior class of 2014! Have a great senior
year!
I, Brittany Mott, being of sound mind and
body, do will my ability to completely embar-
I, Claire Yang, do will those who are going to
go into Physics to get all A’s.
P AGE 5
T HE S WORD ’ S E DGE
A Day’s Dose of Gratitude
God’s Everyday Blessings We Often
Forget
Senioritis
BY JOSH DELO
S
ymptoms: Laziness, skipping classes (and
school days for that matter), failing to prepare well for tests, disinterest in anything school
related.
Diagnosis: These symptoms can only mean
one thing: SENIORITIS!!! Senioritis is a term
used to describe the decrease in motivation toward studies displayed by students nearing the
end of their high school, college, or graduate
school careers.
fight the “disease”. These three simple tips will
really help you battle senioritis. First, make a
schedule and stick to it. Keep track of all your
assignments, quizzes, and tests. Second, concentrate on your studies during the week and play
on the weekend. Third, take a break every now
and then! You need to rest so you can finish
strong!
The most important remedies to senioritis
come from God’s Word. Colossians 3:23-24 says,
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the
Spring has officially set in, graduation is
Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the
coming, and most seniors are “checking out”
Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inherimentally. By this time in the year, college appli- tance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Our ultications are turned in and acceptance letters remate standard is God. As we see from these
ceived. I have no doubt that TCA’s seniors have verses, we should always be doing our best, no
come down with a severe case of senioritis by
matter how hard the task is or how close we are
now. As the end of the school year is rapidly
to the end. God will reward you seniors for all
approaching, many seniors put their studies on
the hard work you have put in throughout your
the back burner. In a recent interview with a
high school years. These verses alone should be
handful of TCA seniors about the effects of sen- motivation for all of us to always do our best. If
ioritis on their studies, Ryan Bither confessed,
you are stressed out, sit down and just meditate
“Yes, I am suffering from senioritis.” Seniors
on this verse: Psalm 46:10a: “Be still, and know
were also asked what is keeping them focused
that I am God. . .” This verse will help you as
on school. Alex Glenn and Jacqueline Thomas
you deal with all the stresses of the final month
both said physics and good grades were keeping of your high school career. Finally, aside from
them focused on their ultimate goal--graduation. God, the only real cure for senioritis is
GRADUATION! So as graduation approaches,
Prescription: Obviously at some point in
finish the year out strong and leave behind a
time, everyone is going to experience a case of
godly legacy.
senioritis. We need to be prepared and ready to
Mother’s Love
BY TAYLER MAZAROS
When you wake up, do you smell breakfast
cooking? Or maybe there’s a bowl of cereal
lying out on the table ready for you to devour
in mere minutes. When you get dressed for the
day, do you have clean clothes? Who cleaned
those for you? You most likely don’t have
sweaty nasty socks that you have to put on
from two weeks before. Is your house relatively
clean? Who takes you to school in the morning?
Does your mom do all of those things for you?
If you just said yes, do you thank her for those
things? Well, you should every single day. You
might not realize how much stuff your mom
does for you, but once you get out of the house
and you are on your own, you will quickly
realize how much you relied on her. She takes
you to sports practices; she might make your
lunch. How often do you tell her you love her?
She does so much for you! She doesn’t expect
you to pay her for these things, she doesn’t ask
you to do incredibly ridiculous things in return!
She loves you, and that’s why she does so much
for you. Moms keep the world running, if you
think about it. What would happen if we didn’t
have mom’s who would feed us? I don’t know,
maybe your dad does all of the cooking! But she
is the one who nurtures you from a young age
and possibly all the way up until you are in
your 30s! I hope not, but it could happen! Next
time you see your mommy, remember to thank
her for every little thing she does for you!
I SSUE 6 M AY 1
P AGE 6
Interesting Anatomy
BY JOYCE HWANG
E
ven though we can feel our bodies functioning every moment, we still cannot
understand our body thoroughly. The amazing
facts in “91 Interesting Facts about The Anatomy of Human Bodies” at odyb.net and “16
Unusual Facts about the Human Body” at
health.howstuffworks.com allow us to have
further understanding of human body’s secrets.
1.
A human head remains conscious for
about 15 to 20 seconds after it is been decapitated.
2.
10% of human dry weight comes from
bacteria.
3.
A recent study indicates men tend to crave
fat and salt when they crave food. But
when women crave food, they tend to
desire chocolate.
4.
About 10,000,000 people have the same
birthday as you.
5.
Around 2,000 left-handed people die annually due to improper use of equipment
designed only for right handed people.
6.
A person will die from total lack of sleep
sooner than from starvation. Death will
occur about 10 days without sleep, while
starvation takes a few weeks.
7.
A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100
mph. This gives us a good reason to cover
our mouth when we sneeze because spit
can spread further and wider than what
we expect.
8.
An adult has fewer bones than a baby. We
were born with 300 bones as babies, but
by adulthood we have only 206 in our
bodies.
9.
Every person has a unique tongue print.
The tongue is as unique as fingerprints;
both of them reveal a person’s identity.
10. Humans shed about 600,000 particles of
skin every hour – about 1.5 pounds a year.
By 70 years of age, an average person will
have lost 105 pounds of skin.
11. Jaw muscles can provide about 200
pounds of force to bring the back teeth
together for chewing.
12. Normally, babies’ first tooth appears in
the seventh month. But one in every 2000
babies is born with a tooth.
13. The average human body contains
enough: iron to make a 3 inch nail, sulfur
to kill all fleas on an average dog, carbon
to make 900 pencils, potassium to fire a
toy cannon, phosphorous to make 2,200
match heads, and water to fill a ten-gallon
tank.
14. Can you image swimming in pools that
are filled with spit? The average human
produces 25,000 quarts of spit in a lifetime, enough to fill two swimming pools.
15. Three-hundred-million cells die in the
human body every minute.
The Cutest Cat on Earth
Advice for Underclassmen
BY MANDY HUANG
BY TATUM GARDNER
M
aru is a
male Scottish
Fold (straight variety) cat in Japan who has become popular on YouTube. As
of April 2013, the videos with
Maru have been viewed over
200 million times. Videos featuring Maru have an average
of 800,000 views each and he is
mentioned often in print and
televised media such as a
commercial of the famous
Japanese brand UNIQLO.
His owner, who does
not show her face on
camera or speak in the
videos, posts videos under the account name
“mugumogu.” The videos
are edited to include title
cards in English and Japanese setting up the events
of the video, and often
show Maru playing in
cardboard boxes.
Maru is especially
famous by his action of
jumping into cardboard
boxes in any sizes. His
owner puts different
boxes in every video and
sometimes draws on it to
add humor.
Source: maruthe-
The seniors have been here at the school for at least a few years,
and have, hopefully, gained some knowledge about how to navigate
the course of their high school career. A few of these seniors had little
nuggets of wisdom to offer to the underclassmen, and it could be
beneficial for any of you who are in the underclassmen category to
lend an ear and give credence to what your older schoolmates had to
say.
Brittany Mott’s advice was simple and to the point. “Get to know
people!” she said. During high school, it is sometimes tempting to just
focus on your schoolwork, or your favorite extra-curricular activity.
However, don’t forget to build some friendships! Even if your “main”
group of friends is outside of school, make a few new friends! It’s
always nice to have people to sit and chat with at lunch.
Angela Adams was a bit harsh. The only advice she had for underclassmen was, “Move out of the hallways!” Obviously, Miss Adams
must have had an unforgettable experience in between classes. If you
are an underclassmen, always remember not to shove, climb under or
yell at people in the hallways. These rules, if followed, will create a
more peaceful environment during school hours.
“Don’t be stupid- and do the right thing.” said Ivan Ruiz. As simple
as this instruction may sound, it is sometime more difficult than it
sounds. When your friends dare you to leave your banana peel on the
floor for someone to trip over, and you think you can’t overcome the
temptation, remember – it is almost guaranteed that you will be
found out and disciplined accordingly.
You may not believe it, but plenty of the seniors were once your
age, and survived the same embarrassing situations as you may be
going through. One piece of advice tends to help people out in their
journey through high school and it is this: You are always being
watched. Whether it be your teachers, younger schoolmates, your
own classmates, church workers, and so on. So do the right thing and
be genuine.
P AGE 7
T HE S WORD ’ S EDGE
Pediophobia – Fear of
dolls
Pediophobia is actually a very common
phobia. Pediophobia
stems off of automatonophobia, a fear of
humanoid objects such
as mannequins and
dummies.
Hylophobia – fear of trees
A fear of trees may sound silly, but according to the Nemours Foundation, “A fear of trees a usually originates in
an incident in one’s childhood such as being attacked in a
forest or being injured by a wooden object.”
Coulrophobia –
Fear of Clowns
“I’m not a huge
fan of mascots or
clowns. The
creepy part about
them is just that
you can’t really
tell who or what
is behind [the
mask]”
-Mrs. Lawson
The Power of the Dark Side
BY TRISTAN CIPRIANO
T
he darkness was always a scary place for
every single kid, me included. I only conquered my fear of the dark at twelve. Before
then however, the dark was a scary place filled
with monsters, ghosts, apparitions, and other
horrors. Ever since I conquered my fear of the
dark, I became more fond it. Darkness isn’t as
scary or scary at all if you truly think about
what it is and what it provides you.
The dark isn’t simply the absence of light. Darkness can be many things, a shield, shelter, a
hiding spot, and even place to rest. Here’s what
the darkness gives us:
NIGHTVISION
“When you’re in the light, you can’t see into a
place that’s dark. But when it’s dark, you can
see what’s around you much better.” –Sam
Fisher to his daughter in Splinter Cell: Conviction
If in darkness for a reasonably long period of
time, our eyes can adapt to the darkness and as
a result, darkness gives us our own unique form
of night vision. According to the Encyclopedia
Insectophobia/Entomophobia
– Fear of Insects
A common phobia that people
have is a fear of insects: spiders, roaches, wasps, etc.
“I don’t know why I’m afraid
of insects. There’s something
about the way they move and
fly. It looks disgusting.” –
Tristan Cipriano
BY TRISTAN CIPRIANO
Brittanica, The eye takes approximately 20–30
minutes to fully adapt from bright sunlight to
complete darkness and become ten thousand to
one million times more sensitive than at full
daylight.
world without shade, we would have all been
fried by the sun long ago. We can thank shade
for essentially keeping us alive.
HIDE
Perhaps the most obvious benefit darkness
Pirates often covered one eye with a patch to get gives us is an invaluable hiding spot. Humans
have a built in reaction to danger, fight or flight.
the full benefits of having one eye with night
vision since the insides of ships were often pitch In most situations, most people will choose
black or poorly lit at most. Pirates weren’t often flight, which entails escape. Darkness allows us
to hide from potential danger, predators, and
blind in one eye contrary to popular belief.
attackers, allowing us to essentially mask our
presence and escape virtually unseen from an
SLEEP
unpleasant situation. The dark has saved many
“There’s nothing to be afraid of in the dark.
lives simply by acting as a hiding spot.
Sometimes darkness is a good thing, like when
you want to go to sleep.” –Sam Fisher to his
FEARS
daughter in Splinter Cell: Conviction
However, there are still those who struggle with
I always used to sleep in the beaming, burning
light of my ceiling fan as a kid. Yes, the constant fear of the dark. Fear of the dark is irrational if
you stop and think why you’re afraid.
beam of light was hot and annoying but I alWhen people say they’re afraid of the dark, they
ways felt a sense of security while in the light.
almost always mean they actually fear what
However in the long run, sleeping with the
may be inside of the dark.
lights on isn’t a good idea.
Think about it. What are the actual chances of
“Most people should sleep in the dark or in a
having a killer clown just lurking around the
dimly lit room. The reason is that melatonin, a
corner in the dark hallway when you exit your
natural hormone that our body produces and
which helps stimulate our going to sleep, can be room? Without being spotted or heard by other
inhibited by bright light.” Said Vincent Iannelli, family members or neighbors? Essentially zero.
We all have a fear of the unknown inscribed in
a board certified pediatrician.
our psyche. We are always wary of what lurks
in the shadows.
SHELTER
However, one must conquer this fear of the
We all know this form of darkness by its other
unknown to access benefits of the dark. And the
name, Shade.
benefits of the dark overshadow its detriments.
The sun, while being approximately 93 million
(No pun intended)
miles away, is still harmful to us if we’re exposed to it for long periods of time. Skin cancer,
SOURCES:
sun burns, dehydration, and eventually death
Examiner.com, Wikimedia.org, Forestwander.com, Tom
are all results of no shade on a sunny day. In a
Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
P AGE 9
T HE S WORD ’ S E DGE
(Meet the Mama Bear Continued from page 1)
Crossing the Finish Line
5. What is your expectation to the senior class after
they graduated?
My expectation is that, first of all, every student
leaving my class has heard the Gospel and has made
a decision whether to take or leave it. Second, whatever they are going to start, like university, college,
or Bible College, they will finish. Third, they will be
successful in live and in their walk with the Lord.
6. What are some advice you will give to the future
senior class, for example, the Class of 2014?
The advice I give them is to learn how to work
together as a class and to be in unity regardless the
different personalities in the class, so the class can be
successful in being the testimony for the whole
school.
7. What is your most memorable April fool’s experience?
It was in 1998. I was flying from Phoenix to
Washington D.C. for senior trip. I was on the airplane looking outside the window. And then the
pilot started to speak; he said that the field outside
of the window was
specially designed
because the UFO had
landed there. I looked
out the window even
though I do not believe
in UFO. I said “Wow!
Look at those circles.”
Later, the pilot said it
was April Fool, nothing
to do with the UFO;
farmers were just being
creative making some
designs on the fields.
Chief Master Sergeant
BY MELISSA LARSEN
“I
T
o avoid working for his father’s
power company in Iowa, Konrad
Kannenberg joined the military in
February of 1953. He told himself he
would serve his four years, and if he
became a staff sergeant, called E-5, he
would stay in the Air Force.
In three and a half years, Kannenberg made E-5. In1977 he achieved E9, or Chief Master Sergeant in the US Air Force.
In late May of 1953, Kannenberg met Janet
Scott when he was at training at Lowry Air Force
Base in Denver, Colorado. Their official meeting
was a blind date, a “Yes, I will go if you bring a
friend for my friend” blind date. They were eventually married in
March 1957 after
Kannenberg returned from TDY
(temporary duty)
in England. They
had two children,
Kim and
KevinKannenberg.
During the Korean Conflict, he
BY MIKAILA WHITEHOUSE
t’s not how you start the race, but how
you finish that counts,” a motivator
quoted by many people at the beginning
of a race, at a time when the words are so easily
believable. But how many people actually follow
through with these words?
We may start out strong, but like many leaders throughout history, we lose our flame and
get caught up in all of the pleasures of the world.
Is it because we are lazy and apathetic? Or
maybe because we are stubborn, proud, and just
don’t care? While these answers are all true, the
problem seems to be more than just an attitude
of “I don’t feel like it.” Biblical scholar Dr. Robert
Clinton further explains the root of the problem
as a character flaw. As we come to the end of the
school year, the easy thing to do is check out and
forget about the opportunities we have to leave
behind a legacy and make a difference for Christ.
Will people see your life as one unconditionally
surrendered to the Lord or will you be the person who had so much potential, but lost site of
the finish line? The choice is yours, finish strong.
You have probably heard of Billy Graham,
but what about Bron Clifford and Charles
Templeton? All three of these men were preachers who filled auditoriums with crowds of people and rose to prominence in their twenties.
According to the book Finishing Strong by Steve
Farrar, after hearing Charles Templeton preach,
one seminary president proclaimed him as “the
most talented young preacher in America,” and
many others saw Templeton as “the one who
was going to overturn the world with the gospel.”
According to Michael Patton, author of A Sad
Tale of Two Evangelists, Billy Graham and Charles
Templeton started preaching for The Youth for
Christ Organization and became very close
was stationed in
Lowery, Colorado, being
trained in airplane
electronics. Then
Kannenberg
served at Smoky
Hill Air Force
Base in Salina,
Kansa working on
the B47 radar gunning systems.
But while in training to be a B52 gunner in the
Vietnam War, one of his lungs collapsed. Kannenberg recovered but was not admitted to be fly due
to health precautions. He was instead deployed to
Japan during the war, workingon electronics in F105s.
Mrs. Kannenberg remembers living in Japan
while raising two young children.
“It was lonely in Japan,” she said, “we lived on
a small US air base and very few people spoke
English.”
While in Japan, Kannenbergwent to the desert
of Thailand where heopened two air bases and
worked on F-105s.
friends. Many were betting on Templeton to be
the one to flourish, one magazine article even
entitled him “The Babe Ruth of Evangelism.” On
the other hand, Bron Clifford was another talented young preacher, often considered the most
powerful preacher to arise in centuries. Clifford
had people lined up for hours just to hear him
preach. At twenty-five years of age, he set more
attendance records than any clergyman in
American history. While national leaders strove
for his attention, Hollywood even tried to cast
Clifford for a movie entitled The Robe.
All of them started out strong, but rather than
focusing on Christ, Bron Clifford and Charles
Templeton lost sight of the goal and came up
short. By 1950, Templeton left the ministry in
pursuit of a radio career. He became an announcer and newscaster, proclaiming to the
world he was an atheist and no longer believed
in the Jesus he was so passionately dedicated to
just years before. The future “Babe Ruth of
Preaching” wasn’t even in the ball park. By 1954,
Clifford lost his family, health and ministry. His
alcohol addiction ended his life and he left a
wife and two Downs-syndrome children behind.
Within ten years, only one of the three men
was still on track. According to Biblical scholar
Dr. Robert Clinton, fewer than thirty percent of
ministers in America finish well. All is well that
ends well, but both Clifford and Templeton lost
their focus, and at the point where they were
most vulnerable they fell. When you don’t watch
your step and aimlessly walk without paying
any attention to where you’re headed, you fall
flat on your face. Rather than risking everything
for Christ we would much rather play it safe and
take the easy route, but with little risk comes
little reward.
As a Chief Master Sergeant, Kannenberg was a
people person. He treated everyone equally. He
says “I did not go for the ‘take the boss out to
lunch mentality’. I told my men if they told the
truth and did right and they would succeed. Lie to
me once and you are out of here.”
After many more adventures and challenges in
the South East Asia Tours, Nellis Air Force Base in
Los Vegas, and many other places, Kannenberg
ended his military career at Luke Air Force Base
nearby his great niece and nephew, Melissa and
Brett Larsen.
Konrad Kannenberg retired from the Air Force
after joining at age 18, spending 28 years in active
service and 17 years in
civil service as a tech
rep, and working on B47, A-7 test stations, F105s, F-15s, and F-16s.
He now lives in West
Phoenix, Arizona and
volunteers at Luke Air
Force Base with the Red
Cross at the clinic pharmacy.
AGE 10
10
PPAGE
1 N
1
I SSUE 6
MOVEMBER
AY 1
Weird Fruits Around People
A
BY CLAIRE YANG
mericans have introduced many
fruits from other parts of the
world. However, some weird fruits
have not had a chance to leave their
homes because of import and export
law restrictions. (Some are difficult to
preserve; some might easily have
vermin.) Listed below are some
yummy fruits rarely found in America.
1. Pitaya.
Pitaya, also
known as the
dragon fruit, has
an attractive red
skin outside with
fuchsia or white
pulp inside. Lacking strong smell and
taste with just a little bit of sweet, the
fun part of the fruit is the countless
seeds inside which are edible as well.
2. Durian
Originating
from East Asia,
durians have a
brownish and
green color
with stiff thorns
outside; one will need a knife in order
to open the hard outer shell durian.
The pulp inside is a pretty gold and
white. The most important and funny
issue is the durian’s smell. Durian
stinks to a majority of people, but it is
fascinating and may smell good to
others.
3. Carrabolla
This fruit, nicknamed the “star
fruit”, has the
appearance of a star. Having green
and yellowish skin outside with juicy
yellow transparent flesh, star fruit is
known as the mixture of orange, papaya and
grapefruit.
4. Lychee
Having a
brilliant red
cover with
tiny sharp
thorns and white crystal flesh inside,
lychee is the symbol of luck in Chinese
poetry. Lychee has a little story behind
it. One of the most pretty concubines
in the history named Yang Yuhuan
loved eating lychee, but lychee was
hard to keep fresh especially in ancient
times when refrigerators were not
developed. In order to please the concubine, the King asked the soldiers to
urge the speed of the horse to deliver
the lychee, and each time the lychee
was delivered to the Palace at least
twenty horses were exhausted to the
point of death.
From Top to Bottom
BY JEREMY TETREAU
A
s we wind down this school year,
one group of students is eagerly
anticipating next year—the class of
2019! The current sixth graders, several
of which have attended TCA for many
years, told me they are most excited
about walking around to different
classes and having different teachers
for every subject, a change from what
they have been used to for their entire
elementary experience.
As far as specific classes are concerned, one teacher has an advantage
over the others—Mr. D. Mr. D is by far
the most anticipated teacher—
probably due to the “folklore” of his
various encounters with reptiles.
“I heard Mr. D got a big chunk of skin bit out
by a turtle!” said Nick Schulz, a sixth grader who
is fascinated with reptiles like snakes and lizards.
“Also, he lost a turtle and it was gone for 4
months before showing up in Mr. High’s room!”
said Schulz.
For the record, I have sat in four years of Mr.
D’s classes and can only recall two incidents when
Mr. D brought out snakes. Who knows, maybe
the tales around Mr. D’s snakes will one day
become reality. For the moment, however, most of
the tales remain—tales.
On the fine arts side of the spectrum, the current sixth graders have proven to be skilled musi-
cally. Currently all of them are in band, which is a
very rare occurrence. For those who will attend
TCA next year, many have said they will be in
band again. This year at the CSA Festival, several
of the 6th grade girls sang in a vocal ensemble.
Additionally, students like Taylor Barchus and
Andrew Miller participated in smaller vocal or
instrumental events.
“I sang two solos,” said Barchus, the daughter
of the current K3-B teacher, Mrs. Courtney
Barchus. Miller, on the other hand, performed a
trumpet solo. When I asked them how they did,
both piped up saying they got blue ribbons.
Madison Cox, a sixth grader who has attended
TCA for 2 years, mentioned her favorite subject
in school is spelling and that she participated
in the elementary CSA spelling bee. In fact, she
won the spelling bee back in January on
Grandparent’s Day!
As far as sports are concerned, I talked with
Jalen Williams, who has attended TCA for 2
years and has a love for basketball. He has
played basketball for nearly 8 years and was on
the TCA White Elementary Basketball Team
this year. “We actually won the championship
this year!” he said.
For years, the Class of 2019 has looked up to
the Jr. High and High School in anticipation of
the two famous weeks of the TCA experience—
Reveille Week and Spirit Week.
Luke Toy, a sixth grader who has attended
TCA since Time for Tots (nearly 9 years) said he is
looking forward to the Reveille Week games.
“Especially Minute to Win It!” he added. They are
most excited, however, about crushing the Class
of 2014 in Spirit Week next year—despite only
winning Elementary Spirit Week one time in
recent years. (For the record, as the President of
the Class of 2014, I gladly accept any challenge
during Spirit Week, so long as the challengers
understand what they are getting themselves into.
Bring it on.)
I should note, not surprisingly, no one mentioned
they were excited for the new . . . opportunity . . .
of getting demerits. Oh well!
P AGE 11
T HE S WORD ’ S E DGE
Summer Parties
BY TAYLER MAZAROS
C
lass parties, lots of food, playing
games, watching movies-- these are a
few things most classes do on the last
day of school. The most beloved day of the
whole year, no more stress of homework, or
studying for exams . . . just sleeping in,
swimming, or for some, getting a job! After
a couple of weeks of summer, you start to
remember you actually went to school, and
you also had friends! Maybe you send them
a quick text asking how they are, and then
you get a long conversation going about
how much you guys miss hanging out. You
plan to go somewhere to hang out again,
and now you just have to find out what you
want to do or where to go. One option is
always a good old fashioned sleep over! Or
if you are a guy “spending the night”, cause
we don’t call it a sleepover, it’s very unmanly. One might think of guys spending
the night at each other’s house as playing
videogames, eating food, drinking soda and
staying up really late . . . well you’re right.
“Watch movies, eat, talk about guys and
make prank calls.” That’s what I gathered
from deep sources about girl sleepovers
from Margaret Towers.
When guys think about
girls having sleepovers,
we think all they do is
paint each other’s nails
with nasty smelling stuff,
watch movies that make
you cry for hours, have
pillow fights and talk
about guys, so we were
pretty close. So now we have some insight
on the other gender’s sleep over if you didn’t know already.
each other around, we see who can hold
their breath the longest! For boys, we do
almost everything you can do in the Olympics, in the pool. We see who can get the
Another very popular thing to do over
highest on the diving board or which guy
the summer is to go swimming! Everyone
can make the biggest splash. We don’t float
loves swimming, unless you don’t know
on rafts trying our hardest to not get a drop
how to, but it’s a great way to cool off or just
of water on us. Now obviously some girls
relax! Girls, they don’t want to get their hair
are exceptions and like to do that stuff too,
wet, they don’t want to race across the pool,
but most likely they would rather sip lemthey don’t like to splash. If they fight in the
onade and stay out of the water.
water it’s because your best friend likes the
Your parties are the best in your opinion,
same guy as you! The female gender don’t
so have fun, and make sure your parties
throw each other into the pool, they just sit
aren’t too crazy! As Pastor Landry would
on rafts, and TAN! At least that’s what I
say, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
have witnessed! I don’t know, maybe you
have a lot more fun when boys aren’t
around. Guys know how to have fun in the
pool; we play basketball, we wrestle, throw
BY CALEB HILL
I SSUE 6 M AY 1
P AGE 12
Best in Class
Best Hair
Jacqueline Thomas & Mr. Paine
Most Likely to be
Tardy
Tatum Gardner&
Tyler Fangio
Most Influential
Kayce Wells & Chi Wang
Most Talkative
Jessica Wietsma & Ryan Huynh
Messiest Locker
Most Likely to Succeed
Ha Pham & Davy Stertzbach
Most Likely to Get Away with . . .
Most Likely to Survive a PostApocalyptic Society
SENIORS
*Kayce Wells
*Tayler Mazaros
Emily Tjepkema &Tristan Cipriano
Melissa Larsen & Josh Delo
Most Changed since Junior High
SENIORS
*Lindsay Mostrom
*Caleb Hill
Most Likely to Become President
Melissa Larsen & Jeremy Tetreau
Most Likely to Become a Professional
Athlete
Tatum Gardner
Brock Gardner
Most School Spirit
Kayce Wells & Joshua Tetreau
Most Hilarious laugh
Best Musician
Melissa Larsen & Colin
Paine
Savannah Sanchez & Chi Wang
BY CALEB HILL
Foster Care
BY MARGARET TOWERS
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid
them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I
say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God
as a little child will by no means enter it. And He took
them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and
blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16
hildren are very special to the Lord. Adults
have the privilege to care for their children
and in some cases, the children of
others. TCA’s beloved kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Courtney
Barchus, and her husband will
have that opportunity. Both have
decided God has called their family to close one chapter of their
lives and open another. The
Barchus family will be opening up
their home to foster care this year.
“The Lord has really opened
the doors in the last year and half.
This past summer we started our training, and
hopefully, this coming May, we’ll have a baby,
“said Mrs. Barchus cheerfully. The Barchus’ will
be taking in two children who will be able to stay
with them for up to eighteen months. The age
group they will be receiving will be newborn to
five year olds.
C
“The most critical years are zero to three. If
you just leave a newborn in a crib all day, the
child is not going to thrive. They need a loving
home who can take care of them,” said Mrs.
Barchus. “Our goal as foster parents is to help the
children grow.”
Mrs. Barchus has always had a love for children, and at a young age, she knew she wanted
to be a teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Barchus also used to
work in a home for troubled teens. “Some of the
girls would come in expecting to have a baby but
not be ready to be mothers. We had a chance to
help them,” said Mrs.
Barchus. “I saw a need
while working with
teens, and I really wanted
to do something like
foster care for the past
eight years.”
The
entire
Barchus
family, including their own children Taylor and Dakota, are very
excited to start taking in foster
children. “Taylor and Dakota love
kids. They are just as excited for
the next step as we are,” said Mrs.
Barchus. Many preparations had
to be made in the Barchus’ home
to make the foster children more happy and comfortable. “The whole family has pitched into help.
Dakota and Taylor helped put a special room
together, painting the room and washing laundry,” said Mrs. Barchus.
“I will miss my students and seeing the different teachers each morning,” said Mrs. Barchus.
“All the teachers have been such an encouragement.” Parents and different people in the church
have tried to help the Barchus’ in anyway possible. “People have given us clothing, diapers, and
other baby supplies,” said Mrs. Barchus.
Children are the future - future parents, leaders, and workers. According to National Foster
Care Statics given by AZhope an estimated seven
thousand children in Maricopa County are put in
foster care each year. “People don’t know how
much of a need there is for foster care homes. The
state is looking to churches or homes that will
take in these children,” said Mrs. Barchus. More
than a thousand children are held in emergency homes waiting
for relocation or returned to their parents. The Lord has
blessed the Barchus’
with an amazing opportunity to help.