The passing of Big Pastor

Yesterday, a dear friend of my family, David Lanier, from Cleveland, Tennessee, passed away after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. Mr. Lanier took my father on his first missions trip to Russia in the early 90's and helped instill in my father a desire to serve the less fortunate around the world. Partially because of this man, I was raised with a heart for missions work and I took my first missions trip at the age of 15. I must give Mr. Lanier (or "Big Pastor" as he was called by many) credit for planting the desire to do missions work in my family, ultimately resulting in my work at Casa Shalom. The former director of World Missions for the Church of God, Mr. Lanier has left a legacy of dedication to the needy and forgotten around the world. Please pray for his wife, Betty, of many, many years and for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as they cope with the loss of this dear man. ~ Jessica