Spending the day helping a family deliver newspapers

Did you ever felt that it was a big assignment to help someone in their biggest dilemma? Well, Thanksgiving 🦃 holiday of 1985, Sister Hope and her family needed help to deliver newspapers 🗞️ for the whole day. To me, it was a "no brainer" to volunteer spending that day to make sure they got the newspapers out to the recipients.

I remember I must have begged my mom several times to please let's help Sister Hope and her husband, her son, and her daughter deliver the newspapers. I'm also remembering when Sister Hope and her family had given me a warm welcome 🤗 when I stayed a little over a year ago with Sister Hope and her family in their home in Ellington. My mom got to meet Sister Hope, Sister Hope's husband, Sister Hope's son, and Sister Hope's daughter through me. Courtney also got to meet Sister Hope and her family.

The whole reason for me and my family spending the day with Sister Hope and her family to help deliver these newspapers is because Sister Hope's husband, the boss at the Hartford Courant, who paid the paperboys salary; all of them, bailed on him during that Thanksgiving holiday. That Thanksgiving holiday saw me and my family help Sister Hope and her family get the job done.

Meanwhile, we drove and we would all meet up and delivered papers in the Greater Hartford area. I remember we tossed papers from house to house. I can recall Christmas music 🎶 even playing. I do believe the song that I will never forget when we delivered newspapers at this one particular house played was called Sleigh Ride.

After delivering papers from 7 AM to after 3 in the afternoon, Sister Hope and her family decided that it would be a wonderful idea to treat me and my family out for Pizzas and Sodas. We were really working very hard and we were all really hungry. Sister Hope and her family is all about being a blessing to people. Sister Hope and her family knew what we were thinking 🤔 because Pizza and Soda was what we wanted but we didn't expect Sister Hope and her family to treat us out like that.

We had such a wonderful time with Sister Hope and her family. We were really glad 😊 that we spent the day helping them get the newspapers out on that Thanksgiving holiday. It was especially fun for me working at age 7 being a paperboy. Sister Hope and her family reminded my mom to keep encouraging me because they said several times that I was obedient and my mom was in total agreement and replied,

 "Paul is very obedient, and he let me know how y'all give him such a warm welcome when he stayed with y'all. He really wanted us to help y'all deliver the newspapers."

 I felt that the Lord put it on my heart to help Sister Hope and her family and I was glad that I did. This journaling is really fun! I will write ✍️ one more journal about my experience that I had at Full Gospel Interdenominational Church in Manchester. Keep an eye out for one more journal blog. God Bless You!

An interesting fishing experience

 It was July of 1985. Brother Ed, who went to Full Gospel Interdenominational Church picked me 7, and Courtney 11, up in Hartford in his blue Chevrolet Suburban truck at approximately 7 AM. Me and Courtney was spending a whole day going to Moodus, CT to go fishing. Brother Ed had taken me and Courtney by his mom's house where Brother Ed and Brother Ed's mom lived at, further out in Manchester near East Glastonbury. 

We went to brother Ed's mom's house and ate breakfast before we went fishing 🎣. Brother Ed's mom made these really delicious 😋 blueberry pancakes 🥞 and blueberry syrup. After we left Brother Ed's mom's house, Brother Ed had bought Courtney a brand new fishing pole. Brother Ed had broken off a branch from a tree 🌴 and made my fishing pole for me.

So here we are at Moodus which is further pass where brother Ed and his mom lives. Brother Ed parks his blue Suburban and we all got out of the truck. Perhaps the funniest story is when I was fishing with my handmade fishing pole. I'm fishing and I'm catching big fish after big fish after big fish. I'm what you can say is getting "a bite" after "a bite" "after a bite."

Meanwhile, Courtney with the brand new fishing pole that Brother Ed had bought Courtney, Courtney is mostly catching rocks and seaweed. Courtney is struggling to catch a fish 🐟, while I'm catching a whole lot of fishes. Courtney is shocked 😲 but Courtney is also laughing. After 6 hours of fishing in Moodus, I caught 11 big fishes with my handmade fishing pole and Courtney only caught 3 little fishes with a brand new already made fishing pole. I remember what Courtney said to Brother Ed afterwards. Courtney said these words to Brother Ed.

"Brother Ed, we might as well cook all of Paul's fishes and toss my 3 little fishes back in the water."

Boy we had a lot of fun hanging out with Brother Ed! We loaded everything in Brother Ed's truck and we drove off and spent time at Brother Ed and Brother Ed's mom's house. We were all laughing and talking about how I caught 11 fishes with my handmade fishing pole and how Courtney only caught 3 fishes with his new fishing pole. 

Brother Ed had washed the fishes, cleaned the fishes, and cooked them. We all had fish sandwiches. Brother Ed's mom gave me this jumbo size honey bun that I couldn't finish it all at the time. In 1985, this whole fishing experience was talked about for months. 

When Brother Ed dropped me and Courtney home, we told our mom about the fishing experience and our mom laughed when we told her how Courtney only caught 3 fishes with his brand new fishing pole and how I caught 11 fishes with my handmade fishing pole. 

Wow, I've journaled so much about the different experiences that I had at Full Gospel Interdenominational Church because it was the very first church that I went to and gave my life to Jesus Christ at. There is more journaling to come. Keep an eye out for one or two more blogs about my experiences at this church. God Bless You!

 

Fishing spot in Moodus, CT.

Courtney had a fishing pole like this.

I had a fishing pole like this.

Spending a week with a family Part 2

 One night, I saw my mom in Church at the Sunday night service in passing. I had my suitcase and outfits and began to stay with Sister Brooks and her family in Squire Village in Manchester, CT. Pastor Saunders thought that it would be good for me to stay with a family that believe in good discipline.

Sister Brooks knew me and my family at Full Gospel Interdenominational Church. Naturally, I thought for the most part that I could relate to Sister Brooks. That year of 1984, I learned that things are not always like how they seem. For example, the only welcoming that I received when I stayed with Sister Brooks is understanding the ground rules of her and her husband's house in Squire Village during my week stay.

Sister Brooks clearly explained to me that we get up at a certain time to eat breakfast, then we have to get ready at a certain to go to church. Everything that we did was on a time frame. We ate lunch at a certain time and we ate dinner at a certain time, especially when we planned on going back to church for the night service or services. Sister Brooks let it been known to me that we eat what is put in front us on the plate and whatever we don't finish for dinner then it would be there for dinner the next night. 

Sister Brooks then brought out of her room a paddle that she named Sorrottie. She mentioned that little children who acted up in her house got paddled. Basically, I was to comply with all of these rules and there would be no problem. If I didn't comply to the rules in Sister Brooks house then there was going to be a big problem. I really got a good understanding of what Sister Brooks was telling me.

Well, besides the fact that Sister Brooks didn't have a lot to watch on TV nor do I remember her maybe having but 1 TV in the house, Sister Brooks and her husband spent their time reading and I spent my time in their guest room that they have me sleep in. I went to bed the first night that I stayed in Sister Brooks house. Sister Brooks would wake me up around 5 in the morning. Sister Brooks husband was in the military 🎖️ so that alone I felt like I was in boot camp for children.

I remember this one particularly evening, Sister Brooks had made sweet peas with my meal. That was the one vegetable that not even my mom could get me to eat. It was that same evening dinner time that I couldn't finish my dinner. So the next night, Sister Brooks had the same sweet peas for me with my meal. 

I remember saying out loud, "I'm not eating these sweet peas."

Sister Brooks husband instigatingly said, "Paul you are in trouble 😵‍💫, for saying what you won't do in this house."

Sister Brooks replied, "Paul, we went over the rules in this house. One of the rules is that you eat what is put in front of you on your plate. I advise you to eat your sweet peas Paul!"

I answered, "But I don't eat sweet peas." 

I knew I said those very words that Sister Brooks wasn't having me talk like that up in her and her husband's house.

Sister Brooks angrily responded, "Paul, I'm getting my paddle because you come in my house telling me what you won't do. I'm not having that up in here!"

I can remember being whipped about 3 or 4 times with Sister Brooks paddle Sorrottie. I eventually ate the sweet peas after bawling out and sobbing 😭. Sister Brooks knew I was going to write ✍️ my mom and tell her about this experience with Sister Brooks making me eat sweet peas incident. 

I wrote to my mom saying, "Mom, Sister Brooks paddled me because I told Sister Brooks that I didn't like sweet peas and she made me eat them, please come get me!" 

My mom and my brother Courtney came to Squire Village in Manchester from Hartford. In order for me to leave Sister Brooks house, my mom who is a licensed hairdresser had to do Sister Brooks hair. Courtney brought the checkers board game to help entertain me while mom did Sister Brooks hair.

Sister Brooks said, "Paul, you don't like it in my house anymore. You had your mom and your brother Courtney come get you out of my house."

 It would have just been better had Sister Brooks didn't say anything but she had to keep talking about it which didn't help the situation. My mom thought that was interesting how Sister Brooks got me to eat sweet peas. This family's motto, Proverbs 23:13 King James Version (KJV) "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod he will not die." Once the 2 weeks was up of staying with different families, I reunited with my family. Keep an eye out, there is more journaling to come about the experiences that I had at this church. God Bless You!

Squire Village Manchester, CT

Being paddled by Sister Brooks Sorrottie

In 1984, Sister Brooks made me eat these. In 1989, my mom made me love 💕 these.

Checkers is the very game that Courtney used to beat me over 500 times at. In 1985, I beat Courtney at checkers for the first time on my 7th birthday.

Spending a week with a family Part 1

 It was June of 1984 and Pastor Saunders thought that it would be a wonderful idea for a church like Full Gospel Interdenominational Church to do an adopt a child for a week. The Pastor and his wife came from Toronto, Canada where it was diverse and he brought diversity to Full Gospel Interdenominational Church. I would stay with a family and see how they do things in their home. The Pastor made sure that it would be with someone who the child or parents participating in the experience would be comfortable with one another. I remember when I stayed with Sister Hope and her family in Ellington, CT.

I got a big warm welcome when we all arrived at the house. The family lived in a big house with a computer 🖥️ and 3 color TV's, one in each room. I remember writing mom saying to her "I Love Everything!" The only way you can communicate with your parent or parents is through writing letters or notes to them. I went to Sunday school with their son, who was 8, and their daughter, who was my age 6. This family wasn't the discipline type and it was cool and also shocking to me. They ate fancy breakfasts, ate fancy lunches, and ate fancy dinners the whole while that I stayed with them.

Sister Hope's husband took me to the Hartford Courant where he worked at. He was one of the head bosses there. He explained to me about each towns and how the paperboys who worked for him that delivered the newspapers to the near by surrounding towns in CT. I thought that that was really cool and interesting. 

What I really admired about this family is how tight knit as a family they were. I remember when we went to the nextdoor neighbors house. The next door neighbors had a black lab dog 🐕 and it was in a dog house on a leash. The family petted the neighbors dog and then I petted the neighbors dog. The neighbors dog licked me on my face. 

The neighbors wanted to take me and the family I stayed with out to the mall. The family, who I stayed with son Joshua didn't want to go to the mall. Joshua was telling me that the neighbors will have us try on outfits and say how cute we look in them. I thought at first how cool that was but Joshua got to the place where he outgrew going to the mall trying on outfits. My tune changed when Joshua said this to me.

"You're a guest here and my parents will have to listen you if you tell them that you don't want to go to the mall."

I thought about what Joshua said and decided to go in the living room and watch the family's big color TV. Sesame Street was on at the time and I was sitting on their couch 🛋️. Sister Hope had this to say to me.

"Paul, get ready we are going to the mall with the neighbors."

I replied, "But I want to stay here and watch TV."

Sister Hope responded, "In this house we do things as a family."

I answered, "But I rather stay here and watch Sesame Street."

Sister Hope angrily said, "Then you can write ✍️ a letter ✉️ to your mom and tell your mom that you don't like it here anymore and we will take you home!"

Sister Hope had me in the kitchen and told me to write. I'm looking at Joshua, Joshua's sister, Sister Hope, and Sister Hope's husband and I began to be afraid 😟. I knew I loved where I stayed at so I wrote a letter saying, 

"Dear mom, I love it here where I stay at and I will go to the mall with this family and the neighbors."

Sister Hope, Joshua's sister, and Sister Hope's husband was really glad that I wanted to go to the mall. 

Sister Hope answered, "He want to go to the mall. He loves it here dear. (Sister Hope was referring to her husband). He don't want to go back home. Now let's go to the mall!" Sister Hope, her husband, and daughter was very happy. 😊

Joshua wasn't too happy and wondered why I caved the way that I did. I never had a problem going to the mall. I would have likely gotten a whipping if the family took me home, because it would have been like I didn't learn anything from getting whippings for acting up. This family taught me that sometimes the biggest punishment is not always getting a whipping for doing something or saying something wrong. It's in my case, making someone feel guilty for even thinking about doing something or saying something wrong. 

The neighbors spoiled me and the family who I stayed with at Westfarms mall in West Hartford. The family I stayed with neighbors bought me and their 2 children cool outfits and the neighbors treated us out for dinner 🍽️. The family who I stayed with for a week motto was "spare the rod and spoil the child." There is more journaling to come. Keep an eye out for Spending a week with a family Part 2. God Bless You!

 

Ellington, CT

My Testimony

 I used to act up so much in Sunday school in church at Full Gospel Interdenominational church in Downtown Manchester when I was about 5, that I would get sent to the church sanctuary. When I got home my mom would give me a good whipping about 5 times on the behind with either a belt or switch for acting up.  Mom never told anyone of us boys to get her a switch off a tree 🌴. Mom got a long switch and whenever she had to, she would use it when it was necessary to discipline us boys.

I remember this one particular time my mom whipped me good with her belt when I listened to a boy when he dared me to hit my Sunday school teacher and I remember when I was 5, sister Gloria was her name, and I remember when I hit her in her stomach. I can remember sister Gloria's face turned red. Sister Gloria grabbed me brought me in the church sanctuary and I knew that when I got home from church I was going to be in a lot of trouble 😵‍💫 with mom. Once my mom whipped with her belt, I knew never to do that ever again.

Well, I will never forget that Sunday night at church on June 5, 1983. Pastor Phillip Saunders asked how many people would like to give their life to Jesus Christ and be baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost and speaking in other tongues. So many hands was raised, it's hard to keep track of all the adults who raised their hands. However, this 5-year-old boy, who was shy, quiet, and bold raised his hand. 

Mom said, "Paul are you sure you're ready to get baptized?" 

I replied, "Yes ma."

Mom responded, "Paul, you are going to be all wet when you go under that water. Do you really want to do this?" 

I answered, "Ma, I'm ready to be saved." 

Mom didn't have to ask me a third time because she knew how serious I was about salvation. I was the only child that night, who had given his life to Jesus Christ! Wow 😲 I didn't have a story about being strung out on drugs, drinking alcohol or rededicating my life to Jesus Christ like those who were backslidden. I wasn't in my 20's, 30's, and 40's like the other people were when they wanted to get baptized. I didn't really need to let my story be like the other people's were. I let my story about being a little child, who Jesus loves and who wanted me to accept him as my Lord and Savior be my testimony. Now 40 years later, I still remember this experience as it happened for the very first time. The adults made sure that they watched Pastor Saunders when he baptized me in the water, where this wouldn't be a baptism that went wrong. They were prepared to catch me if I happened to drown under the water.

In recognition of me being the first child to have given his life to Jesus Christ on June 5, 1983, Pastor Saunders thought that it would be appropriate for everyone who got baptized to receive baptismal certificates. In 1985, the Full Gospel Interdenominational church mailed 📬 us our certificates and from 1985-present those who got baptized would receive 📨 certificates. There is more to come on my experiences I had at this church. I will journal, keep an eye out for more blogs like this. God Bless You! 

Baptismal Certificate 

Full Gospel Interdenominational Church Downtown Manchester, CT.