NOTE - "Good News" will appear on the Worship Together feed as a digital publication for the next several weeks as Shawn sets up his new home base in South Carolina. The weekly video broadcasts will resume soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
For Her Next Act, Texas Grandmother Becomes a Commercial Pilot
(Courtesy The Week - ABC-7)
Tamaron Nicklas is back in the cockpit, right where she wanted to be. Nicklas spent nearly eight years in the Air Force, where she was a pilot who learned how to refuel several types of aircrafts. She was able to fly around the world, stopping in Guam, Australia, the Philippines, and Korea, but after the birth of her third child, it became too hard to balance her home life and career. "I really actually struggled with it for a while after I'd walked away, just in that you know, that it's your identity," Nicklas told ABC News. After staying grounded for 24 years, Nicklas, now a grandmother, decided to return to the sky, taking a job as a flight instructor. She was then hired as a pilot by Southwest Airlines, where her husband has been a captain for 30 years, and arranged to sit alongside his wife during her first flight. Nicklas hopes her story encourages people to return to careers that they once loved. "If you've been away from it and think it's insurmountable, not attainable, take the first step," she said. "There's no reason you can't do it."
Young Girls Who Met on a Ship Sailing for America 75 Years Ago are Reunited: ‘I could never forget her’
(Courtesy Good News Network)
It’s not uncommon for reunions to take place within a few years of the initial event—or maybe ten to twenty years after the first meeting. But a reunion after 75 years is truly astounding.
That’s exactly what took place recently between immigrants Lena and Yolanda, who were young girls when they first met during a 14-day ocean crossing.
In April of 1947, both the young girls were emigrating with their Italian families to the United States. They met each other aboard the Saturnia, a ship sailing toward America’s Ellis Island—and became instant friends.
In the last few years, Lena’s youngest son Steve had been researching their transatlantic voyage, and uncovered the actual ship’s manifest online.
Lena, now 85 years old, had always remembered the name of her sailing buddy, Yolanda. So, Steve diligently searched for the whereabouts of her friend, who had remained only a memory frozen in time.
Lena left her hometown of Pallagorio when she was ten years old. Nine-year-old Yolanda left her home in Belmonte—a 2.5 hour drive between them on today’s maps.
Lo and behold, Yolanda was still thriving—and the two girls, now matured, had been living within 2.5 hours of each other their whole lives.
Steve found Yolanda’s phone number and left a message on her answering machine explaining that her childhood sailing buddy wanted to get in touch. Covid-19 and other obstacles delayed the reunion, but finally a time and date were set.
Yolanda‘s son Rich drove his mom across state lines from her home in Weirton, West Virginia, to Lena’s house in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where they greeted each other at the front door, embracing with tears of joy.
She Built a $15,000 Cottage in the Back Yard For a Brother With Autism: ‘The change has been incredible’
(Courtesy Good News Network)
A woman built her brother a little house in her back garden and says it’s been a “game-changer” to give him the independence he needs.
Tiffany Chou moved back to Hawaii from New York City to look after her 33-year-old brother, who has autism, after hearing that he was unhappy in his residential home.
The siblings, who are both adopted, hadn’t lived together for 15 years, so Tiffany was apprehensive about what it would be like because Chris’s behavior could be “challenging”.
To better deal with that, the 36-year-old sister and her boyfriend decided to build Chris his own cottage in their back yard after moving to Maui.
“I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when I moved back and took in Chris,” said the accessory designer. “He can be a bit noisy and overwhelming so we decided if he had his own independent space, just seconds from us, that would be ideal.”
There was a little structure in their garden, which they tore down to begin the construction—and she and her boyfriend managed to put the cottage together for just $15,000.
Chris got to chose the colors of his house and helped out initially with the build, which was completed in three months.
Pet Stories! - A Farmer Was Injured Saving A Puppy. His Town Rallied To Bring In His Harvest
(Courtesy Sunny Skyz)
A farmer in Frost, Minnesota crashed his car while swerving off the road to avoid a puppy. He saved the dog, but ended up with serious injuries.
His community came to the rescue, harvesting his crops for him.
A German shepherd puppy ran into the middle of the road causing Scott Legried, 50, to crash into a cornfield. He suffered multiple injuries including a broken shoulder blade, broken ribs, two cracked vertebrae, a collapsed lung and a concussion.
"I got knocked out and when I came to, I couldn't move," he told The Washington Post. "I couldn't even reach up to get my cellphone from the dash of my truck. I remember saying, 'Lord, I'm going to need some help here in the next five or 10 minutes'."
A motorist driving through the area found Legried and called 911. He was taken to the hospital.
Doctors told him he would need several months to recover before he could drive a tractor again. This meant he would not be able to bring in his October harvest of soybeans and corn.
When his community heard the news, they organized a plan to harvest Legried's crops. More than a dozen farmers from Frost and surrounding towns showed up at Legried's farm with their combines, trucks and grain wagons. Others organized lunches for the group. They also chipped in to mow Legried's lawn and feed his dogs while he was in the hospital.
"This is a busy time of year for farmers, so it meant the world to me," said Legried, who lives alone. "But I guess I really wasn't surprised. I'm lucky to live in a community where people have always looked out for each other."
Frost is known for being a quaint, close-knit community. Only 198 residents call it home.
The "Good News" Digital Print Edition is a Worship Together publication.
A Ministry of "Aaron's Revival Project."
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