September 13, 2009
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GEMS 2nd Annual Benefit Banquet
Last evening was the GEMS (Gospel Express Ministries South) 2nd Annual Benefit Banquet put on by Candice Nissley. Beautiful , blessed evening!==============The Banquet Hall===============
Marilyn helping her hubby get ready to serve. Doug & Marilyn are board members, in fact, Doug is the Chairman. Fine, fine couple!!
Miss Emily and Miss Ashley getting the salads put together!
The wonderful servers~
Back: Doug Gingrich
Middle: John Maxwell (missionary chaplain),Jeremiah Myers, Samuel Drawbond, Paul Padgett (missionary chaplain)
Front: Susan Drawbond, Emily Redmond, Marilyn Gingrich, and William Hochstedler (?)
Sponsor Board...we were blessed with many new sponsors and most of them did the Diamond sponsorship which was a real blessing!
The new GEMS display board Dan and I made.
Dave & Jill Smith were at the welcome table.
==========================Silent Auction============================
This helps to generate additional support!
Baked goods were a big hit last year, so this year we had an abundance of them
Marilyn G. decorated two cakes
Guess which one brought the most?? 
Gators or FSU??
The Gators one sold for $45!!
Cakes by Marie...I think the German chocolate went for $35!!
17 year old Brianna Rhodes was the violinist again this year. She does a GREAT job!!
======================The Supporters and GEMS members=======================
Thanks to all the Red Oak CMC members who sponsored!! Means a lot to us to have your support!
David Ratliff gave his testimony. He is a former inmate who is trying to start a new life outside the fences! Pray for him and all the men and women who are released. It is a tough road ahead....
~Brianna~
=====================Servers=======================
Emily and Susan cleaning up bread plates.
John M. serving....
Susan was a beautiful waitress!!
Jeremiah
Samuel
Paul
Candice, the wonderful coordinator...planner... and Ashley, her kitchen help.
Jill Smith and daughter Leah.
Mr. Gary Montgomery was the main speaker for the evening.
Dan was the moderator...whoa, sorry about the red eyes! And it is so hard to get a picture of a speaker not in the midst of speaking.
No, he wasn't whistling! 
Jonas Bontrager (board member) gave some closing comments and read off the winners of the silent auction items. Candice and Doug were runners, taking the "tickets" to each winner.
Gary (volunteer chaplain) & JC Montgomery
The Henry's and Montgomery's
Dan
I
Time to pay up....
Dan Nase, standing, is also another missionary chaplain!
===================Cleanup===================
It's amazing how quickly that room was tore down and cleaned up! Thanks to the many helpers!!
Lenny- the dish washer. He had a huge job to do and did it with a smile!!
Bill instructs Dan where to put the tables that were rented for the event.
Chaplains Smith and Henry~ You don't know how many pics I had to take to get this "good" one! Crazy guys!!
Chaplain and Mrs. Smith
A huge thank you to all the supporters for helping make this a successful event...thanks to you, these volunteer chaplains will be able to continue ministering full time to the thousands of inmates they see every day. God bless you~
And a huge thanks to Candice Nissley for her vision to help the ministry and making this all happen! May God give you the desires of your heart, Candice!!
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