Church Connections

Survivor of Sept. 11 Terrorist Attack on World Trade Center to Speak at Wentzville First Assembly of God

Sujo John will tell his story of survival and how it led him to start a Christian ministry helping people prepare for eternity.

September 11, 2001 began as a normal day for Sujo John as he started the work day in the North Tower of the World Trade Center—with one exception. John, an immigrant from India, had a good job, but he was still vaguely dissatisfied, like something was missing. That morning at work, in an email sent at 8:05 a.m. to a church friend, John described what was missing—a deeper commitment to God and Christianity. At 8:46 a.m., terrorists slammed a plane—American Flight 11 out of Boston—into the north tower, irrevocably changing the lives of John, and the country, forever. "9/11, like somebody said, is kind of like our Pearl Harbor—this generation’s Pearl Harbor," said Pastor Scott McNees of Wentzville First Assembly of God. "We’ve got to remember…

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Dream Analyst, Author And Therapist Talks to Cancer Support Group

Greg Pacini will discuss how cancer patients can use their often confusing dreams as therapy.

When you’re going through something intense, it’s reflected in your dream life,  Greg Pacini, a licensed professional counselor and certified group psychotherapist, said. Pacini will lead a discussion on Dreaming During Cancer, during the Cancer Survivor Support Group’s monthly meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 4, in the Community Education Room in the H.W. Koenig Medical Building at SSM St. Joseph Hospital West. The group is targeted toward cancer survivors and their care givers. Most everyone is curious about their dreams, which are sometimes bizarre and often confusing. But for those traversing the journey of a cancer diagnosis, dreams can be even more confounding and many times more memorable, Pacini said.  “We’re more likely …

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Karen Weidinger Foundation Donates $40,000 to Breast Cancer Programs

The Karen Weidinger Foundation cut a check for its biggest donation to date to SSM St. Joseph Health Center and SSM St. Joseph Hospital West for breast cancer programs.

Programs for cancer patients and survivors of cancer got a big boost last week after the Karen Weidinger Foundation provided its largest donation to date to the SSM St. Joseph Foundation.  One of the recipients of the $40,000 grant is the Community Education Center at SSM Cancer Care. The center, located on the SSM St. Joseph Hospital West campus in Lake Saint Louis, provides numerous resources to those who have survived and those still battling cancer. A volunteer-led 501(c)(3) breast cancer foundation serving St. Charles County, the Karen Weidinger Foundation (KWF) was established in 2004 to honor Karen Weidinger, a life-long St. Charles resident and graduate of Duchesne High School, who died of breast cancer that year. Weidinger was …

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Jud Birza Wins Survivor and $1 Million Prize

Former Holt student prepared for his stint on CBS show -- and it paid off.

Jud Birza of Lake Saint Louis has won Survivor: Nicaragua – and the $1 million prize. Birza was a student at Holt High School in Wentzville, and modeled with Mother Model Management of Dardenne Prairie. He moved to Venice Beach, California two years ago and plays drums for Space Funk Odyssey. "Fabio," as Birza was nicknamed by the other contestants, prepared for his experience in the jungle by running on the beach and practicing survival skills, as well as studying past Survivor shows. He took a less aggressive approach to the usual alliance strategies of the other contestants, planning instead to win immunity challenges. Check out Gail Pennington's Tube Talk for more info on the show.

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