GERMAN CHRISTMAS SERVICE€¦ · 12/12/2015 · We resume our regular Sunday schedule on January...
Transcript of GERMAN CHRISTMAS SERVICE€¦ · 12/12/2015 · We resume our regular Sunday schedule on January...
Volume 28, Issue 12 December, 2015
“Silent Night” is a favorite Christmas hymn of
many people, if not the most favorite. Yet so much
about Christmas is anything but silent. It is so noisy,
in fact, that the real message of Christmas often is
drowned out. Yet Christmas has some wonderful
things to say to us. Christmas has some wonderful
things to do for us. Christmas has some wonderful
things to give to us. But we have to have ears of
faith to hear them, eyes of faith to see them, hearts
of faith to feel them, and the grace to accept them.
One of the best gifts Christmas gives us is the
gift of peace. This is one of the key themes, isn’t it?
“Peace on earth, good will toward all.” Christ is the
Prince of Peace. He brings the peace that passes all
understanding. Yet again in the rush of our secular
Christmas, there seems to be everything but peace
surrounding our celebrations. And how often do we
hear ourselves and so many other folks lament the
lack of peace?
So before our secular culture hijacks Christmas
again this year, let’s begin our journey into the
season by centering our hearts on the Biblical truth
that Christmas is the dramatic reminder that Christ
came into this world to redeem us and to bring peace
to our troubled souls. If in faith we will accept it,
Christmas has a great gift for us—the Gift of Peace.
Christmas offers us peace within, peace with others,
and peace with God . . . but we have to accept the
gift.
The church, which exists because of Christmas,
is indeed the place to come when we need peace for
our troubled souls. The Christ of Christmas is our
personal Savior because there is a hole in our souls
that only He can fill. Remember how Saint
Augustine put it: “Our souls are restless, O Lord, till
they find their rest in Thee.” And the poet described
it like this: “Though Christ a thousand times in
Bethlehem be born, if He is not born in you . . . your
soul is all forlorn.”
One day very close to Christmas, a young boy
was coming down the hallway at church. He had in 1
his hand a little ceramic tray he had made in Sunday
School. It was to be his Christmas gift to his mother.
He had been working on it for several weeks, and he
was so proud of it.
As he ran down the hall, he tripped and fell. The
tray crashed to the floor and broke into several
pieces. The little boy was devastated. He began to
cry loudly and uncontrollably. He was absolutely
heartbroken. People tried to comfort him with all
kinds of counsel: “It was just a tray. Not worth
much. No big loss. Besides, you can make another
one. It’s nothing, forget it. You can give your
mother something else. Don’t worry about it.” But
nothing helped. The child was inconsolable.
Finally, his mother arrived on the scene.
Quickly, she realized what had happened. Kneeling
down beside her crestfallen, distraught son with his
broken gift, she hugged him tightly and said, “Well,
now, I think this is fixable. Let’s pick up the pieces
and take it all home. We’ll put it back together and
see what we can make of it.” The little boy hugged
his mom and smiled.
Isn’t that exactly what the Christmas message is
about? The world is broken into many fragments, as
are our lives. And God stoops down beside us. He
hugs us and says, “Well, now, this is fixable. Let me
help you pick up the pieces. We’ll put it back
together and see what we can make of it.”
(continued on page 5)
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Christmas Eve:
7:00 pm Christmas Eve Service
11:00 pm Christmas Eve Service
No Sunday School on December 20th or 27th.
The church office will be closed from noon on
December 24th through the 25th and on January
1st. We resume our regular Sunday schedule on
January 3rd. Merry Christmas, everyone!
ELDERS FOR DECEMBER
7:45 am 10:15 am
6th Jeff Smith Dick Haar
Jason Blazevich Jeff Ladd
13th Darold Henninger Ryan Hugueley
Mike Winslow Eric Johnson
20th Bob Haar Linda Yenrick
Sherri Haar Laurie Witt
24th Christmas Eve — TBA
27th Dick Haar Jeff Smith
Jeff Ladd Jason Blazevich
ADDRESS CHANGES/CORRECTIONS
To keep current information for the office, if your name, address or phone number changes, please notify us by faxing
(419-691-7220), or mailing this form to: 2471 Seaman St./ Toledo, OH 43605 or email: [email protected]
Name ______________________________________________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________________________________
City, State Zip ___________________________________________ Phone _____________________________
ALTAR GUILD NEWS
The last day to accept
p o i n s e t t i a o r d e r s i s
Wednesday, December 9th. Please turn your order in
to the church office by then. You can order
poinsettias in the Narthex after church on December
6th.
The Guild will meet on Monday, December 7th at
6:00 pm at Joanne Crandall’s house for their year-
end meeting and Christmas dinner. If you need
directions, call Joanne at 419-693-2081. All new
members for 2016 are invited to join us.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATES
Births
11-18-15 Harper Rae Engle,
born to Cara Witt and Tanner Engle
Baptisms
None.
Marriages None.
Deaths
11-18-15 Doris Danekind
Transfers To/From First St. John
None
GERMAN CHRISTMAS
SERVICE
A traditional German church
service in the Christmas spirit will be held on
Sunday, December 20th at 3:00 p.m. here at First St.
John. The Teutonia Mannerchor and Damenchor
choirs will perform during this service. Please join
us for wonderful fellowship and Christmas spirit.
THANK YOU FOR HATS,
GLOVES, MITTENS & SOCKS
A HUGE THANK YOU to all who
donated hats, gloves, mittens and socks to our
annual program for needy children in our area. We
received many handmade donations, also. Thank
you for helping area school children to keep warm
and dry this winter. God bless all of you.
ATTN: CATECHISM CLASSES
There will be no catechism classes on December
23rd or 30th. We’ll resume classes on Wednesday,
January 6th.
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CONGREGATIONAL
MEETING
Our annual congregational meeting
is Sunday, December 13th at both services. We’ll
vote on the 2016 budget and new council members.
A copy of the proposed 2016 budget is included with
this newsletter if you receive it by email (as a
separate attachment). You can also pick up a copy in
the Narthex. If you have questions about the budget,
please call Jim Sommers at 419-691-7719 or 419-
297-7420.
WOMEN’S CIRCLE NEWS
Ruth Circle: The Ruth Circle will celebrate on
Tuesday, December 1st at 11:00 a.m. at Cousino’s
Steakhouse on Woodville Rd.
Miriam Circle: The Miriam Circle will celebrate
on Wednesday, December 2nd at 10:00 a.m. at
the Bayberry Clubhouse. Please bring a dish to
share.
Rebecca Circle: Christmas lunch will be at the
Eagle’s Nest on Stadium Rd. on Saturday,
December 12th at noon. There is a $5 gift
exchange if you’d like to participate.
Hannah Circle: Meet at Deb Hagedorn’s home
on Monday, December 14th at 6:30 p.m. Please
bring an appetizer to share. If you’d like to
participate in the gift exchange, please bring a gift
valued at $10 or under.
HELP FOR LOCAL BENEVOLENCES
During Advent, we offer the opportunity for
members to help fund our local benevolences, such
as the East Toledo Ministry, Lutheran Social
Services, Feed Your Neighbor, and the Lutheran
Home.
Special Christmas envelopes can be found in the
pews if you wish to donate. You can place your
donation in the offering plate or mail it back to the
church. Thank you.
THANK YOU!
The Dayschool board and administrator would like
to thank the following people for their help at our
Thanksgiving feasts during the week of November
16th: Jamie Blazevich, Darlene Paul, Esther Bell,
Joanie Probasco, Kathy Healy, Marge Bollinger,
Cindy Johnson, Beth Hodges, Lucille Paul, Jane
Neal, Betty TenEyck, and Cathy Caldwell.
It requires a lot of time and willing hands to prepare
for this event as we serve over 500 children and their
special guests. We greatly appreciate the support of
our church members!
ADULT CHRISTMAS PARTY
If you sent an RSVP for the Christmas
party, please remember to join us on
Sunday, December 6th at 6:00 pm in
the gym. See you there!
CHICKEN & HAM
DINNER UPDATE
Thank you for making our dinner
a great success. We served over 700 dinners
(including children’s plates) and made a profit of
approximately $5,104. Thanks to everyone who
worked in any way to help with this event.
Also, many thanks to First St. John’s bakers who
contributed to the bake sale. The delicious goodies
were greatly appreciated!
MEMBER ADDRESS
CHANGE
Delores Heilman
2410 Luther Hills Circle
Oregon, OH 43616
2016 CALENDARS AVAILABLE
Eggleston-Meinert-Pavley has once again donated a
bunch of calendars for the new year. They are free
and available for pick up in the lounge and Narthex
if you would like one.
MEMORIALS
CEMETERY FUND
In memory of Pastor Labuhn by Karen Frey,
Herbert & Phyllis Frey, Kevin & Carol Abbey.
In memory of Debra Hecklinger by Kevin & Carol
Abbey.
In memory of Chris & Madeline Ackerman by
Marge Bollinger.
In honor of Del and Therisa Ackerman's wedding
by Marge Bollinger.
MEMORIAL FUND
In memory of Delmont Hosley by Hank & Joanne
Schumaker.
In memory of Leona Arnold by Elaine Gladieux,
Ada Kreger, Jim & Janet Fox, Don & Shirley
Koenig, Dave & Janet Frobel, Dale Driftmeyer &
family, Ralph & Ethel Mae Vogtsberger, Karen
Frey.
IMPROVEMENT FUND
In memory of Leona Arnold by the Ruth Circle and
Jean DeWitt.
HOMEBOUND MINISTRIES
In memory of Leona Arnold by Bob & Sherrie
Haar.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
In memory of Leona Arnold by Louise & Jim
Sommers.
CURRENT FUND
In memory of Leona Arnold by Bill & Cathy
Caldwell, Esther Bell.
BELL CHOIR
In memory of Leona Arnold by Olga Zimmerman.
CHOIR FUND
In memory of Ashley Britt by Louise & Jim
Sommers. 4
2015 POINSETTIA SALE
Sponsored by the Altar Guild
Fill in the order blank below to place your
order for poinsettias to be used during worship
services on Christmas Eve. Place your order
form in the offering plate or mail it to the
church office.
Payment must accompany orders. Please make
checks payable to: First St. John Altar Guild
Deadline for placing orders is
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
No. of plants @ $9.00 each ______________
Color (circle one) Red White
Enclosed $__________________________
Name _______________________________
Address _____________________________
____________________________________
City ______________________ State _____
Zip _________ Phone ________________
In Loving Memory of (Deceased):
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
In Honor of (Living):
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
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May your hearts be filled with peace and
faith in God. May your days of doubt be
replaced with days of hope and cheer. May
you and your family be nurtured with lots of
love! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
to you and your loved ones!
NOTE TO PARENTS OF CHILDREN IN THE
J.A.M. CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
On Sunday, December 6th (no JAM on Nov. 29),
children with assigned parts will go to the gym after
the children’s sermon at the 10:15 service. On
Saturday, December 12th, we will have dress
rehearsal for ALL children from 10:30 am to noon.
If you have questions, please contact Jamie
Blazevich at 419-691-7222 or [email protected]
PROJECT GIVE-A-BLESSING
We have an amazing opportunity
to help an area family in need this
Christmas. We ask for your
support by providing gifts for this
family. A Christmas tree filled with paper ornaments
is in the Narthex. On each ornament is a detailed gift
recommendation, along with gender, to help you
choose the appropriate gift. Please tear off the front
stapled ornament, write your name and number on
the other paper ornament, and leave it on the tree.
Gifts will be delivered the morning of Tuesday,
December 15th, so please return your UNWRAPPED
gift by noon on Monday, December 14th. It is our
prayer that as a church we will do these blessings
throughout our lives as believers. Thanks for your
help!
DECEMBER EVENTS
Sunday, Dec. 6 - Practice during Sunday School
hour
Assigned Parts only practice during the 10:15
service – After the reading of the gospel/or
Children’s sermon.
Saturday, Dec. 12 - Christmas Program Dress
Rehearsal from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 13 - Christmas Program Performance
during 10:15 service.
Please arrive at 9:00 a.m.
Sunday, Dec. 20 – Sunday, January 3
No Sunday School
Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year!
NEWS FROM JAMIE’S DESK
Plan to attend Sunday School on Sunday,
January 10th for a VERY SPECIAL
DRAWING! You must be present to WIN this
AWESOME PRIZE!
PASTOR’S MESSAGE (continued from page 1)
This is Number One. First of all, Christmas
offers us the gift of inner peace. And there is one
place where we can always find peace—in the
worship life of the church. It is central in the
greetings of the pastor and the people and of the
worshipers between each other. “The peace of the
Lord be with you!” “Let us share the peace of the
Lord.” “The Lord look upon you with favor, and
give you peace.” “Go in peace, and serve the
Lord.”
Don’t miss out on the gift of PEACE this
Christmas. Come join with your First St. John
faith family in worship, prayer, praise, and
fellowship as we proclaim and share the Peace of
the Lord.
— Pastor Rayl
Season’s Greetings!
Thank you to all who participated in our
fundraising efforts, whether it was selling
raffle tickets at the Chicken and Ham dinner,
working at our Thanksgiving Feasts, or
purchasing an Elder-Beerman Community
Days Coupon Book. We all know every little
bit helps! We continue to collect the Big G
Box Tops and UPC symbols from Campbell’s
products. We know you will see lots of these
throughout the holiday as you bake and make
other purchases. Check their websites for a
complete listing of the products. These
donations continue to help us throughout the
year.
Everyone is welcome to attend the children’s
Christmas programs on the evenings of
December 8,9,10 and 15. All programs are at
7:00 pm in the church sanctuary. Come and
have your spirits lifted after a hectic day at
home or work. Sometimes you just need a
little extra time with God to get you in the
Christmas spirit.
And Christmas is fast approaching! As we get
caught up in all the shopping, baking, and
gathering with family and friends, we tend to
forget about Advent. We start celebrating
Christmas before we even finish eating our
turkey leftovers.
What is Advent? It is the four weeks prior to
Christmas. It is a time of preparation. I
remember as a child we would receive a
special advent calendar from church. It
contained Bible verses to read each day.
During that time we talked about why Baby
Jesus came into the world. Our sins
separated us from God; we lived in darkness.
At church there was an Advent wreath with
four candles. Each Sunday we lit one candle
which represented hope, peace, love, and joy.
With the lighting of each candle, the light got
brighter and brighter.
Dayschool News
Today, more than ever, we need this time to
prepare our hearts and minds. There are so
many events swirling around that seem to
darken the world we live in. At times it
makes me fearful for the young children
growing up in an uncertain world. Just as the
candles are lit each week, bringing more light
into the church, so we as Christians need to
remember the hope the Messiah brought into
the world. As we read and study God’s Word,
the peace He offers can reassure us, that in
spite of what we see, God sees the big picture,
His plan of salvation for all mankind.
One of my favorite Christmas hymns is “O
Little Town of Bethlehem.” I had the
opportunity to visit Bethlehem a number of
years ago. It is definitely not a peaceful little
town now, but while there I saw the grotto
area, thought to be the birthplace of Jesus.
Nothing was what I would have expected.
The Jews are still waiting for Jesus. As
Christians, we know Jesus has come, and
now we are waiting and look forward to His
second coming.
Through 2000 years of history Jesus is still
the “The everlasting Light, The hopes and
fears of all the years, . . . met in thee tonight.”
Merry Christmas from all the staff at First
St. John Dayschool
— Carol Felderman
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2016 FLOWER SIGN UP
SHEETS AVAILABLE
You can now sign up for altar
flowers for January through
November of 2016. The sign up
sheets are in the red flower book
located on the shelf under the main bulletin board
in the Narthex, to the left of the main doors when
you come into the church.
Crisis Prayer List: For those who need prayers in urgent matters such as surgery, emergency medical care (ICU), etc. Will be moved to the Chronic list after the first month unless someone is contacted about special circumstances:
Family of Ashley Britt
Family of Doris Danekind Bill Nelson
On-going Concerns Prayer List: For those who need prayers for ongoing serious situations such as cancer treatments, medical struggles, recovery and/or personal situations. Will be moved off the list after 3 months unless someone is contacted about special/continuing circumstances:
Karyl Antoine
Chuck Bartlett Jackie & Tina Curtis
Linda Delrue
Vicky Felderman Phyllis Frey
Patty Gable Jackie Hubaker
Scott Keller
Connie Koch Robin Kovesdi
George “Skip” McCullough Jeanette Miller
Christopher Molnar & his family
Jessica Mueller Donald Nelson, Sr.
Pam Pirolli Sheryl Rayl
Michael Rheinbolt & family
Cindy Roecker Dick Ross
Bill Rowland Nancy Schwab-Ketner
Brenda Seimet
John Tsaousidis Pat Vogelsang
Julie Woodrum Raetta & Tammy Zeisler
Please check the above list and let any of the prayer chain contacts-listed in the next column-know if individuals can be moved off the list.
First St. John Lutheran Church Prayer Chain (As of November 23, 2015)
Prayer Chain Contacts Carol Abbey 419-351-9795 or
Lynn Folk 419-309-7977 Donna Koehn 419-693-5030 Ada Kreger 419-693-1549 Gloria Ross 419-836-7166
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SECRET SANTA
PROGRAM
AT LUTHERAN HOME
If you or your family would like to adopt a
resident for Christmas, call Diane Cline at
419-693-0751 to get a resident’s name and
their wish list. Please wrap your gift, place a
name tag on it, and drop it at the Activity
Department. Deadline for bringing gifts is
Monday, December 14th. Thanks for helping
to make a resident’s holiday a little brighter.
MEN’S MINISTRY NEWS
Our next men's breakfast will be
Saturday, December 5th at 8:00 am at
Bob Evans Restaurant on Navarre Ave. This is our
advent breakfast, so please join us. If you need a
ride, please call Bob Haar at 419-250-9409.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
Join us on Sunday, December 13th
at the 10:15 service for the JAM
Sunday School Christmas program.
All participants will rehearse on Saturday,
December 12th at 10:30 am until noon in the
church. On the day of the program, please have
your children here at 9:00 am for a quick practice
before the service at 10:15. Questions? Call Jamie
Blazevich at 419-691-7222.
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2016 OFFERING ENVELOPES
Offering envelopes for 2016 will be in the lounge in
December through the end of January. They will be in
alphabetical order on tables along the wall in the lounge.
Envelopes are issued to confirmed and contributing
members and, upon request, friends who worship with us.
If a husband and wife share offering envelopes, the
designation “M/M” and the husband’s name will appear
on the box. (The computer allows only one name per
number assigned.)
If you would like to receive envelopes or if there is a
correction to your address or name, call the church office
at 419-691-7222. Reminder: Please do not use your 2016
envelopes until January 3rd. If you want a contribution
included on your 2015 statement, you must turn it in to the
office by Sunday, December 27, 2015.
FEED YOUR NEIGHBOR
NEWS
The Feed Your Neighbor program
in the Toledo area is in desperate
need of monetary donations. Last
year, this ministry provided 64,642
people with food assistance at its 13 food pantries.
This year, they need additional contributions to
keep up with the demand—an additional $20,000 is
needed to supplement the food donations received
from local churches and food drives. If you would
like to respond, please mail your contribution to
Toledo Area Ministries, 3043 Monroe St., Toledo,
OH. 43606.
** As always, we accept your donations of non-
perishable food items for the Feed Your Neighbor
program. Place your donations in the marked bins
in the lounge and Narthex, and remember, no glass
jars because they may break during transport.
Thank you very much for supporting this ministry.
TASTEFULLY SIMPLE FUNDRAISER
FOR FEED YOUR NEIGHBOR
Janine Contat is having an online fundraiser to
support the Toledo area Feed Your Neighbor
program. As you can see in the above
announcement, they need additional contributions
to keep up with the demand-- $20,000! If you
would like to help. please consider ordering
Tastefully Simple products, and Janine will give
15% of the total sales to Feed Your Neighbor. Go
to her website, tastefullysimple.com/web/jcontat,
and on the left side of the start page, click on the
11/29 party date to place your order. Thank you so
much!
OPERATION
CHRISTMAS CHILD
UPDATE
Thank you very much to everyone
who filled a shoebox this year. We were hoping for
one better than last year (which would have been
54), Instead, we received 84 shoeboxes! Wonderful
job, everyone!
PROJCET: GIVE A
BLESSING
We again will help an area family
in need this Christmas. We ask for
your support by providing gifts for
this family. A Christmas tree filled
with paper ornaments is in the Narthex. Each
ornament has a gift description along with
gender and age to help you choose the
appropriate gift. Please tear off the front stapled
ornament, write your name and number on the
other paper ornament, and leave it on the tree.
Please return your UNWRAPPED gift by noon
on Mon., December 14th. The gifts will be
delivered on the 15th. It is our prayer that as a
church we will do these blessings throughout
our lives as believers. Thanks for your help!
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
MONDAY, DECEMBER 28th
AT 8:00 AM (no later, please)
The November 18, 2015 meeting was called to order
by President Keith Mullen. Bob Haar opened the
meeting with prayer. Roll call was taken. Larry Paul
made a motion to accept the minutes from the
October meeting; LuAnn Spoerl seconded. Motion
carried.
Director of Faith Development / Sunday School:
Jamie reported there will be no JAM on November
29th because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Operation Christmas Child was a huge success. We
collected 54 boxes last year, and this year we
collected 84!! Thanks, everyone!
On Sunday, December 6th, we will practice for the
Children’s Christmas program. On that Sunday,
children with assigned parts will go to the gym after
the children’s sermon at the 10:15 service. On
Saturday, December 12th, we will have dress
rehearsal for ALL children from 10:30 am to noon.
The Christmas program will be on Sunday,
December 13th during the 10:15 service. Please
arrive at 9:00 am that day.
Project Give a Blessing starts very soon. We need
your support to provide gifts for a needy family. A
Christmas tree filled with paper ornaments is in the
Narthex. On each ornament is a detailed gift
recommendation, along with gender, to help you
choose the appropriate gift. Please tear off the front
stapled ornament, write your name and number on
the other paper ornament, and leave it on the tree.
Please return your UNWRAPPED gift by noon on
Monday, December 14th. Gifts will be delivered the
morning of Tuesday, December 15th. Thanks for
your help!
Elders: No report.
Property Management: The large oak tree on the
east side of the Education Building has been
removed because of continued problems with
clogged eaves and downspouts. Special thanks to the
ES Wagner company for the use of their equipment,
and thanks to all who helped with the clean up.
Finance Committee: Chris Hunsaker reported we
have had an awesome month. She is hoping with the
coming holiday season that we can stay on course
for meeting our budget.
Treasurer: Lisa Anderson presented the 2016
proposed budget. Discussions were had, and Larry
Paul made a motion to accept the budget and to
present it to the congregation at the annual
congregational meeting. Mike Winslow seconded,
motion passed. Thanks to all who helped prepare the
budget for 2016.
Dayschool: No report.
Pastor: Pastor Rayl is on vacation this week. May
God bless you, Pastor, for all you do.
Old Business: None.
New Business: A motion was made by Larry Paul to
add the following addendum to First St. John’s
wedding policy: “First St. John Lutheran Church
believes the canonical Scriptures of the Old and
New Testaments to be the inspired Word of God and
accepts them as the authoritative source and norm of
its proclamation, faith, and life. Adhering to the
Scriptural testimony declaring that God established
marriage as being between one man and one woman
(Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-5), intended to be a
lifelong, exclusive relationship of love and
faithfulness; It is the policy of this Church that all
marriage ceremonies performed in the name of this
church and any related celebrations allowed in its
facilities shall be for unions that meet the standards
of Scriptural testimony.” The motion was seconded
by Mike Winslow, and the motion passed
unanimously.
A motion to adjourn was made by Chris Hunsaker
and seconded by Larry Paul. Motion carried.
Bob Haar led us in the Lord’s Prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Keith Mullen
Council President
FIRST ST. JOHN COUNCIL MINUTES
November 18, 2015
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