[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 72 (Thursday, June 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE CONSECRATION OF ELIZABETH CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 8, 2006

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is with tremendous joy and 
celebration that I rise today to honor the consecration of the 
Elizabeth Chapel United Methodist Church in Chumuckla, FL, where my 
wife Vicki and I have been members since 2001.
  Elizabeth Chapel has been a home for me; a place of solace where I 
can go to be closer to God and get back in tune with what is really 
important in my life. Likewise, the church family has acted as a true 
family to my wife and me, continuously offering us their support, 
encouragement, and kindness.
  Elizabeth Chapel United Methodist Church has served a vital role in 
the community of Chumuckla since 1937. Originating from the marriage of 
two smaller churches in the late 1930s, the church has remained a 
quaint group of adamant believers whose moral fiber and strength is 
unwavering.
  On September 16, 2004, Hurricane Ivan tore through the area, leaving 
damage, destruction, and heartbreak in its wake. The hurricane left the 
church building irreparable and it was soon leveled to begin new 
construction. Though many members of the congregation lost their homes 
or had significant damage to their own property in the storm, in the 
week that followed the hurricane, members of the church and others in 
the community came together descending on the church grounds to help 
FEMA distribute over 60,000 MRE's as well as ice and water to those in 
need.
  In the months that followed with the glorification of God's work in 
their hearts, the community, congregation and other churches in the 
surrounding area came together to begin rebuilding Elizabeth Chapel. It 
has been nearly two years since Ivan devastated the Gulf Coast, and the 
reconstruction is complete. On Sunday, June 10, 2006, I will join in 
the fellowship and celebration of the consecration of the Elizabeth 
Chapel United Methodist Church.
  Mr. Speaker, I truly represent an incredible group of people. It 
warms my heart that the community, congregation, and other churches 
have come together, through the hardships and heartache that have been 
prevalent since hurricane Ivan, to once again provide a house of 
worship to the amazingly resilient members of Elizabeth Chapel United 
Methodist Church.

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