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 WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS IMMEDIATELY!Items in RED are recent updates! |
On July 20, 2002, at approximately 4:45AM, 17 CCA staff members were traveling
in 3 vans to North Carolina from Texas camp. While driving through Alabama, the
back left tire on our 15 passenger van blew out. This caused the van to swerve,
and then flip several times. The driver remained calm and handled the situation
appropriately. The 5 passengers were ejected through the windows from the vehicle
onto the highway. The driver was wearing his seatbelt and managed to climb out of
a window after the van had landed upside down and perpendicular to the highway.
We will list names and injuries so you can pray for each one specifically.
Cory Smith - A 22 year old graduating Senior at Liberty University from Hickory, NC, was driving and has multiple lacerations and bruises throughout his body. He has been treated and released from the hospital. Cory along with another staff member will be preaching a memorial service for Adam in Jasper, TX on Monday, July 29 at 10AM. Please pray for Cory as he brings the memorial message, that any in attendance who don't know Christ will come to know Him. Cory and Brent Baird, another CCA staffer spoke at Adam's memorial service on Monday and 5 people accepted Christ at the service-Praise the Lord! Cory is back at school at LU finishing the last half of his senior year. Will graduate in December. Has had several opportunities to preach since accident with many saved. Still has some road rash and soreness, but is doing well. Cory continues to have opportunities to give testimony of God's grace and workings through the accident. He talks to Priscilla frequently and they are able to share precious memories of Cory's best friend and Priscilla's husband. One of the CCA schools in Texas has invited Cory down to speak in a high school chapel and perhaps address the student body at a Pep Rally and then at a church on Wednesday night. Pray for him as he is presented with additional opportunities to share his testimony and God's grace. Cory is completing his degree in Biblical studies at Liberty University this semester. He also works on campus during the week and for CCA every weekend. After his last surgery to remove glass fragments from his arm, he has been doing very well physically. He continues to be used in speaking engagements all around Virginia and North Carolina with wonderful results as he shares his faith as well as the story of the accident. He will be speaking in churches and school chapels in North Carolina and Georgia this week. Keep praying for him as God uses him in a great and mighty way. Cory moved back to his home town of Connelly Springs, NC to finish a few classes in order to receive his undergraduate degree from Liberty University in early May, 2003. He is working at a gym and enjoying that while he finishes the classes. He will also be working for and traveling with CCA Staff this summer as a Team Leader. He and Priscilla won the 2003 CCA Nationals Open Partner Stunt Competition. Click Here to see a picture of them. Cory has been able to preach and share his testimony in many places this year and God has used him greatly to win many to Christ. Next Fall Cory will be returning to Liberty University to attend Seminary.
E-mails for Cory can be sent to: Cory@cheercca.com 
Kasey Dennis - An 18 year old from Jacksonville, FL, was in the passenger seat. She dislocated her hip which required surgery. Recovery requires her to lay flat for 6 weeks. She also has severe bruises and lacerations. Praise - Kasey was able to leave the hospital with crutches on Monday, July 22. Please continue to pray as Kasey recovers. Kasey is doing well and has even been seen at Wal-Mart shopping. The doctors still want her to either stand up or lay down, rather than sit until she makes a full recovery. The scars on her face and back are healing wonderfully and she should not need any plastic surgery. Kasey is still recuperating at home. Has a Level 2 concussion, causing some difficulty with her hearing and occasional short term memory loss. Hip and road rash are progressing well. Prognosis is good for all. Kasey was able to attend Adam's funeral and participate in both sign languages with the rest of the CCA staff. Jerry and I were able to visit with Kasey and Carol Dennis in Jacksonville a couple of weeks ago. She looked great. Her road rash/abrasions is 95% gone. She is walking perfectly and only has some hip soreness occasionally. She is still seeing doctors and getting her final "check off" from them to be able to further her education second semester. She still finds glass under the skin from time to time and has to remove it. Her spirit is great and she is excited about the future. Kasey is doing well. She has been taking classes at St. Johns River Community College and pursuing her dream of cosmetology. We have not been able to visit with her since we saw her in the Fall a few times, but do get reports to keep us up to date on how she is doing. Keep praying for her healing and direction as she makes plans for her future. We did receive some recent photos of her, click on the following links to see those - KASEY1 and KASEY2.
E-mails for Kasey can be sent to: Kasey@cheercca.com 
Brentney Feild- A 22 year old graduated senior from the Univ. of Mary-Hardin Baylor sustained injuries to her right foot which required immediate surgery. She will receive back surgery on July 23, to fuse Thoracic Vertebra 2-10 (shoulders to mid-back). She has been told that she may never regain feeling in one of her legs. Praise - Brentney's surgery went well and she is slowly regaining feeling in her legs. She continues to be a witness for Christ even in the midst of all she has been through. When the doctors ask Brentney if she has any questions she always asks, "Are you a Christian?" Please continue to pray for Brentney as she has a long but promising recovery! Brentney is now in Austin, TX doing rehabilitation at the hospital there. She is so excited she is back in Texas. She continues to be an inspiration to all who visit her. Brentney is recuperating in St David's Rehab Center in Austin, TX. She continues to amaze everyone with her remarkable progress. Even her ankle surgery was supposed to be a setback in her progress but has not been. The skin graphs have healed beautifully. She has been to church (on a pass from the hospital) and on several other outings in her wheelchair. She has stood alone for 37 minutes, has walked on the parallel bars with very little weight in her arms, has walked with three different kinds of walkers, progressing quickly from one to another and has climbed stairs. The doctors are truly amazed at her progress. The whole story of Brentney is quite amazing in every way. She has been a shining light in all of this by her amazing spirit and testimony. If you are on our mailing list, we will be sharing a newsletter with you very soon that will include some of the miracles of Brentney's recovery. BIG NEWS! BRENTNEY WALKED 600 FT BY HERSELF TODAY. SHE HAD SPOTTERS ON EITHER SIDE BUT THEY WERE NOT TOUCHING HER. ISN'T THAT AWESOME! THEN SHE WENT SWIMMING AND ON THE TREADMILL. SHE IS GOING TO WALK OUT OF THERE ON SEPT 10. SHE WANTS TO COME TO NC VIA BIRMINGHAM AND SPOT AT THE HOSPITAL TO SHOW THE DOCTORS, ESPECIALLY ONE OF THE DOCTORS! TOMORROW A CHURCH IS COMING TO THE HOSPITAL TO VIDEO TAPE HER TO USE HER TESTIMONY AND HER WALKING IN THE PREACHER'S SERMON ON SUNDAY MORNING CALLED..."WHY DOES A GOOD GOD LET BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?" Brentney was released from the Rehab Center in Austin on Sept 10. Just as she said she was able to actually walk out! She has already been able to share her testimony in person and by video several times and is currently booking many other speaking opportunities in school assemblies and churches. Her spirit is amazing. She wants to come to North Carolina and speak in various places as well as "hang out" at the CCA Office for awhile. She does not want to fly to NC however, she wants to drive so that she can stop in at UAB Medical Center to see the doctors and nurses there, especially one doctor who told her she was paralyzed and would never walk again. God is miraculous! God really used this whole accident to help Brentney find His perfect will for her life. She has an amazing speaking talent and she is definitely excitedly allowing Him to use this talent. She spoke at a Youth Rally last weekend with wonderful results and decisions. She has now given 4 interviews to various newspapers and publications that have been published, including the latest one for the BAPTIST STANDARD. She spoke recently at her own church in an "Interview with
Brentney" Oprah type format. There were several salvation decisions and many other spiritual decisions. She also was interviewed by an Austin, TX TV station and the vido was aired. (including a plug for this website!) She is walking better everyday and the rehab people in Austin are working her hard. She said that she walked the equivalent of 68 flights of stairs with weights on her ankles last week! (How many of YOU walked that much... not me!). She is excited about working regionals for CCA and just told me that she had all the material memorized already, but she might have to have some help with the jumps, but just for now... not for the future. She is quite amazing. What an encouragement to all of us. Brentney is doing great. She will be working as a CCA Staffer this Summer and traveling with us again. That is a HUGE answer to prayer. She continues to be used in various places to speak about the accident and the victorious healing that God has given her. This semester Brentney has been finishing her student teaching. She has been very busy, but loves it.
E-mails for Brentney can be sent to: Brentney@cheercca.com 
Priscilla Kellerman-Pate -The extent of this 21 year old's injuries were severe, and much gratitude is owed to the EMS who saved her life. She was taken to a Level I trauma center where she received immediate surgery to repair a collapsed lung, and brain surgery to remove a clot. She also has a broken collar bone and multiple facial fractures, including lacerations and bruising throughout. She will remain at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for at least 3 weeks. Priscilla is recovering from the many injuries she received during the accident. Her hearing has diminished some due to the accident and when told she may not be able to recover from it she expressed, "I have always wanted to work with the deaf!" Her contagious spirit still fills the hospital room to all who visit her and she is very coherent. Please continue to pray for Priscilla as she recovers. Her hearing has already improved. Priscilla is doing much better now. She even walked on her own down to Brentney's room the other day. She is out of intensive care and in a rehab room - we are anticipating a soon release from the hospital! - Priscilla is now out of the Hospital and back home in Tampa, FL. She is also still recuperating at home and going to rehab several times a week. Her hair is growing back pretty rapidly and she is excited about that. Still recovering from the broken clavicle as well as several other bone fragments in her ear and the partial paralysis of the right side of her face. Everyday the muscle usage returns a little more. She still has a lot of road rash, contusions and soreness. She already has her feisty spirit back and soon will have that beautiful smile back. She will spend this semester recuperating before she goes back to finish her degree. She will return to UAB to see the doctor's there in early Sept. Priscilla was scheduled for a check up at UAB Medical Center on Monday and Tuesday, Sept 9-10. She viewed the trip to see those doctors with joy for the privilege of showing them her remarkable progress. Priscilla and her family got to Birmingham early on Sunday evening so that they could attend church at Glen Iris Baptist Church. This is the church that took us all in their arms of Christian love while we were suffering and grieving. They were an amazing example of God's family taking care of each other. In the Sunday evening service on September 8 Priscilla stood and gave her testimony to the church as well as performed "Come and Fill" sign language. That is amazing grace in action. Additionally her parents, Michie and Dean Webster were able to share what God has done through this and to publicly thank the church from CCA for all they have done. Priscilla is also doing great. She came to the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools convention and helped work the CCA booth there. Her hair is growing and pretty soon she will be able to get rid of that wig. (She is definitely excited about that). The progress on the muscles in her face is also amazing! She shows more teeth in that beautiful smile every day! She will continue rehab on her face and the other strengthening rehab that she is doing. Her road rash shows remarkable improvement and should be gone in a little while. She keeps busy working on a new in home business making jewelry! Jewels by Priscilla. Look for them in retailers everywhere! All reports from her trip to Birmingham were encouraging. The doctors literally shouted at her progress. She will continue her education the second semester at USF and may possibly continue some coaching on a limited basis. She will be in Orlando on Oct 19th helping with the CCA Florida
regionals. The testimony of her strong faith and God's grace on her life is being spread to many and having a great influence for the Lord. Priscilla is amazing. Her physical recovery has been nothing short of miraculous! She has full use of her facial muscles and has that beautiful Priscilla smile back. This comes from the physical healing as well as the inner joy of Priscilla. She is also able to give her testimony frequently, most recently at the CCA Christian Cheer Leadership Conference. It has been a difficult year, especially in February for Adam's birthday, viewing the wedding video and their upcoming anniversary date in May. God has been so good and is healing her more and more emotionally every day. She is working camps all summer as one of our Team Leaders. She and Cory won the CCA National college open partner stunt championship this year in March. Click Here to see a picture of them.
E-mails for Priscilla can be sent to: Priscilla@cheercca.com 
Adam Kellerman-Pate - Age 24, went to be with our Lord on July 20, 2002. He died at the scene of the accident. Priscilla and Adam were married on May 24, 2002. There will be a memorial ceremony for Adam Monday July 29 at 10AM at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jasper, TX where Adams parents now reside. When Priscilla is released from the hospital the funeral service will be held in Tampa, FL. There is a scholarship fund being set up at the school where Adam taught - More details to follow. Adam's memorial service in Jasper, TX went well. 4 people accepted Christ at the memorial and Adam's sister accepted Christ the night before the memorial. The funeral service in Tampa is in the planning stages and as soon as Priscilla is released from the hospital we will update this site with the time and location. At Adam's funeral on Aug 10 there were 4 people saved. We continue to hear of many coming to know the Lord as a result of the testimony of this accident. His school (Citrus Park Christian) has a memorial bulletin board up with one of Adam's devotionals he wrote for CCA. Keep praying for Priscilla, Adam's parents and his CCA family as we continue in the grieving process. Click to read Priscilla's tribute and Rose's tribute to Adam that was read at this funeral. Almost everyday someone calls, writes or emails to let me know about the influence of Adam through CCA on their lives. It is quite amazing that so many things come out because of this accident. Only eternity will reveal the influence of Adam's passion for souls as he traveled and conducted cheer camps. One school sent a video to Priscilla in which each girl shared personally, as a tribute to Adam, the influence that he had on their lives in the three summers in which they had known him. Something else that is amazing as to how gracious God was in all of this. Adam and Priscilla's wedding pictures were not actually supposed to have been on the internet. They had not contracted for that, but it was done by "accident". It was one of God's accidents, however, because Adam got to see them on the internet at the CCA Office when he was here on a weekend, just because they were on the web "by accident". God was so good to allow him to see those photos. I am sure that he is looking down right now and is very pleased with all the souls saved as a result of this tragedy, souls that will meet him someday in heaven. As we mentioned in Priscilla's update, Adam's 25th birthday would have been February 23, 2003. Billy made an awesome video for Priscilla of Adam during last Summer to give her for Adam's birthday from CCA. In addition, we presented a "retired uniform" picture/plaque of Adam to Priscilla at the Friday night banquet at Nationals along with the "Tribute to Adam and Tina" video and the Rianne Ellisa Scrivner Christian Courage Award. Recently as I was thinking of Adam I thought about all the times he portrayed Jesus in our CCA skits at camp. I thought how wonderful it is that this year at Easter he will not be PORTRAYING Jesus here in any skit, he and Tina will be PRAISING Jesus IN PERSON on their first Easter in Heaven! Continue to pray for Priscilla and Adam's Mom and family in Texas. It is hard to think of starting a CCA Summer without him. We have not done that in four years and it will be difficult for us all. No one can fill his spot.
Please pray for Priscilla, her family, and the Kellerman-Pate family. 
Tina Maciasz- Sustained extremely severe head trauma, and was intubated at the sight of the accident and then airlifted to the Level I trauma center U of A at Birmingham. She remained on life support until her family arrived. On July 21 at approx. 9:00 am, Tina, age 17, was taken off the ventilator to be with our Lord. She was going into her Senior year at Bethany Christian School in Baker, LA. Tina's funeral was on Wednesday, July 24 and the Lord was exalted during the ceremony. 15 people raised their hands for salvation at her funeral - Praise the Lord! Her parents continue to remain strong in the face of this Tragedy. Please continue to pray for her parents, 4 other siblings and the rest of the Maciasz family. Tina's influence and testimony continue to touch many. Her parents and family are the most amazing example of God's grace! Pray for them in the difficult days ahead. One of the hardest days came on the first day of school of what would have been Tina's senior year. Especially pray for her Mom who teaches at the school and her brothers and sister who attend the same school. (Bethany Christian in Zachary, LA) A report from Tony DeSalvo in his first week at college. Tony was Tina's boyfriend and goes to Louisiana Tech, a secular college. Tony shared with a couple of people at school all that had happened this summer. When one of them started crying he apologized for making them cry. She told him that wasn't it. When he asked her why she was crying then, she told him it was because she did not know how to be a Christian. Well needless to say, he told her and he got to lead her to the Lord. He was very excited. Praise the Lord for another awesome spiritual impact from Tina's life and death. In talking with Tony
DeSalvo, Tina's boyfriend, he related many ways that the story of Tina's life and death have been influencing many for the Lord. Recently the Maciasz had the Juniors and Seniors and Cheerleaders from Tina's school in their home for a time of Praise and Worship. Tony was able to share his testimony surround the accident and his life with Tina. He shared the importance and urgency of living your life abundantly and enthusiastically for God every day. He invited those who wanted to talk more seriously about their relationship with the Lord to stay and pray and share after the event was over. 30 people stayed! It was a wonderful tribute to the life of Tina as well as a time of life changing decisions. Tony is also a part of an exciting ministry opportunity that he and his roommate, Matt and another young man started recently at Louisiana Tech. The story of the accident plays a big role in this ministry. Pray for them as they continue to serve the Lord and continue to pray for the Maciasz that God's grace will continue to surround them. Nationals was a difficult time for Tina's high school team from Bethany Christian. It was hard to compete knowing that Tina was there with them last year. They did an awesome job, taking second place in the nation. Tina's parents, Stephanie and Dennis, as well as her sisters Lauren and Anna were able to attend. They were a part of the special "retired uniform" recognition and video presentation on Friday night when Bethany's team was presented the "Rianne Ellisa Scrivner" Christian Courage Award" in honor of Tina. Tina's Dad told us about the experience of going to Birmingham and meeting with the other organ donor's families in the state of Alabama for 2003. They were able to get information on the health and status of those that received Tina's organs, even though they were not able to actually meet any of the people themselves, only the families of other donors. They will be traveling to Birmingham again this Spring for another support group meeting in which the recipients are invited to attend if they choose. They are hoping to actually meet some of the people who received Tina's organs. Stephanie, Tina's Mom presented a poem and made copies available for each of the participating nationals teams. We are including a copy of that poem in this update. Please continue to pray for the Maciasz family as they will be coming up on an especially difficult time soon when Tina's class graduates. It is also difficult to think of starting this CCA Summer without her. She was a very promising intern last year and we were so looking forward to how great a staffer she would become this year. We do know that she is in Heaven cheering us on for the summer.
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Tina Denise Maciasz
December 21, 1984 - July 21, 2002 A life so young... Released to heaven Left on earth we wonder "Why?" But some are sent among us briefly... Some have spirits meant to fly Please pray for the Maciasz Family E-mails for Tina's Family can be sent to: Tina@cheercca.com While there are truly no words to express our grief at this time, we continue to praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His infinite mercy and love. The leadership, staff, and parents of the accident victims have felt God’s loving arms encircling and His strength enveloping their hearts and lives from the very instant this horrific event occurred. Please know that your prayers are making a difference. Do not stop! In the days and weeks ahead, as each one of us deals with this tragedy, we need to be lifted before the Lord and reminded of His compassion and grace which is new every morning. We also want you to know that CCA will survive this tragedy and continue to spread the news of Jesus Christ as we work diligently with your cheerleaders. Camps began again on July 29 and will continue through August. Our fall and spring programs will continue and we will be back again next summer. God is able to take ANY situation and use it for His glory. Knowing this to be true, we will continue with the passion and excitement for the job God has given us …Building PEOPLE Before Pyramids. A relief fund has been set up to offset the cost for the families, friends and staff of CCA and can be sent to: Centura Bank Attn: CCA Accident Relief Fund 3333 Robinhood Road Winston-Salem, NC 27106 Cards of Sympathy can be mailed to: Staff or Staff Members Name C/O CCA PO Box 49 Bethania, NC 27010 |
