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HAITI MISSION PROJECT
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Mission Committee Update We are a congregation involved in mission, in so many ways. At the last Mission Committee meeting, reports were presented by our own missionaries, Brian Berry and Chelsea West. Both have been to Haiti multiple times and both will be returning. Brian Berry is preparing a fabrication project for a school and residences. Modular construction will be completed in our own GRACE CHURCH parking lot, containerized, and shipped to Haiti. Plan to help on July 15-16 with this project. Abigayle Norman recently departed for her AMBASSADORS IN SPORT mission and internship. Offerings received at GRACE CHURCH: • $3,490.00 Easter offering for REBUILDING TOGETHER GENESEO/CAMBRIDGE,
NFP
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Other Mission giving Shoeman Project-60 pairs of shoes; Raise the Roof –$19,000 has been raised by the community concert and special gifts. This project really demonstrates the potential good that can be accomplished when the churches and community join together in a common cause. The roof is being repaired and replaced because of your generosity and support.
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Scholars Benefit from Mission Agency Grants STAMFORD, Conn. (UMNS) -- A total of $1.2 million in educational awards approved by directors of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries will benefit 224 students from 50 countries. Slightly more than $452,000 of the grant total is for World Communion Scholars (formerly Crusade Scholars), who benefit from the annual World Communion offering in United Methodist congregations. This program aids international and U.S. racial / ethnic minority people in attaining master or doctoral degrees in fields including medicine, education, law and theology. The other scholarship funds come from endowed trusts and the budget of Global Ministries, the denomination's worldwide mission agency. http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm
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Haiti Update from Jenny Berry The July Haiti mission team would like to thank those who attended the spaghetti dinner. Your donations were greatly appreciated! Due to work conflicts, keeping over half the members from being able to go on the trip, it has been rescheduled to January 2012. The money raised at the dinner will be put into a safe account and used for the same projects in January. A small group still plans to go into Haiti
June 20-30th this summer. Chelsea and Hannah West, and Emily Storm (from
First Lutheran Church) are planning on going together this June. |
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Church & Society: Shoeman Water Project Sneakers, heels, clogs, boots, sandals - no matter what type of footwear it is, chances are you have one or more pairs of old shoes cluttering the back of your closet. The Church & Society Committee would like to help you give old soles a new life. Matched pairs of old shoes will be collected the first Sunday of each month (Food Pantry Sunday). A donation container will be placed in the church lobby. Tie the laces or use a rubber band to keep both shoes in a pair together when donating. The shoes will be donated to the Shoeman Water Project, an organization that gives shoes a second life by exporting the shoes to retailers in the developing world. The resale of shoes provides jobs and affordable footwear to residents in those countries. Funds generated from the export of shoes are used to purchase water well drilling rigs and water purification systems for Kenya. To date, the Shoeman Water Project has helped drill more than 140 water wells in Africa, serving approximately 130,000 people. Shoeman Water Project organizers also have recently expanded their mission and are working to bring clean water to the people of Haiti. For more information, visit www.shoeman.org.
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Imagine NO Malaria: a pastor’s own journey with malaria By Rev. Kathy Crozier, Loraine UMC Honestly, a few years ago I couldn’t imagine having malaria. I was excited about a mission trip to Liberia; eager to hear and see first hand about the challenges and faith journeys of people who had survived years of civil war. Of course I got all the recommended shots, and got my anti-malaria medication. And of course, while in Liberia, I took the medication as prescribed and slept under a mosquito net. After a week in the country I was feeling pretty crummy. Unbeknownst to me, I was reacting to the anti-malaria medication. And that reaction was preventing it from working properly. But because of the not quite- enough medication, when I was bitten by a malaria-carrying mosquito, the disease took an unusual turn and it took months to be properly diagnosed and treated. As a result of damage done by the tiny parasites in my body, I have a very restricted and very complicated diet; it starts with no wheat and no dairy, which makes it quite impossible to eat at potlucks and completely rules out home made cookies (my personal favorite). I take many supplements and medications each day. I have gone from someone who took good health for granted to someone who struggles to follow the doctor’s orders and who frequently feels bad despite being as careful as I can. In addition I can only work part time. My health (or lack thereof) is a bummer; but I think of the people I met in Liberia who also suffered from malaria. Many of them had previous infections from Malaria, and many of them had lost loved ones to the disease. One of the most memorable experiences of our time in Liberia was touring a hospital where there was no running water. I have been blessed; blessed to have good health care, good insurance, and understanding employers. And now I am being blessed by the opportunity to help with the Imagine No Malaria ministry. I have gone from someone who could not imaging having malaria to one privileged to take part in Imagining No Malaria for a continent that suffers way more than I have from this devastating disease. Indeed, if I had been asked a couple of years ago if I would be willing to live with the chronic effects of Malaria in order to truly understand the disease and to have passion for this ministry, I would have volunteered without hesitation. We are privileged to take part in this grand endeavor; privileged to be called by God to fight this disease and care for the sick who are our neighbors, our brothers and sisters in Christ. May God indeed multiply our efforts and our witness so that all can see the Kingdom of God in action
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Hamilton Missionaries Do you realize that it has been 27 YEARS since Crist and I lived in Geneseo and we were a part of the Grace Church Family? To me at times, it seems like only yesterday. Geneseo has ALWAYS held a very special place in our hearts and always will. It was at Grace Church that Crist accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior 33 years ago. It was there and with all of you that we learned how to walk this Christian journey. The Body of Christ is a wondrous living Thing. And this morning we got our monthly support list from B2B and there was Pearl Circle’s name for supporting us here in Nigeria. Yes, we appreciate the financial giving but it’s so much more than that for Crist and me. It’s just knowing that we have friends in Geneseo, IL who
are praying for us and still caring about what we are about. It’s like it
was 27 years ago. It’s all of you and Crist and I - we’re still doing life
together and serving our Lord together, all these miles apart (and years).
Doesn’t that seem extraordinary yet somehow how it’s supposed to be? God
bless each one of you - and thank you! In joy and In His love and ours,
Eileen and Crist Hamilton.
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South Africa Mission Trip Report by Abby Norman Dear Grace Church, Thank you so much for your support over the years. I’m so blessed to have such a wonderful church family. This summer would not have been possible without you. It was a summer to remember. I met so many amazing people and I hope I have impacted them half as much they have me. I spent the month of June in South Africa as a part of the Ambassadors in Sport Playing Tour Team. We traveled around the country of South Africa doing several different projects. Some of the projects included, free soccer clinics for the kids of different townships and villages, playing matches against local club and semi-pro teams, involvement in Hope Academies, visits to HIV orphanages, stadium outreach, and fan zone out reach. We spent time in, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, Durban, Potchefstroom, and several other small villages and squatter camps between those larger cities. It was quite an adventure! The free clinics usually involved us going to a pitch in a township or village, setting up goals and nets and then waiting for word of mouth for kids to show up. We usually started with about 50 and by the end had upwards of 200-250 kids. We would have different stations teaching different skills and at the end we would bring them in to share with them about Jesus. We also played in several matches and tournaments against local club and semi-professional teams in South Africa. I lost count for sure, but we played something like 21 games in 3 weeks, as well as doing everything else. We sure did sleep well at night. We were involved with the Hope Academies, which are set up all over South Africa for young boys in prison to have a second chance. Ambassadors in Sport (AIS) goes into the prison and sets up a football team the boys have to try out for the team and they also must follow a set of very strict rules. AIS’ hope is to teach these boy’s life skills as well as spiritual skills so that when they are released from prison they have a chance to be successful. It was very cool to work with these boys. Some were as young as 15, and had committed serious crimes, but the transformation you could see in them was absolutely amazing.ABC did a special on the hope academies, the link to the video is, http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/soccer-bars-south-african-prisonsoccer-team-turns/story?id=11064441. And since it was the world cup we of course had to watch all the matches, so we did a lot of outreach at all sorts of different fan zones and out side some of the stadiums in South Africa. We would usually just try and strike up conversation with someone, build a bit of relationship with them and then share why we were here, and that we were here for more than just the World Cup. We went to different churches, official FIFA fan zones, or just a fan zone we saw on the side of the road as we drove by. The fan zones were just large areas with a huge TV screen so that everyone could see. We also spent time at three different HIV orphanages. Most of the kids are either truly orphaned by HIV or their parents are too sick to take care of them. Many of them were also HIV+. It was quite sad to see such a little child so sick from a disease that they had no choice in. The kids we worked with were an absolute blast. I loved just holding them and loving on them a bit. They also got a kick out of 17 white people coming to teach them silly soccer games, and sing them a few silly songs! They were such a joy to work with. Then I spent the next 5 weeks traveling around the USA coaching soccer camps at different churches. The coaches from the camps were from all over the world. There were coaches from Brazil, Indonesia, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Haiti, and the USA. Local churches would host the soccer camp and then AIS would come in and run the soccer camp. AIS sent out 5 different tour teams. I was on the East Coast team. We went to Cleveland, OH, Wayne, PA, Limerick, PA, and Seattle, WA. We would coach every day from 9-3, but often would arrive at the field at 7 to set up and get morning devotions in before we the kids arrived. We would spend the morning teaching soccer skills and have a bible time every morning. Then in the afternoon we would play world cup, which were just matches so that the kids could practice what they learned and also play some soccer. It was a lot fun to coach and most of the kids were great. All the weeks were fun, but I would have to say that my favorite week was the week in Wayne, PA. It was such a great experience this summer. Thank you once again and Much Love,
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Northwest Haiti Christian Mission Trip by Chelsea West Each trip into Haiti is different. From the group of American’s who travel in together, to our experiences and challenges while there. This trip was especially different because of the recent earthquake in Port-au-Prince and the extreme devastation the Haitian people have encountered. Our trip was amazing and there are too many moments to share them all, but we would like to tell just a few. Once at the mission, our group traveled to Beauchamp for three days and was able to spend time at Saint Augustine Church in the Far West. There we put on a vacation bible school for the children and passed out peanut butter sandwiches, as well as met with the pastor and his family. We also were able to go to Salines Mayette, a large orphanage run by the mission and spend time with the children there. After traveling back to St. Louis-du-Nord, where the mission’s main campus is located, we spent time with the children in the baby orphanage and the Miriam center – a home for children with special needs. We also enjoyed singing and dancing with the “Gran Moun”, which means ‘Old People’ in Creole. Some of us also spent time in the mission’s health clinics and birthing center. Hannah and I feel blessed to have been given the
opportunity to have traveled to Haiti multiple times and we both look
forward to our next trip. We both would like to thank our entire Grace
Church family for all of your support and for your continual thoughts and
prayers for the Haitian people. |
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Rebuilding Together - MISSION STATEMENT “Bringing volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners. Rebuilding Together is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization working to preserve homeownership and neighborhoods by providing rehabilitation services free of charge to those in need. Through the support of corporate sponsors, local businesses, and the hands-on work of a quarter-million volunteers, Rebuilding Together rehabs and repairs more than 9,000 homes each year. We make our local impact through providing necessary repairs free of charge to existing home owners in the Geneseo and Cambridge School Districts. These necessary repairs often include roofing, plumbing, and electrical repairs and/or improvements - our goal is to provide a warm, safe and dry environment for low-income homeowners, enabling them to live independently and with dignity. Who Volunteers? Anyone 14 years and over can volunteer! And Rebuilding Together needs people with many talents and abilities —from people who can help scrape paint to those who are trained craftsmen. Phone 944-6442 to sign up. Go to www.rebuildingtogether-gc.org for more information. |
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| ************************************************************************************************* Red Bird Mission Beverly Kentucky Red Bird Mission and Clinic have been providing ministries in this region of the Appalachian Mountains since 1921. Today the need remains critical in this isolated, rural distressed area. Chronic poverty, lack of jobs, poor housing, and rugged mountainous terrain provide obstacles to a fuller life for the residents of this area. Red Bird Mission and Clinic strives to meet these needs through ministry in five areas: Education, Health and Wellness, Community Outreach, Economic Opportunity, and Community Housing Improvement. The Education ministries are carried out through a K-12 school and an early childhood development program for 3 and 4 year-old children. Health and Wellness ministries are provided through medical and dental clinics providing quality health and dental care in an area that is chronically underserved. The other three areas provide a wide variety of ministries to families, older adults, women and children, and youth that make their lives fuller and help them receive the assistance they need to make their lives a bit more livable. Volunteers in mission service come and help with the refurbishment of homes, low-cost clothing and furniture is provided through the community store and local crafter’s wares are marketed to a wide area through the craft marketing ministry. In recent years we have seen a decline in the support we are receiving. We are currently facing a financial crisis that is making it
difficult to continue all the areas of ministries we provide. Without more
funding today, we will have to reduce the level of ministry provided to this
community. Your donations to Red Bird Mission and Clinic will help us
continue these vital ministries in this distressed region of Appalachia. |
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Native American Ministries Funds The funds allow The United Methodist Church to collaborate with existing Native American ministries and create programs on behalf of Native Americans. Money collected also supports seminary scholarships for United Methodist Native Americans. Fifty percent of the offering remains in the annual conference to develop and strengthen local Native American ministries. Should no such ministries exist within the conference, the offering is remitted in full to the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA). The funds are then distributed equally between the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry to provide scholarships for Native Americans attending the church's schools of theology and the Native American Urban Initiative of the General Board of Global Ministries. Approximately 19,000 United Methodists identify themselves as Native American. About 225 United Methodist churches, fellowships and ministries relate to this population. |