Street Children's Ministry in Cambodia

Cambodia...that is a world away from us and yet we are touching lives of children in the Phnom Penh area.  Thanks to our missionary Clara Biswas we are transforming lives a very long way from home.   In 2007 Gene and Bonnie Albert went on a mission trip to Cambodia and were able to see first hand the children who are part of the outreach planned and directed by Clara.  She does amazing things on our behalf. 

Clara is one of the 325+ missionaries currently serving under the General Board of Global Ministries of our denomination.   She has served the mission field for about 8 years now and works as a resource person with children and families.   The children she works with most often are the street children...these children have families but not much of a home.   The families are so poor they send the children into the street to find food, beg for money, and do whatever they can to stay alive.  Some children actually live at the dumpsite at the edge of town.  Five thousand people live on the

Families make a living and live on the garbage dumpsite. 

dumpsite during the rainy season and 10,000 live there during the dry season.  They cook, eat, sleep and work there just trying to eek out a living.   Clara goes to the dumpsite and finds young children and she works with the families to encourage them to allow the child to attend school rather than scavenge the dump for useful items.   She is a World Changer for these children.  Clara believes strongly that without an education these children will never get beyond the dumpsite. 

Clara gathers up the children to get them off the dump and into the school.

Our Monthly Offering for August will go to support the program for the Street Children's Ministry in Cambodia. (Check out this article about her work at the orphanage.) Our tithe offering  (our General Church pledge) pays for her salary and benefits but without these extra funds, she would have no working budget.  Thanks for your continued support for the mission outreach of Valparaiso 1st UMC.   

You are a World Changer ...

The 2013 theme of Indiana Conference Annual gathering in Indianapolis was "Be a World Changer".   Following the Mission Council meeting this evening, we at 1st Church are right on track to be a "world changer".

1. Our presence in the Hilltop area changes little lives one at a time.   The Breakfast Club, the summer programs, camperships, and the leadership provided all open doors and change lives of the children being served.   Participation in the camping program which is part of the Indiana Conference Outdoor Ministries is life changing for children.  
2. Royal Family Kids Camp is in process right now.   We (FUMC) provide significant key leadership in a preparing and executing this week away giving every child a time to be "special".   Pam Burrus and Judy Hain will be able to share stories from their experiences when they come home exhausted from that week of fun.
3. A team of volunteers have just returned from a week of serving in Guatemala.   They interacted with the children in the village of Tocache while creating a hand washing station for their little 3 room school.  The team members can't help but think of these children daily.    
4. Another team of volunteers are being recruited to go to Sierra Leone in November again this year.  If you want to be part of a team that works with the people in the Kissy area of Freetown and be part of taking a small clinic and helping it fit into the new Kissy Hospital Campus, this might be just the place for you to connect.  
5.  Our Rays of Hope monthly meals go on without notice anymore.  Meals are served and community is being developed among those who come.   Yes, food is important but maybe more importantly, it is the "family" that sits around a table and is spiritually fed.
6. Our two Individual Volunteers continue to "take hold" of Costa Rica.  Rebecca Rusnak provides support and structure for mission teams coming to serve the families in need there.  Margie Miller  shares her enthusiasm and provides assistance to the students at the Latin American Bible University even from her computer and Skye setup while she's in the US.
7. Our Resale Shop and all of the workers who make this the greatest find in town.  It is a win-win there.  Items are recycled, reused, and renewed with all of the proceeds going to mission outreach.  Our Shop is a blessing to the customers and all the volunteers. 
8. Our involvement in the homeless ministry in the community rests on the shoulders of tireless volunteers Tom Neff and Janice Keim and the people they have gathered around them.   How blessed we are to have their quiet leadership.  
9. Operation Classroom is now lead by Bob and Sandy Coolman.   Participating in the Adopt a Student program is a significant way to change the world for a child in Sierra Leone or Liberia. 
10. There are many more ways in which we "Change the World", but probably the biggest change comes to those who have a stake in any of the above.   Those who volunteer and those who lead have a life changing experiences that have become habit forming.  The world they change  has been their own.   

We would welcome information about how you are a world changer.   Everyone has the capacity to make a big difference.  Jesus gave us one example after another about how to be in the world and not be formed by the world but rather be transformed by being in the world world around even if it gives us a bit of discomfort.   Read Romans 12: 1-2 in the Message.  

The Miracle of Water

When you make a pledge to the church, most of it is used for the cost of doing business at 103 N. Franklin Street, Valparaiso, IN.   Our hardworking staff, our lovely building, and all the programs of the church use most of the $800,000 plus per year through the operating budget.   However the National and International Committee have a portion of the pledge dollars for their work as a mission team.   $5,000 of the yearly budget is used to support two missionaries each year.   As a connectional church, the Mission team believes that the work done on our behalf by missionaries deserves our financial support and prayers.   Our missionaries in 2013 are Clara Biswas  (serving in Cambodia) and Ardelle Graner serving now in the Dominican Republic.  (Ardelle has just moved from Bolivia to her new assignment.)    At another time her new role as a missionary will be explored. 

An additional $2,000 in the budget under Missions is to give the National/International Mission team an opportunity to fund a special ministry or emerging mission need.   This past month it was determined to give $1,000 of the budget to the Miracle of Water.

Little do we realize the dire need for access to clean water that exists in our world today. Just imagine 783 million people lack access to improved drinking water or 1 person in 9 in our world.  In Liberia the number is more like 1 person in 4 have clean water to drink.   Bringing water is like bringing life. 
Ganta Mission School has been on the radar of the Indiana United Methodists since Operation Classroom came into being some 26 years ago.  Ganta Mission needs a good water supply desperately.  A Christian oriented well-digging group  (Living Water) was in Liberia earlier this year and connected with Operation Classroom through Bob Coolman and agreed to at least stop by the school and assess the possibilities for drilling and finding water.

Living Water found water on their first drill...indeed a miracle.   

Usually things move slowly in Africa but this time a call came while funding for a well was being secured through Operation Classroom to say a well had been dug at Ganta.  Bob soon learned that while Living Water was doing  the assessment it was determined that the need for the water was so great, it was decided the drilling should take place immediately.  The roads getting to the Mission Station were so poor and the drills were with the assessment team, it was a no brainer.  Living Water trusted United Methodist Church through Operation Classroom would eventually pay for the well after the fact.  The "Miracle of Water"  has at last arrived at the Ganta Mission Station and for that we sing praises. 

Here's where Valparaiso 1st comes in... your pledge dollars...budgeted for use by the National/International Mission team this year are being used to help pay "Living Water", an NGO out of Texas, for drilling the well on faith.   $1,000 doesn't pay for an entire well but it helps reach the $15,000 goal.   THANKS FOR YOUR PLEDGE.   

 

The amazing thing is the well is a gusher!!!  In this part of the world you can drill numerous bore holes and find nothing.   The miracle of water is not only for the Mission Station at Ganta but for the community around it.   The well in any community is a place for social interaction as well as for gathering much needed water for cooking, drinking and bathing.   Surely today there is much joy as women and children carry water back home...water that is pure and plentiful.     

And the water flows freely. 
The Miracle of Water we so often take for granted.

"Living Water" go to http://www.water.cc  for more information about the importance of the work that is being done around the world.   Little by little, clean water will be available to all. 

Latin Amerian Bible University student needs...

The National/International mission focus for July will be to assist students with getting back home after they have finished their studies at the Latin American Bible University.   As you remember this is where our own Margie Miller is serving as in Individual Volunteer. 

Margie came home mid May with a personal request on her heart.  As a result of working with the students as their sounding board for the papers that they are writing, she learned again this year some students are struggling to get back home once their studies end.  

Here are few of my questions to her ... and her answer for some background.

"Are the students on full scholarship?" ... "Yes, but they must provide transportation to and from their country of origin to the school."

"Well, what happened to their responsibility in regard to getting back home?"   ... "One serious issue is they must get a round trip ticket to even get to Costa Rica however the ticket cannot be used to get them back home if the student happens to come for Peru.  The school year lasts for 1 year and they must use the return ticket within 3 months. It has to do with the unhealthy relationship between the Costa Rican and Peruvian governments.  These students are caught in the middle."

At this time about 3 or 4 students are in need of getting back to Peru.   In a perfect world that return ticket would get them back on the date needed.   However, our world isn't perfect and the return ticket is deemed invalid and there is not even any financial allowance for this unused ticket. Here's where we come in. 

Our goal is to provide 2 return tickets for students at UBL through the July Mission offering.  To do this we would have to raise about $500.  Our offering is split between local and National/International Missions so we have quite an ambitious goal.   Several church members have stepped forward to underwrite the other two.   Your gifts to the July Mission Offering will be taken to Costa RIca in October to be used to help the students get back home when they finish their final papers.  Margie will be returning at this time to help these students get their papers in order before presenting them to the school.  This year Margie's role expanded from shelving books to shelving books and being the "paper checker" for some of the students.   She loves her work so much she is returning to ULB in October and November to be that special person for "her" students.   Let's support students and Margie with this offering.  

Meet Margie and her student working hard on proper use of Spanish. 



Margie and another one of her special friends.  

 

Everyone has arrived home except...

Everyone arrived home except Taylor... but that was planned.  Taylor will be spending the next couple of weeks with her grandparents Bonnie and Gene.  .

Before we left the Panajachel area on Saturday we took a boat ride across the Lake Atitlan.  Again the beauty of the country was apparent.  This lake is settled among 3 inactive volcanos.  



One of two boats used to transport our team across Lake Atitlan.



Full view of one of the volcanos surrounding the lake.

Our first destination was a B&B sitting atop this cliff.  After docking and
climbing at least 82 stairs, we were treated to a spectacular view and
a wonderful brunch. 
 

The Guys!!! Hungry and ready for brunch.



Each meal came with some wonderful homemade
jam, beautifully cut fresh fruit, and a patty of butter.

 

David, our Mission Guatemala interpreter, introduced us to one of the
women and her family who are in the weaving cooperative. 

 

You'll see Kathy carrying one of the bags that once was
hanging on that empty hanger.  



Many colorful scarves  that have made their way into our suitcases. 



The clouds rolled in before we left the Artisan's village. 

We were soon on our way back to our hotel via the boat ride across Lake Atitilan for the final loading of the luggage.  Then a 3 hour ride back to Guatemala City for one last night in the country.   It took about 19 hours for some of our team mates to get home from the time they left the hotel in Guatemala City before arriving home.  Great team, wonderful families in the village of Tocache , skilled interpreters and craftsman, and absolutely breathtaking scenery.