THANKS EVERYONE... Another great day at FUMC

Happy faces, the "nets" give us all a similar look...while working together to address the issue of hunger in our world.   Thanks to everyone who joined in for the morning, an afternoon or for the day.  61,640 plus meals and 100 Spring Break breakfast and lunch bags were packed by over 230 volunteers on February 22 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.   How amazing is that?  

Trent Albert captured the morning session and prepared a great video for the records.    Enjoy.   Click here for the VIDEO  

She's one busy volunteer...

As we  continue to "enjoy" the beauty of the COLD and SNOW, Margie is enjoying hard work in sunny, lush and beautiful Costa Rica.   Here are her words ... shared without a photo.   I think  she's just too busy to remember to get out that old camera.  So I've included a couple from her favorite spot in Costa Rica. 



Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica  

Dearest all,

       I just can't tell you how REALLY FULL and BUSY is each and every day now for me, as I've been asked to do something quite unexpected by me and quite challenging, meaningful, and fun.  This new job has taken me out of regular days in the library working, but has NOT taken me away from helping one-on-one with students here working on their theses (a favorite activity for me and happening some almost every day!!).  The new job which the UBL President has asked me to do is to coordinate all the mission work teams coming to UBL from the States...that is, do quite a bit of the job which missionary Becky Harrell was so capably doing here for the past four years.  Becky now has a new assignment with the UMC Board of Missions in the south central jurisdiction.  So, it's a very steep learning curve for me, especially because I have to do quite a bit of the organization work at the computer communicating with team leaders.  However, I am needed to do a lot of translating work here on the campus, also writing letters from Spanish to English, and helping out personally, side by side with the members of the groups who come.  Fortunately we also have our wonderful volunteer Rick who actually is "on deck" with the teams while they do the physical labor.
      This week I'm assisting with the Primetimers group (11 UMC folks in their retirement years...lovely, interested, and interesting people) primarily here as a study and travel team. I'll be doing some translating of lectures and discussions, and since they are right here on my floor of our dorm, I'm the resident "hospitality" person and problem solver!!
       I am still teaching my English class Mon and Wed. 4-5 p.m. each week, which I dearly love!  I have established my "farewell" at the end of each class by telling them, "I love teaching this class because I love you!"  Tha
t is true!!
        Also I continue to audit the Bible class taught so wonderfully by Prof Jose Enrique---and this year I get to be in on all of those classes, 5-8:30 p.m. Tues and Fridays.
        Another little blessing is to accompany visiting groups on little 1-2 day trips where I can see more of this beautiful country!  In fact, I have arranged a 2-night/3 day trip for  the five of us volunteers from the USA to spend a fun time at Tortuguero---My #1 favorite place in CR, and Jose Enrique has really been the "tourist agent" helping me plan this excursion, as he know Tortuguero thru and thru!!!


Beach at the park 

       Yes, family, I know this is a WHOLE lot of update--and I didn't even give you ANY description of my last weekend visiting the Carvajal family WAY WAY up and away from San Jose in the mountain, coffee growing isolated little community...Carlos Carvajal is a young man who has worked as UBL receptionist for 13 years, loves to play in a heavy metal, hard-rock band, and he invited me to come and listen to his band play and meet all of his extended family who have lived in this beautiful mountain countryside for many, many years.  An unforgettable experience for me!!  Love to all,  Margie

 

Hopefully after she visits the park, she will send us a few of her photos.   For now, these from the internet will do. 

Volunteers are needed...

February 22, 2014

Valparaiso 1st UMC

103 North Franklin Street

 

Shift 1: 8:30 - 11:00

Shift 2: noon - 2:30

 

More volunteers are needed to pack 60,000 meals in 10,000 packages.   Register today by calling Mike Strayer 462-2354.   

"VOLUNTEERS" gets a spelling error without "U".   We are looking for "U" to join us and have a great time while addressing a serious issue in our community...food insecurity.   Our food pantries will be receiving cases of the meals to share with those on limited income.  Join us for a morning or an afternoon of fun and know that your time has meant something very special to those who will receive the packets.  You'll also get to sample some of the recipes we have been testing.  

 

See you February 22.

   

KIDS AGAINST HUNGER

February 22 is coming soon... We hope you are planning to be part of a really great day.  The schedule is simple. Come to the sanctuary at the beginning of your shift and then just get into the rhythm of packing those bags. 

1st Shift  -  8:30 - 11:00 

2nd Shift   noon - 2:30

 

Adults, youth, and children ages 10 and older will be packing food (a rice, dried veggie, with vitamin mixture) ... in fact we will be packing 60,000 meals or about 10,000 bags of a rice mixture with all the nutrients for a day.  

 

Children ages 3 - 9 will be packing bags to be given to the local food pantry.   Each bag (reusable bags donated by Stracks) will contain enough food for 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches for each child in the family.   These bags will be distributed by our food pantry to families with children prior to Spring Break.   

 

At the end of the day 3 pallets will be sent back to Indianapolis to be used with Mission Guatemala.   Three pallets will be directed to Operation Classroom for distribution to Sierra Leone and/or Liberia.   And 3 pallets will be distributed to the Hilltop Food Pantry, the Christian Food Pantry in Asbury Center, and the food pantry at Broadway Christian Parish.  (3 pallets contain 20,000 meals packed in 99 boxes with 36 packages per box and 6 meals per package) 

 

For questions call Bonnie at 241-7250 or Mike at 462-2354 

 

Sending a truck off to do what UMCOR does...

UMCOR has a T-shirt that says it very well...

"What happens at Sager Brown...

doesn't stay at Sager Brown."   

 

This week our team came with health kits made by children at Breakfast Club and people attending our worship in Central Park Plaza.  We saw thousands of the health kits leave the building, get loaded on to a truck, and start the journey toward the Philippines.  

In about 2 hours 47 pallets of kits with 28 boxes per pallet were loaded onto the semi trailer container. That is 10,752 health kits and 10,416 school kits which weigh 38,540 pounds at an estimated value of $243,600.     After the last box is placed, all hands were joined and a prayer was offered to send the container on its way.  Great morning.   Great feeling.  

Carol hands the pallet down to Jimmy on ground level. 

  

Gene and his #4 team are unloading a pallet.

 
 

Chuck and his #3 team are loading the last pallet.

 

Chuck puts the last box on the truck

 

Forming the prayer circle with all volunteers.

Half and Half

Today was a half and half day.   Half day of work and the other half our choice.   The team went to the Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site in St. Martinsville, LA  for a bit of enlightenment about the Acadians (Cajuns) and the Creole cultures.   The weather was a little cool but the sun was bright so we were thinking warm.  

A look at the Acadian farm along the Teche Bayou

How about a 350 year old tree?   There were 3 such
trees on this Farmstead and Plantation. 

 

Yes Flat Reggie was with us tonight and was trying to be part of the
music group at the Pont Breaux eatery.  



 Reggie and Susan were to have been with us for our time at Sager Brown but they were not able to join us at the last minute as Reggie had a bit of a problem with his foot.  

"Flat Reggie" you would have missed getting under another trailer today to shut off the sewer line that had been leaking.   Eldon and Chuck had been walking around in muddy water until they realized it was sewage water.   OOPS.    Since Gene had so much experience, he was selected to get back under that trailer (on a piece of plastic) to cap off the sewer pipe that was leaking.  So "Flat Reggie", you are missing a whole lot of fun. 

Another great day in Baldwin...

Eldon worked on the ramp and Gene helped repair kitchen
cupboards.

                                                                                                                                                   

Joyce loves to have her photo taken so she posed for
this one....it was break time and time to meet new friends.

Our volunteer spots changed a bit today but not much.  Just enjoy the photos.  

Thanks to Eldon and his smart phone...we have photo #1.  Getting photos of what the guys do out in the community is much more difficult.   Bonnie just may have to take a field trip.  

 

Max scared us all when he took off his pants!!!

Eldon is working on his fly rod and Dennis is on his
IPad.

Marlene is working on stuffing health kits. 

Susan came back to her newly braided handles.
It had something to do with being on break too long. 

Our team is now complete!!!

Darlene and Chuck arrive Monday afternoon.   

Darlene and Chuck have arrived safely.   The challenge for their trip extended from Indiana through Mississippi so they were very happy arriving in Baldwin on a cool, sunny day with temperatures in the low 50's. 

 

All volunteers participated in a mandatory training this morning before reporting for "duty.  We were reminded over and over that it isn't about the work.   It is about being one with others through Christ.    

 

In one of the training pieces this morning we learned the "stuff" that comes to a distribution center is sometime inappropriate and "stuff" gets in the way of doing what is necessary for those whose lives have been turned upside down by a disaster.   So donations really need to thought out carefully before giving.   Good rule of thumb is to "ask before you collect" to be sure what you are sending can be used by those in need.   A heavy coat for Haiti is not what is needed.   Clothing in general is not needed in a disaster.   (Ask the people in Henryville.  They had semi-s full of clothing that took tons of space and lots of volunteers to sort then and pitch all the items that weren't fit to hand to a person.  Need does not equate to "this is better than nothing". 

 

Bonnie, Connie and Susan spent their day in the sewing room.   Susan was a "pinner", Bonnie was a "surger" and Connie seemed to be a "mover" or "tester".  She used at least 4 sewing machines.   

 

Max, Eldon, Gene, and Bob were out in the community repairing some plumbing and installing a door (two work crews). Gene's job was to fix the drain for the toilet under the house.  He just arrived back to the dorm... SHOWER TIME!!! 

 

Della, Sandy, Dennis, Carol, Joyce and Marlene put together personal hygiene kits.   We may be loading a truck tomorrow that will be on its way to the Philippines.   That doesn't happen every week so we are all looking forward to being part of the "packing" team. 

Connie on Machine # 1  

 


Dennis and Gene doing Kitchen Ministry

Chocolate pie for dessert!!! 

 

Focus on Hunger for January and February

Leading up to February 22, the National/International Mission team, United Methodist Women and Hilltop Ministries will be sharing information and opportunities for our worshiping congregation to become more aware of the issues of hunger here at home and around the world.  The mission focus for January was for ECHO.  ECHO address "world hunger" through crop development and soil studies.   Their goal to improve the yield on crops and the nutrient content of the crop. 

 

We hope you do know what is special about February 22... we are having a Kids Against Hunger Packing event at 1st UMC Valparaiso.   Volunteers are needed for the morning and afternoon sessions.   Please signup between services to give 2 1/2 hours of time on the 22nd.  

 

Another way to volunteer is to support our local food pantry though an activity we are doing with the younger children.  Children ages 3  - 9 years old  will be packing food for children in our community who are on free or reduced lunch programs.   These bags of food will be given to families coming to the food pantry the week before Spring Break.  With children at home for the week, this will help provide some breakfast and lunch items for the family.   

 

 We would ask EVERYONE (whether you can volunteer on the 22nd or not) to bring the following items to church so our children might sort and prepare the bags of food for distribution.  Our goal is to have 50 bags of food to feed a child for 3 days during Spring Break a breakfast and a lunch.  

 

Items needed:

 

Canned Pasta (pull top can)

Chicken Noodle Soup (pull top can)

Easy Mac-N-Cheese (individual serving/microwaveable)

Granola Bars - no nuts

Individual bowls/boxes of cereal

Crackers/Cookies/Chips - individual serving size

Juice with vitamin C  - individual serving size

 

You may also contribute money to purchase these items.  Bring items or a check  to the church, marked Spring Break Bags on or before February 16.     



Two more team members expected on Monday

Thirteen of 15 team members have arrived safely after doing variety of travels before arriving in Baldwin, LA on Sunday, February 2.    Darlene and Chuck Myers are expected to arrive Monday after getting off to a late start...had something to do with snow in the north.  Does anyone up there know about snow?  

Our team this year consists of Marlene and Eldon Versteeg, Bob and Joyce McMurtrey, Connie and Max Roach, Carol and Dennis Deeter, Bonnie and Gene Albert, Darlene and Chuck Myers, Della Bozarth, Sandy Coolman, and Susan Larson.   Darlene, Chuck, Sandy, and Susan are the new kids on the block with this being their first time at the UMCOR distribution center.  

Please keep Darlene and Chuck in your thoughts and prayers that they may arrive safely for this first mission experience at Sager Brown.

 

 

 

 

On our way SOUTH!!!

 

Susan Larson on her first mission trip to Sager Brown!!!

One carload of Sager Brown Mission team members have arrived safely in Birmingham, AL to enjoy a beautiful day outside and a meaningful day inside.   The weather was perfect reaching a high of 65 today.   We spent several hours going through the Civil Rights Institute.  All of us are "young" enough to recall the events of the 50's and 60's but were moved to tears to hear first person accounts of the history of that area today.  

We were across the street from the Baptist church that suffered the bombings on 3 different occasions.   Somber thoughts. 

Baptist Church on 16th Street in Birmingham, AL