Thursday in Jeff...

Thanks for continuing to follow our team in Jeff, KY.  Today they are tidying up the job site by returning all of the unused supplies that took so long to arrive.   YEAH. 

Putting the skirt on.

One of the focus areas for ASP is to see that a house is warmer in the winter so the skirting for this home will surely do that. 

Sawing a board.   Not sure who... help!!

Now notice the arrangement for carrying this one.
Chris wasn't allowed to be on either end or
the middle person would have to have
different dimensions!!!

Restocking the supply area. 

A great pix of  Team 2.   Thanks Jenna... I took it from the Group FB.
Tyler, Carter, and Jenna ... work gloves tell it all.

July Monthly Mission Focus

ZOE (pronounced zoh ee) is the project your mission dollars will support during the month of July.   ZOE has a rather interesting connection to Valparaiso UMC.   For starters one of the founders and early supporters is Mary Glass's mother Janet Chilcote.   When Janet and her husband Paul (who was sponsored in ministry while attending Valparaiso University) were serving in Zimbabwe at Africa University, Janet got very involved in a ministry that empowers children so that they might grow up and be productive leaders in their village.  Valparaiso 1st was already aware of this project before Gabe arrived as our youth/worship leader.   ZOE is just one of those mission projects which grew out of compassion for those who have little or no voice in the world.  
 

It's hard to believe children are often just found in villages as young as 1 year old wandering around seeking food and shelter.   Most often this happens in very poor African nations where families are destroyed by war and or disease.   Villagers try to help these children but sometimes there are too many orphans to really be care for properly.  Sometimes village families care for as many as 10 - 12 orphan children plus care for their own children on very little income.  Thus ZOE is one source for the village and the children to live with hope for a better tomorrow.   

 

Right now ZOE is helping children in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Rwanda, and Malawi.   At the Indiana Annual Conference gathering this past May, officials of ZOE were gathering information about DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) to see how they might get such a program going there with the assistance of one of our Indiana ministries in the North Katanga area.  

Just think...

• $60 will provide 12 children with mosquito nets to prevent malaria. 
• $240 will provide 6 children in a family group a goat.
• $600 will help a family group of 6 children to start a business.
• $2,400 will buy materials to build a house for a family group. 

ZOE is a General Church Advance project.  This means that the ministry has been approved by our mission board.   Thanks in advance for your gifts to this ministry.   How awesome it would be if we could get enough funds to gather materials for a house for one family group.   Think big!!! 

More on Day 4

Creatures of the under-board. 

Thanks Mary Schlottman for the photos... enjoy more views of Day 4 (Day 2 on the job)

The photo speaks for itself as to the task at
hand.   However the mask and goggles
hides her identity.   She's the piano
player.  Guess who???

Kittens need tended on mission trips too.
Just ask Peyton!!!
 



Freetime ...games and getting better acquainted

John Scheibel removing insulation.

Trent is removing insulation from under the trailer.  

Day 4 and a glimpse of the other teams

Lunch with Sharon and Pansey... Team Susan/Gabe 

Susan Larson continues to help us keep in touch with what our mission team in Jeff, Ky is doing.  And in some cases things do not happen as planned.   As in all mission trips, the delivery of supplies causes some "stoppages" which translates as a lot of standing around.   Flexibility and patience are the order of the day.   



 

Oscar, Elizabeth, and Hannah are strengthening up the exterior wall.

It appears that Brett is under the trailer with his sling. 
What a plan!!!

Now this photo is just one to study, close your eyes,
and imagine what could happen.
Do you think this is after surgery therapy?

 

A shower is in the works for sure. 

 

Report from Team Susan...

Team Susan (and Gabe) are working to get the underpinning board level today.   The weather is 83 and humid.
Can you find Andrew, Emma, Alexis, Liz, or Logan?   That was team Susan/Gabe before they left Valparaiso. 

Snippets from ASP...

Here are a few of the details for the creature comforts.

• They are living in an old school that was used for offices on indoor/outdoor carpet.
• There are about 30 females using 2 bathrooms.   (1 had a backed up toilet.)
• There are about 40 males living on the 2nd floor living near the 3 showers which are open 5:00 am -10:00 pm.  Males use the shower area on the hour and the females use the showers on the 1/2 hour. 
• The floor is hard!!!! (Even with a sleeping pad.)  

  

  Home away from home.

    

  

  Blurry may be the best way to check out the girls sleeping areas.  Can you imagine
  the Thursday night view?  

Our Mission Council is all about...

This is the theme graphic for the Indiana Conference Mission Team.
It also fits for us.  

Valparaiso 1st has a mission council to help coordinate the mission outreach of our church.   The components of the council are the following 4 groups Hilltop Ministries, Breakfast Club, Local Missions, and National/International Missions.   The Council also includes representatives of the youth, children, United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men.  All of these groups have a focus of mission outreach so we hope to keep one another in
formed and working together. 
In recent years the Council has had an $8,000 budget to help with the basics of the four main groups.  This means part of the work that we do is because all those who pay a pledge to the church are supporting the specific mission outreach groups.    This year since the overall church budget was tight, the Mission Council budget was cut to $6,000.    Thus for Local Mission to be the mission focus for June was to help cover that short fall.     Thanks to all who have supported the June Mission giving.   Your gifts will be used to support the many programs of our church that involve many volunteers in and around our community.