August Mission Focus

Sorry about being a little behind these days. It's not that we are not involved in mission these days ... the writer has been over programed and under motivated to sit down and write. 

 

Ezekiel and Suri (the husband and wife pastors)

Let me start here today... Our August Mission Focus is Torre Fuente Ministries in East Chicago.   This is the new and growing Hispanic UMC in our area.   We are so blessed (we meaning the church as a whole) for having a husband and wife team that are unbelievably dedicated to ministering the people of East Chicago and Hobart.   In the past we have provided funds to purchase replacement windows in the old YMCA building.  We need to travel to East Chicago to get a current photo of this building as most of those windows have been replaced to allow for air flow and light.    Now we just want to provide funds to that will be used in the outreach within the community.   Every dollar is much appreciated.    You will never really know just how much our focus means to this growing congregation as they minister with those in their community.   Ezekiel also has a full time construction job to supplement the income of a pastor's salary and much of what he makes goes back into the church.   They are faithful and faith-filled servants of  Jesus Christ.  They are making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world for sure. 

This building has been transformed into a place of ministry to the community of East Chicago in the name Christ and with the blessings of the Indiana Conference United Methodist Church

June Monthly Mission Focus

Indiana Conference Disaster Fund will be the recipient of the funds received through the June Mission offering.    In recent years this fund has taken a hit as small floods and a big tornado took its toll on homes in Indiana.  Sometimes FEMA and UMCOR can't cover all of losses and especially if the loss has to do with a church facility.   UMCOR is such a church favorite, it seemed only right that we provide a bit of funds for assisting families and individuals within our state. 

To go along with this, we are hosting Disaster Response Training on August 20, 2016 at our church.   We will be offering Early Response Training (team members are encouraged and most places required to have this training before going out to serve) and Connecting Neighbors training (provides training for churches to develop their own disaster response plan in case the disaster is local).  This will be open to other churches in the area and our district.    Watch for more details.

Dennis and Carol report from Sager Brown

Loading one more container.

Dennis and Carol are spending the month of May at Sager Brown in Baldwin, LA.   Dennis is keeping the warehouse organized as a long term volunteer.  

 

He writes:  We loaded the third container of our time here so far. Today was a challenge because there were 17 pallets of flood bucket along with school bags, bedding kits and layette kits. The shipment is on the way to the Ukraine.
Marlene (Versteeg), we are eating our way through Cajun country, know of many good restaurants! Looking forward to sharing when we get home!

 

This is where a group of nearly 20 or more go each January or early February.   We consider it not only good works but great fellowship and an escape from cold weather.   Little did Dennis know that he would be doing the same thing in May... the temperatures in Baldwin was in the 80's last week.   Send some of that warm weather our way soon!

Pledge $$$ used for mission

Sometimes it is good to remember that the dollars we pledge reach out beyond our congregation.   Giving is such an important part of being in the Christian community for we have been so blessed and receive continually.  While the percentage that goes out for what we would call "mission", it is much appreciated and used to keep us connected  here and abroad.

1. $5,000 of church budget supports two missionaries.  Surely you can name them by now.  Several years ago we hosted both Clara Biswas and Ardell Graner (and her missionary husband Gordon).   
2. $6,000 is allocated to support mission teams right here at home.   Local missions, National/International Missions, Hilltop (Breakfast Club), and Rays of Hope each receive $1,500 to help them with their work. 

Of the $1,500 for National/International Missions, $300 was given to Margie Miller to take with her to Costa Rica.  

$50.00 — food (staple items) for a very large, needy indigenous family with several children,  in southern CR and part of the Women’s Network for Development

$50.00 — purchase of ingredients needed for two baking workshops for two small groups of indigenous women as part of the same Women’s Network…we made bread, lemon squares, and chocolate eclairs—enough that each woman in the groups was involved in the making and the eating and the taking of some of the “yummies” home with them to their families.

$50.00 —  Chico, a long-time, dedicated employee of the UBL, who has just recently been laid off due to financial constraints of the UBL— a father and grandpa with child-care responsibilities

$100.00 — several months supply of prescription meds for a young woman, daughter of refugee family from Honduras, who live in a UBL apartment and is part of our UBL community.

$50.00  —  Emmaus Christian Community…a small, very active, interdenominational faith community with whom I worship each Sunday, and who gives ALL of their offerings to mission projects in CR—this community is led entirely by volunteers including worship leadership, so their entire budget can go for the needs of many others in the wider community.

 

The FOYER in DRC





Foyer (a French word) meaning a training center for women in the village of Mulongo.

Shortly after the war, the United Methodist Women of Mulongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo realized they needed a place for women to meet and share stories and support one another.   The war took many casualties not only in lives but in spirit especially the women.   Adult women were killed or sometimes worse raped in front of the their families.   The same was true to many young women.   Consequently, the villages were full of scorned women for the enemy knew within the DRC culture, raping a women in front of the family would not kill her but it would mark her for life. 

Around 2005 or 2006, women began to talk louder about needing a Foyer.   The church was growing by leaps and bounds and churches were popping up all over.   There never seemed to be enough money for a Foyer.   In 2012 the women took the project into their own hands... literally.   They made 20,000 bricks which is very much men's work (all the time also doing their work which meant that they were spending all but about 4 hours per day working).   When the bricks were completed they came to the church council, sat on the floor, (women had no seats at the leadership table), and asked to present their case.  In early 2013 they were granted permission and land space to start their Foyer.  All that was needed was money for the mortar and roofing to get the project going. 

During this same time period in 2007, we met a pastor and mission person on a journey to Cambodia.   He told us about work he'd been involved in for over 15 years in DRC.   I kept asking him about when could Indiana mission folks take a team to DRC.   He always replied "Not yet, until we can guarantee your safety we can't accept teams."    Because I serve on the North Central Jurisdiction UMVIM committee and we have a program for young people called Mission Discovery, I would ask yearly if now was the time.   Suddenly in 2013 when I asked, Bob Walters indicated he thought they were ready.  Things were falling into place quickly.  The raids and violence along the river had subsided. If fact they were planning for a small team of Boy Scouts to come during the summer of 2015.   And about that time, the women had been granted the OK to build their Foyer.  One of the positives for getting a mission team to come is there is usually money that comes with that to help with a particular project.   Bob indicated that we would need $10,000 from the team for the cost of the project. 

Leaving out lots of the details, we invited the Conference United Methodist Women to help finance this team of young women by helping with the cost of the project (that $10,000).   They agreed and the rest is history.

Not only did they raise $5,000 (our Indiana Conference Mission team put in $5,000), by  mid-July 2014 they had raised $12,000 plus dollars.   Before all was said and done, Indiana mission folks had raised one dollar for each brick the women had made.  This is one huge miracle. 

Getting supplies to  the village of Mulongois is often a 3 - 4 month ordeal but as soon as the supplies arrived, the construction began.  The women cleared the land, moved all of the rocks from where they had placed them to be used for the foundation.  Within months the Foyer had walls up and roof in place. (Note the photo above.) Now they have been on hold because they lack the funds to purchase the windows and doors and put in a floor.   About another $6,000 is needed to get those in place.  After the rainy season is over, the women will begin meeting there and it is quite possible they will also be working on getting the floors prepared as they work together.  

Why is this building so important?   These women are problem solvers and community life is very important.  There are so many young women in the community with babies from being raped and none of them have an education.  One of the village women  (shown at the left) in North Katanga (a region in DRC) is shown advocating for women's literacy. A strong, poised, articulate young woman who cannot read because she wasn't sent to school as a girl.

The Foyer is located near a Nursing School so there will be resources for leadership from the school to teach the women about community health issues.   They will also use this facility to teach sewing and cooking.  They hope that it will be used by the community for other functions and generate some income for upkeep on the building.  Not only will the Foyer assist women in becoming better wives and mothers (many women in the 20's have raised themselves because mom was killed during the war), but most important it will give women a place to come together to solve the problems village life - problems of malaria control and treatment, problems of unsafe water, issues around literacy or lack there of.   Women want to read the Bible, not just always be read to.   Women want to be productive in their society.  The Foyer is where all this will happen. 

The Foyer (Women's Training Center) will transform women for better family life in the future.   What a joy it is to be part of the story.  Oh how I wish I were younger... guess where a team from Valparaiso 1st would be going next year if I could only lead the way? 

Our friends in Ecuador need our prayers and help...

Bishop Cavellos, Gene and Bonnie, Pastor Freddy

Ecuador was never on our radar until we hosted a wonderful young man from Cuenca as an exchange student in 2005.   Quickly we researched something about the country located in South America...on the equator and discovered they are very much like the United States.  They have an indigenous population that was moved to interesting places when the Spanish came to the country years ago. They use the US dollar and have similar  unemploy-ment  rates and economic standards.   Our time with Juan was outstanding...he was a great exchange student and today he's a fine young man. 

In September 2015 we attended his wedding and what a wedding it was.   Over 600 of his best friends joined us for a grand celebration.  Following our amazing time in Cuenca with his family we flew to Quito (the capital) to spend time with the Methodist Missionary Sara Flores.  On really short notice she arranged 3 1/2 packed days visiting churches and communities where the Methodist Church is meeting the needs of the people.  

One day we met with the Bishop of Ecuador, a non-paying job but one that is very important for the growth of the church in this country.  He, Pastor Freddy, and Sara took us to the Center of the Earth.   That line you see is the "equator".   Great day.  

Our best day was when we visited one of the schools and became the guests of a special dramatic presentation.  Even though we were nearly on the equator, it was cool.  Notice all the children are in sweat clothes.   This is the school uniform on the days they are outside. 

The villages in this area were suffering at this time as a nearby volcano had been erupting and the ash ... very fine... was airborne and causing all sorts of breathing problems not only for people but for the animals and crops.   UMCOR was there to help them get past the crisis. 

The map shows why much of the country was effected by the earthquake.

Now UMCOR is there providing water and food to those in need following the earthquake accord-ing to the most recent note from Sara (GBGM missionary).   One of the other stories she shared was the villages that were helped by UMCOR during the crisis with the volcano were giving their crop of onions and potatoes to those displaced by the earth-quake.   Pastor Blanco said "We are one family and we need to give back."  Sara continues to request prayers for the people. 

Being there has surely given us a deeper concern for the people of Ecuador.   Juan and his family wrote immediately to make sure we knew they were safe but they also wanted us to know they were very concerned for their fellow countrymen.  We've made our online gift to help the Methodist church respond.   When many people do just a little, it will make a big impact where needed.   It isn't possible to us to send food and water or provide shelter but it is possible for us to send a few dollars.  

To make an online gift, as you can imagine... it is easy.   You can indicate that you are from the Valparaiso 1st UMC and it will be recorded that indeed our church is concerned and in solidarity with the little church there.   Here's a quick link  to donate to Ecuador projects #00433A or you can always give to UMCOR in general and indicate Ecuador earthquake via a check to Valparaiso 1st.  UMCOR is there now providing food and water.   Even some of the small Methodist churches there have offered their floors and places for shelter.  The sun is very intense there so shelter is extremely important.  Thanks for reading, praying, and giving to a very special place on this earth.    



Where Oh Where Have We Been?

For several years this blog has been tended to religiously almost every week but since November 19, 2015...It has been sorely neglected.   It is not as though little has gone on at Valparaiso 1st UMC, it is some one ran out of time!

Just a quick summary of what has transpired since we last posted.

• We have met the $29,000 goal for the Africa University Campaign.   How awesome is that?   These funds are part of a $1.6 million campaign to raise money for endowing a chair in the Agriculture and Natural Resources department and student scholarships.   Both are tremendously important.
• A team of 20 went to Baldwin, LA to volunteer at Sager Brown in January with 2 people who have not been previously involved.  
• A team of 12 went to Chatham, IL to volunteer at Midwest Mission Distribution with 5 people who have not been previously involved. 
• Our missionaries Clara Biswas (Cambodia)  and Ardell Graner  (Dominican Republic) continue to be with children on our behalf and we will be continuing these two for another year. 
• Africa University was our mission focus for December 2015.
• Around February, Margie Miller returned to Costa Rica and UBL and she'll be back in early May.  My how time flies. 
• UMCOR has been our mission focus for February 2016.
• Youth Mission Trip is our mission focus for April 2016. 
• We have just been instrumental in getting a treadmill to send to Kissy Hospital's Physical Therapy Department.   You may remember meeting the therapist Steven Moinina who visited our church several years ago.   With the last container being packed on Saturday, April 16 lots of hands and feet had to move quickly to get one to the Lapel facility in less than 5 days time.  
• We are also sending 48 solar lights to Joseph Pormai, the Director of Elementary Schools for Operation Classroom to use as teacher incentives.   The container is filled with things that cannot be purchased in the country of Sierra Leone which makes it priceless.  

Now we just need to pray for safe passage of this container.  In less than 3 months it may be in the country.   Time is not important.  Knowing that we are still connected is. 

That's it for today.   So much happens in and around the church these days...we can rejoice for all this is.   Thanks for asking what happened to the blog.   Just know the blogger needed a rest.