How Will You Be the Light?

Sunrise over Freetown

Sarah Black shared a portion of our Christmas message today and challenged us all to be the light that Jesus brought into the world so that others might know Him.  Thanks Sarah for taking the Christmas story and putting into a frame that will get us out of our comfort zone and into the world around us by doing what Jesus encouraged us to do.   

In early 2012 the "What's Happening?" blog started in part to get the word out about how our church family is involved beyond the local church.  Reading back through the blog, there are numerous examples of how our individuals and groups within our church family touch lives and/or are touched by bringing the light into the darkness.   "What's Happening" mainly focuses on our outreach beyond the church and community.   

Local Missions, Rays of Hope, Hilltop Ministries, and United Methodist Women have started new blogs focusing on communicating how we are involved beyond self within our community.   There is so much going on, so many ways to connect with people and projects in meaningful ways.   Only a few of the stories are told.  The little ways in which we serve and bring light to others doesn't get told.  Meals for the homeless, transportation to the doctor, serving funeral dinners, writing notes of encouragement, sewing, knitting, doing laundry, visiting,leading singing in the nursing homes, and more are the quiet ways in which we bring light to others in their darkness. 

How are you called to be the light for someones darkness?   What is it you will do in 2013 to bring light into the darkness...even when there is  darkness  in your own life?  Thanks Sarah for setting the tone for Epiphany and challenging us to carry the message of the blessed birth out into the world.  We are the Light!!!   Let it shine! 

 

Children of Abraham ... Mission Focus for January

Recording new acquistions for future shipments of needed medical supplies

Children of Abraham approaches 9 years in delivering much needed medical supplies to medical facilities all over the world.   Recently Dr. Michael Leland, Margie Miller, Gene Albert, and Gene's brother drove to the warehouse for a tour and look-see.  Dr. Leland has been taking small medical teams to Nicaragua and Sierra Leone over the past few years and was unaware of this amazing resource right in our back yard.  Dr. Leland now has made the connections to acquire supplies he needs on his medical missions.    Thanks Margie and Gene for making that happen.    

Children of Abraham got its beginning in the Hammond 1st UMC in 2004.   Working with retired medical professionals from the Islamic Community and Jewish Community (thus the name Children of Abraham),  Champ Merrick has led the charge to receive good but no longer used medical supplies and connect these supplies to medical facilities around the world.    They were one of the first to get medical supplies into Haiti in 2010 following the devastating earthquake.

Getting millions of dollars worth of equipment and supplies to hospitals such as Kissy Hospital in Sierra Leone takes money.    For about $7,000 to $10,000, a large shipment of supplies worth nearly a million dollars will be delivered to the hospital somewhere in the world.  

The key for COA is to raise the funds to make the shipments.    The faith communities from the UMC and the Islamic and Jewish communities come together to make this happen.   You are invited to be part of this amazing outreach by giving generously to our January Mission of the month.  Consider donating the cost of dining out one evening to help with the cost of shipping the next container of much needed medical supplies.    Generosity ... extravagant generosity... is just one component of being a fruitful congregation.  We are a fruitful congregation with radical hospitality, passionate worship, risk taking mission and service, and intentional faith development so let's put the EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY in with capital letters.      With 500 in worship on Sunday morning and if everyone just pitched in $15-$20 per person, Valparaiso 1st could raise enough money to underwrite the next COA shipment.  Write your check today with COA on the memo line.  Thanks for your generosity.                      



Ubuntu...now what?



Yes...glorify God

Finda Quiwa (left)  is the young adult leader for UMWO.

Ubuntu Journey to Sierra Leone has come to a close...that is, all 8 team members have arrived home but however the essence of the journey continues.  I can only speak for myself, but the "ubuntu" of the past few weeks will be part of my life forever.   How can one ignore or forget all the ways in which we were greeted by our counterparts in Sierra Leone with such hospitality.   It was such an honor to be there.   I was blessed to meet and share with amazing women who are making a difference in the lives of many in Sierra Leone and around the world. 

Strong women gathered in Lunsar to share stories of joy and sucess in finding ways to bring new prosperity and gender equality to the country.  I look forward to findng ways to share the liturgy and prayers that were written for the conference.   Our theme was based on Luke 5:1-5.   We are all invited to  cast our nets out in the deep. There is no time to not give it everything you have.   
One of the choruses we sang used this phrase over and over again.   Oh Somebody, tell me that you love me, oh someboday tell me that you love me, oh somebody tell me that you love me. Put your hands together, put your hands together, put your hands together, and praise the Lord.  This was sung as women moved about the room being touched and touching others while they praised God for one another and validated each others worth.  . 

A few bumps in the road ... All wonderful

A quick glimpse at the past few days with some photos added after the fact. 

The road to Kono was always bumpy and sometimes slippery.  

Tuesday...stopped by Kissy Hospital located in the midst of the most crowded part of Freetown. Visited the various departments especially the well baby clinic, the physical therapy department (where I found Steven hard at work), inspected the walkways (looking great Valpo-Austin team), stopped by the maternity ward all before 11:30 a.m.

• Out team of 8 women expanded a bit with the addition of Matilda(the UMW of  Sierra Leone) and Jilliana whose on the planning team for the conference we will attend next week.  Now this makes 11 in the van.  
• After about 11 hours on the road, two flat tires, we arrived at midnight in the diamond mining town of Kono.  Unbelievable roads.    
• Wednesday morning we traveled to the women's training center in Konomusu which is a project of UMW.  Women, a few men, Christians and Muslims worked together to learn skills that will help with the family income.  Included are soap making, dress making, tye-dying, weaving, and hair styling.  Busy place.  
• We were invited to visit a new girls school nearby.  One class had 78 enrolled however only 72 were in attendance.   This is a UM school of Sierra Leone.  After the visit we stopped back at the training center for a lunch that had been prepared by the local UMW.  
• In the evening we went to the local church which is a yoked church with a UM pastor and a Methodist pastor.  The UMC  pastor is the result of missionaries from the US and the other pastor/congregation comes from the missionary movement out of Great Britain. Interesting....a
• The next day we hit the rough road again and we were of to Muyamba to visit the Hartford School For Girls ... Another project of UMW.   We spent a quick night there.  We toured the school in the morning, visited the feeder school just across town, were presented a scripture drama by the pre school, enjoyed lunch before getting back on the what has become known as the bun shacker road.     
• Got in the van around 1:30 and arrived back in Freetown around 7:30.  It was to have been a 4 or five hour drive but Freetown traffic was unbelievable.  Traffic includes cars and people!    

Sorry about the length...This is way more than anyone can read..sorry.  Our time with the women has been eye widening and very encouraging about the future of Sierra Leone.  Goodnight.  Bonnie

The Ubuntu Journey ...

It seems like getting ready for the Ubuntu journery to Sierra Leone has been in the works for a long time and yet the packing seems to never end.    One of our Africa University friends attends school in Evanston now as he works on his Master's of Divinity.  His photo at the left sums up what Ubuntu means in a few words.  Ubuntu an African word for which there is no single word translation in the English language.  Ubuntu means they are generous, hospitable, friendly, caring, and compassionate. They share what they have. It also means my humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in theirs.

We belong in a bundle of life. We say 'a person is a person through other persons.' It is not 'I think therefore I am.' It says rather, 'I am human because I belong.' I participate, I share. A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good....Harmony, friendliness, community are great goods. Social harmony is for us the greatest good."Desmond Tutu quoted from No Future Without Forgiveness (London: Random House, 1999), 34. So it is around this Ubuntu Journey to Sierra Leone, I have been preparing for the past several months.  The journey isn't about what I can take to the women in SL but what is it that we have in common?  What lessons will I learn from my sisters in Sierra Leone?  How will we join hands to make our corner of the world a better place for those around?  

To know that friends and family are praying for me and our team is always a comfort.   My hope is that I will be able to also send notes providing WIFI is on somewhere.   They can't be long (you are relieved already)  but hopefully it will give you an idea about where we are going and what we are doing   Here's a link to where you will find glimpses of the UBUNTU Journey to Sierra Leone.   Bonnie Albert 

Today is a special day for our team

As you continue to keep Bob and Carol Stoner and Robin Harlow in your prayers, they go about doing what one does on a mission trip...meet new friends and pitch in where needed. Most of the team members are off to visit a family that is being assisted through World Vision.  World Vision is a great NGO and is recognized by the United Methodist Church for its great work in alleviating poverty around the world.  Can't wait for a report. 

Robin has been supporting a young girl for several years and she just happens to live within traveling distance from Kissy so they are visiting a village and the little girl today.  Pastor Chris continues to make great posts so that we can almost follow their journey and time while in Sierra Leone.   Again, please visit the Sierra Leone blog for snipets of information.    http://snippetssl.blogspot.com/ 

 

 

Community support for the Sierra Leone project

Doug McMillian and Robert Coolman are among the
1st Church attendees. 

Just days before the team from 1st church left for Sierra Leone, a community fundraiser was held at Don Quiote's in downtown Valparaiso.   The funds raised were carried by the team to be used to purchace a large generator and assist with the materials needed to complete the covered walkway at Kissy Hospital. 

 

Thanks to Tony Bertig and the owner of Don Quijote's for inviting  friends and collegues as well as their willingness to give generously to the needs of Kissy Hospital. What a great community to  join with us to accomplish great things for the people of Sierra Leone. 

Thanks to Chris Jackson, pastor from the Austin UMC, the news and photos of the trip are very enlightening.   In case you haven't been following along, here's the link to the Sierra Leone team and their work at Kissy.   Continue to lift them up in prayer as they begin their 2nd week.  

After expenses, the community fundraiser realized just over $19,000 for the project in Sierra Leone.   THANKS everyone.