Our Cuba team will be visiting our partner church in Holguin soon! Some donations requested by the church are: Creams, vitamins, thermometers, pain medicine and fever medicine. Please place them in loving kindness room.
With Full Confidence
Rafif is a precocious 5-year-old Iraqi Muslim girl who weekly runs into the library to greet me with a big hug. I first met her last year when she was a part of the Ready for School program and learning her colors, shapes and numbers.
Last fall she entered pre-K and is learning to read and write. After Christmas she asked me to find her books with sight words in them, and she read to me. She then told me she wanted to read to the group at story time. With full confidence she read aloud the simple book.
A few weeks ago, Rafif and her family moved to another city. I’m happy to have known her, experienced her huge smile and hugs and am privileged to be a part of her early learning. I’m sad to see her go, but pray that she remembers that I, as well as other Christians, love her and welcome her family.
- Karen Morrow, CBF field personnel serving in Fort Worth, TX
Weep with Those Who Weep
Like everyone else, I was shocked by the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Seeking to be an instrument of Christ’s peace, I participated in an inter-faith prayer service at a local Turkish mosque. Attending merely as an observer, I saw an opportunity to bear witness to Jesus Christ when leaders from other faith communities were invited to speak.
Romans 12:15 popped into my mind. I shared that the Bible teaches us that we, as Christians, are to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. I said that American Christians were grieving with them today. Afterward, a number of people came up to me to thank me for my words of comfort and compassion.
- Rick Sample, CBF field personnel serving in Fremont, Calif.
Prayers for Hannah James
ZAMBIA, HERE WE COME!!!!
May 14 – 28, 2019
I am involved with the Presbyterian Christian Ministry at the UNC, Chapel Hill. We meet on Thursday nights learning and experiencing God through worship, discussion, and fellowship. Each year the group goes on a mission trip which this year is to Zambia, Africa. I applied and was accepted to go. I hope to use this as an outlet to experience God in different places, with different people. I want to learn how to approach and love people who have language and cultural barriers. I believe one of the greatest gifts that God has given me is my passion for people. I plan to use this experience to shape my vocation as a potential educator.
I am writing this letter to you asking for your prayers for me and our team.
Thanking you for your continual support of me.
Yours truly,
Hannah James
Hmjames82599@gmail.com
PO Box 27
Whittier, NC 28789
Growing So Fast
On Saturday, April 13, the Hell’s Kitchen Farm Project opened for its 9th growing season. On the roof of Metro Baptist Church, in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, more than 60 community volunteers filled about 50 plastic kiddie pools with seeds and young plants (thanks to a partnership with a local farmer).
We planted lots of spring crops, including many lettuce varieties, mustard greens, collard greens, bok choy, kale, Swiss chard, turnips, radishes and a cherry tree. The apple trees are already covered in flowers and the radish seeds have already sprouted. With a whole week of rain right after our farm opening day, everything is growing so fast!
All of the produce harvested from the rooftop farm throughout the growing season goes directly to fill our client-choice food pantry ministry.
- Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey, CBF field personnel serving in
New York City
Templo
In a humble tin structure that serves as the templo (sanctuary) in Carmen Grande, Manuel and his older brother begin to sing in beautiful harmony, accompanied by their guitars.
In the far south of Mexico, in the rural state of Chiapas, the future is bleak for young men and boys. Land is essential for survival, and poor, indigenous families own little land. Subsistence farming is the norm; families grow beans and corn and raise chickens and hogs. Between growing seasons, many men head to El Norte (the north) to work in northern Mexico or the United States.
Pastor Manuel’s family has suffered much. They’re a family of all sons where the oldest son inherits land from his father – and there simply isn’t enough land to divide among them. One brother committed suicide; two others are working in the U.S.
“It’s hard,” said Manuel. “There’s a lack of hope here. My younger brothers send money back so we can rent land to farm.” Leaving home is a necessity. There’s no work in the community to generate income.
Pray for the indigenous peoples of Mexico who live in communities with little hope and see migration as necessity for survival.
- Sue Smith, field personnel serving Latino immigrants in Fredericksburg, Va.
MISSIONS NIGHT -- APRIL 10TH
Come to the Wednesday night supper and stay for a special evening that addresses the Mercy Challenge of ministering to the poorly clothed. Our GAs kick off the evening with an international fashion show. Although they will not be poorly clothed, they will remind us of the importance of culture and clothing. We'll hear a report from Charlie and Diane White about the clothing ministry they have been spearheading with poverty stricken counties in West Virginia. The evening will conclude with a hands-on missions project that will help bring warmth to the children receiving Christmas shoeboxes.
One more opportunity to minister: bring an item of clean, in good repair, clothing (or several items) for the Sylva Linings Resale Store. There will be a box for these items as you enter the MFC.
Thanks in advance for helping make our first quarterly Missions Night fun and informative!
Sylva FBC WMU
Secondary Benefits
It takes two soccer balls, two goal posts, 25 jerseys and an empty sand lot. Open the doors and 60 neighborhood kids show up for Sunday afternoon soccer club. A start up cost of about 100 dollars and it is set to go for 6 months.
Mike Hutchinson, CBF field personnel in Lomé helps 4 young Christian men form the soccer club. They learn how to plan, organize, work within a budget and then evaluate the program as it goes along.
Forming leaders who can share their new skills in developing their community is the goal of the program, the kids having a great time playing soccer is a secondary benefit.
We begin with a Bible verse and end in a circle with a prayer. Join our prayers with us!
- Mike and Lynn Hutchinson, CBF field personnel serving in Togo, West Africa
CHILDREN'S MISSIONS DAY: SATURDAY, MARCH 23RD
WMU invites all children in grades 1-6 to participate in this special day aimed at getting kids excited about missions as they engage in a hands-on activity to serve in our community.
Here's the plan -- Meet at church at church at 9:30 a.m. We'll have doughnuts and milk and then pack goody bags* for our shut-ins.
Next we'll load up in vans and visit our church's shut-ins and deliver the goody bags.
Finally, we'll come back to church and enjoy some pizza!
Please register to participate by calling the Church Office at 586-2095 by March 21st. Parents and other adults are invited to attend also. Mission Friends are invited to join us, but they must be accompanied by a parent or other adult.
*Bring some items for the goody bags. Some ideas are snack crackers, mints, hand sanitizers, chapstick, etc. Bring several of each item.
GO SERVE!
Between the Fruit Trees
Recently we took a group from the Bosnian community on a trip to nearby Eckert Farms.
We were a little concerned how the trip would go when one of our friends, Lane, decided to join us. Lane has dementia and when he can’t recognize friends or where he is, he often gets panic attacks.
When Lane saw all the fields full of fruit trees, sunflowers, and vegetables, a big smile appeared on his face.
Lane started telling us stories about his hometown and his huge family farm. But then Lane’s smile faded and he said, “We lost everything. All we worked for, it’s gone, it was destroyed in the war. Here we have nothing except the four walls of our apartment. Can you please leave me here between these fruit trees?”
His wife told him to be happy that they had a roof over their heads. But even with dementia, the bad memories come back to Lane on both good days and bad days.
We are so blessed to be able to spend time with people like Lane. Even if we’ve heard the same stories several times before, it fills our hearts with love when we hear that we are like family to them.
- Mira and Sasha Zivanov, field personnel in St. Louis