Mission Moment 7.24.24

Pilar Castrillo
CEO of Migrant Journey, Florida

This is a mercy’s history.
What I have I give you. 
Peter gave healing.

What could I give as a migrant, with a small organization, to help other migrants? That was the question after Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida. It affected migrants like me who, with their deft hands and light feet, get food produced on the ground to the supermarket shelves. 

A week after Ian, we made it through flooded carts. The first contact, a mother with her son. My skin still prickles and my heart bleeds as I relive her low-volume words asking for water. It was the first day she was able to leave her house. She was incommunicado, with no access roads. Her pleading face, her low voice and trembling hands asking for water, where she could find it for her family. The hurricane had devastated her mobile home.

She asked for water and I had none. She asked for help in mute language with sad eyes, and what I had I gave her: hope that I would return in two days to help her and others with resources and to remedy their need. There were thousands in the same conditions; there was no work as the hurricane took away the crops; no money; no hope of help.

I am a migrant like her; this is not her final place of life just as it is neither mine nor yours. We are all migrants in this land increasingly hit by greed and destruction that cause chaos in the natural forces. Peter gave what he had. And we, a team of volunteers united by a passion for service, provided what we had as immediate help for basic needs. We are giving help that represents dignity, mercy and whatever we have for that neighbor who is helpless and in need. 

As I write this near the city of Arcadia, Fla., the wagons are again full of supplies to assist. We will again give what we have, which is neither gold nor silver. We have love and hope.

And you? What do you have to give to others?

Family Mission Ideas for the Rest of the Summer

Along with vacations, pool time, visits to relatives, and lots of “down time,” consider adding some ways to reach out to others and share Christ’s love in meaningful ways. Try one or more of these Family Missions Ideas:

• Gather some of the items listed in the Church Chimes that are needed at United Christian Ministries and deliver them to UCM.

• Support the local animal shelter. Visit and find out what they need, then gather supplies to assist them.

• Pray as a family for the missionaries featured each week in the Church Chimes.

• Look at the Prayer List each week and make cards to send to people on the list.

• Honor first responders by making cards and taking some snacks to the fire or police station. Pray for first responders.

• Have a yard sale for missions. Decide where the money will go. Invite other families to sort through old toys, clothes, and household items to sell. 

• Think of a family needing help right now. Pack a box with groceries from your pantry. Write a note to let them know they are on God’s mind. Shhhh.....don’t sign your name. Secretly deliver the groceries.

• Leave a package of peanut butter crackers, bag of cookies, or other prepackaged food item with a thank you note for your mail carrier. Include Psalm 139:14.

• Go for a walk or bike ride with your family. Pray for families as you pass each home.

• Pick up trash or help clean an area in your community.

LIVE A MISSIONAL LIFESTYLE AS A FAMILY!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Was Fun!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was great! Seventeen people attended from Sylva FBC. Thanks to Andrew Beck for driving the van.

1st Explorers After School Ministry Right Around the Corner

With school just a few short weeks away, the 1st Explorers Ministry is gearing up to serve children during after school hours. This important outreach of the church can benefit from your involvement. How?

1. Pray for the staff, the children, and their families.

2. Provide healthy snacks throughout the year for those hungry children.

3. Volunteer to lead an activity—something that you would like to share. Are you good at making things, do you like to bake, have you traveled to interesting places, are you good at playing games? Think about ways to connect your skills with the children.

4. Be a part of our "Backdoor Brigade." Folks are needed from 2:50 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. to greet the children when they arrive, to greet parents when they pick up the children, and to say "Bye" when it is time for the children to go home. These people put a face to Sylva First Baptist Church.

5. We try to keep tuition costs at a reasonable price but sometimes families struggle to make their payments. There are supplies that need to be replenished throughout the year. Sometimes special needs arise. If you would like to know how you can help in contributing monetarily, contact Marina Graham-Hunley for more information.

Thank you, First Baptist, for being a beacon of light to these children and their families!

Summer Picnic Has Been Cancelled

We regret to announce that—out of an abundance of caution—the church picnic that was originally scheduled for this Sunday, July 21, has been cancelled due to a number of COVID cases within the congregation.

Joe's Window

By Dr. Joe Yelton

Interim Pastor

Across the land, almost like a mantra, I hear Christians say of their church: "I want my church to grow." Don't you suspect that for many, what is actually being said is, "I wish my church was as I remember it in the past." That's noble and good. 

Yearning for the church family to have new faces in our midst week by week ... seeing families move to the community and joining us here ... watching our children and youth thrive in their faith development, all of these and more are healthy desires for any congregation. To that end, may I offer a few thoughts? 

Do:

1. Introduce yourself to an unfamiliar face, even risking discovering they've been here for a while. Your friendliness is almost always the reason people decide to return. 

2. Offer to sit with people new to our faith-family. It's terribly lonely feeling like the odd- person out. 

3. See if they'd like to join you in the coming week for a coffee or lunch.

4. See if you might answer any questions they have about us.

5. If it seems appropriate, offer to introduce them to the church ministers BUT CERTAINLY, introduce them to those seated around you. 

6. If they've just moved to your neighborhood, welcome them into your life and your church.

Don't:

1. Avoid rushing others toward participation. Let them find their pace as well as their desires for involvement. 

2. People will flourish in the places they are given room to find their own way. Avoid trying to fulfill YOUR agenda for them. 

3. Everybody's different. Don't encourage those discovering our church to become like you. Let them find their own thumbprint for "being the church." 

4. Avoid negative words and speak positively. Anybody ... anybody can find the rips in the tapestry of life. It takes a special person to help rethread the torn places. Be that person. 

In the end, precious friends, give love and grace ... first, midterm, and last. (wash, rinse and repeat -:: } Joe 

Enchilada-Stuffed Shells

(from Taste of Home Pasta Recipes)

ingredients
15 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 pound lean ground turkey or beef
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup refried beans
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse in cold water.  In a nonstick skillet, cook turkey or beef until no longer pink, drain.  Stir in enchilada sauce and seasonings, set aside.

Place a rounded teaspoonful of refried beans in each pasta shell, then fill with meat mixture.  Place in an 11”x7” baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tip:  Remove pasta shells from water with tongs.  Drain any water in shells and place on waxed paper until ready to fill.

– Provided by Sarah Davis

Enchilada-Stuffed Shells

Click here to download a printable version.

-Provided by Sarah Davis

Flowers for Sanctuary

If you would like to provide flowers in the sanctuary for Sunday morning services, please contact Gwen Messer at  828-506-8370, or Janice in the church office to be placed on the calendar.

Recipes Appreciated!

Each week we include a recipe in the Church Chimes and we hope that you are enjoying reading and trying them. You can add your favorite recipes to the Chimes by sending them to Cheryl Beck at cabeck@ncsu.edu. This is an ongoing WMU project.

Thanks for participating!

Giving the Jesus Way

United Christian Ministries is in need of: shampoo (prefer 2-in-1 shampoo & conditioner), body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, child diapers (all sizes), cereal, spaghetti sauce and spaghetti noodles. To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. Thank you!