faithwithfeet

God of the sparrow, God of the whale

2010-09-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to the real world! At least that's what I was saying on my walk this morning . . . after 10 days of beautiful Tahiti (humpback whales in the ocean, schools of amazing stingrays, fish of every shape and color) I'm spending a week at Selah Lodge in Mt Vernon, Texas . . . a retreat center designed especially for clergy who need to rest and reconnect with God! And what did I see and hear all around me as I walked through the beauty of East Texas . . . sparrows (or at least some non-descript bird) flitting their wings and rustling the leaves of the trees around me! And I was reminded, once again, that God's love and grace comes in a million different ways! What a privilege to be "at home" with God whevever we are. Stay tuned for some blips from the wonderful reading I plan to do this week . . .

More news from Casa Hogar

2010-08-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

The children of Casa Hogar La Familia are having a great summer, which included three mission team visits and a six-week visit from Joe Lupo who served as a volunteer.

Pictured below is a classroom at the children's school. The children of La Familia volunteered to clean the classrooms to get them ready for the new school year. Note the size of the desks. Two children sit at each desk.

Below is a photograph showing concrete block being delivered to begin work on the second floor of the present building at La Familia. Thanks go to Lighthouse Fellowship UMC in Fort Worth for a $6,300 donation to fund the beginning of completion of a portion the second floor. When completed, this addition will enable La Familia to care for an additional 15 orphaned and/or abandoned children.

Below, is Alfredo (center) with his siblings, Angelica (Left) and Artury (Right) following his graduation from primary school and into secondary school.

Pictured below is Damaly following her graduation from secondary school and into high school.

And finally, below is pictured Abigail in her graduation ceremony from kindergarten and into first grade in primary school.

Watch your email for another letter from Muriel, a 20-year-old volunteer from Upstate New York.

Please also note that we have set dates for a six-day mission trip to La Familia beginning October 7, 2010. We would love to have you be a member of this mission team.

Casa Hogar Mi Familia

2010-08-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

The following comes from a volunteer at Casa Hogar la Familia in southern Mexico . . . a home for orphaned or abandoned children that we have supported for many years . . . if you have interest in this type of ministry AUMC will be taking a mission team there in the Spring of 2011:

First of all its been great to have Joe Lupo here from Church of the Redeemer in Greenville, SC, for the last few weeks. He has become our official grandpa and the kids love having him here and sure will miss him a lot.
Each of the weeks Joe was here, he made all the kids sandwiches for school every morning. One morning he noticed that we had peanut butter and jam and offered to make the sandwiches out of this. I agreed -- not wanting to say no -- but secretly I dragged my feet knowing that it was something new and thinking the kids wouldn’t like it. When the kids were heading out the door, they asked what the sandwiches were made of that day. When I told them that Joe had made a special surprise of peanut butter and jelly, I was either responded by silence or a wrinkled up nose. But later when the kids arrived home from school, I have never heard such excitement over sandwiches. They couldn´t stop exclaiming how good the sandwiches were and when could we make them again. They became an immediate hit and we nicknamed them “grandpa Joe´s sandwiches”.
Another thing we were able to do while Joe was here is go to the water park. We got the kids up early Monday morning and I´ve never seen the kids do their chores and make their beds as fast as this morning. Meanwhile in the kitchen we prepared a large pot of beans. By the time the beans were ready, the kids were antsy and ready to leave.
The water park is only about 15 minutes away. It is a gorgeous place with various pools including a shallow pool for little kids, an indoor pool, a water slide, etc. There are picnic tables and chairs and plenty of shade. They even have basketball, soccer and volleyball courts.

Once at the water park, we gave out quick safety instructions and then let the kids loose. The day was bright, but a fresh breeze kept the air cool. However, within ten minutes, the youngest ones were in the water, climbing all over the large play boat, standing under the water sprinklers or riding the artificial alligators and hippos, completely immersed and happy. The older ones started and intense game of soccer. I don´t think we´ve ever had such a heated game as this one. We finished physically very tired from all the running and shouting. In another corner in the shade, we had set up the coffee maker and the adults were in a heated game of Sequence, a board game we all enjoy. Awhile later, when the water slide was turned on, we were all there, even the youngest ones, forming trains of five or six of us -- each one on his belly and grabbing the feet of the next. On the way down, the water tube was FULL of screams as we whipped down the curves, then as we came out into the pool at the bottom, a large jumble of flailing legs and arms.
By the time lunch time came, everyone was ravenous. We had bought fried chicken and rice to go with the beans. The kids couldn´t stop eating! After lunch, they had to wait for an hour to go back into the water. I think it was the longest hour of the day because every five or ten minutes they would ask if it was time yet to go back in. A few of the younger ones sprawled out in the sun on their towels and the rest on the swing sets. Finally after 45 minutes we let them wade up to their ankles and later swim. The rest of the afternoon they spent in the water. We let them spend some time in the indoor heated pool and they loved practicing to swim, jumping off our shoulders or just enjoying the warmth of the water.
At 5:00pm they were still swimming, purple lips and their little bodies trembling with cold, but they wouldn´t leave the water until it was time to go. At 5:30, we called everyone out to shower and change and then we headed home. All slept well that night.
Well, I´ll say goodbye greetings especially to Joe and we miss him lots and thanks for that five weeks.
Love,
Muriel

God created . . .and it was ALL GOOD!

2010-08-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

Thursday our Rancho Brazos kiddos had the amazing opportunity to go to Fossil Rim for a full day of summer camp courtesy of Fossil Rim. We loaded in our bus early on Thursday morning and headed for Glen Rose, where we had a nature hike, opportunities to feed the animals, tye-died shirts with natural dye and learned how to shoot a bow and arrow. Our summer interns, Rachel and Erica were amazing! Our God is a wonderful God who created a world as diverse as all the animals and even as diverse as all of us . . . and yet loves us all and created us with all we need to live in community with one another. Thanks to Fossil Rim for an amazing experience.

Worship Wonders

2010-08-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

What happens when church ministries work together to teach children to love the world in the name of Jesus? At Acton United Methodist Church in Granbury, Texas MAD (Music, Art and Drama) for Mission happens every summer! This year children who have completed grades K-6, led by staff from the music department and the Minister of Outreach combined with United Methodist Women, the adult Outreach Team and members of Soundwave Youth Choir to learn about life and worship for children in Sudan. In response to the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes with five loaves of bread and four fish, the children made 250 backpack meals for children in need in their own neighborhood. While learning about health and education needs in Sudan, they made 100 health kits and 200 school kits to send to Sudan through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). In art, they made prayer pinwheels voicing their own personal prayers for Sudanese children. “Red Hand” posters illustrating Philippians 4:15 (“Let your gentleness be known . . . the Lord is near”) were sent to the United Nations in solidarity with peacemakers around the world against the use of children as soldiers. United Methodist Women shared pictures and stories about Sudan from Response magazine and made snacks that children in Sudan might eat . . . pita bread with honey and toast with cream cheese and dates. In story time, they heard that “it takes two hands to clap” and shared how their hands can help children around the world who have needs so big their families cannot meet them. As an offering, they brought nickels and dimes and pennies and quarters to help build a fishpond in Sudan stocked with fish through Heifer International that will feed children and families for generations. In worship on Sunday, they led the congregation to “go and do likewise” by singing Sudanese songs of praise and community. . . . and the congregation added $400 to their $67 of nickles and dimes and quarters to build the tank! Thanks be to God for the privilege of teaching children to join their brothers and sisters around the world in their struggle and in their hope. "Who will build the church now? We will, yes we will!"

Fish Ponds for Love

2010-07-29T12:03:00.001-07:00

What an amazing week we had at MAD for Mission. Today we learned that most people in Sudan are not Christian . . .they either have no religion or they are Muslim. We talked about how important it is for us to love every person in the world, even if they are not Christian, because God wil use our love to help them understand God's love. Wow! Isn't it amazing how God works even in our differences. We made lunches for children in our local community who might not have lunch during the summer and we prepared to sing in worship THIS Sunday at 9:45 and ll:00. We are so excited for the adults to hear us praise God in the Sudanese languages. A wonderful praise is that the children raised $67.90 to start a fund to build a fish pond in the Sudan so that a whole village can have fish to eat. You can help us by sending your contribution to AUMC and marking it "fish pond". We're so proud of our kids for loving the WHOLE world in the name of Jesus.

The Red Hand Campaign

2010-07-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today we learned about schools in the Sudan and made school kits to be shipped through UMCOR around the world to help children learn. Surely God is at work in that effort! We also made our contribution to the Red Hand Campaign . . . an efort of the United Nations to abolish the use of children under the age of 18 as soldiers in war. do you know that the United Nations estimates that as many as 250,000 children are still being used as soldiers in some way in armed conflicts? Our messages for peace will be sent to our United Nations representatives to voice our hope that every child will have the privilege of growing up without war. We learned that a part of our responsibility as Christians is to be a voice that speaks up for other people who don't have the blessings we know! Thank you God, for giving us courage!

Four Feet, Two Sandles

2010-07-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Today in MAD (Music, Art and Drama) for Mission we learned about refugees . . . persons who don't have a country in which to live . . . and we learned that even Jesus was a refugee when he had to go to Egypt with Mary and Joseph to be safe. We made more school kits for UMCOR Sager Brown and heard a wonderful story about two friends who shared the one pair of sandles they had while living in a refugee camp (thanks to Nancy Guhl). Most of all, we learned that prayer is very important . . . prayers of thanksgiving for water and homes and parents and our church . . . and prayers for peace around the world and for the necessities of live for persons who live in refugee camps around the world. And we prayed prayers of thanksgiving for the United Methodist Committee on Relief that takes our school supplies and sends them all over the world with the love of Jesus!

MAD for Mission ala the Sudan

2010-07-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to day 1 of MAD for Mission . . . goes to the Sudan. Today we learned that life in the Sudan is very hard for children . . . that many children live in refugee camps where they have only their basic needs met . . . and that many come to the United States and other countries to be educated so that they can be a voice for hope and peace in their country. We learned, most of all, that God loves everyone in the world and that God wants us to love everyone in the world. And that out of that love comes our help for them. Sooooo. . . today we started making school kits that will be sent around the world to children in need through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and we started a collection to build a fishpond in Sudan that will help people have food to eat. We were reminded by the story of the loaves and the fishes that no gift we have is EVER too small for God!

It's all Good!

2010-07-26T05:31:00.000-07:00

As we think about Vacation Bible School 2010 at Rancho Brazos all we can say is "It's all Good!" God was at work in wonderful ways this week as learned about our Bible friends, talked about God's love for us, sang and prayed with great joy. We ended the week with a visit from Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus (aka Dan and Margaret Gessley and Carolyn Morrow) and a community party complete with a bounce house, a praise band and wonderful food. Our children led us in worship as they sang "God of Wonders" and we were reminded once againt that our God is an amazing, incredible, wonderful God who knows and loves each one of us!

Thanks to Janice Whitecotton and our amazing volunteers who blessed us with God's love.

Holy Visitors

2010-07-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was another amazing day at Rancho Brazos. We fed lunch to over 60 children and then led approximately 40 in learning that God is knows everything about us and loves us unconditionally. We had a special visitor, Su Kelley, portraying the Woman at the Well and children learned that the same God that created the universe, who spoke to Elijah in the still, small voice came in person to meet the woman at the well and our response should be like hers . . . go and tell! We had wonderful singing, crafts, snacks and games thanks to our most wonderful volunteers. Come out on Friday at 6:00 PM to see and hear how God has been at work.

God of Wonders

2010-07-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Today at Rancho Brazos VBS we learned that God speaks to us sometimes in the wind, sometimes in the earthquake, sometimes in the fire, but most often in the still small voice that requires our listening. We had a surprise visit from Elijah who reminded us that even when we are scared or angry, God will hear us and show us the way!! God of wonders beyond our galaxy, you are holy, holy, holy!

Galactic Blast ala Rancho Brazos

2010-07-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

What happens when God's children focus on the wonder of creation? Galactic Grace! That's what is happening this week at AUMC's Rancho Brazos Community Center with amazing volunteers and 30+ wonderful children! Monday's lesson focused on the creation story with creative storytelling, crafts, music and games. The best way to tell the story is to give you the opportunity to see for yourself! Please come on Friday at 6:00 PM for our wrap-up and celestial celebration!!

Way to go, awesome women!!

2010-05-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the amazing graduation ceremony of the women at Christian Women's Job Corps . . . .the culmination of months of learning, sharing and growing to equip women to support themselves and their families. Thank you to the Bible Explore's Sunday School class for providing the reception and to Pat and Rosetti and JJ Mainord, who served as mentors to two of these courageous women. Brian Rosetti, AUMC's Outreach Chair and JJ Mainord serve on the Board of Directors of Christian Women's Job Corps

You're Never Too Young!!

2010-05-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

You're never too young to start doing God's work! That's what the AUMC Preschool believes! Our amazing preschoolers raised $1050 for St. Jude's Hospital in their Trike-a-thon!! How amazing is it that God grows us through our service and blesses the world at the same time. Way to go Preschool!!!

A little dirt, a little growth, a lot of love!

2010-05-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

What happens when 30 amazing kids are combined with some potting soil, a few flowers, great neighbors and the love of God? A beautiful garden of love. That's what happened last week at AUMC's Rancho Brazos Community Center when the National Day of Prayer Breakfast Committee donated their centerpiece flowers to our community center. Amazing neighbors Jimmie and Pauline Layland added their expertise and the kids planted and planted and planted. Surely God is growing more than flowers in our midst. Thanks to the prayer breakfast team and to the Laylands and most of all to God, who gives all the growth.

National Day of Message

2010-05-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

World Day of Prayer: For Times Such as These

As we think about our prayer for the world this day I invite you to hear these words from the book of Hebrews, written to the early Christian community, which also seem to speak to us today. The author has listed the many faithful who paved the way for us, he talks about Abraham and Moses and David and the great cloud of witnesses who persevered so that the world might know the love of God - - - and then he says “Do you see what this means? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running – and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. . . lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight the paths of your feet. . . Pursue peace with everyone and holiness without which no one will see God. . Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity.”

In times such as these, when our world is so very divided by not only cultural differences but differences of faith as well, I believe the scripture says some really important things for us. . .first and foremost, it says we, who are followers of Jesus, must stand for the love of God and neighbor. “Study how Jesus did it” the scripture says . . . Jesus was very clear in his teachings that neighbors included people who don’t look like us. . . who perhaps don’t understand God in the same way we do . . .who might not even know there is a God to know . . . and yet, we are called to speak love to them because we too have received love, even before we knew God. The scripture reminds us that that might be hard work . . . another translation says we must “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” . . . in our world we have come to be afraid of persons who are not like us . . . especially of persons who understand God differently, and yet Jesus is our model . . . he showed us how to do that as he welcomed sinners and ate with those the religious people condemned and honored the loving-kindness even of the Samaritan, who was a foreigner in their midst. That transformation of our lives starts with prayer that we might be transformed into the image of Jesus so that we might love the world like Jesus did.

In times such as these, perhaps we can learn that diversity is of God . . . it can be our strength if we can recognize that all the diversity in the world comes to us as a gift from God. When you were a child, perhaps you might have learned as I did the song “Jesus Loves the Little Children . . . all the children of the world . . . red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight . . . Jesus loves the little children of the world.” That was easy for me as a little girl because I didn’t know anyone who was red or yellow or black or white or different from me! But today that takes on a whole new meaning, as we realize we are connected to the whole world and called to love the whole world! If Jesus loved all of God’s children and he is our model, then how else can we be faithful in our discipleship and in our prayer than to “pursue peace with everyone and holiness for our own life”, because it is in our modeling the love of Jesus that others will want to know him as well. We are like the hypocrites Jesus condemned when we pray for peace in the world and refuse to recognize the sacred gift of life in our brothers and sisters of the world.

As we pray that the world might be transformed into the “Kingdom of God” for which Jesus prayed, we have to pray that love triumphs over hate, hope triumphs over fear, unity triumphs over alienation, perseverance triumphs over our inclination to give up on the world . . . and we, the followers of Jesus, must pray to be those who “lift our drooping hands and strengthen our weak knees and make straight the paths of our feet so that the world will know the generous grace of God.”

Rev. Dawne McAlpin

Mission Team experiences

2010-05-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a report from one faithful team member of the recent Sager Brown Mission Trip:

I had the privilege and honor of helping give out food to nearly 960 families. Sager Brown provides monthly distribution of “Food for Seniors” and “Food for Mothers”. They work with Catholic Charities to provide this service. Not only do they provide food for seniors and mothers but after they register, they drive to the warehouse and our people actually put the food in their cars for them. At the point of registration, I had the honor of greeting all of these people as they arrived, shook their hands, and told them God loved them. What a joy that was.

Rainbow Room Clothng Drive

2010-05-04T04:13:00.000-07:00

What happens when the people of God learn about need in the world? Amazing things! These sacks full of clothing and hygiene items will go to help children in the care of Child Protective Services . . . to remind them that God loves each of us as if there is only one of us! Thank you to those who participated in this ministry!!

6000 Women with Purpose

2010-05-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

What happens when over 6,000 United Methodist Women gather to worship and ponder God's will for the world? Amazing things. Last weekend, United Methodist Women from around the world gathered in St. Louis, Missouri . . . among the amazing worship opportunites, classes and fellowship events, was a march in support of immigration reform and a rally led by United Methodist Bishop Minerva Carcano . . . together, we can be a part of making God's kingdom a reality "on earth as it in heaven."

God's got the Whole World in His Hands!

2010-05-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

The United Methodist connectional system is an amazing thing! We've recently had the privilege of spending time with Dr. Chris Hena, physician and representative of the General Board of Global Ministries in Kazakhstan. Dr. Hena facilitates a Comprehensive Community-Based primary Health Care program, which trains local health workers to promote better health practices in their communities. She also works as a physician at one of the hospitals in Eastern kazakhstan and provides medical services to several village clinics. As Chris reflected on her call to mission service she reminded us that God calls us all to service . . . in our own way . . . in our own locations . . . thank you Dr. Chris Hena . . .

There's no place like home . . . unless it's Sager Brown

2010-05-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

We're home! Why is the trip home longer than the trip to the destination? It was a great week--eye-opening, gratifying, uplifting, and reverential. To the very end, we had to keep up our strength by maintaining our caloric intake--doing God's work burns calories, as you well know. Notice in the pics what good stewards we were in cleaning up after meals, all with smiles on their faces. Don't you think the aprons look cute? Lovay was presented with a Sager Brown T-shirt amid thunderous applause from all assembled. The Vespers session on Thur. night was pretty amazing, with contributions from all 4 groups (2 from TX, 1 from AR, 1 from WA). Jeanine put a choir together and the coordinating team planned the program, including communion. Bill K. remarked that that was the closest he's been to Heaven. Let me give you a sense of the week's accomplishments: 7,000 health kits produced, 500 school bags made, painting and carpentry projects completed, untold number of birthing kits, assistance at Chez Hope (center for battered females), and, oh yes, some administrarive duties. Jerry and John reported they were boxing up health kits at 1-24 to a box every ONE MINUTE as we worked to meet a self-imposed goal. Thanks to the church for being behind us and I encourage you to speak with this year's participants so you can capture their assessment of the week. I think you should consider the trip next year (April 10). It will be a spiritual-social experience you won't soon forget. Craig

And the beat goes on . . . .

2010-04-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the late entry. Yesterday was a half workday and half a sightseeing and EATING out day. Several of us participated in the once a month food delivery program. We put roughly 620 boxes of food in drive-up recipients' vehicles--in trunks, in back seats, and on people's laps. Now, that's really drive-thru fast food. iI got a chance to interact with many of the folks because I alternated with Neil in opening doors and trunks. The food was a blessing for the recipients, but perhaps was a greater blessing to the givers. Dick Swain had the awesome opportunity of meeting and greeting all the recipients as they validated their eligibility credentials to receive the food boxes. We were fortunate to be here at the time of the once-a-month food delivery program. As of yesterday I believe we have created 5,000 health kits and 2,600 layette or birthing kits. That's about 1% of the materials here in the Depot with materials coming in all the time. Do you think you might have the time to share some of God's work here at Sager Brown next year? You will find it a unique and uplifting experience, to say nothing about the social milieu that develops between our members and those from other churches. During our half-day off, our eminent and multi-decorated (no that's JJ) leader planned an excursion to Avery island, the home base for Tabasco pepper sauce. The newbies took the factory toour while the veterans were seen "just sitting and rocking" on the porch of the Tabasco store. They had their tasting of Tabasco ice cream, cola, dips, and sauces. Hot and spicy is to my liking but the habanero pepper sauce exceeds my pay grade. We travelled through tree, plant, gator, and bird sanctuary and viewed the Buddhisyou should consideryou should considert shrine. The Buddha was a gift to Mr. McIlhenney (sp?), tabasco's originator, from someone in China. I'm happy to report that the Buddha spoke to none in our midst as we remained steadfast in our Christian beliefs. On a sadder note, I'm ashamed of most of my colleagues (not all mind you--certainly lLafoyle is exempt) for their excessive eating habits during our outing. I dubbed Mary's salad Mt. Everest because she had to stand up to start eating it. I tried to set an example by ordering light--two 7 oz. blackened chicken breasts smothered in Rotel tomatoes, onions, and cheese all firmly erected on a bed of onion straws, baked potato, mixed vegetables and shrimp bisque. I harken back to George's sermon on gluttony. I'm sure glad we took that to heart because we are NOT sinful folks. Well, it's back to the Depot to work. All my colleagues are their and here I am witing to you. Seriously, you should consider joining an expedition to Sager Brown. Contact Bill Kolstad and tell him i sent you. Craig

Casa Hogar la Familia

2010-04-29T06:04:00.001-07:00

Many of you have participated in ministry to and for the children at Casa Hogar la Familia in Mexico. The following are recent updates about their wonderful ministry (sorry that we can't transfer the picture).

Many of you will recognize the two young women pictured below:

On the left is Raquel, a girl who has grown up at La Familia.

On the right is Ivonne: a girl that left La Familia over a year ago to live in a home for girls in Colima.

Both are now 19 years of age.

Raquel just recently left La Familia to finish high school in Colima. In Quecholac, Raquel was only going to school two days a week for 1-1/2-hours a day. In Colima, she is able to go to school for three hours a day, five days a week. And they use the same educational books and material, so she will naturally be able to finish much sooner.

Both Raquel and Ivonne now carry the designation of Adult Volunteers with adult responsibilities at the orphanages in Colima as they work to complete their work to graduate from secondary school.

When I was at La Familia in March, a missioner asked Raquel what she wanted to do when she graduated from secondary school. Her answer: I want to be a doctor!

Robert Sawyer, the director of Casa Hogar, will be with us at Acton in May . . . more details on that later.

More from our amazing missioners!

2010-04-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

Please respond to them by clicking the link at the end of the post:

Welcome from the Bayou Branch of Acton UMC. Wish you were here. It's becoming more difficult to capture people doing "unusual" things because they are now on to me. But, if you know some or many of our traveling troupe, you'll know that "usual' is still noteworthy. Here's a prime example: you'll notice in one of the pictures that JJ is sitting at a desk. Do you know why? She's been promoted to acting Gen. Mgr. of UMCOR at Sager Brown. Yes, our very own JJ. The rest of us are still performing our regular duties of putting health and layette kits together. Here's JJ in her nice office and there's Lovay sweating it out with the rest of us in the warehouse. Notice our talent seamstresses producing materials for distribution. I waited until the bleeding had stopped before I took the pictures of Su and Jeanine. Those serge machines are weapons! Pay particular attention of Bill K. picking up TWO desserts BEFORE his lunch meal. He'll probably claim one is for someone else--maybe Lovay? I have serious doubts! I mentioned yesterday that there might be a weight overload problem on the return trip. Well, we went for a lighter lunch of boiled shrimp, sausage, boiled potatoes, corn on the cob, salad, and bread pudding. I was famished so I had to go back for seconds. However, Bill beat me to it. In addition to our regular duties, we're getting ready for food distribution day tomorrow--about 700 boxes will be given in a couple of hours. We're continuing our devotional tonight at 7:30 discussing our mission statement and the degree to which we're fulfilling it. Again, I want to emphasize the reverence to which Sager Brown is held and the dedication of the volunteer folks from the state of Washington, Texas, and Arkansas--about 72 in total. You can be assured that we're carrying the flag of Acton UMC and flying it high, unfurled to its fullness by the Holy Spirit. God bless all. Craig

Day 2 . . . Sager Brown Mission Extravaganza

2010-04-27T03:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I told you that I had drawn KP duty today. Well, was it some tough duty under the command of Maj. Gen. JJ. Do all y'all think it was appropriate to tell diners to fhurry up and finish their lunches and get their dishes and trays to us? Fay Fisher, Bill and Linda Eslick, and myself are putting in for the Methodist KP Medal of Valor (that's MKPMV to you military folk). You'll see a tuboat pushing a barge filled with molasses out our back door. They acknowledged our audience and waved. I had a difficult time holding Su K. back from jumping into the bayou and hitching a ride. Only when I reminded her of gator and snake sightings did she see the light. Praise the Lord! You'll see a lot of pictures of us sitting and eating. We may have to charter a second bus to return home on Fri. if we can't make weight. And, there's boiled shrimp tomorrow! BUT SERIOUSLY you need to be proud of all our fellow congregationalists for their support of UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and the Sager Brown Depot. The amount of relief materials here is humungous and the work to prepare goods for delivery is endless. And yet, the fun doing God's work is wonderful. I believe that God is having as much fun shepherding our mission than we are in executing His plan. You need to see this sacred place for yourself. And, if that's not possible, then continuing or increasing support for UMCOR will be a blessing to so many others here and abroad, but maybe even more to you. We need to tell you the Sager Brown story in more detail so that you can live a little of what we're living. We are honored to represent Acton UMC way down in bayou country.

2010-04-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

First, a big thank you to the folks who gave us the send-off this Sun. AM. It was real early (Yawn!!!) and your presence was appreciated. A special thanks to Dawne for her prayerful reminder of the purpose of our mission. God was riding shotgun and we arrived without any issues. Needless to say, but I must in my "official" capacity, that Ms. Su K. was her usual self (I hesitate to say "normal" because that wouldn't capture the truth. She brought homemade choc chip cookies to perhaps "buy" some silence but the truth will eventually come to light. More on this later, I'm sure. There seemed to be a lot of raucous laughter from the rear of the bus, but i wasn't able to takes names BUT JJ was seated at the back. Think there might be any relationship? Bill K. kept good attendance recors on and off the bus but at the last count we had one more than we stated with. This number is yet to be reconciled. Orienation went fine except for the few that slept through it but they'll pick it up. For all my good efforts I've drawn KP tomorrow. We have no real duties yet assigned but that will come Mon. AM. You'll see your reps hard at work Sun. night eating chicken and pizza and playing games. Did I see some money changing hands? Or, was this all in the spirit of camaraderie? Most assuredly it was the latter. We will have fun but more importantly it will be fun doing God's work. look for the next report!

And Away we Go!!

2010-04-25T05:44:00.000-07:00

This morning 27 AWESOME AUMC volunteers left for the UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) mission depot in Baldwin, Louisianna. They go to pack health kits, school kits, layette kits, birthing kits and flood buckets that will around the world to disaster sites in the name of Jesus. They will touch each kit with the love of Jesus and learn much about our connectedness as disciples with the world. Please pray for them as they travel and serve and continue to follow the blog for updates on their trip.

AUMC Loves Granbury

2010-04-18T05:57:00.000-07:00

The Body of Christ is made up of Christians of all shapes, sizes and understandings of God. On Saturday, April 17, hundreds of people from the churches of Granbury came together,worshipped and then went out into the world with the love of Jesus. 43 faithful disciples from Acton UMC bagged groceries at David's Supermarket in Acton and in Thorp Springs . . . and to top it all off we bagged them in our AUMC Go Green for God (G3) reusable grocery bags . . . 1700 of them!! Even the rain couldn't stop the smiles and the good will and the love of God.

Loving the Whole World

2010-04-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Next Sunday, April 18, 27 faithful AUMC disciples will be comissioned volunteer for one week at the UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) Depot in Baldwin, Louisianna. There they will be making disaster response "kits" which are shipped all over the world when disaster strikes. How amazing to be "connected" to our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. These pics are from a kit-building workday on Saturday. Please start praying now for our team! The team will be departing for Baldwin, Louisianna at 6:45 AM on Sunday, April 25 . . . why don't you come and pray them off???

The Easter Bunny Lives On!`

2010-04-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

What happens when thirteen faithful disciples go to work on behalf of God for the world? Lots of good things! Today these full-of-Easter-faith disciples spent their morning volunteering at the Rainbow Room . . . a support ministry for children in the care of Child Protective Services. Many hands make light work and the supply room was inventoried, the storage building was organized and we all learned a little more about the ways God is at work through this all volunteer organization. Just look at the smiles on the faces of the volunteers . . .

After Easter FaithWork

2010-04-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

Off to Rainbow Room today for our FaithWork workday! The Rainbow Room is a support ministry for the caseworks of Child Protective Services . . . providing clothing and home support items for foster families or children of families under CPS care. Surely these are "the least of these" to whom God called us to minister. Watch for pics in a later post! Christ is alive!

New Life for Easter

2010-04-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Hip Hip Horray!!
. . . . . 45 flocks of chicks
. . . . . 10 trios of rabbits
. . . . . 3 goats
. . . . . 1 heifer
What a great way to fill some Easter baskets! Way to Go Acton UMC!!

A Divine Invitation -- sermon for Wednesday of Holy Week

2010-03-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven.” Matthew 5:1-12

Let us pray: Loving God we thank you for your word to us . . . especially for the life of Jesus and for his teachings about how we should live. We confess that there are some scriptures that we love because they are familiar to us, because we learned them as children, because we know them by memory and they flow so beautifully off our tongues. . . and yet we confess that there are times in which we struggle with believing you really want us to live as the scriptures teach us. We want to be sure of ourselves, not poor in our spirits; we want to have a voice so that we can exert our authority, after all we speak for you . . . if we are meek we may not be successful; we want to be merciful to those who deserve our mercy and have earned their place in our world; we want to make peace with those who see things our way. We want to be a part of building your kingdom because we are your people . . . and yet we struggle. We thank you that you never tire of speaking to us through the words of Jesus and we pray that we might grow in our understanding of your love for the world this day. Amen.

Walter Wink, a wonderful contemporary theologian says, “In the Beatitudes of Jesus, in his extraordinary concern for the outcasts and marginalized, in his wholly unconventional treatment of women, in his love of children, in his rejection of the belief that high-ranking men are the favorites of God, in his subversive proclamation of a new order in which domination will give way to compassion and communion, Jesus brought to fruition the prophetic longing for the “kingdom of God” These very familiar teachings from Jesus come very early in his career and they are followed by many other lessons that are familiar to us . . . you are the salt and the light, you are the branches of my vine, you are to love your neighbor as yourself, if your neighbor asks for your shirt, give him your coat as well. It’s no wonder Jesus was persecuted by the religious authorities . . . He forgave persons they thought were unforgivable – George talked about the woman caught in the act of adultery who could have been stoned but was instead offered new life – Jesus included people who were unworthy in the eyes of the holy people of his day – people with questionable business practices and social diseases and unwelcome foreigners. His teachings were not just counter-cultural . . . they countered the religious culture of his day . . . they were controversial . . . they upset the accepted systems of his day . . . they were even considered subversive to those who held power . . . he said the rich would be poor and the first would be last . . . and those who were the gatekeepers of holiness would be left outside the gates on judgment day because they had become too comfortable in their entitled place in the kingdom . . . . . .and we will remember this week what happened to Jesus as a result of his teachings that upset the power systems of his day . . . both the religious empire and the secular empire. And that is perhaps a little disconcerting for us because we ARE now the religious people of our day . . . we are, in almost any sense of the word, the powerful.

As I thought about the message for this week, the word that continued to come into my prayer time was the word “surrender” and I want to talk a little about it today, particularly in relation the these teachings of Jesus and about our relationship to God and to the world. We think of surrender in military terms . . . as being defeated, as losing the battle, as being weak . . . but perhaps we can rethink it in light of the teachings of Jesus and even in the shadow of the cross. The issue is not can we manage to surrender, although that is very hard for us in almost any venue of life, but can we surrender to God’s vision for the Kingdom. Surrender in our faith walk is not about being spineless or giving up our convictions or forgoing our voice about the way the world operates . . . it is about surrendering our power to allow God’s power of love to work within us . . . it is about surrendering our will to allow God’s will to be done through us . . . it is about surrendering our self-centeredness so that God’s love might be known through us that empowers us to be the voice of God in our world. When I was a young mother, I had an experience with my daughter that transformed my thinking, not just about parenthood, but about living as well . . . Amanda had been playing with her best girlfriend all afternoon and close to time for her friend to go home, I did what I always did . . . asked them to pick up the toys in her room . . . when i went back a little while later, i found Amanda sitting on her bed and her friend picking up all the toys. "What are you doing?" I asked, just a bit perturbed. "Mother," said Amanda . . . we're practicing cooperation . . . I'm telling her what to do and she's doing it." Very perplexed, I did what every good mother would do . . . I went out and bought a book on parenting the strong willed child. The advice I received there, from a very well-known Christian expert on child-rearing, was that my job as a parent was to break her will . . . and at that point, after much prayer and contemplation, I decided that was not the approach I would take . . . because you see, I believe God needs our strong wills and my job as a parent, i determined, was not to break her will but to help her conform it to the teachings of Jesus, leaving her strength intact. . . I have been very thankful, as the years have progressed that I made that choice for my three wonderful daughters who have voice and determination to live out God's will for their lives. Jesus is our model. . . a few thoughts about surrender . . .

1. Surrender acknowledges relationship with God. “What remains incontestable is the fact that, in spite of what is reported about his curing the sick and raising the dead to life in Galilee and other places, Jesus displayed on the cross nothing but utter surrender. The reason is that love, in terms of this world’s values, is forever vulnerable . . . Jesus, powerless on the cross, is the symbol of love . . . even the very incarnation of love.” When he said “Father, if it is your will, take this cup from me . . . nevertheless, not my will but thine,” Jesus wasn’t waving the white flag and surrendering to the religious or Roman authorities because they were winning. . . . he didn’t say “OK you win . . . I lose . . . I was wrong all along . . . “ he surrendered to the love of God for the world and God’s claim on his life to be consumed by that love. How many times do we bite our tongue or offer our coat or our shirt to our neighbor in need because we know God would call us to be loving instead of judgmental . . . generous instead of selfish . . . loving not because the world is worthy of our love but because God is worthy of our surrender to his will for the world. Surrender, both ours and that of Jesus, is about our acknowledging that it is God’s kingdom for whom we work . . . much as we might hate it . . . God is God and we are not!
2. Surrender is a conscious choice. Followers of Jesus have speculated for the centuries since Good Friday about whether or not Jesus had a choice in the crucifixion. That speculation is probably pointless if it’s goal is to figure out all there is to know about God. My own belief about Jesus’ life and death are very well expressed when we say: “God came in Jesus, the Word made flesh . . . to reconcile and make new.” If God came in Jesus, then God always had a choice about how he lived in relationship with the world. Jesus had the choice in the wilderness to display his power over evil . . . he chose surrender instead; he had the choice on the cross to save himself . . . but he chose to surrender to the power of love over hate and peace over violence. He refused to play by the rules of the power systems of his day because he knew that the Kingdom of God would never come through the power struggles of this world . . . only through surrender to God’s love for the world. I believe Jesus went to the cross because he spoke for God, he embodied the love of God, not because God demanded it but because Jesus CHOSE to surrender his power so that the world might know the power of God’s love.
3. It is in our surrender to God that we are empowered. Jesus taught us to pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In our words, we might say “Let the world be your world, God. Let us live out your dream for the world.” Sunday we will sing again Handel’s wonderful Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah, and we especially love to sing the big ending . . . Hallelujah, Hallelujah! But in the middle of this magnificent piece are these words which swell to that glorious ending “The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ . . . and he shall reign forever and ever.” The kingdom “is become” . . . .has it already become or is it becoming? Handel says it “is become” -- the already and the not yet. . . We surrender . . . . we offer up our will and with the all strength of the Holy Spirit, take on the will of God for the world. And bit by bit, as we offer up our power, we make room for God to be at work in us and at work in the world through us. The kingdom has already come in the life of Jesus, it is already coming again and it has not yet come in all its fullness. We had an Easter Egg hunt at our community center in Rancho Brazos on Sunday and one of our volunteers shared a story of a little boy, about 11, who wandered into the building as she was cleaning up. She asked “did you have fun?” And he responded “Yes but I won’t be here next year because my dad’s getting out of prison and I’m going to be living with him next year.” She prayed that his life would be better next year and that the few hours of fun he had that day had given him hope that his life would be a little better. It occurred to me that that event was possible because 20 adults and youth surrendered to God’s claim in their lives on Sunday afternoon ,. . . and because they did so, God empowered them . . . God was at work. . . at least one little boy was able to share his hopes and dreams with someone who cared. . . with someone who is now praying for him and for his dad and for their future together. . . . that is the kingdom here and not yet here. What amazing power and promise we have!

When we look around us, we see that the kingdom has not yet come . . .the poor in spirit do not all know the blessings of God, there are still many who mourn without the comfort of the hope of God. . . the power of the world still triumphs over meekness. The rich still control the resources that could benefit the poor. Peacemakers are called naïve and the merciful are thought to be simpleminded. The kingdom has not yet come in its fullest sense and yet the kingdom HAS come in moments of light, in moments of love, in moments when a little piece of the world is transformed into the kingdom and we believe the truths that Jesus taught us. . . . even in a yard full of Easter eggs that can say to a child . . . there is new life ahead for you too.

I saw the new “Alice in Wonderland” movie this weekend and I recognized I’m a little like Alice who said “Sometimes I believe as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast . . . “ I believe that Tte kingdom does come when we surrender to the impossible . . . to the unconditional love of God for the world . . . we do get a glimpse of God’s kingdom when we do God’s work in blessing the poor in spirit and offering hope to those who long for righteousness but just can’t find their way, and supporting those who are persecuted for the sake of a kingdom that does not belong to God.

Robert Carr wrote these words . . . a “Divine Invitation” to God’s Kingdom work . . .

My heart
Like yours
Aches under the weight
Of humanity’s pain.

Distractions offer soothing but superficial relief
Food. Television. The Mall.

But from the heart’s pure center
A divine invitation echoes
Love God; love your neighbor as yourself.
Bring your gaze to the difficult,
The heartbreaking thing.
The overwhelming situation.
The tragic circumstances,
That hopeless place.
Turn your attention, your gaze, yourself,
To the poor
And be uncomfortable.

How easily we forget, lose sight of the vastness of God’s love
The depth of mercy poured out upon us.
To love God is to allow God
To give us God’s heart
To fill us with compassion
And steadfast serenity
That we might never weary of loving our neighbors,
Becoming for them God’s vessel of grace and hope and healing
In the Golgothas of our world.

Could it be that my aching for the anguish of the world
Is the feeling of my heart being enlarged?
Could it be that my willingness to ache for my suffering neighbor
Is my purest assent to God’s perfect intent?

Let us pray . . . “We thank you, God, that you ached so much for the anguish of the world that you were willing to come to the world, to surrender your power, to suffer for us when we didn’t deserve your love. We pray that as we surrender to your love we would become servants like Jesus who never lose sight of the power of sacrificial love. It is in his name that we pray and live . . . Amen.”

Easter Egg Hunting at Rancho Brazos Community Center

2010-03-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

A picture is worth a thousand words . . .

Wonderland

2010-03-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

"Sometimes I believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast" said Alice in Alice In Wonderland . . . we're never too old for dreaming the impossible when God is at the center of our dreams. Wonderland was the Rancho Brazos Community Center yesterday . . . beautiful spring day with plenty of sunshine . . . 40 beautiful children hunting eggs, playing game and having hot dogs . . . 20 AMAZING volunteers from the AUMC youth group and the Koinonia Sunday School class providing all the fun . . . more love than could be humanly possible . . . God's gift to us!

Blessings Abound!!

2010-03-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

What happens when God puts opportunities in our paths? Miracles and blessings sprout up everywhere. This week the "Faith Ladies" . . . a wonderful women's Sunday School class prepared frito pie and brownies for clients at the Children's Advocacy Center. Way to go faith ladies! And, as a result of our alternative Easter giving opportunity, we purchased 39 flocks of chicks, 8 trios of rabbits and 2 goats through Heifer International. Isn't that better than a candy egg? If you have great ideas about outreach projects . . . we'd love to hear them...

Palm Sunday

2010-03-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

"Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear" reminds me of my childhood in the church . . . waiving palm branches and processing in to sing about Jesus on the donkey . . . somehow that story connects us to the human side of Jesus. I confess that I still love to sing that old song and I love to remember the stories of Jesus . . . especially the stories of Jesus loving children, reaching out to those the "church people" didn't accept, and washing the feet of the disciples so they could understand servant leadership. Especially during Lent, we remember the humility of Jesus, the Word made flesh, the flesh who suffered so that we can know the unconditional love of God, the love that has no boundaries. Today, I'll thankfully wave my palm branch again, recognizing in my act of worship my submission to the lordship of a servant king who loved the world without exception. Easter Egg Hunt at the Rancho Brazos Community Center today at 4:00 PM . . .

Rancho Brazos Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hunting Easter Eggs is one of those secular traditions that has become a part of our faith life . . . we're never too old to grab a basket and search through the spring blooms for an egg that just might have a surprise inside. Egg hunting is a "threshhold experience" that takes us not only into spring but also into the assurance of the new life we know through our faith in Jesus. The enthusiasm of the children reminds us that life is full of surprises and that we never really know where the prize egg will be found . . . and that even though there may be many of us "on the hunt" there are always enough eggs to go around. This Sunday afternoon, our Koinonia class will be sponsoring an Easter Egg hunt at our Rancho Brazos Community Center at 4:00 PM. If you would like to help, please respond here and we'll get you connected. You never know what surprise might be in store for you as you serve these precious children in the name of Jesus. Happy Egg Hunting!

Sojourners in Faith

2010-03-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

"Come along with me as a sojourner in faith.
Bring along a sense of expectancy, a vision of high hopes, a glimpse of future possibility, a vivid imagination.
For God's creation is not done.
We are called to pioneer forth toward a future yet unnamed.
As we venture forward, we leave behind our desires for a no-risk life , worldly accumulations, certainty of answers.
Let us travel light in the spirit of faith and expectation toward the God of our hopes and dreams.
Let us be a witness to God's future breaking in.
Come along with me as a sojourner in faith secure in the knowledge that we never travel alone."
--Susan gregg-Schroeder

Bunnies and Chicks

2010-03-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

Chocolate bunnies and chicks aren't the only things in Easter baskets this Easter! This year we've offered real bunnies and chickens through Heifer International as an alternative giving option that really reflects the love of God to the world. To date, we've sent 22 flocks of chicks and 21 rabbits around the world to celebrate the living Christ. You can multiply your Easter giving by contributing to Heifer as well. Let me know if you need more information!

Love Granbury Kindness Explosion

2010-03-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

"If you are a follower of Christ . . . . all that matter is your faith that makes you love others." (Galatians 5:6) It sometimes seems like the most difficult place to love others is our own backyard. "Love Granbury Kindness Explosion" is a non-denominational experiment in servant evangelism . . . loving the world in the name of Jesus with no strings attached! If this is the kind of evangelism that warms your heart and feeds your spirit, join Acton United Methodist Church (along with many other churches in our community) on Saturday, April 17 as we go out into our Granbury community with the pure unconditional love of Jesus . . . . bagging groceries, carrying bags to cars, pumping gasoline, and other random acts of kindness . . . not sure how to do that? Call Rev. Dawne McAlpin at 817-326-4242 or reply to this blog to get more information . . .

2010-03-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

FaithWork: God's Love in Action is a new "hands-on" outreach ministry at Acton UMC. We began on Saturday, March 13 when four dedicated folks helped a neighbor in the Rancho Brazos community clean his lot. Not only did we share the work, but we shared God's love and grace as our hearts and hands combined to clean up the world a bit. We'll be working again this Saturday, march 21 . . . meet at 9:30 at the Rancho Brazos Community Center.

In addition, we're well on our way to increasing the bunny and chick population of the world by offering persons the opportunity to give a live Easter gift to someone in need around the world through Heifer, International. So far, we've provided 15 sets of chicks and 6 sets of rabbits. Those are real Easter bunnies.

Upcoming FaithWork projects: Monday, April 5 . . . meet at AUMC at 9:00 AM and we'll travel to work at the Rainbow Room, a support ministry for caseworkers and families in the Child Protective Services system. Persons of all ages and skill sets are invited to come as we help to change the world one family at a time.

On Saturday, April 17, we'll be joining other churches in the Granbury community with Love Granbury Kindness Explosion. Look for us around the community with our bright green reusable bags offering assistance and random acts of kindness showing the love of Jesus. Contact me if you want more information.

If you have other ideas for FaithWork projects, please let us know. We look forward to hearing from you with your ideas.

Homeward Bound!

2009-10-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

You know you've been on the other side of the world when you've been totally disconnected from internet and cell-phone access. We're back in Nairobi and headed home in 5 1/2 hours. God has been at work in amazing ways . . . probably more in us than through us. Our workdays at the Methodist Bio-intensive Farm in Meru were amazing . . . we broke and hauled cement to clear the way for a new floor; we chiseled through a rock wall to make a window in a store room; we put up a new ceiling and siding as well. We saw how the church is teaching "bag" farming techniques for the growing of vegetables even where there is no ground for farming. The safari time was amazing as we observed how all of God's creatures live together in the open country. Although we've had an amazingly blessed time, we are all ready for home and the many blessings we hope we will never take for granted again. It is our prayer that our hearts have softened and our will to change the world has been strengthened . . . certainly our connections with one another will never be the same again. We'll continue to post as we are able to put our thoughts together about some specific things when we return. But for now, we are so thankful you have followed our blog and shared our trip and we can't wait to see you on Sunday, when we will worship together as we remember our brothers and sisters in the beautiful continent of Africa.

Showers of Blessings

2009-10-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

We have enjoyed two nights of rain . . . more than the Kenyans have had in three years we are told! The people are rejoicing and we are glad, even though we are a little muddy from the work sites! The team asks that you send money because we would like to stay longer but are are not certain we could earn our keep!

We continued our work on the staff flats on Thursday, adding a 5 x 9 foot addition to the staff flat of one of the cooks and spreading concrete for the flooring of a new staff housing complex. We have learned many new skills . . . "slushing" concrete; using relcaimed lumber and innovative carpentry techniques; cutting, nailing and sawing with no power tools. Nothing goes to waste here!

The scripture for chapel this morning was Jeremiah 31 . . . "I will love you with an everlasting love . . . I will build you up again . . . I will make you dance and you will rejoice. . . You will be like a well-watered garden and I will turn your mourning into gladness." I love the words of Jeremiah because they remind us of God's care for us when we are in the "exile places" of our lives, but they take on new meaning when we hear them in the midst of persons whose lives are difficult every day. Surely God is here and these are faithful people who depend on these words of God for their daily encouragement. The pastor reminded us that the steadfast love of God is greater than our sin and surely that is true for those of us who take for granted our abundance. We were reminded to "remember the quarry we were drawn from" and to always acknowledge that the person we are serving in created in God's image. How very true we have found that to be as we have served with these beautiful people.

Daily life here is not easy and we are reminded everywhere of the daily burdens of simply living. Nevertheless, the people have warm smiles and are so very gracious in the ways they serve us.

Burning Bushes

2009-10-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, October 14 . . . today was our day to lead the chapel service at the Hospital Chapel. Our assigned scripture was Exodus 3:1-7 . . . the story of the call of Moses, the burning bush and the acknowledgement of God's holy ground. We opened the service with Craig leading the congregation in singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands", which was actually in their hymnal. Dale McCormick read the scripture and, after Dawne offered a few words about the scripture, team members shared their own "call" to the holy ground of Kenya. It was interesting to hear that several team members had felt called to Africa as missionaries as children. Perhaps our dreams are written on our hearts before we are born! Dawne had the privilege of making rounds with Rev. Alice, the UM Hospital Chaplain, which was a powerful and heartbreaking experience. We were able to pray over every patient . . . several children in a burn ward; those with HIV and other infectious diseases; those with wounds, diabetes, dehydration, malnutrition and diseases from contaminated water. Sometimes Dawne prayed in English, Rev. Alice prayed in Swahili . . . always the patients had grateful, sad eyes and seemed comforted by the promise of God's presence with them. Rev. Alice shared that she was previously a UM circuit pastor in Kenya and recently completed a chaplaincy residency, where she finds here ministry very rewarding. The team finished the first staff house project and moved on to another house where they are building a room addition to extend the kitchen. We had lunch with the hospital administration, who repeatedly expressed their thanks to us for our presence and our support. They reminded us of the many ministries of the 81 year old hospital complex: 300 beds; specialties in Ob-gyn, palliative care, a surgical suite, occupational and physical therapy, ENT, community healthcare, a kitchen garden project to encourage the growth of vegetables, and support groups for a variety of addictions. The holistic ministry of the hospital also includes the Giving Hope program for orhpans, a school support program and the guardian support group for AIDS orphans. The hospital sees over 2000 AIDS patients each month and, as a result, in the eight years the hospital has been treating AIDS, it has become a chronic illness rather than a life-taking disease. Surely God is glorified in this loving ministry. More tomorrow as we continue to be at work with and in prayer for our new brothers and sisters.

Balloons and Beautiful Smiles

2009-10-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

We began our day today with the daily chapel at Maua Methodist Hospital. They begin every day with a chapel service for all employees and today's message was the story of God's faithfulness to Hagar and Ishmael when they were banished from Abraham . . . we were reminded that the Kenyans are the descendants of Ishmael and that God is still faithful to them as God was faithful to Hagar and Ishmael. . . God always provides and God never abandons!What an inspiring messge! We started our workday by making balloon animals (ala Dale McCormick) for the children in the chidlren's ward. They were precious, had beautiful smiles and loved the comic relief of our animal making. Even more humorous was our practice session with the balloons the night before. Many of the children were sick from contaminated water and dehydration. After our time in the children's ward, we returned to our painting of the staff houses. We almost completed the house today . . . will return tomorrow for some minor touch up and clean up and then . . . who knows what we will be doing! We have more paint on us than we left in the house, but we are certain God will redeem our eforts! We have responsibility for the chapel service tomorrow, so be praying for us!

Glorious Sunday Worship and Monday Hospital

2009-10-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

'The hunger for God can only be satisfied by a love that is face to face, person to person. It is only in the eyes of another that we can find the Icon of Christ. We must make the other person aware we love him. If we do, he will know that God loves him. He will never hunger again.' Catherine de Hueck Doherty, Catholic social activist.

We had wonderful Sunday worship at the Maua Methodist Church . . . we attended the Swahili service . . . about 2 hours of music, song and scripture. We delivered the pictures from our Club Mad and the children loved them. They made recriprocal pictures and we will be bringing them back to our Club Mad Children when we return. After church we hiked up to a local waterfall surrounded by fields of tea and strolled through the busy market full of people enjoying their Sunday afternoon. When we returned we opened our notes from our AUMC Youth and were so pleased with their prayers for us. The children and adults were beautiful, spirit filled and so very friendly and gracious.

We began our Monday morning with daily chapel at the Maua Methodist Hospital, where we learned that the hospital was built first in the late 1800s and the church grew out of the chapel that was held there on a regular basis . . . what a wonderful testimony to evangelism through service a la Methodist Church. The pastor reminded us of God's calling to Abraham to 'wake up from your comfort zone and go, trusting that God is always ahead of us in the calling. He encouraged us to walk by faith and be ready to be used by the Lord. What an appropriate message!

On our hospital tour we learned that there are 1700 AIDS orphans supported directly by a United Methodist Advance program and over 4000 in a weekly feeding program. We learned of a wonderful empowerment ministry through ZOE Ministries that works with over 1000 households with children who are victims of the AIDS epidemic. The purpose of this ministry is to empower the children/youth to become self-sufficient through providing basic food security; education about HIV/AIDS; micro-financing loans that encourage the development of community businesses and legal intervention on behalf of AIDS orphans to ensure their retention of their family land. We toured the hospital, saw a new-born baby, and witnessed the arrival of a woman brutally attacked. We spent the remainder of the day unloading the surgical supplies we brought with us, preparing a staff house for painting this week and sent 3 persons to see the results of the ZOE ministry project. All in all, we are very blessed, thankful that God called us to this place and exhausted by the day. \please continue your prayers and we'll be in touch again tomorrow. God's greatest blessings to you!

We made it!

2009-10-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

All ten of us arrived safely in Nairobi yesterday evening . . . missing only one suitcase. We rested comfortably at the Methodist Guest House, are packed and ready for breakfast and then our six-hour drive to Maua, where we will be lodging at the Maua Basin Hotel and working at the Maua Methodist Hospital. . . more on that on Monday. We went to bed with the new experience of mosquito netting and we awoke to the sound of birds singing outside our windows. What could be better than that. Our drivers were very friendly and helpful, especially as we exchanged money, etc at the airport. Please keep up the prayers. We're so thankful to be representing our loving God and you on this trip. More as we have access to the computer! May you be as blessed as we are today!

God Beyond our Planning

2009-10-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Our bags are packed and we look forward to the beginning of our trip TOMORROW! What have we forgotten? Oh my, surely we have neglected some important piece of our journey. Thank God that God's grace is triumphant beyond our planning! We go with the confidence of the prophet Isaiah, who heard God say "I am about to do a new thing . . . I will not forget you . . . I hold you in the palm of my hand." We go trusting that we are Holy Spirit led and heeding the wisdom of the author of Colossians: "Whatever you do, put your whole selves into it" certain that God will be faithful as we witness to the resurrected Christ in our midst.

We are saddened that our colleague, Richard McCarthy, will be unable to travel with us due to illness, but we will hold Richard in our prayers and are confident that God is at work in all things.

Thank you for your continued prayer support for our team, our church, and our world, all of which, of course, ultimately belong to God.

2 Days and Counting

2009-10-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 61:1 says "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. . . to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that God might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall reaise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations."

We are so grateful for all your prayers for our journey to Kenya. We go into this far-away part of the world certain that God is leading us there. We go knowing that Kenya has suffered much in recent years and praying that the pain so many people have suffered is like labor pains producing a new nation, free from ethnic hatred and violence. We pray that Isaiah's God (and ours) will again bring beauty from ashes, the oil of joy of rnourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heavniness and will raise, repair and rebuild the destroyed land, homes and lives.

Please pray for our flights on Thursday, October 8 . . . KLM flight #670 to Amsterdam and KLM #565 from Amsterdam, arriving in Nairobi on 10/9.

"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

2009-10-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

The following is from yeterday's e-mail from Jerri and Bill Savuto, UM Missionaries in the area where we will work in Kenya, who are currently on sabbatical in the US. It is a reminder to me of our calling to the "least of these" and my thanksgiving for our United Methodist understanding of salvation of life and spirit.

"He who waits on God never waits too long." Chuck Wagner

"We have heard that the Mboone River, the river that provides water for Maua, is dry. The hospital has its two wells and is sharing water with the community but the drought continues with the lack of water and food and the horrors of starvation. Please continue to pray. Maua Methodist Hospital is suffering. Over 50% of our patients cannot pay their bill (and you remember that the average 7-day bill is $180). The hospital is unable to pay the staff until late in the month which is a great burden for them. Drug orders are made but not shipped until the cash is in the distributor's hands. The hospital saves thousands of lives each year. It is so important to keep the hospital going. If you are willing to send money to pay the hospital bill of a child whose parents have no money, please go to the bottom of the blog for the information.

As the Quality Improvement Officer for Maua Methodist Hospital, I (Bill Savuto) try to go through our Out-patient/ER departments every 4-6 weeks. Though I receive better treatment than most despite my pleas to treat me as they treat others, it gives me a good idea of what is happening for the average patient/client. The last time I went through the system in late July, I wrote a poem (of sorts) about what I saw. I thought I would share it with you:

And They Wait

They come every day in large numbers.
The poor, poorer and poorest.
Barefoot, with painful feet or well worn flip flops, very old, often rapaired.
They come dressed in used clothing, frayed and torn slacks and jackets,
Not bought that way, but from years of wear and tear.
They come with coins or dirty shilling notes wrapped in their kanga or pinned inside their shirt or pocket.
They come late after selling their gods or food in the market.
They come limping, cut, coughing, with high fevers and body wracking chills.
They come bleeding, with burns, and missing limbs.
They come awake and in a coma.
They come with malaria and tetanus, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, high blook pressure, and asthma.
They come from road traffic accidents, diarrhea, vomiting and night sweats.
They come carried by friends and family, walking on their own, in a matatu or the bed of a truck.
Some come alone, with family, and some with so much famil. And most come to wait.

They wait to rgister and be weighed in the covered porch area.
They wait to pay their fee to see the doctor or clinician.
Sometimes the line is short and sometimes it is very long but they will wait.

Then they wait to see the doctor or clinician, depending on what they paid.
They finally see a clinician/doctor and s/he orders laboratory work and so they wait to pay for the lab.
Sometimes the line is short and sometimes it is very long but they will wait.

They wait to have their lab specimen taken and they wait for the results.
So many malaria tests to be taken they will wait and wait and wait for the results.
Then wthy wait to see their clinician again.

The clinician may need an x-ray and so they will wait to pay their fee for the x-ray.
Sometimes the line is short and sometimes it is very long but they will wait.

There is only one x-ray technician and many clients so they will wait again.
After the x-ray is taken they will wait to take the results to their clinician for the third time.
The clinician will now order medication.
They will wait to pay for the medication.
Sometimes the line is sort and sometimes it is very long but they will wait.

After paying they will wait in a long queue to receive their medication.
All that waiting!
All that time!
The poor they wait.

We fuss because they do not keep time,
And if they did would they wait?
The loud, pushy men or the quiet old woman?
They have walked and walked and walked to come.
They will walk and walk and walk to return home.
But for now they wait.
Most wait patiently, quietly, but some wait loudly and with anger in their voice.
But all wait!

They come - the old, the babies and children, the unconscious, the slashed and cut, they dying and the dead.

They come for drugs, suturing and tests.
They come from pain I couldn't bare a moment.
They just keep coming.

The mothers desperate with their babies dying in their arms, their overwhelming fear overflowing to the others.
No money in hand but the baby is dying and so is admited.
The hosband wasn't home when the mother left oto rach the hospital in time.
Her husband will be angry, the baby is a girl.
Too much money to waste.
He won't come to the hospital and he won't pay any money.
He will beat his wife when finally she and their daughter are released from the hospital.

The children burned with hot liquid or falling into the fire are brought
Sobbing and screaming or too tired and weak to cry.
The days, weeks, months of treatment, surgery and pain.
The weeping goes on and one or ends when the father decides enough has been paid and the child is taken home to die.

But today they come with malnutrition and starvation.
They have measles and TB due to no immunity.
They are so tiny I cannot see them in their layers of wrapping.
Or their body swilling from Protein Malnutrition is so great
I think they are healthy until the legs and arms are unwrapped
And I see the oozing sores and he misery on their face.

They come, they all come!
They come for hope, help, health and life.
Winners all; losers none.
Life or death; health or sickness.

We help them, we pray.
Hope is offered but not always accepted.

They come
Go
Live
Die
But all wait and wait
And wait!
The poor always wait!

Packing

2009-09-30T07:42:00.001-07:00

As part of our mission, we will be working at the Maua Methodist Hospital in Meru, Kenya. The hospital was founded in 1928 by Methodist missionaries and serves over 100,000 out-patients and 12,000 in-patients annually and is the only full-service hospital in the area. Our pics show us packing hospital supplies that we will take with us to donate to the hospital. . . . You'll hear more about the hospital while we're at work. Thank you for your daily prayers for our team. church

Kenya Here we Come!

2009-09-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

On October 8, our 11 member team from Acton UMC will leave to be in mission in Maua, Kenya. We go, in the name and spirit of Jesus, to offer grace and hope at the Maua Methodist Hospital and the Methodist Bio-Intensive Farm. We go with many doubts about our effectiveness to change the world; we go uncertain about what we will accomplish in our western sense of accomplishment; but most of all we go with certainty that we have been called by God and in that we place our trust. We hope to communuicate with you on a regular basis about our experiences in Kenya. We covet your prayers for our journey . . . asking that you pray specifically that God will be at work through us in a hurting world and that God will be at work in us in our growth as faithful disciples of Jesus. So that you can pray specifically for us by name, our team members are: Karen Isliker, Candy Cane, Marie Blakeney, Dawne McAlpin, Doug and Sheryl Crumrine, Tom and ReAnn McHaney, Crain Inman, Dale McCormick and Richard McCarthy. Thank you for sharing our journey with us . . . we appreciate your prayers and your comments.

"Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man, woman or child whom you may have seen, and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will he or she gain anything by it? Will it restore him or her to a control over his or her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj (freedom) for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? then you will find your doubts and your self melt away." ---Mahatma Gandhi