Mission News

August Mission Emphasis:  ASP/Project Noah

Special Mission Projects Updates     

The Children@CrossRoads PET Project has raised $863.30 as of May 11.  This means they have enough to provide three PETs and 45% of a fourth one for persons in need of mobility.   The Advance Special for the Mother/Child Survival program raised $915 for this life saving ministry while honoring/memorializing the special ladies in our life.   

The  “12 in 2008” Medicine Box goal is well on its way thanks to the generous hearts of Gay Street UMC.  As of July 13, 2008, $4,681 has been given for the “12 in 2008” Medicine Box project.  This means  11 Medicine Boxes have been given!  Wow!  Praise God for the generous folks of the Gay Street United Methodist Church.  To God Be the Glory! 

The Project Noah/Father’s Day 2008 raised $505 for the work mission team as they head to Slidell, Louisiana.

  Project Noah Happenings

Project Noah is gearing up  for their July 19 departure from Mount Vernon as they head to Slidell, Louisiana. I would like to invite you to join me at 5:30 a.m. on  Saturday, July 19 at the court house parking lot, beside the clock tower, to spend a brief time with our Project Noah traveling missionaries in preparation for their loading up, prayer, and send off.  Come join me…..it’s a real eye opener and a loving gesture of our appreciation for representing our church family to this mission in the world.  I could even pick you up on my way to join them.

                  ~Debbie Baker

Please keep the following Project Noah participants in your prayers:

   (*denotes adult)

Arie Alvarado, Kaley Alvarado, Alexander Blencowe, Catherine Blencowe, *Lance Blencowe, Janelle Bouchard, *Debbie Butler, *Jon Butler, *Patti Coates, Erica Davis, *Katie Franks, Mike Franks, *Jason Frazer, Tara Gadd, *Lee Gammon, *Christine Hamilton, Elliot Hamilton, *Ernie Hamilton, Ethan Hamilton, *Robert Lloyd, *Russell Melick, Betsy Miller, *Keith Norris, Earnest Pido, Katie Pido, *Dawn Porter, Kate Reynolds, Phil Reynolds, Catherine Stone, Christina Stone, *Mary Stone, Damian Webber, Russell Webber, Andrew Wyatt , Michigan guest

Project Noah and the Kroger Care Program have connected!   Now, while you are grocery shopping, you could be helping the Project Noah work mission. …...and you don’t even have to raise a hammer!   Here are the steps:   1) Purchase a Kroger Cares Card for $5.00 from a Project Noah member; 2) Load money onto your Kroger Cares Card;  3) Pay for your groceries with your Kroger Cares Card; and you have now helped Project Noah.  For every $5,000 the congregation spends at Kroger, Project Noah receives 5% towards their summer mission trip. 

Personal Energy Transportation on a Roll

Prospere lives near the Baptist Seminary in Haut, Haiti. As a child he had polio, which left his legs useless. He managed to move about by dragging himself along the ground with his arms and hands. When he wanted to go to church his friends would help him into a wheelbarrow and trundle him there. Visiting people from the USA became interested in him and arranged for a wheelchair to be sent to him.

But a wheelchair, with its narrow tires, was never intended to be used on the rocky,     uneven ground in his neighborhood, and wore out.  Over the years, Prospere had a series of such chairs.

Meantime, he became a radiant Christian, and with the use of a manual stitcher he learned the trade of a cobbler. He repairs all kinds of shoes,     sandals, and other leather or rubber goods. He has many friends in his rural neighborhood.

Then friends heard of the PET and requested one for him. Everyone was excited when Prospere's PET arrived. He quickly mastered the technique of using it, and now travels wherever he wants to go. He can even go into the town of Limbe (4 miles away) along the main road, to the big market to buy groceries, and carry them home in the back of the PET. To say that he is thrilled with it is an    understatement.                                                                                    
- Report by Larry Hills, from the PET website

The Children @CrossRoads and the Gay Street   congregation, as of July 6, 2008, have given $1,222.30 to the PET project.  This equals out to 4 PETs and 88% of a fifth one! 

A Note from Dallas Andrew

You will recall that Tom and Ruth Andrew brought a PET to our church for us to see and try out, as the Children@CrossRoads embarked on raising funds for this life changing mission.  Tom and Ruth did this freely and  did not want any monetary compensation for their expense in bringing it all the way from     Napoleon, Ohio.    A note of thanks with a small monetary gift was sent to them and the following note was recently received from his brother, Dallas.

Dear Gay Street U.M. Church,

Thank you very much for your donation of $150 for the PET mission.  It came at a time when we were in great need!  Our steel supply was almost depleted, and we were in the process of figuring out an order of steel.  We order enough steel to fabricate 1,000 cart frames in one order!  In May, we received the order at a cost to us of $10,600!! 

Thank you again for your donation!!  On June 23, 2008, a group came from Columbia, Missouri to get a load of cart frames from our shop.  We had 331 adult frames and 66 child frames available for them!!

Since May, 2001, we have shipped a total of 7,588 frames to five different locations in the United States.

Now, we are busy fabricating more frames, getting ready for another shipment in September or October of this year.

Please keep Tom Andrew and myself in your prayers, asking God to be with us and give us the strength and courage to continue in this work, so that more people may be able to get up out of the dirt and be self-supporting followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Yours in Christ,

Dallas Andrew

Fair Trade Coffee

UMCOR is challenging United   Methodists to help farmers earn fair prices for their crops by participating in UMCOR’s 100-Ton Challenge.  The 12-month campaign encourages United Methodists to help increase the amount of fairly-traded coffee, tea, chocolate and snacks purchased through The UMCOR Coffee Project and its partner Equal Exchange, a 100 percent fair trade, worker-owned          co-operative.  Purchasing fairly-traded goods allows small scale farmers to earn fair prices, invest in farm improvements, reduce debt, and improve their communities while providing a better life for themselves and their families.

Project Noah is promoting Fair Trade coffee and you can purchase it in the parlor for just $7.00 a bag.  Various flavors are available, too.

Help Needed—ISS FISH Program

The ISS FISH program is in desperate need of drivers for the Columbus area in particular.  This is to drive clients for doctor's appointments.  If anyone could help, please call Shirley at Interchurch Social Services: 397-4825.

Update on Giving to 2008 Missions . . . . . as of June 30, 2008:

ASP/Project Noah          

Goal:   $1,000.00

To date: $2066.00

Children’s Connection

Goals:  $1,000.00

To date:  648.00

Denman/Redbird

Goal:  $1,500.00

To date:  285.00

Habitat for Humanity

Goal:   $1,500.00

To date: $1195.00

Hot Meals

Goal:     $500.00

To date:$1514.19

Interchurch

Goal:  $3,500.00

To date:$1849.00

New Directions

Goal:  $500.00

To date:$975.00

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