First Church Missions Blog

Kenya Recap from Leah Patzig

2008-07-10T14:26:00.001-05:00

" Dad and I are home from an amazing trip to Meru, Kenya. After three grueling days of travel, we had an amazing week! Even with the jetlag, weird food, and cool weather we managed to get accustomed to the African ways of living, eating, and worshipping. (We ate trout, which unfortunately for me, still had its face on it, like eye balls and everything. Can you say eww?!?!? – Dad loved it. We also had Ox-tail soup and drank Goat’s Milk every morning with curdled chunks floating in it.)

On Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday we drove to a compound where we fed street children [the majority of them boys] and ministered by sharing the love of Christ through a teaching as well as fun and games. Although there were up to 130 boys, the average number of girls that attended was between 6 and 9, and I had a great time with the few that came. (Unfortunately most of the girls are “working” in prostitution.) They were fascinated with my “smooth” white skin and blonde hair, and I had a great time playing with them each day as we began to build a relationship. I taught them the chicken dance and in return they braided my hair. :)

On Sunday we attended Church in a small, dirt floor, chicken house. The praise was amazing with their dancing and clapping and although the service was almost three hours long, we “mzungu” [white people] really enjoyed the experience. It was neat to see such normally quiet and reserved people shouting and praising the Lord. Their praise was so heartfelt and energetic you could actually hear it driving up the road. They even managed to cram 50 or so people in this small space with plastic lawn chairs for seating. It is amazing that despite the conditions the Kenyan people are grateful for the opportunity to attend Church and praise God at all!

Monday we returned to the compound and the guys on our team, along with the staff in Meru, built a goat shed. The American team from our church consisted of seven people total, and since I was the only girl, they decided to name the goat Leah, which I was honored to hear. (Not everyone can say they have a goat in Africa named after them). :)

Each day we shared morning praise and devotions with the staff, it was a special and amazing time! Throughout the week we toured Kenya University and visited several schools in which the ministry we were a part of [Bridges International] sponsored several girls. We also visited the different homes where the younger children they sponsor live and are provided daily care. We visited a rescue center. This orphanage housed 35 babies all under the age of three with only 4 nannies per shift. We had a great time playing with all the little kids and it was funny to watch their reaction to seeing “white people” for the first time. It only took about half an hour for them to stop crying because they were all freaked out at the strange white people trying to hold them.

We ended our trip with an African safari at a Game reserve in Samburu. We were in open vans and the animals were so curious (and close) that we could have touched them. We saw many giraffes and zebras and were nearly charged by an elephant. We also interrupted a lioness eating a water buck and another stalking an antelope. "

Sounds like they had a great time -- everybody ask them about it next Sunday! I'm sure they'll love to share.

New Update from Kenya

2008-07-02T14:38:00.001-05:00

" I hope you received our e-mails and the pictures Joe sent you yesterday. It is Wednesday evening in Kenya. We go to the Bridges Compound each morning and have devotions with the staff. We talked Mike into sharing this morning and it was the staff plus the women there for the womens class. It was a very packed room but Mike did well. They made us sing 'Trading My Sorrows', that has been a hit. Today we visited a girls school and saw 5 girls that Bridges supports so they can go to school. Several have no parents and two have mothers. We will have heartrending storys to tell. This afternoon we visited Kenya Methodist University; it was beautiful and interesting. We have given several of our coffee cups to Methodist bishops here. Tonight for dinner one will come and there is a group from the states. All are doing well, if you can imagine it is much more primitive than East Asia. Tomorrow will be our last day of work here in Meru and then we are on safari. They really do say 'akuna matata' here often, so we all know some swahili. Jambo is hello. Blessings and keep praying for us, Sharon

"Jambo-Kenyan Greetings!"

2008-07-01T09:38:00.001-05:00

"It is July 1st, we visited a rescue house this morning, a Christian ministry. They were babies up to 3 years. Some cried when we came in but as we charmed and held them they became our friends and cried when we left. Heartbreaking! Yesterday the goat house was built, it was great fun to see how many it takes to build a goat house. Mike brought a couple of his power tools, what a delight to see men get to use a power screwdriver for the first time. One really enjoyed the hammer. It is special because they learned something they can go home and imitate. I spent many hours talking to the women's class, sharing my testimony, being asked about many things and teaching a little from the Bible. We will be back at Bridges Compound this pm to help feed street children and teach some more. We are having devotionals with the staff in the morning, they can teach us alot about worship; KJ has been playing guitar, this morning we taught them 'trading our sorrows' with the motions, they loved it. All are well and as rested as we can be with the time change. Blessings from Kenya, Sharon"

Update from Kenya!

2008-06-30T13:36:00.001-05:00

This is a letter that my mom got from Sharon Roelke:

Lindy, greetings from Kenya. We arrived safe and have had a very
interesting but long journey. We went to church today. We need to
learn a few things from them about worship. It was only a three hour
service. This afternoon we helped with feeding the street children.
They enjoyed interacting with all of us, we are certainly an anomaly.
They were very interested in my braces. The weather is great. Keep
praying for us, we will be doing devotions, helping teach the women and
beginning a goat house. Sharon

Kenya Prayer Calendar

2008-06-30T13:30:00.000-05:00

Sunday school teachers and presidents,

On Wednesday June 25^th seven of us will be leaving for Meru, Kenya on a 12 day mission trip. As you know, our missions’ vision seeks total involvement of each member by praying, funding and going on a short-term mission trip. Please partner with us on this trip through your prayers. We are inclosing a prayer calendar that you can copy and hand out to your class as a reminder. We will also be sending updates and hopefully pictures that will be posted to the church website.

Please pray for us as we travel, this is an especially long trip. We will leave Dallas on the afternoon of June 25^th, on a 9hr flight to Amsterdam. There we will hook up with Bob and Ann Rosser of Bridges International who will be leading our team. We will then have an 8hr flight to Nairobi, Kenya. We will stay at the Methodist Guest House in Nairobi overnight. Then we will have a 3 hr drive to Meru, Kenya. We will be working in Meru with the local staff of Bridges International following their lead.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

25-Jun

26-Jun

27-Jun

28-Jun

Leaving Dallas on a 3pm flight

Arrival in Nairobi at 7:25pm

Travel to Meru.

First day of mission work.

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

29-Jun

30-Jun

1-Jul

2-Jul

3-Jul

4-Jul

5-Jul

Church & street children feeding

Mission work

Street children feeding

Mission work

Street children feeding

Tour Samburu National Reserve

Travel to Nairobi & leave for home

Sunday

Team members: Philip Green, Joseph McWilliams, Mike & Leah Patzig, Dave, Sharon and KJ Roelke.

6-Jul

Arrive Home! 1:15pm

General requests: Pray that we will bring fresh energy, willing hands and encouragement to the ministry. That we would be encouraged and grow by stepping out of our comfort zones. For our experience of community as a team and with the larger body of believers there. That we would be able to share the gospel through our words, actions and willingness to go.

Update from the Orths

2008-06-16T10:34:00.003-05:00

Guatemala, April 25, 2008

Dear Friends at First United Methodist Church,

We send greetings to you from a warming and trembling Guatemala. Tremors mark the change of seasons from cold and dry to warm and then later on the rains will begin.

Stan often writes these letters but I am insisting on writing this one becuase I think you should know of the impact he continues to have at the Central American Theological Seminary. This is an encouragement to him to know God is still using him to teach the Word. And I believe it can be an encouragement to you who have been with us in this ministry through so many years. You are a great blessing to us.

At the end of the first quarter of the academic year, the Dean's office used a new procedure for student evaluations of each course. A detailed questionnaire is used with a statistical analysis following it. Stan regularly receives high points, but his course, "Principles of Spiritual Formation," received special recognition at a breakfast for the faculty (34 profs) because it earned the highest evaluation of all the classes taught. He thoroughly enjoyed working with the group of 19 students, the largest grad course this quarter. Grad courses meet all morning once a week. He dedicates long hours to preparation and writing notes and the 4 hours of class almost wear him out. Knowing that what he teaches is changing lives and preparing men and women for ministry makes the hard work a joy. These are some of the comments from the students.

"The class helped me to evaluate in a serious way my own spiritual life and take action in
order to grow more in the image of Christ."
"A great class."
"Excellent material"
"Thank you, Dr. Orth, for continuing to bless my life. God has used you to speak to my
heart."
Personally the life and teachings of Dr. Orth have been a blessing and challenge in my
life. For the Seminary it is an honor to have him as a teacher."

As I finish this letter, I need to change the subject. We are very grateful to the Lord that for 10 years we have not needed to write about support needs. However, for several years now we have seen contributions diminishing because some of our friends have retired and others are with the Lord. A church is in financial distress. For this reason we are considerably behind in our ministry account which provides for travel, teaching materials, hospitality for Bible study groups, student retreats, secretarial help and many other details. Would you please pray for this need?

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5 NASB

Gratefully;

Barbara Orth

A Bit Longer Update From Charles and Becky Jackson...

2008-06-12T08:43:00.002-05:00

Becky and I are currently ministering in Brazil and will be here until the end of June. We have been traveling since the first of the year (India, Florida, California, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia). One of the areas of our work here (Niterói) is with the people who live in the Nova Mexico and Santa Barbara slums. It has been a real joy to see how the Lord has moved in the lives of these people over the past 5 years. At the present time we are not able to enter the Nova Mexico slum (visitation and participation in the cell church meetings) as there is literally "war" between the police and the drug gangs. The police enter without warning and begin shooting. This is something that we have experienced first hand. In addition to this, the drug gangs are at war with each other! Please pray for this situation and the families that are going through this daily nightmare. The devaluation of the $ , the rise in the cost of the price of food (in some cases 100%) has also added to the misery of these people. At the present time we are providing a "food" basket for 27 families ($1,100) per month. Please pray for the Lord's touch on the world´s economies.

We are also ministering in the Santa Barbara Methodist Church and have known many of its members since the early 90's. On sunday, June 15th we will participate in the dedication of the second phase of construction of their new worship center. This is truly a miracle! From June 9th until the 18th we will be hosting a short term mission team from Good Shepherd UMC, Cypress, TX. The team will focus on ministering to the children and youth (VBS for the children and several days with the youth) as well as helping with some minor construction at the church. We will also have a service for the "food" basket families (distribution of the baskets, dinner and a worship service).

In August and September we plan to return to India and continue ministering to the loan group recipients as well as sharing with the pastors, evangelists and visiting door to door in several villages and two large slums in Hyderabad. From the middle of October until the middle of November we hope to return to Brazil.
Please let everyone there know how much we appreciate their prayer and financial support. It is a real pleasure and privilege to share the goodness of our Lord and Savior with the people in these countries. We pray His continual anointing on all that you do in His name.

Only By His Grace,
Charles and Becky Jackson

Short Update from Charles and Becky Jackson

2008-06-06T09:51:00.003-05:00

Along with a prayer request. This was sent in a personal email, but for those of you praying for them, please keep it in mind.

"We are in Brazil and will be here for a month. We have been traveling since Jan. and are looking forward to being home in July. We have a great team coming from Cypress to work with us for 10 days. Sadly, the slum where we work is in a war currently ( drug lords and police). Please pray for us and for the safety of our brazilian friends who live there.

Becky"

Update from Colombianita

2008-06-06T09:47:00.001-05:00

For those of you who don't know what's going on, check out Adrienne's tag on the right side of the screen for the story. Adrienne just sent out an email with this update:

"hey folks,
if you are receiving this email it is because i am assuming that you know about the situation within colombianita (the little recycling community where most of our kids come from). the government has been saying for months that they are going to tear it down and send it´s inhabitants to pre-constructed homes in the south of bogota to a place called ciudad bolivar. this has been a huge concern since the moment it was mentioned as a possibility. selfishly, i prayed that it would be postponed until i returned to colombia from my month in the united states. i have now been back since friday and the kids have been here. it was absolutely incredible to see them all again. smiles and hugs have never meant so much. unfortunately the time finally came, they are being forced to leave tomorrow. when we dropped the kids off today for the last time, they had already begun destroying parts of their homes. i write this email to ask for your prayers. prayers for the kids and their families. the government has not followed through on their promise to send them to homes in the most dangerous part of bogota (ciudad bolivar) and as a result they are scattering to all parts of bogota, some with no where to go. there has been a great deal of violence already between the police and the families within colombianita because the people of colombianita do not want to leave. pray especially for the kids. pray that somehow the seeds that have been sown continue to grow and that more will continue to teach them about the love of God. pray for their safety especially during this potentially very violent time.

thank you all for being the family that you are to me.

most sincerely,
adrienne"

Update from Sara Kaiser

2008-05-27T09:20:00.001-05:00

I want to let you know how your prayers and financial support made a difference in North Africa this past spring. Many of you received my updates during my time overseas and have heard some of the stories and know some about the journey the Lord took me on. I have to say that my time in Africa was amazing and truly life changing. I learned not only more about myself, but more about the Lord and what it means to serve Him in another country. Sharing my time in only one page is not quite possible, but I will share a small amount and would be happy to share even more if you are interested!

During the semester, we started our time out learning more about the culture, Islam, and studying Arabic. We spent much of our time traveling throughout the country, where we saw different people groups, needs of the country, and were exposed to new things. On each excursion we went on, God taught me so much and truly opened my eyes to so many new things. Things like staying with a North African family, going out to the remote Berber villages, or spending time in the Sahara were experiences that I will never forget and have impacted my life in an amazing way.

In North Africa, we were in a closed country, meaning it is illegal to be a missionary and openly share your faith with people. This was really hard for me at first because I did not fully understand how I could make a difference or impact others without being able to openly share. The Lord quickly opened my eyes to the power of prayer and I realized that although I could not openly share, I could definitely be praying for these people and all the wonderful friends I made. The Lord is faithful and hears those prayers and it’s exciting to know that I am not the only one who is lifting these people up to Him. In His word, it says, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Although I might not get to see the change, I know great change will come in His timing, for this He promises us.

Coming back to the states has been quite an adjustment. In my time over there, I realized that this is what the Lord desires me to do, to permanently share His name overseas to people who do not know Him. So now being in the states, I am just ready to go back and do what He desires. I am however going to be in the states for a couple more years. I already have a job as a cardiology nurse at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, where I will learn nursing skills that I will be able to use to benefit those in need overseas. I am so excited for this job and cannot wait to work with the kids; it will be an amazing experience.

A page is definitely not enough to share an entire trips worth of learning and stories, so if you would like to hear more, I would love to talk to you about it and share stories and pictures! Thank you again for your prayers and financial support!
Much love,
Sara Kaiser

Testimony from Colombia

2008-05-27T09:18:00.000-05:00

My 2008 Colombia Testimony
Dana Van Steenbergen

I have reflected many hours on this unusual trip trying to come up with a reason it turned out the way it did. It never occurred to me that when we all prayed for us to be “broken” that God would do it in a physical way. I think we all expected to be “broken” spiritually. To have God completely turn our world upside down so we could be vulnerable and love people the way He loves us, unconditionally.

When you look at the Colombian children and look past their dirty faces, lice filled hair and filthy clothes, you see beautiful children. I mean really beautiful children. Every one of them. Children that were created in the Father’s image just like our children. They laugh like our children, they play like our children, they even argue with each other like our children! Children are children no matter where they live and in what circumstances they live in. They are starved for love and attention. They thirst for the living water and the everlasting life that only our Savior can give them. They are eager to except love and kindness from a complete stranger, which I find amazing since it is the grown ups that cause them the most pain.

When I think about how Jesus “hung out” with the destitute and unloved, the tax collectors and sinners, I remember that he loved them, too. He loves us all on the same level. He has no favorites. Neither should we. He calls us to love one another the way the Father loves us.

As I laid sick in my bunk bed on Wednesday while the team was at the farm, I kept asking God why He would send me all this way to just lay in bed. When I think back I have this picture of me and God in a room. I’m pacing back and forth with God sitting relaxed in a chair. I kept asking Him, “Why did you have the church send me here and allow me to get sick? That makes no sense to me! What are you doing??!!” He would just smile and say “Trust me.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I hate it when God does that. Just two little words with no explanation attached. That means he wants me to figure it out and learn something from it. You know what I’m talking about; we’ve all been there. I finally sat down and said, “Okay. I’ll trust you.”

I think God really wanted me to be in a place where I had nothing but Him to rely on. I wasn’t in charge. I wasn’t in control. I was simply being led like a blind man to every destination. God put me in a situation where I had to completely rely on Him to get through every minute of the day.
I firmly believe it was the prayers of all the family, friends, and students left behind that got me through that week. Many were praying I would not get sick. What they didn’t know is that those prayers kept me going. The miraculous thing is that when I left the house on Thursday morning, I made it through the entire day until we returned that evening. Considering my illness, that is a miracle! I had to trust God with every minute of the next three days.

How was the trip? Amazing! I saw children play at the farm after several years of construction and believe me that was worth the trip right there! To see the joy on those children’s faces, incredible. To see them receive the Holy Spirit, indescribable. To know their lives will be changed forever, priceless.

The trip to Colombianita where some of the children live was heartbreaking. It really put things in perspective for me. That is an image that will remain burned in my mind for a long time. I continue to pray that God will change the minds of the Colombian government so they will not tear down life as they know it and move them to the outskirts of Bogota. I have to trust God again that He is in control.

Another of the highlights of my trip was to see my dear friend, Lilliana. She used to be with the YWAM ministry until last year. She now works in a community on the side of a mountain called “Paradise” seven days a week with some of the poorer families of Bogata. She takes the bus and walks up the mountain to minister to the children and women of this small community. I was able to give her the support money I had been sending to YWAM over the past year. Since she was no longer with the ministry, they could not give her the money directly. There was some hope that she would return to the ministry, but God had other plans for her. Lilliana is full of life and is a beautiful person. As we parted on Friday, I realized that this might have been our final goodbye in person. It hit me pretty hard when she asked when I would be returning to Bogata. I told her that I did not know. We do correspond via email, but that is not the same as hugging and struggling to speak each other’s language in person!

The playhouse was another sweet time. It was a blessing for me to be able to help decorate it. I remembered that as I was sewing the curtains, table cloth and baby bed blanket, I kept praying for the children who would be coming to play there. I prayed for them to know the love of Jesus and to break the generational curses of their families. I prayed they would become the future leaders of Colombia and begin to make positive changes in their government. To see that playhouse, in all its glory, was amazing. Many American girls would love to have one like it in their own back yards!

What does all this mean for me now? I am trying to trust Him daily in all things. Maybe it is to walk in love and to leave a “Jesus hug” everywhere I go, from my students at CCA, to the children and youth at FUMC, to my neighbors, even the strangers I meet every day. Jesus calls us all to love because He first loved us. Jesus, help me to be more like you and love others the way you love me. To God be the Glory! AMEN!

A Prayer Request from Colombia

2008-04-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

Tyler and Adrienne work with children in a slum near Bogota, Colombia. The children that they work with, along with their families and their whole community of about 500 families, are about to be uprooted by the government. It looked for a while like they were going to be able to move their community intact, which would mean that the ministry could move with them, but now that won't be possible and they'll all be scattered.

Pray for the kids they teach, that they will be able to continue their education wherever they end up, that ministries will be present wherever they go so that they won't be relegated to life in the dumps or begging. Pray for their families, that they will be able to find somewhere to settle and some means of survival. Pray for the ministry, that it will know where to go next and will have peace and trust with regards to the kids that they have come to love, and will lose touch with. Also pray for the policy makers in the government, that they will quit band-aiding problems and shoving the marginalized farther and farther out from the cities in an effort to make it look like they are actually erradicating poverty.

News From Colombia (via Adrienne)

2008-04-07T08:54:00.002-05:00

Below is a letter from Adrienne Mickler. For those who don't know, a group of our members went down for a mission trip a couple of weeks ago. If anyone has stories or testimonies from that trip that they would like to post here, please email them to me at abbeyrenee@gmail.com.

Adrienne's letter:

"Greetings from the South!

~

In the hallway at the Other Way was a little plastic tub overflowing with warm water, soap, and happy two-year-old Heiner: a beautiful little boy. When he first arrived last year, he wore a stern look across his face, rarely laughed, and hated water. Now he plays hard, laughs often, and loves baths, which are a novelty for him because he is not often bathed at home. As I watched Heiner playing in the bath water, tears welled up in my eyes and I swallowed hard to maintain my composure. I realized how much I have grown to love him and how difficult it was for me to accept the way in which he lives. That moment took me by surprise. I see him every day. I see where he lives every day. But this day was different. I felt raw again. The way one should feel when confronted with the injustice in which this little boy is forced to live.

~

Mayerly: a tough six-year-old girl. As I watch her play in the park, our glances often meet and huge smiles take over both our faces. She glows with an indescribable contentedness when I finish cleaning her face, or washing her hair, or combing out her lice. It is as though the physical dirt on her body is representative of the manners in which she is calloused, used, and unable to express genuine joy. When clean, her innocence is finally permitted to surface and manifest itself in her smile and in her laughter. She clings to me and lies on my lap with unconditional trust and obvious need for love. When she holds my hand close to her chest or hugs me through metal bars of open windows, I realize that even though she wears a hard external shell, she is still a vulnerable little human being. She deserves so much more than dirt and disappointment. I often find myself wishing she were mine. I believe God is using her to teach me about real love; about His love.

~

I know I have mentioned this before but I cannot emphasize enough its' significance: there is a depth to life that can only be experienced through true sacrificial love. The romantic notion we often place in our minds of what love is, is a very surface level love. The reality is, if you love with your entirety in the same manner that Jesus loved, you will be used, you will be hurt, because real love makes you vulnerable and puts your life at risk. However, it is also the most valuable, rewarding way to live your life. Love pierces every nerve and penetrates to the very core of your being. It consumes your mind, heart, and soul. With real love comes this depth to life so profound it continues to affirm the existence of the divine, of God.

Give of yourself. Better said, give everything. Give your life: love people.

~

Note: The Colombian government continues to make attempts to "clean up" Bogotá. Tearing down Colombianita (the area where our kids live) and sending its inhabitants to the outskirts of the city is one of the ways in which they are doing so. The date when this is supposed to take place is theoretically April. Unfortunately, we have been told that we will have little to no warning as to when our kids will no longer live there. They will be scattered in the most dangerous sections of the south of Bogotá. In a selfish sense, this will probably be one of the most difficult things I will ever experience. I do not want to see them leave. I avoid thinking about what will become of them if they do, because the undeniable reality of the situation is too painful to broach. If the kids are moved out, we can no longer work with them as we do now. I do not know in what way to ask you to pray but I do ask that you pray. Pray for the kids.

~

Having what has been coined the "Texas Team" here was awesome! Personally, it was super refreshing to see so many familiar faces and be able to just soak in the love you guys emanated with your smiles and hugs. Thank you a hundred and one times!

I have finally found and gotten involved in a local church. (FUMC has spoiled me. :)) It took a while, but for the past month or two, I have consistently attended the same church and I find the people quite genuine. I have started teaching English to a group of people from the church, which allows me to get a bit more involved in the lives of individual members of the congregation. The youth pastor and his wife, as well as the head pastor have been more than welcoming. In fact, this past week I went bowling and ate dinner with them. It was a neat experience to be able to hang out and speak openly with leaders in a church. I guess I say all this to express how important being a part of a church body is and being an active part of one again has been uplifting.

I am returning to the United States on April 28th for my brother Drew's wedding. I am excited to spend some time with my family again, and of course to see Drew get married.

~

Thank you guys, again, for all the different ways you are continually supporting me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

With love,
Adrienne

Update from Sara Kaiser

2008-03-18T08:54:00.000-05:00

Columbia Mission Trip

2008-03-18T08:09:00.003-05:00

After a delay in Atlanta, our group is finally all in Columbia. Please continue to pray for them as they meet up with Adrienne and Tyler, and work with the street kids. Also pray for a smoother trip home than they had coming there! I will post pictures and updates as soon as I receive them from the mission team.

Newsletter from Charles and Becky Jackson

2008-03-10T08:37:00.003-05:00

Missions Sunday

2008-02-19T11:10:00.003-06:00

Hey everybody!

Be sure this week to visit the missions tables in the back of the sanctuary, and also on the way into the CCA cafeteria to hear Tyler Savage speak about his experiences in the mission field during both Sunday School hours. Information will be provided about all of your opportunities to be involved through prayer, giving or direct service.

Also be sure to sign the sheets at the front of the sanctuary if you have participated in a mission trip. These names will be added to the mural that will be put up so that we can have a visual record of our progress toward the goal of every member going on a trip in 5 years.

And don't miss this opportunity to wear your jeans and sneakers to church! We are wearing our grey missions shirts this Sunday. They will be available in the foyer in front of the sanctuary if you don't have one.

Brief Overview and Updates from Charles and Becky Jackson

2008-02-06T11:39:00.000-06:00

Brief Biography of Charles and Becky Jackson

Charles and Becky Jackson are affiliated with the Mission Society and Generous Hands Ministries, Inc. They are working as members of the “Global Resource Team” that provides spiritual development, discipleship, teaching, church planting and economic development in those areas that request assistance. They are currently working in Brazil and India.

Their primary focus in Niteroi, Brazil (city adjacent to Rio de Janeiro) is the supervision of a monthly food basket program to the poorest of the poor (30 families) in the Nova Mexico “favela” (slum), support and guidance for a mission church which was planted in 2002, and coordination of the construction of a worship center for the Santa Barbara Methodist Church. They also host short term mission teams who visit the residents in the slum and conduct programs (youth and adult) for the mission church and the Santa Barbara Methodist Church.

Their ministry outreach in India is located in the Hyderabad area (south central India) and “Tirchy” (southern India). In the last three years they have started 10 micro loan programs with over 100 Hindu and Muslim women. The loan program has been a key to evangelism amongst these women and their families. The loan repayments are used to develop more micro loans and to subsidize the salaries of the local evangelists. Teaching and training these evangelists is a vital part of the work as well. The Jacksons are also involved with a girl’s home in Hyderabad which houses 25 girls. They are actively raising funds to help them construct a facility which can accommodate 100 girls and will include a Christian school. When they are not on the foreign field they travel throughout the U.S. sharing about this marvelous work to which the Lord has called them and raising funds for the ministry.

Prior to their present assignment, they spent 7 years in Latin America ministering in Paraguay and Brazil. Before their entry into full-time mission work, the Jacksons served churches in Virginia for 14 years. Charles is an ordained elder in the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The home base for the ministry is Lewisville, Texas (suburb of Dallas). They have 4 children; Matt, Sam, Aaron and Elisabeth, who served on the field with them from 1996 to 2002. They especially enjoy being grandparents to Wesley and Audrey, Matt and Carolyn’s children and to Paxton, Sam and Joni’s son. Sam and Joni are expecting a “new” arrival in February 2008.

Newsletter from Sara Kaiser

2008-02-04T14:32:00.001-06:00

Scarbrough Newsletter

2008-02-04T08:22:00.000-06:00

Update from Adrienne Mickler

2008-02-01T10:41:00.000-06:00

"¡Buenas! I apologize for the delay, but here is another update on some of the ministry taking place here in Colombia.

The Other Way closed for the holidays until February, leaving me with too much time to wish that I was with my family for Christmas. However, through an extensive series of coincidences that I can only attribute to God, I had the opportunity to be a translator for a mission team that spent a month in the Amazon. My responsibilities included interpreting for meetings, sermons, skits, leading children songs in Spanish, and essentially any interpreting needed between an English speaker and a Spanish speaker. To be completely honest, my motive for going was to experience adventure in a region of the world that I have always wanted to visit. After my first week in the heart of the jungle, I realized that my purpose for going was not solely to translate or to be hiking in the Amazon. God had a more important agenda. He had some hard lessons that He wanted me to learn. God was not going to let me leave the jungle before I agreed to die to my own desires.

I began learning what it meant to love; to really love with the love of God. This should not be written off as an easy task because in order to truly love we are required to put ourselves second to everyone else. Our instincts must be deliberately changed so that we begin to naturally think of others before ourselves. When we learn to love with this kind of love we can begin to do all things with heart. Our hearts should fuel our actions. God can work through every minute of our time if we are living and breathing with His heart. He can use one hug, one word, one glance to begin impacting someone's life forever.

This team that I worked with in the Amazon is now spending some time working with the different street children programs here in Bogotá until the Other Way and the Light and Life school re-open for the year. When working directly with the kids, they use Bible stories and perform them as interactive skits, they teach them songs, play games and essentially give them more personal individualized attention. My job is to continue to translate for them until they leave in mid-February. I will return to work with my 5-6 year old kids at the Other Way on the 5th. I am excited and ready for what God has in store for this year.

I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers and support. I know I have said it a thousand times but THANK YOU! ¡GRACIAS! With love,

Adrienne

p.s. I am super excited about seeing some of you guys in March. Whoo!"

Update on Guatemala

2008-01-30T16:37:00.001-06:00

The following is from a letter from Jeff Dietz concerning the trip to Guatemala. Please email the front desk with any questions (frontdesk@firstchurch.net). Thanks!

" Because of some of the confusion up front about when the trip was going to happen, whether it was going to be during CCA’s spring break or when everyone else was taking spring break, Ted [Fogwell] has had some difficulty in getting some of the medical personnel that would otherwise have been able to come. We also have a dilemma with flights in that we would have to be leaving on Friday [March] seventh or returning on the sixteenth or seventeenth which eats into the week prior or the following and makes it difficult for some of those who were interested in going. After talking with Ted a couple of Sundays ago, we determined that it would be better if we looked at going at a later date, possibly when another medical trip was already scheduled to go. So the medical part of the trip has definitely been postponed.

There are fifteen students from Dallas Christian College who are going to do a VBS with the school and there are ten people from CCA who are interested in working with the VBS as well and they will more than likely be going.

I have been putting out feelers with our people and the majority who had expressed interest in going were just that- interested but not committed, and it is down to crunch time in regards to flights. It seems as though those who were interested in going were mostly interested for the medical part of the trip, so we have decided to postpone the trip to a later date when we can go and do a medical mission.

If anyone is interested in going to help with the VBS portion I will be more than happy to put them in touch with the young lady who is leading the VBS portion of the trip from Dallas Christian College and I am sure they are welcome to go and join with them, but as for it being a trip for a large group from the church it will not be at this time.

Let me know if there are any further questions that I can help any one with.
Thanks
Jeff"

Updates on Mission Trips

2008-01-29T15:31:00.000-06:00

Here is some more concrete information about the mission trips available through First UMC:

New Orleans will be March 5th-9th

Colombia will be March 15th-21st

Kenya will be June 25th-July 5th

The trips to Germany will be to Daubringhausen on July 26th-August 3rd and
to Aurich August 4th-9th

Missions Sunday

2008-01-29T15:24:00.000-06:00

Get ready for our church's TWO missions Sundays! This year we will have two weeks of missions focus, one to raise awareness of the full-time missionaries supported by First Church, and one to inform everyone and get us excited about the trips that are available to us.

February 17th, Paul Galahity will be a guest speaker in the CCA cafeteria during both Sunday School hours. This Sunday, the focus will be on our church's vision to have every single church member participate in a mission trip (this does not have to be out of the country!) in the near future.

February 24th, Tyler Savage will be our guest speaker in the CCA cafeteria during both Sunday School hours. This week we will be updated on all of the work the Lord is doing through full-time missionaries supported by the prayers and gifts from our church.

If you have any pictures from mission trips that you have participated in, please email them to ddaniels@firstchurch.net.

Local Mission Opportunities

2008-01-21T09:40:00.000-06:00

Sidewalk Bible School Sidewalk Bible School is a program that reaches out to Carrollton children. On Saturday mornings, from 11AM to noon, Sunday school is taken to a neighborhood in South Carrollton, next to a nursing home. The purpose is to take Sunday School to the children who aren’t attending a church currently. For more information, contact Carolyn Giffen (cgiffen@firstchurch.net)

Jail Ministry Jail Ministry is an outreach ministry to men and women inmates, two times a month—teaching a Bible lesson and sharing God’s love. It is an awesome experience to feed the spiritually hungry and lead them to the Lord – Contact Alan Hitt (ahitt@firstchurch.net)

Kairos Prison Ministry Kairos offers the Emmaus Walk experience to people in correctional institutions. This national program offers a 3-day weekend with a profound effect on the residents in prison. Opportunities to be a support through Prayer are available. Contact Alan Hitt (ahitt@firstchurch.net)

Hosea's Hope Hosea's Hope brings awareness about coming out of the adult entertainment industry, with speakers available to schools and community groups about helping women caught in this industry. Contact Carolyn Giffen (cgiffen@firstchurch.net)

Individual/Small Group/Sunday School Volunteer opportunities Get involved in your area of interest serving our neighbors in need. Construction, tutoring, mentoring, food service, childcare, visiting elderly, food/clothing drives, use your imagination! Contact Abbey Daniels (abbeyrenee@gmail.com)