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MISSION NEWS The giving to our Mission Bucks' projects continues to amaze the Missions Commission. Thank you again to our very generous church family for their giving. The Nothing But Nets April offerings brought $1,061.05. Please note the 5 cents. The children of our church participated because they wanted the people of Africa to be protected from the malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The Mary's Shelter May contributions brought $738 to help provide a loving home for pregnant minors, teen mothers and their babies. Thank you to those who gave to this project. Disaster hits and the church family comes forward with $2,540, with half going to China earthquake victims and half to Myanmar (Burma) cyclone relief. These contributions will be handled by UMCOR (United Methodist Committee On Relief). We thank our Missions Commission members and our Japanese Fellowship for their major contributions to the 40 Health Kits that were delivered to UMCOR at Annual Conference last week. These carefully planned kits are usable in the greatest number of situations. With strict rules often governing product entry into international countries, it is good that we followed the requirements carefully. Our Youth Work Team Account has more than $15,000 ready for a group to do some laboring need among God's people. We looked into a number of possibilities but there were security and scheduling issues. The next trip for our youth is yet to be determined. That's not all! In the 12 churches of our Santa Ana District, Mesa Verde UMC gave the most to missionary support! Of the 74 churches in our Conference who gave beyond their goals, Mesa Verde UMC was second only to Redlands First and that was by $45. It's not just the money. Please remember how much our members give to the community with their time and talents. The list is huge! Thank you for doing all that you do in the name of the Lord. ---Lynda Wood
Shelter benefited from May At our March brunch Mesa Verde women were made aware of the outstanding work of Mary's Shelter, a home in central Orange County that provides safe and loving care for pregnant teen mothers before and after the birth of their babies. Barbara Nelson, executive director of Mary's Shelter, gave an impassioned presentation on behalf of the girls and their babies and many of our UMW ladies are eager to get involved. Mary's Shelter has provided a safe home and loving care for a total of 45 homeless and at-risk pregnant teens and 31 of their children in 2007. They help girls acquire the skills needed to break the negative cycles associated with teen pregnancy: high risk births, repeat teen pregnancy, interrupted education, poverty, dependence on public assistance, and neglect and abuse in the next generation. Our women were invited to volunteer and help in a variety of ways. They need drivers to take girls to medical appointments, mentors to befriend girls who feel alone, cuddlers for babies while the mothers are in school, receptionists to answer the phone and greet visitors and shelter shoppers to do weekly grocery shopping. Mary's Shelter also needs donations. It costs about $60,000 per month in private donations to provide for the needs of the home. They also need donations of household supplies such as paper towels and toilet paper, baby care products such as diapers and formula, disposable cameras, gift cards from Target or CVS, and flat screen monitors. Please consider how you might be of help to this worthwhile charity. Four of our women along with Rev. Steph visited Mary's Shelter after the brunch and came away extremely impressed with the both the needs and successes of this mission work.
HEALTH CARE KITS The 6th, 7th and 8th grade Sunday school class assemble 40 Health Care Kits which were taken to Annual Conference. NOTE: We WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT TOOTHPASTE. In place of toothpaste, we will donate the $$s for its purchase. Some items have already been donated by members our Mesa Verde UMC Missions Committee. At press time the following items are needed to complete these 40 kits:
Donations should be placed in the boxes in Room 17. Note: UMCOR is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before they are sent. Do not leave check made out to Mesa Verde UMC or cash in our donation boxes. Please see Lynda Wood if you are donating funds for the toothpaste purchase. All items included in kits must be NEW items. All emergency kits are carefully planned to make them usable in the greatest number of situations. Since strict rules often govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the requested items nothing more. Do NOT include any personal notes, money or additional materials in the kits. These things must be painstakingly removed and will delay the shipment.
Share Our Selves (SOS) provides many services including medical, dental, food, financial, clothing, counseling, legal aid and special seasonal programs that help many thousands of our neighbors who live in poverty. SOS is located at 1550 Superior Avenue in Costa Mesa. You are invited to visit and see firsthand their work in progress. A quote by Karen McGlinn on a thank-you letter from the SOS Board of Directors reads, We celebrate all of you who dream the dream, carry forth the vision, and believe that in the most ordinary of efforts we can create the extraordinary.
Even with a new church mortgage, our church family gives more generously to our mission projects in 2007! Thank you for your gifts of time, talent and treasury to the following efforts: Adopt-A-Social Worker with the Child Abuse Prevention Center American Red Cross Blood Services collected 74 units of blood dates for 2008 drives are January 28, April 28, August 25 & November 24 Church World Service CROP Walk raises money for the hungry General Board of Global Missions Eunice Arias, our Missionary in Guatemala Habitat for Humanity Mission Bucks and Alternative Christmas purchases Heifer Project International Hospitality Kitchen once-a-month hot meals served at the SW Community Center in Santa Ana and the current Operation Santa Claus project Human Options, Inc donations to their Classy Seconds thrift shop on 17th in Costa Mesa. Mary Magdalene Project Mission Bucks and Alternative Christmas purchases Mesa Verde UMC scholarships to a deserving college student Youth and Adult Work Teams Katrina recovery work Orange County Rescue Mission SOS or Share Our Selves food drives and adopted family of 10 for Christmas gifts Third World Arts Alternative Christmas Threads of Love Many sewn articles for the neo-natal units in our Orange County hospitals Tutoring in our Newport Mesa School District Vistas Hospice Healthcare contact Betty Brittingham for more information Women Helping Women UMCOR United Methodist Committee on Relief A Summer for Change to benefit the Greensburg, Kansas UMC and California Fire Relief with Mission Bucks. I'm sure there is even more that is accomplished by individual members of our congregation and our United Methodist Women. Many thanks again to our generous church family as we work to reach out to others in our community. Lynda Wood, 2007 Missions Commission Chair
  
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MARY'S SHELTER OFFERS SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
MISSION BUCKS IN FEBRUARY
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