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GRACE GLOBAL MISSION NEWSLETTER
Welcome to the second Global Mission Newsletter. There is a great deal happening at Grace involving global concerns and mission and we want you to be aware of it. Should you have any questions or comments regarding any of these items feel free to ask anyone on the Global Mission Committee and we will do our best to help you.
Vicki Quraishi’s Mission to China On February 26th I received word that I had been selected to teach with a group of 30 people in a poor rural area in Henan Province in central China. I was so excited to get the good news! Participants come from various parts of the US – Arizona, California, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio and Washington, and we will be working hard over the summer to train Chinese teachers of English. We will leave on June 29th and return to the US on August 11th.
This area is primarily dependent upon farming, and there is high population density, scarce resources and extensive illiteracy. You may remember that this winter Grace had a goal to raise $1,000 to partner with other congregations in the US and with China Service Ventures to help fund a Foundation for scholarships to help provide an education for these rural children. China Service Ventures (CSV) is affiliated with the ELCA Division of Global Mission. We were successful in our efforts, and now Grace is actively helping a new generation improve their lives and unlock their potential!
I will be working in Henan Province in one of five vocational/technical schools to help Chinese teachers who want to improve their English speaking and writing skills. The schools are located in the cities of Guanshan, Luoshan, Ping Qiao, Lijiazhai and Xinyang.
We will teach six days a week in order to maximize our contact time with the teachers, and have two – three hour sessions each day, as well as a social period in the evenings. Soon there will be a display with pictures and maps so you can become familiar with this area and the people.
In preparation for my trip I am practicing eating with chopsticks, as forks and spoons will not be available in the countryside. I also need to remember never to drink the water, or wash utensils in it. The climate is very hot and humid during the summer with lots of rain. We will spend the first four days in Beijing for intensive training and orientation, and then we will go by train to our various schools.
I have two requests from you for this venture – 1) Please keep all of us in your prayers as we prepare, travel to and work in China, and 2) Help me collect maps of the US, dictionaries, short stories for children and magazines of interest to adults about America. I will have to mail them by the middle of May for them to arrive about the time that I arrive in China.
You might be interested in reading a book Jesus in Beijing by David Aikman, Regnery, 2003. It was written by TIME magazine bureau chief in Beijing, who speaks fluent Chinese and is a committed Christian. The book is available in paperback on Amazon.com for about $12.00 plus shipping and handling.
Thanks for your prayers, financial support and interest! I look forward to sharing my photos, thoughts and observations with you when I return this fall!
The War in Iraq: A Different Prospective The war in Iraq – should we or should we not be there? We probably all have an opinion on the issue. But, for a few minutes let’s look beyond the politics and the opinions and consider the situation from a Christian point of view.
Christian soldiers are in war zones for two reasons: · One is obviously to serve their country. · The second is to serve God.
On March 3rd, SFC. Laura Frost shared her experience in Iraq with about 25 members of the congregation and revealed a very different view of how things are. Most of our perception is based on what we get from the media, but SFC. Frost put a human face on Iraq that only someone who has been there can know.
She worked in one of the prisons with several young soldiers under her command. The care and compassion she expressed for her “kids” said much about God’s calling for Christian soldiers. She made it very clear that Christ is present even in Iraq and that, despite the reality of war, Christians are able to witness to His Word through their actions if not with actual preaching or teaching.
SFC. Frost’s mission for God in Iraq was to give support and encouragement to her fellow soldiers and the people of Iraq. The care and love the soldiers showed for each other (and even the company cat) demonstrates that Christ is there. The respect and concern for the prisoners and people also shows that Christ is there. Much of what the Iraqi people know about Americans comes from propaganda and the soldiers who serve there might be the only contact with Christians they have. God has placed these Christians in this war for a reason: to make His presence known.
SFC. Frost’s mission is two-fold because in bringing her experience to Grace she has helped us realize that we are dealing with human beings like ourselves in Iraq and that they are loved by God just as we are. She serves as a witness for both sides of the conflict as have many Christians in the armed forces.
We need to support our fellow Christians in this war despite our personal opinions. They have been given a difficult mission by God, one that many of us would not want to undertake. They are Christ’s mouth and hands in an area with little feeling of hope and a great deal of conflict and mistrust. We as Christians must stand by them in this mission and put our own agendas aside. Pray that the strength and power of Christ is with them in their work.
Why Face-to-Face MISSION? You might be wondering why the Global Mission Committee is asking you to help send members on mission trips. The answer can be found in Scripture. Christ told his disciples to “…go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). Why? Because direct contact with people of other nations would build relationships of fellowship and sharing. Anyone who has been on a mission trip returns with a new and renewed understanding of God and his mission. He or she also has an impact on those they come in contact with.
In an article from Lutheran Partners (Sept/Oct 2003), Pr. Dwayne Westermann of Salem, VA writes of his experiences on various trips. He concludes that there are three parts to face-to-face ministry.
Mission needs to be a two-way relationship to truly be effective. God appears to be calling Grace into not just a deeper relationship with our brothers and sisters worldwide but with Him as well.
(For the complete article by Pr. Westermann go to http://www.elca.org/lutheranpartners/archives/facemiss.htm)
ELCA Global Mission Event The ELCA 2007 Global Mission event is coming up on July 19 – 22 at the Ohio State University campus in Columbus, OH. The theme of the event is “New Heaven and New Earth” and is open to all ages. It will include activities to help Christians learn more about global mission.
The four day program will feature teaching sessions, global music, speakers, programs for children and youth, and a global worship service on Sunday. One of the speakers is Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide who will share her insights about God’s presence during that time and forgiveness in a war-torn world.
The cost for the entire event (including meals and lodging) is: Adults $240 Youth (11-18) $220 Children (3-10) $140 Infants (0-2) $75 The cost is less without lodging or if you only want to attend one day with lunch and dinner included. For more information or to register on-line visit www.elca.org/gme or contact ELCA Global Mission at 800-638-3522, extension 2642.
HEIFER INTERNATIONAL There are many charitable organizations to support. The following information is about a group that you may want to consider investing in with your time or money or both.
Heifer International’s goal is to end world hunger and care for the Earth. Their cornerstones form the acronym PASSING ON THE GIFTS.
Passing
on the Gift
ON THE Genuine Need and Justice Improving the Environment Full Participation Training and Education Spirituality
Heifer International works with a community to set up an animal or agricultural project after it makes sure that the community’s goals are compatible with its own. The participants receive rigorous training before they receive their animal or plants. The families must also build shelters to house the livestock and any other facilities needed to care for the animals. Once the animal is received the families put their training to work. Then they must pass on their training and a newborn animal to another family in need. Also, the families are asked to share their stories to encourage more donations and to inspire other families to break their poverty cycle. One example is the story of Christine Makahumure.
In 1994 in Rwanda, genocidal war destroyed everything that Christine had. She saw her son and husband shot to death when they were caught in the crossfire of warring tribes. When the fighting ended, Christine was barely able to feed her daughter and parents. But then she received a Heifer cow. The milk supplemented the family’s meager diet and she was able to buy a small home with income from selling the milk. Christine gave her first calf to a neighbor but she didn’t stop there. She provided money so her neighbors could build and apply for their own Heifer cow. She also adopted four war orphans and became a living example of passing on the gift.
Heifer International has projects in Africa, central and eastern Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and in North America, including the United States and Canada. This organization truly helps people to help themselves. More information can be found at www.heifer.org.
This article is included as a means of informing you about global projects you might wish to get involved in. We hope to feature one of these in each issue. Who knows – maybe you will feel called to go on a mission trip to further support one of these organizations.
Donations for Global Missions We have collected $1800 toward our goal of $6000 to help Vicki Quraishi‘s ministry to China and Pastor Jacobs and Ron Hiatt on their mission to Tanzania. Please continue praying so we might know and fulfill God’s will for Grace. Thank you for all of your support!
Members of the Global Mission Committee: Pastor Jacobs Linda Mason Jeanne Harmon (Chair) (419) 825-2778 Marcia Miller Ron Hiatt Vicki Quraishi Gretchen Hiatt Jan Lang Nancy Manworren
Global Mission: Building bridges and tearing down walls in the name of Christ.
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