Our Church By-Laws direct the Missions Committee to: assist the church in its mission of “Becoming Like Christ and Making Him Known.”…reaching out in Christian love and service to those in our own and around the world. […] and providing education to the parishioners about a variety of social problems.
Local Missions: we support Loaves and Fishes of New Milford and others in need through regular donations and hands-on support, including donations to our Community Relief Fund. To find out more about helping those in need, contact our church office or Sherman Social Services.
Broader Missions: we support Christian Camping in Medellin, Columbia, The Lion of Judah Academy in Tanzania, Africa, and in the United States we support CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) at Cornell University and SUNY Cortland.
Each month we choose a special project and collect a second offering during the worship service to support that project. Oftentimes these special projects are a call to help those suffering a current and extreme loss such as through war or natural disaster.
A Military Donation Bin is set up in the Fellowship Hall or Veterans at the Veterans Hospital in West Haven. There is a list of suggested items in the bin and on the bulletin board. Items will be picked up and delivered to the VA Hospital. Also be aware that some online stores like Amazon will ship free of charge to any active duty military as long as they have an address to send to. Feel free to use this one if you don’t know of any others. Veteran donations will be shipped to West Haven VA Medical Center, Voluntary Services (135), 950 Campbell Ave., West Haven, CT 06516, to the attention of Mark Frazee.
Missionary Newsletters:
Mission Update from LOJ
To catch you up just a bit…
— the students are arriving right now for the beginning of the new school year, which begins in January and ends in November
— thanks to a very successful end of the year matching gift challenge, we were able to close out 2022 with all our bills paid, and a small buffer going into 2023. This is the first time we’ve had a significant concern about that. Food prices/shortages really hammered us hard in 2022
— so far the food shortages/prices show no sign of moderating in 2023, so that will continue to be a concern
— those concerns interrupted the plans to get the vocational school operational by December. We still hope to get that going in early 2023.
The vocational school is important primarily for three reasons:
1 — our students, who have no interest in pursuing university studies, could really benefit from a good, reputable school teaching vocational skills.
2 — it will have significant potential not only to be self-sufficient, but also to generate income for the other school programs; in fact, it is being designed with this objective in mind.
3 — this is the final (and often delayed) part of the vision God initially set out for us back 20 years ago, when the adventure began.
Prayers…
— for the students and staff, as the school year begins.
— for the financial pressures, especially the food shortages and prices, which we are currently facing.
— for the completion of preparations for the vocational school, and the successful launch of the project.
Mission Update
Subject: Magreth update January 2023
Greetings Everyone,
Lynn and I spoke to Mtebe this afternoon and got an update on Magreth.
It turns out that just yesterday, Mtebe met with her for the first time since her surgery! She’s still all the way over in Dar es Salaam so she can be closely monitored until around April.
But…she’s doing quite well and all signs are looking good. To him she looks and acts both happy and healthy, which is wonderful to hear. She will remain in the Dar es Salaam area until mid April…about 6 months following her surgery. She is still being cautious about crowds, and needs to be cautious about exposure to potential infection. But if all continues to go well she will be released to return to her home and resume her normal life in April.
I will continue to keep you updated as I learn more about her progress. But for now…for all of you who have been praying and supporting her and her husband, Kambira…”Well done!”
Praise and honor to God!
Thank you, Hart
Dear friends who have been praying for Magreth, her kidney issue, and her family,
I received word early this morning (Wednesday) that Magreth’s kidney transplant was performed yesterday — that would be Tuesday, November 1. All signs indicate the surgery was successful and the recovery for both Magreth and her donor (her nephew) will be complete and swift.
The message actually arrived in the middle of the night, though I didn’t see it until I woke up this morning and checked my WhatsApp account, which is how we normally communicate with our Tanzanian friends. Mtebe would have written this message about 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, Tanzania time.
Mtebe, in his message, wrote to all of you who have been thinking, and praying, and financially supporting this effort:
“We take this opportunity to thank God for His goodness to us. He has been so faithful. We also thank you for being used by God. We thank all of the people who were touched by God to support financially, and also through prayers. We have nothing to pay back your hospitality, but praying that God pays you back accordinging. As I was speaking this morning to Kambira (Magreth’s husband and our board member) he insisted me to thank everyone who has been involved in this. I believe that he himself will be able to write as soon as he is able. May our almighty God bless you all!”
God is indeed good! Lynn and I also thank you for your support.
Mtebe said it is expected Magreth will remain in ICU for about six days, then into another room for further recovery and observation. The donor will remain in the hospital three days and then probably be discharged.
By the way, I don’t think I’ve ever really made clear the fact that the name, “Magreth,” is pronounced in Swahili almost just the way we pronounce, “Margaret”.
Lynn and I also want to thank all of you for your support, encouragement, prayers and contributions. It has touched us deeply, as well as more than you can know of our Tanzanian friends and fellow believers, to see how folks who know nothing of Magreth and Kambira, other than their need, have responded with such generosity and faithfulness. Thank you! God has been, is, and will continue to work, speak and act through you. Jesus’ light is shining through you. Magreth, Kambira and their family are being healed and restored…and all the glory is going to God.
I’ll keep you updated as I receive more information.
Hart Inlow
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