Missions News & Events

Red Cross Blood Drive --- July 21st --- Schedule Appointments Now:

The next Red Cross Blood Drive at Tabernacle, on the Bloodmobile, is scheduled for Sunday, July 21st from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. --- on the Bloodmobile.

To schedule an appointment, go to www.redcrossblood.org or call the church office at 540-786-6162 and ask for Susan Pleasants or leave a message for Susan. Two appointments are scheduled for every 15 minutes from 8:00 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. Remember to schedule early to get the time you desire. Thank you.

Facts about donors:

--- The number one reason donors say they give blood is because they "want to help others."

--- The two most common reasons cited by people who don't give blood are:

"Never thought about it." and

"I don't like needles."

--- One donation can help save the lives of up to three people.

Many Thanks ---- Kits Results:

A total of 97 kits were donated by Tabernacle members and friends --- 48 School Kits, 30 Health Kits, 6 Layette Kits, and 13 Birthing Kits. Additionally $127.00 was donated thus far to help purchase additional kits. Pastor Steve is taking the kits along to the Virginia Conference this week to add to the conference collection. The kits will help replenish the UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) supply which is distributed around the world when disasters strike or other events occur that require emergency aid to help others in need. Thank you, good and faithful servants.

Second Mile Giving --- A Computer for SECA and Rebuilding Together completed:

Second Mile giving thus far at Tabernacle during 2013 has resulted in a new computer purchase for SECA (Spotsylvania Emergency Concerns Association) along with a new printer and software. This equipment replaces greatly outdated equipment for ongoing work at SECA. It also gives SECA better Internet access as well as access to programs SECA can use to help others. Thank you Tabernacle members and friends for making this possible.

Another Second Mile project, Rebuilding Together, has been completed. Thanks to your Second Mile financial donations and the efforts of the Tabernacle work crew, a home for an elderly lady was greatly improved in April by replacing all of the windows in the home, completing a total replacement of the entrance door, installing a battery backup system for the basement sump pump, and reinforcing the hand railing on the entrance steps. Thanks to everyone for helping to make a difference in our community.

A third Second Mile project, building a new storage shed for SECA, is in the planning stages. Various activities are underway to make the storage shed a reality.

Second Mile donations are those above and beyond normal ongoing offerings. It is not meant to shift donations from one area to another, but to help address needs above and beyond ongoing efforts, thus it is Second Mile giving. Donations for Second Mile should be clearly marked "Second Mile" on the donation envelope along with the 'amount' of the donation. E-giving also has an option for designating Second Mile donations. Thank you for your help with the computer, home repair, and storage shed.

Superstorm Sandy Recovery:

UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, has announced that Conferences heavily affected by Superstorm Sandy last October are ready to receive long-term recovery volunteer teams. Teams can register through the New Jersey, the New York, and the Peninsula-Delaware Conferences. All UMVIM teams are required to have a trained UMVIM team leader when they sign up to volunteer. Please let Gary Gross know if you are interested in being on a Recovery Team -- a Tabernacle team or a team with members from various churches. Please contact Gary at garlind68@comcast.net or 540-786-8060.

Mexico Mission Trip Results:

Tlancualpican is the name given to the location settled by native inhabitants many, many years ago in southeastern Mexico. It means "The Place Where Water Flows Out of the Mountain". It is also known as the "Land of Scorpions". Additionally it is the home of the Tree of Life Training Center where the Mexico Mission Team spent the bulk of their time while in Mexico January 4 - 13, 2013.

The Mission Team brings back greetings from our friends in Mexico --- those of you that have been there before will recognize these names --- Terry Henderson, Catalino, Mirna, Andres, Carlos, Sala, Estella, Chaly, Juan Lauro, Don Trini, Liborio, Marcelino, and the rest of the GYTTE staff and day workers that we fellowshipped and worked with.

Even though the bulk of the mission team had been to the Tree of Life Training Center before, we still became more aware of the rural reality of the rural poor people of Mexico since the Alternative Work-study And Reality Experience (AW.A.R.E.) was especially tailored to returning missioners.

The team shared in two worship services at the local Methodist Church and hosted the Three Kings Day celebration at the church. Toys donated by Tabernacle members and friends and the Tabernacle VBS were provided to the children on Three Kings Day. The team also visited Estella's home community one evening near Tlancualpican. Estella and Violeta spoke at a well-attended outdoor community gathering on Domestic Violence as part of the outreach efforts of the Tree of Life Training Center. Due to the abundance of toys that were able to take with us to Mexico, we were able to distribute toys to a large gathering of children that were in attendance at this community event.

The team checked out the animal projects at the Center that the Tabernacle Sunday School children funded in 2012 at over $1,000 --- to purchase ducks, chickens, and fish as well as food for the animals. The animals are doing well.

Working side by side on construction with the GYTTE (Give Ye Them To Eat) staff at the Tree of Life Training Center for five days the accomplishments included: (1) replaced a bamboo and tile roof over a cconcrete pond used to gather water to power a gravity-fed water-powered hydraulic ram pump to move water on the Center; (2) replaced a bamboo and palm branch roof over an outdoor classroom area with new bamboo supports and rice straw. This is the first rice straw roof used at the Center; (3) removed the existing corals for two goat pens and built new pens on the same site; (4) completed a massive amount of work on the new playground at the Center. The Tabernacle Children's Sunday School and the VBS participants contributed over $1,000 in 2012 toward the playground. Tons of huge boulders and a huge number of wheelbarrow loads of rocks were moved off the site, most of which breached the surface and were dug out of the ground. Dozens of tree stumps were chopped and pulled out to clear the site. The entire area was graded by hand. All of the small brush plants were removed in the process. The posts, with metal and concrete supports, and beams were set for a combination tire and rope climbing wall. Dozens of tires were painted and bolted together for the tire portion of the climbing wall. The end frames were built for a swing set, plus the holes were dug and the metal frames built to support the swing set. The frames were ready to be set in concrete in the ground. Tires were painted for a tire climbing pyramid and temporarily set in place until the next mission team comes to complete the work. Horse shaped swings were constructed out of old tires and were ready for installation. A multi-person swing was also constructed and readied for installation using a large truck tire.

All in all it was a great mission trip. We appreciated being able to be with our Mexican friends again in Mexico. They are wonderful hosts and hard workers. A great time with great fellowship was had by all. Some day we will return again to The Place Where Water Flows Out of the Mountain.

Cambodia --- Receiving Stop Hunger Now Meals:

From Stop Hunger Now --- On December 6, 2012 the 45,000 meals from the 3 Communities / Stop Hunger Now packaging event were loaded at our Richmond warehouse onto a 40’ container containing a total of 285,120 meals. Those meals headed to Norfolk, VA, where they will be loaded onto a shipping vessel and will make their way to Cambodia to our in-country partner Foursquare Children of Promise (FCOP). FCOP International is a 501(c)3 organization that works to provide aid for orphans and widows in 24 different provinces of Cambodia. The short and long term goals of their orphan program are to feed, clothe, and educate the poor and needy through the ministry of the local church. They also work to provide culturally relevant job training for individuals in orphanages mainly by establishing self-sustaining agricultural and income generating enterprises. The orphan program has been operating since 1999 and was originally founded by Ted and Sou Olbrich.

Since 2001, FCOP has grown from 22 church orphan homes to 108 church orphan homes currently caring for more than 3,000 orphans, separated children, and widows. FCOP accepts children regardless of race, creed, or economic background. The facilities they operate are constructed in the area of need and are limited to a maximum size of 40 children. This allows children to stay in their home area, near friends, and distant relatives. When a facility reaches maximum enrollment they create another facility in a near-by community. The homes are staffed locally, normally by widows and members of the local church with a ratio of one staff person per five orphans.

Stop Hunger Meals will be going to each of the 24 districts, providing food to every child and widow in the homes. Children in the orphan program are continually cared for until they leave the FCOP program. Children stay at the homes until the age of 18 but they are supported for longer if need be, until they are placed in a sustainable form of employment.

Lives will be changed because of you! Stop Hunger Now thanks you for choosing us as your mission partner. Thank you for paying attention to the statistics and choosing to not just hope and pray that people get food, but for making sure they do.

From John Wesley, the founder of Methodism:

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

Micah Meals:

If you would like to help provide food for the Micah meals for the homeless on the third Friday of each month, please click here.

SECA (Spotsylvania Emergency Concerns Association) Update:

Click here for the latest information about SECA.

Help Ever, Hurt Never