Dear Family,
Tired of beans and rice? Did five days ever seem so long? This year’s Hunger Week has spurred a lot of great family discussions about the poor, our over-indulgence, and how to live in such a way as to free up resources for God’s Kingdom and others. Hunger Week has also engendered a lot of culinary creativity – are humus, tortilla chips, rice pudding and Rice Krispie treats allowed? Hope you’re enjoying the challenge of self-denial and looking forward to worship/shopping/and eating this weekend on Saturday at 5:00p.m. and Sunday at 10:00a.m.!
• Our student and children’s ministries have completely bought into Hunger Week. Every night, our Student Ministry has met to tour homeless shelters, food pantries, consider the suffering of the worldwide church, the challenge and cost of reaching the world for Jesus, and to pray for local and global needs. Our children are setting aside money for “Seeds of Hope” (see video) – a project to provide food for 60 children in an orphanage in Haiti!
• Blair Commons is in Japan for three weeks assisting with tsunami relief. Here’s an update on his labors there. “Took 9 hours (each way) to drive to where they were going – caravanning. They made deliveries to a couple of churches they’ve been in contact with. Helped deliver goods to people and to their homes – language barrier was hard as many kept thanking them for coming – but couldn’t verbally communicate past that. Did lots of “scouting” to see where to help on the next trip. Saw some damage from the earthquake – a few broken tiles on homes, roads were destroyed but some main roads have already been repaired enough to allow travel to the area. The real damage came from the tsunami – 1. The initial force of the wave (I think he said 9 feet high), 2. Then 4-5 foot (feet??) deep mud that covers everything nearest the water (quite a ways inland), 3. Higher up everything covered with a big layer of mud – everywhere, on everything. He said there are cars/vehicles everywhere they shouldn’t be – mostly inside people’s homes and shops/stores from the surge. He said they went through the business district of the town at night and it was complete darkness – even in the tall buildings, etc. Said he felt as if he were in a “zombie town like in a movie” and was just waiting for the zombies to come out!”
• Want to see Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, the Bielmans and Martin Luther (well, sort of) all in one week? Seven Rivers is taking its next road trip in April of 2012—and since each of our past trips has been a sellout, you should not tarry! Here’s the link.
• Our student ministry summer intern program has young lady coming from Washington state who will need transportation for about 3 months while she is here this summer. If you have a vehicle available for lending, please contact Josh Gilman, our assistant youth director
• SRCS is having a great year. Here is the latest headmaster update. Contact Flo Julias if you’d like to receive these regularly.
• Camp Seven Rivers is a great camp experience for SRPC children and a great discipling experience for middle school volunteers, and SRPC high school and college students who are employed as counselors. What you many not know is that over half of each weeks campers come from non-churched families and is the only exposure most of the children have to Jesus and those who love Him. To pull off camp for our community requires scholarshiping. Financial aid allows us to reach children who desperately need the gospel, the love, the guidance, the skills, and even the food they get at camp. I need to raise $5,000 - $10,000 for us to pull off camp this summer. If you can help, would let Wendy Busk know?
• This weekend in worship I’ll be preaching on James 4:11-17. Can’t wait to sing, pray, give, shop and eat something other than beans with you this weekend!
Love,
Ray
