Welcome to our MAX Members
With this email we welcome several thousand MAX members, for whom MAX has email addresses, to join the MAX Support Network Ministry.  This ministry brings an awareness of urgent needs, tragedies and special requests for prayer to our members and partners.  We also like to share occasions of celebration and thanksgiving within the MAX membership. You will be receiving one of these Support Network emails every three to four weeks.  The MAX Mutual Aid Ministries team hopes you will find these emails helpful in better understanding the uniqueness of MAX and activities of the Mutual Aid Ministries team on your behalf.  We welcome you as prayer partners.  Should you wish not to receive these emails, and we hope that is not the case, there is an unsubscribe mechanism at the end of the email.
 
The Impacts of the Recession
Daily, our media bombards us with the effects of the current recession and economic crisis.  The recession is real and it is impacting many people across the MAX constituency.  People are losing their jobs, their homes, their cars, their health care and are falling further and further into financial duress.  We are seeing the result of credit card debt.  People are needing to decide between medication and food, because their money does not stretch.   The Anabaptist/Brethren & Quaker constituency we serve is not immune to the stresses of this recession.  Congregations and MAX Mutual Aid Ministries are being impacted with the needs created by this recession.  At the same time, we are learning about the sensitive and generous ways constituent congregations are reaching out and creating mutual aid opportunities.  We are honoured to share several examples:
 
Linda was recently laid off her job.  Before she could cash her final payroll check (cheque), the company declared bankruptcy and the bank could not cash it, leaving her with unpaid bills.  She not only incurred bank charges, she also incurred interest fees for not paying her bills.  Her congregation's Deacon Fund and the MAX Share Fund provided financial assistance to raise her from this financial hole - paying down her debt and getting the bank off her back.  Pray for Linda as she looks for work.
 
Jose lost his job as a cabinet maker.  He had spent a number of years building a house for his wife and children.  Because he has no money to pay the mortgage, the bank is threatening foreclosure.  Although his wife works for the government in Puerto Rico, she has not been paid for the past six months.  Their circumstances are becoming desperate.  Unemployment in Jose's community is 25%.  Please pray that Jose's skills will become wanted by someone in the community and that income will again come to the household so they can survive.
 
Debbie and her children were abandoned by her husband, who also recanted on his financial commitments to them.  Several weeks ago, she was laid off from her employment.  To complicate matters, she needed to follow through on hip replacement surgery plans.  Of course, being unemployed, she has no health insurance.  Her recuperation will hinder her job search.  Her congregation and the MAX Share Fund are surrounding the family with financial support, physical care, food, and prayer.  Pray for encouragement and strength for Debbie to face each tomorrow.
 
Kevin is a brittle diabetic.  While not limited physically, he needs to carefully monitor his blood sugar level.  He was laid off his job as an accountant when the company downsized.  His wife and daughter are on strong medications for their physical ailments.  The family lost its health insurance when Kevin lost his job and accessing available insurance comes at an astronautically high price.  The congregation's "We Care Fund" has been activated and the MAX Share Fund is supplementing the congregation's generosity.  Pray that this family will not lose heart and that their job searches will become fruitful. 
 
Grace Lao Mennonite Church in Kitchener, Ontario has 22 households.  The members emigrated to Canada as refugees during the 1980's and quickly established themselves as hard working, self sufficient members of the community.  In 1999 they purchased their own church building with an accompanying mortgage.  Since the economic downturn, more than fifty percent of the households have experienced layoffs or reduced work hours, in many cases impacting both spouses.  Of their five single households, one has also been laid off.  Pastor Trakoon (Yoel) Masyawong reports that these circumstances have greatly impacted the congregation's ability to meet current financial and mortgage obligations.  Pray that these resilient people, who suffered so much as refugees and have worked so diligently to establish themselves financially, will be able to maintain their community and their church during these difficult times.
 
We encourage our readers to pray for those who have been impacted in these vignettes.  Pray that wholeness will be restored.  Pray for their congregations and communities who are responding to the economic and social stressors this recession is causing.  But let us not forget to also pray for the many, many others, unknown to us who are also suffering through this recession with little or no support.
 
Affirming A Congregation's Mutual Aid Response
We end on a note of celebration and thanksgiving.  A check (cheque) from MAX was given to Steve Slagel, pastor of East Goshen Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana.  The funds were given in recognition of the hours of volunteer work done by congregational members following fire and smoke damage to part of their church building.  Verification was made with the fire and smoke remediation contractor that the volunteer work offset a significant portion of the cost they would have otherwise billed on the claim.  This is one example of MAX promoting and empowering individuals and congregations to be involved in mutual aid.  We are very excited and give thanks to see a congregation practicing mutual aid in this way.