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TRANSFORMING LIVES
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WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE WE GOING? THANKS TO YOU...
WORLD MISSIONS
Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
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WORLD MISSION: Something for Everyone
GIVING, PRAYING, GOING. There's something that each of us can do in World Missions ministry. GIVING. During the influx of refugees on our southern Border, we were overwhelmed with the generosity of people, not only from our diocese, but from all over the country. One senior citizen who lives in a nursing home was so touched with the plight of refugees that she went from door to door in her residence insisting that her neighbors contribute to meet this need.
Every gift, large or small, makes an impact. This is especially true in emerging nations where the value of currency may be depressed. Our partners are all carefully vetted, and we ensure accountability wherever funds are directed.
PRAYING. Jeannie Loving, one of our long-term missionaries who works in Honduras, testifies that she has excellent health in spite of all the tropical illnesses that often plague Hondurans and visitors. Jeannie attributes her good health to the prayers of many people such as the Daughters of the King who pray for all our long-term missionaries.
Being a Pray-er has few hazards. Pray-ers can pray at home or in groups; the cost is only in terms of time; and it can be done in secret. Libby Templeton ([email protected]) heads up our diocesan mission prayer ministry. If you will contact Libby, she can send you team lists for ongoing missions, daily updates of the trip, and prayer requests.
GOING. You may have wanted to join a team for a long time and didn't know how to begin. If your parish is putting together a mission, talk to the team leader about details. OR you can contact our office (888/210-824-5387), and we can introduce you to other parishes or groups that are made up of members from many locations and parishes.
Call us, and we can talk about specifics involved in traveling for mission ministry.
We've all been called to being missionaries. The ways in which we respond may be different for each person, but God has a call for each of us. Responding to mission is life-changing for everyone.
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SUMMER MISSION SYMPOSIUM: Spirit-led Mission GUEST SPEAKER: Edwina Thomas, SOMA USA Director Emeritus
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, August 27, 2016 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Bishop Jones Center, Mission Room 111 Torcido Dr., San Antonio, TX 78209 $20 includes lunch, snacks, materials Register online (click Open Registrations): www.dwtx.org/calendar-events/calendar/
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MORE GOOD WORK IN PIEDRAS by Connie Bye (St. Luke's, Cypress Mill)
We had a very successful mission in Piedras Negras and a meaningful time with our friends there.
The upstairs kitchen/ meeting room is getting finish work done, framing large windows overlooking worship space and doors, sheetrock on ceiling in foyer and upstairs, finish work in foyer and some sheetrock on stairway, though it still needs railing and flooring on stairs. Water is on in the kitchen area and both bathrooms downstairs. That was a long time coming to the bathrooms.
We had two sewing classes, and the one on Thursday was special because we bought sixteen large scarves in Israel to make vests. Marie Elena Cristerna invited women to that class who had been sewing with us since the beginning along with some DOK women. They had beautiful colors to choose from and will brighten the church when they wear them. Friday class had twenty women and many children who were cared for by a childcare person we hired for the day. A large group came in buses from one of the colonias. The project that day was a tunic blouse or short dress. We sent a sewing machine home with an older woman who was an experienced sewer and who will help the women finish this project and some in the future. This group had lived along the railroad tracks, but government housing had recently been provided for them, and they now live there. This was not a planned gift of a sewing machine but just became evident to us since she was a leader in this group and could help them with sewing and clothing repairs.
Thank you again for the financial grant we recently received. Luckily, we still have construction money for minor construction projects, so most of the grant will go towards sewing.
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REMEMBERING EVAN TANNER: from Mary Hayden Manning (St. David's, San Antonio)
Last summer, a group of 15 youth and adults from the Diocese of West Texas traveled to Croix des Bouquets, Haiti, to work with Living Water Haiti Ministries. Living Water is a children's home which currently houses 17 kids. The founders of LWHM treat all of these children as their own and plan on raising them in Haiti to become productive members of their community. They recently bought a beautif ul piece of property that will eventually contain houses for the boysand girls, the mission team, and a school, with room to grow as needed. Since our time there last summer, all of the children have been moved into their new houses on the property. Our group helped pump water and mix concrete to pour the front porch of the mission team house. We also led Vacation Bible School and art camp and spent a lot of time building relationships with the children and with each other. It was a transformative experience for all involved.
Sadly, one of our beloved team members, Evan Tanner, passed away on April 12th. He was a senior in high school with big plans and a big heart, and I know his time in Haiti was so important to him. LWHM has graciously decided to honor Evan's life by dedicating their next building project, the school, to him. The school will consist of 6 classrooms and an office and will cost around $10,000 to complete. Around the world, and especially in a country like Haiti, education is truly life-changing, and now Evan will continue to inspire and change lives through this school. Please join me in prayer as we begin raising money for this project.
TO DONATE TO THE EVAN TANNER MEMORIAL, GO TO http://www.dwtx.org/departments/world-mission/. Click DONATE, select Evan Tanner Memorial from the drop down menu.
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YOUR MONEY AT WORK: KIDS FUND IN COAHTEPEC, MEXICO from Beth Price
I just wanted you to know that once again we are very grateful to the Kids' Fund. Our twelve year old neighbor fell on a ride at a fair in our community last Tuesday and completely broke the two bones in his lower left arm. The Kids Fund was ready and waiting for us with money to pay for pins to put in it. He is in Hospital Civil and will be having surgery.
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MONDAY, JUNE 20, IS WORLD REFUGEE DAY.
Please consider marking this day with PRAYER for refugees: There are 59.5 million displaced people in the world today. This is roughly the equivalent of the population of Italy. More than half of these are children.
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I AM A GO-ER: Trey McCarty (Grace Church, San Antonio)
My name is Trey McCarty and I'm a "Goer". Being a Goer creates an
opportunity for me to become vulnerable. When vulnerable, God is able to speak to me and through me with clarity. Being a Goer takes me out of my
comfort zone which allows me to be myself and focus on the needs of my neighbor.
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I AM A GIVER: Joann Saylors (Deployment & Congregational Development, DWTX)
I was formed as an adult in an Episcopal church who considered the Great Commission our mission statement. The deacon would include Matthew 28:18-20 at the beginning of the dismissal every week: "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!" That seemed to me to be a mandate from Jesus, meaning there is no question that we are called to mission work. From that church I was able to travel to New Orleans, Mexico, and Peru on wonderful mission trips which continue to transform me and my ministry. I have seen this transformation in the others I know who have traveled to partner with Christians outside our comfortable communities. I want very much to offer the same gift to others. I believe it very much matters to the wider Church as well, so I am delighted to make this offering.
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I AM A PRAY-ER: Charlotte Phillips (St. David's, San Antonio)
I want to support world mission; they are the first on the scene after a disaster, with little fanfare. They help immediately.
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DID YOU KNOW...
There are THREE components to world mission:
GOING, GIVING, PRAYING.
You know about GOING AND GIVING, but did you know that Virtual Mission is a group of PRAY-ERS who participate in team trips by attending team meetings, reading the team devotional books, staying connected with the team as they go, and PRAYING daily for the team? If you'd like to be part of Virtual Mission, contact Libby Templeton for more information ( [email protected]).
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PRAYER GUIDE & TEAM LIST
DATES | PLACE | TEAM | DESCRIPTION | May 18-TBD | Uganda | John Hardie (Team Leader) | Working with clergy | May 30-June 5 | Turkey | Duane Miller (Team Leader) | Evangelism | June 5-9 | Honduras | Maria Cavazos (Team Leader), Pamela Haines, Doug Holmes, David Spencer | Texas Water Mission, Administrative | June 5-11 | Guatemala | Lorena & Jorge Rojas, Nancy Springer (Team Leaders) | St. John's, McAllen | June 12-17 | Honduras | Sally & Mark Keddal (Team Leaders) | Owen Project (XO computers) | June 17-30 | Guatemala | Sally & Mark Keddal (Team Leaders) | Owen Project (XO computers) | June 20-July 3 | Guatemala | Gavin Rogers (Team Leader), Shelby Alkek, Anna & Jane Beck, Lena Bozzo, Catherine Champion, Allie Cochran, Brandon Cotton, Kathrine Green, Dacey Harvey, Nelson Herrera, Dennis McIntyre, Kathrine Norvell, Scott Villarreal, Lindsey Woodard | Christ Church, San Antonio: Youth | June 27-30 | San Antonio | Spencer Stocker (Team Leader) | St. Thomas, San Antonio: Daily Bread, intergenerational local mission | June 29-July 14 | Uganda | Eric Fenton (Team Leader), Richard Wallace, Lily & Charissa Fenton, & Michael Bahan | Band & Bible | July 7 - 18 | Costa Rica | Laurie McKim (Team Leader) | Advent, Brownsville: Youth team - youth empowerment | July 12-19 | Honduras, Chalmeca Copan | Terry & Brien Koehler (Team Leaders) | Christ Church, San Antonio: construction, VBS, women's projects, community outreach | July 17-23 | New Orleans | Spencer Stocker, (Team Leader) | St. Thomas, San Antonio: summer youth mission | July 31- August 6 | Guatemala | Lorena & Jorge Rojas, Nancy Springer (Team Leaders) | St. John's, McAllen: construction | Fall (TBA) | Guatemala | Lorena & Jorge Rojas, Nancy Springer (Team Leaders) | St. John's, McAllen: surgical | October 13-20 | Honduras | Maria Cavazos (Team Leader) | El Paraiso & Yuscaran regions. New well project, community health & hygiene training, children's ministry, Ojo de Agua Church project | November 9-16 | Southeast Mexico | Valerie Kirk (Team Leader) | Veterinary |
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TO MAKE A DONATION TO WORLD MISSIONS:
(You may give to specific designations or "Where Most Needed.")
Or make checks payable to DWTX and note "MISSIONS" on the
memo line. Mail to DWTX, PO Box 6885, San Antonio, TX 78209.
Or call Betty Chumney 888/210-824-5387.
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK:
Episcopal Diocese of West Texas World Mission
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