"Two Desert Fathers had been living together as hermits for many years and had never gotten into a fight. One of them said to the other, "Why don't we do like everybody else in the world and get into a fight?" The other fellow said, "O.K., how do you do it?" He said, "Well, fights start over possessions, owning something exclusively so that the other fellow can't have it. Let's look around and get ourselves a possession and then have a fight over it." So he found a brick and said, "I will put this brick between us, and I will say, 'This is my brick,' and you will immediately say, 'No, it's mine,' and then we will get into a fight." So the man gets the brick and puts it down between the two of them and says, "This is my brick." And the other says, "Well, brother, if it is your brick, take it." 

Story retold by Thomas Merton (1915-1968) in Why We Live in Community by Eberhard Arnold (Robertsbridge, UK: Plough, 1995), pp. 65-66.

We are also going to have fun! 

To that end, we invite you to visit www.support.cchnc.org  to enter to win one of 100 FREE Walt Disney World and Universal Studio tickets. Between July 13 and July 16, (each afternoon at 4:00 pm EST) at the CCH kiosk, within the NBA Booth #D6, 25 names will be randomly drawn from the online entries.

So either online or at the CCH kiosk, come visit us and learn about a growing Disciples ministry to low income seniors.

Don Stump

President & CEO

John Rodenberg

V.P. of Philanthropy & Mission Implementation

email: jrodenberg@cchnc.org  

__________________________________________________________________  

Global Ministries is seeking to fill the vacant position of Area Executive for Southern Asia. The deadline for applications is July 5, 2013.  Thank you for your assistance.  

Division Of Overseas Ministries and

Co-Executive, Global Ministries

www.dom.disciples.org

www.globalministries.org

317.713.2577 direct

317.635.3100

317.635.4323 fax

Pat Donahoo  

Disciples Women  

Oficina de Mujeres Discípulos   

__________________________________________________________________   

Offering Welcome and Hospitality

Compassionate Outreach to Congolese Refugees

• There will be less than 10 days notice before each family arrives.  
• Each family will be taken to an apartment in Oakland along the International Blvd corridor.  
• The apartment will have 3 days of food, simple beds, one set of linen, one set of clothes for each child, minimal furniture, a few dishes.  
• These families will have tremendous needs. The women have an average of a 3rd grade education. Virtually none of them speak English or any other 'common' language. Most speak dialects from rural areas that are specific to their villages or local communities only.
• The families will get minimal financial assistance that will barely make any ends meet and from which they will have to pay rent, food, etc., and eventually they will be expected to find work (with some assistance).  
• They will get Medi-Cal initially and we'll work hard to find them optimal health coverage.  The women will get health care through Highland Hospital's Adult Immunology Clinic and Highland's primary care program for adults. 
• Arrangements will be made for kids' school enrollment once their immunizations have been updated and Oakland Unified School District will address their special needs.

• Diapers and other kid-essentials.
• Toys without batteries (batteries cost too much money. The children have NO toys and not likely have had any for the years they lived in refugee camps. 
•  New or used school supplies (or make kits that can be distributed to the school-age kids). 
•  Furniture that will make their apartments feel more cozy and comfortable.
• Sheets, towels, hand-towels, kitchen equipment - new or used, as long as they are clean and washed.

• Consider offering your garage space for organizing and storing donations until the families arrive or we can transport donated items to a storage area at Children's Primary Care clinic.
• Share this email with your networks. Encourage your older children to organize clothing or school-supply drives through their schools in the fall as part of their contributions to the community.
• Make cash donations through the Children's Hospital website directly to the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Program.
• Participate in the SF AIDS Walk in July. Join the Children's Hospital Oakland's Pediatric HIV/AIDS Program Team (#1151) and ensure that your donations go to our program.   
• Drop-off donations: Staring the week of June 17th,  you can drop off clothes, toys, books, kitchen items, etc. at the home of Oakland resident Cindy Lee, who's volunteered to collect/store donations.  (for small items only.)  (Pickups/drop-offs for larger items like furniture are still being worked out.) Call or email her first.: Cindy Lee, blee@pacbell.net,  510-705-3869