Mission Memo for October 2004

RESPONSE TO DISASTERS CAUSED BY HURRICANES CHARLEY & FRANCES

Even as we waited to see where Ivan was headed, disaster response personnel from many of the denominations and other agencies met together for the first time on Tuesday, September 14 to get and share information on how to respond to the recent flooding. We are pleased that Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) immediately sent $10,000 to help with unmet needs. Our 2004 One Great Hour of Sharing offerings at work right here in WNC!

The Methodists seem to be ready to accept clean-up teams in the Canton and Clyde area. If you want to be kept abreast of where needs and opportunities to help are, send your e-mail address (or the e-mail address of someone who will pass on the information to you) to Ginnie at vestevens2@aol.com. If you discover needs that you think might not have been otherwise identified, let her know as well.

The most important thing you can do right now is get folks who have suffered damage to their homes or businesses to apply for help from FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). It is critically important that they make their claim before registration is closed. There are going to be many unmet needs so everyone who qualifies for government assistance should apply so the private dollars can be used for the needs that won't be covered by FEMA.

For information about what has happened through PDA, go to the following web pages: http://www.pcusa.org/pda/response/usa/hurricane-charley-081704.htm and http://www.pcusa.org/pda/response/usa/hurricane-charley-081604.htm#responding. There may be others by the time you get this newsletter.

RESPONSE TO THE CRISES IN THE SUDAN

A third of the way around the globe the crises in The Sudan continue unabated. Not only in Darfur, where the atrocities are finally being labeled genocide by Secretary of State Colin Powell, but also in South Sudan, that has been beset with an on-going civil war since 1956. Because of long-standing partnerships with the two Presbyterian denominations in The Sudan, the PC(USA) has been active both in relief efforts and in the work of advocacy and peace-making there.

Joe Dyer, member at FPC, Lenoir who has been assigned by PC(USA) to work with Presbyterian Relief Development Disaster Agency in South Sudan, will be visiting there in December in preparation for his move in February after a month-long orientation with other new mission co-workers. Pray for Joe and his family as they say good-bye to father and grandfather. If your congregation is not yet supporting a specific missionary, consider Joe. Ginnie can give you more information.

The Hunger Committee voted to send $10,000 from the 2 Cents a Meal fund to support our ministries in The Sudan. (See back side of this page for all grants made this year.)

Some churches have taken special offerings for Sudan. FPC, Burnsville had a special prayer service and sold flowers and plants from member's gardens to raise money. To learn more about the PC(USA) response, go to http://www.pcusa.org/pda/response/africa/sudan-index.htm.

MALAWI & THE NAGY'S

The deadline for applying for the trip to Malawi (May 19-29, 2005) is November 1. You can get more information from Ginnie, Billy Wilson (704-864-1205) or Tom Kilgore (828-438-0844), and download an application at www.presbyterywnc.org/mission.
NGMER (Presbytery's National & Global Missions and Ecumenical Relations Committee) is investigating filling a 40 foot container with supplies needed at hospitals in Malawi and a crisis nursery for AIDS orphans (founded by Nancy Dimmock, another missionary from our Presbytery). If you want to be kept informed as to the status of this investigation or want to volunteer to help, contact Ginnie.

The Nagy's request prayer for the following:
" Learning Chichewa (an on-going request )
" Road safety, this sounds mundane until you have driven here-it's sort of like a real life video game, where you see how many objects you can avoid before you crash
" Positive nurturing relationships with coworkers that mirror Christ-like attributes
" Safety/health/wellbeing of Melia and Anna
" Success of HIV treatment plans which are starting up all over the country
" Bed Net program to control malaria in young children, that parents would see its importance and comply
" Success/integrity/wisdom/peacefulness of new government in Malawi as they try to set priorities and work on longstanding problems
" Success/wisdom of the church here as they minister to people.

2 Cents a Meal Grants

The following international grants were approved at the last meeting of the Hunger Committee:
Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation $10,000
Guatemala Partnership Health Ministries Program $5,000
Support for training/projects related to children's nutrition, sustainable
agriculture, improved cooking stoves, and health promoter training)
Integrated Agricultural Development Program (Haiti) $5,000
Program which combines organic gardening, sustainable hill slope
agriculture, reforestation with Moringa oleifera in relation with the local
production of protein supplements for nutrition programs.
Dikitiki Sewing Cooperative Society (Zimbabwe) $7,121
This group will purchase a large mill to grind corn to benefit 3000-4500
households and seven schools. The group originated to make school uniforms for the seven schools.
Ssisa Kweyamba Food Project (Uganda) $3,700
The program is to provide food to school-going children in six schools
where the children do not normally get any food. Also garden tools and seeds will be given to parents and teachers, along with training in modern agricultural techniques.

Remember that the deadline for grant requests from regional agencies is October 15. If your church knows of an agency helping people who are hungry and needs special help at this time, please request an application from the Presbytery office and help that agency get a request prepared. We depend on local congregations to pay attention to the needs of qualifying ministries in their communities that need help.

A new 2 Cents a Meal packet is being prepared for distribution at the October Presbytery meeting.

COME TO THE "FROZEN CHOSEN…THAWED OUT" EVENTS
GREAT MUSIC FOR A GREAT CAUSE
Sunday, September 26, 4-6, Grace Covenant, Asv *** Sunday, October 17, 4-6, FPC, Hickory
Mud River Ramblers (FPC, Franklin) Homeward Bound (several churches)
Roberta Whiteside (Paint Gap, Burnsville) Lee Thomas (FPC, Kings Mountain)
River of Peace (Rutherfordton) West Avenue Singers (Gastonia)
Fred Barbour (New Hope, Asheville) David Dudley & Friends (Sweetwater)
The Brass Men (FPC, Morganton) (John Knox, Shelby)
Rex Parvin (Southminster, Gastonia) The Minor Prophets (Shelby)
The John Earle Band (Grace Covenant) Bert Sigmon (Duncan's Creek/Bostic)
Maggie Lauterer (FPC, Burnsville)