The
delegation from Covenant to El Salvador is preparing for their trip on
October 15 through October 23, 2011. The delegates will be commissioned
during worship this Sunday, October 9, 2011. Delegation members this
year are : Lisa Albers, Terri Springer, Weldon Michael and Marie
Michael.
We
plan to spend several days soaking in the culture of El Salvador,
including some Mayan ruins and more recent civil war sites. Three days
will be spent in our partner community of San Isidro. We plan to visit
each family at their home and take pictures to bring back to our partner
Covenant families. We will deliver a small package to each home in San
Isidro, which includes our card and note from partner families. We
also will spend several afternoons in discussions with their community
leaders on more specific projects that Covenant can help with to better
their standard of living. One afternoon will be spent in their school
with a mini version of our 'Kids on a Mission 'summer bible school. We
will take the friendship bracelets that our kids made in Bible School to
deliver to their children. We're also going to take lots of thread to
make bracelets with the San Isidro children to bring back to our kids.
And of course lots of songs that we learned too.
Each
of us is very excited for our adventure. We understand the mission to
bring hope to a people who are struggling to live from day to day with
hunger and low standards of living. We also will gain much appreciation
for everything that we have. We are 'Adults on a Mission' - the
learning is a lifetime process!
We hope for many prayers for a
meaningful, productive trip. There are several items that we would like
to take in an extra suitcase for their community: crayons, markers,
pencils for the school. Aspirin, ibuprofen, antibiotic cream for
families. There will be a box in the narthex of
the church for any donations of these items. And then we hope to fill
the suitcase to bring back items for our international gift market at
Christmas to sell at Covenant. Many thanks,
The 2011 Covenant delegation
Calvin Community Donations Needed
Calvin Community is a faith-based community for senior adults located at 4210 Hickman Road in Des Moines. CPW (Covenant Presbyterian Women) supports Calvin Community Auxiliary. The Auxiliary is asking for donations for Bingo gifts for their weekly Bingo games. Gently used items are acceptable if clean and in good repair.
Small stuffed animals - residents love to give these to their grandchildren or great grandchildren
Lipstick
Powder compacts
Hand mirrors
Combs and brushes
Bobby pins and hair clips
NO candles
NO sharp items (clippers, scissors, razors etc.)
Please clearly mark items for Calvin Community and place them on the cart in the Narthex.
Serving in the Nursery
But
Jesus called for them and said, “Let the little children come to me,
and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God
belongs. - Luke 18:16
There are many
texts in the Bible referencing children, how to have faith like
children, how to enter the kingdom of heaven as a child, do not hurt or
despise children for the consequences will be great. As I could never
sum them all up in a paragraph, I think I can assume that children are
so very important to God. He said He gives them to us as a reward, they
are gifts from Him personally. If you can take a moment to look around
our congregation you will notice how blessed we are with the many
little gifts running and crawling or perhaps sleeping around. He has
entrusted us with an abundance of little bodies (as Meredith likes to
refer to kids 5 and younger) to love, nurture and teach.
As the number of
gifts increases, so has our need for nursery volunteers. Our nursery
has two areas where you can serve, 0-2 years and 3-5 years. It is our
desire to have at enough volunteers to serve all the children
appropriately from holding a crying baby to handing out snacks to hunger
toddlers to reading stories to eager preschool listeners. We are
currently trying to fill the open Sundays for October, November and
December. If you feel your heart being tugged to give your gift of
time, love and nurture to some little lives, please contact me and find a
Sunday that works for you. We have many who serve indifferent ways and
at different times. Help us continue to care for the many gifts God
has blessed us with.