HAITI
We have received many phone calls asking what you can do to help in Haiti. Here are some websites to assist you:
by Karen Trotman, Washington United Youth Director
In just under 4 days, our 20's Connection group built a house for Luis and Rosa in Acuña, Mexico. The house is 14' by 30' with 3 rooms, a cement floor and a stucco exterior.
The 20's Connection is a group of young adults from United Presbyterian Church in Washington. Our meetings are open to the community and we meet weekly for Bible study and socializing. The trip took place over the Christmas holidays and we raised the needed funds by selling calendars, painting shed roofs, moving individuals in our congregation, working concessions at Carver Hawkeye arena and parking cars at the County Fair.
We paid $7,000 for the house materials and then applied the rest of our funds toward fuel, insurance, food, housing, and gifts for the family. The organization, Casas por Cristo helped to arrange the house building experience.
It was hard work in less than ideal conditions but we were continually motivated by the extreme poverty and the family's appreciation. It was an opportunity to grow in our faith and it strengthened our understanding of how God calls each of us to care for our neighbors. (editor's note: Karen is in the photo in the second row, on the right hand side)
A DREAM IS COMING TRUE IN BRASIL
In Davenport, Newcomb Presbyterian Church sent $3,000 to the Aerolandia church in Brasil to help with their expansion project.
In Fortaleza, hammers can be heard as a lateral wall is lifted. The smell of solvent lingers in the air from freshly painted fixtures. A mosaic of newly installed tiles gleams in the afternoon sunlight pouring through the windows at Aerolandia.
We are living the dream, says Pastor Sinval Israel and we feel the scripture coming alive in Psalm 126:1, When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy.
Pastor Sinval refers to the people of Newcomb as his "siblings"; the root being "sibb" meaning kinship which has been the goal of the Brasil campaign - to build relationships between congregations in Brasil and Iowa.
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Lookin' for Life is the newest CD of the Presbyterian musicians known as Steeplechase. Members of the band include Ely's Joanne Chadima, Greg Mulherin, Barb Horak, Julie Kilberger, Kenny Hofer, and Mike Hamilton and Pastors Bob David (interim at Iowa City St. Andrew) and Al Zimmerman (who recently moved to Kansas from West Liberty). Pastor Howard Chapman painted the CD cover art pictured at the right. A portion of each Steeplechase
Lookin' for Life CD sold will support flood relief in Iowa. For more about Steeplechase,
click here.
