Here are highlights of their reports back the past few days…

Tuesday, Jan. 31:
We blessed a load of desks, health kits, student kits, cleaning buckets, medical equipment, all being shipped to Kenya and Tanzania. The ladies today started with sewing kits, layettes, and then most of the day they did personal dignity kits.  The men plus Julie built 6 desks and took them apart again for shipment.  The weather down was fine except for Holland, but that wasn’t too bad.  Donna was an excellent cruise director.  

Wednesday, Feb. 1:
The 3 of us are back from St. John’s Breadline in Springfield. Sally and Linda bussed tables, while Julie worked in the kitchen, “pickin chicken”, that’s going to be Thursday’s meal.  St. John’s (a mission similar to MAP Supper House) has lots of really nice people working there, and they refer to their patrons as “guests”.  They serve two meals a day, 365 days a year.  Not too busy today, first of the month, and many people got their checks so didn’t come in for lunch. We have started and not finished ONE puzzle…we miss Cheryl and Lynn and his perseverence (or FOCUS).  Haven’t done much in games, just enjoying each other’s company and stories.  (Other team members took the day off in Springfield visiting Abraham Lincoln heritage sites.)

Thursday, Feb. 2:
Today’s work … Donna sewed, Marty and Jan and Chris counted paperclips, tore apart and re-counted layettes, Sally and Linda traced and cut patterns for hospital apparel to send to people, sorted material and cut bolts of cloth for sewing kits, also spent some time counting paperclips during down time.  A total of 5,950 paperclips were counted!!!  Don East and Don West and Dick and Julie sanded and polyurethaned senior desks, and got to shrink wrap and load them and get them weighed and ready to ship:  1,012# of desks on a pallett.  We then got another pallett of desks ready for the next group of volunteers to polyurethane, which means taking the kits apart and putting the parts on the wall where there are a series of colored dowels, and it takes many people to figure out which parts go where!!! We brought back to the dorm a roll of upholstery fabric that Donna asked for to make student bags, and we had to unroll it and fold it for transport. We had a great time but and it was too short!  Went by fast.  Having leftovers for supper, thinking of you all and wishing you were here.  Still haven’t finished the first puzzle.  

On Feb. 3 our friends will return to Michigan. We welcome home: Julie Husted, Linda Roberts, Dick Swanson, Donna Truran, Chris Twork, Don VanderLaan, Don West, Jan Wheeler, Sally Wibalda, and Marty Wolf, our missionaries to Illinois.

Learn more about the ministry of the Midwest Mission Distribution Center by clicking here.

Monday, Feb. 6:
-United Methodist Women Book Discussion

Tuesday, Feb. 7:
-Computer Club, 10 am-noon

Wednesday, Feb. 8:
-Chapel Prayer, 7:00 am
-Mission Bees Sewing Group, 10:00 a.m.
-Jr. High Youth at Lake Harbor UMC, 7 pm

Thursday, Feb. 9:
-Romeos Breakfast at Carmen’s, 8:30 am
-Juliets Breakfastg at Cherokee Restaurant, 9:00 am
-Computer Club, 7-9 pm

Sunday, Feb. 12
-Worship in the Chapel, 8:30 am
-Children K-5 in Rm 204 at 9:30 am
-The Foundry for Adults in Rm 209 at 9:30 am
–Sr. High Youth at Lake Harbor, 5:00 pm

Central’s monthly newsletter is called the Outlook. Click here  for the February edition. Central also has an e-letter, Shining the Light. Subscribe to the newsletters by contacting the Church Office.

Click here to find the calendar of events for the month of February. Birthdays and Anniversaries, too.

Church Camp brochures are now available in the church office that describe these and many more activities for all ages. Camp is a place for creating new friendships and discovering a greater love for God.

Where are the camps: Wesley Woods (Dowling), Crystal Springs (Berrien Springs), Lake Louise (Boyne Falls), Lake Michigan (Pentwater) and Albright Camp (Reed City).

Central offers camp scholarships to those attending these camps. There are also first-time camper rebates available. To learn more about all the possibilities go to the camp website. For details about Central’s support for campers, email Donna Truran or call her at 231-828-4648.

Worship will include the traditional marking foreheads with ashes. Solos and sermon by Pastor Jackson. Methodist pastors from Greater Muskegon will be robed and leading worship.

Pastor Andrew Jackson is a retired United Methodist clergyman living in Byron Center. Since 2005 he has served as the Chief Chaplain of the Michigan State Police. He and his wife, Phyllis, are active at Wesley Park United Methodist Church in Wyoming.

Lent is a time for the church to journey together toward Easter. Lent is not a time to feel miserable or sad. Giving up something can be part of Lenten disciplines, but so can taking on something new.

This year Central’s  benefit meal will be held on Sunday, Feb. 19 at noon. Come to Parish Hall after church for fellowship and hotdogs with your favorite fixings. Your donations will go to Haiti Hot Lunch.

The average cost of one meal of rice and beans is 75 cents. A child’s education costs about $250.00 a year and parents make great sacrifices to provide schooling in a Methodist school where there is a hot lunch (canteen) program. It takes a larger percentage of the family income to educate a child in Haiti than anywhere else in the world, considering the average income is between $250.00 and $300.00 per year.

Hungry children do not learn and are absent from school because of sickness and exhaustion. The Haitian proverb, “Sak vid pa Kanpe,” (An empty sack cannot stand) is used to describe the plight of children who struggle daily with starvation.

The Hot Lunch Program has been very successful in lowering school absenteeism, increasing the general health of the students, and raising the average test scores on national exams. The Haiti School Hot Lunch program has also provided summer programs of Bible study, recreation, and community activities for children.

Ten persons from Central left Jan. 29 to serve at the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Chatham, IL.  Late last year, team member, Donna Truran, asked the folks at Midwest what they needed most for relief kits. They said boys’ hospital outfits (a tank top and a pair of shorts).

People like Carolyn Buboltz, Kay Fairfield, and Julaine Cole, met Donna in Central’s Sewing Lab to cut fabric and assemble kits. The kits were then made available during the month of January to “anyone who can sew a straight seam.”

The Midwest Center will send the pajamas to mission hospitals around the globe. Boys will receive the outfit when they are in the hospital and then they take the outfit home.

Like to sew? Interested in fellowship? Join the gang that gathers in the Sewing Lab on the Parish Hall Balcony. Next meeting is Wednesday, February 8, 10 am to noon. Please email or call Donna if you have questions, 231-828-4648.