Saturday, May 10, 2014

Our New Missionaries to Liberia

On Tuesday, May 6th, Kerry and Joey Davidson(and Miriam) were consecrated as cross cultural workers by The Mission Society. They will serve in Liberia.

Kerry, Joey and Miriam are pictured with Dr. Max Wilkins, newly installed President of The Mission Society located in Norcross.

The following Wesley Covenant Prayer recited by the new missionaries during the service beautifully describes the commitment of the Davidsons.

Lord, I am no longer my own, but Yours. Place me where You want, doing what You want, with those You want me to serve. Let me work for You; let me suffer for You. Let me be actively engaged for You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or humbled for You. Let me be full; let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and joyfully yield all things to Your pleasure and will. And now, gracious and loving Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are mine and I am Yours. So be it. And the covenant I make today here among these witnesses, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

 
Congratulations Davidsons! We are with you On Mission With Jesus!
 
By Jennifer Jones
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

Monday, April 28, 2014

Holy Spirit moving in Cuba, Guatemala, and Atlanta

Over the last several weeks I have taught and preached in Cuba, spent some time in the men’s shelter, and have just returned from a mission trip to Guatemala.  I have experienced the move of the Holy Spirit in the Cuban church.  I was privileged to experience the love and gentleness of the Cuban people.  I was honored to spend a night in the Central Presbyterian Men’s Shelter in Atlanta.  I saw men filled with that same Holy Spirit.  They had loving eyes that somehow did not seem to belong in bodies that had seen way too many hard days.  They were thankful and grateful for another day as I am.  As they walked into the early morning darkness, I asked that God would protect them.  I also prayed that they would find suitable shelter and jobs over the summer so that they would not return to the shelter in the fall.

Now I have just returned from Guatemala and I am trying to process the last several weeks.  I experienced the love of the Guatemalan people in many ways.  That same Holy Spirit that was present in Cuba, and in downtown Atlanta, is in Guatemala as well.  I see a look in their eye, a look of love and God’s grace.  I feel God’s love, God’s grace, and the warmth of His embrace.  God is good, and it is good to be home, but a part of me is still with my Guatemalan and Cuban brothers and sisters, and the men of the Central Presbyterian Night Shelter.  I pray that they feel the warmth of His embrace.


Randy DeGroot 2014

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Our Guatemala Projects


     We have been home now for about two weeks.  We are slowly getting back to "normal".  We are reflecting back on our awesome trip and more than one of us has uttered the words "I sure miss Guatemala"!  It does have a way of getting under your skin!   This year we worked on two projects while in Guatemala.  We thought you might be interested in learning a little more about our projects and how our money was spent for these projects. 

     The first project was to assist in building a Retreat Center in Rio Dulce, which is a community about 5 hours to the north of Guatemala City and CCCG.  This center is needed to house the US Teams that come to work with CCCG as well as the teams from the church who travel every week to the Rio Dulce area to work with a number of villages there.  Every Friday, teams from the church leave and make the 5 hour drive to Rio Dulce.  There, they go to various villages and spend Friday nights on the concrete floor of the churches and schools of the villages.  Then on Saturday morning, they rise very early, feed the kids of the village a big breakfast, then conduct classes in Bible, hygiene, leadership, English and sometimes computer.  When US teams are there, they assist the church with these Saturday morning activities.   The church puts the US teams up in hotels, while they sleep on the floor in the villages.  Here is a picture of us helping with the feeding program during our Saturday morning in the villages.



     The church is building the Retreat Center so that all the teams will have a place to stay that is more economical than staying in hotels.  It will also house a pastor who will live there full time and oversee all the villages in the area.  The Retreat Center will be used for a training facility for the church, as they work with local pastors of villages.  It will also house children from all over the country for various overnight camps put on by the church.

     PTCUMC provided $5000 towards the building of this facility.  In addition, our team provided some of the labor for completing rebar and construction of a fence.  Here are some pictures of the Retreat Center as it looks today.  We look forward to showing you the finished project!

   





     Our second project was to deliver baby chicks and solar lights to families in three villages.  It was a privilege for us to visit these families and give them these items.  The people were very happy to have them.  We were able to add this project of giving away chicks and solar lights because of your  Faith Promise funds.  Thank you PTCUMC for your generous outpouring during our recent GIC which made this possible!








Karin DeGroot





Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Central Night Shelter - March 2014

by Karen Stephens

We are humbled and reminded that nothing is random in God's kingdom.  Everything that happens fits into a pattern for good, to those who love Him. Our congregation at PTCUMC demonstrated the "good" by being examples of unconditional love, compassion and trust as we served seven continuous days and nights at the Central Night Shelter last month.  You shined the light of Christ to those living in darkness and the power of Jesus' transforming grace.

With over 200 individuals, over 10 small groups and bible studies, as well as our confirmation class participating, it is currently the largest church-wide regional missions outreach ministry we have.  Do know that we could not have done it without each and everyone of you.  Guests at the shelter could not of been welcomed with His marvelous light of hope, mercy and peace as they find refuse from a life on the streets without your participation.  Rave reviews were received from the over 600 plus delicious meals served,  500 plus sack lunches provided and heartfelt testimonies of those who witnessed their faith as men shared their life stories and concerns.


We were blessed during our Maundy Thursday service to hear the testimony of Sandy Starkey about her time volunteering with this ministry.

-        ­­Hello, My Name is Sandy Starkey and I am just one of the many volunteers from the Central Night Shelter.

I am not a public speaker but I would like to share with you part of my experience from my visit to the shelter on Saturday, March 29th

I will read to you my story.

-         I am a mother of 3 teenagers and it’s not often we can ALL agree on what to do on a Saturday Night, but as soon as I told the kids that I had signed us up to Serve at the shelter again and they ALL Said YES!!  So I Knew we were off to a Great start

-        When we arrived that night things got very busy -getting everything ready to service dinner and taking care of the
-         TO GO MEALS for the next day.

- We said a prayer before dinner and then the men started eating.
- They were so Happy with the - ALL American Meal -Garden Salad, Beef Hotdogs, Green Beans, and Mac & Cheese.
Followed up by a crowed favorite Ice Cream Sundae’s
-        I was walking around and noticed one of the Gentlemen sitting of to the side and not eating. I went over and asked
-         If I could fix him a plate.
He told me” I don’t eat until everyone else has had plenty to eat.”
- I reassured him that we had plenty for everyone.
He gave in and said,”Ok you can make a plate and put it into the refrigerator and I will eat later”.
-        I made his meal and placed it into the refrigerator.
-         
Before we left I walked over to him and placed my hand on his shoulder and told him that
“His meal was in the refrigerator ready for him when He was ready to eat.”  
-        I told him also  “you are really looking out for your friends” and
He looked into my eyes and said “I Love them and want to make sure they are taken care of”.
I looked around the room and then
With a BIG smile on my face I looked back at Him and said
 “O’ there is a LOT OF LOVE IN THIS ROOM and then he smiled and looked and me and said “Yes, There is”.
 - I feel very blessed to have witness the love of Christ and see firsthand the good work that was being done by each and every person that took part in making that one night possible.



- LOVE - IS TRULY THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL!
  I can’t help but to think of that man as a
Shepherd that was keeping watch over his sheep.

I have also wondered did everyone else see that man that night or was that just meant for me?
Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity.


Saturday, April 19, 2014

Some Thoughts About our Trip


Sitting here in my spa massage chair getting my nails buffed and polished, feet scrubbed and the rest of me groomed so that I can be once again in uniform compliance for work, I am stuck reminiscing. Over the past week, not once did I mind getting dirty, being judged on how I looked, worry about what outfits looked best or not. There was a running joke on how I was overdressed on the flight going and coming, but this was just because I was on the jumpseat and I have certain requirements as to what I can and can't wear in my professional work environment. Vanity is something I have always dealt with and that unfortunately has still not changed though the extravagant ways I go about it most likely must. My spending habits definitely need to be modified as well. God has made a point to cut these habits drastically when I moved out of the city but I unfortunately still have my vices. I travel so much and thankfully because of my job I don't spend too much while I do so but I still have costs and I still "treat" myself more than I should.

How spoiled I am. How pampered I am. How blessed I am. How ungrateful I can be. I wouldn't last a week in one of the towns we visited. These people... These beautiful Mayan descendant people.... They live in houses with 300 square feet, dirt floors, no doors, no electricity, no plumbing, animals running in and out of the houses, and so many other things I could never imagine living in. They live like this, and yet, they still smile. They still make it through each day. They still move on and live their lives....

For me, this trip was about becoming my own person on my personal path with God. My parents are well loved members of the church and they are highly respected. I have always been known as Ariadne's mini-me. This, I have always taken as a huge compliment because I only pray that I can be similar to the amazing woman of God she is. That being said, my own identity was lost in translation. This trip was a way for me to show that though yes, I'm my mother's daughter, I am also God's Diana.

For the first time ever, I was able to lead worship. Many of you know that I have a music degree and that I used to sing classically and operatically quite actively throughout Georgia and some other national and international destinations throughout the world. That seems like a lifetime ago. God removed me from that music world and it has been a sore subject for me since then. This past year, God has brought me back to music, but only in a way that glorifies Him, and no longer myself. For the first time ever, my stage fright (which I have a severe case of and have always had) disappeared entirely and I was able to worship freely and boldly with the beautiful group of people I was with. God shattered my fears and showed me a way to use my talent while honoring Him in His most beautiful glory.

Coming back home, preparing to start my masters degree at Asbury Theological Seminary this fall, I have realized something: as long as what I do, I truly do for God, I will succeed. As long as what I do is truly lead by God, I will have success. Even in the battle, when the storms are raging on, as long as I grab His hand, I will make it. The moment I let my pride, my selfishness, my blindness lead, I will sink.... But as long as I grab Jesus's hand, which is always centimeters away from mine, just waiting to be grabbed, the waters will still and I will find peace.

There will always be poverty in the world. Though I'm not a true missionary who leaves everything familiar behind, I am God's messenger. I do not feel God pulling me out of my home to go live in a different country and spread His word... Yet.... But, I do feel God's pull to spread His word within my everyday life. To point out that though we might feel that we are on top of the world like the Mayan civilization once was, if we do not live life by God's will, we will soon be the tragic civilization they now live in.  We must be so careful not to live greedy extravagant lives. We must lead lives of example so that those who don't quite get it can look at us and say "what do they do differently?" We must spread God's love and spread His message. Everyone can and must be saved.

Doesn't our whole world thrive on stories of heroes? Don't you see that we have our very own? His name is Jesus! He saved the whole world yet only some see it. Let's open those eyes! Let's be God's champions! Let's spread His word and change the hearts of many so that we can prevent ourselves from being a fallen land. Change is in the wind. Where do you plan to be when it blows?

2 Peter 2:4-6
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (tartarus) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly.

Acts 3:19-21

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

Diana Crane