The countdown is on!  As this is published it is three months and change to June 16^th -- the day our team of youth and adults leave for a week-long mission trip to Poynette, WI. 

While there we will again serve Jackie, a single mother, and her daughters who live in Beaver Dam some 40 minutes from Poynette.  Daughter Jesse is the young teen who has fought cancer since the age of three.  Last year doctors amputated part of one of her legs to give her a better chance at recovery from this destructive disease and she completed a round of chemo.  Jackie and girls were extremely thankful for the work we did, but we plan to go back to complete our work.

 

The Work and the Worship

We anticipate that we will be siding the home and doing additional repairs.  There is the possibility that we will also roof the home or build a garage (we tore down the old garage last year).  Members of the host church, the Poynette-Inch UMC, will also be scanning the area for additional work for our team.

 

On Sunday, June 17^th we will join the church at their worship service.  Pastor Sharon Smith will be retiring at the end of the month and we will celebrate her leadership of their church and connection with our ministry. 

Fund Raising 

Members of our youth group have been raising money throughout the year to fund their trip.  If a youth has not participated in any of the events so f ar, there will be several more opportunities to participate in order to qualify for support.   This includes at a Second Time Around Rummage Sale April 14^th at the church and they will provide child-sitting services at the church nursery for parents to enjoy an evening out sometime in the spring.

As well, youth can opt to raise the $125 donation to the mission on their own.  They can do this by sending out letters to relatives; they can ask friends and neighbors to support their trip and more.  All of them will want to earn some money to pay for tickets when the group visits the Wisconsin Dells as the end of the mission week. 

 

 

If You Can’t Join Us, Support Us

If you can’t come with us, there are many ways you can support us.  We can always use snacks, as the team requires “fuel” to provide energy for the work we do.  Speaking of fuel, we use multiple vehicles to take our team to WI and to the worksite.  Several of them will be towing a trailer with tools.  You can help by providing a donation for gas for the vehicles.  Another way you can donate is to provide bottled water or funds for a student to enjoy the Dells or meals on the road.  Or, you may want to brainstorm a special donation that reflects your faith walk and your personality. 

To donate, or to g et more information about the trip contact Julie Crowl at church or at jcrowl@mac.com or 906-370-7145.  You can also contact Mike Moore at mdaisy@up.net or 906-369-1952.

 

Schedule

Only four days into the new year and already we are busy building -- relationships!  The Amazing Grace Praise Band generally resumes its schedule for singing at our area nursing homes in September. Because of conflicting schedules we had to reschedule many times or even cancel this past fall.  But now it seems we are on track.  Here is our January schedule:

Sunday, the 8th, Portage Pointe at 3 p.m.

Saturday, the 14th, Houghton County Medical Care Facility at 2 p.m.

Sunday, the 15th, Bayside Village: leave Julie's house at 1:30 and sing at 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, the 21st, Cypress Manor at 3 p.m.

Sundays throughout the month at six p.m.:  Youth Group at Grace UMC in Houghton for students seventh through 12th grades.  Join Mike M. and me as we prepare for the mission fundraiser  Valentine's Dinner scheduled for Saturday, Feb 11th.  We'll also learn Christian Clowning, study Francis Chan's Crazy Love and more.  

Resolutions

This is a time of year folks like you and me make resoulutions on how we will change our lives for the better.  How about a resolution that has impact on you as an individual and your community.  Be it far from me to insist, but our Lord and Savior Jesus provided us with exactly the model for a resolution that will do just that.  It is:

"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matt 22:37-39).

Take some time, consider it. Consider joining us in making this a priority resolution.  Think about mission in your community or in the world.

Prayer Concerns

• Mother of Beth H. for medical care;
• Karl S. for appropriate medical care and healing;
• Scott B. for appropriate medical and restored health;
• For Kerri for peace and restoration;
• For Sue for peace an restoration;
• For Charles for restored health;
• For Pete N. for continued healing and restored health;
• Joy J and family as they grieve the lost of Jack;
• For peace in our world.

 

 

For much of the U.S. today it is Black Friday, but the members of the band are still giving thanks for so many things in 2011.  These include:

-- Our successful mission trip to Poynette, WI and the wonderful students and adults who were part of this great experience.

-- The wonderful mission teams we hosted here in the Keweenaw.  They work was greatly appreciated by the home owners and by the AGMK team.  They built an addition onto a home in Copper City, helped a seasoned citizen by removing worn carpeting from her home, continuing work on the Fifth Street Project, renovating a home inside and out for a single mom and woman who desperately needed the home refinement.  Last, but not least the staining of a log cabin for a senior couple.  All the groups worked willingly and hard.  We felt so graced by all of them and their work.

-- The opportunity to sing and raise money with other musicians to benefit the Saints Martha and Mary Conference of St. Vincent DePaul in the CLK area.  The monies went to help area residents with their heat bill.  

-- The opportunity to sing and praise and speak about the Lord in many churches.  What a gift.

-- But most of all for the relationship we maintain and those we have created in the last year.  It is all about relationship.  We know that Christ is presesnt in each of our relationships and we give thanks for his presence.

So if you're shopping today, have fun.  If you are home, enjoy family and friends.  But continue Thanks-giving. 

 

Bandmom

 

Welcome to our new Blog Post site.. We are in the midst of a wonderful mission season and are looking foreard already to a full 2012. Stay tuned here for more posts, pictures and thoughts about our mission, work and the relationships that grow as we work together. God bless you all real good.