November 2009: Growing Gardens of Flowers
November 2009 Bulletin Insert Format [PDF]Noviembre 2009 en español
…they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom as the vine…Hosea 14:7b
Participants in the Global Ministries Child Sponsorship Program toured sites in Israel/Palestine in early September, meeting sponsored children and visiting mission partners and historic locations. Eight trip participants joined four members of the national UCC and Global Ministries staff on this journey to Israel/Palestine. A key feature of the journey was a day visit to Rawdat El Zuhur (Garden of Flowers) School where some of the group met and interacted with their sponsored child. The school is a long-time partner of the UCC’s Child Sponsorship Program. It was established in 1952 as a school for destitute girls and currently serves 233 children.
“Many of the more than 1000 sponsors in the Child Sponsorship Program dream that one day they will meet their sponsored children,” says Linda Lawrence, Program Manager. “Some of our group made this dream a reality by traveling to far away lands to meet one of the 1200 children that has called them ‘auntie, uncle or dear friend’ in letters and drawings.”
Lawrence stressed the impact of these encounters – sponsored children become bona fide people in the sponsor’s life because a relationship that started with helping to provide financial support becomes a lifetime connection and bond.
Global Ministries Middle East and Europe executive, Peter Makari, led the group to many biblical sites and introduce them to the work of mission partners and mission personnel. “Everyone got a sense of the context and engaged with Global Ministries’ mission partners, as well as others – Jews, Christians and Muslims – in the land often called holy,” he said.
We pray today for the children of Rawdat El Zuhur, and for their US sponsors sending them love and support.
Child sponsorship costs just $25 or $30 per month. There are 15 sponsoring sites to choose from. Information can be found on http://globalministries.org/get-involved/child-sponsorship/
If you would like to read the daily blog of the photo journalist, Gregg Brekke go to:http://community.ucc.org/gregg/blog