Reaching Out

This is a congregation with a heart for service. We regularly support a number of local organizations, as well as the ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) around the world.

Mission Trip Dispatch: Thursday

 Posted by Rev. Lee Hull Moses on July 22, 2010
Jul 222010
 

This week, an inter-generational team from FCC is in the Dominican Republic working at Orphanage Outreach. Here is today’s update:

Today was the final day of morning camp and we were greeted with cheers as we arrived.  The kids were so excited today that it was a challenge just to get them to sit still.  We all got lots of hugs when it was time to say goodbye and the children asked for our handwritten name tags as a keepsake.

Then this afternoon we went to a nearby batey, which is a camp for transient Haitian workers who are brought in to harvest sugar cane by the sugar companies.  This was our real eye opener for the week.  Extreme poverty, squalid conditions, and children who have absolutely nothing.

They were thrilled to be given something as simple as a piece of chalk to keep. We spent the afternoon reading to them, coloring with them, playing ball with them, blowing bubbles with them and just holding them.  They are literally starving for attention; some appear better cared for than others, but there is definitely evidence of malnourishment.  And the Haitian girls love to braid hair – as Alison, Jennifer and Hannah found out!

Tomorrow we will get to visit the orphanage at Monti Christi, which was the first one established by Orphanage Outreach and the one April has worked at in the past.  And we also get some beach time!

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Mission Trip Dispatch: Wednesday

 Posted by Rev. Lee Hull Moses on July 22, 2010
Jul 222010
 

This week, an inter-generational team from FCC is in the Dominican Republic working at Orphanage Outreach. Here is today’s update:

Last night we watched a moving film about the DR concerning the reign of Trujillo and the Maribel sisters.  We had a couple of Tarantula sightings, April had a rat join her in the shower, and April, Jane and Jennifer’s tent leaked – other than that, fairly uneventful. Rain continued on and off through the night but the morning dawned bright and clear.  At breakfast we learned that a RN in the Arizona group had noticed an infant at the Batey on Monday that did not look well, so she and her husband along with Orphanage Outreach staff are in route there this morning to take it to a clinic.  Our group did 2 camps, adding a new church in the afternoon.

Conditions were cramped and hot, but the kids were so glad to see us and so full of enthusiasm that we left more inspired than tired.  Tonight is movie night with the boys.

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Mission Trip Dispatch: Tuesday

 Posted by Rev. Lee Hull Moses on July 20, 2010
Jul 202010
 

This week, an inter-generational team from FCC is in the Dominican Republic working at Orphanage Outreach. Here is today’s update:

Following a breakfast of French toast and fresh fruit, we set out for the church in Jaibon for Day 2 of Bible Camp, where we acted out Daniel in the Lion’s Den, starring Sam as Daniel, Alison as King Darius, Hannah as the evil governor, and all the kids as the lions.  Marci and Rheagan taught the parts of the body in English, Holly and Annah helped with crafts and April and Jane organized games.

Teaching English

The food is really phenomenal here – we would all gain weight if we stayed for long.  It is Dominican Republic home cooking, everything fresh and seasoned with herbs chopped by hand.  Lunch was followed by heavy rain, which continued through the afternoon and washed out our planned trip to a Batey, which is a transient camp located in close proximity to farms and fields.  Instead we stayed and hung out with the boys.  Tonight we get a Dominican Republic history lesson.

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Mission Trip Dispatch: Monday

 Posted by Rev. Lee Hull Moses on July 19, 2010
Jul 192010
 

This week, an inter-generational team from FCC is in the Dominican Republic working at Orphanage Outreach. Here is today’s update:

We are tired tonight!  Hot day with no afternoon rain, so we will be able to sort and deliver donations tonight.  We did our first camp today for about 40 kids at a Church in Jaibon.

Ready for camp to start

The group grew in size throughout the morning as word spread through the community.  We are told to expect 20% growth in attendance per day.

Working on a project with new friends

This afternoon our group weeded and mowed, started construction on a planter, and did activities with the boys here at the orphanage.  Tonight after devotions is game night with the boys.  The good news is no tarantula sightings since Saturday night!

One last note: After dinner, we were treated to quite a view of a full rainbow.

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Mission Trip Updates

 Posted by Rev. Lee Hull Moses on July 19, 2010
Jul 192010
 

This week, a group from FCC is on mission trip to the Dominican Republic. As they are able, they are sending updates about their work, which will be posted here.

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Mission Trip Dispatch: Sunday

 Posted by Rev. Lee Hull Moses on July 19, 2010
Jul 192010
 

Last Saturday morning, an inter-generational team of 12 church members and friends left Greensboro for the Dominican Republic, where they will spend this week working at Orphanage Outreach. They hope to send us daily updates, which will be posted here as they are received. Here is their update from Sunday, July 18:

Today was mostly a prep day – another church from AZ arrived late last night.  We had a worship service and orientation this morning.  I am impressed with the mission and values of the organization. The Orphanage Director is very committed – he and his family are from Colorado.  The agency director is also here this week – he is from AZ and attends the church that got here last night.  This afternoon we got to play with the boys that live here, took a tour of the property, but mostly spent time working on Bible camp prep for tomorrow through Thursday. 

Preparing for Bible School

Our group from FCC, along with 2 sisters that came on their own from PA and another young lady who came from Wyoming, will team with 8 interns and will do acamp at 2 locations in the community – one morning and one afternoon.  We will staff 4 stations – Bible lesson, English lesson (colors and numbers), arts and crafts, and recreation.  Four groups will rotate among the stations; Jennifer, Leeann, Carly andRiley will be group leaders.  Also one of the afternoons we will spend working with the boys here at the orphanage and another will be spent working on building raised beds to grow herbs.  We were going to sort the donations everyone brought tonight, but will postpone that due to the rain.

We can attend nightly devotions with the boys a little later, then will rest up for a busy week.  More tomorrow!

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July 31 Summer of Service

 Posted by Alison on July 16, 2010
Jul 162010
 

Our next Summer of Service day is on July 31.  It will begin at 9:00 A.M. and end at 12:00 P.M. with refreshments.  We will be clearing trails at Kopper Top, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding and animal-assisted therapy for individuals with disabilities.  (Because Kopper Top is located at a farm, we will have to drive about 25 minutes to get there, so we should not expect to be finished early, like we were on the July 10 Summer of Service day.)  We will also be building a greenhouse at the Community Garden and cooking for members of our congregation.  Kids will paint artwork to hang in patients’ rooms at Beacon Place.  We hope you will join us for this opportunity!  You may sign up in the narthex or by e-mailing Alison Simon at outreach@fccgreensboro.org.

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Summer of Service 2010

 Posted by Alison on July 10, 2010
Jul 102010
 

We have two more Summer of Service days coming up!  They are July 31 and August 14.  Sign up in the narthex or e-mail Alison Simon at outreach@fccgreensboro.org to join us on those days!

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Summer of Service 2010

 Posted by Alison on July 10, 2010
Jul 102010
 

Our first Summer of Service day is over!  We had a lot of fun!  If you missed it, here is a short recap of what we did.

We had 22 participants, who succeeded in shopping for and putting together 30 hygiene kits for Church World Service to deliver after a disaster.  We also cooked 5 meals of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, fresh vegetables, and oatmeal cookies to be given to members of our congregation and picked a lot of vegetables.  The kids made 30 packages to give to the men at the servant center and walked to a mark on West Market St, picking up trash along the way.

There are paper flowers in the narthex.  Everyone who completes service hours this summer should pick one  up, write down your name and the number of hours you have done and post it on the bulletin board.  So far this summer our congregation has reported over 300 hours of service!  Keep it up!

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Hygiene Kits

 Posted by Tracy on March 16, 2010
Mar 162010
 

The Outreach Committee continues to compile kits to assist with earthquake relief in Haiti, Chile, and other places around the world. If you would like to help, here is a list of supplies that go into each kit:

  • One hand towel measuring approximately 16″ x 28″ (no fingertip or bath towels)
  • One washcloth
  • One wide-tooth comb
  • One nail clipper
  • One bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
  • One toothbrush (in original packaging)
  • Six standard size Band-Aids®

Supplies can be brought to the church office and labeled “Hygiene kits”.

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