Peace Notes Winter 2018-19-Word of Peace Lutheran Church

Faith in Action
Christmas Care Program
Westhaven Children’s Home is an orphanage
just outside Montego Bay,
Jamaica that houses 80+ children and
young adults with varying degrees of
disabilities. It is one of the sites supported
by Mission Jamaica, and those
who have gone on these mission trips
have a special place in their hearts for
these children. We have learned their
names, fed them, clothed them and
played with them. The love and welcome
that these children generously
extend to us is truly a moving experience,
and now it is our turn to give
back.
This year, Word of Peace will be
launching a new ministry we are calling
Christmas Care. The items collected
through this program will support
the mission of Westhaven Children’s
Home and the care provided for the
girls and boys who live there. Simple
donations such as batteries, wash
cloths and toothbrushes help to augment
the orphanage’s very limited
budget and meet immediate needs.
The Christmas Care program replaces
Word of Peace’s involvement with Operation
Christmas Child so that we can
focus solely on this ministry need.
While questions have been raised
about Operation Christmas Child’s
practices, the new Christmas Care program
continues in Word of Peace’s
tradition to support a global cause at
Christmas time. And this is a natural fit
for our church! We already have an
existing relationship with Westhaven
and we can be assured that the items
we are collecting are meeting real
needs and do not come with any
strings attached. Because members of
our church have interacted with these
children face-to-face, we know exactly
how our giving will be utilized and
on the years that Word of Peace travels
to Jamaica, we will be able to bring
these Christmas Care packages ourselves.
Please pick up a Christmas Care shopping
bag in the Gathering Area and fill
it with items on the provided shopping
list. Return the filled bag to church by
December 10. Questions? Contact Pastor
Tyler at tstrom@wordofpeace.org.
CROSS CORNER
On Serve Sunday in October, we reached out to Operation
Gratitude with letters to members of our nation’s
military, both home and abroad. We colored
pages for senior citizens and people who were in
need of a smile. We decorated bags for Open Arms,
an organization that cooks and delivers free, nutritious
meals to people living with life-threatening
illnesses in the Twin Cities. 26 volunteers went to
CROSS Services to sort clothing, clean and restock
the food shelves, and put Kidpacks together for
Dayton Elementary School
Many people worked hard in God’s name to help
others on this day of service. It was fulfilling and fun
for everyone! We are already planning for our next
Serve Sunday, January 20, 2019. We hope you will
join us!
10
George visits Helen every
day. After spending most of
their lives together and
raising their family, he can’t
imagine a day without her.
When George comes to
CROSS for his groceries, sometimes there are fresh flowers
donated by a local retailer. Buying flowers is beyond
George’s means, so the flowers at CROSS allow him to
occasionally bring a bouquet to his wife. During his visits
with Helen, George noticed that the woman in the room
across the hall never has visitors. So now, when he goes
to CROSS, George picks up two bouquets. One for his
beloved Helen, and another for the woman across the
hall.
CROSS relies on the generous donations and volunteer
efforts of individuals and organizations in the community
to provide essential services to those in need. With the
holiday season upon us, there is an increased need for
donations. Please check the weekly worship bulletin for
needed items, and bring your donations to the CROSS
Corner in the Gathering Area. If you would like to volunteer,
please visit crossservices.org.