“Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” –Matthew 22:37-40 (CSB)
Dear Friends,
Who are our neighbors? Those who live near us? What about those who live far away? Those of different cultures? Languages? People we have never met? How do we show love to those living in communities, suffering from poverty, violence, weariness, hopelessness? I look at the ravished world and can feel overwhelmed. There is so much need. How do I make a difference? With so much brokenness, so many deserving people, where can one even start? The thought is overwhelming.
Then I am reminded of something my work mentor once told: “There was a man who walked along beach for hours each day looking for washed up starfish. When he saw one, he would pick it up and throw it into the ocean. Starfish after starfish, hour after hour, the man would bend down and rescue a starfish. Another man, watching him, asked him why he spent so much time throwing starfish into the ocean. ‘There are so many thousands of starfish that wash up and die. What you are doing doesn’t matter.’ The man kept walking, eyes on the beach. He silently bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean. Looking up, he simply replied, ‘It mattered to that starfish.'”
I am so excited about Epiphany’s international outreach, supporting children’s care and education in South Sudan and Haiti, joining our communities together. Our church is supporting amazing international programs, and there is so much more we can still do.
Hope and Resurrection School in South Sudan
In South Sudan, Epiphany supports the Hope and Resurrection School in Atiaba, South Sudan. This school is also committed to advancing education for girls and changing perceptions of the roles and value of women. In Hope and Resurrection School, girls and boys learn side-by-side. The school is championing girls’ access to math and science and works tirelessly to end child marriage. The school now has dormitories for the girls to stay on campus, providing their safety in this conflict-torn country and enabling them to attend school without walking hours each day.
Epiphany is paying the tuition of Hellena, enabling her to have an education in both academics and her worth as child of God. She was in her final year of secondary school when South Sudan closed its schools for Covid. South Sudan’s schools are still closed from Covid. Five girls from the school have been sent into marriage. We are blessed that Hellena’s parents have not and plan to continue her education.
Here is video of a reflection on the poem, “Our Deepest Fear” dedicated to Nelson Mandela. Hope and Resurrection school teaches students to be advocates for peace and reconciliation.
Promise for Haiti
Epiphany supports Promise For Haiti, which feds and educates about 1600 children in nine rural schools in the Pignon area. This mission
also runs the fourth largest hospital in Haiti and dug 2500 wells to provide access to clean water.
The schools provide an education to children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend school. Epiphany is providing education and food for two primary school students — Adelin Saint Fleur, aged 5 years old, and, Dieulin
Saintilma, aged 6 years old. They both go to Meredith Christian School in Terre Blanche.
We are blessed that Haiti has reopened schools and both boys have resumed getting their education. Although Haiti tore down the original school building to build a highway, Promise for Haiti successfully purchased the adjacent property and is almost finished building the new schoolhouse.
With the pandemic missions have been shutting down, and Promise for Haiti has less than half the donations it needs to keep all programs running for next year. Of the $264,000 needed, Promise for Haiti only has $130,000 as of August.
The mission provided a soundless video that shows the wide range of essential services it provides. There are also materials that the mission sent to Epiphany.
International Outreach at Epiphany
If you would like more information on either mission, please feel free to contact me at wendyliana76@yahoo.com. Information also is located at the following sites: http://www.hopeforhumanityinc.org and https://www.promiseforhaiti.org. You can also join us at our Outreach Ministry Meeting following worship this Sunday at 11:30 AM on ZOOM!
Thank you for your faithful pledging and donations that allow Epiphany to make a difference for these children. If you feel called to financially support Epiphany’s sponsorship of these students or to help Epiphany provide education and support to an additional student at either location, please mail your donation to Epiphany and earmark it for the mission that calls to you. In 2020 figures, it costs $900 a year to fully fund a South Sudanese secondary student and $370 for a Haitian primary school student.
Prayer: O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, al nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer, page 815
Peace & Love,
Wendy Morency
Outreach Ministry Member
**********
* Come online to our Stronger Together Reconnection Chat tomorrow night(Thursday, Oct 8) anytime between 8:30 – 9:30 PM. ALL are welcome!
* Join us online or in-person this Sunday at 10 AM for worship! If you would like to attend in-person worship, please make your reservation here. We will again welcome Rev. Matthew Dumont-Machowski as he presides over worship for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost.
* Also on Sunday, join us at our Outreach Ministry Meeting following worship at 11:30 AM on ZOOM.
* As always, Epiphany’s vestry and staff are here to support you in any way we can. Please contact Susan Buckner, Senior Warden at: srwarden@epiphanyec.org