Four adults and one 8-month-old made a difference at Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas on August 1-5, 2010.  The participants included:

• Alexys Maxwell – “This trip was a great opportunity to visit and learn more about the school our church supports. It was also very encouraging to see how hardworking and grateful the students are.”
• Taryn Maxwell – “The Mission Trip was a lot of fun. We had a great time serving fellow Chrsitians, growing in our relationships with each other, and in our personal relationships with God!”
• Micah Sims – “Ah, bah, bah, bah, bah!”
• Sandra Sims – “We worked in the hot sun pouring cement. More importantly, the time we spent with some great people helped cement our partnership with Lydia Patterson Institute.”
• Troy Sims

After making it to El Paso  on Sunday, the group was treated to authentic, homemade pork tacos and Mexican snow cones by the Iracheta Family.  YUMMY!

Monday was the first day of work that included the tasks of:

• Leveling and preparing an area for concrete;
• Fixing, sanding, and varnishing a cabinet in a classroom to be used for storing CPR training equipment!

That evening, we went out to eat with our friends in El Paso, Cecil & Martha O’Hagan at the State Line B-B-Q.

Tuesday found us mixing and pouring 18 sacks of concrete and installing doors on the cabinet from Monday.  Then we did some sight seeing in Old Mesilla, New Mexico and eating at La Posta Restaurant – great Mexican Food.

Wednesday, we mixed and poured an additional 35 bags of concrete, installed hardware on the cabinet (finishing that project), and replaced mini-blinds!  Then, Lydia Patterson staff treated us to another authentic Mexican Food Restaurant.

Fourteen  from three local churches joined forces on Saturday, July 24, 2010 to build a 33′ ramp to make it easier for an elderly couple in Iowa Park to get in and out of their home.

Three were from Archer City FUMC (Rev. Rick Davis,  Karen Aulds, and Leon Groves), one from Floral Heights UMC (Don Beeks), and one was the director of the Texas Ramp Project (John Laine).  The nine from FUMC were:

• Alan Ballard
• Will Barkdale
• John Bradshaw
• Kevin Folmar
• Troy Sims
• Tammy & Gary Sparks
• Brandon Vaughn
• Dawn Yadlosky

We met at FUMC at 8:00am and were at the home by 8:40am.  We were finished about 12:40pm!  It took a great team effort to make this happen!

THANK YOU to all involved!

Click here for more pictures:

Check out all the fun from Galactic Blast VBS – A Cosmic Adventure Praising God!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Today, we focused on how God is AWESOME in wanting to be in relationship with us – ALL of us – and wants us to be in relationship with others, too! The primary Bible passage was Luke 24:13-32, the story of the two disciples who encounter Jesus on the road to Emmaus and realize who he is when they share a meal with him.

Would you believe that this week, there were 155 different children (age 4 – grade 5) participated in VBS, and they gave an offering of over $273 to further the Imagine No Malaria campaign to get rid of malaria on the continent of Africa by 2015? Also, they brought about 1 1/2 pick-up beds worth of aluminum cans and numerous ink jet cartridges and cell phones for recycling!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Today, we focused on how God is MAGNIFICENT in helping us and encouraging us to help others! The primary Bible passage was Luke 18:35-43, the story of Jesus giving sight back to a blind beggar.

Would you believe that today alone, the children gave an offering of over $47 to further the Imagine No Malaria campaign?

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Today, we focused on how God is AMAZING in knowing us and wanting us to be all we can be – who God created us to be!! The primary Bible passage was John 4:1-42, the story of Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well.

Also, would you believe that so far this week, the VBS kids have raised OVER $173 for the Imagine No Malaria campaign? In addition,they have brought almost a truck bed load of aluminum cans to benefit the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank, not to mention some cell phones and ink jet cartridges for recycling! Also, today, the 4th & 5th grade group packed 120 boxes of food at the Food Bank for the less fortunate in our community!”

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Today, we focused on how God is INCREDIBLE in always being with us – even in silence! Key verses were 1 Kings 19:4-18, the story of Elijah finding God in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in the silence.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Today, we focused on how God is a WONDERFUL CREATOR! Key verses were Genesis 1:1-2:4, the first creation story in the Bible, and Psalm 24:1!

Special thanks go to Mendie Brauner, Tonja Denson, Kim English, Pam Featherston, Hannah Pellikan, Sarah Pellikan, and Kayla Vaughn for helping to decorate hallways in the church to get us ready for VBS, coming July 12-16.

If you see one of these volunteers, please tell them, “THANK YOU!”

Tonja Denson & Kayla Vaughn decorating a Hallway in the Undercroft!

Mendie Brauner & Pam Featherston making a measurement for hall decorations on the 2nd Floor!

Kim English preparing paper to go on the wall of the 2nd floor hallway!

Kayla Vaughn & Hannah Pellikan really got into their work of painting with flourescent paint. They got it all over themselves!

The first Show Me More high-energy Bible Study was held Wednesday, June 16, 2010 using the Kidmo Video Series, I Am.  This first session looked at the story of Moses and the Burning Bush (Exodus 3-4) to help kids learn about God being loving.

After the study and snack portion, the kids went to the FUMC Park to play a water game!

Special thanks go to these adults for making it happen:  Kim & Matt English, Joey & Cameron Deal, and Crystal Sullivan!

See a few pictures of this great event here:

June 9, 2010 marked a first for the North Texas Annual Conference as, in addition to the normal business of the conference, a mission work day was held to help members of the conference (including our Bishop, District Superintendents, and Extended Cabinet) practice what we preach.  FUMC folk participated in all of the projects:

• Cooking Breakfast (Connie Rosenburg & Erica Conner)
• Painting the Riverside Cemetery Fence (Erica Conner, Rev. Pellikan, and children of Adventures in Mission (AIM-1))
• Texas Ramp Project 1 (Rev. Sims)
• Texas Ramp Project 2 (Alan Ballard & former Youth Pastor, Dana Coker)
• Texas Ramp Project 3 (Elizabeth Yeager)
• Imagine No Malaria Car Wash (Youth of FUMC)
  In fact Jeff Ginn and our youth spearheaded this event that raised over $300 to help eradicate malaria on the continent of Africa by 2015)

Check out pictures below: