No. 16 Vol. 1
www.mypaperonline.com
January 2018
From Haiti To Peru, Local Church Missionaries Touch The World
T
By Elsie Walker his month, 14 congregation members of Trinity United Methodist Church in Hackettstown prepared to go on a trip. However, the purpose was not to escape the cold weather and bask out in the sun. Their destination was not some glamourous resort. They were travelling to Haiti, which their pastor, the Rev. Dr. Frank Fowler describes as “the poorest country in the western hemisphere.” What the travelers packed in their suitcases wasn’t the usual travel fare either. Items included basic rudimentary medical supplies, vitamins, and school supplies. They were also taking two wheelchairs as well. These are needed by those they’d be visiting. The Trinity United Methodist Church reaches out internationally to help children not only in Haiti, but also in Peru and the Dominican Republic, too. The church has supported these needs financially and through mission trips. Trinity United Methodist Church’s ministry to Haiti has gone on for more than 30 years; Fowler shared that he has gone to Haiti 20 times. In some cases, those who go on the mission trip provide one of the most basic needs: hugs. They visit Mother Theresa’s orphanage. There, about 150 sick children greatly outnumber the nuns caring for them. The children yearn to be
held. This is where volunteers like those from Trinity UMC come into play. While visiting the orphanage, they play with the children, hold them, change diapers, etc. “It is a simple, but profound thing,” said Fowler. On their mission trips to Haiti, Trinity UMC mission teams also visit a variety of other locations within the country: the Light of Peace Ministry’s orphanage and school, Grace Children’s Hospital, and Methibosheth House. Mission team members sleep at the Light of Peace school and spend time with the 60 children there. Fowler noted that Trinity UMC has watched the growth of Light and Peace, which is now seeing a dream come true. At age 18, children age out of the orphanage, but because of lack of family support and lack of a trade, don’t fare well. The dream was to provide a halfway help facility for them. Past mission team members had shared that with the Trinity UMC congregation and they shared that need with others. The result was that someone outside the congregation donated the funds to make the dream a reality. Another location, Grace Children’s Hospital, is a tuberculous and general hospital, which also treats adults. Medical supplies brought to Haiti go to this cause. Finally, Methibosheth House is a home and school for severely disabled children.
About 35 children are there. The facility’s name comes from the Bible, an Old Testament figure who was crippled as a child. It is for this location that Trinity UMC’s group was bringing wheelchairs. In all, Fowler valued the supplies going to Haiti on this year mission’s trip to be more than $10,000. In addition, the church is giving $50,000 in cash support to the Haiti missions. Of the 14 people going on the Trinity mission trip, Fowler shared that six were high school or college women. “We’re very pleased young people continued on page 2
WE CAN COME TO YOUR HOME OR OFFICE! WE CAN SET-UP, PROTECT OR REPAIR YOUR DEVICES WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO LEAVE YOUR HOME OR OFFICE!
908.691.9100
“Your Neighborhood Tech Team!”
120 DAY WARRANTY ALL REPAIRS
WE REPAIR • iPads • iPhones • Androids • Tablets • Computers
1885 Route 57 • Hackettstown, NJ LIFELINEREPAIRS.COM