Emmanuel Episcopal Church of LaGrange

Global Outreach

News From Sudan

Bishop Joseph Atem and Deacon Abraham Awan of the Diocese of Renk, Sudan visited on November 9, 2008. A reception was held for Bishop Joseph following the 10:00 a.m. service, during which Bishop Joseph detailed how Emmanuel’s fundraising efforts were assisting our companion parish, St. John, in Melut, Sudan. The Bishop explained that funds sent from last year’s Evening for Sudan were used for engineering services in an attempt to drill a well for clean water. Although a well is not feasible in Melut, Bishop Joseph has negotiated with government officials in the Southern Sudan government to bring clean water to Melut, which will be stored in a water tank purchased with the funds we raised in the 2007 event. With this year’s Evening for Sudan proceeds, the medical clinic will be built. The clinic will be named Emmanuel Medical Clinic. A delegation, including Bishop Jeffrey, and film crew from the Diocese of Chicago will travel to the Diocese of Renk in 2009, and document the progress of this project

Conformation Class Mission Trip News

Breakfast Thanks. Our Confirmation Class served breakfast in connection with the Annual meeting in January, as a fundraiser. That morning, our students raised more than $1,200 toward Mission Trip expenses. (Special thanks to Theresa Mikuls for being our Chair on this project -- she made the entire thing work, with her usual hard work and good spirit.) Since that January breakfast, we have received additional donations from parishioners. This project may have hit a nerve at Emmanuel, and we are hopeful that this year’s trip marks the start of a new tradition. Thanks to everyone for your donations, prayers, and support.

Work Assignments. We have heard back from Sowing Seeds of Hope, our ministry contact in Perry County, Alabama, with our work assignments. We will be painting and doing some repair work on a house in Marion, Alabama (the County Seat of Perry County). We’re looking forward to making a contribution, and making some friends, as we work.

As an aside, our class helped serve dinner at a food pantry in Chicago on February 10. The dinner was part of a weekly ministry project at All Saints Episcopal Church in Ravenswood-- just west of Uptown -- and we helped bag groceries and get a hot meal on the table for more than 100 people. Our team worked hard, and worked well together. Many thanks to Penny Longo and David Stanford for getting us set up with this opportunity -- it was another great class experience.)

School Supplies. When we travel to Alabama, we intend to bring school supplies for students in Marion. We intend to take new packages of pens and pencils, new packages of loose-leaf paper, and new spiral notebooks. These school supplies ought to land just in time to refresh the cabinets at school in Marion, to get through the last of the year. If anyone would like to help us collect these materials, please bring your donations to Emmanuel, and leave in the box in the narthex on or before March 15. We will be sure that all these materials get there so that they can be put to good use.

This Mission Trip continues to be a blessing for our class. We think that it will be great fun, and very memorable. There may even be a teaching/learning moment along the way. Again, we cannot thank the entire parish enough, for all of your support.

We will report on our adventures after we return.

Tom Doyle, Penny Longo, Mike McCrohan and Theresa Mikuls


	© 2008, Emanuel Episcopal Church