Care Baskets

Thank you to all the teens who came today to help create care baskets and help personally delivery them. Thank you to the families who brought food and goods to put into the care baskets. And a special thanks to Roberta Burgess for helping drive the teens so that we could personally deliver the care baskets. Just want those members and family of members experiencing recent medical issues to know that we love and care about them and are praying for their recovery and healing.

City of Children

I was really impressed with our speaker this morning - Jeff Fincher, the new director of the City of Children. City of Children is a Christian orphanage located in Ensenada, Mexico. Our church has a long history supporting the City of Children. It was great to hear about the great work that is going on down there. We have been wanting to plan a visit to the City of Children for quite some time and with the Fincher's visit, it's time to set the wheels in motion. We are going to make a visit to the City of Children in the future. Since it is necessary to get a passport for travel across the border as of June 1st, the elders are trying to encourage all teens to get a passport. If you purchase a passport card, we will reimburse you for the cost through the teen fund. In other words, we will pay for you to get a passport! You can find the link to get a passport card HERE: http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html

You can check out the City of Children's website here: http://www.cityofchildren.com/COCsite/home.html

And you can check out the Fincher's blog (hooray for blogs!) here: http://jeffandnatasha.com/

A Day Without Shoes

TOMS SHOES is an amazing company with a simple idea: For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good.

This Thursday TOMS SHOES is encouraging you to raise awareness by going barefoot on the way to the water cooler, walking to the mailbox, in an afternoon meeting or on your lunch break; go barefoot for the entire day or long enough to raise awareness. For more information on this great business visit: http://www.tomsshoes.com/

Why shoes?
Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or just getting around, these children are at risk.
Walking is often the primary mode of transportation in developing countries. Children can walk for miles to get food, water, shelter and medical help. Wearing shoes literally enables them to walk distances that aren't possible barefoot.
Wearing shoes prevents feet from getting cuts and sores on unsafe roads and from contaminated soil. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected. The leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted parasites which penetrate the skin through open sores. Wearing shoes can prevent this and the risk of amputation.
Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.
There is one simple solution...SHOES.
Four of the planet's six billion people live in conditions inconceivable to many. Lets take a step towards a better tomorrow.

Fact #1: In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to food, clean water and to seek medical help.
Fact #2: Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
Fact #3: Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
Fact #4: In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
Fact #5: Podoconiosis is 100% preventable by wearing

More Prayer Requests

We've got some family needs to lay before our heavenly Father this week.....

- Please continue to remember Kyle Whiting in your prayers. He's out of ICU but is still in the hospital at Loma Linda. He's having trouble keeping food down, is fighting nausea, and has a blockage somewhere in his bowels. There's a possiblity that he might have another surgery because of these problems. Pray for healing...

- Please pray for Flint Myers and the Myers family. Flint will have surgery tomorrow at Redlands Community Hospital for colon cancer. Pray for a successful surgery and quick healing. Pray for strength for his family and for Davina...

- Please pray for Cora Stowe who suffered a stroke last week and is also in Loma Linda University Medical Center. Cora is one of those people who beautifully lives the gospel - let's pray she recovers and heals and can continue to be an amazing example for all of us.