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Missionary Partnership
The Missions Ministry Team and the elders entered into a missionary partnership with Casey & Teri Hancock and their children in Huehuetoca, Mexico.
Here's the latest update from the Hancocks as of April 12, 2010:
We had a wonderful Easter week and are enjoying being at home after a BIG spring break for the 2 older kids. We took advantage of the opportunity to get out of the city and went to a nearby state called Vera Cruz and stayed with the family of Cornelio the caretaker of the school where Elizabeth and Corbin attend. He and his wife Lola grew up in Vera Cruz in a little town called Sarabia which until last week (and maybe they are still working on it) didn't have a paved road to get to it. It was really cool to see how Cornelios’ extended family works together to survive and thrive. They share a common kitchen and dining room which is made of wooden poles and a palm thatched roof. They cook on stove which has been loaded with wood to burn and that provides the heat - an open flame. Can you imagine?
They have little need for heat or insulation because they live just above sea level and are in a tropical climate. At night they put wooden gates up in front of the doorways to the kitchen to keep the animals out. The houses with bedrooms and a living room are situated around the main kitchen. They have a common bathroom which works, but you have to manually pour the water into the toilet to flush. Their source of water from the town's water tower must be boiled it cooled to be able to drink it. They also have a shower room next to the toilet room but you have to carry in your own water in a 5 gallon bucket. In order to wash (I didn't write shower - that would be a stretch) you dip out water in an extra large cereal bowl and pour it over yourself. It's warm water from being boiled over the fire, but it's not like our traditional shower would be.
Libby learned how to make traditional Mexican HANDMADE tortillas over an open fire with a "comal" which I think we would call a griddle in English. She made quite an impression on our new friends. Teri and I think she will enjoy wilderness camp in the US when we return for furlough in a couple of years.
Corbin's bedtime prayer while we were in Vera Cruz speaks volumes about the differences in our backgrounds and socio-economic station. He prayed, "God, thank you that we have stuff. You've given us stuff and we have it and we can share it."
We visited Papantla, Sarabia, and the capital city also named Vera Cruz while we were away. We were able to see interesting sites like the town center and the courthouse. The town square had beautiful murals tracing their ancient Totonaca heritage. It is great to learn about other aspects of the Mexican culture especially as it relates more directly with close friends of ours from Elizabeth and Corbin's school.
We shared a Hancock family tradition of our own with our friends from the Huehuetoca English club. This week we colored Easter eggs and practiced our colors in English. We had a full house as we learned English together and compared the difference in plain white eggs and the colored eggs. We learned that Jesus illuminates our lives and fills them with color in much the same way that the dye gives the ordinary simple white egg a vibrant glowing color. We had 2 new children and 2 new adults in English clubs this past week who had never been before. Praise God for the opportunity to reach out to new people and tell them about new life in Jesus.
In closing we want to thank you for your prayers and your care for us while we are away from you physically. We also would like for you to be reassured that we are praying for you.
With love and hope,
Casey and Teri Hancock
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Short-Term Mission Trips
The Missions Ministry is taking the Gospel across barriers of distance, culture and language to save souls and establish churches.
"I had no idea there were actually people in our world really living in garbage dumps. They had nothing at all, yet they showed the TRUE definition of love. It was such an eye opener for someone like me who has always had more than I need."
Caroline Owens
Mexico Mission Trip
Haiti Response
1. Hands on help - A ministry called a Child's Hope International packs meal kits from their location in Blue Ash, OH to be sent to the people of Haiti. They need volunteers to help pack these meal kits. To volunteer go to www.achildshopeintl.org/Haiti.html and register.
2. Financial donations - Anyone who feels compelled to contribute can give through WCCC. Make any check out to WCCC and put Haiti Relief in the memo line. All monies received will be split between two trustworthy organizations helping with the relief effort - Haiti Outreach Ministries and I.D.E.S. (International Disaster Emergency Services). Haiti Outreach Ministries is led by three alumni from Cincinnati Christian University and several newer members of WCCC have been on mission trips with the organization. I.D.E.S. is affiliated with Christian Churches/Churches of Christ and ministers around the world.
3. Future mission trip opportunities - in partnership with some other local churches, WCCC members will have future opportunities to go to Haiti and help rebuild that impoverished country. These opportunities will be published as we become aware of them.
4. Pray. Intercede specifically for the people of Haiti and those who are engaged in ministering to those affected by this disaster.
Needs
• The Missions Team is looking for someone to be the Short-Term Missions Trip Coordinator.
• Short-Term Trip Leaders are needed as well.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact James Hansee.
Funding Missions
The Missions Ministry funds outreach programs and missionaries that spread the Word of God to people throughout the world, both foreign and local.
Learn more about the amazing work that is being done to win the lost for Christ.
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