September 8, 2017
An eNote from Nancy
Many of you know I am a native Floridian. My heart is there right now, love for my family and friends there, love for the friends and colleagues who serve in the Florida Annual Conference and will undoubtedly, like our brothers and sisters in Houston and the Caribbean, have a long road of recovery and rebuilding ahead. My friend, the Rev. Vance Rains, writes as his blog title, Hoping for the best. Prepared for the worst. Praying, no matter what happens.
This past Tuesday all the clergy of the Blue Ridge district gathered for an annual meeting with our District Superintendent, the Rev. Beth Crissman. She noted how grateful she was for the presence of UMCOR in these places, across the Atlantic in Sierra Leone, and many more disaster locations, as they are often one of the first ones on site, and many times one of the last to leave quietly after years of service.
If you have felt the tug of the Holy Spirit asking you to consider what more you might offer in these instances…if you have ever thought you have the time, energy, and grit to be an UMCOR Volunteer in Mission through their Disaster Relief programs, there is a training the end of this month that you might be interested in attending. And I feel confident that Trinity could offer financial support to anyone interested in receiving this training. If you’re curious about this, check it out through this link for the Disaster Response Academy. I will also have a few flyers printed out and available on Sunday in the UMCOR baskets.
And may we remember that prayer is always our first line of response. Remember Paul’s words to the Romans that we have just read recently in worship (12:12-13): Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Peace and love to you ~
Nancy+