Dr. Gerald Greene, long-time member of our Board of Directors, received the
prestigious Rotary International “Service Above Self Award” in a
ceremony in Garden City on March 29. In addition to serving as Treasurer for
MAM, Dr. Greene is also on the Board of Directors for Western Kansas Community
Foundation, SDSI, Inc., and has been active in Habitat for Humanity. He is a
past Rotary District Governor and past president of Garden City Rotary Club.
Dr. Greene’s life and work follow Christ’s call to serve others
and exemplify servant leadership at its finest.
We were delighted to host Dr. Jeremy Roderick for a family practice rotation
in Garden City clinic during March. Dr. Roderick graduated from the College
of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City University School of Medicine and Biosciences.
He was a delightful addition to our staff.
We had a great time March 4 with youth and adults from Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church in Wichita. They helped with a tag sale, cleaned flowerbeds, sacked beans, rice, and flour, and sorted clothing. It’s always a joy to have youth involved in our ministry.
Peanut
butter, peanut butter! Thanks to all who collected peanut butter for MAM! Our
Food Banks are nicely stocked – at least for a couple of weeks. Special
thanks go to Pastor Keith Fink and Sublette United Methodist Church. Pastor
Keith challenged members of the congregation to donate 180 jars. They donated
185 jars – and he fed them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches following
the worship service on March 6.
Did you know that 300,000 Kansans can't afford enough food to feed their families?
And that many of these families are the “working poor?” Please encourage
your congregation to collect and bring canned food for the food drive at the
2006 Kansas West Annual Conference in Salina. The food that is donated plays
an important role in the ability of both United Methodist Mexican-American Ministries
and United Methodist Urban Ministries to feed needy families.
We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at Annual Conference. Please
drop by our booth for a visit and update on the many ways you are “in
ministry” with MAM.
Grace and peace,
Penney Schwab
As we start lent and recall Jesus’ lonely forty days in
the desert, let us not forget our own lonely neighbor. This last week had been
an especially busy one for me and I had been trying to help all who came through
the door with as much efficiency as possible. In my (hurried) efficiency I almost
let Jesus walk through my office on his lonely trek through the desert.
Mr. Lewis came in my office needing to use the phone to call the local Social
Security Office regarding his monthly check. He had recently moved and had not
received his check for the last two months. He had to make several return visits
over the span of the week so our visits just amounted to making phone calls
and assisting with utilities and food. The last day he came in I was still very
busy, and thought we had “taken care of” all of his pressing needs.
As he asked to speak to me for more that the 5 extra minutes I had available,
he had a very solemn look on his face.
He came into my office and pulled out a tattered picture of two small boys with
big dark eyes. He explained that he was all alone now in his old age. His wife
had divorced him and taken their two children in the early 80’s. He recounted
how they had both worked and even owned a home while raising the two boys. But
he had made some terrible choices. Drinking led to gambling and infidelity.
His wife had tried to make it work but finally tired of his ways.
He didn’t realize what he had lost then… a home, a wife, two wonderful
boys. He had heard that they were both successful with college degrees and even
had one of their phone numbers. Remorseful tears streamed down his face as he
asked me to call one of the boys.
As you can guess the man on the other line was refused to speak to him and was
totally unwilling to renew ANY type of relationship. While I could understand
the son’s pain, I could not help but feel sorry for the father. I tried
to shield the gentleman from the conversation I was having. He was already in
enough pain. I had to share the news gently. His son had his information and
would call him. He sat for a bit longer and shared more tears and remorse. Hopefully
this situation will someday be resolved.
Only God can make that happen. God is great and anything (with him) is possible.
This is certainly the season for sacrifice, remorse and forgiveness. Let us
take the time to appreciate what we have now. Please pray for all of those who
are lonely and hurt but most of all sorry for their pasts. And may the Lord
give them peace if a resolution is not possible.
Yours in Christ
Consuelo Sandoval
Community Developer, Garden City
Once again the Care Center will be celebrating our 5 de Mayo fundraiser at
the FUMC in Dodge City. This is a very important event for the Care Center.
The money we raise helps us throughout the year to give our most needy families
food, assistance with a utility bill and even fill a prescription that they
could not afford. Manuela’s family is one of many families whom we were
able to assist through our fundraiser. She felt guilty spending money on herself
to fill a prescription that she so desperately needed. How could she think of
herself when her children had no food? Through our 5 de Mayo funds, we paid
for her prescription and gave her food. This makes it worth all of the hard
work we put in to it. Our volunteers are wonderful and we could not do this
without them! Feliz 5 de Mayo! Gracias!
Elva Dominquez
Community Developer, Dodge City
Lent is a time of prayer and renewal; a time to refocus on our relationship
with God.
Please continue to pray for us and the needs in our community. I want to share
with all of you an experience we had in our office last month.
I am sure you read or heard about the automobile accident that happened on February
22, 2006. A small pickup truck carrying 19 illegal Mexican immigrants crashed
on Highway 54 near Liberal killing three of the immigrants. One member of our
Advisory Board (he works at the Spanish Radio station) received a call requesting
help for these people. He contacted Arturo Ponce, the coordinator of the HIV/AIDS
Prevention Program and me asking us how MAM could help. We went to visit the
victims of the accident. We wanted to comfort them and get information so that
we could contact their families. It was so very, very difficult for us when
we had to inform each of the victim’s families of the terrible, terrible
tragedy of injury or death in a foreign country.
The community response was wonderful when the needs of the victims were spread
on the radio station. The Mexican Consulate in Kansas City was also very helpful.
Finally the 3 bodies were sent to Mexico for the funerals.
Believe me, I feel so sad for my fellow countrymen. It is so very hard to leave
your family, children, homeland, and friends to come to the United States to
find a job to support your family; to come to different country, with a different
language in search of the American Dream.
Some of the 19 victims told Arturo and I about their trip. They crossed the
border and walked through the desert for 4 days, with little water to drink.
They had only enough food for one meal a day, no place for modesty to use the
restroom, and the constant fear of being spotted and picked up by the Border
Patrol. For all these people and their families their dreams of a better life
ended when they had that accident.
When we see this kind of information on the news we only think.” poor
people”, but when we have personal contact with them, God touches our
hearts! Please continue pray for the needs of our community and especially for
those families who lost their sons, parents, and husbands.
God Bless You,
Dora Ponce
Community Developer, Liberal
Greetings from Jose:
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry
and feed thee or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger
and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or
in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly,
I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, You did
it to me.’ Matthew 25:37-40
Recently there was a fire in Ulysses. Several families were affected by the
fire. One day while the United Methodist Women were preparing for their luncheon
meeting, a mother and daughter asked them for directions to our offices. The
nine or ten year old girl was wrapped in a blanket because she had lost her
coat and jacket in the fire. The UMW directed them to our office and we were
able to give them clothing and coats from our Clothes Closet. We were also able
to help them with food from our Food Bank.
Thank you to all who donate clothing and food to Mexican American Ministries.
Because of your generosity and continued support we are able to help our brothers
and sisters in Jesus’ name.
Jose Olivas
Community Developer, Ulysses, Satanta & Johnson
It is often hard to do the right thing. We hear someone express an opinion
that really isn’t one but is a statement of racial or ethnic prejudice.
Do we always react in the way our God wishes us to? We decide that our pastor
isn’t preaching the kinds of sermons we think he should. So we withhold
a portion of our pledge. We see a group of young people walking down the street
in the early evening and immediately assume the youngsters are gang members.
We don’t give to the missions of our church because sometimes those missions
help people who are just lazy. Many of us gave our lives to Christ many years
ago but it is the recognition that we must give our lives to Christ not once
in a huge and extravagant gesture, but in small ways every day of our lives.
Miriam Kessler is a writer and poet who writes on subjects of religion and theology.
I read this poem of hers several years ago; I keep it taped to my computer to
remind me that we must give ourselves to God every day, to do what is right
and not be afraid. I think it is so appropriate to this Easter season.
My God, My God, he cried,
If he is quoted right…
Somehow that moan is comforting
To us, alone at night,
Who tremble, daring dawn,
That He, so wise and strong,
Should weep and ask for aid.
Somehow, my loving, distant God,
It makes me less afraid.
—Miriam Kessler
Mia S. Korbelik
Director of Development